Translator: Wan ED/PR: Fan
Chapter 16. Ghost domination
[Lucion.]
When Lucion started to walk towards the two people, Russell spoke.
[This is too sudden. You can employ better punks with your family’s wealth.]
Russell couldn’t understand Lucion.
“I know.”
[You know, so what?]
At Russell’s continuous questions, Lucion looked at Russell with a face filled with confidence.
‘I can’t bring better people.’
Lucion swallowed what he wanted to say.
The main character’s companions, who could be called S ranks, mostly hated Darkness.
Bringing them to his side as a warlock was a bigger risk.
“How many opportunities do You think I would have to tie in capable people, not just ordinary people, with money?”
[… So, Lucion? Why so suddenly? Why do you need those bastards?]
Russell couldn’t help but have doubts about Lucion’s abrupt actions.
Lucion could obtain a proper escort by just selling the Cronia name.
But why hire people who were robbers?
“It’s just my whim, so don’t think too deeply about it.”
Lucion walked up and stood in front of one of the vendors around.
There was a mask drawn with stars.
It was somewhat scrappy, but it was better than nothing.
“Isn’t it better than nothing?”
Lucion smirked before putting on the mask.
‘Even while still afraid of people.’
Because of Lucion’s high confidence, Russell didn’t banter or ask anymore.
Lucion openly approached the two people.
No matter what, there was no way that the two capable people wouldn’t notice Lucion.
The tall man looked back at him first.
“What can we…”
“Don’t you need money?”
Lucion lowered his voice and spoke.
It was awkward, but it was better than using his real voice.
Because of the rumors that he was crazy, they would never have thought that he was Lucion Cronia.
“I have a lot of money.”
Lucion confidently opened his mouth.
***
“… Ha.”
The woman spat out a fake laugh for what seemed to be the 14th time.
The current situation was dumbfounding.
Surely, no one would expect Hellon to say, ‘Yes, we need money’ there, right?
In addition, he quickly informed him what inn they were staying at.
By all accounts, it seemed that Hellon needed a lesson about not talking to strangers.
“How much do You need?”
Lucion didn’t touch the cheap tea Hellon served.
Just from the smell he knew its quality.
‘It seems they really have no money.’
“We need quite a lot. Our current situation…”
“Hey! Hellon!”
The woman couldn’t listen anymore and raised her voice.
“Are you crazy? Do you know that person? Do you KNOW him?! You’re just going to accept that a passing person is giving us money out of the goodness of their heart?”
“Calm down, Shutra. It’s a fact that we need money.”
“No matter how much we need money… ha.”
Shutra took a deep breath and glared daggers at Lucion.
Just from the deeply pressed hood and the strange mask drawn with stars, didn’t he look suspicious?
“Look, you, sir. How did you know that we need money or need something, and why did you approach us?”
At Shutra’s fierce voice, Lucion pointed at his ears.
“I was going down the street and just heard that.”
“Are you joking? No, okay. Setting aside you having such good ears that you heard us. What is your intention behind lending us money? Do you know us?”
“Yep.”
At Shutra’s words, Lucion simply answered.
“Wh-what did you say?”
“I know.”
[Phuhaha!]
At Lucion’s answer, Russell laughed loudly as if it was funny.
“Don’t you work as mercenaries?”
Lucion looked at Hellon as he asked.
“Yes. We’re killing time.”
Hellon replied.
“Okay, stop the mercenary work and come under me.”
“Wait just a moment, really. If You wait just a moment, we will bring you the answer.”
Hellon stood up urgently.
He easily slipped through Shutra’s blockade and left the room.
“You, sir. What is your identity?”
Shutra asked, glaring at Lucion.
“What would you do to know?”
“To know, we…”
“It seems quite urgent. But I guess you’re still not desperate.”
Lucion abruptly stood up.
To make her more anxious.
“I guess even while working as a mercenary, you differentiate between dirty and clear money before accepting? It’s going to be entirely your responsibility if this deal goes down the drain.”
