Chapter 103: … Why the hell are you here?

-: You got hit by the black flames? Yeah, that’s supposed to hurt lol

-: SWORD IS FIRE… even the name just sounds painful

-: For real, it’s got like three violent words in it

-: Three?

-: Oh

-[OP]: No like wtf it wasn’t even a hit it was just an instant-cast lol

-: Instant-cast? Oh…

-: Oh… yikes

-[OP]: Seriously guys what the actual f*** is with this Gaderok bastard
-[OP]: How the hell is this level 6-tier damage

-: It’s not just tier 6, they say it’s high-end tier 6 😭
-[OP]: High-end, low-end, idc I have sky-high magic resistance and tier 7 casters barely scratch me

-: Gaderok is notorious for his gear tbh

-: Dude’s got this cute black pearl earring on his right ear like he’s some kind of femboy

-: That’s the one. It’s an artifact that seals devil  power.

-[OP]: Wait what
-[OP]: How did I not notice that

-: Image attachment: BQD1C1247199DDCQQDW599384645231[CCD]*
*-[OP]: Oh thanks
-[OP]: Wait the hell is this lewd pic??

-: Whoops wrong file
-[OP]: Anyway thx lol

-: No prob gl out there

-: Why is this kinda wholesome

-[OP]: Wait so artifact? That’s different from “Relic”?

-: In-game, if something seals “strength,” it’s an artifact. If it seals “Authority,” it’s a relic.

Gaderok’s black flame.

Its infamy reached every corner of the back-alley.

Those who came across the tale of the black flame often accused Gaderok of being a black mage.

The nature and power of it were nearly unfathomable.

Once lit, the flame would not extinguish until it fully consumed its target, and it couldn’t be put out by force.

In the back-alley, the black flame was a symbol of fear.

And Gaderok, the one who wielded that symbol, reigned as a king of the back-alley.

“…The black flame… went out?”

And now.

It had vanished.

Just like that, as if a candle were blown out by the wind.

The rulers of the back-alley and their guards all stared blankly at Gaderok.

“…”

Gaderok, too, was frozen, staring into space.

Their eyes naturally followed his gaze.

All eyes landed on the Deputy Councilor.

“Are you all right, Brimport?”

“Huh? Ah…”

Was this a dream or reality?

Brimport, half out of his mind, snapped back and nodded hastily.

“Y-Yes! I’m fine!”

-My life depends on this rookie?

-Might as well just call it quits.

Brimport, who had been lamenting his situation just moments earlier, no longer existed.

He swiftly pulled his chair right next to Risir and sat down.

A pitiful sight unbefitting of one called a ruler of the back-alley.

Had this been a normal back-alley summit, Brimport would’ve been showered with ridicule.

If this had been one of those usual summits dominated by Gaderok and Gadum that is.

“…”

“…”

But now.

No one dared mock Brimport.

“Th-Thanks to you, I survived! Thank you, Deputy Councilor!”

Because right next to him sat the one who had just protected him.

“Don’t mention it.”

Risir, having extinguished the black flame like it was nothing, now acted as if it had never happened.

That alone was enough to shake the hearts of the rulers, who had long been bound in fear to that very flame.

This was no longer a summit “without Gadum.”

No longer were they thinking “is it Gaderok’s era now?”

Their shock and silence lent Risir legitimacy.

Legitimacy strong enough to steer the entire direction of the meeting.

No one saw him as some lost rookie anymore.

Risir, sensing the shift, recalled Clana’s advice.

—The most important thing when dealing with criminals is seizing the initiative.

Now was the time to follow that advice.

He spoke immediately.

“As someone mentioned earlier, the mood may be a bit chaotic to proceed. But don’t worry—
as you can see, I’ve already put out the urgent flames.”

In a tone more formal than usual, Risir deployed the refined eloquence typical of nobility.

With that alone, Gaderok—who had tried to ignite the room by lighting up Brimport—suddenly looked foolish.

Some rulers even suppressed their snickers while glancing nervously at Gaderok.

“…”

When Gaderok scowled, their laughter vanished like mist.

He silently stared at Risir.

The room’s atmosphere now split in two.

Risir clicked his tongue internally.

This is going to be tougher than I thought.

His mission was to dominate the summit and pass a proposal that would pressure the criminal groups.

To do that, he needed a majority, at least four votes, including his and Brimport’s.

