Chapter 30

Hugo Coppelius was born as the third son of a poor cobbler.

His family environment was deplorable, enduring violence from his father and brothers, and subsisting on soup with no ingredients to stave off hunger.

At the age of ten, Hugo underwent a free appraisal organized by the state, which revealed his ability as a puppeteer.

The appraiser, surprised, explained the role of a puppeteer with great enthusiasm. According to the explanation, a puppeteer is a composite ability, a rare type of ability.

It is an extremely unique ability that possesses the characteristics of both combat and production abilities, which are normally incompatible.

However, just because it is a rare ability does not mean it is useful in life. On the contrary, more common abilities, which have been systematized through the technical refinement of predecessors and have more instructors, are easier for beginners to improve.

On the other hand, a rare ability, which rarely manifests, has the significant drawback of requiring the bearer to hone their ability almost entirely on their own.

Puppeteers are naturally of this type. However, even though his ability had just manifested, Hugo intuitively understood how to handle it.

When he tried to activate the skill, a soldier doll appeared instantly. The appraiser was even more surprised and praised Hugo as a genius, as it is rare for someone to handle a skill so freely and perfectly from the start.

At that moment, Hugo felt a connection with the world.

On the way home after the appraisal, Hugo did not return home but fled, deciding to leave his birthplace and embark on a wandering journey.

For a ten-year-old child to travel alone is not a sane decision.

Indeed, he was attacked by thieves, beasts, and mutants many times, and suffered from food poisoning and illness. However, he overcame all of these with the ability of a puppeteer.

Surviving many nights, Hugo began to think that he should make use of his high combat skills and started making a living by hunting mutants. After reaching adulthood, he officially became an explorer.

Although he did not attend a training school, he already possessed abilities far beyond those of a rookie and achieved numerous accomplishments from the first day of registration.

However, Hugo never joined a specific party or clan.

There are explorers called "migrants."

They are primarily solo specialists and, when participating in party activities, only join as temporary reinforcements. They do not have a fixed base and travel from place to place. These are the migrants.

Hugo was a migrant. He was a skilled explorer but mainly engaged in solo activities, joining various parties in different lands for one-time explorations. This was Hugo's explorer life.

Part of the reason he disliked group activities was because he had chosen to live without relying on anyone since childhood. However, the main reason was that he did not intend to continue being an explorer for long. Hugo had another dream.

As an excellent explorer, Hugo received many scouts from various parties and clans. He was even recruited by the "Dragon Lord Team," the top-ranked clan in the imperial capital, but of course, he politely declined.

When Hugo turned twenty, he had accumulated a large sum of money thanks to his activities. He had saved this money through strict discipline to achieve his dream.

Hugo purchased a workshop for doll-making in a corner of the imperial capital. His long-held dream was to live by creating artistic dolls for appreciation, not the crude soldier dolls he could produce with his skills.

Originally, Hugo was a man who did not like conflict. Due to the continuous irrational violence he endured in his childhood, he could even say he hated conflict. Therefore, he continued being an explorer reluctantly.

With his dream realized, Hugo enthusiastically devoted himself to doll-making. His finished products sold like hotcakes. The more he made, the more people wanted them. Requests for doll-making came not only from the young and old in the imperial capital but also from those living in distant foreign lands.

Hugo's dolls were so beloved not only because they were exquisitely crafted but also because they held a mysterious charm.

Those who held them said in unison that looking at the dolls made their hearts warm and made them cherish their families.

This was a reaction Hugo had not intended. He had simply made them as he wished, but it seemed that such feelings were unconsciously embedded. Perhaps, because he did not know the love of a family, his unattainable ideals were unconsciously embedded.

For Hugo, this was an ironic and complex feeling, but he had no complaints as long as his work was appreciated. It is extremely rare for an artist to be recognized in their lifetime. Most are forgotten without ever being known, and even if they are recognized, it is often in their later years or after their death.

Hugo, who achieved success at a young age, was undoubtedly favored by the god of art.

However, it seemed that the god of fate did not love Hugo—

That day, Hugo went to deliver a completed doll to the client. In the imperial capital, he enjoyed delivering the doll to the client with his own hands, rather than relying on a delivery service, as it was a pleasure for the twenty-two-year-old Hugo.

Upon entering the mansion of the client, a wealthy person, Hugo lost consciousness.

When he regained consciousness, Hugo was lying on the floor of the mansion, surrounded by a vast amount of blood. In front of him were the corpses of the client's family and servants.

The corpses were severely damaged. To be precise, their skin had been peeled off and pasted onto mannequins like taxidermy. Their insides were scattered around Hugo.

Stunned by the bizarre situation, Hugo was soon confronted by the military police. It seemed that someone passing by the mansion had heard screams and reported it.

Hugo was arrested as the perpetrator of this gruesome crime.

Of course, he desperately pleaded his innocence during the investigation and trial. However, his pleas were not heard, and Hugo was sentenced to death.

There was no evidence at the crime scene to suggest any other perpetrator besides Hugo. The judge concluded that Hugo had gone insane from making too many dolls, leading to the crime.

Hugo's situation as a death row inmate became known throughout the imperial capital. Newspapers sensationalized the story of the genius doll maker's abnormal crime, and Hugo was called:

The worst serial killer in recent years, the blood-soaked taxidermist.

