The 31st Piece Turns the Tables

Chapter 50

‘There are no witnesses either… I’ll check tomorrow as well, but if there still aren’t any clues, I’ll just have to rely on whatever material is left in the research room for my clues.’

Results aren’t always guaranteed because you put in the effort.

- How is he still not tired…?

- He’s a serious workaholic.

- He’s not resting at all!

- There’s an old saying that the people who work the hardest aren’t beginners but the best…

- It’s not wrong haha

Before Seol returned to his outbuilding, he first entered a bar he spotted on the street.

A part of the reason was that moderate intoxication was the perfect way to relieve some fatigue, but another reason was that he was hung up on something.

‘Why do they keep following me?’

Someone had been trailing him.

Seol wasn’t completely sure when he first left the outbuilding but became confident they were trailing him the moment they followed him all the way to the manor where Chao’s research room was.

‘...Who is it?’

Kibo? Heka’s faction?

Or someone related to Chao?

Seol entered the bar to see their reactions.

“Bwahahaha! Make sure to spare the time!”

“Are you really going to take me again?”

“Have you been lied to all your life? I like the way you work so come back next time, alright?”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

It was loud in the bar.

The two-story bar was filled with the sound of multiple conversations.

One of the workers approached Seol.

“What would you like to order?”

“Grilled eggplants, and…”

“O-Oh my god…”

The worker stopped taking Seol’s order and hurriedly returned to the kitchen in shock.

Seol, surprised, turned around. He then realized that the people around him all turned silent as well.

Someone entered through the bar’s entrance.

It was a monster-like man who looked even bigger than Kibo.

The man had unkempt hair that reached down to his shoulders. There was also a sour odor of unknown origin that came as he entered the room.

‘...it’s the smell of blood.’

However, the smell of blood pierced through the man’s disgusting smell.

How many lives does one have to kill for them to smell like blood?

“I-It’s Heka…”

“Heka? Fucking hell…”

“Run… Run!”

“Run where? He’s blocking the door…”

“The back door! Run through the back door!”

“I feel like something’s going to happen at this rate…”

People hurriedly left the building.

Heka didn’t even give a glance to them as they left. He continuously stared at one place, at the person he had business with.

Coincidentally, Heka just happened to be staring at the seat that Seol just sat down in.

Thud… Thud…

Heka walked toward Seol.

Seol, meanwhile, noticed multiple presences outside of the building. Heka’s faction was likely surrounding the building.

‘Is he here to investigate or to fight?’

Seol was now confident that the person who trailed him today was a member of Heka’s faction. It was the only way his coincidental meeting with Heka would make sense.

Furthermore, the way Heka was taking those big, swinging steps toward him was strange when it should have been their first time seeing each other.

‘That’s a small problem.’

Seol came to the conclusion that it was one of two options. Either his identity was revealed or Heka found out about his trade with Kibo.

‘Well, it’s still too soon to make a conclusion though.’

He had to first listen to what Heka would say.

Thud.

Heka stood opposite Seol.

Most people would be on guard if Heka sat down in front of them but Seol was relaxed. He still had his two elbows on the table as he looked at Heka.

“I am Heka. You’re strong, aren’t you?”

“Who are you asking that question to?”

“You, obviously. Who else would it be?”

- Me?

- It’s me.

- So it was me.

Seol thought for a moment at Heka’s forward, rude question.

“I’m not weak,” answered Seol.

Since Heka was being rude, Seol decided to be rude back.

“Pffft… You’re lying. I can smell fear from you. Are you sure you didn’t piss yourself?”

“What do you want?”

Thud.

Heka sat down on the table, opposite Seol. Since there was a height difference between the two of them, there was even a height difference in sitting height.

“You brat… Where did you get your treasure?”

“Treasure?”

“Don’t try to play tricks with me. I heard you handed over your treasure to the Wolf, is that right?”

“Who told you that?” responded Seol calmly.

Seol wasn’t simply pretending to not know, he was trying to find out where Heka got his information from. Since Heka was the type to speak very directly, at this rate, Seol should be able to find out where Heka received his information from.

“Hmph, don’t you play with me. Oi, Bring her in!” shouted Heka to the people outside.

Heka was quite relaxed despite having Seol right in front of him.

“Uh… She isn’t able to speak properly right now though…”

“Bring her in anyway. I’m sure he’ll talk once he sees her face.”

“Uh, I understand.”

