Chapter 101: The Commission (1)
In the dark city of Kalbaron, countless guilds existed. Not all criminals were cut from the same cloth, so it was only natural that like-minded individuals would band together, forming distinct groups.
But among these numerous guilds, which held the greatest influence?
Opinions varied, but most would point to one of the five major guilds:
The guild of swordsmen, Red Cloud.
The guild of assassins, Shadow Sword.
The guild of thieves and bandits, Black Rat.
The guild of tomb raiders, Legacy of the Dead.
And finally, a guild open to anyone strong enough, regardless of background, Dark Tree.
Among them, Red Cloud vies for the top spot alongside Dark Tree. Even if that guy isn’t a resident of Kalbaron, he surely knows the reputation of Guild Leader Jindel!
At the appearance of Chairophon, the Vice-Guild Leader of Red Cloud, a spark of hope lit up Badin’s face, the master of the underground arena.
Why else would Red Cloud’s elite come for this monster?
To save him, of course. It was obvious. The five major guilds wouldn’t stand idly by while an outsider threatened Kalbaron’s ecosystem. Other guilds were likely assembling forces to eliminate Harang as well.
But Badin’s assumptions were mere delusions.
“Chairophon! Hurry! Stop that guy!”
“…”
“…”
“Ch-Chairophon…?”
Despite his desperate pleas, the Vice-Guild Leader of Red Cloud took no action. Badin belatedly felt his scattered wits returning.
Yes, Chairophon had said he wanted to make a deal with Harang. If he’d intended to fight, he would’ve swung his sword without a word. His self-introduction alone proved his intentions. Badin’s expression darkened once more.
Unlike Badin, Harang had clearly understood Chairophon’s words from the start. Still holding his sword aloft, I sank into thought.
Everything’s gone as I wanted.
Yes, it was just as Ulrik had said. Thanks to his advice to make a name for myself in the underground arena, I’d received a deal proposal from a high-ranking member of one of the five major guilds. From here, it was up to me to handle things well. Aside from a slight scuffle, everything had gone smoothly.
But that slight scuffle was the problem.
To me, it was trivial.
But to Ulrik, it had cost him his life.
That was the issue. I couldn’t free myself from the weight of his death. That’s why, despite achieving the desired situation, I kept my mouth shut.
“Is something troubling you? The situation is… rather chaotic, I’ll admit. To avoid misunderstandings, let me clarify: our Red Cloud has no connection to the underground arena’s actions.”
“That’s right!”
“But as residents of Kalbaron… we can’t simply ignore this situation.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Oh, I absolutely, absolutely don’t want a fight. I’m just proposing a deal.”
I asked in a sharp tone, and the Vice-Guild Leader Chairophon responded. His voice was sweet and smooth, like it had been coated with a spoonful of honey and oil. That gentle demeanor made it hard to treat him carelessly.
Did he know this himself?
His expression exuded confidence. With a faint smile, he spoke softly, careful not to provoke, and made his first proposal.
“First, what we want is for you to hand over the safety of Badin, the master of the underground arena, to us—”
Boom!
“…”
“My apologies. That proposal is hard to accept…”
“…”
“Do you have any other proposals?”
I asked.
My sword was drenched in blood and brain matter from Badin’s head. I hadn’t sliced it cleanly but smashed it with the flat of the blade, like a bludgeon, creating an even more grotesque scene.
Would this ruin the deal with Red Cloud?
I didn’t care.
Badin had to die. In this moment, that was more important than the Mercenary King’s commission.
“…Unexpected.”
“What is?”
“You. I thought you were a cold, rational person, but to make a decision driven by emotion like this… Is it because of that friend, Ulrik?”
“…Something like that.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“So, is the deal over?”
After a long silence, I asked, and Chairophon shook his head.
“No. Badin’s matter was just a bonus, so to speak… What we really want is something else.”
“And what’s that?”
“To be honest, I don’t know.”
“Are you joking?”
“No, I’m serious. The matter is so significant that… our Guild Leader seems to want to discuss it in person. So… would you be willing to talk at our guild’s headquarters?”
“You’re not going to ask what I want?”
“That can be discussed at the headquarters as well. We can probably provide most things. Because… you’re an outsider.”
“What does that mean?”
“When an outsider comes to Kalbaron and makes a spectacle, it’s usually for one reason: they want something in Kalbaron but lack information. So, they need to connect with Kalbaron’s influential figures.”
“…”
“We’ve handled such cases before, and they’ve all been resolved to the satisfaction of the outsiders through Red Cloud. The outsiders left content, and Kalbaron maintained its peace. Of course…”
Chairophon glanced around.
The scattered corpses, mangled organs, and blood-stained inn made quite an impression.
“You’re the first to start this… extravagantly.”
“Let’s stop this talk.”
“Ah, my apologies. I didn’t mean to provoke you, Harang.”
“Understood. Then let’s head to Red Cloud’s headquarters. But first.”
“First?”
I lowered my gaze to something.
Among the pile of corpses, something still stared at me with a pained expression.
After watching Ulrik’s head for a while, I spoke.
