Chapter 199: Lazy Genius (3)

Joyray, hearing that Keter knew a powerful ally that would help the mercenaries, began digging through his memories.

If he had to define the lawless city of Liqueur in a word, it would be “hodgepodge.” Countless people of different races and ideologies lived here. As such, there were too many different factions to count.

However, only five held real influence: Black Forest, known for cannibalism, human experimentation, and ritual sacrifices; the Sandmen, voluntary beggars who chose a life of idleness; the Evil Bandits, a group of talentless but malicious pieces of trash; the Mercenary Guild, second only to beggars in numbers but far more skilled; and the Red Eye Gang, led by Maran, one of the Four Lunatics.

With the Mercenary Guild excluded, that left four. Joyray’s frown deepened. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t figure it out.

Who the hell would help our Mercenary Guild?

The Black Forest, Sandmen, Evil Bandits, and Red Eye Gang were all more likely to ignore or exploit the guild rather than help it.

And the smaller factions? No chance. Those freaks are so proud. And just because they’re proud doesn’t mean they won’t betray you either.

He briefly considered minority races like beastfolk, dwarves, or elves, but none had any reason to help the guild. Joyray was certain there would be no way to gain their support through any means, whether it be alliances, partnerships, bribery, or threats.

“Keter, I’ll admit it. I have no idea. Who could possibly help our guild?”

Joyray was prepared to punch Keter if he spouted nonsense. Knowing Joyray’s short fuse, Keter revealed the answer just before he exploded.

“Dork. On three, say it together.”

“Oh! This takes me back. I used to do this with you all the time.”

“One, two, three.”

“Infinite Bank.”

“Infinite Bank.”

The two of them were in perfect sync. They bumped fists, then clapped above and below their fists in perfect harmony. Their teamwork was flawless. Joyray looked at them like they were idiots, but the two were just enjoying themselves.

“Am I going crazy, or did you just say Infinite Bank?”

“Captain, I bet you’re thinking, ‘Infinite Bank is a strictly neutral faction, and that rule has never been broken,’ right?”

“Master, why do you think Infinite Bank has always maintained its neutrality? Why has it been able to?”

Before Joyray could respond, Keter on his right and Dork on his left began talking rapidly like machine guns.

“The Infinite Bank only cares about money. Even if the world is ending, if they’re not losing profit from it, they would ask you to pay your debt first. That means they always get involved when money is at stake.”

“The fact that Infinite Bank has a branch in Liqueur means they want currency circulation here. Now that it's stopped, they must be very annoyed.”

“Now, does that mean Infinite Bank is just rich but useless? Absolutely not. They definitely have powerful forces, even if they don’t show them. The reason they don’t act must be due to some restriction.”

“And the most likely restriction is that they can’t intervene directly. Otherwise, they would have packed up and left instead of maintaining the branch.”

“Stop! Stop right there. You two are driving me nuts with your matching cadence. I get the gist now.” Joyray pushed them both back and took a deep breath. “So you’re saying Infinite Bank is waiting for a group to restore Liqueur’s economy. That’s... a reasonable theory. But come on. You think no one else has thought of that in this city?”

“Probably someone has. But none of them can meet the branch manager of Liqueur’s Infinite Bank.”

“Why not?”

“You need to be at least a special member of Infinite Bank to request a face-to-face meeting.”

“And to be a special member, you need at least five million gold in deposits. And in Liqueur, people don’t even trust themselves, so you think they would trust a bank? In short, as far as I know, only two people here have special member status,” Dork said with a grin. He held up two fingers and said, “One is the Godfather. And the other...”

Joyray turned to look at Keter. Keter puffed out his chest smugly.

“Yes, it’s me. Hahaha!”

“So you’re saying you’re the only one in Liqueur who can negotiate with the branch manager?”

“Is the idea of an alliance with Infinite Bank starting to feel more realistic now?”

“Mmm...”

Joyray closed his remaining eye and fell into deep thought, wondering just how much synergy could be created from a guild-bank alliance.

Infinite Bank gives out loans with collateral.

The one with the most treasure in the world wasn’t the Samael Empire—it was the Infinite Bank. Not only did they have magic tools and artifacts, they had mountains of legendary swords and armor.

They must have a good stash in Liqueur’s vault too. The underground here is full of rare metals.

If they could equip thousands of mercenaries with those weapons... On top of that, they probably also had a stockpile of potions and elixirs.

“If we could get those, we might have a chance.”

Joyray wasn’t one to spout nonsense. If he said there was a chance, then there really was one.

Smack!

Keter slapped his thigh and stood, extending a hand to Joyray.

“Since we’re on the topic, let’s go right away. We’ll stop by Infinite Bank first to form the alliance, then head to the guild to gather the mercenaries.”

“You’re being unusually proactive. In a hurry?” Joyray asked.

“Just trying to leave before I have any regrets.”

“You’re leaving Liqueur? How?”

“Wow, you’re not a great actor. I bet you could leave anytime if you really tried.”

“At least pretend to fall for it, will you? Don’t embarrass me.”

“Same goes for you, doesn’t it? Let’s just roll with it, like we always have.”

“Same as always, huh...”

Joyray’s expression darkened with a trace of regret and longing. Keter realized that he had made a mistake.

Crap. That’s the face he makes before going into some tragic backstory.

Being a special member wasn’t enough to persuade the bank manager. Bringing Joyray, a councilman, would certainly seal the deal.

This stubborn bum. If I don’t listen to his sob story, he won’t budge.

Just as Keter resigned himself to an unwanted therapy session...

