Chapter 43: Chapter 43

The ‘gift’ mentioned at the end of the letter was a small ring.

Judging by the fairly large gemstone set in it, it appeared to be quite a valuable item, and Roden, recognizing it as expected of a jeweler’s son, let out a low groan.

“Isn’t this the ring that the Marquis of Beshalia gave to his mistress a few years ago?”

“The Marquis of Beshalia?”

“Just as his title suggests, he is the master of Beshalia, a major city in the south. He is a wealthy man who accumulated immense riches through maritime trade, as well as a powerful figure commanding dozens of warships.”

The fact that a ring gifted by such a person to his mistress (that is to say, his extramarital partner) had surfaced here was proof of how extraordinary their influence was.

In a way, it almost felt like a threat suggesting it would be wise to follow them quietly.

Roden, who had been staring down at the letter in silence for a while, shook his head.

“For now, let’s reject this offer.”

“I’m a little curious about what they want to talk about…”

“I am as well, but poking our heads in out of curiosity is far too suspicious in many ways.”

Considering the attitude of the knight who handed over the letter, it seemed like a group that was by no means operating within the bounds of the law.

In the first place, if they were truly people with nothing to hide, shouldn’t they have come to the front of the mansion themselves?

“Above all, I’m definitely not speaking out of prejudice, but rich Altoans in this country are all criminals. If you want to achieve your goal, it’s best not to get involved with such shady types. Trust me.”

At Roden’s confident words, Shan pondered for a long while before nodding his head.

Having just caused worry with his impulsive behavior not long ago, he shouldn’t do something similar twice.

“More than that, I’d like to find out their identity.”

“Asking the Princess… ah, but I promised not to tell anyone other than Roden.”

“You only told me, so if I ask, you wouldn’t be breaking your promise, would you?”

Roden, shrugging his shoulders, chuckled and spoke as Shan made an uncomfortable expression.

“Alright. I’ll look into it separately. Even if not as vast as hers, our family has its own accumulated network of connections.”

Above all else, if a gemstone ring was given as a gift, it would be easy to find out through which channel it was distributed.

Even if not the entire gem industry of Pendia, the main streams were firmly held in the hands of the Weavers family.

Most of all, since this was deeply related to Shan’s identity, it seemed better to dig into it on their own rather than informing the princess, even setting aside the matter of the promise.

*

After that day, the self-proclaimed Altoan Brotherhood made no further contact with Shan.

Sir Bolin, who had delivered the letter, also did not attempt to get involved under the pretense of personal acquaintance.

As a few more days passed, rumors from the north about Shan subjugating a powerful high vampire gradually began to reach the capital.

Yet for some reason, the rumor had been distorted into a strange story that the creature was a vampire so powerful it could belong in legends, capable of turning day into night with a single gesture.

“He subjugated a monster like that by himself? Does that make any sense?”

“Sir Shan is the man who subjugated a cockatrice all by himself!”

“Right, both sound equally absurd!”

To call it an absurd rumor, Shan was someone who had already proven his overwhelming skill in various ways.

Quite literally, rumors were spawning more rumors.

On top of that, the Magic Society, which had purchased the by-products of the high vampire subjugated this time, did not release them to the market, fueling the rumors further.

People naturally believed that because the vampire was so powerful, its by-products must also possess extraordinary power.

“All of a sudden, you’ve even gained a magnificent title… Subjugator of the Vampire King.”

“Although that fellow was strong, he wasn’t quite at that level.”

As Roden chuckled, Shan wore an embarrassed expression.

The by-products were likely handled internally by Princess Cheryn, who had been concerned about the detection of True Silver reactions.

Not long after the rumors spread, Prince Elvin’s side, which had interacted with that vampire, also showed a response.

Sir Lug, the lanky knight who had recently joined their faction and previously fought in the finals against Shan, visited the mansion.

“It has been a long time, Sir Shan!”

“Glad to see you.”

“I heard the rumors! Ah, if only I could have stood shoulder to shoulder with you, Sir Shan, and lent my strength to subjugate that monster, I would have no regrets…!”

This tall knight was still looking at Shan with admiring eyes, as if Shan were his idol.

Finding that sight burdensome, Shan turned his gaze away, catching sight of Roden chuckling before covering his mouth.

Even after that, Lug babbled excitedly about various things.

Stories such as swearing loyalty as Prince Elvin’s knight and building friendships with other comrades under him, or training in group combat together.

