Chapter 1890 – [Insolent on the Topic of the Devil]

We leisurely prepared for the arrival of our guests. It would probably arrive in a day at the latest, so I had to prepare to welcome guests.

Meanwhile, Agape used monsters that knew how to fly to obtain information about the opponent. They didn’t just do it, they told them it was a tactical act and made them do it.

“How many opponents there are, what kind of people they are, and who the leader is among them. You have to figure that out.”

“Why?”

“If you know how many opponents there are, you can decide whether to fight or not, and how to fight depending on the type of soldier, such as a simple infantryman or a wizard. Moreover, if you attack the commander first, it can lower morale and destroy the command system.”

“Oh, I see. It’s important.”

“Did you remember?”

“Yes, I remembered.”

Agape immediately remembered whether it was an area of ​​interest. It’s best not to use this knowledge, but considering Agape’s situation, it’s better to learn it because there will definitely be uses for it.

Then, several large, crow-like monsters flew in and reported the situation to Agape while cackling. As I said, we have been conducting reconnaissance on the opponent.

“The number is 30. 25 are holding swords, spears, or shields, and 5 are holding something like a staff.”

“A wand? A wizard? A group that includes five wizards… Hmm.”

Wizards are high-class personnel wherever they are. Even if you were a magician who fell behind and seemed like a low-class person, if you went somewhere else, you would be treated with respect.

A force that included five such wizards was no ordinary opponent. In the first place, the number is about the same as a platoon, so it is a considerable force. Those troops are targeting here… It feels a little tickling, but it’s not overt, so what is it?

First, I touched up the rib soup that had been boiled in preparation for welcoming guests. Since I was already boiling a large quantity, I thought boiling the ribs a little more would be enough to serve.

“Mine is!!!!!!!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll prepare enough food for you. And be respectful in front of people, okay?”

“Hey, I don’t want to use formal language…”

“What did I say with respect before?”

“If I do it and the other person doesn’t do it, I can screw it!!!!”

“To be exact, I follow manners, but if the other person doesn’t follow manners, it’s okay to pester them. Still, it’s okay to know.”

I don’t know if Agape gave a separate command, but strangers were able to climb to the top of the mountain without much interference. Considerable armament, but considering that it was not standardized separately from the armament, it seemed closer to a mercenary type.

Even though the wizards didn’t seem to be of a very high standard, at least I was a battle mage who had the atmosphere of being on the battlefield. Wizards like that are the ones who calmly cast even when close range or hit the opponent’s head with a staff, so you shouldn’t think of the rotten wizards in the lab.

When they arrived at the top of the mountain, they first explored the surroundings and headed to the crater lake. And then we collect lake water.

… Oh, now that I think about it, you’re writing it so calmly, right? The lake water here is full of mana, right? Looking at it, it seems that the reason Agape is full of mana compared to her appearance is because she grew up drinking water from the lake.

It was like an elixir, so it wasn’t strange if they came to collect it. A few questions remain, but it seemed correct that their goal was the crater lake.

Eventually, while exploring the surroundings, they found our villa and started whispering. Soon, several people began to cautiously approach the villa. It looks like they are an advance team.

“A guest is coming. Don’t forget to be polite, agape. If you don’t want to do it, don’t say anything and just nod.”

“Okay.”

The mercenaries who approached the villa carefully searched and looked around. And knowing that I still have some sense of life, I cautiously call someone.

“Are you inside?”

“Who are you?”

I pretend not to know and sneak out when the call comes. The mercenaries were on high alert, but when they saw that it was an ordinary person without any special weapons, their guard relaxed.

A little exploring. However, unless you have a certain level, you will not be able to penetrate my force field and recognize my true skills, so no matter how much you search, it will feel ordinary. Of course, if you see that and think lightly and try to do something with force, you will use force as taught by Agape.

“Hello? We are mercenaries who came with a request to fetch water from the lake at the top of the Sky Mountains. Then we discovered that there was a house here… Do you live here by any chance?”

“Oh, I’m not living here at all, I’m staying for a while. Honestly, there aren’t many people here, and it’s quiet.”

“… Are you talking about this sky mountain range overflowing with monsters?”

“I caught a few monsters as an example and made a fuss, so they didn’t approach me because they thought it was my territory.”

