Chapter 106: Three-Way Battle - 5
Chapter 106: Three-Way Battle - 5
"N-no. I'm fine...."
Koral started to speak, flustered.
Jiha smoothly remarked to Mayan.
"Thought you beastmen would know each other, but guess not?"
"...Gnolls are not beastmen. They're different."
Mayan shot back, visibly offended.
When Jiha pretended not to know about Kamain and Koral's relationship, the two in question noticeably relaxed.
Kamain asked awkwardly.
"So, what exactly is this meeting about?"
He'd decided he couldn't afford to let anyone find out about his sudden encounter with Koral, especially not here in front of others.
"You already know. Gnolls broke into the barracks. I'm here because this one claimed to know something about that. An informant."
"...You called us, Super Rare Grades, just to gather some intel?"
Even as flustered as he was, Kamain couldn't hide his disbelief.
He was a direct subordinate of a Unique and naturally looked down on even other Rare Grades.
This kind of information gathering was work for underlings, and there was absolutely no reason for him to show up, even as an escort.
Jiha nodded as he took his seat.
"Yeah, got it. Super Rare. Careful now, this one's a Super Rare, apparently. He's been swearing he'll kill you all if you get on his bad side, right?"
"...."
When Jiha issued that mock warning, Koral let out an awkward laugh.
'Now they've both had an unwanted reunion...'
Kamain and Koral were currently struggling mightily to pretend they didn't know each other.
If this were a back alley, they could have conspired to eliminate Jiha together, but that was impossible in this crowded high-class restaurant.
And with Mayan present too, all they could do was inwardly stew.
Once seated, Jiha pretended to look at the menu while observing Koral and Kamain.
They exchanged glances, but without speaking, meaningful communication was impossible.
"What's good here?"
"Commander, give me something tough."
"Would a bone do for our little puppy?"
When Jiha turned to ask, Mayan answered irritably.
"The beastman diet is not that different from a human's."
"Right, so a bone with some meat on it?"
"...The shrimp bisque would be fine."
Seemed Mayan was starting to realize the more she protested, the more Jiha would torment her.
"I'll have the steamed shrimp, then. Have you two ordered?"
"Ah, yes. Yes."
Koral, who had been deep in a silent exchange of stares with Kamain, nodded hurriedly.
He had likely brought multiple contingency plans, but meeting Kamain face-to-face had thrown him into utter confusion.
'So he doesn't just mindlessly look down on Kamain. He's been avoiding him. Then his plan to meet me today was... to use me to get rid of Kamain?'
Koral and the gnolls in front of him had probably intended to pit Jiha and Kamain against each other by claiming Kamain had put them up to it or some other pretense.
But with Kamain right here, that plan had instantly gone up in smoke.
"Let's iron out the basics before the food arrives. The bastards who raided the barracks last night, that was your gang?"
"...Ah, that's correct."
Koral nodded while racking his brain.
With his scheme ruined, his only thought now was getting out of here safely.
"They're some of my people who came in recently, but they've been hard to control. I wanted to apologize and, soon, make a formal apology..."
"Wouldn't something like that warrant addressing a Unique? Why call someone who's barely a Common like me?"
"...."
Koral was sweating profusely.
Not only had his plan, timed for Kamain's arrival, crumbled, but he'd also been caught in a bind.
"Isn't it because you're known outwardly as Enril's confidant?"
Kamain interjected on his behalf.
From Kamain's perspective, he also wanted to end this meeting quickly, so he was throwing Koral a lifeline for now.
Jiha nodded smoothly.
"Ah, right. Silly me, I forget sometimes."
"...Haha, so in that sense, some help smoothing things over with your superiors."
As Koral said this, he gestured to the gnoll behind him.
The gnoll set the bag they'd brought onto the table.
"Mayan, open it."
"...."
At Jiha's command, Mayan's eyes flashed defiantly, but she opened the bag anyway.
"50 million Rel."
"Too cheap."
"...Th-this is just a preliminary apology payment. We plan to visit you formally soon and properly demonstrate our sincerity."
