Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: The Grand Melee
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Diachenko, the head of the Weasel Society, gathered all the ronin.
“Hehehe! Even that clever bastard Shadow Knight wouldn't have seen this coming.”
He intended to reap the maximum profit while they were at this joint operation.
He had even deliberately set their attack time to be later than their partner's.
But at midnight on the promised day.
A very useful piece of intel flew into Wolf Fang.
“…They’re hitting that place? It seems the heavens are on our side.”
Contrary to his expectations, it seemed Shadow Knight wasn't being greedy.
In this operation, seizing the casino managed by Liberta was the key to a huge profit.
But those Felton bastards had targeted a tavern on the outskirts of Illec.
It was a sizable business in its own right, and taking it would be quite lucrative.
But not as much as this place.
A casino was a space that could wield immense influence in addition to its income.
“Don’t you think he realized that clashing with us would be pointless? Shadow Knight may have come, but we’re still the stronger force, aren’t we?”
At the Vice Head’s words, Diachenko nodded with a satisfied smile.
“Huhu! I suppose so. Whatever the case, from this day on, we manage this casino. Go in and crush every last one of them!”
“Yes, sir!”
Midnight at the casino was its busiest hour.
But the Wolf Fang Weasel Society charged in regardless.
*CRASH!*
“Freeze! From this moment on, we’re taking over this….”
But the Vice Head, who had charged in so boldly, couldn’t finish his sentence.
An incomprehensible scene was unfolding inside the casino.
His path blocked, Diachenko shoved the ronin aside irritably.
“Move! What the hell are you doing, stopping in your tracks?”
“Uh… Boss?”
“What?”
“The Felton guys are here.”
“What?”
Scowling, Diachenko strode forward with a menacing glare.
Just as the Vice Head had said, the casino was already under the control of the Felton knights.
Diachenko roared at Shadow Knight, who was looking down from the second floor.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“And what are you doing here? Wasn't it decided that we would take the casino?”
“What?”
“I knew you’d backstab us eventually, but I didn't think you’d bare your fangs this soon. I should have known better than to deal with a pack of rootless ronin.”
“What kind of bullshit is this rotten bastard spouting!”
Cursing up a storm, Diachenko felt that something was off.
Shadow Knight’s appearance was similar to what he’d seen the other day, but his voice and manner of speaking were subtly different.
He realized he’d been tricked, but by then, the Felton bastards had already branded the Wolf Fang Weasel Society as enemies.
“The plan has changed. Halt all operations and defend the casino. Annihilate everyone, whether they’re ronin or from Liberta!”
“Yes, sir!”
As the Felton knights swarmed down from the second floor, Diachenko, the head of the Weasel Society, gritted his teeth.
The situation was taking a strange turn, but his bewilderment lasted only a moment.
His plan had always been to wipe out whoever was occupying this place anyway.
His eyes gleaming from within his helmet, Diachenko drew two short spears.
“Alright! Let’s end this right here. Kill them all!”
“Uwoooah!”
And so, a grand melee between Wolf Fang and Felton erupted in the central casino of Illec.
* * *
I was watching the bloody battle at the casino from the rooftop of a nearby building.
“Wow! They fight well, don’t they?”
As expected, the ronin had a slight advantage in a chaotic brawl.
However, the Felton side was slightly superior in terms of fundamental skill, so the battle remained at a tense stalemate.
“Hmm…”
Derek, who stood beside me silently observing the fight, could only let out a low groan.
It was understandable, as he had never anticipated such a development.
How on earth could two factions that had been discreetly cooperating until recently be made to fight each other?
Even witnessing it firsthand, he seemed unable to comprehend the situation.
I smiled faintly and decided to satisfy Derek's curiosity.
“Hey. Derek.”
“What is it?”
“When do you think a person gets truly pissed off?”
“When they lose someone they love, isn’t it? Especially at the hands of those they've identified as enemies…”
“Ah, you’re no fun at all. Let me rephrase. I’m talking about the greedy kind of human who wouldn't hesitate to do something vile. For example, those guys?”
I cut off Derek’s answer, which was heading in the wrong direction, and pointed to the leaders of Wolf Fang and Felton.
Since he was also a boss in the same underworld, it shouldn't have been too difficult for him to answer.
But Derek remained silent for a while.
It seemed he didn't understand the intent behind my question.
“I’m not quizzing you, so just answer freely.”
“I don’t know.”
“Tsk, tsk. This is why you’re always stuck in the same place, trying to face your enemies with brute force alone.”
“…”
My remark must have hit a sore spot, as Derek scowled and glared at me.
But I paid him no mind and continued.