Shan was also interested in such topics, so they conversed for quite a long time.

“It would be wonderful if you could join us as well, Sir Shan…”

“I hope it turns out that way someday.”

Shan brushed off Lug’s somewhat clumsy recruitment proposal with the formal answer he had learned from Roden.

Lug did not push any further, as if he had not come with proper instructions but was merely testing the waters.

“Then I shall take my leave… ugh, cobwebs again… Being too tall isn’t always a good thing.”

As Lug departed complaining after sweeping away a spiderweb with his hair on his way out due to his excessive height, Shan asked Roden, who had been quietly watching from the side all along.

“Do you think Prince Elvin sent him?”

“Well, to me, even if the prince sent him, it felt like he came because he personally wanted to.”

Rather than flattering someone on the prince’s orders, his admiring attitude toward Shan seemed far too genuine.

Saying he wished they could work together under Prince Elvin did not seem to stem from strange motives or instructions from someone else either.

If Roden saw it that way, it was unlikely to be a wrong judgment, so Shan let out a groan.

“I hope I won’t have to fight Sir Lug.”

“I hope so as well.”

Although his excessive praise was burdensome, it was an emotion rooted in goodwill toward Shan, so even if they were to fight, Shan did not want to kill him if possible.

Of course, since Lug was also quite skilled, doing so might put Shan himself in danger.

Not long after Sir Lug departed, the information on the Brotherhood that Roden had investigated using his father’s connections arrived.

Inspecting the document, Roden let out a low groan.

“Mmm…”

“Why?”

“It seems they couldn’t verify what happened at the Golden Theater that day. They said the doors weren’t even opened.”

The Golden Theater was the largest theater in the city of Hasra, a place akin to the jewel of the capital’s entertainment district.

Surely they hadn’t intended to stand Shan up after inviting him, so this likely meant they possessed enough money and power to rent out the Golden Theater for a day to use as they pleased.

The investigation into the gemstone ring also made no progress at all, contrary to expectations.

Because investigating through various channels yielded no information that the Marquis of Beshalia’s mistress had disposed of that jewel anywhere.

Circumstantially, the Brotherhood had either stolen the ring from her or received it directly, but the two scenarios were too extreme, and either way, it was difficult for them to act on it.

With this, both clues had effectively hit a dead end.

Indeed, perhaps because this kind of intelligence work was outside his usual scope, even Roden… an all-around super-capable person who succeeded at everything except fighting people… found it difficult.

“Ah, damn it! What a headache. As if worrying about how those Council bastards will act wasn’t enough…”

The problem was that the princess, who had promised to investigate and inform them, had sent no word for a week.

As if she had been waiting for him to complain like that,

On the exact tenth day after parting ways, Princess Cheryn visited the Weavers mansion in disguise, accompanied by a single guard.

*

“I was very impolite last time.”

The face of the princess, who apologized politely, was somehow far more haggard than when he had last seen her.

Her skin was so pale she looked almost like a vampire, accompanied by shadowed eyes and hollow cheeks, despite having been fair to begin with.

Anyone looking at her would wonder if she was suffering from an illness.

Shan stared at her quietly and asked.

“Did you end up like that because of me?”

“Hmm?”

“When I saw you last time, you seemed angry because of my actions. I’m not sure why, but if I offended you, I offer my apologies.”

Cheryn, opening her eyes wide at the unexpected words, let out a soft chuckle and shook her head.

“No, it is not your fault. The problem is my own crooked and twisted heart that cannot take things gracefully. However… I would like to advise you to be a little more cautious when giving your heart to others in the future.”

“I was scolded a lot by Roden over that issue, so I am reflecting on it.”

As Shan showed a serious attitude of reflection, she glanced at Roden and nodded.

“Yes, Roden is a fine advisor. To the point where I wish I had someone like him. However, my advice applies to him as well.”

Shan, who slightly raised an eyebrow thinking she might be trying to drive a wedge between them again like before, saw that the princess wore a serious expression.

“Even if you trust someone else, you must keep your heart as your own. Because once you give it away and it gets cast aside, there is no turning back.”

Her muttered words sounded almost like self-mockery.

Amid the heavy atmosphere, Cheryn shook her head and spoke in a somewhat exaggeratedly bright tone.

“Now, shall we discuss business first? Based on the materials you provided earlier, I have gathered some rough information about the Council.”

