WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Genius Knight of a Fallen Race ◈

Chapter 43: An Unexpected Night Visitor

──────

The “gift” mentioned at the end of the letter was a small ring.

Judging by the large gemstone set into it, it seemed quite valuable. Roden, true to his background as a jeweler’s son, recognized it and let out a low groan.

“Isn’t this the ring the Marquis of Veshallia gave his mistress a few years ago?”

“The Marquis of Veshallia?”

“As his title suggests, he rules Veshallia, a major city in the south. He’s a wealthy man who built a vast fortune through maritime trade and commands dozens of warships.”

If a ring a man like that had given to his mistress, his illicit lover, had ended up here, it was proof that these people had considerable influence.

It almost felt like a threat, warning them that it would be wiser to comply.

After staring silently at the letter for a while, Roden shook his head.

“Let’s reject the offer for now.”

“I’m a little curious about what they want to talk about...”

“So am I, but they’re suspicious in too many ways for us to stick our heads in just out of curiosity.”

The knight who had delivered the letter had been suspicious as well. Shan doubted this was an organization operating in any legitimate sphere.

If they truly had nothing to hide, shouldn’t they have come directly to the estate?

“More than anything, and I’m not saying this out of prejudice, every rich Alto in this country is a criminal. If you want to achieve your goal, it’s better not to get tangled up with people like that. Trust me.”

After considering Roden’s words for a long time, Shan nodded.

He had only recently caused everyone concern through an impulsive decision. He could not make the same kind of mistake twice.

“More than that, I want to find out who they are.”

“We could ask the princess... Ah, but I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone but you.”

“You only told me. If I ask, that doesn’t mean you’ve broken your promise, does it?”

Roden shrugged, then laughed when Shan still looked uncomfortable.

“Fine. I’ll investigate them myself. Our family might not have as many connections as she does, but we’ve built up our own network over the years.”

If they had given away a gemstone ring, it should be easy enough to trace how it had changed hands.

The Weavers family did not control every part of Pendia’s gemstone trade, but they had a firm grip on its major channels.

More importantly, this was closely tied to Shan’s identity. Even setting their promise aside, it seemed better to investigate on their own rather than tell the princess.

* * *

After that day, the self-proclaimed Brotherhood of the Alto People did not approach Shan again.

Sir Bolin, who had delivered the letter, did not try to involve himself by using their personal acquaintance as an excuse either.

Several more days passed, and rumors began reaching the capital from the north that Shan had defeated a powerful high vampire.

For some reason, the story had become distorted into a strange rumor that the vampire had been so powerful it could turn day into night with a single gesture, the sort of creature that only existed in legends.

“You’re saying he defeated something like that alone? Does that make any sense?”

“Sir Shan defeated a cockatrice alone too!”

“Right, neither of those makes any sense.”

As absurd as the rumor sounded, Shan had already proven his overwhelming skill in many ways. Rumors begat more rumors.

The Magic Society, which had bought the byproducts of the high vampire Shan had defeated, added fuel to the rumors by refusing to release them onto the market.

Naturally, people believed the byproducts possessed special power because the vampire had been so strong.

“You suddenly have the impressive title of Slayer of the Vampire King.”

“He was strong, but not that strong.”

Roden snickered, and Shan looked embarrassed.

Serin had likely handled the byproducts herself because she was concerned that they might test positive for true silver.

Not long after the rumors spread, Prince Elvin’s side, which had associated with the vampire, reacted as well.

Sir Lugh, the tall knight who had recently joined Prince Elvin’s faction and fought Shan in the finals before, visited the estate.

“It’s been a long time, Sir Shan!”

“It’s good to see you.”

“I heard the rumors! Ah, if only I could have ridden beside you and helped defeat that creature, I would have died without regrets...!”

The towering knight still gazed at Shan as though Shan were his idol.

Feeling burdened by that gaze, Shan looked away and saw Roden stifling a laugh.

