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Side Story Chapter 57

“…Tsk.”

Ranger may have clicked his tongue, but he didn’t say anything this time since the idea of the commander of the army leaving was preposterous in the first place. On top of that, he’d lost his justification. Regarding the army’s morale, Cain de Harry, the Combat Emperor Star, had asserted that any harm befalling the Martial God would have a greater impact on the morale of the soldiers and knights than the absence of the Combat Emperor himself.

And the information that Kireua had brought presented a bigger problem.

“Your Highness, were there really demonkin in the western rebel army?” Ranger asked.

“Yes, there were for sure.”

“Humans possessed by demonic power… Once the news of Avalon’s nobles being responsible for such a horrible act gets out, the people in Hubalt would make Avalon their first target. They’ve been desperately waiting for the right opportunity,” Ranger mumbled worriedly.

Cain took a step forward. “I’ll deliver all this news to His Majesty.”

Ranger tilted his head. “For some reason, I’m getting worried.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get the job done.”

“It’s not you who I’m worried about. His Majesty will probably suffer because of you, you hysterical old bachelor.” Ranger chuckled.

After blankly gaping at him for a moment, Cain also burst into laughter. “I’ll come back, so please stay safe and recover, Your Highness.”

“…If it had been His Majesty, he would have wiped out the demonkin and every rebel here, wouldn’t he?” Kireua said quietly.

“Your Highness.”

“I’m kidding. I won’t overwork myself until you come back, so take care.”

Cain let out a sigh. “His Majesty is my troublemaker, and I think I already have my fair share of troublemakers. So please help me out here, Your Highness.”

“Okay.” Kireua nodded.

However, he was feeling totally the opposite. Although he had previously believed that he didn’t want the throne, mixed emotions surged up from deep in his heart after he heard the Emperor’s conditions for the throne. The desire to have power, the craving for influence, the greed to protect everything that was his… For some reason, those kinds of emotions grew after meeting that demon in Marquess Turtler’s castle.

‘I’ll have to meet that demon once again Sir Cain leaves for Arcadia,’ Kireua thought. That might also be the only way to find out Coal’s identity in secret.

Anna’s eyes sparkled as she watched him.

“Then I’ll get going,” Cain said.

Anna’s eyes were glued to Kireua even after Cain left with the imperial mage.

* * *

“We’re here,” Zero said.

They were in a large pub located at the center of Arcadia.

“…It’s really here?”

“If my information is correct, yes,” Zero responded.

Joshua scratched the back of his head, and Iceline’s jaw hung open dumbly.

“I think a bug will fly into your mouth at this rate, Your Majesty Iceline,” Lilith said.

Iceline slammed her mouth shut, pursing her adorable petal-like lips.

“I didn’t, for the life of me, know that the assassins’ branch office is right in front of my yard,” Joshua mumbled.

“To be accurate, it’s one of the Hashashin Guild’s numerous branches, just like our Moon Gate.”

“So you weren’t kidding about them dealing with information too.”

“Yes, an information guild has to gather, compile, and analyze various kinds of information from all over the continent. Thus, it is essential we have many employees,” Zero explained.

“Mmm…” Joshua grunted quietly.

Zero was right. There was a lot of foot traffic, so no one paid attention to four people enshrouded from head to toe in robes. Even right now, several groups were moving in and out of the pub in front of Joshua and the others.

“The Arcadia branch of the Moon Gate still has an information guild-like side, but this is just a pub,” Joshua observed.

“That is how confident they are.”

“Well, that’s true. Reverse-hit requests are taboo, but they don’t hesitate to take them.”

“The Assassin King always works alone, so aside from him, the Poison King is considered the best assassin on the continent after the death of the Darkness Emperor over two decades ago. If anyone attacks his guild, they’ll never sleep soundly again,” Zero explained. He stepped in front of Joshua, shaking his head. “I really don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Are you that terrified of the Hashashin Guild?”

“I’m worried about you, Your… Excuse me, Ash. You said you’re unwell, so why don’t you bring some knights from the castle to guard you?”

Joshua shrugged. “It’d be a waste of manpower. I already have the best guards on the continent by my side.”

“But they’re also…” Zero trailed off. He couldn’t say that Lilith and Iceline were people who, considering their titles, should receive protection as well.

“I’ll turn whoever tries to harm His Majesty to a block of ice.”

“This is also my job since I made a promise.”

Unfortunately for Zero, Iceline and Lilith wholeheartedly backed Joshua.

“Then it’s decided,” Joshua declared with a smile. “Let’s go in.”

“Wa-Wait…!” Zero didn’t even have time to stop Joshua before he strode straight into the pub. Zero hastened after him, muttering, “Oh, no…!”.

The interior of the pub was as ordinary as the exterior, but its business was going well. The first floor was packed, naturally, and it was also hard to find an empty table on the second floor.

Joshua went straight to the long bar ahead of them straight away because it was the only place with enough seats for them.

“Is this the pub run by the Hashashin Guild?” Joshua asked.

Zero coughed—he was so surprised that he felt like his eyes were going to pop out like in the comic he had seen when he had been a boy. Who could ask if someone was a part of an assassin guild as confidently as Joshua? Even the Moon Gate had specific code words to distinguish their clients from ordinary visitors.

