## Chapter 527 – A Useful Bastard

“Is it common for friends to disappear? What happens when they disappear?”
“…They’re probably dead.”

Why does this little shit know so much?

“That’s awful…! Anyway, you answered well, so eat this.”

He gave me a decent answer, so I should show some appreciation. I immediately tore off a fist-sized chunk of bread and tossed it to him. The kid grabbed the bread and sprinted away.

“Me, too! I know something!”
“My friend disappeared!”
“Someone I used to see is gone!”

At the same time, the orphans swarmed me like a swarm of cicadas in the summer, screaming their heads off. Of course, they saw the last kid get bread.

I asked the orphans simple questions and only tore off bread for those who gave me proper answers.

The orphans who received bread shoved it into their mouths and chewed wildly, or tried to run away as fast as they could. They lived lives where it was hard to come by food, so it was only natural for them to act like that.

“It’s, it’s mine! Give it back, you little shit! Give it back!!!”
“Agh! Don’t do that! I got it!!!”

However, some crazy bastards, completely blinded by hunger, tried to snatch the bread I gave away right in front of my eyes.

Dare they try to steal what I gave?

That’s the same as stealing my property.

I can’t forgive that, even if they’re orphans.
I have no choice but to kill them.

“You motherfucking orphan!!!! Hey!!!!!!”
“Y-Yes?!”

I immediately stood up and shouted, and the orphan trying to steal the bread was startled and fell to the ground.

I’m trying to give it to you all in order, why are you acting like this?

“You little shit, you’re trying to steal what I gave you? You’re dead. Come here, you bastard!!!”
“U-Uwaaaaaaah!!!”
“Hey! You bastard trying to steal bread over there, get lost!”
“Hiiiik!”

As soon as I raised my fist, the ones who caused the commotion ran away with their tails between their legs.

Just because they’re orphans doesn’t mean they can get away with such behavior. I’m relatively lenient with children, but I strictly enforce the line. After calming the commotion, I started handing out bread again while asking questions.

I gathered information by handing out cheap bread to the orphans like this.

It didn’t seem like any of them knew anything about the kidnapper. They seemed to think of it as just a common disappearance. Since the kidnappings were done secretly, it was natural that they wouldn’t know.

And honestly, I didn’t even think the information the orphans gave me would be accurate. Some of them were just spouting nonsense to get bread.

But Hildegard had only briefly investigated the kidnapping site after witnessing it by chance, so she didn’t know much about the kidnapper either.

From the beginning, she had targeted the agitator, so she hadn’t been able to pinpoint the exact location.

“From now on, gather your friends and come here before sunset. I’ll give you bread. And anyone who tries to steal the bread I give will have their necks twisted and killed on the spot.”
“Y-Yes…!”

So, I did this with the judgment that gathering the orphans like this would disrupt the kidnapper’s supply of orphans.

If I keep doing this, someone in trouble might show up.

If I can’t grab the tail, I’ll make the tail reveal itself.

With that in mind, I gathered the orphans at set times while staying in Odville.

“Hey, Hildegard.”

After a week of investigating, writing reports, and handing out bread.

“Yes!”
“Do you sense anything nearby?”
“Hehe, I do. Since the little ones are sticking together, it must be difficult to procure sacrifices. Look over there. He’s already showing his tail.”
“Hehehe, is that him?”

I saw a dark figure hiding behind a building, glancing over here.

I chewed on bread with the orphans, observing the guy’s appearance.

“…”

The man, who looked like a serial killer at first glance, was looking around anxiously with sunken eyes.

He was giving off the vibe that kidnapping and murdering orphans was the only meaning in his life.

He seemed to be hiding in the alleyways to conceal himself, but he was already within Hildegard’s radius, so the game was over.

My plan worked perfectly.

Even if I could only lure the kidnapper to the vicinity, I could find him with Hildegard’s sensor. I’m finally seeing the light after handing out bread to these kids for a week.

When I threatened to reject any kids who came alone instead of gathering together, they started gathering on their own. Since it became difficult to target them, he must have come out to scout.

