“Hahahaha! You know, it feels good to finally outwit that scoundrel. By the time he realises, I hope he regrets ever examining your katana!”

“Sigh, you know, you’ve been in a disturbingly pleasant mood since parting with Mr Balaur.”

“And why shouldn’t I? After everything he’s done to me, the idea that I’m going to return the favour and set him on a wild goose chase has definitely made my day.”

“Honestly Enbos, this all seems rather petty of you to do.”

“Maybe.”

Maybe I shouldn’t be stooping to Sepesh’s level, but I like to think it was the only way to get anything useful out of that lowlife. After all, he completely rescinded the offer regarding the bribe as if it was doomed from the start. Now, with our new arrangement, there’s no way he’ll betray his word.

The sun is barely above the horizon as we make our way to an “abandoned” outpost some distance away from Catorrem. There’s no one else around on this overgrown road, and yet the width of the path reveals its former glory.

I raise the package that resulted from our negotiations up to the setting sun and think back to earlier today…

“Astounding. Simply precious. The rarity of the metal, its elegant design, the technique used to forge this blade... Even without an enchantment, this item is easily twice the market value of Enbos’ sword.”

Wow Takashi, I never thought you would gift your son such a high class weapon. No wonder it cuts so well, and to think Hachirou was using it to slice fruit the other day.

“Pardon me if I’m wrong, but I doubt you are of peerage, otherwise you would have easily entered the city. However, to carry such an item… Just who are you, Mr Nomura?”

“Me? I-I’m no one special. I’m just a lowly apprentice studying under-”

“His family governs a small community in the north. That sword was forged and given to Hachirou as a farewell gift.”

“E-enbos!”

“Relax Hachirou, I know what I’m doing.”

In fact, your little outburst has only added credibility to my claims. Sepesh may be keeping a straight face, but his critical eye has turned into an avaricious stare. The fact I mentioned it was forged by his family means they can supply more. Now, we have all the bargaining power, or rather bait, we need.

“How curious. To be able to craft such unique goods, I’m ashamed to have never heard the Nomura name!”

“They’re a reclusive family of whom I’ve had the rare pleasure of befriending. They seldom reveal their presence or true worth, and only trade with a select few. But enough about them. It’s time you told us about this “favourable proposal” you have in mind.”

“Kuhahaha, do not play me for a fool, Enbos, for a fool I have made of you. I know perfectly well you plan to use this young man’s connections and your acquaintanceship as a bargaining chip.”

“Not exactly. Once we’ve entered the city and obtained our permits, Hachirou will write a letter of introduction for your use.”

“I see. You mean use it to guarantee our deal. In any case, a favour from his family in exchange for a little information is more than acceptable. Of course, that is assuming everything you have said is true.”

“You don’t believe me?”

“Please, you misunderstand me. As a matter of fact, it’s no longer a matter of trust. After all, I can always inform the Novuseus mages if you are lying. But do not worry for it will not come to that, because unlike you, I have ways of confirming the legitimacy of my customer’s claims.”

He walks over to the open counter of his carriage and reaches for a peculiar stack of paper, a long yellow quill and a small glass of black ink. All three items have been magically enchanted.

“In my trade, we like to call this a Sincerity Contract. As you can clearly see, the ink is black but upon writing any falsehood, the colour of the words will change to red."

He demonstrates the effect by writing "Enbos is a fool" and "Enbos has good taste". Irritatingly, only the latter statement changes to red, but he's proven the power of the ink set.

"I would like Mr Nomura to transcribe everything you have just said, and for you to use this very set for your letter.”

Well, joke’s on you, Sepesh, because technically I never told a lie! The fault is entirely yours for assuming the Nomuras are human. As a matter of fact, thanks for the free stuff!

I almost broke out laughing watching his mouth curl up in blatant greed as Hachirou transcribed my claims word for word. We even got him to write the details of our agreement on the sincerity contract too, agreeing that we’ll reward him the letter of introduction once we rendezvous in the city. I can’t wait to hand him Hachirou’s letter and have him comb the countryside for an unrecorded clan!

“P-please Enbos, don’t start laughing in such a disturbing manner! Also, shouldn’t you be more concerned instead of satisfied with this ruse? After all, he’s still threatening us with the Novuseus name.”

