ALL NOVEL Chapter 231
Chapter 231: Audacity (2)
On the way out of the restaurant, Yoo Ji-han checked to see if anyone was following Alro.
“Is this enough?”
“It’s sufficient.”
Alro smiled at him.
He seemed quite pleased with the ruckus Yoo Ji-han had caused at the restaurant.
And why wouldn’t he be? Everything that had happened was all at Alro’s request.
‘He was nervous.’
Despite his composed demeanor, beads of sweat were forming on Alro’s forehead, a sign that his tension had not yet subsided.
Probably because he behaved unusually.
Still, there was a reason for pulling off such antics.
“No one will dare publicly oppose the guild’s plans now.”
This would firmly engrave the determination to grow the Yogo Guild into the minds of the other guild leaders.
Alro displayed confidence that the guild could survive the pressures from its surroundings.
He had deliberately created a situation where backing down was not an option to show they were not joking.
Other guilds would feel burdened and realize that if they wanted to interfere with the Yogo Guild, they’d have to go all out.
“And since the guild leaders have heard your name, rumors will start spreading soon.”
Guilds were far more sensitive to public news than any other industry.
And suddenly, with remarkable mercenaries appearing, the Pig’s Soup Mercenary Corps was bound to raise questions.
As these processes unfolded, the name “Pig’s Soup” would rapidly circulate everywhere.
If luck was on their side, it might even reach Yoon Do-ha’s ears.
‘It’s not a bad plan, but…’
Alro was using the strength of the Kallem Expeditionary Force to grow the guild.
It was a bold decision made based on people he had only known for a few days.
“What if we suddenly decide to leave?”
“Indeed… It was only possible because of the Pig’s Soup.”
“Exactly.”
“Hehe, if you all leave, the plan will go up in smoke and I’ll have to live in Leron like a scared rabbit.”
Alro smirked as he shared his premeditated thoughts.
If the plan failed, he would simply grovel to other guilds and scrape by.
‘But I’m not planning to leave anyway.’
Now that Yoon Do-ha was involved along with Min Yu-ri’s brother, he could not back down from the matter.
Alro had to somehow create a remedy related to Magic Discoloration Syndrome.
“They won’t just sit back and watch.”
“Y-Yeah, that’s true.”
A slight shadow crossed Alro’s face.
Though he had stepped out boldly, it was uncertain whether the other guild leaders would quietly observe the Yogo Guild.
There was a high chance they would try to interfere in some way.
Looking at Yoo Ji-han, Alro spoke.
“…You’ll help us, right?”
“Of course.”
Helping, indeed.
Once resolved to assist, if there were those who tried to interfere, he’d crush them thoroughly.
*
That night.
Alro tried to sleep alone in a darkened room.
The house was modest for the leader of a guild.
They had moved here for ease of management after his father collapsed.
“…Hoo.”
Even with his whole body relaxed and eyes closed, sleep wouldn’t come to Alro.
He felt more awake than ever, as if he had just woken up.
It was because thoughts of the earlier events kept flooding back to him.
‘This was the most adventurous act I’ve ever done in my life.’
As the head of the Yogo Guild, Alro had made countless business-related decisions.
However, it was rare for him to make such a daring decision and reveal it boldly to the outside.
Among the guild staff, eight out of ten were either opposed to or greatly worried about the matter.
‘My father would freak out if he heard this.’
What kind of reaction would his father have if he learned this news?
He could imagine his father saying it was rash and reckless.
Alro knew that, yet he still announced the guild’s expansion.
‘Opportunities like this don’t come around often.’
It was relatively common to encounter bandits when transporting valuable items.
For those with sharp minds, it was not unusual to follow a particular guild for several days.
But, the force displayed by the Pig’s Soup Mercenary Corps from an unexplored continent.
If utilized, it would allow the Yogo Guild to cross the continent safely.
“They seem like a tightly-knit bunch, so they wouldn’t easily abandon our guild.”
