Chapter 27

「Ha... ugu... aaaa!」

Exhausted from screaming, Nimros was panting while enduring the pain in his arms. Shu pressed harder on his back and asked,

"Tell me where the gold coin is."

"Zeh... a gold coin...?"

"The one with a cat holding a staff on the front and a skull and a knife on the back. You have it, right?"

"Ugh... that one...?"

Nimros, likely unable to think clearly due to the pain, answered more straightforwardly than expected.

"Such a... creepy thing... I gave it to Gregg as a reward... ugh."

"That guy, huh."

Shu muttered to himself, hoping it hadn't been sold, and turned his gaze towards Gregg. At first glance, Gregg didn't seem to be carrying the gold coin, so it was probably in his pocket. Shu kicked Nimros forcefully.

"Ughaaa!"

Nimros screamed in pain, but Shu ignored him and approached the dead Gregg. He searched Gregg's jacket and pants pockets. He noticed something hard in the left pocket of the pants. Taking it out and holding it up to the moonlight coming through the window, he confirmed it was the gold coin he was looking for.

"The front has a cat holding a staff, and the back has a skull and a knife. It's definitely the coin I was after."

The coin was quite large, and as 'Hawk Eye' had said, it was intricately detailed. Shu put it in his pocket. This completed the second request.

"Guhooo... ugh..."

"Then, I'll give you a quick death. 'Death.'"

Shu drained the energy from Nimros, who was convulsing on the floor. No matter how evil a person was, when killed by Shu, they all became magic power. In a sense, death was equal. He then removed the soundproofing spell and slipped out through the wall.

(With the request completed, I'll report to 'Hawk Eye' tomorrow.)

The death of the Minister of Finance, Nimros Blatt, was discovered. Additionally, his son Carlos was found dead in the mansion, and forty-eight guards had mysteriously disappeared. This major incident would stir the Republic of Elise the next day.

◆◆◆

The next day, Shu visited the tavern with Iris. It was still before noon, so there were few customers. They sat at an empty counter seat, and the master approached them.

"'Hawk Eye' is waiting in the same room as yesterday."

"Got it. Can you give us something light to eat? It's just before noon."

"Ah, I want the same thing!"

"...Alright."

The master sighed and headed to the kitchen, likely to prepare something for them. After a while, grilled bacon and mashed potatoes were served. Since they had ordered something light, the portions were not large.

"Let's eat."

"Okay."

Shu and Iris used their forks to stab the bacon and bring it to their mouths. The thick slices were chewy and juicy, making them very delicious. They then tried the mashed potatoes, which were a bit dry but went well with the bacon's oil.

"Not bad."

"The meat is delicious."

"That's homemade. It's like our signature dish."

"Ah, I see."

The master seemed a bit proud, so it was probably popular. The most popular thing in the tavern was to drink alcohol with this as a snack. Shu wanted to try it but decided to hold off since he had to meet 'Hawk Eye' afterward. It was unclear if monsters could get drunk, so he was cautious.

"It was delicious."

"Thank you. How much is it?"

"Well, I'll treat you to celebrate your first successful mission."

"Really? And you got the news fast."

"'Hawk Eye' was talking about it with a very happy tone."

The assassination of Nimros Blatt was already causing a stir in some circles, but the information hadn't reached the general public yet. The master likely knew because of the information from 'Hawk Eye'.

"Thanks, then I'll accept the treat."

"Yeah, go to the back soon. 'Hawk Eye' was grinning too much, which was creepy."

"I lost my enthusiasm to go in one go."

"Just go."

The master waved his hand, urging them to go to the back. Shu reluctantly stood up, and Iris followed. They headed to the private room they had entered the day before, walking down a dim corridor. Since it was the day after, they remembered the location and quickly found their destination. Shu entered without knocking.

Inside, 'Hawk Eye' was waiting with a creepy grin. As usual, the mask exuded an eerie aura.

"Stop that creepy grin."

"Oops, sorry."

Shu had intended to be sharp, but 'Hawk Eye' returned to a neutral expression without much reaction. Shu sat in the chair he had used the day before, and Iris closed the door and sat next to him. 'Hawk Eye' spoke first.

"I'm surprised you succeeded in just one night. Really, I am."

"I told you I'm the best at killing."

"Hehe, that might be true."

'Hawk Eye' spoke calmly but seemed to be probing Shu's identity. However, it was more out of curiosity than suspicion. Shu didn't mind and continued the conversation.

"Here's the gold coin I recovered. Is this the right one?"

Shu took the coin out of his pocket and placed it on the table. 'Hawk Eye' picked it up and checked both sides. After a moment, he silently returned it to Shu.