A woman with her arms tied in crude ropes wobbled into the bar, receiving assistance from one of the members of Heka’s faction.

“Urb…”

“Hold still if you don’t want to die!”

She had been beaten so badly that her eyes were swollen like fish eyes and had black bruises all over her body.

She looked like just opening her mouth would cause her to vomit out blood.

Seol, with some difficulty, was able to tell who she was.

“Rita.”

“Urb…”

“Kuahaha… It looks like you know each other, huh?”

“Through one thing or another.”

“I also did one thing or another to her. Oi, sit her down here.”

Rika received help and sat down in a seat right next to Heka, across from Seol.

- He’s fucked. ‘The Order’ is pissed.

- Did you see how his expression changed…?

- Is it the return? Return of ‘The Order’?

- Info) The guy in front of him doesn’t know the situation he’s in.

“She spilled everything. I hit her a few times, and she told me everything, even apologizing for not telling it to me right away,” growled Heka.

Heka tapped Rita’s shoulder. Rita, half unconscious, started speaking in a robotic tone.

“I… I wasn’t really involved with what happened, I promise. All I did was play the middleman in a trade between treasures… cough… Please believe me. Please, it’s the truth. Please don’t hit me… It hurts…”

“......”

“You heard her, right? What do you think?”

Seol only watched Heka with an emotionless look in his golden eyes.

“That treasure… it should not have gone to the Wolf,” said Heka, exerting pressure in his tone.

“Why not?”

“Because he and I don’t have a good relationship. But I doubt you didn’t know that when you’re staying in Nobira.”

“Of course I knew.”

“So you gave it to him despite knowing that I wouldn’t like it… Hm… And that ring on your finger.”

Heka gave a strange smile that flashed his rotten teeth.

“I feel like I know that ring…?”

“I don’t have time to waste. What do you want?”

“Are you on the Wolf’s side?”

“Not yet.”

“Oho… Is that the truth? I feel like I might be upset if you lie to me again…”

“I told you, not yet.”

Heka showed interest in Seol’s bold attitude.

“I heard you were the strongest among the transferees.”

“I don’t know, maybe?”

“Haha… You claim that even though I, Heka, am the strongest in Nobira? Not to mention the fact that I despise transferees.”

“Why?”

“Because they act exactly like parasites? All they do is intrude into the world that we’ve built up, cross the lines that we’ve created, and take whatever they want.”

“Is that really what you dislike about them?”

“No, that’s just an excuse. It’s just fun to bully weaklings.”

“I see. It’s as I expected.”

Heka was the most wicked of the wickedest people. It was also likely that Doju, who allied with Heka, was not too different from him either.

- There’s also rumors that he kills transferees for fun. It’s basically a fact though.

‘So it was true.’

Kibo didn’t say that to bring Seol to his side, he simply wanted Seol to know the entire truth.

“Still, there’s an option you can take that would let you live.”

“An option, hm…”

‘Options’ practically symbolized Seol.

Not only did he always try his best to choose the correct option, but he could also visibly see the ‘options’ that others couldn’t see.

“And what are the options?”

“Kill the Wolf. If you do, I’ll forgive you for pissing me off.”

“...And if I refuse?”

“First, I’ll kill this woman next to me.”

“And then?”

“I’ll break your neck and kill you here.”

“And then?”

“Are you really curious about what would happen after you die?”

“Isn’t it obvious to be curious about a novel that even an idiot like you wrote?”

“This fucking bastard…”

Glow…

Fwirl!

In an instant, Seol used Shadow Hand to pull Rita in.

Heka, who didn’t expect a summoner to be this swift, could do nothing but watch as he was caught off guard.

- Hm… that’s going to be hard though? Since this is the biggest event going on in Nobira right now, even bakery owners, no, even the rats in the sewers, won’t be able to avoid the aftermath.

It was something that Kibo told Seol when Seol refused to help him.

‘In the end, it’s going exactly as the Wolf said it would.’

Ultimately, the situation came to him.

“Are you really trying to run away after you’ve already stepped foot into the lion’s maw?”

“Lion my ass…”

“...Your only option of staying alive died with your decision.”

“The options already disappeared a while ago.”

“What?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

When Heka asked Seol to stand by his side, Seol saw a flurry of options. However, Seol didn’t even give them a look and ignored them all.

Pull…

A long, massive spear was being pulled out of Heka’s back.

