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Kant tilted his head, thinking it was an unexpected question.

“You’re not talking about those seeking hallucinogenic herbs or the auction house. Surely, you mean a client of the Information Guild.”

I didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point.

“The alchemist in the eastern district. The bald one with only three strands of hair left. Do you know him?”

“If you’re talking about the bald alchemist, I think I know who you mean…”

Kant replied with a puzzled expression.

“We don’t have any connection with him. Is there a reason you’re asking?”

“A reason?”

“Yes.”

I fiddled with the empty cup and said,

“Bring me some more alcohol.”

Mustache, who had been waiting outside, brought in a barrel of alcohol, and I silently filled my cup.

“Young Master?”

I locked eyes with Kant, then downed the cup and said,

“No particular reason. Just a hunch.”

Kant narrowed his eyes at me, then sighed.

“You think I’m lying. Of course, the Guild’s principle is not to disclose client information, but as I said, I’m not dealing with you as a Guild member, Young Master. Not only the alchemist, but no one in Khaoto is aware of our true identity.”

“…”

“That alchemist hasn’t been in Khaoto for very long. He’s not an ordinary alchemist, but he’s not someone to be wary of.”

After finishing his firm statement, Kant looked at me as if it was my turn to respond.

I emptied my cup and said,

“That old man tried something strange on me before. It felt like he was hiding something. Look into him.”

Altein was not an old man to be taken lightly. I didn’t know his abilities, his identity, or his past.

I knew nothing about him.

I liked his eccentric personality, but I couldn’t let my guard down. The fact that he was staying in Khaoto suggested he might have ulterior motives.

“Understood.”

Kant didn’t ask any further questions, even though he must have had some. I deliberately kept my explanation vague. There was no need to tell Kant everything about the eccentric bald man.

I changed the subject, as if something had just occurred to me.

“I want to acquire a mana cultivation manual.”

Kant replied, puzzled,

“A mana cultivation manual? Are you talking about a proper one?”

“Of course.”

Kant answered with a troubled expression.

“Decent ones are hard to come by. The secret techniques of renowned families are rarely leaked outside. And you wouldn’t be satisfied with the ones sold in the marketplace.”

“Something moderately good will do. Anything beyond that wouldn’t make much difference anyway.”

“Sometimes they show up in underground auctions, but unfortunately, they’re not operating right now.”

I put down my cup and stood up without hesitation.

“Can’t be helped then. I’m leaving.”

As I headed for the door, Kant stopped me.

“Wait a moment, Young Master.”

After a brief moment of contemplation, Kant spoke with the masked man and nodded.

“There’s an auction house in Leon as well. They’re expecting to get something suitable soon. However, the bidding might be fierce.”

I asked with an impressed expression,

“You have your fingers in many pies, don’t you? Anyway, if it’s too expensive, I won’t buy it. When is the auction?”

“Two days from now. I’ll give you the contact information of my agent in Leon.”

A moment later, I glanced at the mirror on the wall and left the room.

As Kant saw me off, he muttered out of the blue,

“As you said, Young Master, there are too few guests. Maybe I should try a different business instead of an inn.”

I scoffed and replied,

“Don’t be dramatic.”

He was good at hiding his true feelings.

Kant was not one to make a losing deal. Even with Vanilla Sky closing down and Khaoto changing, Kant wouldn’t suffer any losses. In fact, he was probably happy about it. But I didn’t bother pointing that out.

This level of distance was just right for my relationship with Kant.

“At least try to decorate the inn a bit. It’s too gloomy. I’m leaving.”

“Until next time.”

I said goodbye to Kant and headed to the Full Khao Patrol’s headquarters.

* * *

I spent the night at the Full Khao Patrol’s quarters and left for the manor early in the morning. I was quite surprised as soon as I stepped outside.

“Wow.”

The sight of the manor, which had been obscured by darkness the night before, was now in full view.

Almost all traces of the Bayern Clan were gone. Even if the dead snake eyes were to come back to life, he would have trouble recognizing its own home.

