Shadowless Night

Drythorne County, Vista.

Two men with frowns stood facing each other at the entrance of the alley.

“My goodness. Isn’t this exploitation of labor, young Lord?”

Alter let out a pained sound and tapped his shoulder. He knew that this obvious pretending to be weak wouldn’t work for Calyx, but still, he was protesting in his own way.

To be the assistant of the heir of Radwiell, Calyx Esther’s, was not difficult. In place of the Count who spent a long time on the front lines, Calyx mostly stayed in the castle, and what he could do in the castle was limited. Therefore, Alter’s duties were also similar to those of a treadmill. Stable and stagnant.

It’s been a long time since he’s been freed from that constant bondage. To be exact, from the time Rosaline went missing in a hunting competition. From then on, Alter’s smooth and easy life was torn apart. He was eventually forced to put down the gratifying nickname ‘payroll thief’ he had put on himself.

When Rosaline left for the capital with Calyx after completing her recuperation at Drythorne Castle, Alter remained in Vista and began to search for mages. The story that the mages who did not leave for Balta settled in an area with frequent battles was famous. Even if Calyx hadn’t said that he met the pickpocketing boy on this street, Alter would have been on the lookout since Vista.

The problem was that, along with the ‘demons’ that must be there, there were people who looked scary like demons and strong people like demons all over the place. In a crowd of new mercenaries and brawlers, Alter did not have the ability to distinguish them. He didn’t get much information even if he ran on his own feet, so he had no choice but to delay, asking for a little more time via letters that he sent to Calyx every other day.

Then, Calyx came down to Vista to find out for himself. ‘Where did you leave your usual calm personality?’ Alter looked at his master’s, whom he had not seen in a long time, face, and sighed deeply.

Starting with the ‘Shadowless Night’ festival on the day the first white night and the black moon appeared, the nights of the Illavenia Empire were shining day after day. Even today, cute lanterns of various colors were still illuminating the streets.

The two were in the back of a narrow alley where the lights of the festival were fading. It was because Calyx, wearing a grayish-brown hood, was too conspicuous on the all-white street. If he takes off the hood, his dark hair will stand out too much.

Alter murmured all day, looking at the bright street contrasting with the narrow, dark alley. He grumbled over exploitation of labor, grumbled that rest can’t even be called rest. “If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have followed him,” He grumbled…

“Alter. Did you hear that just now?”

“Huh? Hear what?”

Calyx looked into the distance and tilted his head slightly. Alter pricked his ears, wondering if there was any special sound that could break through the noise of the street and enter his master.

Calyx lowered his hood and spoke in a hoarse voice. He raised his eyebrows.

“The sound of your salary going up.”

Exciting taste of money! Alter trembled with emotion. ‘Y-Young Lord. Did I ever tell you that I’d do anything you tell me to?’

“Did I ever tell you that my hobby is to be exploited?!”

“Stop talking nonsense and get to the point.”

“Kuhh… Anyway, as expected, my lord, this is just a simple business! Even a clock won’t be as efficient as me, young Lord!”

“Just stop it already.”

Alter smiled and pulled out a few crumpled sheets of paper from his pocket. Calyx quickly unfolded it and read it.

The information written in bad handwriting was fragmented and incomplete, and was covered with symbols such as ‘?’ and ‘△’. Looking at the whole thing, there are some parts that are questionable. Calyx stared at the payroll thief with a cold gaze.

“I’m not even a mage, so how could I mark them with certainty? There are some that I doubt, but since there is no evidence, it is impossible to confirm.”

It was as Alter had said. Even if he used his superhuman ability in front of his eyes, he couldn’t confirm it unless he checked magic power. Only a mage could circle this piece of paper. Calyx carefully read the paperwork. What butcher shop at the crossroad, weapon shop, mercenary corps, illegal arena…

“And so, this is the best target I can find.”

Alter pointed to the largest triangle drawn on the paper. Below that, the words [Illegal Arena] were smeared with Alter’s saliva.

It was a shabby, half-collapsed building. The word ‘illegal arena’ was very fitting with this place.

It was a secret place that could only be entered through a hidden door after turning several alleys. A loud scream echoed from the shabby building. The sound of clashing chains and blades clashing could also be heard intermittently. 

