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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 182: The Myriad Demon Assembly (2)
Atop an unnamed, towering rocky mountain that seemed to touch the clouds.
Perilously perched at the edge of a bottomless cliff sat a man.
A white half-mask concealed the upper half of his slender face.
Wheeeeeeee—
A biting gale threatened to sweep him off the precipice, yet the man remained unfazed, sitting serenely.
Suddenly, he raised his head and looked towards a certain point.
"You've arrived."
His voice was bizarre.
Though gentle, it was also raspy, as if artificially modulated.
Bang— Just then, another figure wearing a half-mask appeared, landing softly from the air.
"What brings the Phantom Thief here so early?"
This voice was even more peculiar.
A perfect blend of a man and a woman's voice.
Even the mask was divided in half, one side bearing the likeness of a man, the other a woman.
"It's been a while, Asura."
Their words were strikingly apt.
The half-mask, with its blend of male and female features, resembled Asura.
And the white half-mask was indeed like that of a thief.
The corners of Asura Mask's lips curled upward as it looked at Phantom Thief Mask.
"I heard you failed?"
"This is no laughing matter."
"The great Phantom Thief, failing?"
"It wasn't a failure."
Phantom Thief Mask mirrored Asura Mask's smirk.
"A true failure is not being able to control even a single Northern Legion after all that support."
Suddenly, the corners of Asura Mask's lips stretched wide, and a red aura surged around it.
Wheeeeeeee—
With a gust of wind, Asura Mask approached the edge of the cliff where Phantom Thief stood.
"Phantom Thief. Shall we finally see each other's faces today?"
"There's no time for that. There's a traitor among the Myriad Demons."
"What?"
Asura Mask stopped in its tracks.
"Interesting. Which number?"
"We need to convene the Assembly."
"The Assembly? That sounds like the traitor is among us."
After a moment of silence, Asura nodded.
"It is about time."
"Inform the higher-ups."
"Where?"
"Same as last time."
Thud—
With a spray of rubble, Asura leaped off the cliff.
As Phantom Thief watched Asura disappear, a thick fog enveloped him.
Fwoosh—
When the fog cleared, Phantom Thief Mask had vanished without a trace.
***
The day after Fichte returned to his clan estate, Taylor's group and the elders also departed.
To be honest, I was a bit worried they might throw a tantrum and refuse to leave, but that didn't happen.
"Ahem. Ruin, contact us immediately if anything happens."
"We'll be waiting for you back home."
"Be sure to contact us!"
The elders, with their expectant gazes, exchanged pleasantries and quickly hurried away.
Each of our elders had somehow acquired strange bundles, which they clutched preciously.
I knew those bundles contained an equal number of Demon Realm Cores.
"...Yes. Have a safe trip."
I couldn't help but feel a bit bitter.
I thought they might at least show some reluctance to leave.
Anyway, after the elders left, I also departed from the Alliance and stayed at a temporary residence in the northeastern part of Keplan.
There was no more information I could gain within the Alliance for now.
Besides, it would take time for the contribution points to be calculated.
I taught the others who had reached the 5th Circle and organized my thoughts while training in my spare time.
—Do you happen to know about the Information Guild?
—Are you referring to the Calpheon Information Guild?
The Myriad Demon Assembly.
The moment I saw that name, the Calpheon Information Guild immediately came to mind.
It was unusual for a group to use the term "Guild" in its name.
Generally, groups of moderate size often used "Order" or "Party".
"Guild" was usually used for a gathering of different groups with a common goal.
It implied a less tight-knit membership.
[TL/N: 1*]
It could be a coincidence, but I had a bad feeling about it.
—I'm aware of them. They are an information group that operates in secrecy. Not a particularly noteworthy organization.
However, Fichte himself didn't seem to find it strange.
He only knew the Information Guild as an organization that received and acted on information requests.
Perhaps the reason I had a bad feeling about it was because of Kant.
I asked about Kant just in case, but Fichte simply replied that he didn't know.
—For now, I'll return and report to Master Loren and the Clan Head. This doesn't seem like something we can afford to just observe passively. I'll share any additional information with you, Master Ruin.
