The Old Man Tells You The Strategy

Chapter 2

“How do you know about that pendant?”

Killian’s voice had changed. It was no longer filled with the laziness from before. His once indifferent gaze had turned cold and sharp.

「…Huh.」

Jun-hyuk could only let out a small laugh.

The guy who hadn’t reacted to anything he’d said earlier was suddenly interested in an obscure artifact. Jun-hyuk couldn’t wrap his head around it.

「Your attitude changed completely, huh?」

“It’s my mother’s keepsake. I need to find it by the next full moon.”

「Oh…」

At the unexpected response, Jun-hyuk let out a low murmur.

「She left that as a keepsake?」

Though it wasn’t on par with other treasures, Leah’s pendant was still a significant artifact.

It could summon the spirit of the Ming King, a famous swordmaster from decades ago who once roamed the continent.

As a result, Leah’s pendant was highly ranked among artifacts. On the scale of six artifact tiers—Common, Uncommon, Rare, Unique, Epic, and Legendary—the pendant was classified as Unique, a rarity.

But leaving such a valuable item as a keepsake?

That didn’t seem like the kind of thing a concubine of a low-ranking noble would possess. Something was off about the entire situation.

「Why was the keepsake left in such a place?」

“That’s a good question.”

「And why do you need to find it in two weeks?」

“I believe I was the one asking questions here.”

Ignoring Killian’s irritation, Jun-hyuk’s mind raced as he pieced things together. Soon, a certain fact came to mind.

‘Now that I think about it, wasn’t that pendant said to have disappeared from the mine around that time?’

So, this guy really did manage to find Leah’s pendant? He didn’t seem like someone who could even swing a sword, but as the lord of the territory, he could’ve easily mobilized his forces to search for it.

But then, another question arose.

‘But the pendant that went missing ends up being found years later in the Demon Sea? The eastern mountain range, sure, but the Demon Sea is not somewhere this guy would venture.’

The chances were increasing that someone had stolen the keepsake.

Had this useless noble been too lazy to even look for his mother’s pendant?

Then, who took it?

‘This… is getting interesting.’

For Jun-hyuk, who prided himself on knowing almost everything happening in the world, this mystery piqued his curiosity.

He asked again.

「Do you know anything more about the pendant?」

Of course, he didn’t expect Killian to answer that easily.

“Aren’t you supposed to answer my question first?”

「What, you mean how I know about the pendant?」

“Exactly.”

「I told you, I don’t not know things. How am I supposed to explain something I’ve always known?」

“Then why do you keep asking me questions?”

「…」

“Forget it. I’m going back to sleep. What can I expect from a pile of junk metal anyway?”

With a deep sigh, Killian lay back down, waving his hand dismissively as if shooing away a fly.

‘He’s sharper than he looks.’

But Jun-hyuk wasn’t disappointed. He never expected Killian to offer up much information in the first place.

‘…This guy doesn’t know much anyway.’

He could verify his suspicions without relying on Killian. There were plenty of other people connected to the pendant.

The priority was getting away from this boring noble as soon as possible.

The quickest way?

‘I need to go back soon.’

In the end, the plan was still to manipulate Killian into his demise.

How fortunate that this lazy fool was tied by blood to such an artifact.

「…I’ll tell you where the pendant is.」

If it weren’t for Leah’s pendant, this guy would never have left his estate.

Jun-hyuk thought to himself, determined not to miss this chance.

But then…

‘I already know where it is.’

「What?」

An unexpected reply came back.

‘It’s at the Palmer Mine nearby, right? The one that was abandoned a few decades ago. I’m not sure exactly where in the mine, though.’

Jun-hyuk was at a loss for words.

「…」

This guy constantly defied expectations.

「…How do you know that?」

‘It was written in the will.’

Jun-hyuk couldn’t help but ask another question.

「Then why are you only looking for it now? Did you just read the will yesterday?」

Jun-hyuk was confused, but Killian remained nonchalant.

‘I read it a few years ago… I planned to find it on the last day.’

「…」

Jun-hyuk’s brain practically shut down at the absurdity of that answer.

「So you knew where your mother’s keepsake was and put off finding it until the last minute?」

‘That’s right.’

Jun-hyuk felt as if he were being drawn into the madness of this lunatic.

「You’re the lord, right? Couldn’t you just send someone to retrieve it? Or were you too lazy to even give the order?」

‘It’s not that. The will specifically said I had to find it alone. Using others wasn’t allowed.’

「Huh…」

Jun-hyuk was at a loss.

How could someone like this exist?

Was laziness this extreme some kind of terminal illness?

「Phew…」

With a sigh, Jun-hyuk calmed himself.

