Ganagl Peytan, the Brain Devourer.
Among the Abyss Priests who were full of all sorts of depraved individuals, he was the most hideous and grotesque monster.
In the original work, he was called the Brain Sucker, Tentacle Pig, wasn't he?
While his actual power was only middling among the executives of the Exorcism Reversal Society, in terms of the size of forces under his command, he could be called first among the Abyss Priests.
So... in the original setting, he was definitely... ah, right. He was the archbishop of some heretical group called the Deep Sea Church.
After gaining power through contact with the 'abyss' that the Abyss Priests speak of, he killed all his superiors and seized the position of church leader.
In other words, he was a magic-using cult leader. Though I don't understand why the followers of the Deep Sea Church would worship such a monster as their leader.
Well, how could I understand the thoughts of cult fanatics? If they could be understood, they wouldn't be fanatics.
Anyway, Argentir's letter contained orders to join the subjugation team and eliminate him, saying they had discovered the location suspected to be his hideout.
Apparently they were lucky enough to identify where he was hiding after he fled and went into hiding following a recent clash with Heid.
"...So basically, he wants us to handle it first so Heid can't make a triumphant return with his head."
"Um... is this really something that needs our help...? If they know his location, couldn't they just handle it themselves...?"
Friede seemed somewhat suspicious of Argentir's intentions.
Saying that surely someone of his stature who controlled the kingdom's underworld wouldn't need to drag us in due to lack of forces.
"There must be reasons. Maybe he doesn't want to expose his own cards, or he's in a situation where he can't send out his core forces."
While the Black Eagle's Shadow may rule Hervor's underworld, they are ultimately an intelligence and assassination organization.
They were fearsome for the knives that strike from behind and under beds, but in a direct confrontation, they couldn't even overwhelm a single count family's knights.
In a way, it's natural. Why would someone with kingdom knight level power choose to live as an underworld assassin?
They could get immediate lifetime employment just by knocking on the door of any decent noble family.
Unless they had committed crimes too heavy to ever show their face in public, there was no reason for someone with those skills to skulk in the underworld rather than live honestly.
And those who committed such serious crimes would become wanted criminals rather than assassins, hunted like dogs until they were eliminated.
In other words, even those who claimed to be big shots in the underworld were mostly nobodies when their actual skills were revealed.
Of course, the orphan assassins directly trained by Argentir were skilled enough to be called orphan mass-producers... but that's a story for later.
They were still incomplete forces, so if they were deployed for something like this and died, it would be quite painful from Argentir's perspective.
And the Black Eagle's Shadow's final forces, the kingdom knights personally loyal to Argentir, would be difficult to take outside the capital at all.
What if they died after being secretly deployed?
Several kingdom knights who went on leave or outings either going missing entirely or being found dead in completely different locations?
It wouldn't be strange for the entire knight order to be thrown into chaos.
That's probably why Argentir handed this task to me.
A force at least at kingdom knight level.
Easy to use freely with no affiliation or backing, and since my public identity itself is disguised, even if things go wrong and I die, the aftermath wouldn't be difficult to handle.
From Argentir's perspective, where could he find a more convenient force to use?
Originally, dangerous and suspicious work should be outsourced.
Moreover, a capable contractor who can be used almost for free? It would be foolish not to use such an asset.
"—For those reasons, sudden as it may be, I think I'll have to leave tomorrow. Since it's an urgent matter."
After carefully organizing the letter and package sent by Argentir, I went to Lady Verloren to tell her I needed to go out to work.
Explaining that Argentir, who had provided me with a disguised identity, had assigned me a troublesome and difficult task in return.
"...I see. How disappointing. There was still so much I wanted to teach."
Lady Verloren sighed, openly showing her disappointment. Her blue eyes were tinged with faint anxiety and worry as she looked at me.
Like the feelings of parents sending their child out into the world... maybe not quite to that level, but at least about half that kind of emotion.
"Indeed. I still had much to learn too... but a contract is a contract. It can't be helped."
I shrugged lightly while showing a bitter smile that revealed my regret completely.
In my heart, I wanted to bring Lady Verloren along for the Abyss Priest subjugation, but unfortunately that wasn't possible.
Although retired, Lady Verloren was a kingdom knight whose prowess was so outstanding that she was once considered for the position of vice-commander.
For such a force to leave their residence, they needed to send a dispatch to the capital reporting their destination and route, and receive permission.
