Ch.164Report on the Downfall of Charity (6)

Kain nodded readily.

“That’s right.”

Even as he spoke, he pulled the mussel shell into his palm. It was embarrassing to call it a blade, but it was better than bare hands.

But he could swing it anytime. Right now, he needed to understand this gray-haired man’s intentions first. If he truly wanted to turn Kain over to the guards, he would have beaten him up instead of bringing him to this restaurant.

He calmly gathered his thoughts.

“Like many young people in Venelucia. If I recall correctly, half the youth in this city were Rose Party members. That’s hardly surprising, is it?”

“That’s true.”

The gray-haired man nodded readily. Most young people, both men and women, had loved Beatrice.

People praised her beauty and were passionate about her bold assertions. Wherever she went, crowds followed her like clouds, cheering so enthusiastically that Beatrice herself was often embarrassed that she couldn’t properly deliver her speeches.

At such times, she would reluctantly let her hair down, roll up her ribbon, and toss it toward the audience. While everyone laughed at people scrambling to catch the ribbon, she would raise one hand and call out in a clear voice, “Become a party member!”

But those were all stories from the past.

The key figures had been executed, and those in important positions were exiled or sent to the ship of fools. Punishing all party members would have eliminated a quarter of Venelucia’s population, so only the executives received a “harsh lesson.”

“I didn’t seek him out as a party member. I just knew him from party activities and thought I might borrow some money. I thought we were fairly close, but unfortunately, it seems he doesn’t like me very much.”

At Kain’s answer, the gray-haired man clicked his tongue skeptically.

“So what have you been doing all this time?”

“I’ve been wandering around doing physical labor. Visited the Empire, even set foot in the Stone-Fire Faith’s territory. It was hot there.”

“Escaping persecution?”

The man asked mischievously. Kain grinned and shook his head.

“No. I got caught trying to steal bread and a set of silver cutlery from a house with an open window. I thought it was empty. I put the bread down and returned the silver.”

“And you came back home because you missed it?”

“I started missing home after accumulating gambling debts. Haven’t I suffered enough after more than two years?”

“Two years, huh.” The man stroked his cheek. He seemed to be thinking deeply, or perhaps weighing whether Kain’s words were true. Kain decided to probe a little.

“Why do you keep asking about my personal affairs?”

“I’m reminded of old stories too.” The man placed his interlocked hands on the table.

“Beatrice had many bodyguards. There were some fools who volunteered to be her guards, but there were also guard dogs who had been loyal to the Dandolo family for generations.

Even though she had separated from her father, there was no official estrangement, so a Dandolo was still a Dandolo. Anyway, those guys were truly skilled. But there was a strange one among them. Black hair and brown eyes. Like you.”

“Are black hair and brown eyes so rare?”

“They’re common enough. There are more than six people with that description in this restaurant alone. But what made him strange wasn’t his appearance. It was his skill, which was peculiar in a way I can’t quite explain.”

At Antonello’s words, Kain let out a hollow laugh.

“Good is good, bad is bad, and ambiguous is ambiguous. What does ‘peculiar’ mean?”

“Well… how should I explain it? Like a hunting dog mixed in among guard dogs. Yes, that’s it. He was different.

His staff technique was utterly clumsy, but his footwork and overwhelming skills were above those of any ordinary mercenary. His movements, responses, and situational judgment were at least two steps ahead of the others.

But the reason he was talked about for so long was something else.”

Kain completely concealed the mussel shell in his right hand. He had already checked how sharp it was with his fingertips.

“What was that?”

“Do you know how Beatrice Dandolo died?”

I do.

“I heard she was attacked by street thugs,” Kain shook his head. “Sounds absurd.”

“Of course it makes no sense.” Antonello nodded as well.

“First of all, street thugs steal from little kids’ pockets, not attack the only daughter of the Dandolo family. And they wouldn’t be numerous enough to overwhelm even the Dandolo family’s bodyguards.

Street thugs occupying five streets and attacking from all directions at once? It’s not common sense.

Crucially, there were no thugs in the alley where Beatrice died.”

That can’t be right.

How many men had he and Beatrice taken down? They were sprawled all over the alley, causing those who came running to trip over them.

Yet there were no thugs?

