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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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Chapter 229: How to Deal with Betrayal
It was deep into the night, when even creatures of darkness could barely stifle their yawns.
I drew upon the power of the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique and meticulously searched the sleeping city.
'Like spreading mana that flows from my body into the atmosphere.'
Having done this several times before, I was becoming more familiar with the mysteries of spiritual vision.
'Aha, there it is.'
I confirmed that Skella's blood bat was hiding on the roof of a lighthouse standing tall by the shore, watching in my direction.
"Quite far, aren't you? Can you really see me from there?"
Even concentrating my vision to its limits, I couldn't directly see the bat hiding in the darkness.
That's because I was in the northern part of the city, while the bat was hiding at the southernmost coastline.
'Was it modified for reconnaissance? The abilities of vampires are truly remarkable.'
Perhaps for that reason, it didn't seem to be hiding particularly well. If I focused carefully, I could easily detect something unusual.
Of course, that's by my standards.
'Stay right there.'
I combined my Whispering Snow in the Night with the Dark Star's power, then deployed my light movement technique to cross the city.
Whoooosh!
The strong sea breeze brushed past me. Like a triangular sail riding against the wind, I moved smoothly across roofs and walls without resisting the wind.
'Wow, I've become incredibly fast.'
As my tier had risen, my movement techniques had naturally improved as well.
It took me less than a few minutes to run from the north to the lighthouse in the southwest.
And so, finally,
"Skella."
I approached from behind the blood bat, which had smaller wings and abnormally large head and eyes.
[...My lord?]
Do bats have expressions? I thought the blood bat ‘turned around in surprise.’
"What are you doing here?"
[.....]
"It would be better not to lie."
Then Skella hesitated for a moment before answering honestly.
[I was monitoring your meeting with the Eisenach clan.]
"Did you eavesdrop on our conversation too?"
[This bat has sacrificed all other functions to maximize visual capabilities.]
That answer was sufficient.
"...I see?"
That's a relief, at least.
[Don't worry.]
"Hmm?"
Skella spoke as if trying to reassure me.
[Verdzig and I are busy with other matters.]
"Other matters? What kind?"
[Actually... it's underworld business.]
The underworld?
Verdzig and Skella?
"Why on earth?"
* * *
At the headquarters of the Pawelmoon, a bloodbath was taking place.
"Kill them! There are only three of them!"
"Surround her and stab, you idiots!"
Splash!
The executives who were shouting orders were the first to fall to Skella's assassination blade, becoming headless corpses.
"Where did she go?"
"She disappeared!"
"She’s manipulating blood! She's a vampire!"
Using vampiric stealth, superior physical abilities to cut off heads with a single strike, and the unique ability to infuse power into spurting blood to shoot it like a hidden weapon—
Skella's martial prowess was truly worth a hundred fighters.
"Block them!"
"It's just one swordsman!"
"We can't block them!"
Harald carved a path for his master with the steadfast and fierce swordsmanship he had honed in the royal guard.
And then.
"Aaaagh!"
"Please, spare my life!"
"Please show mercy."
Verdzig followed behind, walking steadily, overwhelming enemies with his killing intent alone, making them kneel and beg for mercy.
"Shut up."
But once drawn, Verdzig's sword mercilessly slaughtered those who surrendered, drinking their blood.
"Stupid bastards, what the hell are they doing? Why kneel without even fighting?"
"He seems to be using some strange demonic arts."
"Damn it, executives to the front!"
Following the Pawelmoon’s Godfather's orders, the executives who had been recruited by the Black Society all released their demonic mana at once.
"Uooooh!"
"Kiiiih!"
With the inhuman cries of those who had lost their reason, black auras rained down.
"Ah, so it's you."
Verdzig's smile was cold.
"Fools who coveted filthy power like garbage, mistaking what they should truly fear."
"Shut up!"
Five executives charged at Verdzig.
Their speed and power were so fierce that they could never have achieved such levels even with ten years of training.
Swiiiiish!
However, Verdzig passed smoothly between their sword strikes with elegant yet restrained movements, and then,
Splash!
With a slash too fast to see, he had already dropped the executives' heads, arms, and legs to the floor.
Perhaps because of Verdzig's elegant movements, as if dancing a sword dance, to the Godfather's eyes, it looked like a display of flower petals falling, unable to withstand the strong wind.
"What is this...?"
The Godfather was shocked at the unbelievable sight.
Could he have broken through such a combined attack in that way if it were him?
"Stay right there, Godfather."
As Verdzig commanded, the Godfather stopped as if held by invisible hands.
"?!"
The startled Godfather stomped into a fighting stance and unleashed his mana.
"Such crude tricks!"
The Godfather's muscles swelled greatly as he drew upon demonic mana. The invisible restraints were released.
"Ah, not bad."
Verdzig nodded as he looked at the Godfather who had overcome his pressure.
"You've certainly achieved a significant increase in combat power."
"Khuhu, of course. I'm different from 'inferior' ones."
At the Godfather's arrogant tone, Verdzig narrowed his eyes.
"You've become somewhat violent, but you're still maintaining your reason well."
He didn't seem bothered by the Godfather's rudeness. Like a lion not caring about a rabbit's impertinence.
"When someone at the 6th tier receives the seed of demonic mana, can they gain much more stable power than martial artists below them?"
He was more interested in analyzing the seeds of demonic mana that the Black Society was spreading around.
"What are you mumbling about, Verdzig."
"How absurd. You dare to call me by name. Is becoming arrogant after getting drunk on power also a side effect of that seed?"
"Shut up."
The Godfather infused mana into his sword.
"I won't kill you. But you must pay the price for causing this disturbance."
"That's rich coming from someone caught in the act of betrayal."
Verdzig dismissed him.
