«That’s how it happened.»

«Hmm…»

Go Byeonggap learned the goblins’ story — and they learned his.

He stubbed out his cigarette butt and sank into thought.

‘What a mess.’

Landriol was said to be preparing for war.

He was gathering goblins with outstanding combat ability, putting them through brutal training, and sending any dropouts to Somnium for hard labor.

On top of that, he was buying up female goblins — no, female Saraon — by the truckload. Whatever crystals remained, he used to buy iron ore to forge weapons.

‘No wonder there’s only this much left.’

When he last checked, his crystals had topped ten million. Now, barely over two million remained.

‘Merilin… Did the queen’s seat tempt you that badly?’

Merilin had become the first wife. The goblins apparently addressed her as Lady now.

The raid team—as Landriol’s trusted aides—were apparently overseeing the soldiers’ training.

Doran was no slouch in a fight either. When he asked why she was out mining crystals in Somnium instead, she answered:

“That bastard tried to drag me into his bedchamber—”

To summarize: Landriol had taken several women into his chambers and gotten them pregnant. On the pretext of spreading the ‘Emperor’s seed’ to breed exceptional talent.

Doran had been selected as a mother. Merilin tried to stop it, but the Emperor’s will couldn’t be defied.

Thankfully, the worst hadn’t come to pass — because Doran fought back like a wildcat.

That day, Landriol beat Doran black and blue, then sent her to Somnium. He couldn’t bring himself to kill her, so he made her do grunt work instead.

«My Lord, you’ve truly endured so much.»

«No. You’ve suffered more. And Doran—»

«Yes, my Lord.»

«I’m sorry. Because of my foolishness, you almost went through hell.»

«How is that your fault, my Lord? You’ve done nothing wrong.»

Go Byeonggap simply patted Doran on the back.

«My Lord. What do you intend to do now? Will you march on Baltadren?»

«Let’s march! We’ll bring all the children and slaughter every last one of those bastards!»

«It’s not that simple.»

«Why not?»

«Landriol is strong. Stronger than me.»

He hated admitting it, but Landriol was stronger.

Go Byeonggap still remembered that moment vividly—the instant he’d been stunned senseless by an inviolable strength.

«And there are goblins there too. If we charge in rashly and end up crossing blades with our own kind… that can’t happen.»

«They’ll listen to Lord too! They all missed you!»

Doran sounded certain, but Byeonggap felt differently.

Dorma.

Hadn’t even Dorma—the goblin who followed Byeonggap more loyally than any other—bowed before Landriol’s presence?

He now possessed the Lord’s essence himself, but whether he could stand against Landriol’s authority and win was anyone’s guess.

‘What do I do?’

Overthrow Landriol. For that task, he needed deeper thought and a meticulous plan.

The longer he brooded, the fuller the ashtray grew.

‘Is there anything I have over Landriol? Any field where I can stay one step ahead…’

His grim expression made Gobungi and Doran stiffen in sympathy. Just then, the door creaked open and a single Tiny goblin entered.

In his arms was a basket—one piled high with potatoes.

«Lord. Ea said to bring this. Said Lord must be hungry.»

«Well, shit.»

All the tension he’d built dissolved in an instant. He let out a small laugh and rubbed his face a few times.

«Aren’t you hungry?»

«Not really. Lord, eat.»

Byeonggap picked up one of the potatoes. Naturally, it was an Asvillam-grown spud. A single new potato was the size of two decent fists.

It looked appetizing… well, not really. At the end of the day, it was just a potato.

«…»

Instead of taking a bite, he stared at it blankly. The Tiny cocked his head, puzzled by his Lord’s strange behavior.

«Not eating?»

«No. Let’s try the classic approach.»

«Huh?»

Byeonggap’s face hardened with resolve. He wolfed down the potato in two bites, then looked at Doran.

«Doran.»

«Yes, Lord!»

«Tell me everything you know about Landriol’s every move. Even the smallest detail—don’t leave anything out.»

