< Chapter 89 - Southern Seven Clans #2 >
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“Tell me a little more.”
Scarlett looked slightly uncomfortable at Uther’s words, then sat down on the chair near the window and said.
“Someone is literally raiding the Seven Clans of the South. Everyone is keeping quiet, but it’s solid information. Four out of the seven have already been raided.”
“Do you even know what was stolen?”
When Cordelia approached and asked, Scarlett smiled provocatively instead of answering right away.
“Guess.”
“It must be Carlos’ legacy. A token of Carlos that each of the seven southern families received.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Uther’s answer came out, and Scarlett pouts and nods, asking.
“Why?”
“There are two cases where a thief breaks in and you keep quiet. One is when you have something that shouldn’t be known… for example, if drugs or stolen goods are found in the house. The other is when it’s something that would be extremely difficult if it was known to the outside world that it was stolen.”
Of course, this alone could not be taken as proof of Carlos.
I couldn’t just let it go like Cordelia did, saying, ‘I just had a feeling about it.’
“There are two more clues that can be added here. One is that the seven southern families have been robbed in succession. Of course, the thief in question may be carrying out a symbolic mission such as robbing all seven southern families, but he may also simply be robbing an item that each of the seven southern families owns. And the last clue is you, Scarlett.”
“me?”
“Oh, the fact that you said it was a big deal is a clue.”
Cordelia tilted her head at Uther’s words, but when she met Uther and Scarlett’s gaze, she quickly nodded and pretended to understand.
Because of that, Yuder barely suppressed the laughter that burst out at that moment and continued his explanation.
“Since you said you wanted to compete in the South, I guess you were thinking of targeting the Seven Southern Clans as well? Of those, if it’s something that will determine the Rogue Master’s victory, it would be better to have something symbolic rather than a simple cash asset. Like Carlos’ token.”
But there is someone who is one step ahead of that.
Moreover, four out of seven have already been occupied.
For Scarlett, who was attaching more significance to this match than Cordelia, this was a really big deal.
“If we put together all the clues that have come out so far, we can conclude that there is someone who is stealing the tokens of Carlos that each of the seven southern families has been carefully keeping.”
If you look at each one individually, the evidence is weak, but when you put them all together, it becomes a fairly plausible story.
‘Scarlett above all.’
Considering Scarlett’s personality and behavior, there was no answer other than Carlos’s sign.
“Am I right?”
At Uther’s question, Cordelia looked back at Scarlett with an excited face, and Scarlett answered with a frown.
“Oh my god, that’s right.”
“As expected, our Yuder. Isn’t our Yuder amazing?”
As Cordelia smiled brightly and showed her delight, Scarlett frowned even more and pinched her cheek painfully.
“Ouch! It hurts! It hurts!”
“It’s your fault that your cheeks are so chubby.”
Scarlett blurted out something and let go of Cordelia’s hand before she could fight back, then turned back to Uther and spoke.
“Black Cloak is right. There’s a guy I’ve never heard of collecting Carlos’ tokens. Without even a warning.”
‘It’s abnormal to send a notice in the first place.’
But since it was clear that if he told her, she would get angry, Yuder swallowed it and touched his chin as he asked.
“No clues as to who the culprit is?”
“Not yet. However, his methods are quite rough. He infiltrates secretly, but once he enters the mansion, he becomes more aggressive. He also has no qualms about killing people. He’s not a proper thief.”
“A real thief?”
When Cordelia asked, Scarlett’s face became pained and she pinched her cheek again and said.
“What a great man steals is things, not human lives.”
“That’s what the Log Master said. An invitation.”
“Yeah, it would have been better if it was Pink Bomb who noticed, not you.”
Scarlett sighed again at Uther’s answer and continued talking to Cordelia, who was sobbing and covering her red cheeks from being pinched all this time.
“Anyway, given the current situation, it’s a bit difficult to decide on a winner.”
It would have been possible to decide the outcome with something other than Carlos’ token, but the situation itself was so chaotic that it didn’t seem feasible.
This was a situation where attention was already focused on the unidentified thief.
