As I returned to Lancelot’s side, he muttered under his breath, “I thought something terrible happened while you were saying hello.”
“For someone so worried, you were enjoying your drink just fine.”
“As a certain someone said, these are drinks I could never afford on my salary. I was just making the most of it!” Lancelot protested.
But his words didn’t match his actions. His glass didn’t even have a trace of condensation, and there wasn’t the faintest scent of alcohol on his breath.
The way he gripped his spear said everything. He’d been on edge, clearly prepared to barge in if I’d taken a moment longer.
He really was a man whose words never matched his heart.
I yielded with a smirk. “Alright, alright. Just drink. The roasted Minotaur sirloin is the best thing on the menu.”
“Yes, yes! I’ll order it right away!”
No sooner had I finished speaking than Lancelot waved over a server and placed the order. Only then did he lower his spear and start sipping at his drink.
After a while of drinking…
It’s almost time for him to appear.
I nursed my glass and scanned the room, letting my gaze drift over the crowd.
Men dripping in expensive trinkets filled the lounge. One stood out.
A man with jowls like a bloated toad, lounging in a private booth, surrounded by young attendants and swirling his drink.
There he is.
I rose and made my way toward him.
Behind me, I heard Lancelot call out, “Where are you going this time?” but I ignored him.
Ignoring Lancelot was always the best part anyway.
As I approached, the toad-faced man squinted at me as he wondered aloud, “Hm? Did I order a gigolo?”
Clink, scrape. His rings clashed with a harsh metallic rasp.
“Hmm… well your face isn’t half bad. Boy. What’s your name?”
“Louis.”
“Ha! Sounds like a noble’s name.” He scoffed, curling his lip, then held out a bottle of liquor. “Pour me a drink. I like your look, so I’ll be generous. Be grateful.”
I stared at the bottle for a moment, then reached for it in silence.
From the corner of my eye, I caught Lancelot’s expression sharpening—he looked ready to storm over, shouting “What the hell is that pig doing?”—but I subtly waved him off.
“I’d prefer to close the door,” I said.
“The door?” He blinked, then leered as if he’d misunderstood the situation entirely. “Aren’t you an ambitious one? I like that. Go ahead and do as you like.”
I nodded and closed the door to the private room behind me.
“Now, go ahead and pour.”
“…”
“Come on. Pour it.” The toad-man shrugged off his outer robe as he urged me.
I tilted the bottle and let the liquor flow into his glass.
Glug, glug, glug. The shimmering liquid filled the glass. He smiled with satisfaction.
“Heheh… I’ll treat you real well. You should feel honored.”
“…”
“But you’re not much of a talker, eh? I doubt you’re a mute, though. Are you just quiet?”
His hand crept toward my rear, clearly aiming to grope me. I caught his wrist mid-air and tilted the bottle further.
The liquor overflowed the glass, spilling across the table.
“…What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He scowled, but I didn’t answer him. Instead, I looked at the boy beside him—a dark-skinned boy pouring drinks. His eyes were lifeless, like a flame snuffed out.
“It’s good to meet you,” I said.
“…Excuse me?”
“Is life here bearable?”
The bottle was now completely empty.
The man roared, furious at being ignored. “I said, what the hell are you doing!”
“Pipe down.” I twisted his wrist and applied a touch of pressure.
Crack.
“AAAAAGH!”
He screamed, but I didn’t even glance at him.
I looked only at the boy. “I asked if you’re happy.”
“…Yes, I’m happy.”
“Truly?” I met his eyes. “If you want, I can take you away from here. If you need money, I’ll give you money. If it’s power you want, I’ll give you that too.”
“…For me?”
“Yes, Kai Andre. And since you don’t seem to believe me, I’ll offer a gift.”
I picked up a fork from the table and stabbed it straight through the toad-man’s wrist.
Crunch!
“GAAAAAAGH!”
