Survival 67

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“Phew, finally done organizing.”

After inscribing all the information the client wanted on the specially treated scroll, the girl stretched her arms. “Take it.”

“Thank you for your hard work. But… are you okay?”

At her loyal subordinate’s concerned question, the girl showed a faint smile. “What do you mean?”

“You didn’t show your face.”

Pulling back her veil to reveal her black, silky hair, the girl smiled softly. The meeting a few days ago, as the head of the thieves’ guild, was a curious experience for her.

***

“Then, come this way.”

A boy dressed as a servant suddenly had the cure for Hanhyul disease. His request was simple: come closer.

“Huhu, don’t they teach manners in the North?”

Betrayal, pursuit, assassination. The position of the leader of the thieves’ guild always comes with danger.

The reason she wore a hat with a veil that covered down to her chin was not to show her face to the opponent.

But to be asked to come closer. Who would she trust?

To snatch the hat with his hand, to reveal her identity, or maybe he was an assassin lured by the promise of curing her disease.

“To cure Hanhyul disease, it’s a necessary procedure. If you’re reluctant to show your face, I’ll proceed with a blindfold.”

Despite their rudeness, his tone seemed considerate. She was taken aback by his audacity.

“Let’s hear about the treatment first. I’ll decide afterwards.”

Trust is always accompanied by risk in any transaction. ‘This feels like a bit more of an adventure than usual.’

Her intuition whispered in her mind. The one which saved her from assassins. Told her to keep trustworthy people close. Created and prospered the thieves’ guild. Always opened her path, that intuition didn’t react to this young man. No red flags were raised.

‘Trusting blindly isn’t always the right strategy, but…’

Sometimes, relying on her intuition leads to better outcomes. She had experienced this firsthand.

“Alright. Only the servant comes this way. But, I’ll wrap the veil tighter.”

She drew a firm line with a soft but firm voice. She couldn’t trust anyone else.

Having Hanhyul disease was okay. She could afford that weakness if it meant a cure. ‘But I can’t expose my appearance.’

The lady from the northern front was a merchant. You never know when she might sell your information. And the lady from the western Roberk, it would be a relief if she didn’t come to capture her herself.

“That’s how it is. The others, please wait here.”

…

“What a pity. Your cure for Hanhyul disease would have made a good business.”

“Haha. It’s not a cure that can be shown to just anyone.”

After finishing his conversation with the lady from the front, he slowly approached her.

“Could you roll up your sleeve for a moment?”

“Are you going to examine it yourself?”

Hiding her inner thoughts, she extended her arm towards Hans. 

‘If he doesn’t intend to harm me, this could actually be an opportunity.’ 

Just as the lady from the Frontal had said.

Hanhyul disease, a rare and incurable illness. If there were a way to cure it, countless people would rush to it, even if it cost them a fortune, just like she had.

The main business of the thieves’ guild was selling information. Just knowing the cure would be beneficial to the organization. Then,

“It’s not me. Lady Batory will take care of it.”

“Really. Since I’ve arrived here, I haven’t had a moment to rest. Isn’t this too much dependence on me?”

A person emerged from his shadow. The girl’s body froze on the spot. Just looking at those rosy pupils could make one’s spine chill unknowingly. The skin so pale it made you think of death. Hair as if molten gold.

“…My subordinates were impolite.”

“Eh? Oh, if it’s those brats, I’d recommend changing them. They’re utterly useless to you. Unlike my own kind.”

Her languid tone alone made it clear. She had no concern for the recent fight. The girl, with a smile pulling at her lips despite the rudeness, responded politely.

“If you’re a vampire, you must have lived long. You might know a way to cure my disease.”

‘It’ll be hard to sell this information.’ She felt a twinge of regret. Even for an incurable disease, it would not be easy to tell people to seek treatment from demons.

She was somewhat reluctant to entrust her body to a demon. But what could she do? She had already crossed the river; now, she had to bring back something.

“In truth, it’s not so much because I’ve lived long, but rather because of her species.”

