Pseudo Resident’s Illegal Stay in Another World

Chapter 167: Stupid, Clumsy Cultist (3)

The skeleton goblin I created completely destroyed the living goblin.

Kisshat! Kisishit!

Kkiaek!

The clubs and crude stone hammers wielded by those goblins were useless against my sturdy skeletal creatures.

Clatter—

Even if they got wounded, their broken bone parts quickly reattach, restoring it to full strength.

Being undead creatures that had already died once, they didn't easily vanish, which was the danger of undead monsters. However, even considering that, they seemed a bit excessively powerful.

The fight ended anti-climacticly.

Still feeling stunned, I tried to release the necromancy command. However—

Ding—

At the moment, such an out-of-place but now quite familiar artificial sound effect rang in my ears.

Settling the Minions’ Battle.

Task points +3.

Current task points +65.

I thought I was already familiar with all the messages that would appear before my eyes. However, the characters that appeared this time were something I experienced for the first time.

The Minions’ Battle?

The creatures walking leisurely in front of the tower were the first ones that came to mind. Minion, what did that word mean? Was it something like an underling, pawn, or something like that?

As a smart person who had acquired knowledge from university, I tried to understand the situation quickly.

The word "minion" must refer to my underlings, skeleton goblins. Because my skeleton goblins killed three goblins, I received 3 task points, is that how it worked?

My hypothesis had a part that fit perfectly, like a predetermined answer. I, indeed, am smart.

Moreover, I couldn’t believe the skeletons could increase my task points by killing a living creature. It was like a sorcerer in the summoner game, like a necromancer.

Holy fuck, who would have thought I had such talent?

I was extremely flustered, but at the same time, I felt elated, like a little kid receiving an expensive game console on Chriistmas.

"Arise."

Seizing the momentum, I even raised the goblins lying on the ground. Thus, the minions under my control now totaled nine—three from before and the six I had just killed.

I did feel a bit out of breath from the after-effect, but it wasn't unbearable.

"Damn, this is so fucking interesting."

What the hell is happening?

I couldn't contain the excitement that made the corners of my mouth rise under the mask. I felt like a real necromance.

Could it be that I truly have a talent for necromancy? Damn it, I really am a genius.

I had thought of myself as somewhat exceptional, but now, after witnessing this spectacle, I was even scaring myself.

Hassan, the Steel Warrior.

No, Hassan, the Steel Necromancer.

I imagined myself resurrecting skeletons and slaughtering monsters.

But soon, a shiver hit my nape and brought me back to reality.

Crack— Crack—

Simultaneously, I sensed several movements of stepping on branches and parting the bushes nearby. Were more goblins coming? I initially thought so, but it felt slightly different this time.

The footsteps seemed quite heavy. The strides were large. Moreover, with every move, I could hear the distinct clanking sound of metal on metal. It seemed like this might be a human.

As that thought crossed my mind, I suddenly became scared. Damn it, if someone saw me in this state, I'd be labeled an evil cultist and hunted down.

"Disassemble! Disassemble!"

So, I hurriedly dispersed the nine skeleton goblins.

"Who screamed here?"

"Who could have screamed? There's no one here."

"Could it be an elk? The sound like humans when they scream."

"Elks must be tasty."

Their conversation, which seemed quite close, rang clearly in my ears.

Feeling like someone caught in the act of doing something wrong, I hid behind a broken pillar of the ruined shrine. I was not sure if my large figure was well-concealed, but it was still better than being out in the open.

As I hid quickly, the figures of the people eventually came into view. It was a group of four quite young-looking individuals, two men and two women.

Clank—

The necklaces hanging around their necks were of an ashy iron color. I was not sure which guild they belonged to, but they appeared to be an iron-tier adventurer party.

They were only equipped with thin leather armor, clubs, short swords, and daggers. So they didn't seem impressive in terms of skill.

It reminded me of when Luna, Marco, and I were cleaning the shrine.

Maybe they were newbies?

Then, these newbies saw the pile of bones and goblin corpses on the floor and screamed in fright.

