Chapter 184. The Price of Making Me Work
The dining hall was lavishly decorated with ornaments that gave off a strong sense of old-fashioned elegance.
For some reason, however, the room was also filled with heavily armed soldiers and knights lined up with tense expressions.
The three men who could be called the pillars of House Conte sat at the dining table with emotions just as complicated as the atmosphere around them.
Even with delicious-smelling food laid out before them, none had any appetite.
...What the hell is going on...?
Unfortunately, Kim Inbang, who had been raising a new character on an alternate account, had also somehow gotten dragged into the situation.
[LOL seriously, trouble happens everywhere you go LOL]
[I knew it from the moment you got involved with that Demon King guy LOL]
[Huh? Inbang-nim knows that Demon King personally? For real?]
[This isn’t Inbang-nim. He’s Not-Inbang-nim.]
Kim Inbang.
The major streamer who had accidentally broadcast the annihilation of the Mu Kingdom to the entire world.
His audience had grown so international that he now needed simultaneous interpreters, making him almost afraid to turn on his stream.
He had created a new account and character hoping to quietly play the game while casually streaming.
Yet before he knew it, another huge crowd had gathered to watch.
“From what I heard, the ones who defeated the Demon King of Wisdom were that angel who once appeared in the Emperor’s audience chamber and Aien de Yustria.”
“Then I suppose we can no longer call her a knight.”
“There were several others present as well, so we cannot say the achievement belonged solely to those two.”
The speaker sighed.
“But yes. It would certainly be difficult to call her a knight of the Empire anymore.”
[Not-Inbang: I asked, and apparently everyone except the guy himself rushed in together and beat the Demon King to death.]
[LOL nobody survives a gang beating LOL]
[Wow, playing the game like that must be insanely fun.]
[For real LOL. He doesn’t even do anything himself and his NPCs go wreck everyone? That wasn’t a siege, he was playing a strategy game LOL]
[Didn’t he tell you how to make a Modak? I asked and he kept dodging the question;; How does “light a fire and talk to it with love” make any sense?]
Inbang had already asked that exact question several times.
He had received the exact same answer several times.
And he had repeated that answer to viewers several times.
So he silently banned the viewer who asked again.
Then he heard the door open.
Creeeak.
Derd entered.
Beside him was Aien, whom Inbang had encountered several times before.
Inbang was the only player who had known her both during her NPC days and after she became a player.
He blinked and quietly watched her.
According to Ingwang, his younger cousin had liked Aien so much that he had copied her appearance for the character.
So in Inbang’s eyes, she should clearly have looked like one of the players.
Huh?
I thought he overwrote the existing NPC, so the original Aien was supposed to be gone?
He felt confused.
Then the image of Ingwang appeared in his mind.
A man who modified and twisted the game however he pleased just for fun.
And somehow, that alone made the whole thing understandable.
He did something weird and entertaining again.
Seriously....
By this point, Ingwang had become someone who could do almost anything and still make Inbang respond—
Yeah. That sounds like him.
“Oh, am I late?”
Count Conte stopped Derd from approaching and pointed toward a seat as far away as possible.
“Sit there.”
Knowing Aien’s combat ability, Inbang thought Count Conte’s choice was very wise.
Unfortunately, it could only be called the bare minimum.
Derd saw it differently.
This gathering was supposed to honor his accomplishment.
Yet his senile father was still treating him as inferior and ignoring him.
“Father.”
Derd frowned.
“I accomplished something this significant for you, so why do you still keep me so far away?”
Count Conte’s expression twisted.
“You fool....”
He slammed a hand against the table.
“Do you still not understand what you have done?”
“Can you not understand even after looking at the situation around you?”
“?”
Only then did Derd look around the dining hall and notice all the knights.
Armed soldiers filled the room.
There were also otherworlders who had cost a great deal of money to hire.
Naturally, they were all there to keep Aien in check.
But Derd misunderstood completely.
Ohhh....
Father prepared all this for me...?
I see! He placed me directly opposite himself because of that!
Finally.
Finally, the day has come when he recognizes me!
It was an impressive misunderstanding.
