Chapter 23: The Lifted Veil

“That’s enough to drink.”

“Youu… an enemy?”

“No, sir.”

“Can’t I drink?”

“No, you can’t. You’ve had plenty.”

“Not even one sip?”

“No.”

He resolutely cleared the table of all the alcohol bottles and stood up.

The man, who had also been subjected to the barrage of repeated questions, scratched his head awkwardly, gauging Ben’s reaction.

“Uh… I didn’t expect this, sorry….”

“It’s fortunate you realize that.”

“Haha….”

He couldn’t help but be mindful of Ben’s mood.

After all, wasn’t he the one who had offered the alcohol, causing this problem?

Ben knew this too, and glared at him, but the deed was already done. He sighed deeply, seemingly resigned, and wracked his brain for how to fix this.

‘Should I just call Ed?’

No matter how he thought about it, that seemed like the best option. He should also bring some legion members, so they could quickly intervene if something went wrong.

“The communication stone….”

Wasn’t there.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t brought it.

As the primary physician, Ben rarely left his room in the Demon King’s castle.

The only times he did were when Demon’s condition worsened and he had to rush out. In those situations, he didn’t have time to grab the communication stone, so its presence in Ben’s mind was almost like air.

He was only aware of it when he consciously thought about it.

Of course, it was packed with the luggage he brought when they left the castle, but it would still be buried somewhere in the bags, untouched.

It wasn’t just that Ben didn’t usually carry the communication stone; it was also a mistake on Ed’s part, as he hadn’t anticipated being separated from Demon.

“…Do you have a communication stone?”

“Huh? No?”

“…….”

“Well, the owner here probably has one.”

“…I suppose.”

Ben alternated his gaze between the man with the awkward smile and Demon, who was still rubbing his cheek on the table.

He couldn’t exactly drag the inebriated commander of the 0th Legion around, but leaving him behind felt risky….

Despite his internal debate, the solution was already clear.

Thwack.

He grabbed the man by the collar.

The panicked face of the man filled his vision.

“H-Hey, buddy? Why the sudden aggression?”

“Watch him closely. If you try anything funny, you’re dead.”

“Hey, you could’ve just asked nicely… Ack!”

“The only reason I was treating you with respect is because this man showed you kindness. If you can’t even repay that, why should I respect you?”

“Who said I wouldn’t?!”

Having received his answer, Ben started to walk away, leaving the man staring after him with a dumbfounded expression.

He hadn’t actually planned on doing anything to them. He just wanted to swipe their pouch of money when they weren’t looking.

Wouldn’t that be considered ‘trying anything funny’?

Compared to what Miles had planned with the drugs, it was practically innocent.

If Miles’ plan had succeeded in the first place, he wouldn’t have had to intervene.

‘Damn that bastard, I always have to clean up his messes.’

If someone else gets angry first, it tends to diffuse the situation.

Especially if their anger is intense, it often replaces the initial anger with bewilderment. The man had used this tactic to save his friend from trouble countless times.

He’d rough up the mark just enough not to cause serious harm, making them panic. Then, he’d approach the bewildered target, pretending to apologize, all while swiping their money.

Since the mark was already a lost cause, Miles couldn’t complain when the man, who had supposedly saved them, helped himself to the loot. The only downside was dealing with Miles’ grumbling.

But this time, something felt off.

He felt a sense of unease.

He hadn’t originally planned to get them this drunk.

He had intended to swipe their money when they put their arms around each other while heading up to the second floor….

‘But something felt wrong.’

So, he kept plying them with alcohol until they were thoroughly intoxicated.

It cost him some money, but if he could get his hands on the money pouch on the white-haired man’s waist, it would be a worthwhile loss. That’s why he had been so bold in his words and actions.

And now.

The white-haired man with red eyes had his head planted on the table.

He was in a completely defenseless state, by all appearances, but why?

‘Why do I still feel this unease?’

But he couldn’t delay any longer.