Though his patience had been tested for the first time in a long while, the ordeal had only strengthened his resolve.

Killian was someone who needed to be dealt with immediately.

‘In a way, this is a blessing.’

With his thoughts now organized, Jun-hyuk felt a little more at ease.

From what Killian had said, it was clear that he didn’t know much about the mines. That meant Jun-hyuk could probably dispose of him more easily than he had anticipated.

‘Judging by his behavior, he definitely has no idea what’s waiting for him in the mine.’

Jun-hyuk spoke again, now with a calm voice.

「So you do need to find it, right?」

“That’s correct.”

「Then I might actually be of some help.」

“How?”

「I know the exact location where it’s hidden.」

Killian was still lying down, but Jun-hyuk could sense it—this lazy noble’s expression had finally changed.

So, Jun-hyuk added one last comment.

「Is it really that important how I know about the pendant?」

“Well, it is a significant issue, but…」

「More important than finding the pendant?」

“Hmm. I suppose not.”

After a brief moment of thought, Killian agilely got up from the bed and placed his hand on the doorknob.

Whoosh!

Jun-hyuk was taken aback by Killian’s sudden, agile movement—something he had never expected from the usually lethargic noble.

「W-What are you doing?」

Killian, with a smug expression, nonchalantly said, “Well, figuring out when to go is such a hassle… Let’s just go now.”

Jun-hyuk felt like his mind was about to break from the constant shifts in Killian’s behavior.

He could confidently say that in all his years, he had never encountered someone so unpredictable.

‘Of all the lunatics I’ve met… This one takes the cake.’

Though he was relieved that Killian was finally heading out, Jun-hyuk knew this was still just the beginning.

—

An hour had passed.

Killian had finally arrived at the abandoned Palmer Mine, located midway up a hill near the Solmer estate.

“Huff…” Killian sighed quietly in front of the mine’s entrance. It was the first time in his life that he had ventured this far outside his territory on his own.

‘Mother, who struggled even with short walks, left something here? Why?’

In Killian’s memory, his mother was a frail woman who was often bedridden, coughing frequently.

He found it hard to believe that she could have climbed up such a steep path and left a keepsake in this place.

‘Couldn’t she have just given it to me directly?’

There were so many things that didn’t make sense to him.

[You must take the pendant to the bloodline ceremony.]
[Remember, you have to find the pendant alone.]

‘She could have at least explained why this was necessary.’

While Killian stood there pondering, Jun-hyuk’s voice echoed in his mind.

「Standing here won’t get you any answers. Let’s go in already.」

Jun-hyuk’s voice sounded impatient, as if he was eager to proceed.

‘Yeah, I guess thinking about it won’t change anything.’

Just as Killian took a step forward, he suddenly stopped again.

‘Damn it…!’

「What is it now?」 Jun-hyuk asked, sounding frustrated, as if they were caught in some back-and-forth game.

‘I just remembered something I forgot.’

「Forgot? What did you forget?」

Killian, unaware of Jun-hyuk’s rising anxiety, realized he had left something important behind in his haste to depart.

‘Going back now would be insane…’

It had taken an hour to get here, and returning would take just as long.

‘Eh, I’ll manage.’

After a brief moment of contemplation, Killian continued moving forward.

Step… step…

The path inside the mine was rough, having gone without maintenance for decades.

The faint lights meant to guide the way had long since lost their glow, plunging the area into almost total darkness.

「This way.」

Following the directions from the ring, Killian pressed on.

「Soon there will be a fork. Turn left there, then head in the 3 o’clock direction…」

After several minutes of walking, Killian blinked slowly and glanced down at the ring.

‘Are we even going the right way?’

It was only natural to be suspicious. The deeper he went, the stronger the stench became—a smell akin to that of a cattle shed.

On top of that, at some point, the mine shaft gave way to a more natural cave, and the path grew even more treacherous.

‘There’s no way my mother came this deep. Is the necklace really here?’

「I told you, it is.」

A sense of unease crept over him as the path seemed endless. Slowly, the thought of how bothersome this all was began to surface in Killian’s mind.

‘Ugh… should I just go back home?’

Of course, he wasn’t serious. Killian wasn’t foolish enough to do something that would make him retrace his steps later. But, despite the remark being made in jest, there was someone who took it rather seriously.

For reasons Jun-hyuk couldn’t comprehend, the very thought made him react sharply.

「Hey, hey! Isn’t going all the way back more troublesome? A man should see things through once he’s drawn his sword.」

Though Killian wasn’t holding a sword, he nodded absentmindedly.

“Just keep guiding me,” he said.

