Chapter 127 : I Don’t Know the Details
The battle was over. The corpses scattered on the floor all had Brotherhood tattoos. I couldn’t tell friend from foe.
“Oh, welcome. We were just finishing up and cleaning.”
Fortunately, Hatig was standing and directing his subordinates, so I could judge that our side had won.
“The number of your subordinates has decreased a lot.”
“There was a guy who was the second-in-command under the underboss. There were great sacrifices in dealing with him.”
“Is that his corpse?”
“Yes.”
Hatig nudged a corpse with the sole of his shoe. Although Hatig had won, in terms of details, he was in a more serious condition. Hatig was a mess, to the point where his blood had vaporized and red smoke was swirling around him, whereas the guy’s head was just smashed.
“Heh heh heh, I almost died if I had made a wrong move.”
The second-in-command under the underboss. He must not have been an easy opponent. The contrasting details of the two, which created the illusion that the outcome of the battle had been reversed, proved this.
“It was a good fight. I wanted to keep him as a subordinate, but he refused. It’s a shame.”
Even so, the one who had survived was Hatig. Although he was a cowardly guy who used tricks to backstab his own Brotherhood, it seemed that the bloodline of a warrior race could not be ignored.
‘Perhaps the reason this guy could become a big shot who led the internal strife of the Brotherhood was not because of his despicable tricks, but because of his skill.’
Was he being underestimated because of his cowardly tricks, which were uncharacteristic of an orc? The achievements he had shown so far were not to be ignored. If he continued to grow like this, he could become a player who controlled an even bigger board.
“I’m planning to pack up what I can as quickly as possible and leave. You help too.”
Hatig’s face was full of anxiety. It was because he was worried that the underboss’s subordinates would come.
They wouldn’t come. The head of the Blood Alliance had taken responsibility and had promised to block their approach. But Hatig didn’t know that the vampire and I had made an agreement. So he was preparing to pack up only what he could and get out.
“Alright.”
I had no obligation to tell him. It was perfect that he was anxious, as I had to erase the traces of the underboss helping Al-Raid. That way, he wouldn’t have the luxury to care even if I did something suspicious.
What if Hatig had been stronger now, and had participated in the engagement with the underboss? He would have been able to join in the conversation between the head of the Blood Alliance and me. He would have also found out about the inside story of the incident.
Unfortunately, in this city, the truth was the exclusive property of the strong.
I went up to the top floor, the underboss’s office. It was a mess, as if Hatig and his subordinates had already swept through it once. Had they not found anything particularly great? Even though it was the underboss’s office, there were no personnel left.
Even if not, nothing special would have been left in a place that had been swept through once.
「The World Tree feels a suspicious attraction!」
To think so is to be an amateur. The underboss Taser Gale was confident that I would not find the ‘item’. If I hadn’t known about the existence of the item, I would have just passed by.
Knock, knock!
Following the World Tree’s guidance, I knocked on one of the walls. The sound was no different from other places. It didn’t sound like there was a secret room hidden inside.
I stepped back a good distance, then ran and kicked the wall with the sole of my foot.
Human senses are easily deceived. The World Tree’s guidance was more accurate than my senses. Indeed, inside the wall, unlike my senses, there was a secret room.
‘Did he mix space expansion-type magic with barriers, confusion, and sensory disturbance?’
It was a thorough defense that even a fairly skilled mage would not be able to easily see through.
‘……Found it.’
The list of smugglers who had cooperated with Al-Raid and the ledger were in the drawer. I hid them in my bosom. I could have used this to threaten the vampire, but that would have been a breach of contract. If I were to be found out later, there would be problems. I had no intention of creating unnecessary grudges. I would take it home and dispose of it.
‘The spirit beast?’
The problem was on the other side. The list and the ledger were not my real goal. Fortunately, there was a staircase in one corner, darkened by shadows. It was a spiral staircase that went round and round.
