Chapter 226: Aftermaths (2)

Chapter 226: Aftermaths (2)

The Tecas merchant guild’s Harthol branch was currently using a building on the west side of the city as a temporary headquarters. Their original guildhall had been engulfed in flames.

Why had it burned down? Well, because it had been the epicenter of last night’s blaze. It was this very mansion Karnak and his group had infiltrated, and where they had encountered the fire.

The temporary hall, while smaller than the original, was by no means shabby. It was an elegant two-story brick structure, adorned with ornate decorations and arched windows. Its size was more than sufficient for a branch headquarters, taking up nearly half of an entire city block. As they approached the building, the gatekeepers stepped forward to greet Karnak’s group.

"Welcome, Baron Karnak."

"We owe you much for last night."

The gatekeepers all seemed to recognize them. In fact, Karnak recognized their faces too.

Oh, these guys.

They were the very guards who had been stationed at the original Harthol branch, the same ones who had tried to stop Karnak’s group, only to be knocked out cold, have needles stuck into them, stagger around in a daze, and then get chased by the fire demons.

I’d completely forgotten about them.

Admittedly, it could have been an awkward reunion, but the atmosphere was surprisingly cheerful.

"We’re terribly sorry about last night."

"We thought you were cultists targeting Mister Banner..."

It was understandable. They had been told that cultists were after Banner, and that they would be lured using Lorenzo. They were ordered to eliminate any infiltrators.

So, when Karnak’s group appeared, they had attacked with full force. Karnak had already figured this out the night before when he had poked around in their minds with his needles. But then, the supposed intruders had saved them from the fire, and even driven away the cultists who were burning down the city.From their point of view, how did that look?

—So they weren’t cultists after all!

—But if they weren’t cultists, why did they attack the guildhall last night?

—Obviously, to stop the real cultists!

—They did say the cultists were trying to burn down the main building, right?

—Makes sense!

Karnak’s group hadn’t said a word, and yet they had come up with the explanation themselves and even convinced themselves of it. Which, frankly, was convenient for Karnak.

In any case, their reactions revealed something important.

It seems the Tecas merchant guild doesn’t realize the cultists from last night have ties to them.

From what Karnak had observed so far, it was clear there were followers of the Black God embedded within the Tecas merchant guild. However, it didn’t seem as though high-level necromancers like Waraine, whom they’d faced the night before, were disguised as actual guild members. If they were, someone would have recognized them, or at the very least, noticed their absence.

In other words, if we sever the middle links, it might be surprisingly easy to separate the Black God’s cult from the Tecas merchant guild.

Once inside the building, they were greeted by a middle-aged maid who seemed to be the attendant.

"Welcome, Baron Karnak. And your companions." With a polite bow, she gestured further inside. "Mister Banner is expecting you."

***

Following the attendant upstairs to the second-floor office, they were greeted by a man in his mid-thirties.

"I am Banner Ralphstadder, head of the Harthol branch of the Tecas merchant guild. I cannot thank you enough for saving my people last night."

"Karnak of the Eustil King’s Order. Thank you for the invitation." As they exchanged greetings, Karnak studied the man before him closely.

There was nothing strange about Banner Ralphstadder inviting them. Merchant guilds were always eager to build connections with renowned figures like Karnak. But what was strange was that this was yet another

Banner.

First Lorenzo was Banner, then Jedex was Banner, and now this guy is Banner too?

He didn’t sense any dark energy from the man, nor did he seem to be lying.

But I can’t be certain.

Unlike the past, the Black God’s Cult had developed sophisticated methods of concealing their necromantic energy using divine power and magic. It was a technique Karnak had only recently learned of, so he couldn’t rely solely on past experience. And while he was fairly good at detecting lies, it wasn’t as though skilled actors were rare in the world.

He wasn’t foolish enough to place blind trust in his own judgment. He decided it was worth probing further.

Lowering his voice slightly, Karnak spoke. "Mister Banner."

Startled by Karnak’s sudden shift in tone, Banner stiffened. "Yes?"

"There is something I would like to discuss with you, concerning last night’s events and the Tecas merchant guild. Can we speak privately, just the two of us?"

"Of course."

He dismissed the maid who had guided their party. "Leave us for a moment."

"Yes, sir."

Everyone except Karnak followed her out of the room. Serati, Leven, and Lapicel wore puzzled expressions.

What’s this about?

Does he have some important business?

Varos, however, reacted quickly.

—Shall I keep watch?

—That’d be good. This won’t take long.

Curious, Serati asked.

—Keep watch?

—The needles.

—

Ah

...

She had grown fairly accustomed to Karnak’s ways, but she still wasn’t quite on Varos’s level yet.

As for Leven, he was a beat slower than the rest.

—Needles? What needles?

***

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Left alone in the office, Banner and Karnak faced each other.

Glancing around warily, Banner spoke cautiously. "Then, please, go ahead."

There was no need for words. Rather than speaking, Karnak simply went straight for the needles.

He cast a knockout spell on the spot.

"Wha—what is this...!"

Startled, Banner collapsed and lost consciousness. He would have remembered being attacked, but it didn’t matter. Karnak planned to erase that part of his memory when he inserted the needles anyway. Summoning a magical needle, Karnak drove it into Banner’s crown.

