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“Arrived. Guest.”

“Thank you.”

I stretched behind Luna, who was paying the fare.

Sitting in this damn cart for hours felt like torture.

We set off in the morning and didn’t arrive until well past lunch.

As Adela had said, it was quite a distance; if we had started after lunch, we might have just headed straight to the inn upon arrival.

If it hadn’t been for the scenery along the way, I would have probably blown up the cart out of sheer boredom.

If this journey took more than a day, I would be nothing more than a corpse by the time we got there.

“We’ve arrived, Luna! This is Genesis Village!”

“That’s not its name, though…”

“I know. It’s just a traditional saying.”

It just wouldn’t feel like we arrived if I didn’t say it.

A vast territory with a view of the ocean.

This place, with its exaggerated charm, might not be as large as the Empire, but it clearly had spent a lot of money on building and territory development.

Clean buildings and local specialties you could only find here. Especially since it was close to the sea, there were many decorative items made from fish and shellfish.

“The lord here seems like a decent person, more than I expected.”

“Yeah. It’s not the kind of territory I’d expect from nobles I know.”

They usually just raise taxes and embezzle money in secret. That’s a typical trope in any story with nobles, isn’t it?

The territory I’m in feels far from that.

The quality of life for the common folks is proof of that.

Hiring adventurers using the territory’s funds to stop abductions of the common people isn’t something nobles would normally do.

“Hmm… but something feels somewhat familiar here.”

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“What is it?”

“Is this the place from that episode of Yemi’s Special?”

“…?”

I don’t know. Let’s just go check it out.

We headed toward the Adventurer’s Guild that should be in Count Devon’s territory.

Adela said we needed to show our request form to the guild in the territory.

– You mustn’t cause any trouble there, understood!

– Yes.

What kind of trouble do they think I’ll cause?

A brick building painted white.

There was a wooden sign above that said “Adventurer’s Guild.”

Since the territory was smaller than the Empire to begin with, the Adventurer’s Guild was also smaller than the Empire’s, but it had everything it needed.

“Welcome.”

A receptionist I didn’t recognize.

It felt different to see someone other than Adela all the time.

“We’ve come to request an investigation into a missing person incident.”

“Yes. Could you hand over your request form?”

The receptionist stamped our submitted request form and handed it back to us.

“Is that it?”

“Yes. Bring this to the Count’s Mansion; the Count will provide you with further details.”

I always think it’s impressive how quickly the Adventurer’s Guild gets things done.

‘Unexpectedly, this might wrap up quickly.’

Receiving the request form back, we left the guild and headed toward the mansion.

Finding the Count’s Mansion wasn’t difficult even for someone like me, who gets lost easily.

A Count’s Mansion in a Count’s territory? It had to be the biggest building, right?

We approached the large mansion that was also visible from the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Stop! This is Count Devon’s mansion! Unauthorized entry is prohibited!”

The soldiers guarding the entrance crossed their spears in an “X” shape to block our way.

A typical sight in a medieval fantasy.

“We’re adventurers here on an assignment.”

Sadly, we were the esteemed guests sent by the Count.

I pulled out the request form and showed it to the soldiers.

One of the soldiers stepped forward and began inspecting the request form closely.

“Hmpf! How do we know if this is real or fake?”

“Is it something to brag about that a guard from the Count’s territory doesn’t even recognize the family seal, you moron?”

It was always like this in novels.

Characters that seemed so out of touch, as if the writer had detached their brains, and extras who had no idea how to handle situations.

If something similar happened in the original story, the protagonist would be at a loss for how to deal with it, probably raising their voice in unjust complaint.

Luna, who was beside me, looked bewildered as she processed the foolishness unfolding before us.

I mean, the request form even had the Count’s personal seal on it.

Could a guard of the Count’s mansion in his territory not recognize that seal?

If what was standing in front of me was an actual human, there’s no way this could happen.

‘So, is he a demon?’

Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out by killing him?

Should I draw my sword? I was at a crossroads when he spoke first.

“You sure know how to talk big for a scammer.”

Huh? You dare challenge someone trained by K-netizens to a verbal duel?

In a medieval time period, no less?

I needed to show just a taste of K-netizen’s spicy comeback.

“Did you get a big head during childbirth, getting stuck and coming out with a deficiency in oxygen? Your mother must have had a hard time raising you after giving birth.”

“You, you bastard!! Have you said everything now!!”

“No, not yet. Do you know what your mother had to do to raise her mentally challenged child? It was by… right between my…”

“You son of a—!!!”

*

Inside Count Devon’s mansion, in the office.

The faint scratch of a quill pen filled the room.

– AAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!

“Huh…?”

