Chapter 23: The Merchant, Benya Alzred (5)

“It’s done.”

Muttering softly, Yuria stepped back from the bookshelf.

A faint mechanical sound echoed, and soon a section of the floor folded away, revealing a hidden staircase.

She swallowed her breath and steeled herself.

‘There’s not much time left.’

She had instructed the staff to cause a minor disturbance, successfully luring Benya out of the Chairman’s Office as planned.

But Benya would catch on quickly.

From now on, it was a race against time.

After descending about twenty meters, the stairs ended, revealing a flat stone corridor.

Lamps hung intermittently along the walls, casting a fairly bright light.

From deeper within came a faint, foul stench, like something rotten.

Suddenly, unease washed over her.

Her only weapon was a single dagger, and her armor was nothing more than light leather armor layered under her ordinary clothes.

If monsters appeared again like before, could she handle it?

Would it be wiser to retreat, prepare properly, and come back?

‘No, I don’t have time!’

Chiding herself, Yuria hurried down the corridor.

Soon, a wide chamber opened before her.

The source of the stench was dark red blood scattered across the floor.

Whether it belonged to some animal, monster, or human, there was no way to tell.

One thing was certain, however—the blood formed an intricate magic circle.

“Could it be… Dad’s doing?”

She had known that Benya had once stayed in the ‘Jewel Tower,’ the land of wizards, before he married.

But he never told her what he learned there or why he left the Jewel Tower to return to Wecos.

Perhaps this magic circle was the key to that secret.

‘I wouldn’t understand even if I looked at it. Any other clues…’

Suppressing her curiosity, Yuria began searching the chamber.

Deeper inside was a small room.

Confirming it was empty, she quietly stepped inside.

It wasn’t a study so much as a lab.

Scattered chaotically were materials that looked like magic catalysts, experimental equipment, scrolls containing spells, and thick research tomes.

Yuria skimmed through whatever she could.

Then her eyes locked onto a thesis she held.

Even Yuria, who was completely illiterate in such matters, could grasp parts of it.

If she understood correctly, the paper detailed methods for mind-controlling monsters and commanding them at will.

“You’ve picked up a very bad habit without realizing it, Yuria.”

“…!”

A voice from behind nearly made her scream.

Leaning against the wall, Benya crossed his arms and looked at her.

His expression was a mixture of awkwardness and perhaps resentment.

“How did you get in here?”

“Dad, what were you doing in this place?”

“Didn’t I teach you how rude it is to answer a question with a question?”

“Are the monsters gathered outside your doing too?”

…”Did you hear that from Zion?”

Yuria gasped and clamped her mouth shut.

In her flustered state, she’d let slip more than she intended.

But there was no way to take back what had been said.

“I really shouldn’t have accepted that boy. That was my mistake.”

“Dad, this is madness.”

“I know. But sometimes, Yuria, madness is the only way to achieve certain things.”

“For what reason?”

“Hahaha. Do you really think I’m going to tell you willingly? Like some villain in a mystery novel who spills their motives? You’ve read too many books.”

“Is it because of the election?! Then I have the right to know! When I helped with your campaign, you said I was a proper partner!”

Benya fell silent.

Yuria had been a kind and intelligent child from a young age.

After realizing her foolish dreams worried her father, she hid those dreams thoroughly.

She hadn’t expected that to backfire on her.

“Yuria. My daughter.” Benya spoke again, his tone gentle, as if soothing a child.

“The world is far crueler and more unjust than you think. In such a world, rights are rarely properly protected.”

A dark shadow suddenly rose behind Benya.

“Subdue and restrain her. But not so much as to harm a single hair.”

“Grrr…”

An Orc strode into the room.

Yuria bit her lip hard to stifle a scream.

The Orc, standing just before her, seemed as huge as a fortress wall.

Lowering her stance, she placed her hand at her waist.

From a cleverly concealed sheath, a dagger was drawn and slashed through the air like lightning.

The blade, paid for at a premium price, did not disappoint.

It sliced through thick muscle and destroyed one of the Orc’s hearts.

‘There’s more than one weak spot?!’

