At the end of the stairs, when I turn around the ‘ㄱ’ shaped corner, there is someone standing next to the iron gate.
He looks very nervous and doesn’t move at all.
‘Are you the gatekeeper?’
Ren was thinking of killing the gatekeeper and forcing open the iron door and entering, but then he put Chohon back in and placed it on the wall with the blood sword, then took out a fox mask and put it on.
“hmm?”
“I… , I received an invitation.”
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“Ah, that sculptor. “Take out the invitation.”
“here… … .”
An unconfident tone of voice that blurs the lines of speech. The gatekeeper smiled, perhaps finding it cute that Paul was even more nervous than himself. He tapped his shoulder, checked the invitation, and opened the door.
“If you go inside, you can’t come out?”
“No way. Don’t worry too much. “I invited you here because I like you.”
“okay. Then it seems that the Lord has great trust. “I see you protecting a place like this.”
“hahahahaha! of course! You’re quick-witted. “I will behave well inside.”
“hahahahaha, that’s too much praise. What are you doing inside anyway? “It’s my first time, so I think I need to be a little more careful.”
“It’s no big deal. “His Holiness has a hobby, so you can just hang out with it and come.”
The man who said that looks at Ren with a dark smile.
“hehehe, you will open your eyes to a new world. Know with glory.”
Ren almost frowned for a moment, but nodded. From the looks of it, it seemed like this gatekeeper had also experienced what was happening inside.
“So the only person inside is the Holy Father?”
“Well, apart from the toys, His Holiness will probably be the only one here today. “You said there were two invited guests, but one more will be arriving soon.”
“okay. But when you say it’s a toy, do you mean playing with it inside?”
“You’ll find out when you go. “I have so many questions.”
The gatekeeper seems to be getting tired of Ren’s questions and is getting irritated. Looking at him like that, Ren slowly raises his energy.
“It has to be that way.”
“hmm? “What are you talking about?”
The difference in realm is so great that Ren is not even aware of his survival.
‘It’s the same with the guy above, and they only have these guys as gatekeepers. ‘They are really just there to open and close the entrance.’
Ren’s hand stretched out like a thunderbolt and snatched the gatekeeper’s neck, sending brain energy inside.
“Kuhuhrrrttt!”
The gatekeeper, who trembled and rolled his eyes, died on the spot. Ren didn’t even feel any sympathy.
After taking off his mask, Ren took the first marriage and the blood sword and went inside, leaving the door open.
There are luminous stones here and there on the wall. Considering that each of these costs a few gold pieces, it’s really like putting money on the wall.
Since the interior is so large, the number of luminous stones is beyond imagination.
“this… … .”
I walked along the hallway, which led to a huge cavity.
Iron bars built everywhere and children gathered inside them.
‘How many people… … .’
Even if we do a rough count, the number is well over dozens. Considering the number of vagabonds, it is likely that children are not the only ones trapped here. Ren broke the lock on the iron cage that imprisoned the children.
Pakak!
Tuk.
The door to the cage was opened, but the children did not come out as they were watching Ren.
‘You’re on alert.’
What should I do? I had to go deal with the Pope. If time was delayed here, things could have gone wrong.
“What are you doing? I have to get out quickly! Are you here to save us? Yes?”
At that time, the girl who was locked in the iron cage next to him came close to the cage and asked Ren.
‘hmm… … ? ‘Who is that guy?’
When I first came to Bastian, it was a child I met in the village of vagabonds.
The guy who approached Ren first and begged for bread while others were watching.
‘I thought the other guys told you to do it, but did you take the initiative yourself?’
Their eyes are different from other children. Even in a situation where he was completely out of his mind due to fear, his eyes did not die alone.
People with eyes like that don’t give up easily. It just worked out well. That guy would be able to lead the kids well.
Ren put on the fox mask he had hidden in his arms over his mask and approached the girl.
“uh?”
The guy also looked surprised as if he recognized the mask.
Pakak!
When I broke the lock and opened the cage door, the girl carefully walked out.
