Chapter 212

Chapter 212

***

The place Lena took Rickart to was a shabby inn room located on the outskirts of the city. It was a place that smelled, was cramped, and the sound of rats running around on the ceiling could be heard.

It wasn't some underground dungeon but because there were no windows it was dark even in broad daylight. Fortunately it wasn't underground, so although it wasn't known where the light was coming from, it was enough to distinguish people's faces.

One bed and one narrow space to go outside, there were four people there.

"It's a person named Ricky. He is a renowned swordsman."

That was Lena's introduction to her friends about Rickart. Unaffiliated, and identity unknown.

A man and woman sitting closely with their legs bent on the small bed blankly looked up at Rickart.

In Rickart's view, they looked exactly like having no thoughts rather than youths harboring dreams of the blue clouds.

"Please sit down. Nice to meet you. I am Ravenna, and this side is Graf."

The woman he saw for the first time greeted. The young man just nodded his head. Anyway she told him to sit but exactly where to sit was unknowable.

"Hello. I'm Ricky."

"You can sit comfortably."

"Where do you mean?"

"Yes? You can sit where you are standing though."

Rickart looked down at his feet. The black dirt floor seemed better to sit on instead.

"I am fine."

"If you say so...... Did you hear the story?"

Rickart looked once at Lena who barely stuck her butt on the edge of the cramped bed, then said.

"Heard you're doing a Backroom request. Well, heard it's connected to a Codex, but heard the details would be explained here."

"Ah, right. Yes. Have you thought about the payment by any chance?"

"Well, actually I'm more interested in the Codex than the payment you see."

"Ah...... That's a bit......"

"Don't worry. I just want to check it once. I won't claim ownership."

At the elegant expression 'won't claim ownership' the three people made bewildered expressions for a moment. Rickart didn't did it intentionally but it stuck to his mouth because of the years he spent as a king.

"Uh, first of all, honestly speaking the success fee is two gold coins. We will take one, and give you the remaining one. And you can also take all the loot gained while working."

What loot meant differed from time to time. Sometimes the belly button was bigger than the belly, and sometimes they couldn't take anything.

That was, it meant guaranteeing an uncertain income for a certain gold coin. Therefore right now Rickart was exactly no different from being hired as a one-gold-coin swordsman.

Because Rickart wasn't one to care about a penny or two anyway, that didn't matter. The problem was who the client was, what the request details were specifically, and what exactly they were going to did.

So he asked like that.

"Good. I will join the work. However, since I joined the work as well, I want to know who the client is, exactly what work we are doing, and how we will do it, and what the work I have to do is."

"For a Backroom request the guild only mediates, the client cannot be known. We don't know either. That's why the pay is strong. The work is simple. It's snatching the Codex from Azad 'of the Sawtooth'. We can just take the snatched Codex."

Lena who had somehow shoved her butt in and squeezed quite a lot answered. However at her answer Rickart tilted his head.

"Hmm? I don't understand well."

"About what?"

"First that is stealing, and not bringing the target object to the client but just taking it yourself doesn't make common sense."

"Anyway Sawtooth also got it by killing 'Four Fingers'. Four Fingers got it by killing 'Heart Eater'. Before that the owner seems to have changed a few times too, but I don't know up to there. Naturally the original owner can't be known either. Since it's an item without an owner anyway the person who gets their hands on it is the owner. And, seeing them scrambling for it this much it's certain that it's a genuine article."

Rickart tilted his head this time too. However this time his brow was completely furrowed.

It didn't matter to me but just hearing it it sounded immensely dangerous. Especially it seemed certain it wasn't the kind of work greenhorn kids could covet.

"The work is simple, but doesn't seem easy, and looks dangerous but."

"Right. But there are many people aiming for it besides us. Watching Sawtooth from afar to snatch only the Codex taking advantage of the confusion."

"Is that the plan? Absurd."

Rickart thought the three people were pathetic. However since he didn't expect anything in the first place, he wasn't disappointed. It was just to the degree of 'as expected'.

In the past if you were clumsy you had to pay the price with death, so only the smart and quick-witted ones survived as well as having martial arts skills, but as the world got better kids like these seemed to be active as adventurers too.

However that seemed to be the end too. Since they were stepping into work they shouldn't step into. It wasn't that they were unlucky but they seemed to be bringing death upon themselves just acting ahead with enthusiasm.

As Rickart spoke as if they were pathetic, the three people shrunk back rather than flaring up. No matter who looked Rickart seemed experienced, and because they were still inexperienced.

Rickart felt sorry seeing that appearance again and since he decided to did it anyway he still said a word.

"In my view you have to be careful of the client. It seems they scattered Backroom requests here and there thinking of getting it themselves by killing the person who snatched the Codex."

Honestly Rickart smelled something fishy as soon as he heard the explanation. Anyway to receive the success fee they had to prove they snatched the Codex, so it was a structure where they could quickly find out who had the Codex.

Perhaps they couldn't think up to there the three people's eyes widened roundly and they looked back at each other.

"......Is, is that so?"

"If you still want to do it give up the success fee. Hiding yourself immediately after snatching the Codex and figuring out the client is what fits the order. Or before that, you could figure out who the client is first. However if someone else snatches the Codex while doing so it would become meaningless work."

The three people Lena, Ravenna, and Graf merely blinked their eyes.

"Do you know where the person called Azad of the Sawtooth is?"

Then the three people looked back at each other once, and Ravenna said. She seemed to be the leader.

"He's in this inn. Right below us."

"......Have to praise you for being bold at least. Right, do you know where the Codex is?"

