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If there are five great clans in the martial world, then there is something similar in the Demon Cult.

Famous families.

Their influence and the number of affiliated warriors far exceed that of ordinary sects, and their history stretches back for a long time.

“… Sma Clan?”

After reading the given paper, I cleanly burned it as before. However, the contents lingered in my mind for some time.

What kind of place is the Sma Clan? It is one of the very famous families in the Demon Cult.

They belong to no sect. Yet, their might and renown are so vast that they spread throughout the entire Demon Cult.

They have produced famous masters for generations. To name one renowned master, there is the infamous Sma Gon.

Currently missing and no one knows where he has gone, but just the mention of his name inspired fear in many masters of the Demon Cult.

That’s where my questions began.

The Sma Clan is clearly one of the notable families. But for such a place…

Is it entangled with the righteous faction?

“‘Monitor the movements of the Sma Clan and check if they have committed any wrongdoing,’ eh…”

Twenty-Nine pondered over the mission.

“The mission details are strange… but it’s even stranger that we were assigned this task.”

“Right.”

“The Blood Demon Group doesn’t hold much standing. Formally, they are under Ilma’s command, but in reality, the Blood Sea Organization manages the sect’s discipline. The Blood Sea Organization is the direct unit of the Heavenly Blood Demon, composed of the sect’s top masters. But compared to them, the Blood Demon Group? They are often referred to as expendables.”

“……”

“For a famous family, it would normally be the Blood Sea Organization that investigates any allegations. Yet still, sending us implies… it’s likely to be quite the insult for the famed family.”

“I don’t quite understand why a family of that rank would involve themselves with the righteous faction either.”

“It’s all suspicious. I think we’ll only know more once we get there.”

This time, as we officially took on the position of the Blood Demon Group, we didn’t bother with any infiltration masks.

Simply wandering about wearing masks as we did in the Demon Valley.

We were unable to use any shops until we reached the Sma Clan. We were forced to camp out.

“I never thought I’d have to tear into this tasteless meat until I got out here…”

“Well, at least we can grill it.”

“True enough.”

After eating, I casually picked up my sword. Twenty-Nine asked, tired of the sight.

“Aren’t you bored? I thought you’d hold back during the mission.”

“If I don’t stretch my body, I can’t sleep.”

“… Ugh. I can’t let you do this alone. I want to join too.”

“You don’t need to push yourself.”

“Do you think I can’t do it just because Thirty can?”

“… You probably won’t accept defeat in everything, huh?”

“I can hear you, you know.”

I walked alongside Twenty-Nine. The path was quite a distance; we had to walk for about twenty-one rounds, stopping occasionally to enjoy the view.

“The Demon Cult is this vast; I wonder how it is in the Central Plains.”

“Surely, it must be broad too?”

“There would be more people than in this barren land, right?”

“Probably so.”

“I’d like to see it once.”

As we got used to camping, we often found ourselves resting back to back.

Looking up at the night sky, stars sometimes seemed to fall.

Twenty-Nine, who was watching, spoke up.

“… Thirty.”

“Yeah?”

“What’s the first thing you want to do when we arrive at the Sma Clan?”

The first thing, huh.

Well, we are on a mission after all. It would be odd to wish for something.

Yet, I could at least hope to rest for a moment. I thought carefully and spoke.

“First, I want to eat some delicious food.”

“Do you think the Sma Clan will treat us?”

“Since we’re uninvited guests… I’m not sure. But we do have the title of inspector; wouldn’t they give us something?”

“Do you have any money?”

“I have a bit I received for travel expenses.”

“How much do you have?”

“Enough for a few days’ stay…”

“Hmmm…”

“What about you, Twenty-Nine?”

“I…”

She turned to me, her eyes gleaming even through her mask.

“The shimmering stars are just like sweets, aren’t they? Can you part with a little of your travel money? I’ll go buy something in the nearby village.”

So that was why she asked.

“… That’s an infringement of your duties.”

“I know. But you know, what if we reach the Sma Clan and don’t get a welcome? In that case, I’d like to use a bit of your travel funds to buy some tasty things while we pass by the village.”

She waved her hands.

“Tearing into tasteless meat all the time, and if I eat some sweets, wouldn’t that lift my mood and perhaps increase the success rate of our mission? One of us could go back while the other uses lightness to zip there.”

“… Pfft.”

