Chapter 51

The exterior of the Milfia Guild was destroyed to an unprecedented extent.

The building, which had once flaunted its wealth among the Empire’s guilds, had instantly become a grotesque structure with its skeleton fully exposed.

Outer walls and pillars were crumbling everywhere, and not a single window remained unbroken on the lower floors.

All of this was the work of the Holy Knights’ elite, the Black Horn Unit.

D’Élysée stepped through the guild’s arched entrance. Immediately, a guild member wiping sweat under a collapsed brick pillar jumped to his feet. Pale green eyes watched the back of the guild member as he hurriedly ran off somewhere.

‘…He’s gone to call the person in charge.’

D’Élysée stood in place and waited. There was no need to move any further.

For a while, he bore the brunt of the guild members’ piercing stares. Most were not pleased with the Holy Knight Commander’s visit. Some guild members even spat ostentatiously.

It was an empty threat that the subject himself didn’t even bother to acknowledge. Soon, the sound of broken glass being crushed underfoot echoed from the far end.

It was the sound of the well-built vice guildmaster approaching with heavy breaths.

‘Maybe one hit…’

D’Élysée was willing to take a hit without resistance. But what happened was entirely different from his expectation.

“I have one request.”

“…”

The vice guildmaster quickly bowed his head before D’Élysée.

“Please bring back our guildmaster. For old times’ sake, if nothing else.”

“What do you mean?”

“…Please follow me.”

“vice guildmaster!”

Three or four guild members raised their voices to stop the vice guildmaster. While keeping an eye on D’Élysée, they lowered their voices and cupped their hands around their mouths.

“No matter what, he’s still the Holy Knight Commander!”

“He’s the main culprit who half-destroyed our guild building! How can you reveal our internal affairs to someone like him!”

“It’s alright. He’s an acquaintance.”

After briefly calming his subordinates, the vice guildmaster led D’Élysée to the building’s second floor.

“You’ll need to follow carefully. One wrong step and you might twist your ankle.”

It was a warning about the debris-strewn stairs. Finally, they arrived at the Milfia guildmaster’s personal room.

A buzzing sound of concentrated magical power, intense enough to distort one’s senses, flowed out even beyond the door. As D’Élysée waited for an explanation, the vice guildmaster answered with actions.

“This way, please. I’ll enter first.”

As soon as the guildmaster’s office door opened, acrid air greeted the guests first. Behind a desk piled high with various cigarette butts in an ashtray, an oval-shaped magic circle was glowing.

“…A domain portal?”

In response to D’Élysée’s mutter, the vice guildmaster pounded his chest as if he had been waiting for this moment. A domain portal was a means of transportation that cost an astronomical amount for an individual to own.

“Yes, even the maintenance costs are beyond imagination. I have no idea what our guildmaster is thinking.”

“Where does the portal lead?”

“To a villa on the southern coast. Our guildmaster is staying there alone.”

The vice guildmaster, stroking his thinning hair, asked:

“Do you have any other questions?”

“You’re leaking the guildmaster’s information too easily.”

“Well, to get straight to the point…”

The vice guildmaster pressed his fatigued brow.

“It’s as I said earlier. Please, bring our guildmaster back. We have countless issues to resolve right now, but he’s just clinging to a hopeless case. None of us can do anything about it at the moment.”

“…”

“Of course, we’ve tried various approaches ourselves. We’ve gotten angry, we’ve pleaded, we’ve begged. But you know his personality. He won’t budge an inch.”

“How would I be any different?”

“Yes. I usually don’t make assumptions, but this time will be different. After all, you’re a related party.”

The vice guildmaster handed D’Élysée a package he had prepared separately. A rich, savory smell wafted from inside the brown paper wrapping. It was a cheeseburger from a famous shop.

“Since you’re going anyway, please deliver this too. The guildmaster has been quite into cheese lately…”

“I don’t understand the situation, but this is strange.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re speaking as if I’ll naturally agree to help.”

D’Élysée stepped forward with an imposing aura.

“Why should I accommodate your guild’s convenience?”

“Honestly.”

The vice guildmaster, overshadowed by D’Élysée, cleared his throat.

“It’s disappointing for you to act this way between us. Didn’t I buy you ice cream when you were young, Commander? Let’s consider this an opportunity to repay that debt.”

“How unusual for you to suddenly use honorifics.”

D’Élysée’s gaze darkened.

