NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 23
Chapter 23
“…In conclusion, we captured 276 humans over the past month. All the items taken have been sorted and stored in the warehouse.”
Hearing Lin’s report, Nahun nodded. Considering the number of adventurers scattered throughout the human realm, it was fewer than expected, but still not an insignificant amount.
“276 people… that’s a lot!”
This was Seere’s reaction, sitting on Nahun’s lap. While 276 was not a small number, there still seemed to be a lack of individuals to properly start the business.
“Did we capture them all?”
“We did our best. However, those who resisted strongly during the capture…”
“Right, I trust the Daejeong handled it well.”
After listening to Lin’s report, Nahun embraced Seere with both hands and stood up. It was time to start Seere’s lessons.
“Seere, let’s go for class.”
“Class! Yes~!”
Nahun looked at the smiling Seere, who beamed at the thought of lessons, with fondness. Lin cautiously asked Nahun a question.
“Nahun-nim.”
“What is it?”
“Is this method truly the right one?”
“Do you not like capturing humans?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Lin, who already viewed humans as inferior to insects, had no qualms about it. What she was worried about was something else.
“While so far we’ve been managing without missing anything, the residents on the 72nd floor are feeling anxious. They’re worried because the lack of defenses allows humans to easily enter their living area.”
“That is certainly a problem.”
The support of the residents directly translates to the power of the Demon King. No matter how much it was an investment for the future, if the residents were anxious, it would only mean a failed policy. After pondering for a moment, Nahun spoke.
“The removal of defenses was a bait to lure humans down to the 72nd floor.”
“Yes.”
“Then we need to lure them using different methods now.”
“What do you mean?”
“We should spread a rumor.”
Lin blinked in surprise at his words. Seere, cradled in Nahun’s arms, seemed just as curious. Seere asked with eagerness.
“Are we going to catch more?”
“Yes, we need to capture a few more.”
Seeing Seere’s mouth open in a daze and her vacant expression, Nahun couldn’t help but chuckle. Perhaps it was because she was a demon king, but she seemed unfazed by the idea of capturing humans.
As Lin speculated about Nahun’s thoughts, she spoke.
“Are you thinking of sending spies into the human realm?”
“No? What if we end up in a war with the human nations? We still need to prepare to conquer the 69th floor, and we can’t afford a war right now.”
“Then how…?”
“We have plenty of people to send right now.”
Upon hearing Nahun’s words, Lin’s eyes widened in realization before she nodded.
“Then should we select a few and arrange various kinds of ‘adjustments’?”
“Is that possible?”
“There are those with the skills for that. It can be done with some payment.”
“Then I’ll leave this matter to the Daejeong.”
“Just tell me the rumors you want to spread, and I’ll take care of it.”
Nahun gently stroked his chin. After a moment of thought, he conveyed his ideas, and Lin instantly wore a surprised expression.
“Is that really what we’ll go with?”
“Yeah. Doesn’t it seem effective?”
“While I believe it will be effective… won’t there be negative repercussions? Our losses could mount.”
“Still, go with it. There might be some damage, but I trust that the Daejeong and Baruna Vice Commander can handle it. Utilizing Argol actively will make things easier.”
Lin slightly bowed her head.
“Understood.”
“I’ll go have lessons with Seere now.”
“Yes.”
“Shall we go, Seere?”
“Yes!”
As Nahun left the office with Seere, Lin briefly looked at the desk piled high with paperwork. Most of it was documents written by Nahun himself. While reviewing the contents, Lin slightly closed her eyes.
“Dantalion will surely cry if he sees this.”
The first page of the documents read in large letters, “Conquest Plan for the 69th Floor.”
#
Recently, the Adventurer’s Guild had strictly prohibited adventurers from entering the Demon World after 200 adventurers disappeared over the past month. This was due to the high number of reported missing persons. Until the cause was identified, they decided to completely block access to the portals, much to the discontent of most adventurers.
You’d think they wouldn’t dislike this when it was meant to save their lives, but venturing into the Demon World was the largest source of income for an adventurer.
“What, where am I supposed to make money now! Am I supposed to take on quests for this measly reward?”
“I’m sorry, Alex. We have no choice, this is an order from above…”
Thus, the Adventurer’s Guild was a constant scene of turmoil, with adventurers eager to go to the Demon World clashing with guild employees trying to stop them. The same was true for Soter City, which had a portal to the Demon World.
A female adventurer, watching the commotion, spoke up.
“Here we go again.”
“Yeah.”
Most of the high-grade adventurers, who were not satisfied with the quests’ rewards, were causing most of the trouble. After one trip to the Demon World, they could make more money than completing several quests.
“They say 200 have disappeared, and they still want to go?”
“They must have confidence in their skills. That person is a Double A-grade adventurer.”
“Oh… that makes sense.”
Alex was quite famous in the area. He was an AA-grade adventurer, which surpassed A-grade. Those of this rank were considered to be of equal power to knights officially appointed by the kingdom.
Despite being a formidable adventurer, he kept pressing the receptionist to let him enter the Demon World, but the receptionist firmly shook her head and insisted it was impossible. He might have wanted to overturn everything with force, but he knew that he could not.
