The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 38: The True Path to Repentance (3)

“Ugh, ugh…”

The black magician, Ruperlan, stumbled backward. His chest pounded, fear surging through him.

He wanted to run. Desperately.

But that was impossible.

*Step. Step.*

The silver-haired knight, Javier, approached slowly, his footsteps unyielding.

There was no opening, no chance for escape.

“If I so much as try anything, that sword will strike immediately.”

Ruperlan instinctively knew.

The moment he turned to flee, the sword would slice through him.

He had no hope of dodging it. He couldn’t block it, let alone counterattack.

He was out of mana.

“*I never thought he’d deal with the enhanced ghouls so easily…*”

It was beyond his wildest imagination.

The ghouls he had crafted using every reagent and black magic at his disposal.

They had been specially enhanced in a magical formation over a hundred days and nights.

These enhanced ghouls were leagues above ordinary undead ghouls.

Their steel-like skin could deflect axes, their movements were swift as the wind, and they possessed a degree of intelligence that made even Ruperlan uneasy at times.

To him, these ghouls were the ultimate weapons of slaughter.

And yet, the silver-haired knight before him had turned all fifty of them into rotting chunks of meat with a single swing of his sword.

“Who… what are you?!”

His voice cracked, veins bulging in his neck.

“What kind of being are you to cause such chaos here?!”

It was a desperate scream, a mix of fear, frustration, and resignation.

At its core, it was also a cry of surrender.

He knew deep down.

He was going to die.

“*I don’t want to die.*”

Ruperlan clung to life.

He had to finish his research.

Only by completing it could he resurrect his lost family, regain his once-happy life.

That belief had kept him going.

But now, the silver-haired knight approaching him felt like the grim reaper himself.

*Step. Step.*

Javier closed the gap with deliberate steps, one at a time.

There was no way to escape. No room for counterattack.

He didn’t even speak. Negotiation was off the table.

This realization threw Ruperlan into panic.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer!”

His frantic shout went unanswered.

Javier’s icy blue eyes shimmered with murderous intent, his sword cutting through the air.

*Swish!*

“…Hieek!”

Ruperlan clenched his eyes shut.

And then—

“Javier, stop.”

A voice broke the tension.

A soft gust brushed past Ruperlan’s neck.

*Whoosh.*

“…!”

Had his head been severed?

Trembling, he cautiously opened his eyes.

And then he gasped.

The silver-haired knight’s longsword had halted less than a centimeter from his neck.

“H-hah!”

His legs shook, his knees buckling.

Another voice, like a lifeline, called out.

“Don’t kill him just yet, Javier. We’ve got things to do first.”

Ruperlan turned his gaze toward the voice.

A black-haired man stood there, smirking.

The man, Lloyd, spoke casually as if addressing an old acquaintance.

“Let’s have a little chat with him first. Lower your sword.”

“Understood.”

Javier withdrew his blade, and Ruperlan exhaled heavily, relief washing over him.

Lloyd approached with a disarming smile.

“Hey. You alright there?”

“…”

It was absurd, asking someone if they were okay after nearly killing them.

Yet, Ruperlan didn’t find Lloyd’s attitude offensive.

After all, this man had spared his life.

“F-fine. Thank you… for your mercy.”

“Mercy?”

Lloyd chuckled.

It wasn’t mercy that had saved Ruperlan—it was opportunity.

He wasn’t done squeezing value out of this man yet.

So far, it had been a time for punishment.

Now, it was time for exploitation.

Lloyd grinned mischievously, his mind already racing with devious plans.

“Mercy, huh? I’m not that nice.”

“…”

“Anyway, you kidnapped my soldiers, didn’t you? And stole all my construction materials too. Right?”

“You mean the ones I captured a few days ago?”

“Yeah. Are they still alive?”

“Of course.”

“All of them?”

“Yes.”

“Good. If even one of them was harmed, I’d have killed you right here.”

Lloyd smiled brightly.

Ruperlan flinched.

“I-I see… my apologies.”

“Apologies? Just words?”

“Certainly not!”

Ruperlan shook his head vehemently.

“I’ll release them immediately. Just allow me to move for a moment.”

“Go ahead.”

Lloyd gave his permission, and Ruperlan cautiously stood up.

He moved to one side of the lab and pulled a lever.

*Clang! Clatter!*

The sound of metal echoed as a wooden wall in the lab slid open, revealing a hidden prison.

“Tsk, tsk.”

Lloyd clicked his tongue as he peered inside.

No wonder.

“My men look like skeletons.”

