Chapter 424: A Stagnant Puddle


    To avenge their destroyed bases, to regain their tarnished honor, to take revenge for many of their subordinates. Despite theck of evidence, the 『Moonlight Owl』 began to move to assassinate Takumi once more.


    However, along with their bases in Valkyra Kingdom, they were also greatly affected by the fact that many of their skilled assassins and fighters were arrested.


    Much to Forbach’s fortune, a godsend in the form of a job request came from a noble from Yggurle Kingdom.


    The client concealed his name and disguised himself with a magic tool, but as rotten as he was, Forbach was also an elf. It wasn’t difficult for him to see through the client’s race.


    Forbach narrowed it down to the rich and powerful nobles in Yggurle Kingdom who make use of Dark Guilds He deduced that the client was likely Earl Hordia.


    The target can not be dealt with by ordinary means. To be prudent, Forbach decided to make contact with the client at Wedgefort to have a meeting to discuss the finer details.


    A subordinate who could be called Forbach’s right hand man asked curiously. Of course he would. IT was rare for Forbach to do a job abroad personally.


    「Boss, you’ll go to Wedgefor yourself?」


    「Yeah, it’s the ce close to the target. We might figure something out. And that Earl Hordia has been known to be dirty, rotten elf since way back in Yggurle Kingdom. He probably also has soldiers working behind the scenes.」


    「Will you use them too?」


    「Yeah, I’ll use whatever I can. That’s the kind of person our target is.」


    Forbach brought a few guards with him as he headed for Wedgefort by way of Lomaria Kingdom.


    From Triaria Kingdom to Wedgefort, it would take only a few days if they went straight through the Savage Lands, but going through Triaria Kingdom’s side of it, which has had no road development in the slightest, would definitely be reckless act.


    And on their way there, he would order his able fighters from their bases at Lomaria Kingdom and Triaria Kingdom to gather in Wedgefort. In particr, he was calling many of the people specialized in intelligence gathering and assassination.


    And now also in the trading nation’s bustling port city, there were other men who had a grudge on Takumi because of being unable to get the elf in the attack, as well as incurring a huge mary loss from having to pay hugepensation to free their mercenaries and members of the Dark Guild who had been sold as criminal ves.


    Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc, nobles of Samandour Kingdom, lost a lot of money from their schemes.


    The fact that Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc sent out surveince units also made it difficult to clean up after them. Thanks to that, both families had to expend plenty of effort and money to make sure their families couldn’t be tied to it.


    That much money was a serious blow to theirpanies which had been on a decline as of recent.


    That was them suffering the consequences of their own actions, but their resentment for Takumi naturally grew. Now he wasn’t just going to take the elf, carriage, and Dragon Horse, Earl Sechnal wanted to exact his outrageous vengeance against Takumi, and he was going to take everything away from Takumi.


    「Master, i think you should stop already……」


    「Shut up! You think I will let it end with somemoner making a fool out of me!? How much do you think I’ve lost? The Dark Guild and the Mercenary Guild are setting aside their ipetence and are crying out so annoyingly aboutpensation!」


    Despite the chambein trying to dissuade Earl Sechnal from involving himself any more than this with Takumi, Earl Sechnal was not only obsessed with money, but was also had extremely proud and had the mentality of being one of the chosen people. And so, he seethed with murderous impulse towards Takumi, forgetting that it was he who tried to attack and kill Takumi.


    「That Dark Guild isn’t good enough. Oi! Look for a Dark Guild that can assassinate from anywhere in the continent!」


    「……by your will.」


    From his years of experience, the chambein knew that that it was futile to say anything more to his Master and so he gave up and began looking for a Dark Guild by following up with their connections.


    And funnily enough, the exact same exchange was taking ce in Earl Vautarc’s mansion.


    Earl Sechnal and Earl Vautarc. It was likely not a coincidence but a necessity that these two greedy people finally arrived at the infamous 『Moonlight Owl』 of the underworld of the continent.


    Resentment, Greed, Jealousy, and Murderous Intent were gathering in one ce. Like stagnant, rotting water gathering one ce……


    ***