Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: An Uncle's Betrayal
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Though I didn't show it, I was genuinely surprised.
The Valiant Guild had made an incredibly extreme choice.
The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, I was greeted by the sight of dozens of guild members lined up in two rows.
Every one of them was holding a crossbow, aimed right at me.
Their eyes were filled with killing intent, as if they would turn me into a pincushion for any wrong move.
'How dare they?'
Honestly, I couldn't help but think that.
The Valiant Guild was, right now, defying Keros, the Butcher of Daysol.
They'd have to be out of their minds to pull a stunt like this.
"Heheheh! Well, well, a big shot just walked right in. You're Keros, right?"
"..."
At the sound of the slick voice, the Valiant Guild members parted, creating a path.
Soon, the owner of that grating voice appeared.
He was a man of small stature, his face hidden behind a mask.
"Surrender while I'm asking nicely. No matter how skilled you are, you're not getting out of here."
His words nearly made me start a verbal brawl on the spot.
With my sharp tongue, I could have easily driven a guy like that to an aneurysm.
'No. I'm Keros, the Butcher of Daysol, right now. Get in character. Focus!'
Barely suppressing the urge, I stared at him with icy eyes.
"Did Sertin not tell you about me?"
"Of course, the guild is buzzing with rumors about you."
"And yet you greet me like this."
"I'm the one in charge of this branch. So don't even think about using me. I'm not that easy."
It seemed he had a different opinion from Sertin.
Perhaps he was reacting this way because he hadn't experienced Keros, the Butcher of Daysol, firsthand.
'Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth, huh? Time to teach him a lesson.'
*Shing.*
Ignoring the dozens of crossbows aimed at me, I drew my worn sword.
It was a shabby weapon, befitting the nickname 'Butcher of Daysol'.
"You don't seem to understand the situation you're in... Shall we put a leash on you to tame that wild nature? Heh heh! Rough him up a bit."
The man, presumably the branch manager, snapped his fingers and smirked slimily.
At his command, the guild members aiming at my legs began to fire their crossbows.
*Th-th-th-thunk!*
With the sound of taut bowstrings being released, a dozen bolts flew through the air.
But not a single one reached my body.
*Ting-ting-ting-ting!*
A rough swing of my sword had deflected every last bolt.
"Huh?"
The branch manager let out a stupid exclamation.
In his world, it was probably unheard of for a volley of arrows to have no effect.
Especially since I wasn't even wearing plate armor.
"What are you doing? Shoot properly!"
He grumbled in a dissatisfied tone and snatched a crossbow for himself.
He loaded a bolt himself and took aim at me.
"Light him up!"
*Th-th-th-thunk!*
Gleaming black bolt tips once again filled the air.
But the result was the same as before.
I was never the kind of opponent to be taken down by a mere volley of bolts.
*Ting-ting-ting-ting!*
As the bolts clattered to the floor, the branch manager's expression finally turned serious.
"Right. I suppose you can't catch the Butcher of Daysol with mere bolts like these. But... how about this? Kuhuhuhu!"
He let out a vile laugh and covered his nose and mouth with a cloth.
At the same time, an ominous sound was heard, and black smoke began to pour in from all sides.
The acrid smell of something burning and the coppery scent of blood assaulted my nose.
'Poison.'
In reality, the line between an assassination guild and an information guild was razor-thin.
Their domains overlapped in many areas.
It was only natural that they made active use of deadly poisons.
Even in Rantzverger, lower-ranked assassins primarily use poison in their work.
"Except for freaks like me, of course."
The black poison mist filled the room, but not a single person collapsed.
The Valiant members had already covered their mouths and noses with cloths soaked in antidote, protecting them from the poison's effects.
I, on the other hand, walked around freely, taking deep breaths without a care.
My Demonic Soul protected me from most deadly poisons, and I also had the Goddess's Tear.
But while this was a natural outcome for me, it was a terrifying sight for the onlookers.
"H-how..."
The Valiant branch manager's eyes widened, and he didn't even think to reload his crossbow.
To him, I must have looked like the Grim Reaper, drawing closer with every second.
A herald of death, carrying a worn sword instead of a great scythe.
*CRACK!*
"Keuk!"
I rushed forward at a terrifying speed and delivered a spectacular dropkick to the branch manager's stomach.
It seemed a good old brawl was far more effective than swordplay for making a strong impression.
Or, to be precise, a good old kicking.
When the branch manager went flying from a single blow, the guild members froze.
My movement had been too fast for their eyes to follow.
"You'd best stay still. I'm keeping him alive because he's useful."
I muttered, pressing the flat of my blade against the neck of a nearby guild member.
But despite my soul-crushing threat, the Valiant Guild members didn't yield.
After exchanging some kind of signal, they raised their crossbows to shoot me.
But their counterattack ended before it even began.
