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Chapter 215

Upon hearing the word ‘fugitive’, Ortehaga looked behind himself as if he were asking for help.

A single Drakan that filled the huge passageway stepped forward and sighed as he locked eyes with Ortehaga. “Please forgive the child, as promised.”

It was Ortehaga’s father, the Dragon Emperor Agryptus. His eyes were tightly closed and he had a sad expression, as if he were ashamed of his son’s ugly behavior.

Kim Jin-Woo nodded quietly, as he knew that if he were to be sarcastic as per his temperament, he would incur the resentment of a powerful Duke from the Deep Floors.

“A promise is a promise, after all,” he finally said after some time. Upon hearing those words, the Dragon Emperor opened his eyes in gratitude. Kim Jin-Woo remarked toward Ortehaga, “However, you seem to be in better shape than I heard.”

“The curse that ate away at his body and mind has been suppressed for a while. After all, he can’t be carried on a stretcher to meet his master, can he? I hope you won’t hurt this child’s pride any further,” Agryptus said.

The truth was that Ortehaga had no more pride left in him to be damaged, but Kim Jin-Woo decided not to point that fact out and potentially further provoke the Dragon Emperor.

“Okay. But…” Kim Jin-Woo began as he stared at Ortehaga.

Perhaps Ortehaga felt the gaze falling onto him, as the Drakan shuddered and trembled once more. Upon seeing that pathetic look, the Dragon Emperor sighed, and Kim Jin-Woo smirked.

“Do you not have a mouth? Or has your tongue rotted away from the curse?” Kim Jin-Woo asked. He didn’t like Ortehaga’s attitude of avoiding all responsibility, especially while hiding behind the Dragon Emperor’s back. Thus, he gestured to the Dragon Emperor to stop intervening, and urged Ortehaga to speak. “The deal with the Dragon Emperor is already over. He offered a price, and I agreed to accept it. But the rest is up to you, isn’t it? Or do you want your father to come forward and speak for you again?”

Ortehaga’s whole body trembled upon seeing Kim Jin-Woo’s gaze growing more and more bitter.

“The being I agreed to forgive was a coward, not a pampered brat. You are Ortehaga. If you have even an ounce of pride left in you, you will speak for yourself and end this matter,” Kim Jin-Woo said coldly.

Ortehaga looked at his father once more, but this time, the Dragon Emperor didn’t step forward in his place. He had simply given up on his son, and stared sternly at him.

“P-Please forgive me. I have no idea what I was thinking back then,” Ortehaga stuttered apologetically.

Despite that, Kim Jin-Woo’s anger still didn’t let up, and his ferocious gaze didn’t soften.

“I’ll devote the rest of my life to you to make up for my lack of loyalty back then.” Ortehaga looked up again and spoke. “Please forgive me. I’ll never repeat the same mistake again.”

Kim Jin-Woo responded after a long pause. “You once said that your words carried no lies.”

Ortehaga quickly nodded. “My body has rotten and my soul has been torn apart from this terrible curse. I swear that there is no more terrible suffering in the world than this curse.”

Ortehaga’s words implied he would run away again if an even more terrible pain befell him, but to him, it must have sounded like a desperate declaration of his will.

Kim Jin-Woo looked at Ortehaga with furrowed eyebrows for a long time before finally speaking again. “I’ll have to believe you.”

“T-Thank you.”

“Thanks, Undefeated Commander.”

Ortehaga bowed his head quickly to express his gratitude, and the Dragon Emperor too expressed his thanks, albeit with a disappointed look on his face.

However, for some reason, Kim Jin-Woo still had a stiff expression, as he spoke coldly. “But why are you still so upright?”

“W-What do you mean…?” Ortehaga stammered.

“You said it yourself, that you’d devote the rest of your life to me to prove your loyalty. And yet, how dare you raise your head toward me?!” Kim Jin-Woo shouted ferociously.