“Hey, wait.”
At Lucion’s sudden change in attitude, Shutra was truly flustered.
They needed money, so it would be difficult for them if they let this opportunity slip.
Frankly speaking, it was a strange situation because where does such an opportunity come from?
Tak.
At that moment, the door opened, and a man came in with Hellon.
Ting!
When a blue thread tied him and the man, Lucion was seriously happy about this meeting.
‘Is that man Krone Zell?’
“Pleasure to meet You. I’m Krone Zell.”
Krone bowed his head towards Lucion.
“Hello.”
After Lucion also lightly bowed, he got straight to the point.
“I believe Hellon-ssi briefly told you what this is about.”
“Yes. I heard that You want to lend us money.”
Krone was smiling, but it was difficult to know what he was thinking.
“It was like this until a moment ago. But not now.”
Lucion openly glared at Shutra.
She was momentarily startled by Lucion’s gaze but soon smiled as if at a loss for words.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen such a shameless person.”
Certainly, even from Lucion’s perspective, the current situation was strange.
When an unknown person suddenly says they will give you money, was there someone who wouldn’t doubt it?
Shutra’s attitude was right.
Even so, Krone bowed his head to Lucion.
“I apologize on her behalf.”
‘They truly seem desperate.’
Lucion opened his mouth, praying it wasn’t an act.
“You’re planning to make a deal with me?”
“Naturally.”
Krone didn’t hide his happiness.
“Then, can only the two of us talk?”
Following Lucion’s suggestion, Krone looked at Hellon and Shutra straight away.
“Captain! Even if You’re the captain, You shouldn’t do that. Are You agreeing to this abrupt deal without knowing who that person is?”
Shutra frowned into a scowl.
“Shutra. You’re right. But do you have another way to solve our current predicament?”
At Krone’s question, Shutra bit her lips.
[It’s not acting.]
Looking at the speechless Shutra, Russell said.
Lucion was also at last certain it wasn’t acting.
“Shutra, let’s go.”
Hellon calmed down Shutra as he walked outside.
After the two people left, Lucion took the lead in the conversation.
“This conversation can only be known to you.”
“I understand what You mean.”
Krone slowly nodded.
“Before that, I have something to ask. Is this organization made out of only three people right now?”
“Yes. That’s all.”
‘From three people you have grown into a power so big several countries were wary of you?’
Lucion was gradually liking Krone even more.
“I need an organization. An organization that will grow with me.”
At those words, Krone revealed a bit of a displeased expression.
“You mean to… buy us?”
“Correct. I want people who will become my hands and feet.”
“Then, I…”
“But You will be the head.”
“You mean You want me to be a figurehead?”
Krone’s face instantly stiffened.
“It’s very good that You understand quickly.”
It was a pity Lucion couldn’t show Krone his smile.
He folded his fingers and continued:
“On a basic level, You’re free. As I can’t be at the organization very often anyhow, I won’t interfere in what You originally wanted to do if it doesn’t shake the organization. But You have to unconditionally follow my orders.”
“… That’s the condition?”
After some thought, Krone opened his mouth.
Wasn’t it truly a strange condition?
It looks like freedom but without freedom.
“There is more.”
Lucion shook his head as he spoke.
“Please speak.”
“I’ll speak after You agree to this condition.”
“100,000 Del.”
Crone put strength into his voice.
[… 100,000 Del?]
Russell was shocked.
It wasn’t a number to throw around lightly.
What did three people do to incur such debt?
‘What? 100,000 of debt? With how much strength you put into your voice, I expected it would be more.’
At the debt number, which was lighter than he thought, Lucion lightly clicked his tongue.
“I’ll give You 100,000 Del.”
Considering his current situation, he had enough.
[Lucion, you have 100,000 Del? Then you weren’t spending any money until now?]
When Russell was shocked, Lucion let out a chuckle.
Krone flinched at the sound of laughter.
Somehow, it didn’t sound like ‘It’s absurd’?
