Chapter 79. Misunderstanding
The Visters who had attempted to shank me earlier belonged to the Black Grasp.
“I had a minor conflict with the Black Grasp.”
I told them about the actual incident that had occurred earlier.
Since it had truly happened exactly as I described, there should have been nothing suspicious about it.
Retaliatory attacks like this occurred frequently within the Lawless City. Furthermore, they firmly believed that I was Avarus.
“I dealt with them. There was some commotion in the process.”
I gestured toward the scene that resembled the aftermath of a massacre.
Most of the flesh and blood scattered around belonged to me, but some of Isolde’s blood and flesh were mixed in as well.
The Acatas examined the massacre scene and the completely destroyed alleyway.
“I-I see...!”
“As expected of Lord Executor!”
“He truly is someone upon whom He bestowed a true name!”
The eyes beyond their masks sparkled.
“It looks as though he slaughtered approximately one hundred people.”
“One hundred Black Grasp Visters, of all people?”
“They are not opponents to be underestimated....”
“And he did it while in a Transmog state?!”
Their excessive reactions nearly rivaled the translucent system messages.
‘Did I scatter too much?’
It did feel somewhat excessive.
Perhaps that was why—
“You are truly incredible!”
The Acatas no longer merely trusted me. They practically “worshipped” me.
* * *
Shadow Alley.
It was a place where covert commissions were exchanged, including intelligence operations, secret information concerning various kingdoms, and assassination contracts.
It was the darkest and most secretive location in Violess.
When I entered Shadow Alley—
A maze of intersecting paths greeted me first.
Dust and garbage covered the ground. The walls were filled with mold and moisture.
Even the Mana Force lamps were barely functioning, flickering faintly and leaving most of the alley submerged in complete darkness.
Figures wearing black cloaks conducted transactions in hushed voices in one corner of the alley.
When they sensed my presence, their bodies flinched. Their eyes were filled with suspicion and vigilance as they watched me.
I ignored them and continued deeper inside—
An unusual presence entered the range of my senses. It was a presence that had been revealed deliberately.
As expected, I found Isolde wearing her white deer mask among the strange graffiti covering one wall.
Isolde’s clothing remained exactly as it had been immediately after our fight.
Perhaps she had lacked either the time or circumstances necessary to change.
‘It looks like she’s already had another fight.’
Five or six bloodied men lay around Isolde.
Judging by the scene, they had apparently tried to attack her. It was a common occurrence within the Lawless City.
I retrieved one of the sacks that had contained gold coins from my inventory.
Using Dragon’s Claw [A], I cut it into an appropriately sized cloak capable of covering her body.
When I offered it to Isolde—
She merely stared at me without accepting it.
Her topaz-like yellow eyes were visible beyond the mask. Apparently, she still suspected me—
“As you saw earlier, I am not a member of the Dark Merchant Company. On the contrary, I am their enemy.”
Isolde did not answer—
Click.
Instead, she suddenly removed the white deer mask.
Isolde’s face gradually appeared.
Her platinum-blond hair glowed softly even within the deep darkness. Her lips were as soft as roses and possessed the pale pink hue of tulips.
Her fine ivory skin was as pure as lilies.
Every feature appeared to have been sculpted with flawless precision.
Her unreadable expression was as cold as ice.
Whether in the past or the present, her beauty remained unrivaled. It went beyond unrivaled and entered the realm of overwhelming.
After all, Isolde was the Saintess and the Representative of God.
It would hardly be fitting for the representative of a supreme and immortal being like God to be ugly.
Having received the concentrated faith of countless believers, Isolde possessed the most perfect beauty humanity could envision.
Holy Power, the ultimate form of Aura, had “sculpted” her into something beautiful.
Furthermore, Holy Power was the manifestation of [collective imagination].
Therefore, Isolde’s beauty transcended even the subjective standards of beauty that differed from person to person.
Anyone would be captivated by Isolde’s appearance.
Even those who were not captivated would almost inevitably feel favor toward her, regardless of their species.