His scream echoed through the room, but I silenced it by clamping a hand over his mouth and activating Crushing Presence, freezing him in place.
Mmph! Nngh!
He writhed for dear life beneath my hand… not that I gave a damn.
I pulled the fork free and turned to Kai, offering him the pronged little tool.
“Do as you wish. I’ll handle the cleanup.”
“…” Kai stared at the fork in my hand, then looked at the man writhing on the ground.
He bit down on his lips.
“…I can’t.”
His eyes now burned with murderous intent, his hand clenched tight. But still, he shook his head.
There seemed to be a reason holding him back—though I knew exactly what it was.
“Because of your siblings?”
“…How do you know that?” Kai’s eyes gleamed dangerously, ready to strike at the first sign of betrayal.
Just as I thought. The future Thief Master really is something else.
The boy had not even been trained in the basics of assassination, yet the murder in his eyes was chillingly thick. Such outrageous talent!
Though well, that was exactly why I came looking for him.
When I didn’t answer, Kai growled and snapped at me. “If you touch a single hair on their heads—!”
“You’ve got it wrong.” I cut him off.
I walked over to the man groaning on the floor, grabbed a fistful of his greasy hair, and yanked his head up.
“Urgh!” He grunted in pain, but I ignored him and spoke to Kai.
“My name is Louis Berg. I’m the legitimate son of Berg County—the finest spear-fighting House on the continent—and the son-in-law of the Duchy of Praha, the ruling power in the North. Which means, whether in status or looks, I’m in a completely different league from this pig.”
At the name ‘Berg,’ the pig’s eyes widened in terror. But with the mark of Dread holding him down, he couldn’t even scream.
“I know you came here willingly to keep your siblings alive. And I know of the physical and sexual abuse you’ve suffered from scum like him.”
“…”
“I’ll take responsibility for you. Never again will you go hungry, and if you desire, I’ll see to it that you’re given proper education.”
Kai pressed his lips shut. “…Really?”
“Yes. You might not need it, but your siblings should at least get the basics.”
Hearing my impassive reply, he asked again. “…Why are you going so far for me?”
“Because I want something in return.” I let go of the pig’s head before continuing. “Swear your absolute loyalty.”
“…What?”
“If I tell you to die, you die. If I tell you to kill, you kill. Live for me—me alone.”
Kai was quiet for a long moment.
Then, in a low voice, he asked yet again. “…Is that truly all?”
“Yes. That’s all.”
Kai nodded, took the fork from my hand, and drove it into the pig’s throat.
Stab!
“Gack—! Ggk—!” He choked for a few moments before dying on the spot.
Instant death.
He truly lived up to his future title of Thief Master. Without a flicker of hesitation, Kai wiped the blood from his cheek and spoke.
“He kept touching me. Told me to keep still unless I wanted him to hurt my siblings.”
“Oh dear, he had it coming then.” I nudged the dead pig’s head with my foot and continued. “Let’s go see your siblings. I assume they’re in the slums, and that’s not exactly the best place to be.”
“Thank you. Please take care of me, Big Brother.”
“If you call me ‘Big Brother,’ people might get the wrong idea.”
“Then… ‘Young Master’?”
“Well, that sounds about right.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
I patted his head, then turned to one of the trembling attendants and ordered, “Go fetch the proprietor.”
Before long, the proprietor stepped into the private room. He gave a small sigh the moment he saw the body.
“…What am I supposed to do with this?”
“What do you think? Clean it up, of course.” I said it like it was obvious.
The proprietor sighed again. “…Did this man do something?”
“He tried to grope my rear end, so I killed him in a fit of anger.”
“…Then he brought it on himself.”
To think he’d dare attempt to lay hands on the son-in-law of Praha...
The proprietor gave the corpse a look that screamed What a goddamn moron.
“…Still, you shouldn’t have killed him.”
“Why not?”
“Because he was the Trademaster of the Miph Merchant Guild.”