Chapter 89
Chapter 89: Moose Urgon
“Aren’t you Young Master Taylor and Young Master Blair?”
As soon as the man acknowledged them, Taylor clenched his fist, and Blair’s face hardened.
My good mood also dampened a bit. The man’s voice was filled with arrogance.
But that wasn’t all.
I didn’t usually care much about appearances, but for some reason, the man’s looks were very, extremely, considerably unpleasant. In terms of physiognomy, it was an extremely offensive face.
It was a face that practically screamed, “I’m despicable.”
Blair muttered under his breath,
“Moose Urgon…”
‘Urgon?’
It was finally the moment they first encountered a direct descendant of Urgon.
But I didn’t feel any particular emotion. I just thought his name perfectly matched his slicked-back hair.
Meanwhile, the man named Argain Heintz in front of us was frozen in place, unsure of how to react.
Moose stretched his neck from afar and said,
“Well, this is unbelievable. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
As Moose continued to express his delight, Argain became visibly flustered.
“I apologize for my rudeness. I didn’t know you were acquainted with Young Master Moose.”
Moose waved his hand dismissively and replied,
“No, it’s not like that. Just come here, Argain.”
As Argain left, Moose beckoned to a nearby server.
“You called?”
Moose twisted his lips and said,
“I told you not to let just anyone in here.”
The server, after checking Moose’s expression, suddenly turned pale and whispered something in his ear. Moose’s eyes widened for a moment, and then he muttered,
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, I confirmed their invitation.”
“That’s strange.”
“Should I ask them to leave?”
“No, it’s fine. When would they ever get to come to a place like this?”
Moose whispered something to the server. Meanwhile, a woman asked curiously,
“Who are they?”
Moose replied with a greasy smile,
“They’re from a backwater clan called Samael. You probably haven’t heard of them.”
“I think I’ve heard of them somewhere.”
“They were involved with us in the past. They’re not worth Gaby’s attention. They’re beneath us.”
“I see.”
The woman lost interest and turned her head away.
* * *
As Moose and his group resumed their drinking, Blair sighed in relief and muttered under his breath,
“The timing couldn’t be worse. I can’t believe we actually ran into Urgon.”
“Is that guy the eldest son?”
Blair shook his head and replied in a low voice,
“He’s the second son. An illegitimate child.”
“So he’s not someone of importance.”
“He’s not a good person.”
“Physiognomy is always accurate.”
As I nodded in agreement, a sudden curiosity arose within me.
“But how do you know that guy?”
“I saw him in the Demon Realm.”
“Did he also enter the 3rd-level Demon Realm or something?”
“…Yes.”
I noticed Blair’s expression stiffen for a moment. He definitely had something he wanted to hide.
Taylor, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.
“We should go downstairs.”
“Where?”
“There’s no point in staying here. Let’s go.”
“What are you talking about? We haven’t even eaten yet.”
“Listen to me.”
“Then you go down first.”
Taylor clenched his fist and glared at me.
“Are you really…”
“Definitely. You’re clearly infected with the disease.”
I started observing the group across from us.
Since we would inevitably encounter them at the banquet, there was no harm in getting a good look at them beforehand.
Focusing on their voices in the quiet atmosphere, I could hear Moose and his group talking.
“…So what happened then?”
“What else could have happened? I beheaded the mutant monster.”
“Really?”
“Yes. In fact, you could say that I was the one who conquered the 3rd-level Demon Realm. My father said he’s going to give me a big reward this time, so you can look forward to it.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Do you have any other questions, Gaby?”
“Well, let me think. Hoho.”
Listening to their conversation, it was nothing but trivial talk.
All the men’s attention was focused on the woman named Gaby.
The men were bragging about themselves, and Gaby, the woman, responded with appropriately haughty laughter.
In short, it was a typical scene of insignificant men trying to woo a woman.
‘Hmm.’
Observing closely, Gaby’s skill at responding was exceptional. It was almost mechanical, showing that she knew how to handle men.
