I spend a few more days investigating alongside Hassan.

We went to all manner of places in the Border Town, including the slum regions, which he guided me to. Throughout my tour of the city, I never went to this section of the city due to its high crime rate and how unattractive it was.

As tourists, we usually only want to see the glamorous parts of the city we are visiting.

However, I'm no longer a mere tourist.

Instead, the abduction matter has forced my hand, and I have become something of a private detective or vigilante. Since the regular section of the city is far too 'clean' for an effective operation, the slums have become my best bet.

No offense to the ones living there, but a lot of shady activities go on there.

This includes illegal trafficking and black market dealings.

Since that's the case, I should expect to find clues regarding the kidnappings. There are also other reasons behind my confidence…

For one, the kidnappers usually target low-profile people or lone travelers—perhaps those who wander into places where they aren't supposed to? If that's the case, then these criminals would have chosen the slums as their hunting ground.

Not only is crime already at an all-time high here, but the level of security is abysmal compared to that of the main city. Also, since a lot of illegal activities go on here, even something as vile as kidnapping will be largely underplayed.

It's the perfect smokescreen, and with the level of danger in the slums, most people wouldn't dare to freely investigate here out of fear of being kidnapped as well.

However, I am different from most.

Not only am I a member of high society, but I have sufficient ability to protect myself.

My weak link is Hassan, but since he is someone who has lived in the slums for practically his whole life, I believe he should be fine. If anything goes wrong, I expect that he can at least run away and hide somewhere.

Things won't come to that, however.

Most of my Armaments are still undergoing maintenance, but my Night Traveler's Cloak is available, so I put it on. I also carry a few Potions with me, drinking about two before stepping into the dark streets of the slums.

Naturally, I give Hassan a Potion too, and he chugs it down before trailing behind me.

Before long, we're both walking on the dreary streets of the most unattractive and dangerous part of Lerois City.

As expected, thanks to my pristine wear, we draw attention almost immediately.

A few shady people approach us, most likely to probe at our strength. They attempt extortion, and while the money they ask for isn't a lot, I know that giving in to them would only serve as a way to alert the others watching that we are easy prey.

We can't have that, now can we?

Hence, I make my move and easily take the group down within moments. They don't even stand a chance against my strength and skills, so they fall—one after the other—until there's only one person left.

"U-uarghhh!" The man screams out loud, fleeing from the scene in panic.

To think he would abandon his comrades…

It's just the kind of thing I would expect from scum-dwelling trash—the criminals, of course, not the harmless residents.

I don't judge people based on where they live or their circumstances in life.

Only their decisions matter.

Especially if it affects me in some kind of way—only then would I feel the need to insert myself into their lives and offer judgment.

In this case, this series of abductions doesn't directly affect me, but it is a worrisome development that has to be curtailed for the sake of the Kingdom, which I dwell in. Besides, I have received payment from my client to find someone for him.

All of these have given me sufficient motivation to seek out answers—even in the slums.

"We're following that man." I turn to Hassan and blurt out those words. "Try to keep up."

Without wasting any further time, I dash ahead.

I slightly tilt my head and glance behind me, only to see that he's matching my pace, only slightly falling behind. What a fast kid—it looks like I won't have to slow down, after all.

We pursue the runaway until he leads us to an even bigger crowd of people, whom I also fight and beat down with only a small amount of effort.

Do not underestimate Martial Techniques and the combat prowess that Knights possess.

Even a Technique belonging to a Mid-Rank Knight Household is more than enough to dispatch dozens of regular people. It doesn't matter if I'm not in possession of an Armament. As long as I move my body according to the rhythm of my combative arts, I am perfectly in sync with every facet of the fight.

These criminals stand no chance at all.

Only when they wield their weapons do they pose some threat to me.

But… isn't that why Potions exist?

With the help of Grade 1 and Grade 2 Potions, I easily exceed them in speed and strength, completely demolishing their defenses before advancing even further.

It isn't even night yet, but the darkness of the slums covers nearly everything.

This isn't because of the weather, but rather the shape of the roofs as well as the several overhead canopies that block out sunlight, making criminal activities easier to undertake. Every place has its specialty, and the surroundings are a good indicator of what that is.

Evil is often committed in the dark… so it's no surprise that this place is rife with it.

After defeating a majority of the criminals, I once again let a few escape and then chase after them. After a while, I finally arrive at the base of operations of these criminals.