"What the hell, look at all this blood!"

"Why is everything dead here? What is this?"

Compared to the guys who looked flustered, the two women armed with daggers and short swords seemed somewhat composed.

"Don't get too jumpy just because you saw some blood."

"Yeah, there are goblins. Goblin corpses here. Could the screaming have been the goblin's?"

One of the female adventurers with a brown ponytail and leather clothes kneeled down on the ground. She gently touched the fallen corpses with her hands and muttered a few words.

"They haven't been dead for long. Were there any monsters or beasts in this forest that could have killed the goblins...?"

"It's a bit creepy. Skade, let's stop this and go back quickly. I've gathered all the herbs and I’m really craving to get a bath right now!"

Thus, the iron-tier newbie party showed meticulousness even in pulling out the fangs of the dead goblins.

Damn, are they all gone?

I finally came out from behind the hiding pillar after they had all disappeared. What would have happened if I hadn't hidden and they had caught a glimpse of me?

Just a moment ago, I was so delighted at the thought of having talent in necromancy. But now, I feel a bit worried.

Someone with talent in crime and villainy.

A genius evildoer.

Is it okay to be happy about this?

At this point, I wondered, was I more suitable to have shackles from the Prison City than be the gold-tier hero I aspired to be?

#

After returning to Sodomora's west gate, I changed my clothes in the dim alley where no one could see.

I considered throwing away the robe and mask I used during the operation, but since they cost a substantial amount, around 1 silver, I decided to pack them back into my bag.

I might need them again someday.

Anyway, it seemed like I had a productive morning. I conducted various experiments with my newfound power.

However, I also realized this power posed certain dangers I couldn’t handle yet. So I must be careful not to get caught by anyone.

Now that I thought about this again, I felt annoyed for getting caught by Paranoy and had to make up some strange excuse like that. When I meet her later, I must firmly remind her again to keep the secret.

Perhaps, making a solemn oath by the Styx River would be even better.

The Styx Oath was the highest form of promise in this world.

No matter how much Paranoy betrayed people around, she wouldn’t be able to go against it. Even I had sweat profusely due to its power.

Thinking back to the sudden pain in my lower abdomen back then, I felt a cold sweat running down my body.

Wearing a robe and mask to conceal my appearance under the scorching sun was unbearable.

Damn, it was so hot.

I wiped away the sweat stinging my eyes and rummaged through my pockets to find a handkerchief-like cloth.

Ssk— Ssk—

As I dabbed my face, a faint floral scent wafted in. I didn’t know what flower it was, but it was a pleasant fragrance to smell. Why did my handkerchief have such a fragrant smell?

So I wondered what it could be, and there I saw white and soft silk embroidered with red petals.

Red tulip.

Wasn't it the symbol of the Baron Fleur family?

Come to think of it. I had business with the Baron too. Didn't he say he was looking for a healer to cure his daughter's illness?

Anyway.

Looking up at the sky, it seemed to be close to noon, with the sun shining high and illuminating the world.

There should still be some time before Luna finishes her business.

So, I decided to pass the time until evening and seize any opportunity to earn some golds if possible.

"Damn it, this won’t do."

But it was just too scorching to walk, so I hailed a nearby carriage.

"Where do you want to go, Sir?"

"Do you know Baron Fleur? Let's go to his residence."

"Shall we go to the villa at the South Gate or the main mansion at the East Gate?"

Huh?

It was a question I hadn't even thought about.

Did Baron Fleur own two houses in such a city where the land was so expensive like this?

Luna and I went through so much trouble just to raise a two-story space in our small cabin. Indeed, nobles seemed to lead a completely different life.

"Where can I meet the Baron?"

"He usually spends his summers at the southern villa, so I suppose we should head to the South Gate area. Should we go that way?"

"Yes, let's do that."

"All right then, let's depart, Neighhh."

Slap—

With a light whip crack, the sturdy black horse started clattering its hooves. At the same time, the scenery outside the window began to change slightly.

But wait, didn't the coachman just make a horse sound?