“As-Ash!” Zero quickly scuttled over.

However, Joshua wasn’t done.

“From what I know, the Hashashin Guild recently failed an important mission. I’d like to talk about that.”

The bartender had been quietly wiping a glass cup with a cloth like nothing could faze him, but he stopped for the first time and his serpent-like eyes turned sharp.

“…Get everyone out,” the bartender said, so low that even people standing next to him had to pay close attention to hear him. Nevertheless, over ten people jumped out of the kitchen.

“Dear customers! We’re sorry, but it looks like we’re done for today!”

“We’re so sorry! We won’t charge a single coin for any unpaid drinks and food! We beg you for your understanding!”

“It’s limited to the guests in the hall right now, but if you come back here tomorrow, all the drinks and food you order are on the house!”

The guests that had been complaining about suddenly getting kicked out of the pub quieted down. That was how effective the offer of free unlimited food and drinks was. Before long, the first- and second-floor dining areas were vacated.

“Close the door,” the bartender instructed.

And with that, the building was sealed. Over fifty masked men appeared out of nowhere, letting their murderous energy hang in the air. They held deadly daggers in each hand.

“It looks like this man in the target we’ve been looking for,” the bartender muttered to himself. He recognized Zero right away despite the robe covering his face. It wasn’t enough to fool the bartender’s eyes.

“Two men and two women. One of them is our enemy, assumed responsible for our comrades—no, judging from how you’ve all come here together, I guess all four of you are responsible.” The bartender stroked his chin.

“If you’re talking about your seven friends, you’re wrong.”

“What?”

Joshua shook his head. “I killed all of them, not him.”

The bartender flinched. At the same time, the assassins’ murderous energy thickened.

“Stop!”

Upon the bartender’s command, the murderous energy dissipated without a trace.

“Oh?” Joshua tilted his head. “You must hold quite a high position.”

“…There aren’t many people on the continent who would act this gutsy even after finding out we’re the Hashashin Guild. Who are you?”

“You’re the leader of an information guild, so you shouldn’t be asking me that.”

The bartender\'s eyes widened.

Joshua quietly smiled. “You’re the Poison King, aren’t you?”

“…I can’t let you live,” the Poison King mumbled.

The Poison King’s cover was blown now, so let his murderous energy loose—it was incomparably thicker than any of his assassins.

Numerous icicles instantly appeared out of thin air.

“You’ll die the moment you lay a finger on him,” Iceline quietly said, taking off her hood.

The Poison King’s eyes slowly widened. “Ice magic and your appearance… W-Wait, the First Queen Consort of Avalon?”

“He has a target in mind, so why would he take out his anger on somebody else?” Lilith also doffed her hood.

“Lilith Aphrodite!”

“Even if you’re the Poison King, you wouldn’t be able to take on a Class A swordswoman and a Class 7 mage at once, so you’d consider your next move carefully.” Lilith smiled chillingly and drew her sword.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for the Poison King to regain his composure.

“…The assassins here are elites. I trained them myself.”

“I would advise against bluffing. Or are you going to turn an entire Empire into your enemy? It’s just you and one assassin guild, you know.”

“In a generation like this, isn’t it only natural to choose the rising star Hubalt rather than the falling Avalon?”

“What?” Lilith frowned.

“Lilith Aphrodite, you’re Cardinal Erman’s daughter, so how would the people of Hubalt respond if the fact that you’re protecting the First Queen Consort of Avalon becomes known?”

“…Hngh.” Lilith quietly bit her lower lip.

The Poison King had completely regained his stride.

“The dead don’t speak, so I can just kill all of you and run away,” he said to Joshua. “Once I cross the border, the Hubalt’s people will take care of the rest.”

“From what I heard, the Hashashin Guild will take reverse-hit requests for the right price. Am I wrong?” Zero asked.

“No matter how much we like our coin, we won’t dig our own graves. The people who put out this hit are big shots in the Hubalt Empire, so I would never take a reverse-hit request even if the Queen Consort of Avalon over there asks—”

Joshua gestured for Zero to stop. “I know it’s been a long time, but I didn’t realize how badly my country is looked down upon,” he said.

“‘My country’…? What…”

“It’s not the Queen Consort of Avalon who’s proposing a reverse-hit,” Joshua continued.

His long robe fluttered. What the assassins saw beneath dramatically changed the atmosphere in the pub. Shock rolled over them like a storm. The Poison King’s eyes bulged and the assassins watching from the sides were struck dumb. All of them had gone through severe training to erase their emotions, but most of them were visibly shaking.

The dark blue hair that contrasted with his white skin was revealed, traits he shared with Selim Sanders, the famous First Prince of Avalon. Although civilians might not realize that, these assassins were part of a professional information guild, so they knew that a twenty-year-old boy like Selim couldn’t overwhelm the assassins like an experienced swordsman.

“Am… I dreaming?” the Poison King blankly murmured.

“No, you’re wide awake.”

The Poison King nervously swallowed.

Joshua grinned. “I’m Joshua Sanders.”