53
Chapter 53
The work proceeded incredibly smoothly.
The rumors continued to spread, and as people let their guard down, the operation of the relief center really picked up speed.
The scale itself grew as well, with more people wanting to help us like that mother and daughter from before.
Well, to be honest, this wasn't the purpose I started this for.
But saving lives was more rewarding than I expected.
My days passed by much more fulfilling than I had anticipated.
"Excuse me... Is it really okay for you not to sleep, Leader?"
While I was thinking that and looking at the relief center, which had changed so much in just a few days that it was hard to recognize,
A kid next to me asked that question.
"Hmm... I just have a constitution where I'm fine even if I stay up for a few nights...."
At my awkward answer, the little kid's eyes sparkled.
I know what kind of misunderstanding he's having, but I can't bring myself to correct him.
Making an excuse that it's because of my Trait would be even weirder. It's the perfect story to be treated like a lunatic.
In times like this, just glossing over it is the best answer.
"Come to think of it. Has that guy not slept once these past few days?"
"Is it because he's the Leader of Black Fang? I didn't believe it when the rumor went around that he runs by folding the earth. But hearing that he even cured an incurable disease......."
I barely managed to get past the awkward question, but then I heard those voices from afar.
It's not like I'm some local Chief, so the words asking how I use the Earth-shaking Step almost shot up to my throat. But I desperately swallowed them back down.
'This feels a bit weird.'
It's good that the rumors are spreading.
That was the purpose of this work from the beginning.
The story about curing an incurable disease was also something I wished for.
The sight of curing a disease that even the Holy See couldn't treat.
By showing them that and waiting until the atmosphere ripened to a certain extent, we could spread a video criticizing the Holy See as the final blow to attack them.
There would be no better way to draw aggro than that.
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Miss Rubia would quickly take over the potion business.
'But this is... I should say the effect is too good, which is the problem.'
The first activity of Black Fang, which had maintained silence.
On top of that, the flashy performance of curing an incurable disease.
The rumors were being inflated like crazy.
It was an unprecedented level of exaggeration.
'Things are getting a bit too big....'
It was to the point that the complete lack of reaction from Black Fang felt rather strange.
At this point, shouldn't it be normal for them to at least send some kind of message?
What the hell are those guys thinking?
'Well, it's not like I would know what those guys are thinking....'
Raising a flag against the massive power called the Empire.
Even while showing extreme radical actions, such as killing the Knight Commander of the Empire and boldly leaving behind the organization's symbol to show off,
A group that would magnanimously overlook it if someone impersonated them, as long as it benefited them.
I simply couldn't grasp their true nature.
It was to the point where I wondered if they were being too secretive, even for a secret organization.
"What in the world does a person like that think about in their daily life......."
"If you have time to worry about such useless things, just get to work, pal. How would we know what a big shot like the Black Fang Leader is thinking?"
True, what in the world is he really thinking,
Swallowing those words, I stood up from my seat once again.
Thanks to the Healthy Body trait, just sitting in a chair for a few minutes without sleeping recovered my fatigue more than expected.
I could probably go without sleep for about a month from now on.
I was having those thoughts when...
"Hmm......?"
I felt a strange pain.
In my back.
My right and left shoulder blades throbbed with a tingling pain.
[■■'s ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■■.]
Strange, broken letters appeared and then vanished.
With such ominous signs appearing in succession, I wondered if I had caught some serious illness, but....
Thanks to the Healthy Body trait, I should be immune to diseases, so that was impossible.
'Then what is it?'
Was it a sign that I had been pushing myself too hard lately, relying only on my trait?
Why was the pain concentrated only around my shoulder blades?
I was agonizing over this when...
"L-Leader!"
Such an urgent voice reached my ears.
The little kid who had asked about my condition earlier and left was suddenly calling my name.
For some reason, I had a bad feeling about this.
I slipped out of the temporary relief center door and approached the source of the voice.
The kid's face was pale.
"Over there......."
Saying that, the kid pointed to the mountain.
It was the mountain we had passed through.
I quickly focused the mana flowing through my body into my eyes.
I stared intently once more at the spot the kid was pointing at.
And... my expression hardened.
It was to be expected, in a way.
That armor.
And the emblem engraved on their swords.
Knights walking in an orderly manner, fully armed.
It was the Empire.
The Empire had found this place.
'......How on earth?'
I knew something like this might happen.
That was why I planned to pull out of here and open another relief center somewhere else before our location was pinpointed... But the Empire discovered us.
