Chapter 284
When I told him he would die, Judas initially cried and screamed, making proper conversation impossible, but I managed to persuade him and explain.
Man, I'm glad I picked up a handy-sized rock. I never thought the day would come when I'd crush a rock to powder with my grip strength, but it was the perfect performance to physically silence someone. I think I saw in some manga that this is the most effective method when you're short on time, and trying it out proved it really works.
After that, Judas, though pale-faced, listened to my explanation and desperately asked for the method to survive.
"To deceive others, first deceive your allies," as they say. Without explaining to his parents, I followed his departing back from the shadows as he left for the duel. The streets had more people than at night, and we arrived at a certain place.
The carriage that came to pick him up didn't have the Ducal crest, but it was still obvious who had sent it. Sensing the emotions of the residents who watched the carriage pass with pitying eyes, one could guess what had been happening all along.
"......"
The carriage made several stops along the way. It wasn't a decoy to shake off pursuit, but simply because several people were boarding along the way. Realizing they were all sacrifices made me grimace involuntarily.
If I could save them, I wanted to. But I couldn't save everyone. No, I *could* attack the carriage head-on and save those people. But what then?
If I saved them and sent them home, they'd just be taken again. At worst, they might be used as hostages to draw me out, suffering a fate worse than death.
I could just assassinate Jakaran, and then assassinate Duke Boltlinde, making this whole event disappear. But if I could do that, I wouldn't be struggling. The reason I can't is that Duke Boltlinde possesses a certain magic item. And because he has it, assassinating him is impossible.
The Copy-Seeing Golem. This is an ancient magic item possessed only by Duke Boltlinde in the game.
Its effect is quite simple: give it a single strand of hair, and its form becomes that of the person who provided the hair. Additionally, it can share senses and be remotely controlled.
This magic item looks like a simple jar. The main body is a mercury-like fluid inside. Its material is presumed to be slime, but it's a unique item that even players couldn't replicate.
This item is found in a broken state when Duke Boltlinde is defeated. Therefore, I don't fully grasp its detailed performance.
From the information gathered by theory-crafting teams, it's known that the doll can create a perfect copy of oneself, completely copying skills and stats, and is controlled by the original person. Remote control requires the jar the main body was in, and the remote effect range is the entire world.
The only exception is that it cannot cross into separate dimensions like dungeons. In other words, you can't leave the main body in this world and remotely clear a dungeon. Conversely, it can hide anywhere as long as you don't travel to a world-separated space.
This information is based on details obtained by raising Duke Boltlinde's affinity in the game. And Duke Boltlinde should be using this. Since the copy is identical in every way, I can't be sure. He had it in the original story, but he might not have it at this point in time.
If I assassinated Duke Boltlinde while he was using this, the result would be him hiding even deeper in the shadows. The final battle against Duke Boltlinde in the game takes place in a fortress, a hideout created from the funds he amassed while hiding in the shadows. His epithet "Duke Serpent" is thought to come from this.
A sturdy fortress built underground, manned by covert operatives who know its traps inside out. You can't expect a fair fight. And this fortress has no fixed location in the game; it's in an absurd place, as if it spawned the moment you start a new game. Having it within the northern territory is still manageable; it's commonplace for it to be on another continent. Unlucky players find the fortress under the royal castle's basement and scream "Could you know!?", while even unluckier players stumble upon it on a suddenly appearing deserted island while progressing another quest.
In short, Duke Boltlinde is always positioned in a safe location, operating from the shadows. Saving the people being taken as sacrifices, like Judas, is possible on its own. I could save them and take them outside the city. But what about after that? Their livelihood? Their remaining families? Handling the aftermath of the rescue would be far beyond my capabilities alone.
The carriage picked up two more powerless noble sons like Judas, and one man who looked like an adventurer. Four people were gathered in total. At a minimum, I'd need to save these four and an unknown number of additional people. I simply don't have the capacity for that.
There was no sign of gathering more, but the fate of these four, gathered for stress relief, was clear. Following the carriage across rooftops, it stopped at the western edge of Hokushi. All four were let out and entered a building.
"Underground, huh."
A slum that seemed intentionally created. Within it, a somewhat sturdy-looking building. I knew this building itself. Progressing through Duke Boltlinde-related quests brings up talk of an illegal fighting arena. It's a playground frequented by nobles too—essentially, an illegal place protected by power. Here, not just money, but sometimes even villages from their territories are wagered, and people often fight for their lives.
"......"
