Chapter 44: Temple of the Patron God
"Huh? That’s funny — I have to go straight to the point with you!" Carl grinned and pressed the tip of his sword an inch into the hooker’s chest, drawing a light groan from her.
Then he looked up, amused.
"Make a deal or she’s going to die."
He added, looking at Roy,
"Kill him if you want. After all, he’s just trash to me."
"Sorry, buddy. I’ll make you a luxury grave," Carl thought to himself.
To be honest, if Roy died, Carl would barely feel anything — not even a flicker of guilt. Even though Roy might be useful later, right now he was just raw stone and useless. Because of that, Carl’s face wore a crazy, vile expression; he practically didn’t care if the keeper of the brothel killed Roy or not.
The keeper brothel grimaced and tightened her grip on Roy’s throat while asking,
"Are you sure? You think if you kill my girl you’ll be able to flee from here safely?"
Carl smirked and laughed loudly.
"Who do you think I am? I have tons of ways to get out of here without any effort. Just some bitch like you gonna stop me?"
"But—guess this girl’s important to you." Carl laughed maniacally as he looked down at the hooker beneath his feet.
How could Carl be so sure she mattered to them? Simple — just by looking at her class dragon and soul dragon. No ordinary hookers in the brothel could compare to this one in potential. And when Carl declared he would finish the girl off, he’d seen a trace of worry cross the keeper brothel’s face.
Reading those emotions of women, which were written on their faces, made Carl feel rather excited.
At this moment he was really like a rotten villain. Carl curled his lips and shouted,
"I say make a deal. If not, in the next few seconds you’ll witness her decapitated head."
"What a laugh... You shouldn’t have gotten attached to your underlings. It’s just a burden — and now you’ll pay for that stupid decision."
Carl chuckled when he saw a tinge of hesitation in the keeper brothel ’s actions.
"Quickly. I don’t have much time for a hooker like you. Make a deal or she dies." Carl roared and thrust his sword in deeper before the keeper brothel could respond.
" I ACCEPT!" she shouted, veins standing out on her face as she stared at Carl like she wanted to tear him to pieces.
"I accept."
However, at that moment, a shadowy figure slowly revealed itself from the crowd — a middle-aged man with a mature face and a muscular frame. His expression shifted from cold fury to astonishment and disbelief the instant he saw Carl.
"...Weber?" Carl frowned as he recognized the man.
"Y-Young master?" Weber stammered, equally surprised.
***
In the end, everything settled peacefully without any conflict. It turned out Carl knew Weber because Carl had once saved him back when Carl still held his status and influence in the Ryan Family.
It was a long story. During a visit to the Ortega Family, Carl had come across Weber, a soldier about to be executed for a mistake during a simple mission — though it was clearly a setup disguised as lawful punishment. Using his authority, Carl intervened and saved him. Of course, at the time, Carl only did it in his hobby, just to see the angry face of the person behind that trap. The thrill of it amused him.
"It’s kind of nostalgic... back when I still had some power in the family," Carl said with a faint smile, taking a sip of tea while sitting on the long sofa in the brothel’s hall.
Sitting across from him were the brothel’s keeper and Weber.
"I didn’t expect you to have a wife and daughter living here, Weber."
Weber nodded with a small smile, gently rubbing Teri’s head with affection.
"Brother, you’re a good man!" Teri said, pointing at Carl with a childlike giggle.
Carl’s eyes twitched slightly. Honestly, he had no idea how to react — after all, that girl was the one who had caused him so much pain. In the end, he just forced a reluctant smile.
Meanwhile, the brothel’s keeper didn’t seem to show any friendliness or warmth toward Carl at all. Well, it was understandable, considering what he had done to her underling. Anyway, that hooker had already been saved afterward and was now lying in a room, while Roy was in a similar state.
"Sigh..." Carl scratched the back of his head, cursing Hanely — that bastard had sent him on such a dangerous mission, and now he couldn’t even complete it after realizing who the so-called criminal was.
"Guess I’ll just focus on clearing dungeons when I get back to the academy," he muttered. "I need to reach Rank E as soon as possible."