Just earlier, Risir had hoped he could secure two more votes from rulers not aligned with Gaderok.

But seeing their current reactions…

Risir knew.

They still feared Gaderok more than him.

There’s no way they’ll side with me on a proposal that harms their own operations unless they fear me more than Gaderok. Which they clearly don’t.

He tried to recall the key details he’d prepared before this summit.

1. Gaderok (West) and Dajon (the convener of this meeting) are in a tense relationship.

2. The Master (North) and the Saint (East) seem to oppose criminal activities.

Dajon is clearly watching Gaderok right now… which leaves the Saint and the Master as my best hope.

The Saint and the Master.

Thinking of them, Risir’s expression soured.

He recalled what Dogal had said.

—The Master is no pushover. Since rising as the new northern ruler, the North has become a unified front. A level of control even Gaderok hasn’t shown.

—Gadum tried to deal with her, since much of Gadum’s trade involved human trafficking in the North. But every time, the Master firmly slammed the door.

—The Saint is similar. Known for healing addicts and the poor for free, he’s beloved in his region. Honestly, even the church’s Saintess don’t compare to him in that district.

—Plus, he’s backed by the Golden Barley Merchant Guild, one of the top trading groups in Bondalles. The daughter, Caria, fell for the Saint after being cured by him.

—The Saint’s also got plenty of powerful supporters.

—Both the Master and the Saint are masters of dealing with people.

—Even for you, Risir, they won’t be easy.

They clearly differed from the other rulers in their stance against crime.

One could say they aligned more closely with Risir, who worked from the council to rein in the back-alley.

But that doesn’t mean they’ll take my side.

They were still rooted in the back-alley.

Even if not criminals, they’d likely be wary of city council interference.

So I need a way to pressure the back-alley while keeping the Saint and the Master from turning on me. This is hard…

Despite all his planning, no perfect answer came to mind.

He just hoped they wouldn’t show up before he had one.

“The Master has arrived.”

But of course, the Master arrived right on time.

Risir stiffened and turned toward the entrance.

There stood a slender woman.

Crimson eyes gleamed beneath her white mask.

“…”

“…”

Both the Deputy Councilor and Northern Master exchanged long, unreadable gazes.

“The Saint has arrived.”

Before the Master could even sit down, another presence entered.

Sky-blue, androgynous eyes gleamed beneath a steel mask.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Deputy Councilor.

Northern Master.

Eastern Saint.

The three of them locked eyes in loaded silence.

… Why the hell are you here?

The meaning behind their stares was known to none but them.

Then.

The Master glanced at the roundtable and at the Saint, then quickly moved to sit at Risir’s right.

The Saint, naturally, moved to sit at Risir’s left—

“?”

“…”

Only to find Brimport already there.

They locked eyes briefly in silent battle.

Then the Saint sighed.

At last, every seat at the roundtable was filled.

“We’re all here. Let’s begin.”

The right to preside belonged to Gadum, the summit’s greatest backer.

As his proxy, Risir now led the meeting. He took a breath and reviewed his goal:

One, two, three, four… huh?

Suddenly—

A perfect plan popped into Risir’s head.

One that would both control the back-alley and win everyone’s approval.

What the hell did he do…?

Ever since the Deputy Councilor extinguished the black flame, Gaderok’s expression had remained grim.

The black flame wasn’t just a powerful weapon, it held deep symbolic meaning, especially for Gaderok.

Now, with the flame gone, a new spark had taken its place: unease.

The creeping fear that this summit might not go his way.

But that fear didn’t last long.

Shortly after the meeting began, the deputy councilor raised the first motion—and it was absolutely outrageous.

“And so, to better protect and coordinate your businesses, we intend to expand our patrol routes to include most of the back-alley districts. Furthermore—”

Strung together with flowery words, the true meaning of the proposal was this.

—From now on, the back-alley fall under our patrol jurisdiction.

So the rookie is still just a rookie, huh.

Had the success with the black flame gone to his head?

Or was he overestimating Gadum’s power backing him?

Either way, he’d made a critical mistake.

Declaring control over the back-alley… at a back-alley summit filled with its rulers.

As for the Master and the Saint… they’ll be out. No doubt.

The biggest fear Gaderok had was the possibility that the Master and the Saint might side with the Deputy Councilor.