He had pretended not to have a communication stone to separate the bodyguard. If he didn’t steal now, his reputation in this line of work would be tarnished.

The target was passed out, and the annoying bodyguard had gone to borrow a communication stone. This was the perfect moment.

This opportunity wouldn’t come again, so the man focused more intently than ever, moving his hand stealthily and quickly towards the man’s waist. And then—

Thud.

“!”

He was caught.

The man looked down at his captured wrist with an expression of disbelief.

His wrist was held firmly.

Following the white hand holding his wrist, his gaze landed on a face that had suddenly risen and was now grinning.

“An enemy?”

“……No.”

He barely managed to move his lips.

His mind had long descended into chaos.

How? Even he, who prided himself on his nimble fingers….

And the other guy looked so weak. How did he know? Should he try to force it away?

Just as he was thinking that, the outside abruptly became noisy.

Dong- dong- dong-

The bell signaling an attack began to ring.

“Monsters?”

“It was about time for them to attack.”

There was no agitation.

After all, those tasked with defending the castle were a separate group.

However, the problem was over there. His bodyguard was rushing back, having apparently finished his call.

Watching him rapidly approach, the man furrowed his brow slightly.

Damn it, the money’s gone.

“Demon, please wake up! It’s monsters!”

“Uhh, enemies?”

“Yes, monsters are enemies.”

Ben replied, inwardly sighing in relief.

He shouldn’t think this way, but the timing was perfect.

Even when completely drunk, if the commander of the 0th Legion didn’t see enough blood, he would skip the next stage of drunkenness.

And now, a monster attack just happened to occur.

“Ed and the others will be waiting outside. Let’s go downstairs.”

Ben, who had dared to call the 0th Legion members ‘the others’, hastily supported Demon.

They were trying to get to the first floor as quickly as possible, but the atmosphere was strange.

One by one, the people inside the tavern were getting up from their seats.

They were subtly blocking the stairs, and their intentions were clearly not good, causing Ben’s expression to slowly harden.

Even amidst all this, the commander of the 0th Legion, Demon, was still smiling.

“Enemies?”

“Looks like the drugs and the pickpocketing both failed. So, these guys are our prey, right?”

“…….”

The man frowned but seemed to have nothing to say, keeping his mouth shut.

When no one answered his question, Demon tilted his head slowly and spoke again.

“Enemies?”

“Heh, well, I’ll take that as a yes, so don’t go back on your word later.”

“…….”

“Enemies?”

Still no response, and his smile deepened. His voice also gained strength.

He’s just a drunk, and he only has one companion.

Smirks lingered on their faces.

“I’ll tell you what, hand over the money in your pouch, and you can just be customers in the tavern.”

Everyone had clearly seen how much he had won at the gambling den.

Unfortunately for them, most of the people inside the gambling den knew each other.

They competed to fleece unsuspecting customers, and sometimes they worked together to rob them.

There was no way they would let someone who had swept away a mountain of gold coins leave so easily.

Especially since they were just two people, easy prey.

But had fear paralyzed their reason?

“Pff, pffft….”

“?”

“Hahahaha! Ahahahahahaha! Keuh, keuheuheuh….”

The white-haired man began to laugh like a madman.

He threw his head back and cackled, but then, suddenly, he stopped—and his expression turned serious.

As if he had been holding it all along, a dagger twirled in his hand.

“Enemies, then.”

***

Thud. Thud.

The heavy footsteps combined with the sound of the old wooden stairs creaking under the weight.

The white-haired man—no, now red-haired—who openly displayed a bulging money pouch on his waist, was leisurely descending to the first floor.

Despite the obvious display of wealth, no one on the first or second floor could stop him. In fact, they couldn’t even approach him.

Those who had witnessed his brutality firsthand were paralyzed with fear, and those who hadn’t were intimidated by Demon’s blood-soaked appearance and manic grin.

Among them, the man who had been at the drinking table with him, who had seen everything unfold, stood rooted to the spot, trembling.