“Hmm…”

There was a clear look of skepticism, but it wasn’t a complete lie. Monsters don’t approach unless I and Agape ask them to come, so there aren’t any special monsters around here and most of them don’t come.

Since we had a reasonable amount of conversation and explored, we should explore here as well. And since you can get information such as social situations, the best way to open their mouths is to feed them something delicious. If you are full and your back is full, your mouth will feel lighter.

“Since you’re here, would you like to have a meal? I just happened to have a lot of dishes to eat for the next few days.”

“Ah… Yes, if you give it to me, I will be grateful.”

“I’m sorry for not being able to bring you in. It’s not because of anything else, but because I have a child. It’s a bit difficult to bring in a stranger I’ve never seen before, so please understand.”

“I understand. Don’t worry.”

Although he was a mercenary, he was not that rough. There are places where robbers, gangsters and mercenaries are grouped into similar groups, but it felt like there was relatively common sense and flexibility.

Is there any reason? Where are you from? Well, that’s something you just need to find out.

I served them boiled rib soup. The soup was seasoned with salt in advance, and large ribs were placed in an earthen pot to prepare a generous portion. What was served with it was not rice, but mantou… So, it was like dumplings or steamed buns without fillings. Since rice is not the staple food here, this is to hide the strangeness as much as possible.

Still not bad. Mantou is also very seasoned, so it goes well with rich meat soup. If you tear it into small pieces and eat it with soup, it will be similar to eating it with rice.

The mercenaries couldn’t help but express their admiration as they were served a hearty meat dish with bones. I don’t think I would have thought that I would be served proper food in a place full of monsters.

“Wow!!!”

“No, what kind of meat…!!!”

“Keuhm, I’ll enjoy it, thank you!!!!”

Where I am… Did you say it’s the Sky Mountains? It was quite difficult to climb up because there were a lot of monsters, and it was rough, and the food wasn’t very good, but the dish I made with my cooking skills using Horizon Plant beef, which is much more delicious than Korean beef, couldn’t have been delicious.

They were either possessed by something or craved galbitang like crazy. Although each person had a different way of eating, they ate like a storm, tearing off the meat and eating it by dipping or adding mantou to the soup.

Seeing them eating, Agape, who was inside the villa, ran out as if she was also excited.

“Give me meat too… Please!!!”

“Huh? That kid…”

“This is the child I mentioned earlier. She is not my daughter, but I asked an acquaintance to take care of her and raise her for a while.”

“Ah, is that so? She’s cute, so when she grows up, she’ll become a beauty? Haha!!!”

I have seen Am Yassin once, so if she is an acquaintance, she is an acquaintance. It’s not a lie that she developed her agape at the request of an acquaintance. They just hid the truth.

As Agape eats delicious rib soup next to her, the mercenaries smile happily. She was a pretty girl on the outside, so it was nice to see her eating well.

Afterward, the mercenaries, who had eaten their fill, stood up. And as if he had no shame, he told me the story of the other party members.

“It was delicious. I-I’m sorry, but I have company… If it’s okay, can we camp near here? It’s a perfect place to camp out since monsters don’t come, so of course, if you need money or anything, there’s a price. I will pay.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not my land around here, so use it comfortably.”

“Ah!!! Thank you!!!! Please wait a moment, I will call the main unit.”

Eventually, the main body of the mercenary group arrived. There was a different feeling of intimidation as more than 20 people gathered in front of the villa.

About 30 people are enough to surround a small building, if not a mansion. Anyway, the leader of the mercenary group greeted me with a wary face.

“Nice to meet you. I am Gario, leader of the Silver Cross Mercenaries.”

“Silver Cross Mercenaries? That’s quite an odd name for a mercenary group.”

“Ah, that’s because we are a mercenary group directly under the Holy Light Temple. Since we are directly under the temple, we have to maintain our own dignity. In fact, we used to be called the White Bear Mercenary Group.”

“I see.”

Directly under the temple? Of course, I understand. When something happens, it may be difficult to move the temple soldiers or knights, but it is easy to use mercenaries in those cases. Of course, you will have to use mercenaries that are worthy of being used.

If you belong to a temple, you may be a mercenary, but you are polite, and I can understand that. It was natural for my attitude to change because I had to show that I belonged to a temple, even if just for show.

