Chapter 114
Chapter 114
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 114
Chapter Title: The Tomb of Swords
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My plan to stir up trouble and draw out Liberta's leadership fell apart from the very beginning.
"But that might be harder than you think."
This was because the information broker I'd told my story to responded with a troubled expression.
"Why? If I cause a big enough incident, won't they come out on their own to resolve it?"
"To do that, you'd have to bring in someone of a similar caliber from another faction. You'd need at least the Guildmaster or Shadow Knight…"
"There are guys like that in Ilek?"
"Of course, there weren't originally. They came in recently."
Wolf Fang's Guildmaster Diachenko and Felton's Shadow Knight were considerable heavyweights.
Both were considered to be on par with a transcendent-level agent from Rantzverger.
Of course, there had to be other ways, even without such formidable enemies.
"Like making them attack Liberta's headquarters."
"That would be useless."
"Why not?"
"Because there's no one who doesn't already know where Liberta's main base is."
The information broker sketched a simple map on the ground and explained the current situation in Ilek.
The north was controlled by Wolf Fang, the south by Felton, and the center by Liberta.
The west had not yet fallen to any one side and was still in dispute.
"And the east?"
I asked about the part he'd missed, feigning ignorance.
He pursed his lips and answered with a look of displeasure.
"That area hasn't been fully scouted yet. There's something there, but we have no idea who they are. That's why we keep selling the location of their base."
It seemed even the information broker didn't know that the Rantzverger Assassination Guild had settled in the eastern part of the city.
'So this is why the Western Branch is always getting attacked by other factions? They're just poking around to see who's there.'
But when a horde of muscular men poured out, they never dreamed it was an assassination guild.
Having grasped the full picture, I quickly changed the subject.
The Western Branch and their transformation into muscle-bound pigs wasn't my problem, anyway.
"Their base is public knowledge, yet no one attacks Liberta? Is it because they don't have the ability?"
"Oh! I thought you were just a brute, but you're smarter than you look."
"What did you say, you brat?"
*Thump!*
"Ugh!"
I flicked the information broker on the head and tried to piece together the series of events in my mind.
Wolf Fang and Felton, struggling with their inferior strength, had joined forces and dispatched their top figures.
'But they're still not confident enough to make a move?'
In short, Ilek had stabilized into something like this.
It was maintaining a balance of power despite the information broker's continued machinations.
But then, a question occurred to me.
"So who are you? Why are you doing all this when you have no connection to it?"
"The driving force of people is emotion rather than reason, and the most powerful of them all is…"
"A grudge."
I realized what he was about to say and finished the sentence for him.
The information broker then threw back his robe's hood, a rotten smile on his face.
"I was chasing the trail of an enemy and it led me to Ilek, but I couldn't track him any further because the trail went cold inside Liberta. So, this is what I'm doing."
"Huh? You?"
Seeing his face, I raised a hand with a stunned expression.
The information broker let out a self-deprecating laugh and shrugged.
"Hmph! Everyone who sees me for the first time has the same reaction. I'm used to it. Yes. I am…"
"A little kid shouldn't be involved in such shady schemes."
*Thwack!*
I landed a solid flick on the little guy's head and delivered a half-hearted lecture.
The information broker glared at me defiantly.
"Hey, mister, kids these days have a temper, you know? Huh?"
"I'm what that kid grows up to be, you little punk."
*Thwack!*
I flicked him again and clicked my tongue.
But the boy, clutching his head in pain, suddenly looked up and grumbled.
"Wait a minute. When you think about it, aren't I much older than you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You can't tell just by looking? The ears are up here. My ears!"
As the information broker pointed to his head, I finally noticed two fox ears peeking through his hair.
I had just assumed he was a small child with a slight build…
"Ah, you're a beastkin? You should have said so sooner."
"How could I, when you started hitting me without giving me a chance to speak!"
"Let's forget the past. Mr. Fox with the baby face, you look young for your age."
"I'm not *that* old. I've lived for about a hundred years, maybe?"
"Whoa! You're practically a grandpa."
"In beastkin society, that's just an adult."
"Enough about your identity. In that case, we need to renegotiate our deal."
I said, looking at the information broker without any prejudice.
His eyes widened as he posed a question.
"Mister, your reaction is a little different from other humans."
"How do others react?"
"Most of them try to sell me. Beastkin are rare, so they're worth a lot of money."
"Oh! That's a good idea. But you see, I'm quite flush with funds these days. Don't have time to play slave trader."
"I thought as much. As long as you don't try to sell me, we can definitely make a deal."
"Good. Here are my terms."
