Chapter Twenty Two
"Master, should I wake him up?"
"No," I replied to Kaelen, watching the pathetic heap of meat on the floor, still out from the impact of my previous slap. "Let him enjoy his last decent sleep. He won't be getting much of that from now on."
System Task Completion Update?
[Ping!]
[Task Completion Bar : 4%]
4%? When did it go up? 4%... Could it be something I've done four times? What have I done four times?
"Ughhh... Where am I?" Baron Vische blinked, his bloated face squinting against the dim moonlight entering the dungeon from the window.
"Good morning, Baron," I smiled, relaxing in the creaky chair Kaelen brought.
"V-Veryon..."
"My, my. I know we're close, but calling me by name so casually? Aren't you overstepping your boundaries a bit too much?"
Vische's confusion instantly curdled into arrogance. He scrambled to sit up, brushing dirt from his expensive silk vest. "Veryon! Don't forget you still owe me money! How can you forget I was the only one who lent you money where you wanted to mine Sear Mountain!? Everyone else called you crazy! I was the only one who supported you with half a million gold coins!"
Wait... So, the one who made the cave was original Veryon?
My eyes narrowed as I stared at him, waiting for him to spill more information in panic.
"You! How shameless can you get, Baron Vische! You tricked our duke into thinking there were some serious gemstones there. After that defeat, our duke broke down completely and you introduced him to gambling! You are the reason we lost our lovable duke! You are the reason citizens of the duchy died!"
Kaelen's voice thundered through the cell, his chest rising and falling as fury poured out of him. "You were the one who suggested raising the taxes by eighty percent! Our duke… our duke trusted you so much, because you were his academy friend." I watched the exchange with a detached chill, my fingers tapping idly against the arm of the chair.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Wow... So, Veryon became trash because of this thing?
Well, it's not like I can blame this fatty entirely and take Veryon side. How was he planning to run the duchy like this? How long was he planning to live based off Vische's decisions?
That guy clearly had no spine. He couldn't even sense he was being used.
If you're stupid enough to let a snake lead you by the nose, you're bound to get bitten someday.
"Veryon! Are you going to let this servant speak to me like this?" Vische sneered, unaware of the death warrant he was signing. "If you piss me off, I'll stop bringing you opium from the capital's black market."
The air in the dungeon turned ice-cold.
"Are you crazy!?" Kaelen's hand went instantly to the hilt of his sword, making me raise an eyebrow.
"What happened, Kaelen?"
"Master... Buying or selling opium is illegal! It's considered an item of black magic! If someone tips off the Royal Soldiers and they conduct a search and find opium in the castle. You, Butler Vizen, Lord Hans, his family and me! We will all be burnt at stake!"
"I see." I spoke as I leaned forward.
Guess that's all the information I'll be needing, huh.
"Hahaha! You're too smart to be wasted by Veryon's side, Kaelen."
I watched Vische lick his lips while staring at Kaelen as a wave of pure disgust washed over me. This greaseball really didn't know when to shut up.
"Come to my side—"
SLAP!
My palm connected with his cheek so hard the sound echoed like a gunshot in the cramped cell.
"He's the Head Knight of the Halcrest Duchy, Vische. Not some gigolo. Don't make me pluck out your eyeballs."
Like hell I'm going to let him take my manual work machine.
System Task Completion Update.
[Ping!]
[Task Completion Bar : 5%]
SLAP!
System Task Completion Update.
[Ping!]
[Task Completion Bar : 6%]
I stared at the floating blue screen.
HAHAHA! I thought right. Something I've done 4 times. Found the task system. Faceslap someone 100 times.
[Ping!]
[Congratulations on guessing today's quest. You have 23 hours to complete the quest and login.]
[Please remember failed logins will result in penalties.]
[Bonus For Task Recognition: 1 Million Gold]
[All the best, Host.]
Damn. Recognising task also has a reward? Interesting.
My chest rumbled as I tried to suppress my maniac laugh, covering my face with my palm.
This bitch is so dead.
"Master... You're making a really ugly face again," Kaelen muttered, taking a step back.
"Am I?" I stood up, then slowly crouched back down to Vische's level. I leaned in close, letting the shadows of the dungeon make me look as unhinged as possible. "What do you think, friend?"
"Veryon! You can't do this to me!" Vische screamed, spit flying from his swollen lips. "Do you think my father will sit back and watch me get beaten? I'm going to be the Duke! Just you wait!"
"Oh god! I'm so scared." I reached out and grabbed his collar, jerking him forward until his eyes were inches from mine. "I feel so threatened by my vassal that I'll make sure to personally send the Emperor a letter about your deeds. Do you want to know what I'm going to do after that, Vische?"
SLAP!
System Task Completion Update.
[Ping!]
[Task Completion Bar : 7%]
"I am going to arrest every single member of your family. I'll put you all in this dungeon together for a last family reunion before the execution. Won't that be sweet? What do you think, friend?"
"You! You!"
SLAP! SLAP!
"Then, all that opium you planted in my room to frame me as a traitor? I'm going to plant it the exact same way in your barony. Let's see how the Royal Investigators like the smell of your house."
Vische's face went pale. The bravado vanished, replaced by the pathetic trembling of a man who realized the shield he was holding was long shattered to pieces. "Veryon... Veryon... Aren't we friends? Do you have to go this far?"
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
"Oh Vische... Look carefully in my eyes. Do. I. Look. Like. Your. Friend?"
"Veryon... Spare me please... I'll forget all the loans... Please."
SLAP! SLAP!
"It's Duke Halcrest to you, Baron Vische."
I didn't give him another second to speak. My hands became a blur.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!....SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
"Master! Stop! You're going to kill him!" Kaelen rushed forward, grabbing my wrists.
"Okay. Okay. Let go of my hands," I said, my voice calm.
"I'm letting go. Please, just don't hit him anymore."
The moment his grip loosened, I lunged forward again. My lips twisting in a psychotic smile.
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!....SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
"Master! He's a noble!" Kaelen cried out, sounding genuinely panicked now. "Please stop. No matter how serious an infraction you can't raise your hand on a noble. It will affect your reputation!"
"No. He's not."