NOVEL WEB Chapter 63: Cleanup
“Well, then—… what do we do now?”
Ceylon muttered like someone who was confronted with the aftermath of a festival as he looked around.
“…”
Adryn, too, scanned their surroundings with a furrowed brow.
The emotionally charged Dalleye and criminals lay pierced by Rize’s icy spike, sprawled on the ground.
They donned black robes to hide their identities.
They took up weapons for a threat or something worse.
They had clearly attacked with malicious intent.
Probably thinking of stealing the artifact, or maybe even to kill them.
Yet, Adryn’s heart was not at ease.
“Although it’s sudden, you really went all out, worm. No, I should say you went cold with ice magic, right? Oh. Even I think that’s an excellent play on words.”
Contrary to him, Mizu petted her head as she made a joke in her usual expressionless face and monotone.
Adryn asked Mizu out of pure curiosity.
“Mizu, doesn’t any of this affect you?”
Hm?
Mizu looked at Adryn.
“What? Are you trying to say our Bauer is a heartless murderer who feels nothing at the sight of dead people?”
“Gasp, Miss Adryn, how could you…!”
“No, not that—!”
“Just kidding. Just kidding.”
Adryn got flustered by the tag team teasing from Ceylon and Mizu.
As Mizu watched Adryn with a self-deprecating, wry smile behind her black mask, she said,
“Well, what’s done is done. It’s out of our hands now. Maybe we should think they got what they deserved? That is the truth after all.”
“…Sorry, for the odd question.”
They had just stepped out of the shelter of their households into the society of Arienne and the academy.
No matter how deserving the Dalleye criminals’ deaths were, they were still shocked by the vivid deaths they were witnessing for the first time.
A heavy silence fell among the group.
“…”
Ceylon, watching the scene, signaled to Rize.
“…?”
Still high from the rush of power from the white serpent, Rize sobered up to his gaze.
‘Let’s try to do something.’
‘What do you expect me to do?’
‘Ha-ha, shouldn’t we do something, though?’
Their eyes held such a conversation.
Then, Rize approached one of the Dalleye criminals.
She removed his hood, revealing a bald head.
The originator of this incident, was a member of the Dalleye, Goran.
Click.
Rize snapped her fingers.
Cold encased her shoes as a barrier of ice formed.
With her feet shrouded in ice, Rize kicked Goran’s body, flipping him to face the sky.
Then she stepped on his abdomen and said,
“These bastards died because of me. Why do you guys—no, why do you make a fuss?”
“…Right?”
Mizu commented as if realizing something.
Even so, there was a subtle hostility in her detached eyes as she watched Rize.
It goes without saying with Adryn.
They all recalled a fact they had forgotten due to Rize’s recent actions.
She was a criminal, and dangerously so.
Much worse than the petty criminals lying dead there.
Adryn looked at Ceylon.
“Ceylon, what are we going to do with that person?”
“Fucking bitch, stop blabbering useless crap!”
Rize, panicked that Ceylon might abandon her or worse, be abandoned by the white serpent, glared at Adryn.
“…”
At the harsh tone, Ceylon looked at Rize, then said,
“… Hey, stop blabbering… useless stuff…”
Rize cautiously corrected herself, and Ceylon then continued the conversation.
“I have something in mind.”
“Oh, as expected of the idiot.”
“Miss Mizu. Wouldn’t it be better to call me a genius at a time like this to elicit better ideas?”
Ceylon looked at Rize.
“So, what now…”
“Miss Rize, would you please tell us from the Dalleye organization’s perspective, how things ended up like this?”
“Ah? That well, let’s see.”
Rize crossed her arms and propped up one leg.
“First off, you guys brought an artifact into the store.”
“Yes.”
“Goran—this bald bastard took a liking to your artifact.”
“Right.”
“When the artifact was appraised, it turned out to be second-grade, and he lost his mind—”
“Wait, wait a minute! Hold on!”
“Stop!”
At that moment, Adryn and Mizu urgently intervened.
“What did you just say?”
“What now, you noisy—”
“Do you really have to curse? Anyway, just now! Did you? Definitely! Second-grade artifact!”
“I’m sure too; I heard it.”
“Ah, you girls didn’t know?”
Rize sneered as she pointed with her chin at the necklace held by Adryn.
“Yep. That’s a second-grade artifact. This dumbass went nuts over it, which led to this whole ludicrous mess.”
“Gah!”
“!!!”
Adryn, startled, dropped the necklace.
Mizu, catching it with a face like she had aged ten years, scolded Adryn.
“Miss, for all the surprise, don’t just go dropping a second-grade artifact on the floor—”
“Sorry!!! It was such a shock… No, moreover. Is it true!? Really!?! Second-grade artifact!?!?!”
“…Isn’t the worm just messing with us?”
Worm.
At that nickname, Rize scowled deeply.
“Believe it or not, whatever suits you, little shits. Anyway—”
Thump.
Rize continued as she stepped on Goran.
“This appraisal bastard saw your second-grade artifact and went crazy, immediately using his magical device to call his cronies. He was determined to steal that second-grade artifact at all costs.”