"Your judgment seems to have significantly deteriorated. A rat who was once so skilled at reading the room, now acting so impulsively."
Verdzig drew his sword as if he had seen enough.
"If you think I'm the same as before, you're gravely mistaken. My power has already... guk!"
Verdzig slipped into the Godfather's range so naturally and grabbed his neck.
"How can a martial artist boast about merely gaining a little strength? Even if you became twice as strong as you are now, you still couldn't match me."
"Kuk kuk! Wait—"
"Shhh, shhh."
The Godfather, infused with Verdzig's mana, froze in place.
"Quiet. I have nothing more to hear from you."
Verdzig said, placing his index finger on his lips.
"From now on, the only thing that can come out of your mouth is screams of pain."
"!"
The Godfather's eyes widened as he tried to say something, but with his tongue frozen, he couldn't speak a word and,
Slash!
The Godfather's wrist was cut off cleanly.
"Nnngh!"
As Verdzig had declared, he could only make muffled screams as if gagged.
Stab!
Verdzig took the captured sword and pierced the Godfather's shoulder, pinning him to the wall.
"Grrrrr."
After looking coldly at the Godfather who had been stripped even of his right to speak human language, Verdzig turned around.
"Kneel."
At that, all the organization members who had been watching their leader's defeat with pale faces knelt at once.
Thud, thud, thud!
...With this, the Pawelmoon was once again completely taken over by Verdzig.
"How troublesome."
Verdzig said, looking at the scene as if it were only natural.
"In such a short time, the Godfathers of two of the five organizations have changed."
"...!"
With that one sentence, the Pawelmoon Godfather's fate was sealed.
"Hercassel."
"You called, my lord."
The organization's second-in-command, Hercassel, who had informed on the Godfather, approached on his knees.
The fact that he chose such a humiliating posture himself was evidence of how terrified he was.
"With your own hands, behead the Godfather you served, and then go to Bazalo to explain yourself."
"!"
Hercassel bowed his head, not daring to refuse or question the order.
"I will obey your command."
After today, he would never again entertain thoughts of betraying Verdzig.
As the second-in-command who had snitched his Godfather and then beheaded him, unless he held onto Verdzig as a lifeline, his end was all too predictable.
"My mistake. I should have 'contracted' with you earlier, but I respected you too much."
"!"
At those words, only Skella's eyebrow twitched slightly as she collected weapons from those who had surrendered.
"..."
But Skella was accustomed to swallowing her words.
"Ah, so this is it."
Verdzig pulled out a small vial from the pinned Godfather's pocket.
"This is mixed into alcohol and used for the 'baptism,' is it?"
Looking at the vial with a sneer, he suddenly drank it.
"My lord!"
Harald was shocked, but Verdzig casually raised his hand.
"It's fine."
Verdzig's profound mana, like the deep sea, swallowed and absorbed the seed of demonic mana.
"...Inferior."
Verdzig sneered. This level of power could never enslave him.
"To think such things were being spread in the underworld, how pathetic."
He had no intention of tolerating outside forces coveting Grunewald.
'I wonder why Father hasn't eliminated those bastards yet.'
Verdzig ordered.
"Harald, clean up the situation with the 'new Pawelmoon Godfather.'"
"Yes."
"And Hercassel."
"Y-yes, I await your command."
He pointed at the dying Godfather.
"After you take his head, leave the headless body nailed up for three days."
"...!"
It was a thorough humiliation and a cruel example.
'How chilling.'
Hercassel felt a mixture of fear, relief, and contempt for the Godfather's choice to betray such a man.
"Harald, bring Hercassel to me once the situation is settled."
That day, Verdzig would place the shackles of a contract on Hercassel's heart.
Stronger restraints.
That was Verdzig's conclusion on how to deal with betrayal.
* * *
Even in the late night, the lamp in Olivier's office remained lit.
"Why are you all still up?"
I tapped on the window, clinging to it like a rat while watching them.
"My lord!"
Olivier looked up and was surprised to see me.
"It's been a while."
"It hasn't even been half a day."
"That's true."
After opening the window and entering, I looked at the papers scattered messily on the desk.
"Applications from candidates?"
"Yes."
"There are a ton of them."
"It's because your reputation has grown so much, my lord. The quality of the applicants is also excellent."
"Really?"
I grinned.
"Still, we can't just accept anyone, so I was doing one final check for any unusual circumstances."
"You're quite diligent. We'll see them in person in the morning anyway."
"How could I be negligent in selecting your personal guard, my lord?"
"That was a good line just now."
I nodded and then joked.
"Since a lot of subordinates will be coming in, you need to pick well so you can put them to work, right?"
"Ahem. I can't deny that."
Anyway, I was quite looking forward to recruiting new talent. I planned to fill the unit with nothing but elite members.
"By the way."
I pointed at Jeffrey, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in the corner.
"Why isn't that guy in his own room instead of doing that here?"
"...He's meditating, so please be quiet."
"Look at this attitude."
I clicked my tongue.
"I thought he was asleep."
"The spirit medicine he recently took is so effective that he needs to diligently circulate his mana to fully absorb it."
"That's fortunate. He's obtained a good opportunity thanks to me."
"Ahem."
Jeffrey cleared his throat as if embarrassed.
"I'll repay that favor by getting stronger, right?"
"Talk to me after you reach the 5th tier."
"Damn, I feel like I'm just one breakthrough away, but it's not happening."
"Oh? Should the great Allenvert take a look?"
"I don't know when our positions got reversed like this."
"Take it or leave it."
"I'm not saying no."
Olivier, who had been quietly listening, slipped in.
"My lord, then perhaps I could also get some help..."
At that, Jeffrey said seriously.
"No cutting in line."
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[Translator - Pot ]
[Proofreader - Kawaii ]
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