There Is No World For ■■

Following Balagu’s lead, the sewer entrance they arrived at was surprisingly intact, made of solid concrete.

Given the rumors that this city had been built with Soviet investment, it wasn’t particularly strange. The real issue, however, was the sewer’s size.

“...You’re saying we’re going in there?”

A narrow passage, coated in some unidentifiable green liquid that oozed and dripped down the walls, was far smaller than Yeomyeong and Seti had expected.

To be precise, it was cramped.

Barely big enough to squeeze a human body through.

As Seti looked at it in disgust, Balagu shrugged his broad shoulders and said:

“That’s how crawl holes are supposed to be.”

While Seti debated whether or not she should kick the shameless orc in the shin, Yeomyeong stepped in to settle the matter.

“Once we get inside the city, let’s find a decent inn first. Preferably somewhere we can take a bath right away.”

Balagu nodded in agreement, and Seti, despite pouting, dismounted her camel and began gathering their luggage.

A chest full of gold ingots, bags of coins, and, of course, their weapons.

“What about the camels, though? If we just leave them here, won’t they starve to death waiting for us?”

Seti, carrying both a bag of gold and a warhammer slung over her back, asked the question. But Balagu reassured her.

According to him, camels were clever enough to return to the clan or find new owners on their own.

Besides, since camels were valuable livestock, someone would likely take care of them one way or another.

Yeomyeong wrapped up his thoughts on the matter just as Balagu squeezed himself into the sewer entrance.

It was almost comical watching the bulky orc force his frame through the narrow gap, but he surprisingly disappeared inside rather quickly.

It seemed his claim of being a guide hadn’t been an exaggeration after all.

Anyway, Yeomyeong stepped aside to let Seti go in first.

But instead of entering, Seti gave him a strange look. By the time Yeomyeong tilted his head in confusion, she spoke.

“Really? Do you really want to stare at my ass that badly?”

“....”

“I’d rather be looking at a familiar ass than an orc’s. What do you think?”

Instead of answering, Yeomyeong ran a hand down his face, tied the chest to his waist, and went in first.

To his surprise, the inside of the sewer wasn’t as foul-smelling as he had feared.

At least, not from the perspective of someone used to cleaning alleyways.

But Seti, who followed behind him, seemed far from appreciating the lack of stench. Instead of admiring his backside, she gagged repeatedly, barely suppressing her nausea.

“Seti, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not—ugh, just hurry up!”

As they crawled through the sewer, exchanging occasional words, Seti grumbled about how killing all the guards might have been a better option.

Soon after, they emerged from the narrow passage into a larger sewer tunnel.

Another surprise. The interior of the sewer could rival the latest systems installed at the Academy.

The tunnel was so massive that even Balagu and Yeomyeong stacked together wouldn’t reach the ceiling. Walkways with railings lined the walls, likely for maintenance workers.

While Yeomyeong inspected the area in mild astonishment, Balagu wrung out his clothes and climbed onto the walkway, speaking as he did.

“If we keep up a good pace, we can reach the central area with inns in about one to two hours. Let’s move.”

The two of them climbed onto the walkway and picked up their pace, hoping they’d soon find a place to wash up.

But their hopes didn’t last long.

Not even an hour had passed before they ran into someone completely unexpected.

*****

The old man remembered the past.

A time when the order established by the Mage Tower and the Empire ruled the world, and this city’s court truly belonged to His Imperial Majesty.

But the world had changed, and the old man had been forced to adapt.

To be exact, he had no choice but to adapt.

He had to yield rights to pathetic insects who couldn’t even sense mana, cowering under the guns and blades of Earthlings.

He had to stand by and watch as the once beautiful and noble court turned into a four-story pile of garbage.

He even had to endure the sight of vagrants who had never seen the Emperor’s face daring to call themselves “Counts of the Court.”

That was the world. That was the era.

But now, even that world would come to an end.

Just as the Demon King Stalin had fallen overnight, the rightful “Old Rulers” would soon return—

—Creak.

The sound of a door opening interrupted the old man’s thoughts.

He leaned forward from his plush chair and looked toward the person who had entered his office.

“What is it, Sir Dovan?”

The visitor, addressed as Dovan, was a fresh-faced youth who had only recently come of age.

He glanced around nervously before lowering his head and speaking.

“Uh... Count Nam of the Court? Earlier, at the southern gate, we spotted some people entering the city, and, well... I think they might have the gold coins you mentioned last time....”

“...Sir Dovan.”

The old man’s firm voice cut off Dovan’s stammering explanation. His sharp eyes scanned the young knight clad in armor.

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me ‘Count Nam of the Court’? Have you already forgotten?”

“....”

“Never forget that I am this city’s only rightful Count of the Court. Especially if you serve under me.”

Dovan flinched, realizing his mistake, and hunched his shoulders even further.

“S-Sorry! It’s just that... I still haven’t shaken off my habits from the backstreets....”

Seeing his pathetic display, the old man barely held back the urge to hurl his ashtray at him on the spot.

But for now, he suppressed his anger.

