Chapter 14: Chapter 17

“Young Master!”

It was a clear mistake. In his focus on dealing with the mage, he had failed to notice the completion of the golem summoning spell. Though visibility was poor due to the dust, it was clear that he would have been crushed to death. The impact was enough to cause an earthquake, and even with aura protection, he wasn’t sure if he could have withstood such a blow. A young master without any noticeable aura wouldn’t have survived that attack.

At that moment, a strange sound pricked Dellerger’s ears.

Crack

The sound of rock splitting. The noise came from the golem’s fist, which was now cracking. The cracks spread from the fist up to the chest, like tree roots.

A faint light emanated from the golem’s chest. The light, moving as if alive, was undoubtedly a spell embedded in the body.

In the reflected light through the dust, the silhouette of a man standing firmly became visible. Dellerger rubbed his eyes. He wasn’t seeing things.

The deep voice that echoed was undeniably his.

“This… dust will pour out when I wash my hair.”

At his nonchalant remark, Dellerger shuddered as if struck by lightning.

The words Hersel had said earlier echoed vividly in his mind.

-Choose wisely. I can easily handle someone like him, but I’m giving you the chance out of pity.

Perhaps, what he had said was indeed true.

Surviving that blow without a scratch despite not emitting any aura indicated a level far beyond ordinary.

‘The way he handles aura is different.’

It reminded Dellerger of a story about when the former leader of the Grey Knights, Redenic, had challenged a certain man to a duel.

Renowned as one of the most skilled knights of his time, Redenic had been utterly defeated by that man.

The man, who had turned Redenic into a humiliated figure, had left these words as a lesson while talking about the fun of the duel:

-Aura is not something to be released but to be contained.

He had demonstrated by driving a real sword into his skin, breaking the blade, leaving a lasting impression.

-The more you accumulate and compress it, the harder it becomes than steel.

True to his words, the man had a peculiar characteristic: he never released even a trace of aura, appearing to be an ordinary strong person on the surface.

Like father, like son, it seemed. The man before him was the same.

‘So, this is a case of the apple not falling far from the tree…’

But why did he ask for help then?

Dellerger was curious but could infer the reason from Hersel’s next words.

“I wanted to avoid making things messier.”

It seemed that he had shared this task simply to keep busy. There was no other explanation that came to mind.

Thud

The golem, now missing one arm, began to stir again, and Hersel locked eyes with Dellerger.

His expression was unreadable. Dellerger hesitated, thinking of helping, but worried it might be rude.

The golem’s weak spot was the spell.

It was akin to exposing a human heart outside the body; interfering would be like stealing prey someone else had caught.

Besides, it was a hassle.

Whoosh

The golem’s remaining arm swept through the air in a wide arc. Simultaneously, the dagger in Hersel’s hand flew like a deadly missile, stabbing precisely into the exposed spell on the golem’s chest.

Crunch

The golem’s fist stopped short of Hersel and, like a house of cards, its body crumbled.

***

Rocks tumbled to the ground. It felt like watching a stone tower collapse at an archaeological site during a school trip.

My heart still hadn’t calmed down.

Seeing the golem’s fist up close made me think I was really going to die.

[1-Second Invincibility Cooldown: 43 seconds]

I managed to destroy the spell through a narrow gap.

If I hadn’t thrown the dagger precisely as Donatan guided, I would have surely met my end.

Despite being uneasy about the alleged skill of Donatan’s former master, his throwing techniques seemed impressive, like hitting an apple on someone’s head with a knife.

And that damn guy…

Despite my hints, he did nothing but watch?

I almost cursed out loud at Dellerger’s negligence.

“…?”

But where was he looking now?

Dellerger was closely examining the wall. Curious, I picked up a fallen lamp and approached him.

Between the rocks, a wooden wall was visible. The rocks torn away by the golem revealed it.

It was the barricaded tunnel I had seen during the preliminary survey.

“Clear this.”

“Yes, sir.”

Dellerger slashed the boards with his sword. Inside, removing the blanket on the floor revealed a large hole filled with neatly stacked gold bars, enough to cover a double bed.

Sweat trickled down my back at the unexpected quantity, and I felt my lips quiver.

Even Dellerger’s black eyes glinted gold.

Covering his eyes with his hand, he spoke.

“These are the same as what we gave you. But why did you come here during the day?”

“I forgot where I put it.”

“…?”

Dellerger tilted his head in confusion but seemed to accept it. After pondering my intentions, he muttered, “Alcoholic dementia,” and spoke to me.

“It doesn’t matter. I hope you haven’t forgotten the information you promised to share.”

“Of course.”

Now, it was time to handle the slush fund. Before these beautiful gold bars disappeared, I gazed at them longingly.

I smelled and felt the touch of real gold.

It was genuine. And there was a lot.

Feeling like I had won the best reward in a random box, I couldn’t help but grin.

“Hehehe.”

From now on, I would cast a spell.

A spell to turn this time bomb into the grand prize.

***

After the commotion settled, in the annex.

Aria, gesturing, caused the negotiation table to shake slightly.

With eyes wide as saucers, she spoke with dissatisfaction.

“…You’re saying you want to buy that.”

Given the nature of what I wanted, her reaction was understandable.

