Chapter 84
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: Setting a Trap
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Setting a Trap
Y-Youre as bold as ever, I see.
Veroa gulped, staring at the gold coins piled on the table. Still, as the branch manager, she quickly tore her gaze away and composed herself.
Is that so? Guess I have another strong point besides being rich. Being bold.
Ah
Veroas red lips parted slightly, her expression one of disbelief.
I-I see.
Though she recovered her calm demeanor on the surface, she seemed just as flustered by me as she was during my last visit.
This meeting was likely turning out completely different from what she had expected.
Enough with the small talk. Lets get straight to business.
Understood. Which piece of information would you like to receive first?
Veroa took a light breath to compose herself before speaking.
You requested three pieces of information. The first was to find any swordsmanship or martial arts manuals authored by Kabol. The second was information on Count Karens, Baron Pabian, Baron Irian, and Baron Barberin
The names of the nobles in the second request, aside from Beil Pabian, were included as a precaution in case information leaked from Rackerd.
And finally, the current status of a man named Rashid from Ripa Village.
Thats all correct. Lets start with Kabols books.
Very well.
Veroa walked over to a window-like opening in the wall and retrieved a leather bag.
Rustle.
She returned to her seat, took a document from the bag, and handed it to me.
First, regarding the location of the books you requested, we couldnt conduct a complete investigation as we had to align the timeline with your other requests. In that time, we found a total of six books.
Thats more than I expected for such a short time.
Heh heh, were Rackerd, after all.
Information on the nobles would have been somewhat organized already, so a month would have been sufficient. But the book search was a new request on a tight deadline, so I hadn't expected much. Six books was more than I could have hoped for.
Looks like I can keep entrusting Rackerd with the search for these books.
The books I am about to list are all by Kabol. First, the Krasis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship Manual, located in the office of Marquis Lox of the Lox House.
If I hadnt hardened my expression the moment I heard Krasis, I might have let out a groan. It seemed there was a Rackerd member inside the Lox estate.
They knew about the swordsmanship manual I had read and returned to the Marquis. However, they were unaware of the second manual I had found in the library, which was now in my possession.
The second and third are in the personal study of Duke Huraken Zenberg of the Zenberg House in the Holy Nation of Iokal.
I see.
Unfortunately, all three books mentioned so far were ones I had already read. I gave a slight nod and waited for her to continue.
The fourth swordsmanship manual is with the Marquis Saions House in the Empire.
The Saion House? You mean the Saion of the Fire Sword?
Thats correct. The very same Saion House, famous for their fire-aspected aura, the Blazing Sword of the Fire Demon that burns battlefields.
Hmm
The Saion House was a renowned swordsmanship family even within the Empire. The aura of those born into the family was imbued with the fire attribute, producing a power on a completely different level.
Their pride was as immense as their power, and the entire family was notoriously arrogant. It seemed acquiring the fourth manual would be quite a hassle.
The fifth, the Hiros Kingdom Swordsmanship Manual, is in the possession of a mercenary named Rodien.
Rodien, you say?
Are you familiar with him? Hes the most acclaimed mercenary these days, known for his exceptional swordsmanship. He has completed every mission flawlessly, without a single failure. Hes also famous for his good looks and eccentric behavior.
Following Saion, another familiar name came up. I knew of Rodien; he was a character with some significance in the original story.
What is Rodiens current location?
He is in Gailin.
Gailin? The masterless territory next to the Lox domain?
To know that Gailin is without a master, you are quite knowledgeable. Yes, thats right. Rodien has not moved from there for several months.
I was certain I knew why the mercenary Rodien was in Gailin. Just as Veroa said, it was due to his eccentricities. It seemed the Hiros Kingdom manual would be easier to obtain than I thought.
And the last one?
The sixth book is right here.
As she said this, Veroa pulled a book from her leather bag. It was an antique-looking book with a green hardcover, slightly different in form from the other Kabol books I had seen.
I cannot disclose where we obtained it, but it was acquired with great difficulty.
Youve done well.
She probably got it from an old bookstore or a library. She was just saying that to avoid a price negotiation.
This one is a martial arts manual. Braums Defensive Arts of Close Combat
Is it not what you were looking for?
No, its exactly what I needed.
Having read four of his books, I had already memorized Kabols handwriting. I could tell it was his just by looking at the title on the cover.
Flip.
Like the swordsmanship manuals, this one contained stances and explanations. Since it was a defensive art, the opponents form was also drawn in detail.
I calmly read the illustrations and text, trying to understand them.
The Heavenly Eye, subordinate to the Creators Eye, imprints the first chapter of Braums Defensive Arts of Close Combat, Battering Ram.
Due to the trait Heavenly Martial Body, you can immediately replicate Battering Ram.
As soon as I finished the first chapter, a message appeared, just as it had with the swordsmanship manuals. This book was an authentic work by Kabol and was well worth learning.
Thud.
I closed the book, placed it on the table, and smiled at Veroa.
Good. Ill purchase all the information, including this book.
Thank you. Then we shall move on to the next item.
Go on.
Veroa smiled back and handed me a bundle of documents from her bag.
Here is the information on the nobles you requested. Please let me know if you have any questions or require additional details.
Alright.
The first page was information on Count Karens, who Id included as a decoy. It listed his age, level of strength, family relations, hobbies, and specialties, even secrets like his sexual preferences.
After asking her a few simple questions and skimming through the information on the decoys, I finally opened the file on Beil Pabian.
Actually, after receiving your request, we reinvestigated the nobles to ensure accuracy. As a result, we found that most of them were not very different from our existing records. However
As I picked up Beils file, Veroas expression turned serious.
