Episode 302 – Enemy or Ally
The issue that had been heating up Aintrier recently was “the whereabouts of Alex Marcia.”
It was because the Lenon Workshop had offered a million gold to find him.
This even led to the formation of search parties within the city.
Of course, the issue cooled quickly once soone found Alex and claid the reward, but the curiosity around him remained—after all, he had once been the object of such desperate pursuit.
And now, word spread that he had appeared.
At the gates of Aintrier, no less.
***
“What is this, a welco party? Why are their eyes so intense?”
Karl blinked as he scanned the crowd gathered around the city gate.
The crowd wasn’t just people waiting to enter—their eyes were all focused on Arthur.
“What did you do here? Why is everyone staring at you?”
“I was just laying low.”
“What??”
“Call it… mystique?”
“What kind of bullshit is that?”
Whether word had spread or not, the spectators continued to grow.
As the crowd beca more chaotic, soldiers began to gather around the area.
It was becoming as noisy as a market. I scratched my chin and smacked my lips.
It seed the rumors were far more impactful than expected.
The presence of the old man in the back probably played a part too.
Italus had been silently observing ever since Lochter’s group appeared.
Especially the escorts who had previously picked a fight—they now wore stiff, tense expressions, all because of the man currently approaching.
Lochter Felice.
As the blood-drenched warrior approached, the escorts instinctively stepped back.
With hundreds of severed heads rolling behind him, it was no surprise the mood was drenched in fear.
Even the gate guards didn’t dare stop the grotesque procession—they simply stood frozen.
“We lost half the carriages on the way.”
“Seems like it.”
“But both the goods and the people are safe. Though there are quite a few injured. We need treatnt.”
“Are the wounds serious?”
“If they were, they'd be dead before we arrived.”
Lochter spoke casually while sheathing his twin swords.
I could sense the change in him.
He once had the clean presence of a knight—but now, he felt like a blade honed to kill.
Just standing near him felt like you’d be sliced open.
I let out a low breath of awe.
I’d sent him to a hellhole to toughen him up—and he returned not just hardened but changed entirely.
“Seems the journey was rougher than I expected.”
“Waiting and reacting always left soone hurt or endangered. So I acted first.”
“Are those the results lying there?”
“I only stopped collecting because there was no more room. I killed many more. It really was a goddamn place.”
I never thought I’d hear Lochter say sothing like “goddamn.”
They had traveled near Pri Root, so it must’ve been brutal.
Especially during the Dark Sales, when raiders doubled.
Sensing my gaze, Lochter gave a dry smile.
“It’s fine. At least in Hell Gri, this thod worked. We all made it safely, didn’t we?”
“Good work.”
“So, what now?”
“What do you want to do?”
Lochter didn’t take long to answer.
“I’m tired.”
“Then let’s move sowhere quieter.”
“You found a place to stay?”
“I did. But that won’t be where we’re sleeping tonight.”
When I said that, Lochter looked puzzled. I smiled and glanced behind .
Italus entered my sight.
He was engaged in a serious conversation with his escorts, but once our eyes t, he tried to approach in haste.
But he wasn’t the one I was waiting for. It was about ti for a reaction.
“Out of the way! Make way!!!”
As expected, before we made any moves, the city gate supervisor burst through the crowd.
Upon his arrival, Italus’s expression turned sour.
If I had walked toward Italus, we might have started a conversation.
But instead, I approached the man on horseback wearing a golden mask.
I had seen him once before.
He was the one who granted VIP status and promised to report the World Tree Leaf to Lord Azonne.
The golden mask stopped his horse in front of , dismounted quickly, and bowed slightly.
“If we’d known you were coming, we would have prepared a proper welco. I apologize.”
“It’s fine.”
“Are you staying well? If needed, we can prepare a separate VIP annex for you.”
If his previous deanor had been courteous with a hint of pretense, now he seed eager to win my favor.
Azonne’s influence was surely at play.
“I don’t need an annex. I already inford you of my accommodations, but Lord Azonne never responded.”
“N-no, the Lord has wished to et you since day one. It’s just that his schedule—”
“What happened to the deal I proposed being added to the Dark Sales catalog?”
The masked man straightened his attire and gestured behind him.
A luxurious carriage slowly pushed through the crowd.
An eight-horse golden carriage, reserved for Azonne’s most honored guests.
Bowing deeply at the door, the masked man spoke with reverence.
“Please, co aboard. The Lord awaits you.”
“I’ve yet to receive an answer about the trade.”
“The Lord will speak to you personally.”
“I’ve brought quite a few companions…”
When I glanced at Lochter’s group, the masked man slightly lowered his head.
Though I couldn’t see his face, I felt like he was smiling.
“We already have a feast and healers prepared inside the castle to ease your journey.”
Impressively quick.
As the value of the Leaf skyrocketed, our standing had flipped in a single day.
As I approached the golden carriage, the masked man opened the door gently.
And at that mont—
“Wah!”
Lily suddenly burst out from inside, startling the masked man into a step back.