Koral hurriedly bowed and scraped.
After having Rugin pack away the bag, Jiha remarked casually.
"Well, we can say I'll relay that matter to Enril... but where did you get the Grade 2 Weapons? That's not something easily overlooked."
As he spoke, Jiha focused his Mana into his hearing.
From his practice before the meeting, he knew this Hearing Amplification didn't outwardly show signs of Mana use.
"That's a rather long story..."
As Koral spoke, he subtly directed his gaze behind Jiha.
Likely towards Kamain.
Sensing Kamain's breathing become subtly rougher, Jiha laughed inwardly.
If Jiha hadn't arranged this meeting, they would have later joined forces to attack Jiha together.
Koral was the type to send assassins after Jiha, and Kamain had no warm feelings for him either.
But with a simple bit of maneuvering, they were now in a situation where they were trying to push each other off a cliff instead of Jiha.
'What a mess when thieves don't work in sync, huh...'
Jiha spoke up, cutting through the silence.
"How many weapons do you have? And are they Blue or Purple?"
"Thirty. Their origin is... Blue."
A lower count than what Asira had mentioned. A lie.
'I get the original scenario now. Kamain earns great merit by "recovering" the weapons leaked from Blue. Meanwhile, the gnolls build their power using the leftover Grade 2 Weapons they kept from returning to Kamain. It was a scripted game all along.'
Jiha pressed him.
"Where in Blue? Where exactly did a bulk supply of Grade 2 Weapons come from?"
"...If I tell you, can you guarantee my safety?"
Koral's question.
Kamain cut in, raising his voice.
"Weapons leaking from Blue Seal is a truly grave matter. We'll have to launch a full-scale investigation and clarify the truth."
Kamain then turned to Jiha.
"I can't just stand by during such a serious incident. I'll report it directly to Lady Asira today and begin an investigation."
'He's trying to seize control and sweep it under the rug?'
If he hijacked the leadership of the investigation, a certain amount of cover-up was possible.
Kamain was trying to use his grade to edge Jiha out of this affair.
It was a fairly clever approach, but... Jiha twisted the situation with a single sentence.
"Ah, but is it really only thirty?"
"...."
Koral's face, which had been nervously watching Jiha and Kamain, stiffened.
Jiha stared fixedly at Koral.
"Seems like there are more..."
His voice trailed off meaningfully.
Koral gulped.
He'd realized in his gut that Jiha knew everything, and one wrong move could cost him even the weapons he'd planned to keep.
And that in the process, his own safety couldn't be guaranteed either.
Koral asked carefully.
"Could we speak alone?"
"No. I'm too scared, sorry. How could a frail Common like me have a private audience with the chief of the gnolls? You might sic another knife on me."
At the mention of last night's events, Koral bowed his head.
"...I was truly in the wrong for what happened before. I will sincerely apologize, so could you not overlook it just this once?"
Kamain glared fiercely at Koral.
He'd caught on that Koral was abandoning their original script and trying to side with Jiha.
"This hyena bastard, trying tricks here..."
As Kamain's voice grew louder, Jiha turned to him.
"Why get so worked up? He's about to spill everything, isn't he?"
"No, but how can you trust the words of a creature like this..."
As Kamain hedged, Jiha shrugged.
"I'm just planning to listen. Everyone out. Mayan, go take a walk nearby."
"Is that alright?"
Mayan asked reflexively.
Even if she left, shouldn't she be standing by nearby in case something happened?
Jiha smirked.
"If something happens to me, you'll sleep soundly, right? Or what, are you worried about me now?"
"...."
Mayan shoved herself up from her seat.
"Kamain and Rugin, you two tag along with Mayan and come back in ten minutes. I'll have things sorted out by then."
Once even Rugin stood, Kamain's face twisted sharply.
His temperament screamed to act immediately, but the venue made it impossible.
Kamain shot a murderous glare at Koral, then spun around.
He'd resolved to deal with the gnolls and left without a backward glance.
'And this Koral fellow knows that too...'