There was a reason the Lycanthrope had become obsessed with Isolde.
In that sense, it was not as though I felt no favor toward Isolde’s appearance. However, that did not mean I harbored any other feelings for her.
First, Isolde was my superior.
She had not been my direct superior, but as Commander of the Holy Command, her rank had been considerably higher than mine.
More importantly, she was the woman Ian had loved. Put simply, she was my direct superior’s woman and my friend’s woman.
Although Ian had never managed to date her and had ultimately been rejected.
As I calmly looked at Isolde—
“I’m sorry.”
Isolde bowed to me.
“I thought you were an officer of the Dark Merchant Company.”
As expected, my assumption had been correct. The fact that she was apologizing to me now meant—
“Do you now believe that I’m not a member of the Dark Merchant Company?”
“Yes.”
Isolde answered without hesitation.
Honestly, I had not expected her to believe me so easily. I had assumed I would need to present evidence and persuade her repeatedly.
Instead, Isolde readily believed me. It was somewhat unexpected, but it made everything much easier.
“Then I would like to ask you a few questions.”
“Go ahead.”
Isolde showed that she was willing to answer anything.
Through several questions, I learned why Isolde had come here—
Why she had misunderstood me—
And why she had attempted to kill me.
‘To think rumors about monster meat have already reached the Holy Kingdom of Cordelia.’
The rumors had reached Isolde’s ears rather than Ian’s.
However, that was not necessarily bad.
It had allowed me to meet Isolde, a princess of the Holy Kingdom of Cordelia who was otherwise exceedingly difficult to approach.
In other words, the Predator Merchant Company’s strategy was working properly.
“Did you come to the Lawless City alone?”
“Yes.”
I had expected that answer, but actually hearing it left me dumbfounded.
Coming alone to this extremely dangerous Lawless City—a place even adventurers refused to enter—was madness.
Of course, Isolde was no ordinary woman.
Nevertheless, she was a princess of the Holy Kingdom of Cordelia.
For someone of such noble status to travel alone, one could call it exceptionally reckless, but—
‘She hasn’t changed at all.’
That was also what made Isolde a hero.
Whenever she believed something was dangerous, she personally stepped forward to resolve it.
The reason was that Isolde trusted no one other than herself.
Rather than saying she did not trust others, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that she regarded everyone else as someone she needed to protect.
She was both a princess and the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom of Cordelia. She was the Representative of God who carried the faith and wishes of countless subjects.
Since childhood, no, since the moment of her birth, Isolde had carried the expectations and wishes of others.
Consequently, she never permitted herself an opportunity to waver or show weakness.
She sacrificed herself to protect others and believed that doing so was the reason for her existence.
She was a hero who silently endured even loneliness and isolation, never revealing her pain.
‘That’s why Ian fell in love with her.’
It was also why she had rejected him. Isolde neither relied upon nor leaned on others.
Omni Vessel [M].
In another sense, it was a vessel that “carried” everything.
In any case—
She was no different from the Isolde I remembered.
At this point in time, I was still the delinquent of a count’s family, yet Isolde was simply Isolde.
In that regard—
A good idea occurred to me.
“I understand that the circumstances were suspicious, but setting that aside, I nearly died.”
“I’m truly sorry.”
Isolde bowed once again.
She rarely displayed any changes in emotion, but I could tell that her apology was sincere.
‘This is a little awkward.’
That made the situation extremely awkward.
Not even during my time in the Coalition Forces had I received a sincere apology from Isolde.
It was an apology from that taciturn Commander of the Holy Command.
I felt considerably bewildered.
Part of me even wondered whether I should do this.
Nevertheless, I shook my head.
Regardless of our respective ranks, Isolde had unquestionably been wrong to attack me without warning.
“If you grant me one request, I can pretend this never happened.”
“If it is something within my power, I will do anything.”
Isolde answered without needing to consider it. She also acknowledged that she had been at fault. And Isolde truly would do anything within her power.
