There Is No World For ■■

Why was a Court Lord wandering around the sewers?

And with a fake face, no less.

Yeomyeong narrowed his eyes as he watched the approaching Eastern Court Lord.

"I’ll give you ten gold coins per corpse. How about it?"

Unlike the last time when he had disguised himself as a tavern owner, he now wore a completely different face. Draped in a tattered robe and holding a worn-out staff, he looked exactly like a stereotypical reclusive wizard.

Had it not been for the familiar voice, Yeomyeong might not have recognized him at all—his disguise was that flawless.

"Hmm... Thirty gold coins wouldn’t be enough, would it?"

The Court Lord had approached him before he even realized it.

Since Yeomyeong had yet to learn how to alter his voice, he kept his mouth shut. Just as Yeomyeong could recognize the Court Lord’s voice, the Court Lord could just as easily discern Yeomyeong’s identity through his.

Without a word, Yeomyeong stepped back, making way for the Court Lord.

"...Quite the quiet one, aren’t you?"

Fortunately, the Court Lord didn't see through the illusion covering Yeomyeong’s face.

The illusion of Bloody Tears was highly sophisticated, but more than that, the Court Lord’s attention was fixed on the dead Shepherds.

As soon as Yeomyeong stepped aside, the Court Lord practically pounced on the corpses like a cat that had just found prey.

"Oh-ho... Necromancy and black magic at the same time..."

He marveled, examining the Shepherds' corpses from every angle.

Watching him, Yeomyeong folded his arms and tapped the ground with his toe—tap, tap.

A blatant signal. The Court Lord flashed a genial smile and casually tossed a leather pouch his way.

"My, my, apologies. One tends to forget things at my age."

Yeomyeong snatched the pouch midair and pried it open, revealing a pile of gold coins inside. Real imperial gold coins, embossed with the Emperor’s face.

"Thirty gold coins. If there’s any change left, keep it. These corpses are all I need."

With that, the Court Lord turned back to the Shepherds' bodies.

Seeing his gaze shift away, Yeomyeong signaled to Neti, who was concealed beneath the Invisible Cloak.

Just as the two of them were about to slip away into the depths of the sewers—

"The swordsmanship left on these corpses is quite remarkable."

The Court Lord’s voice stopped Yeomyeong in his tracks. Still rummaging through the bodies, the man continued speaking.

"There aren’t many swordsmen of this caliber in this city... You must be an outsider, drawn here by the rumors?"

"...."

Yeomyeong didn’t answer.

Taking his silence as confirmation, the Court Lord kept talking.

"Well, what matters isn’t where you’re from, but how skilled you are. Tell me... Have you ever considered mercenary work?"

Mercenary work?

Yeomyeong frowned slightly, recalling the Eastern Court Lord’s previous request to lend his strength in maintaining order in the city.

Was he asking for help again to curb the chaos?

But the words that left the Court Lord’s mouth were nothing like what Yeomyeong had expected.

"It’s nothing too difficult. Just... kill an elf for me. How about it? I’ll pay handsomely."

The moment those words dropped, Yeomyeong felt Neti stiffen in shock. Without hesitation, he covered her mouth.

A brief silence.

Before the Court Lord could turn his head, Yeomyeong grabbed Neti and slipped away into the sewers.

Luckily, the Court Lord didn’t try to stop him. Instead, as Yeomyeong disappeared into the distance, he called out in an almost wistful tone.

"I run a potion shop in the East. Ulyanov’s Apothecary. If you ever change your mind, feel free to drop by."

****

"The old man and the elf... weren’t they allies?"

That was the first thing Neti said once they emerged from the sewers.

Yeomyeong knocked the filth off the soles of his shoes as he answered.

"Backstabbing among allies isn’t exactly unusual. Especially in a city like this."

"Wow. That’s... very communist of him."

The two of them exchanged a few more words as they made their way toward the inn.

With so many people flocking to the sewers, the streets were much quieter than usual.

Once Neti confirmed there were no people around, she suddenly asked,

"...Brother-in-law, by the way, where’s my sister? Why did you come alone?"

Yeomyeong answered lightly,

"Seti looked exhausted, so I let her sleep. I didn’t need her to find you."

"Ah... Makes sense. She barely got any real rest this past week, keeping watch over you in that trance..."

The question ‘Did you really just let her sleep, and nothing else?’ reached the tip of Neti’s tongue—but she swallowed it back.

Something told her... he definitely did something.

