Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Designated Mission
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041
“Impressive exploits. I’ve heard all about them.”
Alman spoke to Sein with a friendly, affable smile.
“The candidates report to me, then rush straight to you, right?”
This was Rasiel.
Naturally, Alman’s eyes and ears were everywhere.
The candidates thought they were being cautious in their own way, but they couldn’t escape Alman’s gaze—and Sein wasn’t particularly trying to hide, either.
“You made a magic contract.”
In that instant, a flash of killing intent rose in Alman’s eyes.
“You know that’s a rules violation, don’t you?”
“It wasn’t on purpose. I just happened to find a written magic contract. Are there separate rules for spoils of war?”
Sein muttered in a tone that could have been casual speech or just talking to himself.
Sein.
Only then did Alman erase the killing intent and flash a smile.
“You’re right. Spoils must be respected. I must have forgotten that the girl named Cecil is your spoil, and thus deserves respect.”
This was a threat.
Cecil, whom Sein had taken under his wing, was under Rasiel’s protection—for now. But who knew when that might flip.
“Eh, I don’t have much attachment to my spoils anyway.”
Sein’s words dismissed the threat as useless.
With that, the tiresome probing match was over.
Or rather, the final jab.
“If you wait just a bit, the candidates will come to me first anyway.”
Sein drove in one last nail.
The Rasiel organization members standing nearby flinched and showed their displeasure, but not one of them stepped forward.
‘He’s more impressive than I thought.’
What impressed Sein was exactly that.
The Rasiel members weren’t holding back out of fear of him—they were afraid of Alman.
“So why’d you call me?”
“A designated request.”
“…….”
Sein’s eyes gleamed.
“Impressive, truly. Designated requests don’t come to greenhorn candidates. To receive one this quickly….”
Alman raised a finger and began counting.
“The thirty-second one.”
“Nothing special.”
“No, no.”
That was when it happened.
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on Alman’s door and entered.
He had a sturdy build and a large frame, but not the foolishly massive bulk of Bova Demorus—it was a lean, well-honed body.
“You called for me.”
Ballack Demorus—that was his identity.
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
“A designated request.”
“…….”
Sein scowled fiercely.
Pfft.
Was he pleased that his prank had landed? Alman chuckled.
“It’s a designated request for both of you.”
A joint designation.
“I’ll follow.”
Ballack said.
There was no escaping Rasiel’s summons anyway.
Swoosh.
It was clearly aimed at Sein.
The candidate race was already tipped heavily in one direction, but Ballack, Sis, and Roberta hadn’t given up on becoming Rasiel’s candidate yet.
“What kind of mission requires naming two people?”
Sein’s voice was like a mutter.
“The mission is assassination.”
“…….”
Nothing special.
The underworld took on anything that paid.
Even if the three great organizations had their specialties, in the end, it was the underworld groups that handled every guild request.
“The location is District 7, Tanba.”
But at Alman’s following words.
“……!”
Ballack’s eyes widened.
‘Tanba….’
Sein briefly glanced back and forth between Ballack and Alman.
“The assassination target is a man named Grofa.”
Crack.
Blood trickled from Ballack’s tightly clenched fist.
‘Something’s up.’
Sein had thought it was just a designated mission, but clearly there was more to it.
The underworld was a world that hadn’t existed in the past.
As Sein slowly grew accustomed to this new world.
“Sein Demorus.”
All of this was experience, a process of adapting to the new world.
“You’re the second.”
Alman’s voice held an enigmatic tone.
“You’ll come to see the difference.”
With those words, the order to dismiss the guest was given.
*
*
*
This mission consisted of Sein and Ballack.
The two of them.
“I’ll wait here, so complete the mission and return.”
The Rasiel organization member acting as their guide would stay at the portal.
Now it was just Sein and Ballack.
‘You’re the second.’
Sein would later realize the meaning behind Alman’s words.
-Designated missions have various reasons, but the biggest one is….
Sis had shared information freely, even while clashing against him.
-They see you as a promising candidate.
It wasn’t because Sis was some foolishly naive idiot.
-Over thirty people have received designations from Demorus after their first mission. But you’re only the second one designated after already being pegged as a candidate.
The meaning of “second” that Alman had mentioned.
And the first was the current family head.
So what about all those other designations?
Sein could guess even without Sis spelling it out.
‘Connections formed while living in Demorus before realizing they were candidates.’
Whether those connections were good or bad.
That was why they received designations.
-Ballack hails from District 7, Tanba.