After organizing my thoughts, I continued my training.
Six Circles.
I had stepped into the realm of a high-ranking mage, a Sorcerer, but I couldn't be satisfied.
[TL/N: ‘Sorcerer’ name is not confirmed. Will confirm the name in a later chap with more info and will give a tl/n in that specific chap, but until then it’s sorcerer.]
The difference between the beginning of the 6th Circle and its mastery was immense, from the power of spells to their variety.
I continued to meditate and train, and when I felt the time was right, I occasionally put on a mask and went into the city to listen to the rumors.
All I heard were talks about Samael.
'Dark Light.'
Finally, I had a two-character epithet.
It wasn't an epithet I particularly liked, but after hearing Zion's, I changed my mind and felt grateful.
Thus, on the last day of the week, after another seven days had passed, I gathered my subordinates.
"Gather around, you lot. We have somewhere to go."
"Where are we going?"
"Let's go sell some goods. Get ready."
Today was the day of the auction at the Pablo Auction House.
The others, who had been cooped up in the temporary residence, solely focused on training, were visibly excited about the outing.
This was especially true for Zion.
"What should we pack?"
"Pack everything from the Demon Realm."
We had collected a considerable amount of usable weapons and armor from the Demon Realm.
Even excluding the cores the elders took, it was enough to fill an entire empty room.
***
"Oh, no..."
"Aren't those members of Samael?!"
"C-could that be Dark Light, Commander of the Crazy Mage Squad?"
Is this what it feels like to be a celebrity?
No.
This wasn't the feeling of being a celebrity.
Ever since I went to the lower-level Demon Realm a few times, there have been people who recognized me or thanked me.
But this was completely different.
This was like...
"Ohhh... Samael!"
...feeling like a cult leader.
With a bit of exaggeration, the people here looked like followers gazing at their cult leader.
Everyone gathered at the auction house looked at us with awe.
The fervor was incomparable to when they gathered to see the Bellusia clan a while ago.
They must have seen people from other famous clans, yet the cheers directed at us were particularly fervent.
Moreover, elderly people and ordinary individuals kept bowing their heads from afar, expressing their gratitude.
As I listened, I realized they were all parents or family members of those who had entered the Demon Realm this time.
"Oh my goodness. Welcome, members of the Crazy Mage Squad!"
The manager of the Pablo Auction House appeared from somewhere, barefoot and overly polite.
"It's an honor to meet you. What brings you here? Are you planning to participate in today's auction?"
"We're here to sell some items first."
As I pointed to the wagons we had brought, the manager gasped.
"Ah! Of course! Would it be alright if we took a look?"
As soon as I nodded, the manager gestured towards the inside.
In an instant, servants and appraisers flocked to unload the weapons and armor from the wagons and carry them inside.
"These are quite a lot of items. We will appraise the weapons you brought first and inform you of the results as a top priority!"
"No need. There are people waiting outside. Do it in order."
"But..."
"There's no need for special treatment."
He was clearly trying to win my favor, but I wasn't one to be easily swayed.
Some might think the manager was acting like a typical merchant, but I didn't see it that way.
There were all kinds of merchants.
I didn't trust people with cunning eyes.
As I looked around the auction house, surrounded by the crowd, the manager quickly approached.
"Crazy Mage Squad Commander. The sorting is complete."
"Already? I said there was no need for special treatment."
"Of course. We mobilized all the appraisers who were resting and finished it in order."
Following the smiling manager, I entered an office located on one side.
"All the weapons and armor you brought have set prices. The original purchase price is set at 60% of the list price, but for Samael, we'll raise it to 80%."
"Very well."
"Understood. To make it easier for you to carry, I'll exchange it all for platinum deposit notes from the Exchange Center. There's usually a commission fee for this, but we'll cover it on our end. Haha."
Why was this merchant being so nice to me, someone he'd never even met before?
I always had to be wary of such things.
There was no such thing as a favor without a motive.
If you accept favors without reason and get caught up in the moment, you usually end up with this conclusion:
Ah, I was an idiot.