At that moment, a sudden scream that echoed through the mansion made Isaac, who was working, put down his quill and look out the window to see the source of the noise.

What came into Isaac’s view were soldiers gathering at the front door and his butler, Cedric, fidgeting anxiously.

What was going on? To check the cause directly, Isaac headed to the front door with the minimum gear for defense.

“Cedric. What’s all the commotion?”

“Ma, Master…! This is what happened—”

– Crack!

A chilling sound rang out from the front.

Followed by more screams.

“AAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!”

In Isaac’s sight were his soldiers sprawled on the ground and a red-eyed man bending one of his soldiers in half like paper, with a beastman woman standing behind him.

“Look closely, Luna. This is what the Galaxy Z Flip looks like.”

“AAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

A man uttering incomprehensible sounds.

The soldiers tried to rush him, but they were all as easily bent as paper.

How much strength does he have to bend the body of an adult man like that?

The young man appearing to be about 20 was showcasing a strength that was truly astonishing.

“This bunch of idiots. I told you just to let the Count meet me, yet here you are, pestering me like cockroaches.”

He even had the nerve to make demands of himself.

I didn’t know what the purpose of his visit was, but I couldn’t just stand by and let it continue any longer.

Isaac stepped forward.

Although his butler, Cedric, tried to stop him, he couldn’t prevent Isaac.

“I’m Isaac Devon, the lord here. What brings you here?”

“Mas, Master! Stay away! This person is dangerous!”

The soldier warned.

However, Isaac just gave him a gentle smile, one that suggested everything was okay.

“Is this a sitcom or something? Anyone would think I’m here to commit an act of terror.”

“AAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!”

“Now that I’m here, you can let him go, right?”

With those words, the man finally released his hold on the soldier.

After shaking his hands, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it before Isaac’s eyes.

“…?”

In a bizarre situation where someone making a fuss suddenly showed him a piece of paper, Isaac remained calm as he read through the contents of the unexpected document.

“…What?”

*

I truly despise sweet potatoes.

Not the edible kind, but the annoying situations presented in novels.

While appropriate sweet and sour elements are necessary to maintain immersion in a story, if absurdly contrived plots come about, it ruins the flow.

In that sense, the nameless extra soldier blocking my way was just the same.

No sweetness, just pure annoyance.

So, I just folded him in half.

‘These kids are too easy to provoke.’

It was hilarious from my perspective how easily they got riled up over a few crude jabs.

If this were in Korea, their mother would be claimed to have only graduated from Pizza School, and their father would end up getting injured while fighting a seagull for shrimp chips.

After using the staggering soldiers to demonstrate how to create a Galaxy Z Flip in the medieval age to Luna, we finally showed the request form to the Count, who had come out belatedly to understand the situation, and thus finally entered the reception room.

“I apologize. Our soldier caused a disruption. We’ll ensure proper measures are taken regarding him.”

“Yes. He certainly did cause quite a disruption.”

If he had come out just a minute later, I’d have been the one turned into a Galaxy Z Fold instead of a Z Flip.

However, as he said he would take proper measures, I decided to graciously forgive him.

‘What more measures he has in mind remains a mystery.’

“Ahem. Now, let’s discuss the request.”

After the tumult settled, we finally delved into the main topic.

Isaac Devon began to explain.

Initially, people with few connections had gone missing, and no one noticed, but recently, complaints had been flooding in about family members or friends disappearing.

Having realized the gravity of the situation too late, Isaac hurriedly began investigations but found it increasingly difficult to find even a trace of evidence, and the number of disappearances was rising.

He mentioned that he couldn’t allocate more people to maintain public order, which is why he hired adventurers to assist in the investigation.

‘This dialogue sounds eerily similar to what I’ve read in novels.’

It feels as if the Count’s lines are strictly scripted and he’s sticking to them.

The more I listened, the more certain I became.

This investigation into the missing person case we were undertaking was related to vampires.

“Alright, Count, let’s negotiate.”

“…Yes?”

“If I solve this request within a day, I want double the reward. Deal?”

The Count, who was mulling over my words, quickly sharpened his gaze and glared at me.

“You speak as if you know something. What happens if I refuse?”

“If you’re curious, refusing is one way to find out.”

He displayed a demeanor unbefitting a lord, flipping from the easy-going manner he had just shown.

‘What happens if you refuse, you ask?’

I’ll just be spectating as the Vampire Queen awakens and ravages the territory, before swooping in to help at the last moment and pocketing the reward as I make my escape.

At my words, the Count burst into hearty laughter and accepted my proposal.

“Hahaha! Very well! If you resolve it within a day, I’ll give you double the reward.”

“Oh, and because you doubted me, I want three times the reward, or we have a deal.”

“…?”

 

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