Chapter 167: The Backstab Behind the Backstab Behind the Backstab (3)

Raion, Patrick, and Turklan, who had been at the annex palace, arrived at the slums leading twenty knights at Luteo’s polite(?) request.

Around the worn-down mansion, soldiers of the royal capital and mercenaries clad in all kinds of armor were gathered.

As the three dismounted, a sharp gaze was felt from one side.

It was Rashid, a member of the Black Crescent Moon, who had come over from Moratz not long ago.

‘That’s the guy who was watching me last time. More importantly, didn’t they say the nobles who were kidnapped here have escaped?’

That was the most absurd part of the story Luteo Candir had told him.

‘Those people are likely being held by Jade and Fordman right now. Don’t tell me…?’

Something far too suspicious was going on.

And upon arriving as requested, the mercenaries of the Black Crescent Moon were giving off an odd atmosphere.

‘This… this feels like the day of a dog hunt.’

While all sorts of thoughts ran through his head, Charoen walked out of the old house.

“You’ve arrived, Sir Raion.”

His courteous attitude felt so cold that it sent chills down Raion’s back.

Raion gave a slight nod in response.

“I heard the rough story… Did you really find traces of the kidnapped nobles?”

“Yes. Because of that, His Majesty has decided to personally accompany us.”

“He’s going out of his way to make things troublesome.”

How furious must he be to go this far?

Of course, the cause of that anger was Raion himself.

Though no one else knew that.

“His Majesty is always proactive when it comes to matters concerning his people.”

“Is that so…?”

“In any case, we’ll move through the underground passage. Once we’re out, we’ll have to move faster to avoid being tracked.”

“How many of us are there in total?”

“I haven’t counted exactly, but roughly around forty.”

Twenty-one from the royal capital, fifteen from the Black Crescent Moon.

Lastly, Raion and his two companions—three more.

A total of thirty-nine.

As Raion tallied the numbers, his brows furrowed.

“Do they really think we can track anyone with just this number?”

“Even if we take the minimum estimate, the enemy should number over twenty. Taking that into account, this is the smallest possible pursuit team.”

“Huu… I understand for now.”

“Please, follow me.”

Thus, the pursuit team was formed.

When they entered the shabby house, they found King Harlan Mineta waiting inside.

“I’ve heard from Charoen that you’re the Grand Master, and I’ll acknowledge that. But do you show no decorum before the king of a nation?”

A proud yet weighty voice.

Harlan Mineta questioned Raion with quiet reproach.

“He’s not my king. Why should I show courtesy?”

“How insolent…”

“If I’m not needed, shall I go back?”

“……Why are you being like this?”

It was a fairly urgent situation.

And yet, the two of them bickering at such a time made the air stifling.

“I don’t like this one bit.”

In truth, Harlan Mineta had considered recruiting Raion and his two subordinates as his own knights.

But who would willingly serve under someone weaker than themselves?

In the first place, even Harlan Mineta would never wish to serve a lord weaker than he.

“Let’s go.”

Following Charoen’s lead, they stepped into the dark hole in the wall.

It didn’t take long to emerge on the other side.

A dense forest.

The scenery was similar to what they had seen when escaping through the secret passage in the Canel Kingdom.

Between the thickly packed trees, the outer wall of the Mineta Royal Capital was faintly visible.

“Which way from here?”

“The last traces I found were toward the west.”

After the rest of the forces exited the passage, they began moving.

Meanwhile, Raion could feel glances cast at him from all sides—

From Harlan Mineta, Charoen, and Rashid.

They were supposed to be tracking down the kidnappers of the nobles, yet there was a strange tension in the air.

“The mood feels a bit off,” said Patrick, walking beside Raion.

Raion naturally nodded at that remark.

“It’s obvious when you look at the situation.”

The real kidnappers were Raion’s own subordinates.

They had never even left the outer walls.

And yet, traces of the kidnapped nobles had supposedly been found outside?

From the perspective of those involved, it reeked of deceit.

‘So this is the trap Charoen laid.’

Naturally, the one meant to fall into that trap was Harlan Mineta.

Turklan, who had also caught on to the situation, couldn’t help but worry.

“This… looks like blood will be spilled in the Mineta Royal Capital again.”

“Well, it’s the price for sitting on a throne built on blood. Let’s just keep watching for now.”

“Understood.”

“Yes, sir.”

The pursuit continued.

Before long, they reached the spot Charoen had last mentioned.

“The carriage wheel marks I found were here.”

Deep ruts were clearly visible in the dirt.

From how sunken they were, the load must have been quite heavy.

“From here, it goes northwest? If we follow this direction, we’d pass near Huffo Territory and reach the Boluzan Kingdom. Don’t tell me the kidnappers’ backers are from Boluzan?”

Harlan Mineta’s confusion deepened.

First, heretics from the temple had appeared in the capital, summoning a dragon.

Now, after the nobles’ kidnapping, the Boluzan Kingdom was suspected of being behind it.

