Would a Young Goat Dream of a Dog-Headed Jungler?

Warm, cozy... the comfortable sleeping environment did not allow Jian to sleep soundly; instead, it made him rouse himself.

Feeling the soft cushion beneath him, he rubbed his temples and slowly sat up.

"You're awake."

Who is that female voice I've never heard before?

His vision cleared, and Jian turned his head to look at the source of the sound.

Under the warm yellow light, a Sarkaz woman with burgundy hair sat opposite her, reading a book.

"You only slept for a short time. If you didn't get enough rest, it's okay to sleep a little longer."

"... Who are you?"

After scanning his surroundings, Ceobe's position.

The silly dog rested its head on Sarkaz's lap, seemingly dreaming of eating delicious food. Its ears twitched happily from time to time, and Sarkaz gently wiped away the drool with a tissue.

"No need to look anymore. He wanted you to get a good night's sleep, but he probably didn't expect you to wake up so early."

Sarkaz gently stroked Ceobe and smiled tenderly:

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Vera, a member of Gregor's family. He asked me to look after you."

[Vera: She's awake! She's awake!]

[Gregor:... Keep an eye on things for me, I have other things to do.]

[Vera: But what can I say!? And why am I the only one who was sent to help?]

[Gorth: It's all up to you now. My looks aren't really suitable for a first meeting, Fourth Brother... You don't want him to come, do you?]

[Gregor: What about the fourth one? Unseal him.]

[Group announcement: Vera has turned off the mute function.]

[Vane: Hey, hey! Shall we go live?]

[Group Announcement: Gregor has muted Vane.]

Vera's eye twitched; her martial arts skills keenly detected the change.

Realizing that the person in front of him was one of Gregor's family members, Jian felt a subtle tension.

The other person's expression... was there something wrong with my behavior just now?

"Hello, I am Jian."

While exchanging greetings, Jian tried to learn about Vera from the books in her hands.

The book title is--

Even a stupid Sarkaz could recognize these everyday words...

Bang--!

The book slammed shut and was tossed aside, where it was completely covered by a falling cushion.

With no word from him, Vera responded with an unchanging smile:

"Hi, Jian, are you hungry? Want to grab a late-night snack?"

"I..."

"I want to eat!"

Before Jian could respond, the sleeping dog, Ceobe upon hearing the key words.

While half-asleep, Vera blocked the Rocket Head Hammer with one hand. Ceobe realized that there was a stranger in front of him and was about to bare his teeth, a handful of candy was stuffed into his mouth.

"Hmm?" (◕ˊωˋ◕)

"Mmm~~" (๑´∀`๑)✧

The sweetness melted in his mouth, Ceobe's eyes and mouth quickly transformed into joyful, wavy lines.

"Ceobe wants more!"

Thanks to Ceobe's mischief, the awkward atmosphere dissipated without him even noticing.

Vera handed a handful of candy to Jian, who took it and joined in feeding him.

With his cheeks bulging from Ceobe looked around and asked, his words muffled:

"Hmm, where did the boss go?"

"[Leithanien profanity!] He's about to catch up!"

"Attack! Attack now... Ah!"

Utica, underground sewer network --

The Witch King Remnants, though they claim to be resurrecting the Witch King and recreating the great era of Leithanien, are essentially just a group of parasites coveting the Witch King's power.

The term "remnant" is not accurate either; the true followers of the Witch King had already followed that monarch into the Wasteland.

If the Witch King were to truly be resurrected, these so-called Witch King Remnants would probably flee into the sewers in fear, like rats.

Just like now--

"Don't come any closer!"

In a panic, they jumped into the sewage, throwing their masks—symbols of their identity—behind them as the Witch King Remnants fled for their lives.

Looking at the filthy sewage, Gregor put his foot back down.

The Dark Grand Knight's Sword sank into the ground, blood-red light spreading out, and a gigantic, illusory sword blade slashed out from beneath the feet of the Witch King Remnants.

The body silently stretched to both sides, and the startled beasts happily climbed onto the fresh corpse.

"Wow, that's a lot."

Soothing Black Sword, who was dissatisfied with the filthy environment, Gregor chased after the other group that had fled.

There were far more rats in the dark than he had imagined, and every few turns he would see the Witch King Remnants or the corpses of the Infected.

With another swing, the ambushing sorcerers were blasted to smithereens by their own combined spells.

Even though Gregor was carrying out a one-sided massacre, the number of the Witch King Remnants remained unchanged.

Something's not right...

Recalling what the tour guide had said about the Golden Law Guard, Gregor realized that he had indeed become involved in some kind of factional struggle.

But aren't there too many people?

A dark wind swept in from above, and Gregor sidestepped it, then slammed his knee into the attacker's abdomen.

Blood clots mixed with entrails gushed from his mouth, Gregor grabbed the man by the collar, trying to question him.

"Ahem... For His Majesty the Witch King!"

