Chapter 55

◈ Chapter 55: The Red Snake in the Mud (2)

Hans, who had escaped under the cover of darkness, quietly crouched outside the tavern door, waiting for the fight inside to end.

There was no reason for him to get involved in the fight between Rudger and the Red Society.

Despite his appearance, he didn't know how to fight.

The scene of the over 2m tall, ferocious werewolf quietly sitting there was bizarre, something one might only see in a dream.

'Oh.'

Hans, who had been listening intently with his ears perked up, finally got up from his spot.

'It's over.'

The sounds of the fight inside had ceased, as if a silence had descended.

The last sound heard was the agonized scream of Dootri, the red snake, who could be considered the leader of the Red Society.

They must have been torturing him to extract the necessary information.

The fact that even that sound had stopped meant everything was over.

As expected, when he entered the tavern, a thick smell of blood greeted him.

"Whoa."

Hans, whose sense of smell had become even more acute in his wolf form, clicked his tongue and carefully moved to avoid stepping on the bodies.

Rudger was sitting at the front bar, quietly sipping the drink in his transparent glass.

"Is it all over?"

"Yeah."

Rudger answered without turning around.

"What about those two junior knights?"

"Under your feet."

Hans was surrounded by corpses.

He didn't bother asking how it all went down.

"Phew. Maintaining this form makes me so sensitive to smells, I feel like my head is going to explode."

Hans immediately injected the ampule of the drug Rudger had given him into his forearm.

Plop.

His swollen body shrank, and he returned to his human form. He quickly put on the shirt he had prepared.

He shuddered at the gruesome scene around him.

"Brother, you're really something. You can drink in a place like this?"

"It's just a matter of getting used to it."

"By the way, what kind of drink is that? The smell is really good."

Even in his human form, his sense of smell, still heightened from the transformation, caught the scent of the drink Rudger was having.

The aroma was quite sweet.

The drink in Rudger's glass was so pure, with no impurities, that the fragrance was deep and rich.

It must have been quite expensive.

"It's called Gorgognon 38."

"Wow! That rare drink? Damn it! Give me some too!"

"Didn't you say it would upset your stomach?"

"Even if it makes me throw up, I have to drink it!"

Rudger handed him the bottle, and Hans grabbed an empty glass and poured himself a drink.

A shabby tavern filled with corpses.

In a place where the smell of blood and alcohol mixed strangely, the two men sat side by side and drank.

"So, did you definitely kill Dootri?"

"I haven't killed him yet. I need to extract more information and find a way to use him further."

"Of course. Now that we've established a new base here and moved in... What was it? Didn't you say something before, about bringing rice cakes?"

"Yeah."

"I don't quite understand what bringing rice cakes means, but I guess it's a way of saying 'welcome to the new place,' right?"

"Exactly."

"Considering the Red Society, which has been ruling this area and has a formidable reputation... If we hand them over alive, the other organizations will be overjoyed."

Of course, they hadn't eliminated the entire Red Society yet.

Given that these were the ones ruling a major city, the total number of members easily exceeded a thousand.

However, not all of those thousand members were core members of the Red Society.

In fact, the 100 gathered here were the core members.

"Since the head of the organization is gone, the rest will likely fall apart. What do you plan to do, Brother? Absorb the leftovers?"

"No."

Rudger shook his head.

Increasing the population with useless riffraff wouldn't help maintain the organization properly.

"I'll just use a select few. Of course, we'll need some to handle subcontracting, but not all of them. Choose those who are smart and have good character."

"Hmm. You're thinking ahead."

"Everything I can do is done. The rest of the information should be in the office upstairs. There should be all the documents and secret ledgers. You can proceed from there."

"Phew. I'll be busy again."

Hans sighed.

He had spent several days gathering information and organizing it.

Rudger had completed all the necessary steps in just one night.

Of course, it was only possible because Rudger was so capable, but Hans couldn't help feeling a bit unfair.

'No, I can't complain. I chose the safe path without risking my life or fighting.'

Of course, when gathering dangerous information, he also had to take risks, but he could rely on his unique constitution.

This made him think Rudger was even more impressive.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to follow Rudger, calling him 'Brother.'

"But even if we have a base, it's just you and me, right? What do you plan to do?"

"We need to expand."

"Expand? But you just said you wouldn't bring anyone in..."

"I'm not talking about just anyone. Hans, you know. There are several people I know."

"Oh."

Hans immediately scrunched up his face at that.

"Really?"

"Why?"

"Well, it's just that..."

"Oh, I see. You don't get along with them."

"Ahem. It's not that I don't get along, but rather..."

Hans hesitated because he knew who the 'people' Rudger was referring to.

They were certainly capable in their respective fields, enough for Rudger to call them directly.

However, their personalities were questionable.

"Still, are those stubborn guys really coming? They wouldn't budge for just any reason, right?"

"I've already sent them letters. Surprisingly, they said they would come after finishing their current work."

"Ah."

Hans grumbled continuously until he finished his drink, clearly uncomfortable with the thought.

"Is it that bad?"

"It's not that I dislike them, but it's definitely uncomfortable. None of them are normal. Well, I'm not one to talk, given my condition."

"Just get along with them, can't you?"

