Chapter 32 : Crisis Is Opportunity (4)

I was stunned by the unexpected request for a discussion.

If you’re criminals, act like criminals—skip the formalities and just pick a fight.

Why suddenly start a debate about good and evil?

Are they scheming something? It can’t be that they genuinely want to discuss philosophy.

Are they testing me to figure out what kind of person I am?

I sat down as well.

My goal wasn’t to sit around and chat, but it would also be troublesome to start the fight myself.

Instead, I decided to provoke them as much as I could.

“How dare a petty villain like you discuss good and evil with me?”

“I was once a knight in the past. Back then, I had quite a reputation. Although now, I make a living differently.”

“Lies. There’s no way someone like you was ever a knight.”

I put my feet on the table and lounged arrogantly.

The dirt on my shoes not only soiled the table but also fell into the teacup in front of him.

His eyebrow twitched.

Good, it seems to be working.

If he had stayed calm no matter what I did, I might have had to return without any incidents.

But this gives me a chance to turn things around.

“I have no intention of conversing with scum like you. I am here to judge you for the crimes you have committed.”

“And what crimes might you be referring to?”

“Extorting the wealth of the townsfolk and using violence against them.”

“Ha, it seems there’s a misunderstanding.”

He laughed as he replied.

“We’ve never done such things.”

“Do you think I’ll just let it slide if you play dumb? I’ve seen it with my own eyes before coming here.”

“Ah… That was simply the rightful exercise of our authority. Our organization protects the local people in exchange for a small fee.”

“That’s nonsense.”

I shook my head firmly.

It was such blatant nonsense that I didn’t even have to pretend to argue.

“And who gave you the authority to ‘protect’ the townsfolk and charge them for it? Did the lord of this land ask you to do that?”

“This area is full of dangerous criminals. Even without being asked, we act as a vigilante group. And to continue these activities, we need funding.”

“Villains always have some excuse like that.”

I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword as if issuing a final warning.

“I won’t say any more. Stop tormenting the townsfolk and return all the money you’ve taken. Otherwise, you will face my judgment.”

“We…”

“I said I wouldn’t say it again, didn’t I?”

My unyielding attitude made the leader’s face twist in frustration.

Good. Finally, he’s about to snap.

“Very well.”

“Huh?”

“We will comply. We’ll follow your orders. It might not be possible today, but within three days, we will liquidate all assets and return them to the townsfolk. Then, we’ll leave this place.”

“Huh?”

Wait a second… Why?

Aren’t I the intruder here, and aren’t you the criminals who’d rather shed blood than give up your territory? Why are you backing down so easily?

This ruins my entire plan.

“Why?”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you backing down? Take the townsfolk hostage, silence us, or do something else! Use methods like that!”

“…Excuse me?”

Why is he acting like this?

Is it because he’s secretly a good person? No, that’s definitely not the case.

There must be some logical reason.

As I stared at him, the leader hesitated for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Hmm, to be honest, I do keep my ears open.”

“What do you mean?”

“I heard that the Lusevian group plans to clean up the area around Noiren soon. I had already expected things to turn out like this.”

“Ah.”

“If it were the northern or eastern factions, it might be different, but what can a small organization like ours do against people like you? We have no choice but to comply.”

So, this guy knew we were from Lusevian and decided to play it safe.

The Lusevian family does have a certain reputation.

Seeing someone sent from such a household must have made him assume we were quite capable.

That explains why he was so respectful despite my rudeness.

He’s better informed than I thought.

Maybe his claim about being a former knight isn’t entirely a lie.

But this also gave me an opportunity.

“Hmm, it seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

I addressed the puzzled leader.

“I’m not someone sent by Lusevian.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. I have no connection to Lusevian. I’m just a wandering warrior who couldn’t stand by in the face of injustice.”

“Huh?”

The leader let out a hollow laugh, while Lumia’s face turned pale.

The other members of the group, who had been listening, began reaching for their weapons.

“Wait, wait… Is that really true? Are you saying you have no ties to Lusevian?”

“Why would I lie to you?”

“Then… are you from the royal family or one of the great houses? No, someone like that wouldn’t come to a place like this…”

“Are you deaf? I just told you—I belong to no one.”

“Hahaha…”

The leader’s expression completely changed.

He grabbed his forehead and laughed heartily before issuing an order to his men.

“Kill them all.”

One of the members drew his sword and swung it toward my neck. Lumia stepped in to block it.

“Wade, what now?”

“What else? We uphold justice.”

“Why did you play such a trick? Now we’re in real danger. We can’t take on everyone here!”