Eventually, he must crush one of those mighty dragons from the student council and take their place.
He didn’t want to miss any important events without being part of the council.
Still, even though he’d already decided to drop this mission, curiosity lingered in his mind — why had Weber ended up in such a mess again?
Carl asked, "How did you become a criminal? Or... were you trapped by them again, like last time?"
Weber let out a bitter sigh and smiled weakly.
"I don’t know."
Silence followed.
Carl raised a brow, slightly confused.
"You could lie or make up something believable... but if that’s all you say, no one’s going to trust you."
The brothel keeper smirked.
"I trust him. My husband never lies to me."
Carl signed.
"That’s not the issue, lady. Look at your underlings."
"Whether they believe Weber or not... I’m guessing none of them do," Carl said, glancing around the hall.
Some of the hookers looked visibly exhausted — others looked at Weber with hatred. A quiet wave of discontent had already been beginning to ripple among the brothel keeper’s people.
"Maybe you’re a good wife, but you’re a bad master." Carl shrugged lightly.
"And now, I suppose their fate will end once the sun sets—because of your indecision."
The brothel keeper just gritted her teeth and accepted Carl’s harsh words. After all, everything he said was true.
A powerless woman.
Weber, with a sad face, just held his wife’s hand and tried to comfort her in helplessness.
"Tsk!" Carl clicked his tongue. He rubbed the back of his head, thinking.
"Why do I feel like such trash?"
Finally, Carl spoke up.
"Honestly, I believe you, Weber."
Weber froze for a moment before looking at Carl with slight suspicion.
Carl just grinned.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You’re a brainless soldier, but a trustworthy man—that’s why I saved you before. But unlucky for you, this time, I can’t do anything for you. I’m not an heir to the Ryan Family anymore, just an ordinary young man."
"I told you... you should’ve accepted being an ordinary soldier instead of taking that promotion. A stupid guy like you can’t survive among the cunning foxes of the Ortega Family."
Weber and his wife just went stiff, their throats tight, while Teri sobbed and hugged her father in sadness.
Carl sighed, rubbing the back of his head again as he looked at their gloomy faces.
"Well, I can’t do much, but you can tell me everything clearly. Maybe I can find a way for you."
Weber’s pale face nodded slowly. He barely held onto a shred of hope.
"Sure, my young master..."
He tried to recall something, but his mind was a mess, and a dull ache spread through his head.
"It’s... rather vague. The last thing I remember is being assigned a mission by my commander—somewhere in the temple of the god patron, Stoker. Then... someday, I can’t recall exactly when, something happened inside that temple. But I didn’t know what it was, not even a single piece of memory remains.
After those damned days, I woke up outside the Ortega Family’s territory... and saw wanted posters of me everywhere."
"That’s all I can say, young master. I’m sorry for the incomplete information."
Carl rubbed his chin, trying to assess the situation.
"What a mess."
Ting!
[System Notice]: Use Cobb’s mana. It will be useful if this situation involves the Temple of the Patron God.
Carl frowned for a moment, then nodded slightly.
He drew his sword and channeled its dark mana into his left hand. Then he turned to Weber.
"Take my hand, Weber. Try to check your memories again."
Weber looked at Carl’s left hand shrouded in darkness, shocked and confused.
But without hesitation, he grabbed it. The dark mana surged into his body, sending waves of numbness across his limbs.
He groaned in pain as something strange invaded his mind, biting deep into his head.
Then, suddenly, something shifted inside him—like a heavy mist covering his forgotten memories was slowly lifting.
He saw it.
At least, a broken fragment of it.
But just a few seconds later, the mist came back, swallowing everything again—and this time, it bit deeper, crushing his mind.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Weber screamed in agony and collapsed instantly. His skin turned ghostly pale, his body weak and trembling. Dark, blood-like tears streamed from his eyes, making everyone freeze in horror.
He was barely conscious.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY LOVE?!"
The brothel keeper glared at Carl with murderous intent, and all the nearby hookers tightened their grip on their weapons—ready to strike if their mistress gave the order.
Carl flinched and took a few cautious steps back, raising his guard.
"Damn it! My wife—what’s happening to him?!"