Book Eater

Chapter 168: The Road Home (3)

The Sipoto branch of the Information Guild that was run by the King of Mice was one of the best in the central region. Only a few people loitered around the outskirts where it was located. Theo had to find the markings again, but it wasn’t hard to retrace his steps. People came and went as he walked through the maze-like alleys like they were his home.

It was good until Theo and Randolph found the shabby door at the end of a road. But a familiar scent was in the air.

“This...!?”

“... Human blood. It is very thick.”

Theo and Randolph prepared for battle simultaneously, as they stared past the half-open door. Randolph had a lot of battle experience, so he could tell that the Information Guild’s hideout was filled with dead humans. This smell of death meant there were at least dozens, perhaps hundreds, of bodies.

The two men carefully approached the entrance of the Information Guild.

“Let's double check before entering.” Theo took one step inside and scanned the area with detection magic. Waves of magic power erupted from his palm and into the Information Guild’s hideout. The waves bounced back and forth like an ultrasound as they sought any signs of life.

However, Theo’s expression stiffened. “Everyone is dead. At least, no one’s moving inside.”

“A complete massacre, huh? The sun hasn’t even fallen yet; the killer sure is bold,” Randolph remarked.

The guild’s hideout may be in a discreet location, but it was impossible to kill all these people without garnering attention. Randolph raised his two swords warily and stepped forward with Theo.

The passage Theo had walked through a year ago appeared before them.

Hwaack.

The last time, he hadn’t used light magic in order to avoid provoking the guild. However, he now used a few drops of magic power to illuminate the surroundings. If he looked at the differences from the last time he’d been here, there was a heavy smell of blood, as well as holes in the left and right walls of the passage.

Theo looked around and spoke to Randolph who was leading the way, “They were killed before they knew what hit them, so the killer must be pretty talented.”

“I don’t think it’s like that,” Randolph disagreed. “Take a closer look at these bodies, Theo.”

“What?”

Theo wasn’t about to disregard the words of a sword master. He broke the wall, and a few bodies rolled out. The bleeding from the bodies was so severe that the floor and ceiling were drenched in crimson.

However, Theo frowned as he noticed something on all the bodies.

The bodies of the information guild members—

“Why do they look like this?”

They were smiling, or otherwise relaxed. Theo wasn’t familiar with sword injuries, but he was sure no human could stop surprise or pain from appearing on their face as they were stabbed in the heart or head. However, all the corpses looked like they didn’t even know they had died.

“This is an extremely dark sword.” Randolph examined the wounds with a serious expression.

He was confident in his speed, but was it really possible to kill dozens of people like this? In particular, when there were so many people in concealed spaces... No matter how fast his sword was, could he reproduce this scene?

“No, not even a legendary grandmaster could do this.” Randolph went over the situation in his head and still found it impossible. It was a hard task even for a considerably skilled person. This wasn’t the type of thing which could be done without the help of an Aura Ability or magic.

The two people continued past the strange corpses. When they came to the room where he had first encountered Gibra, Theo could see a body so precisely taken apart that it was difficult to tell the body was human.

“... Torture,” Theo stated grimly.

“......” Randolph agreed silently.

Twenty fingers and toes were scattered around the room. The eye sockets were empty and the body had been completely flayed. The reason why Theo and Randolph were even able to identify the dismembered corpse as Gibra was because of his unusually large build.

It was surprisingly painful for Theo to discover the death of the man he had once known.

Randolph frowned as he examined the terrible sight and muttered, “This is familiar.”

“Huh?” Theo asked.

“I remember this. It’s almost what I learned about torture at a knight school in the empire. First, cut off the extremities, then take the vision to make the body more sensitive. Lastly, deal pain by slicing away thin parts of the skin. It’s famous for being very effective.”

It was a torture method from the Andras Empire! In the end, Theo felt like a thunderbolt had struck his head. The corpses and the Andras Empire’s torture method... This was a real moment of enlightenment as he recalled two facts which were deeply buried in his memories.

“No way… The empire’s Seven Swords?”

“What?! The empire’s Seven Swords—” Randolph forgot to keep his voice low.

However, Theo had no time to explain. The White Tower Master had encountered an unknown sword master, presumably one of the empire’s Seven Swords, who possessed a ‘concealment’ ability in the Great Forest.

Clang.

A red crystal necklace, a primitive amulet, appeared in Theo’s palms.

