Chapter 156: Chapter 156

I was deeply curious about who he was. He could be a clue that led me to the truth of the incident. But approaching him now, or after the procession, was impossible.

From the rooftop, I had confirmed that there were suspicious individuals scattered all over the area. If the marquis' death truly was an assassination, then that man could only be one of two things: either he'd soon be eliminated after being spotted by the numerous eyes, or he was the bait those eyes had set.

First, I need to confirm his identity.

I melted into the crowd. Slipping through the packed throng, I let the dizzying noise carry me toward my target. I approached a tall, elderly man standing with his hands behind his back.

"Do you happen to know who that man is?"

The old man glanced at me but didn't reply. Like before, I knew that asking a guard would get me a sure answer. After all, this armor seemed to be quite effective.

If he's even a vice-captain, I'd have no excuse.

The tavern was the easiest choice. I entered a second-floor restaurant with a clear view of the street and took a window seat.

"Excuse me…" I ordered a mid-range bottle of alcohol and slipped the server a little extra money before asking, "That man over there…"

"Ah, who do you mean?"

"The one with the blue hair…"

The waiter, who had looked sleepy and indifferent, suddenly perked up the moment the coins hit his hand.

"Oh, you mean Sir Rayleigh? They call him Rayleigh the Tracker. He's quite well-known."

"You didn't know? Hehe…" The waiter's eyes lit up.

He clearly wanted more money. I glanced at the menu, picked something that matched the price of the most expensive drink, and slid a few more silver coins into his pocket. Once that happened, words started spilling from his mouth like water.

"Yes, Rayleigh the Tracker. He used to be a rising star in the thieves' guild, Soft Scorpions."

Is this guy from an info guild or something...?

The dullness in his eyes sharpened the moment money entered the picture. I found it difficult to believe that he was just a regular waiter, but I didn't care about the details and simply listened.

"But the guild collapsed after the Regent Diamond Heist. That's when he caught the eye of Marquis Leandro and became a knight."

"Hm…" I recalled the imperial laws I had absorbed from the marquis. "Does a marquis have the authority to pardon criminals? I thought only dukes or higher could initiate a pardon."

"You're not from the Capital, are you?"

The waiter seemed to understand and continued. "It was the marquis himself who took down the guild. Even if it involved a royal treasure, if the person who recovers it asks for leniency, they usually get it."

I kept my eyes on Rayleigh the Tracker, moving through the crowd.

"People criticized him for taking in such a no-name. But you know the marquis, right?"

"A psychopath?" I answered reflexively.

The waiter was startled and brought a finger to his lips. "Shh! Watch your words!"

It didn't seem like anyone overheard. The tables were spaced far apart, and everyone was busy with their own conversations.

"He didn't give a damn about others' opinions. So…"

Even after bringing my drink, the waiter continued talking for quite some time. In that short period, I learned a lot about Rayleigh.

Rayleigh the Tracker was one of the few knights who had exceptional loyalty to the marquis. It was only natural. The marquis was likely the only one in the world who ever treated him as an ally. Because of his background, Rayleigh never held a significant position within the Order.

"His tracking and stealth skills are said to be second to none. That's why he was one of the few knights the marquis cherished. But now that the marquis is dead… who knows what will happen."

"How's his swordsmanship?"

"Apparently, people who couldn't accept him as a knight used to challenge him. But all of them ended up crawling back home, beaten to a pulp."

"That's all I've heard… Would you like me to dig up more info? Hehe. That's already quite a bit, you know."

"This is enough. Do what you want with the drink."

I jumped straight from the second-floor balcony. A voice called out behind me—something about not even drinking—but I ignored it and disappeared back into the crowd.

I activated both skills at full strength and slipped between alleyways.

Quietly, I began tailing Rayleigh the Tracker. I no longer cared about the fake coffin. It was likely empty, or held a dummy corpse at best.

The chat with the waiter had been worthwhile since I got to confirm Rayleigh's unusually close relationship with the marquis. The man's rage was clearly over the suspicious nature of the marquis' death. If I used that as bait, he would come out of hiding.

The coffin was placed in the Empire's second burial grounds, under the gaze of countless onlookers. Rayleigh's eyes grew redder with every step, but he never shed a single tear. After exchanging a few words with his comrades, he slipped off alone into a secluded alley.

He clearly knew the Capital's backstreets inside out. He weaved through alleys, going deeper and deeper. There were fewer people and narrower paths.

I chased him through every turn and jumped at full speed. I passed filthy inns that looked like they were run by ex-convicts. Men with rotting teeth loitered outside, looking like they couldn't plan beyond tomorrow. What looked like a dead-end turned out to have a hidden path through a ramshackle shack. Dirty eateries that could never pass a health inspection appeared one after another. It seemed I had entered the slums.

I nearly lost track of Rayleigh several times but always managed to keep his trail. Turning, leaping, squeezing through gaps—until suddenly, the space ahead opened up.

I emerged from the slums into a desolate clearing with abandoned buildings. And at that moment—Rayleigh vanished from my detection range.

So I've been lured here after all.

