The Inseparable Man (1)
The Tollen Merchant Guild had begun their pursuit of Xiel far too late.
Having failed to pry any useful information from the local merchants, they had finally managed to extract a lead from a passing traveler journeying out from the Kundel estate.
"I did see someone traveling toward House Kundel, if that's what you mean."
Armed with that single report, the guild set their sights in the direction of the Kundel domain, setting out long after Xiel had already departed.
"Um, Guild Leader. Pardon my presumption, but I heard that this Xiel fellow is currently conducting home visits. Setting aside the other houses, if he really is heading to House Kundel..." The escort knight hesitated before pressing on. "What happens if he asks House Kundel for protection?"
"We simply feign ignorance. There isn't a shred of evidence anywhere proving we sent those assassins."
"Even so, in the off chance..."
"Are you anxious?"
"A little, yes. They say there isn't a single nobleman left in the East who dares defy us, but the South is an entirely different beast."
Tollen grit his teeth at the suffocating sensation of running into a brick wall at every turn. Things had never been like this in the East. There, every last noble had walked straight into the Tollen Merchant Guild's traps without fail. It was through those very schemes that Tollen had amassed colossal wealth and power across the eastern provinces. Flush with that success, he had set out to seize control of the South, and yet...
To think everything would get so tangled up because of one damn academy instructor.
The entire enterprise had been a disaster from the start. His strategy was simple and refined: approach a noble house suffering from financial distress, lend them money, and then systematically sabotage their ability to repay the debt. It was the vicious specialty Tollen took immense pride in.
He had intended to swallow the Riversong family whole using that exact playbook. More specifically, he had been on the verge of claiming their lucrative truffle business as his own, only for a single bastard to shatter the entire arrangement.
"I have to confront him in person if I'm to recoup my losses."
"..."
The chance to reap a profit was already gone, but that only meant he had to minimize the damage. Tollen saw no reason whatsoever to abandon his convictions.
Even so, one question gnawed at him.
Why on earth did those assassin bastards wash their hands of the job?
He still had no idea why the guild had withdrawn. It was the sole variable that unsettled him.
If he truly has a backer...
That was why Tollen had prepared a safeguard: the Grey Wolf Mercenary Band, a mercenary company renowned throughout the South. Their captain, Confers, possessed the martial prowess of a Grand Knight, and the mercenaries under his command were seasoned veterans of exceptional caliber. They held a sterling reputation for reliability, making this the perfect opportunity to establish a working relationship and summon them whenever future needs arose.
"Guild Leader."
Captain Confers materialized at his side the moment the thought crossed his mind. Tollen's heart nearly leaped out of his chest, but he forced a veneer of composure and asked, "What is it, Captain?"
"From what I gather, this Xiel Steelheart fellow is making home visits to noble estates."
"That is correct."
"Then aren't we making enemies of the nobility for no good reason? And House Kundel is in the mix, no less."
"Unless we encounter the worst-case scenario, there won't be any fighting. Your primary role is strictly to establish an intimidating presence."
"Didn't you include a clause in the contract outlining parameters for combat?"
"As I said, that is purely for the worst-case scenario. You needn't worry. Your job is intimidation. Even if a battle breaks out, it will be confined to subduing him."
"Understood. Well, if it's just a single academy instructor, that shouldn't be an issue."
Listening to the exchange, the escort knight sighed inwardly.
This really isn't an affair worth going this far for.
Was it because an acquisition he had spent so long cultivating had gone up in smoke? Tollen was not acting like his usual self. Hiring an entire mercenary company had cost a staggering sum of coin. Of course, compared to the total wealth of the Tollen Merchant Guild, it was a mere drop in the bucket, but still...
He's already bleeding money on this.
A loss was still a loss. What was the guild leader truly after? Did he genuinely just want to break even, or was he playing some long game far into the future?
As they continued their pursuit, a scout rode up.
"Captain, two riders are approaching. One of them matches the description of Xiel Steelheart."
They had finally caught him. But two people?
"The other is clad in the uniform of the Kundel Knight Order."
Just as he suspected. The man had a backer.
So that's why the assassin guild backed out.
Petty cowards. Tearing up a contract just because they were terrified of crossing House Kundel?
As yet another misunderstanding took root, Captain Confers furrowed his brow. "Look here, Guild Leader. A knight of House Kundel was nowhere in our contract."
"Can't we simply speak with him?"
