"Unless Sir Galfredic returns, there's no knight who can oust him and take the position of expedition leader. No, even if he were to return, he'd still yield to you. Anyway, I'll make room, so let's all meet. Speaking of which, how about dinner tonight?"
"Let's just meet up later. I'll just find a place to stay in the lower village and then come up."
I had no desire to have dinner with Brother Tywin and a knight I had never seen before.
"That's too bad. I wanted to hear from you personally how you acquired the horse and armor. Then come back in a couple of hours."
"Okay."
Eugene left the residence, thinking that it was a good thing he hadn't made a dinner appointment.
* * *
Eugene, who had settled in the village of Martella below the Rose Castle and given various instructions to Partek and Min Bald Brin, went back into the castle.
Eugene entered the building with a few awkward salutes from the guards and was guided to the office by a servant.
"Welcome."
As always, Kamara was welcoming, but Bertel only nodded.
Then a handsome and fierce-looking knight strode forward.
"Are you Sir Yan Eugene? I'm Rowan from Maverick."
Maverick, wearing a full-body chainmail surcoat with a crow emblem on it that covered him from head to toe even though he was indoors, reached out.
"Jan of the Eugene family."
Since it was natural to respond to informal speech with informal speech, Eugene spoke briefly and took Maverick's hand.
But Maverick's eyes slightly distorted, as if he hadn't expected Eugene to react like that.
Then he put strength into his hands.
'Me too.'
Eugene, remembering Galfredic's advice that if a knight or mercenary provokes you first, it's best to suppress them with force, grabbed Maverick's hand without mercy.
Kwak!
"Huh...!"
Maverick, his face flushed red, finally shook Eugene's hand away.
"Hahaha! It's useless if we go into the dungeon together as comrades. Everyone, please sit down now."
Kamara said, looking at Eugene, who had taken the initiative, with pleased eyes.
Of course, he didn't forget to send a meaningful smile to Bertel, whose expression was becoming rotten.
"Yes, that's right."
Maverick glanced at Eugene, stroked his hand, and sat down next to him.
"For now, the troops are twelve mercenaries following Lord Eugene, and nine brought by Lord Maverick. Including the lords, the total is twenty-three. The number of porters remains the same, and the minimum requirements for subjugation have been slightly increased."
Kamara continued, looking around at Eugene and Maverick.
"One hundred lower-level ones and three intermediate ones. Our forces are slightly smaller than before, but we've secured a considerable amount of information about the dungeon's internal structure and the monsters, so we shouldn't face any major difficulties. Sirs, are you in agreement?"
Maverick spoke as Eugene nodded silently.
"What happens to the share of troops that die in the dungeon?"
"If you have a family, send it to them. If you don't, share it with your colleagues. Isn't that the custom?"
"So, you're saying that even if the knight dies, I can do the same thing?"
"what?"
Kamara's eyes hardened.
"Did you really mention Sir Eugene's death, Sir Maverick?"
"Not necessarily, Lord Tywin. I, too, live with death constantly at my side! I believe it's absurd for a true knight to enter a dungeon without the proper resolve. Don't you agree, Lord Eugene?"
Maverick's arrogant gaze turned to Eugene.
Eugene looked at him silently for a moment and then slowly moved her lips away.
"It's hard to believe the words of a knight who has never even conquered Gaemun, but I'm glad to hear that Kyung is prepared to face death."
"...!"
Maverick's eyes twitched noticeably.
Eugene turned away from him and got up.
"I don't think there's anything more to say. We've already said our goodbyes, so I'll take my leave now. See you all in three days."
"Let's kill him! Let's kill that mudfish-looking bastard tonight! Kkeeeeek!"
Eugene walked towards the door, hearing Mirian's excited scream.
"King Eugene, then take a look."
Kamara kept licking his lips as if he was enjoying something, while Bertel and Maverick's devouring gazes were fixed on Eugene's back.
* * *
"How dare that insolent bastard make fun of me!?"
Bertel spoke with a murderous glint in his eyes to Maverick, who was roughly slamming the table.
"I know you're right, but he's a difficult person to leave alone. One day, he might manipulate you... no, he might even take over the territory himself. So, I need to intervene."
"Huh! That guy with a pale face. I don't know where he came from, but he's no match for me."
"You'd better not underestimate him. Even though it was just a practice match, he defeated Sir Galfredic. I'm sure you know what kind of knight he is."
"Haha! If I had participated in last year's tournament, I would have made it to the finals. Unfortunately, my father passed away at that time. Anyway, I'm not afraid of Galfredic or Rugeitz."
Maverick, who speaks loudly and confidently.
However, Bertel, who witnessed the confrontation between Galfredic and Lugates firsthand, was dumbfounded.
"Can I really trust the interest? But I have no choice."
It is very rare to find a knight who has a certain level of skill, but at the same time has control over himself.
In that sense, Maverick was greedy, but he was also stupid, so he was able to deal with it well.
'Besides, it's inside a dungeon. There's a good chance of success.'
No matter how skilled a knight is at flying and crawling, there is no way out if he is ambushed by his allies in a dark dungeon.
And Maverick and his mercenaries would be able to inflict at least some serious injuries on Eugene.