"He always carries it on his body. Sticks it in his pants and carries it around his belly area. And he doesn't leave the room except for eating briefly at the restaurant."

"Is it certain?"

"If you move the bed there's a hole in the floor. After moving it lifting it without making a sound, we watched watching only the hole all day. He just takes it out to check once in a while, and didn't really seem to train. But he sleeps with it stuck in his pants even when sleeping."

Though a somewhat unrefined method it was indeed certain.

"Then there are two methods. Either kill him and take it, or secretly take it away while he sleeps."

Since a scramble for the Codex was happening anyway, whether murder or theft it didn't become a problem. Since that was the fate of swordsmen.

Actually the Master's Federation also refrained from interfering if possible regarding the matter of adventurers killing each other. Because grudges were complicatedly tangled it was impossible to distinguish who did well and who did wrong.

"Both killing him to take it and secretly taking it away while he sleeps are hard. Because his companions are also in this inn. And other people aiming for the Codex too."

"......"

Listening to the story it seemed everyone knew each other. The person called Azad of the Sawtooth also knew people were aiming for the Codex from all sides, and the people aiming for the Codex also seemed to know he knew. They couldn't not know.

So a strange battle of wits was happening, and it seemed they all even shared the thought of aiming only for the Codex taking advantage of the gap if someone struck first.

If it was dumbfounding it was dumbfounding, and if it was natural it was natural.

"Let's go out first. Here is dangerous. There are no windows, what are you going to do if multiple people suddenly rush in? When doing this kind of work you have to secure the exit first. Get up now."

Because they didn't know anything Rickart first stood the bold youths up. And then took the three people outside.

Passing the short hallway and going towards the railing, the downstairs restaurant could be seen. There were quite many tables but the seats were almost full, and they were all armed people.

He didn't know when entering, but it was only now visible that everyone pretended not to be but was paying attention to one place. That point of attention was the room where Azad of the Sawtooth stayed.

It wasn't that noisy and only low murmuring sounds could be heard. Looking closely everyone's faces seemed somewhat haggard. It seemed so because they couldn't rest properly observing.

And people who seemed to be Azad's companions were occupying the table near that room.

But guarding the front of the room's door was one thing, but since they were no different from being cornered they had stiff expressions and seemed somewhat totally on edge.

People all knew they had the Codex, and escaping to the mountains or other regions they would get exhausted first and didn't know where they would be ambushed so it seemed they reached here.

Of course it wasn't safe here either, and they were no different from being driven into a dead end alley.

"If you end up fighting in close quarters pull out your sword backwards only halfway. Then just push them away."

Rickart said subtly to the three people. However the three people couldn't understand what it meant.

"Since the place is narrow fold the thought of trying to do something by swinging your sword. Since you won't even be able to swing properly and die to a blind blade. Just push them away thinking only of blocking against the wall."

Actually the restaurant wasn't that narrow but because there were many people and tables or chairs, pillars, it wasn't suitable for swinging a sword as one pleased.

"First settle the room bill and stay near the entrance. Don't try to secure the entrance, and don't clumsily go outside either. Since other people will already be waiting outside. To kill people coming outside. So don't try to do anything, and don't try to go out carelessly until the situation is cleared up. Just hold your ground."

"......Uh, what are you going to do?"

"I'll draw attention so just watch who gets the Codex. And if that person gets away with the Codex follow only that person."

"Yes?"

"Then the client will reveal themselves on their own. You identify who that bastard is first and then take the Codex. If I succeed in snatching it and the client comes to me talking nonsense I will kill them."

Rickart might have lost his touch after looking only at documents for 10 years, but it wasn't so. Rather he even gained dignity and was even wise. And, being bold was exactly the same then as now.

"Uh, what are you going to do?"

When Rickart only instructed to did this and that, but didn't explain why, Lena asked.

But then, Azad came out of the room. Strangely his sword wasn't in the scabbard but wrapped in cloth. He joined his companions' table.

Rickart didn't even take off his cloak and gave it to one of the three people.

Then went down the stairs from the second floor and walked towards Azad. As the distance got closer the murmuring sound in the restaurant decreased, and everyone stared at Rickart.

Not feeling those gazes, Rickart reached Azad and said. Azad had many scars on his face so his rough life until now was clearly felt.

"Dying during sleep, and dying in a strange foreign land is the fate of swordsmen, already having boarded the spiral of killing and being killed judging right or wrong is a foolish thing. Yes, did you sleep much?"

Azad turned his head and quietly looked up at Rickart. The answer was done by his companion instead.

"Retard. Protecting is harder than stealing. Are you going to do it here now? Do you have thoughts? Can't you see the people?"

"I know. But by any chance can you show me the Codex? If you just show it I'll just go."

Then Azad who was quietly looking up at Rickart said.

"......Suck my dick."

Unfortunately Rickart didn't did something like sucking his dick. Instead, Azad experienced his vision flashing simultaneously as he finished speaking. He didn't even see it. Whether he was hit by a fist, or hit by a kick.

Along with a crack sound his nose bone collapsed in an instant. And Azad fell over backward clatter while sitting on the chair.

Rickart immediately flipped the table. The equipment that was on top spilled disorderly, and Azad's companions who jumped up and tried to pull out their weapons quickly moved backward because of the flipping table.

In that gap Rickart forcefully tore off Azad's tough leather top. However the Codex that should be on his belly wasn't there. What, it isn't here. Was it inside the room?

The three people Lena and Ravenna, Graf let alone paying the room bill and standing near the entrance, still couldn't even come down from the second floor.

The work already occurred, and the sound of the people inside the restaurant getting up all at once and pulling out their weapons could be heard.

Someone shouted.

"Strike!"