Chapter 277: You Are Like Sand (18)

"What is it?"

"Marquis Leandro seems to have discovered the whereabouts of the diamond! Some of the Blue Lion knights on surveillance are also on the move!"

"What? Already?"

"Yes, at an incredible speed!"

"That bastard must have leaked the information. What a foolish thing to do..."

That bastard? Who is he talking about?

I'd never seen the bald man who crawled out of the hole before. Only scraps of hair remained on the sides of his head, while his thick black brows formed a sharp V. On his hands were long steel claws, clearly made for climbing.

Judging by the way he was reporting through a secret passage directly to Botis's proxy, he had to be one of Necron's innermost members. I glanced at the tattered, monk-like, black robe he wore. The bald man kept his head bowed, watching for any sign of disapproval.

"Where are they now?"

"They've already entered through the guild's front entrance. Given how quickly they arrived, we must assume they've already mapped out the maze."

"So, they're confident they can catch us no matter where we run..."

Just by watching the nervous bald man and the brooding proxy of Botis, I could piece the situation together. It was the regent diamond theft. Behind the Thieves' Guild was none other than Botis's proxy.

"Was it us? Did we steal the imperial treasure?"

The old man gave a slight nod. "Yes. It was meant to divert Leandro's annoying attention."

A brief explanation followed. While he was distracted, they were trying to discover the marquis's weaknesses to win him over. They had staged a false plan and stolen the Empire's treasure.

Bold of them.

Necron may have lacked useful human assets, but they had a staggering reach throughout the Empire. I wanted to press further for details, but the mood didn't allow it.

The bald man asked in a desperate tone like a hunted rabbit, "Should we have the ghosts smuggle it out quickly? Then..."

The old man hushed him sharply. "Of course not. We've already been betrayed by their leader."

The leader of the ghosts was Lawrence von Tartier, the self-proclaimed lady. I instinctively knew I had to insert myself here. The effeminate duke, Leandro von Batyenne, and Botis's proxy.

This was my chance to learn more about the three's relationship. And if I could prove myself here, Botis's proxy would trust me more. I could even receive the Demon King's stronger blessing.

[Botis half-opens his eyes as he gazes at you.]

[Botis whispers in your ear that your suspicion is correct.]

"If there's something I can help with..."

"

Mm...

"

I'd expected him to brighten as though on cue, but the old man seemed hesitant. "Are you confident?"

Confident?

I was puzzled. Wouldn't it be enough if he simply told me where the diamond was hidden? With the Blessing of Concealment, I could just carry it out unnoticed.

"The diamond..." the old man began to explain.

***

After hearing its description, I followed the bald man's lead toward the Thieves' Guild. The labyrinth beneath Biblio's house was impossible to detect, even a step ahead. Only someone who already knew the paths could navigate it. Like the bald man.

It was a shortcut more effective than any back alley. How many such mazes existed? If I could continue to earn their trust, my knowledge of the capital would expand exponentially.

Still, I never imagined the regent diamond would serve such a role. I thought it was just a large gemstone. At least, it won't be something I could miss at a glance.

We descended ladders and passed through crumbled ruins. The chamber, nearly ten meters high, was supported by massive pillars and riddled with hidden teeth of death. Each trap waited for the wrong door to be opened.

The bald man selected one arched passage among countless others, then another, and another still. We emerged after an hour.

So, we're finally past the maze.

I detected countless traps underfoot. As long as I stayed with the bald man, none of them triggered.

"Impressive," I muttered.

We stepped across a patterned puzzle floor, and passed a waterfall within the cavern.

Boom!

Just then, something exploded in the distance. Only a few beings could wield such destructive power.

The bald man grew nervous. "My lord, forgive me, but I'll take my leave from here..."

After showing how to disable one side of the traps, he fled in the opposite direction without hesitation. Now, it was up to me to find the diamond. According to the old man's explanation, it was simple: follow the direction that made me feel increasingly unsettled.

The light of truth...

It wasn't hard to find. The problem was...

Boom! Boom!

How troublesome.

The marquis was on his way. The trap-filled floors were collapsing, the ground itself shattering.

Rumble!

The sound of the maze breaking drew ever closer. Thankfully, even the one carrying the diamond seemed eager to avoid crossing paths with him. That unpleasant aura radiated from the opposite side. The treasure was still in the hands of a guild member.

Flash!

I sprinted at full speed toward the source of unease. I passed through the messy guild's offices, left as if someone had ransacked the secret ledgers in haste. Burned scraps of paper littered the floor. Some were abandoned carelessly, clearly unimportant.

The item I sought was nowhere to be found. Ignoring the sound of destruction behind me, I pressed forward quickly. Scattered corpses lay across the floor. Whether silenced or slain in a fit of greed while fleeing with stolen goods, I couldn't know. Their belongings had been stripped bare. None carried the regent diamond.

I passed ten or so bodies. The unease grew stronger. It was close. Any effort to move quietly now felt meaningless.

I called out the name of the man carrying the imperial treasure, "I can see you, Rayleigh."

No one else in this guild could cloak themselves from my Detection. No one but him. Of course, it wasn't me who could see, but him.

[You have entered the Domain of Light.]

[Truth fixes its gaze upon you.]

[Concealment is nullified.]

Just as the old man had said.

The regent diamond... so that's what it is.

A divine relic. An imperial artifact capable of nullifying the Demon Kings' blessings.

Woong...

The bait I had casually thrown was taken. Out of the darkness, a white shield emerged, streams of light coursing across its surface like veins. At its center was a tear-shaped diamond, gleaming vividly. With the shield raised, Rayleigh thrust a blade at me from behind.