They were working together with the Yogo Guild solely to find one person in Kallem.
The guild would provide information and money, while they would protect the guild for a certain period.
Since they promised to provide what each wanted, Alro hoped this relationship would remain stable, even if just temporarily.
‘We just need to succeed once.’
After achieving trade with the Three Major Forces just once, everything would become much easier.
This was because the Yogo Guild’s position in the market would be significantly strengthened.
Skilled and experienced mercenaries tend to seek collaboration with guilds that have such experiences.
Unless you were noble, you couldn’t personally own a military force, but for the sake of more active trade, it was possible to set up a dedicated escort under the guild.
Even if the Pig’s Soup Mercenary Corps vanished, they would be able to fill the gaps by whatever means necessary.
‘If only my father wakes up afterward, everything would be perfect…’
As Alro sank into his thoughts, his eyelids gradually grew heavy.
Eventually, the only sound that filled his room was the steady breathing of the sleeping Alro.
And about two hours later.
While most residents of Leron were sleeping, a man arrived at Alro’s door.
He was dressed like a typical servant of a mansion.
Creeeak.
He gently opened the unlocked door and slipped inside.
His footsteps, carrying the entire weight of his body on his toes, were unbelievably quiet for a human.
Once he reached the bed, he looked down at Alro, whose only exposed part was his hair, covered by a blanket.
“He sleeps well.”
He was a hired mercenary from another guild that attended the guild leader meeting.
Clang!
A short dagger was drawn from the man’s coat.
It was a tool that could pierce human flesh without issue.
‘Poor guy.’
The mercenary felt a twinge of sympathy for Alro.
Why did it have to be him who’d been labeled as an annoying presence by such an ill-tempered employer?
The employer had ordered him to kill, without anyone being the wiser.
For someone promised a hefty payment, there was no choice but to comply.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The mercenary silenced Alro, covering his mouth with the blanket and plunged the dagger into him.
Restricting any struggling movements perfectly, he hacked at Alro’s body.
Blood seeping out from the blanket stained it entirely in crimson.
Only after Alro’s movements had stopped did he release his grip on the mouth that he had been holding down.
‘Live quietly in the next life.’
Wiping off the blood from the dagger, the mercenary clutched the bloody blanket.
Then, he lifted up the blanket to confirm the body underneath.
“…Huh?!”
Inside the blanket lay not Alro, but someone else entirely.
The problem was that the face was a dead ringer for someone the mercenary knew very well.
“Mother!!”
It was his mother.
Why in the world was his mother, who lived in a different region, here?
“Huh! What have I just done…?”
The scar and wrinkles under his eyes confirmed it; it was undoubtedly his mother’s face.
The mercenary stumbled backward, pouring out tears like a chick.
He had become a mercenary to support his poor mother, and it felt as if the world was crashing down on him.
“Gahh!!”
Could it be that she knew he was coming and set this awful trap?
He felt overwhelming resentment for this cruel world that inflicted such pain upon him.
And at that exact moment.
Yoo Ji-han’s party watched the mercenary weep from nearby.
—Hehe! Look, he’s crying!
“Peeew! Such a coward!”
The Sylph and Chilla mocked the sobbing mercenary.
Kim Si-hu, who was waving his hand in front of the mercenary’s face, said with a cold smile.
“The magic worked perfectly.”
What the mercenary was seeing was brought about by Kim Si-hu’s illusion magic.
No one was actually dead, and no one was harmed.
He was merely crying over the fabricated illusion.
“You’ve grown since before.”
“Eh, it’s nothing much.”
Kim Si-hu felt a bit smug at Min Yu-ri’s praise.
Having absorbed Ajesia’s magic, he had reached a level of practical use.
He was now on par with the skills of Adem, who was truly a local.
“This feels a bit eerie.”
“It does, a little.”
Lee Mi-a, who had a memory of being tricked by illusions before, made a displeased face.