Though it was her first time facing an Orc’s physiology, Yuria, thanks to her training, flawlessly executed the moves she’d practiced.

She drew the dagger with her left hand, switched it to her right, and stabbed again into the opposite side of the Orc’s chest.

The blade sank only halfway before stopping, and the Orc twitched, coughing blood before collapsing.

“Whew.”

Blinking, Benya let out a startled exclamation.

“I’m surprised quite a few times today. It’s as if you’re cramming all your surprises into one day.”

“Hah, hah… ugh…”

Her breath heavy, limbs trembling uncontrollably, the reality that she had faced and killed a monster—the fact she’d taken another life to survive—hit Yuria a moment too late.

Benya frowned, “Yuria, why push yourself so hard?”

“Are you asking me? You’re the one making a mistake right now! And you want me to just let it go?”

“Yuria, please. Just for a moment… Pretend you don’t see it, pretend you don’t know. Just a day or two. That’s all. I’ll tell the staff you’re ill, and you can rest in the Annex. Everything will be over once you’ve rested.”

Instead of answering, Yuria yanked the dagger from the Orc’s chest and lunged at Benya.

But Benya was ready.

Tracking the trajectory of the flying dagger with his eyes, he stepped forward.

“?!”

Yuria failed to stab him.

As the blade neared too close, she desperately tried to back away, losing her footing and leaving a deadly opening.

Benya scattered blue powder imbued with magic toward her.

“Cough, cough! What… is this…?”

Yuria’s consciousness blurred rapidly as she inhaled the powder.

Like Yuria, Benya could not bring himself to harm her.

What he scattered was a simple sleep powder enhanced magically for effectiveness and targeted delivery.

“Difficult, difficult.” Holding the collapsing Yuria, Benya muttered weakly.

‘I have no time left.’

Yuria had found the dungeon, but the boy who was supposed to be her greatest ally outside was actively ruining the plan.

It was impossible to proceed step by step like a chess game anymore.

‘Where did I go wrong? Where did it all fall apart?’

A foolish self-question.

Even if he searched for answers now, Benya’s actions would never change.

As Benya carried his daughter and left the dungeon, his face was etched with a sharp, resolute determination.

***

No matter how many he cut down, there was no end.

His body, constantly absorbing MP, brimmed with power as if ready to fly.

But Zion’s spirit was exhausted from the endless labor.

The summoning circle Frey had discovered was why monsters kept appearing.

According to his analysis, the magic circle functioned similarly to a Gate that had appeared on Earth.

The difference was that this one had been created by human hands.

“Isn’t that guy Benya a complete lunatic? I think that’s exactly right.”

[Well… Creating a Gate artificially to pour out monsters isn’t something sane people do.]

[There must have been some reason!]

“No matter the reason, even if it was for good, gathering monsters always leads to people dying.”

With no reply, Zion bit his lip.

If things weren’t like this, he would have run to ask Benya why he was doing such a thing.

Did he even realize how many people might die because of it?

[Zion, we’re close! Stay alert!]

Snapping back to focus, Zion scanned his surroundings.

He could clearly sense the distorted flow of magic nearby.

A powerful magic circle was close.

[That statue! That’s the source of the magic circle!]

The monster density around the magic circle was so thick that there was barely room to step.

If they tried to take out the monsters one by one, no matter how much time passed, they couldn’t destroy the magic circle.

‘Break through despite the risk!’

Zion made his decision in an instant.

“Haaaaaah!”

Roaring, he slammed into the wall of monsters.

MP surged explosively around him, enveloping his whole body.

The remaining energy billowed behind him like heat haze.

Frey jumped up, startled.

[That’s a Halo! No way! Even if it’s his son, for that to appear already?!]

The force behind Zion propelled him forward.

His limbs scraped raw, clothes torn, blood stinging his eyes, and even his well-worn sword finally snapped in half.

Still, he didn’t stop for a moment.

His vision cleared.

The statue Frey mentioned, and the invisible barrier protecting it, were right before his eyes.

Zion mercilessly threw aside the broken sword, now just a hilt.

The MP-charged blade tore the barrier apart like paper, then shattered to pieces.

