His sleeves were frayed, and the ends were heavily stained with ink.
His hands were full of investigation reports, and every page was densely packed with writing.
Dien’s entire body was covered in dirt, but his eyes shone as intelligently as if rubies had been embedded in them.
“It is true that the price of cement and rebar skyrocketed during this period, right?”
“That is correct, Young Master. At that time, the Kandebara folks bought up all the cement coming into the Royal Capital, causing prices to soar. It was the same for other construction materials as well.”
“Thank you. If a situation arises where your testimony is needed, would you be able to come to the Royal Castle to testify?”
“I do not mind. I could not stand the sight of those Kandebara Merchant Group fellows anyway. I hope things work out well for you.”
“Thank you.”
It had already been two days.
Today, he visited the concrete manufacturing factory again.
Although he was amidst enough dust to turn his vision hazy, Dien showed no sign of discomfort.
In fact, as if such dust was familiar, he did not even let out a single dry cough.
“This should be enough evidence.”
Dien flashed a satisfied smile while looking over the documents in his hand. They were filled with the details of the Kandebara Merchant Group’s price manipulation.
Once he went to the Goljang Royal Family and handed over the documents, this matter would be resolved.
“Where are you headed now?”
Since he had been practically commuting to the concrete factory for two days, the technician spoke to him quite familiarly.
“Now I must go to the Royal Castle and finish my work.”
“Hahaha, you have worked hard. I did not know there was a Young Master in the Royal Capital who knew so much about concrete.”
“Hahaha, you flatter me.”
The technician was sincerely impressed by Dien.
While talking with Dien over the past two days, he had been struck with admiration for his knowledge several times.
Dien shared a friendly smile as he bid farewell to the technician.
“Take care, technician. I will take a bit more of a look around the factory before I go.”
“Yes, feel free to look around.”
Though he had achieved satisfactory results, the interior of the concrete factory caught Dien’s eye.
A factory where magic stones served as the power source.
Magic stones that emitted light were embedded here and there, and the machinery moved according to the brightness of the light.
“It is impressive that they use magic tools for concrete mixing and remixing.”
He let out a breath of admiration while looking around the factory’s surroundings.
“I will probably be coming here often!”
At a construction site, the transport, pouring, compaction, and curing of concrete are more important than anything else.
Among those, the importance of transport could not be emphasized enough. Even in his previous life, he had been on the phone with production managers constantly to negotiate delivery times.
Therefore, it was necessary to know the delivery speed and pouring methods unique to this place, and furthermore, how the verification of compressive strength was carried out.
“To be honest, it is beyond my expectations.”
To show this level of production in an otherworldly realm that had not been mechanized.
The development of magic had civilized the continent, and civil engineering technology had progressed accordingly.
It was possible to see how the high buildings, bridges, and dams of the Kingdom of Delos could be built.
***
On the way back to the Royal Castle.
A gentle breeze brushed away the dust that had settled on him.
The wind blew refreshingly enough to clear his mind.
Feeling a sense of freedom he hadn’t felt in a long time, Dien closed his eyes and felt the wind.
“Phew… as I thought, I like walking alone.”
Walking the path he usually took with Nue by himself felt like a different experience.
It was like the feeling of touring famous nearby attractions after finishing a business trip in his previous life.
Instead of cutting through the center of the Royal Capital, he walked through the outskirts where there were no people, and a landscape as beautiful as the city center came into view.
While taking in the surrounding scenery and walking along a pedestrian path through a reed field, an enormous, high castle wall appeared.
He had reached the outskirts of the Royal Capital. There was nowhere further to go.
Dien suddenly became curious about the scenery outside the blocked wall.
The world outside the capital where wild beasts, monsters, and demons lived.
The castle walls guaranteed order and safety, but conversely, they also suppressed freedom.
However, he could not act rashly out of such curiosity.
Dien tapped the castle wall with his hand.
It was time to go back.
After tapping the wall, Dien straightened his hair fluttering in the wind and turned his body.
It was then.
Sliiide—!
“….!!”
A chilling sensation crept toward his neck. Startled, Dien hastily twisted his body in the opposite direction.
Before long, Dien glared at a masked man pointing a sword at him.
“Dien Portran?”
