Chapter 22: Commandment of Truth!
[T/N: Sorry, it's censored guys. A bunch of Mf CCP.]
"Sign in!"
[Ding! Sign-in successful!]
[Reward obtained: Commandment of Truth from the Ten Commandments]
[Commandment of Truth: Anyone who utters a lie or breaks a promise shall be turned to stone!]
"Another commandment with a very specific use, huh?"
Rod scratched his head and got out of bed.
The effects of the Commandment of Truth was powerful, but only against those who lied or broke promises.
If he encountered someone who never lied, then the commandment would be utterly useless.
What was more, the person wielding this commandment couldn't trick others into lying either.
Because the commandment would also apply to the wielder.
All in all, not very useful.
Well, not completely useless—just not all that handy in combat.
Unless, of course, the enemy decided to give him the chance to out-talk them.
After getting dressed, Rod glanced over at Euphemia, who was sleeping soundly after a night of purification.
Though the process had been tiring, the result was good.
A few more purification sessions, and the demonic energy in her would be almost completely eliminated.
———
On the street, the girl in red was still selling her matches with great effort.
"Sir, it's you again!"
Upon seeing Rod, Brittany's face lit up with a brilliant smile.
"Do you still have the gold coins I gave you?" Rod asked, stroking his chin.
"…They're gone."
Brittany's expression turned sorrowful.
As expected, Rod thought.
He stroked his chin again, pulled out two more gold coins from his pocket, and tossed them into her basket.
"From now on, I'll buy all your matches."
The missing coins? He couldn't care less. What he had in abundance were gold coins.
What he really wanted to know was, who or what was behind this?
Not giving the girl a chance to refuse, Rod waved her off, grabbed a basket of matches, and left.
"Let's see what you've got."
Rod pulled out a match, struck it gently, and watched the flame flicker before it was consumed. A smirk of disdain appeared on his face.
Everyone who got close to this girl would suffer misfortune?
He didn't believe in that nonsense.
If there really was such a curse, then let him see it with his own eyes.
He had barely walked a few steps when a flower pot suddenly fell from above, aimed straight at his head.
The pot was huge—about half the size of a person. If it had hit an ordinary person, two lives wouldn't have been enough to save them.
Before it could even reach his head, the falling pot turned to ash, incinerated by the terrifying heat radiating from Rod.
Then, from around the corner, a runaway carriage came barreling down the street at breakneck speed.
"Out of the way! I've lost control of the horse!"
The driver frantically yanked at the reins, but the wild horse was on a collision course with Rod.
The driver shut his eyes in terror, already imagining the blood-spattered scene about to unfold.
"Neighhhh!"
The frenzied horse, with eyes bloodshot, let out a desperate cry.
Rod casually stepped to the side and placed one hand on the horse's head, instantly stopping it in its tracks.
"Beast, do you also wish to defy me?"
Rod shot the horse a glance, and in his golden eyes, flames roared.
The once-violent horse immediately calmed down, its knees buckling as it knelt before him. Fear filled its gaze as it looked at Rod.
"Is this all you've got?"
Rod looked up at the sky, his face expressionless, though his cold demeanor carried an air of unmistakable arrogance.
Not even brave enough to show yourself? How pathetic, he thought. He had clearly overestimated this opponent.
"I was planning to leave today, but it seems I'll have to delay that."
Leaving now, with this unsolved business, felt like leaving with a stone in his chest.
At the very least, he needed to take care of the demon hiding in the shadows and the creature spying on Brittany.
Only then would he feel satisfied.
Who was the hunter, and who was the prey?
That would depend on whose strength was greater.
"One by one, I'll take them down. They better pray I don't find them."
If he found them, they were as good as dead.
Rod wandered through the town and eventually stumbled upon a black market hidden in a remote corner.
Black markets typically dealt with shady trades like the selling of slaves.
After browsing around, Rhode didn't find anything particularly interesting.
There were plenty of slave traders, but most of them were selling laborers and serfs.
Beautiful slaves were far rarer.
Of course, laborer slaves were relatively cheap.
You could buy one for as little as ten or twenty gold coins.
Rhode even saw a trader selling magical creatures.
There were a few goblins, of unknown origin, and a kobold.
Goblins reproduce quickly, but they're weak and cowardly, often only bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
However, goblins have a distant cousin known as the Dark Goblin.
Unlike regular goblins, Dark Goblins are bloodthirsty and cruel, and they love to abduct females of other species for breeding.
They're a race universally hated by everyone.
As for kobolds, they're a branch of the beastman race, known for their hard work and skill in mining.
They're not worth much, but they cost a little more than regular slaves.
After all, magical creatures were rare in the Northern Realm.
Even though they weren't valuable, they were still considered somewhat of a novelty.
"No elves for sale, I see." [T/N: A man of culture indeed.]
Rod clicked his tongue.
Elves, with their long lifespans and renowned beauty, were the most coveted slaves among nobles.
Unfortunately, elves were scarce, powerful, and mostly lived deep within the Forest of Elves, rarely venturing out.
Even slave traders who dared to venture into the forest to capture them often came back empty-handed.
This made elven slaves incredibly rare on the market.
Whenever one appeared, nobles would spend a fortune in auctions to acquire them.
Obtaining an elf slave required more than just money; it required incredible luck as well.
Of course, Rod could try to capture one himself by going to the Forest of Elves.
But after thinking about the long journey, he dismissed the idea.
The Forest of Elves was located along the border between the Northern and Southern Realms.
To get there, Rod would have to cross the entire Northern Realm.
Just the thought of it gave him a headache.
Still, owning an elf slave was every man's dream.
"The king of Harman's new clothes are finally ready. I heard he'll be parading through the castle tomorrow to show them off."
"What's so special about some clothes that they're worth showing off?"
Leaving the black market, Rod walked through the streets where crowds of people were discussing the Earl of Harman's new attire.
"Eh, it's not like this earl hasn't done stupid things before. Nothing surprising."
Most people were used to it by now, but Rod couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
The timing of it all seemed too coincidental.
"Snowing already?"
Suddenly, a snowflake drifted down in front of him.
"This year's snow came two months early."
Feeling the biting cold wind, Rod had a premonition.
Tonight was going to be exceptionally cold.
All filth would be buried beneath the snow.
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