Chapter 59: Are You Going To Use Death To Run Away? (4)

Katherine was the rose of Sefira. What could possibly change with her appearance? Perhaps she brought evidence. No—all she did was call someone’s name.

“Lord Panir!”

She said nothing more and stared at Panir with wet eyes. Everyone wondered and wanted to ask why Katherine was here and how. That was all they thought of Katherine’s sudden appearance.

However, it was different for Panir. Everyone at Sefira respected and feared him, but they did not love him. He didn’t expect love to begin with, as love and respect could not coexist.

But Katherine was different; she respected and feared him but also loved him. It was not romantic love but more of a familial love. She greeted him with happiness and came to see him often. She worried about Panir catching a cold when it was cold, and she always shared her good news with him. To Panir, Katherine was truly like his daughter.

The reason Panir didn’t actually adopt Katherine was because he was worried that the attention that would draw would be too much for her. That was how much he cared for Katherine. But now, someone whom he thought of so deeply was now staring at him, standing beside none other than Keter.

Katherine, get away from that damn brat!

Panir’s hatred for Keter grew stronger. However, his resolve to end himself right there disappeared.

“...Ridiculous,” Panir finally spoke up.

He glanced back and forth between Keter and Suvide and said, “Head Butler Suvide and I do not have a bad relationship. I don’t have any guesses either.”

Suvide’s lips curled into a smile. As soon as he opened his mouth to chime in, Panir continued.

“But Besil and I have a terrible relationship. That’s probably the reason why Suvide tried to slander me.”

“...!”

“Lord Panir, what are you talking about? How could Sefira’s elder and former judge falsely testify?!”

Panir calmly continued through Suvide’s shouting.

“All of you have eyes and ears, so you probably saw that I constantly clashed with Besil. That is true. I dislike the current patriarch. The direction he and I pursue is simply too different.”

It was a shocking statement, but no one reacted strongly. It was no secret that Panir harbored resentment toward the patriarch.

“Besil left me alone, despite that. I don’t know why. But I must have been a thorn in Head Butler Suvide’s side. A person who constantly defies the patriarch and finds fault with him wouldn’t be well-regarded, so he probably wanted to deal with me—for the sake of the head, and for the unity of the Sefira family...!”

Panir looked at Besil, who was still unconscious on the floor.

“I'm sure Besil knew nothing of it. He wouldn’t have allowed it in the first place because he’s Besil.”

No one disagreed with Panir. Then, he glanced at Suvide.

“Head Butler Suvide tried to use Besil to strip me of power for the unity of Sefira: that must be the truth behind this incident.”

“Proo...!”

“There wouldn’t be any evidence since you orchestrated it.”

Suvide could not say anything—he couldn’t think of anything to say.

At that moment, Keter stepped forward.

“There is evidence.”

“...!?”

“As I mentioned earlier, Hulan here personally added poison to the soup. He even said he broke the vial into pieces and tossed it into the trash bin. We’ll turn the trash bin upside down, recover the broken vial, and then combine the pieces. After that, we can use magic to extract fingerprints.”

“How do you plan to reassemble shattered glass?” Gasilius criticized.

In a casual tone, Keter replied, “In the underworld, there are experts in all sorts of things. They can even restore glass that’s been ground to powder.”

He shrugged as if it were nothing. Gasilius nodded and approached Suvide.

“Head Butler Suvide, you were the one who said that, given the circumstances, Lord Panir is the culprit and should be arrested. I’ll now have to say that to you. Under these circumstances, I hereby arrest you as the culprit.”

“You'll regret this. You’ll regret not trusting our family, which has been loyal to the Sefira family for hundreds of years, and not trusting me, who served two patriarchs!” Suvide shouted angrily.

Thud!

Gasilius jabbed Suvide in the back of the neck. Suvide was quite strong, but he was no match for Gasilius, a master-level knight.