"Hmm. It's easy for you to say, Brother, but they all have terrible personalities. How can I get along with them? Some of them even treated me like a lab rat."

"Did they?"

"Absolutely. They did. At least when you're around, they behave a bit better, but if you're gone, they might really kill me. Are you staying here?"

"I'm busy maintaining my identity as Rudger."

"Exactly! Every time you leave your position as a teacher at Seorin, do you even consider how much I suffer?"

"That's something you have to handle. Are you going to die?"

Of course, he wouldn't die, but he might experience stress levels close to death.

Hans sighed.

There was no point in arguing with Rudger about this; the reality was already set.

"...Sigh. Thinking about it, there might not be anyone better suited to handle such a dirty job than them."

"They are very capable."

One of them had made significant contributions to creating all the equipment Rudger used.

"Will Brother be okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're a teacher at Seorin, right? And this time, your identity is exposed, unlike before. Isn't that a bit risky?"

"Yes, it was. That's why I'm acting like this now."

"You said the chancellor suspects you. Then, is it okay to wander around like this?"

This was what Hans was worried about.

If the chancellor suspected him, shouldn't Rudger avoid going out into the city?

Especially since the chancellor was a mage, who might be secretly monitoring him.

Naturally, he needed to be cautious in everything he did.

"You don't need to worry about that."

"Really? The chancellor is a mage, right?"

"Hans, what do you think of mages?"

"Hmm. What are mages? They use magic, so they're mages. But if I have to answer your question... very rational and cold-blooded researchers? That's the feeling I get."

"Close. Mages are quite rational. In fact, they must be rational. They don't tolerate any mistakes."

A calm mindset is essential when casting spells.

Of course, mages are human and can't be free from all mistakes.

However, striving to minimize mistakes in what they can control is a basic quality of a mage.

Especially for higher-ranking mages.

"The chancellor is a 6th Circle mage. He's also very intelligent. I understand your concern since he suspects me."

"But you're saying it's okay?"

"Let's say the chancellor has been keeping an eye on me."

"Let's assume that."

"If I notice and confront him about it, what do you think the chancellor would do?"

"That's..."

Hans hesitated, unsure how to answer.

If he was caught while secretly following someone, it would be a bad situation.

If he then boldly admitted, "I was suspicious of you," it would be even worse.

"It's about not getting caught, right?"

"Not getting caught is 'certainly' not guaranteed. But the possibility of getting caught, even if it's one in a million, 'might' exist. Hans, what would you consider in this situation?"

"...Hmm. Definitely the latter. If there's no certainty of not getting caught, it's best not to do it."

"The chancellor is a teacher at Seorin, and his true abilities are not fully known. If he gets caught following me, even as the chancellor, he would be in a very awkward position."

"So, it's better not to risk it and avoid following?"

"That's what mages are like. Besides, I've been showing a good image as a teacher. If I make a mistake and disappoint him, the chancellor would be in a very awkward position."

The chancellor had been following a teacher he didn't trust.

This fact alone would tarnish the chancellor's reputation.

Of course, given the chancellor's character, he would likely take precautions, but by giving him this 'leeway,' it was as good as admitting defeat.

"The chancellor's position. Even the teachers don't all follow him; there are opposing factions. The chancellor can't do everything. The more he tries, the more cautious he will be. That's the nature of his position."

"Ah, I see. So, Brother, you're taking advantage of this gap to move freely?"

"Of course, if I act too openly, I might get caught. If the tail is too long, it will be stepped on."

Rudger had been managing his image as a teacher and solidifying his position for this very reason.

Thanks to this, even if he went out now, the chancellor would be suspicious but wouldn't go as far as to track or follow him.

Especially on a day like today, when a duel between nobles and commoners had made Seorin noisy.

"I understand. So, there's no immediate need to worry, right?"

"Right."

"Since everyone is gathering to form an organization, what name have you decided on?"

"Name?"

"Now that both you and I are settling in Leiderberg, we need to establish a proper name for the organization. Even if we get rid of ranks and such, without a name, the atmosphere won't be right, right?"

"You're right."

Clunk.

After pouring the last of the drink, the bottle was empty.

Despite it being a high-quality drink with a good taste, a sense of loss washed over him.

But there was still plenty of alcohol left.

"How many will we have when everyone gathers?"

"Hmm. Including you and me, about seven or eight, I think."

"Too few."

"True. It's ridiculously insufficient to form an organization."

"But more people will join. If a few more join, about ten would be ideal."

"Ten? That sounds right. So, what name have you decided on?"

"Name. Name... "

Rudger suddenly thought of a famous novel and its original poem from his past life.

He had read it a long time ago, but it was so famous that he still remembered it clearly.

There was a character in it.

A person who suppressed their sins and judged those who couldn't be dealt with by the law.

In the end, he even eliminated himself.

"..."

"What? The organization's name, Unknown? What's this? Just a play on words for 'unknown'?"

"Yeah."

"The sound of it is really nice, I like it."

Thus, the name of the new organization Rudger was forming was decided as 'Unknown.'

"Brother, one last drink?"

"Sure."

Clink.

To celebrate the birth of the new organization, Rudger and Hans clinked their glasses and toasted with the last remaining drink.

In a dark alley.

This was an event that took place one night in a blood-soaked tavern.