I Became the Narrow-Eyed Villain in a Dropped Novel

Chapter 144:

Even after hearing Semia’s answer, my questions didn’t disappear.

So what if she came to Gellihau?

“I understand you’ve been touring Gellihau for a few days, how was it?”

“There was nothing particularly unusual.”

“That’s only because it's been superficially covered up. The reality is much more complex.”

“Please get to the point.”

I had a strong feeling that this could turn into a several-hour-long lecture if I wasn't careful.

Semia made a look of disappointment before organizing her thoughts.

“Gellihau is a region formed by combining two small kingdoms. Though they are called small kingdoms, one of them was the Karajo Kingdom, which used to act as a local bully.”

“I have no intention of taking a history lesson.”

“In short, there are still many people who long for those days. The days when they could suppress and look down on neighboring countries. A prime example is the Black Hand, which is primarily composed of officers from the Karajo Kingdom.”

I understood the sentiment.

There are people everywhere who can't forget their glory days.

Sixty years was too short a time for such memories to fade.

“They've even gathered people of Karajo origin residing outside Gellihau, making them the most powerful among the surrounding rebel organizations.”

“What does that have to do with you speaking up?”

“…Since you are trying to prevent the Duke’s assassination, I am simply helping.”

It seemed like she was hiding something more, but for now, finding out about a likely suspect was an achievement in itself.

“How do you think the Three Blades will move?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Have you forgotten the declaration of war you made when you destroyed my reception room back then? We are officially at war. Albeit, one being fought under the surface.”

If Johann Geller died, it would become uncontrollable, so I would prevent that, but I had no intention of going easy on the Three Blades.

“Wouldn't it be a good thing for me if a key figure or two dies from this incident. Like Victor or Ragion.”

“……”

As I jeered, Semia glared at me with cold eyes.

How menacing.

But I couldn't help it.

I had to settle things with the Three Blades to resolve the keyword the status window had given me.

I couldn't go about this in a cooperative manner.

“…The Short Blade unit probably won't be able to appear in an official capacity. It would be unacceptable for him to meet the investigation team sent by His Majesty the Emperor with his private soldiers in tow.”

“What?”

“My subordinates will handle the escort, and Victor’s side will be in charge of security. They'll be dressed in plain clothes and hidden in the surroundings to provide protection.”

Her suddenly spouting information so freely made me rather suspicious.

What was with the murderous glare from just a moment ago.

As if my suspicion was showing on my face, Semia added another word.

“Neither Victor, Ragion, nor even the Duke understands the malice and mobility of the Black Hand. Those bastards will absolutely not miss the opportunity of the Duke visiting in person.”

Semia, who had opened her mouth to say more, took a deep breath.

She looked as if she was forcing herself to spit out words she didn't want to say.

“Because even if all of the Three Blades die, the Duke must be protected.”

I was confused whether to call this being a loyal subject or a cold-blooded person, but the meaning was conveyed nonetheless.

“So, you will cooperate with us in Gellihau. May I think of it that way?”

“…By all means.”

“Well, well, it seems I’ve gained an unexpectedly reliable ally. May I ask one more question?”

“……”

With those same cold eyes, Semia stared straight at my face.

I took it as permission to ask.

“Why are you so wary of those called the Black Hand? They're just rebels, after all.”

“…Because I’ve experienced firsthand that they are bastards who would kill people they’ve known for over 10 years if necessary.”

It seemed as if sparks flew from her two eyes, which had been cold until now.

***

Victor watched the backs of the departing investigation team with a tired face.

He waved his hand enthusiastically in case they looked back, but the relief of it finally being over was written all over his face.

“Damn it, I thought I'd never do something like this again.”

“It can’t be helped. With Ms. Semia in that state….”

A member of the Three Blades, dressed neatly in contrast to Victor, muttered.

Normally, the tiring work of meeting people was the responsibility of Semia's Silver Dagger.

The remaining Silver Daggers handled small events, but for a meeting with an investigation team sent directly by the Emperor, this side had to match their rank.

