“Okay, Cadel, you said you had something you wanted to talk about. Go ahead.”

“……Here?”

With Yozen’s body blocking his view, he couldn’t see the Count’s body. But that didn’t mean he wanted to discuss recruitment in a room with a dead body.

Sensing Cadel’s reluctance, Yozen came up with another plan.

“If you want to go out and do it, go for it. There’s a small grove that connects to the backyard of the mansion, and I’ll meet you there.”

“You, you’re not coming with me?”

“The only way I know how to get rid of someone is to kill them. I could do it if you want, but then we wouldn’t be able to talk, would we?”

“…….”

“I’ll go first.”

With that, Yozen abruptly disappeared. As if he had evaporated before Cadel’s eyes, he disappeared without warning. The only thing he left behind was the old creak of the iron gate as it moved.

Cadel stared at the gap in the open door, then slumped against the wall. Beyond his blurred vision, he saw the body of the Count, his body and head neatly split open. Cadel hadn’t killed him, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t responsible.

No matter how much worse a human being is than an animal, murder is murder. Cadel couldn’t hide the sting in his heart.

“Kunra.”

He mumbled his name, and Kunra answered.

[You look shocked. I’ll warn you, this one can’t bring a dead man back to life.]

“I don’t want any of that.”

[That’s a subtle tone]

“Just promise me one thing: that you won’t let me die at the hands of that assassin.”

It was his first time experiencing human murderous intent. Yozen’s killing intent was darker and deeper than the energy of any being that Cadel had ever felt. Moreover, he was a man who had the power to easily kill anyone he wanted, anytime, anywhere.

Cadel knew he had enough power to protect himself, but he had a nagging suspicion that it wouldn’t be enough.

[……Are you ignoring this one, or are you belittling the power this one shares?]

Kunra’s tone alone conveyed his absurdity. As Cadel waited silently for an answer, Kunra offered an irritated promise.

[I will protect you. I won’t let you shed a single drop of blood.]

“No dislocations, no fractures, and that includes internal injuries.”

[Such a halfling with such an imagination.]

“Quickly.”

[You’ll make it through the night unscathed, so stop being such a pain in the *ss]

Cadel let out a shallow sigh and slowly pushed himself to his feet. His entire body throbbed from being bent and bullied here and there.

“I should have brought Garuel.”

He could heal from any wound, so he’d be perfect for dealing with Yozen. Cadel bit his tongue in disappointment and stepped through the open doorway, clutching his limp right arm.

‘Now that the Count is dead, if I’m caught here, I’ll be investigated, and they’ll find out I’m Cadel and not Carlo.’

He had to sneak out of the mansion, even if it meant hiding his identity. Unfortunately, he had no talent for concealment, and he couldn’t move as quickly as Lumen or shrink in size like Lydon.

That left him with only one talent: magic.

‘While I’m at it, I might as well experiment with some new attributes.’

The ground Cadel had managed to escape with difficulty was still in an uproar, with knights and soldiers scurrying about the manor in search of Yozen, and more wounded from his traps.

‘No matter where I fit in, I’ll be noticed.’

Blending in with the soldiers was difficult, as were the servants, who were either roaming the interior of the manor or huddled in the front courtyard, protected by other knights. No one ever moved into the backyard, so traveling alone would certainly arouse suspicion.

With that conclusion, Cadel stood against the wall of the central hall. In his hand against the wall, the ‘dark mana’ he had learned for Garuel pulsed.

The dark mana that escaped from the crevices of his crooked hand looked like a black flame or a puff of smoke.

His sharp eyes swept over the people in the hall. Fourteen soldiers in groups, seven servants carrying packs. All of the servants were moving quickly toward the front courtyard.

‘There is no need to mess with the servants.’

Then he would have to deal with the soldiers guarding the entrance from the central hall. With his eyes set on his target, Cadel’s bent hand clenched into a fist. The mana that filled his grip spread out in many directions, eerily traversing the air like a spirit doing its master’s bidding.

The next moment, the dark mass that had been silently advancing quickly blinded the soldiers

“Wh, what? A blackout?”

“Turn on the lights! I can’t see!”

The dark mana blocked the soldiers’ vision. Cadel hurried toward the back door, leaving them flailing in panic. He ducked his head and quickened his pace to avoid the servants who were poking around the hall at the soldiers’ suddenly erratic behavior.