“Kill him!”

“Die!”

‘What about the eyeballs and what about the balls!’ The harsh words of the spectators asking each other for their parents’ well-being came out. The half-interior view was not soundproof at all. Those people understand the word illegal, right? It is not that Count Drythorne cannot find this place, it is that she is closing her eyes.

When Calyx tried to find the entrance to the building, huge men stood in front of him. The scars were deep and thick here and there, and the impression was fierce and the beard was lofty, so it was terrifying.

However, Calyx had parents who had an impression that was twice as fierce as them. One of the man smiled at the attitude of the visitor who didn’t even blink.

“It’s the first time I see your face. Do you have an invitation?”

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Calyx turned to Alter to receive the invitation. Alter clenched his lips uglyly, rolling his eyes from side to side.

‘… This bastard…’

Calyx’s eyes grew more fierce. Alter whispered into his ear.

“I didn’t know an invitation was needed to enter such a shabby place.”

His voice was loud. The expressions of the men who were guarding the shabby place without an invitation like a treasure trove became even worse. Calyx really wanted to fire Alter.

Calyx bit his tongue and bounced a gold coin from his bosom. A man grabbed a gold coin that was floating in the air.

“Hey, I’m not talking about this money, I’m talking about an invitation…”

The man laughed as if it was ridiculous. Other bandits-like men around them also approached them one step at a time, pressing the two with ferocious expressions. Alter broke out in a cold sweat. He thought it was a situation where those people would just let it slide by feeding them money.

“Y- Young Lord, I’ll just go out first…”

Calyx took the pouch out of his pocket. The pouch bigger than a fist was already thickly filled with something, and everyone could roughly guess the contents of it from the atmosphere. Calyx threw the pouch at the man. A rustling metallic sound pierced the screams emanating from the building and struck them distinctly in their ears.

The man softened his bandit-like face and smiled broadly.

“Well received, guest! Have a good time!”

‘… That doesn’t sound like what you meant to say before? Well, the result is good, but…’

Alter looked at the men as if it was ridiculous. Many of the men around Alter and Calyx opened the door wide, smiling like a young florist.

Alter stood stunned in vain, then busily followed Calyx’s footsteps.

“You asshole! Get up! Get up!”

“Break the neck! Kill him! Smash his head!”

The arena looked narrower than it looked from the outside because it was full of people. Four wooden posts were erected in the center, and chains and ropes were wrapped around it to secure a place. Inside, two men were fighting fiercely. One was lying on the floor, and a bleeding man was riding on top of it, waving his fists in a haphazard manner.

“If my grandmother was in there, you’d already be left behind. Are you playing house?”

Boos poured out. It was very confusing because it was a young girl who was booing and cursing with the ‘my grandmother’, and she was also smoking a cigarette. Blood splattered, bottles flew around, and spectators fought among themselves.

In a word, this place was shit.

“Mm-hmm, this place’s bullshit.”

Alter increased his sentiments. Calyx went to a wooden box in the corner and bought a bottle of wine from the booze vendor. Calyx took a sip of the wine and immediately spit it out on his handkerchief.

He glanced at the wine with a frown and handed the bottle to Alter. Alter, still observing the illegal arena warily, did not notice Calyx’s actions, and therefore just followed what Calyx did.

Then he moaned and spat out the wine. In the meantime, Calyx was looking around. Tattoos, scars, half-naked men, cigarette smoke. From children to old women. There were different age groups and different bets. There were some who wore a hood like Calyx.

‘This place…’

‘There might be mages in this place…’

It was said that they hid in the shade rather than the sunny side, so it wasn’t a strange place at all for mages to hide.

“Young Lord.”

“What is it?”

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“See that green hair in the corner over there?”

Alter pointed to the place where those who were warming up for the next duel were waiting. Among them, there was an ordinary man who was neither unusually large nor unusually strong. He looked a bit fragile to be in the midst of those rough people, but it made the scars on his body melt into the background.

“He is the target marked with a triangle.”

Calyx met the man’s eyes. His eyes were round and clear. He had eyes that reminded one of herbivores such as cows and horses.

“They said he’s built in this arena. Scarecrow Gilred.”