Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ruby
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Let's Pretend This Conversation Never Happened
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Creeeeak.
The door to Jobaton's quarters opened.
I pushed my foot inside.
The place was pitch dark with nothing but a single candle for light.
Behind me, Diaz and the thugs followed inside.
Even so, there was no sign of anyone.
Diaz swept his gaze around the interior and said to me.
"There's nowhere to hide... It seems he's fled."
Diaz's speculation was quite credible.
The window left wide open.
The soup that was still warm, half-eaten.
Various circumstances supported her statement.
Diaz glared at the thugs who had become useless.
"I'll interrogate them further to find out where he might have escaped to."
"Hii, hiik!"
"Wait! Wait a moment! I'll, I'll think about it!"
The guys who had already experienced her strength once began trembling.
But I stopped her.
"No. It's not necessary."
"...Pardon?"
I quietly closed my eyes and inhaled.
Whoosh.
Then slowly exhaled.
All my senses sharpened to a razor's edge.
Like a sharp blade that would cut at the slightest touch.
The others held their breath as well.
'Still here... he's still here...!'
I raised the corner of my mouth in a smirk.
Then slowly opened my eyes again.
And stared at an empty wall.
Following my gaze, everyone's eyes moved.
At the same time, I recalled my memory of Jobaton.
[This is power I seized after getting rid of all those backstabbing bastards! Do you think such childish attacks would work on me!]
'There was that line.'
It was an insignificant villain's line.
But now, that single phrase carried tremendous impact.
Based on those words, my thoughts began to expand greatly.
Why?
Why on earth did he say something like that?
No matter how I thought about it, there was only one answer.
'It means he didn't obtain it by chance.'
Unique Skills were abilities called divine authority.
So difficult to obtain that even the Seven Knight Orders, one of the top five powerful groups, could barely acquire them.
Yet someone living in such a shabby house, eating watery soup like that, had obtained a Unique Skill?
'Absolutely not.'
I walked toward the wall where my gaze was fixed.
Thud, thud.
The current Jobaton was not someone who had the capability to reach for a Unique Skill.
The trembling breath hiding behind the wall made that clear.
He might fool others' eyes, but he couldn't fool my third eye.
'There's definitely another force behind this.'
I was certain.
And at the same time, I drew a clean dagger from my waist.
Shing.
I lightly swung my right hand.
The wall was cut through as easily as paper.
From inside, Jobaton's terrified voice burst out.
"Huh, huk!"
Startled, Jobaton swung a hidden dagger from his chest.
It was such a sudden attack.
Even Diaz's eyes widened.
"Lo, Lord Rohan!"
But I had already anticipated his reaction.
Thanks to hearing the rustling sounds from inside his chest behind the wall.
Thunk!
My hand grabbed his wrist.
Fortunately, it was just before that dagger could lodge itself in my forehead.
'...I almost died...'
Behind me, Diaz's fist flew quickly toward him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meanwhile, there were those watching Rohan's movements.
One was Baron Lopenser, the mayor of Oliton.
The other was Rokter, ruler of the back alleys in the city's outskirts.
Baron Lopenser crossed his legs and leaned back.
"How are things? Progressing well?"
"Don't you receive daily reports?"
There was that attitude again.
If asked a question, he should just answer, yet he unnecessarily tried to match wits with him, a nobleman.
But Baron Lopenser controlled his breathing.
It wasn't time yet.
"I want to hear it directly."
"As of yesterday, we've killed a total of 59 people. Now we need 7 more to break the seal. Just 7 more lives to sacrifice, and the authority sleeping inside will be in our hands."
"Be careful not to cause a commotion. If things get unnecessarily noisy... we could be completely screwed."
Baron Lopenser made a throat-slitting gesture with murderous eyes.
Rokter smiled coldly.
"I know, I know. I'm only catching and killing those who won't cause a fuss. And well, as long as you pay me well, I always do my best, don't I? This isn't our first or second deal."
"Right. Oh, one more thing."
"Go ahead."
"Yesterday, a knight from the Seven Knight Orders entered the territory."
"The Seven Knight Orders? Are you referring to Lord Klaus?"
Baron Lopenser shook his head.
"No. Lord Klaus is in the capital. I heard it's someone who newly joined. Called Rohan."
"Rohan?... Yes, well. But why are you telling me this?"
"It seems that fellow intends to stir up the outskirts."
Rokter, who had been relaxed until now, frowned.
The city outskirts were his territory, unofficially recognized even by Baron Lopenser.
And it just had to be a knight from the Seven Knight Orders.
"What's the reason?"
Baron Lopenser shrugged.
"I don't know that much. He just notified me. There's nothing I can do about it either."
It was obvious.
Baron Lopenser's true intentions.
He was planning to use this Rohan fellow to clean up his own forces.
'Snake-like bastard.'
Rokter cursed inwardly as he stood up.
"I see. Understood. Then I should go discipline the boys. That way our mayor will stay safe too, won't he?"
"......"
It was a clear provocation.
Veins bulged on Baron Lopenser's forehead.
And seeing that, Rokter chuckled.
"I'll be going. The conversation was enjoyable."
Rokter bowed and disappeared.
Baron Lopenser's mouth trembled, and his clenched fists shook.
After Rokter disappeared, he said to the butler standing beside him.
"That Jobaton bastard. He's still holding out well without being caught, right?"
"Yes. He's completely earned Rokter's trust. He definitely won't know he's our man."
"Good... The moment the parchment's seal breaks, immediately snatch it and bring it here. Rokter will definitely be eyeing it, trying to swallow it whole."
