Chapter 4 : I came to make a deal

The aura flowing faintly along the blade of the swung axe vanished before the chief’s eyes, erased by the radiant light emanating from the human’s hand—an extraordinary power he had never seen before.

As if that weren’t enough, even the aura enveloping his own body began to dissipate, fading away little by little.

‘The Demon King’s aura…?!?’

It was already shocking that this human had managed to withstand his sheer physical strength—a strength that had allowed him to unite the beasts of this land—using only two fingers.

But the sight of his aura being utterly erased by this unfamiliar, resplendent power left the beast chief in utter disbelief.

“I just want to have a word.”

Before the human could finish, the beast chief released his grip on his axe handle and, with all his might, channeled every last ounce of his aura and power into his fist, throwing a desperate punch toward the human.

His instincts screamed that he was facing death itself, so he launched an all-out attack with every fiber of his being.

Yet, the moment his strike was thrown, the human effortlessly twisted his body and dodged it.

In the next instant, the man seized the beast chief’s outstretched fist with a flick of his wrist and yanked it forward.

Losing his balance, the beast chief lurched forward, his face hurtling toward the ground.

“Oops.”

But before he could crash, the human pulled his arm taut again, stabilizing his body and preventing the fall.

‘…!!’

The beast chief felt like nothing more than a child’s plaything, tossed and turned at the whim of the masked man.

A chill of fear ran down his spine as he looked up at him.

His pupils wavered, his focus darting wildly.

“I’m not here to fight.”

“Kill me.”

‘…I said I’m not here to fight.’

“But in exchange, spare my subordinates.”

“Huh?”

The words that came out of the beast’s mouth shattered all of the human’s preconceived notions about their kind.

‘Offering his life in return for his subordinates’?

From the mouth of a beast who had slaughtered countless villagers and left many wounded?

It was an unexpected and shocking revelation.

Demons, the underlings of the Demon King—ruthless creatures who killed humans without hesitation.

Beings so wicked that they had to be exterminated to the last, their very existence erased from the world.

For as long as the two races had clashed over territory, the consensus had remained the same.

‘Perhaps… perhaps, beasts and humans.’

Maybe, despite their different appearances, they were all just living beings.

A thought flashed through Ruan’s mind—one that no human should ever entertain.

“…Why did you attack the fortress?”

“That’s an obvious question.”

“Answer me. Depending on your response, I’ll decide what to do with you.”

“…There’s no more food in this area. The higher-ups don’t care about beasts like us at all.”

“And?”

The beast chief went on to explain.

With no food left in their territory, he had gathered scattered beast packs to raid a human settlement for sustenance.

That was why their numbers had swelled so drastically.

And just when their plan was about to succeed—Ruan had appeared out of nowhere and ruined everything.

“So because you had no food, you turned to eating your own kind?”

“Why? Is that a problem? They were cowards who fled from battle. And I have a duty to feed my hundreds of subordinates.”

Once again, this beast surprised him.

Though fear flickered in his eyes, his voice carried an undeniable weight—a resilience that seemed unshaken by the situation.

“And then what? After consuming the flesh of your fallen kin, would you kill more of your own just to survive?”

“…Hmm…”

“How about making a deal?”

“A deal?”

“Yes, a deal.”

The beast chief tensed.

The fact that the masked man hadn’t immediately declared his death gave him some hope.

“…I’ll hear you out.”

“I’ll provide you with food.”

“What…?”

The beast’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He even reached up to touch his ears, as if to make sure he had heard correctly.

Had this human lost his mind?

A human, offering food to a beast?

The two races had been trying to annihilate each other for ages.

“In return, you must promise never to attack humans again.”

For Ruan, this was an ideal scenario for his path of benevolence.

Even if they were beasts, they were still living beings.

By saving hundreds of them and removing their reason for aggression, he could prevent countless future tragedies like the one that had just occurred.

What greater act of kindness was there?

It was the perfect opportunity to advance his Extinction Star Qi significantly.

The beast chief, still staring at the masked human with suspicion, hesitated for a long moment before speaking.

“…How can I trust your words?”

“Give me some time, and I’ll prove it.”

***

Having saved a hundred lives, he vanished without a trace.

‘If only I could see him again.’

The lord clicked his tongue at himself for longing after a man whose name and face he didn’t even know.

“Lord.”

‘Ugh… Am I so exhausted that I’m starting to hear things? No, is this a dream?’

Just as he was dismissing the thought, the voice called out again.

“Lord, wake up.”

The voice was too clear, too sharp to be a mere dream.

The lord’s eyes snapped open, and he quickly sat up.

“H-H-Honored Sage?!”

The masked man in the red mask was standing right beside his bed.

“W-W-What brings you here?! No, more importantly, how did you get in?!”

