Chapter 140. Causality
"...?"
Verden stopped his hand and turned his head.
He locked eyes with an old man, someone he had neither heard of nor seen before. While wondering why this man was looking for him, Samwell poked his face out over the dining table.
"That person is..."
"Someone you know?"
"He's called Derick Kendes, a businessman who recently flowed into Roafra. They say he's dabbling in various industries like the legs of an octopus... rumor has it he recently left the Union."
Samwell didn't know much about news outside the city.
But when it came to rumors floating in the underworld, his ears were fairly sharp. He only ever picked up fragments, so it wasn't deep knowledge, but it was enough for him to act with tact.
'The Union, huh.'
Verden's blue eyes shone coldly.
Was he here to seek revenge for the Union's heavy losses? At the moment, that was the only possibility that came to mind...
'Something feels off.'
He didn't sense hostility or killing intent at all.
On the contrary, on the face of the old man called Derick, there seemed to be a faint trace of goodwill. It was a reaction he couldn't understand.
Tak, tak.
Derick tapped his staff as he strode forward.
His guards tried to follow behind, but he waved them off, as if they weren't needed. Then, he spoke to Galliark, who was blocking the way.
"Sorry, but could you step aside for a moment?"
"...Tch, so they weren't casino dogs."
Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Galliark shook his itching hands and returned to his seat. Then he snatched away the drink Samwell had been about to sip and downed it himself.
Derick now stood alone, facing Verden.
"So, you must be Asher."
"..."
Verden replied with silence.
It was an affirmation, but also a demand for Derick to state his business. Understanding this, Derick introduced himself.
"I'm Derick Kendes, dabbling in all sorts of businesses."
He pointed his staff at Samwell.
"As that friend said, I've spread my ventures like octopus legs, growing my wealth."
"Y-you overheard..."
"I may be old, but my ears are still sharp. But don't worry, I've no intention of doing anything about it, so don't be frightened. You weren't making anything up anyway. As for me leaving the Union, that much is true. Only, one important detail is missing."
Derick fixed his eyes on Verden.
"I left the Union entirely 'voluntarily.' In the first place, I had been forcibly merged by them, so I had no fondness for the Union. Naturally, there's no reason for me to harm you in the name of revenge."
The Union had grown its influence by swallowing up countless factions.
Verden was well aware of this. From that perspective, Derick's words carried some credibility.
'Though whether it's true or not...'
He couldn't think of any merit Derick would gain by lying about it.
"I have something to say to you, could you spare me some time?"
"What business do you have with me?"
"Nothing grand. Put simply... yes, you could call it repaying a debt."
A debt?
Verden tilted his head inwardly. He didn't know what it meant, but it was clear this man had something urgent to say.
A nearby chair floated up gently and settled behind Derick.
"Oh, thank you for the courtesy."
Derick sat, angled across from Verden.
Inside the restaurant, apart from Verden's group, Derick, and his guards, there was no one left. Customers and staff alike had all fled, afraid of being caught in the fallout.
In the heavy silence, Derick finally revealed his purpose.
"Do you remember the Twilight Merchant Guild?"
***
The Twilight Merchant Guild.
It was one of the three guilds that ran the Union. Or rather, it used to be one.
At Count Plishr's villa, together with Viscount Melbes, Guild Master Beken had been captured.
Because of that incident, the Twilight Merchant Guild was marked by the Marquisate of Esperanza, and utterly shattered. To the point it could no longer be called a guild.
Since Verden had been directly involved, he knew it well.
'But why bring up that name now?'
Answering Verden's doubt, Derick spoke.
"The Twilight Guild is all but destroyed. But that doesn't mean every last one of its subordinates was captured. A handful barely slipped through the Marquisate's net and secretly hid themselves in Roafra. This is the only place with a non-aggression pact with the Marquisate of Esperanza, after all."
Clearing his throat, Derick continued.
"And among those who escaped, there was Beken's bastard child."
...A bastard?
"A child of Beken's mistress, hidden from his wife. Inside the guild, it was well-known that his temper was vicious. Some people even killed themselves, unable to endure him."
At any rate.
"That brat, upon realizing Beken had been captured thanks to you and Calia, gathered up all his wealth and fled to Roafra. According to rumor, he has thrown himself under Ruin Costa's wing."
A name Verden had never heard before.
Apparently Galliark hadn't either, since he continued eating without caring. The only one to react was Samwell.
