A Dark Cloud Over the Hometown
A Dark Cloud Over the Hometown.
Hmm.
I was reading the documents sent by Sir Izenberg in the Kaoyan Investigations office. It was a list of unauthorized religious gatherings within the church. There were countless such groups, but the only one that caught my interest was the Salvation Holy Knights.
"Only forty members, huh..."
The Salvation Holy Knights was a small outfit with just forty members. They mainly studied prophecies about the end of the world and its signs. They seemed pretty tight-knit, but way smaller than I'd expected.
And none of the names I recognized were on the list.
In my previous life, I'd captured a few Salvation Holy Knights members, but not a single one appeared here.
Maybe they hadn't expanded their influence yet, or perhaps this was a different group from the one I knew. Either way, it was clear they weren't at the stage where I needed to wipe them out just yet.
If it was the latter, they'd probably smack me in the back of the head big-time later. If the former, leaving any embers behind would be a pain. Bottom line: when it was time to grab them, I'd take every last one.
Still, I need to keep tabs on them, right?
To manage them, I'd first need to infiltrate someone of mine into the group. Someone who'd report back on their activities nonstop.
The problem was that the Salvation Holy Knights would eventually morph into a fanatical cult. So I needed someone worldly and selfish, the kind who'd betray people like it was breakfast and swim in greed. Only then could they avoid getting sucked into the fanatic ideology and properly handle surveillance.
They say even dog shit has its uses, and luckily, I had just the guy. Not me, someone else.
This bastard's luck is turning around. He was supposed to take the fall for that Holy Hall incident and die.
Still, good for me. Without him, finding someone reliable to monitor the Salvation Holy Knights would've been tough.
I got up to find my perfect candidate.
It was a dim underground corridor lined with rusty iron doors. Amid the flickering light of a single small torch, I stopped in front of the outermost door.
I knocked on the iron door, and a faint presence stirred inside. It was him.
"Fuck! Who's there?"
"It's me. Long time no see."
"......"
He recognized my voice instantly and fell into deep silence. I chuckled and unlocked the door with my key.
"Hey. Alon. Been treating you well?"
Alon plastered an awkward smile across his face.
"What brings the Master all the way down here?"
"Just checking if you're doing okay. How's it been?"
"Of course. Food comes on time, they let me sleep when it's bedtime, and they even give me exercise. Can't find a comfier spot than this."
"Yeah? Then what about this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Truth is, I was planning to let you out soon. But if you're comfy here, maybe I'm stirring up trouble for nothing."
Alon leaned in close at my words.
"Y-You're really letting me go?"
"Yep. No one's out to get Captain Alon anymore. I've cleaned them all up nice and safe."
"Huh? Why?"
"You didn't know? That hurts my feelings. I treasure you, Captain Alon. We fought side by side hunting those Preykers, right? Comrades in arms."
Alon eyed me suspiciously, clearly not buying my goodwill.
"Come on~"
"Look at this guy. You don't believe a word I say?"
"The Polkin Gate mess is still fresh in my mind. How can I trust you after you killed all my men?"
"That was because your mercenary goons were after your cash. If I hadn't shown up, you'd be dead already, Captain. I stepped in thinking of you."
Alon looked embarrassed. Yeah, his subordinates' behavior back then had been fishy.
"But you took all my money."
"I did that to protect your assets, Captain. If the Kasim Bandits dragged you off, they'd strip you bare. I had to hold onto it for you."
"What about the threats to make me your slave?"
"You got upset over that? Obviously a joke. I had to capture you alive on behalf of the Berbe Merchant Guild back then. Never planned to kill you. We're comrades who risked our necks fighting monsters together."
Alon still eyed me warily. My story lined up, but trusting it would make him a sucker.
Alon hadn't lived a naive life.
"Fine, say that's true. Why are you doing this?"
"To let you go. Truth is, I worried about you a lot, even if I didn't say it. The Kasim Bandits keep trying to off you at every chance, the Berbe Guild's sharpening knives over their heir, and those old subordinates you left in Kara? They'd grind their teeth if they saw you. So I had no choice but to lock you up here. Roaming free would've gotten you killed quietly."
"And now?"
I threw an arm around Alon's shoulders.
"I've handled it all. Sent Kasim off as a lord to some distant coastal city, Berbe folks won't show up in Kara much anymore, and I chased out every last one of your old Kara subordinates. You're good to go out safely now."
"For real?"
"Told you. Want me to spring you right now?"
Alon licked his lips, interested but still suspicious. No reason to turn down freedom, though.
"Then let me out."
"Obviously. But got plans once you're out? Gotta put food on the table somehow."
"Nothing specific, but give back the money you took from me before, and I'll coast through life."
I made a troubled face.
"Now that's a problem."
"Why?"
"I invested it somewhere. To grow your fortune, Captain. Give it a few years, it'll balloon several times over."
Alon bit his lip like he'd expected as much.
"Forget it. Keep it, Master."
"You sure? It'll be worth three thousand gold leaves at least."
Alon perked up a bit.
"You'll really give it back?"
"Of course. Tripled, even. Triple. I can toss in some interest right now."
I pulled out a small coin pouch. Twenty gold leaves inside.
Alon snatched it quick.
"So what's the job?"
I grinned slyly. Sharp as ever.
"Ever thought about being a Holy Knight?"
"Me, a Holy Knight?"
"You're qualified, Captain. Mana Knight, solid sword skills."
"And?"
"Merc life’s toast after scamming Berbe, right? I'll launder your identity spotless and push you hard from behind. Time to climb the church ladder big-time."
Alon showed real interest. Mercenary was commoner; Holy Knight was low nobility.
"How far you pushing?"
