‘Consent?’

It was so absurd that it almost made him laugh.

However, Ruel held back and inhaled Breath.

“But I want to ask. Can you really eliminate those lunatics?”

Seeing Hikars look at him earnestly, a smirk appeared on Ruel’s lips.

“The deal has already been made. Whether I can eliminate them or not, it’s no longer your turn to demand.”

“What do you mean…?”

“You just said you’d consent.”

Hikars flared up, but Ruel spoke as if he found it amusing.

To Ruel, the agreement resembled a personal challenge, even without swords drawn.

Now that his opponent had surrendered, it was time to reap the rewards.

“Now, it’s time for me to state my conditions.”

Hikars’s anger subsided as he bit his lip, “Serving the Devotee of Darkness is one of our missions.”

Ruel crossed his arms, wanting to probe whether his true feelings matched his words, “So, it doesn’t matter what kind of person I am?”

“That’s correct.”

“Then it means I can stake all your lives on my conditions.”

“Th-that’s…”

As expected.

Ruel never met a man who could actually keep his word after all the bullshitting he’d done, “From now on, keep your nonsense to a minimum and choose your words carefully.”

“I apologize.”

With Hikars already kneeling, Ruel felt like a teacher scolding a student.

He sighed as he looked at him.

“First, swear by mana that you won’t betray me.”

Hikars’s eyes widened, “Must I do it now?”

“Yes.”

Ruel waited for the words from Cassion confirming the mana oath had been made, slightly swinging his crossed legs.

He had thought only the madmen were lunatics, but the warlocks were no less formidable to deal with.

Their faith was blind, as if they had been brainwashed.

He needed to understand what they meant by ‘death’ in the first place.

After hearing Cassion announce that the mana oath was concluded, Ruel proceeded to mention his second condition.

“Second, you will tell me everything you know about the so-called corrupted death. Third, you will cooperate with me unconditionally. Fourth, I will be the absolute priority when it comes to Devotee’s of Darkness to you.”

Hikars, who had been blinking, spoke up when Ruel finished listing the conditions, “Is that all?”

“Yes.”

Hikars’s face visibly brightened, “You’re a good person before being a Devotee of Darkness.”

To describe himself as a good person…

Ruel cast a disapproving look at Cassion, who was now openly snickering beside him.

“It seems you’ve had your fair share of bad experiences with other Devotees of Darkness, haven’t you?”

“It’s embarrassing, but yes. Six months ago, I guaranteed a loan, and I still have some debt, but I don’t hold any resentment. Even the Devotees of Darkness have their circumstances…”

“Circumstances, my foot!”

The mention of ‘guarantee’ instantly triggered Ruel’s intense anger.

Even Cassion appeared slightly surprised.

Ruel clenched his teeth. Due to that guarantee, his father had fallen ill, and he had suffered greatly.

A brief flash of old memories raced through his mind.

“Hikars!”

“Y-yes!”

“You sensed that I was a Devotee of Darkness and came looking for me, right?”

“That’s correct. My coming to find you was no coincidence.”

“Find them.”

“Y-yes…?”

“Find them. Instruct your associate to track down the Devotee of Darkness who made you guarantee the loan.”

Ruel knew from Hikars that when a Devotee of Darkness used purification, their life force was depleted, and he shouldn’t use purification rashly.

However, he was determined to capture that person and force them to use purification, no matter what.

How dare they make him guarantee a loan?

“Ah, understood. But if that person refuses to come with us…”

Ruel frowned at Hikars’s hesitant attitude.

He was reminded of the other company’s assistant manager, Park, who was often whining and grumbling.

“Have you forgotten the fourth condition, ‘I will be the absolute priority to you’?”

“I haven’t forgotten. Understood. For us, you, that is…”

Hikars trailed off, staring at Ruel. Until now, he hadn’t even known the name of the Devotee of Darkness.

“Ruel Setiria.”

“Y-you are the Noble of Darkness!”

As soon as Ruel said his name, Hicarus was visibly surprised.

“Darn it!” Ruel cursed aloud.

Even a clueless warlock knew that title.

“I-I apologize! I spoke your esteemed title carelessly!”

“Don’t even mention the word ‘esteemed.'”

“I’m sorry!”

Hikars appeared anxious, uncertain if he had offended Ruel with his words.

Ruel inhaled Breath and suppressed the rising frustration.

“I’m truly proud to be the butler of someone as famous as Ruel-nim.”

“Shut up, Cassion.”

Cassion closed his mouth tightly but was grinning widely.

‘That twisted loyalty…’

Ruel clenched Breath tightly.

“Before you leave, I have one question. Where should I go?”

Frustrated by Hikars’ naivety, Ruel snapped, “I told you to track down that person.”

“I have another death servant handling that. My duty is to serve you,” replied Hikars confidently.

“Who said you could?”

“It’s my mission.”

