Excising the Rot (3)
'As expected, someone from Midtemple was waiting.'
The level window had been visible from outside the drawing room.
The moment I saw it, I knew exactly who it was.
After all, there was only one Level 85 character who would show up in Vertas under these circumstances.
'Sikan Bauer.'
Midtemple's Inquisitor and investigation leader.
A hound that did the dirty work for the noble elites.
'To put it another way...'
...He was essentially a loyal dog of the Holy Families.
"..."
Was that why?
The moment he laid eyes on Adelia, Sikan Bauer's eyes widened in shock.
It was as if he had never imagined he would meet her here.
"What did you just babble?"
Brickwood ground his teeth.
He was completely oblivious to the shift in the room. Part of it was his own stupidity, but he was also entirely consumed by what I had just said.
"You killed all the knights? You think I'd believe a bluff like—"
Ignoring him, I sank into the sofa.
Adelia took her place behind me, standing guard as she always did.
Seeing this, Sikan Bauer grew even more agitated. He was utterly bewildered to see the young lady of the family he served acting like the subordinate of a complete stranger.
'Wait.'
I gave a subtle look to the man staring at me with confused eyes, signaling him to stay quiet.
Sikan Bauer, though bewildered by the situation, gave a brief nod of understanding.
As expected of a character with quick wits.
'I shouldn't reveal Adelia's identity just yet.'
Of course, revealing that Adelia belonged to a Holy Family would resolve everything instantly, but...
I had to wait. At least until I had a solid pretext to completely eliminate Edmon Brickwood.
Having reached that conclusion, I quietly uttered his name.
"Edmon Brickwood."
The moment I spoke, a chilling silence fell over the room.
Even the furious Brickwood was forced to shut his mouth at the eerie tone of my voice.
"I told you clearly. I killed all the knights you sent."
"..."
"Is this simple fact too hard for you to grasp? Or are you just struggling in denial because you don't want to believe it?"
Brickwood's eyes wavered.
I didn't miss the opening and pressed on.
"Hakun Durdamel is a broker under contract with me. Yet you sent knights to torture him and trash his place of business."
"..."
"This is a clear violation of my interests. It is also something that should never happen in Vertas, a city where everyone's lawful commercial activities and freedom are guaranteed."
I glared at him.
"So, go ahead and explain. Give me one reason why I shouldn't execute you right now."
'What is this?'
Brickwood frowned.
His mind was in disarray.
'Why is that bastard so relaxed?'
His gaze shifted from Gaon to the female swordswoman standing behind him.
She was clearly a skilled fighter, radiating an unusual pressure.
Judging by the faint bloodstains on her sword and armor, she had indeed clashed with the knights.
These were details he hadn't noticed earlier because he had been too flustered.
'Ah.'
Only then did the pieces begin to fall into place.
'That woman must be the trump card Durdamel kept hidden.'
They must have hired a master swordswoman to pressure him.
That was surely why Gaon was acting so confident.
'Fools.'
Brickwood sneered.
In fact, wasn't this better for him? Blasphemy and the murder of knights—there were no heavier crimes than these.
They had even confessed to everything themselves. And in the presence of Midtemple's investigation leader, no less.
'They fell into their own trap.'
In the end, this would bring the worst possible outcome for Durdamel.
No matter how strong a fighter they hired, they could never surpass the authority of Midtemple.
Sensing victory, Brickwood spoke with a twisted smile.
"Ha, you dare spout such nonsense."
He continued in a relaxed, confident tone.
"You filthy trash who deserve execution for blasphemy. Do you even realize what crime you have committed?"
At that, Gaon nodded with utter composure.
"Of course I do."
"...?"
"I killed a Divine Beast. Specifically, the Heavenly Dragon Bird."
Brickwood flinched.
His eyes widened in shock. He had never imagined the boy would know the identity of the Heavenly Dragon Bird.
But it was too early to be surprised.
"However, I didn't know a mere association president had the authority to punish a slayer of a Divine Beast. Unless, of course, a heresy trial is being held by Midtemple."
Even more shocking words flowed from Gaon's mouth.
"H-How do you know that...!"
Edmon Brickwood leaped to his feet, his face turning pale.
He seemed to have finally realized that something was seriously wrong.
"D-Did Durdamel tell you that too?! You trash must have planned this conspiracy from the start!"
Faltering for a moment, he shouted in a trembling voice.
"B-But that changes nothing!"
His fat body began to tremble violently.
"There was a revelation from the Saintess! She said a Sword Master killed the dragon! That means it makes no sense for you to claim ownership of the Heavenly Dragon Bird's corpse! Surely you aren't claiming to be a seeker of the sword yourself?"
I tilted my head.
"Then that makes it even more puzzling. If a Sword Master killed the Heavenly Dragon Bird, why are you discussing my punishment?"
"T-That is..."
Brickwood froze again. He realized the contradiction in his own argument.
From the very beginning, he had no legitimate grounds.
He had simply intended to frame them to swallow up Durdamel's merchant coalition.
"Y-You dare play dumb!"
With all his logic shattered, Brickwood resorted to his final option. The madness and malice he had been trying to suppress burst forth.