"Is it wrong?"

"No, it's the correct coin for the request."

"Then why are you giving it back to me?"

"It's already yours."

Shu, confused, tilted his head, and 'Hawk Eye' began to explain.

"That coin represents a senior member of the Black Cats. It's the symbol of the senior member in charge of assassinations, code-named 'Death.' By the way, I also have the 'Hawk Eye' coin."

'Hawk Eye' produced a gold coin from somewhere and showed Shu the patterns on both sides. It seemed that 'Hawk Eye's' coin had a cat holding a staff on the front and a three-eyed hawk on the back.

"'Hawk Eye' means information broker. There are other code names for senior members, but we can discuss those later."

"Wait a minute. I just joined the Black Cats and I'm already a senior member? What kind of joke is this?"

"It's not a joke. The previous 'Death' failed to assassinate Minister of Finance Nimros Blatt and had the coin stolen. Since you succeeded in the assassination and recovered the coin, you are the next 'Death' without a doubt."

"...I see."

Things started to connect in Shu's mind.

The assassination and the coin recovery... 'Hawk Eye' had said the two requests were overlapping. The coin recovery was a request from the Black Cats. The encounter with 'Hawk Eye' was coincidental, but 'Hawk Eye' had recognized Shu's talent for killing and assigned him a high-difficulty mission as a test. The conversation between the master and 'Hawk Eye' the day before, "Don't play too much, 'Hawk Eye'" and "Of course not. It's not a game. It's a sign of my expectations" and "I doubt it," made sense now.

"The assassination of Nimros Blatt was a test, and recovering the coin would result in good treatment... I didn't lie about anything."

"You didn't lie, no. You didn't."

Shu had intended to earn a living in an underground organization, but he unexpectedly became a senior member. He felt a headache coming on. He didn't expect to be so deeply involved in the underworld.

"So... are there any obligations as a senior member of the Black Cats?"

"None in particular. As long as you don't betray the organization, you can work freely. Being a senior member just means you have special power."

"Is it that loose?"

"Occasionally, there are senior member meetings, and we would appreciate your attendance."

Being a senior member right after joining was a bit unsettling.

Shu was still unfamiliar with the Black Cats' system and had many questions. He was hesitant to accept the 'Death' code name in this state. Sensing his hesitation, 'Hawk Eye' offered advice.

"There's no need to worry so much. With the senior member coin, you'll be treated well at Black Cats' bases. Think of it as a beneficial position."

"Special treatment? For example?"

"A clear example is that you'll get priority for high-reward jobs. Regular members need to gain the trust of the branch masters using coded language, but senior members just need to show the coin. Each base has different keywords, so it's very convenient."

"I see."

In other words, the gold coin in front of Shu held significant power, and there were almost no obligations to bind that power. Shu extended his right hand and touched the coin with the skull and knife.

"...'Death.'"

Considering his power as the Lord of the Underworld, Arklight, there was no more fitting code name. After a moment of hesitation, Shu took the 'Death' coin and held it tightly.

"Alright. I'm 'Death.'"

"Nice to meet you again."

Shu put the coin in his pocket. By chance, he had become a senior member of the Black Cats. He wanted to learn more about the Black Cats from the information broker in front of him. He asked immediately.

"You said senior members have code names. How many senior members are there?"

"Ten in total. Including the leader, there are eleven."

"What are their code names?"

"That's for you to find out."

Shu thought it was an important question, but 'Hawk Eye' just smiled.

"'Death.' I'm an information broker. If you want information, you need to pay."

"You're a money-grubber."

"Rude. I'm just loyal to my job."

Given that 'Hawk Eye' was trying to extort money from a new member, he was definitely a money-grubber. Shu, who didn't have much money to spare, had no intention of paying for information. He decided to investigate on his own later.

"Alright, that's enough. Hand over the reward money."

"You're not very friendly. But that's fine."

'Hawk Eye' reluctantly took out a bag of cash, which contained a substantial amount. With this, Shu and Iris could live for a few months. Shu started counting the money to be sure.

"Wow. That's a lot of money."

"Indeed."

"About two months' salary for a Holy Knight."

"True, that's a lot of money."

Holy Knights were well-paid. Earning two months' salary in one job was quite a good deal. However, assassinations didn't happen frequently, so it was a bit of a mixed bag. After counting the money, Shu put it back in the bag.

"It's just right."

"Good to hear."

As Shu and Iris stood up to leave, 'Hawk Eye' said one last thing.

"If you want to see me again, show the coin to the master and ask him to pass a message."

With that, they left the room.