Chapter 627

“Hm?”

Suddenly, darkness swallowed the surroundings. The lights had gone out all at once. The captain of the guards furrowed his brow and fumbled through his chest pocket. Where could his lighter be…?

Shhhhk!

At that moment, a chilling presence came from behind. Instinctively, he knew the sound—the sharp slice of a blade cutting through flesh. The captain panicked and raised his voice.

“Is there a problem?”

“Sorry, I can’t see a thing.”

“Bring out everything that can light the way. Marni, you hold back for now.”

Shhhhk!

“Ugh…”

Again. The sound of a blade moving, followed by a faint groan. Just as the captain frowned and reached for his lighter—

“…!”

Someone grabbed his arm from behind and pressed a blade to his throat. Without hesitation, they drove the sword through his windpipe with brutal force.

The captain tried to turn and fight back, but blood was already spurting from his neck. With nothing visible around him, only the burning sensation foretold his death.

“D-damn it, ugh…”

“Captain? What’s—ugh!”

“Who’s there? Show yourself!”

“Me? I was just standing here.”

“Is there anyone with a light?”

“Eek! Someone just passed by here!”

Ssssh!

A lighter flicked on, briefly illuminating the area. But only for a moment—Barsabe snatched the flame from the man’s hand. Then, with a single strike, the man coughed up blood and collapsed sideways.

Thud!

“Ugh, ugh!”

“There’s something here! G-get outside!”

“I don’t know which way is forward!”

“Go away! I said go away! Don’t come closer!”

“Ugh, it was me! That was me just now!”

“Marni! Get down!”

“Damn it, what the hell is going on?!”

Blinded by the darkness, fear gripped them all. They gripped their swords tightly and began slashing at the comrades beside them.

The situation spiraled out of control. Marni dropped to the floor, curling up, while her guards shielded her with their bodies, ready to stab anything that lunged at them.

Shhhhk!

Thud! Thud!

“Ugh!”

“Wait, it wasn’t me.”

As the frenzy of bloodshed subsided, Barsabe, still alert, sensed movement. Following the faint whimpers, he cut down the last breaths of their attackers. In the space filled only with the metallic scent of blood and death, Barsabe was certain: everyone except Marni’s group was dead.

“It’s clear.”

“She’s a woman.”

At Barsabe’s call, Marni’s group muttered reflexively, though they quickly covered their mouths.

Ian stepped slowly into the darkness, and Barsabe came out to meet him, grasping his hand.

“There are many bodies on the floor.”

“Thank you. Marni, are you listening?”

“W-who are you?”

Meeting in the dark, Marni’s voice trembled. She had no idea who they were. Who would dare attack the royal palace guards?

“Let’s cut to the chase. I want to meet the Severed Ear. Where can I find them?”

“W-what? I don’t know! I really don’t!”

Marni snapped, incredulous. Could this be a trap set by the palace? Would the lights suddenly come on and everyone burst out laughing?

No, that couldn’t be. The palace wouldn’t stoop to such disgraceful tricks. Besides, the sharp scent of blood lingering in the air—it was real. The heavy stench of death, far beyond what a few people could fake.

“If you don’t know where the Severed Ear is, then give me any clue or trace that could lead me there.”

“I’m losing my mind. First, tell me who you are!”

“You’d do well to think carefully. I mean you no harm. Soon, the guards will notice something’s wrong and come this way. What do you think will happen then? By that time, we’ll have vanished into the darkness.”

‘Marni killed the guards after resisting.’

There was no other way to see it. Anyone would think so, and the palace would be even more certain, moving to arrest Marni.

Killing the guards, especially the captain, was a grave crime. Decapitation was inevitable, and perhaps even her family would be torn apart and displayed in the streets. Escape? Forget fleeing the capital—could she even survive the night?

“Why are you doing this to me, you damn bastards!”

“Marni, please calm down.”

Her guards trembled, gripping her arms tightly, trying not to provoke her. Judging by their skill in the dark, these weren’t street fighters. They were the kind who could vanish without leaving a trace, just as they claimed. If so, the aftermath would fall entirely on Marni’s group.

Sigh “Alright, I get it now. The palace sent you, didn’t they? Huh? I’m caught red-handed.”

Marni took a deep breath and came to a conclusion: this was a trap set by the palace. Otherwise, who would dare kill the captain of the guards in broad daylight in Tolun?

“What the hell is that thing anyway?!”

It was all because of a slave the palace was after—one the Severed Ear was keeping. Whatever the value of that slave, they’d been royally screwed.

Ian didn’t bother correcting Marni’s misunderstanding and pressed on.

“…One last question. If you don’t answer, I’ll leave. But if you give me a useful answer, I’ll declare you had no part in the guards’ deaths.”

“What reason do I have to trust you? If I keep quiet, I’m dead meat!”

“Do you have any other choice? Either way, you’re dead meat.”

“Damn it. Crazy bastards. I paid my taxes last month too, ugh.”

She must have sacrificed a lot to protect the arena.

Ian counted the seconds silently, gauging the time. As he said, they couldn’t afford to linger. The guards outside could arrive at any moment.