"Please… distinguished sir, we don't have to fight." The man who introduces himself as their boss bows his head as he greets me with respect. "I apologize for the behavior of my subordinates. They can be pretty foolish, unable to recognize someone great like yourself."

'This guy…' My eyes narrow as I stare at the man in front of me.

He's tall and fat, but most importantly, he possesses an Armament. It's D Grade—the same level as my Night Traveler's Cloak—which means he is quite influential around these parts. I can also detect a lot of people surrounding us, hiding in corners, just waiting for the command of their boss to strike.

Despite his politeness, he actually has me surrounded.

Of course, I'm not really trapped.

I have my trump cards too…

But, this is exactly where I want to be. Most people won't get comfortable unless they possess some kind of advantage, which is why I have to concede this much to allow the man in front of me to cooperate more sincerely.

Also, I believe I have shown him a decent amount of my strength to prove that I am not to be underestimated either.

As such, he no longer sees me as prey… but as a client.

In this world, strength is truly a key that opens all manner of doors.

Power allows people to treat you as their equal, and it grants the opportunity to experience the world in ways that those without it will never be able to.

Because of this, there is a vast difference between how the powerful view the world and how the weak experience it. This causes the latter to be limited in their thinking, which ultimately influences their actions.

They simply do not know any better.

This also allows them to be easily controlled by the powerful, who have a much broader view and can control the limited weaklings who swarm beneath their feet.

Isn't this how a Kingdom operates?

The Royal Family views the world with a broad lens, interacting with fellow Royals, while subduing everyone else. The High Nobility interact with the Royal Family; hence, they possess enough reach to step on those beneath them.

Even Knights and Minor Nobles still have some means to access High Nobility through their affiliations, which reinforces their authority and allows them to trample on commoners.

Among commoners, there are those with more power than others.

Those who are closer to the Lord in their territory hold more prestige than those without connections. This is simply the way of the world—how society functions.

But I personally don't care for any of it.

Politics is old and tiring.

If one possesses enough individual strength, then it's possible not to get involved in such a game of connections and simply break free from the chains of restrictions on your own.

Unfortunately, such a thing isn't possible in this world.

Humans are naturally a social species, and so, cooperation is vital for survival.

We need one another.

Plus… the Royals and High Nobles hoard all the best Armaments and Potions, making it near impossible for those below to ever rise up and possess individual power.

Anyway, back to the situation.

Since this is precisely what I was after from the start, I agree with the Boss of those henchmen and decide to do business with him. My request is simply to obtain information regarding the kidnappings—precisely where the abductions take place and where they go once they're done.

To further sweeten the deal and motivate him, I offer him a lump sum for his troubles.

Birds die for food, and humans die for wealth.

Money is also a valuable method to hold sway in any interaction.

However, money without power can be a double-edged blade that can often bring danger to a person rather than help them.

For example, if I had money and didn't have the strength to back it up, these people would have robbed me clean and even killed me afterward to silence me. Even if they don't kill me, they can easily sell me off to the abductors themselves.

These are the intricacies of the world… the truth that lurks in the shadows.

If it were left to me, I would eradicate this man and put an end to his entire operation, but to what end? Someone else will simply fill the vacuum and continue his criminal operations. There could even be a turf war, which could harm innocent bystanders.

If that happens, I would have changed nothing about the situation and would even end up causing more harm than good. This means change can't be made using such a method.

In the end, the systemic issues of this Town—no, the entire Kingdom—have ensured that these criminals will always exist. I can't dedicate my time to doing something as pointless as taking them down when the policies and structure of the Kingdom will ensure the entire thing continues in perpetuity.

Hence, I can only make use of them to get what I want.

After negotiating a little with the man, we finally reach an agreement, and I obtain the information I desire. To ensure he doesn't inform the abductors of my inquisition, I pay him some hush money and promise him even more if he can remain silent.

Of course, I know he won't be quiet for long, but this temporary truce is enough.

After discovering the route of the abductors, it isn't difficult to map out their destination—especially since the route only leads to a few places.

I exercise due diligence in my investigation and ensure I am thorough, so it should come as no surprise that I guessed the right location on my first try.

The secret hideout of the kidnappers—Lerois Holy Cathedral.

No one would have thought that these abductors were taking their victims to a church using its back door, but it was the first place I suspected.

The Clergy holds very little influence in the Randalorion Kingdom, and the High Nobility aren't very religious. In fact, the most prosperous parts and people of this Kingdom turn out to be the least religious.