At that moment, the server appeared carrying a tray filled with various dishes.
“Your order is here.”
“…What’s this?”
I was startled as soon as I saw the dishes placed on the table. They brought food that wouldn’t even be sold in the marketplace.
When I looked up, the server gave me an apologetic look.
‘Moose must have ordered this.’
Footsteps echoed from the stairs, and Arin appeared.
It seemed she had just come up after enjoying the lake view. Arin naturally took a seat at the table and frowned at the dishes.
“What’s wrong with the food?”
Suddenly, the noisy chatter stopped abruptly.
All the men’s gazes turned to Arin and froze.
“…”
I suddenly realized the ‘theory of relativity squid’ that one of the Crazy Mage Squad members from my past life used to advocate…
‘They’re really nothing compared to her.’
Looking at Arin and then at Gaby, the term “squid” was indeed a perfect fit.
It seemed the other men thought the same.
* * *
A moment later, Argain, who had received instructions from Moose, approached our table again.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to invite you once more. Would you like to join us?”
Taylor shook his head.
“No, thank you. We’ll be leaving soon.”
Argain glanced at Arin and then said in a strong tone,
“It would be better if you joined us.”
“I said we’re fine.”
The woman named Gaby said with a somewhat uncomfortable expression,
“They said no. Why are you doing this? Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”
Ignoring Gaby’s words completely, Moose stood up and looked at us.
“It’s fate that we met Samael like this. I was wrong. I’d like us to join tables, if possible. What do you think?”
Before Taylor could respond, I stood up and approached their group.
“That’s a great idea.”
As I took a seat, the White Horse Squad members followed me with reluctant expressions.
The reason I accepted Moose’s offer was clear. I was curious about their relationship with Moose.
The way Blair and Taylor’s expressions changed when ‘Demon Realm’ was mentioned earlier.
I had to find out the truth behind those expressions. My intuition told me it was definitely related to Urgon.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.
I needed to find out what happened in the Demon Realm to strategize against Urgon.
As I sat down, Moose raised his glass with a satisfied expression.
“What a wonderful moment to be with good friends and good drinks in such a fine place. Let’s have a toast.”
Argain Heintz chimed in with a supporting chant.
“Good friends, good drinks, good times!”
“Good friends, good drinks, good times!”
As the incredibly cheesy gangster-like toast continued, Moose downed his drink in one gulp and asked Arin,
“Excuse me, but may I ask for the beautiful lady’s name?”
All the men’s eyes turned to Arin at the same time. It could have been an uncomfortable situation, but Arin answered calmly,
“Arin.”
“I didn’t know Samael had such a beautiful lady.”
“Yes.”
Arin replied briefly and started eating the food on the table.
“Haha, take your time.”
As Taylor and Blair quietly observed the situation, I suddenly had a strange feeling.
‘Didn’t Arin enter the Demon Realm?’
Moose seemed to know the other guys, but he acted as if he was meeting Arin for the first time.
Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked Moose directly,
“Didn’t you enter the Demon Realm with Arin?”
Moose scanned me from head to toe, then looked at Arin without answering.
“You have a beautiful name too. Did you also enter the Demon Realm this time, miss?”
When Arin nodded, Moose laughed heartily.
“What a coincidence. I entered the 3rd-level Demon Realm in the 8th district. Where did you enter, miss?”
“The same place.”
“…You entered the 3rd level? Then there’s no way I wouldn’t have seen you.”
“I left from the entrance.”
Moose suddenly puffed out his chest in a heroic posture and said,
“That makes sense. But even if it was just the entrance, the courage to enter the 3rd level is commendable.”
The men around him all chimed in, directing their attention towards Arin.
“That’s right. Just entering the Demon Realm is praiseworthy.”
“Especially the 3rd-level Demon Realm. Where did you find such courage with your delicate frame?”
As the men’s attention focused on Arin, Gaby interjected with a jealous look.
“But if it was just the entrance, it’s practically the same as doing nothing, isn’t it?”
