Chapter 153
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Duality
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Even though Leo Floyd hadn't spent many years in the capital.
He had joined the Imperial Shadow Knight Order and, on his first day off, wandered straight into the red-light district.
Confident in his skills, he roamed every nook and cranny without fear.
Within mere months, he had grown so familiar with the underworld that he could navigate the capital's outskirts and back alleys blindfolded.
"What are you looking at, you filthy vermin!"
Leo knew it well.
No one was as sensitive to differences in power as those who lurked in the shadows.
At Leo's bellowing shout, reeking of booze, they all banded together in silence, huddling like frightened mice.
Even those scraping by in the back alleys knew the score.
The real monsters paid them no mind whatsoever, but those with middling talent and power loved to show off and flaunt it.
And there was no better target for flexing raw strength than them—ones you could kill without any real consequences.
Moments like this were pure terror for the underworld denizens: thugs, pickpockets, homeless folk, beggars, all of them.
"You there... the black-haired one."
Leo's finger, swaying slightly as he staggered, pointed unerringly at one man.
The only light came from the faint glow spilling in from the street beyond the alley and the dim shine off the buildings, yet his eyes pierced the darkness with uncanny clarity.
A shaggy black-haired man, well-hidden among the vagrants, was shoved forward by the others.
"A-Are you talking to me, sir?"
"Get over here. Now. Before I kill every last one of you."
Clack! Clack!
Leo slapped the hilt of his sword, and hands immediately swarmed from all sides, dragging the man before him.
In the end, this was the bottom rung—Leo's lips curled into a sneer.
The vagrants who had offered up today's sacrifice fled the scene in a flash, terrified of any backlash.
Soon, only Leo and the black-haired man remained in the alley's corner.
"Just looking at you pisses me off. Black hair... Ah, where was it? Somewhere, it's a symbol of ill omen, right?"
Click!
He unfastened the sword at his waist, and the man's face grew tense.
"S-Sir... If my hair color offends you, I apologize...! I'll make it right!"
It was a quick response, but that only amused Leo more, stirring his sadistic glee.
A vicarious thrill? Maybe it was the alcohol, but the hazy image of that damned adventurer flickered in his mind.
"Today, in the name of the Church, I shall purge this omen of evil and cleanse the Empire's taint! Heh heh."
Gripping the sword at his waist, Leo raised it high and brought it down.
Crack! Thwack!
"Gah...! P-Please...! Urk!"
...
...
Leo was having too much fun to let go of this exhilarating rush of emotions.
The booze he'd drunk today was nothing special, yet it tasted like the best he'd ever had.
Each time he tangled with a whore and slaked his lust, his mind exploded in a white-hot burst.
Thud!
No scream followed the backhand strike, so Leo prodded the fallen vagrant's head with the tip of his scabbard.
"Hey~ You dead?"
He hadn't even drawn the blade—just a few whacks with the sheath—and the man's breathing had stopped.
The satisfying heft had him raring to go, but with no response, his excitement fizzled out.
"Tch—such spineless weaklings, always quick on the uptake."
The others had already scattered at the first sign of trouble; no one left for round two.
"Hm...?"
As he turned to leave the corpse behind, a chorus of wails—like heavenly harmony—reached Leo's ears.
Something smoky rose from the body before him, slipping neatly into the black pouch at his side. Leo watched it all clearly.
A genderless voice inside the pouch cackled with delight, and Leo chuckled too, peering into its dark depths as he clutched the orb he'd snagged.
"What is it? Tell me what tastes so good~ Don't keep secrets between us."
A smug satisfaction washed over him, like a lover giggling at his words and deeds. Staggering from the booze, Leo sheathed his sword and stumbled away.
"Haa~ Maybe one more drink."
The body, drained and discarded, began to rot at an alarming rate.
People dying one or two at a time in back alleys was a joke. Corpses or the stench of blood? Easy to ignore and walk on by.
Cigarettes, drugs, aphrodisiacs—plenty of crazies around. It happens.
But this smell stinging his nose was different.
It was faint, from a distance most wouldn't notice, but it hooked into his senses just the same.
'Rotting corpse? No way...'
Once the sun rose, the guards would patrol, especially now with that Denello punk wanted for messing with the heirs of two prestigious noble houses.
The Bolt and Mallory families were still watching closely.
To placate the influential Mallorys, the guards were making a show of patrolling every corner, or so he heard.
Standard procedure: gather bodies from hot spots, burn them to prevent plague, and maintain order.
So that thing had no business being here.
-Grraaah...
"Undead?!"
"In the Empire...? Chloe, stick close. There might be more weird stuff."
"Y-Yes...!"
I found the situation intriguing myself, and Chloe's shock was understandable.
No matter how seedy the alley, this was the Empire's capital.
Undead in a bustling hub of life and people? First time I'd seen it, and in the game, it only happened in late-game choice-dependent events.
'Spontaneous generation is most likely. But could the conditions really align here?'