Lugh went on excitedly about all sorts of things. He spoke about swearing loyalty as Prince Elvin’s knight, building friendships with the other companions under him, and training together for group combat.

Shan found those things interesting too, so they talked for quite a while.

“It would be nice if Sir Shan joined us as well...”

“I hope so someday.”

Shan brushed off Lugh’s somewhat clumsy recruitment attempt with the formal response Roden had taught him.

Lugh did not press further. It seemed Lugh had not received proper orders and was only testing the waters.

“Then I should be going now. Ugh, cobwebs again... Being this tall isn’t always a good thing.”

Lugh complained after his hair swept through a spiderweb as he left. Shan turned to Roden, who had watched silently beside him.

“Do you think Prince Elvin sent him?”

“Who knows? Even if the prince did send him, I think he came because he wanted to.”

Lugh’s admiration for Shan seemed far too sincere to be mere flattery at the prince’s command.

Lugh’s wish for Shan to serve under Prince Elvin did not seem to come from a hidden agenda or someone else’s orders either.

If Roden saw it that way, it was unlikely to be wrong. Shan groaned.

“I hope I never have to fight Sir Lugh.”

“I hope so too.”

His admiration was excessive enough to be burdensome, but it was still based on goodwill. Shan did not want to kill him if they fought, if it could be avoided.

Of course, Lugh was highly skilled himself, so trying to spare him might put Shan in danger.

Not long after Lugh left, information arrived about the Brotherhood that Roden had investigated through his father’s connections.

Roden let out a quiet groan as he read the documents.

“Hmm...”

“What is it?”

“It seems they couldn’t find out what happened at the Golden Theater that day. They say it didn’t even open.”

The Golden Theater was the largest theater in Hasra City, a jewel of the capital’s entertainment district.

Surely they had not invited Shan only to stand him up. That meant they had enough money and influence to rent out the Golden Theater for a whole day and use it however they pleased.

The investigation into the gemstone ring had not progressed as expected either.

No matter how many channels they searched through, they found no information that the Count of Veshallia’s mistress had sold or otherwise disposed of the gem.

The Brotherhood had either stolen the ring from her or received it directly from her. The two possibilities were complete opposites, and neither gave them an easy way to act.

Both leads had reached a dead end.

Perhaps because this kind of investigation was unfamiliar to him, even Roden, a versatile superhuman who excelled at everything except fighting people, found it difficult.

“Ah, damn it. This is giving me a headache. I was already worried about what that Council might do...”

The princess had promised to investigate them and report back, yet they had heard nothing from her for a week.

Had she been waiting for him to complain?

Exactly ten days after they had parted, Princess Serin visited the Weavers Estate in disguise with a single guard.

* * *

“I was quite rude last time.”

The princess’s face looked far more haggard than when Shan had seen her before.

Her skin had always been pale, but now it was so bloodless she looked like a vampire. There were shadows beneath her eyes, and her cheeks were hollow enough to make her look ill.

Shan watched her for a moment before asking, “Did I cause that?”

“Hm?”

“You seemed angry because of what I did when we met last time. I don’t know why, but if I upset you, I apologize.”

Perhaps the words had caught her off guard. Serin’s eyes widened, then she gave a soft laugh and shook her head.

“No, you are not at fault. The problem is my twisted, warped heart that could not accept it gracefully. Still... I would advise you to be more careful when you give your heart to another person in the future.”

“Roden scolded me a lot over that, so I’ve been reflecting on it.”

Shan’s serious attitude made Serin glance at Roden and nod.

“Yes, Roden is an excellent adviser. So much so that I wish I had someone like him. Though my advice applies to him as well.”

Shan raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was trying to drive a wedge between them again. Then he saw the serious expression on her face.

“You can trust other people, but you must keep your heart for yourself. Once you give it away and it is cast aside, there is no taking it back.”

Her muttered words sounded close to self-mockery.

As the mood turned heavy, Serin shook her head and spoke in a deliberately cheerful voice.