The enemy self-destructed, and although the blood clot was stopped by the Holy Shield, Gregor's mood worsened.

[Group Announcement: Gregor has been unbanned.]

[Gregor: Fourth Brother, where is the stronghold of the Witch King Remnants?]

[Vane: Where do those guys have a hideout? What did they do to you?]

[Gregor: Where's the outpost? There isn't one?]

[Vane: To be honest, every city is their stronghold. They're called Witch King Remnants... but who knows how many of the Twin Empresses' supporters are among them.]

[Vane: Dissatisfied with the Twin Empresses, craving the Witch King's legacy, a madman simply seeking chaos... This organization's members are far too complex, even having the Electors pushing for its advancement.]

(Elector: The situation in Leithanien is very special. The emperor is not chosen through bloodline succession, but rather from among the electors of several special districts. This is also the reason why the nobility has always been powerful.)

[Gregor: I want a conclusion.]

[Vane: The conclusion is that there's no way around it. Unlike Kazimierz, the nobility of Leithanien is practically the country itself.]

[Military, political, commercial, agricultural, pastoral... eliminating them would be tantamount to destroying the country, and besides, there are indeed many good people among these nobles.]

On the other side, unable to Closure, Vane simply returned to his original form.

While replying to Gregor, Vane, unusually, began to think about serious solutions.

Since the other three were unwilling to resolve the issue violently, he didn't mind using his brain.

They have no shortage of pure power, and destroying Leithanien is not difficult for them; the difficulty lies in how to avoid affecting the innocent.

It's not a game after all; the trial-and-error rate is too low...

"..."

An illusory light bulb illuminated from above, and Vane's extraordinary mind immediately offered three plans.

With an idea in mind, Vane immediately drafted a detailed plan in the We Many.

[Suspended Loop]

[Underworld Paradise]

[Eye of Judgment]

The draft had just been drawn up, and before Vane could add any details, Gregor's inquiry came through.

[Gregor: Isn't there any way to bring them together?]

Gather together? Just find some bait.

[Vane: Boss, just publicly declare that you have the Witch King's legacy. Whether you actually have it or not, they'll test you. If all else fails, go and take Ebenholz away; they'll be more anxious than you are.]

[Gregor: The Ebenholz... Where is the key to the Witch King's location?]

[Vane: In this timeline... they're still kids, they should be in Utica.]

[Gregor: Ebenholz is a person? Wait! Where are you saying he is?]

[Vane: Utica, he's the Earl of Utica.]

"Wilde! Who gave you permission to touch these treasures? These are the Earl's property!"

Inside the tower of Utica, the Earl's butler was hurling insults at the musician before him:

"You're supposed to be a nobleman, don't you have any shame?!"

"Coo coo... Ha! Come on, you old man."

Wilde's face flushed as he shook the treasure in his hand.

"That kid's been under house arrest here for years, and I'm just waiting for the right time to teach him to drink."

"Once I've turned him into a complete drunkard, hehe... I'll drink him until he's dead... hiccup!"

"A vulgar scoundrel!"

Ignoring the butler's insults, Wilde picked up a few more bottles of his collection and swayed toward his room.

The door next to the corridor opened a crack, and a pair of eyes silently stared at the other person.

Those were lavender-colored eyes, eyes that should have been gentle, yet appeared lifeless beneath that cold gaze.

He is Franz von Utica, the count the Earl speaks of, and the true master of Utica.

Of course, this is only in name.

Wilde was his teacher and also his appointed guardian, who usually gave orders in his capacity as the acting Count of Count Urtica.

In the beginning, Wilde was quite dutiful and loyal.

Besides the regular lessons, she would also tell the young Earl interesting stories about the outside world.

But everything changed when Franz came into contact with music.

The boy picked up a violin and played a piece; the beautiful music drew praise from the crowd who called him a genius.

But the boy had no time to respond. From the moment the first note rose from the strings, an unfamiliar voice awoke in his mind.

At first, the boy didn't pay any attention, but by the next day, the teacher's eyes were filled with nothing but disgust.

Question: Utica is the Witch King's ancestral land, so who is Count Urtica?

All Franz knew was that from that day forward, Count Urtica officially became a prisoner.

The butler, who had been searching, saw the boy peeking through the crack in the door. He was about to say something when the boy interrupted him.

"No need to trouble yourself, Blade. Let him have whatever he wants to drink."

"But!"

"It's late, go and get some rest."

"... Yes, Earl Excellency."

Franz breathed a sigh of relief when Blade left.

This butler was one of the very few people in the tower who treated him kindly, and he had always been his pillar of support.

As the boy grew up, he gradually came to understand some truths and realized that, for the sake of the butler, it was best not to get too close to him.

"Gurgle~~"

The boy rubbed his stomach, looked into the darkened corridor, and sighed.

Even if the people in the tower disliked the boy, they couldn't possibly let this nominal Earl starve; food was certainly available.