"I've already conveyed those instructions. Don't worry."
"I have a good feeling about this time. That Rohan fellow is also stirring up the outskirts on his own. Heaven really seems to be on my side."
"Of course."
"Oh, and."
Baron Lopenser also stood up.
"When everything's finished, kill both Rokter and Jobaton."
"Understood."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Haah!"
Jobaton suddenly came to his senses.
Then he rolled his eyes around.
"Wh, what the hell..."
But he wouldn't see anything.
All that remained here was a single small candle.
I deliberately made my footsteps audible as I approached him.
To make him recall that moment when he was trembling behind the wall.
As expected, Jobaton's pupils shook violently.
And finally.
I approached close enough for him to see me.
Jobaton spoke in a voice full of anxiety.
"Who, who are you! What the hell!"
"Jobaton."
"...!"
When I closed my mouth.
He asked me.
"Do, do you know me?"
While he was unconscious, I had seriously pondered what words to use to grill him.
And now.
I slowly began the conversation I had simulated.
"You seem quite quick-witted."
"......"
"Just from sensing my approach, you opened the window and pretended to flee. Plus that secret place you made in the wall. Very interesting."
"How, how did you find out?"
"The interior was much smaller than it looked from outside."
Jobaton's complex emotions showed on his face.
It was exactly the reaction I wanted.
"Seeing that you made such a place, you must have already noticed to some degree, right?"
"I, I don't know what you're talking about."
I raised one eyebrow and asked back.
"Do you really not know what I'm talking about?"
"......"
"Hmm. It seems I overestimated you. Let's just pretend this conversation never happened."
I immediately turned around.
As if I had no regrets whatsoever.
And I walked as slowly as possible.
'Stop me... stop me!'
If Jobaton kept his mouth shut like this, my scenario would fall apart too.
But it was a necessary gamble to make him speak.
Soon I was about to step outside the candle's radius and...
"Wa, wait a moment!"
Then Jobaton called out to stop me.
'That's right!'
While cheering inwardly, I turned my head with an indifferent expression.
"What?"
"You're right! What you said is right! I've noticed too... that they're trying to kill me."
I turned back toward him.
"But what am I supposed to do! I don't know. I don't know who to trust, and I don't know what to do..."
Jobaton looked up at me.
"I'm going crazy. This is my limit now. I can't sleep, I can't eat. I've been living this blood-draining life for 8 years."
"Are you okay with spilling everything so freely?"
"You said it a moment ago, didn't you? That I'm quick-witted."
"Right."
"I noticed this too."
Jobaton showed me the rope binding his wrists.
Slip.
Without him struggling much, the rope came off easily.
I wasn't surprised at all.
I had deliberately set it up that way.
Even Jobaton noticing this was part of my scenario.
As expected, Jobaton had caught on.
"If you really intended to do something to me... you wouldn't have done it this way. Let me ask you just one thing too."
"Speak."
"Are you... someone with the power to save me?"
Jobaton's anxious eyes turned toward me.
And I.
Took out a seal from my chest to prove my identity.
"Well. I don't know how much power you're hoping for. Would even this much be insufficient?"
Jobaton's breathing stopped momentarily when he saw the seal I took out.
"The, the Seven Knight Orders...! You are?..."
Jobaton's gaze quickly went back and forth between me and Diaz.
"Are you truly from the Seven Knight Orders that even demons tremble before?"
I answered without words, just tapping the seal with my finger.
What other answer was needed?
Jobaton saw this, swallowed hard.
And.
He began to confess everything he was going through to me.
"Please help me! Baron Lopenser! The mayor of Oliton, Baron Lopenser discovered an old book a few months ago. And a piece of parchment came out of it. That was the beginning of everything."
Once he opened his mouth, he began spilling everything without anything left to hide.
"Baron Lopenser must have sensed something special about that parchment and began investigating, discovering it was parchment with authority sealed within. But the parchment had a strong seal on it. An evil seal!"
So that's how it was.
Now I understood.
No wonder... for something Jobaton did alone, the scale seemed too large.
It seemed the mayor was also involved.
Jobaton continued speaking.
"To break the seal, 66 human sacrifices were needed. So Baron Lopenser contacted Rokter, the head of the underworld. He gave him proper money and told him to find the sacrifices."
"So? Are you the contact person finding those sacrifices?"
"No. I was originally Baron Lopenser's man, but when Rokter's power grew, I received orders to monitor him and was sent to infiltrate undercover. I've lived like that for the past 8 years. While my blood ran dry... I worked hard to carry out my orders. And now I've become someone Rokter trusts to some degree. At first they said to endure for just 3 years, then 5 years, then 7 years. That's continued until now."
This guy seemed to have suffered quite a bit as well.
Tears welled up in Jobaton's eyes.
Indeed, living as a spy for 8 years couldn't be easy.
However, that was that.
What I was curious about was something else.
Jobaton, who had been continuing his story, became filled with indignation.
"They worked me like a dog for that long. For 8 years! But now they say they can't trust me and want to kill me. Does this make sense? Fucking bastards..."
"I don't understand. Why are they suddenly trying to kill you?"
"They suspected that I had completely turned to Rokter's side. It's not just anything else - since authority was involved, Baron Lopenser must have been anxious too. And rightly so, because as I mentioned, I earned Rokter's trust. So he..."
My eyes flashed.
And toward such a me, Jobaton nodded.
"Yes! That's right. That parchment... it's currently in my hands!"
Bingo.
Without realizing it, the corner of my mouth curved upward.