The air was damp, and only the candles on the wall flickered, illuminating the darkness. Was it connected to the basement? After walking for a long time, I finally reached the bottom. It was a space like a prison. A place that shouldn’t be under the building of a proper company called Penicill.
I approached the iron bars.
The inside of the iron bars, unlike the outside which was dimly lit by candles, had not a single ray of light. There, I found a light. The eyes of a beast flashing in the darkness.
***
A beast of prey. It usually refers to a ferocious beast that eats meat. Is that too vague? Then let’s just say ‘an animal that is ferocious and dangerous from a human’s perspective’.
From that standard, it was an undeniable fact that a spirit beast was a beast of prey. Even the Guardian Hawk was a monster that a truckload of ordinary people couldn’t defeat. And Taser Gale’s ‘item’ was a spirit beast captured at the end of the continent, beyond the extreme regions.
He had confined the ‘item’ in a prison without a single ray of light, with iron bars. As if he was worried that it might go on a rampage. Would he have paid so much attention to a mere animal unless it was a very dangerous creature?
And I confirmed the danger of the spirit beast that the underboss had confirmed.
“Heo-eok!”
Bell clutched his chest as if he had been dealt a great blow. The emotion in his eyes was fear. An overwhelming fear of a supernatural being that he could not defy…
“This is, this is a beast of prey!”
Bell finally screamed. His trembling finger pointed at the ‘beast of prey’.
A puppy looking up at him with its big eyes wide open.
“It’s too, too cute!”
Moist blue eyes, as if filled with tears. A fluffy ball of fur was lying flat on the floor, wagging its tail. It was truly a puppy. It was the ‘item’ that the underboss had captured at the end of the continent, and the spirit beast that I had snatched, even at the risk of being hostile to the Brotherhood.
「The Swindler Wolf has recognized its master.」
「The Swindler Wolf will serve the bloodline of the druid as its master for eternity.」
Its appearance was definitely that of a young puppy, but its revealed identity was unexpected. The system message referred to it as a wolf.
‘A wolf and a dog are pretty much the same thing.’
They are of the same canid family, and their genetic difference is not as great as one might think. It would be strange not to recognize it when it becomes an adult, but they look very similar in their youth. To the point where there are occasional news stories about someone picking up an abandoned stray dog, only to find out it was a wolf.
‘But what’s a Swindler Wolf?’
Like the Guardian Hawk, its species name was unique. The Guardian Hawk, as its name ‘guardian’ suggested, had sharp eyes. Then wouldn’t the Swindler Wolf have a related ability, as its name ‘swindler’ suggested?
‘Is it a swindler because it acts like a puppy even though it’s a wolf?’
I thought about it, but that was all that came to mind for now.
“Kkeuk! I’m dying!”
While I was lost in thought, Bell collapsed with a pained expression. His contorted face was on the verge of foaming at the mouth, as if he had contracted a serious illness. The Swindler Wolf was startled and jumped back.
Bell glanced at it and then slowly approached. The way he was laughing slyly was disgusting.
“Have you been practicing your acting while you were alone? Your bullshit is top-notch.”
“Hey, you bastard! Bullshit! How is this bullshit!”
Bell, who had been trying to pull a fast one but couldn’t close the distance to the Swindler Wolf, gave up and stood up abruptly.
“Don’t you have any impression of it? It’s so bad for the heart! How could you bring such a ferocious creature into the house without telling me!”
What should I feed it, how should I give it water, what should I play with it, when should I put it to sleep… An outsider, in front of the master, was running all sorts of simulations in his head.
“By the way, what’s its name?”
“It’s called a Swindler Wolf.”
“……What kind of name is that? Can’t you see these sparkling eyes? How is it a swindler and a wolf?”
I shrugged my shoulders. It wasn’t a name I had given it, but what could I do if the system said so? Unfairly, Bell, who was blaming my lack of sense, suddenly shouted as if he had realized something.
“Ah, first, a house! Let’s make it a house first!”
Although the Guardian Hawk, which was usually in its tattoo form and didn’t come out, had a house. A perch placed in the corner of the living room. It meant that we should also make a house for the Swindler Wolf.