“So the bald one rashly started this without thinking of the consequences.”
Mizu’s words made Adryn nod her head.
They still couldn’t comprehend the situation up until it was resolved.
What on earth made those criminals brave enough—what were they thinking when they attacked them, high-ranking nobles, within the city?
Second-grade artifact.
That explained everything.
With such greed, it’s understandable they’d act without thinking of the consequences.
“Then, I overheard it with a magical device and intervened.”
“You were trying to stop your organization’s foolish mistakes from causing harm to the organization itself?”
At Ceylon’s questions, Rize averted her eyes and replied,
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Something like that—doesn’t seem right. A moment ago, you looked more inclined to escalate the situation rather than resolve it.”
“… At first, I planned to resolve things, but then I changed my mind. I thought, why not confiscate that artifact myself?”
“And then you planned to kill us all to eliminate any witnesses, pin the blame on Dalleye, and put them in a difficult position within Arienne, preventing any chase for the traitor you became.”
“Well, that’s what ended up happening.”
“Wow, look at you being shameless.”
“Not even a hint of remorse.”
Ignoring their disdain with his back turned and muttering irresponsibly, Adryn and Mizu both showed their contempt.
Clap clap.
With the atmosphere turning sour again, Ceylon clapped his hands to clear the air.
“Anyway. It seems Miss Rize has a certain task she needs to do.”
“Something I need to do? What’s that?”
“Would you help solve this situation?”
“Ceylon!?”
“Is that right?”
Adryn and Mizu protested.
Rize was the one who calmed them down.
“Hey, rookies, just shut up and listen. I’ve got a not-so-bad idea.”
“Ha! Of course it’s not bad for someone from Dalleye like you.”
“Ah damn it!”
At that moment of frustration, Rize cursed, and Ceylon gazed steadily at her.
“… Ugh, fine. Should we listen first? Look, you probably think this: you want to take me to the guards now, report exactly what happened, make this public, and have me and Dalleye pay for our crimes. Right?”
“You know it well.”
“Ha.”
Rize let out a scornful laugh.
“So like naïve little ladies, clueless about the harshness of the world, to feel pity for these trash dying.”
“What?”
“… She called us innocent ladies.”
“Mizu, that’s not a compliment!”
“Hey, Misses. There’s something you don’t know about Arienne, it’s not as romantic of a city as you think.”
Rize.
She was a native of Arienne.
But no one in Arienne would think so.
Because she was from the Back Alleys.
Thump!
With an emotionally-charged kick, Rize kicked Goran and continued her speech.
“A city tangled up in all sorts of interests and political relations, a damn mess. That’s the reality of Arienne, hailed as the freest and greatest city in the world. Looks like you’re new entrants to the Academy. I’m gonna give you a lesson you can’t get in your classes there.”
Thump!
Like a professor with a pointer, Rize continued to stomp on Goran’s body to emphasize her point.
“Let’s say we go with what you want, dragging me to the guards and making this public. Who stands to gain the most?”
Ceylon answered the question Rize posed to Adryn and Mizu.
“Likely, it would be the external noble forces lurking within the city, always waiting for an opportunity to establish their influence here.”
Click.
Rize snapped her fingers, pointing at Ceylon.
“Right answer. Looks like you’re the best among the rookies.”
“Haha, thanks for the compliment. But please stop treating the two as rookies.”
“… Ai, right, sorry. Are we good now?”
“Indeed…”
That’s when Adryn nodded, murmuring an acknowledgment.
“You got it?”
Ha, as if it’s possible.
Adryn scoffed with an exasperated face.
“So, here’s the thing. If word gets out that we were attacked by Dalleye members not in the Back Alleys but in Sector 2, the external nobility will use that as a pretext to interfere with Arienne’s internal affairs.”
“And?”
“And?”
“Go on, tell us what happens next.”
“…”
As Adryn crossed her arms and fell into thought.
“The Teln family, the Bauer family, and the fool. Our positions would become precarious.”
Mizu, who had also been pondering with her arms crossed for a while, finally spoke.
“The external noble forces would try to put us on front to gain a moral high ground.”
Adryn, who nodded as if she understood, took over.
“Definitely…”
Then Ceylon interjected.
“However, depending on the perspective, it could also be an opportunity to become the main axis of the external noble forces. But—”
Ceylon turned his gaze to Adryn.
“Right. An opportunity our family doesn’t need.”
The Teln family already enjoyed ample power in the East.
They had no need to dip their toes into Arienne, located far from the Teln domains, and put up with the trouble and effort to gain influence.
“And the Bauers have nothing to gain from getting involved in such political disputes either. Shrimp caught in a fight between whales.”
As a family not treated well within noble society, the Bauers wouldn’t benefit from political entanglements either.
Therefore.
If this incident became public, it would be the unrelated external nobility who stood to gain.
In reality, Adryn, Mizu, and Ceylon, the actual victims, would likely end up suffering as they got dragged into the political battles.
“So, what should we do?”
Mizu followed up on Adryn’s question.
