Chapter 83

The atmosphere at the Guild’s Vigilante Association headquarters was at a breaking point due to the conflict between Izack and the guild members.

However—

“Stop.”

A familiar voice rang out behind Izack, who was fully prepared for combat. Facing a horde of enemies, Izack couldn’t turn to look at the owner of the voice. Of course, he didn’t need to; he already knew exactly who it was.

“Hunter.”

“Don’t fight. It’s a waste of effort.”

Immediately after Adele spoke, something came rolling into the corner of Izack’s vision.

—Ugh!

Some of those who saw it grimaced. It was the source of the fishy stench that had been stinging their noses for a while now. A hand of unknown origin. Izack looked down at it.

“What is this?”

“Who knows?” Adele replied as she stepped out beside Izack. “Some people were calling him ‘The Banker.’”

“The Banker…?”

Adele nodded. Then she scanned the guild members in front of her.

“These guys… they weren’t actually put up to this by Malik. Malik was just being used.”

“What?”

“I’d love to tell you all the gritty details, but this doesn’t seem like a very friendly environment for a chatterbox. Let’s deal with the nuisances first.”

The moment Adele finished speaking, the tension in the office skyrocketed. Several people reflexively drew their swords. But Adele just looked at them with a puzzled expression.

“What’s with everyone? Do you feel like carving some meat? I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m a vegetarian. I’m okay with milk, though. If you understand, bring me some decent food. And a room with a bed and a bathroom. Seriously, I really don’t want to reunite with my husba— I mean, the Young Master, looking like this.”

Izack couldn’t understand Adele, who was suddenly acting this arrogant. He had thought her an incredibly absurd person, but… did she really have no idea what kind of situation this was?

“You… do you not realize who these guys are? The ones who ambushed us in that alley…”

“I know. They’re the guild members. Honestly, you guys are the ones who can’t seem to read the room. Do I look that stupid to you? Well, I guess maybe I do.”

Saying that, Adele pointed to the hand she had tossed.

“What moves a guild is money, after all. The owner of that hand I brought was the guild’s financier. These people have no reason to fight anymore.”

—Crack!

“Gwaaaaagh!”

“I saved your life. Stop screaming like a stuck pig. It’s noisy. Really.”

She said that, but there was no one left to come running at the sound of that scream. Adele’s mace had incapacitated several guards protecting the manor in an instant. She hadn’t killed them, though unless they were exceptionally lucky, they would likely live with disabilities for the rest of their lives.

‘The Young Master won’t be happy if I spill more blood.’

It was a hassle, but what could she do? Adele swung her mace in circles as she made her entrance into the manor. Servants hiding here and there watched her with terrified eyes.

“Where is the man called The Banker?”

The servants pointed toward the back door. It didn’t take much effort to catch the waddling, fleeing Banker.

“Hello, fatty.”

“Anita! Hurry and shoot this bitch! Anita…!”

“Oh my, I guess that’s the archer’s name.” Adele’s mace pressed firmly against The Banker’s chest.

“Eeeek…”

“But what a shame. That archer isn’t anywhere within a hundred meters of here. And even if she shot from outside that range, she wouldn’t be able to hit me.”

“Don’t kill me, please no…”

“That depends on your answer. What is your relationship with this ‘Malik’ person? Why are you trying to capture our Young Master?”

The Banker was a relatively easy person to read. At first, he tried to lie his way out, but after a few broken bones, he began to submissively tell the truth.

“So, you planned to blackmail Malik—who has lost almost all of his political standing—and attack the upper district? Is that it?”

“Yes… yes… h-hic.”

“And if it failed, Malik would take the fall for everything and be handed over to the Lord?”

“Ugh…”

“Answer me properly.”

“Aaaaagh…! Stop, please…!”

The Banker’s left hand was already such a mess that it would be better to just cut it off. The Banker nodded desperately.

“That’s right. He’s just our puppet. The money all comes from my pocket… I-I can give you as much as you want. It has nothing to do with you anyway! You’re an outsider. Just stay out of this business…! Then…”

“Shut up.”

“Aaaaaagh!”

The mace completely pulverized The Banker’s hand.

“It has something to do with me now.”

“The Banker was using that archer to pressure Malik. These people were bribed with The Banker’s money. In the end, Malik was just being used. He was treated as a disposable pawn.”

Adele spoke as she popped a forkful of vegetables into her mouth. The place where Izack and Adele were talking was a nearby inn. Unfortunately, Adele’s “ceasefire negotiations” had been a failure.

“So, since the money’s gone, there’s no point in being enemies or whatever, right? Shouldn’t they let me use the bath?”

“Who in their right mind would welcome a woman into the guild after she cut off their funding and harmed dozens of their comrades?”

“Hmm… I guess you’re right. I should have held back a little in that alley.”

Izack stared at Adele with an expression of pure disbelief. ‘What is this girl…?’

However, it was a fact that they had avoided further bloodshed thanks to her. Izack rubbed his face with his hands.

“Anyway… The Banker isn’t the only influential person in the lower district.”

“Then all the others should just be…”

—Stab. Stab.

Adele poked the air with her fork. Just as Izack was about to scold her, she cut herself off first.

“…is a no-go, right? The Young Master would hate that.”

Izack was surprised. “You… you’re capable of thinking that far ahead?”

“He’d obviously say something like, ‘This isn’t a stupid brawl, it’s politics!’ He’s cute when he’s being serious, but I’d hate it if he started to dislike me.”

Izack frowned at her, looking suspicious. Adele tilted her head.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Weren’t you sent to keep an eye on that brat? Right now, it looks less like you’re monitoring him and more like you’re helping him.”

