NOVPUBThanks to Violetta’s use of wind magic, the remnants of the Red Society were quickly dealt with.
It must have caused quite a commotion, but there was no chance the police would come rushing in.
This was a desolate alley, and even if the police heard something, they’d treat it like someone else’s business.
That’s exactly why murders happened here like clockwork.
“Is it over?”
“Yes. Looks like that’s all of them.”
Violetta said that as she dusted off her hands.
Maybe she had used up a good amount of mana while casting offensive spells—her voice sounded noticeably tired.
I remained still and quietly took out a pill, chewing it.
“......Seriously. If you’re that unscathed, you could’ve helped.”
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind. I guess this was just a light test to see how well I could handle things on my own, right?”
“.......”
I had no idea what she was going on about.
Ah—maybe because I just stood there and watched while she finished off the Red Society scum?
Well, I couldn't carelessly waste my mana right now. That’s the only reason I stayed back.
If I recklessly jumped into the middle of someone else casting magic, I’d just get in the way.
It seemed Violetta had interpreted my attitude a bit differently.
‘Whatever.’
There was no need to correct her misunderstanding.
What mattered more was recovering my mana.
“Still, these guys really went out with a bang. With their organization in ruins, they somehow managed to scrape together enough men for a surprise attack.”
“That just means they were desperate. Or maybe just greedy.”
“They probably thought if they killed us, they’d get to keep everything for themselves. But unless they were complete fools, they had to know they’d suffer serious losses...”
Violetta trailed off again, clearly bothered by something.
Come to think of it, those Red Society bastards had hired assassins from the Kalsapha.
Even if they were rookies, they were still highly trained assassins.
Hiring guys like that wouldn’t have come cheap.
‘Did they even have that kind of money left after their operation was cleaned out?’
Even if they had a secret stash of funds hidden away, it couldn’t have been easy.
And the whole “pay after you kill” arrangement? That doesn’t work.
Assassins—especially from the Kalsapha or any other group—don’t do credit.
And yet, these guys... Even after the assassin failed to kill us, they didn’t flee. They rushed at us instead.
Did they think we were weakened? Guys like them, who’d survived in the back alleys by pure instinct, wouldn’t have missed that detail.
‘They couldn’t run.’
They hadn’t fled—not because they didn’t want to, but because they couldn’t.
Which meant... there was a reason they were forced to fight us.
“They were pushed.”
“Sorry?”
“I mean the remaining Red Society remnants.”
At my observation, Violetta also seemed to realize something, letting out a soft “ah.”
“......That means other parties were involved in this incident.”
“It’s more than involvement. Someone actively encouraged this situation. Most likely, they even provided the funds to hire the assassins.”
“Who could that be? There’s no one left in the underworld with that kind of influence...”
I shook my head.
“Not someone from this world.”
“You mean...”
“Yeah. Someone higher up—someone who doesn’t like how things are playing out here—got involved.”
And it would have to be someone who knew this side’s power structure pretty well and could secretly supply funds.
“I thought Belvotte Rixon was the only one who fit the bill, but maybe not.”
“......There were suspicions that Dutrieu had ties with Belvotte Rixon.”
“That wasn’t suspicion. It was real.”
“What?”
“I heard it straight from Dutrieu. So it’s reliable.”
“W-Wait a second. You heard it from him? When? Before you killed him?”
“I haven’t killed him. Dutrieu is currently locked up by one of my subordinates. Barely hanging onto life.”
The fact that Dutrieu, the Red Society’s boss, was still alive must have been quite the shock.
Violetta was momentarily speechless.
“We’ve cleaned up nearly everything, but that guy was still the head of the Red Society, even if in name only. I had to see if he knew anything else.”
“......You’re thorough.”
“Dutrieu partnered with Belvotte Rixon using the Red Society as a front. He received money from him and handled his dirty work.”
“But Belvotte Rixon is dead, right? I saw it in the papers—he was killed by a werewolf not too long ago.”
“I killed him.”
“......Excuse me?”
“I’m the one who killed Belvotte Rixon.”
“.......”
“The public believes he was killed by a werewolf. But that’s just a cover story. The truth is, he was conducting human experiments through the Red Society in secret.”
