Genius Corpse-Collecting Warrior - Chapter 151

Burning Village (2)

“Your son has grown up a lot! “Do you remember Uncle Yonseok?”

“There’s no way I remember. “It won’t be the last time you’ll be a newborn.”

“Hehehe I guess so. Owner! “Please give me three more servings of what I always eat here.”

The man let out a good-natured laugh and headed to the table, casually stroking Akasha’s head.

Not only Dallen, who guessed the man’s identity, but the rest of the party also had trouble keeping pace.

The dwarf was a veteran who had experienced various incidents for over a hundred years, and the young dragon had an extraordinary intelligence in judging the situation.

And fortunately, there was no need to drag out the ad-lib acting for a long time.

“Bread and venison stew.”

Not long after the innkeeper served drinks and food, magical power began to secretly move around the table.

Ssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss-ssssssssssssswk…

A faint flow of magical power leaks out from the man’s arms and surrounds the table.

Presence distortion and sound blocking illusion techniques are cleverly layered to completely deceive the surroundings.

From the outside, they might seem like hometown friends who are still resolving issues they haven’t seen in a long time.

However, on the actual table beyond the drinking ceremony, the useless chatter from just a moment ago had subsided and there was only a subtle silence.

“…Okay, that’s it now.”

“It’s a very elaborate spell.”

Dallen looked around and was honestly amazed.

Even if it is the same illusion-based technique, confusing a specific target and creating the same scene for multiple people are two completely different levels of difficulty.

The magic spells surrounding the table were not only done without any awkwardness, but they were also high-level spells that were secretive at the same time.

Unless you are a magician of a high level, you will not even be able to notice that something is wrong, let alone see through this.

The man shook his head at Dallen’s praise.

“It’s not my ability. “It’s thanks to the magic tools.”

“It certainly seems like the Tsar’s royal family cares about the special unit. “If even the agents dispatched to these remote villages were holding such magic tools.”

“…also. I thought you would notice.”

The man nods his head with an ambiguous smile as Dallan naturally points out his identity.

It wasn’t difficult to guess the man’s identity.

Who would be willing to help Dallen and his party by acting in this far-off northern outskirts?

The contradiction between the behavior that seemed to naturally blend in among the village residents and the traces of solid training hidden in the countryside added to the conviction.

In addition, possessing a fantasy magic tool that is more powerful than one’s own abilities means that one is receiving full support for infiltration and espionage activities from a large organization.

There is only one organization that would spare such resources to reach such a remote village.

‘The royal family of the Tsardom, the actual ruler of this land.’

“My name is Craig Vidloff, Chief Agent of the Tsarist Special Service. “I have heard the story of Dallen helping the special team in the labyrinth to defeat the evil rebels and the demons they were following.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“I heard that you accepted the royal family’s request and left for the northern front. How did you come to this remote village?”

The man asked indifferently as he ate his stew. Questions that naturally try to guide his actions and destination.

Dallen shrugged and answered.

“The request didn’t say anything about when it should arrive. “I was looking around to see what had already been posted.”

“…okay. If your goal is sightseeing, we recommend the western side, which has a large population. If you keep going this way, you won’t be in the cold, barren land and the Tooth Mountains of the World.”

“I don’t handle the cold well. I don’t like too many people. “Thank you for your consideration.”

“Haha, you are the benefactor of the special task force, but this much…”

“But.”

Talk. Talk.

He tapped the table with his fingertips and asked a question before the man could open his mouth.

“Suddenly this thought occurred to me. “Maybe their real intention is not to be considerate of me, but maybe they have something they want to hide from me, who is employed by the royal family.”

“…….”

“Contrary to what is known externally, the public sentiment in the region that suffered damage from the Night of the Vengeful Spirits incident has not yet been resolved. Or perhaps the Tsarist rebels, who were said to have destroyed themselves, are actually still influencing these outskirts.”

Fingertips still tapping regularly against the grain of the wood.

Dallen leisurely leaned back against the backrest and looked around the sparsely populated inn.

Anyone could tell that this was an intentional action.

“The villagers here seem quite dissatisfied.”

A strangely ostracizing attitude toward foreigners. Emotions boiling with anger from deep within the heart.

Even in a village on the outskirts, it is not normal for an atmosphere like this to form.

Dallen was talking about it while pointing it out.

If the royal family really cares about hiring him, they should talk about these details properly rather than trying to hide them.

“…You hit the nail on the head. “Dallen is right.”

The man sighed and lowered his head.

“After the Night of Vengeance Incident, the villages and cities in the southeastern part of the Tsarist Kingdom, which were mainly affected, lost trust in the royal family. “Although the rebel army has been torn apart by internal strife, some of its remnants are still alive and agitating in the outskirts.”

With a sigh, deep wrinkles appear on the forehead and around the eyes.

The agent’s face looked several years older than before, when he was smiling cheerfully.

“It’s as if this village has fallen into their hands. I have been trying to calm the public sentiment with the elders, but the situation seems to be getting worse by the day. “I also planned to wrap up my duties and leave within a few days.”

He added with a helpless laugh.

“A hero like you shouldn’t be held back in a place like this. “Get out of here as quickly as possible.”

***

“Are you ready?”

A night with a bright moon. The man said, looking up at the clear sky where the snow had subsided.

The shaman who was watching the crystal ball from the side soon nodded.

“Explosives were buried in the basements of all major buildings, with twice as much extra buried in the inn and village hall. “The elder said he plans to stay up all night to take care of business at the hall tonight, so it seems like a good day to hold a memorial service.”

“God help us.”

fluttering.

The man stood up.

