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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Hostage
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6.
Guided by Hulio, they arrived at none other than a small house tucked away at the mouth of an alley.
"We're here."
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary home.
But once inside, pulling a certain book from a shelf in the study revealed a staircase leading down to a basement.
"This is the only way in. I believe Kalligo has an exclusive passage, but I don't know its exact location."
"So in an emergency, they just seal it off?"
"Correct."
"Ruthless."
It was a very closed-off structure, fitting for a black market.
After his brief explanation, Hulio led the way down the stairs. Soon, the true entrance to the black market appeared.
It was a wooden door that faintly emanated the traces of magic.
Two large men stood before it.
"Hulio. It's been a while. What brings you here?"
One of them spoke to Hulio, not bothering to hide his hostility.
A giant of a man, wearing a red eyepatch over his right eye.
Karron sized them up.
'A member of a criminal syndicate, and a mana user at that…'
Though his mana was less than that of a 1st-Star Knight, the difference between having mana and not was significant.
It meant he wasn't your average neighborhood thug.
In a district where all sorts of interests clashed, perhaps this was to be expected.
"I've brought some guests."
"The guests you bring are always high rollers. But is there a reason you came to our side?"
"My esteemed guests strongly requested it."
The man's gaze shifted to Karron and Leo.
Guests wearing masks.
Nobles were the black market's best customers. They tended to be good at keeping secrets, and more importantly, anyone who bothered to visit a black market usually had considerable wealth.
However, a moment later, the man's words were completely unexpected.
"Go back."
"…Why? Is it because of me?"
"The Chairman ordered that no one be let in today."
Trouble from the very start.
At the firm rejection, Hulio's displeasure showed as he spoke.
"You people will do anything for money. What's with the sudden change in policy?"
"A grunt like me doesn't need to know the Chairman's intentions. Go back while I'm asking nicely."
As they spoke, their hands moved to the scabbards at their waists.
They looked ready to draw their swords at any moment.
Karron, who had been watching silently, let out a smirk and opened his mouth.
"Go on, draw your sword. I'm curious to see what happens."
The boyish voice echoed in the basement, and the atmosphere instantly froze.
Startled by the sudden outburst, Leo spoke to Karron in a small voice.
"Young… Master. It might be better to just lie low…"
"No, Urhan. These worms are calling us 'just anyone.' You expect me to hear that insult and just let it slide?"
Karron used Leo's alias as they had agreed.
He placed a hand on the Guillotine at his waist and grinned.
"What kind of street trash dares to threaten a noble?"
-A word of warning, I refuse to drink the blood of vermin like that.
'Shut up for a second, you damn magic sword.'
Even with Guillotine sheathed, its voice would echo in his mind if he placed a hand on the hilt.
Karron casually ignored Guillotine's voice and approached the giants before him.
Seeing how things were going, it seemed a peaceful entry was out of the question.
He had figured it wouldn't be a walk in the park, anyway.
Therefore, there was no need to hesitate in his next move.
"Urhan. Time for plan B."
"Why am I… no, why is there a plan B that only I don't know about?"
"That's because I didn't tell you about plan B."
This way was more comfortable, anyway.
Rather than sneaking in, gathering information, and making deductions…
"Tell your Chairman to come out right now."
…it was better to just charge right in.
For Karron, this more physical approach was still more comfortable than the formal, pretentious culture of the nobility.
"You may be the son of a noble family, but this is the night of Tebe. A good time for a young noble to get himself stabbed to death for acting out. Can you handle that?"
The moment the word 'Chairman' left Karron's lips, the atmosphere changed completely.
The giant with the eyepatch no longer hid his hostility, even toward Karron.
"If you just turn back now, we'll grant you a special favor next time you visit."
"A special favor? Do you lot even know the meaning of the word 'special'? I highly doubt it. What I want is to meet this 'Chairman' of yours right now."
Karron said, pointing a finger at the man's scabbard.
"It's simple. If you want to stop me, draw that sword right now."
"Do you think we're playing games here?"
"I said draw it. What, you can't?"
*Shinggg.*
Guillotine was instantly drawn from Karron's scabbard.
"Then I'll help you out."
In a flash, Guillotine slashed at the man's hip.
*CRAAAAAANG—!*
Guillotine split the steel sword, scabbard and all. Despite being swung at close range, the blow struck only the scabbard with precision.
The man's sword fell to the floor in two pieces. The giant standing next to him immediately drew his own sword and shouted.
"You son of a—"
*Clang!*
"Please, just give me a heads-up before you… do something, Young Master!"
But Leo was a fraction faster.
Leo had already swung his sword, deflecting his opponent's blade. Sent flying with almost laughable ease, the sword clattered unceremoniously to the floor.
Just like that, the giants were disarmed.
Karron immediately pressed Guillotine to the neck of the eyepatch-wearing giant.
"How do you like that?"
The man's face twisted in a scowl.
"Do you really think you can walk away from this unscathed?"
"That's my business."
"I will never let you pass—"
It was then.
*Woooong.*
A red sword crest on the giant's chest began to glow, and a soft voice echoed from it.
"Chairman. These men are dangerous."
A woman's voice.
In a situation like this, one would expect a hint of tension in her voice, but hers was calm.
Karron gave a small nod, then replied with a smile.
"The Chairman seems pretty cool."
Her tone suggested she already knew who he was.
It seemed this organization's information network was quite formidable.
Having quickly assessed the situation, Karron asked her in a low voice.
"Does our Chairman happen to care for her subordinates?"
"Glad to hear it."
Karron moved in an instant, pressing his sword against the neck of the giant called 'Kal.'
"We still lack a bit of trust between us, don't we? We have to ensure our own survival."