«Yes! Understood.»

«And Gobungi.»

«Sir!»

«Take the children and resume the mining operation. We can’t let them catch wind of anything suspicious on our side. And double the number of sentries. If they find anything, report to me immediately.»

«Understood!»

Gobungi dashed out the door.

Doran was loosening her neck, ready to launch into a long story. Byeonggap rose, calming her with a gesture.

«I’m just going to pop over to the other world for a bit.»

At those words, worry settled over Doran’s face. She was afraid of her Lord leaving.

Byeonggap smiled gently and soothed her.

«Don’t worry. I’ll be right back.»

«Promise?»

«Yeah. Ten or fifteen minutes.»

He stepped through the gate and returned to Earth. Just as expected, he was on the midslope of Jirisan, where he’d met Kim Hana. The scent of home—three weeks absent—lifted his spirits.

But there was no time to savor the atmosphere. He pulled his phone from his pocket.

He’d kept it charged here and there with a solar charger, but the battery was hanging by a thread.

‘Cutting it close on time. Job’s not quite done, though.’

He called Jeong Seongyeong. The line picked up before the second ring finished.

“Hey—Byeonggap! You alive?!”

“Yeah. Somehow still kicking. But you sound a little disappointed?”

“You crazy son of a #@& @#@&……”

A torrent of curses came blasting through the phone. He’d meant it as a joke, but it looked like he’d touched off Seongyeong’s temper.

He barely managed to calm her down.

“So you coming back now? Hurry up and take the stuff you gave me! Gives me the creeps every time I look at it.”

“Sorry. Not quite wrapped up yet. I’ve got a favor to ask you too, Noona.”

“A favor? ……What the hell are you scheming now, you bastard?”

“It’s nothing like that……”

Byeonggap hesitated for a moment. Even swallowing his pride to ask, he wasn’t sure it was right.

“Noona. Can you get me some medicine?”

“Medicine? What kind?”

“Well……”

“Ah, shit! Spit it out! How am I supposed to get it or fry you for it if you won’t say?!”

“A really strong sedative. The kind they use for general anesthesia. Or maybe some drugs that mess with your head, or even a potent poison. Can you get me some?”

The other end of the line went silent. Byeonggap’s face burned, and he said nothing more. Only the chirping of birds filled the air.

A few seconds later.

“You absolute lunatic #%&^*$#@%&……”

That day, he got every curse word in existence thrown at him.

* * *

“In all my goddamn life, I’ve never seen a crazy fucker like you. A guy who says he’s going off to die calls after three weeks to ask for drugs? Hey, you brain-dead piece of shit! Did you really think I deal with that kind of thing? What the hell did you take me for? And what else was it? Poison? Hah… the more I think about it, the more pissed I get. Don’t ever ask me for this crap again!”

That was what Jeong Seongyeong said at the entrance of Jirisan, carrying the surgical-grade anesthetic she’d brought.

He cursed her out thoroughly, but in the end, she relented. Go Byeonggap bowed three times, thanking her profusely.

—I’ve got a headache from work as it is. Anyway, when you finally make it up to Seoul, we’ll meet!

She rushed back to Seoul due to her schedule. Go Byeonggap smacked his dry lips and crossed over to Asvillam. It was already pitch-dark night.

«You have arrived!»

«Yeah, Gobungi. Anything unusual?»

«Nothing, my Lord. All quiet.»

«Good. You’re doing well.»

Go Byeonggap gazed down at the dim forest, lost in thought.

He’d secured the drug. Now all he had to do was get it into Landriol and strike at the vulnerable moment, exploiting the opening.

The plan might look crude on the surface. But it was an assassination method proven through long history.

‘The problem is how to get Landriol to swallow the anesthetic.’

His original plan had been to lace the food. That’s why he’d asked Doran about Landriol’s every move.

But as always, things didn’t go as expected.