“Why, why are you laughing? Isn’t this stupid?!”

“Do you like sweet things?”

“Sometimes I crave them. On days when I was feeling down, my sister would bring me one. Strangely, the sweets my sister bought always tasted better, and I ended up really enjoying them. That turned into a habit.”

“That last part was kind of petty.”

“I didn’t mean it that way?!”

I stood up.

“Then I’ll head there.”

“… Huh? I could go instead.”

I equipped my sword.

“Though it may not be as sweet as your sister’s treats, it should be sweeter than what I could buy myself, Twenty-Nine.”

She froze, blinking in surprise before bursting into laughter.

“Ahaha! What is that! How foolish!”

… Was that an unnecessary comment?

*Ahem.*

“Hey, want to know what I like?”

“Tell me. I’ll make a quick trip in the morning.”

Early the next morning, I headed out first. It wasn’t difficult to find a village I had scouted beforehand.

After buying the sweets, I caught up to Twenty-Nine, who had been strolling leisurely.

She held one of the pastries up to the sunlight, then tucked it under her mask.

Munch munch.

“… This doesn’t taste like the ones my sister would get.”

“If it did, that’d be strange, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re right? Still… well… it is sweet.”

Twenty-Nine mumbled as she suddenly turned her head.

I heard the sound of mosquitoes buzzing.

“… Thank you.”

The first time I heard her say thanks. I intentionally chose not to respond.

I knew that answering would only cause her to get more riled up.

We continued down the ridge. The Sma Clan. Their village began to come into view.

Its vast size was far greater than the previous Black Heaven Sect, almost resembling a castle. Was it the presence of a famous family that made this happen?

Aside from the Heavenly Demon of the Demon Cult, it was my first time witnessing such a colossal village within their territory. We mixed into the crowd and walked forward.

A high wall came into sight.

The gatekeeper of the Sma Clan blocked our way.

“Who goes there?”

I showed the Blood Demon badge I received.

“We come from the Blood Demon Group.”

“……!”

“May I meet with the head of the Sma Clan?”

“… Tsk.”

The sound of the tongue clicking was clear. I expected not to receive any hospitality, but I never thought they’d be this openly hostile.

We passed through the main gate as our feet crossed the threshold, scanning the interior.

Twenty-Nine whispered.

“As expected from the Sma Clan. It’s massive.”

A vast estate that couldn’t even be compared to the Black Heaven Sect. Not just that, so many buildings were lined up that it resembled a small village.

To one side, a proper training ground existed. The warriors of the clan watched us with wide eyes.

The mask we were forced to wear drew even more attention.

“This way.”

A servant of the Sma Clan guided us to a specific location. Among the many buildings, we stopped before a particularly shabby pavilion. The open floor was dusty, as it hadn’t been cleaned properly.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Twenty-Nine ground her teeth.

“……”

“Doing this out in the open…!”

I stood in front of Twenty-Nine.

“Do we just wait here?”

“Yes, yes…!”

“Understood. Let us proceed.”

“Why are you stopping me?!”

“Are we not simply waiting? This is fine, Twenty-Nine.”

“I know that! But did you see that?”

She followed the servant who had quickly fled with her gaze.

“That servant earlier. He was openly hostile. His pretended disguise of fear must have been all an act. From the master to the servant, they’re all in cahoots. They clearly mean to disregard us.”

“Even if we’re disregarded, there’s nothing we can do about it. We are not here as individuals, Twenty-Nine.”

“… That’s true, but…”

“First, we’ll wait for a conversation. Afterward, we just have to finish whatever it is we need to do.”

“Ugh… how frustrating…”

Though she grumbled, Twenty-Nine complied. She tried her best to suppress her pride as she sat down on the pavilion.

I surveyed the surroundings. It was also part of the estate. Yet, the management had been completely neglected.

The pavilion was filthy, the lake’s water murky. Wild grass grew to a degree that reached our shins.

Now that I think about it…

“Twenty-Nine.”

“What is it?”

“The buildings we saw on the way, they’re oddly dilapidated, aren’t they?”

“…….”

Twenty-Nine averted her gaze.

“Are you suggesting that the Sma Clan has fallen into poverty?”

Just speaking those words, she was able to read my intent immediately.

“… You’re sharp, Twenty-Nine.”

