Chapter 36: Mamit Lawless Zone (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36: Mamit Lawless Zone (1)
The Mamit Lawless Zone was a gathering ground for the dregs of society.
Rumor had it that not even a single blade of grass could sprout in that sanctuary of outlaws, choked as it was by the dark energy exuded by such wretched humans.
It wasn't merely a tall tale. In reality, Mamit was a barren wasteland without a single tuft of green.
The sun beat down mercilessly.
Beneath that scorching heat, villains swarmed like insects, crammed into the small city.
There wasn't even a proper gate at the entrance. One simply passed a broken signpost encrusted with dried filth, and that was it—you were in Mamit.
"Welcome the newcomer, you pieces of trash!"
A giant of a man shouted as he stepped into a tavern in the center of the city. A fearsome iron mace, perfectly suited to his monstrous build, was strapped to his back.
"Gahahaha! Newcomer, my ass. Is that bastard back because he’s wanted again? Dammit, what are you, a salmon? Why do you keep coming back?"
Everyone in the tavern seemed to know him, their faces lighting up with a jeering welcome. It was the unique greeting of Mamit: roaring with laughter while pointing fingers or hurling full mugs of beer.
Crash! Shatter!
Thick glass mugs struck the giant’s head and chest, shattering on impact. Shards rained down onto the floor along with spilled beer, but not even the staff bothered to clean it up.
The giant, who had just been pelted with mugs, picked up a shard of glass from the floor with a look of pure delight.
Crunch, crunch.
He chewed the glass with his teeth and swallowed it whole, a feat one might only see in a traveling circus.
"Of course! I’m a salmon! This great Tonk’s true hometown is right here in Mamit! Drink up, everyone! Today is on me!"
"Hey, Tonk. What kind of trouble did you stir up this time to come running back? Spill it. Hurry up."
"Khaha! This time, your pal Tonk had a bit of fun with a high-born brat from the Ekan Kingdom."
"Ooh! Who was it?"
"Who knows? Just some noble. Then I killed five guards who came to catch me. But get this! Those idiots thought they could take me down with regular soldiers, so they just kept sending more!"
"Hehehe, what a bunch of morons."
"Puha! So I crushed them all like potatoes. About fifty of them. I was so busy mashing them that before I knew it, my feet were leading me back to Mamit…"
"A toast to Tonk!"
"Cheers! Welcome back!"
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
The men drained their glasses in one go.
Just as the boisterous commotion died down, leaving only the sound of beer sliding down their throats, the door creaked open.
A man draped in a tattered robe entered the tavern.
It was Jin.
"Huh?"
"Looks like a real newcomer this time."
Tonk and the other men exchanged glances. They were checking if anyone recognized him, but everyone shook their heads.
Thud, thud. Jin’s worn boots made a dull sound with every step. He silently crossed the center of the tavern and sat down next to Tonk.
"Cold water. And something simple to eat."
Jin flicked a single silver coin from his robe toward the waiter.
"Heh."
The waiter caught the coin and let out a scoff. Soon, sighs and groans erupted from all corners of the tavern.
"Kyah!"
"Wow, thought I was looking at the hero of a novel for a second. That's some serious posing, isn't it?"
"Who the hell do you think you are, huh? Some 9-star Knight?"
"Must be a legendary swordsman! Pfft!"
The men, who had been mocking him, suddenly changed their expressions. They surrounded Jin menacingly, huffing through their noses.
"Ah, our new friend. This Tonk is in a very good mood today, so let's not make things ugly. If you kneel right now and suck every one of our toes, I might forgive—urk."
Tonk couldn't finish his sentence before collapsing. He would never speak another word.
A dagger Jin had thrust out was buried in his throat. Tonk had been standing too close, never expecting this young brat to stab him without a moment's hesitation.
"Kehek, gurgle."
As Jin pulled the dagger out, a spray of blood erupted from Tonk’s neck.
A long silence followed. No one spoke. Jin simply tapped his finger on the table, giving the waiter a look that said, Bring the cold water and food already.
"He's gone!"
"Tonk is dead!"
"Knew he'd get it eventually, pffft."
The men who had been surrounding Jin dispersed.
As if the friendship they had just shared with Tonk meant nothing, they gathered back into their small groups and resumed guzzling beer. No one showed any further interest in Jin.
It was a common occurrence. No matter how warmly they had greeted Tonk, there was no such thing as true friendship among them.
Just as Teacher said, this place is filled with nothing but lunatics.
The only reason they had shown interest in Jin for a moment was because he looked incredibly weak. They were curious how a boy who hadn't even lost his baby fuzz had ended up in this den of monsters.
But their curiosity had been resolved in an instant.
Jin had killed Tonk with a single strike. With that, he had passed the tavern's test. This was the true greeting of Mamit.
In my past life and this one, I’ve received so much help. I hope the day comes when I can repay you, Teacher.
Clack.
The waiter placed a glass on Jin’s table, filled with cold water.
"It's not poisoned."
"I'm well aware that poisoning is taboo in this town."
