I Became the Narrow-Eyed Villain in a Dropped Novel

Chapter 140:

From the temporarily established command post, Ragion quietly looked outside.

The scenery of the small port town with the tongue-twisting name of Donaudahh was filled with the feel of a peaceful fishing village.

There were no splendid or magnificent views, but the subtle charm pleased the heart of the short blade unit of the Three Blades.

He even considered getting a house nearby after this job was over.

‘That’s if this job ends well.’

When he turned his head, a pile of reports on the corner of his desk greeted him.

Ragion let out a long sigh and sat down again.

He understood in his head that a warrior couldn't just be good at wielding a weapon.

He even knew that victory was often forged from papers that might seem trivial.

But knowing it in his head didn't make him like the work he hated.

And if it was a matter entangled with politics, he wanted to touch it even less.

He took a deep breath and organized the reports that had come in over the past week.

‘The smugglers themselves are ordinary trash from the North, but the goods they were transporting are not ordinary.’

They hadn't attacked them knowing this.

They had simply swept up a smuggling organization connected to the fief.

But when Professor Zain, a man whose name even a warrior completely uninterested in affairs outside the Empire had heard of, made a formal protest, this small town drew the attention of the Three Blades.

Considering that the smuggling organization spreading rapidly within the Empire is connected to Valheit, and that Professor Zain and Valheit are on terms to chat privately, it was reasonable enough to suspect a connection to Count Valheit.

…This was Victor’s opinion up to this point.

All Ragion had to do was stop whoever came to retrieve the goods.

At least, that's what Victor had said.

Once he arrived on site, he also had to take on the task of organizing the information investigated by the Dagger unit.

It was unavoidable as he was the highest-ranking officer on site.

‘I’d rather they just attack quickly.’

The signs of an attack were already showing.

The movements of unidentified individuals were frequently spotted, and ominous movements were also detected at sea.

It didn't matter whether the strange old man from Vestol hired them or the smuggling organization came to retrieve their goods.

If they came at him, he would just eliminate them.

Knock, knock-

As if hearing the complaint he uttered in his mind, someone knocked on the door.

He wondered if someone had really launched an attack, but it was too quiet for that.

“It’s the adjutant.”

“Come in.”

After confirming his adjutant's face, Ragion was slightly disappointed.

If the adjutant, whose face showed whenever something was up, was that calm, it was certain that nothing was wrong.

“We’ve received a message from the Dagger unit. They will move the confiscated goods to the fief’s capital in two days.”

“Alright.”

So they finally decided to move it.

They had been keeping it here as bait, but since the opponent wasn't reacting, it seemed they had decided to try another method.

When word got out that they were moving it, the ones who were only watching for an opportunity would rush out.

“So?”

“In the end, they don’t know what the items are.”

“Hmm.”

So that's how it is….

They had mobilized all the technicians the fief could provide to investigate the items Professor Zain had asked to be returned, but they couldn't even identify what kind of technology was used.

They did say they might find out if they completely dismantled and investigated them, but it was too much of a burden to allow that.

“It can’t be helped. Tell them to pack it well.”

“Yes, the transport plan is….”

Boom!

An explosion cut off the brief conversation.

Flames soared at the entrance of the town.

“It seems to have started.”

“Indeed.”

With a relieved expression, Ragion picked up his sword.

Cutting down the enemy before him was much more comfortable than wrestling with paper.

Kwaang!

Another explosion roared from the opposite direction.

The adjutant wrinkled his nose slightly.

“It appears to be a feint.”

“Tell the Dagger unit to escort the civilians. Form teams of two and suppress the locations where the explosions occurred….”

A third explosion stopped Ragion’s words.

Now he too frowned.

The enemy's scale might be larger than he thought.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Yes.”

If the enemy was larger than expected, it might be difficult to handle them with just the Short blade unit.

They had to assess the situation and move as quickly as possible.

Large and small explosions continued to shake the port town without cease.

Ragion’s pace quickened along with them.

***

“Maybe because it’s from Vestol, the power of the bomb is different.”

“Move quickly instead of admiring it, you stupid bastards!”

“Ah, yes, Boss!”

The subordinates, who had been blankly watching the fireworks explode, covered their faces with bandanas and grabbed their weapons.

The man called Boss, anxious, led his subordinates from the very front.

Cesare did not easily give second chances to those who made mistakes against him.

It was a mistake from the start to be blinded by such petty cash and trust the words of a so-called partner.

As the price for touching Cesare’s goods, that partner was buried deep in a snowy mountain, but he received one chance.

‘I must succeed. If I fail, I die anyway.’

It was ridiculous for someone who lived off mere smuggling and drug dealing to face the Three Blades, but he would die anyway if he refused.

Since Cesare had given him high-quality explosives and a bunch of others in similar situations, there might be a chance of winning.

“Remember! We grab the goods and run! We just need to grab the ones with the weird signature on them!”

He yelled at his lumbering subordinates and approached the two-story warehouse.

It was a bit amazing that the inventions made by the famous Professor Zain were said to be in such a shabby place.

As if advertising that there was something important, quite a few guards were visible.

Some of them looked inexperienced, but a few exuded a chill just by looking at them from a distance.

“Don’t be scared! We have far more numbers!”

No matter how monstrous they were, there was no winning against numbers.

Besides, they also had a secret weapon.

“Throw it!”

A blunt cylinder rolled, bouncing between the guards who were forming a defensive line.

A few who recognized its identity tried to flee, but it was too late.

