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I Was Mistaken for a Saint in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 23: Limbus Pit’s Winter (4) · Oct 17, 2026

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Chapter List (202)

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1 Chapter 1: I Think I’ve Been Possessed by the Protagonist Who Becomes a Saint 2026-10-17
2 Chapter 2: Is This Possession or Reincarnation (1) 2026-10-17
3 Chapter 3: Is This Possession or Reincarnation (2) 2026-10-17
4 Chapter 4: Angel of the Red-Light District 2026-10-17
5 Chapter 5: You Gotta Oil Up While Living (1) 2026-10-17
6 Chapter 6: You Gotta Oil Up While Living (2) 2026-10-17
7 Chapter 7: You Gotta Oil Up While Living (3) 2026-10-17
8 Chapter 8: You Gotta Oil Up While Living (4) 2026-10-17
9 Chapter 9: Limbus Pit Ecological Report (1) 2026-10-17
10 Chapter 10: Limbus Pit Ecological Report (2) 2026-10-17
11 Chapter 11: Limbus Pit Ecological Report (3) 2026-10-17
12 Chapter 12: Bastard of a Bloodfiend (1) 2026-10-17
13 Chapter 13: Bastard of a Bloodfiend (2) 2026-10-17
14 Chapter 14: Bastard of a Bloodfiend (3) 2026-10-17
15 Chapter 15: Bastard of a Bloodfiend (4) 2026-10-17
16 Chapter 16: Protagonist is always busy 2026-10-17
17 Chapter 17: Protagonist is always busy (2) 2026-10-17
18 Chapter 18: New Skill Tree Unlock? 2026-10-17
19 Chapter 19: New Skill Tree Unlock? (2) 2026-10-17
20 Chapter 20: Limbus Pit’s Winter (1) 2026-10-17
21 Chapter 21: Limbus Pit’s Winter (2) 2026-10-17
22 Chapter 22: Limbus Pit’s Winter (3) 2026-10-17
23 Chapter 23: Limbus Pit’s Winter (4) 2026-10-17
24 Chapter 24: Limbus Pit’s Winter (5) 2026-10-17
25 Chapter 25: Limbus Pit’s Winter (6) 2026-10-17
26 Chapter 26: Flower Blooming in the Plague (1) 2026-10-17
27 Chapter 27: Flower Blooming in the Plague (2) 2026-10-17
28 Chapter 28: Flower Blooming in the Plague (3) 2026-10-17
29 Chapter 29: Flower Blooming in the Plague (4) 2026-10-17
30 Chapter 30: Flower Blooming in the Plague (5) 2026-10-17
31 Chapter 31: Firefly Prince (1) 2026-10-17
32 Chapter 32: Firefly Prince (2) 2026-10-17
33 Chapter 33: Firefly Prince (3) 2026-10-17
34 Chapter 34: Firefly Prince (4) 2026-10-17
35 Chapter 35: Firefly Prince (5) 2026-10-17
36 Chapter 36: Firefly Prince (6) 2026-10-17
37 Chapter 37: Firefly Prince (7) 2026-10-17
38 Chapter 38: Firefly Prince (8) 2026-10-17
39 Chapter 39: Demon Disease (1) 2026-10-17
40 Chapter 40: Demon Disease (2) 2026-10-17
41 Chapter 41: Demon Disease (3) 2026-10-17
42 Chapter 42: Was Mistaken for Daddy-Long-Legs (1) 2026-10-17
43 Chapter 43: Was Mistaken for Daddy-Long-Legs (2) 2026-10-17
44 Chapter 44: Was Mistaken for Daddy-Long-Legs (3) 2026-10-17
45 Chapter 45: Was Mistaken for Daddy-Long-Legs (4) 2026-10-17
46 Chapter 46: Was Mistaken for Daddy-Long-Legs (5) 2026-10-17
47 Chapter 47: Was Mistaken for Daddy-Long-Legs (6) 2026-10-17
48 Chapter 48: Entering High Society (1) 2026-10-17
49 Chapter 49: Entering High Society (2) 2026-10-17
50 Chapter 50: Entering High Society (3) 2026-10-17

The VIP Room of Fleischhof, D-Sector’s finest restaurant (and Inn).

