Dungeon Odyssey [EN]: Chapter 208

Dungeon Journal- Episode 209

# 209

Dungeon Journal

77. The Identity of the Black Merchant

It was strange how easily he admitted his identity, after having hidden it for so long, but Kim Jin-woo remained completely unfazed.

“Speak.”

He didn’t elaborate. He simply eased his grip and urged Mimir to explain.

“I will explain everything.”

The imp, barely freed from the brutal grip, coughed dryly for a long time before stammering excuses.

“After the final battle ended, everything was a mess. The responsibility and pride that had sustained the Underworld disappeared without a trace, and all that remained were beasts blinded by spoils. What could a mere warehouse keeper do?”

Mimir described that time as a barbaric period, devoid of any dignity or pride.

The Usurper distributed fragments of power along with the pretense of nobility to the beasts who helped him drive out the Nine Lords, and in the process, the vaults of the defeated lords were emptied. The Vault of Eternity was one of them, and he lamented that his duty as the warehouse keeper had failed long ago.

“Before the Usurper’s forces stormed in, my best option was to grab a few of the most valuable treasures and run.”

Mimir said he had been waiting for the right moment, hiding from the Usurper’s eyes.

He put on a deeply moved face, saying he had been eagerly awaiting the return of the lords’ successors so that the Underworld could return to its most glorious days.

However, Kim Jin-woo scoffed.

There were too many inconsistencies between Mimir’s past actions and his words to believe them outright.

If he hadn’t accidentally recognized Mimir’s identity through the memories of the Mana Spear, Mimir probably would have never shed his Black Merchant persona.

“I was merely waiting for the right moment.”

As if sensing his skepticism, Mimir pleaded his innocence.

“The treasures that the Usurper generously bestowed upon the nobles of the Deep Layers originally belonged to me, or rather, to the Lord. They are not items that nobles who don’t even know their true value should possess.”

Mimir, denouncing the nobles’ ignorance and the Usurper’s ruthlessness, seemed genuinely sincere at that moment.

The problem, however, was that it seemed more like an outburst of obsession with treasures than a display of loyalty from the past.

“So, I made a decision!”

Mimir, excited all by himself, spoke with a determined face as if delivering a speech.

“No matter how long it takes, I will retrieve all the lost treasures!”

Mimir, who had been rambling on, lost his enthusiasm when he saw Kim Jin-woo’s expressionless face.

“That is the reason why the Black Merchant organization was created, and it is my lifelong ambition.”

Seeing Mimir close his mouth as if he had said everything he needed to say, Kim Jin-woo frowned.

Hearing the secret history of the Black Merchant was a gain, but he hadn’t heard what was truly important. So, he continued to pressure Mimir with a still-cold expression.

“I have yet to hear your excuse for your betrayal.”

With numerous ancient summons, including Morrighan, having sworn allegiance, Mimir’s attitude of hiding his identity until now was perfect for arousing suspicion.

Until now, he had been wondering if the Usurper was behind the Black Merchant.

“Betrayal, you say!”

At his words, Mimir jumped, kicking his short legs.

“I was just waiting for the right moment. Betrayal? I don’t think you know how much I’ve helped the Lord grow, both overtly and covertly. I’m disappointed.”

Even Kim Jin-woo couldn’t deny Mimir’s words this time.

It was thanks to the Black Merchant, who appeared at the right time and provided answers, that he was where he was now. He knew that much.

“No matter how unavoidable the reasons were, if you had informed me of these circumstances in advance, we could have avoided unnecessary suspicion. Your attitude looked to anyone like you were weighing me against the Usurper.”

That was why he was pressuring Mimir so much. In his eyes, the Black Merchant organization and the Black Merchant looked like nothing more than bats, playing both sides.

A being that would turn its back at any moment if the scales tipped—that was what he thought of the Black Merchant and Mimir.

“I never had such thoughts.”

“Can you swear on the mysteries of the Underworld?”

“That’s…”

Seeing Mimir’s flustered face and evasive behavior, Kim Jin-woo knew that his hunch was correct.

Mimir was completely different in nature from summons like Morrighan or Heimdall. It was just a guess, but he probably hadn’t shown genuine loyalty to the One-Eyed Lord either.

A being driven by an obsession with treasures rather than loyalty to the Lord. That was likely the true nature of the imp Mimir.

“I was just afraid that I would draw the Usurper’s attention to the Lord.”

Perhaps to change the subject, Mimir began to describe in detail just how persistent and cruel the Usurper was, spitting as he spoke.

“Although I have been lying low for many years, acting as a merchant, the Usurper has been thoroughly erasing traces of the past. To avoid being caught by such a Usurper, I had to be careful, very careful.”

Even with the Eye of Truth, he couldn’t possibly see into this little imp’s mind.

Well, he couldn’t believe Mimir’s sincerity even if he exchanged a few more words anyway. So, he decided to ask about the Usurper instead.

“I want to hear about the Usurper.”

“I don’t know either. The Usurper has never shown his true form to me.”