“But when I think about it. The guys who attacked us are dead, and that woman has become the fool’s slave. So, in essence, those who should have been punished have been, and the issue is resolved, right?”
“Slave…?”
Frowning, Rize was left behind as Ceylon replied.
“One could see it that way, but also not. To say all the culpable people have paid, and the problem is entirely solved is—”
Ceylon looked around.
“Miss Rize. This place in the outskirts of Sector 2 isn’t the only stronghold of Dalleye here, is it? Right?”
“Ah. Every business around here belongs to Dalleye.”
“Every one of them…!?”
Adryn exclaimed, shocked, as she looked around.
“How is that even possible? The crime syndicate from the Back Alleys is allowed to rise to the surface in Arienne?”
“Technically, they’re being overlooked with the tacit consent of some council members. Dalleye’s got connections with the city council, you see.”
Rize answered Adryn’s question with nonchalance.
“Wait! So that means the transfer of Mr. Klom’s shop was also…”
“Ah, if you’re talking about the former owner of the Transparent Loupe shop, I killed him.”
“What!?”
“Yeah, go ahead and curse. But even if it weren’t me, he would’ve died anyway. It was an order from Dalleye.”
“…”
Adryn glared at Rize but didn’t say anything else.
She didn’t want to talk to Rize anymore, and more importantly, her words had merit.
Both Rize and that Goran.
They were just byproducts of Dalleye’s criminal activities.
If not for Dalleye, they would never have been able to swagger around in Sector 2.
And neither would the residents of this area, including Mr. Klom, have been slaughtered or had their shops stolen.
Goran and Rize had already paid their dues.
“Dalleye must pay the price.”
Only Dalleye remained.
“You’re right, Miss Adryn. They certainly need to pay the price.”
“But how? To make them pay, we must make this public. If we go public with this, sure Dalleye will take a big hit, but we’d be dragged into an annoying mess…”
“Is public exposure the problem? Well, then we just sort it out among the involved parties without making it public.”
“Among the parties?”
“So, you mean, instead of going to the guards, we just barge into Dalleye’s hideouts and confront them about it?”
“Exactly! We exploit the fact that we were attacked by Dalleye members in Sector 2 to make Dalleye confess to their control of the Sector 2 outskirts.”
“Hot damn! Ceylon, that’s quite daring?”
“Ceylon, is that right…? Even if we go and question them, do you think those criminals will readily admit their wrongdoing?”
“That’s where Miss Rize comes in.”
“Dalleye’s affiliate to serve as a witness?”
“If Miss Rize testifies, Dalleye won’t be able to deny it. Isn’t that correct?”
“I guess so. But instead of denying it, they would likely chop us into little pieces and use us as dog food and fertilizer.”
“Ah! No need to worry about that!”
“What?”
“Dalleye will absolutely be unable to lay a finger on us.”
On what assurance?
The dubious gazes of the three women turned to Ceylon at once.
To this, Ceylon showed a refreshingly confident smile.
“You see, I have a friend who’s very powerful.”
*****
In the deepest part of the Back Alleys.
Dalleye’s lair.
In the top-floor office of that hideout, a woman, the leader of Dalleye named Lauwen, was busy processing a stack of documents.
-Knock knock.
Then came the sound of a knock, accompanied by a voice from beyond the door.
-Lauwen ma’am… You have visitors.
“Visitors? What visitors?”
-They are not scheduled…
“Is that so? Tell them to schedule an appointment and come back later. I’m busy right now.”
As Lauwen was about to turn her attention back to the documents.
-Knock knock.
“…”
Once again, the knocking completely disrupted her concentration.
She slowly rose from her seat and headed toward the door.
“Ah, Lauwen ma’am…!”
And upon opening it, she immediately grabbed the collar of the man on the other side, took out a dagger from her clothing, and pressed it against his cheek.
A chill sensation spread across the man’s cheek.
And then, a voice colder than that chilling touch whispered in his ear.
“Ear. Right. Left. Choose one.”
The man shouted as if in agony.
“I’m s-sorry…! Truly sorry!!!”
“Choose.”
“I had no choice…!”
“I’ll say it one last time. Choose.”
“I-it’s a very important guest…It seemed you absolutely must meet them…!”
“…If you give me an answer I can’t accept.”
Lauwen tapped the man’s ears alternatively with the flat side of the dagger.
“Both of them. Tell me. Who is it exactly? What, did some councilor come?”
“The Omniscient Eye…!”
“…What?”
Thump.
Lauwen dropped the dagger she was holding.
“The Omniscient Eye has requested a meeting…! Our guys supposedly attacked and attempted to rob their associates in Sector 2 after killing them…!”
“…”
An unanticipated name was mentioned.
A vivid color of utter confusion surfaced on Lauwen’s usually cold demeanor, a chilling enough face to make you think you could hear the sound of ice being scraped with a dagger.
“The Omniscient Eye…”
The monster who had reached the heights of a hero before even turning thirty.
The eldest son of the Lebringer family, one of the pillars of the eight greatest families that dominate the world.
Lauwen murmured in a daze.
“What the hell did you have done…”