Within the Inn, where red lanterns flickered, an out-of-place sound echoed.

Slurp-!

”Kyah!”

Wangcho, wolfing down a soupy pasta with chopsticks.

There was much I wanted to say seeing that, but I decided to just hold my tongue.

’Just change the pasta to noodles... please...’

I felt like I would suffer Qi Deviation if I watched Wangcho any longer, so I turned my head.

There, leaning against my shoulder and dozing off, was Erika.

I looked at the peacefully sleeping girl and reviewed the day’s events.’It certainly was an eventful day.’

I’m fine since my mental age is over forty now, but it was a rather tough day for young Erika to handle.

’She struggled to act all grown up, not like a child at all.’

From firing a gun without hesitation to protect me, to finally activating her magic.

It was an incredibly harsh day for a young child.

Just then, Tao Chen, having finished his pasta, picked at his fangs with a toothpick and spoke.

”Teacher. Did you say the family sent someone?”

”Yes. Because of what happened to Mr. Otto, the family is sending people to pick us up.”

Limbus Pit and Sanctum Hill are not within walking distance of each other.

But using public transport in this situation would be crazy, so we decided to wait quietly at the restaurant until the family sent someone.

However, it seemed Wangcho interpreted the news of the family sending people differently.

”Uh... Teacher, may I ask what your position is within the family?”

”Well, let’s just say I cured the Family Head who was on the verge of death from a fever.”

”Heek...!”

Wangcho still didn’t know my bare face, let alone my family or identity.

At this point, I was curious how long this misunderstanding would last, so I didn’t bother to clarify.

’Strictly speaking, it’s not even a misunderstanding.’

A noble? YES.

A personal physician? YES.

A deep connection with the family? YES.

Aside from being a Young Master, most of it isn’t even a misunderstanding.

Except for the fact that the noble family is a Ducal Family, the rumors were mostly true.

”Uh... Ummm...”

Wangcho’s eyes darted around.

It was because of the weight of the word ’noble’.

Even a baronial family, the weakest among nobles, is a disaster in Limbus Pit.

In a world where one’s title of nobility is determined by rank, a baron is at least Rank 2 or higher.

In these back alleys, where the Rank 1 Wangcho alone reigns supreme, there’s no point in counting ranks above Rank 2.

It’s the same logic as how a civilian doesn’t need to distinguish between a nuclear bomb and a gun, since getting hit by either means you’re dead.

”Uh... is there any sort of etiquette I need to follow in front of that person...?”

Before Wangcho could even finish his sentence.

Clink-.

With the sound of a crude doorbell, the atmosphere in the Inn changed.

An old man with neatly combed white hair and a wrinkle-free tailcoat stepped into the Inn.

It was Wilhelm, my family’s Head Butler.

The dignified Head Butler’s mere appearance transformed the restaurant’s atmosphere, which couldn’t shake its somewhat barbaric air.

”It’s the Head Butler.”

”Huh?!”

”Etiquette... well, as long as you don’t swear, you should be fine.”

The Head Butler Wilhelm I knew wasn’t a stiff person.

He was strict during Erika’s etiquette lessons, but that was only during her lessons.

Normally, he tended to let it slide even when Erika used informal speech with me.

...Although, he sometimes sniffles about how I’ve finally made a friend, which seems to be a slightly unpleasant misunderstanding on his part.

Anyway.

’Besides, he’s not some scary old man like in other cliché stories.’

At first, I also thought Wilhelm was an old man hiding his true power.

He looked like he might have swung a sword a fair bit in his heyday.

Or perhaps was skilled with wires.

But after asking my father, I learned the Head Butler hadn’t risen to his position through force.

He was originally a kid delivering newspapers in the slums, but he was good at helping my father with various tasks and rose to his current position.

Not the common white-haired master from the media, but a pure adept of practical affairs.