“Don’t worry Hachirou. By the time he realises, we’ll be long gone. In fact, that entire thing with the sincerity contract has only reinforced his misconceptions.”

“Well, your plan to deceive him is sound, but we’ll have to deliver this letter first, and from what Sepesh has told us, his method is largely dependent on our impressions.”

“Yeah, that’s why he wrote us a letter of introduction in exchange for ours. Well, I can certainly understand your concerns, considering this is the first time we’re relying on something like this...”

The merchant city of Catorrem oversees all trade by land between the two countries, but it’s also in charge of enforcing all of Reinsol’s trade regulations and restrictions as well. As such, a sizable “Underground Guild” has been established in these lands, dealing in illegal jobs and stolen goods. It’s an extensive network according to Sepesh, with ties to countless nobles and high ranking individuals in both countries. As per his instructions, we’re now heading towards a branch to liaison with one of his contacts by the name of Jonathan Terrace.

Our goal is to earn his favour, and to this end, Sepesh has written a letter of introduction and prepared a small gift. Of course, I examined both items for anything that could undermine our agreement. I almost tore up the message upon reading how much he sweetened our relationship. It’s no wonder he didn’t use the sincerity contract for the letter. As for the gift, it appears to be a small silver trinket, devoid of any jewels, magic or mind-corrupting curses. Huh, come to think of it, the fact I found nothing suspicious at all is worrying in itself…

“Um, Enbos? About this rough map Mr Balaur sketched us, wouldn’t it be faster to walk to the village from here instead of taking this path?”

“… No, I think the path he gave us is a rite of passage, Hachirou. There are people watching us and if we step out of line I don’t think they’ll admit us.”

“Wha-!?”

It seems Hachirou didn’t notice them, which means they’re using a high rank of to evade his above-human senses. On the other hand, I can track their movements with and it seems they’re keeping their distance.

We follow the seemingly unused road to a decaying mining outpost nestled within the hills. At first glance, this place appears to have been deserted for many years, with collapsed ceilings and grass peeking through the windows. As we walk along its desolate main street towards the boarded mine entrance, I spy an old man on a chair with a bottle in his hand. He appears to be sleeping soundly, but as soon as we stop before him, he mutters a line befitting a common drunk.

“A penz for a pint?”

“A fablar for a feast.”

“A penz for the poor?”

“A fablar in my pocket.”

“… You two may pass.”

He taps his foot on the ground six times, and after a short delay the wooden boards over the mine entrance shift aside from some unseen enchantment. Reviewing its location and security, it’s not a well-hidden base by any means, but with all their shady links to high ranking figures, there really isn’t a need. Not betraying my hesitation, I enter with steady steps with Hachirou shuffling behind. For a few moments we travel along the dark tunnel and head towards the faint light at the end, before entering a spacious room with nothing but a lone table at its centre. More importantly, a clean-shaved man dressed like a butler is sitting behind said table, evidently awaiting our arrival.

“Good evening, visitors. I believe this is the first time we have met, and thus the first time you have visited our branch. What business do you have with our establishment?”

“My name is Enbos the Black and this is my apprentice. We wish to introduce ourselves to Johnathan Terrace under the mutual acquaintance of Sepesh Balaur.”

Hrm, did his eyebrow just twitch when I mentioned their names? Do those two hold some importance within this underground guild?

Anyway, I hand Sepesh’s package over for him to inspect, and again I notice his eyebrow twitch while examining the wax seal on the letter. Seeing this reaction, I begin to imagine a noose slowly tightening around my neck. It may be a bit late, but I’m starting to have second thoughts. I hope it’s not too late to-

“… Thank you for your patience. I have confirmed the legitimacy of your letter. Please follow me. I shall now take you to Jonathan Terrace.”

“Huh? Oh, o-okay.”

Damn it, why the hell did I say that!? No, calm down Enbos and think about it logically: Sepesh won’t do anything to jeopardise our deal. I even made him write on a sincerity contract for extra assurance. Let’s just hope that con artist is capable of an honest deal for once in his miserable life…

Placing my dwindling trust in Sepesh, we follow the attendant to a large wooden gate that would not have existed when this mine was operational. He knocks on the door eight times in sets of two, to which the heavy, magically-reinforced doors slowly creak open to reveal a surprising scene.