"Nail this mission, you're at least captain of a Holy Knight order. Rest is up to you."
Holy Knight captain got noble treatment. Worlds above mercenary leader.
A faint smile crept onto Alon's face.
"Just say the word. I'll pledge my life in loyalty."
Figured he'd bite. Alon was all about desire and sleaze. That's why I trusted him. He wouldn't betray gold and promotion for beliefs or faith.
After that, I tasked Alon with infiltrating the Salvation Holy Knights. Surveillance and intel for now. Assassinations or kills if needed later.
It was a late spring day heading into summer.
Kaoyan Investigations was still deader than a graveyard today.
Two months since opening. Zero customers the whole time.
I wondered if it was the price hike, but nah. No one had come since day one, so word couldn't have spread in Kara.
"Weird. Why no clients?"
Shura reacted to my mutter.
"Maybe because we were closed so long for the war?"
"Dunno. Does a monopoly like us really take that hit?"
"Or maybe fewer clients overall. Spice and perfume traders are shifting to Ramis and Jores Island lately."
"Nah. They were never our crowd. Mostly government offices."
Shura and I exchanged meaningful looks. Right. No government clients.
"Ah."
"Yeah."
Lately, we'd climbed too high for Kara's officials to boss around with cash.
I was Queen Padilla's lover and had been chief of staff commanding all forces and officials in the last war. Shura was the Yin-Yang Great Saintess. Officials not intimidated by me would be the odd ones.
"Plus, Master basically scrapped the mercenary system. Said protecting the people is solely the government and military's job."
I rubbed my face. Even my Kara reforms were biting me.
Business in Kara was toast. Military handled all the guard jobs and monster hunts now.
"What now? Abuse some power?"
"Dunno."
I sighed and glanced around. Someone was missing.
"Where's Sis Armida anyway?"
"She went shopping earlier. Should be back soon."
"Seriously, even Sis is out leisurely shopping when we're not?"
The office door slid open then. Shura jumped up.
"She's back."
But it wasn't Sis. A middle-aged man who looked continental bowed deeply to us.
"Greetings to Great Saintess Shura and Sir Baekmyeon."
I welcomed him warmly and led him to the sofa. First client in two months. Had to land this job.
"Come, sit."
"Yes. Thank you."
The man sat calmly. Face rang a bell. Half-gray blond hair, long protruding jaw, narrow eyes—all familiar.
"Name?"
"Luto Viscount."
Clicked. Luto Viscount was Yosrahim Empire's intelligence officer.
I adjusted my White Mask deeper and pouted. Of all clients, someone I knew. In my past life, he'd fed me intel support often.
No ties this life, though.
"Nice name. So, what's up?"
"I have a delicate request."
"What kind?"
"Kill someone for me."
Assassination gig. My eye twitched. Luto handled anti-rebellion plots, focused on our Karl territory.
"Right place. Assassination's my specialty."
"I know. Word of how cleanly you handled the Berbe Merchant Guild job reached our Yosrahim Empire."
Less rumor, more background check. That's intel for you. Probably dug into my tendencies, activities, connections.
"Taking out fifty mercs? Piece of cake. They dropped like flies."
"But the cleanup was art. Spotless."
"Glad you think so. So, who needs dying?"
"Brian Count."
Brian Count, hardline independence faction always clashing with me. Low Master swordsman, tough nut, but my teacher Meyer Viscount kept him in check by force.
"That Brian Count from Karl territory?"
"Yes. You know him well."
"Then that's a problem."
"Why?"
"Kill him, and Yosrahim Empire won't sit idle. Their own Master swordsman offed by me? They won't like it."
"No worries there. Yosrahim won't blame Sir Baekmyeon."
Not solo intel op then. Uncle the Emperor at least. Below him, Father's hand as grand chancellor—but Father wouldn't kill Brian.
Brian was loyal to Karl Grand Duke unmatched, hardliner or not.
Looked like serious rift brewing between Karl territory and the Empire.
"Still tricky. Karl Grand Duke house would throw a fit."
"But just a grand duke house. Can't compare to Baekmyeon, Kara's real power."
"You say that 'cause Karl Grand Duke's Yosrahim's number two."
"Iron Chancellor isn't what he was. Sins of raising a worthless son."
I narrowed my eyes sharply. Knew exactly who the "worthless son" was. Swallowed my rage and pressed on.
"Nah. Still rubs me wrong. I could suppress him maybe, but killing? No."
"If it bothers you, suppression's fine."
My lips trembled under the mask.
"Then maybe. Come back tomorrow same time. I'll mull it over and let you know."
"Yes. See you tomorrow."
Luto Viscount left after the short talk. Once his presence faded, I slammed my fists on the table, face twisting.
"Damn it! What the hell happened while I was gone?!"
Shura rushed over, startled.
"Master, what's wrong?"
"Karl Grand Duke house is in danger."
"Really? Brian Count that big a deal?"
"Nah, not really."
"Then?"
"Assassinate or suppress, doesn't matter. Means Brian's just a nuisance. They're after someone higher up."
"Who?"
I let out a deep sigh.
"His superior. Father or Yozef. No, Yozef. Father's essential to Uncle. Only Father in the Empire has the guts to stand up to Cloud Grandpa. Uncle wouldn't kill him."
Shura paled.
"What do we do?"
"Dunno. Gotta go see what's up."
Shura freaked out.
"No! Too dangerous."
"Why?"
"Go to Karl territory, your identity might leak. Padilla recognized you as Grand Prince."
True. Too many in Karl house knew me well. White Mask and dyed hair weren't enough.
I pondered, then answered.
"Maybe get an afro? Throw on some shaded glasses. Covers the whole face and head shape."
A Dark Cloud Over the Hometown. End