"Just a few days ago, didn't you say you killed the Heavenly Dragon Bird yourself?! You hypocrites! How dare you lie to me!"
Spinning around, Brickwood screamed at one of the knights guarding the drawing room.
"What are you doing?!"
"...?"
"I said, execute that liar right now! What are you waiting for?!"
The armored man hesitated.
He had better equipment and a higher level than the other knights.
He was Edmon Brickwood's personal guard.
A character who appeared as a slightly stronger mob in the game, not even worth remembering.
It was the moment he gripped the hilt of his sword to obey his master's command.
"Think carefully," I said, looking at him with cold eyes.
"If you draw that sword, both you and your master will die."
...And upon hearing my warning, the knight froze in his tracks.
His hand trembled slightly.
A knight stalled right before the wall of Level 60. Still, that was enough for him to gauge Adelia's strength.
At the very least, his senses seemed far sharper than those four fools we had met in Labyrinth Village.
"Y-You...!"
When the knight showed no sign of moving, Brickwood exploded.
Leaping up, he punched his guard in the face.
Thud!
The guard staggered for a moment but quickly regained his posture.
Watching this quietly, I clicked my tongue.
'Pathetic. He's completely lost his mind.'
It wasn't that I couldn't understand.
After all, East Vertas was Brickwood's kingdom.
For someone who had spent his entire life ruling and trampling over others, the mere act of having his authority challenged was unacceptable.
It was just disgusting. Consumed by rage, his irrational, wild behavior looked worse than that of a beast.
"Pant, pant... You useless piece of shit...!"
Having vented his anger on the innocent guard, Brickwood glared at me, panting.
"How dare... How dare you show such insolence! Not even knowing who is present in this room...!"
He pointed at Sikan Bauer and practically shrieked.
"Here! The holy sword of Midtemple stands before you! He is here to condemn you! And yet you dare remain so shameless to the very end?!"
The reason for his confidence was now clear.
He firmly believed Sikan Bauer was on his side.
Brickwood had been secretly trading with the Holy Families all this time.
He had catered to their whims and handled all their dirty work, and in return, he was allowed to control East Vertas.
So he naturally assumed Midtemple would take his side this time as well.
But...
"You and your subordinates are cut from the exact same cloth."
As I had said during the clash with the knights earlier, that kind of approach wouldn't work on us.
"I despise people who boast about their backing when they've accomplished nothing themselves."
"What..."
"Cowards who spend their entire lives hiding behind others, borrowing their authority to act high and mighty."
"..."
"Insects who can't achieve anything with their own power, yet expect others to grovel the moment they drop a name."
Brickwood's face turned beet red, but I continued without paying him any mind.
"It's laughable that you've lived that way without a shred of shame. Though, I suppose that's why you can still hold your head high in a situation like this."
"..."
"But since you seem to love this method so much, I'll indulge you in your vulgar little game just this once."
I turned to Adelia. Then, I gave a very simple, clear command.
The final move that would overturn the situation in an instant.
"Release your aura, Adelia."
Whoosh!
At that exact moment, a cyan aura flooded the drawing room.
It was the symbol of the Holy Family, a power that only the chosen could wield.
"..."
Seeing this, the strength drained from Brickwood's legs.
He collapsed onto the floor.
The last trace of color drained from the face of the man who had denied reality until the very end.
"T-This can't be..."
Yes.
Denying reality to the very end.
It wasn't particularly surprising. That was the character of 'Edmon Brickwood' I had known for twelve years.
A small-timer who got lucky, forming a connection with the Holy Family to secure a position far above his station.
Yet, he was a typical cockroach who preyed on the weak and groveled before the strong, brutally trampling those beneath him.
How many people had worn that same terrified expression before him?
It was simply tragic that a piece of trash like him had been ruling East Vertas.
'And this continent is overflowing with trash even worse than him.'
It didn't matter.
As I had said earlier, the real purge was just beginning.
Since I had been dropped into this godforsaken game, I planned to hunt down and eliminate every single parasite eating away at this world.
If the leaders were rotten, the destruction of the world would only accelerate.
"..."
Having finished my thoughts, I slowly stood up from the sofa.
A suffocating silence descended.
Each of my footsteps echoed through the drawing room.
Step.
I slowly walked toward Brickwood.
The guard didn't even dare to block my path.
Stopping in front of him, I spoke in a chillingly calm voice.
"I am the master of Adelia von Goldheart, a member of the Holy Family."
Clack.
I tossed the Fire Dragon's scale from my breast pocket to his feet.
The token, which any swordsman would covet, gleamed brilliantly.
"The leader of the swordsman recognized by the Fire Dragon,"
Brickwood's face turned from pale to blue.
For his sake, I spoke slowly, putting weight behind every single word.
"And the 13th Sword Master chosen by the ancient gods, Gaon."
Brickwood looked up at me, his lips trembling violently.
His eyes swirled with terror, anxiety, confusion, and countless other emotions.
It was a face of despair so profound that it was hard to believe he was the same man who had been looking down on a vagrant just minutes ago.
In a low, quiet voice, I put an end to this childish game.
"Now, go ahead and boast about your grand backing."