Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Chapter 14 - The Swindler’s Trap
Vernel had often been told that he always did things his own way.
Even within the confines of the small Academy, he failed to make a single friend and fell from being a top student to hovering near the bottom of the class.
Yet even Vernel, who always walked his own path, felt powerless before the man standing in front of him.
’An overwhelming aura......’
His eyes were like a bottomless abyss that threatened to drag anyone into its depths.
Yet they were not empty. Within them, Vernel could clearly sense the affection he held for Grand Duchess Valdrova.
A man who looked as though he would do absolutely anything for her.
Believing he might lose his life at any moment, Vernel finally opened his mouth.
"I-I don’t know. I don’t think something like that would shake my convictions..."
But that was one thing, and this was another.
Just because he had been threatened didn’t mean he wanted to immediately abandon his beliefs.
’Aaaah! A-Am I going to die?’
Vernel shut his eyes and let his imagination run wild.
Would he twist my fingers?
Or was he planning to beat me senseless like a loan shark beating a stray dog?
Ferda’s hand rested on Vernel’s shoulder.
"I understand."
Ferda gently patted him on the shoulder.
Realizing all his limbs were still intact, Vernel’s eyes flew open.
"Uh... wh-what?"
"Didn’t I say I understand?"
"...That’s... all?"
"Yes. I believe that’s enough. I never intended to persuade you in a single day."
"Ah... I-I see...?"
Ferda extended his hand toward Luri.
Luri reached beneath her wide skirt and pulled out a scroll.
"Take it."
"What is this?"
"An appointment letter."
"An... appointment letter?"
"It states that you are officially being appointed as the Chief Researcher of Valdrova Castle. The conditions remain exactly as I told you. The only thing that changes is how you choose to think about them."
With that, Ferda stood up and turned to leave.
"Take your time thinking it over. Once you’ve made your decision, come to the Grand Duchess’s territory whenever you’re ready. Let’s go."
"Yes."
Ferda and Luri quietly walked out the door.
They truly left without lingering.
The appointment letter Ferda had left behind rolled across the floor until it stopped at Vernel’s feet.
Left alone, Vernel simply stared at it in silence.
***
"Can that man, Vernel, really be trusted?"
Inside the carriage, Luri, seated across from Ferda, asked the question.
In her right hand was a skewer of fruit preserved in honey, while five cups’ worth of sweets in her left hand patiently awaited execution inside her mouth.
Ferda nodded.
"He can."
"Idealists like him cling to their stubbornness all the way to the grave."
"I’ll change that."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Because those who desire peace must always prepare for war."
"...Who said something like that?"
Who else?
’That guy did.’
The Vernel Marquis from the future Ferda had witnessed had once said exactly those words.
He had realized far too late just how hypocritical his role as an unwavering pacifist had truly been.
"Assuming we recruit him... where are we going next?"
Naturally, Ferda had already decided on their next destination.
"We’re going to Halim."
"Halim... isn’t that the city of entertainment in the south?"
Luri’s expression darkened even further than usual.
People already looked at her unfavorably, but now they regarded her little better than an insect.
That was understandable.
The city was infamous as a sanctuary of decadence and pleasure.
"If we’re only passing through, choose another city."
"No. That’s our final destination. The person I’m looking for is there."
"You’re saying they’re in an entertainment district?"
"They’re definitely there."
"And you’re certain you have absolutely no ulterior motives?"
"None."
Luri narrowed her eyes at Ferda.
She could clearly tell he wasn’t lying in the slightest.
That only made him seem even more suspicious.
How could anyone possibly live with such complete honesty?
"So, who exactly are we looking for?"
"Zed Swallow."
He was one of the names written on the list Luri was carrying.
"What kind of person is he?"
"A swindler."
"...A swindler?"
"That’s right."
A brief silence followed.
Luri carefully considered whether what she was thinking was correct before asking again.
"...You mean one of those worthless scoundrels who seduces noblewomen and wealthy ladies just to swindle them?"
"And a gambler."
"......"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
With every word he added, Luri’s face grew darker.
An aura as gloomy as endless darkness radiated from her.
Hiiiih!
"H-Huh? Why are the horses suddenly acting like this?"
She had frightened even the innocent horses.
The carriage looked as though it was about to become difficult to control because of the panicking animals.
Watching the scene, Ferda calmly added what he hadn’t yet said.
"And he’s one of the Red-Eyed Clan."
The dark aura surrounding Luri instantly vanished.
What replaced it was pure surprise.
"The Red-Eyed Clan... do you mean the bloodline I’m thinking of?"
"Yes."
"But I heard they were wiped out during the Cataclysm."
"That’s what the public believes."
The public.
Luri knew this wasn’t something that could simply be brushed aside with such a phrase.
If there had been even the slightest sign that the Red-Eyed Clan still existed, reports would have immediately reached the highest authorities.
Naturally, Luri herself would have known.
"So how do you know something like that?"