It wasn't all that surprising. I had suspected it ever since he had deliberately led me through the slums. After thirty minutes of pursuit, I was sure.

Even so, I believed I could win a fight if it came to it. I could at least escape by activating my Lurium circuit, though I hoped it wouldn't come to that. The circuit Isaac taught me bore Malphas’ mark. I didn't know how it was tracked, But if any trace of Malphas remained, the cultists of Demon King Purson would go hunting for me with burning eyes.

Besides, I hadn't followed Rayleigh to hurt him. When I thought we could talk...

"Impressive." A slightly hoarse voice came from behind. "Didn't think the Inspection Bureau had a mutt with this level of tracking ability."

It was a rough voice. It was him.

I turned around as naturally as possible, but nothing was there.

"Hm. Can't find me? Look up."

The voice came from above. A man in blue armor engraved with the lion crest sat crouched on top of the wall. Despite wearing full plate armor, he didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable in that position. His bloodshot eyes locked onto mine.

"You've been tailing me since the funeral procession. I was curious how far you'd follow… and I have to say, I enjoyed it."

So, stealth really is his specialty.

He was more formidable than I'd expected. I decided to approach him as amicably as I could.

"Sir Rayleigh? I have something important I need to speak with you about."

Unfortunately, he didn't take the suggestion kindly.

"Instead of talking…"

He drew his sword from his waist.

"This makes for a better conversation, doesn't it?"

His swift longsword sliced through the air.

I leaped back to dodge the arc of his blade, which cut a sharp crescent in the air. It missed by a hair. As the tip scraped across my armor, a shrill sound echoed through the clearing.

Rayleigh smirked and stepped forward three paces, before swinging again. The two strikes came almost simultaneously. I had to stagger back to maintain my balance. He was faster than I expected.

"Whoa? Dodging that easy? This is going to be fun."

He smirked. He still hadn't gone all out. At this rate, I'd lose.

[Skill: Sprint activated.]

[Remaining time: 14:59…]

Another attack came from the other side. A flash of steel sliced toward my chest, but I was already gone.

"Huh? What did you just do?"

Now I've got the upper hand.

I had to finish it within fifteen minutes. Still, I couldn't go overboard. If I injured him too badly, he wouldn't cooperate. I had to persuade him gently.

I lightly swung my greatsword, creating a powerful gust of wind that blew Rayleigh's deep blue hair backward. His hair matched the armor he wore. The open expression on his face now showed less confidence.

"Alright. Let's do this."

As blue energy ignited across himself, Rayleigh's figure flickered out of sight. A split second later, his sword came flying at me.

Things are about to get noisy.

I channeled sword energy into my greatsword, pulled it back.Then, I spun around as I swung it horizontally.

Both blades clashed with explosive force, unable to cut through each other. The echo boomed across the area, and Rayleigh was flung back into the air.

I chased after his airborne body and threw a punch.

Even in midair, Rayleigh regained his balance, counterattacking with a spinning strike. I had to hastily raise my greatsword to block it. His unexpected retaliation forced me back several steps.

"Hmph. Reveal your identity."

"Sir Rayleigh, I only came to talk."

"You bite well, I'll give you that—but do you really think a mutt like you can talk to a lion?"

..So this outfit doesn't work here. Should I have worn something else?

Rayleigh lowered his stance and pressed down on the hilt of his sword.

Something came undone.

"Now die. I'll figure out who you are after I kill you."

He pivoted on one foot and slashed hard. The sound was different this time.

His single longsword had split in two. Now, he held a pair of thinner, sharper twin swords in reverse grip.

Rayleigh was kneeling on one knee, barely keeping himself up with one of his swords. His armor was scorched and frozen in places, with holes ripped through it.

Even watching him stagger made me uncomfortable.

Damn it. I ended up using it…

I dazedly looked around. There were charred, shattered fragments everywhere. His twin-sword technique had forced me to use nearly every trump card I had. I used more magic than I'd used even against the Voodoo Golems in the torture labyrinth.

And even then, it wasn't easy.

Even though I had won the fight, I was uneasy. Who knew when the cultists of Purson would track these traces? The only relief was that Rena's pendant hadn't activated.

I sincerely warned Rayleigh, who was trying to rise again. "Don't push yourself."

"I said I came to talk. Swinging a sword the moment we meet is hardly polite, wouldn't you agree?"

"Sorry for the sudden chase, but…"

[Skill: Masquerade activated.]

[Temporarily overlays the appearance of a human face.

You will mimic the most striking human you've recently seen.

Transforming: Leandro von Batyenne

Remaining differences: randomly filled in.

Time limit: 10 minutes

Time until next activation: 6 hours.]

As I removed my helmet, Rayleigh's eyes widened.

"Quite the resemblance, don't you think?"

"The rumors about him having a bastard… No, you're too young for that… Who are you?"

His tone suddenly softened. Perhaps I should have done this sooner. But if I had shown my face first, he could have doubted it entirely.

"I'm a close relative of his. Ah, don't bother looking me up. There's a complicated story from my childhood…"