Why should he bother accompanying such a fool who accepts without even knowing the basics of a deal?

No, there was no reason to keep him around in the first place.

Ruel was a higher version of a warlock, and he had Leo. Keeping in touch with Hikars occasionally would be enough.

Dismissing Hikars with a wave of his hand, Ruel said, “I have no patience for fools. Go your own way. Answer if I reach out.”

Hikars, however, remained resolute. “Your command is vital, but my mission comes first. I will stay by your side.”

Hikars looked at Ruel with a sincere and reverent gaze.

That look was burdensome. Not wanting to engage further, Ruel lay back on the bed, responding with annoyance.

“Go find another Devotee of Darkness to follow.”

Cassion idly toyed with a dagger, creating deliberate noise, yet Hikars remained unfazed by the distraction.

“You’re here because of the corrupted death, aren’t you? I can assist you with that,” Hikars stated.

“How?”

When Ruel asked, Hikars answered joyfully. “We can handle the corrupted death…”

“Just say purification.”

“We can’t perform purification, but we can spread the purification you use.”

It seemed they could act not only as a backup battery but also as an antenna.

Ruel was slightly intrigued but felt something was off and asked, “You’re sacrificing your life to spread this purification, aren’t you?”

“That’s correct. Nothing in this world comes without a price,” Hikars affirmed.

“Is this something Death demands? For you to casually discard your lives?” Ruel retorted, disapproving of Hikars’ nonchalant attitude towards risking his life.

“Death doesn’t command us. It just speaks to us. At first, it was terrifying, but now it feels okay, like an old friend or a parent.”

There was no trace of resentment towards Death in Hikars’s words.

It seemed he was satisfied with his current life, regardless of what Death did or said.

Since he was content, Ruel couldn’t argue with him.

Ruel decided to ask the question that had been on his mind. “What exactly is this Death you keep mentioning?”

“Death is literally the death everyone knows. It’s also a sub-concept of darkness. Darkness is nature itself. Perhaps our existence, and yours as well, is a natural occurrence that arose from the imbalance of the world.”

Hikars smiled brightly, “I’m genuinely fine. I appreciate your concern. Devotee of…”

“Call me Ruel.”

Despite Ruel’s curt tone, Hikars continued to smile.

“Of course, Ruel-nim.”

He could feel Ruel’s concern for him, even if it was a little crooked.

Hikars stood up from his seat.

It seemed like he was finally leaving.

Scratch, scratch.

There was a scratching sound at the door.

It was probably Leo.

‘Has he been waiting outside all this time?’

Leo’s patience was as short as his front paws.

Having endured this much was impressive enough.

Ruel instructed Cassion, “Open the door.”

“Understood.”

With the door ajar, Leo eagerly pushed his head through the gap, exclaiming,

—Ruel, Ruel! Guess what this body brought… Oh!

Leo’s enthusiastic demeanor faltered upon spotting Hikars.

Hina, following behind Leo, barely managed to suppress a laugh and turned her head away.

—Th-this body accidentally spoke in front of someone else.

“It’s okay.”

Ruel reassured Leo, noticing the tears welling up in his eyes, which made him lose the urge to tease.

“Greetings, Great Purifier. I am Hikars, a servant of Death.”

Hikars bowed politely to Leo.

However, Leo immediately dashed behind Ruel, peeking out cautiously at Hikars.

Sniff, sniff.

Leo’s eyes sparkled as he briefly smelled something.

—This body smells something familiar.

Hikars had mentioned that death was a sub-concept of darkness. Leo recognizing a familiar scent might indicate that his instincts were awakening.

‘Hmm.’

Ruel briefly pondered whether to keep Hikars by his side or not.

Leo smiled brightly.

—This body is Leo, the Great Purifier!

He didn’t forget to proudly raise his nose up high.

“Hikars.”

“Did you call for me?”

Hikars bowed his head, placing a hand on his chest in response to Ruel’s summons.

“Alright. I’ll decide whether to keep you by my side based on your usefulness. Until then, it’s on probation.”

“Even if it’s on probation, that’s fine. I will do my best to assist you, Ruel-nim.”

Ruel appreciated Hikars’s response.

“Are you picking up people again?”

Cassion asked incredulously. He noticed Ruel had changed his mind based on Leo’s reaction but didn’t expect him to actually take Hikars in.

“I said it’s on hold,” Ruel replied dismissively.

“Then I’ll linger in the shadows. Summon me when needed.” Hikars smoothly melded into his own shadow, unlike Cassion.

After closely observing Hikars’s magic, Cassion spoke up, “Can’t Ruel-nim do that like the warlock?”

“Why would I?” Ruel sneered, and Cassion realized he had asked a stupid question.

Why would he bother learning such magic when he could easily capture a stronger target?

“Then, let’s have a snack.”

Ruel sat up again, looking at the snacks Hina had placed on the table.

***

“Did you bring me here for this?”