To be so afraid and yet never have seen the Usurper’s true form was almost absurd.

However, Mimir genuinely seemed to fear the Usurper and avoided mentioning him further.

“If you want to know about the Usurper, you would need to talk to at least a duke of the Deep Layers.”

“Not much useful information, I see.”

But unlike his words, Kim Jin-woo’s eyes gleamed like those of a predator who had found its prey.

He, who was already keenly aware of the lack of information, would not let go of such a good informant as Mimir.

He grabbed the little imp by the scruff of the neck and headed towards the Great Labyrinth.

“Ah, and one more thing.”

Mimir, who had pulled his neck in like a turtle, whispered quietly to him.

“I have a favor to ask.”

Mimir, who didn’t lose his shamelessness even in this situation, was indeed a unique being.

“Speak.”

“Before that, just a moment…”

The imp, wriggling out of his grasp, brought over a dwarf with an unusually large head who had been hiding among the merchant行列 [merchant rows or groups].

“A big-headed dwarf?”

“That’s right. One of the dwarves who participated in creating the Great Labyrinth’s replicas.”

Mimir, as if presenting a gift, subtly pushed the dwarf forward before belatedly continuing his story.

“More importantly, about my escort mercenaries…”

He had been so engrossed in the conversation that he had forgotten about the surrounding escort mercenaries. Kim Jin-woo, belatedly looking back at the mercenaries, nodded.

“I will arrange a separate place for them to rest. This is not a suitable place to rest.”

He said that because the Moai might invade the Great Labyrinth’s borders again at any time, but Mimir shook his head.

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then?”

Mimir, rolling his eyes for a moment, whispered quietly.

“Please kill my escort mercenaries.”

“What?”

“There is a spy of the Usurper among them.”

His actions were faster than expected. Before Kim Jin-woo could even finish speaking, he threw Mimir into the depths of the Great Labyrinth and immediately turned to attack the mercenaries.

The mercenaries, who had been standing there blankly staring at him, belatedly prepared to fight back, but were quickly massacred by the Great Labyrinth’s forces patrolling the outskirts.

“Actually, I don’t know who the spy is among them. I just brought those who have been suspicious all along at once.”

Kim Jin-woo frowned at Mimir’s words as he brushed off the dirt from his body.

“You intended to do this from the beginning.”

“Hehe, it was also necessary for the Lord, so don’t scold me too much.”

His attitude, without even a hint of embarrassment, was so brazen that he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Such an impudent warehouse keeper.”

***

Mimir returned to the Black Merchant’s headquarters.

‘It would be best to maintain the existing relationship for the time being. The Lord’s power is still insufficient, so we need to be mindful of the Usurper’s gaze. It’s best not to do anything that would attract unnecessary attention.’

Kim Jin-woo had already obtained considerable information, so he didn’t bother to hold him back. He merely showed subtle interest in the Vault of Eternity.

‘When the time comes, the Vault of Eternity will return to the Lord even if I don’t bring it to you. That’s just how it was made to be.’

It wouldn’t be easy to meet again for a while. Now that he had eliminated the spies all at once, it was the best time to be cautious, Mimir said, promising to create an opportunity soon.

“How much can we trust him?”

Dominique spoke to him as he was lost in thought.

Having already heard everything, she still couldn’t believe that the leader of the Black Merchant was the Black Merchant, and that the Black Merchant’s identity was the warehouse keeper of the One-Eyed Lord.

“I don’t trust anyone outside my labyrinth.”

Kim Jin-woo replied indifferently to her.

In fact, he wasn’t entirely believing Mimir’s words either, but the situation and the story matched so well that he couldn’t help but believe them.

If nothing else, he could resolve the question of why the Black Merchant, who cherished the Underworld so dearly, had uniquely corrupted and completely eliminated the nobles of the 10th floor.

If Mimir’s words were true, the nobles of the 10th floor must have all possessed one or two treasures that had flowed out from the Vault of Eternity.

“Soon, the counts will also become no different from the barons of the 10th floor. If we wait and see, we will know how much we can trust his words.”

Mimir made a prediction, saying that the counts of the 11th floor, although for different reasons than the barons of the 10th floor, would inevitably have their foundations shaken in order to obtain the Great Labyrinth’s replicas.

“In the end, time will tell.”

Whether that time would be on their side or on the enemy’s side remained to be seen.

“But what should we do with that dwarf?”

Kim Jin-woo, who had been so deeply affected by the secret history of the Black Merchant that he had forgotten about the dwarf for a while, belatedly looked for the big-headed dwarf that Mimir had left behind as a gift.

“Hiek!”

The big-headed dwarf, who had been dozing off, startled awake as if sensing his gaze.

“I, I’m sorry.”

His clumsy pronunciation and large head made him look ridiculous, but the dwarf’s identity was one of the labyrinth designers who had restored the Great Labyrinth.

“Let’s register his residence in the Great Labyrinth first.”

Although the core of the labyrinth was with the Black Merchant, this was the Great Labyrinth.

And he was free to increase or decrease the number of races belonging to the labyrinth as he wished.