"Riding together means the knight is escorting him, doesn't it? Are you telling us to threaten someone under the direct protection of a Kundel knight?"
Damn it all. Of all the people to serve as his backer, it had to be a knight of House Kundel.
"Very well. Thirty percent. I will add thirty percent to your fee."
Gold could resolve any dilemma. Above all else, mercenaries prioritized coin.
"No."
Playing hard to get, was he?
"Then fifty percent."
However, Tollen had fundamentally miscalculated.
"Guild Leader, let me make one thing abundantly clear," Confers said, his voice flat and unyielding. "Even if you offer double, no, triple the amount, the answer remains no."
"What?"
"In this South, not a single soul dares cross House Kundel."
This was the South, not the East. Here, the Kundel family wielded an authority that surpassed even the Imperial Court itself. Yet Tollen failed to grasp the reality.
"Are you telling me you intend to breach our contract right here and now?"
"I don't give a damn if I have to pay the penalty fee. Though in truth, this qualifies as an exceptional circumstance. In this region, avoiding conflict with House Kundel is an implicit clause written into every single agreement."
In other words, not antagonizing Kundel was so glaringly obvious that it went without saying, whether penned on paper or not.
"The contract is void."
"H-Hold on, Captain! Fine! Three times the—"
"Ten times, and I might consider it."
"Ten times?! Are you insane..."
"On the condition that no blood is shed, mind you. If we're getting ten times the bounty, it'd be worth packing up and plying our trade in another territory entirely."
Confers took it a step further.
That would be thirty million Cel!
Who in their right mind would throw thirty million at a band of mercenaries?
"Three times! No, four! I cannot go a copper higher than that!"
"Then our negotiations are finished. Everyone, withdraw!"
"H-Hey!"
"Unless you can dangle a bait sweet enough to make us retire from the mercenary life for good, save your breath."
This was the South. So long as Kundel reigned as the Great Lord of the territory, no one defied them. No matter who they were.
"Fine! Five times! Not a single coin more..."
"You really don't know the South, do you? Or perhaps you're simply too ignorant to understand just how terrifying Kundel truly is. Fall back, all of you!"
The moment Confers barked the order, the mercenaries began their orderly retreat.
"H-Hey! Captain Confers! Fine, something else! I'll give you something else! Even if I cannot provide it immediately, later on—"
"Whatever you offer later..."
Rrrrip.
Confers tore the parchment in half and tossed it aside.
"Do you take me for the kind of idiot who trusts a merchant's verbal promise without a contract?"
With those cold parting words, Confers turned his back. Just like that, the agreement between the mercenaries and Tollen was dissolved.
"T-Those wretched, lowborn sellswords..."
Tollen's fists trembled with rage as he watched Confers and the Grey Wolf Mercenary Band disappear into the distance, but there was nothing he could do.
"Guild Leader, this is for the best," the escort knight pleaded, seizing the opening. "Let us simply turn back."
Tollen sank into conflicted silence.
If things end like this, it will all be for nothing.
He had hired the mercenary band for one specific purpose: intimidation. He had assumed that the mere presence of a renowned southern mercenary company would be enough to cow Xiel into submission. Yet once again, his plans had crumbled to dust.
"Guild Leader, now is the time to withdraw."
"Very well. It cannot be hel—"
Right then.
"Guild Leader! Guild Leader!" an employee shouted, sprinting toward them in a panic.
"What is it? What happened—"
"Over there! Look!"
Tollen turned his head and froze solid.
Two figures had entered his field of vision. One was clad in the unmistakable plate armor of the Kundel Knight Order. And the other...
X-Xiel Steelheart!
It was the very man they had been pursuing. Had he hesitated for too long? He should have turned back the instant the mercenaries departed.
What do I do? Damn it, do we run?
Before he could make a decision, Xiel spurred his mount and galloped toward them at terrifying speed.
"W-What in the world?!"
Just as the escort knight reached frantically for the hilt of his sword, Xiel pulled his horse to a sharp halt, dismounted in a single fluid motion, and offered his heartfelt gratitude.
"Thanks to you, I'm saved."
...Excuse me?
To understand the situation, one had to look back a few hours.
Roughly six hours had passed since leaving the Kundel family estate, and throughout that entire span, Xiel had been subjected to ceaseless, unrelenting torment without a single second of respite.
"Instructor, you see, I actually love visiting the capital! There's so much good food, I have a few acquaintances there, and there's this one tavern that is simply magnificent! Where is it, you ask? Prepare to be astonished. It's in District 40! Surprised, aren't you? Aren't you surprised?"