“Excuse me?”

“Hanhyul disease is ultimately a disorder of the blood vessels. For a vampire, it’s even more trivial than a common cold.”

-Thud. 

Suddenly, her long fingernails dug into her forearm.

“Ugh?!”

“Stay still. If you resist, it will only get worse.”

A disgusting sensation as if the blood was flowing uncontrollably, followed by a sharp pain scratching beneath the skin. And then,

“Let, let me go!”

The previous ease was gone. Only a helpless girl, writhing in pain, remained. “I told you to stay still.”

From the arm to the heart, and then throughout the body. She was seized by the illusion of explosions occurring everywhere.

“Aah!”

After screaming in agony, she finally let go of her arm. Surprisingly, once the demon withdrew her hand, …it didn’t hurt.

The cold pain that had been tormenting her, poking at her heart, was replaced by a warmth and comfort she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Is the treatment over?”

“It’s done. I’ve cleared all the negative energy blocking your vessels; you’ll gradually get better.”

“Oh…”

However, because the treatment method was intense, she was momentarily unable to speak properly, frozen in place. But more than the fading pain or the warmth starting to spread through her limbs, something else stirred her heart.

‘How could I have not thought about it?’ 

It was a simple yet astonishing idea.

The girl knew about the vampire’s ability to manipulate blood. It was basic knowledge for the commoners of this continent.

Yet, to utilize it to solve a problem that hundreds, thousands of treatments couldn’t—it was simply resolved with one inherent ability of the demons.

“Oh, you look pale. Perhaps I should take you back to your subordinate.”

A cold handkerchief slipped between the veils covering her face and covered her forehead. What she faced then was—eyes and hair as dark as black jade, just like hers.

-The district chief has such a mysterious aura about them.

That was what her subordinate used to say every time he saw her. She hadn’t understood it then, but now, it seemed she might.

Freed from the obstruction of the veil, facing his face directly, she found that description quite fitting.

‘I knew he wasn’t an ordinary servant, but… my interest has grown. My intuition whispers so. That there’s nothing wrong with getting involved with him.’

“I trust you will handle the task I entrusted to you. Then, until next time. I’ll come back.”

As he supported her, unable to speak, he whispered in her ear.

***

Sitting on the sofa, supported by her subordinate, the girl fixed her attire. The anxious subordinate carefully broached a topic.

“By the way, what about the Hanhyul disease? If those were quacks, we can still take follow-up actions…”

“No, it’s fine. That part has been definitively cured.”

The girl replied sharply, her face covered again with the veil. Despite the cold response, her subordinate’s face was filled with joy.

The fingertips that were always cold were now a thing of the past. Finally, a natural body temperature, something every person should have, had settled in her master.

“Since we’ve received the down payment, we can’t afford to do a sloppy job. Deliver that scroll to the lady of the Roberk family as soon as possible.”

“Understood. Then, who shall handle the rumor matter?”

The girl tapped her cheek thoughtfully as she tilted her head. Slandering the saintess. It was certainly risky. Especially with the crown prince involved, they might just turn their blades towards them.

“I’ll do it myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, are you doubting the district chief’s capabilities now?”

“No, it’s not that…!”

“Why do you think I took the position of the district chief of the thieves’ guild? Don’t worry.”

First, a few residents of the underworld. Then, the servants of the noble families. And finally, the bold media. It wasn’t impossible to cook them all.

Bringing back customers a second time naturally depended on the satisfaction provided by the service.

‘I hope his words about coming back aren’t just empty promises.’

The girl turned her head towards the direction of the palace, where he would be, and smiled faintly.

***

“Media, north or here, seems there’s not much difference.”

Luciana frowned.

“What’s the matter?”

“Take a look for yourself.”

Luciana handed over the newspaper she had been reading. On the front page, accompanied by a drawing of the saintess, were provocative headlines that read:

[The saintess chosen by God, do humans appear as mere bugs to her?]