“First, let’s find you some new clothes.”
I draped the cloak around Isolde and began walking.
While purchasing Isolde’s clothes, I also acquired new clothes for myself.
Just as Isolde’s Holy Power could not restore her clothing, my Regeneration [B+] could do nothing about mine.
Since I was already buying clothes, I purchased several hundred outfits in advance.
Thanks to the Infinite Inventory, I had no storage restrictions, so I intended to keep them and change whenever necessary.
“We should replace your mask too.”
Isolde’s appearance attracted so much attention that a mask was essential.
However, while her white deer mask concealed her face, it was distinctive enough to attract attention on its own.
Therefore, the mask I chose for Isolde was—
An ogre mask.
It suited Isolde remarkably well.
Isolde replaced her white deer mask with the ogre mask without complaint.
“What is the request you wish to make of me?”
She immediately returned to the main subject.
The more I observed her, the more she resembled the Isolde I remembered from the Coalition Forces.
I slowly continued walking, and Isolde followed close behind me like a duckling.
“How much do you know about the Ashen Mask of the Black Market?”
“I know that it is a Vister organization belonging to the Dark Merchant Company.”
It seemed she did not know the Dark Merchant Company’s true identity.
That was understandable.
I had been the one to uncover the Dark Merchant Company’s identity during the Coalition Forces’ era.
It would have been stranger if Isolde already knew it at this point.
“Then do you know why the Dark Merchant Company created the Vister organization known as the Ashen Mask?”
“Was it not to conceal their identity?”
Her answer was half correct and half incorrect.
“It was created to instigate chaos within Violess.”
“Chaos?”
“No Vister organization currently possesses complete hegemony over Violess. The city is effectively divided between two organizations—”
“Are you referring to the Crimson Soiree and the Black Grasp?”
“That’s right.”
The Crimson Soiree of the red-light district. The Black Grasp of the gambling houses.
“However, the Dark Merchant Company—or rather, the Ashen Mask of the Black Market—is never mentioned. They could seize control of Violess if they wished.”
“Do you mean...?”
“Yes. They are deliberately refusing to intervene.”
The reason was simple—
“War is the most profitable business.”
Violess was a Free City without an absolute authority such as a monarch or lord. Within the Lawless City, absolute authority came from “armed force”.
Anyone with sufficient armed power could seize control.
Therefore, the absence of an absolute authority controlling Violess meant—
“Countless Vister organizations will attempt to become the masters of Violess.”
It resembled a mountain range without an ogre, where orcs, goblins, kobolds, gnolls, and every other kind of minor monster competed to become its master.
Consequently, every day in Violess was filled with chaos.
That produced a massive increase in demand for illegal weapons, drugs, intelligence, supplies, and countless other commodities.
The Dark Merchant Company supplied those goods and generated enormous profits.
“They deliberately created a power vacuum to encourage conflict between the Vister organizations.”
The conflicts continued without end. Territorial disputes occurred almost every day.
The Visters exploited innocent paupers.
Unable to endure that exploitation, the paupers joined Vister organizations themselves.
That caused even more endless conflict.
The repetition of this vicious cycle had created modern Violess. It had begun as the Territory of a greedy Marquis. It had then become the land of mercenaries who had rebelled.
Today, it was a city of criminals.
Behind everything stood the Dark Merchant Company—
In other words, the Devotees of the Fallen Souls.
In that regard, the Dark Merchant Company did not want any particular Vister organization to become too powerful.
“The reason they tolerate the Crimson Soiree of the red-light district is simple.”
There were young noblewomen whom the Dark Merchant Company had abducted from various kingdoms.
There were girls sold because they could not repay predatory loans. There were women afflicted by curses, among many others.
“They earn considerable profits by handing those women over to the red-light district.”
“Then what about the Black Grasp of the gambling houses...?”
“They need to create an environment that prevents wealth from accumulating within Violess.”
The Dark Merchant Company was the mastermind manipulating everything from behind the scenes.
