Volume 1 - CH 201

Chapter 0201 Dark Attribute

Translator: Jay_Forestieri

Editor: Tseirp

“My mother is Grandpa Silas’ daughter, but Twilight Land only recognizes the right of succession to direct male heirs. So obviously I have no claim whatsoever.”

“But Miu, your father is the Marquis of the Kingdom, so you have the right of succession there.”

The follow-up was from a party member who had his hand on Miu’s shoulder, named Imogen.

(Oh…. If the daughter of a Marquis of the Kingdom and granddaughter of the Grand Duke of Lands is killed within Lands…surely it will cause a stir…)

Ryo thought so, but did not say.

“The Grand Master and Negotiator Ignis both confirmed my origin when I was chosen to be an escort for this journey. But the Grand Master, on the contrary, encouraged me to go for it saying that it could turn out to be beneficial to me, rather than a risk…”

Miu properly pointed out the potential risks, and the brass still gave the go-ahead.

“Okay, I think I’ve gotten most of it. Thanks for telling me.”

With that, Ryo left Miu and the others and moved toward where the leaders were holding a meeting.

As Ryo headed to the leaders’ meeting, it seemed that the meeting had just ended and they were leaving one after the other.

“Ryo! ”

Abel found Ryo and called out to him.

“I take it that the meeting is over. By the way, I’ve confirmed why the Order targeted us.”

The two exchanged information at a place some distance away from the others.

Ryo to Abel, about Miu’s origin.

Abel to Ryo, about subsequent plans.

“I hear that we have to hand over the assassins to Lands because they are within their borders.”

“I see… Rosalia, was it, the dark-attribute magician. What a waste of talent, such a shame.”

“Y-Yeah…”

When Ryo thoughtfully expressed his opinion, Abel looked like he was holding back on something as he agreed.

“What is it, Abel?”

“Nothing, just surprised to hear the words ‘waste of talent’ come out of your mouth…”

“Here we go again, what exactly do you take me for, Abel! I’ll have you know that I also have my own thoughts about the development of the country! With her, I can make extremely rare alchemy tools, you know? Even if it’s not possible for me right now, I can take her to Kenneth…”

“Oh, that’s what you mean. In that case, I’m totally convinced.”

Ryo’s criteria fall under whether it’s cool, interesting, or alchemy-related.

“Well, anyway, they are going to contact the town we are staying in tonight, Karnak, immediately and have someone come to take them off our hands. No idea how long it will take from the sounds of it.”

“I see. It’s a foreign country, so their procedures and systems may very well be different from those in the Kingdom. But if there is a chance that they could show up at any moment, I would like to ask the frozen lady a few questions.”

With the permission of Ignis, the negotiator, the two went to Natalia, the woman frozen in ice.

“No matter how many times I see it…I can’t believe she’s alive in that state.”

Abel said, looking at the frozen Natalia.

“I had to practice a lot before I could learn to freeze people in ice while keeping them alive at the same time. I experimented with quite a lot of monsters in Rondo Forest…”

Ryo thought he was being sincere, but it’s obvious to Abel that he didn’t think much of it.

Which was why, the only words that come out of Abel’s mouth was…

“Ohh~”

The reaction was very anticlimactic.

After looking at him with a little bit of resentment, Ryo thawed Natalia’s ice, just the part with her face.

“Hello, Natalia. I’d like to have a word with you.”

“You sunnavabitch! Drop dead! You…”

Immediately, he put the ice up again, moreover, her frozen body seemed to be under some kind of pressure.

After about two minutes of this, Ryo once again melted the ice from Natalia’s face.

“It would be a shame for a beautiful woman to speak such foul language. It hurts, doesn’t it? You’re frozen in ice after all, and if you were about to be crushed by that ice, that would hurt, wouldn’t it?”

“You…”

Natalia’s face was tinged with fear and hatred.

Fear that her life and death was in his hands.

Hatred for the way she was being treated.

“It’s nothing serious really. I know why you targeted Miu, but I’m here to confirm that and to ask you about your client. So let’s start with Miu. does it have to do with her origin?”

“You really think I’m going to answer that question? Give me some credit.”

As best she could, Natalia made a mocking face as she turned and replied Ryo.

“Oh just so you know, I have nothing against the Order of Assassins. The only reason I froze the village was that you kidnapped His Highness Willy. But if you continue to remain stubborn, I guess I will have to go take care of ‘Black’ this time around, don’t I?”

Ryo said with a huge smile.

Natalia was absolutely mortified.

After a full minute, she finally opened her mouth.

“You can’t, do that…”

“You want to bet on it? You know what I’m capable of right?”

Natalia knew very well.  That the person in front of her was a genuine monster.

He had single-handedly destroyed their village, froze an entire area, and even fought their ‘Chief’ on equal footing.

Although she has great respect for Master ‘Black’, she couldn’t deny that he’s inferior to the ‘Chief’ in terms of individual combat ability….

Not just Master ‘Black’, but all the executives…in other words, there’s no one in the current Order of Assassins who could defeat the monster in front of her.

While Natalia was still hesitating, Ryo made a decisive statement.

“Listen, I could give two shits about ‘Black’ or how you lot run the Order from now on. As long as you don’t come after me, I can promise you that I will not act against you guys. But that is only if you answer my questions. So Natalia, what I’m trying to say is, you can save ‘Black’ and the Order just by answering some of my questions. You will never get another chance like this, ever again.”

A threat backed by one’s prowess.

This is common in negotiations between countries, but it’s also effective in negotiations between people.

In a world where there’s no force like the police.

“All right…. I will answer as much as I can, but not everything. But I want your word. If I answer your questions, you will leave Master Black and the Order alone.”

“As long as you don’t make a move on me, I won’t go after Black or the Order.”

Ryo promised.

He knew that some people view it morally unacceptable to negotiate or make promises to the likes of assassins and terrorists.

However, Ryo wasn’t a person who would be at all concerned with such matters.

If there was information that could be obtained through negotiation, he would negotiate even with assassins.

And Ryo and his group obtained some information.

The request to attack the diplomatic mission came from some rogue faction in the Twilight Lands.

To conduct a ‘human’ attack in the Lands.

To kill Miu.

To keep the negotiator and civilian officials alive and allow them to reach the Lands capital.

And to carry out the attack within three days of entering Lands.

That was all Natalia knew.

“Great, that would do.”

“What you promised…”

“Yeah of course I’m a man of my word. I won’t touch ‘Black’ or the Order.”

When Ryo promised again, Natalia looked relieved.

In fact, Ryo had no interest in the current ‘Order of Assassins’ whatsoever.

As far as Ryo was concerned, they could party all day long wherever they were for all he cared, as long as it had nothing to do with him.

So, he had no intention of breaking his promise to Natalia.

Abel, who had been listening all the way in the background, might have a lot on his mind, but…decided not to bother and remained silent for the time being.

Ryo turned around, putting Natalia back on full ice again.

“So, that’s the gist of it, Abel.”

“Yeah…. Well, as for how the Order of Assassins operate from now on, I’ll put it aside for now. I’m more concerned about that ‘rebel faction in Lands’.”

The two discussed as they walked away.

“Yeah, it’s disturbing all right. But honestly, we have too little information to know exactly what’s going on.”

“You’re right. Negotiator Ignis is also aware of Miu’s origins, right? Then, I guess I’ll just give him a heads up, including what you just told me.”