In my view, everything this man said was a sales tactic.
It felt like he was pretending to be kind to a strong person to instill a sense of obligation.
According to Garibong, one of my longtime subordinates, a 20% profit margin in this kind of transaction was already considered a good deal.
Weapons and armor from the Demon Realm sold like hotcakes, after all.
Indeed, a cunning man.
He might not actually be, but if I thought he was, then he was.
Because his eyes were cunning.
"Um, by any chance..."
"Speak."
"Do-do you have any weapons or armor from the Level 1 Demon Realm? If you put them up for auction, they could sell for a high price..."
"Of course I do."
"Oh!"
"Follow me."
I approached the main entrance of the auction house and beckoned to the others.
"Makan."
While Makan went to retrieve the boxes we had set aside outside, onlookers began to gather, their attention drawn to us.
"I set aside two."
Makan returned with two boxes and opened the smaller one first, taking out the weapon inside.
"The King's Axe?"
"A Disaster-rank weapon!"
As murmurs rippled through the crowd, the manager spoke with an impressed look.
"Disaster-rank weapons are truly rare. If you're not in urgent need of money, how about putting this up for auction on the Special Selection day? It will fetch a much higher price. The auction date is only a month away."
"Special Selection day?"
"Yes. It's an auction held only once a year. It features only the most valuable weapons and equipment that have come in that year. Not just from the Demon Realms, but also unique weapons and artifacts from all over the continent."
"That sounds good."
Makan then opened the second box.
It was a huge box, large enough to fit two adult men inside. A hush fell over the onlookers as the weapon within was revealed.
The manager was the first to exclaim,
"No way..."
As I lifted the Spear, its enormous, three-meter-long shaft and jet-black blade, seemingly capable of cleaving through anything, came into view. Gasps followed from the onlookers.
"What's that huge thing?"
"Even the giants I've heard about wouldn't use a Spear like that."
"What an incredible size."
The manager exclaimed in awe,
"Oh my god... Could that be Orcus' Spear?"
"Indeed."
The crescent-shaped dent in the blade, caused by a glancing blow from the Dark Heavenly Thunder, made it look even more mystical.
"Oh my goodness. A weapon from a unique monster... Amazing. As expected, my eye for people is accurate. I knew you would have something like this. Thank you. Thank you so much, Crazy Mage Commander. This is an item that would cause a frenzy even at the Special Selection auction, no, it's worthy of being placed at the very end! I must inform the entire continent right away. Even the Seren clan might be interested in Orcus' Spear. This is incredible."
The manager, beaming with excitement, spoke rapidly.
I tossed the Spear to Makan and said,
"You use it."
Makan caught the Spear and said,
"Sounds like a good one. Thanks, Commander."
The manager stared blankly at Makan and me, his mouth agape.
"...What... What are you doing?"
"Why?"
"No, this is..."
The manager finally regained his composure and looked at me.
"I'll help you sell it for a large sum of money."
"I'm not selling it."
"Crazy Mage Commander. The Special Selection auction day is not far off. This is a golden opportunity. A unique monster's weapon is truly something our auction house..."
"Stop talking. I said I'm not selling it."
"But..."
"Shut up."
At my firm voice, the manager's face went blank again, then suddenly turned red as he shouted,
"Then why did you bring it here if you're not going to sell it?!"
"Hmm?"
The others and I stared at the manager, wondering why he would ask such a strange question.
[1*→ TL/N: This part might seem confusing so I am here to explain :) ‘The Myriad Demon Assembly’ could also be translated as ‘Assembly of the Ten Thousand Demons’ or the name I used above ‘Myriad Demons’ but it could also be translated as ‘Assembly of the demonic society/guild’ (Guild/Society have the same raw). This is the reason why Ruin was comparing the ‘Information Guild’ with ‘Myriad Demons’ (one clarification here from my side— Myriad Demon is the name of the organisation and Myriad Demon Assembly is just them basically calling for a meeting within the organisation). Feel free to ping in discord if you have more questions.)]
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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