SFRW-Chapter 196

Ch. 196 Sword God From The Ruined World

A man in his mid-40s with a plump body, reddish complexion, curly hair, and an oddly small chin compared to the rest of his face.  

Count Reminan chewed lazily on a thick slice of meat as he listened to the administrator’s report.  

“Hunters, you say?”  

“Yes. They captured an elf, and upon inspection, she was a pure maiden.”  

“Oho… A pure maiden? That means they ventured deep into the forest.”  

Seeing the Count’s interest, the administrator quickly added,  

“And she was from the Sunlight Tribe.”  

“The Sunlight Tribe?”  

Among the elves, the Lords of the Forest, the Sunlight Tribe was known as particularly noble.  

Even within elven society, they held significant influence, and their abilities were so formidable that humans considered them a threat.  

“So, which group do these hunters belong to?”  

“They’re a team formed by drifters who banded together.”  

“Ah, just common vagrants.”  

As Barhaut conquered their world, nations crumbled, and societal structures collapsed.  

Countless people lost their homes or were forced to flee.  

Such individuals were simply called ‘vagrants’—wanderers who survived by hunting elves or doing odd jobs.  

“Hmm… A Sunlight Tribe elf…”  

The fact that she was also a pure maiden made greed flicker in Count Reminan’s eyes.  

“If it were up to me, I’d keep her for myself, but…”  

The Empire’s sacrificial ceremony was only days away.  

Lately, rivals had been scrambling to curry favor with the Emperor, and the Count was growing impatient.  

If he presented a pure Sunlight Tribe maiden to the Emperor now…  

He could earn immense favor.  

“Sunlight Tribe maidens aren’t easy to capture, so I can’t be too greedy. Pay them a fair price and secure her.”  

The administrator hesitated.  

“I already tried negotiating, but they insist on presenting her to His Majesty themselves.”  

“What?”  

For the first time since the conversation began, Count Reminan set down his knife and fork.  

“Vagrants dare to demand an audience with His Majesty?”  

Their intentions were obvious.  

They wanted to use this opportunity to abandon their vagrant lives and gain the Emperor’s favor.  

Shockingly, many vagrants had been granted titles and became nobles this way.  

But—  

“Dreaming big over a single elf whore!”  

The Count scoffed.  

A decade ago, it might have been possible, but now? Unthinkable.  

The audacity of these lowlifes trying to use him was infuriating.  

“They don’t know their place! No need to negotiate further—hand it to Loral.”  

“They seemed quite capable, though?”  

“Loral will handle it. Don’t worry.”  

The Count’s tone brooked no argument, and the administrator bowed before leaving the dining hall.  

“Fools. If they’d been modest, they could’ve walked away with coin. Well, this works better for me anyway.”  

Clicking his tongue, the Count chuckled in satisfaction.  

***

That evening.  

Count Reminan faced unexpected visitors.  

“So this pig is the lord of the city?”  

Choi Kang-soo, slapped the Count’s cheek who was drunk and snoring loudly, suddenly with full force.  

SLAP—AAAH!  

“Guh—ACK!”  

Jolted awake by the searing pain, the Count screamed and scrambled upright.  

“Wh-Who—?!”  

In the darkness, three unfamiliar men loomed over him, freezing him with terror.  

“Count Reminan?”  

At Seo Do-jun’s question, the Count gulped dryly.  

“Wh-Who are you?”  

Despite his noble title, the Count instinctively used polite speech.  

A decade ago, Barhaut’s conquest had plunged the world into chaos.  

It was an era where even minor disputes ended with blades in throats—a memory that flooded back to him now.  

“Is stealing from others acceptable?”  

Seo Do-jun tossed a dark object onto the bed.  

Thud.  

“Wh-What’s this—GAAAH!”  

Loral’s severed head, eyes wide and still dripping blood.  

Recognizing his most trusted knight—his loyal hound—the Count’s mind finally cleared.  

The hunters.  

The ones who’d captured the Sunlight Tribe elf. His fingers began trembling.  

“Was our request so unreasonable?”  

“R-Request…?”  

Their insistence on presenting the elf to the Emperor themselves.  

The Count had instantly understood their intent: they wanted him to act as their bridge.  

Without connections, they couldn’t approach the Emperor—so they’d sought his help.  

“If you refused, you could’ve just said so. Why send this trash to waste our time? Did we seem like easy targets?”  

The boredom in Seo Do-jun’s voice made the Count realize he might die here.  

“I-I’ve committed a mortal sin!”  

Feeling death’s approach, the Count dropped to his knees and begged.  

These were vagrants—exceptionally skilled ones.  

If they killed him and fled, that would be the end.  

Sure, the Empire would hunt them for assassinating a noble, but that wouldn’t bring him back.  

What good is revenge after I’m dead?!  