“My name is Worst. This child is Agape. She is not my daughter, but she is a child I am raising at the request of an acquaintance.”

“You’re raising a child at the top of the Sky Mountains, which are like a paradise for monsters. Aren’t you having a hard time?”

“Well, monsters are not the kind of people you need to worry about. At least monsters can tell when an opponent is strong and distinguish between those who will attack them and those who will not. Oh, would you like to apologize?”

I cracked open an apple, feeling half entertained and half threatening. Of course, rather than cracking it like normal, I radiated strength from my fingers and used it as a blade to crack it.

Usually, if the strength is difficult to control, the fruit is cut rather than peeled. It was the same as cooking with a large sword the size of a human body.

But if you skillfully cook with a great sword like that… You can tell how skilled your opponent is, right? If you don’t have the skills to recognize that, you’ll die someday, so it’s better to just die. But Gario, the leader of the Silver Cross mercenaries, seems to have eyes to see.

“So, Sword Master…!!!!!!”

“At this point, it’s better to live quietly than to fight in a place where people live. Do you understand?”

“Yes, of course. Huh, how could the Master be in a place like this!!!!”

“Except for monsters, I have to be quiet and not have to get involved with people, and I also have to raise that child.”

“It seems like a precious child.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

At least he is a child that I decided to raise, so I cherish him to a high degree. It wasn’t just picking up a stray cat, it was picking up a child out of simple whim or curiosity, wasn’t it?

I would have developed agape even without Amyasin’s favor and bribe. So, he was a child who fell into the category of being precious. Of course, it is a bit lower than Eden.

“Rest in peace first. If you need anything, I’ll treat you well. I have some cooking skills…”

“No, how can I tell the Master…!!!!”

“It’s actually rude to not be able to treat a guest well. There are some dishes that I prepared for you to eat anyway, so please eat them and then leave.”

“If you say so, I will be grateful. The price is…”

“You can pay with money as usual. We also have our own uses.”

“Then I’m just grateful.”

I don’t know how much money he got from him afterward. A few gold coins and dozens of silver coins. Considering the level of this era, even a gold coin would be worth a lot of money, so I think it would be enough for future use.

Of course, if you don’t do that, you can just put it in Horizon like a collectible. There is also a currency museum where Zion collects currencies from various civilizations, so you can think of him as adding to his collection.

Afterward, the mercenary group pitched a tent and prepared for lodging, and I served them the remaining rib soup. Although I had already served it to the mercenaries who had come out as an advance guard, there was no problem serving it to them because there was much more left over than what they ate.

“Oooooh!!!!!”

“No, how can it taste like this!!!!!!”

“It’s much more delicious than the food at a high-end restaurant that I went to with great interest!!!!!”

The reaction was very strong. The following article is about who made it and what dish it was made from. It’s actually weird if it doesn’t taste good.

Ordinary mercenaries reacted in an equally ordinary way… But the wizards were interested in my villa. This is because it was not an ordinary structure, but was made with Horizon’s technology, and if you look closely, there was a capital or something like that.

One of the five wizards is a woman. Although she was a bit dusty, she was quite healthy and pretty for a wizard, so I went to the beauty world to get information about her.

“Hello? My name is Emilia, a mage from the Silver Cross Mercenaries. If it’s okay, may I ask you a question?”

“Yes, well. What are you curious about?”

“Speaking of Worst’s house, who built that? It was built in a place like this, and it doesn’t look like an ordinary house.”

“Oh, I didn’t build this house. I know a wizard. He’s also an engineer. I got a lot of help from him.”

“I see.”

Nevertheless, the wizards did not act hastily. I guess I heard from the leader that I was the master.

Perhaps because I belong to a temple and because I revealed my military power, I did not behave rudely even if the opponent was a mercenary. Thanks to this, Agape, like a time bomb, twitches and waits for an opportunity, but soon becomes sullen.

Well, I’m glad the detonator didn’t go off. If there was a problem, it would have been a big problem.

“Hey, I thought it was George.”

“Uh huh, I’m not saying that out loud.”

… When I see Agape, I suddenly wonder if my education is doing well.

Huh? Didn’t I teach my child wrong? Huh?