Must have been the wind.

"Phew—"

I let out a sigh of relief as I managed to escape the scorching heat under the shade of the carriage.

Indeed, taking a carriage was much better than walking. It was not super cooling me down, but at least I could avoid the scorching sun.

Money was good, after all.

While I was lost in such sentiment with such a reasonable thought—

"You seem like a foreign gentleman. If you don't mind me asking, what business do you have at the Baron's house? Since you seem unfamiliar with the mansion's location, you don't appear to be an acquaintance of the Baron."

The man sitting on the coachman’s seat spoke to me. The coachmen in this world were generally talkative, so they often struck up conversations with the guests.

Come to think of it, even when I was still living on Earth, taxi drivers often talked to me too. Maybe I had a face that made people want to strike up conversations.

However, feeling exhausted from the heat, I wasn't in the mood for much conversation. So, I just replied vaguely.

"Nothing big, I just have something to attend to."

"It might be unnecessary meddling, but be careful. Baron Fleur, that gentleman doesn't take kindly to Samaritans."

"Is that so?"

"When he was young, it's said that Samaritans kidnaped his wife."

"…Is that real or just a rumor?"

"Merely a rumor. But rumors among us coachmen tend to be mostly true."

They said that Baron Fleur disliked immigrants. I had a feeling that I roughly knew the reason. I thought about asking the coachman to turn back, but we already arrived at the front of a massive mansion before I realized it.

A high bar-like wall rose from the fence of a plot of land—I didn’t know how many acres it was—and red roses grew around it like thorn vines.

It was fucking huge.

This was my second time entering a noble’s house.

The first time was when I was honored for my military service and visited the Golden Beard Dwarf Margrave’s garden. It was at night, so I had no idea how vast and luxurious the place was.

But now, seeing the garden of Baron Fleur's mansion in the daylight, it was truly lavish. The land must have already been expensive. It made me wonder if it was okay to build a structure like this in the heart of the city.

He was much wealthier than I imagined.

Was he like the head of a conglomerate family?

Maybe if I cured his daughter's illness, I could receive a pouch full of golds.

Of course, whether I could actually cure his daughter's illness was still uncertain.

I hoped it worked out, but if it didn’t, so be it.

Besides, even if I couldn’t cure her, I still could at least remove this noble Baron from sticking to me and the innkeeper. So, there would be no harm to me in many ways.

So, I donned my dark red robe and mask again near the mansion's entrance.

Since Baron Fleur seemed to dislike Samaritans, it seemed best to hide my identity. I was glad I didn't throw these disguises away earlier and kept them safe.

But even at a glance, would they really let such a suspicious person inside?

With that doubt in mind, I approached the guards in their iron armor who were guarding the entrance to the mansion's garden.

Clank—

The guards crossed their long halberds in an X shape, blocking the entrance.

"What business do you have here?"

"Reveal your identity. This is private property. Not anyone can just wander in."

Their reaction was just as I had imagined. Neither excessive nor inadequate—truly professional guards. The Baron must have hired them.

Ahem, ahem.

I cleared my throat a few times before speaking in a deep voice.

"I have some business to attend here. Here, this..."

Then I pulled out the handkerchief with tulips embroidered from my pocket and showed it to the guards, who were still suspicious.

"That's..."

One of the guards accepted it.

What will happen now?

As I nervously stared behind the mask, the guards, who had apparently exchanged some words among themselves, finally uncrossed their halberds and opened the door.

"Please come in."

"The Baron has been waiting for you for a long time."

Oh, the reaction had become quite friendly.

In the end.

Now, what would unfold?

I slowly stepped into the garden with a slightly nervous and trembling heart.

At that moment, the deep shadows cast by the mansion enveloped my body.

Suddenly, countless pheasants flew off from the mansion's roof.

Squeak— Squeak. Squeak—

Birds suddenly took flight.

It was extremely eerie, as if it was an omen of something. Nevertheless, I didn't stop my steps and slowly but surely continued steadily towards the house.

The cries of those pheasants gave me a bad feeling.