‘...I’ll just ask my sister later.’

Instead, as if to distract herself, she began explaining the plan Seti had been carrying out over the past week.

How she had spread rumors among drunkards that a secret Soviet vault existed.

Why she had ended up in the sewers in the first place.

Everything.

Her explanation was long, and it dragged on even further because Yeomyeong kept stopping her to ask about the details.

By the time they reached the end of their discussion, they had arrived at the fortified inn.

Armed men stood guard at the windows and rooftop sentries kept watch on the surroundings—Josef’s subordinates.

As Neti took off the Invisible Cloak, she turned to Yeomyeong and asked,

"Brother-in-law, what do we do now? My sister said everything’s ready."

Yeomyeong didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he glanced over at Balagu, who was lounging near the inn’s entrance, munching on canned spam.

Then, pulling out the Key of Tears from his coat, he finally spoke.

"It’s time to turn the board over."

****

There were far more mages living in Drayterial than one might expect.

Of course, none of them were what one would call proper mages.

There were outcasts like Dagal, those of lowborn lineage who could never enter the mainstream.

There were lunatics obsessed with human experimentation and forbidden magic.

And there were criminals who had fled to this city to escape the authorities.

These eccentric mages had become an inseparable part of the city's foundation.

They were so deeply embedded in every corner of Drayterial that even the Court Lords had long since stopped trying to root them out—opting instead to simply leave them be.

...Anyway.

The "Bendu" they were seeking, under Balagu’s guidance, was one such mage.

He was known as the greatest appraiser in Drayterial. Even back when Balagu had first escaped the city, Bendu had already made quite a name for himself.

The sheer size of his pawnshop alone was enough proof of his reputation.

A massive concrete warehouse, large enough to fit at least a hundred people.

As Yeomyeong glanced up at the sign reading Universal Pawnshop, he turned to Balagu and asked,

"A pawnshop run by an appraisal mage. Looks like we’ve come to the right place."

"It’s probably the most successful pawnshop in this city. Even the Court Lords acknowledge Bendu’s skills."

With that, Balagu rapped his knuckles against the warehouse door. Moments later, it creaked open just a sliver, revealing a rough-looking man who peered out at them.

"What’s your business? Loan? Selling?"

"Appraisal."

"Appraisal? That’ll cost you... You got the money?"

Yeomyeong was the one who answered. He pulled out a pouch filled with gold coins and gave it a shake.

Jingle, jingle.

The moment the sound of gold rang out, the door groaned open.

"...Come in."

Inside, the pawnshop was even more chaotic than Yeomyeong had anticipated. Display cases were cluttered with all sorts of random objects, and the floor was littered with knives and scraps of clothing.

The man who had opened the door strode through the mess without hesitation, calling back over his shoulder,

"Master Bendu is downstairs."

Following him, Balagu and Yeomyeong crossed the warehouse and descended a flight of stairs, entering a small underground chamber.

There, seated on a chair, was a fat, bald old man. Judging by the mana radiating from him, this had to be Bendu. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Master Bendu, these gentlemen have come for an appraisal."

The man who had let them in gave a brief introduction. The old man swept his gaze over Yeomyeong and Balagu before asking,

"An appraisal, huh? Been a while since I had customers. So, what do you want me to examine?"

"A Vision Relic."

"...What?"

The businesslike smile on Bendu’s face stiffened the instant he heard Yeomyeong’s reply.

"Listen, kid. If you picked up some junk in the sewers and think you found a Vision Relic, I’ve got bad news for you—you're out of luck. Those things aren’t just lying around waiting to be found."

Had he dealt with people making this claim before? Bendu waved a dismissive hand as if he had no time for nonsense.

Instead of arguing, Yeomyeong simply reached into his coat and pulled out the Key of Tears, holding it out toward him.

"Like I said, you’re wasting your money. No point in paying for an appraisal if—"

Bendu’s words cut off abruptly.

His expression shifted as he stared at the Key of Tears. Then, in an instant, he snatched it from Yeomyeong’s hand.

"This key... I can sense mana from it. A magic artifact?"

Muttering to himself, he fished out a monocle from his pocket and perched it over his eye, immediately scrutinizing the Key of Tears.

A long silence filled the underground chamber.

By the time the man who had led them in began casting nervous glances around, Bendu finally spoke.

"This... This is the real deal. A genuine Vision Relic. I’ve never seen one in person before."

"...."

"Let’s see... The materials are vampire bone and ash... Dyed with human blood... Yeah, this was definitely made during the Soviet era. Tell me, where did you find this?"