Survival was his only priority.  

“If it’s a mortal sin, you should die.”  

The casual remark made the man beside Seo Do-jun draw his sword.  

Sshhk—  

Moonlight glinted off the blade, terrifying the Count.  

“P-Please spare me! I’ll do anything! Just let me live!”  

Prostrating himself, snot and tears streaming, the Count pleaded desperately.  

Seo Do-jun tossed a small black pill in front of him.  

“Swallow it.”  

“…Huh?”  

“Why would I trust you? Especially after you tried to steal from us. So we’ll build trust. That’s poison—swallow it.”  

“P-Poison?!”  

Even in the dark, the Count’s face turned ghostly pale.  

“You won’t die immediately. Take the antidote periodically, and you’ll be fine.”  

When the Count still hesitated—  

“Trusting trash like you was stupid.”  

The swordsman moved.  

One step—and the blade flashed.  

“I-I’ll take it!”  

The cold steel against his neck made the Count shudder violently.  

With trembling hands, he picked up the pill.  

The texture alone felt vile.  

“What’re you waiting for?”  

At Seo Do-jun’s sharp tone, the Count squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed.  

“Guh—ACK!”  

The bitterness was overwhelming—clearly poison.  

Only after ensuring the Count had truly swallowed did Seo Do-jun speak.  

“Three days. Without the antidote, you’ll bleed from every orifice and die in under a minute. Remember that.”  

“Y-Yes, sir.”  

Ignoring the Count’s twisted expression, Seo Do-jun continued,  

“We’ll come for you tomorrow morning. Tonight, nothing happened between us. That man over there? We never met. You’ll escort us to the capital. Understood?”  

“Y-Yes, understood.”  

“No problems?”  

“None at all!”  

Satisfied, Seo Do-jun nodded and slipped out the window with his companions.  

Despite the height, they vanished like the wind, leaving the Count slumped in dazed relief.  

Then, spotting Loral’s head, he gritted his teeth.  

“Worthless dog! If you couldn’t handle them, you should’ve retreated! Damn you!”  

In a fit of rage, he stomped on the severed head repeatedly.  

***

“Couldn’t have slept well, huh?”  

At Choi Kang-soo’s question, Seo Do-jun agreed.  

“But how’d you know he’d send men after us?”  

Unlike Choi Kang-soo’s surprise, Seo Do-jun answered casually.  

“When he dismissed negotiations, it was obvious. People who can’t accept ‘no’ only know force.”  

“Ah…”  

The Count’s greed had simplified things.  

Had he negotiated, Seo Do-jun would’ve had to appease him to reach the capital.  

Returning to the manor at dawn, they found the Count waiting, eyes bloodshot from sleeplessness.  

“So this is the elf you wanted to present to His Majesty?”  

His dismissive tone toward Eliana made Choi Kang-soo’s eyes flare, but he restrained himself.  

“Hmm… A fine specimen indeed! Very well—as agreed, I’ll arrange your audience with His Majesty! Administrator!”  

“Yes, my lord.”  

“Escort our guests. And clean the elf thoroughly—”  

“We’ll keep her with us.”  

At Seo Do-jun’s interruption, the Count coughed and nodded.  

His acting was surprisingly convincing as he turned away.  

“You’ll be given quarters for your stay.”  

The administrator led them to a spacious, tidy room.  

“When do we leave for the capital?”  

Seo Do-jun asked as the administrator turned to leave.  

“Portal use requires imperial approval. At least two, possibly three days.”  

The man left without another word.  

“So we’re stuck here for now.”  

Hyun Joo-yeon began examining the room’s furnishings with curiosity.  

Everything in this unfamiliar world fascinated her.  

Seo Do-jun retrieved a white crystal orb from subspace.  

Infusing it with magic, it glowed blue, and Kusak’s voice emerged.  

[How’d it go?]  

The orb was a long-range communication device Kusak had given him.  

[We’ll likely head to the capital in two or three days.]  

[Hmm… Portals are strict, huh? Expected. Contact me when you arrive.]  

Storing the orb, Seo Do-jun turned as Eliana spoke timidly.  

“Could I… ask a favor?”  

“A favor? What is it?” Choi Kang-soo responded first.  

Seo Do-jun nodded for her to continue.  

“Could you free my kin imprisoned here?”  

She knew it was presumptuous, but she couldn’t ignore their suffering.  

“I’ll ask, but we can’t risk suspicion.”  

“Even trying means everything to me.”  

Though she hadn’t expected much, the terrified Count released all his elven slaves.  

“Hehe… As you requested, all elves are freed.”  

His obsequiousness was pitiable. How could such a man rule a city?  

On the third morning, as predicted, portal approval arrived from the capital.  

After a hearty meal, Seo Do-jun’s group—alongside the Count—stepped through the portal.