When Suvide slumped over, unconscious, Gasilious sighed and said, “Take Head Butler Suvide to the prison. I’ll personally escort the patriarch to the infirmary.”

The knights, who were frozen, began to move again. Amid the bustle, Panir approached Keter.

“You’ve got some nerve, not even trying to run,” Panir said with hostility in his voice.

With a grin, Keter responded, “I make a good living because of that.”

Panir had to admit it. It was remarkable that Keter could maintain this level of composure under his aura that made even a seasoned two-star knight fall to their knees.

“You're even more than what I'd heard, Keter. Who are you?”

“Oh? Do you still not know?”

Keter pulled out a business card from his coat.

“I’m simply a great Solver.”

* * *

As Panir’s mansion was being tidied up, Panir and Keter moved to the study.

“Leave Katherine alone.”

“If anyone overheard, they’d get the wrong idea. Katherine was the one who approached me first.”

“I’ll introduce you to a much more beautiful match than Katherine—someone much more beautiful. So let her go."

“Beauty can make money, sure, but they’re a hassle to handle. I prefer money that doesn’t talk back.”

“Finally showing your true colors, are you? How much do you want?”

“How much do you have?”

“I’ll give you ten thousand gold.”

“Is that really what you think Katherine is worth? A mere ten thousand? She’d be heartbroken if she heard that.”

“Katherine isn’t shallow like you.”

“I’m shallow, so I can turn everything into a monetary value. Katherine vowed to be my slave, thanks to your mission. Do you really think a mere ten thousand will break that vow?”

Keter was getting under Panir’s skin. Though Panir saw right through his intentions, he couldn’t help but get angry.

“If your goal was to provoke me, you’re doing a fine job. In return, I could kill you right here and now.”

“I’m not planning on letting you kill me.”

“You insolent...!”

“If you really want to tear me apart, feel free to try anytime. But if not, how about settling accounts first?”

“Settling accounts?”

“Why are you pretending like you don’t know? I helped you, didn’t I? I saved you from Head Butler Suvide’s wicked scheme. Don’t tell me you planned to brush it off with a simple ‘thank you’?”

“Ha...!”

Panir seriously considered killing Keter on the spot. Even if he decided to be merciful and not kill him, he at least wanted to hit him a few times.

“What makes you so confident to act this way?”

Instead of replying, Keter simply pointed at himself.

Panir was left speechless. In all his decades of life, he’d never met someone with as much self-confidence as Keter. It was almost fanatical.

“You’re an insane brat, aren’t you?” Panir said.

“An insane brat asking for his payment, please.”

“Fine. I’ll give you ten thousand gold.”

“Oh, I don’t need money.”

A vein bulged on Panir’s forehead. Just a moment ago, Keter said money was everything, and now he was refusing it.

“You are truly...!”

“Instead of money, I want a favor.”

“No way. Take the money. I don’t want to be involved with you any longer!”

“Well, it seems we’re on the same page since we’re family. I don’t want to be involved with you either, Grandpa, so let’s settle this with a single favor.”

“It’s obvious you’re going to ask for something absurd. Go on, spit it out.”

“I’d like you to introduce me to a high noble who can sponsor me. It has to be someone from a family that isn’t participating in the Sword of the South Tournament.”

“...”

Keter was unpredictable.

Panir thought it was obvious what Keter’s request would be—perhaps to help him become an official member of the Sefira family. But to be introduced to a high noble specifically from a family not participating in the Sword of the South Tournament?

“Keter, don’t tell me... you’re planning to enter the Sword of the South Tournament?” Panir asked.

“I guess I am.”

“Ha, haha! Ahaha!”

As Panir burst into laughter, Keter stuck a finger in his ear.

“Your sense of humor must be broken.”

“So that was it. That’s why you helped me? Impressive, Keter!”