*Thud! Thump!*
"What is this...? Are you idiots? Why would you take the cloth away from your mouths to attack?"
They naturally needed both hands to fire the crossbows.
Having inhaled the poison mist, passing out was the inevitable result.
They must have forgotten they were holding antidote-soaked cloths to their faces.
Probably because I was moving around so nonchalantly.
'Was subduing me the goal from the start? It doesn't seem to be lethal... more like a sleeping agent.'
The guild members were just soundly asleep, their lives not in danger.
I immediately walked over to the branch manager who'd been sent flying by my dropkick.
My plan was to wake him with the antidote and find out how to ventilate the room.
But...
Why does this guy look... dead?
"Hey, breathe. Breathe!"
I hurriedly slapped his cheeks, trying to wake him.
It seemed my kick had been a little too strong.
I have so much for you to do. It would be a problem if you died on me now.
* * *
*Screeeech... Clank!*
The magitech train gradually slowed to a halt at the station, and passengers poured out.
Adel, Camille, and I waited at the station for a bit.
It would take some time for the train to be serviced before departing for Troven.
We were looking over the construction site for the new villa district.
"It looks like they're gaining momentum. It'll be finished soon."
"We've been transporting materials with the magitech train."
She was overjoyed to see her own invention playing such a crucial role.
'I didn't come here to see a construction site, but I suppose a short detour is fine.'
I left Adel for a moment and surveyed our surroundings.
It was about time for him to show himself, but there was still no sign.
Just then, Camille came up beside me and spoke.
"Looking for that guy?"
"Hm?"
"Some guy is watching us."
"Oh? Is that so? You've got sharp eyes."
"Looks like some pervert targeting Adel. He's got that look in his eyes."
No, you psycho.
That's not it.
Momentarily stunned, I missed my chance to stop Camille.
In an instant, he closed the distance with the suspicious figure and threw a punch.
*CRACK!*
The man went down in a single hit, knocked out cold.
I slapped my forehead and let out a long sigh.
Just like a Felton, so damn impatient.
"Ha! He's on our side."
The man sprawled on the ground was Juln, who had been waiting at the station.
He was skillfully disguised, but I recognized him at a glance.
He was wearing the prearranged signal.
I rushed over, and thankfully, he wasn't seriously injured.
Just a nasty black eye.
"He's not dead."
"You know him?"
"Yeah, he's an informant I work with personally."
"Then you should have said so sooner."
"..."
I was speechless at Camille Felton's nonchalant reply.
Who was the one who threw a punch without giving me time to explain!
'Is this guy getting revenge for losing that duel?'
The student council president election was ages ago. Surely he wouldn't hold a grudge over that?
In any case, it seemed impossible to understand this free-spirited guy with common sense.
I lightly slapped the unconscious Juln's cheeks, trying to wake him.
*Slap! Slap!*
"Just how hard did you hit him? He's not showing any signs of waking up."
As I was delivering another round of pointless slaps...
"Ugh!"
"Oh! You're finally awake. Are you okay?"
"I... I think I'm dying. My head is ringing."
"You're not dying. He may look like a brute, but he's not completely unreasonable. He probably held back."
"I can't see out of one eye at all."
"It's temporary. Now, hand over what you brought."
"Nngh!"
Juln clutched his watering, swollen eye and struggled to his feet.
"Here you are."
"Hmm. I suppose I have a moment to look this over."
I quickly reviewed the intelligence report he gave me.
Just then, Camille Felton came closer, snapped his fingers, and said,
"Now I get it."
"Get what?"
"Why you suddenly hired an informant in the Penant Marquisate."
Camille muttered, pointing at the bundle of documents with a look of certainty.
"It's for some grand romantic gesture, isn't it? Have you and Adel finally decided to start dating?"
What is with this guy?
How can he be so wrong about everything?
I'd like that, but now's not the time, so I wish he'd just shut up.
Perhaps noticing my twitching eyebrow, Camille Felton cleared his throat and looked away.
Just then, Adel Richter, who had been watching the construction, approached with a curious expression.
"What are you all doing?"
"Ah, it's the report I've been waiting for. You should take a look, too."
"A report on what?"
"The Alkanus Guild."
"..."
Her face instantly hardened at the unexpected name.
Well, they were the ones who tried to assassinate her, so her reaction was understandable.
We split the documents, pushing aside the trivial details to focus on the core information.
And with that, the full picture of the assassination attempt came to light.
"So, what's the conclusion?"
To Adel, who asked with a curious face, I had to deliver the cruel truth.
There was no avoiding it.
"The person who commissioned the Alkanus Guild to assassinate you was Bergel."
"Ah..."
My words fell like the blade of a guillotine, and she let out a small gasp.
She had every reason to be shocked.
Because Bergel was Adel Richter's uncle.