“Big Brother! Master! Someone’s broken into the tavern!”

Keter secretly cheered when Dork came shouting.

Nice timing, Dork.

He silently thanked the intruders.

“Dork, you deal with them. Let’s see if you can hold your own now.”

“Ahem. Showing off in front of you makes me a bit shy.”

But he didn’t need to prove anything. Keter had faced Dork’s Flying Thunder Sword himself. Even if a five-star Master ambushed him, Dork could survive. He may not be able to kill him, but he would at least be able to hold his ground. In addition, Dork was cautious in nature, so he would never put himself in danger. Having the ability to fight back was enough for him.

Once he’s done dealing with them, we can use it as an excuse to head to the surface to see who it was. Then, we can naturally detour to the bank.

Keter grinned, having mapped out the route perfectly. Joyray, unable to maintain his previous dramatic mood, shifted the topic.

“If you’re leaving Liqueur, then this is the last time I can pass down the Flying Thunder Sword Technique. Show me everything, Daat.”

“Yes, Master.”

Dork could also instinctively sense that if they parted now, it would be a long time before they met again. That was why he had to show everything he had learned so he could be corrected or praised.

He held three daggers, two in one hand and one in the other, then opened his palms. The daggers hovered gently like he was using telekinesis. Each dagger floated around as if they were alive, then suddenly accelerated and shot up toward the surface.

This kind of precise control was believed to be impossible with aura, but the Flying Thunder Sword Technique broke that belief. One was able to control it with even more accuracy than mana.

Keter and Joyray didn’t even need to see it directly. Warriors of their level didn’t rely solely on sight to perceive the world. They could read the space around them with just touch and sound, and they could even infer their opponent’s movements and intentions, no matter how deep underground they were.

Clang!!

A sharp metallic ring reached their ears. Dork’s daggers had begun attacking the intruders.

“Keter, watch closely this time.”

“If this is another brag about the Flying Thunder Swords, I’ve heard it a thousand times...”

“That’s not it,” Joyray replied, pointing to Dork. “That boy is a genius.”

He was praising Dork, but he looked grim.

“If only Daat had just a bit more thirst for knowledge, a bit more desire for power...” Joyray looked more serious than ever. “He would have surpassed you. Damn it! Of all the students I could get in my twilight years, I had to end up with a lazy genius. I must have betrayed my country in my past life[1].”

It was high praise from a councilman of the Mercenary Association, but Keter wasn’t particularly impressed.

I already knew all that.

Keter found Joyray ridiculous, acting as if he were the first to discover it.

* * *

Dork didn’t kill recklessly just because someone was an intruder. He followed Keter’s belief and only killed those who were worth killing. So even when someone barged into the tavern uninvited, he didn’t aim for the vital spots right away. He first targeted the arms and legs. If the intruder didn’t back down after being injured, only then would he aim to kill.

If they’re still coming after that, it means they’re prepared to die.

The current intruders were formidable. Of all those who had ever broken into the tavern, none had withstood Dork’s Flying Thunder Swords for this long.

Setting aside Big Brother... who are these guys? They’ve clearly received formal sword training.

Liqueurians were like mercenaries. They didn’t use formal techniques; they used instinctual swordsmanship, swinging their blades however they pleased. But these intruders fought with calculated, overwhelming technique that countered the Flying Thunder Swords.

I thought they would be disposable pawns to shake up the mood, but these guys are at least Masters, and skilled at that.

Villains who showed up at just the right moment were usually third-rate. This seemed like one of those moments.

Like you said, Big Brother, there really are no absolutes in the world.

Still, Dork had no intention of backing down in disgrace. Keter was watching, and so was Joyray, the creator of the Flying Thunder Sword Technique.

More importantly, I’m in no danger of getting hurt. That’s the best part.

That was why Dork loved the Flying Thunder Swords and had taken the time to train in them. Even if he lost, he wouldn’t get hurt.

Which means I can go all out without worry!

The aura surrounding the three floating daggers grew sharper and faster.

Whoosh! Squelch!

One of the daggers pierced the shoulder of the intruder, who had been fending off the attack with brilliant swordsmanship.

I was aiming for the neck, but he dodged. His reflexes are insane. That’s the last time you’ll be able to do that.

Just as he was about to strike the finishing blow...

A new intruder? Since when?!

Clang!!!!

Another intruder launched an attack as soon as they arrived. That one attack knocked all three of the daggers away, rendering them useless. At the same time, the once-confident Dork clutched his chest and let out a pained gasp.

“W-What is this? Master, why does it hurt?!”

As Dork panicked, Joyray frowned.

“Withdraw your daggers. That’s not someone you can handle. And I told you: if someone can sense the will embedded in your blades, even the caster of the Flying Thunder Sword is in danger.”

“You said someone that strong would be hard to find, and I’d be fine!”

“I never said they didn’t exist.”

While the two bickered, the voice of the intruder from above rang down to the basement.

“Joyray. I didn’t come here for you.”

The voice was cold and arrogant. In Liqueur, only one person spoke like that.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Keter’s lips curled into a smile.

“I was a little disappointed I missed him last time... but maybe it was fate.”

Dork and Joyray also immediately recognized the voice. There was no way not to. It was one of Liqueur’s Four Lunatics, the man obsessed with the sword. It was Sword Demon Balt, a close confidant of the Godfather.

As if he knew everything, Balt casually walked into the tavern kitchen, where the door to the basement lay, and said, “Keter. I know you’re here.” He stopped right at the entrance to the basement. “Come out. The Godfather left a message for you.”

1. Joyray is talking about past-life karma. ☜