Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: A Fortuitous Encounter
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Adelle Richter entered the trading company's office.
The dark-haired man's face was flushed, a fact not missed by the bewildered workers watching them.
It was because the woman he had unexpectedly encountered was dazzlingly beautiful.
And he had even gotten the chance to speak with such a person.
But Adelle's expression was utterly composed.
"So, your name is..."
"G-Gray Carter."
"Do you have any brothers?"
"No, I'm an only son."
The dark-haired man was not Ray Carter.
To be honest, she could tell that just by looking at his face.
Gray was not just plain; he was quite ugly.
Not only that, but unlike the student council president of Venderford, he was a complete novice with women.
If he were the real Ray Carter, he would have been confident even before a woman more beautiful than Adelle.
"He was a man who lived up to his looks."
"Pardon?"
"It's nothing. I was just thinking aloud. There's been a misunderstanding. I'm truly sorry for touching you so suddenly."
"N-Not at all."
As she mentioned the recent incident and bowed her head, Gray Carter frantically waved his hands.
His face turned red again, perhaps recalling the feeling of Adelle's hand on his skin.
Of course, she paid him no mind either way.
"Anyway, who on earth is that man?"
"Are you referring to the student council president of Venderford?"
The captain of her guard naturally interjected at her absentminded monologue.
He knew full well why Adelle Richter had come all the way to the Four-Part Autonomous District.
"Yes. He's truly an unpredictable person."
"He's famous among the Four Great Knight Orders as well. The Luminous, Tropeum, and Dinitas have already tried to recruit him."
"His skills have already been proven. I'm simply curious as to when his mysterious persona will finally crack."
"To think he's the reason you came all this way... He's remarkable in more ways than one. So, what will you do now?"
"First, let's take care of business. And after that..."
Her words trailed off as she gazed at the northern sky with a look of confusion.
Soon, Adelle rose from her seat and offered Gray Carter a polite farewell.
"Thank you for the tea. Well then."
"Ah, yes."
Despite her words, she hadn't touched the teacup.
She immediately left the Carter Trading Company's office.
Gray mumbled something as he watched Adelle Richter's departing back, which left without a hint of hesitation.
"Um..."
But he couldn't continue.
The captain of the guard had suddenly turned back, a menacing expression on his face.
*Vwooom!*
A shimmering blue aura coated the sword he had already drawn.
"Hup!"
Gray Carter gasped and hastily retreated back into his office.
***
"Huh, why is my ear suddenly so itchy?"
I frowned, digging around in my ear canal.
But no earwax came out on my pinky finger.
I shook my head vigorously, and the inexplicable itch gradually subsided.
‘Is someone talking smack about me?’
Whoever it was, I'd make sure to crush them when I met them.
How dare they interrupt this beautiful time of vengeance?
"It seems you've run out of things to blabber about."
"..."
Lisse Ganiol, who had been spewing information about the Everfilt family while in a battered state, said nothing.
It seemed he no longer had the strength to even open his mouth.
Things had gotten a bit rough during the information extraction process.
All as part of a thorough investigation, of course.
"A scumbag like you dying won't erase the Riverune's grudge. But what must be done, must be done. Right?"
My voice had turned icy.
I usually spout nonsense, but in times like these, my serious side emerged.
The blade of the Black Dragon Sword, glinting in the moonlight, rested against the throat of Vice-Captain Lisse.
"Any last words?"
Where could you find a vengeful man as merciful as me?
I was even kind enough to listen to his final testament.
Lisse Ganiol weakly lifted his head, his face contorting as he tried to say something.
"You son of a..."
*Splurt!*
But before he could finish his sentence, I sliced his throat clean through.
Why, you ask?
It wasn't going to be anything pleasant anyway, so what was the point in hearing it?
It would only sour my mood.
I immediately searched Vice-Captain Lisse's body.
A palm-sized cylinder emitting a mystical purple light was revealed.
This was the Latio I had been looking for from Padiac's Tower.
"Don't mind if I do."
I carefully tucked the purple cylinder away.
Then, I arranged the surroundings to look more convincing.
The story had to be that Lisse Ganiol was attacked by bandits on his way to the Everfilt estate.
After leaving dozens of footprints and signs of a robbery, I left the Forest of the Dead.
Then, I began to race back to the Eastern Branch at an incredible speed.
Just like when I had returned after crushing those Felton bastards near the Everfilt border.
'This makes my alibi airtight.'
I was likely the prime suspect, being his colleague, but there was nothing they could do.
I had deliberately stopped by the Everfilt branch to show my face before leaving.
"Anyway, I didn't know this thing was so important."
I stared at the black orb with curious eyes.
The name of this object, found in the tomb of the Bronze Hegemon, was Furien.
It was a type of energy fusion device.
It could store Latio, merge them into one, and then allow the user to harness that power...
'The problem is, even after hearing the explanation, I still don't really know how to use it.'
It seemed that bastard Lisse Ganiol hadn't explained it properly.