Yeomyeong answered without hesitation.

"Sewers."

"Oh... So the rumors weren’t entirely false?"

Still staring at the Key of Tears, Bendu suddenly turned to Yeomyeong with an offer.

"Sell it to me. I’ll pay a good price."

"Not interested."

"A thousand gold... No, fifteen hundred."

"I already used it. It’s not for sale."

"...."

Bendu’s face twisted at those words.

But after another closer examination, his eyes widened in shock.

"A reusable Vision Relic...? Damn it, two thousand gold!"

"...."

"Three thousand! I’ll pay you seventeen hundred upfront, and the rest once I’ve liquidated some of the pawnshop’s stock. What do you say?"

Instead of answering, Yeomyeong placed his hand on his sword’s hilt.

A far clearer response than a hundred words.

Bendu’s face twisted.

"...I suppose I got greedy. My apologies."

He alternated glances between the key and Yeomyeong. But when Yeomyeong let a trace of mana leak out, Bendu let out a resigned sigh.

"Appraisal fee: five gold coins. Certificate costs another ten."

Balagu, who had been listening silently until now, suddenly bristled.

"Fifteen gold coins total? That’s five times the standard rate!"

"It’s a Vision Relic. If anything, I’m giving you a bargain."

"That’s ridiculous—"

Balagu was about to argue, but Yeomyeong stopped him and pulled out gold coins from his pouch.

"Fifteen gold. Count it. How long for the certificate?"

"Three... No, ten minutes should do. Wait outside."

And with that, the conversation ended.

Bendu called over one of his men and gave him orders. Yeomyeong reclaimed the Key of Tears and left the basement.

A little over ten minutes later, the same rough-looking man who had first let them in handed Yeomyeong a tightly rolled parchment.

"Safe travels."

There was something almost mocking about his farewell.

Without another word, Yeomyeong and Balagu left the pawnshop.

A few vagrants loitering nearby trailed after them as they walked down the street. Neither Yeomyeong nor Balagu paid them any mind.

Or at least, they pretended not to.

A moment later, Balagu, walking just a little behind Yeomyeong, spoke up.

"...We’re being followed. And it’s not just one or two of them."

Unlike Balagu, who was tense, Yeomyeong remained completely unbothered.

"I know."

Seeing his reaction, Balagu realized that Yeomyeong, being a transcendent, must have noticed their tail far earlier than he had.

"...Did you expect this to happen?"

"I asked you for a capable appraisal mage. Not an honest one."

Balagu let out a dry chuckle.

"Well... That’s fair enough."

"Don’t start blaming yourself. This was the plan from the beginning."

"...."

At that moment, Yeomyeong unsheathed his sword and swung.

Two arrows, aimed directly at them, were severed in midair.

?!

Balagu’s mouth dropped open in shock—only for more arrows to rain down.

There were too many this time. Blocking them all with a sword was impossible.

Yeomyeong grabbed Balagu by the belt and leapt backward.

Tadadadak!

Dozens of arrows embedded themselves into the spot where they had just stood.

Landing safely on the ground, Balagu stared dumbfounded in the direction the arrows had come from.

The rough-looking man who had let them in.

Bendu himself.

And a whole gang of unidentified thugs.

At the end of the alley, dozens of crossbows were aimed their way.

Their eyes burned with greed, as if mana itself smoldered within them.

—"It’s them!"

The gangsters began advancing, crossbows still leveled.

Some broke away to the sides, disappearing into the alley’s side streets—likely to flank them.

Yeomyeong watched their movements for a moment before weaving an Telekinesis spell. Then, he casually asked Balagu,

"Balagu, how do you think this rumor sounds? ‘A Vision Relic found in the sewers... And the entire gang of mages who tried to take it were wiped out by the guy who used it.’"

"...."

So that’s his plan?

Balagu let out a chuckle, shaking his head.

Then he laughed again, realizing that Yeomyeong had the power to make it happen.

"That’d be a hell of a story. With so many witnesses, it’ll be all anyone talks about for a while."

Yeomyeong smirked, apparently satisfied with his response. The Telekinesis spell was complete.

At that moment, the gangsters squeezed their triggers.

With a chorus of twang! dozens of arrows cut through the air—

Only to be caught mid-flight by Telekinesis.

"...A mage?"

Bendu muttered in disbelief.

Yeomyeong flipped the arrows around.

And returned them to their owners.