"Ho, as expected, the capital really is something."
On the northern streets of Tibrone, Lucian kept letting out exclamations of admiration.
To anyone watching, he looked exactly like a country noble awestruck by the grandeur of the capital.
Since half of it was genuine, it didn't come across as acting at all.
Raymond, standing beside him, chimed in smoothly with Lucian's words.
"The city walls were impressive, but the inside is even more so. Now I understand why they call it the jewel of the Empire."
"Tell me about it. Just walking around everywhere could take days."
"We made sure to give ourselves plenty of time, so feel free to look around to your heart's content."
"Of course. Let's see—shall we head over there next?"
The citizens of the capital cast mocking glances at the exchange between master and servant.
Their looks said, Another bumpkin noble making his first trip to the city, nothing more.
Even under the barrage of stares, the two men pretended not to notice and continued looking around in all directions.
"Hm, somehow there's less and less to see. Did we come to the wrong place?"
"From the looks of it, this seems to be a slum. Shall we turn back?"
"No, let's look around just a little more. This is all part of the experience."
Opening his eyes as wide and bright as he could, Lucian headed toward the slums.
To anyone at a glance, it was behavior befitting a naïve sixteen-year-old young master who knew nothing of how the world worked.
Raymond followed behind him, forcibly suppressing the hollow laughter threatening to burst out.
"Good grief, it's getting filthier by the minute. I think there's a strange smell, too."
"It is the slums, so that can't be helped. I don't think it would be wise to go any deeper."
"I was thinking the same. Let's turn back here."
Just as Lucian, having only just entered the slums, was about to leave—
"Hehe, sirs. Is this your first time in the capital?"
A hunched-backed hunchback rubbed his hands together and spoke to Lucian.
Lucian immediately twisted his face in disgust and pinched his nose shut.
"You insolent wretch! Do you have any idea who I am, daring to speak to me so casually? Step back at once!"
"A-ah! My apologies, milord! Please forgive me! Forgive me!"
The hunchback panicked, throwing himself flat on the ground and trembling violently.
It was the sort of cringing, abject display that would make even a proud noble puff up with a sense of superiority without realizing it.
At a glance it looked natural, but it was clearly a thoroughly calculated act.
"I-I only wished to guide Young Master around the capital! This area may look like this, but it actually has quite a few hidden sights to see…"
"Hidden sights?"
"Yes, y-yes! To be honest, I make a living around here acting as a guide and charging sirs a fee."
"What fee? No matter how I look at it, there's nothing worth seeing."
When Lucian sneered but didn't immediately drive him away, the hunchback cautiously lifted his head, his face still twisted in servility.
"If you look closely, there are quite a few things that might surprise you. For example, the black market, or information brokers."
"The black market and information brokers?"
"Yes. Things that can't be done out in the open are usually hidden in places like this, aren't they?"
"Oh?"
At the hunchback's persuasion, Lucian stroked his chin with apparent interest.
Taking Lucian's silence as encouragement to continue, the hunchback grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth.
"How about giving it a try? You might get your hands on goods you can't buy anywhere else, or hidden information. If you wish, I can guide you myself."
"Hmph. I'm not particularly interested, but bestowing charity upon the poor is also a noble's duty. Giving you a bit of work wouldn't be so bad."
"O-oh, thank you! May the blessings of the Eight Gods be upon you, generous sir!"
"Very well, guide us then. If it's not interesting as you claimed, I will hold you accountable."
"You won't be disappointed! I'll start by showing you the black market!"
The hunchback sprang to his feet and immediately began leading Lucian toward a secluded corner of the slums.
Lucian and Raymond exchanged a brief glance before quietly following behind him.
****
"I knew it would come to this."
Lucian let out a soft chuckle as he emerged from the maze-like alleys.
At some point, Lucian and Raymond had been surrounded by more than a dozen men.
The hunchback left the two of them behind and swaggered into the group.
"I brought you some prey. Strip them clean and eat your fill—leave nothing but bare bones behind."
"Boss, why do you have to phrase 'strip them naked and toss them out' so damn viciously?"
"You can't even steal properly if you're not in sync! I just wanted to give the young master a good scare, that's all."
"Seriously, your hobbies are really twisted. He must already be scared half to death."
"Puahaha!"
Laughter spread across the open lot, echoing as if rebounding off empty space.