'It's best if the monster cleans up after itself, but even if it makes it out alive... then I'll just finish it off.'
Maverick smiled at Bertel, who was thinking like that.
"Hehehe! Anyway, if I deal with that pale brat in the dungeon, I can take his armor and horse, right?"
"That's the story when it succeeds."
"I told you not to worry. Anyway, that's what I thought. I'm looking forward to this subjugation."
Maverick stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.
His face, filled with greed, looked so ugly that Bertel involuntarily turned his face away.
'hmm?'
A flash of color flashed through Bertel's eyes.
"Why are you like that?"
Bertel got up from his seat without answering, walked towards the closed door, and bowed.
"Why is there water in a place like this…?"
Bertel swept the floor, muttering softly.
The area under the door was damp, as if water had leaked in from outside.
"You're so wet? Did a water fairy visit? Hahahaha!"
'You're joking.'
Bertel stood up, his gaze sharp at Maverick, who was laughing nonsense.
* * *
"...I said so! Kekekeke! How dare you, you little ice rink and mudfish, target our Lord Yujin!?"
Eugene's eyes turned cold at Mirian's words, which were fluttering around like a moth to light.
'I felt something was a bit suspicious.'
Eugene, who was suspicious of Maverick saying such things in a place he had never seen before, crossed the drawbridge alone, leaving Mirian behind.
Rose Castle was small, only about 100 meters from the Yeongju Hall to the outside of the drawbridge.
So Mirian was able to hear and relay the secret conversation between Bertel and Maverick without much difficulty.
"No, that mudfish said so, right? I was looking forward to the subjugation! I barely held back the urge to spit in his eyes right then and there!"
"Yeah. Anyway, you did a great job. It was a huge help."
"Right? Hehehe!"
Mirian, who had been laughing out loud, sat down on Eugene's shoulder.
"So what are you going to do?"
"What can I do? He wants to die, so I have to kill him."
"Keeeek! Your Majesty the Bloody Count! It's so hot!"
Eugene, who had calmed down Mirian, who was about to jump around again, glanced back at Jang Mi-seong, who had grown distant.
"You're looking forward to the subjugation? I'm looking forward to it too."
In the setting sun, the vampire's eyes shone eerily.
* * *
The day of the second dungeon raid in Tywin's estate has dawned.
Eugene, who had been staying in the village below the castle for three days, entered the Rose Castle with the mercenaries.
Thud thud!
The mercenaries from the Black Sheep mercenary corps, led by Partek and Bald Brin, were as orderly as a regular army.
Although not as much as the Partek group that had been following Eugene, the mercenaries on Brin's side had now become quite obedient to Eugene.
Brin and his team were astonished to see Eugene, who had just returned from Maren, riding a Silion and wearing plate armor with the city's emblem engraved on it.
And after hearing the detailed story from Partek and his party, he decided to obey Eugene absolutely until they parted ways.
A knight who was personally gifted plate armor by the Maren market and who received top-tier warhorses from large merchants like the Palin Trading Company.
That meant it wouldn't be strange for Eugene to be appointed by a great noble right now.
I wouldn't be following them around like Partek and his party, but it wouldn't hurt to look good to a knight like Eugene.
Anyway, Eugene and the 12 mercenaries lined up in the courtyard of Rose Castle.
Then, Maverick, who had been staying in the castle all this time, and the mercenaries who followed him took their places next to him.
Maverick licked his thick lips as he glared at Eugene, who pretended not to see him.
But Maverick suppressed his anger, remembering Bertel's request to somehow make his opponent let down their guard before entering the dungeon.
"...And! May God bless the two knights and the brave warriors who follow them!"
Wow!
As Kamara finished his speech, wishing for the expeditionary force's success and safe return, the people of Jangmi Castle cheered in unison.
Knights and mercenaries risking their lives entering dungeons to fight monsters were still a fascinating sight.
"Then, Sir Eugene, as the leader of the expedition, do you have anything to say?"
Eugene turned to the mercenaries under Kamara's expectant gaze.
"Once you enter the dungeon, you must follow my orders unconditionally. If you don't like it, you can leave now."
"...!"
The mercenaries, especially those who followed Maverick, flinched.
Most of them had already spent their deposits recklessly, so it would be absurd to leave now.
"Anyone who disobeys orders will be punished, regardless of reason. Anyone who objects or seeks trial, please leave now."
"As Lord Eugene said. Remember, I, Tywin's Kamara, have delegated all authority over the expedition to Lord Eugene."
As Eugene's momentum grew, even the lord Kamara stepped forward, and the mercenaries looked at each other and did not dare to step forward.
"Then let's go."
"I wish you good luck this time too."
Unlike when the dungeon opened, Kamara, now the lord, did not follow me into the dungeon.
After a while.
The gates opened, and the second expedition led by Eugene set out with the guides at the forefront.
At that moment, Eugene didn't miss the exchange of glances between Bertel, who had been standing silently, and Maverick, who had just climbed into the saddle.
'Do you think I'll be beaten if I go into the dungeon?'
Eugene lowered his mask and smiled coldly.
Now everyone considers him a real knight and a fellow human being.
Eugene's true identity is a vampire.
The dungeon without light is his world.
(To be continued in the next episode)