“How could I speak casually to someone as esteemed as the Holy Knight Commander?”

The vice guildmaster revealed his yellowed teeth in a grin.

“Well, it’s a good thing I bribed you with treats when you were young. Isn’t the position of Holy Knight Commander famous for its integrity? This is why one should live kindly from the start…”

“Are you referring to when you kidnapped me the day before putting me in the orphanage?”

“Yes, though I’m not sure how you’ll take this, but I think you received better treatment than your brother. While I took you to an ice cream shop, at that time, he…”

The vice guildmaster waved his hand as if reluctant to mention it.

“Ah, forget it. What’s the use of talking about it now? It’ll only breed resentment belatedly. Anyway… living brings all sorts of experiences. To think there’d be a demon massacre in this day and age.”

“Tell me.”

D’Élysée grabbed the vice guildmaster’s collar in one swift motion.

“If you want something from me, you should speak up even more.”

“With just words?”

The vice guildmaster pulled his lips into a vile smile. He didn’t seem afraid of the tight grip on his collar.

“If you tell me every detail I don’t know, I’ll bring your guildmaster back, even if I have to knock him unconscious.”

“…Hah.”

The vice guildmaster, with a deflated attitude, tapped D’Élysée’s hand. It was a signal to let go.

D’Élysée released the collar as if throwing it away. The vice guildmaster coughed excessively, making a show of being in pain.

“Well, you see. The guildmaster knew about the goblin hybrid’s…”

Sensing a murderous aura, the vice guildmaster naturally corrected his words.

“He knew about the Orc half-breed’s midnight flight. I reported it to him.”

“Midnight flight?”

“Yes, isn’t it a midnight flight when someone borrows money and then runs off with their family?”

“When exactly did this debt you’re talking about originate?”

“Ah, well. It was when that half-wit was about fourteen or so. This is confidential and such an old story that I don’t remember well…”

The vice guildmaster suddenly avoided bringing up the topic. But when D’Élysée’s fist made a cracking sound, he finally began to explain properly.

“Well, yes. We pulled a bit of a scam on the fool. Are you going to arrest me for that now?”

“Watch your words. My brother is not a fool.”

“Understood. You knew that the guildmaster was particularly fond of that half-wit, right?”

“Fond?”

D’Élysée sneered.

“Is swinging him around as he pleases an act of fondness?”

“Everyone has their own way of showing affection.”

The vice guildmaster shrugged his fleshy shoulders.

“I’m sure the guildmaster had many concerns when you turned fourteen and manifested as an alpha. In the midst of that, with the half-breed attempting a midnight flight, it’s understandable that he was anxious. In fact, we knew about the escape plan for a while. Honestly, isn’t he a fool… I mean, careless?”

The vice guildmaster tapped his head with his index finger and continued.

“It was easy to tell just by watching him running around trying to secure quick cash. When I reported it to the guildmaster at the time, he just said to leave him be. I think he planned to properly tame him at that opportunity. First, he co-opted all the means of transportation and gatekeepers leaving the Empire. The kidnapping at the large carriage rest stop was…”

The vice guildmaster glanced up at D’Élysée.

“I personally took you to the ice cream shop and put you to sleep, but.”

“…”

“The half-breed was beaten nearly to death that night. I know because I received him when he was nothing but rags.”

D’Élysée’s fists clenched. The vice guildmaster scratched the back of his thinning hair.

“But the real trouble was, even after contacting every doctor in the Empire in the middle of the night, no one would take in a demon half-breed. They said it would harm other patients, or that the hybrid had a terrible smell. Anyway, they gave all sorts of ridiculous reasons and suggested setting up a bed in the underground waste disposal area. In the end, what could I do? I treated him as best I could.”

Seeing D’Élysée about to move, the vice guildmaster flinched and stepped back.

“D-don’t take your anger out on me! It’s thanks to me that he didn’t lose a single tooth and remained unharmed! I didn’t know he’d be beaten so severely! Do you know how many expensive healing potions I had to use…!”

D’Élysée couldn’t understand. On that day in the past when he was sent to the orphanage. His brother had kept his robe hood pulled down the entire time. Whenever he tried to get close, his brother desperately avoided eye contact.

‘How could he not show his face even once until the very end?’

He thought it was incredibly cold-hearted. He despaired at the attitude that seemed as if all feelings for him had completely disappeared.

‘But now…’

D’Élysée’s gaze slowly fell downward.