[+5 Tail of a Defeat Loser (Accessory)]

[This is an artifact created using the body part of a person presumed to be one of the empire’s Seven Swords. The body part was personally cut off by the White Tower Master. The red crystal looks like a jewel, but it is a special product created by refining a part of the sword master. It also contains a tracking function. This artifact is designed to track the target within a thirty kilometer radius and will guide the owner to the coordinates.

* This necklace is rated Rare.

* When consumed, a small amount of magic power will be absorbed.

* When consumed, the residual aura will inhibit magic power circulation.

* When consumed, the proficiency of tracking magic will increase.

* Please note! It contains blood with a high concentration of aura. This artifact will have a negative effect on the user.]

Once Theo confirmed the artifact’s information window, he poured magic power into it without waiting for Randolph to ask. This amulet had been created with the arm of the sword master that the White Tower Master had brought back for the express purpose of tracking the assassin down. If this artifact responded, the identity of the other party would become clear.

Theo invoked the artifact.

Huuuuuuong!

Red light exploded outward from the red crystal, striking the ceiling, walls, and floors, as well as the two people in the room, before drawing a map on the left wall. The depiction of the terrain was so perfect that it could be sold at a map store. The White Tower Master’s abilities were flawless.

As Theo looked at the map, he was bewildered. “This… is outside Sipoto?”

It wasn’t the outskirts but an area outside the walls, where wild winds played with sand. There was a blinking blue light at the center of the map which showed the location of the sword master.

Then at that moment...

Theo blinked. “Eh?”

“What? When do I get to find out?”

Randolph was grumpily complaining by Theo’s side, but Theo didn’t give Randolph a chance to respond. For a moment, the blue dot had disappeared from the map. In other words, the sword master being tracked had used his Aura Ability. No matter how efficient the ability, it would consume mana. There was no sword master who would use it in unnecessary situations.

This meant the target was in combat.

“If it’s not the Information Guild, then who is he fighting against?” Theo’s doubtful voice resonated within the room which stank of blood.

***

Around ten kilometers away from the King of Rats’ branch of the Information Guild, a man who knew Theo was standing in the desert sand. Bill Parent, a full-time warrior of the Orcus Company for a few years, looked at the masked man before him.

Who the hell was this person??

He tried to shout, however, Bill couldn’t say anything. The moment he tried to open his mouth, his head was already rolling onto the hot sand. He was dead the moment he met the unidentified man, but Bill Parent died without even realizing it. The last five people were no different. Six wary aura users became corpses almost instantaneously.

However, the masked sword master was disgruntled. “Che, so these trash were bait.”

Bait?

He didn’t waste any minutes cheering at the success of the perfect assassination. As if in response to the masked man’s words, a few shadows rose up from the sand-covered ground.

The shadow who seemed to be the leader asked the masked man.

[Who are you? Why are you attacking us?]

“I’ve been asked that question a number of times, but you don’t need to know,” the masked man replied coldly. “You knew I was coming anyway.”

[Hulhulhul… There have already been three raids today. You caused a commotion twice and thought we wouldn’t know about it?]

“No, I expected you to know. I just thought you would be smart enough to run away. I’m sorry.” Despite the creepy voice coming from the shadow, the masked man continued mocking them. “I don’t know why you’re still hanging around after being attacked twice. Did you prepare a means to deal with me? Or do you intend to give me the information I want?”

[... Information regarding his whereabouts?]

“Yes. If you listened to me from the beginning, your little gangs would’ve been fine. You inflicted this on yourself.” A white aura hummed to life on the blade of the masked man as he said, “The winner is strong, and the loser is weak. I am stronger than you. Therefore, I have the right to take away your lives.”

It was the law of the jungle. He sounded closer to a beast than a human as he pointed his blade at them. This was the power of the aura of a sword master. The space right below the edge of the sword split in two, as sand and wind were torn in half.

“So, tell me. Where is Theodore Miller?!” the masked man snarled.

The magic power holding the shadows together started to vibrate, and the shadows dimmed before they grew more stable again. The masked man’s mere presence had been imposing enough to disturb the shadows’ magic power!

However, the lead shadow wasn’t intimidated.

[Stupid sword master. The realm you’ve reached is helpless in the face of true death... You want to prove the legitimacy of the law of the jungle?]

“That’s right.”

[The strong and the weak… I will teach you the truths that rise above that.]

The lead shadow, a warlock of the Orcus Company, sentenced the masked man to death almost casually.

[I will turn that sword into scrap metal! From now on, worship death!]