The mine was larger than expected, with pathways that felt like a maze.

Even though Killian felt like he was walking in circles, he no longer doubted the ring’s guidance.

The faint trace of his mother’s energy had begun to reveal itself. This instinctively told him that the ring wasn’t lying.

But, even though the path was accurate, the sheer effort required still felt like a nuisance to him.

‘There’s no way I’m leaving the estate again after this.’

At this point, the only thing Killian could do was vow never to leave his territory again.

“Mother, why did you leave me with such a trial…?”

Just as those words of quiet complaint left his lips, a strange, eerie cry echoed through the darkness.

Kiiiiiiiiyahhh…

At the same time, an ominous, gleeful laugh began to fill Killian’s mind.

「Heh heh… Hahaha.」

It was Jun-hyuk’s voice, but this time, it sounded disturbingly wicked.

Jun-hyuk thought to himself, reflecting on how difficult it had been to get this far.

‘Well, goodbye. I’ll at least offer a prayer for your soul.’

Before Killian stood a grotesque silhouette. The body of a child, no older than ten, with a dog’s head perched atop it.

“What the hell is that?”

It was a kobold—Jun-hyuk’s savior, the one who would finally rid him of Killian.

「What do you mean, what is it? It’s a kobold.」

Kobolds were small, monkey-sized creatures that lived in mines, possessing the strength of a grown man. And this one?

Screeech!

It carried a rusty longsword, of all things.

‘It even has a weapon? That little guy is more capable than I thought.’

Deep within the Palmer Mine was a kobold nest, though it had yet to be discovered by humans because the creatures hadn’t started actively hunting yet.

The existence of this nest would come to light a few years later, when a horde of rampaging kobolds wiped out all the nearby villages.

Right now, Killian was standing in the heart of that nest.

‘There’s no way this lazy idiot knows that.’

Jun-hyuk was sure Killian wouldn’t survive. Even though kobolds were considered low-tier monsters, no unarmed kid could take one down.

‘If he weren’t so lazy, he wouldn’t have gotten himself into this mess. This is all your fault, Killian.’

Jun-hyuk’s mood brightened as he watched the scene unfold. But he overlooked one key detail: despite being in a life-threatening situation, Killian’s expression was still… bored.

Kak! Kakak! Kak!

The kobold, recognizing its prey, charged toward Killian.

Thud thud thud!

Just as Jun-hyuk had expected, the kobold rushed at full speed.

But Killian? He stood motionless, as if nailed to the ground.

‘Is he frozen in fear?’

It made sense. After all, Killian had grown up pampered and sheltered. Facing a monster would surely paralyze him with terror.

「…Wait, what?」

But then something unexpected happened.

Step… step…

Killian began walking forward, casually, as if he were taking a stroll.

“I really didn’t want to do any physical work… but I guess I don’t have a choice.”

Despite being moments away from potential death, Killian’s tone was frustratingly calm.

‘Does he have a secret plan? No, that can’t be…’

Jun-hyuk was thrown into further confusion as Killian walked toward the kobold without even preparing for battle.

Kiiiiishit!

The kobold’s shrill battle cry pierced the air as it swung its sword directly toward Killian’s abdomen.

Whooosh!

But just before the blade could even graze Killian’s clothing, he twisted his body effortlessly, reaching out to grab the kobold’s wrist.

‘What the hell?’

Unable to withstand Killian’s grip, the kobold dropped its weapon, screeching in pain and confusion.

Kiiishaaaak!

But even more shocked than the kobold was Jun-hyuk.

‘What the hell is going on?’

The door to salvation, which Jun-hyuk had seen opening, now slammed shut before his eyes.

Thud!

“Up we go.”

Killian smoothly caught the falling sword mid-air.

Whoosh!

And in one swift motion, he drove the blade straight into the kobold’s skull.

Squish!

The kobold let out one final wail as its skull and jaw were pierced, and it died instantly.

Thud!

「What the…?」

Everything had happened in a seamless flow, so fluid it was almost unbelievable.

「…」

Jun-hyuk fell into stunned silence as his supposedly foolproof plan fell apart. Killian, meanwhile, casually examined the rusty sword in his hand, muttering in his usual lethargic tone.

“Knew I didn’t need it after all.”

Jun-hyuk, baffled, couldn’t help but ask.

「What do you mean by that?」

“The sword. If I’d gone back to get it, how much more time would I have wasted?”

「So when you said you’d forgotten something earlier…」

If Jun-hyuk had a physical form, his jaw would have been on the floor.

Killian had known he’d need a sword. But he’d forgotten… and decided not to go back for it because it was too much trouble?

「…」

Is this guy insane?