“Isn’t that something that ordinary people don’t know?”
“I didn’t know until recently, but the rumors are starting to spread. Four families have been robbed in a row… As I said before, he doesn’t hesitate to shed blood. Thanks to that, every time he commits a theft, there are a lot of victims.”
There was a huge gap between a person getting hurt and a person dying.
At this point, it was strange that no rumors had spread.
[Yuder, what should I do?]
While the fight against Scarlett was a battle, stopping Malekith was a much more important matter.
‘First of all, who is the culprit?’
In Hero Chronicles 2, there was no one who collected the tokens of the seven southern families.
There were no quests related to it.
‘There are too many candidates.’
It was a sign of Carlos and nothing else.
Perhaps one of the seven southern clans had taken action.
“Scarlett, the Marquis of Orphan hasn’t been robbed yet, has he?”
“Not yet. The two remaining families are Count Kagehama and Count Gaoran.”
Uther nodded again at Scarlett’s answer and sent a message magic to Cordelia.
[Cordelia, choose one of the two.]
[Which one would you rather have between Kagehama and Gaoran?]
[······I was asked to choose between securing the tokens of the remaining three families, or defending against the invading men while protecting the tokens of Caesar······ This is what is meant by attack.]
Well, if you think about it, that’s an obvious answer.
Cordelia was a beast woman and a bomb girl.
[Okay, then let’s raid the remaining two families before they are raided.]
[Yeah, that would be good. Just like the Dragon Balls, you have to collect all seven of them to use them. Even if we just secure one or two here, it should be worth a try.]
If the criminal’s goal was really Carlos’s divine relics that could command the Seven Southern Families, there was a possibility that he would attempt to contact us in order to collect all seven tokens.
And that was when it happened.
“So, let’s stop talking behind the scenes and start joining in.”
I don’t know what tricks you use, but it’s obvious that you guys are having secret conversations.
When Scarlett spoke with a dissatisfied face, Cordelia looked back at Uther, who nodded and spoke to Scarlett.
“Before that, I need to bring one more person.”
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Kaiser, who was suddenly dragged in in the middle of the night, looked down at Cordelia with her brows furrowed.
And Cordelia, her face, ears, and neck all red, spoke hesitantly.
“That, that’s why.”
“Oh, so.”
“I······.”
“you?”
“Blood, it’s a pink bomb.”
Said it. Said it.
Cordelia’s already red face turned even redder.
I never knew it would be so hard and embarrassing to introduce myself as a pink bomb without a mask.
But it wasn’t over yet.
“What bomb?”
“uh?”
“No, what kind of bomb is that?”
“Blood, pink bomb.”
“Pink what?”
“Pink bomb.”
“Pingtan?”
“Pink Bomb! Hey! Are you doing this on purpose?!”
“Yeah, I do that on purpose.”
“Wow!”
Cordelia, who was crying, ran to Caesar, and Caesar hugged her tightly, preventing her from moving.
“Whoa, whoa, calm down. Calm down. Hmm, I never thought I’d say something like that. It’s not as bad as I thought, is it?”
Caesar giggled and rested his chin on Cordelia’s head, who was unable to move due to her brute strength.
“Anyway, the rumored pink bomb was Cordelia. Then naturally, you, Yuder······.”
“That’s right, I’m Black Cloak. By the way, it was Cordelia who named it, not me.”
“Indeed. That’s a name that Pink Bomb would think of.”
As Caesar nodded as if he understood, Cordelia, who had been in his arms, began to struggle again.
“Hey, I didn’t build the Pink Bomb, did I? It was Uder who built it?!”
It was Yuder who started it first?!
But it was no use.
That’s because teasing Cordelia, whose reactions were so cute, was several times more fun than teasing the shameless Yuder.
Because of that, Caesar said with a chuckle.
“Anyway, Cordelia, you made the black cloak?”
“uh?”
“Didn’t you build it?”
“Oh, that’s right. But, that’s······.”
