Ranker’s Return

“Salute! I greet the viscount.”

They passed through the checkpoint at the city gates safely. After all, there were no demons who would stop Garcia, who ruled the city on behalf of Earl Carpe who had disappeared.

“Yes, good job. Don’t let problems like last time happen again. In a short time, your life as a guard will be over, right? Or do you want to do more of this?” Garcia talked like he knew the demon guards well.

“No! I will make room for my juniors!”

“Then do a good job. That way, you can retire.”

Hyeonu looked at Garcia with interest. It was a sight he could never have imagined.

‘So he isn’t just an empty-headed NPC?’

In Arena, each demon seemed to have a different personality. It was truly a three-dimensional race. Garcia led the contemplative Hyeonu, “Come with me.”

“Yes, I understand.” Hyeonu followed after Garcia like a servant following a king.

‘I think it’s like Phinis?’ 

Penn, Earl Carpe’s city, was far more advanced than Ergal’s city. The gap between the two cities was as large as the difference between a viscount and an earl. It could be seen just by looking at the number of demons wandering around.

“Penn seems to be a big city. There are more demonic creatures and demons here than in any other city I’ve seen,” Hyeonu remarked, praising Penn’s splendor. An unexpected answer was received in return.

“Of course, considering who nurtured Penn...” Garcia’s answer was a decent one just from looking at the words alone. He seemed to accept the compliment without any hesitation. However, the tone of his voice and the nuances it contained weren’t good at all.

‘Is there something...?’

There was definitely something being hidden. Nevertheless, there was just no way for Hyeonu to know it. Garcia had to tell him directly or he had to find someone who knew the inside story to ask. It was just that this was Hyeonu’s first time in Penn, so he had no time for this.

‘It smells like a quest...’

The scent of a potential gain was very strong. Hyeonu smiled lightly at the pleasant premonition.

***

Garcia and Hyeonu arrived at the spire at the center of Penn. The spire had a strange appearance. At first glance, it was very gorgeous. Yet the more he looked at it, the stronger the sense of strangeness became. It was like the way magnets attached to a refrigerator. In a word, there were miscellaneous styles mixed together.

“This is the castle of Penn’s lord. It was originally used by Earl Carpe, but now I am temporarily using it while the earl is away.”

Unlike the castle’s external appearance, its interior appearance was worth seeing. It was great and had an old-fashioned feeling. The inside was quite different from the outside that seemed decorated by the nouveau riche. Hyeonu asked, “Is that so? Does the earl have the inability to settle in one place? If he leaves the city empty...” 

Garcia shook his head. It wasn’t like that. “Earl Carpe has always been here since becoming the owner of Penn. He has only left recently at King Rubolle’s order.”

“Earl Carpe is away, so you are acting as his representative,” Hyeonu answered like he only just understood the situation. However, he actually already knew Earl Carpe’s whereabouts. The earl was already dead. He’d died from the emperor’s blow without even grasping reality.

The conversation ended here. Both Garcia and Hyeonu didn’t speak until they arrived at the parlor. They moved quietly.

‘Shall I throw it out?’

Upon arriving at the parlor, Hyeonu sat down. He thought it was time to dig out the quest. Hyeonu immediately stared at Garcia and called out his name, “Viscount Garcia.”

“Huh? Do you have something to say?” Garcia was instructing a servant to do something when he turned around at the voice calling for him.

“Perhaps... Has Viscount Garcia’s family lived in Penn for generations?” Hyeonu asked.

Garcia cocked his head at Hyeonu’s unexpected question. The question about him living in Penn was so sudden that he couldn’t come up with a reason Hyeonu would be asking about that.

“Why are you curious about this? I don't think it is very important to you...”

“When I see the way you look at the castle here, I feel that there is more than the air of a temporary lord in your appearance. I apologize if I overstepped,” Hyeonu apologized while bowing his head.

‘Now, answer.’

He had grasped Garcia’s character in this short amount of time, and it was clear Garcia would never be upset by these actions. Hyeonu’s prediction was correct. Garcia didn’t say anything and just pondered on it. A while passed before Garcia said, “It isn’t a secret, but I didn’t think you would notice it the first time you are here.”

‘Nice!’ A smile appeared on Hyeonu’s face just before the secret of the past came out.

This was a quest.

“Originally, Penn was a city that my family ruled for generations. It was the same in my father’s generation. From the wall that protects the city to where we are now, there is no place left untouched by my family.” Garcia’s expression was that of a man remembering something he missed very much.

‘It is understandable. If they ruled and developed it from generation to generation, it means Penn’s history is the family’s’ Hyeonu understood Garcia’s expression.

To be honest, Hyeonu’s affection for Phinis wasn’t that great. Even so, this didn’t mean he didn’t care for it. If Phinis were grabbed by someone, he would fight them desperately regardless of who the opponent was. If Hyeonu felt this way, there was no need to talk about how Garcia felt.

