Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: An Unwelcome Visitor
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“What in the world was so urgent that you had to call for me like this? Huh?”
Honestly, I couldn't help but grumble.
A romantic mood was just starting to set in!
And with the most beautiful woman in Troven, no less.
Of course, the mission had been canceled due to the unexpected return of the crown prince.
‘Still, was there really a need to summon me this urgently?’
As if sensing my thoughts, Dusk, chin in hand, wore a peculiar expression.
“It was a bit of a rush, I’ll admit. But you seem particularly touchy today?”
For a moment, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
A romance with someone I met on a mission.
Even though I hadn't revealed my identity, it was definitely a problematic situation.
‘But there are plenty of ways to get out of it.’
Typically, a direct descendant who lost a succession battle was killed.
Even if they managed to survive, they rarely remained in the family.
They could become a spark for rebellion, after all.
I could just say that meeting Adel was a contingency for the future.
A safety net, so to speak?
Of course, that was just an excuse. I would be the one to become the Head.
“I was this close to completing the mission, and you just blew it all away. See if that doesn't piss you off.”
I muttered, glancing over at the Owl Strike Division informants.
My look conveyed the question of why they hadn't figured out the crown prince's scheme of feigning illness.
Dusk waved his hand dismissively, stopping me.
“Hey now! Things are tense over there these days, too.”
“Why?”
“Even if it was hard to know in advance, they still botched a mission ordered directly by the Head. I heard the head of the Owl Strike Division is seeing red.”
He must have been summoned to the office and gotten an earful.
That's how much the Head and the Acting Head cared about this mission.
“True, if things had gone well, we could have had the emperor in the palm of our hand. It must be a huge disappointment.”
“The main family will probably pretend a mission like that never even existed.”
“Wait, hold on. What about my results, then?”
“Naturally, they’ll be treated as if they don’t exist.”
“What! I spent nearly two years busting my ass over there!”
I glared at Dusk with wild eyes.
Of course, the branch manager wasn't at fault for this.
But I couldn't help being angry.
Especially since he was delivering the unfortunate news with a somewhat smug tone.
“Whoa, there. That's insubordination.”
“What? I haven't done anything yet.”
“Sounds to me like you're about to do something.”
“My skills have improved quite a bit this time. Care for a taste?”
“I'll pass.”
“Ugh! I oughta just…!”
I snatched a small trophy from the desk in the office.
It was a plaque of appreciation he had received from the family upon completing his term as training center director.
A testament to his long-standing efforts in cultivating agents.
Naturally, it was the object Dusk was most proud of and cherished.
“Whoa, whoa! Hey! Use your words. Words!”
“...My good nature will let it slide.”
“Right. Right.”
Watching Dusk's face go pale, I let out a long sigh.
Honestly, it was a bitter pill to swallow that my two years of work wouldn't be recognized.
If they were going to pull a diligent worker out of a mission, shouldn't they provide proper compensation?
Dusk cautiously took back the plaque and hastily continued.
“I should have told you this first.”
“What is it?”
“While they can't give you official mission credit, they've promised to compensate you sufficiently in other ways.”
“Really? Is this actually reliable?”
“Of course. The Head even sent a personal letter.”
Dusk pulled a letter from his drawer, a proud look on his face.
The content wasn't anything special.
It was just what the branch manager had said.
Though it was just the necessary words scribbled down, it somehow inspired confidence.
Perhaps it was because the letter exuded the Head's authoritative aura.
“Fine. I'll trust you. But is that all?”
“What more do you want?”
“I mean, there must be a reason you called me in such a hurry.”
“Is that all? We just received a complaint.”
“A what? A com-what?”
I stared at Dusk with a look of disbelief.
What kind of madman would file a complaint against the continent's top assassination guild?
It couldn't be because the results were unsatisfactory.
The Rantzverger family's mission success rate was nearly 100%.
“It's not an assassination.”
“I figured.”
“It's a complaint from a retrieval mission, and it's related to you.”
“What is it? Stop dragging it out and just tell me. I'm at the point where I'm overflowing with the desire to break something.”
I stared impatiently at the plaque on the desk.
At that, Dusk's lips moved quickly.
“A delegation from Everfilt is coming. They said they need to meet the leader of the Gray Magic Tower's sacred object retrieval mission.”
“...”
As I suspected, Everfilt hadn't simply wanted Grangmagia.
‘The contents sleeping within. They were looking for that unknown power.’
Otherwise, why would they steal the sacred object of a magic tower with which they had no grudge?
And do it secretly, through the Rantzverger Assassination Guild, no less.
I had a feeling things were about to get complicated.
But this was Everfilt.
The group most deeply involved in the fall of Riverune.
‘I can't just hand over what those rotten bastards want on a silver platter.’
Let them come.
They're about to witness the ugliest sight in the world.
I stared into the empty air with a chilling gaze and spoke.
“So when are they coming?”
“Today.”
I froze at Dusk's reply.
‘Uh... that’s way too soon.’
* * *
The meeting with the Everfilt delegation was arranged with lightning speed.
I had to head out to Pennant City without even unpacking.
We couldn't bring them into the depths of the assassination guild's branch.
We had arranged to meet at a temporary safe house.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Lis Ganiol.”