It wasn’t because of the massacre.

He had only killed one person.

But.

‘He killed him so brutally.’

Everything happened in an instant.

Just as the seemingly silly white-haired man moved, the dagger plunged into the shoulder of the man at the very front who had been chuckling.

Fast.

Before that thought even fully formed, the man dragged the dagger downwards. The sickening sound of tearing flesh filled the air, and blood splattered across his face, but he didn’t care.

Instead, he severed the tendons in the man’s arms, preventing resistance, and then, with a bloodthirsty grin, began to hack at him.

Face, stomach, limbs—he didn’t discriminate, simply stabbing and slashing as if he were tilling the soil, a smile plastered on his face. It was a truly horrifying sight.

When he finally stopped, his once-white hair was stained crimson.

And the man understood why he had stopped.

‘He couldn’t be mangled any further.’

The corpse was so utterly torn apart that it was unrecognizable.

The moment he saw it, he instinctively knew when the life had been extinguished.

‘Ah, if I attack, that’s what will happen to me.’

Those blocking the stairs seemed to feel the same, as they slowly began to back away. Seeing the path naturally forming, the man nodded to himself.

Of course. He had experienced every possible agony a living being could endure before dying.

As living beings, it’s natural to prefer a painless death. Surely no one would want to die like that.

In the suffocating silence, the man descended the stairs, a dagger dripping with blood in his hand. The person who seemed to be his bodyguard followed behind, but he wasn’t paying much attention anymore.

He was just a formality.

Or perhaps, he was there to restrain the awakened beast from causing more carnage.

He followed him, as if hypnotized.

Not too closely, of course. Just enough to keep him in sight, maintaining a safe distance.

What caught his eye were the people on the first floor, who couldn’t have seen what happened on the second floor, yet were desperately trying to get away.

Of course, some might have peeked. But those would be the minority. Just look at this atmosphere.

‘He’s completely taken control.’

A silence that tightened like a noose enveloped the entire building.

He felt a chill run down his spine.

That man, by killing just one person, had reversed the numerical disadvantage and shifted the momentum entirely in his favor.

Was it instinct, or was it intentional?

Well, either way, he was a dangerous being. What did it matter now?

The atmosphere was quieter than ever, yet it felt like the calm before a storm, and the man could no longer bring himself to move, clenching his eyes shut.

“The alcohol wore off.”

“Is… that so.”

Ben replied with a somewhat uneasy expression.

Anyone who witnessed or committed such an act would snap out of their drunken stupor. In fact, it was remarkable that he could remain so intoxicated even after seeing that much blood.

He didn’t mind the shortened sentences. This wasn’t the first time this had happened.

The commander of the 0th Legion would often speak informally when drunk or when engaged in serious combat.

Demon wiped the blood from his dagger with his finger and headed towards the door. Then, as if noticing something, he stopped and stared intently at a spot.

“Hic!”

Miles, who was hiding in a corner, quickly shrank back.

Their eyes met!

If it wasn’t his imagination, the blood-soaked man was definitely looking at him with those gleaming red eyes.

He felt a threat to his life, and a wave of regret washed over him.

‘I’m such an idiot. Of all the people to mess with, why him?!’

There was no way Ben hadn’t noticed the commander of the 0th Legion’s gaze fixed on him.

That lunatic who dared to offer Demon drugged alcohol.

If he hadn’t seen him, perhaps he could have let it slide, but now that he had, he had no intention of forgiving him.

However….

Ben furrowed his brow slightly and said,

“There’s no need to waste your time on someone like him. If you’d like, I can….”

“No.”

“…….”

Demon cut Ben off immediately and slowly turned to face Miles.

Despite his seemingly slow steps, he reached him in an instant. He slowly knelt down in front of him, meeting his gaze with a grin.

“Drug dealer.”

“Yes, yes!”

“If you don’t want to die….”

“…….”

“Give me all the drugs you have left.”

“……Huh?”