------------------
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
------------------
Chapter 220: The Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique
"Chase, did you see the recruitment notice that went up?"
"I did."
The news that Allenvert was recruiting members for his personal guard was a hot topic among the Special Operations Division members.
"But first, let me have a sip of water."
"Go ahead."
Chase, whose face had grown haggard from the hellish training under Ulbhild's supervision, drank the water gratefully like a traveler crossing a desert.
"Ahh, water tastes so good."
After moistening his throat, Chase returned to the main topic.
"I heard they're offering the highest possible salary."
"How much are they paying? We're already getting the most as the Special Operations Division."
Chase wagged his finger dismissively.
"They're adding another 30% on top of that."
"Wow, did he find a sunken treasure ship somewhere?"
"Or maybe he struck gold while raiding Huten's vault."
Of course, all the wealth that Huten had been hiding was now in the possession of the Bisakino Brotherhood under Nagan's supervision.
But broadly speaking, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say that the ultimate ownership belonged to Allenvert.
"That's not all. Master Baldun is providing armor and weapons made from the by-products of Nepherus's corpse, free of charge."
"Wow, aren't those high-quality items that are hard to get even if you have the money?"
"That's why everyone's going crazy, royal guards, knights, security guards, everyone. I heard even some of the squad leaders are considering it."
"The squad leaders? They've already established their positions."
"Well, it practically guarantees a path to promotion. If you have the skills, you could rise rapidly."
Among the direct descendants most likely to become the next Duke Grunewald, Verdzig and Allenvert were currently the closest contenders.
Unlike his brother, Allenvert didn't yet have many retainers, and he had risen to prominence in an extremely short time, becoming the center of attention.
His very existence had a charm that made ambitious young people want to stake their lives on him.
"Honestly, if it weren't for our Second Commander, I might have considered it too."
"That's what I'm saying."
"Tsk."
Chase clicked his tongue.
But they were fanatics who worshipped Ulbhild to the bone. No matter how much personal affection they felt for Allenvert after spending time with him, they would never transfer to another unit.
"It's such a shame. This is truly buying at the lowest point."
"Buying at the lowest point? What does that mean?"
"It means purchasing something when its value is at its lowest."
Chase didn't miss the opportunity to show off his knowledge.
"For example, if war is expected next year and iron will be scarce, but this year iron is unusually cheap. What would you do?"
"Hmm. Buy it in advance?"
"Not just that you should hoard it."
"Oh! That's right."
"That's what I mean."
"I didn't know you were so smart."
"My mother said she seriously considered making me a scholar when I was young. But I was too strong and active, so I had no choice but to follow the path of a warrior..."
"Cut the crap, you're not that smart."
"Why are you insulting me?"
Chase clicked his tongue again.
"Come to think of it, the real winners here are Butler Olivier and Squad Leader Jeffrey."
"True. Especially Squad Leader Jeffrey, he might even get promoted to commander of the personal guard."
"Hah, they say it's all about who you know."
"Are you implying that our Second Commander's connections aren't good enough? Do you want to be executed?"
"Why does the conversation always go in that direction?"
Chase, accustomed to his senior's nagging, brushed it off and suddenly furrowed his brow.
"Hmm, but you know what?"
"What?"
"Our Second Commander and even Sixth Commander Rudgarda are essentially Young Lord Allenvert's allies, right?"
"I suppose so."
"Plus, he has the Bisakino Brotherhood as allies in the underworld."
"And?"
"If you add a personal guard to that, the military power that could gather under the Young Lord's name would be enough to sweep away an entire barony in a single night, with power to spare."
"...That's true."
Chase asked with a serious face.
"But why would the Young Lord need that much military power right now?"
* * *
"Young Lord."
"Welcome, Master."
Venion was approaching from a distance with a leisurely gait.
"You certainly kept me waiting. I didn't realize learning a martial technique would be this difficult."
"Hehe, don't be too harsh. You already know the circumstances, don't you?"
Looking at Venion shrugging his shoulders like a neighborhood uncle, one would find it hard to believe this was the same mysterious master who had shown such prowess during the final battle with Huten.
'If he wishes, he can appear utterly harmless and even frivolous, causing others to misjudge him.'
Venion was no less than a first-class actor. If he wanted, he could make his enemies tremble with fear or even make them believe he was their lifelong friend and confidant.
A man with a thousand faces, perhaps? Unlike me, he wouldn't even need artifacts like the Mask of Aminicrus.
'Is this the true capability of a man who has been the leader of the Shadow Division in Grunewald Duchy for decades?'
Even I, who had grown up in the underworld, had only sensed that he was ‘suspicious’ but never managed to uncover his true identity.
Who am I, Karzan, if not a genius of intrigue who nearly skinned Huten, the man who almost swallowed the entire Bisakino Brotherhood down to the bone with psychological warfare?
It had been a long time since I felt outclassed by someone.
"Before teaching you the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique, let me first talk a bit about the Shadow Division."
"That's perfect timing. I've been curious about many things."