“If you’re saying that and I don’t understand, then I’d be a fool. Then again… it certainly is strange how poorly managed it is. It’s normal to see servants taking care of things even when they’re not in use, but it looks like many places are outright abandoned.”

“I also noticed there aren’t that many servants.”

“There were warriors on the training ground, but even then, I don’t think their numbers were too considerable.”

“Is this truly how a prestigious family operates?”

“I’m uncertain myself. I haven’t had ties with that sort. Well, we can find out once the head of the Sma Clan arrives, right?”

We waited. Yet, the head of the Sma Clan did not appear.

Instead, one warrior came to seek us out.

“I am Chu Yi-gyeong, the bodyguard of the lord. I heard you come from the Blood Demon Group.”

“Indeed, that’s correct.”

A scrutinizing gaze.

A stern-faced man sighed.

“The lord is currently busy. I would appreciate your patience. He will become available within three days. Would you not consider staying here until then?”

“In this pavilion?”

“… Of course not. It seems my subordinate played a prank. Proper accommodations have been arranged separately. We will treat you as members of the Sma Clan. I apologize for the rudeness.”

Despite his strong appearance, named Chu Yi-gyeong, the bodyguard was surprisingly polite. Even the etiquette of pressing his palms together was something that even Twenty-Nine seemed to understand as she held her tongue.

Three days, huh.

We only had about a month. Therefore, three days was quite a reasonable concession. Since he had treated us with such hospitality, it would only be right to extend a courtesy in return.

I nodded. The bodyguard, Chu Yi-gyeong, expressed his gratitude before stating he would fetch a servant.

The servant who had led us returned. Twenty-Nine suddenly stood up.

“You! From earlier…!”

Her lips nearly shot out a retort but stopped abruptly.

The same servant from before, but unlike earlier, his cheeks were flushed. He also had faint traces of blood on the corners of his mouth.

Had he already been punished?

Twenty-Nine sighed. Nervously scratching her head, she gestured.

“Come here.”

“… Yes.”

Twenty-Nine knelt before the young servant. She lightly wiped his mouth with her sleeve, then pulled out an ointment meant for emergencies that the Blood Demon Group could only use during crises.

An ointment specialized for treating wounds.

She took a bit and directly applied it to the boy’s mouth.

“Don’t touch where you applied this for a while. And today, don’t wash your face.”

“…….”

“Don’t thank me; just show me to a room. Quickly.”

The young servant fidgeted. Sniffling, he bowed his head.

“… I’m sorry.”

Twenty-Nine stood up.

“If you understand, then do it properly.”

That distinct sharpness was completely the opposite of her previous fiery attitude.

So, I smiled. I tried to hold it back, but it burst out uncontrollably.

“… Hehe.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“I found it amusing. Is it wrong to laugh?”

“It’s annoying!”

The building we were guided to was more shabby than expected. It looked somewhat clean, but there was dust gathering in the corners.

Yet, the structure itself was evidently of high quality, with even a simple bathroom prepared inside.

“I’ll, I’ll bring you your meals!”

Since she had applied ointment, the young servant busily hurried about. The amount of food that came out was substantial.

The meal itself was simple. Not incredibly expensive, but not cheap either. However, it was much better than grilled meat, so I devoured it quickly.

After alternating meals, Twenty-Nine dipped her fingertips into the warm water in the bath.

“… The water is warm. I guess it was filled not too long ago.”

“Indeed.”

The eyes beneath her mask bore down on me. I had no confidence to win and merely leaned against the door.

“Why don’t you wash up first, Twenty-Nine?”

“Don’t look.”

“I didn’t even see your face, so why would I see your body?”

“Worry less and wash up, would you?”

The meals and baths.

After being treated rather well over the three days while observing the Sma Clan, I confirmed my suspicions.

Things were not going well for the Sma Clan. The number of attendants, guests, and hired warriors was strikingly fewer than I had anticipated.

The locations were quiet in contrast to the number of buildings and size.

It could hardly be considered a prestigious house. The buildings were large but were lacking in upkeep, resembling the Black Heaven Sect in a way.

They were clearly a famous family, yet I wondered how it had come to this.

Exactly three days later, the head of the Sma Clan called us. A tired-looking man cast a quick glance our way.

“… Alright.”

The lips that looked sleepy curled into a grin.

“—Are you dumbasses who believe in baseless rumors?”

 

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