Chapter 232
, “Twists and Turns”:
Seong Geon-woo asked Joseph as if he couldn’t accept his explanation.
“So… he wasn’t crazy normally?”
“He was a bit cruel and quick-tempered, but other than that, he was normal,” Joseph insisted on his point of view.
Jang Mok-hwa interjected at the right moment to prevent Seong Geon-woo from getting into a verbal sparring match with him.
“How was Mr. DiMarco different from usual during that time?”
Joseph’s face darkened again, as if recalling something unpleasant.
“Didn’t I just say? He became more cruel and violent. He wasn’t merciful to the guards anymore. Every time we went on duty, we trembled in fear. Even if someone accidentally passed gas and he heard it, they could be executed immediately.”
Paul added in agreement.
“Even guards who had been trusted by Mr. DiMarco before were beaten to death over trivial matters.”
Joseph continued.
“Not only that, he acted like a madman wanting a child. He ignored wives who couldn’t bear children and focused his attention on the wives of servants who had children. We were all extremely furious at such behavior, but we couldn’t show it. Fortunately, that phase didn’t last for years. If it had, we… really…”
Finishing his words, Joseph became alert again. No matter how friendly he felt toward Seong Geon-woo, he clearly didn’t want to reveal the deep darkness in his heart. If DiMarco ever sensed that, the next person buried in this valley would be him.
“Did DiMarco return to his old self because he finally had a new child?”
Jang Mok-hwa asked, frowning slightly. The more she heard, the more abnormal she thought DiMarco’s obsession with children was. It was clearly a disease. Besides the child who had died young, weren’t there two other children?
Joseph denied Jang Mok-hwa’s speculation.
“No. During repeated outbursts, he gradually regained his senses. He didn’t act that way anymore. And as if he were rewarded for regaining his mind, one of his wives finally had a child five months ago.”
“But it might not be his child,” Seong Geon-woo suggested.
“Well, we don’t know either,” Joseph said, not denying the possibility.
Jang Mok-hwa guessed that the guards in the underground ark might be thinking similarly. Maybe they were already secretly betting on who the child’s real father was.
After a moment of thought, she asked,
“Are both of DiMarco’s other children girls? The one who died was a boy?”
In her view, the only reason DiMarco went completely mad after losing his young child was this.
Joseph fiddled with his large nose and replied,
“The one who died was a boy, and one of the other two is also a boy.”
Jang Mok-hwa was left speechless for a while.
Meanwhile, Seong Geon-woo asked eagerly,
“Is there any chance we could follow you into the underground ark?”
“No.”
Joseph and Paul shook their heads simultaneously, a little fear on their faces.
“Why not?”
Seong Geon-woo asked, unable to understand.
Joseph quickly explained,
“All entrances have triple inspections, and a lot of guards are deployed. If the two of us leave and return with six people, we’ll be caught immediately.”
Joseph assumed that Seong Geon-woo wanted to go along to help him and Paul.
“I can talk to them,” Seong Geon-woo suggested sincerely.
But Joseph shook his head again.
“No use. We’re all afraid of Mr. DiMarco. Without his permission, no outsiders can enter the ark. Plus, cameras are installed at every checkpoint, and guards monitor them. If any problem is detected, all facilities, including the elevator, shut down, and the ark is completely isolated from the outside.”
Paul also tried to dissuade Seong Geon-woo.
“One of Mr. DiMarco’s greatest hobbies is surveillance. No one can fool his eyes.”
‘What a pity. Geon-woo’s deductive and awakened abilities can’t work in such a complex scenario. Surveillance cameras don’t broadcast sound either.’
Jang Mok-hwa, amused, smiled and said,
“Are you misunderstanding us? We’re not trying to use you to enter the underground ark. We just want to convey our intention to tell Mr. DiMarco about the Old World. That’s our main objective. Apart from that, there are just a few simple questions.”
Joseph and Paul both sighed in relief, their bodies relaxing. Then Joseph asked with a happy tone,
“Can you introduce yourselves? Mr. DiMarco will probably ask that question.”
“We’re a relic-hunting team. The team leader is Jeon Hae-yan.”
Jang Mok-hwa introduced in Redriver language, pointing to Baek Sae-byeok.
Joseph and Paul scanned them quickly, seeming suspicious that the quietest and shortest person was the team leader.
Jang Mok-hwa knew this introduction wasn’t perfect but praised herself lightly.
“We’re the ones who handled that merfolk gentleman and saved Redstone Market.”
“What?”
Joseph and Paul didn’t seem to understand. It seemed that in the closed underground ark, they had little news from the outside world.
Of course, this was mostly an issue in the lower levels. DiMarco, his butler, and the head of the guard would know about Jeon Hae-yan’s team, who had recently made a name for themselves in Redstone Market.
“You can just tell Mr. DiMarco this much,” Jang Mok-hwa added.
“Understood,” Joseph and Paul replied.
Then their gaze turned to Karl’s corpse. They seemed unsure whether to report immediately or deal with the body first.
Jang Mok-hwa smiled at their hesitation and said,
“Don’t worry. Friends help friends, right? We’ll take care of it.”