I didn’t react, so Lily pouted and flopped onto the couch, shaking her legs.
Inside, Keros was already fast asleep.
They were playing by the river just a mont ago—when had they snuck in?
I had to stay on guard. Always.
Clatter, clatter—
The carriage began to move slowly.
I stopped it briefly and called Elton.
For so reason, his face looked thoughtful after eting Karl.
“What’s on your mind?”
“There’s a clear gap between Karl and now. And it hasn’t even been that long.”
Seems Karl hitting 5-Star had hit him hard.
They had been growing at a similar pace, so it was understandable.
“Did Karl tell you about the ‘gap’?”
“Not clearly.”
“Elton, you’ll reach the sa level soon. The training thod’s already proven. Just be patient and wait for Samuel’s ssage.”
“Never thought I’d be waiting for a ssage from Samuel…”
Elton chuckled and disappeared into the city with the ghosts in tow.
While we dealt with matters in Azonne’s castle, Elton would guard the portal at the Class 1 warehouse district.
Behind the golden carriage, other luxury carriages sent by Azonne lined up in a procession.
We couldn’t ride into the castle with blood-soaked, severed-head wagons—so replacents were sent.
While Karl moved the injured Leaf survivors into the new carriages, Lochter transferred important goods from another wagon.
Magical gear brought for the Dark Sales.
Watching quietly from the carriage window, I spotted a familiar silhouette approaching below.
Italus.
The great rchant himself.
I looked down at him.
The shift in our relationship was clear, thanks to Lochter’s arrival.
“I’d like a mont to talk.”
“As you know, I’ve been invited by the Lord. I don’t have ti to spare.”
Perhaps he hadn’t expected a rejection—he fell silent.
After a short sigh, he opened his mouth again.
“Then, just one thing. Promise this.”
“I’ll decide after hearing it.”
“Before you make any deals with Azonne, et with once more.”
“Hm…?”
“About your second proposal—I’ll consider it seriously.”
Italus’s deanor had grown more cautious since Lochter showed up.
He must’ve learned of Lochter’s capabilities through his escorts.
Lochter had started out as a 5-Star, and after facing death and brutal fights, had reached a level beyond that.
Just approaching with that fierce aura would have felt like a disaster to the escorts.
And the severed heads helped too.
Anyone could tell he’d pushed through the unthinkable Pri Root route to get here.
‘He must believe we can protect the World Tree Leaf now.’
Though Italus’s attitude shift was favorable, I didn’t show any signs in front of him.
Didn’t I warn him?
If he tested the waters carelessly, his heart would skip more than a few beats.
Might as well make him sweat a bit more before the deal.
“The top dog in Aintrier is Lord Azonne Vistas, after all.”
“If he reaches out sincerely, I may change my mind.”
I gave a signal, and the carriage began moving again.
Just before the window closed, I looked down and said,
“Enemy or ally?”
“That’s sothing I can decide first.”
Clunk—
As the eight-horse carriage neared the city gates, the massive iron doors let out a harsh screech and slowly opened wide.
The Golden Road, accessible only to VIPs.
I strode confidently toward the castle as Lord Azonne’s guest.
“He was comparable to Special Commander Richard.”
***
Italus let out a groan as he stared at the retreating eight-horse carriage.
He had underestimated the World Tree Union as a fledgling force in Hell Gri.
But now he regretted that assumption.
Just then—
“…Th-that man?!”
“Y-yeah! That infamous wanted criminal—it’s him!”
“N-no way, this one too?! He’s on last month’s murder list!”
Urgent shouts echoed behind Italus from the soldiers.
The commotion drew people back toward the wagons Lochter had arrived with.
Soldiers cleaning up the severed heads began recognizing the faces.
The information guild agents nearby were just as shocked.
“That’s Blood Hamr Adolf, who terrorized Pri Root for ten years!”
“And that’s Ironblood Arretoman, the maniac who goes berserk at the sight of blood!”
“And that one…”
Even regular citizens had heard the nas of these murderous criminals.
Their severed heads now lay scattered across the carriage floor.
The mont people recalled the bounties on those heads—
“Each one’s worth at least a few thousand gold…”
The greedy appeared, lured by profit.
Just delivering those heads to the capital would yield a massive sum.
But—
Greed quickly morphed into fear, causing people to back away.
Even the soldiers couldn’t touch the heads, backing away from the carriage.
They couldn’t recklessly touch anything that belonged to that man.
Watching this, Italus let out a hollow laugh.
“…Seems I made a mistake.”
He never should have let that man walk away so easily.
One chilling image of the swordsman was seared into his mind.
Who exactly was he?
“This is worth a fortune!”
The day before the Dark Sales—The information guilds began moving swiftly.
The na of the man shaking up Hell Gri—and the presence of the World Tree Union—was rapidly spreading.
But no one could rember the man who had stayed quietly at Lochter’s side.
Even though he was a 5-Star.
Karl Bastian—forgotten no more.
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