Judging by its level, it was a weak ghoul—no reason for black mages to risk making one in the capital just to raise alarms.
So, environmental monster spawn. That seemed plausible.
But it sure as hell didn't feel natural.
-Grrraa...
"This is too weird no matter how I slice it... Hmm."
I tapped my palm with the warhammer, scrutinizing the shambling ghoul.
Putting it down was child's play, but once I did, gathering more intel would be tough.
'Is there really some psycho making undead and letting them loose in the capital?'
I didn't have intel on every incident across the continent.
The world was full of surprises, so I couldn't rule anything out completely.
'Undead manufacturing, huh.'
Scanning my mental list of black mages, none seemed crazy enough for this.
If it were any I knew, the quality wouldn't be this low.
Even a basic ghoul would bear some flashy signature of their skill and pride.
I checked the decay on its flesh, rolling my eyes for any symbolic brands or modifications.
-It's Kob!
-For real...? Those clothes...
-Dragged off for who-knows-what...
...
Whispers from the huddled figures in the corner. Soft murmurs among themselves, but clear as day to my ears.
'Something went down, huh.'
The ghoul, now just steps away, showed no anomalies.
So I targeted its head with my holy-infused warhammer and swung.
Crack!
Viscera sprayed wildly, splattering the alley wall.
I'd vented mana outward, so my shirt stayed pristine white.
"Eek!"
The headless ghoul reeked even worse. Chloe let out a small gasp—whether from the stench or the gore, who knew.
"Chloe, dessert cafe will have to wait. This isn't something to brush off."
"Y-Yes...!"
I patted her resolute gray head as she nodded firmly, then approached the vagrants in the corner.
"What happened here? I heard all that about 'Kob' earlier."
"""..."""
They'd all swallowed a hefty dose of fear; no one stepped up.
I slung the warhammer over my shoulder, gazing skyward like it was someone else's problem—wishing away any bad futures.
"If this popped up naturally among you lot, the Empire and Church will sweep the alleys clean. Easier to wipe out what you don't understand."
At my words, one freaked out and spat it, the others chiming in like dominoes.
"W-We ain't exactly clean ourselves—!"
Boom!
The warhammer smashed into the wall, cracking the whole damn thing.
Cold silence fell over the group that had been twitching to pipe up from hiding.
"I get you're aggrieved. Skip the excuses—straight to the point."
Nothing asserts dominance in the shadows like raw power.
One vagrant glanced nervously at the crumbling wall and spoke up.
"...Earlier, Kob got called over by a guy in fancy clothes."
"Fancy clothes? Look like a noble?"
"..."
"Spit it out as it comes. I'm not patient."
Obviously hesitating over the noble angle, so I lifted the warhammer slightly—answer came quick.
"H-Heek—! Y-Yes, to my eyes! H-He had a sword, expensive-looking clothes!"
"Face? Age range, features—anything."
The vagrant glanced around at his buddies for backup, mumbling uncertainly.
"...Too dark to make out hair color for sure, but he looked young."
Knowing the info was thin, they rambled on apologetically.
"We always avert our eyes from anyone in fine clothes with weapons—it's rule and habit... S-Sorry!"
Most crucial detail missing; my jaw itched, hand rising automatically.
No point beating a dead horse on past events, so next question.
"No idea what happened after he got dragged off?"
"We all cleared out to avoid splash damage, so precisely... no."
"Other details? If you wanna live, squeeze out every memory."
Murmurs rose; bits of info trickled from the group.
"T-Tobacco smell!"
"Booze too..."
...
...
I compiled every scrap of intel.
Stowing the warhammer, I stepped out of the alley. The street buzzed with vibrant energy, like the gloom behind me was a lie.
Some might say a mere ghoul was no big deal.
No major events matched my memories right now, either.
But the Empire's duality—vibrant life one wall away, decay on the other—stirred unease in my gut.
"No clue when Eclair's back? Better not leave Chloe alone."
"I-I'm fine! Even without sis, I'm safe at home, so no need to—"
"No. 'Just in case' means no chances."
An overt bad vibe had erupted; couldn't leave Chloe solo in the mansion.
"..."
Before cracking this case, had to secure Rike too—alone at home.
Not many could take her now that her skills had peaked, but worry was worry.
As I pondered options, a grand building caught my eye.
"The Church..."
Assuming black mage or undead foe, asking them to shelter Chloe temporarily was safest.
The capital's faithful were reliable in skill, and against anything defying natural order, their fanatic zeal kicked in—no holding back.
'But explaining in person would eat too much time.'
Whatever I did, prioritize my girls' safety first.
What was best and fastest?
'Check Eclair's mansion, if empty grab Chloe and sprint full-tilt to mine...'
Options swirled; my brain spun into overdrive, overheating.
As I gnawed my lip, racking my mind for the optimal play—
"Oppa..."
Chloe tugged my shirt, drawing my gaze.