Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Tail Chase (5)
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While Galen fell silent for a moment, the carriage door creaked open softly.
Even in the tightly sealed carriage, they could feel the stop and start of the movement, so it was only natural for Lilia to be puzzled.
"Huh? Have we already arr—...?"
Lilia, who had poked her head out, spotted Veron. She trailed off mid-sentence, blinking in surprise.
Seeing their obvious fluster, Veron twisted his lips into a smirk.
"I'd like to hear first why the two of you are here. Especially wearing those suspicious masks."
"...I'm the one who's curious. Why is Lord Veron coming out of here?"
Galen shook his head lightly to regain his composure, replying in a calm, steady voice.
He had wanted to handle this matter as quietly as possible because the Steelwall Family wouldn't take kindly to the Church stirring things up in their own backyard.
Relations were already strained over the ruins; there was no need to spark more friction.
But running into each other like this changed everything.
The timing was far too coincidental.
What if the Steelwall Family was involved with the magic cannon?
That would be a catastrophe on a whole different level from some pirate boss.
"...".
Galen glanced back without lowering his guard. His eyes met Lilia's.
He tilted his head slightly toward the carriage, and she nodded quietly.
In a situation like this, when they both knew what needed asking, a simple gesture was enough to communicate.
Unless two or more Gold-rankers came charging in at once, no one could get past Lilia to harm the black market overseer.
With that precaution in place for any contingency, Galen turned back to the front.
Veron, still glaring at them with cold eyes, spoke up.
"Not going to answer?"
"In this atmosphere, even if I did, it doesn't seem like you'd believe me."
"Anyone would suspect something this shady first and ask questions later."
"Sorry, but that's exactly how we feel too."
His older brother Alon might have been reasonable, but from their first encounter, things had gone south with Veron over Akancksha.
His poor image from the start only made him seem more suspicious now.
They glared at each other like it was a staring contest for a while.
"Tch."
Veron broke first, clicking his tongue as he reached into his coat.
What came out was... a mask.
He flipped it over his face, similar to the one Lilia wore.
"Ah!"
Galen felt a vague sense of déjà vu, but Lilia, who had spent the whole time at the auction, remembered it perfectly.
"The one sitting diagonally to the right?"
Lilia's robed outfit with the hood pulled low was common among the participants. Add similar masks, and identities were impossible to discern at a glance.
But Lilia's sharp eyes had noted the mask's exact shape, along with the wearer's build and other details, so she recognized him the moment he put it on.
"You were one of the six who didn't buy anything? Second one to leave."
"Good memory. That's right. It was me."
"You were a black market customer?"
Galen narrowed his eyes.
"What did you come to buy?"
"Do I look like the type to haggle over a few coins and chase after stolen goods?"
Recalling how obsessed he'd been with the ruins' shares didn't paint him as particularly upright, but Galen kept that thought to himself.
There had been some legitimate claim to the ruins, but equating that to undeniable criminal contraband was a stretch.
People from prestigious families often had ironclad pride; he might genuinely see it that way.
"Then why?"
"Just checking what they were selling in our own backyard. Sometimes they brazenly offer things they shouldn't."
Veron snorted.
"Of course, it wasn't important enough for me to handle personally—just killing time. But I didn't expect things to get this interesting. How the hell did you pinpoint the black market's location?"
"No reason to share the method."
"Keeping secrets, huh? Then who are you loading into the carriage? Breathing's shallow. Passed out? I was waiting outside and counted— all the customers had left. Unless... you caught a black market executive? How'd you snag someone who escaped through a secret passage?"
Even a mutt bites harder in its own yard. Was he getting some kind of sharpness buff?
Veron, who'd always come off as hot-tempered and prickly, was displaying unexpectedly keen deductive skills.
Of course, that didn't earn him any trust. If anything, it heightened the need for caution.
As Galen stayed silent, Veron's voice grew sharper.
"I answered all your questions about why I was here. You planning to make me do all the talking?"
"That's how it is."
"What?"
"It's a sensitive matter, so it's hard to discuss."
Clearly not expecting Galen to just listen and clam up, Veron looked momentarily stunned. Galen added with a chuckle,
"We did catch a black market executive. It was necessary. The fact that this auction happened to be in Maduros is pure coincidence."
"...No connection to our family?"
"That's what I thought until we arrived here. But who knows. Digging deeper might uncover ties I don't know about."
"So you're not giving me a straight answer on anything!"
Veron snapped. Galen shrugged.
"I told you—it's sensitive, and I believed there was no Steelwall involvement. Otherwise, I'd have reached out from the start."
"Hah, you expect me to buy that with no explanation?"
"If you want, you can come along."
"...What?"
"Your real worry is what scheme we might be up to, right? Then see for yourself. I won't stop you from watching quietly."
"...What's your angle?"
"It means we're above board."
After glaring at Galen for a long moment, Veron replied,
"Fine. We'll do it that way. I'll watch personally."