I have no doubt in my mind this space was once a cavernous hub for all the branching tunnels to deliver ore. However, it has now been renovated to resemble the interior of a large adventurers guild, complete with tables, waiting receptionists and even a billboard!

Even the patrons are acting no different from adventurers, sitting in parties, enjoying food and gossip, and waiting in line to accept requests. At first glance, I could barely tell the difference between here and all the official guilds I’ve been. However, there is one very important distinction…

… Everybody in the room is just as suspicious as me. Like hiding a tree in a forest, nobody is turning their heads or whispering behind my back. For the first time since departing with Hachirou, I don’t feel conscious of being an undead or that I’m posing as an Novuseus mage. This pressure-free environment feels so relieving that I could almost overlook the fact that one of the tunnels says “Slaves” … or that none of the quests have rankings… or that I’ve seen a few of the faces here on wanted posters before.

“… this rate we won’t meet the quota!”

“Those crazed fools want us to deliver two dozen slaves to Rever Point...”

“… Commoners are starting to riot in Luscil. Maybe we can find some employment working for…”

“… damn amateurs keep coming back with cheap loot.”

“Well what do you expect? Ever since the Black Bear Band expanded their hunting grounds…”

This! This is the gossip I wanted to hear! Nothing about some prancing, darkly dressed greenhorn messing things up, but actual usable information! If we can make solid connections with Jonathan Terrace, we’ll have access to all this!

“Um, Enbos, is something wrong? You suddenly stopped following that man.”

“Ah, sorry, I was feeling a bit… overwhelmed.”

“Yes, I understand what you mean. Personally, I wish to be done with this business as soon as possible. The smell of blood, alcohol and other scents I wished I didn’t recognise is thick in the air.”

“Actually, I was thinking we should-”

“Mr Enbos?”

Hearing our escort call out to us, we hurriedly return to his side and enter a small tunnel covered by a red curtain at the back of the room. Like I suspected, the person Sepesh wants us to meet must be an important figure in the underground guild. There is just one small problem: we’re venturing quite deep into this renovated mine.

“We have arrived. Please wait here while I inform Mr Terrace.”

Hold up. This can’t be right. Why are we standing outside the biggest door at the end of this tunnel? Is this really Mr Terrace’s room or does he just so happen to be here!?

This doesn’t look good. Both me and Hachirou look at each other, then turn our heads towards the way we just came. Unfortunately, it’s too late for us to decide.

“I have spoken with Mr Terrace. You have been permitted his audience. You may enter.”

“Eh, as we are? Are you sure we shouldn’t put aside our arms?” asks Hachirou.

“Do not worry, Enbos’ apprentice. Whether you bring yourselves or a thousand others matters very little before his eyes…”

At this point, the noose is firmly around my neck and I’m worried meeting Mr Terrace will be the deadly drop. With no other choice, I step inside and pin all my hopes on Sepesh’s greed.

… Oh my god.

“Greetings, Enbos the Black. My name is-”

“Zur of the Crimson Fist.”

“… Well, here my name is “Jonathan Terrace”. Understood?”

T-this is bad. I recognise his face. The long dark hair in braided rows. The massive scar running from his left cheek to his neck. I’ve seen his S-rank wanted posters outside every town garrison along my journey. As for the rest of his profile, he’s a tall, strongly-built man with countless smaller scars over his massive hands. A thick fur robe is draped over his back, and I have no doubt it came from an especially powerful monster. Now I know what that butler meant by it didn’t matter. After all, Zur of the Crimson Fist earned his moniker by massacring a thousand armed soldiers… with his bare hands.

I should have known Jonathan Terrace was just an alias, but to think the person Sepesh wants us to meet is one of the most dangerous men in the kingdom! Also, judging by the look of his long well-furnished room that resembles a royal hall, he seems to run this entire joint.

(E-enbos, it feels suffocating just by being in his presence.)

(I know how you feel, Hachirou. It feels similar to when I first met your father, but it was nowhere near this intense or this… unrestrained.)

