Chapter 201

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### Episode 201

Hassan’s Business

201? Hassan’s Business #4

“Here it is.”

“Really—just as you said, Lord Hassan, there’s a huge, gaping hole! And it’s so deep!”

Paranoi shivered as she stared into the bottomless pit. With a flick of her wrist, she picked up a nearby pebble and rolled it into the abyss.

Clatter, clatter, thud, thud—

The sound of the pebble falling endlessly confirmed just how deep the hole stretched.

“So, the Goblin King is down there?”

“Probably.”

“…How—how dare—!”

At my indifferent reply, Paranoi trembled like a boiling kettle before exploding.

“How dare some lowly goblin call itself a king when a man like Lord Hassan exists?! Unacceptable!! I’ll drag it out by its filthy hide right now!!”

She seemed genuinely enraged by the mere idea of a goblin holding the title of king.

Such vivid fury.

I really shouldn’t have brought her along.

—

It was the day after I’d discovered this rabbit hole.

I had initially planned to go in alone, but with nightfall approaching and the thought that I might not make it back—potentially ending up another missing adventurer—having at least one ally seemed wise.

Someone had to stay outside, just in case I needed to call for help.

So, I chose Paranoi as my companion.

Since she already knew about my necromancy, dragging her along in secret wasn’t an issue.

Of course, Luna did question me—“Hassan, why are you sneaking off alone with Paranoi?”—but when I brushed her off with “Goblin hunting,” she surprisingly didn’t press further.

Probably because it was Paranoi.

Instead, she even said, “Sorry, I’m too busy to join you as a permanent party member!” with a hint of regret that nearly made my nose twitch.

Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I last went hunting with Luna. Back then, it was grueling, but looking back now, those struggles are just nostalgic memories.

—

“Lord Hassan, why don’t you go down first…?!”

Paranoi’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“You want me to go first?”

“You are the mighty warrior who effortlessly crushed Jupiter’s knights!! But I—I am but a weak nymph compared to you! Going first would be no help at all!!”

She usually boasts about being the High Priestess or your right hand, but now she’s quick to call herself a weak nymph.

This little—

I realized she was just scared of the pitch-black cave. Honestly, I didn’t blame her.

I wasn’t exactly thrilled about heading down either. No telling what could jump out.

But the idea of Paranoi trying to use me as a shield pissed me off.

“Paranoi, my right hand, should be leading the charge in places like this.”

“I—uhh… W-well…”

“You did agree to a 6% share of Hell. If you want to stand above others, you gotta be brave.”

“…Is—is that so?”

Her crimson pupils quivered violently as she glanced between me and the cave’s yawning entrance.

“T-then… I’ll just take 0.9%!!”

She bargained down her own cut just to avoid going in first.

I almost felt bad.

She’s always had a thing about dark, cramped caves—ever since her childhood hiding from hunters. Trauma doesn’t just go away.

I hate spiders and fear Elpride, so who was I to judge?

—

Enough torturing her.

“Fine, let’s send in the grunts first. Hand me some bones from the bag.”

“Oh! The ever-resourceful High Priestess Paranoi has already prepared them!!”

Suddenly animated, she unloaded a hefty bag, spilling a pile of bones—stolen from Luna’s ingredient jars—onto the ground.

“Look! Aren’t they exquisite?! I, Paranoi, handpicked only the most useful!”

To me, they looked like any other bones, but she was visibly proud.

“Good job, Paranoi.”

“Heheh, as expected of Lord Hassan’s right hand… So, can I have my 6% back?”

“No.”

With a flick of my wrist, the bones snapped together, forming four Bone Goblins.

“Necromancy… without a chant?! And four Royal Guards with blue embers…?!”

She shook in awe.

I hadn’t shown her my improved necromancy before. Maybe even an ex-Cultist like her was impressed?

In this world, chantless magic is considered advanced.

Elpride uses fire magic without incantations, earning her fame as a legendary adventurer.

The thought made me smirk.

“This is basic. Now, go scout ahead, grunts.”