In the past, this process required herbal smoke and incantations, but not anymore. It looked brutal, but at this point, it was about as safe as any high-level divine spell.

"Let’s see now." Once he had his thoughts in order, Karnak began the interrogation. "Do you know the name Jedex?"

"I’ve never heard of it..."

"What about the Cult of the Black God?"

"That is..."

Calmly, Karnak continued his questioning, and Banner answered obediently. Thanks to that, Karnak quickly grasped the situation.

So this guy really knows nothing, huh?

This man was indeed the real Banner Ralphstadder. He was merely being manipulated by Jedex. Through necromancy, parts of his memory had been tampered with, feeding him visions of the future in the form of dreams.

So Jedex’s false identity wasn’t Banner himself? No wonder no one recognized him.

Banner simply believed he had stumbled upon good fortune, that he had sharp instincts as a merchant.

So he was just a decoy, set up for appearances.

Though Karnak was briefly disappointed, his expression soon shifted. The Cult of the Black God had been using Banner Ralphstadder as their front, secretly controlling the Tecas merchant guild from the shadows while siphoning off profits for themselves.

Which meant, Banner’s mind held a considerable amount of information: future plans of the cult, the distribution of secret cells within the guild, and more. After all, they needed him to funnel the profits into their hands.

This might work out in my favor after all.

They had tried to cover their tracks, but thanks to that, Karnak could extract everything in one go.

If I hand this information over to the governors, they’ll know what to do with it.

Grinning from ear to ear, Karnak withdrew the needle and roused Banner awake.

As he opened his eyes, Banner cautiously spoke. "Then, please, go ahead."

The memory flowed seamlessly, so Banner didn’t even realize he had lost consciousness. Feigning ignorance, Karnak began to speak. "About the cultists who brought disaster upon us last night..."

It wasn’t as if he had nothing to say.

"We’ve discovered evidence that followers of the Black God have infiltrated the Tecas merchant guild."

Of course, telling Banner this wouldn’t exactly let them press the cult directly. After all, Banner himself was under the cult’s thumb. Naturally, they would act before he did.

In other words, I can force their hand.

Just giving them more to worry about was worth it. From there, Karnak continued acting the part of the honored guest. They were treated to a lavish dinner prepared by the Tecas merchant guild’s Harthol branch, and even received thoughtful gifts before the evening wrapped up on a cheerful note.

On their way back to their lodgings, Varos grinned from ear to ear. "It’s been a while since we had such a good meal."

The others looked equally satisfied. They had spent the entire journey to Harthol camping out in the wilds, and even after reaching the city, they’d been thrown straight into battle. It had been quite some time since they’d enjoyed a proper meal.

"What should we do about these, Lord Karnak?" Serati held out a bundle of letters toward Karnak. "There are still plenty of invitations left."

Normally, being invited to noble or merchant banquets came with its share of headaches. You had to keep your guard up, mind your manners, and plaster on a polite smile. Some people found it so exhausting they could barely taste the food.

But for Karnak and Varos, it wasn’t much trouble. After all, they’d both spent their entire lives wearing masks of courtesy in front of everyone.

Karnak clicked his tongue thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, these are basically invitations to all the best restaurants in town, aren’t they?"

***

After that, Karnak’s party stayed in Harthol City for another week. By day, they lent a hand with the city’s reconstruction and relief efforts. By night, they attended banquets and met with the city’s many influential figures. First was Count Blandi, who also served as the city’s governor.

Karnak shared his impressions. "They really know how to grill a steak at his place."

The next day, they visited Baron Siond, Count Blandi’s rival.

Lapicel smacked her lips. "The desserts there were delicious!"

Then there was the Lagreave merchant guild, the second-largest guild in Harthol after Tecas.

Varos grumbled. "Are they vegetarians or something? Their table was all greens. Tasted fine, though."

Serati gave him a look of disbelief. "Seriously? Is that all you have to say about them?"

One by one, they all seemed to be turning into mini-Karnaks. They concerned themselves only with food, even Lapicel.

Karnak simply shrugged. "What more do you need? One place is as good as the next, anyway."

To him, the influential people of a small city like this hardly registered as worth remembering. The only thing that mattered was whether they served good food. That said, Karnak’s reputation in Harthol City wasn’t bad at all.

Ignoring all those invitations would have undoubtedly left a sour taste in people’s mouths. A certain degree of courtesy was essential in maintaining good relationships.

So, they visited wherever they were invited, ate well, and smiled happily—and somehow, this turned them into renowned socialites with charm and approachability. Even Karnak himself was surprised at how well people received him.

In any case, while they enjoyed themselves, Harthol City’s post-crisis recovery was more or less complete. However, they couldn’t leave the city just yet. Their original goal had been to capture Jedex, turn him into a subordinate, and squeeze information out of him. But Jedex had ended up bursting like a balloon of light.

—What happened to Jedex, anyway?

Leven asked, and Varos gave a casual shrug.

—His soul shattered and scattered in every direction. There’s no interrogation happening now.

—So we got nothing out of it?

Karnak shook his head.

—Not necessarily.

He was still the former Monarch of Death, after all.

—A little thing like a shattered soul won’t stop me from calling him back.