There was no way someone as brilliant as me wouldn't understand otherwise.
In any case, the Latio needed at least five different types to be collected before it would stabilize.
Naturally, using the Furien would only be possible after that.
For now, it was just a pie in the sky, so I had no choice but to wait until I had gathered them all.
"Since there's one in the Everfilt estate, I'll just have to swipe it when I go to wreck the place soon."
I smiled grimly, imagining my perfect revenge.
***
After returning to the Pennant Marquisate, I holed up in my villa for a while.
I had informed the Eastern Branch that I wouldn't be taking on any missions for the time being.
Of course, Dusk wasn't one to leave me be.
"Seriously, why do you keep coming here when you have a perfectly good safe house?"
"Because this place is much better."
"Wow! Didn't you used to say assassins have no need for a house?"
"That's what I thought, but having one is actually pretty useful. Hey."
Our great Eastern Branch Chief had taken up residence in my villa.
'Doesn't this man have any shame? Oh, right. He never did.'
Even back when he was called the Master of Ordeals, Dusk was famous for his unpretentious nature.
That was the nice way of putting it. In reality, wasn't he called the Master of Misery?
"Sigh! I guess the lower-ranked guy just has to put up with it."
"Ahem! You must continue to treat me well even when you become more successful. You must not forget that I am your master."
"If you're my master, shouldn't you act like one?"
"Ahem-hem!"
It seemed to have struck a nerve, as Dusk cleared his throat loudly and turned over.
The sight of him, having set up a large parasol and a cot near the cool fountain...
He was the very picture of a loafer.
Shaking my head, I quickly got to my feet.
"Ugh!"
"Where are you going?"
"I can't just lie around with an old man on a day like this."
"Hey, you're going to the Plaza of Splendor again, aren't you? Take me with you. Don't have all the fun by yourself."
"Are you out of your mind? If I go with you, I'll be rejected the moment they see us."
"Hey, I'm not dead yet, you know?"
"But your face looks like it's died and come back a few dozen times."
"This little brat!"
Dusk shot up in anger, but I was already gone.
I had anticipated his move and made my escape.
After fuming for a moment, Dusk lay back down on the cot.
He must have decided it would be difficult to find me once I was determined to hide.
Or maybe he thought he could easily catch me if he just went to the Plaza of Splendor.
'But I'm not going there. Neener-neener.'
Today's outing had a special purpose.
It wasn't anything grandiose, just a simple matter of purchasing land.
The lack of a steady income was making me a bit anxious.
The upkeep for the villa was surprisingly expensive.
I planned to negotiate with the Pennant Domain Administration Office and acquire a decent manor.
Something like Ruberick County, which pretended to be part of the Empire, for example.
"Real estate is always a sure bet. Who hides jewels and stuff these days? If they get stolen, it's over."
But land, you see, cannot be taken away so easily.
If someone were to try, they would have to be prepared to lose their heads.
I hummed a tune as I headed toward the Pennant Domain Administration Office.
Meeting with the land official wasn't very difficult.
My status as a resident of the villa district was qualification enough.
The problem was that I lacked the requirements to purchase the land.
"The fiefs of the Pennant Marquisate are sold exclusively to nobles. Do you happen to hold a title I am unaware of?"
"Uh..."
Come to think of it, most of my identities were as freemen.
Mercenaries or merchants were best suited for moving freely across the continent.
In fact, I had never even considered obtaining a title until now.
Most of the friends I made at Venderford were high-ranking nobles.
Back then, just riding their coattails was enough...
'Now the school's gone, and I'm all alone, huh?'
It went without saying that my family would never procure a title for me.
Being a direct descendant was already an enormous status in itself; why would they do something so pointless?
But to properly line my pockets, I had to acquire a fief.
I also needed to sort out the fake identity of Ray Carter.
I posed a question to the land official.
"This noble title business... what's the easiest way to get one?"
"Well... a letter of recommendation makes it much easier. It's not something you can get just by having a lot of money."
The process was more complicated than I thought.
Even if I managed to get a letter of recommendation, it could be rejected depending on who wrote it.
'So a letter from someone without enough clout is useless, is that it?'
I had no choice but to stand up with a sour expression.
The land official lifted his chin arrogantly, as if he had expected as much.
His attitude screamed, "How dare a mere merchant like you even think of acquiring a fief?"
'Wipe that look off your face. I oughta... Huh?'
As I was cursing internally, my brow furrowed for a moment.
Among the figures passing through the administration office's hallway, I had just spotted a lifeline.
"I'll be back with a letter of recommendation, so you just wait right there."
I immediately left the office and moved swiftly to cut through to the entrance of the building.
Then, I struck a pose, leaning against the wall, and waited for someone.
Soon, as a group of people approached, I greeted them casually.
"Yo, long time no see."
"Ah...!"
The person who let out a short gasp upon seeing me was none other than...
The marquis's precious daughter, Sophia Pennant.
'Hehe! She'll do just fine.'