“Already…?”

At Cheryn’s words, Roden asked back in surprise.

Having investigated the Brotherhood this time, he knew full well how difficult it was to trace and catch the tail of such secret societies.

Furthermore, all Cheryn had at her disposal were two not-so-reliable confidants named Aran and Kagon.

No, perhaps there were others assigned to her by Count of Palles, or people she employed personally, but still…

“To start with the conclusion, the Council is not simply a group of vampires. It is a secret society encompassing a much broader scope.”

While the King and nobles ruled the visible parts of the Kingdom of Pendia, a different law and order operated in the hidden shadows.

Areas commonly referred to as the slums and the pleasure districts.

The Council was like the ruler of this underworld, resembling a massive criminal organization despite its plausible name.

Naturally, its members consisted entirely of individuals who could not openly step into society.

Skilled warriors or knights wanted for all sorts of crimes, evil mages who committed taboos like human experimentation, smugglers, junkies, and intelligence organizations formed by prostitutes and pimps…

The faction composed of high vampires capable of taking human form was merely one pillar of that Council.

Although their power within the Council was quite substantial thanks to their outstanding martial prowess, accumulated knowledge over long lifespans, and wealth.

Cheryn let out a deep sigh as if dumbfounded.

“Frankly, I was quite shocked. No matter how much I focused all my eyes and ears on the royal family and high nobles, to think I didn’t even know such a terrible organization was clinging to and parasitizing the country.”

Roden inwardly wanted to say that the truly astonishing one was her.

To go from knowing nothing about such an organization to digging out all its roots in just a week based on a single clue?

For a secret society whose very name was not publicly known, security must have been thorough, making her intelligence-gathering capabilities border on bizarre.

Just then, Cheryn added in a tone as if she had almost forgotten.

“Ah, and among them, there was an interesting group. They called themselves the Brotherhood.”

Roden strove to maintain his composure, but Shan flinched in surprise on the spot.

He had simply never imagined that the Brotherhood’s name would pop up here out of nowhere.

Cheryn, who gave a smirk as if finding that reaction amusing, spoke.

“The Altoan Brotherhood. A familiar name, isn’t it? It seems they made a recruitment offer to you recently, Sir Shan.”

“Your Highness, that is…”

“I also know that you two did not accept it. You judged well.”

According to Cheryn, the Altoan Brotherhood was a brotherhood in name only, functioning as a group that exploited powerless kin under the guise of protection.

They pushed weak brethren to the forefront of all sorts of dangerous crimes and labor, while a few at the top extorted the profits.

“Presumably, their leader and a few top executives appear to be nobles or knights. There is a possibility that Westerners occupy those positions to exploit Altoans… but I see a greater likelihood that they were surreptitiously replaced, much like the case with the vampire lord.”

“You mean they put forward Altoans whose appearance doesn’t differ much.”

“Indeed.”

Like Roxy of the troupe whom Shan had seen before, there were occasionally Altoans whose appearances differed little from Westerners.

Or there were those who could erase their distinguishing features through simple surgical procedures… such as shaving down their horns.

Most prominently, Shan himself was someone no one recognized as an Altoan unless the surroundings grew dark.

If such individuals were put forward as the core within the organization, it was entirely plausible.

“Impersonating nobles and knights… Ha, we’ve entangled ourselves with truly formidable bastards.”

“Even so, they are merely a criminal organization, so there is no need to worry too much. They are literally just bugs hiding in the shadows of the world.”

“Sometimes humans die from bug bites, don’t they?”

At Roden’s reasonable concern, Cheryn chuckled and replied.

“Indeed, you are a wise advisor. As it happens, those bugs were indeed hatching a plan to dare bite a human to death.”

Since it was not difficult to understand what the bugs and human referred to here, Roden’s face turned grim.

As Shan, who had not caught on properly, wore a somewhat puzzled expression, she explained it simply.

“Originally, they planned to lure you to the Golden Theater, steep you thoroughly in alcohol, drugs, and women, and then recruit you to their side.”

“A method worthy of criminals.”

As Roden muttered in contempt, Cheryn nodded in agreement.

“However, since Sir Shan did not accept, they seem to view the reason as being because of you, Roden.”

“…They’re not wrong.”

“Because anyone who knows anything knows that you are Sir Shan’s advisor. For that reason, they decided to eliminate Roden first…”

The reason Cheryn could not finish her sentence was that she met the shift in Shan’s eyes along with the story.