‘So Landriol doesn’t sit down to a lavish feast.’

Go Byeonggap had naturally assumed Landriol would be served a table groaning with delicacies. But he ate no separate meals.

The only thing he consumed was ‘gold dragon meat.’ Ripping into raw, uncooked flesh was his sole act of eating.

If he couldn’t drug the food, then what path was left to get the anesthetic into him?

It was Doran’s voice that roused him from his brooding.

«Lord. So you’re here.»

«Hm? Were you looking for me?»

«Yes. I have something to tell you.»

Doran’s demeanor was unusually serious. Sensing a different air than usual, Go Byeonggap grew solemn himself.

«What is it you want to say?»

«Lord. Let me do it.»

«Do what?»

«That—feeding Landriol the drug. I can do it.»

She too had been briefed on the plan, so she knew the flaws and the struggle.

As Go Byeonggap furrowed his brow, Doran hurried on.

«Actually, he summoned me back to Baltadren.»

«Summoned you back?»

«Yes. The reason he called me… is probably to bring me into his bedchamber again.»

«Hey, don’t tell me—»

Before Go Byeonggap could finish, she cut in.

«I know from going in once. At that moment, even he’s unguarded. No weapon, stripped bare. Drunk on liquor, his eyes hazy. If we strike then, I can do it. I can pull this off.»

«Hey. Don’t talk nonsense.»

Go Byeonggap cut her off flatly.

«Why! Why is it nonsense?»

«You have to ask? It’s too dangerous. If things go wrong, you’ll be dead before you can even react—»

«Why!»

Doran let out a sharp yelp. Her squawking wasn’t unusual, but this time the emotion behind it was different.

Go Byeonggap flinched.

«You…»

«Why… why must only the Lord take dangerous risks? What isn’t dangerous now, I ask you!»

«…….»

«Either way, I have to go to Baltadren. If he called and I don’t show, he’ll get suspicious. I was supposed to go by today. Maybe he already suspects me.»

She latched onto Byeonggap’s arm, her tone almost pleading.

«Please. Let me help you, my Lord. Yes? I’m begging you!»

«…….»

«If the Lord dies, I’ll die with you. So it’s a life already marked for death. Let me spend it for you.»

Doran’s resolve was solid. The naive little girl who once seemed so childish was gone.

The truth of it struck Byeonggap hard—pain and gratitude in equal measure. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

«I’m sorry.»

The next day, Doran left for Baltadren, carrying a bundle of anesthetic.

* * *

Landriol was the Emperor. Once, his stature rivaled the gods—he commanded hundreds of thousands of demi-humans with a mere glance.

But that was a story from ages past. Now, all that remained to him were a shabby fifteen hundred attendants, and vengeance—nothing more.

Today, as usual, Landriol spent the whole day in the forge. His recent routine was crafting weapons and farming tools from iron ore bought at the Ancient Shop.

That sort of labor was normally drudgery for court alchemists—certainly no task for a king. But what could he do? He didn’t have a single decent craftsman, let alone an alchemist.

‘Ten years. Just wait ten years, Madmut. I’ll tear you apart and devour you piece by piece.’

He stoked the rage inside him, as always. That day’s humiliation, his sense of loss, his grief—all the negative emotions he could never afford to forget, even for a moment.

Knock. Knock.

Someone rapped at the door to his bedchamber.

«It’s Merilin.»

«Enter.»

Merilin stepped inside. Beside her stood a small girl in thin silk robes.

‘Barin…’

The girl’s name was Doran. But Landriol couldn’t help seeing Barin in her.

How could she resemble her so closely? Had he not heard of Doran’s origins, he’d have taken her for Barin’s reincarnation without a doubt.

Landriol downed the liquor at his side in great gulps before speaking.

«Merilin, leave us.»

«My… Your Majesty…»

«I said leave.»

«As you wish….»

Merilin bowed her head, sorrow etched across her face. She had sworn to do anything for the Emperor, but leaving behind Doran—who was like a daughter to her—made it impossible to take a single step forward.