Moreover, if the head of that investigation team was Chancellor Hendrick, they had to match the rank even more.

“Getting all excited just because he's out of the back room for a bit….”

“He is an elder of the Imperial Family. Please endure it.”

“I am loyal to the Duke and His Majesty the Emperor, not to the Imperial Family.”

“I know that too, but what's important is how it looks on the outside. It'll be a headache if they find out we're subtly disrespecting him.”

Listening to the anxious words of the Three Blades member, Victor took a deep breath.

He understood that he was right.

But putting it into practice was a completely different matter.

“This kind of work doesn't suit my temperament, so I left it all to Semia. Of all times for her to be gone.”

“Th-that's right. Gellihau is Ms. Semia's hometown, after all.”

Hometown.

He remembered Semia, whose expression would darken whenever Gellihau was mentioned.

It was her hometown and also the place where her family was massacred, so it was understandable.

“Now that taking care of the old man is over, I should get back to my real job.”

Victor grumbled and flicked his finger, and a man who was chain-smoking in the distant street approached.

“Where is Count Valheit?”

“The last intelligence was that he had departed for somewhere. There's a high probability he's in Gellihau.” New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on noᴠelfire.net

As if things weren't complicated enough, that grinning bastard with his eyes closed had to show up, making things even more complicated.

He certainly hadn't come for anything good.

“The Ravens.”

“The ones who came with us are quiet, but the others are….”

The local informant, dressed shabbily, shook his head.

Although they were under the pretext of being collaborators, this side was just as worrying as Count Valheit.

“Monitor them both thoroughly. There's a possibility that Valheit gave us disinformation, and there's also the possibility that the Duke is really targeting the Duke.”

Victor said, lowering his voice as much as possible.

Ever since Hugo, who met Valheit, brought the information that the Duke was targeting the old man, he had been agonizing over whether it was true or not.

He had tried his best to verify its authenticity before coming to Gellihau, but in the end, he couldn't get a clear answer.

Although the Duke’s suspicious actions were endless, there was no concrete evidence that he was doing something as bold as targeting the First Duke.

Rather, there was a possibility that Valheit was diverting their attention to target the First Duke himself.

As a Count who knew how imperial politics worked, he would probably keep to the line, but it was equally unacceptable.

“First, clear the area where the Duke will be moving so that not a single raven feather is in sight. The Count will be hovering around, so leave him to the short blade unit.”

“Yes, I'll relay it right away. Um… what should we do about the Black Hand.”

The informant asked cautiously, his eyes darting around.

Among the locals, mentioning the Black Hand was taboo.

Even though their power had waned from their heyday, looting, assassination, kidnapping, and executions by the Black Hand still occurred from time to time.

If it weren't for Valheit and the Duke, they would have been the most guarded against target.

Because even if their scale had shrunk, they were the rebel organization with the longest history in this area.

“Just keep them under surveillance.”

Objectively speaking, compared to 40 years ago when they staged a large-scale uprising, the Black Hand had declined to the level of an underground organization, to put it nicely.

To put it badly, they could be seen as a slightly large band of thieves.

Most of the officers who had experienced the kingdom era were either arrested or dead, and now the core members were those who didn't even remember a fragment of the kingdom.

It was annoying that they insisted all the areas near Gellihau were their land, but it wasn't dangerous.

‘Semia would throw a fit if she heard this.’

Normally, Semia followed the Three Blades' policies without a word, but she became sharp whenever Gellihau, and especially the Black Hand, was mentioned.

He understood.

Her village had been wiped off the map for cooperating with the Empire.

And it wasn't even Karajo's land.

‘Even if I understand, an overreaction is an overreaction.’

Thinking of his captured colleague, Victor clicked his tongue with a complicated expression.

After this is over, I have to make a plan to rescue her somehow….

“Victor sir.”

“What.”

“It’s getting late.”

The Three Blades member said indirectly.