Indeed, the soldiers looked pitiful.

The ten who had been sent back to retrieve insulation materials, along with another ten sent from the estate later, were all haggard. Their eyes were sunken, and their cheeks hollow from malnourishment.

“S-sorry about that.”

“Sorry? Do you even realize what could’ve happened if they’d died?”

“…”

“By the way, I’m curious. Are you some kind of pervert? What were you planning to do with them, locking them up like that?”

“W-well…”

“Spit it out. Seems like you’ve got some kind of story.”

“…”

Perhaps it was Lloyd’s oddly reassuring tone, both pressing and coaxing, that encouraged Ruperlan to speak.

After a moment’s hesitation, he began.

“Actually… I was conducting research. Research on resurrecting the dead.”

“Resurrecting the dead? You mean undead?”

Lloyd glanced at the shattered remains of the enhanced ghouls.

Ruperlan shook his head.

“No, not undead. This is different.”

“Different? How?”

“My research was to truly bring the dead back to life.”

“You’re talking about resurrection? Like, full-on revival?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Ruperlan nodded eagerly.

“I wanted to bring back my family—my wife and children…”

“Why? What happened to them?”

“They…”

For the first time, Ruperlan’s voice quivered with sorrow.

“I used to be an ordinary mage in a small estate. A simple family man. I was happy—truly happy. That is, until that terrible accident…”

“Stop. If you’re about to give me a sob story about the accident, spare me.”

“…Right. Anyway, I wanted to bring my lost family back. That’s all.”

“So, you’ve been researching magic here?”

“Yes.”

“And let me guess. Your method involves sacrificing living people, doesn’t it?”

“That’s…”

“Yeah, thought so.”

Lloyd’s eyes narrowed.

“And you’ve already tried it, haven’t you? Multiple times.”

“…”

Ruperlan stayed silent.

Lloyd’s voice grew sharp.

“You’ve been researching forbidden magic, sacrificing at least dozens of lives.”

“That’s…”

“Shut it. Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

Lloyd’s tone shifted from sharp to outright harsh.

“Resurrect the dead? You think that’s even possible? Use your common sense, you idiot.”

“I just…”

“Enough. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that your crazy attempt had worked. You succeeded, and you brought your wife and kids back to life. Would they say, ‘Oh, thank you so much for saving us’? Maybe. I mean, like attracts like. Maybe your wife would.”

“Don’t you dare insult my wife and children!”

“You’re the one who made it an insult.”

“…”

“What? You don’t like it? Are you angry? But what can you say in your defense?”

“…”

“Do you even understand the depths of your actions now? Dead people are dead. Letting them rest in peace is the least respect you can show.”

Perhaps it was the memory of his own parents that caused Lloyd to wrinkle his nose.

The black magician bit his lip.

“Of course… I know that. But my wife, who I loved dearly, and my children, who were more precious than life itself—I couldn’t forget them, not for a second. How could I let them go so easily when they haunted me, whether my eyes were open or closed?”

“So, you just couldn’t let them go?”

“It’s my fault. I know it was my greed and my attachment.”

“And now? What will you do?”

“I’ll have to forget them. What choice do I have?”

Tears streamed down Ruperlan’s face.

He didn’t bother to wipe them away, instead looking at Lloyd with reddened eyes.

“I’ll give up this research.”

“Will you really?”

“Yes… I’m truly exhausted.”

“Tsk. Should’ve quit a long time ago.”

“I… I have no excuse. But instead—”

Ruperlan turned his gaze toward a large steel chest in the corner.

He pointed at it.

“Everything inside that chest… I’ll give it to you.”

“That? What’s in it?”

“It’s all the magical reagents and items I’ve gathered for my research.”

“Hmm. That must be worth a fortune.”

“But I no longer need them.”

“It seems you’ve really made up your mind.”

“That’s what I should do, shouldn’t I? Here, let me open it for you.”

Ruperlan approached the chest, biting the tip of his finger until it bled. He pressed the bleeding finger to the keyhole of the chest.

“My magical lock. Only my blood, freshly drawn while alive, can open it. If anyone else applies even the slightest force, the contents will melt away and vanish.”

With a metallic *click*, the chest opened.

Inside were a variety of magical reagents, materials, and tools, neatly packed.

“This is also my way of compensating for the harm I caused by kidnapping your soldiers. Please, take it.”

“If you insist, I will gladly accept.”

Lloyd smiled in satisfaction.

Ruperlan managed a faint, bittersweet smile and raised his sleeve to wipe away his tears.

Behind the sleeve, however, his lips curled upward.