This was an order from the guild master. Most guild masters were S-grade adventurers or at least AAA-grade powerhouses. No matter how talented Alex was, he couldn’t overcome them.
“What does the guild master plan to do about this situation! Are we going to keep blocking entry to the Demon World!?”
“I’m not sure about that myself…”
Just then, someone burst into the guild’s door. Though his once bright blond hair was now dulled and his gentle expression roughened, he was undoubtedly an adventurer affiliated with this guild.
“…Huh?”
One person recognized him immediately— the kind receptionist who always introduced him to quests. Her face blanched as she ran to the entrance.
“Luke-san!?”
Luke, the C-grade adventurer who had recently gone to the Demon World and went missing, had always appeared bright and gentle, but now he looked haggard and gave the receptionist a weary gaze.
“Ah… Angela-san…”
“What happened!? Where have you been all this time…?”
“I was captured… in the Demon World.”
At Luke’s words, the entire Adventurer’s Guild erupted in commotion. Captured in the Demon World? He hadn’t been killed by the guardians, but rather taken captive.
“The Demon Race kept a human alive?”
“Why? Why would they do such a thing?”
Breathing heavily, Luke managed to speak.
“The guardians… captured humans instead of killing them. All the missing people are exactly like that.”
“N-no…?”
“Only a few of us managed to escape. The others have gone to other Adventurer’s Guilds to inform them of this.”
Luke tightly grasped Angela’s arms. Speaking with a desperate expression and voice, like someone being pursued by something, he urged.
“We have to help them. I know where the people are trapped! We need to rescue them!!”
“L-luke-san… could you let go for a moment? First, you need to calm down, and we need to explain this to the guild master…”
“There’s no time for that!!”
“But I have nothing I can do…!”
“Wait, Angela.”
At that moment, a man slowly descended the wooden stairs. He was well-known not only in this area but throughout all the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Young adventurer.”
He was the guild master of Soter City’s Adventurer’s Guild, Adelbert Grants.
“Tell me more about this.”
He was the most skilled adventurer among those active in the assassin class.
Luke recounted everything he had experienced to Adelbert. The most crucial point was that demons were capturing humans and gathering them in one place.
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know the reason either. I had no time to find out. The people I escaped with managed to slip away while the guards looked away…”
“Master, what will you do?”
In response to Angela’s question, Adelbert stroked his chin thoughtfully. Luke’s account, having disappeared for weeks and returned in tatters, didn’t seem like a lie. The timing of his disappearance coincided with when he had gone to the Demon World.
“I escaped, but Eri and Dein are still trapped. Not just them, but hundreds of others are captured. We must rescue them!”
“Your opinion isn’t wrong, but this isn’t a simple decision. Given the gravity of the situation, we have to work with the government…”
“If we do that, it will be too late!!”
Luke shouted, his voice rising. Whether he felt no fear towards the guild master or was consumed with worry for his trapped comrades, it was unprecedented for a C-grade adventurer to speak so boldly to an S-grade adventurer.
“Luke-san! What do you think you’re saying to the master…!”
But Adelbert raised a hand, stopping Angela. He posed an extremely rational question.
“What do you mean it’ll be too late? Do you think the demons are going to do something to the humans they’ve captured?”
“…Yes. I heard they’re planning to sell humans as slaves. That’s why they’re capturing them.”
Upon hearing this, Adelbert let out a brief sigh before suddenly drawing a dagger from his waist. Luke looked confused by his action.
“Guild master? Why are you…?”
“You’ve been mind-controlled, haven’t you?”
“W-what?”
“A moment ago, you said you had no time to find out the reason for the human captures because you escaped so quickly, yet now you are talking about them selling humans as slaves. Doesn’t that contradict your earlier statement?”
The accounts Luke gave did not add up. Having claimed he was too busy escaping to know the purpose, he suddenly stated that the demons intended to sell humans as slaves when Adelbert showed skepticism toward a rescue operation.
This meant that Luke had withheld information, knowing from the start the demons’ true intentions. Adelbert confronted him.
“What were you planning to lure the adventurers here for?”
“…….”
“Answer me. If you don’t, then…”
“How insightful, just like the best assassin in existence.”
Luke’s demeanor shifted. He spoke as though he were no longer in control of his actions.
“But how many can truly grasp this, like you? Other individuals have already headed towards their respective Adventurer’s Guilds. By now, they must be setting off towards the Demon World!”
Adelbert furrowed his brow slightly. He immediately addressed Angela.
“Contact the other guilds and tell them not to go to the Demon World under any circumstances.”
“Yes!”
Then, with swift motion, Adelbert slashed Luke’s throat with his dagger. Luke reacted too slowly to the sudden action and collapsed, bleeding profusely.
A human who had been mind-controlled by demons could no longer live as a normal human. He was destined to remain a pawn for the demons. By killing him, Adelbert offered him a chance to return to his humanity, even in death.
After swiftly eliminating Luke, Adelbert addressed the adventurers in the guild.
“From now on, the portal in Soter City will be sealed. If anyone has a problem with that…”
“M-master!”
At that moment, one of the receptionists, who was trying to contact another guild, called out to Adelbert. He looked at her, asking what the matter was.
“They said other guilds have already set off!!”
“…What?”