"You seem to know of him. My throat is dry, could you explain on my behalf?"
"Ah...."
All eyes gathered on Samwell.
He was timid, but in this atmosphere, there was no way he could refuse. Swallowing, he stepped forward.
"S-so, Ruin Costa is one of the small powerholders exerting influence in the west of Roafra. And... in the underworld, he is notorious as a cruel psychopath."
Ruin Costa treated his subordinates as little more than beasts, dividing them by sex.
If his mood soured even slightly, he would skin slaves alive and kill them, a fact everyone in the underworld knew.
To the slaves, he was nothing less than the embodiment of terror.
Verden spoke.
"So, you're saying Beken's bastard will borrow Ruin Costa's strength to take revenge on me?"
"Normally, that would be impossible. They have no power outside Roafra. But since you yourself have come here, I can assure you, the bastard will not sit idly by. Because he never forgives anyone who wrongs him. It's simply his nature."
"To talk of revenge, when he himself fled at the first sign of trouble, laughable beyond words."
Galliark sneered, rising from his seat and heading to the kitchen. Since all the staff had fled, it seemed he was going to fetch liquor himself.
'Revenge, huh.'
Verden fell into brief thought.
He understood what Derick was saying. The man was warning him of a potential danger.
And that was why it didn't make sense.
"Do you have a reason to show me such goodwill?"
As though waiting for that, Derick answered.
"The world is built upon causality."
One change gives rise to many results.
Whether good or bad, expected or unexpected, intended or not.
"I was one of the victims forcibly merged by the Union."
Even after resisting, within just a year, half of his business was gone. Noble pressure bore down on him from all sides. So, to survive, he had no choice but to enter under the Twilight Guild.
Derick gave a bitter smile.
"Well, 'subordinate' was only in name, I was just a money source. But even then, I didn't just sit and take it."
Though he could do nothing to the Union itself, at least, to take revenge on Beken, he secretly investigated and dug up the man's weaknesses.
"In that process, I learned about Beken's bastard child, something no one else knew. I thought if I played it right, I could ruin his family, and I waited for the chance... then suddenly, everything changed overnight."
Beken was captured, the Twilight Guild destroyed.
It was absurd, but it was reality. Taking that chance, Derick voluntarily presented himself to the Marquisate of Esperanza. Though he had raised funds by coercion, he hadn't directly taken part in the Union's crimes.
Thus, he barely obtained a pardon, and was able to leave the Union.
Derick smiled, as if in good spirits.
"So, just as your actions made the bastard hold a grudge, they made me feel goodwill. If that isn't causality tying us together, then what is?"
"So that's what you meant by a debt?"
"To be honest, I had no particular intention of repaying it. After all, it was a debt you yourself didn't even know about. But then, I heard news that you happened to appear right in front of Roafra's casino."
Not days away, but only a few steps.
To simply ignore it didn't sit right with him. So, with a little effort, he had come to give a warning about Beken's bastard child.
"By the way, you must be here in Roafra because of the auction, correct?"
Verden nodded.
"Then, Costa will make his move after the auction ends."
"Is there a reason for that?"
"Because that's the perfect timing."
Derick cast his gaze toward Samwell.
It meant his throat hurt, so explain in his place. Caught off guard, Samwell nodded and spoke.
"T-to participate in an underworld auction, you must arrive at least two days beforehand with your invitation."
There, you register your name and deposit the funds you intend to use for bidding. They absolutely do not accept goods or checks, only cash.
If you win an item at the auction, the price is deducted from the funds, and the remainder is returned to you, along with the item, immediately after the auction ends.
"The host and overseer of the auction is Vintert. As long as his name is involved, it's rare for anyone to dare attack participants before or after the auction...."
"That rule is only an unspoken one. And Ruin Costa has connections with Vintert. If he sets his mind to it, he can act. Of course, only within the bounds of not offending Vintert's mood."
The moment when you've received the auctioned goods, and are carrying the leftover funds as well.
If Ruin Costa intended to kill Verden at the bastard's request, he would strike then. That would be when there was the most to gain.
"I know you're a fairly strong mage. But Roafra is different from the outside world. It's a place overflowing with villains hardly worthy of being called people. There is no such thing as fairness here. So, I advise you to leave if you can... but in the end, it's your choice. Ah, and look at the time."
Checking his wristwatch, Derick leaned on his staff and stood.