To infiltrate there, you need a special membership card, which I unfortunately don't have. But I know how to get in. I have to use the classic game method. Since Judas didn't know the destination, I just tailed him, but I had a few candidates in mind.
One might question why ventilation shafts in games are always wide enough for a person, but in this arena's case, it's because they were built larger to ensure proper ventilation for accommodating many spectators. It's also simply a matter of architectural technology.
Using special skills to create an underground arena isn't difficult, but precisely because of that, the idea of meticulously calculating and creating more functionality than necessary in a minimal space rarely arises. If it's a 'traditional' underground arena used for generations, one or two forgotten old air vents are bound to exist.
The one I'm currently crawling through on all fours is one of them. Glad I wore clothes that can get dirty, I wish I didn't have to scrape my body as I advance.
The structure isn't meant for human passage, so my Class 8 stats come in handy again here. Descending a vertical ventilation shaft and landing without a sound. Silent Walk is really convenient, erasing all sounds from my feet. Moving further, I emerged into a dilapidated room.
It was a warehouse for the arena's "equipment"—or rather, it should be called a prison cell. Peeking through a gap in the ventilation shaft, I could see numerous people who had likely been brought here, like this time. All were men; those who knew what they would be fighting against were either in despair or filled with determination. The former were those forced to fight Jakaran or monsters; the latter were those forced to fight other humans. Among them was Judas.
"It's okay, it's okay, it's okay."
Hugging his knees, he was desperately convincing himself. Considering that without the plan I gave him, he might not be able to say "it's okay," this was still better, but there was an atmosphere suggesting he might still fail.
So, I tossed a small stone through a gap in the ventilation shaft, hitting Judas's shoulder.
"?"
His body jolted in response, and he cautiously looked up. I waved from the gap.
"!?"
He immediately covered his mouth—good reflex. I put a finger to my lips, signaling him to be quiet, and tossed one item down.
"?"
Perhaps because he saw me throw it, Judas caught it without panic, tilting his head in confusion, but we couldn't talk here. I made a gesture for him to unwrap it.
"Candy?"
Inside was a single piece of candy. When I mimed putting it in my mouth, he made a suspicious face but...
"It's sweet."
The sweetness softened his expression. Rolling it in his mouth, I could tell the sweetness provided some relaxing effect. But why candy at this timing? As he looked up with that question, I gave him a thumbs-up.
I meant to convey "It's okay, leave it to me," but did it get through? He nodded, so I'll assume it got through somewhat. I waved and continued deeper into the ventilation shaft.
There were guards at the prison cell entrance, so leaving from here was pointless. Passing through the ventilation shaft, I could see the soldiers guarding this place and the guests being guided to this underground arena.
The guests wore masks. It seemed meant to hide their identities, but their attire probably gave them away to some extent. I briefly considered blending in with the guests, but since I had the ventilation shaft map in my head, I judged it better to move freely through the shafts and prepare for the crucial moment, so I went further in.
You'd think they'd guard the ventilation shafts, but while they watch the entrances, they don't guard the insides. This includes the shaft leading above the main arena; no one detected my silent advance as they focused on indoor security.
Covert ops might be useful here, but they're guarding other places. This place is run by an underworld organization connected to the Duke. Naturally, such groups hire muscle for security and counter-intelligence, but they're no match for true covert ops.
Well then, slinking along the unguarded path, I heard boisterous voices. A frenzied banquet, stirring primal instincts, was underway, with men and women alike shouting and heckling. Two large men were punching each other with all their might, their faces covered in blood, but their eyes were bloodshot, their fighting spirit undiminished.
From my perspective, knowing the outcome of losing, I understood why they fought so desperately and felt deep sympathy. Honestly, I even felt like smashing this place to bits. It was simply in bad taste.
I thought I'd just wait here until Judas came out, when one man landed a full-force right straight on the other's jaw, knocking him down. The arena's atmosphere split in two: guests cheering with joy and those showering him with angry curses. It was clear who had bet on what.
Even the winner wasn't treated kindly; he staggered out of the ring inside the cage, while the loser was taken away by soldiers. He was alive, that was all. Holding onto that bittersweet feeling, I kept watching as the host climbed into the ring.
"Now, now!! The main event of the day! The hero of our Boltlinde territory, the great Jakaran-sama, makes his entrance!!"
With a grand introduction, the ruffian was guided into the ring. Welcomed by applause and cheers, he smiled with satisfaction. Wondering who his opponent would be, I looked at the entrance on the opposite side.
"!"
I couldn't help but widen my eyes, screaming internally.
Why are *you* here?