Considering the current size of the Swindler Wolf… would just placing a cushion be enough? As if he had the same thought, Bell brought a cushion from a dining chair and placed it.
“Here, here. Sit here.”
Bell patted the cushion. The Swindler Wolf still had a sad face and didn’t move. Bell couldn’t stand the tense expression, as if it were about to burst into tears.
“Is it more comfortable there? Then I’ll go there.”
Bell, who had been making a fuss with the cushion, finally approached the Swindler Wolf. And the moment Bell’s finger was about to touch the Swindler Wolf.
“Stop.”
“……Huh?”
Only the Swindler Wolf’s face grew huge. The round lines of its face became angular and straight, its short snout elongated, and its sparkling eyes became sharp. And in its wide-open mouth was Bell’s upper body.
Thick saliva dripped onto his face. White teeth, red gums, and beyond that, a deep, dark throat. Each time Bell’s pupils slowly moved, his skin color changed sequentially. White, blue, black. A variety of colors.
“Get off.”
The Swindler Wolf, who had been watching my expression, stealthily returned its face to its original state. The huge head, which had been the size of an adult man’s upper body, instantly shrank to the size of a puppy. And then, with the most pitiful expression in the world, it blinked its eyes.
“Heo-eok!”
Bell, who had been holding his breath, finally exhaled and gasped.
“Ugh! Heogeok! Kueok!”
Bell let out a sound that was not human words. From the way he was looking back and forth between me and the Swindler Wolf with his mouth wide open, I could roughly guess the nuance…
“I told you it was a Swindler Wolf.”
“Ugeo-eo-eo!”
Bell nodded his head vigorously in agreement with my words.
A Swindler Wolf. A beast of prey that hid its ferocity behind a cute appearance. Indeed, the system was never wrong.
***
“Hmm.”
Claire Sylvester is a celebrity. As her last name revealed, she was the direct descendant of the founding family that had established the corporation called Sylvester. Sylvester is a megacorp that firmly holds the second place in the corporate rankings, following Centream.
She had risen to the position of director at Sylvester at a young age thanks to the power of her bloodline, and had instilled a high-end brand image in the company by using herself as a model. She was a rare type who was competent, unlike a parachute appointment, so her reputation was high both inside and outside the company.
The employees of Sylvester glanced at her as she got on the elevator and muttered.
“The director has really made it.”
“She was already a director, what do you mean she’s made it?”
“It’s just a figure of speech. You know.”
“I know, I know.”
Even she had once been treated like a cold rice. It wasn’t that long ago, it was just a few months ago. The successive business failures of the owner’s family. The existence of Director Berman, who had risen like a countermeasure and had been on a roll.
Claire had been rapidly losing her influence in the midst of that. From the lowest-ranking employees to the board of directors, everyone had thought that she would never be able to regain the glory of her family.
…That perception was overturned when Claire fully supported the negotiations between the cities and contributed to their success. The new business she had started in District 16 became a foresight, and Claire even formed a strong working partnership with the city government. It was an achievement sufficient to build a foundation to challenge the stronghold of their long-time rival, Centream.
“Who knew Director Berman would end up like that?”
“I heard our department head also bet on the wrong horse and is now tearing his hair out.”
On the other hand, Director Berman had been on a losing streak, making his successful past seem colorless. According to the rumors, he had even caused an astronomical loss to the company. The lowest-ranking employees didn’t know the truth, but they could feel that the tide had turned.
“So is that why she’s in such a good mood? She wasn’t usually smiling when she passed by.”
Claire, who was getting on the elevator, was beaming. It was a smile like a flower in full bloom, as if it were brightening up the lobby of the office building.
“Ah, you haven’t heard?”
“What?”
“They say the director personally recruited an employee this time.”
“Who did she bring in that she’s so happy?”
“That, what was it. I don’t know the details.”
The employee, who had been thinking hard, said.
“They say she brought someone in as the head of a research team.”