‘You mean you have that much money?’
His face was covered with a mask, but from the voice, he was clearly a teenager.
Krone swallowed dry saliva.
100,000 Del was the price of him and his comrades.
The price of becoming free.
‘… Is there any reason to hesitate?’
Krone touched the rough ring around his neck.
Without even feeling a second of freedom, he would lose that freedom again to another person straight away, but this time was different.
The boy needed an organization, an organization that ‘would grow with him’.
He at least saw a road more hopeful than now.
Krone opened his heavy, very heavy mouth.
“I agree.”
[… Looks like an illegal slave? The nonsense they were talking about a moment ago wasn’t mercenary work but slave work.]
Russell saw the black ring when Krone scratched his neck for a second.
The black ring was a symbol of slaves.
— What is a slave?
Latta couldn’t endure the itching of her mouth and asked.
[Well, it’s something. Not very good.]
Russell replied instead.
‘Then it seems the debt is a price for their freedom.’
Lucion rummaged through his pockets as he thought.
Tak.
He took out several jewels from the magic pockets from which only he could take out things.
“This is a deposit. Even if it won’t do, You will be able to pay at least 1/3 of the debt.”
When Krone stretched out his hand, Lucion pulled it back.
“But before that, there is something You guys have to sign.”
“What is it?”
Unlike at first, Krone looked nervous.
He couldn’t help but feel impatient, knowing that Lucion really had that money.
“Don’t You have to sign an IOU that You owe me 100,000 Del?”
Debt for a debt.
“The interest is 30% per month.”
There certainly will be interest.
“…!”
[What?]
Krone opened his mouth at the unspeakable interest, and Russell looked at Lucion with crossed arms.
“If You betray me, You will pay three times the deposit and 30% of interest each month. While You can’t pay off this money, the interest will increase by 10% each year. That is one of the conditions. Isn’t it quite cheap?”
At the words ‘cheap’, Krone frowned and asked.
“You mean there is another condition?”
“I never said there was only one.”
Lucion took out a pen and paper from his pockets and wrote the contract conditions one after another.
“Here, sign it.”
Lucion passed the pen and paper to Krone.
Krone looked at the contract, in which the subjects were him, Hellon, and Shutra.
He had doubts about how he would know for certain that they betrayed him, but Krone decided to sign it.
“Please get the signatures of the others. We will continue the conversation after that.”
Lucion sent Krone out.
Looking at Krone’s dubious expression, it seemed that he thought that the current situation was quite strange.
It was natural.
Because how the hell could one be certain, who, how, and when without the slightest doubt?
Wasn’t it only a contract with harsh language stopping them from fleeing?
But he could block such weak points.
“Master-nim.”
Lucion called Russell.
Russell had a guess as to where it was going from his meaningful voice.
“How about now? Can I learn it now?”
The biggest reason why warlocks were treated like a virus was because the whole world worshipped Light, but quite a large part of it was also the fact that they dealt with death.
It wasn’t that they dealt with death directly, but because they could make deals with the dead, the specialty of the Darkness itself.
[Yeah. You can learn a magic to dominate a ghost now.]
Russell thought that the environment was also quite good right now.
Unlike the ghosts in Cronia’s mansion, the ghosts around the inn weren’t much.
‘It’s perfect practice. But it’s a pity the order in which he should learn the debuffs first changed.’
Russell glanced at Lucion.
‘Did he think everything through to this point?’
Russell hid his satisfaction.
The disciple, who acted without thinking, began to think and plan.
‘I thought he would resist a lot if he barely endured just three days of training.’
Russell descended to the ground, took Latta out of Lucion’s shadow, and handed her to Lucion.
— Huh?
Latta, surprised by the sudden event, stiffened.
[It seems it will take some time over there. So shall we start?]
Russell swiftly moved through the wall and came back with a fresh ghost.
*~*~*
Translator’s note: Poor ghost, treated like groceries for Russell to pick up fresh and cheap.
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