Not a barbarian warrior.

A considerable time had passed since Emir was knocked unconscious by the mace. A lot of cold water was poured over his head.

With a splash! sound, he regained consciousness and breathed heavily. Every time his chest rose and fell, he felt severe pain near his solar plexus. A painful groan escaped involuntarily, and his face scrunched up.

“Ugh… Damn it…”

Emir rolled his eyes and looked around. It was a dark space without a single light. However, he could immediately tell where this was. Thanks to the terrible yet somehow familiar smell. This was his shop that he was operating in the brothel.

“Are you coming to your senses?”

“You… Who the hell are you? Are you from Marten’s gang? I haven’t heard of someone like you… What happened to my subordinates?”

Emir immediately fired off questions upon hearing Eugene’s voice. Now that he had some composure, Eugene kindly answered his questions one by one.

“All your subordinates are down. They all have at least one broken bone, so they won’t be able to work for a few months.”

“You son of a bitch…!”

“And you asked who I am. Let’s finish talking while looking at each other’s faces.”

The closed door opened, and the informant came in. The candle he brought illuminated Eugene and Emir. Only then did Eugene take off the robe covering his head. It was the moment his face was revealed.

“Huk! The, the Black Troll of Carlisle…!”

“…?”

Eugene tilted his head. Wasn’t it something like honorable, or barbarian with a noble soul? What’s this Black Troll of Carlisle…?

Anyway, that wasn’t important right now. While Emir’s mouth was still hanging open, Eugene spoke.

“Now that you know who I am, think carefully with that head of yours. Why I came all the way here to find you.”

He glared at Emir with sharp eyes. Emir, who was kneeling, broke out in a cold sweat and carefully opened his mouth.

“Could it be… you came because of the business I’ve been running…?”

“That’s right. You guys crossed the line. That person found out. That’s why I’m here.”

“Who exactly are you talking about…”

To this, Eugene quietly pointed his finger upwards. This figurative expression could be interpreted in several ways.

It could mean that he came at the request of a priest who believes in God, or it could mean that there was an order from a high-ranking person like the lord of Carlisle or Count Leopold.

Emir naturally understood it as the latter. He trembled with a terrified face. It was all over now. He would either rot in prison for life or be hanged. Probably the latter was more likely.

“Pl-Please spare my life…”

He begged, pressing his forehead to the floor. He didn’t want to die like this. It was human nature to want to cling to life even if it meant rotting in prison for the rest of his days.

“If that’s your request, I’ll grant it. It would be a waste to kill you like this.”

Emir raised his head at those words. A small hope of survival blossomed on his face. However, one should always listen to the end of what someone has to say.

Eugene snatched the candle the informant was holding and brought it close to Emir’s face. Hot heat flowed from the small flame.

“Instead, I’ll send you to the underground prison. There, torture awaits you.”

Eugene’s eyes, filled with killing intent, pierced Emir’s heart. At this, the guy trembled even more than before.

“Starting from your fingers, it’s a torture where you’ll be slowly burned until your entire body turns black. You’ll regret asking to be spared just now.”

That day, Emir saw a devil who had emerged on earth. The only thing he could do right now in front of this devil was to beg for mercy.

“I, I’m sorry… Pl-Please have mercy…”

“Why should I? Do I have any reason to show you mercy? If you’ve committed a crime, you should be punished.”

“I’ll do anything you say…! I don’t ask for much! Just please, not torture…!”

At that answer, Eugene smiled wickedly.

“The children you kidnapped, there are more in other places besides here, right? Spill everything. And hand over all the documents and ledgers related to this business, and everything else you have. Then I’ll think about it.”

“I-I’ll give you everything!”

Eugene found the other children Emir had hidden. After rescuing the children who were locked up in the basement of a shabby tavern, he sent them all back to where they should have been.

Most of the children who had disappeared or been taken away returned to their parents’ arms. Those who got their children back shed tears and expressed their gratitude to Eugene.

“Mom-!”

“My son! Thank you…! My lord! Thank you so much…!”

Those who couldn’t offer any reward could only say these words. And for Eugene, that was enough. The payment had already been made by the priestess.

Meanwhile, there were children who couldn’t return to their parents. These were cases where the parents had deliberately abandoned them. Those bastards sighed in front of the children, saying that another mouth to feed had returned. Some even shouted, asking why such a useless thing had been done.

Eugene took in three children who had nowhere to go. He took them to Emir’s hideout.

Below a building disguised as an ordinary general store, there was a large secret space created by Emir. It was a kind of shelter cum office.

Eugene found bundles of documents and ledgers related to the business there. Just as he was about to sit in a chair and go through all of them, the informant spoke.

“Um… my lord? Emir should be able to read, should I bring him?”

“Not necessary.”

Eugene quickly scanned the documents and ledgers, rolling his eyes. Fortunately, it seemed the business had not been running for long. So far, five children had been sold outside the city walls. Among them was a girl named ‘Laura’. Ah… damn it.

As Eugene scrunched up his face, the informant spoke again.

“Um… my lord… what are you going to do with Emir now?”

“Why do you need to know?”

“Even if you get rid of him right now, there won’t be much change.”