I knew they were a formidable foe,
but I never expected them to pinpoint our location this quickly.
"......Gather the others as quickly as possible. I'll head out first."
"W-What about you, Leader...."
"Don't worry."
......Truthfully, this was a situation that warranted worrying.
Those were the Execution Squad sent by the Empire to kill Black Fang.
There were only three of them, but...
That was exactly what made them even more dangerous.
It was common sense, really.
The Empire wasn't stupid; they wouldn't send just three ordinary soldiers after finding Black Fang's location.
The elite of the elite.
It was a given that each and every one of them was a fearsome master.
But.......
"Trust me. I'll definitely be fine."
I reassured the kid with those words.
There was no time to wait for Ciel or Rien.
If I let them wander over here, there was a risk of casualties among the civilians.
Besides, I still had the amulet I received back then.
It was fine to take a bit of a risk here.
I swiftly focused mana into my legs.
And... kicked off the ground with all my might.
The scenery before my eyes shifted in an instant. Slicing through the wind, I rapidly made my way toward my destination.
It wasn't long before I caught sight of the knights.
Three men armed with swords and clad in armor.
I gritted my teeth and pushed myself even faster.
Converting that momentum directly into raw power, I swung my sword down at one of the bastards.
However, the enemy was by no means a pushover.
The absolute elite of the Empire. Skilled experts who had come to capture the heavyweight known as Black Fang.
In the end, my strike hit home, and the enemy fell with a scream.
......Huh?
"Aaaargh! My arm! My arm!!"
The man who had lost his left arm to my strike wailed as he screamed those words.
Seeing this, the other knights immediately surrendered.
They hurled their swords—the very pride of a knight—onto the ground, trembling like leaves as they begged for their lives.
To make matters worse, the distinct smell of urine began to waft through the air.
For a moment, my mind went completely blank.
So... what in the world is going on here?
*****
"Y-Your Highness. A report has just come in from our informant! They say people suspected to be from Black Fang have appeared."
The attendant delivered the urgent news to the Second Prince.
However, there wasn't the slightest change in the Second Prince's expression.
This was because it wasn't the first time news like this had arrived.
There were plenty of groups that leveraged Black Fang's notoriety for their own schemes.
Hearing that the individuals suspected of being Black Fang were all minors even planted doubt in the Second Prince's mind.
He suspected this one might be a spy.
A massive intelligence organization boasting over a hundred thousand members. The informant could be a spy from the Bone and Blood Minor Gallery.
And... it wasn't long before the head of the attendant, who was still chattering away in front of him, exploded with a deafening boom.
Yet, the Prince's face showed no agitation whatsoever.
In a way, it was only natural.
From that attendant to the informant who had brought the intel. The one who killed them was none other than the Second Prince himself.
He had unhesitatingly activated the self-destruction brand engraved on their necks.
Well, from his perspective, it was an incredibly obvious choice.
Aside from himself, every other human was merely a replaceable tool.
Replacements were everywhere. There was absolutely no reason to keep incompetent and suspicious fools like them as subordinates.
"What a bunch of pathetic fools."
His subordinates were nothing but incompetent idiots. Bringing such useless garbage as intel was the height of foolishness.
Even if they weren't spies, such sheer incompetence deserved an immediate death sentence.
Black Fang is a group of kids?
The Head of Black Fang is a young boy, and the leader of such a colossal organization personally goes out just to do charity work?
Nonsense like that was truly unheard of.
Black Fang was a massive organization with over a hundred thousand members engaged in intelligence operations alone.
They were probably just clueless brats impersonating Black Fang, playing hero to amuse themselves.
He needed to conserve his strength for the final showdown with Black Fang, so he had no troops to waste.
It would all be over if he just dispatched two or three low-ranking soldiers to kill them.
With that settled, the Second Prince erased the matter from his mind and returned to his original task.
The man sat down in his chair and opened a book.
[Bone and Blood Minor Gallery Member List.]
A thick tome.
A gift from Asmodeus as a gesture of apology.
Based on Asmodeus's memories, it was a comprehensive compilation of all the names he had seen using the Holy Grail.
An absurdly massive amount of data.
Furthermore, because there was always the threat of spies, he couldn't trust anyone else with it.
Even though he had spent days staying up all night to read through the list alone, he still hadn't finished the job.
Nevertheless, the man didn't give up.
With bloodshot eyes, the Prince opened the book and spoke.
"......Prepare yourselves, Black Fang. I will find you, no matter what it takes."