Chapter 58: The Basement Door

I didn’t want to resort to such barbaric methods either.

I preferred resolving things elegantly and refinedly, through proper legal procedures.

Like I did in the capital, Perias.

But when lawless scum run rampant, can words alone fix it?

“Then I have no choice but to use force.”

By now, countless bodies(?) lay sprawled around me.

They weren’t actually dead—just unconscious.

Their utter stillness made them look eerily creepy.

All of them were security force members.

Even with Delriat’s true master returned, they defied orders.

‘Their guilt is certain.’

I walked down the corridor and opened the door to the security chief’s office.

I sensed someone inside but paid it no mind.

I was confident I could block anything that came at me.

Sping—! Teoung!

As expected, a sharply honed blade slashed toward my face.

But the confident strike was futilely deflected.

I’d pushed the flat of the blade with my fingertips, altering its trajectory.

‘Oh! It works.’

The attack was hesitant-free and incredibly fast, so it did startle me a bit.

But I showed no sign of it and glanced at the blade embedded in the doorframe.

Such force had driven it more than halfway in.

Despite the fairly solid wood.

“Long time no see.”

As I slowly shifted my gaze and spoke, a stiff-faced middle-aged man came into view.

Lucon Omir.

Surprisingly, this was the security chief I’d personally appointed.

He’d been full of zeal and extremely righteous.

‘What on earth changed him?’

He showed no interest in whatever the governor-general’s office did, and now he ambushed the governor outright?

Completely different from two months ago.

And it wasn’t just his behavior that had changed.

He’d gained so much weight that his once prudent, steadfast impression had turned into a greedy pig’s.

Security Chief Omir furrowed his brow and growled.

“Why have you returned? You seemed to be living well in the empire.”

“To heed His Majesty the Emperor’s command. That was the reason for my appointment in the first place.”

“Nonsense! In the end, you just plan to fatten Delriat up and devour it. You think we don’t know that?”

What kind of bullshit was this?

How much had I invested in Delriat so far?

Ah, sure, I hadn’t spent that much cash directly.

I’d merely passed on the cordyceps cultivation method and created the board game.

But those things provided the foundation for economic revival.

It had actually been growing explosively.

“It’s disheartening. I brought a dying Delriat back to normal.”

“History proves it. Every governor so far has done the same.”

“Save your personal evaluation for after everything’s settled. From inside a prison cell, of course.”

“No matter how much of an imperial duke you are, your authority won’t work here. Attack!” Tadadadat! Swish!

Countless security members poured out from the office.

A quick scan suggested easily over twenty.

In such a confined space, overwhelming with numbers?

Even a master would struggle to overcome it.

But that applied only to ordinary humans.

“Ah, I really don’t want to solve this with force.”

Beast’s Heart activated

Tss tss tss tss!

Crimson aura flared far more intensely than usual.

It felt like a direct projection of the cold rage starting in my chest.

I was actually holding back a lot.

Wasn’t I?

How much effort had I poured into normalizing Delriat?

To belittle it all and twist it as malicious intent?

‘Betrayal exploding big time. Seriously.’

How had I ended up picking such trash as security chief?

Self-loathing surged, dizzying my mind.

In times like this, think only one thing.

“Why overcomplicate it? If it’s wrong, just fix it.”

「Destructive Retribution activated」

Kkumteul!

The sole attack skill cast in succession.

Simple, but I could confidently say its power was unmatched.

Shwhaaak! Kuhwaaang!

Brilliant beams of light poured out, and a massive hole punched through the security headquarters building.

An entire wall vanishing root and stem was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Enough to leave the charging security members staring blankly for a while.

‘It’s a newly built building, but there’s no clearer method.’

From now on, every time security members saw the collapsed structure, they’d think of me.

Of who Delriat’s true governor was.

Look at them now.

Utterly terrified, none daring to charge.

I gazed at Lucon Omir and murmured softly.

“Die with him, or beg for mercy now. Choose wisely. I’ll give you exactly ten seconds.”

My tone was polite, but the content was anything but.

Fail to make the right decision?

The ending was set.

They’d shatter into pieces like that collapsed wall.

Fear seeped into the security members’ faces.

Soon, the countdown finished.

“Still feel like fighting?”

I asked with a gentle smile, and in that instant, everyone collapsed at once.

Unable to even fathom opposing me, they declared surrender one after another.

“N-No, sir.”

“Look here. I’ve already discarded my weapon!”

“How could low-ranking officials like us have decision-making power? We just followed orders.”

They had plenty of elaborate stories.

They sounded plausible enough.

Speaking up risked not just losing their position but getting beaten.

The current atmosphere was exactly that.

With the governor-general’s office and security headquarters seized at will.

‘But I have no intention of forgiving them easily.’

If I overlooked this, they’d keep making the same choice.

They needed to recognize who the true master of the governor-general’s office was and not even think of resisting.

Worse than mercenaries—calling themselves officials?

They needed at least basic loyalty.