Still, thanks to it, the argument ended and introductions could begin.
“Aien de Yustria.”
Derd gestured grandly.
“This is my father, Count Conte.”
“Greet him personally.”
Aien silently stared down at Derd for a long moment.
Derd urged her again.
Finally, Aien sighed and spoke quietly.
“...It is a pleasure to meet you, Count Conte.”
Her gaze settled on him.
“I am a knight serving the Demon King of Madness.”
Clank!
Derd’s face went pale with shock.
Count Conte immediately stood, looking as if he had expected exactly this, and moved behind the protection of the knights.
Only one person in the room failed to understand the situation.
Derd.
“Move aside! I can protect myself!”
Count Conte shouted.
Then he glared at his youngest son.
“Derd! You’ve finally caused a disaster!”
Derd pointed furiously at Aien.
“Y-You bitch! Do you even understand what kind of place this is?!”
“Stop this nonsense immediately!”
His brothers shouted at him.
“Derd! Stop talking rubbish and get out of the way!”
“This is not a place for you!”
The other brother grimaced.
“I was a fool for trusting you even for a moment....”
He pointed toward the door.
“This place is dangerous! Leave immediately!”
Derd’s face reddened.
“Brothers...!”
He clenched his fists.
“Just how much do you have to look down on me before you’re satisfied?!”
Grab!
Perhaps wanting to clearly display his superiority, Derd grabbed Aien by the hair and violently bent her neck backward.
His family stared in horror.
Derd didn’t even seem to notice.
He breathed heavily, unable to contain his rage.
Aien merely let out a small sigh.
Oh boy. What is wrong with this guy...?
To Derd, everyone around him probably looked insane.
But from an observer’s perspective, Derd was the only one who looked like a lunatic, raging by himself until he exploded.
[Not-Inbang: That guy’s probably about to die.]
[Guys like him don’t learn even after getting beaten. Lock him up and starve him until he says something sensible.]
[You don’t fix people like that. Throwing them away is faster.]
[Why is that guy acting like that? Isn’t that girl the Demon King’s knight? Didn’t resurrection magic get more expensive? He won’t be able to afford it;;]
[Not-Inbang: Her family is in the Empire, so I think they’re using her family as hostages;;]
[That crosses the line.]
If Aien had belonged to anyone other than Ingwang, this strategy would probably have been effective.
In fact, that was currently Derd’s greatest source of leverage.
He believed Aien was being suppressed by the thought—
If I resist, what will happen to my family?
Ingwang-ssi is the kind of guy who can find me without saying a word even if I turn off my stream and hide inside some dungeon.
Terrifying information-gathering ability.
Shockingly fast execution.
Being on Ingwang’s side was incredibly convenient.
Imagining him as an enemy was terrifying.
He’s the kind of guy who writes an “Empire Destruction Scenario.”
There’s no way he can’t handle something on this level.
The moment she came here, this was already over.
Aien finally spoke.
“You should teach your son some manners again.”
“You—! Y-Youuu!”
With one casual movement, Aien grabbed Derd’s wrist.
Crack!
The sound of bone breaking echoed through the dining hall.
Derd collapsed weakly to the floor.
“W-What is this?!”
He screamed.
“What are you doing?!”
“Aren’t you afraid of what happens afterward?!”
Aien looked down at him.
“And apparently, you aren’t afraid of the Ma—”
She paused.
“...the Demon King’s anger.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“What you’ve done isn’t something a sane person would do.”
“I’ll take my time hearing who encouraged you.”
[This drama is amazing.]
[LOL when we visit Ingwang Kingdom later, isn’t this guy going to be displayed somewhere? LOL]
[Not-Inbang: LOL he preserved a Demon King too, so we might actually get to see him LOL]
[Holy shit... no wonder protesters went there LOL]
Aien lifted Derd, struck him in the abdomen, and knocked him unconscious.
Then she turned toward Count Conte, who was visibly tense.
“From the looks of things, Count Conte was not involved in this matter.”
Count Conte took a breath.
“...This happened because I was inadequate and failed to properly educate my son.”
He forced himself to remain composed.