Looking at the situation as a whole, it seemed like someone was forcing the Mineta Kingdom into a war with either the Holy Kingdom or Boluzan.

While such speculation swirled, Charoen moved from the front to approach Raion.

“May I have a word with you for a moment?”

“Speak.”

Raion’s tone remained curt as ever.

Yet Charoen continued undeterred.

“Would you be willing to align yourself with us?”

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

“It’s for mutual profit. If you agree to come with us, I intend to repay you handsomely later.”

“Later doesn’t work for me. Now.”

“……Pardon?”

“I don’t move on credit, remember? Even these swords were given to me as payment for staying at the annex palace. Well, that was a special favor, though—just like me being here right now.”

At that moment, Raion, Turklan, and Patrick each held one of the swords.

Three blades that had cost a total of 150,000 gold.

That was equivalent to the quarterly operating budget of a provincial territory.

And he had accepted them only under the simple condition of staying put, not even for some grand mission.

“Hrmm……”

What could Charoen be thinking?

From his expression alone, it looked as if he had just swallowed a monster’s dung off the road.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll go back.”

“N-no! Please tell me what you want!”

“Why should I be the one to say it? You should figure that out yourself. You found it well last time, didn’t you?”

Raion tapped the hilt of the sword at his waist, forged from Blue Mithril.

Seeing that, Charoen began to wonder what kind of condition Raion would demand as a request fee.

“Are you perhaps dissatisfied with that sword?”

“I’m using it only because I don’t have a better one right now.”

Each sword was worth about 50,000 gold—a masterpiece forged by dwarves from the rare ore Blue Mithril, known for its quality.

Perhaps a commander of an imperial knight order might wield such a blade,

but for an ordinary mercenary or adventurer, it was something they might never see in their entire life.

“Y-you mean even that sword doesn’t satisfy you?”

“I can’t bring out my full power with something like this. It wouldn’t even withstand it anyway.”

“Eh? What do you mean…?”

“Do I have to show you myself?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

Blue Mithril had twice the mana fluidity of regular Mithril.

In terms of mana flow alone, it even surpassed Adamantium.

Charoen couldn’t understand any of this.

“If you need my strength, then at least prepare a material that can endure it.”

If something greater than these swords existed, it could only be Adamantium or Dragonbone.

But since dragons no longer existed, Dragonbone was merely a relic—national treasures held only by the Empire or a few kingdoms.

Naturally, touching those treasures was impossible.

That left Adamantium, the rarest metal in existence.

“I can’t get it myself, but I know of a place where Adamantium might be found.”

“Such a place exists?”

“I’m not certain, but if it’s not there, then it’s nowhere else.”

“Where is it?”

“Would you be willing to promise me first?”

Right now, Charoen needed every bit of strength he could get.

Of course, he thought only he knew the true reason.

“If it’s not certain, I can’t promise anything definite either.”

“Then… how about just once—help me with a single request?”

Since the condition wasn’t binding, Raion thought for a moment before nodding.

“Fine. Where is it?”

“It’s called Finzel.”

“……Finzel? As in the Finzel Forest south of the Mineta Kingdom, beyond the mountains?”

“That’s right.”

It was quite nearby.

But Raion had never heard any reason why Adamantium would be there.

“Isn’t that a restricted area?”

The forest itself was vast—comparable to an entire territory.

“It’s a forbidden land because no one who entered ever came back alive.”

“And you want me to go there, for Adamantium that might not even exist?”

“Actually… did you know that forest was once called the Dragon’s Forest?”

“The Dragon’s Forest?”

At the unfamiliar name, Raion tilted his head.

Charoen, as though he had caught onto something, continued his explanation.

“It was written in an old tome discovered by the Black Crescent Moon. It said that in the past, a dragon named Finzel had built its lair there.”

“And?”

“Dragons are great beings—but also notoriously greedy. Wouldn’t such a being have hoarded Adamantium? In fact, it could explain why so little Adamantium remains in the continent today.”

It was a lengthy explanation, but not a difficult one to understand.

Raion even found himself nodding naturally.

“So, you’re saying there’s a dragon’s lair in Finzel, and inside it might be Adamantium?”

“Not just Adamantium. Gold, silver, treasures—relics that wouldn’t lose to even the Empire’s finest artifacts.”

“So basically, you’re asking me to go into a dangerous place to look for something that might not even exist.”

“T-that’s…”

‘What is this, some kind of treasure-ship scam?’

Raion suddenly recalled incidents from 21st-century Earth.

Of course, this continent was far more absurd and bizarre than any treasure-hunting fraud could be.

“Do you have any proof that Adamantium’s there?”

“……”

After a brief pause, Charoen cautiously opened his mouth.

“There was a map in the tome. We were preparing to enter the Finzel Forest based on that.”

“A map?”

“It’s in our branch. If you accept my request, once we return to the capital, I’ll hand over the map—and the Black Crescent Moon will never interfere with that matter.”

If the dragon’s lair truly existed, it was an enormous offer.

Naturally, Raion had no reason to refuse.

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