“How could it change so much in such a short time?”

The once dreary manor was now filled with the scent of grass, and there was even a small pond on one side.

The appearance of the buildings also seemed somewhat different.

As I looked around in bewilderment, I heard singing from somewhere.

“La la la la la la la.”

I looked over and saw Daisy, with weeds stuck in her hair, frantically cleaning up the manor.

I felt a shiver run down my spine and tried to move away, but Daisy called out to me.

“Brother!”

I turned around and waved awkwardly.

“You’re up early.”

“When did you get here? I didn’t see you.”

“I came last night. The guards at the main gate were so tired they were dozing off. I didn’t wake them up. Let them rest.”

“Okay. La la la la.”

Daisy hummed as she pulled out a red dagger. Then, with a look of realization, she said,

“Oh, Brother.”

“What is it?”

“Wait a minute. There’s someone alive.”

Was I still half asleep?

I stood there, not understanding what she was talking about, when Daisy disappeared somewhere and reappeared with a few of her subordinates. Carrot was bringing someone tied up with a rope.

“What’s going on?”

Daisy interrupted.

“This guy says he knows you, Brother. Do you know him?”

I approached the tied-up person and examined him closely.

His face was swollen all over, but I recognized him from his eyes.

“… Corpse Eyes?”

“…”

Smack—

Daisy slapped Blok across the cheek, her eyes blazing.

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“What’s right?”

Blok replied with a strange expression, a mix of humiliation and fear.

“…It’s true. I am Corpse Eyes.”

Come to think of it, I didn’t remember killing Corpse Eyes. I looked at Daisy and asked,

“Where did you find him?”

“There’s an infirmary in the annex building, and he was hiding in the basement there. He said he had something to tell you, Brother, so I left him alone for a bit. Do you know him?”

“I do.”

I made eye contact with Blok, then suddenly feeling disgusted, I slapped him across the face.

“Ugh.”

“So you hid while everyone else was fighting, just to save your own skin. You worm.”

Blok, who had long since abandoned his pride, said in a trembling voice,

“I didn’t even know there was a fight going on.”

“What?”

“…I was unconscious.”

Blok pushed his protruding forehead forward.

The forehead mark was still clearly visible.

Roughly understanding the situation, I asked in disbelief,

“What do you have to say?”

“Please spare my life.”

As I silently drew the dagger from Daisy’s waist, Blok threw himself to the ground and pleaded

“Please let me live. I have no attachment to the clan. Please spare me.”

I stepped on the back of Blok’s head and said,

“You pathetic creature, listen carefully. You’re a coward. Even though your family is dead, you’re a piece of trash begging for your life from your enemy. But I don’t kill every piece of trash. What can I do if you were born that way? The reason you’re dying here today is simple. Even if I spared you, you would try to escape and seek revenge. I can’t let someone like that live.”

As I spoke, Blok trembled all over and raised his head.

His face was a mess of tears and snot as he babbled,

“Please let me live. Revenge? That’s ridiculous. I only did what I was told because I wanted to impress the clan head. I truly have no attachment to the clan. I was treated like a discarded child. I want to live. Please.”

“Please, please spare me!”.

Just as I was about to plunge the dagger in again, the sunlight reflected off the red blade and momentarily blinded me.

Coincidentally, the appearbutlered in my line of sight, so I asked without thinking,

“Why is this guy so pathetic?”

The butler, though he didn’t like Blok, felt somewhat sorry for him as he was dying, so he spoke truthfully,

“…It’s not entirely wrong. Both of us, myself and Blok, were treated as insignificant.”

I suddenly let out a dry laugh.

I looked at Blok, who was groaning, and then changed my mind.

I told Carrot,

“Take this guy and make him a lackey. Keep an eye on him and kill him if he does anything stupid.”

“Yes.”

I simply changed my mind.

I watched Blok being dragged away, bound by ropes, and thought.

There are some people in this world who are just too tenacious to kill.