So, there’s nothing for Wangcho to worry about.

If anything, the Head Butler would likely take a liking to the affable Wangcho.

”There’s no need to be so scared, let’s go.”

I supported Erika and headed toward the Head Butler.

***

As Yulian, supporting Erika, approached the Head Butler, his eyes widened.

But that was only for a moment.

The Head Butler put a smile on his face and guided Yulian to the car.

”Teacher Schnabel. Please get in the car first. I will depart after a brief conversation with this man.”

Wink.

The Head Butler winked, hidden from Wangcho’s view.

It meant he would play along with Yulian’s act.

Seeing him match my tune without me even saying a word,

Yulian was amazed, thinking that a head butler’s decades of sense were not to be underestimated.

And so, Yulian and Erika got into the car.

”Otto. You’ve worked hard. Let’s go up and find a Healer for you. The scar is... hah.”

The Head Butler admired the wound on Otto’s face.

”...Is this treatment Teacher’s creation? You’ve brought skin from another area.”

”You can tell just by looking?”

”Haha. It is a humble talent. That aside, the treatment is artistic. At this rate, even a Minor Heal will leave no scar.”

Hmph.

At the butler’s praise, Yulian felt a sense of pride.

As they say, you see as much as you know.

’I was almost hurt that no one had recognized it until now.’

While Yulian happily boarded the car after the Head Butler’s praise.

The Head Butler also loaded Otto into the passenger seat.

Then, he turned his body toward Wangcho.

The Head Butler called the boss of the Red-Light District with a friendly demeanor.

”So you’re the boss of D-Sector, Tao Chen?”

”...Yes, Elder.”

Wangcho quickly scanned the Head Butler, sizing him up.

It was a technique ingrained in his body for surviving in this gutter.

’Rank is Rank 0. On the verge of Rank 1, enhancement procedure... none.’

He was a helpless old man whose neck Wangcho could probably snap in five seconds if a fight broke out.

Even the fine muscles under his tailcoat were nothing special; just an ordinary old man who was a little healthier than his age suggested.

But Wangcho didn’t make the mistake of judging Wilhelm by appearances alone.

’As a noble’s head butler, I can see him as the spokesperson for the family head.’

The world isn’t all about physical strength.

Wealth, power, personal connections, political power, intellect...

The world wasn’t lenient enough to let a mere Rank 1 Superhuman act with impunity based on strength alone.

So, Wangcho placed the Head Butler’s position slightly above Teacher Schnabel’s.

Unless Teacher Schnabel was a blood relative of the family head, there was no way even a dependent retainer could be ranked higher than the head butler.

”For an Elder like you to know someone like me, I don’t know where to put myself.”

”Hmph.”

The Head Butler scanned Tao Chen.

After observing Tao Chen for a few minutes, the Head Butler took an envelope from his breast pocket and handed it over.

”This is a small token of our gratitude for protecting our family’s esteemed guest.”

Thump.

The envelope was too thin to be a token of gratitude.

I wonder if there’s even a single gold coin in here.

Thinking he was cheap for a noble, Wangcho peeked at the contents.

And his eyes widened at the number of zeros on the check inside the envelope.

”...!”

Holy fuck.

This is a ’small’ token of gratitude? They really live in a different world.

...those words rose right up to his chin.

Of course, his neck was precious, so he didn’t dare utter them.

”Th-Thank you.”

”Excellent. People from this area usually start with suspicion and refuse such goodwill. Seeing you accept it without refusal shows you’re a friend who knows etiquette.”

Of course I do.

Those words rose right up to Wangcho’s chin.

It was an etiquette lesson he’d learned from being scolded while trading with Teacher Schnabel’s merchant guild.

What did he say back then?

That doubting such a thing is an insult to the other party, and depending on who it is, you should be prepared to lose your head.

”I’ll leave the Teacher in your care from now on.”

The Head Butler left those words and turned around.

At that moment, Tao Chen gulped and asked a question to the Head Butler’s back.