She asked him directly.
"I simply do."
He avoided giving any further explanation.
Luri wanted to press him, but she had no justification for digging any deeper.
’A swindler... a gambler... but also one of the Red-Eyed Clan.’
It was an incredibly delicate balance.
Compared to Vernel Marquis, he was an even worse human being——and at the same time, possessed even greater abilities.
’Should I oppose this... or support it?’
Standing at a crossroads, Luri agonized over the decision.
To keep her brain from shutting down, she stuffed another piece of honey-preserved fruit into her mouth and chewed furiously while thinking even harder.
Ferda decided to make the choice easier for her.
"I hear the southern region is famous for its delicious desserts."
"...Let’s go there first."
***
The southern region remained hot throughout the entire year.
The blazing sun scorched the land until it became barren, and in the far south stretched an infernal desert where not a single blade of grass nor a drop of water could be found.
Halim was an entertainment city built around the unique climate of the south.
The days were unbearably hot, but the nights were pleasantly cool, allowing nightlife to flourish.
Countless nobles and wealthy merchants visited the city.
Where Escolleia had been filled with the aromas of coffee and tea, Halim was saturated with the rich scent of sugar.
The sweetness was enough to give Ferda a headache.
Luri, however, spent the entire day happily breathing it in.
Ferda headed straight toward a casino.
Luri silently watched as Ferda exchanged all of their money for gambling chips.
He had traded away every last coin they possessed.
"I thought you said you had no ulterior motives."
"I don’t."
"Really?"
"My mouth is getting tired from repeating myself. Just pull the cart and follow me."
Ignoring Luri’s suspicious glare, Ferda quietly walked through the casino.
Women dressed in revealing outfits.
People laughing as they indulged in every kind of shallow pleasure.
They wandered through a utopia bought with money, forgetting reality for a little while.
Ferda walked solemnly among them.
Then he spotted a young man.
Amid the gloomy, lust-filled atmosphere, one young man shone brightly.
He had light brown hair and black eyes.
Tall and well-built, his slender frame showed no trace of weakness.
People naturally gathered around him.
When he laughed, they laughed.
When he looked saddened, they shared his sorrow.
The man completely commanded his audience.
’Zed Swallow.’
With his outstanding eloquence and handsome appearance, he effortlessly earned the favor of countless nobles.
He was so charming that his victims never even realized they were being swindled.
’Well... he eventually got caught because he became too greedy.’
Even so, that wasn’t much of a problem.
After all, they said a cunning rabbit always prepared three burrows.
But Swallow had dug three more inside each of those three burrows.
That was the kind of man he was.
’He even escaped Shark Island, where escape was considered impossible, and the frozen prison in the northern tundra.’
He was unquestionably a master thief——a man to whom nothing was impossible.
’Though all of that only happened because no one knew he belonged to the Red-Eyed Clan.’
Those who inherited the blood of the Red-Eyed Clan were all distinguished by their crimson eyes.
They also possessed a unique ability.
They could disperse the residual Mana lingering in objects or even floating through the air.
For that reason, the Red-Eyed Clan were the natural enemies of Mages.
The man Ferda was looking at now had deep black eyes.
The eyes of an ordinary human.
No one could possibly suspect that he belonged to the Red-Eyed Clan.
’Even if someone were to discover that he’s one of the Red-Eyed Clan.’
That man would still be completely confident that he would never be caught.
He possessed that level of ability.
’He’s exactly the kind of talent I need.’
With his hands clasped behind his back, Ferda quietly walked over and took a seat.
The moment the newcomer arrived, Zed greeted him with his usual easygoing smile.
"Oh? Looks like we’ve got a new friend. Nice to meet you. I’m Zed."
"The pleasure is mine. My name is Ferda."
"You’d better be careful around the people here. Every single one of them is just waiting to pick your bones clean like vultures."
"Haha! I know a thing or two about poker!"
"And yet you’ve already lost forty gold coins!"
The atmosphere was lively and cheerful.
Not a single person at the table was actually winning money.
The fact that he could make people laugh despite everyone losing was remarkable.
’The way he controls the crowd with his words and his aura.’
But to Ferda, it looked nothing more than a thick mask of hypocrisy.
"Have you played much poker before?"
"I know the hand rankings well enough."
"Well, everyone starts somewhere, right?"
"Ha ha! There isn’t a master in this world who wasn’t once a beginner."
"That’s right. I learned the game here today myself. I’m finally starting to get the hang of it."
He had no interest in people proudly advertising themselves as easy marks.
"Very well. Let’s play."
"Sounds good. No point just standing around talking."
The game began.
Little by little, Ferda started winning.
Most people would call it beginner’s luck.
Ferda thought otherwise.
This was simply part of Zed’s plan to reel him in.
’He’s good at laying bait.’
The man was incredibly skillful with his hands.
Ferda considered himself quite observant.
Yet even he couldn’t tell exactly where he was being deceived.