But after the boy accidentally glimpsed what the maid was adding to the sauce, he always only ate a little bit each time, which is why he became thin.

Franz pushed open the door and walked outside, taking bread from the maid's table and strolling towards the courtyard.

Despite being the central tower of the mansion, there were no patrol personnel at night.

Although it felt a little strange, it also made it easier for the boy to move around.

The empty courtyard was quiet and deserted. Sitting by the fountain and listening to the sound of the water, the noisy noise in my mind faded away considerably.

The boy was quietly munching on his bread when he suddenly felt something hard in his teeth.

Silently breaking open the bread, the boy noticed that the decorations inside looked very familiar.

Those were the jewels on the music box by his bedside.

It's not in great condition; it's only worth about two Ducati.

Two Ducats... just two Ducats were enough to make a maid risk imprisonment to steal the Earl's belongings.

Franz squeezed the bread tighter and tighter in his hand, then slammed it heavily to the ground.

The round gemstone rolled and rolled, until it rolled into the sewer.

"Why! What have I done to deserve this!"

"If you want this position, just say so! I'll give it to you; I don't want it!"

"A bunch of cowards! Bastards! Despicable scoundrels!"

The boy struggled to find the right words to curse, only to discover, tragically, that he had no answer.

Unable to vent his frustration, the boy slumped back down by the fountain.

"Gurgle~~"

My stomach started growling again, betraying me because I hadn't eaten enough.

The boy angrily pounded his stomach, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes as he writhed in pain.

"Sooner or later... I will fire you all!"

Despite being treated this way, the kind-hearted boy still couldn't think of any more vicious punishment.

A cold wind blew by, and the boy, dragging his weary body, stood up and walked towards the door.

Go to sleep, I hope those sounds won't be in my dreams tonight...

Clang--

"!!!"

A strange noise was heard, Franz froze on the spot.

In a panic, Franz took out the flute that he used as a staff and shouted with courage:

"Who dares to play tricks on Earl territory!"

"You are Count Urtica?"

A strange, accented sound rose from beneath his feet. Franz looked down and met the starlight beneath the fence.

"Aaaaaah!!!"

The Earl was still just a child, and he was so frightened by the terrifying scene that he stumbled backward and fell into the spring.

Hearing the ominous gurgling sound, Gregor quickly lifted the drain cover and got up.

Are you alright?

"Gurgle... cough cough! Don't come any closer!"

Franz frantically struggled to sit up from the spring, backing away until he leaned against a pillar in the water.

The boy watched the monster in front of him with fear, wondering if he would be killed if he called for help. Gregor was also watching the boy.

Caprinae with his black hair, violet eyes, and that age... that's him!

"I won't hurt you. How about you come out first? It must be cold in the water."

Gregor knelt down on one knee to make himself appear shorter, and reached out his hand to the boy hiding in the water.

Perhaps it was that gentle demeanor that eased some of his fear, for Franz gritted his teeth and asked:

"What do you want with me? And who are you?"

"Is it Assassin? Human trafficking? Or a pedophile?"

Stunned by a barrage of shocking accusations, Gregor quickly waved his hand to stop him:

"Wait, wait, that's not it! I came here to..."

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Gregor looked into the boy's eyes and couldn't bring himself to say them.

Am I here to use you as bait? To obtain the Voice of the Mundane within you so I can meet the Witch King?

Isn't that too cruel to a child?

Gregor fell silent, and Franz grew increasingly uneasy.

No way? I actually guessed right?

In the uneasy silence, a clear rumbling sound from the abdomen rang out.

Hungry?

Seeing the boy's flushed face, Gregor's cross-shaped star suddenly shone brightly.

Mistaking this for a sign of attack, Franz splashed water from the fountain and ran away shouting.

"If only we had a superpower that allowed us to understand each other instantly upon meeting..."

(Laterano Mainframe: Some of you have it, bro.)

With a sigh, Gregor put the hood back on.

With a brief sprint, the boy was grabbed under the armpits and easily lifted up.

So light...

Franz struggled frantically; even though his life was already miserable, he didn't want to die meaninglessly like this!

"Okay, don't move."

Gregor flipped the boy over, and the crooked dog's head came into Franz's view, startling the boy.

Seeing that the hood was effective at concealing the laughter, Gregor shook his head, hoping to amuse the boy this time.

Unfortunately, a cheap trinket is still a cheap trinket; the headgear spun 180 degrees with a flick of the wrist, leaving Franz with a hairy back of his head.

"Pfft—" Franz was amused by this strange scene.

Fortunately, although the method was wrong, the boy's wariness did decrease.

Seeing this, Gregor pressed his advantage.

"I'm really not a bad person. I just heard your stomach rumbling. How about I take you out to eat?"

Franz stared at the back of Gregor's head, then patted his arm, signaling Gregor to put him down.

Gregor did as he was told. After a brief silence, the boy took a deep breath and shouted loudly into the night sky.

"There's Assassin!!!"