“The recommendation letter I have?”

As a child of Orbella, she always carried it like a talisman given by her father.

Its value was such that it had ensured her release when captured by bandits.

Furthermore, whenever she visited other prominent territories, their lords would beg to have their children’s names added to the recommendation letter, treating her as an honored guest.

This is why I was willing to trade all the gold bars here for a mere piece of paper.

“Do you realize what kind of person you’re seen as in noble circles?”

I didn’t need to answer that.

If the head of the Orbella family’s most cherished daughter added the name ‘Hersel,’ how would people perceive it?

“Even if I agree to add your name, do you think it will be accepted? Do you know what my father is like?”

Ordinarily, he would probably tear up the recommendation letter at the sight of my name. If not, it would be a miracle.

The ‘Edel Klais’ Club, known as the club of nobles above nobles. Gaining membership was notoriously difficult, and so was the rejection of recommendation letters.

Its members included royals, heads of prestigious families, and individuals with remarkable achievements.

These days, if you apply without a recommendation, you’re lucky not to be laughed at.

A scoundrel like me would be immediately rejected by the head of Orbella…

But there was a way.

I had made two-thirds of the playable characters in the game join Edel Klais.

That meant I had done it for all characters except those the developers had explicitly blocked.

In the game, I had to meet and build a certain level of trust with the Orbella child who would write the recommendation letter.

Having achieved the requirements of meeting and showing sincerity (money), I smiled broadly.

“Your recommendation is different, right?”

“True, but… Don’t smile like that. You look like you’re plotting something.”

Looking in the mirror on the wall, I realized Hersel’s smile resembled a scheming boss’s smile. Not good for building trust.

I wiped my face, returning to my usual expression. Aria cleared her throat and looked at me sharply.

“But let’s be clear. I’m here to find out how you learned about the Dungeon Tower’s secret, not to talk about the recommendation letter.”

There was a slight anxiety in Aria’s voice. If the business failed, the head of Orbella would not remain idle, so it made sense.

“There must be others who know this, right? You wouldn’t have personally set foot on that land to investigate.”

To alleviate her concerns, I put on the rogue’s mask.

“Of course there were. But not anymore.”

“…Not anymore?”

“The fewer people who know, the more the profit is mine.”

Adding Hersel’s trademark wicked smile made Aria inhale sharply. She probably had some wild thoughts.

“Don’t worry. I’ve silenced all the mouths that needed to be shut. I wouldn’t want this deal to go wrong after planning it for so long.”

I nodded toward the gold bars. Aria’s eyes widened.

“Did you start this deal with me just to buy the recommendation letter from the beginning?”

Even the dust-covered gold bars at the bottom were there, suggesting that every penny from the rebates had been meticulously saved.

Though I still didn’t know what Hersel was planning with this money, it didn’t matter.

I became the scheming villain, and such a villain saying ‘everything is going according to plan’ made Aria trust my previous statements

.

“No wonder… Even if you’re known as an ignorant young master, it was strange that you stayed still despite being swindled. It seems we were the ones caught in the trap.”

Her additional remark was a bonus.

Aria sighed as she glared at me.

“Fine. Let’s talk seriously about the recommendation letter.”

“Let’s do that.”

“If it’s my recommendation, there’s a high chance you’ll be accepted.”

She said it casually.

It might seem arrogant to others, but I understood her confidence.

Currently, Aria was the most cherished child of the head of the Orbella family.

The Orbella family adhered strictly to meritocracy.

The head of the family had publicly declared that the next head would be the descendant who brought the most wealth, regardless of rank or succession order.

At this point, Aria was the legitimate daughter leading the competition, outpacing her other siblings.

“That means, if you persuade me, it’s possible…”

Aria glanced at the gold bars again as she spoke.

“This seems insufficient. Even if my influence is strong and my father agrees, adding your name could damage my reputation. It might even be recorded as a stain.”

Aria clasped her hands, a gesture she often showed when expecting something. She seemed quite intrigued by the situation.

“You need to provide more value for the trust I’ll lose.”

“Value…”

“I’m curious about the price you think my credibility is worth.”

As the awaited moment arrived, I gazed deeply into Aria’s eyes. Her pupils slowly dilated, indicating that she sensed my confidence.

“I have an offer you can’t refuse. A proposal that would persuade your father even if it came from another sibling.”

As mentioned earlier, I had made all the playable characters join Edel Klais, except for those blocked by the developers.

It was possible because of a near-cheat strategy.

“Aren’t you searching for it? The ledger recorded by your ancestors.”

Aria’s eyebrows twitched.

It was no surprise. Revealing the secret of the Dungeon Tower was one thing, but this was another level.

The lost family heirloom that even Orbella’s descendants couldn’t find, coming from an outsider like me.

Her voice grew urgent.

“Be specific. Are you referring to the ledger left by my family’s ancestors?”

The ancestor’s ledger.

In the game, it was an item obtained through a hidden quest, requiring players to navigate a maze that changed each playthrough.

But this was reality.

Freedom of speech and choice was abundant.

Just mentioning the location was as good as delivering it.

“I’ll tell you the location in exchange for adding my name. How about that? Won’t this increase your reputation rather than decrease it?”

Aria’s smile stretched to her ears.