“Is there a sunny spot? I’d like to make a grave…”
***
After burying Ulrik’s head in a good spot, Chairophon and I headed to Red Cloud’s headquarters in the Inner District.
As Ulrik had said, the Inner District was a completely different world from the Outer District. There was no trace of foul-smelling garbage or filth on the streets, and every building felt refined and luxurious.
The faces of the people passing by radiated peace and happiness instead of anxiety and misery, making the contrast feel almost eerie. Normally, I would’ve found this stark difference quite amusing.
But now, my mind was occupied with other thoughts.
“Remember this: in the dark city of Kalbaron, trust no one.”
Recalling Ulrik’s words, I nodded.
He was right. Perhaps the greatest stroke of luck I’d had in Kalbaron was meeting him. In a city filled with villains, there weren’t many with his kind of character.
Of course, he wasn’t a good person. No matter how you dress it up, he was still a conman…
But even so, my expression remained dark because… whether Ulrik was good or bad, he had been a good connection to me.
Our first meeting had been memorable.
Our parting could’ve been pleasant. At least, until we met like this.
The memories that filled the gap between weren’t half bad either.
I’ll probably remember him for a long time.
Despite his mediocre skills, his dignified and weighty presence lingered in my mind, and I let out a small chuckle.
That was enough reminiscing.
It was time to focus on the next task.
Yes, that’s right.
Why was I here?
To fulfill the Mercenary King’s commission.
Why did I take the Mercenary King’s commission?
To obtain the Aura Cultivation Method, to grow stronger, and to protect myself and my precious connections with that strength.
I thought of my connections in the Commercial City Marzen.
Eddy, Pale, Glen, the Fist Brothers, Sheratiya, and others who had become part of my life.
If they ended up like Ulrik…
I stopped the thought.
I was here to prevent that from happening.
“Here we are.”
“…Let’s go in.”
Lost in those thoughts, I suddenly found myself before Red Cloud’s headquarters.
Perhaps because it was one of the top five guilds, the exterior was exceptionally grand. I briefly admired its appearance, which seemed out of place in a city called ‘dark,’ before speaking. Chairophon nodded and led the way inside.
The place we arrived at was even more splendid than the exterior, with an imposing giant door.
The Vice-Guild Leader opened it without hesitation.
There, at the end of a long table, sat a man between middle and old age, catching my eye.
He spoke.
“Do you know the most famous, meaningful, and useful proverb in Kalbaron?”
“…”
A question thrown out without any introduction.
I silently stared at the man, presumed to be the Guild Leader. Chairophon, too, remained quiet without responding.
It didn’t matter. As if he hadn’t expected an answer, the man continued his story.
“‘Trust no one. Not even your closest allies.’ I… always thought that was nonsense and lived my life accordingly.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
I asked, and the man answered briefly. After taking a sip of water, he spoke again.
“My subordinates—no, my brothers. People I knew even before coming to Kalbaron… like family. To me, they were more than just guild members. Not to the point of dying for me with a smile, but in moments of crisis, they were reliable enough to stand back-to-back without hesitation.”
“…”
“But the proverb was right. There’s not a single person in this world you can trust. And that… is why I called you here.”
Finishing his story, the man stood. That wasn’t all. Shing. Drawing his sword, his expression turned demonic, with killing intent pouring from his eyes.
Step, step.
The sound of his boots echoed widely in the high-ceilinged room. As he approached, his presence grew denser, making it almost hard to breathe.
But my expression remained calm.
The one showing discomfort was the person beside me, Chairophon.
“Guild Leader? No, Brother?”
“Don’t call me Brother.”
The man, the Guild Leader, spoke as he drew closer. Step, step. As the distance narrowed, his expression became clearer.
Disappointment, shock, emptiness—all sorts of negative emotions swirled in his face and eyes. Sensing something was wrong, Chairophon gritted his teeth and reached for his sword.
Or tried to.
Stab—!
“…!”
“I never thought you’d betray me, Chairophon.”
“Ugh, hrrk…!”
An assassin suddenly appeared from behind.
Hearing the voice of the drunkard Shakin, Chairophon’s eyes widened as he turned, only to collapse, his breath ceasing.
For a Graduate-level swordsman, it was an absurdly futile death. He’d been too focused on the Guild Leader to account for Shakin.
“You learned how to assassinate but not how to deal with assassins, it seems.”
“…”
“Hm. My introduction’s late. I’m Jindel, Guild Leader of Red Cloud. This is my younger brother, Shakin. And this guy lying dead… was, until yesterday, someone I considered family, Vice-Guild Leader Chairophon.”
“Hello. I’m Harang. I’m also part of Eddy’s Mercenary Corps in Marzen.”
I introduced myself calmly. Watching me, Guild Leader Jindel let out a hearty laugh and said,
“Hahaha… A peculiar young man. Anyway, nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“…”
“…”
“We don’t have much time, so I’ll get to the point.”
With a serious expression, Jindel, Guild Leader of Red Cloud, spoke again.
“Help me deal with the assassins lurking within the five major guilds.”