‘Friends? Team leader, have you already transferred your feelings to Geon-woo?’ Yong Yeohong muttered to himself.
With Jang Mok-hwa’s permission, Joseph and Paul turned and headed toward the cave without worry.
Jang Mok-hwa watched until they were out of sight and then turned to Seong Geon-woo and Yong Yeohong.
“Load Karl’s body into the Jeep.”
“Eh?”
Yong Yeohong, about to pick up a shovel, asked in surprise.
“We’ll take him to Weller for a detailed autopsy. We need to see if there’s anything unusual about the cause of death,” Jang Mok-hwa explained.
Yong Yeohong finally understood her intention. Until just now, he had thought she was purely trying to take responsibility for Karl’s death.
Seong Geon-woo sighed as he looked toward the cave.
“It’s unfortunate…”
Jang Mok-hwa teased with a smile,
“Because you can’t use your clever mind and Awakened abilities to sneak into the ark unnoticed? Don’t worry. First, we’ll be polite, and if necessary, we’ll use force.”
Seong Geon-woo turned to her,
“What’s unfortunate is that I can’t just run over and blow up the ark’s main gate with a bazooka.”
“When did you get so reckless?”
Seeing Jang Mok-hwa’s bewilderment, Seong Geon-woo replied calmly,
“A few minutes ago. Right now, I’m the fierce and reckless Geon-woo.”
“….”
Jang Mok-hwa glanced him up and down a few times and decided to end the conversation rationally.
After loading Karl’s body into the Jeep, Seong Geon-woo and Yong Yeohong waited for some time until Joseph and Paul came out again. They still wore simple uniforms and carried submachine guns.
Seeing Seong Geon-woo’s eager gaze, Joseph opened his mouth awkwardly,
“Mr. DiMarco has nothing to say. He only wants to speak with the bishop of the Vigilant Sect.”
“Got it.”
Jang Mok-hwa no longer pressed them. Talking without facing the person directly was meaningless.
Even on the way back to where the rescue team had parked the Jeep, Seong Geon-woo waved his hands toward Joseph and Paul in regret.
When the Jeep emerged from the foot of Iron Mountain, Yong Yeohong couldn’t help but speak.
“What do we do now? Should we plan a way to infiltrate the underground ark?”
Jang Mok-hwa glanced around and muttered as if to herself,
“I have one concern. Do we need to risk entering the underground ark just to contact Mr. DiMarco? His ancestors lived in fear of the end without knowing anything. The traitor from Redstone Market, or Liemann’s request, isn’t really a problem for us. It would be nice to find the truth, but if we don’t, it’s fine. We never promised, nor have we received any reward yet.”
Baek Sae-byeok agreed.
“The reason we can’t proceed with further investigation is the Vigilant Sect’s uncooperative attitude. They didn’t give us the authority to contact Mr. DiMarco directly. That’s their problem, not ours.”
Jang Mok-hwa was pleased to find someone sharing her view.
“Exactly! Even if we don’t risk infiltrating, we can consider other plans. Something similar could happen in the future. Planning ahead isn’t a bad idea.”
Yong Yeohong glanced at Seong Geon-woo but didn’t mention sneaking into the underground ark hidden in supply crates. Not because Karl was already dead, but because they realized DiMarco was cruel and violent. Attempting it could cost the butler his life.
After pondering for a while, Yong Yeohong spoke,
“How about entering through the ventilation ducts? Vielle said guards are stationed at each vent, but there are fewer guards than at the main entrances. If we neutralize them and render them unconscious, we could move quietly and swiftly.”
With Seong Geon-woo’s immobile hands and stubborn abilities, this was easy.
Jang Mok-hwa nodded slightly.
“It’s possible. But first, we need to check if surveillance cameras are installed in the vents. If so, how do we handle them?”
Even while the team discussed, Seong Geon-woo remained silent. Jang Mok-hwa, noticing this, hesitated before asking,
“Hey, do you have another plan?”
Seong Geon-woo leaned forward seriously.
“First, I want to confirm two things. One, our goal is to contact and talk with Mr. DiMarco. Correct?”
After they agreed, he continued,
“Mr. DiMarco already answered that. He’ll only speak with the bishop of the Vigilant Sect. From this, a very simple solution emerges: if we become the Vigilant Sect’s bishop, all problems are solved.”
Jang Mok-hwa exhaled slowly.
“That’s one way, but becoming the Vigilant Sect’s bishop isn’t exactly easy.”
In her memory, the eyes watching from behind the door were still vivid.
Before the sky darkened, the rescue team visited Redstone Market one more time and returned to the inn area. They no longer worried about the events of that day.
The next morning, someone came to the rescue team.
A man wore a stiff black suit similar to Karl’s, his black hair neatly combed back, and he had a slightly high hairline. He looked to be in his forties and exuded a serious and solemn aura.
He swept his blue eyes over the team and politely said,
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Ulrich, Mr. DiMarco’s butler. The master wishes to see you in the private reception room of the underground ark.”
The four were left completely dumbfounded.
So, Mr. DiMarco, who had refused to meet them last night, had changed his mind?
