The Failure Marquis Is A Genius [EN]: Chapter 70

Chapter 10: Hatching: The Rejected Bastard

“I didn’t expect this.”

I thought the energies within me were getting along just fine since they hadn’t clashed before.

But now that the water-attribute energy has entered and is mediating between the Dragon Blood and Mana, it feels like the internal energies are finally properly mixed.

What would have happened if I hadn’t obtained the Mermaid’s Tears?

Someday, the two energies would have caused discord and hindered my growth, so obtaining the blue mana at this time was incredibly fortunate.

After finishing my Qi circulation [a technique of circulating energy within the body], I asked the Heavenly Demon about the phenomenon, and he said:

-There were quite a few guys like you on the continent where I was. They recklessly put various energies into their dantian [energy center in the body] to create a mixed stew for growth.

“And did they reach higher realms?”

-Eight or nine out of ten would often go mad as they ascended, due to the collision of energies causing their Qi and blood to become twisted and reversed.

The Heavenly Demon’s words were shocking.

Did that mean I could also become a madman?

-The journey to taste a higher world is arduous and difficult. Of course, gradually accumulating the same energy is the best strategy. But things don’t always go as planned. There are countless cases of accepting other energies for higher growth.

The Heavenly Demon confessed that he himself had not hesitated to accept various energies for growth and had overcome the crises caused by their conflicts several times.

-That moment will come for you in the future. I was going to tell you later, but I didn’t expect you to discover the problem so soon.

“So, is the problem within me solved now that I have obtained the blue mana?”

-It’s a temporary fix. Putting a mediator between two people who don’t get along will improve the atmosphere, but that’s all. You must reach a point where the three energies become completely one.

It seems like I’ve gained another homework assignment.

For now, the beautiful emerald light filling the room seems to have no problems.

There’s nothing I can do right now to solve it.

I decided to move on for now and think about this problem later.

“Sion, come in.”

Sion, who had been standing guard outside the door, entered and showed a joyful expression upon seeing the emerald light floating in the air.

“It’s beautiful. Congratulations on your achievement.”

“It’s not an achievement. It’s just a temporary patch for a wound.”

Anyway, I decided to give Sion the Mermaid’s Tears, which had turned into an ordinary gem after the blue mana had been extracted.

“Turn around.”

She swallowed hard and turned around. I hung the Mermaid’s Tears around her white neck.

“It suits you well.”

I always nagged Sion, but this time I wasn’t just saying it.

The Mermaid’s Tears, a top-tier accessory, combined with Sion’s beauty, created the ultimate aesthetic.

She also looked in the mirror and paused for a moment, then stared blankly at her reflection as if possessed.

“It’s a reward for your hard work. Keep up the good work by my side.”

It’s like a boss giving a bonus to an employee. Judging by Sion’s reaction, she seemed very satisfied with the gift.

[Sion is very happy.]

[Sion’s loyalty has increased by +10.]

It’s the kind of timing where a system window like that should pop up. Of course, this isn’t a dating sim, so no such system window appeared.

“Thank you.”

“Enough with the greetings. We have a big task ahead of us, so don’t get too excited.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll meet Tom right away. And then we’ll depart.”

With this, the aftermath of the auction house was completed.

It was time to face Greed.

* * *

After leaving the Merchant Guild building, we moved to the City Hall to capture Greed, who was acting as the mayor of Liang.

The move took place in the early morning when traffic was light.

Being a free city, there weren’t many patrols except in a few areas, so we arrived at the City Hall without much commotion.

Currently, our group consisted of:

Pilgrim Tom, me, Sion, Campbell, and Sasha.

The real mayor of Liang, Yuron.

And the slaves taken from the Full Moon Market.

Before entering the City Hall, Tom checked the plan one last time.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, I’ll capture Greed.”

Everyone in the group, including me, agreed to Tom’s statement that he would deal with Greed himself, as Tom had a direct and bitter relationship with Greed from the past when he was a pilgrim.

“I will use an ancient artifact to bind Greed. In the meantime, you guys deal with his subordinates. Greed won’t be alone in the City Hall.”

“Understood. Since he’s been regularly supplied with slaves from the Full Moon Market, there should be quite a few slaves captured inside the City Hall. Securing the hostages will be our top priority.”

Tom then looked at Mayor Yuron and said,

“Mayor, please wait here and immediately enter the City Hall when we send a signal to prevent today’s commotion from escalating.”

Yuron’s role was quite important.

Fighting Greed in the City Hall would inevitably cause a commotion, so we needed public authority to handle the situation.