“It’s fine. As students of Arcana, there’s no way we’d lose to these third-rate thugs.”

I got up leisurely and drew my sword, pointing it at the leader.

“You villains, finally revealing your true nature. I tried to reason with you, but I see that won’t work.”

“You never tried reasoning from the start.”

“Enough talk. Come at me.”

The members charged all at once.

At first, it was easy.

Even though I was a dropout and an underachiever at Arcana, there was no way I’d struggle against these low-level thugs.

Most of them couldn’t even follow our movements, let alone put up a fight.

Once they realized we weren’t ordinary people, they hesitated and surrounded us instead of attacking outright.

“What’s wrong? Not attacking?”

“Looks like you’ve had some training with a sword.”

“You think I’d have come here without knowing anything? It’s too late for regrets. You’ll all die here today.”

“Bold of you to talk like that.”

The leader smirked and gestured toward a man who had been silently observing the situation.

It was the guy who had led us here, and he looked strong enough to back it up.

So, he’s finally stepping in.

If it’s just him, though, this might end too quickly.

Maybe I should stall for time until ‘she’ arrives.

“Lumia, I’ll handle this one.”

“Huh?”

Lumia looked alarmed as I stepped forward.

“No, don’t. That guy’s probably the strongest one here. Let me take him on.”

“No, I’ll handle him. If he’s really that strong, then it’ll be dangerous for you, too. If something goes wrong… you should at least escape.”

“Don’t say things like that. I’m leaving here with you.”

“Don’t take it so seriously. I’m an Arcana student, too. Do you think I’d die to someone like him?”

I shrugged and faced the man.

The man said something ominous as he charged toward me.

“My family is waiting for me back home. I promised Maria a new maid uniform… so, even if I wanted to die, I can’t afford to.”

He rushed at me.

While glancing at Lumia fighting nearby, I pretended to spar with him casually.

“Ugh!”

“You’re ridiculous. After all that big talk, is this all you’ve got?”

“I am a student of the prestigious Arcana and a knight. I won’t lose to the likes of you!”

Although I could eliminate him instantly, I am, after all, an underachiever.

Acting like I was struggling felt more natural in this situation.

When would be the right moment?

Once Lumia had taken down about half the group, I decided “she” would arrive soon and began putting on a real show.

“Argh!”

I let the man’s sword graze me intentionally.

Although I now have a body that doesn’t die from minor injuries, to others, it appeared like a serious wound.

Blood gushed dramatically from the cut on my arm.

Lumia cried out in alarm.

“Wade!”

“You shouldn’t take your eyes off your opponent during a fight…”

“But your arm…!”

Even while fending off the rest of the group, she worried about my injury.

But now wasn’t the time for her to worry about me, as a real crisis had arrived.

As I clutched my wounded arm, the man smirked down at me, oblivious to what was about to happen.

“So, Arcana students aren’t much after all.”

“Ugh…”

“I’ll kill you, then send her along with you. That way, you won’t be lonely in the afterlife.”

He raised his sword high.

Lumia, seeing this, tried to intervene but was too occupied with other attackers to move.

Just as his blade came down toward my neck—

Knock, knock.

A sound entirely out of place echoed through the room.

It was a knock at the door.

The kind of mundane sound that would usually be drowned out by clashing swords and shouting.

But here, it carried with unnatural clarity, as though amplified.

Who could it be at a time like this?

If it were one of the group’s own, they would surely know a fight was underway.

Even if they weren’t, they’d at least sense something was amiss.

Everyone froze.

Their heads turned toward the source of the unsettling, peculiar noise.

Creak.

The door opened.

Standing there were men, along with a hooded figure.

Judging by their tattoos, weapons, and attire, they seemed to belong to another organization.

However, their slack jaws, drooling mouths, vacant eyes, and eerie stillness were anything but normal.

“Who are you?” the man facing me paused mid-swing to ask.

One of the figures outside, who seemed the most coherent, replied.

“We’re here for Wade and Lumia.”

“I asked who you are.”

“Ah… so, you’re here,” the man with the rolling eyes muttered, ignoring the question and shifting his gaze to Lumia and me.

The others standing beside him also turned their eyes toward us in unison, as if connected by a single thread.

“Do these fools even know where they are…?”

Angered by being blatantly ignored, the man took a step toward them, but he never finished his sentence.

Crack, crack, crack.

His neck twisted several times over, eventually snapping entirely.

The man’s head, now coiled like a pretzel, darted his eyes around in confusion before collapsing to the ground like a broken puppet.

The room fell silent.

The strange intruders continued to stare at us, unblinking.