“He certainly didn’t make a contract with a powerful demon. So he must have turned his attention to sacrifices like these kids. Shall we follow him now?”

I spent almost 1 silver on bread just to find him.

I’ll get that money back no matter what.

“Hehehe, let’s do it. Let’s go.”
“I did well, right! Praise me!”
“Yeah, yeah. You did good.”
“Kyaheut!”

Claudia and Winia were resting at the inn today. I had been making them work too hard for a week. I let them rest today under the guise of asking them to review the report.

But I caught the tail just when they weren’t around.

Well, it’s fine as long as I’m here.

So, Hildegard and I stood together, watching the kidnapper’s movements, and emptied out all the remaining bread for the orphans.

“The party’s over! Go home now! I’m not coming tomorrow!”
“Aww!”

The kidnapper didn’t move until all the bread was torn up and distributed. Only when the orphans, forming groups, began to leave did he move.

“Hildegard. Can you track him?”
“He’s within range, and I’ve already identified him, so it’s easy. Let’s go, Kat-nim.”

I crossed the square where the orphans had disappeared and tracked the kidnapper.

In fact, there was no way a guy who had only borrowed the power of a demon could escape from me. There’s a difference in basic physical strength.

ㅡ…

I maintained a certain distance so as not to be caught by him, and I carried out the tail while suppressing the sound of my footsteps. He didn’t seem to notice, as he was just walking hurriedly, heading somewhere diligently.

By the way, he’s so slow.

This clumsy bastard borrowed the power of a demon?

“It seems to be over there.”

The place he was heading to was a shabby building in a rather secluded area. Judging from the fact that there were few people around, it seemed like a good place for criminals to hide.

He glanced around and entered the building like a rat.

“I can feel the aura of a demon. But it’s a little weak? It seems like it will be easy to deal with.”

ㅡSreung.

I immediately drew the Cheonma Sword.

The sensation transmitted from my fingertips was Vugal’s rage. Vugal, who had completely repented and reborn as a sword of life, was sincerely enraged by this situation.

I don’t know why, but I’m sure that’s the case.

“That’s a strange sword?”
“It’s a good sword.”
“Is that so? Anyway, it matches your armor color well, so it looks cool.”

Hildegard didn’t recognize Vugal. She doesn’t even imagine it’s a demon sword. Well, even the saintess couldn’t recognize it, so would this bitch know? Risha’s skill is perfect.

Anyway, I approached the building with the sword in my hand and carefully opened the door.

ㅡCreak.

There’s no sign of anyone…

Instead, a very familiar smell wafted out.

“Oh my, the smell of blood. The smell of human blood.”

Tickling my nose was the smell of rotting corpses and unpleasant blood. The smell alone proved that this was a murder scene. It looked like it hadn’t been long.

As expected, he was catching and killing all the orphans to offer them as sacrifices.

“Kkeureureuk…! Hukkeueup…! Keuheup…!”

As that inhuman suspicion turned into reality, I felt the true truth of Fusion Confucianism stirring in my brain.

ㅡGoooo.

My whole body trembled, and the mana within me began to run wild.

However, despite that, my senses were sharper than ever, and my mind was extremely calmly facing reality. Touching the kids when there’s nothing else to touch? There’s no answer to this other than the judgment of Fusion Confucianism.

“Hehehe, demons really like human blood. But succubi like semen more than blood.”

What the hell.

“Lewd race!”
“Succubi are all lewd. But I only want to be lewd with Kat-nim.”
“Shut up.”

Currently, it’s just Hildegard and me.

She was trying to be openly affectionate, speaking in a seductive tone.

“You always smell so good, Kat-nim.”
“What smell?”
“Well, you smell like semen every day. Just being next to you makes me feel like I’m going to cum.”

What the hell is this crazy talk!

“What the hell are you talking about, you crazy bitch! How well do I wash!”
“Yes, yes. No matter how well you wash, succubi can tell. I can smell your semen so much right now, I feel so good.”
“Shut up!”

Anyway, in the building filled with the smell of blood, there was a passage leading to the basement.

The smell was coming from down there.

“Shall we go down?”
“We have to go down.”

