Chapter 92: Was That Today? (2)


    Ghiin clearly remembered the name “Crank.”


    It was because every time ude drank, he would curse the man who had cut his wrist.


    But for that to be today of all days!


    “This is urgent. Lead me to this man, Crank, right now. I’ll handsomely reward you.”


    The employee shook his head with an awkward expression.


    “I have my duties to attend to. Please find someone else to guide you…”


    “Hey, nobleman. Seems like you’re not from around here. Why are you looking for our boss?”


    A mocking voice interrupted the employee’s words from the next table.


    Ghiin slowly turned his head.


    Three thugs were lounging around a table. They were the ones who had been cleaning up earlier.


    Ghiin approached them and spoke in a low voice.


    “I need to meet your boss immediately.”


    “Do you even know who you’re talking to? You think you can just waltz in and see the boss without telling us who you are?”


    “It’s urgent. You’ll bepensated well.”


    “Well, if it’s that urgent… Maybe we could make something happen, if you pay the errand fee first. That’s just how things work around here.”


    The man sitting in the middle twirled his finger into a circle, gesturing for money.


    Ghiin pulled out a gold coin from his pocket and tossed it to him.


    “Move quickly.”


    His eyes began to gleam with a dangerous light, but the thug, oblivious to the warning, raised his finger again.


    “Pff, since you’ve already started spending some coins, why not add a little more? The cost of living is pretty high around here.”


    The two thugs sitting on either side chuckled in agreement.


    Shwick!


    “Huh?”


    In an instant, something shed by, and the man’s wrist was sliced clean off,nding on the table.


    “Arrghhh!”


    The thug, who hadn’t even had time to react, screamed and rolled on the ground as blood spattered across the table.


    “Jokes have their time and ce.”


    Ghiin sheathed his sword as he spoke.


    Finally, the men on either side jumped up in shock, but the mercenaries moved faster.


    Bang!


    Before they could fully stand, their heads were mmed back onto the table, faces pressed down by the mercenaries.


    “W-what the hell are you doing…?”


    The man whose wrist had been cut off staggered backward, his face pale with fear.


    Ghiin grabbed him by the throat.


    “Where did they take ude?”


    “T-the ughterhouse! They dragged him to the ughterhouse! It’s on the outskirts of Austern! It hasn’t been long since they took him!”


    Thud!


    Ghiin drove his sword deep into the man’s shoulder.


    “Aaaargh!”


    “You’ll guide me. If we’rete, and ude’s hand gets cut off, all of you are dead.”


    Ghiin dragged the man outside by his neck.


    Shaking in terror, the thug pointed with trembling fingers in the direction they needed to go, and Ghiin began to walk.


    Before long, they arrived in a filthy, rundown area that was no different from a slum.


    Unlike the bustling streets crowded with tourists, this area was filled with cheap taverns and shady individuals.


    As they approached an especiallyrge building, the thug in Ghiin’s grip began to shout.


    “It’s an intruder! Intruder! Spare me!”


    In front of the building, a dozen rough-looking men were lounging around, chatting idly.


    The moment one of the men shouted, they jumped to their feet, gripping their weapons.


    They didn’t even seem interested in checking who the opponent was.


    “Let’s smash ’em first!”


    As the thugs rushed forward, Ghiin grabbed the man he’d been using as a guide and mmed him to the ground.


    “Gillian, subdue them all. Once I’ve seen the situation inside, I’ll decide whether to kill or spare them.”


    “Understood. Go ahead.”


    While the mercenaries shed with the thugs, Ghiin quickly dashed into the building.


    * * *


    Animal carcasses hung in various spots throughout the ughterhouse.


    The stench of blood and the musky odor of beasts filled the air.


    Crank, the thug boss, cracked his neck from side to side, a grin spreading across his face.


    The thought of swinging his axe after such a long time made his heart race.


    In front of him, a man who appeared to be in histe twenties was tied to a chair.


    Though his appearance was disheveled and shabby, there was an undeniable air of intelligence in his face.


    He was ude, the man Ghiin had been looking for, known around Austern as the


    “Gambling Hall’s entric Sage.”


    Despite being tightly bound and on the verge of facing an axe, ude’s eyes showed not fear, but only wariness.


    ude opened his mouth, his bored and raspy voice echoing in the warehouse.


    “Who sent you?”


    “Who the hell needs to send me? You’re the one who got caught messing around. I’m just here to follow thew and chop off your wrist.”


    ude snorted in disbelief.


    “I’ve never cheated. Pretty pathetic for someone who ims to run the backstreets. Don’t have the guts to find out the truth, huh?”


    “You bastard…”


    Crank gritted his teeth.


    Talking more would only aggravate him, so it was better to finish the job quickly and dispose of the body.


    “Hey, bring me the axe.”


    One of his men stepped forward, holding a hand axe.


    Crank gestured toward ude’s wrist.


    “Cut it off. Cleanly.”


    “Where, exactly?”


    “Where do you think… Forget it, give it to me.”


    Snatching the axe from his subordinate, Crank nodded his head.


    “If you beg for mercy right now, I might settle for just a finger.”


    However, ude still didn’t show even a hint of tension.


    Instead, he red at Crank with annoyance and muttered.


    “If you’re going to cut it, just cut it. I don’t have time to waste arguing with someone like you.”


    “Fine, once I lop off a piece, you won’t be able to p that mouth anymore!”


    With a twitch of his lips, Crank raised the axe above his head.


    “— Enemy! We’ve got enemies! Help!”


    Just then, a loudmotion could be heard from outside.


    Frowning, Crank nced toward the warehouse entrance.