“Now, shall we talk about business? First, based on the materials you gave me before, I found some information about the Council.”

“Already...?” Roden asked in surprise.

Having investigated the Brotherhood himself, he knew how difficult it was to find a trail leading to a secret organization like this.

And Serin only had Aran and Kagon, two retainers who did not seem particularly reliable.

Or perhaps Count Paless had assigned others to her, or she had people working for her personally...

“To give you the conclusion first, the Council is not simply a group of vampires. It is a secret society with a broader scope than a vampire group.”

The king and nobles controlled the visible parts of the Kingdom of Pendia, but another set of laws and order governed its hidden side, including the areas commonly called the slums and entertainment districts.

The Council was like the ruler of that underworld. Despite its impressive name, it was closer to a massive criminal organization.

All its members were people who could not openly take their place in society.

Skilled warriors and knights wanted for countless crimes, wicked mages who had committed taboos such as human experimentation, smugglers, addicts, and information organizations made up of prostitutes and their pimps...

The group of high vampires capable of taking human form was only one branch of the Council.

They held considerable influence within it thanks to their great combat strength and the knowledge and wealth they had accumulated over long lifetimes.

Serin sighed deeply, looking dumbfounded.

“To be honest, I was quite surprised. I had focused all my eyes and ears on the royal family and high nobility, but I never imagined I would fail to notice such a dreadful organization clinging to this country like a parasite.”

Roden wanted to say that the surprising one was her.

She had not even known of the organization before, yet she had dug out everything about it, roots and all, within a week from a single clue?

A secret society whose name was not even publicly known should have been extremely secure. Her intelligence-gathering ability was almost bizarre.

Then Serin added as though she had just remembered something.

“Ah, there was one interesting group among them too. They called themselves the Brotherhood.”

Roden did his best to remain calm, but Shan flinched in surprise.

He had never imagined the Brotherhood would suddenly be mentioned here.

Serin smiled as though his reaction amused her.

“The Brotherhood of the Alto People. You know the name, don’t you? It seems they made you a recruitment offer not long ago, Sir Shan.”

“Princess, that was...”

“I know you did not accept. You made the right choice.”

According to Serin, the Brotherhood of the Alto People was a group that exploited powerless members of their own race under the pretense of protecting them.

They forced vulnerable Altos into every sort of dangerous crime and labor, while a small number at the very top took the profits.

“I suspect their leader and several senior officers are nobles or knights. It is possible that Westerners hold those positions to exploit the Altos, but... I believe it is more likely that they were quietly replaced, like the vampire lord.”

“So they put Altos with appearances not too different from Westerners at the front.”

“Yes.”

Like Roxy from the circus troupe they had seen before, some Altos did not look very different from Westerners.

Others could erase their distinguishing features with simple surgery, such as filing down their horns.

Shan himself was an example. Unless the surroundings became dark, no one noticed he was an Alto.

If the organization put people like that at the forefront, it was entirely possible.

“Impersonating nobles and knights... Ha, we’ve gotten involved with some truly incredible people.”

“They are still a criminal organization, so there is no need to worry too much. They are only insects hiding in the shadows of the world.”

“People sometimes die from insect bites.”

Serin smiled at Roden’s reasonable concern.

“Quite so. You are a wise adviser. As it happens, those insects are planning to bite someone to death.”

It was not difficult to understand what she meant by insects and people, and Roden’s expression turned grim.

Shan looked somewhat confused, so she explained more plainly.

“They originally planned to lure you into the Golden Theater, drown you in alcohol, drugs, and women, then recruit you to their side.”

“A method fitting for criminals,” Roden muttered with contempt.

Serin nodded in agreement.

“But since Sir Shan did not accept, they seem to believe the reason is you, Roden.”

“...They’re right.”

“Everyone who knows Sir Shan knows that you are his adviser. Because of that, they decided to eliminate Roden first...”