"Then head back for now."
"...I said I'd tag along not even a few seconds ago."
"I said I'd show you what we're doing, not tell you everything. Conversations with the executive are off-limits."
"...".
"I'll contact you tonight. If it goes well, we'll leave the city by morning. Join us or follow at your leisure."
"...Got it."
Hard to read his expression under the mask, but it surely wasn't pleasant. He probably felt dragged into something.
Still, Veron didn't argue further. He likely needed time to think.
Veron stepped aside to the roadside, and Lilia closed the carriage door.
The carriage, driven by Galen, started moving again.
Upon arriving at the decoy mansion, Shane greeted them.
"Oh, you caught the black market overseer?"
"It just worked out that way."
Shane's eyes widened at Lilia descending with the masked man slung over her shoulder like luggage.
He'd expected success, but not capturing the head honcho outright. He didn't know Galen had a way to block secret passages.
"I'll put him in the basement for now!"
"Ah, sure!"
One of Shane's reliable underlings hurriedly escorted Lilia to the underground cell.
The mansion served various purposes and even had a basement prison. Small but sturdy—perfect for holding someone overnight.
Galen snapped Shane out of his daze.
"That said, not everything went smoothly."
"Pardon?"
"Lord Veron from the Steelwall Family was infiltrating as one of the black market customers."
"What?!"
"We've worked together on ruin expeditions, so we recognized each other's voices."
"Th-then...".
"Couldn't just kill him to silence him. So I suggested he tag along."
Quickly regaining his wits, Shane mulled it over before nodding.
"Good call. Since we're exposed anyway, better to act openly. We can control what info to reveal."
"Yeah. With Steelwall territory all around, we might need Lord Veron's help for a swift cleanup. Though there's no guarantee they're allies."
"You mean the possibility of black market... magic cannon ties."
"Yes. Worst-case scenario."
"I'll have our informants focus on Steelwall movements."
"Thanks. You should stay out of sight too, Shane. Veron might recognize you. Oh, and the carriage might have been tailed on the way here."
"We can abandon the house if needed. Don't worry."
"Got it. Then handle that. I'll interrogate the overseer."
"Yes, sir!"
After swiftly assigning tasks, the two parted ways.
Galen headed straight underground.
The "prison" was more like a repurposed basement, but it had all the restraints needed.
Any funny business with the ropes, and the guards' loaded crossbows would fire without mercy.
A Gold-ranker might dodge, but a bound Silver warrior would eat an arrow and die.
Of course, the guard had stepped out for now. Inside were only the awakened masked man and Lilia watching him like a hawk.
"Some hospitality...".
Probably sore all over from the rough ride in the rickety carriage while unconscious, the man grumbled.
"They should've sprung for a luxury model then."
"Need to advertise the carriage's existence?"
"Not my problem."
Galen brushed it off casually and cut to the chase.
"You mentioned one of the black market executives is the supplier."
"Yeah."
"How well do you know him?"
"...That's who you're after?"
The masked man asked. Galen nodded.
"Looking for the supplier. Help me find him, and you're free. Spill everything you know."
"I don't know much."
"If you don't know, who does? A boss who doesn't know what his underlings are up to?"
"I told you, the black market has no single owner. I'm just the overseer at best. Suppliers and I are more like equals, technically."
"So you know nothing? Then you're useless. Time to di—"
"W-wait!"
Galen drawled indifferently, prompting the man's frantic shout.
"What exactly do you want? Just to find and meet the supplier?"
"Yeah."
"I don't have his full profile, but I know how to track his location!"
"Should've led with that. Skip the excuses and get to the point."
"A-alright. Who are you looking for?"
"Guy using the alias Ben, posing as a merchant. Was in Moumen City about eight months ago."
Moumen was in the southeast of the Northeast Grand Diocese—the same city where the pirate boss had "coincidentally" acquired the magic cannon.
"Hm...".
The masked man rummaged through his memory for a while before speaking.
"Ben's too common an alias to pinpoint from that alone, but if he was in Moumen eight months back, I have a guess."
"Sure?"
"...Not certain, but I get reports on their general routes. There aren't many suppliers, so it's not hard to narrow down. Probably Ventis."
"Ventis."
"Just an alias, of course. Nobody in this business uses their real name openly. Hmm, but Ventis of all people...".
"Of all people? What do you mean?"
Galen didn't miss the mutter. The masked man waved it off casually.
"Ah, Ventis is the one who recommended Maduros as this auction's venue. Quite the coincidence."
"Recommended? Don't these rotate between cities?"
"They do, but not always the same loop. If a supplier brings a lot of hot goods, we accommodate by hosting in their preferred city sometimes. This was one."
"When was this auction's location decided?"
"End of last year, I think? Late winter."
The guy they'd been chasing had picked this auction's venue?
Dismissing it as convenience didn't fit— the decision was over three months ago.
Did he have special business in Maduros, or was it coincidence?
Galen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Where's that bastard now?"