Apparently it was a measure to prevent such forces from being recruited by someone and secretly causing trouble?
So I had to give up.
This was supposed to be a secret assassination operation, so what kind of secret would it be if we revealed the destination?
I guarantee before long the whole world would know.
The information that former kingdom knight Lady Verloren Esther had reached high-ranking knight level and dealt with Abyss Priest Ganagl.
If that happened... well, the aftermath would be obvious.
How could the kingdom leave a high-ranking knight level force in retirement? They would definitely try to get Lady Verloren to rejoin and throw her into deep dungeons somehow.
Not only that, in the worst case, Heid, enraged at having his prey stolen, might come seeking a private audience with her wielding his brainwashing sword.
It would be convenient for him in many ways if he could brainwash and control a high-ranking knight as he pleased.
If that happened, I would have no choice but to satisfy my NTR grudge by tearing Heid into a thousand pieces and scattering them across the mountains and rivers.
I'd end up at rock bottom with no lower to fall as both a royal family killer and hero killer... but why should I care? Let me fall.
Could anyone still be called human if they could endure seeing that?
Rather than taking away a companion, taking away a mother is something only someone completely devoid of humanity would do, isn't it?
...Well, anyway, for such reasons I couldn't bring Lady Verloren along for the Ganagl subjugation mission.
○
That evening.
"Excuse me, do you have a moment?"
While I was busy packing to leave early tomorrow morning, Lady Verloren knocked and entered the room, holding something out to me.
"Here, take this. It's a gift."
"This is...?"
I opened my mouth slightly in surprise as I received her gift.
"Edelmut. It's the Esther family heirloom passed down from my late father."
It was a sword.
A longsword with a clean yet sophisticated design featuring a golden crossguard and a hand-and-a-half length grip.
The silver-gray blade appeared lighter than steel yet at least ten times harder and sharper, and seemed to carry even a faint holy aura.
"Cloud iron alloy steel with durability exceeding black steel. Though the cloud iron content is low, it won't break easily unless you directly block an ogre's attack or something similar."
Lady Verloren smiled as she explained the identity and capabilities of the gift.
"Additionally, it was consecrated by burning a saint's cloth fragment during forging, imbuing the entire sword with a slight power of holy miracle. Thanks to that, it can manifest Holy Barrier three times per day."
In other words, it was an incredibly durable sword that dealt bonus damage against undead, and could also activate Holy Shield three times a day.
"Unless you have special memories attached to your current sword, I thought it would be better to use a new one. That one is too worn out."
At Lady Verloren's words, I unconsciously glanced down at the black steel longsword at my waist.
A sword grip worn out from long neglect, a blade that had lost its luster and turned dull black. Plus a blade that was chipped and blunted here and there.
Ugh, this can be called a sword?
Compared to the sword called Edelmut that Lady Verloren handed me, my black steel sword was just garbage.
Of course, if given to iron or copper token adventurers, even this garbage would be gratefully used.
"Well, do you like it?"
Lady Verloren asked with a smile, pointing at Edelmut.
Do I like it?
Of course I can't help but like it.
Except for just one problem.
"Um... thank... you. But..."
"But?"
"A family heirloom... I'm not sure if I should accept something like that...?"
A family heirloom - is it really okay for me, who has no blood relation to the Esther name, to receive such an item?
If it were just a mediocre item, I would set aside courtesy and gratefully accept it, but this was too fine an item, making it difficult to accept due to my conscience.
"Oh, that again. Though I said it's a gift, I never said I was giving it to you completely?"
Perhaps finding my flustered appearance quite amusing, Lady Verloren said with a small laugh.
"Oh, um, so do I need to return it?"
"Of course. Complete the duty His Highness pushed onto you, and return it to me when you come back to this mansion. Safely, without a single wound."
Lady Verloren smiled as she reached out to lightly stroke my head. Since my height was almost exactly the same as hers, it made for a somewhat amusing sight.
"If you return with even a small injury, I won't accept it even if you try to return it. So, if the gift feels burdensome, you'd better not get hurt, right?"
The talk of borrowing and returning was just a joke.
The gift she handed to me contained her worry and concern, asking me to be safe and definitely return without getting hurt.
"...Yes. I'll be careful and return."
I answered quietly while slightly bowing my head.
"Mother."
With the utmost reverence I could muster.