It controlled not only Violess but also the kingdoms and the entire continent in this manner.
Later, when the Emperor invaded the continent, its schemes played a decisive role in causing the continent to collapse almost instantly.
One year.
That was all the time required for every kingdom and city on the continent to disappear from the map.
Therefore, the Black Market of Violess had to be eliminated.
However, that would not be as easy as saying it.
Violess was an extremely important base for the Dark Merchant Company, so its security and defenses were thorough.
No matter how powerful I had become, I could not confront the entire Dark Merchant Company alone.
Therefore, my original plan had been to inflict some damage before withdrawing.
I had intended to begin operating in earnest after reuniting with Ian, but—
“My request is simple, Lady Isolde.”
Isolde, one of the heroes of the Coalition Forces.
Although she was not as powerful as Ian, she was still one of the Coalition Forces’ greatest military assets.
When I stopped walking, Isolde, who had been matching my pace, stopped as well.
She raised her gaze and looked at me.
Meeting her eyes, I spoke—
“First, I want you to help destroy the Black Market.”
Ultimately—
“I want you to help me bring down Violess.”
Isolde’s yellow eyes gleamed beyond her mask. Her topaz-like gaze contained a trace of surprise—
“Is something wrong?”
“Honestly, I thought you would make a different request.”
“A different request?”
Isolde stared directly at me.
She did not elaborate.
However, considering my epithet as the delinquent of a count’s family, I could roughly understand what she meant.
“Were you actually willing to grant that kind of request?”
“Not all the way.”
What the hell was she saying?
“Don’t say something like that, even as a joke.”
“I’m not joking.”
“.......”
“I tried to kill you without even asking for an explanation.”
“It was a misunderstanding.”
“That was only true from my perspective. To the person being attacked, it would be nothing more than an excuse.”
....Seriously.
“Will the two of us be enough?”
Isolde expressed some concern.
As she had said, confronting the Dark Merchant Company would not be easy.
If it were easy, Isolde would already have stormed inside and destroyed everything.
“There is no need to worry about that.”
However, there was little reason for concern.
“Just as you misunderstood me, they believe that I am an officer of the Dark Merchant Company.”
The Dark Merchant Company firmly believed that I was Avarus.
At this point, they had gone beyond believing me and practically worshipped me.
Furthermore, as the Special Warfare Unit’s Covert Operations Commander, I had carried out countless special warfare missions, intelligence operations, and other covert activities.
“Lady Isolde, destabilize the Black Market from the outside. I will disrupt the Dark Merchant Company from within.”
Disruption operations were my specialty.
Once the entire Black Market began to destabilize—
“Every Vister organization in Violess, including the Crimson Soiree and the Black Grasp, will begin moving.”
“......?”
“Once they seize the Black Market, obtaining absolute authority over Violess will be simple.”
“....Ah.”
Isolde released a quiet exclamation as though she finally understood. Her mask concealed her face, but I imagined her lips had parted slightly.
“So, would you like to wreak some havoc with me?”
Beyond her mask—
Isolde’s yellow eyes sparkled.
“I believe I have already answered that question.”
Crack!
She clenched her gauntleted fists.
“If it is something within my power, I will do anything.”
Isolde abruptly disappeared from before my eyes—
Boom—!
A loud alarm announcing the presence of an intruder followed immediately afterward.
Magical barriers activated in every direction and began firing unknown spells.
However, Isolde did not care about magical barriers or anything else—
Boom! Crash!
She simply smashed through everything and charged violently into the Black Market.
She truly resembled an ogre.
The fact that she was wearing an ogre mask only made her look even more like one.
Although she was technically a little less destructive than an actual ogre.
“She hasn’t changed at all.”
That was when it happened.
A tremendous explosion erupted from the distant Black Market.
Weeeeoooh—! Weeeeoooh—!
◆The Hidden Quest [Lovely Weather for Wreaking Havoc] has begun.
A Hidden Quest message appeared before my eyes.
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