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Chapter 37
The dungeon had been destroyed.
The former Duke’s rapid-response team arrived swiftly, sorting the wounded and the dead onto wagons and organizing the dungeon’s by-products.
“Hey, Nate! Move these!”
“Yes!”
Anella’s group, whose injuries were relatively minor, had also joined the by-product sorting team.
It made sense, since their official reason for entering the dungeon in the first place was to obtain its by-products.
“This one… isn’t something we should touch. Hand it over to the captain.”
“Yes, Aunt. What about this herb?”
“That one we can take care of. It was pre-arranged.”
While they were classifying and sorting—
“Hello.”
Duke appeared.
“……!”
Anella froze completely, unable even to scream.
Gray hair. A faint presence, but once noticed, his warm impression and handsome appearance were unmistakable. He smiled softly.
“Anella, you’ve been well, I see?”
Of all times, Anella happened to be in a shadowed spot, further concealing her from view.
“Good. We’ve got something to talk about, don’t we?”
And without any further pleasantries, Duke Eindelta reached out and grabbed her neck as if it were bothersome to talk.
“I-It was Jade!”
“What?”
“The first one to notice that ‘Tears of the Black Mermaid’ was a fake—it was a girl named Jade!”
Terrified, Anella went straight to the point.
She explained who Jade was, what she looked like, and that she was the new guide of Godwin Castle’s Esper, Harris Godwin.
“……Harris Godwin?”
“Yes, yes! The biological grandson of the former Duke and son of the current Duke! The only child of the late prophet princess!”
Anella kept spilling everything nonstop.
How she ended up in this Unknown Dungeon because of Jade, how Jade had her gather specific dungeon herbs.
And then…
“She promised to prevent the Rosdu Merchant Guild from going bankrupt in return!”
“Hmmm.”
Duke narrowed his eyes with interest. Encouraged by his reaction, Anella went on, sharing everything she’d observed around Jade.
Because she wanted to live.
Because she knew her life wasn’t the only one at stake—she was responsible for the lives of those who had placed their fate in her hands.
‘Nate, Dolores, Peres, Pedro…’
Even after Duroth’s sudden downfall, they had supported her without wavering. They had even followed her into the dungeon.
Even if she died, she had to ensure their survival. At the very least, Nate’s.
“I see.”
Duke listened silently to Anella’s report, hardly interrupting.
But Anella noticed the grip around her throat loosen slightly.
‘He’s starting to believe me.’
Maybe not everything, but at least he sensed that there was no serious lie.
And that was true—Anella hadn’t uttered a single falsehood so far.
‘As I thought…’
Someone’s face briefly crossed her mind.
“Puhaha!”
Duke Eindelta suddenly burst out laughing.
Anella’s expression froze. There was nothing funny about what she’d said.
“Ah, sorry, sorry. I wasn’t trying to mock you.”
He was still smiling.
Anella was struck by how pleasant he looked when he smiled, despite his faint presence.
And she remembered—that smile was the same one she saw when he killed the former merchant lord Duroth…
“……!”
A chill ran through her body. She couldn’t even breathe properly from fear.
“It’s just… interesting. That guide—or rather, you said her name was Jade.”
“Y-Yes…”
Duke said the name “Jade” with surprising gentleness, as if mentioning an old friend.
“What was Jade thinking, going through all this trouble to keep you alive? The more I think about it, the more amusing it becomes.”
“!!”
Anella lost her composure.
He was right. Everything she’d said so far hadn’t been betrayal—it was exactly what Jade had told her to do.
‘Tell him everything.’
That was Jade’s response when Anella had begged her for her life.
‘When Duke Eindelta comes, tell him everything you’ve seen about me. Be honest. Don’t lie.’
That had been her instruction.
‘She’s outright telling me to spy on her?’
Anella had been dumbfounded by the unexpected order.
In truth, she hadn’t begged Jade because she expected something from her.
It was more because of Harris Godwin—the man who had chosen Jade as his guide.
His hair was as dark as night, his eyes blood-red like concentrated noble blood. Shadows under his eyes and red lips gave him a decadent, dangerous beauty.