It meant he should rest now since he had to suffer by Hendrick's side all day again tomorrow.

The thought of having to suck up to him and force a smile again made his head throb.

He definitely needed to stop thinking about work and get some rest.

There were too many things to take care of.

***

Under the cover of night, a few human shadows rustled through the forest.

At a glance, they might have looked like lost locals, but they skillfully navigated the dark forest.

“This place is still safe, right?”

“According to them.”

“Seven collection points have been hit this month alone. Are you sure it's okay?”

“Are you scared?”

“S-scared, who’s scared.”

The bald man, who had been pouring out questions with a worried face, mumbled.

The man in the lead looked at his colleague as if to reprimand him and slowed down.

“There's no harm in being careful. Check the surroundings. We'll check the goods in the meantime, so send a signal if anything happens.”

As soon as his words ended, the people following him scattered in all directions.

The man, who had been waiting for a signal from his colleagues for a moment, slowly stepped into the center.

In a small clearing, a pile of boxes covered with cloth was visible.

Perhaps because it was deep in the forest, this place hadn't been hit yet.

“Quickly check and mark only what we can take.”

“Got it. I'll be quick.”

As the man ordered, the bald man stuck to the pile of boxes.

He wanted to take everything if he could, but it seemed difficult to avoid the eyes of the Three Blades if he did.

The man, who had let his guard down for a moment and was looking around, realized that something was strange.

“It's too quiet…?”

By now, his colleagues who had finished checking the surroundings should have been returning.

They could be late because they were being thorough, but….

“Hey, hey! We're in trouble!”

“Lower your voice!”

“Th-these aren't our things!”

The bald man pointed at the boxes, making a fuss.

On the side of the box, the symbol of the Borgia Liquor Guild was stamped.

“What do you mean they're not?”

“Don't you remember they said they wouldn't use this route again because it became dangerous?!”

Now that he mentioned it, he thought that was the case.

The principle was not to use a route that had been exposed once.

In that case….

Beep!

A short, artificial sound echoed briefly in the forest.

It sounded like a bird call, but the man immediately knew what it was.

It was the sound of the whistle he had given to his colleagues for signaling.

But why did he blow it so short?

The warning signal was definitely a long blow.

“What do we do? Shouldn't we run? We have to save ourselves at least!”

“And you call yourself a Karajo?!”

“We have to be alive to be a Karajo or anything else….”

“What a tear-jerking patriotism.”

At the unfamiliar voice, the two men turned their heads at the same time.

From the darkness of the forest, a man slowly walked out.

The sight of him grinning with his eyes shut tight was unpleasant just to look at.

“From your accent, you're an Empire bastard.”

“Aren't you two also Empire bastards?”

“Nonsense! We are the descendants of the Karajo Kingdom….”

“Lazarevich, member of the Black Hand. Indirectly or directly involved in 3 cases of organized robbery, 8 cases of arson, 9 cases of kidnapping, 13 cases of rape, and 22 cases of murder. Is that correct?”

“H-how did you….”

As the bald man muttered, the man growled and covered his mouth.

“You're a small fry, but it seems you've played the part of a neighborhood boss. You'll have to come with us.”

“What is this Empire bastard saying!”

As the man drew his sword, the man with his eyes closed burst out laughing.

Just as the man was about to scream, something rolled to his feet.

It was his colleague's head.

“Since you've put on a little show, I'll give you a choice. Will you follow us with just your head like this friend, or will you follow with your head and torso attached?”

From the forest, people who appeared to be the subordinates of the man with his eyes closed emerged one by one.

At a glance, there were over 10 of them.

“Damn it.”

The man quickly dropped his sword and raised his hands.

The bald man, who looked at him in disbelief, also quickly threw the sword at his waist to the ground.

“Let's take them.”

As soon as the man with his eyes closed finished speaking, the two men who had thrown away their weapons began to be beaten.

“Wh-why!”

“I said I'd take you with your head and torso attached, not without a single scratch.”

The man with his eyes closed answered cheerfully.