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Chapter 133

Reinhart didn’t say a word, nor did he make a move.

He just stayed there quietly.

—This crazy bastard!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

—Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what it means to kidnap a Temple student?

—But, m-master!

—This stupid fool! Do you want all of you to lose your heads just to catch a mouse?

Thump!

The one who had boastfully claimed that they had found a way to catch the Hound of Irine by bringing Reinhart in was beaten into a pulp on the spot.

The master of the Thieves’ Guild was a man of reason.

The one who had kidnapped Reinhart seemed to be at the level of a branch manager, but he was merely a small fry. He was so foolish that he hadn’t thought about the tempest that the kidnapping of a Temple student would bring.

However, the guild master realized immediately that this was a major disaster. The subordinate had been far too shortsighted. Their plan was to use Reinhart—this guy who was presumed to be the heir of the Rotary Club—as bait, and with that, eliminate the nuisance that’s been annoying them all along, the Hound of Irine.

However, that was just like setting your house on fire to get rid of a wasp nest.

The Thieves’ Guild headquarters was plunged into chaos, all because of one lunatic’s crazy actions.

—Ugh... What should we do now...

—Let’s get rid of him!

—Are you serious? Considering where he was kidnapped and the usual atmosphere around it, we will definitely face some scrutiny.

—But that’s the only thing we can do now, isn’t it—

—You dumbass! What if they drag us in one by one and torture us?! So many of us witnessed this. Surely one of us would give in and spill the information!

If Reinhart had been kidnapped in some random place, the story would have been different.

But the kidnapping had taken place in Wenster Market, a place notorious for being under the Thieves’ Guild’s influence. Given the location, anyone who knew that Reinhart had gone to the market could deduce from the current inter-organizational power dynamics that the Thieves’ Guild was the culprit.

Silencing witnesses was the best option, but no matter what, the Thieves’ Guild would come under suspicion.

It might be possible to frame an innocent organization, but too many had witnessed the abduction, and the Thieves’ Guild was too large an organization to avoid being targeted. Many members at the headquarters had already witnessed the kidnapping of the youngster named Reinhart, so framing someone else was no longer an option.

Since they were a criminal organization, if the investigators employed torture and harsh interrogation methods, the truth would eventually be uncovered someday. This major disaster, brought about by the actions of a low-level member, left the guild master feeling utterly drained.

In the end, the guild master did what he could.

They released Reinhart, first. They didn’t set him free, but they at least untied him.

This was done to avoid any accusations that he had been treated harshly, should things go south later on.

—Hey, listen, friend. Sorry about all this. It was a mistake made by our members... You understand, right? You saw earlier how I... How I scolded them, right?

—Well, these things happen. I understand.

The guild master’s lips were quivering, but Reinhart appeared calm, as if he had expected this to happen.

—First, return my belongings to me.

—Huh? Oh, right! Hey! Where are his things?

The guild master was exceedingly friendly towards Reinhart. He wished he could just get rid of him, but he knew that doing so would only make matters worse. So, from that moment on, he was determined not to lay so much as a finger on Reinhart.

Having received all his belongings back, including the Flame of Fire, Reinhart began to slowly loosen up his body, which had grown stiff from being tied up.

Reinhart handed his student ID to the guild master.

—Dispose of this somewhere. Cast a dispelling spell on it or something.

—Wait... You want to dispose of this?

—It’s enchanted with a tracking spell. If I keep it with me, they’ll realize I’m missing and will figure out this location in no time.

—Wh-What did you say...?

—It’s still Friday, so they won’t start searching until the weekend’s over. By Monday, the people from the Temple will realize I’m missing, and will start looking for me.

Reinhart’s absence would merely be attributed to him being away for the weekend, so the real problems would begin only on Monday.

—H-Huh? Oh, o-okay.

The guild master nodded numbly, acknowledging Reinhart’s words. It was a bizarre situation, in which the victim of the kidnapping was actually helping his kidnappers.

The guild master wondered why Reinhart would do such a thing when, if he remained quiet, the guards would eventually storm in, and he could be safely rescued. He couldn’t fathom this strange kid Reinhart’s intentions.

—Um, Reinhart? Why would you even tell me this...?

—We’re all trying to live our lives here. Why should everyone here have to die just because of me?

While the words sounded noble, the smile Reinhart flashed was disturbingly sinister. It made the guild master’s skin crawl.

***

The guild master couldn’t just set me free. The moment he did, I could go to the guards and report that I’d been kidnapped by the Thieves’ Guild, and that would be the end of it.

Conversely, killing me would inevitably lead to the arrest and interrogation of the Thieves’ Guild’s members, since the organization was a prime suspect, and the truth of the matter would eventually come to light.

Therefore, because of this lower-ranking member’s recklessness, the entire organization was at risk, and they were stuck without a clear course of action.

Since they were unable to let me go or silence me, I received rather favorable treatment at the headquarters of the Thieves’ Guild thereafter. I couldn’t leave, but they did not threaten me or torture me either, since no one was certain how the situation might unfold.

Even as the search began, the guild couldn’t decide on a response.

One of the members offered a report to the guild master.

—Sir, the search has begun in Wenster Market. They’re all over the place now.

—Damn it... Damn it...!

I didn’t say a word. In times like these, timing was all-important.

Finally, Wednesday rolled around, while I was still being held captive.

—Reinhart...?

—Yes, what is it?

—Who... Who exactly are you...?

The guild master stood before me, his face completely pale.

