Then Die.

Fusion.

Does that word mean what I think it does?

It was so absurd that I glanced at Chunsik rolling around at my feet, but his eyes overflowed with sincerity.

― Please lift me up, master!”

Lift him up?

For now, I grabbed Chunsik’s head with one hand.

Peering inside, it was completely empty—strangely, it looked like I could even wear it on my own head.

― A Dullahan’s true form is the head, not the body!”

But without a body, how could he do anything?

Huh? Hmm?

Just as I was about to retort to Chunsik’s nonsense, a strange energy began to surge through my body.

*【The power of Dullahan has settled into you.】*

Unlike the physical abilities granted by the ‘skeleton exoskeleton’, I could feel a tremendous power boiling up from within.

The oppressive aura I’d felt from Chunsik moments ago now seemed to swirl in my dantian.

A surge of power like a tidal wave.

Vitality crashing like a torrent.

An experience wholly unfamiliar to me.

“Woahhh…!”

Everything stormed within me like a tempest, and my raised voice sounded almost beast-like.

Kalec paused for a moment, visibly startled by the strange power I was emitting. I seized the opportunity and charged at him.

“What is that! That wolf mask!”

Kalec, startled, attacked with his seasoned swordsmanship. But my body was already moving far beyond his expectations.

Clang—!

Rather than dodging, I barreled into his sword. His blade grazed my ‘skeleton exoskeleton’, but I paid it no mind.

When attacks seemed likely to land, I twisted my body to redirect them with the exoskeleton.

Every attack that could succeed, I drove in.

Though a dagger’s wounds are shallow, they steadily accumulated.

“Urgh, grrr…!”

Kalec buckled to his knees—not a distant outcome.

I looked down at the seasoned fighter kneeling before me. He wasn’t an opponent to be overcome this easily. Normally, defeating him should have been a struggle.

Yet I subdued him so simply.

It was as if this wasn’t really me—what I’d overcome wasn’t a seasoned fighter, but the very limits of myself.

Huh?

It was then.

My reflection appeared in a shattered mirror.

In one hand, a stumpy dagger.

In the other, a wolf’s head.

Across my body was a grotesque exoskeleton made of bones.

What an ugly sight.

“Brother, you look incredible…!”

Contrary to my thoughts, Barkal let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration.

A single tear even fell from beneath his skull helmet.

“You look just like the avatar of Thrag, brother!”

Barkal…

That comment was actually rather off-putting.

* * *

*〈Thrag is roaring with laughter.〉*

Once things settled down, an annoying message appeared before me.

Thanks to him, I can’t use summoning and it’s a headache. I’ll need to sort him out later.

“Brother! I’ve tied them all up!”

While I was glaring at Thrag, Barkal shouted to me.

The security officers from Odheim who’d come to arrest us—I’d told him to restrain them.

“Tying them one by one was a hassle, so I tied them all in a single line!”

He boasted, slapping his chest. Sure enough, around seven people were all tied together as one bundle.

Well, whatever.

I approached the most troublesome fighter—Kalec.

“Ugh…”

Kalec strained as if trying to break free. Veins bulged across his body, but because the rope held several people haphazardly, it only dug deeper into his flesh.

“What exactly did we violate under the security law?”

They’d claimed we broke the law, but I had no idea what they meant.

“Th-they said they’d explain if we followed them…”

“I’ll hear it here. If the reason’s legitimate, we’ll go with you ourselves.”

I had no intention of going, but it was best to say so for now.

Maybe my fake sincerity came across, because Kalec slowly began to speak.

“A tip claimed you’d stolen the cultivation method for ‘Bloody Rose,’ a patented product of the Rose of Blood merchant guild.”

Bloody Rose?

What’s that?

With that expression, I glanced toward Marcus in the back. He coughed and slowly crept forward.

“It’s a rose that can only be found here in Odheim. Nowhere else, not even on other continents, can you find such a rare rose.”

Marcus began explaining about the Bloody Rose.

“And its value is at least five times—no, ten times that of other rare roses.”

Hmm.

I sighed quietly.

So this ‘Bloody Rose’ is a coveted and high-value item. The ‘Rose of Blood’ merchant guild would want to keep its cultivation method secret at all costs.

But then why are we suddenly accused of being ‘method thieves’? Of being industrial spies?

We haven’t had any dealings with the Rose of Blood nor even seen a Bloody Rose.

“So, the merchant guild that reported us under the security law was the Rose of Blood?”

Kalec gave no answer to my question. But his silence seemed a tacit admission, so I felt no need for a response.

“Isn’t the Rose of Blood merchant guild said to rival the Golden Chain in dividing up Odheim?”

“Rather than sharing, the Rose of Blood near-completely dominates the rose market,”

Kalec replied. I looked at Marcus. He averted his gaze with another cough.