The startled Ortehaga fell to his knees. The Dragon Emperor looked away with a shameful expression, unable to look any further.

“Fine, glad to have you back.” Kim Jin-Woo looked at Ortehaga for a long time before finally turning his attention toward the Dragon Emperor. “Now, shall we calculate the price for taking your son back in?”

***

“Urgh, you’re a tough one. If you had been born on the same floor as me, my treasury would be in complete ruins,” Agryptus grumbled.

“I’m very much aware of how prosperous the Dukes are. So, don’t kick up a fuss over a few down gems,” Kim Jin-Woo retorted. After all, he had personally been involved in the construction work of expanding the Spider Duke’s warehouse when he was still a tunnel digger.

“Alright, now we’re left with the most important thing.” Kim Jin-Woo clapped his hands to call attention after watching the Naga Workers carry the boxes full of down gems and compensation handed over by Agryptus. He usually wouldn’t even blink an eye upon seeing huge amounts of down gems, but this time, he was looking forward to them for some reason.

The Dragon Emperor took out a large box from his possession and handed it over to Kim Jin-Woo.

“Looks bigger than I thought,” Kim Jin-Woo remarked. Contrary to his grumbling, he was grinning widely from ear to ear.

That was because the box the Dragon Emperor had handed over to him contained a precious treasure he hadn’t been able to find despite his desperate searches. It felt nice to be able to get such a precious treasure with such ease, thanks to a mere Drakan.

“Now that I’ve paid the price, all that remains is for you to keep your promise,” Agryptus said.

“Good, good. As promised, I’ll take good care of that rascal Ortehaga for you.” Kim Jin-Woo burst into laughter, unable to take his eyes off the box.

“Indeed.” With that short word, the Dragon Emperor turned around as if to leave at any moment. Suddenly, however, he paused and looked back at Kim Jin-Woo, asking, “Did you also buy the restored item from the Black Merchants?”

Kim Jin-Woo pondered for a moment about what the Dragon Emperor meant, before belatedly realizing the true meaning behind his question and stammering as he replied.

He had purposely met the Dragon Emperor far from the borders of the Grand Labyrinth, but it seemed he had been unable to deceive the eyes of the mighty Duke. As such, he replied, “Ah, well, yes.”

“The price must have been huge; you’re quite something. Even the Deep Floor Counts are struggling to pay off the cost, as they’re emptying out their treasuries.”

It seemed like casual talk, but Kim Jin-Woo was certain that the Dragon Emperor was aware of what was going on on the 11th Floor. Thus, he had a wary expression without even realizing it.

Knowing the movements of the Deep Floor Counts meant that the Dragon Emperor knew exactly what they were aiming for, which unsettled Kim Jin-Woo. However, the Counts must have hid their intentions well, as Agryptus didn’t seem to be wary of the Ancient Lords.

“I’m going to try and stop it somehow with the down gems you’ve provided me,” Kim Jin-Woo said.

The Dragon Emperor nodded, seemingly in agreement. “Since I’m indebted to you as well, I’ll give you a piece of advice.”

The Dragon Emperor’s gaze flashed fiercely toward the Grand Labyrinth in the distance, but he seemed more wary than necessary. He said, “Watch out for the Black Merchants. Also, don’t be deceived by the precious treasures they’ve planted across the Underworld.”

Upon hearing those unexpected words, Kim Jin-Woo’s heart dropped as he thought that the identities of Mimir and the Black Merchants might have been exposed. “What do you mean?” he asked, belatedly correcting his expression.

The Dragon Emperor replied, “The Black Merchants are just a farce, and having dealings with them will destroy you.”

Kim Jin-Woo wasn’t sure as to what extent the Dragon Emperor knew about the Black Merchants, but he could tell that Agryptus wasn’t treating them as a mere group of merchants. Feeling conflicted, he replied to the Dragon Emperor while hiding his true intentions and feigning a natural tone, “The things they sell have been indispensable to a new labyrinth master like me. If I hadn’t dealt with them, I wouldn’t have been able to grow to this extent.”