But she couldn’t deny that the magic was highly effective given the defeated expression on their enemy’s face.
“Make sure to never use it on us.”
“That won’t happen. Everyone has taken precautions.”
“Like this talisman?”
“Yes.”
The heroes, recalling the times they had been vulnerable to illusion magic, had produced and kept a talisman artifact to resist such magic with Adem and Jerry’s assistance.
Even if they got caught in magic again, it would be rare to fall into a panic like before.
“It’s gratifying to turn the tables on those who only victimized us.”
“It’s no wonder Ajesia’s magicians were so confident.”
A magic that could deceive the senses of several people in an instant.
Yoo Ji-han was well aware of how much mental pain could be inflicted through the crafted illusions.
The overly confident appearances shown by Ajesian magicians in Korea stemmed from this very thing.
“Such an amazing magic.”
“Our mage is quite exceptional.”
“Ahem!”
Kim Si-hu felt a bit proud when Watanabe acknowledged him.
Shortly thereafter, while the Watanabe party went to check whether any other assailants were around Alro’s mansion, Yoo Ji-han’s party kept a watchful eye on the flustered Alro and the mercenary, whose pupils were devoid of focus.
“Everything’s truly under control, right?”
“Don’t worry.”
“Hyung! Here’s the magic stone!”
“Thank you.”
Kim Si-hu forcibly extracted the magical energy from the mercenary and handed the magic stone to Yoo Ji-han.
Having glimpsed the mercenary’s memories through sampling, Yoo Ji-han wore a triumphant smile.
“It was this guy.”
*
In the building of the Frua Guild located in Lukaid.
Bang!
The door was swung open roughly by someone.
The guild staff inside widened their eyes and stared toward the entrance.
“Huh? Huh?”
“Why are the guards…?”
A group of armored guards entered without permission.
Behind them followed Alro and Yoo Ji-han’s party.
“What’s happening?”
“What on earth is going on?”
The mercenaries staying at the Frua Guild jumped up from their seats.
Then, the guards with tense expressions spoke up.
“Where is the guild leader?”
“Over there…”
Pointing with a hand, there was the leader of the Frua Guild.
He had rushed over while attending to business and spoke cautiously.
“What can I do for you?”
“Are you the guild leader of the Frua Guild?”
“That’s correct, but…”
“I’m here to arrest you on charges of hiring a murderer.”
“W-What?!”
The guards seized the guild leader’s arms.
The mercenaries sprang forth to protect him, frantic, but—
“Take this.”
“Wha—!”
Seeing the dagger handed over by Yoo Ji-han, they had no choice but to stop their actions.
Being implicated as accomplices of a crime would put them in a difficult situation as well.
Yoo Ji-han quietly spoke.
“Were you aware of this incident?”
“No, not at all.”
“If the entire mercenary group doesn’t wish to go down with it, we ask for your cooperation.”
Once known for frequent assassination attempts among nobles, Leron imposes severe penalties for murder and conspiracy to murder.
Understanding that this incident was a private assignment to just one mercenary, Yoo Ji-han sought the cooperation of the others.
Realizing the situation was turning disadvantageous, the Frua Guild leader trembled as he said.
“What will happen to my guild?”
“Given the irrefutable evidence… According to the law, there will be a suspension of operations for at least two weeks.”
“Huh?!”
“Depending on the investigation results, it could be extended up to three months.”
“No way!!”
If all transactions were put on hold for a month in such a large guild, it would amount to almost complete ruin.
If the crime was proven true, he would face more than twenty years in prison.
“You bastard!”
“Whoa.”
The furious Frua Guild leader glared at Alro as if he were ready to kill him.
Yet, instead of Alro, it was Yoo Ji-han who stepped forward.
“How dare a mere mercenary…”
“You better know your place.”
“What?!”
“Who does a mere criminal think he’s staring at?”
“…!”
The Frua Guild leader’s face twisted as he received back his own words.