Moose shook his head firmly.
“We’re talking about courage here.”
“It seems cowardly to have run away.”
Moose looked at Gaby and lifted his chin.
“Let me give you a piece of advice, Gaby. It’s best to discard such thoughts. Besides, even at the entrance, it’s dangerous because you could encounter monsters. It’s all the same.”
“…”
Despite the sudden change in attitude, Gaby forced a smile and said,
“I’m also going to enter the Demon Realm soon. My father said I could even handle the 3rd level.”
Argain burst into laughter.
“You don’t know anything about the Demon Realm, do you, Gaby? The 3rd level? Hahaha.”
Moose agreed.
“You shouldn’t underestimate the Demon Realm, Gaby.”
“Of course. Thanks for the advice.”
Gaby nodded while maintaining her smile, but I could tell what she was thinking.
She must be feeling anxious, having gone from being the center of attention to being treated like a leftover.
Moose looked at Arin again and said,
“I’m Moose Urgon. I made significant contributions to conquering the 3rd-level Demon Realm this time. Have you perhaps heard of me?”
Arin took a bite of meat and replied,
“No.”
Moose looked disappointed for a moment, then continued speaking confidently,
“Without me, it would have been difficult even with the Red Phoenix Division and my brother. Of course, these two gentlemen here also made decent contributions. Although Blair was busy running away. Haha.”
I perked up, sensing that the topic I was curious about was about to come up. Arin chewed on the meat, then spat it out and said,
“This is really disgusting.”
Moose, finding even that endearing, laughed and said,
“You have refined taste. By the way, our Young Master Blair also suffered a major injury midway, didn’t he?”
“…”
As Blair frowned, Moose smirked and continued,
“Does it bother you so much to hear that you received help from me?”
Blair glared at Moose and retorted,
“You should speak truthfully. You didn’t do anything in the Demon Realm, did you?”
The corners of Moose’s lips stiffened slightly.
“What did you just say?”
As Blair and Moose engaged in a staring contest, Argain intervened.
“That’s quite rude, Young Master Blair.”
“…”
Taylor stepped in.
“He seems drunk. We’re leaving.”
Moose replied with a smile,
“You can’t leave without my permission. But I’ll make an exception and allow you to leave alone. Your presence here lowers the atmosphere, so hurry up and go. I need to have a chat with Lady Arin. Haha.”
I just confirmed one thing.
While speaking, Moose was awkwardly forcing a smile. It felt like he was putting on a show of bravado.
‘Is he wary of Taylor?’
For some reason, Moose was paying attention to Taylor’s every move.
This was the perfect opportunity for me to step in. Keeping the wise saying “Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated” in mind, I spoke to Moose.
“I’ve heard a lot about your reputation, Young Master Moose. You made great achievements in the Demon Realm, they say.”
Moose looked at me.
“I’m the highest-ranking person here. Taylor and Blair might be too proud to admit it, but they did mention your impressive accomplishments.”
I continued speaking rapidly before Moose could respond.
“Actually, Arin also knows your name, Young Master Moose. Right, Arin? Look, she’s nodding in agreement. She must be too shy to speak. She’s curious about the rest of the story, so please tell us. It seems Arin is also eager to hear more.”
Moose’s expression immediately softened. He smirked and looked at me with an intrigued expression.
“I didn’t know there was someone so perceptive in Samael. What did you say your name was?”
I replied with the first name that came to mind.
“Zion.”
While Blair stared at me in bewilderment, Moose ran his hand through his hair and grinned.
“Nice to meet you, Young Master Zion.”
His behavior was truly disgusting.
But sometimes, you have to endure disgusting things, and this was one of those times. I hadn’t heard what I wanted to know yet.
“Alright, since the lady is curious, I should tell you. About what happened in the 3rd-level Demon Realm…”
But sometimes, there are people who can’t stand disgusting things. Arin, who was eating a piece of raw fish, spat it out and said,
“Why is this so fishy? It’s so disgusting, I can’t eat it.”
———