    “What the hell? What’s going on? Go check it out.”


    The nearby thugs nodded and started heading out, but there was no need.


    Crash!


    The door shattered as Ghiin stormed into the warehouse.


    Scanning the surroundings quickly, Ghiin spotted Crank, pointed at him, and spoke.


    “If you move, you die. Stay right where you are.”


    A thug stepped forward, blocking Ghiin’s path, shouting.


    “Do you know where you are? You bastard!”


    The thug lunged forward, thrusting a dagger.


    But Ghiin wasn’t someone who would fall for such a clumsy attack.


    With a nonchnt gesture, he reached out and grabbed the dagger.


    Crack!


    The dagger shattered into pieces, leaving the thug staring in shock.


    “No way, that’s impossible!! Who breaks a de barehanded?!”


    “Well, someone here does. Now, just let it rest.”


    Boom!


    Ghiin casually swatted the air as if brushing away a bug.


    The thug was sent flying into the wall, his nose and teethpletely shattered.


    Crank shouted frantically.


    “What are you idiots doing?! Attack him all at once!”


    A dozen thugs in the warehouse charged at the same time.


    Ghiin red at them and extended his hand.


    He had no intention of dealing with them one by one. He was too pressed for time to waste any.


    Clink!


    Threads of mana wrapped around the thugs, freezing them in ce.


    Crack!


    “Aaaaargh!”


    As Ghiin clenched his fist, the thugs’ limbs all twisted and broke, sending them copsing to the ground.


    “W-what the hell?!”


    Crank staggered backward, his face drained of color.


    He had seen all sorts of brutal things in his life, but never something as strange as this.


    “Is he… a mage?”


    He fought with his fists like a knight, but Crank had never heard of a knight pulling off something this bizarre.


    Even ude, who had been trying to hide his fear, widened his eyes in shock.


    Having studied at the academy, ude had seen plenty of knights and mages, but none who could use such a technique.


    As Ghiin approached him, ude watched silently before asking.


    “Did youe to rescue me?”


    “Yeah.”


    “Why? We don’t even know each other.”


    “Let’s just say we’ll get to know each other from now on.”


    ude grimaced, looking like he was staring at a madman.


    Ghiin chuckled and untied ude from the chair.


    “I’m Ghiin, Baron of Fenris from the Ritania Kingdom. You can just call me Ghiin.”


    At that moment, Crank, who had been watching dumbfounded, finally stammered and interrupted.


    “W-what’s a foreign noble doing here? Even if you’re a noble, you can’t just do as you please!”


    But even Crank himself doubted whether this guy would listen.


    Everyone in Austern knew that indulgence wasn’t just formoners. There was an unspoken agreement among nobles not to disturb each other’s ygrounds to avoid losing their own.


    Yet this man had stormed in without a care for that understanding.


    Would he back down just because Crank spoke up?


    Ghiin’s answer was exactly what Crank feared.


    “I’m taking ude with me.”


    “T-that man cheated! Thew here is to cut off the hand of someone like him!”


    “Don’t y dumb. You really think I came here without knowing anything?”


    Ghiin had heard ude’sment about having his limbs unfairly severed more times than he could count.


    Crank nced sideways at the shattered door. His subordinates were either lying on the ground or kneeling in defeat.


    While he was still unsure of what to do, Ghiin walked over and ced a firm hand on his shoulder.


    “I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll leave it at this. Since ude’s wrist is still intact, I’ll let you and your men keep your heads too. That should be more than enough, don’t you think?”


    Ghiin’s snake-like gaze pierced into Crank’s eyes.


    “I-I understand.”


    Crank nodded repeatedly, trembling. He had fought his way to this position, spilling plenty of blood along the way, so his instincts told him one thing: the man standing before him was far beyond anything he could handle.


    “You’re quick to catch on. I like that.”


    Ghiin grinned, pulling a few gold coins from his pocket and pressing them into Crank’s hand.


    “For your men’s medical bills. Use whatever’s left for drinks.”


    “…Thank you.”


    Crank slowly backed away, still terrified.


    Ghiin appeared ready to walk past him, but suddenly, he grabbed Crank by the cor and yanked him forward.


    “W-what now?!”


    Leaning in close, Ghiin whispered into Crank’s ear in a low, menacing voice.


    “Stop the surveince, too. I’ll be gone soon enough.”


    The killing intent in Ghiin’s voice sent cold sweat trickling down Crank’s face as he nodded frantically.


    Satisfied, Ghiin let go of Crank’s cor and gave him a pat on the shoulder, looking pleased.


    “You’ve worked hard. Keep it up.”


    “Th-thank you. Safe travels.”


    ude followed Ghiin, ncing back at Crank.


    It was the first time he had ever seen Crank look so terrified. Wasn’t Crank supposed to be the strongest thug in the backstreets?


    ude quickly shook his head and caught up with Ghiin. He had narrowly escaped having his hand chopped off, and he didn’t want to get involved in anything else strange.


    As the cool air outside hit him, it finally sank in that he had been freed.


    ude bowed his head to Ghiin.


    “Thank you for saving me. But… Why would you go out of your way to help someone like me? I’m not worth the trouble.”


    Ghiin studied ude’s face carefully in response to his self-deprecating words.


    Sunken, lifeless eyes. A hollow, exhausted expression.


    He looked like a withered tree—someone who had given up on everything and lost the will to live.


    It reminded Ghiin of the day he had first met Gillian. Gillian had worn that same expression.


    Before Ghiin could reply, ude spoke again.


    “Well, whatever the reason, I guess it doesn’t really matter. Since it’se to this… would you mind buying me a drink?”