âUm... the money...â
Seeing Muen keep holding the newspaper without saying a word, the little brat edged closer uneasily. He even deliberately blocked the mouth of the alley, as if he were afraid Muen might suddenly make off with the paper and âvanish into the horizon.â
âYou think Iâd buy one lousy newspaper and not pay for it?â Muen rolled his eyes.
âNo, no, of course not. Even though some rotten bastards really do buy papers and try not to pay, how could I possibly think that of a customer like you? I was just worried about you...â
The little brat scratched his cheek, looking completely sincere. âYour face doesnât look so good... Did you catch a chill sleeping outside? I know an underground doctorâreally skilled, fair prices, honest with young and old alike. As long as youâve got money, he can treat any kind of patient...â
âEnough, enough. Iâm fine. If I followed you to some blackhearted underground clinic like that, Iâm afraid the steel kidneys I worked so hard to train would get harvested.â
Muen pulled out some money. âHere.â
âHow could that happen? Sure, that guyâs pretty shady, but at most heâd just knock you out and secretly draw a little blood to sell. He wouldnât dare go as far as taking kidneys...â
The little brat muttered as he looked down at the bill Muen had taken out, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
Because it was another highest-denomination note!
His luck was incredible. Two days in a row, he had run into this kind of sucker who spent that much on a single newspaperâno, wait... rich guy!
If only more rich guys like this would show up!
âThank you, sir, thank you, sir! Wishing you good health and all the best!â
The little brat took the bill and bowed over and over in excitement. With this money, heâd reach his goal ahead ofâ
âYou can skip the bowing.â
Muen held out a hand. âMy change.â
âHuh?â
The little brat froze. âCh... change?â
âWhat else? Donât tell me people buy newspapers from you and never ask for change.â Muen gave him a strange look. âHow have you not been beaten to death running your business like that?â
âNo... I do give change, of course I do, itâs just that nobody ever uses bills this big...â
The little brat stared at the note in his hand. The number printed on it was unbearably tempting. He had been selling papers for so long, and only that big brother yesterdayâthe one who looked a lot like the âsuper bad guyâ in the paperâhad been that generous.
So when this guy today slapped down another huge bill, he had assumed heâd be just as generous.
Who knew...
âDonât go thinking youâll run into suckers all the time.â
Muen gazed gloomily up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle and muttered under his breath,
âAfter suffering the Kingdomâs cold discrimination and vicious slander, Iâm no longer the kind, innocent man I once was...â
The current him had leveled up, grown stronger, become cold. He was now a merciless killer...
...
âFirst, sort out the current situation. Then dig those Salvation Society bastards out and kill them all.â
Muen made up his mind.
Even though he knew killing them all probably wasnât realistic.
After all, in his current state, he couldnât even get past the Witch of Repentance, much less complete that lunatic loliâs task of killing the Holy Lord of Salvation, Gaius.
Butâ
whether he could beat them and whether he could stop the Salvation Societyâs scheme were two different things.
A real killer used his brain.
âA little obstacle like that isnât enough to stop me.â
Muen flicked the small stack of worn bills the little brat had dug out from some godforsaken corner, then walked into an underground tavern and casually tossed the money onto the table.
âOne glass of your strongest Fulgi liquor.â
âSorry.â
The drowsy bartender only lifted his eyelids halfway.
âSpecial circumstances. The cityâs under a liquor ban now. Respectable establishments like ours only sell nonalcoholic drinks. Would you like orange juice? The money youâve got there happens to be just enough for one glass.â
âNinety-eight for orange juice? Thatâs outright robbery.â
âFresh hand-squeezed. Natural, green, and pollution-free. Take it or leave it.â
The bartender yawned, clearly not interested in dealing with this raggedly dressed Slavic woman in front of him.
âI see...â
Muen tapped his fingers and smiled.