“When you feed cucumbers to someone who hates them? No. When you bite into a mushy eggplant thinking it’s meat? No. It’s when your favorite food is snatched away from right in front of your eyes.”
“Ha… What kind of sophistry is that?”
“Watch closely. Those guys will probably fight until one side is annihilated. Not that I’ll let that happen, of course.”
I watched the casino with a confident expression, then abruptly stood up.
It was about time for the one who would put the finishing touch on this chaotic party to arrive…
*Thud!*
Speak of the devil, a group of people stormed the casino.
The members of Felton and Wolf Fang, who were in the middle of a fierce battle, simultaneously turned toward the entrance.
The newcomers, who had been striding in confidently, came to a dead stop.
“Uh… Wrong place. Please, continue what you were doing.”
The man who started sweating and tried to close the door again was a muscular, bald fellow.
It was Rain Maker, the West Continental branch manager of the Rantzverger Assassination Guild.
‘Oh no you don’t. You can’t back out now.’
I quickly leaped down and blocked the assassins’ path.
“Where are you going?”
“Ah! Crow, it’s you. It just doesn’t feel like our place to intervene.”
“Didn’t you come to wrap things up so that the branch won’t be attacked again?”
“I heard about that, but wasn’t our target the informant in the first place?”
“To put it another way, in the end, aren’t those the guys who will attack the western branch?”
“That’s true.”
“Which means if we exterminate every last one of them, the problem will be solved.”
“Oh…”
Rain Maker nodded with an intrigued expression.
It seemed my persuasion was having some effect.
Seeing the wavering in Rain Maker’s eyes, I immediately delivered the final blow.
“It’s now or never for a chance to wipe them out in one fell swoop. They might come to their senses and take a step back.”
“Will it be alright? Wolf Fang might not be a big deal, but Felton is a bit tricky.”
“I’m not even part of the western branch. I’ll be joining the fight as an executive of Liberta.”
“Does that even make sense?”
“Of course, it does. I’ve taken control of that place now.”
“…”
Rain Maker’s face was a mask of astonishment.
After all, it had taken only a single day to absorb a massive organization like Liberta.
I gave a meaningful smile and gestured toward the casino with my head.
“If the western branch commits its forces, Liberta will also intervene. We’ll wipe those bastards out completely and split Illec… No, we’ll take the whole thing.”
My proposal seemed to please him, as Rain Maker’s expression turned serious.
“Alright. Then who should I take on?”
“You catch on quick.”
“If you specifically called for me, it must be to take down someone of a similar caliber.”
“Please handle the head of the Weasel Society.”
“I thought it would be Shadow Knight. This is unexpected.”
“Didn’t you say he was tricky?”
“Huhu! You’re a sharp one, indeed. Unlike the blockheads in our branch.”
*That’s because you’re the one who turned them into guys obsessed with nothing but muscle growth.*
The absurd thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t let it show.
How he designed his branch was his prerogative as the branch manager.
In any case, the chaotic party was unfolding just as I had intended.
Of course, for this plan to be perfect, I had to overcome one great mountain.
* * *
*Thud!*
Having leaped into the heart of the battlefield, I was now striding purposefully somewhere.
The sounds of the underworld thugs fighting brutally around me were audible, but I paid them no mind.
My targets were not such small fry.
‘Shadow Knight. The linchpin who burned down the Riverune main house and slaughtered its disciples.’
There was no special reason for assigning Diachenko, the head of the Weasel Society, to Rain Maker.
I simply wanted to take the head of my enemy with my own hands.
Unlike Brooks, the Sword of Thunder, Shadow Knight was someone who remained active on the front lines.
Though he was temporarily dispatched to Illec, he held a considerable position within the Felton family.
That meant he rarely ventured outside the main family estate during normal times.
‘Encountering him here is a stroke of luck. I cannot let this opportunity slip by.’
*Thud!*
As I stopped walking, a middle-aged man with a hooked nose stared at me.
The hidden sword of Felton, Shadow Knight.
An individual assessed to be at the highest level of the transcendent class, according to the Rantzverger agent rankings.
He was undoubtedly a foe that would be difficult to defeat even if I went all out.
*Crack. Pop.*
An eerie cracking sound echoed from within my mask.
It was the sound of the Seven-Joint Face-Changing Technique, which I had been maintaining, being released.
“Was there someone like you in Liberta?”
Shadow Knight tilted his head, scanning my attire from top to bottom.
I had deliberately worn a mask and cloak emblazoned with Liberta’s symbol, and it seemed my intent had hit the mark.
*Shing.*
Drawing the Black Dragon Sword, I immediately pointed it at my opponent and spoke.
“Shadow Knight, the rusted sword of Felton. Still as greedy for glory as ever.”
“…What did you say?”