Now Kamain and Koral would each struggle desperately to kill the other.
The gnoll escorts also withdrew, leaving Jiha and Koral truly alone.
Just then, the spicy seafood stew Koral had ordered arrived.
Facing the steaming hot stew, Koral loosened his buttons and let out a deep sigh.
"...It's making me quite hot."
"If you spill everything right now, I'll let it slide. Otherwise, things are about to get even hotter."
Perhaps thinking it was a joke, Koral laughed as he reached for his utensils.
"Don't be so heated. Let's talk slowly..."
Jiha smiled back.
This bastard clawed his way up through violence. Crushing him with violence was the most effective route.
Grab!
Jiha stood up and shoved Koral's head straight into the seafood stew.
Koral screamed reflexively as his face plunged into the boiling liquid.
"Graaargggh!!!"
"Wh-what the?!"
People dining nearby were horrified at the sight of Jiha shoving his tablemate's head into the boiling stew.
Jiha asked calmly.
"Now isn't it quite hot?"
Even as his target writhed and let out a scream that could wake the dead, Jiha didn't remove the hand pressing his head down.
No matter how violently he thrashed, there was no escaping the grasp of a Mana-enhanced hand against bare flesh.
Crack, crrrk.
Rather, the glass table began to shake and crack.
At this gruesome display of violence, customers scrambled up from their seats and fled.
A waitress who realized the situation rushed over to intervene.
"S-Sir. If you do this here, it's going to be a problem..."
"Boss!"
"Lord Koral!"
The gnolls who had withdrawn came rushing back, aghast at Koral's scream.
Jiha shot them a wink.
"Hey, your boss is cooking nicely."
"Kraaahh!"
As Koral flailed, the gnolls panicked and charged.
But with one hand still pressing Koral down, Jiha kicked a chair and sent it flying at them.
"Urgh?!"
The gnoll who had been blindly rushing forward took the chair to the face and was sent tumbling, crashing into the one right behind him, and they both went down in a heap.
The last remaining one froze, uncertain whether to attack or not, but Jiha ignored him and unhurriedly continued dealing with Koral.
"Kraaahh!!"
As Koral's hand, which had been floundering in the stew, hovered near his waist, Jiha feigned surprise.
"Whoa, you trying to draw a weapon? Didn't bring a sword, though. You hiding a knife in your pants or something?"
"Krrrgh. Krahhh..."
"Go ahead and draw it. Let's see whose neck it ends up in."
Koral groaned amid the bubbling sound of the stew.
"I-I'm, sor. Krrrrgh. ...ry..."
"What's there to be sorry about? I'm the one who should be sorry. A decent person would've finished you off quickly, but here I am slowly torturing you instead. Truly breaks my heart. Ah, human decency and all that, yet here we are."
"Krrrrgh."
In the agony of his face being cooked, Koral flailed and stuck out his tongue.
"I, I was wrong..."
Jiha grabbed Koral by the hair and lifted his head.
Seeing the hyena head now horribly reddened and smeared with steaming broth, Jiha laughed quietly.
"Then let's do this right. You can do that, can't you?"
"Krrrgh... Yes."
Once Koral barely managed to answer, Jiha released his head and sat back down.
He turned to the waitress still standing there, face pale with shock, and offered her a genial smile.
"Ah, I apologize. We had a bit of a disagreement. But it seems we need to chat a bit longer. May we continue? Instead, that fellow there will compensate you for the losses to today's business."
"That's..."
"If it's difficult, please report it to your superior. I'll be talking in the meantime."
When he spoke so gentlemanly, the waitress nodded and hurried off.
Jiha looked at the three gnolls who had managed to get back up and asked.
"You guys want a taste too?"
"...."
Koral, groaning, shot a signal to his underlings to back off.
The sound of their footsteps faded, and once again it was just the two of them.
As Koral wiped his face with a towel, Jiha asked.
"Shall we try talking properly now?"
He'd make this bastard cough up everything, then use it to destroy Kamain.
All the weapons would go to Jiha.