In an utterly concealed basement, two exceptionally tall middle-aged men moved through the room, examining the classified documents lining the shelves with a mixture of excitement and caution.
After making a rough circuit of the room, the two men finally regrouped, settled comfortably onto the sofa, and began talking.
"Earl Azukay, I never would have expected it. That unassuming fellow, Earl Shoddi, actually managed to collect this much information. Looks like we can make a fortune putting all this intelligence to good use before the next Nightsword is chosen."
One of the middle-aged men spoke excitedly as he took a document he had just pulled from the shelves and spread it across the table, greed gleaming in his eyes as he scanned one secret after another recorded within.
"Hmm, take whatever you want, Baron Stergang. This is our compensation for taking over the late Earl Shoddi's intelligence work. The others have already tacitly agreed to let us have it. But before that, we have something more important to deal with."
Earl Azukay glanced at the documents spread across the table, information that could earn them a fortune, then casually gathered them up and pulled out another file.
"The Fenrir Sect sent someone over today. He knows we're handling the late Earl Shoddi's work, so he ordered us to keep a close eye on these underground bases and notify them immediately if any of them come under attack..."
Earl Azukay paused. He clearly remembered how the messenger had placed particular emphasis on the words "keep a close eye" when delivering the order earlier that day, so he added another warning.
"Send more men over there. It doesn't matter how many of the people below us die, but if we disobey those people's orders, our organization, the Thirteen Nightblades, will be finished."
A trace of displeasure crossed Baron Stergang's rugged face.
"Those bastards are really getting on my nerves. Who do they think they are, ordering us, the Thirteen Nightblades, around with that kind of arrogance? Do they seriously think we still need their support?"
Earl Azukay glanced at Baron Stergang before looking away again. He offered no opinion on what the other man had just said. Instead, he stood and pointed to a location marked on the document.
"If I'm right, those two factions lurking in the darkness have already resumed their struggle. Whatever our patron, the Fenrir Sect, ordered us to construct is probably meant to deal with their enemy. Until one side emerges victorious, put those rebellious thoughts of yours away. We won't survive if both dark factions attack us at once."
"Tsk..."
Baron Stergang clicked his tongue in displeasure but said nothing more. He knew Earl Azukay was right.
"But before we send anyone over, we first need to recover the item the Fenrir Sect gave Earl Shoddi."
"An item? What item?"
Baron Stergang had been studying the dozen or so underground bases marked on the map of the Kingdom of Midgar in front of him. Hearing Earl Azukay suddenly mention something he knew nothing about, he looked up in confusion.
"A communicator the Fenrir Sect gave Earl Shoddi. According to the man they sent, once we receive word that a base has been attacked, we're supposed to use it to notify the Fenrir Sect. For some reason, I couldn't find it anywhere in Earl Shoddi's residence."
Earl Azukay nodded as he answered Baron Stergang's question, then furrowed his brow, wondering where Earl Shoddi could have hidden the communicator.
"Heh. So the Fenrir Sect doesn't care whether the people in those underground bases live or die? Makes sense, I suppose. They're all our people, so of course the Fenrir Sect wouldn't care."
"If they die, we can always find replacements. But from what I can tell, those underground bases really are just bait and cover. Our role is to take the heat for them and conceal whatever their true objective is."
"You make it sound easy. But if the Fenrir Sect wants us to monitor things for them, aren't they worried those useless fools under us might screw up and fail to report in time, causing them to miss the information?"
"Ha, I suppose that could happen. If the Fenrir Sect and the other dark faction ended up crippling each other, it would certainly work in our favor. We might even be able to seize control of the entire Midgar Kingdom and finally break free of their control."
Baron Stergang laughed as he spoke, but Earl Azukay knew perfectly well that such a thing was impossible. Unless someone could silently slaughter several thousand people inside an underground base within the span of only a few minutes, the intelligence operatives mixed among them would inevitably get word out. Once the information reached the two of them, they could relay it through their communication devices. The entire process would take no more than five minutes.