But that fear ended here.

This clearly draws a line between them and him.

Gaderok scanned the roundtable.

From his view—

He had three allies. Two on the opposing side. And the Master and the Saint remained neutral.

Brimport…

If he could sway Brimport back, then the back-alley summit would fall into his hands.

“So, all in favor of the proposal, please raise your hands.”

Having finished his calculations, Gaderok leaned back confidently in his seat.

Now all that was left was to watch the rookie crumble under the weight of rejection.

He turned to watch Brimport.

“…”

He’s not quite that much of a fool.

Brimport sat uncomfortably, eyes darting between Risir, the Saint, and the Master.

Clearly, he couldn’t understand why Risir would propose something so unpopular when he should be winning allies.

At this point, instead of killing Brimport—

Just as Gaderok was already envisioning what to do once the motion failed—

“…!”

A sharp gasp came from the seat beside him.

Startled, Gaderok snapped out of his thoughts.

“…”

And couldn’t believe his eyes.

The Saint and the Master…

Had raised their hands.

“I—I vote in favor too!”

Brimport, following their lead, quickly raised his hand.

“Motion passed.”

And just like that, the ludicrous motion proposed by the Deputy Councilor was approved.

Could it really go this smoothly?

Risir watched Gaderok’s reaction in a daze.

As expected, the man was flustered.

That much was within Risir’s calculations.

“…”

But suddenly, Gaderok’s expression hardened with resolve.

He exchanged glances with the Southern ruler, Dajon, and nodded.

Wait a second.

A strange sense of foreboding crept in.

And that unease quickly became reality.

Gaderok reached into his coat, where a flicker of mana flared.

He was signaling his men, stationed in nearby buildings.

Risir’s sharp senses picked up the surge of presences rushing toward the house.

“Risir, something’s wrong!”

Dogal and the guards immediately stood with their backs to the entrance, weapons at the ready,just as armed men burst in and blocked every exit.

“That’s—Risir! They’re Gaderok and Dajon’s men!”

The two had clearly come to an agreement.

Their goal: overthrow Gadum’s power once and for all, and monopolize the back-alley.

Caught between them, another confused ruler shouted—

“Gaderok! Dajon! What the hell is—AAARGH!!!”

His face erupted in black flames.

As he collapsed, writhing on the floor, Gaderok rose from his seat and sneered down at Risir.

“You little brat… You just had to complicate things, didn’t you? You do realize, this is all your fault.”

“…”

“Well then—”

“KYAAAAH!!!”

A scream cut him off.

It came from one of Dajon’s own people.

She was flailing, engulfed in black flames.

“W-What is this…! Forean!”

“Lord Dajon! Help me! It’s burning—!”

“Damn it, Gaderok! Stop this! What the hell are you doing?!”

Dajon recoiled and shouted furiously at Gaderok.

“…?”

Gaderok’s expression flickered—

Caught between contradiction and confusion.

“…What the hell is happening now?”

“Are they turning on each other?”

Even the Master and the Saint seemed at a loss.

But then—

“Oh, right—”

“There is you.”

Their gazes turned to Risir.

Then they nodded to themselves in understanding.

“No—”

Risir was just as baffled and tried to deny it—

—Mastahhhhh!

A voice rang out in Risir’s head.

Yesterday, one of the “three” elementals had thrown a tantrum about not being allowed into Risir’s inner world.

It was Dan’Galeon.

Flustered, Risir mentally asked.

Wait, that was you?!

—Who else but I, the great Dan’Galeon, would do such a thing for you, Master?!

But how?!

—You see that scumbag’s black pearl earring?!

What about it?

—It’s mine!

…

Too many details were missing, but Risir grasped the meaning.

He remembered Dan’Galeon’s catchphrase…

The Scorching Black Flame… Don’t tell me… that power Gaderok uses… is yours?

—I created it! All black flames in this world are the work of I, the great and mighty Dan’Galeon!

Wow.

—A tragedy, isn’t it?! That filthy insect dares to wield my power freely… But anyway! Now’s your chance, Mastah!

Chance to what?

— I’ll burn their men with black fire. They’ll think it’s Gaderok’s doing and fall into chaos! You exploit that and pit them against each other!

“…”

What kind of brain does it take to spit out a plan like that in the middle of a crisis?

Risir could only marvel at the devil’s cunning.