“Fool.”

Ruperlan laughed silently.

To think they actually believed him.

What a relief.

“That young master likes to act smart. Lucky for me.”

On top of that, Lloyd was greedy but fundamentally kindhearted.

Thanks to that, Ruperlan could pretend to be genuinely remorseful and secure his forgiveness.

“It’s fine. I can gather magical items again. I can remake the reagents. What matters is that I survive and escape.”

As long as he was alive, he could start his research anew somewhere else, refine his theories, and eventually achieve his goal.

“I’ll bring them back. My wife, my children. We’ll meet again, no matter what.”

The thought filled his chest with emotion, making him tremble with longing.

He couldn’t wait to leave this place and restart his work.

“Next time, on a bigger scale. More boldly. Instead of dozens, I’ll use hundreds of sacrifices. That will increase my chances of success. And after that? I’ll regain my happiness and return to the warm life I once had.”

Ruperlan clenched his fists, his resolve firm.

He had deceived the young lord. Now was the time to make his exit, playing the role of a contrite man.

“Well then… I’ll take my leave now.”

“Where will you go?”

“I don’t know yet. Perhaps I’ll wander aimlessly and settle down to farm somewhere.”

“Sounds like a decent plan.”

“Thank you. Then…”

Ruperlan bowed slightly toward Lloyd, his face somber yet sincere. He turned to leave.

Or at least, he tried to.

“Javier. Let me ask you something.”

Lloyd’s cold voice stopped him in his tracks.

“What does the kingdom’s law say about serial killers?”

Javier’s curt reply echoed sharply.

“In cases of repeated murders where intent is clear and supported by evidence, testimony, or confession, with more than ten witnesses, nobles of the kingdom have the authority to execute the offender immediately.”

The words made Ruperlan’s shoulders jump in shock.

“W-what? What are you saying?”

A chill ran down his spine.

Execution?

How had the atmosphere shifted so suddenly from warm to deadly?

*Shing.*

Javier unsheathed his sword.

This was no jest.

Ruperlan stammered in panic.

“Why? Why would you do this?”

He stumbled backward, looking desperately at Lloyd.

“Are you really going to kill me? Why? Why?!”

“Why? Isn’t it obvious?”

“Obvious? What do you mean…”

“Didn’t you hear? You’re a serial killer.”

“…”

Lloyd’s gaze bore into him, devoid of the warmth or naïveté he had shown before. His expression was cold, yet tinged with bitter disappointment.

“But I… I’ve reflected. I admitted my wrongs…”

“And?”

“I even shed tears! I cried, repenting my sins!”

“So? Crying erases your crimes?”

“That’s not…”

“Listen, stop spouting nonsense.”

Lloyd’s lips twisted into a smirk of disbelief.

“Didn’t I tell you before? You said it was for your family, for your wife and children. Then what about the people you killed? Did they not have families? Lives?”

“…”

“Stop dressing up your crimes with fake remorse. Stop pretending to repent. Do you think I’d fall for that? You think I haven’t seen your kind before?”

Lloyd’s voice grew harsher.

Memories of his past life in Korea surfaced.

The news, filled with heinous criminals who kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered—monsters undeserving of the title “human.”

“But almost none of them paid for their crimes.”

Court rulings had been baffling.

Time and again, these monsters received lenient sentences.

Drunken mistakes. Mental illness. Sincere regret.

Excuses were made, and absurdly merciful judgments handed down.

Lloyd had witnessed it too many times to count.

So it was easy to see through Ruperlan’s act.

From the beginning, Lloyd had been playing him.

“It was for the magical items.”

Lloyd’s gaze briefly flicked to the chest.

That was why he’d spared Ruperlan—for a moment.

Now that his goal was achieved, Ruperlan was no longer needed.

In fact, it was better to dispose of someone like him properly.

“Even in the novel, he didn’t change. After being forgiven by Javier once, he went back to his ways and lost his head.”

It was true.

If Ruperlan were spared now, he would undoubtedly resume his experiments and take countless more lives.

“Let’s summarize this. No matter what story you spin or fake tears you cry, one thing doesn’t change. Your nature. Do you know what that is?”

“I… I’m…”

“A serial killer.”

“…”

“And serial killers must face justice. That’s how it should be.”

“W-wait!”

“Javier. Do it by the book.”

Lloyd turned away as Javier stepped forward, sword drawn.

“The knight Javier Asrahan, acting on the command of Lord Lloyd Frontera, hereby enforces the kingdom’s law.”

*Shing.*

The sword gleamed, showing no mercy.