It was the kind of ominous atmosphere that would make a bumpkin noble who had only ever lived in the countryside recoil in fear without realizing it.
But Lucian merely shrugged his shoulders and looked at Raymond.
"So? Think you can handle them?"
"Hmm, it'll be a bit difficult."
"Really?"
"In terrain like this, fighting with my hands behind my back would be somewhat troublesome. I'll probably need to use at least one arm."
"If you're dealing with riffraff like that, you should say one leg would be enough."
"If it were a series of one-on-one fights in an alley, that would be fine. But if they all rush us at once from every direction, I'll need to use my arms."
"Hahaha!"
This time, the laughter burst out from Lucian instead.
At the sight of the two of them showing no fear whatsoever, the faces of the thugs—including the hunchback—twisted in irritation.
"Listen here, sirs. I don't think you quite understand the situation you're in—"
Fwoosh.
Before the hunchback could finish his threat, a violent gust-like sound rang out, and one side of the stone wall shattered.
It was because Raymond, who had already drawn his sword, had blown the wall apart.
The hunchback, who hadn't even seen when the blade was drawn, froze stiff on the spot.
"Maybe because this is the slums, the surrounding structures are rather flimsy. I thought using the terrain might be troublesome, but it seems easier to just cut everything down outright."
"If possible, don't kill them—just cripple them. If there are corpses, we'll have to explain things to the guards later."
"Shall I recommend their surrender first?"
"I figured it'd be pointless, but… shall we try anyway?"
After a brief moment of thought, Lucian turned his gaze toward the frozen hunchback.
"I'll give you two choices. First, you kneel quietly and answer the questions I ask. Second, you resist, a few of your men die, you get beaten half to death, and then you answer my questions."
"You—who the hell are you?"
The hunchback pulled a crooked blade from his clothes, his eyes filled with wariness.
Despite having witnessed the gap in strength firsthand, he looked ready to lunge at any moment.
Lucian rummaged through his robes and tossed the token he had received earlier in front of the hunchback.
Clatter.
"…The emblem of the Black Scale Knights!?"
"It was a gift. They told me that if I ever ran into trouble, I could show this and pass through without hassle."
At Lucian's words, the hunchback and the other thugs trembled visibly.
Whatever else they might not know, they all knew this much—the Black Scale Knights were the First Prince's personal guard.
The Emperor's handpicked elite, personally assigned to the son he favored most.
And yet this man had received their emblem directly.
"I thought you were just a brat running his mouth, relying on his escort knight's skills—but it turns out you're a big shot after all. Heh!"
"B-boss… what do we do now?"
"What do we do? Have you idiots really watched me for all these years and still don't know? I've told you over and over what to do in situations like this!"
The hunchback glared at Lucian, his eyes showing not the slightest hint of submission.
At that steely resolve, Lucian felt a flicker of admiration.
So he'd rather die than show his men the sight of him kneeling in disgrace, huh?
If that was the case, then at the very least, granting him a painless end would be a courtesy.
Just as Lucian finished his thought and was about to issue an order to Raymond—
The hunchback suddenly lowered his stance deeply, shouting as if he were about to charge at any second.
Thud.
"I'll tell you anything! Please spare my life, milord!"
****
"So you're saying you're a branch chief of the Thieves' Guild? In charge of the Tibrone branch?"
"Yes! My friends call me John of the Crooked Blade!"
"Crooked Blade, my ass. More like a crooked back."
"As expected of milord—your wit is extraordinary! If you wish, I'll change how they address me right away!"
The hunchback—who had introduced himself as John—rubbed his palms together so hard they might have caught fire, fawning shamelessly.
Lucian clicked his tongue at the sight of such unsightly servility.
"A Thieves' Guild branch chief with no pride at all? You fold the instant someone flashes a badge at you."
"Ah, you misunderstand. Do you have any idea how hard it is to survive as a thief in well-policed Tibrone? The moment we so much as catch the eye of someone important—snip, that's the end of us."
John drew his hand across his throat and stuck out his tongue.
"People who don't know any better think it's impressive just because it's the imperial capital, but in reality, a single word from His Majesty the Emperor could see us wiped out by tomorrow. Otherwise, why do you think the man in charge of the capital is only a branch chief instead of the guildmaster?"
"I see."
Lucian had wondered why the one overseeing the capital wasn't the guildmaster after all.