I looked around once more. There was no one around the training field.
"Well, no need to worry about our conversation leaking. Will you be using this place as the training ground for your personal guard in the future?"
"That's the plan. It's also close to the annex."
"The location is appropriate. I see you're also well-versed in terrain."
"Your compliment doesn't sound sincere at all."
I snorted.
"By the way, where are my predecessors and what are they doing?"
"Well, they're all busy with their own tasks."
"Is that classified information too?"
"Young Lord, the foundation of an intelligence organization like ours is a cell structure."
Venion kicked at the dirt ground and pulled up a weed.
"The roots are longer than I expected."
The roots, entangled like vines, were pulled out in a cluster.
"If an organization is structured like this, the risk is too high. If just one important agent is captured, the entire organizational chart would be exposed, and the rest could be wiped out one after another."
"Indeed."
"Therefore, unless you're in a critically important position, it's better not to know about each other."
With a cell structure, even if someone is caught, it's easy to cut them loose immediately. There would be nothing to extract under interrogation.
"What happens if the head of the Shadow Division is captured by the enemy?"
"Well, in that case, the head would have to disappear, taking all secrets with him."
It was quite a brutal answer, but Venion's face remained calm.
"In any case, since you've never lived as a spy, you'll have much to learn in this area as well."
"That's, hmm."
Even considering my past life's experiences, I had never infiltrated anywhere as a spy.
Well, normally one wouldn't.
"Being a spy seems challenging in many ways. No sense of camaraderie, no meeting colleagues, and not even any place to boast about your achievements."
"Those are some of the hardships, yes."
"Ah, truly I am a man born with a lonely fate."
Venion chuckled.
"You're joking, right? There's no one busier than you these days."
"That's true."
Sometimes I wish I had two bodies, you know?
"By the way, I'm curious about something."
"What is it?"
"Do my brother Verdzig and Count Bergen know about the existence of the Shadow Division and your true identity?"
"Young Lord, they aren't fools. We've been engaged in intense intelligence warfare beneath the surface for a very long time."
However, Venion added:
"What they know amounts to just a few puzzle pieces of a much larger picture.
The exact name of the Shadow Division, who the leader is, how many executives there are, what the organizational structure looks like, what role Venion plays and how important a figure he is.
They don't know any of this precisely."
So it's a matter of difference in intelligence capabilities.
"Of course, the vampiric clan of Recrusa, which the Bergens has nurtured, is formidable. Without the contract binding the entire clan, even Bergens would have had difficulty controlling them properly."
"...I see."
I recalled Skella's face, whom Verdzig had been obsessed with. She was certainly a formidable opponent.
"In any case, from the moment I took the position as your swordsmanship instructor, you were in a position to be checked by Bergen and Agrippa. They would have already known that I was a person of interest."
"Isn't that disadvantageous? Having to monitor their wrongdoings while already being under suspicion."
"That's why you need to sincerely engage in the struggle for succession rights."
"Of course I intend to."
I said.
"First, I'll win over the Visquera clan and rebuild Eisenach."
"If you add the power of the Bisakino Brotherhood, Svaltalfar, and your personal guard to that, it would become quite a formidable force."
Venion nodded.
"On top of that, I plan to add the Shadow Division, a secret known to no one."
"What do you intend to do with that power, Young Lord?"
"I'll be honest."
I intended to reveal my intentions at this opportunity.
"In the name of Grunewald, I will begin a revenge campaign to behead the usurper Grimnar Angantyr."
"If that is your will, then try to achieve it."
Venion nodded.
This means it was also my father's will.
"I'll be counting on your guidance until then."
I paid my respects to Venion as one would to a master.
"Very well."
"So how about teaching me the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique first?"
"Hahaha!"
Venion laughed and nodded.
"Very well. I'll now explain the principles and essence of the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique."
"But Venion, you haven't mastered the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique yourself, have you?"
"That's correct."
Venion replied to my question.
"I'll recite the incantations for you, and then confirm whether you're properly mastering them."
"How fascinating. Can martial arts be learned that way too?"
"What's the problem? Many people train and master techniques on their own with just a secret manual. And for someone like you, Young Lord, who can immediately replicate martial arts upon first seeing them, it's not even worth mentioning."
Of course, Venion added:
"If there were someone among your ancestors who had already mastered the same martial art, you could learn directly from them, but as you know, Grunewald's advance techniques are quite diverse."
"That's certainly true."
"Unfortunately, the most recent practitioner of the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique died before you were born."
Venion said.
"However, he left behind an annotated commentary for future practitioners. This isn't common, you're quite fortunate."
"Now that I hear it, I am fortunate."
I nodded.
"His martial prowess was truly representative of the Grunewald Ducal clan. He had good compatibility with the Ink Soul Sacred Shadow Technique, and it's said that once he started rampaging, no one could stop him."
Finding this curious, I asked.
"Who exactly was this person you're talking about?"
Venion grinned and replied:
"It was the previous head of the clan."
"...Wow."
Incredible.
------------------
[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
------------------