“Why...? I mean—why are you even telling me all this?”
Violetta was visibly flustered, overwhelmed by the unexpected truth pouring out of my mouth.
Truths she hadn’t even thought to expect—of course they’d rattle her.
“That’s why I killed him. A man who trampled on human dignity deserved an ending befitting his crimes. And after going through his safes and records, I traced it back to the Red Society.”
“......So that’s why you went after them?”
“I need to establish a foothold here anyway. No point in sharing the space with scum like them.”
“.......”
Yeah. Her surprise was understandable. And she was probably wondering why I was even saying this to her.
“......I’ll keep this strictly confidential.”
“Good. I like how quick you are to understand.”
That’s exactly the part I was aiming for.
With this, Violetta wouldn’t dare consider betraying me.
A subtle warning.
Sure, we’d fought together and I’d already offered her group a vision for the future.
But people—no matter how much they benefit—tend to forget. And betray.
Which is why trust is never absolute.
‘This is basically blackmail.’
I killed Belvotte Rixon. Assassinated one of the wealthiest men in Rederbelk.
In other words, unless they were a top-ranking noble, I could kill pretty much anyone if I set my mind to it.
Including her.
Just this knowledge alone would amplify my presence in Violetta’s mind.
And above all, the reason I singled her out to speak directly was—
“You’re a clever woman. I trust you understand what I’m trying to do.”
“We need to find out who orchestrated the Red Society’s attack from the shadows.”
“Exactly.”
“Looks like I’ll be busy. I still have to carry out the business plan you gave me, too.”
“Think you can’t handle it?”
At my question, Violetta shook her head.
“No. That would be an insult to our pride. I’ll make sure both are taken care of. Completely.”
“Good. That’s the spirit. If you don’t deliver proper results, I’ll be the one in trouble. As a token of encouragement, I’ll hand Dutrieu over to you.”
“Dutrieu? I thought you were keeping him?”
“He’s barely able to move. Half-crippled. Do whatever you want—wring information out of him or kill him. Your call.”
Gulp.
I heard the sound of Violetta swallowing hard.
I gave her a faint smile.
“You’ve got a lot to vent, I’m sure. So go ahead—use whatever methods you want. That bastard deserves whatever comes to him. Consider this a gift from me.”
Truthfully, I’d intended to tell her about Dutrieu from the beginning.
Keeping him alive wasn’t really about extracting information—it was about handing him over to the other three organizations to leave a strong impression.
Considering the Red Society’s history, they’d be the ones who wanted him dead more than anyone.
“I’ll give it my all. More than you expect.”
“Excellent answer. I’ll be going now. You should head back too.”
“The bodies...”
“No one questions the dead in the back alleys. Dead men don’t talk.”
“......Yes. Understood.”
Violetta gave me a respectful bow.
On the surface, she was still my equal in this partnership, but in truth, she had already sworn loyalty to me.
Not a bad feeling.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
* * *
“Brother, you're back?”
“Yes.”
“...A suspicious group was heading toward where you were. Did you run into them?”
Instead of answering, I casually removed the monocle from my face and shrugged off my coat.
Hans nodded in understanding.
“So it’s all been handled.”
“They even hired assassins. Kalsapha’s.”
“Are you serious? The Kalsapha guys?”
“They weren’t the real deal. Just rookies out to gain experience.”
“Still, Kalsapha is Kalsapha. Their price tag’s no joke, right?”
“Exactly. Which is why you’re going to need to move too.”
“...Sorry, what now?”
“There are people behind the scenes who ordered the hit on us. Seems some folks aren’t too thrilled about the Red Society being gone and a new group moving in.”
“Come on, I’m already drowning just trying to go over the Kunst Auction House listings...”
“Then don’t do it.”
“No—I’ll do it. This is tied to my life, after all. Can’t afford to slack off.”
Acting like he wasn’t going to do it when he clearly was.
Just as I hung my coat on the rack, the door burst open with a loud crash.
This was our secret base, tucked deep in the back alleys where barely anyone ever came.
A place no ordinary guest could find.
So the fact that someone was barging in now could only mean—
“Seridan, huh.”
“Ooh~”
At my words, a small-framed girl who had just entered lit up the moment she saw me.
“Knew it was you, milord!”
