Chapter 77: A Cry in the Middle of the Night

"Are these the ones?"

"Yes, my lord."

It was a day when a single breath from the gods could make the snow fall. Count Mereloff scanned the people standing in front of his mansion. Apart from the soldiers he had dispatched, the residents who had volunteered to go to Cheiron were gathered there.

The butler, covering the list, briefly explained.

"I selected those with good behavior and many family members."

The road to Cheiron is isolated. Like the vast sea, if any problem arises, it would surely be troublesome. Since it directly affects survival, I chose members based on their morality and sense of responsibility.

Additionally, as a reward for their hardships, they are to receive a certain amount of compensation and are allowed to trade food individually. As Count Mereloff continued his inspection, someone shouted.

"My lord! My lord!"

Swish!

Someone was seen running towards the main gate, dodging the guards. The man fell to his knees in front of Count Mereloff and began to beg. The count's brows furrowed at the sudden situation.

"What is it? Since when has the gate of the mansion been so easy to pass?"

"I, I am Cole, from the lower part of Hafentown! Please, include me in the temporary trading group! I beg you!"

Seeing Cole prostrate himself on the ground and plead, Count Mereloff looked at the butler. He wondered what was going on.

"I, I apologize, my lord. Guards! Take him away quickly!"

"My lord, I am really useful. You saw it, didn't you? I am confident in running, and my strength is better than it looks. If you add one more young man, we can bring back at least five or six more sacks of wheat. No, seven more. Please, please…."

Count Mereloff crossed his arms and looked down at Cole's back, which was pressed to the ground. He was enthusiastic and young, so it was unclear why he was excluded.

The butler, flipping through the list, hastily added.

"He has a large family but frequents illegal gambling dens and lacks credibility. He is also a repeat offender."

"That was when I was immature. I have four siblings, and my parents work hard every day cutting wood. Honestly, I am the only one who can't contribute to the family. If you give me this chance, I will work hard!"

Count Mereloff pondered for a moment and then asked.

"Have you been a resident of Mereloff since birth?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Alright. Include him."

"My lord! That's a bit…."

"Shaking like that, asking for work, how could he cause any trouble? Soldiers will be going with them, so there's no need to worry. However, his compensation will be halved. Do you have any objections?"

"No, no. Thank you, my lord!"

It was a time when every person counted. If adding one more person like him could increase the number of wheat sacks they could bring back, there was no reason to refuse. Moreover, his compensation would be halved. Wasn't this a win-win situation?

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"Alright. Butler, finish up and let's go inside."

"Yes, my lord."

Cole, feeling as if he had been given a new lease on life, bowed his head to the ground again. Count Mereloff mistakenly thought his desperation was due to hunger.

'He's alive. Phew, damn, he's alive.'

The butler, seeing Cole's hands clasped in gratitude, felt a bit pitiful. How could someone be so happy just to get a job?

"From the looks of it, he should be good at his job. Don't you think?"

"…I will educate him well."

The butler reluctantly answered. No matter how much he was the master, he couldn't understand how he handled things. It was foolishness driven by greed.

The benefit of including this person versus the stability of not including him. It was frustrating that he couldn't calculate which was more valuable.

"Sir, your name is Cole, right?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Stand over here."

"Yes, my lord!"

The butler sighed deeply and led the jubilant Cole. Cole, genuinely happy to be able to follow Ian's orders and extend his life, followed closely behind.

"Let's call out names and write the contracts. I will pay part of the compensation in advance."

The butler unfolded the list again and gestured to the temporary trading group. Cole, who wrote the contract carefully, awkwardly smiled as he received his compensation and quickly left the mansion.

Even just looking at his back, he seemed utterly untrustworthy. The butler sighed and put away the contract with his palm print.

* * *

Cole passed two men smoking cigarettes on the street. The men exchanged glances and chuckled, blowing out smoke.

"You've extended your life."

"Seems so."

Judging by the relief on his face, it appeared Cole had been included in the temporary trading group. If he had failed, tonight would have been his last.

"By the way, the atmosphere here is quite different from the last time we came, isn't it?"

The men, extinguishing their cigarettes, muttered. They were Romandor's subordinates, assigned to monitor Cole. In just two or three months, the vibrant energy of the estate had faded.