A middle-aged man with a deep gaze, scanning his surroundings.
He was the vice-commander of Everfilt's magic corps.
His dark brown hair and eyebrows, along with a flowing, light-green robe, were striking.
It was definitely not the kind of attire one would wear in the north.
You'd freeze to death in less than half a day.
It must be an artifact with a temperature-control spell.
‘He looks greasy.’
Lis Ganiol stared directly at me with his brilliant eyes.
He was waiting for an introduction.
But I sat there in silence.
I had too much to think about.
‘Why does he look so familiar?’
It was difficult to know the faces of the Everfilt bastards.
Unlike the Feltons, who had attacked directly, these guys just fired magic from a distance.
But this man.
I had definitely seen him somewhere before.
The memory was incredibly faint, but I was certain we had crossed paths.
“He just got back, so he seems quite tired. I apologize on his behalf for the rudeness.”
Sensing the strange atmosphere, Dusk quickly interjected.
Lis waved his hand and smiled gently.
“Not at all. It is our fault for scheduling this so hastily.”
“Thank you for your understanding. However, may I ask the precise reason for your visit?”
Dusk asked with an uncomfortable expression.
It was unusual for someone of the vice-commander's stature to visit personally.
Especially to file a complaint.
“It is because of Grangmagia.”
“I believe we handed that over to you properly.”
“No. The real thing was missing. We only received an empty shell.”
“What do you mean...”
“What we wanted was the energy dwelling within Grangmagia. When we checked just before commissioning the request, it was certainly there.”
“Are you saying it became an empty husk after we retrieved it?”
“That is correct.”
Dusk's gentle demeanor turned sharp.
The moment the topic turned to business, the atmosphere changed completely.
“Shouldn't that have been the request in the first place?”
“If you're going to take that stance, there's not much I can say. However, we did not anticipate that the energy could be separated so easily.”
“Hmm...”
“We do not wish for a dispute. We simply hope to resolve the problem.”
“Let's find the whereabouts of the energy together. Is that what you mean?”
“Indeed. We are also willing to pay any additional costs that may arise.”
After saying that much, Dusk glanced over at me.
Although the branch manager was at the forefront, the decision was ultimately mine.
The main family's instruction was to ‘handle it quietly so there's no trouble.’
It wouldn't be a huge problem if I just brazenly pushed back.
Hadn't Lis Ganiol just admitted their own fault?
But I had no intention of handling this matter so simply.
“How are you going to find it?”
“First, we intend to investigate people. The energy usually resides in objects, but it can also transfer to people.”
“Then shouldn't you have done that sooner? What if it's already moved somewhere else? A considerable amount of time has passed.”
“It cannot change locations that frequently. It has a tendency to maintain a stable state.”
“So, all the team members from back then will have to be...”
“No. There is no need for that.”
I tilted my head at his firm, sudden response.
My expression was one of complete ignorance.
Lis Ganiol smiled gently, answering my unspoken question.
“We have already received confirmation from Rantzverger. You were the only one who came into direct contact with Grangmagia.”
“...”
In that moment, I understood Everfilt's intentions.
These bastards had already finished their investigation.
They had eliminated suspects one by one and finally arrived here.
‘They're certain.’
The man's deep gaze seemed to say that I was the culprit.
It felt like a sharp awl piercing my heart, but I showed no sign of it.
In a situation like this, you can't just proclaim your innocence.
I had to exude an air of annoyance and irritation to confuse my opponent.
“Ha! My results were already thrown out, and now this crappy situation... Ah, I wasn't talking about you.”
“It is quite all right.”
“So, what do you need me to do?”
I shrugged, as if to say, ‘do whatever you want.’
At that, Lis Ganiol spoke with a firm expression.
“You will have to come with us. We need to conduct a detailed examination at our main estate.”
Honestly, it was just what I wanted.
A chance to enter the heart of Everfilt—what better opportunity could there be?
I was cheering inwardly, but I intentionally spoke with displeasure.
“Ha! You want me to go all that way? What about the damages I'll have to incur?”
“We will use spatial teleportation, so the travel time will be very short. The investigation period might be long. As for that...”
Lis Ganiol trailed off, looking at Dusk.
He meant that they could pay whatever the mission cost, but the rest was up to us.
The branch manager smiled brightly and said.
“This is a kind of mission in itself, so I'll make sure you're properly credited.”
Only then did I nod, as if satisfied.
“I appreciate the consideration.”
Lis Ganiol rose with an elegant motion and gave a slight bow.
Then, he took out a large 7x7x7 cube.
It was an artifact containing the coordinates for spatial teleportation and the codes to nullify interference magic.
*Click! Clack!*
After finishing the settings, Lis Ganiol extended his hand to me.
“Shall we go?”
“Let's. But do we really have to hold hands?”
“It is more stable that way.”
“I'd rather it be unstable than hold hands with a man.”
“...Then the hem of my robe will do.”
“Yes.”
I grabbed the sleeve of his light-green robe tightly.
I didn't care if the fabric got wrinkled.
Lis Ganiol gave a faint smile.
He probably thought I was nervous about my first time teleporting.
But I was actually trying to suppress my murderous intent.
‘For the greater good, I must endure for now.’
Why the sudden change, you ask?
Because I'd just realized who this greasy bastard was.