“Who are you!”
“Hehehe.”
The intruder, who called Dien’s name in a low voice, let out an eerie laugh. A cold current began to flow around them, and a freezing aura emanated from the sword of the intruder wearing a pressed-down hat.
He pointed his sword again and spoke.
“This is the possession of a guard who was disciplined at the central plaza not long ago.”
The intruder took a cloth wallet from his pocket and dropped it on the ground.
“Since he was disciplined because of you, the grudge matches up perfectly. Murder driven by a grudge—this masterpiece is also incredible. If you want, I could even disguise it as an accidental death. An unfortunate Young Master who became food for kobolds that intruded through a collapsed section of the wall. How about it?”
“Who are you…”
Judging by his actions, it was certain he had approached with the intent to take his life.
Dropping the guard’s possession on the ground.
It was scene manipulation.
He intended to kill him and pin the crime on the guard from the central plaza.
Then who was this man?
Aside from the guard, someone who would hold a grudge against him.
No, an organization.
“Don’t tell me… did the Kandebara send you?”
“Cackle cackle, you are quick-witted.”
As soon as Dien finished speaking, the intruder approached.
“I didn’t think you would move this quickly.”
“This is what happens when you know too much about Kandebara. You know that audit team assistant who committed suicide recently? That was actually my work as well.”
Dien tried to use a brief opening to strike the tip of the blade with his arm and run away.
However, the assassin’s kick was faster.
“Is there a plant for Kandebara inside the Royal Castle…”
Denver and Vance came to mind, but Dien soon shook his head.
Since he had been noisily uncovering Kandebara’s flaws at the concrete factory and the market for two days, it was something their information network could easily find out.
He had worked too loudly, and it had caused trouble.
“Ugh…”
Dien’s back, as he retreated, soon hit the castle wall. There was nowhere left to retreat.
The tip of the intruder’s sword reflected the sunlight and shone even more coldly.
“Hehehe… thank you very much. For wandering around alone without a care. Moreover, for providing such a good location. The job has become very easy.”
Soon, the man’s sword touched Dien’s chest.
“Shit.”
If I knew it would be like this, I should have signed up for swordsmanship classes.
No, I should have at least learned basic physical combat.
He realized with his whole body that this was not the Republic of Korea where public safety was good.
This was a place where the sword was closer than the law.
“Ha… damn it… just when I was trying to do something…”
“The report you investigated must be in your shirt pocket, right? Hand it over now.”
He wanted the documents containing Kandebara’s shame.
Dien pulled the documents from his shirt.
“Hand them here.”
The intruder held out his hand.
However,
“Here! Take them.”
Dien threw the documents up into the air.
Then, the documents rode the fast autumn currents and flew toward the city.
“You are rushing toward your death!”
“Someone else will send them to the Royal Castle in my stead.”
Even if he were to die, he had no intention of following their wishes.
At Dien’s action, the intruder growled and raised his sword.
“This brat… even if you were to beg for your life, it wouldn’t be enough!”
“Beg? Hahaha.”
Dien, bursting into laughter, looked up at the sky.
Why would I beg for something like my life?
It was the same when I had lung cancer. I might have resented the heavens, but I never pleaded to be saved.
I didn’t even beg God, so there was no way I would beg a guy like that.
However, if I was fated to die like this, he shouldn’t have let me live a new life.
“Just kill me.”
He closed his eyes as if resigned. And he whispered in his heart.
‘I have many complaints.’
‘Thanks to you, I had a proper overseas trip for a few days.’
It was at that moment when he felt a cold sensation at his chest.
Clang!
“What is this!”
The intruder, who was trying to plunge his sword into Dien’s chest, was screaming while holding his sword that was blocked in mid-air.
No matter how much he pushed, the sword would not go in. As if by a miracle, it didn’t budge, as if fixed in mid-air.
And a bright light began to shimmer from Dien’s chest where the sword was touching.
‘♪♪♪’.
“Guitar… sound?”
And Dien began to hear a familiar sound in his ears.
It was the sound of a guitar being played with an arpeggio technique.
But that performance was a mess.
A sound consisting only of dissonance.
At that unpleasant sound, Dien’s eyes flew open.