She had lightly tanned skin and white hair tied into twin tails. Her upturned eyes and lifted corners of her mouth made her look constantly mischievous.
She was dressed in loose pants and a casually thrown-on top, which was heavily stained with oil.
She must’ve been tinkering with something just moments ago.
Seridan Ironfeet.
The dwarf girl who invented and developed the wire launcher I use.
“You’re still as loud and energetic as ever.”
I said that as I unfastened the arm guard mounted on my left arm and tossed it to her.
“Hi-ya!”
She jumped up on the spot and snatched it midair, immediately inspecting its condition.
“Hm. Looks like you’ve been rough on it lately? The end of the launcher’s worn down, a couple gear screws are loose, and the wire needs to be replaced too.”
“I’ve had to use it a lot.”
“It’s not just that! This joint section’s loosened. Looks like it was supporting more than its original weight. Milord! I told you to be careful! This thing is made for one person! It barely works even when it’s just hauling you and all your dangling junk!”
“I used it like that because it’s sturdy.”
“Do you not understand that machines need delicacy?!”
“So, can you fix it?”
“Ten minutes is all I need!”
“That’s good enough.”
When it came to machines, she was second to none.
Self-proclaimed engineer girl—no, engineer gremlin.
The swordstick and boomerang blade I use were all made by her, too.
Of course, the original ideas came from me.
I’d come up with the concept, and she’d get obsessed with it and invent like a madwoman.
A perfect balance of input and output.
“Hey, assistant! Help me out here!”
“Who are you calling assistant?!”
At her shout, Hans exploded in frustration.
“Brat, when a lady calls, you come! You coming or not, huh?!”
“A-alright already! Just get that rat tooth away from me!”
“Hehehe. You better listen, or else... this thing’s going straight into your ribs, got it?”
“Goddammit. Brother, please, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} do something about this menace!”
“Why would I? It’s fun to watch.”
Though I said that, in truth, I couldn’t stop Seridan either.
That beagle-like chaotic energy she was born with was beyond my control.
I was just grateful she didn’t unleash that chaos on me.
Unfortunately for Hans, he wasn’t so lucky.
Most of Seridan’s rampages were aimed squarely at him.
Especially since Hans’s beast-shifting constitution meant he’d transform into a hybrid if bitten by an animal.
Seridan knew this and used to carry around things like rat teeth to threaten him on purpose.
“I’ll head back to the workshop first! Hurry up!”
Clutching my arm guard, she stormed out like a tornado.
Hans clenched his fists in silent rage.
“Ugh. That pint-sized menace...”
“She’s older than you, you know.”
Seridan looked like a kid, but that was just because she was a dwarf—she was actually older than Hans.
“I know that. Damn it. Why does she only go after me?”
“Well...”
Because you’re an easy target.
I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. I knew how much Hans was already suffering.
But even if I didn’t, he probably knew it himself—his face darkened noticeably.
“...To think more people are still joining us. This is hell.”
“Hang in there. And make sure Seridan doesn’t mess with gunpowder.”
“Oh, I know. I don’t have a death wish.”
Seridan Ironfeet.
She was a brilliant inventor and developer, but her terrifying sense of challenge made her a walking time bomb.
And I don’t mean that metaphorically.
Give her real gunpowder, and she’ll actually try to build bombs with it.
“Brother, do you remember when we first met that little psycho?”
“It was in the underground mines of the Delica Kingdom. Where nonhumans were illegally enslaved and forced to mine day and night.”
“That’s right. She was there too.”
“Though calling it ‘enslaved’ might be a stretch in her case.”
“Yeah... I thought so too.”
Back when I was acting under the alias James Moriarty, Hans and I had infiltrated the mines undercover.
That’s where we met Seridan.
More precisely, we found her secretly building a giant bomb meant to blow up the entire mine.
“If that had gone off, we’d all be dead, wouldn’t we?”
“Definitely. A mine collapse a kilometer underground would’ve killed even a knight-commander level.”
“...And now I’m the one who has to keep that crazy menace in check.”
“Good luck.”
Hans really had it rough.
And surprisingly, our so-called new organization had only added one member so far.
The fact that there were still more candidates lined up was just absurdly funny at this point.
