TSNF 23

Chapter 23

Ding-a-ling!

Every time the door opened, the sound of the bell rang, and somehow, it didn’t feel unpleasant.

Seeing Arteon return earlier than expected, the old man asked,

“Did things go well?”

“Well… I think I’ll need to take a closer look first.”

“Heh heh heh. It would be better for you not to get too deeply involved.”

Was it because Arteon had figured out who the old man really was?

He was clearly smiling, yet his eyes carried a strangely sharp glint.

Arteon stepped closer to him.

“May I ask you one more thing?”

“Heh heh—if the price is right?”

“Will this be enough?”

Arteon took a single gold coin from his chest and placed it on the table.

The old man burst out laughing.

“Kehehehe! Young man, you’re quite greedy for money. That kind of greed could get you into serious trouble.”

“There’s something I’d like to know in more detail… regarding the information you gave me earlier.”

“Why would a soldier be interested in the thieves’ guild?”

The old man casually placed a finger on the gold coin lying on the table.

Arteon gave a faint chuckle and asked,

“At this rate, it looks like the Little Master’s faction will collapse… Is there a good way to turn things around?”

“You’re trying to make a deal against the Little Master’s side? That’s an extremely reckless decision.”

“I’m just asking. Or do you not know?”

When Arteon pulled the gold coin back toward himself—

“Whoa, whoa. I never said I didn’t know.”

The old man pressed his finger down on the coin and continued,

“In that case, there’s a very simple method. In the end, even the thieves’ guild moves according to the law of power.”

The old man’s explanation continued.

Perhaps because he wanted the coin badly, there was notable force in his voice.

“How about it? That should be enough, don’t you think?”

“There’s nothing easy about it.”

“Heh heh heh. If it were easy, that clever Little Master wouldn’t be in such a predicament.”

“Thank you for the answer.”

With those words, Arteon let go of the gold coin and headed up to the second floor.

The situation had been completely sorted out by the conversation just now.

Then…

The note had already been delivered.

Now all that remained was to wait for a reply.

It would be nice if it came quickly, but realistically, it would probably take a few days.

It must have been quite a shocking proposal for them as well.

Either way, I just need to leave this place in three weeks.

There was plenty of time, so there was no need to rush.

In fact, it was better this way—he could finally catch up on his personal training.

Arteon sat down on the floor and closed his eyes.

Wooooooong!

The mana gathering around Arteon’s body slowly began to coil around him.

…The speed is definitely slowing down.

He hadn’t even reached three stars yet, but unlike before, his growth rate seemed to have hit a bottleneck.

No—more accurately, the speed at which Arteon had grown when he first began training had been absurdly fast.

His relentless effort played a major role, but the magic circle Belkane had created and the cold northern climate had greatly accelerated the Vargas Mana Circulation Method.

Even though he understood this intellectually, the slower increase in mana compared to before made Arteon feel impatient.

With this level of strength… it’s impossible.

Everyone had been shocked that he fought a mid-level Kar warrior one-on-one.

But Arteon knew better.

Beyond mid-level warriors were high-level warriors—and above them, the truly powerful Kar warriors.

If he faced them at his current level…

He could say with certainty he would die within ten seconds.

That was the kind of monstrous beings the Kar tribe possessed.

“Hoo…”

Anxiety weighed down on his shoulders, but Arteon maintained his composure and focused on the mana circulation method.

After some time—

Sweat from his body soaked the floor, and his lips began to tremble slightly.

Operating mana continuously for hours required immense concentration and stamina.

The longer the session, the more effective it was for mana training.

But then, sensing a presence nearby, Arteon slowly opened his eyes.

“…That was faster than I expected.”

When Arteon turned his head toward the window—

The previously closed window was now open, and a woman wearing a black mask stood there, glaring at him sharply.

And before Arteon could react—

Flash!

The woman, sword already drawn, lunged at him.

Whoosh!

The dagger she swung grazed Arteon’s cheek as it sliced through the air.

Apparently, she hadn’t expected her attack to fail in this situation, and her center of gravity wavered slightly.

At that moment—

Thud!

Arteon shoved her arm aside and threw her onto the bed.

Crash!

Since she landed on the bed, the impact wasn’t severe, but it still made quite a loud noise.

When Arteon stood up—

The woman quickly regained her footing and asked,

“You… who are you? Why would someone from the military come looking for me?”

“I’ll wash up first. Wait here. I’ll tell you why afterward.”

“What did you say?”

She asked, but Arteon headed straight for the bathroom attached to the room without hesitation.

All he did was scoop up the water he had left in the tub and wash himself.

“Hoo.”

After rinsing off the sweat, Arteon roughly dried himself with a towel and put on a robe-like garment.