So he played along.
At the same time, he subtly made it clear that he wouldn’t allow himself to be slowly bled dry.
Instead, he began drawing Zed in.
"Hmm... I think it’s about time we wrapped this up. It’s gotten pretty late."
Zed spoke first.
"Hm? Has it?"
"If you say so."
"Let’s make the last round an exciting one! Haha!"
Zed dealt the cards, and the final game began.
"Alright, place your bets. One hundred!"
"Two hundred gold coins!"
"Now that’s the spirit! I’ll match two hundred and raise it to four hundred!"
After Zed finished betting, the turn came to Ferda.
"All in."
He pushed every remaining chip into the center.
Even at a glance, the pile was worth well over two thousand gold coins.
The entire table erupted into murmurs.
"The guy who kept making tiny bets suddenly goes all in?"
"Isn’t he taking this way too far just because it’s the last round?"
Ferda folded his hands together on the table and calmly repeated himself.
"All in."
The middle-aged gamblers who had been studying their cards groaned.
Then, one after another, they folded.
"It’s not like today is the only day to gamble. I’ll fold."
"Me too."
The betting eventually came back around to Zed.
"What makes you so confident?"
He asked with a smiling gaze.
Ferda looked at him calmly.
"Don’t worry. I’m going to win this game."
"I don’t see what makes you so certain."
"Because you’re going to fold that hand yourself."
Zed leaned back in his chair and chuckled.
"And why would I do that?"
"To be honest, I have no intention of losing money. There’s a little brat who mistakenly thinks I enjoy gambling."
"So you’re saying I should lose money just to impress some kid? That’s asking a bit much. If that’s the case, you shouldn’t have sat down at this table in the first place."
Zed snorted.
He dismissed it as nothing more than a gambler’s empty bluff.
"That’s not the only reason."
"Hm?"
"Because I know what it is you truly want."
"What I want? Tell me, then. I’ve got beautiful women, liquor, and plenty of money."
He wrapped an arm around the woman sitting beside him.
She giggled happily.
She was undoubtedly the wife of some provincial noble.
Ferda looked straight at him.
"But among all those women... there isn’t one named Emilia."
A crack appeared in Zed’s carefree mask.
The hand holding his cards trembled almost imperceptibly.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
It lasted only an instant.
Yet everyone present could feel the invisible clash between the two men.
Even so...
Zed was an experienced gambler.
"...I call."
Instead of folding, he pushed all of his chips forward.
He had no intention of letting a winning hand slip away.
"Straight Flush. What about you?"
Ferda calmly revealed his cards.
"King high."
"King high?"
"You bluffed all that time without even having a real hand?!"
The middle-aged men stared with bulging eyes as they shouted in disbelief.
The winner was Zed.
Having lost every last coin, Ferda rose from his seat without the slightest hesitation.
"Wait a moment, my lord."
Just as Ferda was about to leave, Zed called out to him.
"I cleaned you out completely, so how about I at least buy you a consolation drink? You look old enough to enjoy a good glass."
The smile remained on his face.
But this time, it no longer looked pleasant.
"My treat."
There was unmistakable killing intent hidden behind that smile.
"Very well."
Everything was proceeding exactly as Ferda had intended.
***
The casino overflowed with laughter and celebration.
Beneath a sun that never seemed to set, people lost all sense of time while indulging in endless pleasure.
Leaving that place behind, Ferda and Zed walked together toward the hotel.
The moment they stepped out of the casino and entered the hallway...
"Who are you?"
The cheerful voice that had once been full of laughter now fell like a drawn blade.
Ferda answered calmly.
Truthfully, even if he wanted to speak first, he had nothing to say.
"You know who I am, don’t you?"
"That isn’t what’s important."
"You’re right. At this stage, it doesn’t matter. Let’s skip the boring introductions."
Zed reached into his clothes and pulled something out.
A dagger.
"Tell me why you mentioned that name."
Zed’s eyes turned a vivid crimson.
Those eyes were the defining trait of the Red-Eyed Clan——the race known as the Mage Killers.
’Any Magic Circle caught within those eyes is instantly nullified.’
To an ordinary Mage, the appearance of one of the Mage Killers would be enough to inspire absolute terror.
Ferda had no reason to fear.
"Zed Swallow. Unless you want your true identity exposed to the entire world, put those eyes away."
"So you’re working with those bastards too... aren’t you?!"
"I came here to have a rational conversation."
"What did you do to my little sister?! You son of a bitch!!"
The man who had worn a smiling mask revealed his true face, twisted with rage.
Even Ferda had never seen this expression before.
"Do not direct any more killing intent toward me."
Ferda’s warning came in a quiet voice.
"My maid isn’t particularly loyal to me. Even so... if she believes I’m in danger, she won’t hesitate to kill you."
The warning was given entirely for Zed’s sake.
"I came here because I want to talk to you."
"So put away your killing intent."
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