Chapter 107: Aunt-in-law (1)

Chapter 107: Aunt-in-law (1) (In the Southern Part of the First Continent) The hot wind carried with it the scent of scorched earth and salt, sweeping over the cracked plains of former barbarian territory now inhabited by different races. In between two buildings made of a strange kind of clay, a figure stood cloaked in black. "I’m sorry I’m late, Master." The voice of a young woman rang out as she appeared out of thin air. The strange figure glanced at the woman, who was respectfully kneeling. "Zero, isn’t Cherry meant to be with you?" Zero lifted her head so he could see her face beneath the cloak. "Mistress Amelia asked her to gather information regarding an A-rank mana beast." Arthur lingered for a moment. ’So Amy sent Cherry on a mission?’ He sighed. ’Well, I didn’t particularly need her.’ He nodded. "Okay, have you gotten the information regarding that?" The black-haired woman lowered her gaze. "I couldn’t find anything, Master. However..." she continued, "I did find out that an information organization known as AZ might know about it." "AZ?" Zero nodded. "There are three organizations known as the kings of information — the Silver Corps of the Dragonic royal family, the Scouts of the Human royal family, and lastly, the AZ group." Arthur already knew this fact. What surprised him was that they still existed. ’So, it’s safe to say that most of the information from the game is still accurate,’ he pondered. ’Still, I can’t afford to get careless.’ The AZ group was founded by the former Mercenary King after his retirement. They managed all kinds of information and had agents everywhere—from beggars in the streets to the royal courts of every race. It was safe to say they had the best information in the game. But if things were still unfolding like in the game, then the Mercenary King would be very ill by now and searching for a cure. That meant the AZ group, at this point, was in chaos, with their leader bedridden and the executives already scrambling for control. ’It’s the perfect time to swallow AZ,’ he grinned. Turning to Zero, he asked, "Do you know where their base is?" Zero hesitated. "No. But we know where their boss is hiding." Arthur turned toward the exit of the alley. "Lead the way." If he could absorb the AZ group, combined with the Bed Warmers and Moonlight Dusk, he would become the number one information broker in the world. Information was power, after all. In under ten minutes, they arrived at a small flat building. And like the others, it had cracks running along its walls. "Master, the password is—" Before Zero could finish, Arthur knocked on the door twice, then waited. When there was no response, he broke it down. He gave a quick glance at the stunned Zero and grinned. "We’re not here for regular business, remember?" Zero’s eyes lit up. "Master is so cool." Ding! 『Zero’s affection for you has passed the threshold』 Arthur ignored the system notification and stepped into the building. The moment he did, he immediately sensed countless hostile gazes filled with killing intent locking onto him. The building was a single room resembling a warehouse, with various materials scattered about and an interrogation table at the center, flanked by two chairs. Arthur inhaled deeply as one of the many unseen figures hurled a dagger with such speed that Zero couldn’t react. He swiftly wrapped an arm around Zero’s waist, pulling her close while activating his space affinity. After his less-than-satisfying night with Sylvia, he’d received a notification that his proficiency in space had increased. And now... In front of Arthur, a small black hole formed and swallowed the dagger. His range of teleportation hadn’t just increased; he could now teleport other things or people through space or black holes. All the presences surrounding him began to withdraw as a single figure wearing a demon-like mask stepped from the far end of the room. "To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit from the great Arthur Val Arcain?" Arthur turned to the figure and pulled back the hood of his cloak, revealing his face. The masked figure raised a gloved hand to their covered mouth. "Oh my." She turned away slightly. "You really are a sight to behold." Arthur could feel the sharpness in the glares deepen as the woman blushed behind the mask. His expression remained composed. "Have you fallen for me already?" He pulled a chair back, sat down, and propped a leg on the table. "That wouldn’t be fun now, would it?" The woman let out a soft chuckle. "You are undeniably too good-looking. But love? No, no." She pulled the opposite chair out and sat as well. "I was just taken aback by your face." Arthur could sense her grin behind the mask. "So much so that I’d spend a fortune to buy your corpse." Arthur’s eyes narrowed dangerously. There was no doubt about it. She was the Mercenary King and the older sister of both the present King and Janet Roderick Valtor — Love Von Agres, also known as Silver. Arthur smiled. "First, it’s nice meeting you in person, Aunt-in-law." The air suddenly grew still. "Aunt-in-law?" Arthur’s smile shifted into a grin. "I’m engaged, well, not officially... but soon to your niece, Amelia." Before Arthur, who was balancing his chair on its two back legs, could react, two men appeared at his sides with swords drawn. The woman in the demon mask, Love Von Agres, removed it and placed it on the table with a clank. Flowing red hair and piercing blue eyes. She was stunning, resembling both Amelia and Melissa at once. Arthur smiled, prompting her expression to darken. "Why are you smiling?" Arthur tilted his head slightly. "I like cute things." Love tried to maintain composure, but her face gradually flushed until it turned completely crimson. Her two subordinates glanced at her, and she immediately turned away, clearing her throat. "You shouldn’t be saying things like that with that face. You might give someone a heart attack." She exhaled. "Now, back to business, Mr. Handsome. How exactly did you find out who I am? As far as I know, no one outside my direct subordinates knows my identity." Arthur didn’t even glance her way. Instead, he stared at the sword pointed at his neck and tapped it lightly with his index finger. Love studied him. "If you came here looking for information or to sell something, just hand over all your money, sign a death contract never to reveal secrets, and leave. My heart can’t bear killing someone with your face." Arthur didn’t respond. Love frowned. "Can’t you hear—" Before she could finish, Arthur interrupted, his tone cold: "Hey..." Both Love and her subordinates immediately looked his way. Arthur’s head tilted dangerously. "Do I seem like someone you should be making silly propositions to?" Love let out a mocking laugh. "See, handsome, I think you’ve misunderstood something." She instantly released her aura, and even her own subordinates, though not targeted, nearly collapsed under the pressure. Her voice turned frigid as the air around her rippled. "Perhaps that absurd rumor about you reaching Expert rank in three days made you forget who you’re speaking to." She slammed a hand on the table and stood slightly. "I am the former Mercenary King and the former First Princess of the Empire : Silver. Now that I’ve told you this much, you should—" Arthur cut her off again. "Loud..." "What?" she muttered as her pressure dissipated. Arthur’s eyes narrowed. "I said, you’re too loud. Now..." he commanded, "Sit—and stay quiet." Love was about to scoff when a sudden pressure crashed onto her. Invisible chains, like serpents, coiled around her body and sealed her mouth. In the next instant, she was forced into her chair. Arthur smiled, letting his chair fall back onto all fours, withdrawing his leg from the table. The two men’s eyes widened in shock as the sword near his neck disintegrated into countless invisible fragments. Arthur leaned back into the chair, crossed his legs, and rested an arm elegantly over one knee. "Now, can we chat properly, Aunt-in-law?" ─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───