A breathtakingly beautiful and ominous young man.
As a minor Esper herself, Anella had sensed right away how powerful he was.
His power rivaled—even possibly surpassed—that of the legendary assassin Duke Eindelta.
‘Maybe… even more powerful.’
Especially if he were to become the next head of House Godwin.
Yet Harris Godwin hadn’t spared her a glance.
His eyes and attention were solely focused on his guide, Jade.
It wasn’t surprising. Powerful Espers were always obsessed with their guides.
‘Not that I’d know from experience.’
Jade was lovely like a fairy from a storybook, but somehow she felt different from other guides.
‘Maybe it’s because I’m just a C-rank. And the timing of our meeting…’
Anella had been overwhelmed by fear, believing Duke Eindelta might kill her at any moment. She hadn’t had the luxury to care about guides.
She just wanted to live. That was why she approached Jade.
‘Like I said, Duke Eindelta will definitely come for you.’
Back then, Jade had looked down at her. Her pale pink curls shimmered in the backlight like a halo.
‘He’ll want to confirm whether you did your task properly, and he’ll try to get more information.’
‘But he’s a sadistic killer! Even if I do everything he says, he could kill me anyt—!’
‘No. He won’t.’
Even against the light, her blue eyes sparkled, and her soft pink lips curled like petals in a faint smile.
‘Because he’ll know for himself—it’s more beneficial to keep you alive.’
She was delicate, innocent, and disarmingly sweet.
Yet in that moment, Anella had been overwhelmed by her.
She still looked frail and naive, but for some reason…
‘I just… had to follow her.’
Perhaps it was a merchant’s instinct for recognizing valuable assets.
Following her into the dungeon had been the result of that decision.
Of course, Jade’s argument that providing Duke Eindelta with maximum information was the safest route also played a part.
“Was it mere sympathy, or did she see some value in you?”
As if echoing Jade’s words, Duke tilted his head and smiled.
“In any case, ‘Jade’ seems to want to communicate with me through you.”
“……!”
Instinctively, Anella realized that Duke Eindelta had shifted from seeing her as someone to eliminate to someone to spare.
“Well then, see you next time, talented guildmaster.”
With the same smiling face, Duke let her go.
“Oh, and next time, bring the real thing.”
Amazingly, there wasn’t even a single mark on her neck.
“I’m not sure if mere information will satisfy me again.”
His hand released her, and his giggling laughter faded into the distance.
But Anella couldn’t turn back. The shadow that had melted into the darkness was too terrifying. She couldn’t even face the light.
* * *
The Unknown Dungeon in Godwin Territory had been destroyed—by just a few people sent by the former Duke.
“Was it him? The Mercenary King?”
“No.”
The man with a staff answered.
If Alucas the Mercenary King had done it, the press would be loudly praising him again.
“Those vulgar Espers are all the same. Like circus monkeys, they can’t help but boast and show off.”
His cold voice was full of contempt.
Though his companion smiled awkwardly, he didn’t agree.
Espers were growing increasingly important, and the Empire was actively promoting them.
Even the term “guide”—their tranquilizers—was no longer unfamiliar to the people.
All because of the sudden emergence of “rifts” and “dungeons” in the world.
Still, there were those who remained wary of new and unfamiliar powers—like the man before him.
His hatred for Espers was no recent development.
Tap. The man leaned on his staff, his violet eyes glowing in the dark as he stared at a detailed map of Godwin Territory.
The place he had spent half his life in—his abandoned hometown.
How had that stubborn old man, who refused to die in that place, managed to handle an Unknown Dungeon without a proper Esper unit?
His gaze drifted downward from the center of Godwin Territory.
To the place where he had sealed away his shame. The castle where the monster was imprisoned.
His violet eyes shifted to the magic stone used to track the monster’s survival and confinement.
Twinkle, twinkle—
It was alive. And still imprisoned. He checked compulsively, almost obsessively.
Which is why—
“…I see.”
He noticed it.
The light was dimmer than before. The flickering slower.
Title: Don’t Obsess Over the Fake Tranquilizer, Villain