The small Bone Goblins disappeared into the narrow hole.

Clatter, clatter—

Before long, a notification flashed:

[Minion Combat Settled.]

[Quest Points +11]

[Current Quest Points: 321]

Eleven points? That meant the Bone Goblins had killed something deep below.

d*mn. If Paranoi or I had gone first, we’d have been ambushed instantly.

“I’ll go first now. Stay close.”

“Understood! I shall guard your back!”

—

The cave was just wide enough for me, a grown man, to crawl through on all fours.

Any bigger, and I might’ve gotten stuck. Lucky I don’t have claustrophobia.

“Lord Hassan!! The walls—they’re closing in!! The cave is eating me!! I can’t breathe—!”

Paranoi wailed.

Exaggerating much?

If I could fit, then she, a petite nymph, had no excuse.

“Quit whining and keep up.”

“Uuuuhh… I—I can’t breathe…”

“Tch. Fine, hold onto my leg.”

She latched onto my ankle like a lifeline, making progress slow but steady.

Eventually, the ceiling widened, allowing me to stand.

Using [Blessed Hands of Light], I surveyed the area.

Dead goblins littered the ground, surrounded by my Bone Goblins.

“Good. Paranoi—mark the path with glowstones.”

“I excel at path-marking!! Do I… get a reward?”

“Sure, if you do it right.”

“Uuu… a reward…!”

Motivated, she pulled out a glowstone—a luminescent rock (worth 5 coppers) that adventurers use for dungeon navigation.

“Don’t lose it. We’re collecting them on the way back.”

“Worry not!! Now, onward, Lord Hassan!”

Before leaving, I reanimated the eleven goblin corpses.

Now, fifteen undead marched under my command.

Having this many minions—without hiding them—was liberating.

“Chantless necromancy… over ten undead at once…!” Paranoi gasped.

Her voice echoed, and I tensed.

“Quiet. We don’t know what’s down here.”

“B-but this… a March of the Dead…!”

Her dramatic phrasing wasn’t entirely wrong.

Surrounded by my Bone Goblins, I felt invincible.

“Let’s move.”

—

The cave was a maze—interconnected tunnels like an anthill.

Occasionally, goblins ambushed us, but my undead ripped them apart before I could blink.

[Minion Combat Settled.]

Too easy.

Since when was dungeon-clearing this simple?

My Bone Goblins charged without fear, tearing through enemies.

Every k*ll added to my army.

“Rise, grunts.”

Creak, groan—

They had no choice but to obey.

This is insane.

“To desecrate life so cruelly…! Turning even fresh corpses into mindless undead…! Truly, you are the epitome of evil!”

Paranoi’s crimson eyes gleamed in the dark, her face flushed with perverse excitement.

Her tongue darted out, wetting dry lips.

It reminded me of when we first met—back at Stomp’s lumberyard, when I was still afraid of her.

She had been a terrifying cultist once.

“Lord Hassan, your majesty rivals the gods!! Even these foolish goblins must now realize how idiotic it was to oppose Hell’s Archduke!!”

Why is she more hyped than me?

Maybe it was the cave’s sinister influence, but her praise wasn’t unwelcome.

Then—

Shiver.

A small, green creature knelt at my feet.

A child?

It held out a shard of glass.

“T-this wretch just insulted you, Lord Hassan!! Called you a ‘dumb, black-haired fool’!!”

“…What?”

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### [Author’s Note]

Thank you to:

silentrabbit, Baekwoosasin, bzzneong, Atomysk, Tashierd, Hepshiel, Baramsaek, MacaronLover, SageMansae, Gwitoksae, modmod, Nuo13, 8lackie, Kadeom, Cyankee, Vurgil, ANTICHE, Cardio, LauraStuart, LasAlgul, PoliceUncle, Qaisha, PotatoServer, ForestPerson, kikiki, and M.F for the support coupons!

And to everyone who left comments and likes! Pushing for three updates to hit 200 was worth it!!

This Michu-ri has turned white with gratitude…!

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