Preparing to Meet Underworld Fire's Leader Oleg

Sampo wore a bitter expression as Theresa stepped on him. Her petite body stood atop his burly back, while Stelle grew increasingly envious at the sight. She suddenly wanted to take Sampo's place and be stepped on by Theresa's little feet. She even wanted to beat Sampo up—this was far from the first time he had dug a pit for them to fall into.

"Please spare me, everyone! I won't run again! I was wrong, ladies!"

Sampo lay sprawled on the ground without struggling as Theresa stepped on his back. It was hilarious—she was so tiny, how could she possibly be heavy?

Fortunately, Theresa had no idea about Sampo's disrespectful thoughts. Otherwise, she would have let him experience Judas's half-ton weight!

"Hmph, hmph. You do know you're wrong, but you never change. Is stabbing people in the back all day really that fun?"

Theresa said irritably, hopping on Sampo's back. Sampo lowered his head, unwilling to let anyone see how much he seemed to be enjoying it.

"Theresa, why are you rewarding him? Let me do it!"

Stelle grew even more envious of how much Sampo seemed to enjoy being stepped on by Theresa. She hurriedly picked Theresa up, then took out her baseball bat and jabbed it at Sampo's weak point.

"Pfft!"

"┗|｀O′|┛Awooo~~!"

Sampo's weak point, which had only just healed, was struck brutally by the baseball bat again. He sprang up, clutching his painfully throbbing backside and howling, while Stelle happily watched him cry out in pain, feeling thoroughly satisfied!

"That's what you get for messing with us! Next time, Theresa's Judas will be smashing down on your head!"

Stelle shouted, glaring at Sampo, who clutched his butt with a miserable expression. Sampo nodded desperately, his face bitter. He was scared now. To make an act convincing, he had put himself through such misery. He truly was a Masked Fool ruthless enough to hurt himself.

"Get moving. Take us to Underworld Fire."

March 7th also shouted at Sampo with a glare. She had realized this guy was not worth pitying at all—he was always trying to make them into a joke! The first time, he had tried to abandon them and run away in front of the Silvermane Guards. Fortunately, Theresa had tied him up with her weapon.

The second time had been when they first arrived in the Lower City. This guy had stabbed them in the back again, taking the Silvermane Guards' weapons and Gepard's armor before running off. The third time was this time. He had watched them demolish the Fighting Club, then tried to flee again after Theresa discovered him. But his luck was not as good this time. Theresa caught him again. After three consecutive betrayals, everyone was truly holding back a bellyful of anger!

"If there is a next time, I can guarantee that it won't just be your ass getting hurt."

Dan Heng also glared at Sampo angrily. His calm but serious tone made Sampo understand that he was not joking.

"I guarantee it! This is the last time! I won't pull any more backstabbing stunts! I, Sampo, solemnly guarantee it!"

Sampo understood that he could not keep fooling around. If he kept it up, he would really fool his way into getting his legs broken!

"You want to go to Underworld Fire, right? Tomorrow morning, at ten system time, I, Sampo, will be waiting for everyone at the Goethe Hotel. Then, I'll take all you handsome gentlemen and beautiful ladies to meet Leader Oleg!"

Sampo spoke solemnly beneath everyone's dangerous stares. He did not dare fool around anymore. At least, not right now.

"Your words had better be true. Otherwise, if we run into you again, we'll really hang you up and beat you~"

Theresa said with a wise smile as she looked at Sampo. Sampo shuddered upon hearing that. Being hung up and beaten would be far too humiliating. If that happened to him, he would probably have to move somewhere else to live.

"I can assure you of that. As a merchant, Sampo will do his best to satisfy every customer's requests. After all, you've helped me earn plenty of Belobog Shields. I sold all those Silvermane Guard weapons to Underworld Fire at a low price. With those weapons, Underworld Fire's members in the Lower City no longer have to fight Abyss Monsters to the death with crude weapons."

"Besides, Leader Oleg really liked that set of combat armor I stripped off Gepard. Honestly, I've never seen that old man smile so happily!"

"He carefully stroked that set of armor. Perhaps it had something to do with how he used to be a Silvermane Guard. I know he has never been able to let go of it, so, with tears in my eyes, I made a killing and sold him that cost-free armor for one thousand Belobog Shields~"

Sampo looked sorrowful at first, but then he grinned cheerfully.

"It's a miracle Underworld Fire's people haven't beaten you to death."

Dan Heng remarked as he looked at the cheerfully smiling Sampo.

"Hehe, almost. Seele nearly cut me down. Luckily, I wore speed shoes and ran fast. It was incredibly thrilling!"

Sampo said excitedly with a laugh. Everyone exchanged helpless looks. Sampo, such a money-grubber, was actually a Masked Fool. In their eyes, he should have become a crooked merchant instead.

"Enough. Let's go back and rest. Tomorrow, we're meeting Underworld Fire's leader. Hopefully, there won't be any conflict."

Bronya said wearily. Upon hearing that Underworld Fire's leader, Oleg, had once been a Silvermane Guard, she immediately gave up on trying to get Gepard's armor back. Retired soldiers tended to cherish their past and old belongings especially dearly, and the Silvermane Guard armor would naturally be something Oleg could not bear to part with.

She knew her mother, Cocolia, would compensate Gepard with new armor. As long as that most important shield, the Shield Field Generator, had not been lost, it would be fine.

{Gepard's weapon was a Shield Field Generator modified from Serval's guitar case, while his younger sister Rin's climbing pick had also been modified by Serval.}

Upon hearing this, everyone said their goodbyes and returned to the Goethe Hotel to rest. Meanwhile, Sampo returned to his resting place with a bitter expression, clutching his painfully throbbing backside. He did not dare fool around anymore. After all, he knew that repeatedly stabbing the Stellaron Hunters in the back was indeed rather unfair. But perhaps it was also a form of Elation?

The next day, Sampo truly arrived as promised. Before ten system time, he had already come to the Goethe Hotel to wait for the Stellaron Hunters. The landlady knew Sampo too, so she let him stay and even gave him breakfast. After all, Sampo had introduced quite a few guests to her hotel, so she treated him quite well.

"What wind blew our great crooked merchant here today? Aren't you off tending to your little business?"

The landlady said with a smile, wiping her hands as she sat down across from Sampo.

"Your cooking is really excellent, ma'am. This vegetable soup is delicious!"

"Here's the thing. Didn't several beautiful and adorable girls come to your hotel? They're wanted in the Upper City. I was responsible for bringing them down here, and I'm planning to take them to meet Underworld Fire's Leader Oleg. After all, the enemy of our enemy is our friend."

"Having more strength to resist Cocolia would benefit Underworld Fire too, wouldn't it?"

Sampo explained as he ate breakfast. The landlady nodded upon hearing this. She had wondered why such lovely, beautiful girls had come to the dust-filled Lower City. So they had offended the Supreme Guardian and become wanted criminals.