Kwaang!

A dazzling explosion followed with a deafening roar.

The performance is certain.

Honestly, when I received it, I thought Cesare had given me junk because it was too small for a bomb.

Those who failed to properly evade were lying in a terrible state with parts of their bodies missing, and even those who had reacted quickly didn't seem to be in a normal condition.

The hesitant ones started to charge in excitedly when they saw the enemy staggering.

The ones who were clearly emitting immense killing intent easily cut down a few of the hastily charging men, but they were slowly pushed back while dealing with the arrows and blades that swarmed after them.

“While they hold them off, we’ll grab the goods.”

There was no need to look after the idiots who had foolishly stepped up as arrow fodder.

It didn't matter if the rest died; as long as he grabbed the goods and escaped, it would be over.

It was a betrayal if you called it that, but there was no such thing as loyalty among the trash of the Northern Federation gathered here in the first place. The most update n0vels are published on novel-fire.ɴet

Just as he was leading a few trusted men to sneak away from the battle and approach the warehouse….

Something gleaming flashed before the boss's eyes.

Unable to even let out a final scream, the boss's head rolled on the ground.

“Son of a…!”

The subordinates following behind immediately raised their weapons, but none could keep up with the speed of the blade.

Ragion casually kicked the boss's head that had fallen at his feet, pushing it away.

The complexions of those who noticed the change turned pale.

“It’s Ragion.”

After his brief introduction, Ragion leaped into the midst of the enemy.

Even if their numbers were large, only two or three could cross swords with him at once.

Since the Federation criminals had clumped together and swarmed in, they didn't even have proper space to swing their swords.

The shrewder ones had already started to flee.

Ragion focused on cutting down the ones charging at him for now.

The small fry who had lost their numerical advantage were no threat anyway.

Clearing out the gathered ones was the priority.

“Damn it, this bastard!”

One of the men who had been watching in terror as three or four of his comrades fell with a single sword swing seemed to have made a great resolve and pulled out a cylindrical bomb.

But before he could manipulate it in any way, the hand holding the bomb was severed from his body and rolled on the ground.

“Ugh….”

Before he could even scream, red blood poured from his neck.

With him as the last, there were no more moving enemies in front of the warehouse.

“Lord Ragion, my apologies. I was unable to respond properly.”

“It can’t be helped.”

Ragion replied nonchalantly to the subordinate who was apologizing while holding his slashed side, and picked up the cylindrical object that fellow had been about to throw.

“A bomb?”

“The power was not something that should have come from that size.”

“A Vestol product. That would make sense.”

It was too sophisticated an item for the riffraff of the Northern Federation to use.

The suspicion that Professor Zain or Valheit was directly involved was gradually turning into certainty.

“Lord Ragion! A report! Their ships are approaching the pier!”

“……”

Ragion scowled instead of answering.

Was the main attack on the port?

He thought they would just cause a disturbance in the direction of the port and the real attack would be on this warehouse.

“How many ships.”

“We don’t know the exact number, but they are large in scale and not few in number.”

Were pirates involved too?

Or were they working as mercenaries for money?

Considering the personnel guarding the port, they needed support quickly.

“Let’s go.”

“The warehouse is….”

“It was probably a deception. Leave about three men behind.”

“Yes.”

Amid the bustle of moving the injured and deciding who to leave behind, a black shadow slowly walked into the warehouse.

In the confusion, neither the members nor even Ragion noticed its presence.

Anyone who caught a glimpse thought it was a town resident and moved on.

“This went more smoothly than I thought.”

The shadow that had entered the warehouse hummed and said.

If Ragion had seen him smiling slyly with his eyes closed, he would have charged straight at him instead of going to the port.

“Well then, shall we begin the theft in earnest.”

Valheit hummed lowly and disappeared into the warehouse.

***

The noise of battle still echoed.

The sound of cannon fire from the ships was deafening.

‘At this rate, even the short blade unit can’t help but go.’

As attacks poured in from all directions, including the sea, the small elite short blade unit of the Three Blades had no choice but to divide their forces as expected.

The Federation guys Cesare sent to their deaths wouldn't last even three seconds per person against the short blade unit, but they definitely applied pressure with the power of the grenades the professor gave them and their sheer numbers.

Even if I erased my presence with a skill, it would have been impossible to enter a warehouse full of guards under normal circumstances, but in a chaotic battle like this, it wasn't impossible.

‘He said the innermost part of the second floor.’

According to the information Wilhelm had gathered over several days of surveillance, he had confirmed that the First Duke's technicians spent a long time in the innermost area of the second floor.

The only reason for technicians to be there was Professor Zain's invention, so it was certain to be inside.

After smashing the locked door and entering, I saw a wide space filled with all sorts of inspection equipment.

I could feel that they had tried to inspect Professor Zain's creation as carefully as possible.

“Let’s see… he said the rectangular box is the item I ordered.”

To be precise, I heard that the item contained within it was the tool to be used to neutralize the curse.

I could easily find a waist-high iron box.

“It’s heavier than I thought.”

Lifting it once, I realized it wasn't something I could move by myself while grunting and groaning.

There were traces of it being pried at here and there, but it seems they had ultimately failed to open it cleanly.

“The rest are….”

He said there were two more besides the one I ordered.

Among the equipment the Duke's technicians had brought in for inspection, there were two incongruous items.

One was small and a familiar object that I could recognize at a glance.

Though it didn't belong in this world at all.

The other one was….

“What is that?”

I couldn't help but tilt my head.