Cordelia, who was trying to make excuses while floundering, eventually gave up. The more she talked, the more she felt like she was sinking into a swamp.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so cute. I just want to bite it.”
“No, no. It’s already been 5 seconds.”
Uther, who had been saying something incomprehensible, immediately pulled Cordelia away from Kaiser’s embrace. It wasn’t just Kaiser’s brute strength that was there.
“Oops, it was stolen.”
“It wasn’t stolen, it was given back.”
Uther, who had spoken shamelessly, hugged Cordelia tightly, and thanks to that, Cordelia’s face became even redder and redder, and she buried her face in Uther’s chest as if hiding in a mouse hole, breathing heavily.
And Scarlett, who had been watching this whole scene, said with a heavy heart.
“It’s a mess.”
What are they all doing now?
Why is this scene unfolding before my eyes when the identity of none other than the Log Master is being revealed?
As a descendant of the Log Master, Scarlett swallowed her tears and glared at Uther, the mastermind behind everything, and Uther spoke with his usual shameless face.
“And this side······.”
“Scarlett. A descendant of the Rogue Master.”
There was no one who didn’t know who the first log master was.
When Scarlett confidently revealed herself, Kaisa let out a small “ho” of admiration before smiling back and saying,
“Kaisa Orphan. A descendant of the divine beast Fenrir.”
Both were beauties, but one was a seductive vixen, while the other was a fierce black panther.
‘What an interesting combination.’
Is this a dream collaboration that wasn’t seen in the original?
Uther, who had briefly activated his game brain, patted Cordelia’s back, who was still embarrassed, and spoke to Scarlett and Kai’sa.
“Anyway, if we continue, Cordelia and I have another identity besides that of Rogue Master.”
“What? Are you a couple scammer?”
When Caesar tilted his head and asked, Scarlett burst into a cute laugh.
“Wow, that’s it. That’s it. Couple scam.”
“Right? Exactly?”
As Caesar giggled happily, Uther’s face became miserable and he said.
“······For now, I’m glad that the killing seems to be going well.”
“Well, I like all pretty girls. Anyway, what is your other identity?”
When Kaisa shrugged and asked, Scarlett, who had raised the corners of her lips at the word ‘pretty kids’, also looked back at Uther.
“Scarlett already knows.”
Other identities that Uther and Cordelia possess.
“Cordelia and I are nobles of the Kingdom of Cailun, as well as Rogue Masters… and members of the Holy Cross Guardians. In my case, I am also a disciple of Lord Landius.”
“Wait, Iron Man Landius? The red-haired warrior?”
Kaiser, startled, opened his eyes wide and asked.
It was a story that could have just been passed over as a member of the Order of the Holy Cross.
There are quite a few noble families in the South who have connections with the Order of the Holy Cross.
But are you Landius’ disciple?
None other than Iron Man Landius?
“Oh, that’s Iron Man Landius.”
“Wow, my goodness. Seriously, my goodness. Wow, wow, wow. It was so fucking strong. Wow, Landius-sama’s disciple! Iron Man Landius-sama!”
Caesar was so excited that he even jumped up and down in place.
That’s understandable, since she was a huge fan of Landius.
“Is Landius really that big? Are his muscles strong? No, they must be strong. Yes, they must be strong. They must be big and beautiful.”
Caesar was half-immersed in his own world, not even asking questions.
If it were normal, Yuder would have just observed, but this time, since he didn’t have time, he immediately pulled her back to reality.
“Anyway, what I want to say isn’t to brag about my teacher. It’s to increase the credibility of what I’m about to say.”
After saying that, Uder took a deep breath and lightly patted Cordelia on the back. It was a signal for her to rejoin the conversation.
Because the story that was about to be told was important not only to Uther himself, but also to Cordelia.
“The Black Dragon Malekith. He is targeting the south.”
Uder slowly told the story of what had happened so far.
Encounter with Gamor Khan, Malekith’s subordinate and leader of the Black Hand mercenary band.
Things I learned through him.
“Malekith’s resurrection is imminent. The Holy Cross Defenders have already called upon the Master and other Paragon heroes to aid them in their fight against him.”