Beil Pabian was a different story. He was vastly different from what was previously written. Even this file doesn't capture everything about him.
Is he that much of a mystery?
Diligent, considerate, and highly capablethats the public perception of Beil Pabian. But hes hiding a great deal. Our assessment is that he is not the scholar he appears to be, but is concealing immense martial prowess. He also has several hidden safe houses.
Is that so?
I responded nonchalantly, but inwardly, I was a little surprised.
Impressive.
Even before Sephiroth had appeared on the world stage, Veroa had gathered information on Beil and begun to suspect his true nature. She was a far more competent woman than I had thought.
Baron Beil Pabian has received great recognition from the royal court, and there were rumors he would soon be promoted. But I heard he is quitting his work at the palace.
What? When?
This is the latest information. The handover is already complete, and his retirement ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow.
With his fang gone, he had no reason to remain in the royal palace. If it werent for his official position, Beil would have quit the moment I took it.
Thanks to that, Id bought a lot of time. The timing now was perfect.
After leaving the palace, Beil would head not to the Pabian territory, but to one of his safe houses first.
We were only able to tail him from a distance, so we couldnt pinpoint the exact locations of his safe houses.
The document she gave me listed suspected locations for Beils safe houses. This was more than enough. With the wolves information and this document, I could find it on my own.
Ill purchase this information as well.
Thank you.
So, what about the last request?
Veroa, who had been smiling with satisfaction, suddenly froze like a statue.
We could not find him.
What?
You mentioned that the man named Rashid was from Ripa Village, so we started there, but no one knew of a person by that name.
Youre telling me no one knew Rashid?
Yes. Not a single person knew the name Rashid. One of our guild members has lived in that village his entire life, and even he didnt know of a man named Rashid. We also checked around Asseong just in case, but again, no one knew the name.
Ah
Hearing her words, a cold chill ran down my spine. Ripa Village was where the protagonist of the original story had lived. How could they not know of his existence?
Something had definitely happened.
Youre not asking if I gave you false information.
I did suspect it, admittedly, but seeing you again now, you dont seem like the type to lie about such things.
I see
Shall we resume the search?
No. Its fine.
If things were like this, they wouldnt be able to find Rashid. I would have to seek out someone with different abilities.
This is enough. Youve worked hard. Take your payment.
Then I will collect our fee.
You can take it all, I dont mind.
We only take what weve earned.
I know.
I knew Rackerd only accepted payment for the work they did, which was why I had poured the gold coins onto the table in the first place. I knew they wouldnt take it all anyway.
Heh heh, you truly are a peculiar client.
Continue the search for Kabols books. Ill stop by again later.
Thank you for using Rackerd. As requested, we will continue the search for Kabols books.
I gave her a wave over my shoulder as I left the Bluebird.
What in the world happened?
I thought I had seen Rashid, but now I realized that might not have been the case. Black hair was rare in this world, but not non-existent.
Its not like there are no other ways to find him. For now, lets deal with Beil first.
There was something I had to do first.
Is this the place?
Combining Rackerds intelligence with the information from the wolves, I found Beils safe house without much difficulty.
It was an ordinary-looking mansion built away from the village. For a hideout, it was surprisingly clean and well-maintained.
This is definitely it.
To confirm, I watched the people coming out from a treetop. Their movements and characteristics confirmed they were Beils wolves.
Beils retirement ceremony is today, so hell come here either tonight or tomorrow. And knowing his personality, hell abandon this place.
Today was the last chance to set a trap for Beil.
I gathered a few stones and branches from the surroundings and approached the mansion like a ghost, silencing my footsteps.
This should be about right.
If even a single wolf escaped, the plan would be a complete failure, so I decided to set up a reverse Illusory Labyrinth Formation around the mansion.
The Three Powers and the Six Harmonies, in reverse order
The original Illusory Labyrinth Formation combined the order of the Three Powers and Six Harmonies to protect the inside from the outside.
Those inside the formation would be unaffected. But by setting it up in reverse, I was creating an inverse formation that would trap the wolves inside the mansion.
Zichou, Yinhai, Maoxu, Chenyou
Wooooong.
Following the principles of the Six Harmonies and Three Powers, I placed the last stone next to the entrance. I felt a sensation as if heaven and earth had swapped places, signaling the formations activation.
From my position outside, everything looked normal, but inside, chaos must have already begun.
Now then, shall I prepare Beils surprise party?
Fwoooom.
Jagwaeyeon.
A mixture of purple and silver smoke enveloped only the mansion, as if it were contained.
In less than thirty minutes, I had dealt with all the wolves in the mansion and dispelled the Jagwaeyeon.
Not bad.
The power of Jagwaeyeon, which I had used in a real fight for the first time, was more effective than I had imagined. Plus, with the added benefits to my hidden weapons, there was no reason not to use it.
Zzzing.
After dispelling the inverse formation, I set up a regular Illusory Labyrinth Formation around the mansion and laid traps for Beil using the new poisons I had acquired.
He wont know anything about formations.
Formations were an art unknown in this world, and I had tailored this one to Beils personality. He would have no reason to be suspicious.
You have fully mastered Braums Defensive Arts of Close Combat.
Braums Defensive Arts of Close Combat has been subordinated to Heavenly Martial Body.
Your six senses have slightly increased.
While waiting for Beil, I finished reading the martial arts manual I had just obtained. The entire system of Braums Defensive Arts of Close Combat was imprinted in my mind, and at the same time, I felt all my senses expand slightly.
Hm.
With my heightened senses, I detected someone approaching the main gate of the mansion. The only person who could use this mansions main gate was Beil.
The prey has arrived.