Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Thinning (3)

Even if the scale was small, handling a branch alone was not easy.

What’s more, the branch where the leader resides, guarded by proven agents.

That’s why Phiri and the Duke confidant were helping.

However, it did not make it an impossible task. Proven agents did not necessarily mean elites.

Elites were made in the field. Also, becoming a leader meant the fighting capabilities were top-notch.

There were few who could guard him properly. In fact, the biggest difficulty in this mission was the leader.

‘Strictly speaking, I am also among the elites.’

Age was not important.

When I first escaped from the Duke’s mansion, I was treated like a talented rookie, but no longer.

Going between the Empire and Haisen, I too had grown tremendously. I was hardly comparable to ordinary agents.

Especially after becoming an imperial knight.

The elixir the Emperor gave me and the sparring with the Sword Master. Experiences even outstanding people rarely have in their lifetime.

Now Haisen didn’t know my abilities precisely. I had no reason to tell them either.

‘That’s why they are helping.’

It was too much support. I planned it even without assuming Haisen’s help from the beginning.

What’s more, I was in my top condition. There should be no issues.

The branch where the leader resides didn’t have that many people. Unnecessary personnel only cause discomfort.

Usually, eight people including the leader reside in a branch.

Four posing as a clothing store. The leader, his assistant, and two running the supposed clothing store.

And two more nearby. They were in charge of perimeter security and support in emergencies.

The remaining two kept more of a distance. Agents in place for information containment and requesting backup if needed.

They were to remain silent no matter what happened. Irrelevant since they didn’t move anyway. So I could ignore them.

‘Therefore, there are only six I need to worry about.’

It wasn’t a covert op in the first place. I just needed to take care of them before the backup arrived and left.

I observed the interior structure of the clothing store and people’s movements through my Winds.

The leader and his assistant were in a house connected via a secret passage, just like before.

The locations changed but not much else.

I gauged the entry and escape routes. Entering through the side door looked best. The escape route would vary depending on the situation.

Jumping out the second-floor window was preferable, but circumstances might dictate otherwise.

After reviewing my plan again, I decided on the direction of entry.

‘Hmm.’

I wonder how many turncoats there will be among them. Two for certain, but unsure about the rest. Maybe one or two out of the six?

Attacking allies didn’t feel great, but it couldn’t be helped.

I was no stranger to killing innocents.

I mentally braced myself with those words and headed forward. Speed is of the essence.

One in the alley leading to the clothing store. Looking like a thug from his outfit alone. Haisen must have taken over the local organization here too.

I drew a dagger from my thigh and slipped it into my sleeve, then walked unsteadily like a drunk.

With my looks of an adventurer or mercenary, there should be no concerns.

There were at least a few other drunks around. I lowered my head and staggered into the alley entrance.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The man looked up. The stench of urine and filth mixed with dampness and foul odors came from the back alley.

“Ugh…”

I let out a groan and leaned against the wall. I hesitated to dirty my coat but focused on acting.

Sitting on an old wooden crate like a chair, the man frowned with one eye and got up from his seat.

He looked quite bothered. Top condition. Minimized aura and mana.

I shouldn’t appear threatening. I walked a few more steps forward.

“Hey. This is McLean’s turf. Piss off if you don’t want trouble.”

“Huh? What? McLean?”

I mumbled, leaning unsteadily against the wall. I still didn’t look up.

He might recognize me so better keep my face hidden. I staggered toward the man again.

“Damn it. I said pi…!”

He noticed something was off when I closed the distance to 5m. No smell of booze.

I could trail a scent too but that’d be unnecessary.

And at the point, he allowed that distance, the combat was practically over.

I tensed my left leg muscles and drew the dagger from my sleeve. The man hurriedly moved his arms but I was faster.

“Gahk!”

The dagger pierced his throat. His arm that tried to grab my wrist froze in midair.

His last breath couldn’t even leave the alley.

I retrieved the dagger, using Winds to shake off the blood that stuck to the blade and dust that got on my coat.

Easier than I expected.

Never having been attacked before probably led to this situation. Works for me either way.

‘The alley is narrow but…’

Leaving the body lying around openly seemed inappropriate. I moved the corpse to a corner and continued down the alley.

Since there was one more on the other side of the clothing store.

Speed had been life since I started. In no more than 10 seconds, I reached the opposite side of the clothing store.

The target this time was on the 4th-floor window sill of the building. I couldn’t have him loitering on the roof all day.

Well, he was probably in a more comfortable spot than the agent in the alley. Anyway, I was lucky.

He happened to open the window to smoke.

‘Will he react? Hmm. Let’s assume he will.’

Got to give your all even catching rabbits. I couldn’t be negligent. I climbed up the wall.

With Winds supporting me, going vertically was not difficult at all.

At the same time, I shoot a short sword toward another window inside the room through Winds.

The old window didn’t make a sound despite opening and closing.

‘Does he sense it?’

Still, the target seemed to feel something was off, glancing around slightly. No issues.

He casually blew out smoke again and resumed watching outside.

Now I was right below him. I jumped up directly. Our gazes overlapped as I shot up.

Eyes wide in shock from my sudden leap. I threw another short sword.

He jerked his head in place and moved to block the sword. Good reactions.

Since a short sword thrown at point-blank range missed. But it was over.

‘The silent short sword flying in from behind is unpredictable.’

The short sword I left in the room earlier dashes without a sound and pierces the back of his neck.

Glad I prepared that in advance. He was quite skilled. Things could’ve gotten annoying.

I retrieved the short swords through Winds and lightly landed on the ground. Three left.

I headed straight for the clothing store.

Through the closed back door instead of the front entrance.

It was locked from the inside but no issue. Winds unlatched the inside bolt.

I infiltrated swiftly. I used Winds to dampen any sounds. The creaking of the old wooden floor didn’t escape past my feet.

In fact, the remaining three posed little concern.

‘After all, they have to look like employees of a high-end clothing store.’

More brain than brawn. Intelligence agents were not all-arounders. Just basic combat skills.

And that’s child’s play before me.

The two didn’t even notice my approach. I threw short swords in succession twice.

With a tiny time lag, the short swords pierced their foreheads and the back of their heads.

Brains mixed with blood trickled out between the wounds torn open by the flying force.

I laid their falling corpses down through the Winds. Of course not out of humanistic consideration.

It was to prevent the impact of the fall from vibrating through the floor and walls.

‘Two left.’

The leader and assistant remained. The Leader was inside the office, his assistant was right outside. I couldn’t avoid the assistant.

But it was no issue. After all, the assistant was really a brainy type.

But that wasn’t a problem. After all, the assistant was really a brainy type.

The leader was chosen based on a combination of power, intelligence, experience, and personality. Not everyone fits the bill.

That’s why an assistant was necessary.

I discreetly passed through the secret passage. A residence. Unlike before, there was nobody there.

It hadn’t been long since the base was relocated. People were ready to come in, but they weren’t here yet.

I walked through the silent house and climbed the stairs. And at the top of the stairs, I released the Winds.

The assistant, sensing something, immediately reacted.

“…!”

At the same time, my face appeared at the top of the stairs. Our eyes met. There was recognition.

Eyes that had widened beyond belief.

“You…!”

The secretary was so shocked, he couldn’t speak. It was unbelievable that I, Carl Schurtafen, would come here.

I shouldn’t have come to Haisen’s branch after being under the surveillance of the Empire.

“Why are you here…?”

Shouldn’t he report to the leader? Or was the shock too much to think straight?

I chuckled and shrugged.

“Well, I’m an Inquisitor.”

Since being appointed through Phiri, I had only used this role properly once before.

But this time, too, my role as an Inquisitor remained unchanged.

However, I didn’t disclose it to the agents ahead because I didn’t know who the defector was.

There was no room for variables in a situation where speed was life.

The secretary was, after all, a devil worshipper from the start. It was a fact confirmed by the Duke’s confidant. Naturally.

The leader would have recruited his own assistant first.

After I finished speaking, I stomped the ground with all my might. The hallway was no more than 7m long.

Not that long even for a regular person.

Half a breath.

The assistant was before me. Thrust kick. He couldn’t even react. The stabbed sword pierced the door.

Bang-!

The secretary’s body hit the wooden door. As I pulled out the sword, the secretary slid down the door he was leaning on, spent.

Blood drops remained in the small crack in the door.

The leader did not move even after I revealed my presence.

He still sat at his desk. Only grabbed a dagger next to him.

Suddenly, I recalled what Phiri said when we first met the leader.

“Boss, it’s me.”

I knocked on the door three times quickly, two times slowly, and spoke.

Even if he didn’t recognize my voice, he should know with these words. The leader chuckled.

“Don’t know you, punk.”

“How about Inquisitor?”

“Come in.”

The room beyond the opened door was screened off with dark curtains like before.

Only this time, glowing red, closer to crimson than scarlet, with mana. The leader looked at me with an odd expression.

However, strangely, the leader seemed quite feeble. Looks weak.

Not someone who’d change this much in a short time. Something must have happened.

“Were those first words prepared in advance?”

“Just came to mind suddenly.”

I shrugged my shoulders. The leader was still composed.

“You’ve gotten laconic. Cocky after becoming the imperial princess’s knight.”

“I’m also the Empire’s war hero.”

“Right. What brings the Empire’s war hero all the way here?”

“Carrying out the Inquisitor’s duties. To catch devil worshippers.”

“Devil worshippers? Who?”

“You.”

The leader had been staring into my eyes the whole conversation.

More to gauge how much I knew rather than making empty excuses.

If my eyes betrayed any unease, wouldn’t he have wagged his devilish tongue?

The leader lightly sighed.

“So you’re helping Phiri.”

“Helping?”

I tilted my head, feigning composure. But the leader already seemed convinced.

The face of someone who had reached a conclusion.

“Chenarus’s assassin was you too.”

Author's Thoughts

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