“Leave it to me.”

What remained were Sasha and the slaves.

“You are decoys to deceive Greed. You are welcome to participate in the battle if you wish, but if possible, don’t overdo it and run away if necessary.”

I told them, but judging by the eyes burning with revenge, I didn’t think they would listen.

“Especially Sasha. Focus only on survival.”

When Tom spoke to Sasha, she seemed frightened and clung to me again, becoming a complete leech.

I told her firmly to stay by Sion’s side once we entered the City Hall, but I wasn’t sure if she would follow my instructions.

“Let’s move in.”

We rushed towards the entrance of the City Hall.

The escaped slaves from the Full Moon Market were dragged along, hobbling with their hands and feet bound by plausible-looking iron chains.

In reality, they were fake restraints that could be easily removed.

Tom changed his face to Haman’s, and me, Sion, and Campbell put on the disguises and masks we had seen in the Underwater Cave.

The gatekeeper, who was guarding the main gate of the City Hall, stroked his mustache and bowed to Tom, who was disguised as Haman.

“Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Glory to Baal.”

“Glory to Baal!!”

The fact that he responded to the Twilight greeting meant that the entire City Hall had been infiltrated by the Twilight Church.

There was no need to harm the gatekeeper and cause a commotion from the entrance.

We would eventually be exposed, but it was strategically advantageous to be discovered as late as possible.

“Then, take care.”

I naturally greeted him and tried to enter the City Hall, but the gatekeeper stopped me from behind.

“But Alfredo is not here today. Is something wrong?”

It seemed that Alfredo, who was in charge of general administration in the Underwater Cave, was also one of the regular visitors.

Tom smoothly brushed it off without changing his expression.

“It’s none of your business. Open the door.”

“Understood.”

The door opened easily as Tom asserted his position.

We entered the City Hall.

According to the information obtained from the dead Haman, there was a secret passage in the basement of the City Hall.

Tom skillfully found the hidden passage and opened the entrance to the basement.

“You seem familiar with this.”

“I’ve been traveling around all sorts of ruins for ten years, collecting artifacts from the Aslan Empire. I can find hidden passages with my eyes closed.”

How far down the spiral staircase did we go?

The dark corridor continued, and suddenly a wide space unfolded.

The same glowing stones we had seen in the Full Moon Market were installed everywhere, illuminating the surroundings.

The first thing that caught my eye was the magic circle spread wide on the floor, made of blood.

The magic circle, filled with complex runes, constantly emitted ominous energy like a haze.

The magic circle was so large that it was the size of a schoolyard, and the fact that there was such a space in the basement of the City Hall was shocking, but that wasn’t the important thing.

Humans were embedded in various places on the magic circle, spaced apart.

These people, who appeared to be slaves, were unable to move, tightly bound by sticky, slimy tentacles.

The tentacles themselves were disgusting enough, but they were inserted deep inside the people’s throats like rubber hoses.

The constantly pulsating tentacles seemed to be extracting something from the humans’ bodies, but it was impossible to tell whether it was blood, life force, or soul, or all three.

I had been wondering what they were doing with the slaves they had captured, but they were doing such a terrible thing.

“What is that?”

Campbell’s innocent question.

It was the bizarre egg in the center of the magic circle.

The egg was as big as a troll, and the tentacles that sucked the people were all connected to that egg.

As if supplying nutrients to the egg.

The eggshell was covered with viscous, sticky tentacles, as if being protected.

“I don’t know what it is, but we shouldn’t let that egg hatch.”

Even a child could grasp that fact immediately. And the person responsible for creating this horrific environment finally revealed himself.

“Haman! What took you so long?”

A masked gentleman in a fedora.

Greed, swaggering with a group of Twilight Church members behind him, approached.

Tom’s fist, disguised as Haman, clenched tightly.

He was probably looking for an opportunity to attack him with the ancient artifact hidden in his chest.

“Greetings, Apostle. Glory to Baal.”

“Glory to Baal!!”

Me, Sion, and Campbell also gave the Twilight greeting to match the atmosphere, while being fully prepared to attack in accordance with Tom’s movements.

“Hmm? Alfredo didn’t come.”

As expected, he brought up the same issue as the gatekeeper.

“There was a suspicious intruder lurking around the mayor, so he had to go on an urgent business trip. So, only I came today.”

“······”

Greed’s eyes, revealed through the mask, narrowed.

I had never met Greed directly, so I couldn’t say for sure, but judging from what he had done to Lloyd’s territory, he was cautious and suspicious.