Still, I had to turn them into allies first.

‘The biggest problem is having no one on my side.’

Excellent administrators had been appointed before, but none normalized Delriat.

A governor was ultimately an outsider.

They’d pretend to listen upfront but scheme all sorts of odd things behind the scenes.

Like now—total chaos after just two months away.

Imperial border troops were fearsome, but it took time for them to arrive.

They planned to loot plenty in the meantime and flee.

‘I need to build solid influence among the leadership. Give more power to Administrator Hozein, perhaps.’

If Hozein’s leadership had been stronger, this wouldn’t have happened.

The governor-general’s office wouldn’t have been seized.

But I felt like I’d forgotten something crucial.

“Ah! The administrator.”

If Delriat had fallen this far, Hozein Allegan couldn’t be safe.

A fine official who’d held his post to the end even in a collapsing territory.

I couldn’t let such talent slip away.

I quickly approached Lucon Omir step by step.

Then pointed to Cordell McNeil following behind.

Precisely, to the tightly bound Fidel.

“You know this guy well, right?”

“Umm.”

Security Chief Omir let out a low groan.

Fidel was supposed to be occupying the governor-general’s office.

Yet here he was, captured?

Then the security headquarters was in the same boat.

I smiled brightly and raised my right hand.

Hwarrrrk!

Crimson flames roared up, creating overwhelming pressure.

How the opponent felt it, I didn’t know.

But my guess seemed roughly correct.

Lucon Omir’s face had turned deathly pale.

“If you don’t want to end up like Fidel, better answer honestly. Where is Hozein Allegan?”

The opponent couldn’t easily open his mouth.

It seemed quite sensitive information.

But that didn’t mean I couldn’t find out.

He didn’t look like someone who’d resist overwhelming power.

Tss tss tss tss! Deopseok!

Security Chief Omir was limply seized by me.

Quite listless, unlike his bold ambush moments ago.

Well, after seeing a building wall obliterated whole, it made sense to be terrified.

Soon, I gradually tightened my grip.

“I said it politely, but you don’t understand—treason allows summary execution. If you want to live intact, open your mouth quick.”

“What do you…”

“I won’t kill you. I’ll make you live in agony forever. Death is far too lenient.”

“Keuk!”

Lucon Omir’s face twisted sharply.

Pain had exceeded his endurance.

In the end, surrender was his only path.

“Northwest of the city, sand dunes. Basement door.”

“Hm?”

I tilted my head momentarily.

It felt awfully familiar.

A land covered entirely in ochre.

Fierce winds blew, shaking my whole body.

At the unfamiliar yet familiar sight, I let out a short sigh.

“Ha! Never thought I’d come back here.”

“Indeed.”

Cordell knew this place well too.

Wasn’t it the midpoint where Skyler Sierre had imprisoned women?

Through running the criminal syndicate Preta.

Digging about ten centimeters into the soil revealed a thick basement door.

No lock was engaged.

The sand dunes served as natural camouflage—people could pass right over without noticing.

Deolkeok! Sheok!

I flung the door wide open, and sharp sword light surged up.

Trying to enter without signal prompted an immediate attack.

“Doesn’t stray from expectations.”

A hideout owned by criminals—of course it’d be like this.

With a light gesture, I disarmed the attacker.

The reason such a feat was possible was simple.

Overwhelming difference in strength and speed.

Ppaak!

Instead of the communication rod, my fist buried into the assailant’s face.

“How can you carry something this dangerous?”

Muttering that, I lightly pushed the attacker aside.

Teolsseok!

The man collapsed limply, revealing the basement’s interior.

The atmosphere was entirely different from when they’d lured women with job offers.

Expanded construction had made it much wider, even luxuriously decorated.

Like a noble’s secret villa.

‘Diverting gold coins would leave traces, so they converted to valuables and hoarded here?’

Quite a plausible guess.

Otherwise, no reason to imprison captives in such a place.

Busseureok!

Suddenly, movement sounded deeper in the hideout.

Passing piles of goods, a welcome face appeared.

Hozein Allegan, draped in ragged cloth.

“Administrator, you were here.”

“Ooh! Your Excellency the Governor! F-Finally…”

Administrator Allegan staggered over, extending both hands.

Such an intense reaction—he must have suffered greatly.

I decided to indulge this man’s whining specially.

But right at the moment of joyful embrace.

Swik! Peok!

A chilling sensation at my waist, and the world spun.

“Euhuhuhu! So easy—aren’t you too careless?”

A vile smile spread across Hozein Allegan’s pitiful face.

‘The betrayal of a trusted confidant. This hits hard mentally.’

An ambush while defenseless—anyone would take severe injury.

But Administrator Allegan had overlooked one fact.

That I was far stronger than he thought.

A smile rising on my lips, the slowly raised communication rod.

“Huh?”

The moment Hozein let out a dumb exclamation, heavenly punishment descended from above.

Ppiyeok!

That skull-cracking sound is pretty solid.