After finishing my modest greeting, I asked Yuron what he wanted from me.

It was clear he had rescued me for some purpose.

If he had no business with me, it would have been more beneficial to wait until I either defeated or killed Lakan, and then strike when Lakan was worn out.

Yuron reluctantly admitted he had something to ask of me, but he held back on the details.

“It’s a bit inappropriate to talk about it here… If possible, I’d like to discuss it in my office. Would that be alright?”

Was it something troublesome to discuss in front of his subordinates? Or maybe it was a trap to lure me in…?

…Ah, it probably isn’t a trap. If he meant to kill me, the earlier moment would have been the perfect opportunity, just like with Lakan.

“Right now? That’s… a bit difficult. I have people waiting for me to return.”

Regardless, even if it wasn’t a trap, it was tough to just follow him to his office right away. Otherwise, Eleadra and Friede, who were out of patience, would raid the guild headquarters.

“Also, I think I need to treat some wounds.”

Though it wasn’t as bad as Lakan’s shattered arm, my whole body was throbbing from the recent battle.

Even though I was wearing the armor, it didn’t protect every part, and while I could defend against stabbing and slashing, I couldn’t do anything about the shocks that invaded my muscles.

Ah, speaking of wounds, I just remembered. What happened to Ashel?

I glanced toward the alley. The back alley had turned to ruins during my fight with Lakan. The fur cloak that might have been lying around had vanished without a trace.

…That girl took off.

Not only that, but she cleverly swiped my cloak too. That was a 10-silver value snow bear hide!

I felt a laugh bubbling up from the absurdity. Where on earth would I find that foul-mouthed beastfolk again?

At least I was relieved to know she was not in a slave situation, but thinking about finding the disappeared Ashel made my future seem grim.

I wonder if Yuron could help me find her?

Since he had set her some tasks in the background, he probably had some means to contact or summon her.

Though if I asked him why I was looking for her, I’d be running short on excuses.

“How about we find a quiet place nearby to talk? It won’t take long. If necessary, I can even hand you a potion.”

While I was pondering how to respond, Yuron made his suggestion again. He was all in for what I wanted, so let’s have a serious talk.

…If I refused after he went to such lengths, I’d surely be seen as an eyesore. To avoid more trouble later, I guess I should just agree for now.

“Well… if you insist. Yes, sounds good.”

In the end, I nodded with a smile that said I couldn’t win this one, while hoping that Friede and Eleadra’s patience held out longer than I expected.

◆◆

As mentioned earlier, Yuron Pursval seemed more suited for chatting with nobles at a banquet than wielding a sword.

Wasn’t it mentioned in the original work that his talent as a knight was rather mediocre?

It was said he didn’t inherit even half of the abilities of his father, who was a knight of the kingdom. Something along those lines, probably.

It seemed there wasn’t much difference in reality, as Lakan had just openly mocked Yuron, calling him “Albert’s leftovers.”

Thanks to Yuron’s relentless efforts, he barely managed to reach the level to call himself a knight, but that was his limit.

According to the set background, he would never reach the standard of a kingdom knight, no matter how much time he dedicated to training.

It was rather unfortunate.

He vowed to protect the guild that was his late father’s achievement and legacy, but the strength to keep that vow remained utterly out of reach, no matter how hard he tried.

In the end, to protect his father’s legacy, Yuron had no choice but to resort to methods that Albert would have surely despised.

Colluding with nobles, compromising with enemies, collecting protection fees, assassinations, threats, selling captured criminals into slavery, or even using them as disposable pawns.

Yuron was truly using every means possible, employing any trick to barely keep the guild afloat.

He endured the mockery that he was tarnishing his dead father’s face in pursuit of profits.

It must have been a tough situation for him.

If he lacked strength, he had to depend on others, and to do that, he needed money and connections.

If only he paid a fair compensation, he could hire external forces who would help without complaints and arm his members with quality equipment to make up for insufficient strength with equipment quality.

On top of that, he had to offer bribes to nobles to build a network for when he needed help. All of these required vast financial resources.

That was why Yuron was collecting taxes under the pretense of protection fees, something Albert had done for free, to patch his leaky finances.

His invitation for a private meeting was also part of that effort.

◆◆

Guiding me into what seemed like an okay-looking ruin, Yuron left his subordinates waiting outside and sat down with me in a suitable spot.

“Phew… Now I can speak more comfortably.”

With that, he let out a light sigh and suddenly changed his expression and tone.

The weighty aura of a police captain instantly morphed into something like a friendly neighborhood guy.

It was a bit—no, honestly, quite a perplexing transformation for me.

What’s with this casual attitude?

We aren’t that friendly yet, right?

His voice was even somewhat higher and thinner than before, as if he had been forcing a low, heavy tone up to now.

“I apologize for the somewhat forceful tone earlier. In front of my members, I had to present the dignity of a leader….”

Is this his real voice? It sounds more androgynous than I expected. It definitely doesn’t give off a commanding vibe.

“Um, yeah. It’s fine. I understand.”

Anyway, I nodded, a bit bewildered. It wasn’t exactly empty words, but still.

A leader acting tough to maintain authority in front of their subordinates. It’s not that uncommon when you think about it.

Even Friede treats me differently compared to how she deals with others, especially when facing enemies.

“I appreciate your understanding. …Thanks to that, I can now relax and have a comfortable chat.”

Yuron smiled gratefully. It was a soft and warm smile, quite the contrast from his previously cold demeanor.

“Can you assassinate Lakan and Haval? I’ll pay whatever you ask.”

…But the words that followed held no trace of that warmth.

◆◆

“…Assassination?”

What a sudden—well, given they’re the enemies, maybe it’s not so surprising, but still, it was an utterly bewildering assassination request.

I honestly had no clue what to respond with, just left repeating his request dumbly.

“Yes. The assassination of Lakan and Haval. That’s the reason I requested this private meeting. It’s not something I can discuss in front of my subordinates.”

Is he serious? This absurd request left me speechless.

Has he completely forgotten that just a while ago, I was barely holding my own against Lakan?

Of course, if we’re talking about whether it’s possible or not, funny enough, it indeed is possible to kill them.

It would be hard for me alone, but if Friede joins, it would be more than sufficient. If Eleadra also joins, it would be overkill, to be honest.

I don’t really know if Yuron is aware of that fact or not.

“I heard that the Red-tailed Kite is originally an assassination organization. Wasn’t it defeated in its struggle against Bagest because they recklessly waged a frontal war?”

“Um… that’s true, I suppose?”

“I understand that it’s a difficult request. Lakan, of course, but Haval isn’t someone who lets his guard down easily either.”

Whether or not he noticed my hesitant reaction, Yuron continued calmly discussing the assassination request.

“However, both must be eliminated. Lakan’s recent brutality has begun to reach an alarming point, and Haval is secretly instigating all sorts of conflicts. We can no longer just let things be.”

…So he indeed knows about Haval’s mischief. His information network seems surprisingly effective. Did his guild have spies causing some trouble as well?

“Meanwhile, Piecerena and Maenades are as indifferent as ever to events outside their territories. If Lakan and Haval disappear, Pesengwigel will become a much more peaceful place.”

Yuron declared confidently. Just removing the heads of Bagest and the guild would make Pesengwigel a better place to live.

And so, he insisted that the extreme measure of assassination should be used to surely bring this about.

As someone not from the area, it was a difficult claim for me to refute.