I immediately went down to the basement slowly with Hildegard. I decided not to take off the cape for now. It would be nice to reveal the armor and fight, but it seemed like a lot of blood would splatter.

When I stood in front of the iron door in the basement, I heard something from inside.

“Keuk… Keukkeukkeuk… Isn’t there any more weak flesh… I’m hungry, fulfill the contract…”
“Shut up! I’m in trouble too! Suddenly, the kids are gathering together, so I can’t kidnap them!”
“Keukkeuk… That’s… your job. If you can’t fulfill the contract, you’ll pay the price…”
“Wait a little longer, please!”
“If you delay any longer… you will be the sacrifice…”
“Kheuheuk!”

This was a conversation between a demon and a human without anything else to hear. The smell of blood wafting from their conversation made me unable to bear it any longer. I haven’t been killing people much lately. So it seems like the violence inside me is running wild.

ㅡTremble…!

The hand gripping the sword was trembling.

Barely calming myself, I turned the doorknob slightly, but it was locked.

“Kat-nim, shall I open it for you?”
“No.”

I’ll do it.

ㅡPatsucheut!

I immediately added sword energy to the blade. Intense anger and the smell of blood added to my excitement. The speed of completing the sword energy was extremely fast. The mana pulsating within me burst out.

“Siljangnanmudejaaaaaaaaat!!!!”

ㅡChwajajajajak!

I just slashed the door to the basement. It was just cutting the iron door with a sword, but the strong blade of the Cheonma Sword, covered with sword energy, easily carved the iron door.

“Wh-What!”

ㅡKwaang!

I kicked down the broken door and went inside.

“Who is it!”

When Hildegard summoned a blue light, I saw a man with a panicked look on his face, drawing a hand ax.

That bastard is the kidnapper.

“Keuk…!”

Behind him, a black demon, shaped like a deformed child with extreme obesity, was sitting on a table. But that wasn’t important at all.

“Hehehe, what are our friends talking about?”
“Wh-What are you doing! Who are you! Get out if you don’t want to die!”

ㅡBone fragments.
ㅡSmell of blood.

A large number of small bone fragments were scattered on the floor.

Covered in black blood, they were all smashed as if a monster had chewed them up. There was even a small skull.

It seems that demon ate all the sacrificed orphans.

“Wow, what are all these bone fragments? This guy could open a gamjatang restaurant?”
“I said, what are you doing!”

It seems like I shouldn’t kill these bastards easily… I was thinking about how to write a report using them, and I walked slowly.

“O-Oji ma! Don’t come! Don’t come!”

The terrified kidnapper retreated slowly and stuck next to the demon sitting on the table.

“Dedalt! It seems like we’ve been caught! Get rid of that guy!”
“Keuk… Keukkeuk. That’s not in the contract. Offer a new price.”
“I’ll do anything! Hurry!”
“Then I will reset the sacrifice quota.”
“That’s ridiculous!”

No, you bastards.

“Are these bastards doing a skit in front of me?”

ㅡPaaat!

I immediately performed the Cheonmagunrimbo. ㅡPeoseok! The bone fragments crushed and scattered under my heavy footsteps. These bastards dare to desecrate human remains!

“Siljangseureuseuteudejaaaaaaaaat!!”

In that state, I aimed the blade at the demon!

“K… Keke… Foolish… humaaaaaaan!!!”

ㅡPook!!!

At the same time as the demon rose from the table, the Cheonma Sword pierced his abdomen and slammed into the wall.

“Keueeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!”

There’s no way this low-level demon could be my opponent. The demon, pinned to the wall like a dart, screamed.

This is the true power of the sword of life!

“Dedalt!”

Then the kidnapper shouted frantically and swung his hand ax.

“Your mom!”

ㅡPeoeok!

I immediately put down the sword and slapped him in the face with my palm.

ㅡPaaang!

“Kuheok!”

The kidnapper, slapped in the cheek, flew away and crashed into the wall in the distance.

Wow, now even if I just slap someone, they fly that far.

“Hehehe, then shall we hear the secret to the success of the gamjatang restaurant?”

Now, let’s start the interrogation.