That was why Sis had given him the information.
-He doesn’t seem to have only good connections there.
This designation probably stemmed from one of Ballack’s bad connections.
Thus, it was a silent bargain: save Ballack, who would be partnering with Sein despite their rivalry.
After all, Sein held the key.
“Hey, you bastard. You’re stepping on your hometown soil—why the long face?”
As if confirming that his and Sis’s judgment was correct, Ballack had worn a shit-eating expression ever since leaving Rasiel for the mission.
“If you’re gonna self-harm, do it right. Is scarring your palm the best you can do?”
The blood dripping from his hand.
Ballack glared at Sein with bulging eyes.
“Oh? Wanna go a round?”
Just as he raised his hand like he’d been waiting for it.
Thud, thud.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, Sein and Ballack turned simultaneously.
That was probably the moment Ballack’s face twisted the most.
“Are you the gentlemen from Demorus?”
A man wearing a monocle flashed a friendly smile.
Behind him stood two men who looked like knights.
“I recognize one of you, so you must be Sein.”
“The client?”
“I’m just the proxy.”
“An assassination request, and you’re revealing yourself like this?”
The monocle man smiled at Sein’s words.
“There’s no chance of you failing, and to forge ties with the promising Demorus, a little risk is necessary, wouldn’t you say?”
Drip, drip.
“We’ll escort you both.”
The monocle-wearer.
“Lord Sur is waiting.”
His name was Farcha.
He was the butler serving Sur, the lord of Tanba.
In the spot they passed, blood from Ballack’s hand pooled thickly.
*
*
*
Scritch.
“Parties are such a hassle.”
Sein scratched his ear as he spoke.
“Didn’t you know?”
Farcha said to him.
“The request includes Demorus attending Lord Sur’s party.”
“Ugh, fuck.”
Sein spat out a curse.
Even if it was part of the mission, Sein could slip away if he wanted.
But.
Sein soon nodded with a wicked grin.
“Fine, let’s enjoy it. Your booze and food taste pretty high-class, so bring the good stuff.”
“Nothing will tarnish Lord Sur’s honor.”
Farcha vanished for a moment.
Sein gazed off into the distance.
He was at the main spot in the party hall, positioned like the star of the show.
The hall was packed with people already, all looking at Sein with admiration and respect, ready to swarm him the moment permission was given.
However.
“Why’s that guy….”
“Didn’t you hear? He’s Demorus.”
“My god.”
In one corner of the party hall.
Not so much invited as barely allowed a break like some errand boy—there sat Ballack.
“That wastrel?”
Unkind gazes toward Ballack.
The intent behind this seating arrangement was obvious.
To humiliate Ballack.
‘Bad blood, huh.’
Some serious bad blood, apparently.
“They sure know how to stir up trouble.”
To go this far, even spending big money on such nonsense.
Gulp, gulp.
And Sein could already see what was coming next.
“The booze is good.”
“Do you like it?”
Someone appeared with Farcha.
As if competing in a friendly impression contest, the newcomer was a middle-aged man with an even warmer demeanor than Farcha.
“You’re…?”
“I see the deep blood of Demorus. I am Sur, lord of Tanba.”
He was the lord of Tanba.
Farcha’s master, and the ruler of the land where Ballack was born.
“Not bad for District 7. You’re living well.”
“All thanks to Demorus.”
He didn’t flinch at Sein’s words—clearly a man who’d rolled in the dirt plenty.
“Please make yourself at home during your stay. Anything you desire, just tell Farcha, and he’ll procure it.”
“Even a dragon heart?”
“……You’re an amusing one.”
Sur was a seasoned lord.
“Regrettably, a dragon heart is hard to obtain even if we sold our entire domain—not to mention all of District 7. If the deep blood of Demorus rises to higher stations, perhaps then.”
“Stiff guy.”
“Then, before enjoying the party, might we have a brief talk?”
In that moment.
Whoosh.
Mana rippled from Sur’s body, enveloping the surroundings.
If there had been any hostile intent, Sur’s head would have rolled.
“A mage, huh. That explains it.”
What Sur had spread was merely a barrier to block out eavesdroppers.
A world divided into black and white.
The whites who survived by wielding the magic that blacks could never possess.
One such was Tanba’s lord, Sur.
“So, what do you want?”
“Sein.”
Sur looked at Sein as he spoke.
“What if someone stands in the way of the mission?”
“……?”
“What if that someone is another Demorus?”
This guy gets right to the point. I like it.