Even though the shield was half his height, it didn't affect his speed in the slightest. His sword, wreathed in aura, clashed against mine. The flames I unleashed were deflected and hurled back at me.

Did I underestimate him because it's been so long?

With that shield in hand, defending was easier than attacking. Rayleigh swung with an odd rhythm, his blade laced with a blue aura of Sword Energy.

Already?

Instead of blue armor, Rayleigh was clad in black guild attire. Yet, just as he had when he first joined the Thieves' Guild, he was using sword aura. He didn't even ask how I knew his name. Lowering his stance, he moved with greater unpredictability than when I last faced him at the marquis's funeral.

He was probably in transition back then, still adjusting to new sword techniques. He could also be too shaken by the marquis's death to fight at his best. Regardless, he was never strong enough to defeat me.

I lunged straight at him, who raised the shield of light in defense. It was an astonishing relic, but that was all.

At the end of my previous life, I had fought against the marquis's clones in ceaseless battles. A one-on-one like this was nothing new to me.

Focus... Gravity Manipulation.

I shifted my weight forward, pulling myself toward him with suction.

Slash.

Fwoosh!

The arm holding the radiant shield was severed more than halfway through. As the shield clattered to the ground, I swung again, striking just a step away. Our blades crossed several times. Despite blood pouring from his mangled arm, Rayleigh held on with surprising endurance. Not that I intended to humor him.

I drew a second sword and drove it into his unguarded abdomen. He didn't even scream, shuddering involuntarily.

Thud!

Planting my foot against his chest, I slowly pulled the blade upward from his stomach. With each tug, I felt the bitter tragedy of a man with dazzling talent wasting away, dying here without meaning or legacy.

A deep thirst that had lingered inside me quivered as it was finally quenched. Rayleigh tried to swing with his remaining arm. I severed his wrist with the bloodied sword, then gently drew the blade across his neck. Blood streamed down. Briefly, he instinctively reached for his throat, only to realize he had no hands left. His gaze wavered.

Thud.

Losing too much blood, he collapsed completely. The man who could've risen into light under Leandro's patronage died in the shadows. I kicked aside the corpse and picked up the fallen Relic of Light.

[You have acquired the Eye of Illien!]

[Within a radius of 10 meters, many powers of the Demon Kings are nullified.]

[If you earn Illien's Affection, you may freely alter the shield's size and unlock additional effects.]

[Current Affection: Lowest]

[The following factors are taken into account:

— Contractor of Botis.

— Race: Undead.]

[The lurking Demon Kings detest this relic immensely.]

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

So, they were indeed watching. Even I could feel Botis's displeasure. I extended my hand to Rayleigh's fallen body.

Essence Absorption.

[You have absorbed Weapon Adaptation Lv. 1!

— You quickly adapt to any weapon you hold. Adds a minimum of 200 proficiency to all weapon types.]

It was hard to generalize, but Lv. 2 likely meant near-instant mastery of any weapon wielded. Rayleigh was truly a versatile man.

The green light faded, and the absorption ended quickly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

I could sense the sound of the collapsing maze advancing past its midpoint. The speed was terrifying, like a man striding briskly.

Unease spread through me. With this Relic of Light in, Botis's blessing no longer worked. Concealment was impossible. That thought had barely formed when I heard the desperate screams echoing ahead. Not the drawn-out cries of torture or terror, but the short, final wails of dying men.

Detection.

Dozens of presences ahead were vanishing rapidly. My grip on my sword tightened.

***

Swoosh!

Blue-armored knights blocked the exit in formation, cutting down those who tried to flee within a strike or two. Among them stood men in white priestly robes.

The precious ledgers, the treasures the guild had hoarded for years, were all spilled worthlessly onto the blood-soaked ground. I was certain Marquis Leandro had refused their cooperation before. Was this overzealous loyalty, or had he merely pretended to decline under watchful eyes? I couldn't tell.

What mattered was clear: no one was escaping this place.

The priests in white combed through the corpses.

"Nothing."

"Nothing here either."

White-robed priests... It was obvious who they were and what they sought. The marquis's Blue Lions had joined hands with Illien's Church. Each knight present was clearly elite, their skills beyond ordinary soldiers.

Thud.

I set the Relic of Light carefully on the ground, then walked some distance ahead, and melded into the darkness of the corridor.

[You have moved away from the Light of Truth.]

[The Blessing of Concealment is reapplied!]

Boom! Boom!

The sound of Marquis Leandro tearing apart the maze drew closer again. Time was running short.

"Wait, something's glittering over there...!"

One, two. Two throats burst open as my twin blades drove through them. In the instant of shock, I cut down a third. That was as far as the ambush carried me.

Even with comrades falling at their side, the Blue Lion knights didn't falter. They responded with calm precision, and in a blink, I was encircled by four of them. The fact that I had just assassinated warriors of this caliber almost felt miraculous.

Suction.

I yanked a nearby priest forward, forcing him to serve as a shield. The Blue Lion's blade pierced the priest's gut instead of me. His entrails spilled out, and an odd sense of exhilaration coursed through me.

Screams and scolding rang out from the other priests behind, berating the knights for sloppy swordplay. For a fleeting moment, they almost felt like my allies. The knight's stance wavered ever so slightly. I seized the opening and drove my sword into his shoulder. The remaining three struck together, but I pulled back without greed, taking no damage.

Just a little more time, and...

Boom! Boom!

The marquis was nearly upon the Thieves' Guild offices. The path from here was already disarmed, which meant no traps remained.

Crash!

The knights froze for half a step as the sound of collapsing walls thundered. They were stalling. It felt as though I was standing on the very tip of a blade.