Chapter : 39
“But, if Lulu wants to be a hero, don’t people have to recognize Lulu’s abilities?”
“Lulu… have you ever seen a hero in a fairy tale brag to people?”
Huh.
That’s right. She had never seen it…!
“Uh, heroes… only save people and disappear without a trace.”
“Exactly.”
“When a hero disappears… people sing songs about the hero… huh?!”
Lulu’s mouth dropped open in sheer realization.
Angela crossed her arms and nodded.
“Yes. A hero who brags isn’t a hero. Lulu, aren’t you a hero?”
Boom—!
Her tiny head felt like it was shaking from an earthquake.
A tremendous realization!
Todot, the baby dragon who had stepped back, nodded quickly.
“Heroes don’t brag! Lulu, keep your mouth shut too!”
And so, Lulu’s humming ended with a quiet “shh.”
Meanwhile, the adults entered a meeting to discuss rescuing the other families.
“Thanks to Lulu’s abilities, things will be easier. But it’s better to minimize risks and bring the families legally.”
Angela asked Ascelin,
“Looking at the Atrang group, they all seem like thugs. Have they done anything illegal?”
“The Atrang group itself is illegal. Everything they do is illegal.”
“What? Then why doesn’t the lord say anything? Isn’t the lord… Marquis Syria?”
“The marquis is also planning to crack down on the Atrang group, but they’re tied to the royal family… and they hide things very meticulously…”
“Hide?”
Ascelin nodded at the confusing remark, then asked secretly, as if having made a decision.
“Do you know something called Braksapool?”
“No? What’s that?”
“…Currently, it’s illegal to grow in the Kingdom of Lydia.”
Ascelin spoke, and people started to gather.
Soon, their expressions turned to shock.
They realized what had happened in the Atrang group.
‘R-really villains!’
Lulu, who was perked up and listening, felt the same way.
The Atrang group was peaceful as ever today.
“Have you prepared the Braksapool? We need to send it somewhere important today!”
Bang.
A mercenary kicked the door and shouted, startling the people in the Braksapool field.
“Y-yes, it’s ready.”
“There are 300 plants here.”
The people hurriedly moved the boxes.
Because the field was managed by a small number of people, dark circles formed under their eyes, but no one cared about their health.
Then, someone with a desperate expression pleaded.
“Sir, mercenary… could we… just once… see the sunlight?”
“Sunlight? There’s a window right there.”
The mercenary pointed to a small window with bars.
The sliver of sunlight that came through looked even dimmer than an oasis in the desert.
“…But staying in the dark all the time is driving me crazy. I’d rather clean like Daisy.”
“What?”
The mercenary frowned and waved his hand like the smell was awful.
“…The smell of Braksapool is all over you. Go wash yourself before talking.”
“But to get to the washing place, we have to open this door…”
“Well, you can’t open it. The mercenary king Conrand said the Braksapool smell can’t spread, remember?”
The same circular answer.
The eyes of the people crouched in the dark turned bloodshot with anger.
The mercenary’s mocking tone irritated them, but even more, their powerless situation made them frustrated.
“Then go handle your business—”
The mercenary closed the door with a hum, ignoring them.
A secret passage known only to the staff led to a backyard where a field had been set up with tents.
The reason the people were trapped there was simple: Braksapool does not like sunlight.
“We can’t live like this! We’re not Braksapool, we’re humans!”
Screams echoed from behind the closed doors, but the mercenary didn’t even snort.
The Braksapool boxes, created with the people’s tears, were delivered to Conrand.
“This is for the royal family. 300 plants, right?”
Conrand fiddled with the golden rings on his fingers.
“Yes, that’s correct. Should we send it to the royal family immediately?”
“Send it right away. And wash the people in the Braksapool field, dress them in proper clothes, and put on some perfume.”
“Uh…?”
“Cover the Braksapool field with dried lavender so the smell doesn’t spread.”
The mercenary and his colleagues, who were helping move boxes, were stunned by this unexpected order.
Only Conrand and a staff member remained calm.
“You idiots! Today’s the day Daisy and Ascelin are coming! What do you think they told the rich travelers?”
The mercenary furrowed his brows in realization.
“Braksapool…?”
“Finally, you understand. Even if they told the rich travelers about Braksapool, if we hide the evidence, they can’t do anything, right?”
“Conrand-sama, as expected!”
The mercenaries smiled and kicked the doors open again.
Then.
“You all wanted to see sunlight, right? Today, we’ll live like humans for one day!”
They forced the people up and into the bathhouse.
A little later.
“Haha, I hope our mercenaries have served you well. By the way, did you enjoy your trip?”
Conrand, fully prepared, smiled his practiced smile.
Today, Atrang was peaceful once more.
Conrand was confident. Today would go according to his plan.
Even though the rich family, whom he disliked, had come with Daisy and Ascelin, nothing would be discovered as always.
“The city is so clean. By the way, I heard it’s going to snow this weekend, so we might stay a little longer… could we extend the service contract?”
As promised, the rich couple smiled as they drank tea.
They apparently worked for Leber’s group, and clearly, money was no issue.
“Of course!”
“Yes. We’ll sign the relevant contract before leaving…”
The woman asked a man, who seemed like her older brother.
“Could you take the children out for a moment?”
“Of course. I’ll wait outside.”
The large man took the children, Ascelin, and Daisy outside, leaving only Conrand and the commoner couple in the parlor.
“Do you… have something to discuss?”
Unexpectedly, Conrand kept his smile while making a playful joke.
“Since it’s just the three of us, is this a secret proposal?”
“How did you know?”
“…Excuse me?”
The woman’s answer left him momentarily stunned.
“A proposal…?”
“I heard from your mercenaries during our three-day trip. You’ve been growing Braksapool and smuggling it, right?”
Damn them, they really did tell.
He expected it, but imagining them telling a stranger instead of keeping quiet made his blood boil.
‘Once the contract ends, I’ll have to teach them a lesson.’
Conrand suppressed his anger and answered,
“The mercenaries are spreading nonsense. We…”
But.
“Too bad if it’s nonsense.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you really are growing Braksapool, I’d like to say that Leber’s group is interested.”
This was a completely unexpected proposal.
Conrand watched the couple suspiciously, but they only looked regretful and waited for his reply.
‘Leber’s group… I thought they only did clean trades.’
As expected, they couldn’t be the top group without doing dirty business.
Conrand restrained his twitching lips and rubbed his hands together.
“…Since you spoke honestly, I’ll be honest too. Leber’s group can respond to your interests. But since we trade with risk, unless you have someone whose identity can be verified, the trade will be difficult.”
“That’s why we brought it.”
The woman pulled a document from under her robe.
‘…This is…!’
Yes. It was a document with a key-shaped seal representing Leber’s group.
‘It’s real. It’s really someone from Leber’s group.’
Conrand’s heart pounded uncontrollably.
Because Braksapool is a prohibited item, very few knew of its existence.
It was a plant that naturally grows only in the Shadow Forest, barely obtained from the royal family and cultivated carefully.