He had no choice—there were only three knights left under his command, including this idiot.

“Forget it. Just get to the point.”

“Y-Yes! The guards at the gate said they found gold coins engraved with magical seals.” 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“When?”

“Uh... about two or three hours ago.”

“....”

Before the Count could explode and demand why this was being reported so late, Dovan hurriedly blurted out an excuse.

“T-The thing is, there was a human boy and girl with them, so we didn’t have time to use the tracking artifact—urk!”

That was all the Count needed to hear before he lost his temper.

Thwack!

The ashtray slammed into Dovan’s forehead, sending him staggering as he clutched at the wound.

Blood trickled through his fingers, but the Count paid no attention.

“Did you at least figure out where they went?”

“T-They headed west, leading camels....”

“West?”

“One of the guards familiar with the area said... they’re probably entering the city through the sewers....”

The Count searched his desk for something else to throw but stopped when he realized everything on it was too expensive to waste on this idiot. Instead, he slammed his fist down on the desk.

“Then why the hell haven’t you sent men into the sewers already? Go and get my gold back from that worm Dagal right now!”

“B-But, Count? The sewers... those things are still down there. Last time, you specifically said not to send soldiers in recklessly—”

“....”

Those things.

The Count scowled, picturing the “rats” infesting the sewers he was supposed to control.

“...I suppose it’s about time we cleared them out anyway. I’ll authorize weapons. Take every guard you have and head into the sewers.”

Dovan didn’t dare mention the casualties this would cause.

The Count’s hand was already reaching for a porcelain vase.

Bowing his head, Dovan quickly left the room.

The old man stared at the door long after it closed.

When the silence of the office finally settled in, he turned and walked to the window.

“Trash living in a trash city... their time is almost up.”

No one was there to hear his muttered words as he gazed down at the city below.

*****

Rumors ran wild about what lurked in the sewers beneath Drayterial.

Crocodiles and ghosts were considered ordinary. Monsters, rat-people... even nuclear weapons supposedly slumbered down there—claims so ridiculous they barely deserved acknowledgment.

Of course, those were just fantasies. Drayterial wasn’t some Demon Wastes; it was still a city inhabited by people.

The most anyone could realistically expect to find in the sewers were homeless vagrants or criminals hiding from the guards—or so Balagu explained as they walked.

Not even a few minutes had passed before Yeomyeong’s group encountered something unexpected.

—Chit, chit—Human. Smell—human.

—Smell! Female smell!

—Human female. Ta—tasty! I wa—want to eat!

In the darkness below the sewers, pairs of green eyes glistened—rats.

But not just ordinary rats. These ones were as big as small children, stood upright on two legs, and spoke.

“...Didn’t you say rat-people were just urban legends?”

Yeomyeong asked, staring at the creatures in the distance.

Balagu scratched the back of his head.

“They didn’t exist when I escaped.”

“....”

It was a good thing Yeomyeong had spotted the rat-people in advance using his enhanced senses. If they’d stumbled upon them without warning, things could have gone bad fast.

Seti, meanwhile, kicked Balagu’s shin and demanded he cough up the gold coins she’d given him earlier.

Thud!

Balagu winced as the mana-infused kick brought tears to his eyes.

“I swear I’m innocent! No sane Count would’ve let the sewers fall into this state—”

“Enough excuses. How long will it take to get to the inn from here?”

“...We’d have to backtrack and take a different route. Probably another three hours.”

“....”

Three hours.

Was it worth wasting three hours just to avoid fighting the rat-people? Or should they risk a fight and save time?

Yeomyeong’s answer was obvious, but he hesitated because of Seti.

She hadn’t even been able to change clothes in days—could he really make her wait even longer?

As if she’d sensed his hesitation, Seti jabbed him in the side.

“What’s there to think about? It’s just three hours. Let’s go back.”

“...Fine. But from now on, I’ll carry Balagu and use footwork techniques to move faster.”

The moment they came to an agreement, Balagu turned to head in the opposite direction—faster than anyone else.

Or at least, he tried to.

Just before he turned his head, an ominous sound stopped him cold.

Click.

It was unfamiliar to Balagu, but to Yeomyeong and Seti, it was a sound they knew all too well.

Guns.

Yeomyeong expanded his mana to scan their surroundings and immediately felt the threat—at least ten automatic rifles pointed straight at them.

He and Seti tensed, mana surging as their hands reached for their weapons.

“Don’t move.”

The voice was calm yet commanding—familiar.

Not just to Yeomyeong.

Seti’s eyes widened in recognition as well.

The two exchanged glances, silently asking each other the same question—Is that who we think it is?

And then, at the same time, they both nodded.

The moment doubt turned into certainty, Yeomyeong turned his head toward the voice and called out a name.

“...Josef? Josef from Incheon?”

Josef—the top arms dealer in Incheon’s black market.

Apparently, Josef hadn’t expected to hear his name come out of Yeomyeong’s mouth.

The gun barrels wavered in the shadows.

“What the hell? Who are you, and how do you know my name?”