A headline that could make the person concerned lose their mind on the spot. Below it were claims of her coldly rejecting the crown prince’s dance invitation, hurling verbal abuse at the palace’s servants and maids, and being untrustworthy due to her unclear origins. A plethora of fabrications and slander was rampant.

‘They really know how to get a job done.’

Indeed, the thieves’ guild was a necessary evil. Annoying when against you, but invaluable when on your side. With the saintess’s reputation damaged and even the ‘rejected crown prince’ mentioned,

‘That shallow man who values face so much will likely not pester the saintess anymore.’

The first button towards Luciana’s downfall. The possibility of the saintess and the crown prince coming together had drifted far away.

[Luciana’s downfall progress has been updated.]

[40% -> 30%]

As if to support my speculation, the status window left a pleasant message. ‘It’s back to square one, but it’s better than having it increase.’

Meanwhile, Luciana, scanning the newspaper article again, clicked her tongue in displeasure.

“Tch. I may not like her, but this article is too forced. To attack using the refusal as an excuse.”

“Sensational articles do attract readers, but… this is too much.”

It was a dangerously high level of provocation. ‘I hope it doesn’t backfire.’

The desired outcome was achieved. Now, for the sake of harmony with the saintess and to avoid the wrath of the royal family, the thieves’ guild had to cut off its tail properly.

“All it did was increase my annoyance.”

“Think of it positively. You’ll be returning to the North soon, won’t you?”

Mention of her hometown brought a faint smile to her lips. A mixture of relief and nostalgia.

The occasional glimpse of her genuine feelings was more frightening. I coughed awkwardly to cover up the awkwardness.

“Ahem! Of course, it won’t be long before you return to the Central region.”

“I know. Without graduating from the Academy, how could anyone claim to be a noble of the Manhett Empire?”

The Academy. A place where noble children from all regions gather for education and the main stage of the game.

And the place where Luciana ultimately faced her downfall. My resolve hardened once again. ‘You think I’d let that happen?’

The first step towards her downfall was successfully sabotaged. Now, at the Academy, gradually increasing the distance between Luciana and the crown prince, and preventing any contact between the saintess and the crown prince until at least the engagement is broken off.

‘Luciana’s downfall won’t happen.’

There’s still plenty of time before enrollment at the Academy. All that’s left is to solidify the plan.

“I need to consult with Elizabeth about this.”

“Hmm? Are you talking about the engagement matter?”

Luciana did not miss the quietly uttered words.

‘I need to be more careful with what I say.’

Fortunately, no misunderstanding arose. Luciana sighed and looked out the window.

“Even though it’s a connection formed between families, you always seem to get along well. I’m a bit envious.”

“Hasn’t Lady Luciana also secured the best engagement? The future position as the mistress of the Manhett Empire is guaranteed.”

“Huhu. I wish that were the case.”

Watching Luciana force a smile, I reaffirmed my resolve. A crown prince who, despite being engaged, dallies with other women without breaking off his engagement.

‘Luciana deserves so much better.’

To prevent any risk, it was only right that they be torn apart.

“Let’s not dwell on complicated thoughts for now. Start preparing to return to the North.”

“…Yes.”

Today was the last day of the social season. It was time to return to her homeland, and my workplace, the North.

***

“What’s this?”

After most of the nobility had departed, leaving a deserted atmosphere in the banquet hall, a doll revealed itself in a corner of the library set up there.

“This is strange… Why is there no response?”

Behind a bookshelf hidden by books, a button leading to an entrance to the ruins of a Lich, which Hans had already visited.

The shadow pressing it desperately sighed at the unbelievable reality.

“It’s already been used? Who on earth could have?”

It was a setback. They had used the time when the other nobles’ eyes were elsewhere, yet someone had unexpectedly beaten them to it.

-Bang!

The shadow’s fist shook the bookshelf.

“Let’s put this aside for now. There are too many urgent matters to attend to.”

The button was once again concealed by the book placed back in its spot. After the shadow quietly exited the library, silence enveloped the room once more.

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