🔊 TTS Settings
“Ah.”
I turned my head toward the entrance of the pub and asked:
“So that’s how it is?”
There was no one there.
Just as confusion appeared in the bartender’s eyes, the previously quiet door creaked open, and someone new stepped inside.
The figure entered soundlessly, like a shadow, draped in a long robe from head to toe.
“What is <Buried Let>?”
Because that person was none other than the assassin who had begun his new life as a butler.
Judging by the look of it, the robe he wore seemed to be made by modifying an unused blackout curtain.
Considering his professional background, it was a rather plausible guess.
The butler assassin kindly answered my question.
“It’s an information guild that grew rapidly before and after the Mage War. They’re large, dangerous, and ruthless enough to use any means necessary to achieve their goals.”
There wasn’t a trace of falsehood in his steady voice. I nodded.
This was exactly the role I had wanted and expected from him.
Before coming to the pub, I had gone to find him.
True to his former profession, he immediately noticed my presence and came out through the back door.
“What is it? It’s not the day we agreed on.”
“You said you were trying to survive.”
“And?”
“Let’s do it together.”
My concise yet direct proposal made him look at me with suspicion.
“Why should I?”
“Because I need to find something too.”
“What?”
“A way to survive.”
To gain cooperation, one must reveal their hand first.
I explained that I needed to gather information to find something important, and briefly outlined my plan.
At the word “information,” his expression began to change.
Naturally so.
As someone being hunted by an assassin guild, he needed to hold Midwintery in the palm of his hand to evade professional trackers.
If we slowly took control of the city, starting with the merchant association that ruled this area, it would benefit both of us.
“Not a bad offer… Very well. But regarding this merchant association, it would be better to revise the plan slightly.”
“How?”
“From what I hear, they’re too organized and expanding too quickly for mere street thugs. That usually means there’s someone backing them. If we act carelessly, we could end up on the receiving end.”
He wanted to investigate their backing before making a move.
Depending on who was behind them, it might be wiser not to get involved at all.
But I thought differently.
The reason was simple.
If the merchant association remained as it was, the old potato seller would disappear from that alley.
‘Good thing I promised we’d pull out if the backing was too dangerous.’
Though I hadn’t expected it to be connected to a major guild.
“<Buried Let>? I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s an underground guild. Ordinary people wouldn’t know.”
“Ordinary people?”
I see. So I’m an ordinary person now.
The butler assassin frowned slightly, as if realizing something was off with his own words.
“Well, not always. <Buried Let> has spread across thirteen former Mage Alliance nations centered around the Pen Rota Empire. Even their guild master’s name and face are unknown. And they don’t do anything that leaves traces.”
As he explained, he cast a suspicious glance at the bartender.
“But I doubt they’d associate with such low-level thugs.”
At that, the bartender hurriedly rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a golden coin.
“No! W-we really are under the protection of <Buried Let>! Look—this is our guild coin!”
A guild coin served as proof of affiliation or cooperation.
The butler assassin examined it carefully, then nodded.
“It’s real.”
“See? Then you’ve both made a mistake. It seems this man knows exactly how dangerous <Buried Let> is—”
I snatched the coin from him.
“It’s real? Then it’s mine now.”
The bartender clenched his teeth.
“You’re either fearless or insane! Didn’t you hear me? If <Buried Let> learns we were attacked—”
“That would only happen if you run your mouths.”
I tapped the coin against his lips.
“Be smart, bartender. Haven’t you heard the saying, distant relatives are less important than close neighbors? No? Then how about this—law may be far, but fists are near. <Buried Let>’s law is far away, but my fists are right here. Your lives depend on my mood.”
The pub fell silent, as if drenched in cold water.
The butler assassin, who had been thinking deeply, finally spoke.
“If the opponent is <Buried Let>, it’s too dangerous. The rumor that they repay tenfold isn’t exaggerated. Information guilds grow on trust and money. Even a place like this is still a branch. It’s better not to touch them.”
It seemed he intended to withdraw.
Given the opponent, it was understandable.
“More dangerous than your master?”
But I needed him.
Someone experienced like him was perfect to lead a new merchant association.
Information and assassination were inseparable.
For assassins, gathering information was just as important as killing.
“They’re different. The master is an individual. <Buried Let> is like a small nation.”
“Then we just don’t get caught.”
I pulled a small glass vial from my pocket and tossed it to him.
“This is…”
“The <Merciful Bite> I took from you. One pill is enough to kill instantly.”
“I didn’t expect you to keep it.”
“It’s rare. You shouldn’t throw away something valuable. Though the most valuable thing is—”
I tapped my ear.
“The magic tool that binds your oath.”
He still had the oath-binding artifact he had tried to use on me.
With it, we could silence these men.
Realizing my intent, his expression grew more serious.
Meanwhile, I met each of the merchant association members’ eyes.
“If anyone gets in the way, kill them with <Merciful Bite>. If you don’t trust them, kill them all. Maybe <Buried Let> will notice. But what will they do? Clean up a few corpses?”
Go ahead and report it.
But if you do, you die too.
Silently. Instantly.
The bartender’s face darkened as he understood.
“…You can talk quite a lot.”
“I learned that today.”
I waited calmly for the butler assassin’s decision.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long.
“Alright. I’ll handle this. But I have one condition.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“I move my way. I’ll only accept your interference if I agree to it.”
“Fine.”
I tossed him the guild coin.
“To celebrate the formation of our new merchant association, let’s begin our first mission.”
“Mission… You mean the item you mentioned.”
I nodded.
“We need to find Dian Ket’s relic hidden in Midwintery.”
“…If you mean the one from urban legend… the eye?”
“That’s right.”
For a moment, his eyes changed.
If I wasn’t mistaken, he looked troubled.
I stepped closer and whispered:
“Why?”
After a pause, he met my gaze.
“It might be coincidence… but if I’m right, the master is also looking for it.”