“What is… this?”
The masked intruder was still grunting, trying to push the sword into his chest.
“Damn it… what is this…”
“I’m not dead yet?”
Looking at the situation, that was the case.
The masked man was swearing, and the veins on the back of his hand were severely bulging.
Of course, the dissonance continued to linger in his ears.
“Now’s the chance!”
While the man was struggling, Dien hurriedly escaped from the path of the sword.
“Eh? The sound…”
The guitar sound that had been heard at the moment of life or death.
Once he moved away from the tip of the intruder’s sword, the guitar sound vanished as if it had never existed.
The man frowned as if surprised.
He readjusted his grip on the sword and rushed toward Dien.
This time, he seemed to intend to jump from a distance and pierce him in one go.
But soon, the guitar sound was heard again!
“I can’t stand to listen to this.”
Dien twisted his body to dodge the man’s slash.
In addition, he dodged horizontal attacks, vertical attacks, and even stabs that came in precariously close.
♪♪♪♪♪♪.
“What is this! I heard you were a fellow who knew nothing of martial arts!”
The guy grumbled while panting heavily.
“That’s what I’m saying, I want to ask how this happened too.”
Strangely, when the man’s attack began, the guitar sound was heard in his ears again.
It was a dissonance so bad he wanted to rip his ears off.
The sudden sound was strange, but Dien soon realized that this sound was connected to the man’s attacks.
Because his movements began to look like a single musical score.
“He clearly can’t hear this sound!”
A fast tempo, pitch, and an arpeggio technique merged into a single score.
The guitar sound was heard one beat faster than the assassin’s movements.
He could see the lines the sword moved along, and notes appeared on those lines to make sound.
Once all his thoughts were organized, a bright light suddenly burst out from Dien’s hand.
That was the divine power that Dien possessed.
“Damn it.”
The man thought while panting heavily.
These were attacks composed only of killing moves.
But he’s dodging such attacks with short movements?
The information about Dien was definitely wrong.
And for good reason—before he knew it, Dien was dodging his attacks while looking completely composed.
“Are you tired?”
Dien felt the light that had burst from his body being pulled back in, and his body relaxed.
And as his energy surged, an inexplicable laugh escaped him.
“I thought I was going to die because it was so unpleasant to hear.”
He was relaxed.
Though he had lived without ever getting into a fistfight, he didn’t feel like he would lose to someone making such a pathetic sound.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m talking about your playing skills. It’s a total mess.”
The guy tilted his head.
The fellow who had been sweating and just running away was now bursting into laughter. Had he gone crazy?
An uneasy aura slowly crept in.
“That’s not how you play an arpeggio.”
Dien was actually approaching the intruder.
He wasn’t afraid. No. He felt like he could get even closer.
He had confidence. Of course, it wasn’t confidence in fighting.
‘I have confidence in the performance I give.’
Just like that, he dodged the man’s attack again.
While listening to the flattened chords.
“You’re an amateur pretending to be a professional.”
He could tell by the dissonance.
The guy was not a professional. At least not in swordsmanship.
The performance the guy was giving was telling him.
“The arpeggio technique is supposed to sound much more beautiful.”
Dien approached the man and threw a punch.
An attack suited to the situation. And an attack aimed at a vital point.
The man’s eyes widened as he hurriedly dodged.
But the man’s defense also sounded like a guitar to Dien, and he quickly caught up.
Thwack!
The second attack landed precisely on the man’s upper abdomen.
Dien confirmed that his arpeggio sounded quite beautiful.
The impact sound was certainly blunt.
“Urgh!”
At Dien’s attack, the intruder clutched his stomach and collapsed. Because of that, the sword also rolled across the ground.
“Go back and learn from the basics.”
Dien spoke gallantly, having finished not a battle, but a perfect performance.
***
Between the empires lies the Holy Empire, and in its center sits the Orthodox Papacy.
Pope John, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, stood up from his seat and clenched his fist.
“The Apostle of God. The Power of Tuning he possesses has blossomed.”
He clearly felt the lines of divine power spread across the entire continent distorting in the Kingdom of Delos.
“Bring him.”
Just one word.
With those words, many divine figures moved.
And behind them, invisible dark auras followed as well.