“What do you mean? No change?”

“If Emir disappears, other gangs like Marten or Ioko will take his place. Then they’ll naturally continue the business Emir was doing…”

“Then we’ll get rid of those bastards too.”

“Then another gang will emerge… Even scum like Mark or Bennet might form new gangs, calling themselves bosses.”

“…So? Are you saying it’s a useless effort?”

“I have a good idea, that’s why I’m saying this.”

“Speak.”

“How about you take over the entire back alley of Carlisle, my lord?”

“…You’re telling me to settle down here?”

“No. You just need to show your face occasionally. You can leave the regular management to another smart guy.”

“To whom?”

The informant pointed at himself proudly and said:

“Here’s that smart guy.”

“…Go stand in the corner and put your head down.”

“Yes.”

Eugene looked at the documents again, then scratched his head and fell into thought. The informant’s words weren’t entirely wrong. What he was doing now was just a stopgap measure.

There was no reason why others couldn’t do what Emir’s gang had done. In a few months, no, in a few weeks, other guys might start kidnapping children. The possibility was high. He let out a sigh involuntarily.

“Haah…”

Eugene finally understood why the church clergy and guards had refused the priestess’s request. Her request wasn’t simply to check if the children were safe. It was to help the children in difficulty.

This was the part Eugene was struggling with. Helping. Sure. But how far should he help? He had just rescued the kidnapped children, was this enough? Or should he overturn this entire back alley as the informant suggested? Doing it alone would be endless? Moreover, how would he manage it afterwards? Settle down in Carlisle for life?

Eugene, lost in thought, turned his eyes back to the documents. He decided to do what he could do right now and think about the complicated stuff later.

After a while, Eugene spoke to the informant who had been standing with his head down:

“Go up and bring Emir. Also check the children’s condition once. Ask if they’re hurt anywhere. If they say they’re hungry, give them something to eat.”

“Yes…”

When Emir came down, Eugene said:

“There’s a deal tonight, isn’t there?”

“Yes… We’re supposed to hand over three boys to a customer…”

“That guy, he bought children recently too.”

“It was three girls.”

“Where’s the meeting place? And how many people did he come with last time?”

“We’re supposed to meet deep in the sewers. Last time he came alone.”

“Alone?”

“Yes. His entire body was covered in a robe so I couldn’t see his face, but he was a man with a frail physique.”

“How much time is left until the deal?”

“We should start moving now to reach the promised place.”

“Hmm… Get up. Guide us there. We need to catch that guy too.”

“Understood.”

Eugene stepped outside the building with Emir and the informant. The three headed towards the sewers beneath the city.

The sewers were intricately tangled like a maze. The narrow passages were full of moss and mold on all sides. Below flowed shallow, filthy water. An indescribable stench stung their noses, but even that became familiar as they kept walking.

In the darkness where no sunlight reached, Eugene and the other two advanced relying on the torches in their hands. The splashing sound of footsteps continued to echo.

“It’s here.”

After walking for some time, they reached deep into the sewers and a vast open space appeared. Several thick stone pillars stood under the high arched ceiling. There were signs of cracks here and there, but it still looked sturdy. It seemed to be a space created to control the flow of sewage. It was dry now, perhaps not currently in use.

Eugene extinguished all but one of the torches they were carrying. He made Emir hold the remaining torch and had the informant stand behind Emir holding a knife.

“If Emir starts talking nonsense, stab him.”

“Understood.”

“By the way, if you try to do anything stupid, I’ll smash your head first.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ignoring the informant who had a solemn face, Eugene hid behind a stone pillar. It was almost time for the other party to arrive.

‘They might come in a group, not alone like last time. Emir might have lied from the start… I’ll move according to the situation…’

After waiting quietly for a while, someone was approaching from the opposite passage holding a torch. It was a guy covered in a dark-colored robe. Three small shadows followed behind him.

“…!”

Eugene instinctively realized that the shadows behind were the children from the previous deal. Whatever the reason for bringing those children, it was fortunate for Eugene.

The guy came out of the narrow passage and approached Emir, who was holding the torch. He tilted his head and opened his mouth.

“…Where are the goods we were supposed to trade?”

“Th-That…”

While Emir was stuttering, Eugene quietly walked out from behind the stone pillar.

He swung the mace he was gripping tightly towards the guy’s back.

Thud-!

“Kheuk…”

Caught by the unexpected attack, the guy’s waist bent like a bow, and he collapsed forward. There couldn’t have been a more perfect ambush.

“Talking about a deal. You wanna die.”

Eugene glared at the guy lying face down on the floor, then turned his head. He approached the children covered in robes behind and said:

“It’s okay now. It’s all over. Let’s go home.”

“…”

While saying these reassuring words, Eugene lifted the robes covering the children’s faces one by one.

“Kids…?”

“…”

Eugene realized something was wrong.

Their unfocused eyes were dull. No matter how much he called out to them, the children didn’t respond.

All three children had pale faces with bluish veins visible like cobwebs.

They looked as if the life had been drained out of them.

It was at that moment.

The guy who had been lying face down after being hit by the mace slowly got up from his place.

He spoke calmly with an expressionless face.

“Don’t touch my goods.”