“…There’s a building inside the Zanai market with pale blue cloths hanging all around. From outside, it looks like laundry, but it’s a kind of marker.”

Finally, Marni spoke.

“There’s a secret passage in the basement that leads to their base. But if word gets out I told you, I’ll be branded a traitor and marked for death. I was living honestly until now—how can I be thrown into this abyss?”

“Your loyalty runs deep?”

“Deep enough! Until just a few minutes ago! That’s why I was acting crazy to avoid going into the palace…”

Marni trailed off. Even if the mysterious stranger promised secrecy, her guards had overheard. It was only a matter of time before the truth came out—that she had exposed the Severed Ear’s base.

“That’s unfortunate. What shall I do? Shall I bury your guards in the darkness as well?”

The dead don’t speak. Ian’s suggestion made Marni jump up in protest.

“Absolutely not!”

“Hmm. Understood.”

Her guards, startled, gripped her collar tighter. They had witnessed her betrayal, and dying would be safer for Marni. But their master had ordered them not to kill the guards, so their bond only grew stronger, almost unconsciously.

‘If they asked to kill the guards, that would be safe for Marni. But refusing strengthened their bond, which is also safe for her. Just as expected. That damn Beric mutt never learns, even seeing someone like this.’

Barsabe thought to himself as he wiped the blood from his blade on his shirt. Their mission was accomplished; now all that remained was to return safely.

If news of the guards’ deaths spread, the capital would be thrown into chaos. Maybe it was better to take a detour through the Zanai market before heading back to their rooms.

Swish.

Ian lightly grabbed Barsabe’s arm—a signal to leave. They melted into the darkness without a sound, disappearing before Marni’s group even noticed, who remained silent.

“H-hey? Say something!”

“Maybe they’re gone?”

“Hey! They left?”

They shouted into the void but got no answer. They groped along the floor and soon found the scattered bodies not far off.

“Use the wall for support and move slowly. Crawl. You’ll fall if you try to walk.”

“Marni, stay close behind.”

“Gods, these crazy bastards.”

Tap tap tap!

Then, the sound of many footsteps. Suddenly, the lights snapped on, flooding the area with brightness. The guards who had been waiting for their captain at the arena had arrived, having grown concerned when he didn’t return.

“Gah!”

The sight was shocking. All the guards lay dead on the floor, most with their throats slit.

And Marni’s group, covered in blood, pressed against the wall. They had crawled here, leaving traces everywhere. They stared at the fallen guards in shock.

“What the hell is this?! Arrest them!”

“Wait, listen! It wasn’t us, really. Believe it or not, we don’t know. I don’t know if this was ordered from above or not…”

“You’re out of your minds. Take them away! And call for backup!”

“Backup requested! Understood.”

“The arena is closed.”

“No, we’re victims too! It was a woman. A woman did this!”

The guards hauled Marni and her group away, their wrists bound tight, no matter how much they protested. As they passed the bodies with their necks slashed so cleanly, the guards shook their heads in disgust, shivering at the gruesome sight.

Meanwhile, outside the arena, Ian and the three others had taken cover. When Barsabe bent over to show the wound on his neck, Beric poured water over it from a canteen, washing away the blood little by little.

“Ian, what should we do? Head straight to the market?”

“Yeah. Once the sun’s up, the patrols will get tighter. It’s called the Zanai Market, right? Hey, Hale, the map.”

“Here it is, Sergeant Barsabe. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“No, I’m fine. But we should get some fresh clothes. There’s too much blood on these; it’ll be hard to move around like this.”

Ian studied the map to pinpoint the slave market’s location. Beric leaned in to look, and Hale raised an eyebrow at him. Seriously, you can’t even tell left from right—what good is a map to you?

“Then Hale, you take Barsabe inside first. Get him changed and hidden. Beric and I will scout the market.”

“You sure about that?”

“Absolutely.”

Ian nodded, and Hale took Barsabe around the corner, running off. From the growing murmurs among the people gathered along the main road, it seemed the news of the captain’s death was starting to spread.

“Beric, this way.”

“Okay, let’s go! But are we really going to say we killed him?”

“We have to keep our promise.”

If Marni was caught and interrogated, the palace would realize a third party was involved. Our priority is to rescue Filia before that happens. We can reveal the truth after opening the portal and getting out of here.

Pitter-patter!

Ian and Beric dashed through the crowd, avoiding prying eyes. A sign boldly marked the entrance to the Zanai Market.

But the problem was—

“Light blue cloth? I don’t see anything like that.”

No matter where they looked, there was no sign of the marker Marni had mentioned. Ian muttered as he scanned the area carefully.

“She said it’s disguised as laundry, so it must come and go with the washing.”

“Ugh, that’s annoyingly specific. What do we do then?”

It was odd to see laundry hanging out in the middle of the night, especially outside residential areas. Beric crossed his arms and asked, and Ian let out a faint sigh.

“We’ll have to come back during the day. Or—”

“Or what?”

“You could try sniffing it out.”

“Ehh? Seriously? That’s just cruel.”

Beric snorted in disbelief but kept flaring his nostrils, as if trying to catch a scent.