[The barrier will regenerate soon! Don’t hesitate!]

Like taking off, Zion kicked the statue.

The broken statue wobbled, then melted away like wax.

“It’s done…!”

[What do you mean it’s done, man? Do you think the remaining monsters will just quietly go home?]

Come to think of it, there were still hundreds of monsters left in the forest.

Yet there was also a slight sense of relief.

[Charging recklessly, losing all your weapons and still fighting barehanded… This is totally like Naia.]

[Haha… that’s true. No wonder they look so alike, just like mother, like son.]

[*Excellent. That was a splendid performance, reminiscent of the previous master.*]

“Haha, hahaha.” To Zion, those words were the highest praise.

About an hour later, as the sun began to set, Zion had successfully eliminated every last monster in the forest.

***

In the underground chamber, Benya stirred, raising his brow as he lifted his head.

‘The summoning circle was destroyed. Faster than expected.’

The boy was more astonishing the more he learned.

Who would believe a single boy destroyed a magic circle guarded by hundreds of monsters?

Ancient myths and heroic epics might even seem more realistic by comparison.

‘By now, they must be complacent, thinking it’s all over.’

The summoning circle was a decoy.

Or rather, it was meant to be used as a decoy.

From the start, the plan had two layers.

If things went well, the summoning circle alone would suffice.

But since that was no longer possible, the second plan had to be enacted.

“Ugh.”

Benya staggered as he rose.

He’d lost too much blood.

Though he was sustaining himself with the Pharmaceutical Elixir, under normal circumstances he would have died from hemorrhaging.

There was no choice.

Thanks to Zion’s dazzling performance, he had to hasten the backup plan.

Forcing an unprepared plan into action meant accepting losses.

“My flesh and blood… I bestow life unto you.”

With pale lips parting, Benya began the final stage of the ritual.

The magic circle, drawn in blood and flesh, glowed with an ominous light.

Grasping the fading edges of his consciousness, he completed the incantation.

“Come to me. Respond to your master’s call. Come, and serve me.”

Benya slumped down, yet never once took his eyes off the magic circle.

This was an advanced ritual that summoned a ‘Subjugator’-class monster from the Demonic Frontier, possessing not only immense power but dominion over other monsters.

Only after confirming the spell had been flawlessly completed did he exhale deeply.

“I can’t afford to linger here like this. If I underestimate it, the mind control might fail…”

The entire chamber was filled with a dark red light.

The damp stench-laden wind mercilessly clawed at his body.

Benya stood again, straightening with a grave expression.

He needed to make sure the summoned Subjugator-class monster fully recognized him as its master.

“Impressive. Truly… impressive.”

Suddenly, a beautiful male voice, unlike any he had ever heard, rang out.

Benya’s expression froze.

“So, you have come.”

Though he had tried before, he never imagined it would actually answer his call.

The playful wind died down as light gathered at the center of the magic circle.

From within stepped ‘him.’

“Human, speak your name. I shall personally bless you.”

Wearing a gleaming white Crown and draped in a luxurious red cloak, his presence was truly imperial.

Enthralled, Benya opened his mouth in awe.

“I am, ah…! I am…!”

Then he bit his tongue hard.

“I… never called you!”

“Hoho.”

The man’s eyes gleamed mischievously.

“Who are you? How did you appear? There’s no way a monster like you could be summoned with just this spell!”

“Do you wish to understand my power?”

“I know you’re a terrible monster that shouldn’t exist in this world!”

The man tilted his head once and smiled—a dangerously seductive smile.

Though Benya fought to maintain his will, an intense desire to serve this man as his lord seized him.

“How fascinating. Who would have thought lowly creatures like you could harbor such potential?”

The man slid forward, moving as if gliding, now standing mere inches from Benya’s face.

Benya reflexively tried to step back but found himself unable to move as if bound by invisible webs.

“I wish to offer you a gift in return.”

The man placed his hand on Benya’s chest.

His eyes flashed red, and that light gripped Benya’s soul.

“Do not resist. My blessing is absolute.”

The man spoke gently as his hand tore through flesh and crushed bone, plunging into Benya’s chest.

Benya’s consciousness faded to black.