Adele feigned ignorance for a moment before speaking. “If I want to monitor someone, doesn’t it fit the objective better if the target stays alive?”

“What?”

“…is what I’d say, but I guess you won’t be satisfied with that. I don’t really care how you feel, but since we’re allies now, should I be honest? You seem like a man who can keep a secret.”

Izack couldn’t get a handle on what she was saying. He still didn’t know why she had come to Denabi in the first place—or why she was monitoring Shane.

However, in the next moment, the answer she provided was relatively clear.

“I like that Young Master.”

“I understand your desire to find them as quickly as possible, Young Master. However, if we use this as an excuse to stir up the lower district, the backlash will be formidable. Since the incident has already occurred, news will spread fast anyway. It might be better to just wait for them to return on their own…”

The concerned voice of the Gate Captain reached my ears.

It was Avenger who countered him before I could.

“The lower district is the side that drew blood first. We cannot keep letting them take the initiative. Now that Malik has attacked his own citizens, it is the perfect time.”

“That is a valid point, but…”

I raised my hand, putting an end to the brewing debate.

“I don’t wish for any more blood to be spilled either. I’m not suggesting we blindly tear through the lower district.”

I pointed toward the far side of the slope leading down to the lower district.

“Look, they’re coming.”

“That is…”

A group was approaching from beyond the slope. Avenger, with his sharp eyesight, recognized them first.

“Aren’t those the guards from the Second Gate? To think they’d leave their post and come all the way here.”

Avenger turned to look at me.

“As expected, this was your plan, Young Master.”

I nodded.

“The guards at the Second Gate are made up of lower district residents. If we ask them to lead the search for the missing Adele and Izack, the resistance from the lower district will be significantly reduced.”

I had it all figured out.

However, it wasn’t time to relax just yet. I only hoped that Adele and Izack were safe.

I hurriedly organized the search party. The military strength of the lower district, as reported by Vittorio, was beyond my imagination. If they intended to systematically attack the Denabi forces, we needed to be equipped with corresponding might.

“Let the Second Gate guards take the lead, with the upper district guards following behind. It would be a disaster if the Vigilante Association mobilized a large force again.”

“I will carry out your orders.”

I sent them off with a heavy heart. It was a relief that Vittorio had returned just in time; otherwise, I would have had to handle this grueling task entirely on my own. Managing the troops and dealing with the lack of martial power was an exhausting burden for one person.

‘Dammit… I wish I’d been a soldier in my past life.’

Despite recruiting so many military-related personnel, I still felt lacking. What on earth should I do with this godforsaken neighborhood?

Just then, someone approached me. It was Vina and Yelena. I bowed my head and expressed my gratitude to them.

“Thank you for your help. And I’m sorry. I should have acted sooner; I put you both in danger.”

Yelena let out a snort.

“Forget it. We did it knowing the risks. We didn’t come here to listen to apologies.”

“In that case…”

“You said you’re looking for people, right? We’ll help too. When it comes to connections, we don’t lose to anyone.”

This was great news. If the residents of the lower district helped directly, the task couldn’t be any easier. I grabbed Yelena’s hands and shook them.

“Thank you so much!”

“Ugh, enough! Just keep your word about providing jobs in the upper district!”

Yelena shook off my hands.

“Sister! Let’s go!”

Vina turned the wheelchair and headed back the way they came. Yelena, still seated, turned her head back toward me as if she had remembered something she’d forgotten.

“And make sure you guarantee my sister’s re-employment! Got it?”

I stretched both arms over my head to draw a circle.

We waited for the search party’s return until dusk. The gate separating the upper and lower districts remained open. As the sun went down and it became time to light the torches, a number of lower district residents gathered around the gate.

The soldiers advised them to return to their homes, but the residents, approaching hesitantly, asked:

“Is this… are you opening the gate again?”

“Not yet. Someone from the upper district is missing, so we are searching for them. Please wait a bit.”

Despite the guard’s answer, the crowd only grew larger. Avenger asked me:

“Shall I disperse the crowd? If we leave them be and something happens here, we won’t be able to prevent casualties.”

“Let’s do that. But I will be the one to turn them back.”

“Young Master, it’s dangerous. It’s night, and…”

“I was the one who opened the gate. If I don’t step forward even when it’s time to close it, how can I ever persuade these people?”

I placed a hand on Avenger’s shoulder. He bowed his head and stepped back. I stepped forward in front of the people.

“Everyone. I am Shane, the youngest son of the Lord. I imagine you are all quite confused by the recent turmoil.”

The people held their breath and listened to my words.

“I wish to reopen the gate right this second, but for the safety of all Denabi citizens, including yourselves, I have judged it best to avoid a hasty opening. I hope you understand.”

Even as I spoke, I felt a pang of pain. This was the vision I had drawn—to conquer the lower district by opening the gate. But due to the recent commotion, the relationship between the two districts had deteriorated beyond repair. Reopening the gate was impossible. My statement just now was effectively a declaration of failure.

Whatever the means or process, Malik had ultimately succeeded in stopping me.

But then, the voice of a citizen rang out.

“It’s alright. It’s our fault anyway.”

“Pardon…?”

I raised my bowed head.

“To be honest, I thought the Young Master would have us all rounded up and thrown in jail. After the mess that happened in the lower district…”

“No. It wasn’t your doing.”

But they paid no mind to my voice and began to encourage me.

“That’s right. I wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on even if we were treated like we were in league with those rioting punks.”

“It’s been decades now, but we haven’t forgotten. Even when there was a rebellion in the lower district, we just stood by. We just watched this time, too. Yet back then, and even now, we just keep being forgiven.”

The residents looked at each other and nodded. It was the moment when the ‘virtue’ that had been accumulating since the days of Alejandro finally began to shine.