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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 196: Fox Hunt
"Let's start with introductions, shall we?"
The younger brother spoke.
"My name is Drak Svaltalfar. And this is Ghir Svaltalfar."
"I'm Karzan."
"Certainly not a name I recognize."
Even if these guys were big shots in the underworld, it would be difficult for them to know about someone from a foreign country who died 17 years ago.
Since I died before my fame crossed the seas, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
"Very well, Mr. Karzan."
The younger brother looked at me.
"I'll acknowledge that you have remarkable skills. You not only detected our concealment but even managed to land a blow on my brother during your fight."
"It wouldn't have ended there anyway, right?"
I shrugged.
"That madman only fought with boxing and dagger techniques, not using any of his specialty stealth martial arts at all."
Meaning I wasn't the only one who had been hiding my strength.
"That's true. It was fundamentally wrong for an assassin to engage in a frontal battle in the first place."
Drak said with disgust.
"But let's get to the point. What business do you have seeking us out? You seem to have known we were Svaltalfars from the beginning."
"From what I've been listening to your conversation," I said.
"Yes?"
"It seems the situation has become complicated and you failed to kill Huten."
"That's right."
Drak admitted readily.
"That must be troublesome for you?"
"As you can see."
"Did you have a backup plan?"
"Well..."
Drak tilted his head to the side.
"Helping the opposition win would be fine too."
"I'm the one who stood with that opposition and helped Nagan."
"Oh?"
"In other words, we have a common enemy. There's no reason not to form a united front."
But Drak drew a line.
"Only if our interests align and trust is possible."
Hmm, this one isn't easy to handle. To persuade this man would require precisely honed logic.
"Let's start by going back to how this internal conflict began."
I drew figures on the ground with my bracelet sword, and the two brothers leaned in to look.
"Huten had probably been preparing to take over the organization for a long time. It's obvious just from the fact that he's turned more than half of the forces to his side."
"Hmm."
"But his plan was accelerated ahead of schedule. That's because the branch leader of Svaltalfar received a contract on Huten's head for some reason."
Of course, that "some reason" was because Huten tried to pull something with Grunewald through Somerset and got caught.
But how many people in this underworld would know that much? Probably just the executives like Nagan.
"But Huten, who had been hiding his strength, killed the assassin and cut off his head to insult him, which led Svaltalfar to send assassins from the main clan. That would be you two."
"Luktum, that idiot. A man with mediocre skills must have been acting arrogantly."
Ghir snorted.
"Thanks to him, I got dragged into this mess. Damn it."
I looked at Drak.
"Is there bad blood between clan members? Or is he just odd?"
"Both."
"Ah."
I nodded and continued my story.
"Anyway, this turned the problem into one between Svaltalfar, the renowned assassination clan, and the Bisakino Brotherhood. So the Godfather of the Bisakino Brotherhood called a meeting."
I represented the Godfather's faction and Huten's faction as two large circles.
"Whether it was because he realized how much Huten's faction had grown, or because his anger that had been suppressed over this issue finally exploded..."
I crossed out the circle representing Huten, as if striking it with a sword.
"The Godfather seemed to feel it was time to eliminate Huten. He called Huten in for disciplinary action, and Huten, sensing something was wrong, gathered his faction to kill the Godfather while simultaneously attacking the stronghold of the loyal faction. It was a meticulously planned diversion."
"Then why did it fail?"
Ghir, who had been listening quietly, asked.
"Because of me. I helped Nagan, an executive of the loyal faction, to defeat the enemy."
"How were you able to intervene at the right time?"
Drak's question was sharp. The younger brother seems to be the intellectual type.
"I'm a comrade of a man named Zizek who leads an organization under the Bisakino Brotherhood."
I mixed in a small lie here. I couldn't exactly say I was the mastermind behind everything.
"We obtained information about the conflict within the organization through an informant, and by a narrow margin, we rescued the loyal faction. If it weren't for me, Nagan's side would have lost since the executives were acting unusually like berserkers."
"They must have been fed some cheap drug that enhances combat ability."
Ghir said as if he understood.
"I suppose so. Anyway, after sorting out the situation and returning to the headquarters, I found the Godfather dead and Huten already withdrawn into hiding."
I pointed at the two of them.
"We think the reason is because of you two. Being targeted by assassins of your caliber would be quite uncomfortable."
After actually fighting them, I confirmed that the rumors about them being from a renowned assassination clan weren't just empty talk.
"Hmph, if everyone in our clan were as strong as me, I wouldn't have to deal with such troublesome matters."
Ghir boasted.
"What an annoying guy."
I clicked my tongue and continued.
"In any case, Huten is still waiting for an opportunity. But you and I have become variables interfering with his plans."
I pointed at the two brothers.
"Naturally, he'll be much more wary of you. The name of a renowned assassination clan is certainly not an empty title."
Therefore.
"Drak. Don't you think we could strategically use this point if we join hands?"
"It certainly makes sense."
Drak rubbed his chin.
"Do you have a specific plan?"
"Huten will definitely avoid conflict with you. With just this one premise, it becomes simple."
I replied.
"Whether we drive him out and catch him, or wait for when he comes to attack us and you appear to make him retreat... the strategy can be devised as needed."
"There's one thing I can't compromise on."
