"How did you know?"
"Well now? How could I have known?"
"..."
"Why don't you guess. I heard your information network is good?"
The moment his eyebrows twitched at Patrick's sarcastic words…
"Draw it, and you die."
Patrick's single phrase made his body freeze. His hand, about to reach for the poisoned dagger under his skirt, stopped in its tracks. Seeing this, Patrick said.
"Kuhuhu... yes, this is it. This is it."
"..."
Looking at the opponent, frozen stiff by killing intent, Patrick spoke with a relaxed smile.
"Indeed, a high-class threat like this only works on someone who knows what's what. Isn't that right?"
"... This monster."
The red-haired waitress. No, the man disguised as a waitress gritted his teeth. The moment Patrick said he would die, he felt his heart stop.
As someone with the skills of a three-star knight, he knew. He was already dead. The moment he revealed the faintest hint of killing intent, a ferocious killing intent, with no sign of being concealed, washed over his entire body, biting and tearing him to shreds.
In his mind, a vivid image of his entire body being torn into dozens of pieces played out in great detail. A novice would not know. He had already died once, and even now, he was as good as dead.
If that little brat decided it, he would die in that instant. Resistance, counterattack, escape. All were useless.
If that brat wished to kill him, he would be killed. As his back grew damp with cold sweat, Patrick said to him.
"It seems we're finally in the mood for a conversation, don't you think? How about it?"
"......"
"Why? Should we go a little further?"
The killing intent emanating from Patrick grew even thicker. In a state where it was difficult to even breathe, the red-haired man managed to squeeze out his words.
"I... decline."
"Good. Then sit."
It was time to talk. After they sat facing each other, Patrick spoke first.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Patrick Schneider."
"Hoh...."
"From the House of Schneider. You came to this city to sell monster parts, put them up for auction, and achieved record-breaking sales."
'Pass.'
Despite his information being completely exposed, Patrick was not the least bit displeased. Since entering this city, he hadn't particularly hidden his movements, but rather moved about openly, attracting attention. But to miss such movements of his?
If they were such fools, Patrick would have no use for them anyway. "You know well.
So?
What's your name?"
"Red."
"That can't be your real name, right? What's your real name?" Red was probably an alias used in the thieves' guild.
Patrick, having judged so, asked for his real name, but upon seeing the other party stealthily turn his head away, he spoke in disbelief. "Don't tell me that's your real name?" "I was told I was given that name because my hair is red."
"Isn't that a bit too careless for naming a child?" "Rather than that, why don't you state your business for coming to see me." At Red's irritable reaction, Patrick shrugged his shoulders and said.
"Oh, it's nothing much. As you know, our Schneider Fief is in such a remote backwater that it's a bit difficult to grasp how the world is turning."
"So?"
"I'd like to establish a connection with a decent information organization.
That's it.
How about it?" At Patrick's words, Red replied with a cynical smile. "What benefit is there for us in making a connection with such a backwater village and providing information?"
"There are two benefits." Patrick answered without a moment's hesitation. Red, with a look of interest, then said.
"Speak.
I'll at least hear you out." "First, what do you think of me?" Patrick spread his arms, presenting himself.
Red gazed intently at Patrick before speaking.
"... A monster."
"I'd prefer the more pleasant term 'genius', you know." "Genius is not enough to describe you. You are a monster."
Red had always considered himself a genius. While being educated as the heir to the thieves' guild, he realized the need for martial strength and trained diligently, reaching the level of a three-star in his mid-twenties.
A level that ordinary knights, assuming they trained hard, would only reach in their thirties or forties. Therefore, 'genius' was a word meant for people like him.
But Patrick...
'I can't even guess what star-level he is.' Just from the way he overwhelmed him with his presence alone, it was clear that he was unfathomably strong. And at an age where he looked no different from a mere child.
'Genius, my foot...?' If you call that a genius, what does that make those who were considered geniuses until now?
Vermin?
It was better to just elevate him to the status of a monster. Patrick, as if he roughly knew what he was thinking, nodded and said.
"You know, as you live in this world, there are times when a dragon rises from a ditch and shakes the world."
"..."
"That's not a common occurrence."
"But it's not unheard of, is it?"
"..."
That was true. Occasionally, such people exist. People who possess truly extraordinary talent and ability, who shake the world.
Whether their path chose good or evil, they always left a great mark on the world.
"As an information organization, wouldn't it be advantageous in many ways down the line to discover such a being earlier than others and form a connection?"
"That's true."
His words made sense. In Red's eyes, Patrick was a person who would one day make his mark on the world. If so, creating a tie with him now would surely be useful in some way or another.
"You said there were two benefits, right? What's the second one?"
"Ah, the second one is simple. If the first condition is a proposal for the future, the second is something that will benefit you right now."
"That sounds tempting. Tell me."
"If you take my hand here..."
Patrick said with an exceptionally bright smile.
"... I won't kill you."
"..."
"Really. I'm serious."
In other words…, 'He means he'll kill me if I don't take his hand now.' From the very beginning, Red had no choice. The former master of the thieves' guild.
That is, Red's father, once told him.
[My son, in our line of work, there are times when you must endure things that are dirty and cheap. It's what they call having to eat mustard while crying.]
[What should I do in those times?]
[What can you do? Eat it. Don't eat it crying, eat everything they give you with a big smile.]
[…What kind of lesson is that.]
[Instead!] ...
[...]