In response, the Dragon Emperor’s eyes lit up. It was uncomfortable to look at his incomprehensible gaze, but Kim Jin-Woo didn’t avert his eyes and looked back at Agryptus.

“It’s not unreasonable for you to think that way. But I warn you, they sell nothing but delusions and calamity, and you should be careful not to become like the Deep Floor Barons,” Agryptus said. It wasn’t mere wariness. The Dragon Emperor was obviously hostile to the Black Merchants.

The moment he realized that fact, Kim Jin-Woo had a suspicion that the Usurper might already know the identity of the Black Merchants.

“Soon, chaos will fall upon the Underworld. Keep your focus and don’t be shaken,” Agryptus concluded.

When Agryptus said his piece, Kim Jin-Woo’s suspicions were confirmed. The Usurper already knew the identity of the Black Merchants. In addition, the Deep Floor nobles, despite seeming to be moving of their own free will, were still under the influence of the Usurper.

“I can’t stop the disturbance alone, so I beg you, I hope you take my words to heart. When that time comes, even if you have my son in your arms, he will not prove to be your shield,” Agryptus warned Kim Jin-Woo.

If the previous warning was vague, this was as explicit and clear as they came. Agryptus hoped that his son wouldn’t get caught up in whatever was to come, and behind his wish was the deep smell of blood.

“What if… Just what if he gets caught up in the commotion?” Kim Jin-Woo asked.

Agryptus hesitated for a while, before finally replying, “I’ll do my best to protect your labyrinth. But if that doesn’t work, with life and death on the line, I’ll take away all the duty borne by my son.”

***

After Agryptus left, Kim Jin-Woo left Ortehaga in the Grand Labyrinth and went straight to the Black Merchants’ stronghold. When he tore apart the portal scroll Mimir had left behind, which he had held on to just in case, the Black Merchants’ auction house that he had seen many times appeared in front of his eyes.

“Milord?” As soon as the portal opened, Mimir ran up to him and asked about the reason for his visit.

“Things have gone awry.” Kim Jin-Woo spoke about his conversation with Agryptus and gave a warning to Mimir. “You, too, will have to defend yourself.”

“Sigh, looks like things are getting complicated.” Mimir’s answer was unusually calm and collected.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Kim Jin-Woo remarked.

“Well, I never expected my identity to be kept a secret forever.” Mimir continued his story, saying that perhaps the Usurper might have known his identity from the beginning. “Perhaps he left me alone because he wanted me to collect all the treasures from the Eternal Treasury. After all, he had to give them out to the Nobles because of his promises, but it’s clear he didn’t want to do so. And now that the Counts’ treasuries are empty due to purchasing the restored Grand Labyrinths, he must have thought that the time was right.”

Despite being in a crisis, and even in a situation where the terrible opponent called the Usurper had Mimir in his sights, he was surprisingly calm and resolute, which Kim Jin-Woo couldn’t help but have a little admiration for.

In the worst case scenario, Kim Jin-Woo had been ready to sever ties with Mimir, but after seeing Mimir’s carefree appearance, he decided against it. Sitting on a chair that Mimir had prepared beforehand, Kim Jin-Woo spoke with a look of interest. “Looks like something is up.”

As the saying went, a fox would never dig a single burrow.[1] And to Kim Jin-Woo, Mimir was several times more clever and cunning than a fox. Thinking that Mimir must have seen this coming, he asked how he had done so.

“Did you know? There’s nothing that stays eternal in the Underworld.” Mimir groaned and the corners of his lips twisted, his crystal-clear eyes glimmering as he spoke. “Even a giant megalith will be eroded and chipped away by the wind over time, so do you think loyalty will last forever?”

1. This is some kind of variation on the common phrase ‘never put all your eggs in one basket’. ☜