Yet, throughout my stay and tour in this place, I found a lot of important people visiting the Holy Cathedral. Even when I brought up this peculiarity to my tour guide, she told me it has been this way since she started working in Lerois.

This shows that the Holy Cathedral has a long history and a deep foundation here.

But why?

Why would it attract so many rich and important figures?

At first, I decided to chalk it up to the fact that this is a Border Town, and so foreign culture probably influenced things in the City.

However, now… those assumptions have fizzled out, and instead a new theory has replaced them.

This place—

"There's something illegal going on here."

My first suspicion was the Slave Pit, but that thought quickly vanished from my mind.

Most of the people visiting this Holy Cathedral are well-known Nobles, and I can also see some High Nobles among those entering the massive church. There are even foreign envoys and ambassadors who frequent the place.

If they were simply interested in Slave Pits, they could organize their own in their backyards.

No… this has to be something more difficult to do.

Or, something more 'pristine.'

It also involves abducting people, which isn't the style of Slave Pits, since one can simply use enslaved people for that purpose.

Due to the many factors involved, I have decided to investigate this matter even more deeply.

In the dead of night, I visit the Church and make sure to take as many security protocols as I can to ensure my safety. I don't take Hassan with me this time, considering how dangerous this could end up being.

I also drink a Grade 3 Potion… Potion of Mirage Skin.

One vial has the miraculous effect of distorting the user's appearance, with the side effect of skin irritation. Since the one I took has quite a lot of impurities, I can feel my skin tingling as I disguise myself and infiltrate the cathedral.

I quickly find out that the security in this place is extremely tight, and practically all the guards possess Armaments—mostly F Grade, though.

However, I also see E and D Grade Armaments as well.

This is more dangerous than I expected.

But I press on.

Within the church, there's a basement that leads underground, and after taking the secret passageway for a few minutes, I arrive at the place where all these important men gather.

—A vast hall with a square stage at the center of the arena.

Deafening cheers pollute the air, and the crowd of the Kingdom's elite initially obscures my sight, but after moving for a better view, I quickly realize what the cheers are for.

Below, within the giant square board… are humans.

Some alive. Most dead.

At the fringe of the board, safely seated behind barriers, are two robust people whom I vaguely recognize. One is a Baron—a High Noble of our Kingdom, while the other is a foreign envoy from the Sarvosia Kingdom.

They seem to be playing a game while using the humans on the board as their pieces.

I've heard of this.

It's a wicked, twisted, and downright illegal practice that is most popular among the upper echelon of society…

… Living Chess!

In this event, people act as pieces on massive boards, often slaves or soldiers, directed in theatrical "games" where casualties are real. Due to the great amount of casualties, it is banned in most territories but is often done in Underground Areas… like this one.

"I see…" With a crestfallen expression, I murmur silently. "So they kidnapped all those people and brought them here to serve as chess pieces. They were probably promised freedom if they secured enough wins, but how could that happen?"

I sigh.

In the end, it looks like I've solved the mystery of the kidnappings… and it is horrific.

But this isn't the worst-case scenario.

Many of the abducted ones must have already been killed, but at the very least, the survivors haven't been trafficked outside the city, where their trail will be difficult to follow.

No, all of them are here… in this city.

That's good.

It means I can still help.

Unfortunately, I can't do this alone. The scale is too large, and the security is too extreme. Even if I had all my Armaments ready, I couldn't possibly take on these many foes myself.

Since High Nobles are here, I'm certain there are wielders of C Grade Armaments in their ranks.

I would be foolish to assume I would triumph over multiple foes like this.

But the situation isn't too bad.

Once I return to my room, I'll send a letter to all my old colleagues and enlist their help.

It should take about a week for them to receive the letter, and another week for them to make it here if they hurry. If I think of this as another collaboration, then by working together with them, we can take down this place.

While I wait for them, I should also prepare everything I need for this raid.

By the time they arrive, all my equipment should have been ready too, so I'll be in top form. I am obligated to report this to the Kingdom, but I'll only do this at the last minute—when everything is already put in place for our attack.

This will prevent all these criminals from getting tipped off, since these are all distinguished members of society.

'Just two weeks… please hang on until then…' My eyes flash eerily as I witness more bloodshed, forcing me to clutch my chest as I feel my heart sink.

'Wait for that moment, and I promise… We'll take down all of these scum together!'

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.