The handle might have been made of bone, but the spearhead was made of sharp, eerie steel.

This fight was no longer avoidable. Seol gathered black energy into both of his hands and exploded it.

Gloooow…

Fwirl! Fwirl!

Jamad was summoned in a position to protect Seol and Rita while Karuna was summoned to prevent Heka’s movements.

Thud…

Crush…

“Wh-what the hell?”

Jamad, who was much bigger than Heka, stared down at Heka while protecting Seol.

“Everyone, get in here!” yelled Heka. He could immediately tell that they weren’t easy opponents.

Heka’s faction, which had been surrounding the building to prevent Seol from escaping, entered the bar one by one. They were also in shock after looking at Jamad and Karuna.

“Wh-what the hell…”

“Heka, it’s dangerous!”

“You asked me earlier if I was on the wolf’s side, right?”

“H-he’s a summoner! Fight him like how you would fight Kibo!”

“Yes!”

In a moment, Seol was at the center of their faction.

“Let me answer that question again. I just went on his side.”

Pull!

Karuna unsheathed his sword at lightning speed.

Claaaang!

Heka managed to block Karuna’s sword with the spear handle, but… the residual force flung it out of his hands and into the building’s wall.

* * *

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

“Gasp… Gasp… Jirmo, quickly!”

“I’m going as fast as I can, you’re just too fast! You need to match pace with everyone else!”

“An innocent person will die if we’re late.”

“Gasp… Do you really think— gasp… that they’re going to be the only victim tonight?”

“Still! We have to minimize the damage!”

“Fine. We’re going, we’re going! Everyone, you’re going to have to bring out more energy sooner!”

“Yes!”

Mira was quite trusted in Kibo’s ruin hunter faction.

Though it hadn’t been long since she joined it, the bravery and tenacity she showed when clearing through a ruin made the other ruin hunters naturally follow her. In fact, she contributed greatly in taking down Gallotta. She was talented and always led others at the front.

‘If we’re late… Snowman’s going to be in trouble.’

Kibo told her that Snowman was immeasurably strong.

But in the end, he was still just a transferee. There was no way a transferee who was here for half a year at best could face Heka. Furthermore, Heka always brought his faction with him so the situation was much more dangerous.

Jirmo, who was running with her, sneaked a word in.

“...Don’t get your hopes high.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you think Heka would let him live? I’m sure he found out that he and Kibo traded.”

“Cut the crap.”

"If Heka comes to the conclusion that he took our side, he’ll kill him. He’ll even be extra brutal to him to make an example of him... Think logically, Mira!"

Jirmo was telling her this because if Seol was dead, trying to face Heka with only this many people was practically suicide. He wanted to prevent Mira from leaping headfirst into death.

“That’s something for me to decide.”

“Stop acting crazy and think before you act—”

“This is 3rd Street! It’s over there!”

“Are you sure it’s that building? There’s nobody around it though?”

“I’m sure of it! It’s there.”

“Run!”

Mira, worried that the situation could already be over, had a chill run down her spine. She wiped off her cold sweats and entered the bar where the fight was supposedly about to happen.

“Hey! Why would you just—” yelled Jirmo.

“......”

“Mira! Get a grip! What’s wrong?”

“All…”

“What?”

“Dead…”

Jirmo walked to Mira after letting out a sigh. Jirmo believed that Heka had already left the bar.

“See, this is why I told you to not get your hopes up! We should first find out what exactly happened before rendezvousing with Kibo…”

And then… Jirmo also saw the interior of the bar.

“...What?”

Jirmo couldn’t comprehend what was in front of him, it was unbelievable. It was also probably the reason that Mira stood there at the door with her mouth open.

Like they had become idiots.

“They’re all dead,” said Mira.

“N-No way…”

“That monster Heka too, everyone…”

“How could this be?”

The walls were stained in blood to the point that you would mistake them for having red wallpaper. Missing limbs were scattered throughout the bar.

And…

What seemed to be Heka’s head was on the table, with Seol and Rita sitting by it.

Rita was sobbing as if she had seen something horrendous.

Seol and Mira looked at each other.

“You’re late.”

The way Seol spoke so calmly in this hell almost made Mira believe that everything before her was a lie.

However, Heka’s resentful face on the table was screaming at her that it was all in fact real.

“...Snowman.”

The Wolf’s Night.

Something that no one expected to happen, happened.

The Lion had died.