These Demons Do it for Free-Chapter 92

I wasn’t against killing, especially now that death wasn’t something distant and unfamiliar.

Death hovered around me constantly, and I knew well that it could fly from my own hand to others at any moment. But there was no need to kill without reason.

‘I can silence him if necessary.’

I suspected Valen Whickerton of being either an Abyss worshiper or a demon warlock. If he were the former, I could gather Fiona’s allies and the city’s official force to wipe out his organization.

If that were the case, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill. The only good Abyss worshiper is a dead one. I was reminded of Viola Perlatier’s wise words.

If he were the latter, things would be a bit different. Killing wouldn’t be strictly necessary.

I didn’t need to spare him, but there was no point in killing him without provocation.

For now, we’d proceed with the plan.

I instructed Bong-Sik to carry the completely subdued branch manager, and we casually left the scene.

And if the city’s official forces responded to an alert?

The Grand Duchess’s connections are formidable. Bribes alone can accomplish quite a bit.

Of course, if it turned out those connections were fake, the city’s forces would likely resent being deceived and might turn on us, but that wouldn’t be my problem. If they were real, it would be enough.

Neither Bong-Sik nor I had much expertise in interrogation or torture, so we didn’t try to extract more information from the branch manager, not that I’d been counting on it. The branch manager was bait. He was a signal to Valen Whickerton that I was coming for him and, left unchecked, a threat that I’d use him as a vessel to trace Valen’s location through demon magic.

Sure, my faction head might be a bit sloppy, but with this much of a lead, even he should be able to find Valen.

“At the very least, as a branch manager, he must’ve seen Valen once.”

If Hecate couldn’t handle it, I could always call on another demon warlock. The Telema faction might effectively be down to just Hecate, Mea, and me in the city, but we do keep track of all demon warlocks who operate here.

Of course, not every demon warlock is affiliated with Telema, so there are bound to be more than just six active in the city. Some have other main classes and only use demon magic as a hidden ace. But even these demon warlocks are connected in some way, and Telema is the only real network they have.

It wasn’t without reason that people flocked to Telema, not the Alliance, when the craze for hunting Evolved broke out. There were plenty of people.

“Are we really going like this?” Bong-Sik asked.

“Why not?”

“Carrying a guy around the city is attracting attention. We should grab a carriage. I’ll pay for it.”

Despite being a seasoned Senior explorer, Bong-Sik was clearly embarrassed about carrying another man in public, enough that he offered to cover the fare himself.

I had to admit, I hadn’t stripped him of his belongings yet.

I must have gotten a bit soft myself. In the past, I’d have taken his entire purse the moment I saw him, but now I was just letting him keep it.

‘I’ll have to go through Bong-Sik’s finances later. Maybe give him a no-possessions consultation.’

Still, his idea of taking a carriage wasn’t bad, so I agreed and let him call for one.

“Oh, is your friend unwell?” asked the cheerful driver as he stopped his carriage.

The branch manager, though fully conscious, looked unwell enough slung over Bong-Sik’s shoulder.

“Where to? Should I take you to the Seraphion Faction for treatment?”

“The Telema Faction. Location is...”

“I know the way. Us drivers have the whole city memorized like the back of our hands. Hop on. That’ll be 400 Rupe per person.”

With 1 Rupe at 100 won, it’d be about 40,000 won each, totaling 120,000 won.

‘Pretty steep.’

That’s why I avoided private carriages. Even if Bong-Sik was paying, his money was mine, so I’d essentially be footing the bill.

While I considered whether to get on, Bong-Sik quickly pulled out the cash.

“Here you go.”

He gave me a quick glance, urging me to get in.

Fine, I’d let it slide this time.

The carriage was a simple one with a large cargo area, designed to carry as many passengers as possible rather than providing comfortable seating. It was essentially a freight wagon.

Most private carriages in Les Rimen were like this. Luxury ones existed but were generally reserved for high-ranking explorers or visiting nobles.

Bong-Sik was about to hop into the back of the carriage when he noticed me standing still.

“Aren’t you getting in?”

“You go first.”

“Oh, alright.”

Bong-Sik unceremoniously dumped the branch manager inside and climbed up.

Rather than following, I stepped onto the driver’s bench.

“Let’s go.”

The driver cracked the reins without objection.

As we rode on in silence, the driver and I sat in a tense quiet that seemed to stretch across the distance between us.

Then, I spoke first.

“You’re fast.”

“In this line of work, speed is everything.”

Of course, we weren’t talking about the speed of the carriage.

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“So, you’re Valen Whickerton?”

Though I was nearly certain, I asked for confirmation.

The driver’s expression shifted, his cheerful smile replaced by a stern, focused look.

“Roman Son. Age 20. Primary class: demon warlock. A novice explorer affiliated with the Telema Faction. Part of the Golden Generation of the 864th training cohort, a peer group that includes promising individuals like Fiona McManus, Arthur Carlyle, and Alejandra Rubio. Known for slaying the Chromatic Fiend during his training, later disbanding Senior explorer Yan Bong-Sik’s team, and hunting the Sentinel alongside rogue Luke. Based on these accomplishments, combat level is estimated to be Senior, not novice.”

He’d done his homework.

How did he even know about the Sentinel hunt with Luke? Did he have spies in the Alliance?

“And now I can be certain,” he said.

“Certain of what?”

“That all these estimations are true.”

“Oh? Let me try my hand at guessing, then.”

I rattled off the information I had.

“Valen Whickerton. Estimated age: thirties. Primary class likely demon warlock. Affiliated with Shadow Sketch. Knows forbidden information. Though he denied it, suspected of leaking details about undiscovered relics. Possible ties with the Abyss-worshippers or the Cult of Destruction.”

What I knew was mostly guesswork, but now I was starting to get a clearer picture.

“And now I can be more certain.”

If he were a demon warlock, I’d feel the presence of a demon around him, but I felt none.

He wasn’t a demon warlock.

While some powerful demon warlocks can mask their demonic presence, I’m an exception. Even Hecate can’t hide a demon’s presence from me—I’m contracted with the highest-tier demons.

Which means...

“Very high chance you’re an Abyss-worshipper.”

The driver laughed.

Though he tried to hold it back, he burst into laughter, then asked, “So, you suspect I’m an Abyss-worshipper yet chose to sit beside me?”

I felt the faintest hint of killing intent.

It was something I’d grown accustomed to by now.

During the training center assault, killing intent had once made it hard to even breathe. Now, it felt almost like a casual greeting.

“I can take care of myself.”

Some might call it recklessness, but I’d calculated that he wouldn’t risk causing a scene in the city. Despite their resources being stretched thin, the city’s official forces couldn’t be underestimated.

In case of trouble, I’d just leave it to them and escape.

If I’d been up against someone like Viola or the professor, that would’ve been pure folly, but the stronger opponents are usually flagged by my demon contract’s “scouter.”

“Reckless,” he remarked.

I shrugged.

“I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

And that was true. I didn’t have time.

That rogue Jeagan could reemerge and reveal my information at any moment.

“Your guesswork was amusing. Unfortunately, everything except for one part was wrong.”

The driver smiled, his amusement fading as he announced the only correct answer from my deductions.

“I am Valen Whickerton. But I’m no Abyss-worshipper. I merely buy and sell information, no matter who the other party may be, as long as the price is right.”