Though now retired, Panir had once been a judge of the high court and now served as an advisory member. It had been a while since he put down the gavel, but his authority remained. Over his decades of rulings, he formed connections with many nobles. Because he often gave rulings based on necessity rather than strict fairness, there were quite a few nobles who had escaped crises or kept their secrets thanks to him. In other words, there were a significant number of nobles who would gladly help if Panir requested it.

“Who would sponsor you, a thug from a lawless city and an illegitimate child? Nobles would refuse, even if they were offered a million gold. But if I make the introduction, that changes things. There are certainly high nobles who owe me, a former judge, some favors. That’s what you thought, isn’t it, Keter?”

“Well... sure, let’s go with that.”

That was not at all what Keter had thought. He had simply gotten involved in an incident that caught his eye for the fun and profit. It was the others who were interpreting his intentions differently.

Keter had experienced this type of misunderstanding countless times, even back in Liqueur. At first, he tried to explain it as a coincidence, but no one believed him. Eventually, he stopped trying and just let people think what they wanted. Helping Panir this time was merely a byproduct of the outcome.

Of course, Keter did have a quick mind when it came to figuring out how to get compensated after lending a hand.

“Fine, I’ll introduce you. However, even if you can’t participate in the Sword of the South Tournament, my part of the deal is done.”

“Since the tournament’s three months away, I’ll need you to find someone within a month.”

“Alright, I’ll find one within a month. And as for you, how exactly do you plan to get a recommendation from a previous Sword of the South champion and reach diamond-class within three months?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it done with hard work and determination.”

“Good. This settles any debt or grudge between us. Get out. I don’t want to see your face ever again.”

“What are you saying? You need to sign this contract.”

Keter pulled out a contract and a fountain pen from his coat. It was the same unforgeable contract he had given to Jordic. Panir scowled.

“Are you saying you don’t trust me?”

“Do you trust me, Grandpa?”

With a sharp glare, Panir scribbled his signature on the contract and threw it at Keter. Keter unfolded the crumpled contract, checked it, and nodded.

“You have terrible handwriting.”

“When Besil and I clear up our misunderstandings, I’ll take Katherine back.”

“Go ahead. If you can.”

“If we meet again, try calling me Grandpa one more time. I’ll beat your face in.”

“Understood, Grandpa. Since you said next time, I suppose it’s fine to call you that now, right, Grandpa?”

“Get out!”

Panir grabbed a book within reach and threw it, but Keter nonchalantly caught it and left the study.

“...”

Panir stared at the closed door for a long time, unable to believe it.

“...How did he catch that?”

He didn’t just throw the book as a joke. He infused it with aura, even setting it so that it would explode on impact. Yet Keter had caught it effortlessly.

“...So he’s not just a common opportunist or con artist.”

Panir completely revised his assessment of Keter—from a mad troublemaker to a troublemaker with real skill.

After leaving Panir’s estate, Keter didn’t return to his quarters. Though he had plenty of fun, he still felt something was missing. He hadn’t properly tied up loose ends with Suvide, the head butler behind the poisoning incident. As such, he decided to pay a visit to the prison where Suvide was held.

Though the crime of attempted murder of the patriarch was serious, Suvide’s status prevented him from being confined to a harsh prison cell. Instead, he was in a room that resembled a bedroom, with a window and no bars. There were no guards outside the door either. There was no need to publicize such an incident and lower morale. A thick lock on the door was the only guard.

Keter easily picked the heavy lock and entered, looking at Suvide, who lay sound asleep on the bed.

“There’s still plenty of time until sunrise, but you’re sleeping already?”

Keter channeled his aura into Suvide, forcing him to wake up.

“Gah!”

Suvide was knocked unconscious out of the blue, then woke up to a piercing pain. The first thing he saw after waking up was a fist.

“Ugh?!”

Suvide fell to the ground helplessly from the pummeling. Keter pulled Suvide, who was barely holding onto his consciousness, by the collar.

“From now on, you need to answer me well. Based on what you say, I can become the angel or the devil.”