It seemed the public authority here was simply too strong.
Even though it was the very heart of the Empire—with the richest pickings—thieves actually avoided it.
"Which means, conversely, that you must be extremely well-informed. If you couldn't read the flow of the capital, your head would've rolled long ago."
"Oh! Milord's insight is truly astonishing. Just from a few words, you've grasped everything."
"Enough flattery. I've got one thing I want to ask."
"Just say the word! I'll tell you anything!"
"Do you know where a large quantity of Wilgwangcho was recently purchased? Not by an organization—by an individual."
At the sudden question, John blinked in surprise for a moment.
But upon catching Lucian's sharp gaze, he quickly lowered his head.
"I'll look into it right away, but it may take a few days."
"That's fine, as long as the information is accurate."
"And if possible… I may need a small advance payment to get things moving…"
John curled his fingers into a circle and cautiously gauged Lucian's reaction.
Lucian let out a quiet chuckle at the sight of him still daring to ask for money while his life hung by a thread.
"Will this be enough?"
Clink.
A pouch brimming with gold coins hit the ground, and John froze on the spot.
He had asked for an advance, but this was an excessive amount.
If someone who didn't need to flaunt wealth still handed over such a sum, there was only one meaning behind it.
I'll give you whatever you want. But if you don't find it quickly, you know what happens.
Swallowing hard, John pressed his forehead to the floor.
"I'll find out within two days."
***
Two days later.
A member of the Thieves' Guild came to Lucian's inn and delivered a set of documents.
The papers contained a list of people who had recently purchased Wilgwangcho.
"So he kept his promise."
"In a city this large, they really managed to track them down."
"With that hefty advance payment, they probably squeezed it out that way. When it comes to loosening tongues, nothing beats violence and money."
Even taking that into account, the speed at which they'd uncovered the information was remarkably fast.
As Lucian skimmed through the documents, he soon found the name he had been looking for.
"Just as I thought."
A smile spread across Lucian's face as he looked at Haide's name written at the very top.
The amount of Wilgwangcho purchased next to it was several times greater than anyone else's.
Considering that Haide had previously shown no interest in Wilgwangcho, it was strange.
There was also an even more suspicious detail.
"It says he bought Wilgwangcho on the very day we spoke to him. And the day before that, and the day before that as well."
"Didn't you say that man had been in another city until recently?"
"He was. And it didn't seem like he was lying."
If Haide hadn't lied intentionally, then there was only one answer.
While he was away, someone else had been using his name to purchase Wilgwangcho.
Lucian burned the documents in the candle flame until nothing remained, then stood up from his seat.
"Let's go. I think we've figured out where the person we're looking for is."
"Where to?"
"Haide's estate."
"What? You're planning to meet that pathetic man again?"
"Just because it's called an alchemist's residence doesn't mean only alchemists live there."
Lucian flashed a grin at Raymond, who tilted his head in confusion, then stepped out of the inn.
Finding Haide's house wasn't difficult.
It was one of the estates provided free of charge to officially recognized alchemists by the Alchemists' Guild.
Lucian approached the mansion, which lacked even a single guard, and knocked on the door.
There was no response from inside.
Did he go out to buy more Wilgwangcho again?
"H-h… who is it?"
A timid voice reached Lucian's ears—he'd thought no one was inside.
At the barely audible voice, Lucian raised his own.
"Please open the door. I've come to see the person who lives here."
"H-Haide, Master Haide isn't here right now. He's gone out, so please come back later."
"I didn't come to see the alchemist."
"T-then you must have the wrong house."
"I didn't come to the wrong place. I came to see you."
"The thief who secretly bought expensive medicinal herbs using his master's name."
Crash—bang—thud—!
The moment Lucian finished speaking, a tremendous racket erupted from inside.
It sounded like someone stumbling, things collapsing, and objects being smashed apart.
Moments later, someone rushed toward the door in a panic and flung it open.
Clang.
"It's a misunderstanding—a misunderstanding! It's not theft! Master asked me to do it for research purposes…!"
The person who opened the door shouted in a rush, cold sweat pouring down his face as he desperately tried to make excuses.
But none of those excuses reached Lucian's ears.
Compared to such flimsy explanations, the face revealed inside the doorway was far more shocking.
A boy?
Staring up at Lucian with deer-like eyes was a young boy, about Lucian's own age.
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