“You know me, right?”
“Yes, you’re the one who gave us bread last time, right?”
“okay. I didn’t know you were trapped here. “What is your name?”
“It’s a matinee.”
“Martina? “That’s a grand name.”
“It’s a name my mom gave me because I play ssambak every day. “I don’t do that now.”
It is a name that means the goddess of war. When I heard the name, I thought it was quite fitting.
“I don’t have time, so listen carefully. Martina, you take the children outside. “I left the door open, so you can take charge.”
“all right.”
Martina answered without any hesitation. Although the other children were so scared of this situation that their bodies froze, this boy was calmly engraving his task in his head.
‘I might be really talented. The status window is ordinary.’
If he had any traits, he would have already seen them, but unfortunately, his natural abilities were ordinary.
“There are children trapped elsewhere too!”
“I don’t know if that’s the way to go, but I don’t have time to search this whole place. First, evacuate the children. “I will release the remaining children after they finish their work.”
“What’s going on?”
Ren, who was trying to ignore Martina’s words, couldn’t ignore the guy’s passionate gaze and only spoke to him in a whisper.
“I’m going to kill the guy who made you like this.”
The guy’s eyes got so big that they seemed like they were going to pop out.
“it is a secret.”
“I will never tell you.”
“good.”
“But if the basement collapses, all the children who couldn’t get out will die. “I will save it.”
“what?”
It’s good to be fearless. However, there is a difference between compulsiveness and confidence, and Ren thought that this was closer to compulsiveness.
“I’m not saying I’m doing it alone. There are some pretty nimble guys among us. And locks are meant to be taken off, not broken, right?”
“… … .”
“Do not worry. “Even if I die, I won’t let you be harmed by the knight.”
“Aren’t you afraid of death?”
“scary. But I’m more scared of living helplessly like this.”
“her.”
I never thought I would see such spirit and boldness in a girl who is not even an adult.
A low exclamation flowed from Ren’s mouth.
“okay. Just don’t die. And when you’re done, hide in the surrounding mountains so you don’t get swept away by the church’s paladins.”
“all right.”
After saying that, Ren immediately broke all the locks and stood up.
There was a little delay because of Martina, but it’s not too late. A surprise attack had to be made before the Pope noticed the commotion inside.
I went through the exit on the other side of the cavity where the children were trapped, passed through the long hallway, and headed toward the stairs that took another bend.
After erasing the sound of your footsteps with a ghost trick or shadow step, you slowly go down.
The acrid scent that gets stronger as you go down. If the scent is so strong up here, how bad must it be down there?
As I went down the stairs, a thick cloud of pure white smoke was floating through the basement.
Ren raised his mask to cover his nose and slowly looked inside.
Several beds are placed in a fairly large space, and a translucent tent is lowered around them.
Inside, the black silhouettes of children are clearly revealed.
‘You’re crazy… … .’
Even though he walked through them openly, no one noticed Ren’s presence. Ren lifted up the tent closest to the entrance.
Inside, a child in tattered clothes was lying writhing inside.
Next to the bed, a green candle-like thing was burning and producing pure white smoke, and the child who was lying on the bed suddenly got up, put his nose into the candle, and inhaled a lot of the smoke.
“Huh… … . “This is it.”
Ren’s expression became serious. The children’s level of addiction was already well beyond the stage of treatment.
Moreover, what is being used here is an addictive substance that is different from the teabaco that Ren had heard of.
Perhaps it was made with much cheaper ingredients, but it lasted a short time and seemed to have severe side effects on the body.
The child who had just inhaled the smoke couldn’t hold back for a moment and put his mouth to the candle as if he were going to eat it again.
He seemed to be focused only on the momentary pleasure, as if he couldn’t even see the presence of Ren, who was staring at him right in front of his nose.
‘Where on earth did you get these things?’
Even though I was pushing away the approaching smoke, I felt like my head was pounding.
Ren took down the tent again and walked through it.