The masked woman simply watched him warily, intimidated by his presence.

Arteon sat down in a chair and looked at her.

“Lisiven, is it?”

“…I ask the questions first. Who are you?”

“I’m Arteon of the 1st Division of the Imperial Northern Army. I came because I want to make a deal with you.”

“A deal? What kind of deal would soldiers want to make with us?”

“You give me information, and I give you a stable life.”

“…A stable life?”

“Most thieves’ guilds survive in predictable ways. They steal or eavesdrop and sell what they get. But most of it is dangerous work and hard to sustain long-term.”

Though they call themselves thieves’ guilds, objectively speaking, they’re just groups of people from the lowest parts of the back alleys, dividing ranks among themselves and helping one another.

Still, the information they acquire is often far more valuable than one might expect.

Especially famous thieves’ guilds—some even planted people in high-ranking noble estates or the royal palace.

It’s impossible to approach those kinds of people right now…

More importantly, they were likely already colluding with those in power within the Empire.

At a time when he couldn’t even clearly identify who his enemy was—

It’s troublesome, but building things up properly from the bottom is important.

Arteon looked at Lisiven.

Normally, Lisiven should have become the guild master by now and be struggling financially, but—

She’s still the vice master.

Moreover, Shadow Fang was currently split due to conflict between the guild master and the vice master, Lisiven.

Given that Lisiven would become the guild master in the future, the victor of this conflict was clearly her.

However, judging by the current situation, Lisiven and those who followed her seemed to be in a tight spot.

Even if I leave it alone, she’ll manage eventually… but if I flip the situation myself, I can make her owe me.

“You’re in conflict with Formanker, right? I’ll take care of him.”

“What did you say…?”

Lisiven’s pupils trembled slightly.

Then she glared at Arteon fiercely.

“How do you think someone like you could deal with Formanker?!”

At most, he looked to be in his mid-teens.

Even accounting for everything, he couldn’t be over twenty.

And yet—

But at that moment—

“…!”

Lisiven recoiled in shock, pressing herself tightly against the wall behind her.

If there hadn’t been a wall, it felt as if she would have been thrown back another ten meters.

“H-how… how is this possible…?”

Her face froze.

She could barely speak, stammering as she stared at Arteon.

The unbelievable killing intent that had just poured out of the boy before her—

For an instant, it felt as though someone had carved out her heart with a blade, sending a chilling terror through her entire body.

And then—

“Seems your instincts are good.”

Arteon spoke calmly.

He hadn’t moved his mana or done anything special.

He had simply decided to kill.

But over more than ten years on the battlefield—

After taking thousands of lives, he had acquired this.

With nothing but his gaze and presence, he released overwhelming killing intent.

Lisiven swallowed hard.

“Do you really… intend to help me?”

“There are two subordinates guarding Formanker, correct?”

“…Julan and Heirquan. They’re the most troublesome among Formanker’s men.”

In truth, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that because of those two, the power gap between Formanker’s faction and the others hadn’t narrowed.

“Both of them… are close to two-star level. They can both use mana.”

“Two-star?”

“…Yes.”

If ordinary soldiers were considered unranked, even a one-star individual could fight on equal footing with nearly ten soldiers.

Yet there were two-star fighters in a thieves’ guild.

“Just tell me where they are. I’ll deal with them.”

“But… why do this?”

“You’re asking what I gain by helping you?”

Lisiven silently nodded.

She looked confused—and slightly afraid, likely due to the killing intent she had felt earlier.

Arteon replied,

“From now on, we fill what the other lacks… companions, perhaps?”

“Companions?”

For a moment, she felt her strength drain away.

She had never heard of anyone coming to a thieves’ guild to look for companions.

Yet even that reaction pleased Arteon.

Because he knew exactly what kind of person she was.

Starting as the master of a thieves’ guild, she would become a great merchant who supplied goods to the North.

When everyone else deemed the North dangerous and turned away, Lisiven was the one who stepped in without hesitation and supported them from behind.

By gaining her, he would obtain not only information but also a chance to make enormous profits by leveraging future events.

Even if I leave her alone… she’ll succeed on her own.

But he would bring her to the surface sooner—and make her his ally.

Lisiven’s creed was to never forget a debt of gratitude.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know me later.”

Arteon stood up and grabbed the Iglis resting on the table.

The moment mana flowed from Arteon’s hand into the Iglis—

Clang!

The weapon let out its distinctive metallic sound as it revealed its true form.

Lisiven’s eyes wavered.

“Mana…?”

She couldn’t properly use it, but she was at least capable of sensing mana.

At her mutter, Arteon said firmly,

“Then let’s begin.”

It was time to accomplish the purpose that had brought him here.