Chapter 44: Investigate the Secret Eye Society

Angora was about to study the buildings available from the System when Edward returned in a hurry from his investigation.

“I’m here to submit my findings.” Edward opened his System page—because Angora was the one who assigned the quest, the quest board would only display [Quest accomplished] when Angora was around even after obtaining all information.

When that was done, Edward sighed heavily as if a heavy load was taken off his shoulders, giving him a little nod and left the room to take a break.

On Angora’s end, his System changed as well: the page of his quest assignment authority to investigate the Secret Eye Society was gone, replaced by a video tab.

Angora clicked on it, his interest piqued—it was what Edward saw when he infiltrated the Secret Eye Society base.

Quickly realizing the value of that information, Angora quickly sat down to find any useful information.

He then heard the Secret Eye Society members who were laughing about the two beheaded Players for twenty whole minutes, and was left speechless.

As he quietly considered removing those two Players from his register, Angora suddenly learned by himself how to use the playback bar and fast-forwarded the video to the important part: two men who looked like leaders of the society having a conversation.

The footage was not clear because Edward was watching it from a dark corner, although Angora could recognize one of them immediately—it was his second brother, Edmund Faust!

Although Angora didn’t know who the other man was, he could tell from the bladed whip hanging at his hip that it was Black Whip, who was in charge of the base.

“Mister Edmund, that’s only fifty thousand Rions. It’s not what we agreed upon.” Black Whip was leaning into a couch and saying lazily. “I remember that our deal is a hundred and fifty thousand!”

“Your methods are so crude, and yet that little town outside of the Valley of the Tragic Dead is still standing! The society provides with you so much funding, but you only managed to come up with trash like that bone incense? Don’t you feel shame?!” Edmund was clearly impatiently and accusing Black Whip indignantly. “If the Grey Fjord Port didn’t need your kind…”

Before he could finish, Black Whip, who looked like he was falling asleep suddenly leaped to his feet and kicked Edmund into the ground, stamping his head forcefully. The second son of a duke could not free himself from his boot no matter what he tried.

“You took the hundred thousand for yourself, didn’t you? Looks like the old folks never told you why even someone as greedy as them never tried to pay a copper less to this place.”

“What, what are you doing?! My father is the duke…”

“And what? You’re useless and abandoned after the duke divided and conferred his land off.”

Black Whip’s voice was very cold, and was putting more strength into his boot. “Believe me, I could kill you right here and no one—including our own little cabal and your father would try anything with me.”

“I… I was wrong! Mercy, I’ll do anything!” His face almost misshapen under Black Whip’s boot, Edmund Faust was finally losing his noble vanity, replaced by a terrified and pathetic look Angora had never seen from his brother.

“Do you get it now?” Black Whip’s voice and face showed delight, and his foot was relaxing.

“Yes, yes!”

Edmund quickly answered, but in that moment, Black Whip’s face contorted brutally.

“Too late! Whether it’s you or the two idiots yesterday, no one provokes the Black Whip!”

With those words, he suddenly leaned on his foot and with a crack, Edmund’s head split under his boot like a tomato!

After that, Black Whip returned to his couch with a neutral look.

“Brass Spade.” He called flatly.

A burly man entered the room and asked respectfully, “What’s up, boss?”

“Look for that fellow’s official seal to claim all his fief and property,” Black Whip said simply. “If he has wife and children, get rid of them as well.”

“Got it.” The burly man replied.

“Hmph. He’s definitely normal, screaming for mercy in the face of death. It feels good to kill them… but those two yesterday, laughing even when they die… tsk…”

Black Whip’s face looked as if someone was force-feeding him feces.

As he watched, Angora had the lingering feeling that Black Whip’s temper was triggered by those two Players’ merry-making.

In that case, he could sympathize with Edmund as he had the bad luck to be caught in Black Whip’s sights.

“Still, I guess I could fulfill his wish since I’ll be getting all his money,” Black Whip sneered. “It’s just a rundown town without a name… when I get rid of the frogmen stirring trouble in Grey Fjord and have spare men, I’ll destroy that town in passing. Well, this fellow’s quite the fool, but he is right: the shipping routes in the fjord is the Secret Eye’s most important livelihood, and any threat must be destroyed immediately… Hmm? Brass Spade, what’s with the ruckus outside?”

“Boss! Some of our brothers who went on patrol are missing!” The burly man left the room for a while to ask around before reporting back.

“What!?” Black Whip was on his feet again, a dire look on his face.

Then, the footage went dark. Edmund must have thought that it was dangerous to keep infiltrating with his presence exposed. With nothing useful left to learn, he simply left.

Angora stayed motionless in his chair for a long time.

There was not actually much information from the footage, but it mattered very much from a certain perspective.

Compared to his unnamed town, the Secret Eye Society was definite a behemoth with a tremendous gap in ability separating them.

“Things have become troublesome…” Angora sighed and looked outside the window.

A snowstorm was brewing out there.