Chapter 294

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 294

A short man wearing a pressed-down hood grumbled.

“They sure know how to make a big fuss out of a send-off ceremony. Humans, I swear—always drawn to pointless extravagance.”

“Thanks to that, everyone’s attention is on them. That works out well for us, doesn’t it?”

The tall man walking beside him chuckled as he replied.

One of them was so short that his head barely reached an adult’s chest, but his shoulders were broad and sturdy. The other man was a giant, standing at least two heads taller than most adults.

It was an odd pairing, to say the least.

The two men had just returned from watching the Mana Stone Mine expedition’s send-off ceremony.

They hadn’t gone out of their way to see it—it was merely a coincidence.

It just so happened that the day they arrived in the slums coincided with the expedition’s departure.

The tall man patted the short man on the shoulder as they walked.

“Still, we got a good show out of it. When else will we see something like that again?”

“Humph, just a bunch of pathetic humans putting on a spectacle.”

“And yet, it’s those same humans who built this civilization.”

“Bah! Give us the same materials, and we could build a city like this in no time.”

“I know, I know! With the skilled hands of the proud Dwarves, this kind of city would be child’s play.”

“Humph!”

The short man’s mood seemed to improve at the tall man’s words, and he let out a huff of satisfaction.

The short man wasn’t human—he was a Dwarf.

His name was Etley.

In his early forties, he wielded a massive war hammer as his weapon of choice.

The tall man’s name was Bucksher.

A friend of Etley’s, Bucksher had a rugged face and an abundance of fur that gave him a distinct appearance.

Etley and Bucksher kept their hoods pulled low as they walked through the slums.

Even without the hoods, it was unlikely anyone would recognize them, but they took precautions regardless.

They had too many sins to their name to be careless.

If anyone did recognize them, it would spell trouble.

Then, as if something suddenly came to mind, Etley spoke.

“I think I saw a familiar girl earlier.”

“A girl?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen her somewhere before, but I can’t quite place it.”

“What kind of girl are we talking about?”

“She was wearing a pointed hat. Her figure seemed... familiar.”

“Ha! There are plenty of girls who fit that description. Quit overthinking it and focus on what’s in front of us.”

At Bucksher’s rebuke, Etley grimaced. But knowing the other man had a point, he didn’t argue further.

They were outsiders—neither part of Neo Seoul nor the slums.

Even though the slums were open to everyone, it paid to be cautious.

Fortunately, the public’s attention was diverted to the Mana Stone Mine expedition, so no one was paying them much mind.

Thanks to that, they reached their destination without incident.

They stopped in front of a small pub tucked away in a secluded part of the slums.

The sign above the door displayed a crossed hammer and sword.

Knock, knock!

When they knocked, the door creaked open, and someone peeked out.

It was a woman with striking red hair and skin so pale it looked almost translucent.

She looked at the two men and asked.

“Yes?”

“What do you mean, ‘yes’? You called us here.”

“And how do I know that?”

“Damn it! Do you think this is our first time doing this? Do we have to go through this song and dance every time?”

Etley snapped in frustration.

“Just answer the question.”

“Damn it all... I’m Etley of Helbrin.”

Etley raised his wrist, showing off a bracelet.

The bracelet bore intricate engravings, with a black gemstone embedded at its center.

Beep!

The woman scanned the gemstone with a device, and Etley’s face and information appeared on the screen.

“It checks out. Now, the other one—identify yourself.”

“Bucksher of Helbrin.”

Bucksher also wore an identical bracelet, and when scanned, his details popped up.

After confirming their identities, the woman opened the door wide.

“I’m Romina from the Northern District.”

“Romina?”

“As you can see, I’m an Elf.”

Romina lifted her red hair slightly, revealing her pointed ears.

Seeing her true identity, Etley smirked.

“Always nice to see someone from the homeland.”

“Technically, it’s not my homeland. I was born here.”

“Don’t be so stiff. Same roots, anyway.”

“Enough with the small talk. Come inside already.”

“Heh.”

Grinning mischievously, Etley stepped into the pub, with Bucksher following behind.

Inside, Bucksher looked around.

The pub was extremely worn-down.

It wasn’t “vintage” in a charming way—it was so dilapidated that one would question if it even operated as a business.

In fact, there wasn’t a single customer in sight.

Romina gestured for them to sit and said.

“It’s a real pub. We just clear it out when there’s business to take care of.”

“So, the drinks are real, too?”

“Of course. Want some?”

“Why not? A cold beer sounds great.”

“As you wish.”

Romina smiled and poured beer from a keg, handing it to Etley.

Etley chugged it down in one go.

“Ahh, not bad. It’s no Kurayan brew, but it’ll do.”

“Funny how you talk like you’ve actually had Kurayan beer, considering you were born here.”