—Why... Why are the prince and princess looking for you?

—Ah...

I smiled.

—Because they’re my friends.

The guild master looked as though he wished he could kill himself right there.

***

Wednesday evening was the perfect timing I had hoped for.

—Hmm.

A group of people entered the Thieves’ Guild headquarters. The guild members were tense, barely able to open their mouths.

The guild master was no different. Everyone in the hall was frozen stiff, and the group that came in were the only ones at ease.

Each of them had a sword strapped to their waists. Their clothes were ordinary, but from their aura alone, I could tell these people were knights, or individuals with similar capabilities.

Although they were not wearing uniforms or armor, they were knights of the Duke of Salerion.

They had practically found me as soon as their search began, since they had very quickly figured out that the Thieves’ Guild was responsible, and even determined where their headquarters was located.

The speed at which they were able to track the place down was almost frightening.

—So, you’re saying you refuse to go back? Asked one of the guards

—Yes, I replied.

—Weren’t you kidnapped by them?

—I was kidnapped, but...

—These guys are literally vermin, a stain on society. Why is there any need to leave them alive?

They seemed to be itching to kill everyone there, even suggesting that, since these people lived outside the law, it would be fitting to deal with them outside the law as well. The attitude was that these scoundrels deserved no better.

The knights of the Duke of Salerion standing before me were more ruthless than the Thieves’ Guild members. Even as they spoke of death, their expressions remained utterly indifferent.

I had survived the pursuit of such individuals when I’d made my escape from the Demon King’s Castle.

—Even pests have their uses... don’t they? His Highness the Prince will understand what I mean by this analogy.

—Hmm. I see.

—Could you continue to list me as missing for now?

The commanding knight stared at me intensely for a moment.

—You definitely have some ulterior motive in mind. Alright, understood.

He turned away.

—Let’s head back.

This meant that Vertus would know that I was safe, and that I was in the Thieves\' Guild headquarters.

After a brief delay, a group presumably from Charlotte’s faction also arrived. Just as I had done with Vertus’s men, I spoke to them and sent them back.

Even though the guards and the Temple’s security forces could not locate this place, Charlotte and Vertus had been able to locate it immediately.

That meant that the forces under their control had access to far more information than any other official authorities, and that they were both formidable entities.

The Thieves’ Guild believed that they had been moving stealthily all this time, but they now realized that they were merely dancing on someone else’s palm. Their pale complexions told the entire story.

If Vertus and Charlotte got my message, then from that day on, the guards and the Temple’s security forces would only pretend to search for me, since they would be able to guess what I was planning.

From then on, the official powers would only make a show of looking for me.

With this, the stage I wanted was set.

***

After that Wednesday, I could have walked out of that place with my head held high, and no one could have stopped me, but I chose not to.

The Thieves’ Guild had already been exposed by the forces of Vertus and Charlotte. And since I had matters to attend to, I asked them to step aside for the moment, and made the request to remain officially missing.

The fate of the Thieves’ Guild as an organization was completely in my hands. They had already stepped on my tail, so silencing me was no longer an option.

After all that had transpired, I became the ultimate authority over their life or death.

I had somewhat expected Loyar to come looking for me, although she arrived much later than I had anticipated. I planned to explain the situation to Loyar and ask her to stand down for the time being, but she found me just as things were already nearing resolution.

“... Hah,” Loyar scoffed incredulously.

She looked dazed as she listened to my explanation.

“Aren’t you scared at all?” She asked.

It seemed Loyar was slightly annoyed that I could even entertain such thoughts while in this situation.

“I knew things would roughly turn out this way if I let it play out,” I said.

There was no reason for the Thieves’ Guild to mess with me from the beginning, unless they had completely lost their minds. The moment I was kidnapped, my first thought was that it was all over, but upon some reflection, I realized that the situation presented its own opportunities.

Furthermore, once I had retrieved the Flame of Fire, I was confident I could escape even if things went south, so I braced myself for a bold move.

It had undoubtedly been a risky adventure, but it was worth the risk.

Once the forces belonging to the prince and princess had pinpointed this place, my life was no longer in danger, and they could no longer stop me from leaving.

After the visit from the prince’s and princess’s forces, the Thieves’ Guild headquarters was like a house in mourning. They had truly burned down their house trying to get rid of a bug.

A disobedient lackey’s actions had led to a situation where the entire organization could be turned into dust.

Loyar had rushed over believing that I had been kidnapped, and it seemed hard for her to accept that I had essentially brought the thieves under my heel.

‘Yes. This is what power is all about.’

Using someone else’s power as if it were my own seemed like a wise way to wield power.

“Do you know who you’re messing with right now? I bet I have connections to your boss too!”

This was merely an extension of that.

It pays to have powerful friends.

“Well... Since the boss of the club has made an appearance as well, let’s wrap things up, shall we?”

The Thieves’ Guild’s executives, now mere lackeys of the Rotary Club, seemed to find it hard to accept the fact that they were now under my complete control.

The guild master especially so.

“Here’s the deal. I’ll pretend this whole kidnapping case didn’t happen, and that it had nothing to do with the Thieves’ Guild. In exchange, our boss right here becomes the guild master of the Thieves’ Guild. Okay?”

“Wh-... What?!”

The most astonished person was not the guild master, but Loyar.

“Hey! No way! I... I can’t do that!” Loyar shouted, declining the offer.

‘You gotta be kidding me! I literally went through all this trouble just for you!’