”W-Will the noble lords be coming in person for this matter? Or will you be sending a knight order?”

At those words, the Head Butler’s steps toward the driver’s seat paused.

And he turned his head slightly, making eye contact with Wangcho.

A faint, somehow endearing smile hung on the old butler’s lips.

”Have you ever seen a noble send a knight because he was bitten by a little rat?”

”Th-Then this matter... you’re going to overlook it?”

”A noble’s sword and honor are not so light. But one can’t simply stand by when a rat gets on one’s nerves. When catching rats, you must leave it to the cleaners.”

The old butler looked up at the sky.

As it happened, snow was starting to fall little by little.

A precursor to the heavy snow.

The Head Butler wiped the graupel from his eyeglasses and spoke.

”Ah, come to think of it, this old man hasn’t handled such matters in a while and made a mistake. I was supposed to prepare someone to guide the cleaners, but I forgot.”

The old butler, having finished wiping his eyeglasses, pointed at the envelope Tao Chen was holding and spoke.

”May I ask you to guide those cleaners? If you complete it successfully, I will give you the same amount.”

Fuck. I’m hooked. Was this the plan from the beginning?

That sentence completely dominated Tao Chen’s mind.

That old man definitely didn’t make a mistake.

This was his plan from the start.

But it was too late to refuse.

”Ah, I understand.”

”Thank you.”

Thud.

The Head Butler closed the driver’s seat door.

Wangcho stared blankly at their departing vehicle.

And an hour later.

The ’cleaners’ arrived,

”Haa... This is why they say not to touch nobles...”

As soon as he saw the faces of the arrived cleaners, Tao Chen let out a deep sigh.

***

Thud- thud-

The sound of military boots stepping on snow spread through H-Sector.

Tao Chen glanced sideways at the black-clad group following him.

’Merkur Grand Trading Company, Special Enforcement Division: Ironclad Special Mobile Team... was it?’

They were a foreign presence, completely out of place on the chaotic streets of H-Sector.

Black leather trench coats that reached their knees.

Fedoras and goggles, pulled down low to shield against the heavy snow.

Gas masks connected to the bags on their backs.

And the unique magitech weapons and firearms held in their arms.

’How much does all that equipment cost?’

Tao Chen unknowingly sniffed the air.

It was a habit of his that emerged in front of expensive things.

Perhaps because it was expensive equipment maintained with expensive oil, a pleasant smell tickled his nose.

The more he calculated the value of those smells, the more Tao Chen realized the unfairness of this world.

’It’s been a while. Seeing a merchant guild’s soldiery stirring up Limbus Pit.’

In this country, military power is the sole province of the nobility and the imperial family.

Those who know well that power comes from the tip of a sword would never let anyone but themselves hold the hilt.

However, the nobles themselves couldn’t actively utilize their knights and private soldiers.

Because swords and armor engraved with the family crest were not things that could be sent just anywhere.

This was a problem that arose because dispatching a knight for being bitten by a stray dog would lower the knight’s prestige to that level.

On top of that, it wasn’t cost-effective at all.

And they couldn’t trust mercenaries who knew nothing of honor or loyalty.

To scratch that itch, the capitalists began to offer gray area ’services’ to the nobles.

’I remember a similar mess happening back when some H-Sector bastard messed with a noble... Sigh. Didn’t those bastards learn anything back then?’

Hitman, Special Mission Unit, Security Department, External Special Affairs Unit...

The names vary greatly depending on the nature of the merchant guild.

But their essential nature as the merchant guild’s hunting dogs never changes.

Their role is twofold.

First, to handle the jobs too dirty for knights and too risky for mercenaries, essentially scratching that particular itch for the nobles.

Second, to clean up the merchant guild’s dirty laundry in return for the noble’s protection.

And the reason the private soldiers were dispatched this time fell into the former category.

’This is why I tell people not to mess with nobles... Honestly, these gutter rats.’

Tao Chen looked up at the sky.

Large snowflakes were pouring from the sky, as if trying to cover all the filth in the world.

But belying that white sky, the black procession ahead was crushing the snowfield as it advanced.

’Come to think of it, hasn’t it been a short time since the Merkur Trading Company grew enough to hire private soldiers? Does that mean they created monsters like this in just two years?’

Organizing a highly loyal and well-trained private soldiery takes a lot of time and money.

It’s only natural.

They would come to know the merchant guild’s dirty secrets while handling all sorts of dirty work, and if their loyalty were low, those secrets would leak.

That’s why only Class 2 or higher merchant guilds, flush with both capital and infrastructure, maintain private soldiers.

Most of those guilds are established merchant guilds with traditions spanning decades.

But the Merkur Trading Company, despite being an emerging merchant guild, had cultivated a private soldiery that was no less formidable.

And in just two years.

’Teacher... what in the world have you raised? Did you brainwash them or something?’

Wangcho recalled the killing intent directed at him just before leaving the restaurant entrance.

The moment they heard Director Schnabel had been attacked, their vermilion goggles turned red.

Thanks to that, Wangcho’s blood ran cold for the first time in a while.

’Individually, they’re not Rank 1, but considering their magitech equipment and training...’

Against one of them, Wangcho would probably win by a hair.

But two of them could probably take Wangcho’s head.

And monsters like that were now sweeping through H-Sector as a unit.

”Uh... aren’t you cold?”

Tao Chen muttered, his breath fogging.

But the men following him didn’t even respond.

There was no idle chatter, no pre-battle tension, no excitement before a kill.

They just stared ahead with vacant eyes from behind their goggles.

Only the clatter of spare magazines and grenades on their chest armor occasionally broke the silence.

”Halt.”

Then, the Captain at the head suddenly gave a hand signal.

The twelve operatives following him stopped in unison.

The Captain, without taking his eyes off what was ahead, asked into the air.

”Guards?”

”Dealt with.”

The reply came from a side alley.

’Whoa, you scared me.’

The detachment, which had appeared without a sound, approached, dragging the limp bodies of Red Nose Clowns.

In their other hands, they held blood-stained daggers in a reverse grip.

”Then we continue forward.”

The unit, now twenty strong after joining with the detachment, continued its advance through the snowfield.

As they headed for the theater, the curtains on the street’s windows were drawn.

Before long, they arrived at their destination.

”We’re here. That’s the theater of the madmen who are dying to laugh.”

Tao Chen said, readjusting the hand axe on his shoulder.

Although he was tasked with guiding them, Wangcho had no intention of just standing by.

He’d been wronged, and he had to retaliate to make an example of them.

He had already discussed this with the unit, so the Captain didn’t say anything about it.

”21:58. Two minutes ahead of schedule. The guidance was clean. I will report to my superiors. There will be an additional reward.”

”Uh, uh, thanks...”

Clack-.

As if by signal, the sound of magitech shotguns being pumped simultaneously echoed through the snowstorm.

At the end of their gaze stood an old, enormous building.

[Lachenden Grand Guignol]

It was a theater said to have been provided by a noble who had taken a liking to an art piece delivered by the Lachenden Karneval.

The Captain silently stared at the theater’s faded signboard.

”...”

”Captain?”

”...It’s nothing. The objective is annihilation. We take no prisoners.”

From within the gas mask, the Captain’s voice boomed.

The two people standing beside the Captain nodded and headed for the entrance.

Bang!

There was no warning shot or call for surrender.

The heads of the two clowns trembling at the entrance were smashed like tomatoes.

”Breaking stealth and concealment. We are moving in.”

Hiss-!

At that signal, the mana reactors on their backs began to spew steam violently.

Powerful magic engravings generally have very poor energy efficiency.

The Ironclad Special Mission Unit solved this drawback by carrying mana reactors on their backs.

Steam from their backs flowed through pipes into their breathing apparatuses.

The Captain led the way, venting thick steam from the exhaust port by his mouth.

”Eisen vergisst nicht. (Iron does not forget.)”

”Eisen vergisst nicht.”

With that motto, countless red lenses stormed the dark theater.

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