Drak raised a finger.
"Huten's head belongs to us."
"Well, that's how it has to be."
I wasn't interested in collecting Huten's head anyway.
"If you catch him, there's nothing to say, and even if we catch him, we'll hand over his head."
From Nagan's perspective, just having the body should be enough, right? Even if not, I just need to persuade him.
"Hmm."
Drak exchanged glances with Ghir and then said:
"It seems like you intend to use us as bait to set a trap and catch Huten yourself."
"Exactly."
"Are you confident? The Bisakino Brotherhood is a third rate organization, and the Godfather who led it must have been a powerful figure who crossed the sixth tier threshold. And Huten is the one who killed such a Godfather."
"Oh, that?"
Taking down enemies stronger than me is a familiar task. The one who survives in the wild the longest isn't always the strongest.
'Even in my past life, I was already hunting sixth tier beings with fifth tier power.'
And now I've added all sorts of advanced techniques from Grunewald. Why should I fear someone like Huten?
...But instead of listing all those thoughts, I simply replied:
"Are there many people who can match your brother?"
"...They're rare. My brother is a monster."
"Would your brother not be able to handle Huten?"
"Of course he could."
Drak nodded. That explanation should have been sufficient.
"Good. With this, we're allies for now."
"Yes, whatever."
"You, you're quite skilled with your tongue."
I grinned.
"I tend to be."
***
I brought the two back to the headquarters of the Bisakino Brotherhood.
"I can't believe you actually brought them."
Nagan stuck out his tongue in disbelief.
"Wow, so these people, I mean, these gentlemen are...?"
Instinctively a bit intimidated, Zizek asked with honorifics.
"Yes. The assassins sent from the main clan of Svaltalfar."
"What are you looking at? Keep your eyes down before I pluck them out."
"!!!"
When Ghir revealed his killing intent without hiding it, some of the executives flinched.
"Brother. Stop causing trouble."
Drak poked Ghir in the side.
"It's my choice."
"If I ever get sent on a mission with this guy again, I’ll lose my sanity."
I shook my head watching them.
‘This fucking little brat.’
He reminds me of Barclava or Somerset during their most troublesome phases.
"Anyway, he'll bite if you provoke him, so be careful everyone."
The executives seemed not just surprised but terrified to see me treating that ferocious guy like a puppy, and even more shocking that Ghir didn't make a fuss about it.
"Look at this guy, everyone. If you had fallen for Huten's tricks and stood up to protect him, tremendous bloodshed would have followed. Because as you can see, he's a monster."
"..."
The sound of someone swallowing was unusually loud.
"But as you know, the future has changed. Huten tried to seize the organization by rebelling as soon as he was in danger of being expelled, but..."
I pointed to Nagan and Zizek in turn before continuing.
"His plan was only half successful. And now it's our turn to counterattack."
Even the executives were quietly listening to me. Probably because they were impressed by my ability to bring these two assassins and curious about what I planned to do with them.
"Huten will certainly hide and wait for an opportunity."
I looked around at the assembly.
"Think, comrades. How will Huten move? And for what purpose will he move?"
"..."
After looking at the various answers appearing in their eyes, I said:
"Ultimately, killing the new leader would be his biggest goal. Only then could he absorb this organization entirely."
At this moment, I thought from Huten's perspective.
"The obstacles for him are me, Zizek, and the two assassins sent by Svaltalfar. So I intend to use these two cards to guide his actions."
"How?"
Nagan asked.
"First, you two."
I pointed to the assassin brothers.
"Be flamboyant enough for Huten to see. Preferably, take 'actions that allow him to calculate the expected time.'"
To that cryptic instruction, Drak responded.
"What kind of actions would those be?"
"Well. Let's think about that from now."
Of course, you will.
"I don't care what you do, but preferably go to a place owned by Huten's faction. So that reports can go directly to him."
Ghir, who had been listening with his arms crossed, said irritably.
"In short, you're asking us to make a flashy scene to draw attention, right? We'll start a brawl or set a fire, so don't worry about it."
"Great. Reliable."
And I meant it.
"If Huten becomes aware of your presence, he'll definitely think this is his opportunity."
After explaining this much, I looked at the executives of the Bisakino Brotherhood.
"What will Huten do in this situation? Those of you who know Huten well, tell me."
They eagerly answered.
"He'll try to keep Zizek in check while attacking the leader."
"How will he keep him in check?"
"He'll probably mobilize some subordinate organizations including the Black Night Society."
Nagan said with almost complete certainty.
"He always preferred to use others as bait and only directly involve himself in important matters. Besides, since Caleb suffered a major defeat by you, he won't have many subordinates he can trust."
"What a snake-like bastard."
But it was exactly the answer I'd anticipated, which gave me a sense of reassurance.
"Alright, let's summarize. We'll disperse Huten's forces using two baits, while guiding when he appears and how he attacks according to our intentions."
"...!"
"The greatest advantage of this operation is that we won't surrender the initiative to him."
That's why we're throwing out bait he can't ignore.
"We can even calculate when he'll attack this very place. So what should we do?"
"Set a trap and drive him into it."
Nagan smiled fiercely—
"Comrades, this is a hunt rather than revenge."
I wanted to give this operation a fitting name.
"Let's call the operation 'Fox Hunt.'"
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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