Strange sounds coming from beyond the door. I can’t even guess what’s going on inside.
“What are you doing! The next one comes in!”
A tone so vulgar that it makes you vomit. However, this voice was clearly familiar to Ren.
Ren took out a small black pill from his pocket.
‘The return given by Master Kolos. ‘The time has finally come to use it.’
It is a pill that slows down the body’s blood flow and pulse, blurring the presence and presence of the body.
The time has finally come to use the return that you were told to eat when you need to increase your skill in magic or assassinate a dangerous enemy.
‘I ate 3 to increase my skill in magic, and if I eat this time, I will have 1 left.’
Ren planned to use this opportunity to assassinate the Pope and leave Master Colos’ name in order to complete the quest he had been putting off.
I chewed and swallowed the return. Then, the energy that was overflowing in my body slowed down, as if it had solidified in an instant.
‘good.’
In this state, Ren couldn’t show his full power, but he could return to his original state whenever he wanted.
The most important thing about assassination is not to be caught by the enemy’s senses to the point where you can deliver an effective hit.
Squeak-
I opened the door slowly.
The interior of the room is revealed. Luminous stones on the ceiling and walls illuminate the interior brightly, and thick smoke makes the place dim.
The smoke was so thick that it was difficult to see clearly. Frowning at the disgusting sight revealed from inside, Ren slowly entered the fog.
“What are you doing? Come in quickly!”
Procopius Doukas was very different during the day and at night.
Eyes drenched in drugs and a limp body. A soundless voice.
It was impossible to believe that he was the same person I saw yesterday.
Clap.
Thick blood flowing on the floor. Hair falling here and there and children rolling around like corpses on the floor.
Ren suppresses the feeling of vomiting in disgust and approaches Doukas.
“Okay, come here.”
Even though he had returned, Doukas, who naturally noticed Ren’s presence as he got closer, called him without any doubt.
‘I need to learn the art of magic properly. ‘I can’t believe I’m being detected even when I’m under the influence of drugs.’
As he unfolded his divine power as naturally as breathing, he noticed Ren’s presence, but because he was drugged, he was completely unaware that he was an assassin who had come to assassinate him.
Only a black silhouette flutters vaguely in the thick smoke.
Dismissal… !
Ren, who raised his brain power, lashed out his sword as soon as he reached range.
‘If you make a mistake, it’s over.’
A blue flash illuminating the fog pierces Doukas’ heart.
Sigh!
“Kuhuhuh… … !”
Doukas, with his eyes wide open as if coming to his senses, glares at the masked man.
“you… , who are you… … ! “Ugh!”
With blood pouring out of his mouth, he held Ren’s first marriage in his hand and his bloodshot eyes flashed.
At the same time, golden divine power rippling throughout the body. The body began to recover as quickly as the brain energy was destroyed.
“Could it be that he is a sculptor? Or a musician?”
He quickly regains his composure and asks with a grin. With confidence that I will never die from an assassination like this.
As if to prove it, a huge wave of divine power was rushing in to push away Ren’s brain energy in real time.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? “Are you surprised?”
Despite Doukas’ questions, Ren kept his eyes calm and his mouth shut the whole time.
His attitude is so relaxed that you can’t tell he was someone who suffered a direct shock to the heart. Even at this moment with the sword in his body, Doukas was not pushing away all the drugs for pleasure.
It was because he was confident that he could deal with the assassin in front of him at any time.
“Don’t be mistaken that the world is at your feet.”
But being careless can always come with a corresponding price.
“mistaken? The world is already at my feet… … !”
As he spoke, he was startled by his divine power rapidly fading away, so he closed his mouth and lowered his head.
This was because the divine power inside was being cut off piece by piece, centered around the sword stuck in the heart.
“What is this!”
“Did you think you wouldn’t die?”
A gray light flashes in Ren’s eyes. At the same time, one corner of the mouth rises.
“Now you are at my feet.”
“nice… “Huh!!”
A trembling body. The price of being let down for a moment was very high.