"For a kid, you know Mamit well. Your parents or siblings from around here?"
"None of your business."
Ting.
This time, Jin pulled out a gold coin and flicked it. The waiter shrugged.
"What do you want? Drugs? There’s some killer stuff in Mamit these days. Or are you looking for someone?"
"The latter. Is this enough?"
The waiter rubbed the gold coin with a handkerchief and calmly weighed it in his palm. It was heavy—a genuine gold coin.
"Well, that depends on who you're looking for."
"Is there anyone in this town who goes by the name Hister?"
"No. I'm certain."
Jin smacked his lips in disappointment.
"I see. Bring the food. And I’d like a recommendation for a place to stay. Somewhere the bugs don't crawl in."
A 'room where bugs don't crawl' was Mamit slang for the safest inn.
"There’s only one place like that. An inn called the Moonlight Well on the west side of the city. That’s where the Kings of Mamit stay, so don't go causing trouble there."
"Thanks."
Jin finished the dry bread and parched bacon the waiter brought him, then left the tavern.
* * *
As the Moonlight Well was where the strongest of Mamit gathered, its atmosphere was completely different from the tavern. It was an ordinary-looking inn that felt clean and organized—almost unbelievably so for Mamit.
It couldn't compare to a luxury inn in a proper city, but at least one wouldn't run into low-level outlaws barking like stray dogs.
He may be the Palace Master’s lover, but he’s still just a good-for-nothing from a count’s family. The Moonlight Well is the only place Alcaro Chendler would stay.
There was no need to go to the underground black market and pay a high price for information.
According to the documents on Alcaro he had received from the family, the man wasn't the type to stay in a filthy, damp, low-grade inn. It was only natural for a pampered, good-for-nothing young master who had never known a day of hardship.
Alcaro Chendler was a lowlife who was servile to the powerful and tyrannical to the weak, a man who loved luxury and was obsessed with pleasure. All he had going for him were his decent looks and his bloodline.
The reason such a man was lingering in this dangerous city was simple.
It was a shallow ploy to draw the attention of Palace Master Talaris, who had recently been neglecting him for another lover. A childish tantrum: ‘I'm in such a dangerous place, are you really going to just leave me here?’
If the Palace Master actually took the bait and came here, there was no telling when the next assassination opportunity would arise. If she protected Alcaro herself, not even Luna could touch him.
This was why the Chendler family had urgently requested an assassination from Runcandel.
Starting today, stories about me will spread through Mamit. Rumors of a crazy kid who just arrived, killed a man on the spot, and is looking for someone named Hister.
There was a reason Jin had caused a scene at the tavern.
In a place crawling with low-level informants, he had caused as much of a ruckus as possible and then spread false information: that he was looking for Hister and had come all this way for him.
That rumor would reach the Secret Palace guards protecting Alcaro within a day. Those guards were keeping a sharp eye on the dozens of newcomers arriving every day.
Naturally, Jin would be excluded from their primary list of suspects. They would be certain that an assassin sent to kill Alcaro would never move as clumsily as Jin.
The previous assassins were all skilled mercenaries. By acting like an amateur, I've drastically lowered the chances of being suspected.
The people Alcaro’s guards worried about weren't those with clear goals who acted overly serious like Jin. Rather, it was those like Tonk, who were authentically of Mamit, whom the guards watched closely.
Assassins usually preferred to blend in like locals. In a sense, Jin had hidden himself in plain sight.
And his strategy worked perfectly.
He could feel that several men in the Moonlight Well, who had been observing him since the afternoon, had clearly relaxed their guard by the time night fell.
It seems those three are the Secret Palace members guarding Alcaro… Their skills are at least 6-star or higher. If it comes to a head-on confrontation, I have no chance of winning.
If he mobilized all his magic and spirit energy, he might be able to take down one of them, but against two or more, it was hopeless.
A full day passed, but Alcaro was nowhere to be seen. Jin was certain Alcaro was holed up in his room, eating food brought to him by his guards.
It’s impossible to go to his room and kill him. There are probably more guards on standby inside. In that case, I have to wait for him to come out.
Jin recalled Alcaro’s personality from the documents once more.
Alcaro Chendler is obsessed with pleasure and entertainment.
Then, a piece of information he had heard from the tavern waiter flashed through his mind.
—What do you want? Drugs? There’s some killer stuff in Mamit these days.
There was a very high probability that Alcaro was holed up in his room doing drugs.
Having reached that conclusion, Jin brushed back his hair and walked toward the lobby. He intended to have a cool beer while getting a better sense of the people there.
However, as soon as he stepped into the lobby, Jin had to fight back a grin.
"Why! Why are you saying no! You got it for me just fine yesterday!"
"We cannot provide any more."
"Damn it! I told you to go get it!"
The young man screaming in the middle of the lobby was none other than Alcaro Chendler. Having memorized his face beforehand, Jin recognized him at a glance. It seemed he was throwing a massive tantrum because his guards wouldn't get him any more drugs.
What a textbook example of a good-for-nothing.
Jin smiled inwardly.