"It's because of the rumors that the merchant caravan won't come."

"But it's not just a rumor, is it?"

"Ah, that's right."

The disappointment and anxiety grew uncontrollably, proportional to the expectations.

"Hey, Cole, where have you been?"

"…Just here and there, doing some work."

"Is it related to that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why, the big guys from the green-roofed gambling den tried to kill someone in Bratz. There's a rumor it was Ian."

"Bratz's count's illegitimate son?"

Cole flinched and averted his gaze at the men's words. He felt as if Ian was watching and listening to everything through his eyes and ears, with an unknown power that had seeped into his gut.

"No, no. It's not related to me."

"Is that so? Well, if it were, you wouldn't be here, would you?"

"Right. Now he's the new head of the family. What a life. Born and raised in a brothel, and now he has a title."

"Brothel?"

"Why, his mother was a courtesan, wasn't she? That's why a person needs to have ability first."

"A courtesan? I don't think so. From what I heard, he lived there because of debt."

"Whatever. What does it matter what he did? It's all about luck, luck. When he crossed the desert, the count's head was cut off. Now that he's back alive, he's used up all his luck!"

"Sounds like your wishful thinking. Hehe."

Cole couldn't hear the chattering. These were new facts to him. He had joined simply because he was offered money, without much thought.

"Let's stop here for the night. This cave is suitable."

"Right. If we go further, it will get dark."

"Tsk. It's winter, so the days are short. We can't move much."

They spread sleeping bags in a small cave and parked the empty carts at the entrance. Although the entrance was blocked, it was somewhat effective in blocking the cold wind. As the firewood was stacked and the fire lit, everyone became drowsy and sprawled out.

"What if it snows during the night?"

"What can we do…? We'll just have to deal with it…."

"Hey, move over a bit."

"I don't have a spot? Do you want me to burn to death?"

"I'll move back a bit."

Cole, feeling cramped, moved away from the crowded area and towards the entrance. The wind was cold, but this was the best place to carry out his plan.

A few hours later.

"Keeeee…."

"Ugh, snore…."

Just as the sound of snoring filled his ears.

Cole quietly got up, picked up a torch, and went outside. The night was pitch black.

"I'm sorry, everyone. But if I don't do this, I'll die."

He took out an oil bag from his pocket and threw it onto the empty cart. Hesitating, he was about to throw the flame onto the oil when suddenly,

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a noise came from behind.

Cole was startled but didn't drop the torch. A man approached with a calm expression and alternated his gaze between the cart, the flame, and Cole.

"Ah, I'm not doing anything?"

"You're not? Cole, what are you doing! Did you set the fire for the gold? What the hell! Unbelievable!"

"…What?"

It was like a play. The man shouted loudly and snatched the torch from Cole, throwing it without hesitation. The flames quickly surrounded the startled Cole.

"Wh, wh, what…."

Swish!

A blade swiftly cut across his neck. Cole's vision slowly rose, and soon he could only see the dark night sky. As the snowflakes fell like stars, one by one, people woke up and rushed out of the cave.

"What's happening, Clark? Ah! Fire! Fire!"

"No water? Damn! Throw some dirt on it!"

"Fire! Fire! Everyone, wake up!"

"Ah! Crazy!"

"He set the fire!"

Amidst the chaos, Cole only blinked. He couldn't speak. The sky was dotted with white, like stars and snowflakes falling together.

'Who is this? I don't know him, but he knows my name.'

Cole's blood stained the ground. The mysterious man, standing above him, watched as he twitched. Cole died with his eyes open.

Meanwhile, Romandor's subordinate was hiding in the nearby bushes, watching the entire scene.

'…No, damn. What the hell is going on? What is this kid up to?'

Was he seeing things because of the cold? The mysterious man who suddenly appeared, killed Cole, and set the cart on fire. There was no need to see more. Romandor's subordinate carefully turned around and retraced his steps.

Clark glanced at the rustling bushes and calmly threw dirt.

"Save the cart!"

"Damn, this crazy guy!"

"Oh, it's all burning! Burn!"

In the middle of the night, people's screams echoed louder than the wind.