Chapter 89: A Foolish Scheme’s Checkmate (1)

After closing the door and being left alone, Raion was dumbfounded.

“Who’s putting who under whose command? That’s ridiculous.”

Of course, Grain’s sudden visit was something even Raion hadn’t expected.

“But he didn’t seem like someone who acts without any thought at all.”

The rumors Raion knew of Grain from the future were simple.

After Marquis Kataroan’s accidental death, his grandson Grain inherited both the title and the territory.

At that time, Grain was known as a cruel man of simple ignorance, ruling the land in near-dictatorial fashion.

Naturally, his temperament fit perfectly under Duke Alito’s banner, and he became one of his subordinates.

“First, preventing the marquis’s death takes priority. More importantly, Cayman still hasn’t returned, has he?”

After roughly tidying up his room, Raion went downstairs for breakfast.

Since the guild also operated a dining hall, one could eat there at any time upon request.

Step. Step.

As Raion descended, the eyes of the adventurers on the first floor turned toward him.

It was thanks to the widespread rumors that he was both a Sword Master and an S-rank adventurer.

‘Being this conspicuous is kind of annoying.’

Raion went to the front desk, ordered a meal, and sat down at a table to wait.

Not long after, three people approached him—Allen, Howard, and Aizel, the trio he had previously helped.

“You just came down now?”

“I had to meet someone and talk for a bit. Are you three heading out for a hunt now?”

“We were just about to leave.”

While Raion was chatting with Allen, Aizel stepped forward.

“Thank you so much for saving us last time.”

Back then, Aizel had completely lost consciousness.

This was the first time she was meeting Raion properly since then.

“Don’t mention it.”

“But the knight who was with you… I don’t see him.”

She was referring to Cayman.

“That guy needed some training, so I sent him out to hunt.”

“Hunt? By himself?”

“I told him to bring back some Saliva Wolves. I saw a suitable request on the board.”

Allen’s expression stiffened, and he asked just to be sure.

“Do you mean the Saliva Wolf extermination request from the board?”

“Probably that one.”

“That’s a C-rank request from a village northwest of Praizen. There should be more than thirty Saliva Wolves there…”

Even though Saliva Wolves were D-rank monsters, their numbers made them as dangerous as C-rank ones.

And a C-rank hunt was usually difficult for even a B-rank adventurer or mercenary to handle alone.

“I know. That’s why I sent him alone.”

“That’s dangerous.”

“He won’t get stronger otherwise. I brought him with me to make him stronger.”

It was a cold, unfeeling answer.

The three of them couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

‘So that’s how someone becomes a Sword Master…’

Still, it didn’t make his methods any less reckless.

Clang—!

Just then, the guild door burst open, and Cayman appeared, his entire body drenched in blood.

Clank! Clank!

The sound of his armor’s joints clashing echoed through the guild.

“Huff… Huff…”

Spotting Raion immediately, Cayman staggered toward him and placed a fist-sized bundle on the table.

“Master… I have completed the Saliva Wolf extermination. These are their fangs.”

“Why’d you bring them here? Take them over there.”

“Yes, sir.”

With that, Cayman turned toward the guild’s front desk.

Raion watched him go and added,

“Good work. Wash up, then come down and eat.”

“…Yes, Master.”

Allen, Howard, and Aizel stared blankly at the sight.

Even Serna, the female clerk at the desk, looked at Cayman in surprise as she opened the pouch.

“Let’s see… Saliva Wolf fangs, all 84 of them. Two per wolf, that’s 42 wolves in total. No other materials?”

Usually, when hunting Saliva Wolves, people also brought back meat or pelts.

Naturally, those could be sold for a decent profit.

“I gave the rest to the villagers. Just settle the extermination request, please.”

Serna gathered the pouch full of fangs and handed him another pouch filled with gold coins.

“The reward for the Saliva Wolf extermination request is 60 gold. Please count it.”

“I trust you handled it properly.”

Sixty gold coins—enough for a middle-class family to live on for three months.

Originally, this request was meant for three B-rank adventurers or mercenaries.

Cayman had completed the entire mission alone and received the full payment himself.

Of course, it wasn’t an amount one could easily risk their life for.

Cayman went straight up to the lodgings on the second floor.

In the meantime, Raion ordered another meal and waited.

Allen, Howard, and Aizel stood there motionless, not going anywhere.

“Didn’t you say you were heading out for a hunt?”

“Ah! Right, we should.”

At Allen’s answer, Howard nudged him in the side.

“Tell him already.”

Raion sensed the odd atmosphere and asked back,

“Do you have a request for me?”

“If it’s all right with you, we were wondering if you could come hunting with us.”

“Me, with you? What kind of request is it?”

He didn’t reject the proposal right away and waited for Allen’s response.