The dark wizard’s unique monochromatic robe fluttered in the cold north wind. On the other hand, the body under the robe was quite different from what is generally associated with a warlock.

Muscles as angular as stones are visible through the chain armor. He is nearly 2 meters tall and has broad shoulders.

The nape of his neck and his face, the only areas of bare skin visible, were full of scars.

Guardians of the Seven Crowns. Among them, the elder of the faction that followed the first prince spoke while stroking his well-groomed gray beard.

“I heard that an outsider came in.”

“yes. “They say they are taking a room at an inn and resting.”

“It would be obvious to lock the gate, so even if it was unavoidable, I would have told you to at least prevent them from finding a place to rest.”

“He said he was Craig’s hometown friend. It is said that Craig was such a well-known man that even the innkeeper could not say anything.”

“He was a very suspicious guy from the beginning. “This makes it clear that he is the tsarina’s henchman.”

Tdu-duk-duk.

The elder relaxed his shoulders. He pulled out the great sword that was stuck at his feet.

“No matter how famous you are, you are insignificant before the grace of God. “He will be torn limb from limb and die at the hands of the people he trusted.”

“Both the gunpowder and the ritual are ready. “If you just give me the command, this place will be transformed into a sacred place for God.”

The shaman smiled and spoke. The elder looked at the village on a low hill with his greatsword slung over his shoulder.

The snowstorm that had been blowing until the afternoon had cleared up completely, and the moon and stars were shining particularly brightly in the clear sky.

On a night like this, the fire reaching into the sky would be incomparably more beautiful than any other time.

The elder pointed to the village with a wry smile.

“Burn the village. Kill all those who resist, including the Tsarina’s subordinates and outsiders. Those who cooperate with us will receive grace as promised, and those who resist will be brutally murdered by their neighbors.”

At the elder’s command, the shaman placed his hand on the crystal ball and spoke.

“Execute.”

A disaster –

it starts with a flash of light.

Followed by fireworks.

Huge pillars of flame rose from all over the village and the sound of explosions came half a beat late.

Kkwagwagwang…!

It was a roar as if heaven and earth were leaving. Even Shun’s followers, who had no idea of fear, were even frightened and retreated.

“I…like it very much.”

The elder twitched his beard.

A tingling sensation creeping up under my feet. Flames and smoke fill my eyes.

My heart was pounding like it was going to explode after receiving Sun’s grace. I had a burning desire to run out and kill right away.

The elder suppressed his desires with superhuman patience and continued to give orders.

“We leave as little as possible traces of our direct involvement. As mentioned before, command the villagers recruited through the crystal ball. “Please report to the village elders, the tsarina’s subordinates, and outsiders as soon as they are dealt with.”

“We have already sent personnel to the inn and community hall. “They are blessed, so it will be handled easily.”

“good night.”

The elder laughed softly.

How much hardship had they endured in the past two months after the plan of the faction following the Three and Five Princes failed miserably.

It was only after engaging in a power struggle that bordered on civil war with self-proclaimed moderates that they were barely able to gather their remaining strength.

However, as the saying goes, good fortune comes after hardships, he eventually stood up again.

In a short period of time, he captured a dozen villages and was able to gather four hundred elite soldiers who were now lined up behind him.

Elite soldiers who have received Xun’s special grace are capable of generating strength equivalent to ten ordinary soldiers.

With them, I would finally be able to achieve feats that other cowards could not.

By the time the Sangvis Army gathered on the northern front noticed what was happening, Tsarina would have already lost a third of her territory.

“Have you confirmed their deaths?”

“…No news yet.”

“There is no news. “What does that mean?”

“Maybe the explosion alone didn’t even leave behind a body…”

At that time, the shaman swallowed his words with a gasp. His hazy eyes stared intently into the crystal sphere.

“What’s going on?”

“Listen to this.”

As the elder twitched his eyebrows with an uncomfortable expression, the shaman played with the crystal ball.

[carter? carter! Where did you go… wow!]

[Kwagwagwang! Kwakwang!]

[Be careful! There is unexploded gunpowder! Oh no. It wasn’t a misfire, it was a ship they had installed…!]

[Crash! Kwajik!]

The communication beyond the crystal ball is heard amplified.

Screams and crushing sounds overlapping in succession. The sounds of explosions and bones crunching.

The feast of noise soon stopped. And after a moment of noise, a low, deep voice rang out from the crystal sphere.

[Crackling…ah. iced coffee. Microphone test. Is it correct to write it like this?]

The elder’s expression hardened.

Holding the crystal ball up to the shaman, he slowly opened his mouth.

“…Who are you?”

[I guess that’s right. Just wait a moment. The direction and distance are roughly…]

“Are they foreigners who arrived today? If you don’t value your life, then just leave. “I will not forgive any further interruption.”

No answer came back.

Beyond the crystal ball held up by the shaman in a daze, all that is conveyed is endless silence.

[Whiri]

Through the silence, the sound of something being thrown is heard.

Wedge-!

The next moment, a strange sound of a wave ripped through the air right in front of the crystal sphere.

Jang-Kwa-Sik!

There was no time to react.

The fragments of the crystal sphere, cut exactly in half, scatter in all directions, and the shaman behind them runs over with an ax stuck in his head.

Ugh….

A hatchet that hums and trembles even as it splits the skull.

Runes engraved on the handle and ax blade.

The elder, who saw the golden waves radiating from the strange tremors, shouted with a face filled with astonishment.

“Everyone get down! Artifact weapons…!”

And before the words were even finished.

Kwagwagwagwa-!

A golden explosion exploded from the hatchet, striking the elder and the elite soldiers lined up behind him.

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