That was precisely why these two "Nightswords" were not worried in the slightest that Earl Shoddi's death the previous night might have been intended to conceal some piece of information. If a message sent after Earl Shoddi's death received no response, it would eventually be redirected to them. As for the five minutes before his death, that was more than enough time for Earl Shoddi to pass any important information to the Fenrir Sect.
"By the way, has Earl Shoddi Goodz's death still not been resolved?"
Once their laughter subsided, Earl Azukay thought of Earl Shoddi, who, like himself, had been one of the leading figures of the "Nightsword" society, and turned to Baron Stergang.
"No. The killer was decisive and extremely good at concealing his movements. The Island Guard and the Knights' Order have thrown everything they have into the investigation, but they still haven't identified all the killers."
"That's only natural. Several of Earl Shoddi's guards were fighters rated A- by secular standards. Even if they let their guard down, anyone capable of killing them so quietly must possess at least A-level, perhaps even A+-level strength."
"Close to the First Princess's level, and an assassin on top of that? That really is troublesome. With the forces we have, killing someone like that would be difficult unless we first surrounded him and then overwhelmed him with enough powerful fighters. I can't imagine why someone of that caliber would suddenly choose to make an enemy of us."
"Heh. There's no need to fight him head-on. He wants to oppose us, doesn't he? Then we'll investigate who hired him while using a decoy to lure him out. Once we capture him, we'll execute him in front of everyone."
After hearing Earl Azukay's proposal, Baron Stergang nodded and pulled out another file, spreading it across the table.
"This is the information the Guard has provided so far, along with the Knight Commander's list of possible suspects. It includes those disgusting rats from the Lawless City and some international mercenaries, but the group closest to us is already here in the royal capital. It's an alliance formed by the major Houses because we've been plundering their subjects."
"Isn't that a little absurd? That alliance is nothing but a rabble thrown together. Do they really have the means to hire someone strong enough to oppose us?"
"Drip."
Earl Azukay paused. It was not that he failed to understand how much those people hated them. He simply found Baron Stergang's suspicion hard to believe. An alliance that looked like nothing more than a ragtag bunch should not have had the resources to hire someone of that caliber.
"They are a rabble. Marquis Despoht's daughter barely had to threaten them. She killed one person as a warning, and the alliance nearly fell apart on the spot. But besides that rabble, the leader of the alliance is still that young lady from the Hope House. I originally thought Miss Christina was simply lacking in sense, or that someone had tricked her into taking on a job that would put her against us. But now..."
"Drip."
"So, Baron Stergang, you're planning to kill the young lady from the Hope House?"
"Drip."
"Why not? It's not like we haven't done such things before."
"Drip."
"No, what I mean is, let's kill them all. Every last member of the alliance. That way, they can keep Lady Christina company."
Earl Azukay's face twisted into a malicious grin as he looked at Baron Stergang.
"Drip."
"Wow, Big Brother. To be fair, those people aren't especially suspicious, and this alliance was formed by the major noble Houses."
Baron Stergang delivered the line in a deliberately flat tone, a smile appearing on his face as well.
"Drip."
"That's exactly why we have to kill them all. The major Houses joined forces specifically to oppose us. We need to make them understand that in the Kingdom of Midgar, we, the Thirteen Nightblades, are the true kings."
"Drip."
"Besides, I've already left them a way out. We'll only kill the trash they sent here. We won't wipe out their entire families. For the sake of their talented children, they won't dare resist us."
Baron Stergang and Earl Azukay burst into laughter, wicked smiles on their faces as they raised their glasses to each other.
As for whether the people they intended to kill were innocent?
They did not care.
"Drip."
"What's that sound?"
Earl Azukay, who had been savoring the aroma of his wine, frowned and turned toward the doorway, where the sound seemed to be coming from.
"I'll go check."
Baron Stergang walked over and opened the door.
A figure stood outside with his back to them.
It was one of their guards.
Baron Stergang opened his mouth, ready to curse at him, but before he could say anything, the guard's body toppled backward into the room and crashed against him.
"Ah!!!"
The moment Baron Stergang felt the sticky wetness coating the guard's body, he shrieked and hurriedly stumbled several steps backward.