Shan’s eyes, usually as warm a green as that of vegetation and reminiscent of a docile puppy, had turned completely void of emotion before anyone realized it.

Cheryn felt that those eyes resembled those of an insect.

Containing not a shred of mercy or compassion, focusing solely on capturing and preying upon a target in accordance with its designed purpose…

“Those bastards… tried to kill Roden.”

“Do not worry. If nothing else, I will make sure you have no reason to fear dying by a blade aimed from behind.”

Having confirmed Cheryn’s overwhelming intelligence capabilities anew, those words were truly trustworthy.

With her help, even if one might be stabbed to death by a blade coming from right before their eyes, there seemed to be no worry of being struck from behind.

Of course, that was strictly on the premise that Cheryn would not betray them.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

If she had not helped, Shan would not have even known the fact that the group called the Brotherhood was targeting Roden.

As Shan bowed his head to express his gratitude, Cheryn smiled softly and, for some reason, trailed off slightly.

“Hm, speaking of which…”

On her slightly flushed face, an emotion that could be shyness or embarrassment showed through.

“It might be a bit awkward to call it compensation for investigating, but could you show me that item you showed me last time once more? Every time I try to sleep, it keeps flickering before my eyes.”

“Of course.”

Since showing it a second time was not difficult once it had been shown once, Shan took out A Thousand Shapes (which he had kept in the shape of a bracelet for convenience) and transformed it into a sword, placing it on the reception room desk.

Just like the first time she saw it, a deep expression of ecstasy washed over Cheryn’s face.

“It is truly magnificent. I knew the magic of the ancient Altoans had reached a high state, but to think such a thing was possible…”

“A mage I met before also said it was at a level that modern magic could never replicate.”

“Indeed. Not only does it require such a vast quantity of True Silver, but various techniques lost in modern times must have been incorporated into its creation.”

In that they could deduce all that just by looking at a weapon, mages were truly fascinating creatures.

Of course, it might also be because Princess Cheryn was particularly extraordinary.

“Presumably, the owner of this weapon was an executor of a region. They must have been a warrior and mage of a fairly high rank in Altoan society.”

Indeed, that sword had been in the largest building of the nameless city, inside what appeared to be the master’s bedroom.

Just as Shan was contemplating taking it back out of concern that she might even guess the location of the city at this rate, she flipped the sword over multiple times, inspecting it, before speaking casually.

“I will need to research it further… but perhaps this technique could be extracted and used to some extent.”

“Really!?”

When Shan asked in surprise, throwing even his polite tone aside, Cheryn nodded.

“Of course, changing shapes as freely as this is naturally impossible, but setting a few fixed weapon lengths and morphing it over time should be feasible. Or making armor cover only the upper body normally, but expand to cover the entire body when entering battle.”

If that were possible, it would be truly useful.

Even the magical spear Shan currently used had been made into an awkward length because he wanted to use it both on horseback and on foot.

How convenient would it be to extend it to four meters for mounted combat and use it as a short spear of about two meters when walking?

Considering how bothersome it was to put on and take off armor, this also went without saying.

“Thanks to you, I have gained great inspiration. Well then, now…”

“How should we deal with the Brotherhood?”

Now that the other side had dared express an intent to kill Roden, there was no room for negotiation.

Reading the brutal murderous intent in Shan’s eyes, Cheryn spoke with a smile.

“There are a few ways, but I would advise that there is no need to take a detour. They are merely a criminal organization; there is no reason to fight within the boundaries of the law against those who do not enjoy its protection.”

“You mean…”

“By any chance, as a knight, do things like kidnapping or assassination offend your pride?”

“Not at all.”

Unless the opponents were an honorable group, there was no way Shan would be bound by such things against criminals and villains who had attempted to kill his friend.

Cheryn smiled softly at Shan’s clear answer and spoke.

“Then things become simple indeed. First, shall we bring in the contact person whom both I and you two know?”

*

On a dark night, Sir Bolin of House Anix suddenly woke from his sleep for some unknown reason.

Was it because he was somewhat thirsty from drinking heavily the previous day?

Turning his head to drink a glass of water, Bolin found himself freezing in his tracks involuntarily.

“Ah…?”

In a corner of the pitch-black room where only faint moonlight filtered through the window, two green lights were staring back at him.