She gently touched Doran’s shoulder.

«Doran. Please, behave yourself…»

«Get lost. I don’t want to hear your voice.»

Doran shrugged her off roughly. Then she strode over to the Emperor.

Merilin watched her back for a moment before slipping out of the bedchamber.

«I hear Merilin raised you like her own daughter. Yet you’ve got the tongue of a spiteful little wench.»

«…»

«So. Word is you yourself asked to enter my chambers?»

Landriol tipped the bottle back again.

He needed to get drunk fast. If he didn’t, he felt he’d lose his mind.

Amid it all, Doran answered.

«Yes.»

«What’s your game? Last time you raged like a rabid dog. What’s changed your mind? I brought you back to Baltadren, but not for this.»

«There’s no game. I just don’t want to swing a pickaxe anymore. I only want to bear your child and live in comfort.»

«Heh heh heh. A bold little vixen. Your temper’s nothing like hers. That girl was so gentle.»

Landriol fell into a brief reverie. Barin had been such a quiet, timid woman. A sudden scare from behind would make her burst into tears, wouldn’t it? On the days he set out for battle, her eyes would swell red from crying.

Doran rolled her eyes a few times before asking.

«Nothing like whose temper…»

«Shut your mouth.»

«…Yes. I’m sorry.»

Doran undid the knot of her garment. The thin silk slid down, baring her body. She slowly approached the bed.

Landriol deliberately refused to look at her. He just kept emptying bottle after bottle.

Before long, Doran climbed onto the bed. She naturally nestled against Landriol—and he shoved her away.

«Spare me the useless formalities. Lie down straight.»

«…»

He didn’t bring women to his bedchamber for lust. Reproduction. It was solely for reproduction.

This time was no different. He intended to finish the act mechanically and send her away.

That had been his plan, no doubt.

Doran curled up tightly, covering parts of her body. Then a flush crept across her face, and she showed a hint of shyness.

«I’m embarrassed. Could you please put out the light?»

«…»

Landriol’s heart lurched.

The girl’s earlier audacity had vanished without a trace. What’s more, she looked embarrassed and coy—the spitting image of Barin.

He waved his arm as if spellbound, and all the candles in the bedroom went out.

Doran spoke in a honeyed voice, as if she’d been waiting.

«Your Majesty. I am yours.»

«Shut… shut your mouth…»

«Hold me. I want to bear the Emperor’s child.»

Doran rose gracefully and slipped into his arms. For some reason, Landriol couldn’t move a single finger.

«This little she-cat…»

«Mmm. Don’t say such frightening things.»

As she spoke, Doran casually brought her hand to her hair. She plucked a tiny pill from the braided strands and, unnoticed by Landriol, slipped it into her mouth.

Just then, the Emperor pressed his lips to hers. He was already fully aroused.

Perhaps that was why. He didn’t notice the pill artfully hidden behind her tongue. Landriol merely explored Doran’s lips.

«Barin. Barin. Barin!»

He transformed into a beast. The cold, mocking demeanor was gone.

He pinned Doran beneath him. It was a moment of hell for her. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for it to end quickly.

And at last.

«Ugh… Ugh!?»

Landriol staggered, clutching his forehead. His eyes seemed about to close at any moment. Doran couldn’t hold back and shoved him off.

Only then did Landriol seem to sense something was wrong.

«You treacherous wench! What have you—!»

Landriol unleashed an immense killing intent. Doran felt she might crumple on the spot, but she swallowed her fear and gathered her energy.

‘Is she going to attack!’

Anticipating that her energy would strike him, Landriol immediately raised his defenses.

But she aimed for the wall instead.

«Lord! Looord!!!»

Doran screamed, her voice tearing, as she struck the wall. Stone crumbled helplessly, revealing the space outside.

And a man stepped in.

«You’ve done your part. I’ll handle the rest.»