1/4 for February

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Chapter 174 – Unexpected Change (Part 2)

Moments before achieving their great work, the Second Advent Life and Death a.s.sociation was swept in chaos.

The heart of the Second Advent Life and Death a.s.sociation, that had never permitted contact with the outside, got played.

They lost a considerable number of the fake soul marbles that they had prepared for so long, lost two of their five priests and one amongst them was a traitor.

"He is known as Dana Litalin and he is an examinee like me."

"Those examinee b.a.s.t.a.r.ds have already infiltrated us to this degree?!"

Sultan Saloc was incredibly furious after hearing Lee Chang-wee.

"He spent 10 years with our a.s.sociation and more than five years as a high priest! And even then there was no one here who knew!"

The three high priests didn"t know what to do and hung their heads low.

"He also didn"t just use normal magic but a strange kind of magic, so how is it none of you noticed all this time? What did high priest Aprit do that he didn"t know his disciple wasn"t just a simple dark magic user?"

"We apologize, supreme priest."

"Please punish our ignorance, lord."

The high priests kneeled.

Even though he was a high priest that stood alongside them, all of them not having had a clue only meant one thing.

It meant Dana Litalin"s magical capabilities surpa.s.sed theirs.

Then, Lee Chang-wee opened his mouth.

"They aren"t to blame."

"What is it you want to say?"

Sultan Saloc looked down at Lee Chang-wee.

"Even amongst all the examinees, you could say that Dana Litalin is the best. If someone like him was determined to keep his ident.i.ty a secret, it would be difficult for anyone to catch him."

"He is the best examinee you say?"

"Yes, high priest."

"Hmm, the man I saw today certainly wasn"t just some normal guy."

There were four high priests plus Lee Chang-wee and other guards but he ruined the ceremony and still managed to escape.

Not only that but he killed his own master who had taught him black magic.

That was how good he was after he completely lost all the dark magic through the servant seal that he had leveled up after so many years.

On top of that, that strange magic threw out at the end, what was that?

He nullified all the high priests" dark magic in an instant.

Additionally, the great Sultan Kajad pun Aman the third"s safety measures were also activated from it.

All this time there was only one other instance where the safety measures were activated.

There had been one Sultan who didn"t agree with the Second Advent Life and Death a.s.sociation and necromancy itself and he tried to get rid of it.

The magic square and the stone coffin never broke and that Sultan must have been cursed because he was struck with a sickness and then left the world.

After that it never activated again but thanks to Dana Litalin using his strange magic, it activated.

That was the rival of dark magic that was more dangerous than spirit summons.

"And what about you?"

Asked Sultan Saloc to Lee Chang-wee.

"To what are you referring, my lord?"

"I"m asking whether you can handle that villainous traitor, Dana Litalin."

For a moment, Lee Chang-wee"s eyes glistened. Like a hawk that had just found its prey.

"I"m not sure. Would that not hang on how badly the lord Sultan wants Dana Litalin dead?"

An indirect question to ask how much he would get paid.

"Impudent b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

Sultan Saloc looked at Lee Chang-wee as if staring down at a bug.

Lee Chang-wee, an aura master, with his aurimproved eyesight, could see his gaze but he didn"t care at all.

Sultan Saloc said.

"But ironically, because of that obvious greed, I know I can trust you. Because I can see in your eyes what it is you really want."

"I"m just grateful you recognize that."

Replied Lee Chang-wee brazenly.

"If you come back with the traitor"s neck, I will give you more majeong and treasures than you"ll know what to do with."

Lee Chang-wee made a smile of satisfaction.

"The order will be carried out after details are discussed."

Viscount Heinz.

I arrived at the territory that was now mine.

The mansion was wrapped in rampart, a typical lord"s castle.

Compared to Odin, the count of Wolfenbrooke"s abode, the scale was smaller and facilities worn, but it was neat and cla.s.sic and I liked it.

Having circled around the sky above the residence on the eagles with Cha Ji-hye, I felt satisfaction. To think that was mine, I had a feeling of success, like I"m real royalty.

Think about it.

At one point I studied for years in the hopes of being a civil servant and living off a paycheck the size of a rat"s tail and now I"m a lord! An autocrat that ruled over a territory and its people! What an extraordinary leap in status!

"Take out Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Jin-hyuk."

At my words, Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Jin-hyuk appeared out of the virtual s.p.a.ce.

Having appeared in midair, the two people, of course, started falling to the ground.

"Huh? Huh?! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"What the……!"

Without knowing what was going on and suddenly being brought out from the virtual s.p.a.ce, the two of them floundered in the air, frightened.

"Well, I guess that"s enough of messing with them."

I pulled out number 3 and number 4 from the virtual s.p.a.ce and had them catch the two people.

Riding on the eagles now, the two of them must have understood the situation because they glared at me.

"Can"t you take us out with more manners?"

"You a.s.shole, you did that on purpose, right?"

I cleanly ignore the two growling people as I descended first towards the residence.

The eagles carrying three people followed me and got lower, and landed on the rampart"s front gate.

"Who, who are you?"

Soldiers wearing armor and holding spears asked in surprised after seeing us come down from the sky.