I would have preferred Tom to take action quickly, but Greed’s gaze, which had been darting from side to side, landed on Sasha.

“Oh! Is that the High Elf!”

Even the suspicious Greed couldn’t contain his joy at seeing the High Elf. In an instant, all his attention was focused on Sasha.

“Amazing! Very good! With such a strong and pure soul, we can complete the ancient curse sooner.”

As Greed’s hand approached Sasha, the frightened Sasha involuntarily took a step back. Seeing Sasha without restraints, a slight anger flashed in Greed’s eyes.

“What? You didn’t tie up the High Elf?”

“She’s a special product, so I’ve been managing her directly.”

“Even so, what if she runs away?”

Greed tried to touch Sasha again. Sasha closed her eyes tightly like a beaten puppy and trembled. Just as Greed’s fingertips were about to touch Sasha’s cheek,

“You! I’ve got you!”

Tom, who had taken out a black bell from his chest, threw it at Greed. Then, the small bell, which could be held in one hand, suddenly grew larger and swallowed Greed.

Deeng-! Deeng-! Deeng-!

Three bell sounds.

The bell that floated into the sky gradually changed its appearance from the surface and soon took on a specific shape.

“A sealing artifact. The Iron Maiden.”

The head was carved with the face of an expressionless woman, and the door installed on the body opened to the left and right like a wardrobe, serving as a coffin.

Greed, trapped inside, panicked.

“The Iron Maiden? What is this?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. A pilgrim can’t not know about this artifact.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, open it now!

Greed struggled and tried to open the door, but it was not an ancient artifact for nothing.

The door of the Iron Maiden began to close little by little, and Greed’s resistance became meaningless.

Squeak, Thud!!

The door of the Iron Maiden was completely closed.

Greed was temporarily bound.

And this amount of time was enough to take action.

“As planned. Now, let’s rescue the slaves and destroy that strange egg.”

It was time to act as Tom said.

The slaves from the Full Moon Market threw off their restraints all at once.

Sion drew two daggers, and Campbell also held a bastard sword in both hands.

I drew the Heavenly Demon Sword and jumped into the magic circle.

“Who are you! How dare you attack the Apostle!!”

The Twilight Church members who were managing the magic circle tried to stop us in a hurry, but it was impossible.

The Heavenly Demon Sword shot out like lightning and pierced holes in their bodies.

Campbell also used his large physique to knock away the Twilight Church members like a bull, and Sion protected Sasha while stabbing as many enemies as possible.

The operation was going smoothly.

The Twilight Church members, who had insignificant power, were helpless against the three of us who had reached the Expert level and soon lay on the ground.

In the meantime, the slaves from the Full Moon Market began to release the slaves bound to the magic circle as promised in advance.

“Ugh! Disgusting!”

When I cut off the tentacles connected to the monster’s egg with my sword, the tentacles that came out of the people’s mouths wriggled on the ground like caterpillars.

It was quite a disgusting sight, but the slaves who had been freed from the tentacles regained consciousness.

“Ugh… where is this?”

“Are you conscious?”

“It’s dangerous here, we have to move!”

The people who had become hosts were supported and moved out of the magic circle one by one.

There were still many people left, but it was only a matter of time before they were all rescued.

The Pilgrim Tom would take care of the sealed Greed, and me, Sion, and Campbell only had to break the egg.

“Let’s finish this quickly and go eat bread.”

Campbell slung the bastard sword, stained with the blood of the Twilight Church members, over his shoulder and hummed as he headed towards the egg.

If things continued like this, the operation would be over.

That’s how it should have been…

-Kid, their leader is watching you.

The Heavenly Demon’s voice in my consciousness sent shivers down my spine.

Even if it was someone else, the Heavenly Demon would not lie about such a thing.

Then where is Greed?

Instinct rings the alarm.

“Campbell!!”

[Wind Control]

[Activating Quick Step.]

My body moves before my head. I kicked off the air and rushed towards Campbell, pushing him out of the magic circle. Because I did my best, the giant Campbell flew far away.

In less than a second, the spot where Campbell had been was covered with blood-soaked tentacles. If I had been even a little late, a dizzying situation would have unfolded.

“Too bad.”

A chilling voice.

Then, an intense killing intent swept over me.

The one who appeared through the darkness was a masked gentleman in a fedora, the same appearance as before, but with a completely different feeling.

“It’s nice to see you like this. Friends.”

Instinct pounds on my heart, warning me.

This person was the real Greed.