Romina refilled his glass, and Etley swirled it as he spoke.

“Just saying it gives me the vibe. Anyway, what’s the job this time?”

“There’s a job, obviously, or I wouldn’t have called you.”

“Yeah, yeah, but what’s the job about?”

Romina smirked slightly and replied.

“Why else would we call human hunters? To hunt humans.”

“What kind of humans?”

“That’s not your concern. We need people with no ties.”

“How many?”

“Around a hundred.”

“A hundred? Why not just snatch them from the slums? That’d be way easier.”

“I said no ties. Do I have to spell it out for you? No loose ends.”

“Got it. Clean and quiet.”

“Now you’re getting it.”

“A hundred, huh... I’ll talk to the boss, but it won’t be easy.”

“Why not?”

“Lately, it’s been hard to secure manpower.”

Romina frowned at his words, sensing an excuse.

“So the Helbrin mercenaries have fallen this far? Can’t even handle a hundred humans anymore?”

“Things have changed in the desert. The landscape isn’t what it used to be.”

“What are you talking about?”

“A colony called Iron Fortress popped up out of nowhere. The owner’s a former scavenger like us, but now that he’s got his own territory, he’s cracking down on others. We can’t operate anywhere near there anymore.”

Helbrin’s mercenaries were scavengers.

Their main trade was hunting humans in the desert, stripping them of their possessions, and selling them into slavery.

And the largest market for slaves? Neo Seoul—where Romina herself operated.

Romina’s voice grew sharp.

“Does that mean you can’t do it?”

“Not exactly...”

“Then what’s the issue?”

“Heh.”

Etley responded by mimicking the motion of counting money.

“Ugh! How much more do you want?”

“We want weapons. The ones Neo Seoul’s been developing.”

“No way. That’s too risky. If City Hall finds out, we’re dead.”

“Suit yourself. We’re not losing anything by walking away from this.”

Romina glared at Etley, who casually sipped his beer, unbothered.

After a tense moment, she slammed the table.

Bang!

“Fine. But make sure it’s clean. If there’s any fallout, you’re finished.”

“Don’t worry. This is what we’re good at.”

“You have ten days to bring all one hundred.”

“Sure thing.”

“I’ll take my leave, then.”

“We’ll finish our beer before we go.”

As Etley brought his foam-topped mug to his lips, Romina cast a glance at him before stepping out.

When they were alone, Bucksher spoke cautiously.

“Was it okay to decide without asking the boss?”

“The boss will thank me for it.”

“But where are we going to find a hundred slaves? The Iron Fortress has dried up the hunting grounds.”

Bucksher’s worry was evident.

Under normal circumstances, catching a hundred slaves wasn’t hard.

They had records of small villages in their territory they could raid. But with people migrating to the Iron Fortress, their prey had become scarce.

Etley dismissed the concern.

“If there’s no game, we’ll hunt here.”

“But she specifically said no ties—”

“Who in the slums has ties? If a hundred go missing, no one will notice.”

“Etley!”

“Quiet and drink your beer. You Lycanthropes are such cowards.”

Despite Etley’s flippant tone, Bucksher’s expression remained grim, which prompted Etley to click his tongue in annoyance.

“Tsk!”

* * *

After sending Brielle home, Zeon walked the streets alone.

“Beastmen and Dwarves, huh...”

Zeon didn’t take Brielle’s words lightly.

She had a sharp eye and an excellent memory.

If she said she recognized something, there was a good chance it was significant.

If the ones she saw resembled her captors, it was worth investigating.

That’s why Zeon now walked through the slums by himself.

The streets were still chaotic from the expedition’s departure.

Many onlookers who had gathered for the ceremony lingered.

Zeon didn’t expect to find the two Brielle mentioned easily, but life often worked in unpredictable ways.

He searched the area where they had disappeared, scouring every street, but he found no trace of them.

“Looks like they went indoors somewhere.”

Regrettably, it seemed today’s search would end in vain.

If they were indeed connected to Brielle’s captors, they would show themselves sooner or later.

“This city never has a quiet day, does it?”

Just when Zeon thought he might finally enjoy some peace, trouble found him again.

Thud!

As he mused on this, someone bumped his shoulder.

Zeon apologized.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention—”

“Hmph! Watch where you’re going.”

The woman he bumped into snapped at him.

She had fiery red hair and a strikingly beautiful face, but her glare hinted at a foul mood.

After glaring at him briefly, she walked away.

Zeon turned to watch her retreating figure, not because of her anger but because something about her seemed familiar.

After wracking his brain, he finally remembered.

“Ah, that’s it! I saw her with Eli.”

When Damian had used the Spirit King’s Crown to lure the northern Elves, she had stood by the Spider Queen Eli’s side.

Although it seemed she didn’t recognize Zeon, he certainly recognized her.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]