âIf you wonât sell it to me, then Iâll just drink the one someone else has already prepared for me.â
âPrepared for you? Hah. No one hereâs going to treat some outsider Slavic womanââ
The bartender sneered disdainfully, about to throw this annoying person out, but under the dim light, once he got a better look at that deep-featured face, he suddenly seemed to think of something, and his expression changed at once.
âNo one would prepare a drink for an outsider Slavic woman... except...â
Muen leaned closer and lowered his voice.
âBehemoth.â
âS-sorry!â
The bartenderâs attitude did a complete one-eighty on the spot. He was trembling all over from sheer panic. âI was blind. Y-your drink is in the back already! Itâs prepared! Please, come with me!â
âThank you.â
Muen politely tipped his hat, then quickly rattled off a list of demands.
âI want hot water for bathing, food, a detailed map of this city, the garrison locations of the Kingdom Royal Guard, and... every Church chapel in this city. The sooner the better.â
âYes, sir!â
The bartenderâs voice shook. âIâll prepare everything for you right away!â
...
Half an hour later, when Muen arrived in the room prepared especially for him after taking a quick wash and cleaning himself up a little, he found Tyron already waiting there in person.
âY-youâre all right? I thought you...â
The moment he saw Muen, Tyron shot to his feet to greet him. They had only been apart for one night, but he looked more anxious than anyone.
If not for the fact that man and man should keep a proper distance, he probably would have rushed over with tears in his eyes and given Muen a loving bear hug right then and there.
Of course, this wasnât because he had truly developed any deep feelings for Muen. It was because he had only just swallowed up Raskinâs territory and manpower, and was currently at the critical stage of digesting it all with his own internal situation still unstable. Naturally, no one needed the Dark Emperorâs support more than he did right now.
âWhat could happen to me?â
Muen sat down on the sofa, casually picked up the wineglass and glanced at it, then said to the bartender beside him, âI donât drink. Bring me a glass of orange juice instead. Rememberânatural, green, pollution-free, hand-squeezed.â
âYes, sir!â
Sweating, the bartender hurried out. His legs even shook a few times on the way out the door.
âThat piece of trash who failed to show you proper respect, I think...â
Tyron narrowed his eyes at the bartenderâs retreating back, killing intent slowly rising from him.
âTyron.â
Muen laced his fingers together and looked at him expressionlessly.
âIâm not some tyrant.â
âYes, sir! Understood!â
Tyron first snapped to attention, then rubbed his hands together and sidled over ingratiatingly. âMy lord truly is merciful. If it were me, that guy would already †NĐŸvĐ”â ight †(Read more on our source) be poured into a concrete pillar and sunk in the river. But I suppose that kind of mercy is exactly why a great man like you is destined for great things.â
âStop flattering me. With that vicious face of yours, honestly, smiling like that is kind of disgusting.â Muen rolled his eyes.
âDisgusting? How could Iâ Iâve always treated you with the utmost respect. More respect than anyoneââ
âEnough. Back away from me before you talk.â
Muen really could not handle this manâs transformation from the Behemoth of Bosis to the Bosis Husky. He kicked him away with one foot before finally spreading out the extremely detailed map of the royal capital and asking,
âBack to the point. What did you mean when you said you thought something had happened to me?â
âN-nothing much.â
Tyron rubbed his rear end and bared his teeth. âI was just afraid the Church had gotten you. To be honest, before I came here, I was even thinking about how to gather men and break into the Church to rescue you.â
âIf you had the ability and guts to storm the Church and snatch someone back, you wouldnât be wagging your tail at me right now.â
âMy lord, what are you saying? My loyalty to you is foreverââ
âShut up. I told you to talk about the important part.â
Muen pressed a hand to his forehead. âWhy would you think the Church had captured me?â
âWell...â
Tyron drew himself in, finally turning a little more serious.
âItâs because the brothers I left nearby in advance sent word... The cemetery you went to earlier has already been completely sealed off by the Church!â