"I'll consider my debt repaid by giving you that choice. Ah, and one more thing."
Derick pulled a single bill of one million Elk from his wallet and handed it to Samwell.
"Thank you for supplementing my words. You explained it well. This is your fee."
"Ah... ah, y-yes! Thank you very much!"
"Well then, I'll take my leave. I hope you safely make it out of Roafra."
With that farewell, Derick stepped out of the restaurant.
***
Once Derick and his guards left, the restaurant felt hollow.
From the kitchen, Galliark returned with a bottle of expensive whiskey. Biting off the cork with his teeth, he grinned.
"Whether causality or whatever, looks like you got marked the moment you set foot in Roafra."
"You were listening?"
"My ears are sharper than that old geezer Derick's. I can hear every sound inside this restaurant. How far apart are we, really. So, what will you do? Run away?"
Verden scoffed.
"What a ridiculous thing to say."
Verden had scraped together money with blood and sweat for the sake of the auction. He had gathered it to the point of squeezing even his soul dry.
Ruin Costa, a power in Roafra.
Cruel by nature.
With ties to Vintert.
None of it mattered. If they got in the way, he would erase them.
Even if that meant becoming hostile to Vintert, he would accept it. Such was the kind of mage Verden was.
"You bastard, still as hot-blooded as ever, no matter your face."
Galliark chuckled as he guzzled from the bottle.
Verden asked Samwell.
"Is there a set time for registering at the auction house?"
"Registration is open all day. The auction itself won't start for about four days, so you can go anytime within the next two."
"Then let's go now."
There was no reason to delay until the last moment.
When Verden rose from his seat, Galliark rose with him.
"...What's this?"
"I haven't registered yet either."
He hadn't registered until now?
At Verden's glance, Galliark shrugged.
"As soon as I arrived, I holed up in the casino. I kept my money elsewhere. So, since things are this way, let's go together."
Verden furrowed his brow.
He didn't want to travel alongside him, but...
'Even if I refuse, he'll follow anyway.'
In any case, their destination was the same.
"Do as you like."
Verden placed money for the meal on the table.
Then, with Samwell leading the way, he stepped outside the restaurant, Galliark following behind.
***
"So, you're asking me to avenge your father?"
"Yes, Lord Costa."
Beken's bastard, Daiel, bowed his head.
In front of him sat a man in a luxurious chair.
Golden, shoulder-length hair shimmered. A pure-gold hoop earring dangled from his right ear, a silver bar earring from his left. His face bore obvious traces of makeup.
Ruin Costa stroked his lips.
"Well, Commander Dalisian did say an eye-catching brat had shown up, and that brat is this Asher, huh? I thought he was working under that bitch Calia...."
A non-aggression pact.
If he came here ignoring that, then perhaps they were merely tied by a contract.
"Then again, he's a mage who made a name in Gray. That's possible. And if he came to Roafra at this time, it must be to participate in the auction. I wonder, did he bring a lot of money?"
"At least several hundred million, I would think. And precious magic items as well."
"Magic items, huh. That does interest me. But if I kill him, what will you give me in return?"
Daiel produced a small box.
Inside, it brimmed with rare jewels and ornaments. Costa licked his lips, dragging the box to himself with the tip of his shoe.
"For just one life, this isn't bad. They say he's a 4th-tier lightning mage, but killing one mage is nothing."
Mages were certainly dangerous, but in the end, they were all the same.
Slip poison into his drink, cut his throat while he's off guard. There were dozens of ways to kill him.
"Alright, I'll take the job."
"Ah...! Thank you, Lord Costa! But, when will it be...."
"I'll take care of him after the auction. Now get out."
Daiel poured out thanks and scurried out the door.
Costa counted the jewels in the box, then turned his eyes to the window. Beyond lay Roafra, the underworld paradise.
"Hm, Asher."
Normally, he would have just sent an assassin to kill him.
But, he had heard things. About that mage Asher's power, and his appearance. Costa was intrigued. If the rumors were true, killing him would be a waste.
"...He'd make the perfect signboard for me."
Though Daiel had paid for revenge, Costa had already forgotten.
He had already decided to recruit him, and his mind spun with schemes. What should he offer as payment to make him accept? Suddenly, he clapped his hands.
"Yes! That's the way."
He happened to have just the right items.
As gifts, they were more than perfect. At least, according to Costa's values.
A neutral laugh echoed through the chamber.