Beyond the back door, he saw a group of knights scanning the surroundings. There were only a few of them, but it looked as though Cadel would not be able to escape all of them.

‘I have no choice.’

Cadel crouched in the shadows of bushes and buildings, clearing his throat.

“The soldiers in the central hall have been attacked!”

He tried to keep the commotion to a minimum, but he was no good at stealth. As he buried himself deep in the bushes, holding his breath, he heard the knights running toward the mansion.

When Cadel saw that all the knights who had been searching for their patron had entered, he erected a dark barrier to block the back door.

“I must hurry.”

He couldn’t be tied down for long. Cadel crossed the backyard without looking back.

At the end of the hard run, there was a narrow path that led into the forest, just as Yozen had said. It was blocked by a fence, and Cadel scaled it with his barely mobile body and landed on the ground.

“Ouch……!”

He landed on his dislocated right arm, and now it felt like his left arm was broken. Cadel scrambled to his feet, cursing his hopeless physical abilities.

‘Where is he?’

He looked around, his brow furrowed in pain, but there was no sign of Yozen. It was no wonder since he was so good at hiding himself, but Cadel was starting to get anxious.

‘Did he just leave?’

Cadel said he’d be back as soon as he could, which might not have been quick enough for Yozen. Cadel dragged his mangled body and looked into the quiet forest.

Minutes passed, until, tired of his fruitless pacing, he considered calling out Yozen’s name.

“Where are you going?”

Suddenly, Yozen’s voice came from behind him. Cadel trembled at the soft voice whispering in his ear.

“Argh! Wh, what’s with you?!”

“Why are you so surprised?”

Why are you so surprised? Was he asking because he really didn’t know? Cadel gently pressed his heaving chest and looked back at Yozen.

“I was behind you the whole time. Didn’t you know?”

“……You were there the whole time?”

“Yeah. I followed you from the central hall. You were using some interesting…… mana. I guess wind isn’t everything.”

Cadel nodded slowly, his gaze focused on Yozen’s upturned lips instead of the bandages covering his eyes.

“I’m a multi-attribute magician.”

“Then you must be the commander of the Scarlet Scales Knight Order.”

Letting out a low gasp, Yozen lowered his head to close the distance between him and Cadel. Despite being face to face, Cadel still didn’t hear a single breath from Yozen.

“……Do you know me?”

“I’ve heard there’s a new order of knights in the Empire, led by a genius magician. His name is Cadel, and his origin is unknown. But…… I have learned of it.”

“I hope you’ll keep this as secret as possible.”

“I will.”

Unexpectedly receptive to Cadel’s secret, Yozen lowered his head a little more. Then he lingered near the nape of Cadel’s neck as if sniffing. Cadel wanted to back away before Yozen touched his skin, but he didn’t want to offend Yozen, so he braced his legs.

“So, what do you have to say?”

A hot breath brushed against the nape of his neck. It tickled, but he couldn’t bring himself to squirm. He felt like a prey in front of an animal. But he shouldn’t be in this predator’s mood all the time.

He rolled his eyes at Yozen, and when he felt Cadel’s gaze, he slowly straightened up.

“The Empire’s newest order of knights, led by that genius magician, would like you to join.”

The corners of Yozen’s mouth, which had been smiling the entire time, twitched as if Cadel’s offer was more than he could have imagined.

“……You know who I am, right?”

“Yeah. I just found out for sure this time.”

“And you still want me?”

“I do, but I want you to kill demons, not humans, so let’s get that straight.”

Knights in the assassin position existed in the game because they killed demons on the side of humans. Cadel’s enemies were demons, not humans.

Hence the direction of Yozen’s murderous intent. If he couldn’t twist it, Cadel couldn’t let him join the Knight Order.

It was a resolve hardened after seeing the Count’s death, and it was a Maginot Line* that could not be compromised.

*Maginot Line (Ligne Maginot): It’s an array of defenses that France built along its border with Germany in the 1930s, and was designed to prevent an invasion. And it also means something that you refuse to do or something on which you will not compromise. A point that you will not pass in any situation.

At Cadel’s firm tone, Yozen, who had been silent for a moment, replied with a chuckle.

“Are you treating the pig I just killed as a human? That’s pretty generous. And I…… don’t like generous people.”