Actually, could he be in a bad mood? He may not be showing it on his face but the air around him is getting tenser by the second.

(I-in any case, we must do all we can to get on his good side!)

(R-right!)

“Are you done whispering?”

“Yes, I’m terribly sorry for my misconduct. My name is Enbos the Black, and this is my apprentice Hachirou Nomura. We’ve come to you under the mutual acquaintance of Sepesh Balaur to discuss…”

“Are you and Sepesh really… friends?”

“Eh?”

I look down at his hand which is holding Sepesh’s letter of introduction. Following the script, I should say, “Yes we are,” but with this atmosphere…

“… I wouldn’t say we’re on close terms, but I have done business with him in the past.”

“I see. Now, about this…”

He picks up the silver charm that came with the letter.

“… how much do you suppose it’s worth. 20 Fablars? 50?”

“Erm, according to Sepesh, that is a gift symbolising the bond you both share.”

“A gift you say...? Ah, now I understand. Seriously, sending something like this is just the kind of thing that man would do…”

Huh, he’s looking at the gift with a warm smile. It seems the silver trinket holds some kind of sentimental value between the two. If his relationship with Sepesh isn’t too bad, maybe there’s still a chance to-

“… after all, just how much insult… DOES HE INTEND TO ADD TO MY WOUNDS!?”

Nope, I take it all back. He hates Sepesh even more than me.

“TELEPORT TO A1!”

Sure enough, before either of us could react to Zur’s command, a large teleportation array activates beneath our feet and in the next instant we find ourselves at the bottom of a wide pit with unclimbable walls. This excavated space has been reworked into a stadium with spectators gathering around the rim. The butler who guided us before is now merrily taking bets for how long we’ll last. The fact that they’re spouting seconds only adds to my dread as Zur steps forth while winding his arms.

“Wait! Time out! Why are you trying to kill us!?”

“You poor fool, can’t you guess what that thing means!? When I met Sepesh for the first time, he… he... HE SOLD THAT SAME ITEM FOR A HUNDRED FABLARS, AND NOW HE OFFERS ANOTHER FOR FREE! All it symbolises is how much he has stolen from my life with our "bond"! Does he really think I will forgive him after all that he's done with this!? LIKE HELL I WILL!”

“Again, why the hell are you attacking us!? We have nothing to do with this!”

“Of course you do! He means to use you hapless tools to mess with me once more! Well I won’t have it! I’ll just squeeze his location out of your throats before I tear out his!”

“You don’t have to go that far, Mr Terrace! Enbos and I will gladly-"

He crushes the “gift” in his hand and throws it in my direction. Hachirou jumps in front of me and deflects the projectile with his katana, leaving a mark in the ground that resembles a bullet hole. Hachirou's hands are shaking from that simple attack, making the disparity in our fighting strength all too clear.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you too quickly. I’m just going to break every bone in your bodies until you tell me where that piece of trash is hiding!”

Saying that cliché line to a skeleton only makes it scarier!

Damn it, in the end Sepesh still tricked me. How did in the world did he get around the sincerity contract? No, he only agreed to introduce us to someone that could get us into the city, which Zur certainly can. He used the sincerity contract to reinforce my own misconceptions, which means he wanted us to fail from the start!

Did he realise I was trying to trick him? No, even if he realised Hachirou was a demi-human, it doesn’t change the fact his katana is a valuable item, and receiving it from a rare source would limit his competitors. But if he’s not doing this for profit…

… then Sepesh’s reaction to our deal was all an act. He never cared about the money. He is and always will be one sick, sadistic freak.

“!”

“!”

He charges into my spell like a cannonball, and of course, I have no hopes it will stop him. As he crashes into my and sends powerful shockwaves rippling throughout the mine, we use the split second delay before he breaks though to jump aside. A wave of groans echo throughout the arena as we narrowly dodge his attack.

I’ve had enough of this. I’m going to end this farce and wring the life out of him myself...

“… urn… in…”

“Hrm? What are saying? You'll have to plead a little louder.”

“… Burn... In... Hell… SEPESH!!!”

And with my ear splitting cry, facing an unbeatable foe, I reach into my bag and pull out my last resort.