"His heart... is gone..."
Earl Azukay stepped closer and carefully examined the corpse. Only then did he realize that the place where the man's heart should have been was completely hollow.
"Drip."
The sound came again.
This time, it instantly cleared Earl Azukay's head of the slight haze brought on by the alcohol.
Because this time...
The sound seemed to be coming from behind him.
The two Nightswords froze. Their heads turned backward in stiff, jerking motions.
And there he was.
Sitting where they themselves had been only moments ago was a gaunt figure with blood-red hair and a Vampire mask covering his face. Between his slender fingers, a silver knife and fork had been driven vertically through a heart.
Blood dripped from it, one drop at a time.
"Guh-heh-heh..."
As though amused that the two men had finally noticed him, a spine-chilling laugh echoed through the vast basement.
"Thud!"
The instant they confirmed what was sitting before them, Baron Stergang and Earl Azukay both bolted for the door.
More than ten seconds had already passed since Baron Stergang's scream, yet not a single person had come running.
That could only mean one thing.
Everyone in the mansion had already been dealt with.
Anyone capable of silently eliminating that many people was far beyond what the two of them could handle. Both men reached the same conclusion at once.
Run.
"Guh-heh-heh-heh..."
"Drip."
As they fled, the terrifying laughter and the sound of dripping blood continued behind them.
Earl Azukay's gaze swept over the corpses of the guards scattered across the floor. He glanced back from the corner of his eye and saw something that made his blood run cold.
The gaunt figure in the Vampire mask was pursuing them.
He seemed to be walking and running at the same time, advancing with leisurely steps at an unwavering pace.
At this rate...
Earl Azukay would be caught before he reached the exit.
The moment he realized that, a ruthless glint flashed through his eyes.
As a member of the Martial School, he carried a longsword at his waist. He seized the hilt, drew the blade, chose his target, and swung with all his strength.
"Ah! Big Brother?! Your heart..."
Baron Stergang, who had been running ahead, screamed. Blood poured from his thigh as he clutched the wound and collapsed to the floor, staring in disbelief at the man who had just rushed past him.
When you encounter a bear in the forest, you do not need to outrun the bear.
You only need to outrun your companion.
Earl Azukay believed that completely.
Even though he was already gasping for breath and sweat had soaked the front of his clothes, he kept running without a second thought.
Just as he had expected, the moment Baron Stergang fell, the horrifying laughter and the dripping sound immediately began to recede behind him.
Now he only had to make it outside.
Once he reached a crowded place, the danger would be over.
With that thought driving him forward, Earl Azukay ran even faster. He could already see the mansion's front gate.
Once he reached it, everyone would protect him.
Yes.
All he had to do was reach that place.
"Drip."
The sound of dripping blood came again.
There was no terrifying laughter this time, yet Earl Azukay still burst into greater speed, his breathing growing harsher by the second.
"Drip. Drip."
For some reason, the closer he came to the gate, the more frequent the dripping became.
Even without that dreadful laughter, each drop scraped against Earl Azukay's already frayed nerves.
With one final burst of strength, he tore down the long corridor and reached the gate almost in the blink of an eye.
"I won..."
He opened his mouth, ready to rejoice at having survived.
Then Earl Azukay realized something.
The dripping sound...
It seemed to be coming from in front of him.
"Drip."
Embedded in the steel gate was a silver knife and fork.
Skewered upon it was a bloody lump of flesh resembling a heart.
Whose heart was that?
The instant that question entered his mind, all the strength drained from Earl Azukay's body.
A cold, sticky sensation spread across his chest.
Then a great surge of crimson blood burst forth, soaking his white clothes.
"Thud!"
His tall body collapsed forward.
One hand stretched desperately ahead, reaching for life itself.
The final glimmer faded from Earl Azukay's eyes.
"If you hadn't run so fast, you might have gone a little longer before realizing you were already dead."
The gaunt figure by the window spoke with a note of mild regret, still holding the posture of someone who had just thrown something.
He glanced at Baron Stergang lying on the floor, took a single step forward, and vanished beneath the moonlight like a dream.
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