Serin could not finish her sentence because Shan’s eyes changed as she spoke.

His eyes, usually a warm green like that of leaves and grass, gentle as a tame puppy’s, had become empty of all emotion.

Serin thought they looked like an insect’s eyes.

Eyes without a trace of mercy or compassion, focused only on locating and consuming their target according to their designed purpose...

“They were planning to kill Roden?”

“Do not worry. Whatever else happens, I will make sure you need not fear dying to a blade aimed at you from the shadows.”

Having once again witnessed Serin’s overwhelming intelligence network, Shan found those words very reassuring.

With her help, he might still die to a blade coming at him from the front, but he would not have to fear being stabbed in the back.

Of course, that was only if Serin did not betray them.

“Thank you, Princess.”

If she had not helped them, they would not even have known that the Brotherhood was targeting Roden.

Shan bowed his head in thanks. Serin smiled, then strangely dragged out her next words.

“Hmm, so...”

Her lightly flushed face revealed an emotion that could have been shyness or embarrassment.

“It would not exactly be payment for looking into this, but could you show me that item from last time once more? It keeps appearing in my mind whenever I try to sleep.”

“Of course.”

Showing it a second time was no more difficult than showing it the first. Shan turned Thousand Forms, which he had kept in the shape of a bracelet for easier access, into a sword and placed it on the drawing room table.

As when she had first seen it, Serin’s face filled with fascination.

“It truly is remarkable. I knew ancient Alto magic had reached great heights, but I never imagined something like this was possible...”

“The mage I met before said modern magic could never reproduce it.”

“I imagine so. Not only would it require this much true silver, but the crafting process must involve all manner of techniques lost in the modern age.”

Mages were truly strange people, to be able to understand that much simply by looking at a weapon.

Of course, perhaps Princess Serin was especially remarkable.

“The owner of this weapon was likely an official responsible for a region. A warrior and mage of quite high rank in Alto society.”

The sword had certainly been in what appeared to be the owner’s bedroom, within the largest building in the nameless city.

Shan wondered if he should take it back before she somehow identified the city’s location too. Then Serin turned the sword over several times, examining it, before casually saying, “I will need to study it further, but... we may be able to borrow and use some of this technique.”

“Really!?”

Shan was so surprised that he dropped his formal manner of speaking. Serin nodded.

“Of course, changing shape as freely as this would be impossible. But I believe it may be possible to set a weapon to several fixed lengths and have it transform over time. Or armor that normally covers only the upper body, then covers the entire body when one enters battle.”

If that were possible, it would be incredibly useful.

Even Shan’s current magical spear was an awkward length because he wanted to use it both on horseback and on foot.

How convenient would it be if it could extend to around four meters for mounted combat, then become a short spear around two meters long while walking?

Considering how troublesome it was to put armor on and take it off, there was no need to say how useful that would be either.

“Thanks to you, I have gained a good idea. Now then...”

“How should we deal with the Brotherhood?”

Now that they had shown their intent to kill Roden, there was no room for negotiation.

Serin read the cruel killing intent in Shan’s eyes and smiled.

“There are a few ways, but I would advise against taking the long way around. They are criminals, after all. There is no need to fight within the bounds of the law against people who receive none of its protection.”

“You mean...”

“Would kidnapping or assassination offend your pride as a knight?”

“Not at all.”

If they were honorable opponents, perhaps it would be different. But they were criminals and villains who had planned to kill his friend. Shan had no reason to be bound by such things.

Serin smiled at his clear answer.

“Then this becomes very simple. Shall we first bring in the contact both you and I know?”

* * *

In the dead of night, Sir Bolin of House Anix suddenly woke from sleep for some reason.

Perhaps Bolin’s throat was dry because Bolin had drunk too much the previous night.

Bolin turned to get a drink of water, then stopped without realizing it.

“Ah...?”

In one corner of the dark room, lit only by faint moonlight through the window, two green lights stared back at Bolin.

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried