Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World

Abel couldn't help but feel a bit baffled by the situation he had landed in. He had simply offered an old man a ride, and now, it turned out the man was no ordinary traveler.

As they made their way toward the town, Abel glanced again at the old man in the shabby coat and wide-brimmed leather hat. Nothing about his appearance hinted at his true identity.

"Perhaps because of his plain outfit, I really thought he was just a farmer," Abel mused.

However, things took a surprising turn.

"I haven't been able to properly introduce myself because things have been so hectic. Nice to meet you. I'm Jaren Burgess," the old man said calmly.

"Him?" Derek, who had been sitting nearby, reacted with shock, eyes wide as he stared at Jaren.

Abel, puzzled by Derek's reaction, turned to him. Derek immediately leaned over and whispered into Abel's ear, offering a short explanation.

"He's a very famous person. He's called the Viscount of Darkness," Derek whispered urgently.

"Is he from of noble birth?" Abel asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yes, that's right," Derek confirmed.

Abel's mind raced.

'Why would someone of noble birth run an underworld business?'

The question lingered in his thoughts, but it wasn't something he could resolve right away. After all, now that introductions had been made, it was Abel's turn to respond.

"Oh, yes. Nice to meet you. My name is Abel Carriers," he said, offering a polite nod.

Jaren Burgess' expression shifted. The faint, affectionate smile that had been on his face slowly hardened, like dry clay cracking and crumbling away. His surprise was evident.

'Oh, I guess so,' Abel thought.

It's not every day one meets an imperial duke in a foreign land like this. That kind of reaction was to be expected.

"Is that true? No, is it really true?" Jaren asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"Why would I lie about that?" Abel responded plainly.

Jaren Burgess cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "Ahem! This is quite rude of me. I received your help, but it took me too long to introduce myself properly."

"Don't worry about it," Abel said, waving off the concern. "But if you don't mind, could you clear the way for me? I need to find a place to stay for the night."

Jaren quickly shook his head. "Well… no, no. How could Jaren Burgess treat his benefactor that way? I must invite you to my house."

"No need for that. Really," Abel insisted.

But Jaren wasn't backing down. "Please, don't worry. Make yourself comfortable at my home."

It was difficult to refuse when the request was made so earnestly by a man who looked at least seventy. Abel simply nodded, deciding there was no harm in staying for one night.

'Nothing could go wrong in just one evening, could it?'

'What an interesting coincidence,' Abel thought, following Jaren Burgess.

'The person I helped turned out to be the boss of the underworld.'

It felt oddly familiar, like a story he'd heard before.

'Isn't there a joke like this? Helping an old man on his way to an interview, only to find out he's the president of a company.'

Of course, in this case, things were a bit different.

'Because the person who helped was the group president,' Abel thought wryly as he continued walking.

As they moved further, Abel glanced at the members of Jaren's organization, who stood around them. There was something off about the whole scene. Abel couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Jaren spoke in a low tone to his subordinates. "Oh, you lot, head back quickly. I'll handle the negotiations with Antwan."

"Yes, boss," they responded in unison.

With just one word, hundreds of men moved in perfect sync. It was clear Jaren Burgess held significant authority. In fact, he had more private soldiers than most small lords.

Of course, none of these soldiers appeared to have mastered Aura, but they looked like they could handle inexperienced knights with ease.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Was Abel getting mixed up in something dangerous? That thought lingered uncomfortably in his mind.

As if sensing Abel's concern, Derek leaned in to offer a quick explanation. "The image of the underworld in Northern Ark isn't as bad as you'd think."

"Why's that?" Abel asked, intrigued.

"Um… well, in reality, the lords here exploit people more. The underworld only takes what they can."

"Ah, I see," Abel muttered.

"Besides," Derek added, "this place was originally a slash-and-burn village. It was founded by people fleeing from nearby territories."

Abel nodded as he listened. Northern Ark was a peculiar place, located at the intersection of four territories. In the past, it had been a battlefield, with lords vying for control of the strategic land.

However, with the empire stabilizing, territorial wars had dwindled. As the lords lost interest, people fleeing exploitation began to gather, slowly developing the area into what was now known as Northern Ark.

It was like a lawless city, where the underworld became a necessary evil to maintain order. Discover hidden content at empire

Jaren excused himself for a moment and walked ahead into the inn district. Abel watched him go before letting out a quiet sigh. Not long after, Jaren returned, this time walking alongside a man, likely Antwan, from the conversation earlier.

"There was a slight misunderstanding," Jaren explained, his voice steady. "My men thought I was being taken advantage of by Antwan. I simply made a mistake while driving the carriage."

Abel blinked, tilting his head slightly. 'You're the boss of a big organization, driving a carriage alone through a snowstorm? This explanation feels shaky.'

Sensing Abel's doubt, Jaren lowered his voice. "There are many ears listening right now. I'll explain more later."

"Understood," Abel replied, not pushing further. There was no need to get involved in underworld power struggles, especially ones this complicated.

However, the uneasy feeling wouldn't go away. As they finally arrived at Jaren Burgess' mansion and the group began to unpack, Abel realized this situation was far more dangerous than he had first imagined.

While they settled in, Jaren began to explain the real story.

"So, the carriage didn't fall off the road by accident?" Abel asked, now fully invested.

"No," Jaren admitted. "I lied about that, just in case."

"And the culprit? Someone from the Sordin Order?"

"Yes," Jaren confirmed, his voice growing cold. "I remember clearly the attire of the ones who fired the crossbows."

It turned out that Jaren had been ambushed while returning to Northern Ark in his carriage, a moment that could have easily ended in his death. Had he not escaped in time, he would have fallen off the cliff, just like his coachman, who was riddled with arrows.

"But why would they attack you?" Abel pressed.

Jaren sighed. "The reason is simple. They want control of Northern Ark as well."

"No, that's not what I mean. Why is a religious group involved in underworld business?" Abel asked, his curiosity piqued.

Jaren paused, then with a serious expression, he continued. "Ah! You might not know much about this since you're from the capital."

"What don't I know?" Abel asked, his interest deepening.

"The Sordin Order no longer has any priests. And they're clashing with us, claiming to be opening up a new world."

Abel frowned.

A religious sect that doesn't worship God?

'How far had they fallen?'