Ganien glared at Ruel slightly.

It was unreasonable for Ruel to stand in line when he wasn’t feeling well, so as a friend, Ganien could stand in for Cassion, who had to take care of Ruel.

Then, he received a concerning message about confirming the presence of corruption and pursuing it, which left him slightly uneasy.

Finally, they arrived back empty-handed despite the enticing aroma around them, which made him disappointed that they hadn’t even brought him warm coffee.

“Yes,” Ruel replied without hesitation.

Huswen had sent Ganien to him for his country’s benefit. Whatever he did with Ganien was his own business.

“The line has gotten shorter.”

—That’s right.

Ruel glanced at Leo, who was chiming in, and slightly leaned forward to look ahead.

The day had darkened, with about five people visible in front of them.

Perhaps due to a brief nap, he felt less dizzy.

“Ruel, you…”

“Cassion.”

Ruel cut off Ganien’s words and called Cassion.

It was obvious what Ganien was unhappy about.

“You’re ten years older than me, yet your behavior is…”

Ruel carefully chose his words and inhaled Breath.

Cassion smirked while looking at Ruel.

He didn’t want to leave any room for Cassion to retort with a look insinuating, ‘You’re no different.’

Ganien expressed his frustrations after receiving a snack from Cassion; it was too cold, he had no one to talk to, and he even got into some sort of dispute, etc.

Ruel, who was listening next to him, let it all pass through one ear.

“So, can you imagine how bored I was? At least…” Ganien stopped mid-sentence and turned his head in a certain direction. Ruel followed his gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Soldiers have arrived,” Cassion explained with a grin. “Including the person in charge, Glen Syria.”

‘Glen Syria?’

Soon, Ruel saw Glen Syria approaching.

Dressed in blood-stained armor, it was unclear whose blood it was, he stood confidently in front of the reception desk with soldiers flanking him, appearing like a valiant general.

Glen’s voice was grave as he declared, “I will now issue an urgent mission. I want to clarify in advance that this is an official mission.”

An urgent mission had been announced.

“Currently, the monsters have breached the first defensive line and are now threatening the second. If they break through the second line, they will flood into the Kran Kingdom’s capital.”

A commotion erupted instantly.

Ruel smiled leisurely, recognizing the monsters as the Guardians.

This dramatic scene was merely a farce—orchestrated to create chaos, with the blood-stained armor and soldiers all part of the act.

‘They’re trying to lure adventurers into a dangerous area, likely with a significant reward involved.’

It was a situation he had seen many times before.

It was similar to when the Red Ash had created a fake merchant and tried to pass the Leponia attack plan to the outside.

“Quiet! Please be quiet!” Glen shouted.

“Anyone willing to join me at the second defensive line, please move to the side.”

The adventurers hesitated, looking at one another.

Most aimed for the relatively safer third and fourth defensive lines, where they hoped to slay monsters and earn good rewards.

After all, the first defensive line had already been breached; would the second be safe?

“This time, as an exception, we will simply complete the process with ID verification upon departure, and since it is an emergency mission, we promise to give you double the usual compensation!”

‘Of course.’

Ruel covered his mouth, nearly bursting into laughter.

The promise of double rewards had sparked a sudden frenzy among the adventurers, who were previously hesitant and now rushed toward the location indicated by Glen.

“We’re going too,” Ruel said, his voice tinged with amusement. It was essential to uncover the true intentions behind the adventurers’ gathering.

He immediately glanced at Cassion, “Don’t stop me.”

Seeing Cassion’s stern expression, Ruel felt refreshed for the first time in a while.

“Are you aware of what you’re walking into?” Ganien interjected, trying to caution Ruel.

The two made quite the pair.

“I’ve heard the explanation from Cassion.”

While the third and fourth defensive lines were flatlands, the first and second lines were mountainous regions.

“Even though you know, are you still going? Consider your objective.”

Ganien’s remark made Ruel smile brightly.

“My objective? Ironically, it’s right there.”

Ruel subtly gestured towards Glen Syria.

“…Hey.” Ganien called out to Ruel sharply.

Glen Syria was associated with the Red Ash.

Coincidentally, an urgent mission was announced right when Ruel had joined.

Wasn’t it quite peculiar? What if this was not a coincidence but a trap set by the enemy?

“Let’s go and find out. Don’t you think so?”

Seeing Ruel’s confident smile, Ganien felt a swell of warmth in his chest.

Despite knowing all this, Ruel had still said he would go.

Mirroring Cassion’s distorted expression, Ganien’s expression also hardened.

“I don’t want to bring this up, but climbing the mountain is too much for your body.”

—No! Ruel has climbed the mountain, this body has seen it!

Leo said proudly, even though he knew he couldn’t hear him.

“Too much? Well…”

Ruel chuckled.

There was no rule saying you had to climb a mountain with both feet.

Author's Thoughts

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read