“It’s a Sea Serpent hunt on the northern coast. The price of Sea Serpent hides has gone up recently, so we plan to hunt some and sell them back in the capital.”

“Really? The northern coast, huh… sounds good. How about we wait for Cayman to come down, make some preparations, and leave together?”

“You’ll really join us?”

“I’ve got the time, so sure.”

“Then we’ll get ready and come back.”

The three left the guild, delighted by Raion’s approval.

Sea Serpents were classified as C-rank monsters, but since they often appeared in swarms, they were effectively considered B-rank.

That made the hunt quite dangerous, even for three B-rank adventurers.

Howard had been worried about that and suggested they ask Raion to join.

As night fell, Grain made his way to the northern gate alley.

There, familiar faces appeared and led him to the same hideout as before.

“Did you find the information we talked about?”

At Rocio’s question, Grain pulled a bundle of parchment from his coat and handed it over.

“Is this enough?”

After checking the parchment’s contents, Rocio nodded.

“Excellent. With this, we can proceed without any trouble.”

“It’s reliable, isn’t it?”

“In just a little while, Young Lord Grain, you’ll rise to the position of Marquis and lord of the territory. So don’t worry.”

Their confidence brought a smile to Grain’s face.

At the same time, he recalled the Sword Master adventurer Raion, who had humiliated him earlier that day.

“Hmph…”

“Is something wrong?”

At Rocio’s question, Grain thought for a moment before speaking.

“Can your people handle a Sword Master?”

“A Sword Master? Where’s this coming from?”

Rocio and his subordinates looked puzzled.

“Not long ago, a Sword Master-class S-rank adventurer registered at the Praizen Territory Adventurers’ Guild.”

The rumor had spread far and wide.

And since it concerned a Sword Master, the members of the Dagger of Darkness stiffened at once.

“Did something happen between you and him?”

“I tried to recruit him, but he flatly refused.”

“Well, a man of that skill would be highly valued anywhere. He wouldn’t be easy to recruit.”

“The problem is… he met with my grandfather. If he joins my grandfather before we move forward…”

Rocio understood exactly what Grain was implying about the Sword Master.

“Do you have any information on this man?”

In response, Grain pulled out another parchment.

There wasn’t much written on it.

“Name: Raion Dragonia. Estimated age, around twenty. Noble?”

“They say he’s a noble from the Arenvatz Territory. But I’ve never heard the name before.”

“It’s my first time hearing it as well. Judging from the situation, he’s probably a noble out to restore his family’s prestige…”

“That’s what I thought too. But whatever deal my grandfather offered, he didn’t budge an inch.”

The memory still infuriated Grain, and he slammed his fist onto the table beside him.

Thud—!

Hearing this, Rocio grew uneasy.

“If… this Raion Dragonia Sword Master were to come under Marquis Kataroan Pelican’s command, the plan could become impossible.”

“That much?”

To be honest, Grain had never seen a Sword Master’s power for himself.

He only knew them by reputation and had tried to recruit one for his own side.

“A Sword Master stands on a completely different level from ordinary swordsmen. It’s the pinnacle that every warrior desires but can rarely, if ever, reach.”

Rocio was a knight himself.

Naturally, the realm of the Sword Master was something he personally aspired to.

“So if my grandfather takes him in, the plan fails?”

“Hmm… to be honest, I doubt it would succeed in that case. For now, please confirm whether he actually joins your grandfather.”

At Rocio’s earnest insistence, Grain swallowed hard.

“I’ll do that.”

“We’ll also gather what information we can on him.”

They rarely acted outside their plans, but this was too critical an issue to ignore.

Grain left the hideout.

Afterward, Rocio gathered his subordinates.

“Have any of you heard other rumors about this Sword Master?”

Since his subordinates handled intelligence gathering, it was a natural question.

One of them, the one responsible for information from the adventurer and mercenary guilds, thought for a moment before speaking.

“Before he registered as an S-rank adventurer, they say he cut off a troll’s head with a sword imbued with killing intent in the Forest of Fallen Warriors.”

“Is that true?”

“I heard it from B-rank adventurers who happened to witness it. Also, they said he defeated Adventurers’ Guild Master Jonathan Todd in a duel.”

“Jonathan Todd? You mean the ‘Gale’ Jonathan?”

That name was famous enough for Rocio to recognize it immediately.

“Yes. The same Gale Jonathan who was once called the ‘Adventurer King.’ He’s been missing for a while, but now he’s the guild master here.”

“A troll, and even defeating that Jonathan… then he truly is a Sword Master. Anything else?”

“Well…”

The subordinate hesitated, as if unsure about something.

“What is it?”

Pressed by Rocio, the man finally spoke.

“This Raion Dragonia fellow… I’m not entirely certain, but when I saw him, something about him felt… familiar.”

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