I took out my ID from inside my coat.

"I am Count Kim. I have been named the new owner of this territory by the king."

"A, a new lord?"

The soldiers are surprised and looked to each other and mumbled.

"Um, excuse us sir."

A soldier that looked to be a veteran approached me and took my ID. He looked it over carefully and handed it back to me and said.

"It looks genuine but we need more definitive proof. I must apologize but could you wait until we can bring the steward of the territory here?"

"Do we have to wait here?"

Then the veteran soldier looked like he was in a pickle.

"Um, I"m sorry. It"s just as a count and your group don"t look normal so until we can verify your ident.i.ty to let you inside would be a little……"

"Ah, good. We will wait."

Of course, Cha Ji-hye with her double blades strapped to her waist plus Yoo Ji-soo in her magician attire and Cha Jin-hyuk"s big build, there was not an average looking person among us.

It seemed like the soldiers did their job properly which I liked.

"Due to the lord being absent for so long the army could have become lax but they seem more disciplined than I expected."

Cha Ji-hye must have been satisfied too as she gave a positive evaluation.

A bit later, the castle gate opened and a group appeared.

A young man at the front bowed towards me.

"Count, greetings your Excellency."

"Are you the steward of this territory?"

"Yes, I am the resident attaché Edward Pell. From the time of count Heinz I have been the resident attaché and even after the territory was returned to the king, by order of the king, I continued to be responsible for the managing the territory."

If I am the chairman then he would be like the CEO.

Edward continued to say.

"I received word already from the kingdom. First, come this way, follow me please."

"Alright."

We followed behind Edward and went inside.

Edward escorted us into the office on this floor and then handed me a large seal.

"This is the official seal of the Heinz dominion. Could you place your ID here?"

I put my ID up to the seal.

Ring-

The dominion seal vibrated.

Edward looked over the dominion seal and then payed his respects to me once more by bowing at the waist.

"It has been verified. I am happy that you have come to this lordship."

"Uh, right."

Intrigued, I stared at the dominion seal. In a place like this without basic communication technology, how is such verification possible.

I understand it is magic, but by what mechanism?

She must have seen the curiosity on my face because Yoo Ji-soo said.

"That seal was probably bestowed personally from the palace to the highest lord in this territory. Afterward, no matter who becomes the lord of this domain, it just got pa.s.sed down until it reached you. On your ID, too, there is magic that says your t.i.tle and your territory which is how it could check."

"Ah……"

"It is as your group member has said. Now this seal cannot be used by anyone but you my lord."

At Edwards"s explanation I just nodded blankly.

There was such magic on it.

Compared to modern times, the basic things we are used to look lousy in this world but actually there are points that compare to our cutting edge science.

Then, Edward opened his mouth again to me cautiously.

"And……"

"What is it?"

"According to the information I received from the palace, once the territory transfer has been completed, it was stated my contract that my employment would depend on your decision……"

Ah.

Whether he will stay seated as CEO or be removed depends on me.

I asked.

"And you have other plans?"

"Haha, if I get fired, I"ll be in the position to search for new employment."

Replied Edward as he scratched his head.

First of all his personality seems affable which I like but I haven"t verified his character or work ability so I"m reluctant to decide his fate right away.

After some consideration, I said.

"Firstly, report the latest happenings to my wife please. I will decide your employment status after that."

"Understood. But when you say wife you are referring to…?"

I quietly gestured to Cha Ji-hye who was next to me.

"My wife."

"Ah! Pleased to meet the baron"s wife."

"I am Cha Ji-hye."

"Cha…. What did you say?"

"Just call me the baron"s wife."

"Ah, yes, yes."

At Cha Ji-hye"s unfaltering energy, Edward was subdued and showed his respect with his head staying bowed.

Then again, a baron"s wife with two blades on her waist, how could she not have a strong energy!

"Oh my, he called her his wife! Over in this world they must have been playing house. Uh, wow."

Yoo Ji-soo"s vain jealousy got thrown into the mix.

I had Cha Ji-hye take over the business from Edward and in doing so judged his business ability and his disposition.

If he"s a good person I"ll have him keep working.

His first impressions were good but if possible we could dump the annoying trivial matters onto him because there was no need to make Cha Ji-hye suffer through them. It"d be good to leave all of those things to him.

Edward kept leading us like a tour guide and showed us around the residence.

It was after getting a sense of the place when.

I set up rooms for Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Jin-hyuk to stay in and there was just the three of us left when Edward told me quietly.

"Actually not long ago, a strange person came by."

"For me? Who?"

"A man by the name of Litalin. He said you would know by just the name, and said he would be nearby until you came."

"Litalin?"

I"m completely surprised.

Dana Litalin was already here.

Then does that mean he"s already fulfilled his promise?

When it hasn"t even been that long since this exam started?

When he boasted about getting rid of two high priests I remembered that, Cha Ji-hye and I couldn"t help but both be surprised.

"Send someone and bring him to me."

"Understood."

Steward disappeared and then I took out the walkie-talkie and called Odin.

It was so I could check if Dana Litalin really did keep his promise.