"Chairman! Don't worry about me. Right now, these men must be…"
A moment later, the Chairman's laughter filled the basement.
"Rumors?"
After a long bout of laughter, she spoke in a bright voice.
"Isn't the first rule of a hostage situation to take the utmost care of the hostage?"
"I appreciate the offer, but as you know, I'm quite expensive."
"…As you wish, Chairman."
The communication ended.
As the voice faded, Karron patted Kal's back and smiled.
"You trust me, right?"
Kal ground his teeth and replied.
"Go to hell."
"Ooh, feisty. Well, everyone? Let's go."
And so, they opened the door to the underground and stepped inside.
7.
The long staircase finally ended, and the underground 'black market' revealed itself.
"Oh."
"Whoa."
Exclamations of awe escaped Karron and Leo's lips simultaneously.
The Kalligo black market.
They had expected a crudely built facility, but the sight before them was magnificent.
A high, soaring ceiling.
Buildings that seemed to be neatly constructed in distinct zones.
The scene resembled a small city.
"Hulio, are other black markets like this?"
"Not at all. The Kalligo black market was built on top of ancient ruins. I believe they completely razed the underground ruins with magic and then erected these buildings on top."
A kind of underground city.
It felt like a place far too grand for a mere criminal syndicate to occupy.
"The atmosphere is killer. Right, Brother Leo?"
"Have you given up on hiding your identity now?"
"They already found out, didn't they?"
"*Sigh*… Are you sure we're getting out of here alive?"
Leo glanced around with anxious eyes.
Between the buildings, he could see men with faces twisted in anger.
Their murderous glares were enough to make one shrink back.
Yet the very person who had created this hostile atmosphere was smiling cheerfully.
"They all have a certain romantic flair. It's a good look."
Karron even whistled as he walked forward.
After about a ten-minute walk, they arrived at a lavishly decorated mansion.
There were guards stationed in front of the mansion as well, but they immediately parted to let Karron's group through.
*Creeeak.*
The mansion door opened, revealing a splendid reception room.
It was a luxurious space filled with what were clearly expensive, extravagant items.
It seemed to be a facility prepared to entertain the noble clientele who visited the black market.
"We have guests."
Karron, who had entered the reception room with a flourish, soon spotted people.
One was a knight standing silently in a mask, and the other was a person sitting on a sofa, leisurely sipping tea.
What was peculiar was that the person on the sofa was wearing a golden mask.
-Master. Be careful. That's a knight at the entry level of the 8th-Star.
'I know.'
Was the one in the golden mask the Chairman?
If so, the presence of an 8th-Star Knight was concerning.
An 8th-Star Knight.
A level of achievement equal to Sabina and Jeras, and a rank reached by only a handful of individuals in the entire Empire.
In other words, this knight was a powerhouse beyond comparison to the 6th-Star Knights he had recently faced.
The 8th-Star Knight simply stared at Karron without a word, but that alone made it slightly difficult to breathe.
'Who is it?'
If the knight showed even a hint of his mana, he might be able to guess his identity. But the knight just stood there silently.
"*Ugh.*"
Leo, standing behind him, let out a pained groan. Just then, the golden mask sitting on the sofa rose lightly.
"Karron Leston, the youngest grandson of the Leston Ducal Family. Well, well, to meet such a big shot in a place like this."
Though the voice was high-pitched, it wasn't the Chairman's voice he had heard earlier.
It was an androgynous voice that made it impossible to tell the speaker's gender.
The person approached Karron with a smile on their lips.
"I saw what you did to the gatekeepers at the entrance. I really didn't expect the Leston Ducal Family to have a kid like you."
"Do you happen to have a hobby of imitating a woman's voice?"
"What? Haha, you must be mistaking me for my sister. She just stepped out to brew some tea. But would you mind letting that friend of yours go? Kal might look tough, but he's a good kid."
What in the world was this guy?
Karron frowned, looking at the golden mask that had now come to a stop right in front of him.
"The Chairman's younger brother?"
"Not by blood. Let's just say we're sworn siblings. Anyway, it's a pleasure."
"Sea Wolf Sword's Secret Art."
"Huh?"
*Thwack.*
Kal, who had been in Karron's grasp, was sent tumbling unceremoniously to the floor, and his place was taken by the one in the golden mask.
Having switched hostages in an instant, Karron spoke with a satisfied expression.
"Sea Wolf Sword's Secret Art: Hostage Swap."
-Master. You are truly insane. Do you really want to do this?
Guillotine muttered in disbelief.
However, the person who had become the hostage…
"Sir Mason! Look at this! I've been taken hostage! Wow, this is more thrilling than I thought! I knew coming to Tebe was a good idea!"
…was jumping up and down with an excited voice, as if it were some fun game.
"Alright, Karron Leston. I will fully cooperate with your hostage situation. I may not look it, but my life is worth a hefty price. Feel free to use me as you wish."
Karron met the sparkling golden eyes from behind the golden mask.
Golden eyes, and an 8th-Star Knight called Mason.
Putting those two things together, he instantly figured out the identity of this lunatic.
The 6th Prince.
A being who inherited the blood of the Emperor.
Which meant he was currently holding the Prince's life hostage.
"Ah, even grandfather might have trouble with this one."
Karron muttered to himself with a smile.
In other words, this was a major incident that even Halo would struggle to handle.
He had no idea why the 6th Prince was in a place like this, but one thing was certain.
"Let's storm the Imperial Palace and overthrow the Empire just like this. Karron Leston, I'll be cheering for you! What should we do first? Should we record a magic video of me begging Father to save me?"
This guy was completely out of his mind, too.
It was the appearance of a powerful rival, one who threatened his position as the craziest bastard in the Empire.