[Make sure to demand a price from your opponent. A price that makes them feel, 'Since I ate all the mustard you gave me, you should at least do this much for me,' that is.]
[You mean even if I'm going to die, I shouldn't just die quietly.]
[Right. That's how people like us from the back alleys live.]
Recalling the lesson he received from his father when he was alive, Red said with a bright smile.
"Understood. I shall take the young master's hand."
Red's tone of voice had already changed. Seeing his opponent make a decision faster than expected, Patrick laughed.
"Hoh, quite decisive, aren't you?"
"You said I'd die if I didn't. What choice did I have?"
"Hahaha. That's true."
'You can laugh? You demonic bastard?' The words rose up to his throat, but he managed to swallow them.
Instead, Red intended to demand his share.
"However, I have one request."
"A request?"
"Yes. It is something the young master must grant for me to take your hand."
"That sounds less like a request and more like a condition, doesn't it?"
"Well, you could see it that way."
"Having someone test the waters while placing conditions on me is the thirty-fourth thing I hate the most."
'For a young bastard, he sure hates a lot of things.' Red cleared his throat to manage his expression and continued speaking.
"Please, hear me out first. Once you hear it, the young master will also understand."
"Well, I'll at least hear you out."
Patrick crossed his legs and spoke with the attitude of a superior listening to a report from a subordinate. And Red sighed and said.
"First, there is something I must tell you. The current state of our guild is not very good."
"How is it not good? Tell me briefly."
"It's split in half and in the middle of an internal conflict."
"Isn't that too brief?"
"..."
He couldn't say, 'You're the one who told me to be brief, you bastard.' Patrick sighed and said.
"Weren't you the master of the thieves' guild in this city?"
"That's right. I am the master. I am the rightful heir who inherited the position from my father."
"What a fiiiine thing to inherit."
"Uhm...."
"What, the position of the thief boss is passed down by bloodline? They're making everything hereditary these days."
"Ahem, in any case, I am the rightful heir."
"Yes, yes, yes, I see. But there are some people who can't accept that?"
"... How did you know?"
"How could I not know? It's perfectly obvious."
He began to get a rough idea of the situation. This kind of thing was common in the Central Plains as well. Whether it was the righteous path or the unorthodox alliance, it was common for competition and secret struggles to occur over the succession structure of a sect.
In the case of the unorthodox alliance, if things got a little too intense, the sect would often end up splitting in half.
"It's obvious, isn't it? Someone must have appeared, shouting that skill is more important than bloodline and that they can't acknowledge you."
"That's right. And what's more..."
"That person was probably your father's trusted confidant when he was alive, right?"
"... Did you hear this from somewhere?"
"How old do you think I am to not have that much sense? It's obvious. Obvious."
'How many years has he lived to be talking about his age?' Red thought, but Patrick had actually experienced such things many times.
As the Radiant Dragon Grandmaster Jin Cheon made a name for himself as a celebrity in the martial world, he was often called upon as a mediator to resolve disputes within sects or as a witness to duels. Because he would go anywhere, righteous or unorthodox, as long as they paid, he had participated in quite a number of disputes.
And when he got there……
[I am the Master's rightful heir!]
[Don't be ridiculous. The Master entrusted the sect to me.]
[You traitorous bastard. The Master's sudden death must have been your doing!]
[Don't be ridiculous. You're the one....]
This was more or less the kind of scene that would unfold. The antics of both sides were so spectacular that he had wanted to just beat them all up more than once. 'Ah, right, I actually did beat them up.'
Well, what could he do? Looking at the situation, it was unclear who the bad guy was, but it was certain that one of the two was a bad guy, wasn't it? If so, if you beat them both up, the bad guy would definitely get hit, so wouldn't that be a truly just judgment?
The injustice to the other party? Eh, they should just bear it as a sacrifice for the sake of justice. In any case, whenever Jin Cheon was called to such internal disputes, he tried his best to resolve the problem in his own way.
'But why did no one call for me later on?
Why?'
"What are you thinking about?"
"No, I was just thinking about the old days."
"..."
'Old days?
From a mere ten-year-old brat?' When is this bastard referring to when he says 'old days'? To the uncomprehending Red, Patrick cleared his throat and said.
"Ahem, anyway, I roughly understand the situation. The succession of a still-young heir and the second-in-command who opposes it.
It's obvious.
There's probably something suspicious about your father's death too, right? Am I wrong?"
"......?”
A look of genuine surprise appeared on Red's face. "Looks like I was mostly right."
"That's amazing.
You are correct. In fact, evidence of homicide was found on my father's body." Red, purely admiring Patrick's insight, told him everything.
The previous master of the thieves' guild suddenly died one day for a mysterious reason. A healthy person, just like that. Judging by his tongue and the roof of his mouth being stained purple, it was clear he had been poisoned.
The culprit could not be identified, but the position of guild master could not be left vacant. So, Red was about to ascend to the position of guild master, but at that moment, a man named Billy, a close aide to the former guild master, suddenly rose in rebellion.
[Just because he's the son of the previous master, a young brat like that is going to be above me? I can never accept it.] Saying this, he stood up and, along with the subordinates who followed him, broke away and created a separate thieves' guild.
And so, there are now two thieves' guilds in Parmas... In the first place, the affairs of the underworld are not so lenient as to allow them to amicably share a single city. There can only be one master on a single mountain.
The two guilds immediately entered a state of war, and the result…