The information broker would provide a way to lure out Liberta's leader, and I would help him find his enemy.
It was a perfect deal.
But before I could even make the proposal, the fox-man tilted his head.
"But do we really have to do it this way?"
"Why?"
"Can't you just go and meet them? It's a very open place, you know?"
"Huh?"
The information broker's next words left me utterly dumbfounded.
* * *
A short while later, in the center of Ilek.
I stood with the hooded beastkin in front of a tavern.
Surprisingly, the tavern's name was 'Tomb of Swords'.
The very place Head Instructor Zimmerman had told me about.
"Hey, Nick."
I called out in a low voice, and the fox-man tilted his head back sharply to look up at me.
The hood was blocking his vision.
"Yes?"
"You were telling the truth."
"Of course. I don't lie about things like this."
"If this goes well, I'll look into your enemy's whereabouts. But you have to give me solid information."
"Ah, of course. Why do you think I've been scraping by here for so long?"
Nick replied, puffing out his chest with a confident voice as I sighed.
"Let's go in, then."
"Um… I can't do that."
"Why do you keep saying you can't do things?"
"Even after seeing your skills, that place is a little scary. I'll see you later."
*Swoosh.*
Nick slipped into a narrow alley and completely vanished from sight.
It seemed he used an ability unique to beastkin—truly remarkable stealth.
'Well, I don't need him right now anyway.'
I hadn't expected him to have any combat abilities, so there was no need to take him with me.
My heart pounding, I stepped into the Tomb of Swords.
*Step.*
Though it was Liberta's headquarters, the inside looked no different from any other tavern.
I casually scanned my surroundings and took a seat at a table in the corner.
'This is definitely not an ordinary tavern.'
The Tomb of Swords had two floors, but there was no staircase leading up from the main hall.
That meant if someone were to fire arrows from above, those on the first floor would be defenseless.
The layout was highly advantageous for defense, and it also seemed easy to abandon and escape from at a moment's notice.
Just then, a server approached, and I ordered a moderately priced drink.
"Something strong."
"What size?"
"I'd like it small. Ah, don't get the wrong idea. I just don't want to get too drunk."
"Pfft! I'll bring it right over."
Throwing in a slightly edgy joke like any other mercenary, I made the server chuckle.
While waiting for my drink, I was discreetly scanning the interior when a man suddenly appeared.
'Huh? That guy…'
His appearance and the fact that he emerged from the back of the tavern seemed to confirm he was the one Nick had described.
Similar in height to me, with a slender build and dry, blond hair.
And a long burn scar etched onto his neck.
'It's him.'
Derek, the leader of Liberta, had finally appeared.
But I didn't move right away.
My objective was clear.
'Abigail's whereabouts and traces of the One Star Meteor Sword.'
For now, my plan was to follow him and get a look at the inner part of their base.
I sipped my drink for a while, observing Derek's behavior.
He sat at a table, talking with Liberta members, and after a considerable amount of time, he rose to his feet.
'There it is! He's going in.'
As Derek started to move, I quickly paid for my drink and cast Soul Shadow Evasion, pretending to head for the restroom.
*Swoosh.*
Perfectly blended with my surroundings, I moved with careful steps.
Inside a building, there were too many variables, like bumping into people.
Fortunately, Derek was heading toward a less crowded area.
Concealing my presence, I picked up my pace as much as I could.
His stride was quite fast.
*Clunk!*
'Oh! So there was a secret passage here.'
I watched Derek open and enter a door in the wall, a meaningful smile playing on my lips.
For a group that wasn't an assassination or intelligence guild, they were quite adept at this sort of clandestine activity.
Heightening my senses to check for anyone nearby, I carefully opened the secret door and slipped inside.
And there, Liberta's secrets, which had never before been revealed, unfolded before my eyes.
'This is a bit unique.'
After walking for a good while, I found myself in a space that was completely enclosed on all sides.
The top was open to the sky, letting in plenty of light, but it was hard to guess what the place was for.
It was just a desolate, empty lot with Derek standing alone.
Hiding near the entrance, I waited patiently.
'He must be up to something. He is the leader, after all.'
He wouldn't have come to a secret place like this just to space out, would he?
Sure enough, a door on the opposite side soon opened, and two old men walked out.
Judging by their long white hair, they seemed to be extremely old.
"You've arrived."
Derek showed them the utmost respect.
It was clear they were figures he was familiar with, but also found difficult to deal with.
Of course, the same could be said for me.
'Wait a minute, something about this is very familiar.'
Just as a fragment of an old memory tried to break through, the old men looked directly at my hiding spot and spoke in an eerie voice.
"You've brought a rat with you."