Thought you said it was balanced.

Kalec muttered as if he found my reaction strange.

“… You really seem ignorant of Odheim’s situation.”

Told you.

We just arrived.

“Then how could we have broken any security law…?”

How should I know.

“Brother, what has happened?”

As I was struggling to piece things together in my head and getting nowhere, Barkal suddenly came up and asked.

Unable to provide a solution, I briefly explained to Barkal:

The ‘Rose of Blood’ merchant guild had accused us under the security law, but we’d never seen or interacted with them, nor had any reason to be reported.

“Are they people who dislike us?”

I don’t know, but they certainly don’t like us if they went so far as to file a report.

I nodded.

“Barbarians have one rule.”

I had a feeling something pointless was coming, but I listened closely nonetheless.

“If someone dislikes you for no reason, you give them a reason.”

So very barbarian-like. This time, though, I empathized with his logic.

Why blame us?

Could something have connected us without our knowledge?

Investigating would be tedious and pretentious.

At times like this, we’ll do it the barbarian way.

Then die.

* * *

It was said that on the outskirts of Odheim, there stood a building adorned with the world’s most beautiful roses.

Redder than blood, deeper than any crimson, roses enveloped the entire mansion, and their fragrance carried for kilometers on the wind.

Vines stretched between towering spires, winding up the building like veins, and in the sunset, the mansion looked like a giant rose sunk deep into the earth.

The owner of this building was none other than the ‘Rose of Blood’ merchant guild, which practically ruled Odheim’s rose trade.

Spires built higher than those of the city’s nobles signified that merchants dared challenge noble authority—and that the nobles had no choice but to permit it.

Yet, the face of the Rose of Blood’s master, rozenkranz, was shrouded with dissatisfaction.

He gazed out at the setting sun, rapping his staff against his own hand.

“I don’t like to wait. I prefer handling unpleasant business at once.”

Tap, tap.

As his cane rhythmically struck his palm, the sound echoed through the quiet room, followed by Rozenkranz’s cold, even voice.

“Why haven’t you found them yet? This month’s quota was explicitly assigned to your share.”

Kneeling with his head bowed was a man, the target of Rozenkranz’s razor-edged words.

“Th-that is… w-we just haven’t found anyone matching the order…”

Whack!

Before the man could finish, rozenkranz’s staff landed again on his palm.

Startled, the man looked up at Rozenkranz with fear-ridden eyes.

“I dislike excuses just as much.”

With that frigid voice, rozenkranz began to swing his staff.

Once, twice, three times.

Though the cane was wielded by a grown man, the blows were so painful the kneeling victim coughed up blood, yet not a single groan escaped his tightly shut lips.

He knew that his master hated noise.

“That’s enough—compose yourself, rozenkranz.”

As Rozenkranz continued striking, a woman’s voice from inside calmed him.

When he looked up, a captivating woman appeared between crimson velvet curtains.

A form-fitting dress clung to her curves, the last gleam of sunset painting her pale skin.

She possessed the beauty to ignite the hearts of countless men, yet Rozenkranz’s expression only grew colder.

“I’ve told you not to come to places like this, isabella—how many times must I say it?”

“But the appointed time is near, rozenkranz. If we break our promise, it causes problems for you and for us, doesn’t it?”

Rozenkranz, staring at her, only clicked his tongue—his earlier aggression gone.

Instead, he tossed the staff at the kneeling man.

Understanding the signal, the man scrambled to catch it, then limped out of the room.

“Is it truly that hard to find a sacrifice?”

Rozenkranz’s brow twitched at Isabella’s question.

She observed him, chuckling softly, a chilling blue fang glimmering between her pale lips.

“If it’s really so difficult, why not compromise with us?”

“… Compromise?”

Rozenkranz frowned at the word.

“I’ve already ordered the Odheim security to arrest the two barbarians you wanted. And you’re asking for compromise? That this time’s sacrifice will slip away?”

“Why are you so upset? If something happens to us, you’ll lose your position too, rozenkranz.”

Isabella’s sharp reply left Rozenkranz clicking his tongue again.

“What’s this so-called compromise?”

“I’ll tell you in due time, soon enough.”

Then why bring it up now? Rozenkranz gazed at Isabella, but she simply smiled, making it clear no more explanation would be given.

“For now, what I want is news of those two barbarians we requested.”

“As I said, I gave orders to Odheim security to detain them.”

“So? Were they successful?”

“They’re capable men. Two barbarians shouldn’t be any troub—”

Crash!

Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass interrupted Rozenkranz, and he staggered back, startled.

What flew in—was a person.

“I came to give you a reason to hate us!”

From beyond the shattered window came a thunderous roar.

—

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep