[SIDE: Garonne]
The Kingdom of Verted, one of the great nations. Among its cities, Wintervalley is special. The academy city, home to the world’s top magic academy, attracts people and wealth from not only major countries but various nations.
Where money gathers, the darkness of that place deepens. In other words, a clearly denser and deeper darkness spreads here compared to the major cities of other countries.
No single organization can rule over such deep darkness, and multiple large organizations have been competing fiercely, repeating intense struggles. Now, there’s a state of equilibrium, so territorial disputes have calmed down, but it’s unclear when the killing might start again.
Until then, we must increase our personnel and accumulate wealth.
With this in mind, I’ve been adding mercenaries, adventurers, and even guards and thieves who have become debt slaves as subordinates to the organization. There are even magicians who were once candidates for court magicians.
Our preparations are perfect, and we have neither carelessness nor complacency. If there’s to be a last remaining organization, it should be mine.
With this thought in mind, I deliberately took the bait of the suspicious Nevis family this time.
They say there’s a huge profit opportunity. There’s no more ridiculous invitation than this, but it was the Nevis family who said it.
They’re a medium-sized organization, but they’re a veteran force in this city. Their members have been citizens of the Kingdom of Verted since its establishment. Because of this, they have different sources of information and profit opportunities than we do.
If the Nevis family says there’s a big profit opportunity, no organization would be uninterested. Moreover, it’s a very understandable reason that the Nevis family, with only about a few dozen members, wants more manpower.
“…Boss. The head of the Nevis family, Kalila, has arrived.”
As I was pondering, there was a knock on the steel door along with a report from a subordinate.
“It’s much earlier than I expected.”
“That’s fine. Open it.”
Upon my response, two elite members of my organization standing on either side of the door unlock and push it open.
With a heavy sound, the door swings open. Standing there is a large woman. Her long brown hair sways as she stands with her arms crossed, boldly staring at us. Next to her is a black-haired girl who seems out of place. Though small and delicate, she shows no signs of timidity.
Ordinary people, or even hardened soldiers, would normally find this space terrifying. At the very least, they’d feel intimidated.
After all, this vast underground room is filled with my formidable subordinates. The room itself is designed for interrogation and intimidation, with oppressive stone walls creating a dim, heavy atmosphere.
As Kalila and the girl step inside, four of my subordinates silently move to stand diagonally behind them. Further down the corridor, assassins skilled in stealth are lurking.
To my left and right, standing beside my chair, are the two most capable members of my organization: a former adventurer and a magician.
The Nevis family is a unified force with Kalila at its head. It would be possible to subdue and interrogate Kalila and her companion right here, forcibly extracting information about their profitable venture. We might even be able to absorb the entire Nevis family.
Kalila must be aware of these possibilities, yet… why does she maintain such a composed expression?
“…It’s been a while, though we’ve been seeing each other quite often lately, Garonne.”
As Kalila greets me with a half-smile, some of my subordinates furrow their brows. When outlaws meet, the focus is on who holds the power. Being looked down upon means the end. This is common sense in the underworld of any country.
So, I smile confidently in response to Kalila’s attitude of addressing me as an equal.
“…I’m glad to see you again, Kalila. And I hear you have a very attractive proposition for us today… I hope it lives up to my expectations. For your sake too, you know?”
Upon hearing this, Kalila shrugs and smiles wryly.
“I hate to interrupt your cool act, but you shouldn’t act so high and mighty. We’re just parasites hiding in the shadows of the city. If our host dies, we die with them, and if we cause too much trouble, we’ll be found and crushed… That’s the extent of our existence.”
“What did you say?”
Kalila’s statement instantly tenses the atmosphere. However, her words seem to belittle not just us, but herself as well.
Why is she saying this? Is there a reason to deliberately anger someone she’s about to establish a cooperative relationship with? Could she possibly be suggesting that we start a legitimate business together?
As I ponder these thoughts and observe the situation, Kalila shrugs with an unamused expression and looks around at everyone.
Finally, she looks at me.
“…Garonne of the White Ash. I’m sorry, but I suggest you return to your homeland. That’s the only way you can profit the most.”
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As Kalila says this, the atmosphere in the room freezes. A few seconds later, several of my subordinates raise angry voices.
“Don’t mess with us!”
“Do you want to be crushed right now!?”
“The Nevis family dares to…!”
Shouts of anger and the sound of swords being drawn from their scabbards fill the air. From Kalila’s perspective, the situation is dire. Just two of them, and one is a small girl. If it were Kalila alone, there might have been a chance of escape, but…
“Calm down.”
At my single word, everyone stops moving, weapons still in hand.
Kalila, who should be pierced by countless killing intents, maintains her fearless smile. If anything, she seems to be looking at us with pity.
Then, the small girl standing next to her speaks up.
“…Is this far enough for the promise?”
It’s a puzzling statement. As we look at each other, unable to understand its meaning, Kalila laughs awkwardly.
“No, one more time… but that’s probably impossible. Even I, who claims to be evil, am starting to feel sorry for Garonne. I’m glad I at least had one chance to persuade him. This way, I can convince myself that I did what I could.”
Sighing as she says this, Kalila shakes her head. There’s more confusion than anger. It’s as if Kalila was concerned for our well-being. No, more than that, it’s as if that girl holds our fate in her hands…
“…Kalila. There are several points I’m curious about, but I want you to answer just one. Who is that woman?”
When I ask, Kalila opens her mouth with an unamused expression.
“She’s a teacher at the Magic Academy. A new one.”
“A teacher… at the academy?”
It’s becoming more and more incomprehensible. While her appearance doesn’t seem fitting for a teacher, that could be due to racial differences. The most puzzling thing is why an elite like an academy teacher would come to a place like this.
“…A teacher. Even if that story is true, why come to us? Surely you don’t think that a highly skilled magician who’s a teacher at the academy can defeat us alone?”
As I ask for confirmation, the girl grasps the sword pointed at her as if plucking a twig.
Then, she snaps the steel sword as easily as breaking a small branch.
“Wha…!?”
“What kind of magic is this!?”
Vigilance skyrockets in an instant. I too stand up and take out my staff.
“…Do you seriously intend to fight us? Alone?”
This must be a joke. I look at my subordinate standing in the back of the corridor, but he returns a gesture of denial. This means there are no knights or such approaching our hideout.
However, the girl steps forward with a gentle smile.
“I have three questions. What kind of business are you currently engaged in? Where are the hideouts of other organizations… and have any students from our Magic Academy fallen victim to your business?”
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