That bastard got smacked in the forehead a total of 600 times by me. If the Crazy Mage wasn’t the type to repay double what he received, it would’ve ended with just 300 hits.

If that were the case, he wouldn’t still be unconscious. He would’ve just kicked the bucket with Cyan a while ago.

Suddenly, I realized that even if the morning sun hadn’t been so bright today, he would’ve died anyway. If the general hadn’t agreed with Blok’s words, he would’ve died. If I hadn’t felt like it today, for some reason, he would’ve died.

I’m pretty tenacious, and that Blok guy was tenacious too.

But I don’t think this is an important issue.

Things like this are just decided by pure chance.

Because life is such that you never know when you’re going to die.

In the end, what’s important is your mindset. The mindset of shedding your worthless self.

In a life where you never know when you’ll die, what’s important is your mindset about how you live.

I don’t know what mindset that guy will live with, but if he lives with the same mindset as now, his life will end up being worse than dying right now.

Daisy, who had been lost in thought for a moment, spoke to me.

“Brother, by the way, what brings you here?”

Only then did I remember the purpose of my visit.

“Let’s go somewhere together.”

Daisy’s eyes lit up.

“Huh, where? Just the two of us?”

“Yeah. We’re going to Leon. You don’t need to pack anything, just bring yourself.”

“I’ll just wash up and change and be right out.”

Daisy went into the main building humming a tune and didn’t come out for a while, so I also washed up and changed into new clothes.

Daisy, dressed in tight-fitting red clothes, was waiting at the main gate. All the subordinates’ eyes were on her.

“Cover up a bit. Everyone’s staring.”

“Yes, brother.”

I started walking first, and Daisy followed, wearing a coat.

* * *

Leon’s main street was bustling with activity.

I could see the street scene at a glance, which I hadn’t been able to see when I passed by quickly last time.

As befits a commercial city, all sorts of goods filled the streets. The front doors of the buildings were wide open, and in front of them were stalls filled with various items.

“I wonder if they’re open today.”

Daisy quickened her pace.

Merchants who traveled all over the southern part of the continent, seeking profit from price differences, often stopped by Leon, so there weren’t many cases where they sold goods in a fixed location.

Depending on the time, they might or might not be in Leon.

Daisy said that among them, a merchant who handled goods from a famous blacksmith in the south occasionally stopped by Leon.

Daisy, who had been hurrying her steps, clapped her hands with joy.

“They’re open!”

The door of a temporary building on one side of the street was open, and various weapons were displayed on the stall in front.

A young merchant with a friendly face came out to greet us with a smile. Daisy tilted her head.

“That’s strange. I’m sure he was old. Did the owner change?”

Meanwhile, the young merchant approached us.

“Welcome.”

I looked around the stall and said.

“I’d like to see a spear. Do you have any good ones?”

The merchant looked at me and Daisy alternately and smiled.

“What kind of spear are you looking for? We have fancy spears that are good for display, or we also have self-defense daggers suitable for this lovely lady here.”

While Daisy looked at the merchant with a flirtatious smile, I carefully examined the items on display and muttered,

“I don’t see anything worthwhile.”

“If you have something specific in mind, please let me know. We have many more weapons inside.”

“Do you have any long spears made of cold iron?”

Upon hearing my words, the merchant’s face lit up with a broad smile.

“Of course. Please come inside.”

We entered, and gleaming weapons were displayed vertically on racks. The merchant led us to a spot where a particularly ornate spear was showcased.

“This is a long spear made of 100-year cold iron.”

“This is 100-year cold iron?”

“Haha, don’t worry about the quality.”

As I carefully examined the spearhead, the merchant chuckled.

“It’s a masterpiece from the Pargel Blacksmith, the most famous in the southern part of the continent. The handle even bears the Pargel seal.”

I turned my head to look at the merchant, who then glanced between Daisy and me with an even wider smile.

‘Hmm.’

It seemed this merchant thought I was an easy mark. He probably assumed I was showing off in front of a woman.

———