The swordsman Kamael and the holy archangel Lena.
Scarlett folded her arms at Uther’s words.
“I see. So that’s why you wanted to collect Carlos’ tokens? To unite the power of the seven southern clans who are busy fighting each other?”
“That’s right, Malekith is a formidable foe that even the entire South would have difficulty stopping. In order to stand against him, a new Carlos must be born who can unite the seven southern houses.”
A new ruler of the South with the divine waters of Carlos.
“Okay, okay. I get the gist of it.”
Caesar nodded cheerfully, crossed his arms like Scarlett, and spoke confidently.
“From what I’ve said so far, I assume you’re asking for our full cooperation in protecting the South? Okay, I’ll cooperate. Whether it’s my brother or my father, I’ll drag them all in and give you the full power of the Marquis of Ofund. But there’s a condition.”
“Hand over Carlos’s sacred water?”
“There has to be something left over here too. I won’t ask for it right away. There will be those who will object if we try to take control of the new water. However, after the fight is over, the new water will belong to our Marquis of Orfund. Carlos’s new water belongs to our southern part.”
In short, they were to help them become rulers of the South after the fight with Malekith.
‘Is this really a wolf of the sea?’
Eat it up when you can.
The fierce smile and eyes were truly like a wolf.
“Good. Cordelia and I are nobles of the North anyway. Our territory is also in the center. It would be much better to deal with the Marquis of Orphan, who has become the ruler of the South.”
Even if he had the divine relics of Carlos, it was impossible for him to reign as the ruler of the South even in peacetime, let alone in an emergency.
When Uther readily accepted, Caesar smiled again, and Scarlett frowned.
“I’m telling you because I think you both forgot, there’s a guy who’s raiding the Southern Seven Clans right now. He’s already collected four tokens.”
It was said that it was not the time to give away the new water that had not yet been collected.
“That’s true. So, Caesar, what do you think?”
“Out of the remaining three – no, if you exclude our family, there are two, so which one are you going to pick on first?”
Choosing offense over defense was a common trait among beast women.
Caesar said with a chuckle, as if the mere thought of it was amused.
“Then of course it’s Count Kagehama. Let’s start from there. Those guys there are the unluckiest. Especially the second son.”
As expected from Caesar, it was for truly emotional and personal reasons that were far from tactical.
Because of this, Scarlett made an openly pitiful expression, and Uther briefly experienced an internal conflict.
Whether you listen to that or not.
But that was just then.
[Yuda, let’s do as Kaisa says. I also somehow want to attack Count Kagehama’s family first.]
There was no proper basis.
Just a feeling.
Somehow I feel like hitting first.
But since it was Cordelia’s intuition and no one else’s, Uther nodded right away.
“Okay, then let’s start by raiding Count Kagehama’s house.”
“Yay! Alright! That’s it!”
As Caesar jumped around excitedly, Scarlett looked back at Uther with disapproving eyes.
“Is that okay?”
“Oh, Cordelia also wants to hit Count Kagehama’s family first.”
“Why?”
Scarlett’s gaze was already turned to Cordelia, not Uther.
So Cordelia hesitated and answered.
“Just that?”
I have a feeling that’s true.
I feel like.
Scarlett sighed deeply at Cordelia’s answer, and Caesar laughed even louder.
“Kekekeke, I like it. That’s what my friend is like.”
Should I be happy or sad about this?
Cordelia laughed awkwardly at her animal friend’s declaration, and Uther looked back at Scarlett.
“Hey, Scarlett.”
“Why, Black Cloak.”
“Have you prepared the fur?”
Preliminary investigation into Count Kagehama’s family.
Perspectives of the mansion, security system, etc.
“Would you like to eat it raw?”
“For world peace.”
Scarlett grimaced at Uther’s shameless answer, as if she really hated it, but only for a moment. Soon, she slumped her shoulders and nodded.
And that night, close to midnight.
The ‘Night at Port Argonne’, which will last much longer than usual, has begun.
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< Chapter 89 - Southern 7 Clans #2 > End