“It’s clear that thugs drove Beatrice into a corner. Many people saw her and the ‘hunting dog’ fleeing together.

But what was found was only the cold corpse of the Dandolo family’s daughter in an empty street.

So what’s the conclusion? Whether the hunting dog was a traitor from the beginning or was persuaded along the way, I don’t know. She had many enemies.

But it’s clear that he was the one who assassinated Beatrice Dandolo. He stabbed her neck in one strike, cutting off her breath for certain.

And the hunting dog disappeared. Like dust scattered in the air, just gone.”

It was what he himself had done. But hearing it through someone else’s mouth was an entirely different matter.

“Why are you telling me this story? We were clearly talking about Leonardo of Charity, then you suddenly started talking about luck, and now you’re talking about Beatrice. I can’t make sense of it.”

“I apologize.” Antonello showed his palm.

“But I’m not particularly good with words. However, if you listen for just 10 more minutes, no, 5 minutes, you’ll see how it all connects.

The question of the hunting dog’s identity circulated among mercenary captains. More precisely, it was about who employed him. Who was behind him, who was backing him.

Because this was a matter of trust. Look, we’re mercenaries. If a mercenary stabs his protection target in the neck at someone’s instigation, who could trust whom?

So identifying him was a critical matter.”

“So, did you find out?”

“We couldn’t confirm it, but there are rumors. The most plausible theory is that he was an assassin hired by Leonardo of Charity. The reason he could disappear like the wind was thanks to Leonardo’s support. That explanation makes sense.”

It felt like insects were buzzing around his ears. The world seemed to spin slightly.

“What’s your evidence?”

“Those street thugs were Leonardo’s mercenaries.”

* * * * *

Antonello tapped the table with his finger, as if striking piano keys.

“When you think about it that way, it’s not complicated. It’s no secret that Leonardo maintained ‘deals’ with those in power for a long time. So hiring an assassin wouldn’t have been difficult.

He infiltrated an expensive assassin to gain trust, blocked the paths like in a driven hunt, and then delivered the decisive strike.”

To them, that would have been a reasonable explanation. How could they imagine that an Imperial agent had infiltrated?

But Kain composed himself. There was something strange about this story. Many parts didn’t quite match with his own memories or the information he had afterward.

“What does this have to do with luck?”

“After that day, all politicians with many enemies requested protection from Leonardo. As a result… established mercenary families ended up like this.” Antonello slightly raised both arms.

“As I said before, we’re mercenaries. Double contracts were unthinkable because they would break trust.

But Leonardo crossed that line and proved it was highly effective. He took down ‘the Beatrice’ of all people.

No politician was ever loved as much as she was, and no one before or since has had as many people around them. Yet he managed to assassinate her, so what greater skill could there be?”

Antonello shook his head. His gray hair gleamed even more.

“Of course, the biggest reason was the fear that they might suffer the same fate as she did at Leonardo’s hands.

Then Leonardo took it a step further. He established a private security company. When the troublesome woman named Beatrice disappeared, the existing ‘elders’ spared no support for Leonardo.

With plenty of money and growing fame, what did he do? He expanded his influence. He also sponsored various projects with the money he earned. Living up to the name of ‘Charity.'”

After Niccolo Dandolo passed away, Venelucia had approached a state of civil war due to conflicts between guilds.

But it was merely political realignment without actual conflict. The Imperial Security Bureau thought the reason was “they’re still weighing the pros and cons,” but that wasn’t the whole story.

It would be more accurate to say they couldn’t fight because they shared the same security company.

“Now do you understand what luck means? He’s a man who has seized fortune. Paths open up wherever he goes.

It’s frustrating, but who could have imagined things would unfold this way? He showed that one could easily overcome what was previously unimaginable and unthinkable, and still succeed. Leonardo is a pioneer.”

“I should look for a job there then.”

Kain replied curtly. But Antonello just looked at him with meaningful eyes.

“So you don’t know after all.”

“Know what?”

“You won’t find work there even if you go. There’s a widespread rumor that Leonardo is disbanding his mercenary group. They say he’s worked long enough and now wants to retire and live in leisure.

So, this is a big opportunity for shrunken groups like ours. As you’ve already seen, the naval officers who came in as mercenaries know how to fight impressively, but they don’t know how to fight effectively like you do.

What do you think? Interested in working together?”