"No. I am not."
"Aw, come on, you're definitely surprised! To be honest, most of the truly great eateries are tucked away beyond Sector 50. Those highborn aristocrats could never understand in a million years, but I often pull a hood over my face and drop by. Even if someone picks a fight, they're only common footpads, so there's no danger of getting hurt, and nobody recognizes me anyway..."
"Sir Gunter. You talk too much."
"Right? But listen to this! The name of the tavern is—"
Telling him he talked too much produced zero effect.
For the first time in his life, Xiel learned what it meant to give up. He found himself seriously contemplating whether it would be wiser to surrender entirely and sever his five senses. But severing his senses was an unacceptable lapse in discipline for an assassin.
And so, with his ears forced wide open, Xiel endured an endless, torturous deluge of idle chatter until—
Found them.
He finally ran into the Tollen Merchant Guild.
He had sensed their presence quite a while ago, aware that a sizeable force had gathered and was moving in his direction. For reasons unknown, a large portion of the group had suddenly turned around and retreated, but Xiel could not have cared less.
He galloped toward them in sheer jubilation, feeling as though he had encountered his divine saviors. Without even realizing it, his hands tightened around the reins.
Clatter-clatter-clatter!
"Thanks to you, I'm saved."
The moment his boots touched the grass, he spoke with absolute sincerity.
"H-Huh? What?"
"Judging by the crest on your banner, you belong to the Tollen Merchant Guild. I heard you were pursuing me. Is that correct?"
W-Well, yes, but...
"You pursued me well."
What kind of reaction was this?
"You have saved my life."
What on earth was he talking about?
"Speak to me. Say anything at all."
Faced with a reaction so utterly incomprehensible, an icy shiver raced down Tollen's spine.
Is he provoking me? Is he deliberately trying to instigate a brawl so he has a pretext to crush us?
Right, the scout said he was traveling with a Kundel knight!
Xiel had undoubtedly informed House Kundel that the Tollen Merchant Guild was hunting him. In response, Kundel must have attached an escort knight to seize this very opportunity to drive Tollen out of the South once and for all.
Did you really think I would walk into your trap, you cunning bastard?!
It was a terrifyingly insidious scheme.
Tollen hurriedly shot a frantic glance at his escort knight before plastering on an expression of complete ignorance. "Y-You have the wrong people! We are not the Tollen Merchant Guild! We are merely humble merchants on our way to deliver goods to them!"
"Then why is the crest of House Tollen painted upon your banner?"
"The guild provided it to us! The Tollen Merchant Guild cherishes and protects its suppliers with great devotion, so as a token of goodwill..."
Even in the throes of mortal terror, Tollen did not forget to advertise his syndicate's virtues—the mark of a true merchant.
"At any rate, we are pressed for time! Hey! Quicken the pace! The sun is setting!"
"Yes! Guild Le—I mean, Master!"
"Did you just say Guild Leader...?"
"He meant the master under the benevolent care of the Guild Leader!"
Having executed a miraculous escape from Xiel in the blink of an eye, the Tollen Merchant Guild bolted eastward without daring to look back.
A few moments later, a familiar voice called out.
"Whew, Instructor Xiel! Why on earth did you dash off so suddenly like that?!"
Gunter finally trotted up to join him.
"Hmm? Who were those fellows running away just now?"
"..."
"Instructor Xiel?"
"What a pity."
"Pardon?"
"It is nothing. They claimed to be merchants delivering goods to the Tollen Merchant Guild."
"Is that sooooo? That banner... certainly looked like Tollen's to me. Well, it doesn't matter either way! The Lord Patriarch said he'd personally drive the Tollen Merchant Guild out of our lands anyway."
"..."
"Instructor Xiel? Are you all right? You're unusually quiet."
Xiel felt a profound, genuine regret.
Truly.
He had dearly wished to converse with those people for a very, very long time. To think they would leave so abruptly.
Just how urgent was their business?
"Aha! You're disappointed because they weren't the real Tollen Merchant Guild after all, aren't you!"
"No. I am not."
"Don't worry, Instructor! The Lord Patriarch will take care of everything. Don't fret over it, and let's head to the capital together!"
For the first time in his life, Xiel began to harbor resentment toward another human being.
Needless to say, there was no doubt about who that person was.
Patriarch Amos Kundel. I will remember this.