†

†

The prison was dark and damp. The stone walls and floor were hard and cold. There was no bed, just some straw carelessly placed, and a bucket for defecation.

In a corner of this prison, Hugo Coppelius sat.

The former handsome man, once celebrated, was nowhere to be seen. His hair and beard were unkempt, and his body was emaciated. Dressed in rags, he looked more like a zombie than a vagrant.

Two years had passed since then.

In reality, Hugo was now like a zombie. He had long lost the will to live and did not even flinch when a fly landed on his face.

The appraisal association was investigating Hugo's ability for academic research, so his execution had not yet been carried out.

However, the two-year investigation was finally coming to an end. Once it was over, Hugo's execution would be carried out promptly.

He no longer feared death; rather, he longed for it.

"Number 113! Wake up! You have a visitor!"

A sudden shout, and the guard opened the prison door.

"Get up quickly!"

Forced to stand by the guard, Hugo reluctantly rose. The guard carefully checked the collar around his neck.

This collar was an item made from demonic material that, when the wearer tried to use a skill, would cause the consumed magic to go berserk, resulting in indescribable pain.

"Good, there's no problem with the collar. Let's go!"

Hugo's hands were tied with rope, and he was pulled by the guard.

The meeting room was divided by thick iron bars. On the other side of the bars, the visitor was already seated.

"I'll allow a five-minute visit! No trouble!"

The guard stood in the corner of the room, gesturing for Hugo to move forward. Hugo sighed and sat in the chair in front of the visitor.

"…It's you again. Noel Stollen."

Noel smiled smugly from the other side of the bars.

"Hugo, you've lost weight again, haven't you? I know the food here is as bad as pig leftovers, but you still need to eat. I can't have you die."

"Are you here to get me out and recruit me into your group?"

"That's right!"

Hugo sighed again. This was the third time Noel had come to visit. Before that, it was through letters. The purpose was always the same: to get him out and join the group.

"I've said it many times, but it's impossible. My sentence is already determined. The authoritarian Ministry of Justice will never reverse its decision."

"There are always ways to do it."

Noel stated confidently.

Hugo couldn't laugh at it, even though he said it was impossible. The fact that Noel could visit a death row inmate so casually indicated that he was using some kind of influence.

However, he couldn't take Noel's words at face value.

"You don't believe it, do you?"

"Of course not. I know you're special, but even so, it's impossible to get me out of here."

"Don't underestimate me. Preparations to release you are already underway. I'll show you a glimpse of my power."

Noel snapped his fingers.

The door on the other side opened forcefully, and another guard ran in. This guard was known for his brutal treatment of prisoners, and Hugo had suffered many times at his hands.

"Y-Yes, Master Noel!"

"Tea."

"Y-Yes, sir! I'll bring it right away!"

The guard ran off and returned with a teacup on a plate.

"I apologize for the wait! Here is your tea!"

"Hmm, good job. I'm done. Leave."

"Y-Yes, sir! If you need anything else, just let me know!"

The guard bowed and left.

Noel sipped the tea elegantly, leaving Hugo stunned.

"Good leaves. It's worth the high taxes."

"…I can't believe you're threatening that guard."

"Not threatening, just influencing."

Noel glanced at the guard on Hugo's side, who turned pale and chattered his teeth.

"All the guards in this prison listen to me, from top to bottom."

"…What have you done?"

"Corporate secret."

It was clear that he was doing something on a massive scale. Perhaps he really could get Hugo out. However, Hugo couldn't muster the energy to be happy about it.

"What's wrong? Not happy?"

"…If I could get out of here, it would be very happy. But unfortunately, I can't join your group."

"Why?"

"First, I hate being an explorer. More importantly, I've been out of practice for too long. Even if I joined, I wouldn't be much help."

"Try to like it. Train to make up for the gap."

"…You're asking for the impossible. But if I do get out, I'll owe you a debt I can't repay. So, I'd like to repay you in some other way."

"Hmph, there's no other way."

"Fine. We'll talk about it later. I have a favor to ask today."

"A favor? From me in this state?"

"Soon, I'll be establishing a clan. However, the current party name is a bit unlucky. I intend to change it. Do you have any good ideas?"

"Why ask me? Can't you think of one yourself?"

"You're an artist, right? You seem like the type who would have good ideas."

"Are you trying to make me feel attached to your clan by making me the name-giver?"

"Exactly. Is that a problem?"

Noel admitted it bluntly, and Hugo frowned.

"I won't think of a clan name."

"What a stingy guy."

"…You're a snake-like person. Cunning, merciless, and manipulative. A truly terrifying young man."

"Me, a snake?"

Noel raised an eyebrow in anger but then seemed to think about something.

"…No, a snake. Not bad. …Yeah, not bad."

"What are you mumbling about?"

"I got a good idea. Thanks, Hugo."

Noel smiled and stood up.

"I'm leaving now. By the way, if you say you'll join us here, I'll improve your meals. What do you say?"

"Unnecessary."

"Hmph, I'll be back. Stay well until then."

Noel left, and Hugo was returned to his cell.

In the dark prison, a laugh suddenly bubbled up.

"Haha, really, what a reckless young man."

Laughing made his dry lips crack and bleed. When was the last time he laughed? Human emotions were slowly thawing his numb heart.

"Me, an explorer again…."