The guards should have been stationed outside, and no one could enter without their escort.

Moreover, if the Sage had returned, the entire castle would have been in an uproar, with people clamoring just to catch a glimpse of him.

There was no way they would all be quietly holed up in their homes.

“That, I cannot tell you. More importantly, I have a favor to ask.”

“A f-favor? Did you say a favor?”

“I apologize for coming unannounced. I hope you can understand.”

“No, no, it’s quite alright! I can’t even express how delighted I am to see you again, Sage.”

It had barely been a day since they parted, yet the lord had thought he would never see him again.

The joy of seeing the Sage standing before him was immeasurable.

“So, what is this favor?”

“It’s something urgent and important.”

The ever-capable Sage had come in secret to make a request?

Just how significant was this favor?

The lord’s heart pounded with anticipation, his exhaustion fading away as his eyes lit up with curiosity.

“Please, just say the word! If it is within my power, I will do anything!”

“Then, would you be able to spare some of the food stored within the castle?”

“Food? You mean provisions?”

“Yes. I need quite a lot. Hundreds of lives are at stake.”

Though those “hundreds” were not humans, but beasts.

“Ah… um,”

The lord’s confident demeanor quickly darkened at the Sage’s request.

“Is this too difficult a request?”

“It’s just that… even the citizens within the castle are running out of food…”

“Even a few days’ worth would suffice.”

It wasn’t about the quantity—it was about proving to the beasts that food could be supplied to them.

That alone would be enough to convince their leader to accept the deal.

The real urgency lay with the beasts, not the humans.

“Well… to be honest, even that amount is barely manageable…”

The lord’s voice grew weaker, sinking lower and lower with guilt.

“The beast raids must have been more frequent than expected. Have you sought aid from the Count’s main estate?”

“I’ve sent reports—dozens of them.”

“And what did they say?”

“…That their own tribute stores are nearly empty, and they can’t help…”

A surge of fury boiled up inside the Sage.

That was a blatant lie.

It had to be.

The Count’s domain was vast—there was no way they were running out of provisions.

Ten times out of ten, a hundred times out of a hundred, it was the same story.

The Count’s family was hoarding the tribute, refusing to redistribute it, exploiting the people under their rule.

“…What is the name of the noble house ruling this land?”

“Pardon?”

“Who governs this territory?”

“The House of Count Glacia.”

“Glacia… Glacia, huh…”

The name sounded vaguely familiar, but it was still an obscure noble house in the borderlands.

If he had the time, he would have stormed into their estate and thrown the entire family into a pit of hellfire.

But right now, that wasn’t his priority.

For now, he needed to secure the deal with the beasts.

Even if it wasn’t an ideal solution, he had to take the next best option.

“I understand for now. Please, get some rest.”

As the Sage turned and swiftly left, the lord hurried to get out of bed, trying to see him off.

“Sage! Sage…!”

But by the time he reached the doorway, the long, straight hallway was already empty.

It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

Truly, he was a ghostly figure.

***

The next morning, before sunrise.

As the lord lay in bed, attempting to recover from his exhaustion, the castle guards burst into his chambers.

“L-Lord!”

“My Lord!!”

Their voices were frantic.

“W-What is it?!”

Had the beasts returned?

Fearing another attack, the lord sprang from his bed.

“You must come and see for yourself!”

“Is it the beasts again? How many this time?!”

“It’s not the beasts…!!”

“Then what is it?!”

“The castle’s storeroom…! The storeroom…!”

“The storeroom?”

“It was empty yesterday, but now it’s overflowing with provisions…!”

“What? What are you talking about,”

At that moment, the lord recalled his conversation with the Sage from the night before.

“L-Let’s go at once.”

Arriving at the storeroom, the lord’s jaw dropped.

Inside, where there had been barely anything before, dozens of carts were now lined up, piled high with supplies.

Bags of rice, sacks of wheat, fresh fruit, warm fur coats for the winter, and fine silks that looked softer than anything he had ever seen.

Even rare, unknown goods that had never been seen in this land.

‘It’s him. It has to be the Sage…! No one else could have done this!’

His heart racing, the lord’s voice rang with excitement as he issued his order.

“What are you all waiting for?! Start organizing the provisions immediately!”

For two days, the lord who had stayed by the Sage’s side, tending to the wounded, felt as if his body was about to melt from exhaustion.

‘The Sage… is he truly human?’

Even moving a single finger or toe felt like a monumental effort, yet the Sage had left without rest.

Lying in bed, trying to recover from his fatigue, the lord found that the masked figure of the Sage still lingered in his mind.

A figure who had appeared suddenly amidst the chaos of the siege, vanquished the beasts with overwhelming power, and healed the wounded with an unknown technique.