“The problem was after that. Earl Carpe—he was just a viscount, but he challenged my father. It was through a duel, which is the duty and right of the sacred nobles.”

“Then Earl Carpe became the master of Penn...” Hyeonu appropriately directed Garcia’s words. It was the very basics of conversation. By responding to the other person’s words, it would make them feel better and steer them into giving more information.

“Yes, my father was defeated, killed, and naturally deprived of his title and city as a result.” Garcia’s explanation was very familiar to Hyeonu. It was because he had been through something like this many times.

‘Is it winner-takes-all in the demon world?’

A duel and winner-takes-all situation—this was precisely what Garcia explained.

‘The difference is that I won.’

Hyeonu ignored his rising thoughts and kept talking: “Then Viscount Garcia, did you rise up to this position with your own strength?”

“Me? No, my start was very dirty. I knelt in front of Earl Carpe and begged. Please spare me. At that time, I had no choice. The earl was much stronger than me,” Garcia said as he closed his eyes. His eyelids trembled upon recalling the painful memories. Then Garcia calmed down and slowly opened his eyes. “He mocked me. He said I wasn’t like a demon, but I endured it. I built up my strength. I am grateful that he has been away recently. Being busy means he doesn’t have time to train himself.”

Garcia’s story ended here. For some reason, Hyeonu looked sad. It was because Hyeonu saw himself in Garcia’s appearance and thought of his father’s sudden accident and the events that followed.

“Viscount Garcia, can I ask you one more question?” Hyeonu’s voice was very serious.

Even though Hyeonu’s expression wasn’t visible, Garcia could sense it. He replied, “Say it. You’re not asking for magic power, and I’m not so mean that I can’t answer a question.”

“If... If there is no Earl Carpe, are you confident you can get Penn back?” Hyeonu gave Garcia a proposal similar to the one he made to Chen Long in the East Continent. Garcia stared at Hyeonu. There was only one thing that could be seen through the mask—Hyeonu’s eyes. His eyes were serious.

“Of course. I have endured it until now for this reason. If I can’t seize the opportunity... there is no reason to live.” Garcia’s words were cold-hearted.

Hyeonu felt his heart pounding upon hearing them. He didn’t hide it any longer.

“Earl Carpe is dead. I saw his death with my own eyes.”

Garcia’s eyes widened until they couldn’t open any wider. Jumping up from his seat, Garcia approached Hyeonu and grabbed him by the shoulders. 

“What does that mean?!! Earl Carpe is dead?!!!” Garcia exclaimed.

Hyeonu answered calmly, “Earl Carpe left this place due to the demon king’s order. He was ordered to invade the middle world. He led the advance team. It must’ve been determined that it was possible with Earl Carpe.”

“Then... You were also there?”

“Yes, I was part of the advance team. I saw Earl Carpe die and immediately returned to the demon world.”

Hyeonu cleverly mixed truths with lies. There was no way for Garcia to confirm it anyway. No matter what, Garcia had no choice but to believe in Hyeonu’s words, even if it wasn’t right away.

“How can I believe you?” Garcia raised a reasonable question. It was a natural question. Earl Carpe’s shadow was too huge to believe in the words of a baron who suddenly appeared one day.

“Then ask Rubolle directly if Earl Carpe left for the middle world.” 

Hearing Hyeonu’s imposing answer, Garcia lost his words and sat down on the chair in the parlor. “This doesn’t mean I can be the owner of Penn right now. There are many nobles in the demon world and not enough territory. Even if I become the master right now, there will be more than one or two people who will rush to take it over.”

“Why are you so obsessed with appearance? Earl Carpe isn’t in this world anymore. Hide this fact and rule Penn on behalf of the earl. You just need to be diligent and strong.”

“It isn’t as easy as it sounds. It isn’t impossible, but it takes time. If there were a way to become stronger in a short amount of time, any dog or cow could become a noble.”

Garcia’s words made sense. The constraints of time were fair to everyone. Even if someone was exceptionally talented, the limitations were clear.

“Then why not go to the powerful demons? Just find a demon who can become your umbrella. Power is necessary for everyone,” Hyeonu proposed. Garcia seemed to be thinking of something and was lost in thought.

‘It is really tiring to keep suggesting things.’ Hyeonu smiled faintly at Garcia.

Garcia opened his mouth and said, “That may be resolved, but the biggest problem remains.”

“The biggest problem?” Hyeonu questioned Garcia’s words.

How could there be a bigger problem? There was no Earl Carpe as an obstacle, and there was also a fence to block the rival demons. So what else was there?

“I need the ring that symbolizes the owner of Penn.”

“A ring...?”

“It is a ring on Earl Carpe’s finger. It is only in this way that I can become the real owner of the city.”

Hyeonu’s eyes widened.