The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 68

The way priests who use divine power exude holiness, so too do curse users emanate the aura of the curses they wield.

Acts of harming others through rituals or prayers inevitably affect oneself.

Clara, the Thieving God, was no different.

With her innate talent for theft, she devised curses.

Stealing objects, money, and even people’s hearts, she was eventually dubbed the Thieving God, and her curse became known as the Curse of the Thieving God.

However, powerful curses invite strong backlash.

Clara’s curse was causing unintended side effects.

“Huh? What’s this?”

At first, it was just an unfamiliar pebble in her pocket.

Then came larger items like bread or fruit.

Clara noticed something was amiss when she saw her hand moving towards a noble’s jewel.

It was an unconscious kleptomania [a recurring urge to steal] born from the curse’s influence.

Clara had become someone who unconsciously stole hundreds of times a day.

It was especially worse with expensive items.

Jewels, accessories, and other valuable items.

Whenever a high-priced item came into view, her hand moved without her knowing.

“Thieving God! What do you think you’re doing! Stealing our family heirloom!”

“Ah, it’s not that I want to, it’s just…”

One day, Clara touched a noble’s heirloom and incurred the wrath of a high-ranking aristocrat.

From that day on, she entrusted herself to the Night Ravens [a powerful information guild].

She only handled tasks they couldn’t solve themselves and minimized her workload as much as possible.

Because she didn’t know where the increasingly potent Curse of the Thieving God would lead.

“…And that’s when I met you. I approached you for information gathering, but the curse didn’t work on you, and even my kleptomania weakened for a while.”

“The reason you were sure it was me even though I was wearing a mask was because of the curse?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I thought you might know a way to weaken the curse’s effects, so I came to you hoping for the best.”

Clara knelt on the floor with both hands raised.

Numerous daggers lay scattered around her, all of which had been hidden on her person.

Clara wanted to have a peaceful conversation with Rael, but Rael didn’t leave her any room for resistance.

It was fortunate that Clara immediately discarded her weapons.

If she had hesitated even a little, a fist would have flown her way.

“Hmm…”

Rael looked at Clara after she finished her story.

He was planning to beat her up in an alley to reform her, but she started pouring out her story without being asked.

He was going to beat her if she said anything unnecessary, but it seemed the Thieving God had her own problems.

“Why are you telling me everything without doubting me?”

“…Because you’re an honorary knight of the Silver Cross Order.”

As expected, the title of honorary knight of the Silver Cross Order was convenient.

Rael nodded appropriately and pondered.

‘Does my body also absorb the effects of curses?’

It was probably a similar principle to absorbing mana from Reina’s body.

Clara’s curse must have been absorbed to some extent as well.

“I have a guess.”

“Really?!”

Clara’s eyes widened at Rael’s words.

She had some expectations, but she never imagined there would actually be results.

“Yeah, but… there’s no guarantee your words are true.”

Rael said with a suspicious look.

In fact, he knew her words were true.

It was impossible to deceive his senses at this close range.

‘It would be great if I could use this opportunity to bring her into Beggars [Rael’s organization].’

But Rael wanted to bring Clara to Beggars with this opportunity.

Such talent should be under his command.

“It’s true. Believe me. I’ll do anything I can.”

“What do you want me to do to give you faith? You need to show me with your actions first.”

“…What would you like me to do?”

Clara looked at Rael.

She had already half given up on eliminating the effects of the curse that had taken over her body.

The reason she entrusted herself to the Night Ravens and only occasionally showed her face was because she didn’t know where the increasingly powerful curse would lead.

But now, she saw a possibility.

She wouldn’t stand still now that she saw a chance, even if there was none before.

“Betray the Night Ravens and join our organization.”

“The Night Ravens?”

“Yes. It will take quite some time to weaken the curse, and I can’t keep Night Raven members around.”

Rael scanned Clara up and down.

The Thieving God Clara was a famous thief known even to Commander Rein.

Beggars’ weakness was that they had difficulty with direct confrontation, like beggars.

If she betrayed the Night Ravens and joined Beggars, it would definitely be a great help.

“…Okay. I’ll do it.”

Clara nodded.

In fact, she didn’t have a strong connection with the Night Ravens.

She had only entrusted herself there because the empire’s largest information guild was the Night Ravens.

“Instead, can you do me a favor? Walk down the street with me. I really want to see if the curse weakens.”

“Not difficult. Let’s go.”

Rael nodded and led her forward.

He was quite curious to see if the curse really weakened.

Step. Step.

The streets were quiet, but there was still a bustling atmosphere in places.

There were also street vendors open late into the night.

Clara stood in front of them, staring intently at the goods.

“What are you doing? Should I buy you something if you’re hungry?”

Rael said to Clara, who was standing still and looking at an apple.

“…The kleptomania is gone.”

“Kleptomania?”

“Yeah. The kleptomania that was tormenting me is really gone. I don’t think the curse’s power has weakened, but how is this happening?”

“…”

He had many thoughts about the fact that the Thieving God was suffering from kleptomania, but Rael didn’t bother to say them out loud.

As expected, there were many incomprehensible people in this world.

“Oh, Clara. I’m just asking in case.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have to say something when you use the Curse of the Thieving God?”

“Huh?”

“Do you have to say ‘Curse of the Thieving God’ out loud?”

Rael asked with a serious expression.

He had met many warriors while doing various activities.

And… thanks to that, his trust in Rein, who said that there were many people who shouted out their skills, was breaking down.

“Say it out loud, why would I do that?”

“…I was just asking. Never mind.”

As expected, it was a bust again.

Rael had never seen anyone shout out their skills except for the Rein Knights.

They were also influenced by him, so in reality, there was no one.

As expected, there was definitely something wrong with the Thousand Slaughter Sword.

Rael cursed the crazy old man again today and moved on.

“I, it can’t be. To be able to stand still even after seeing that expensive sign…”

Clara looked at her hands several times after that, her eyes glistening with emotion.

At that time, Rael, who didn’t feel the dignity of a noble from her gestures, continued to speak.

“I can tell just by looking at you. Your family must have been quite poor when you were young?”

“I was an orphan. I made a living as a pickpocket on the streets until I realized my talent.”

“Oh, a pickpocket? I had some fun with that back in the day. You’re from the streets, unlike your appearance?”

Rael felt the vibe of the slums from her.

Rael, who grew up in an orphanage, also knew the difficult life of the empire’s commoners well.

Clara was probably the same.

People from the streets who had a hard time growing up tend to have a sense of camaraderie.

“Could it be that you too, Rael?”

“Yeah. I’m from the orphanage in District 4.”

“Amazing… I was the youngest member of a criminal organization. I was able to make a living with the Curse of the Thieving God after becoming an adult, but the curse got worse, so I stole a noble’s item and incurred their wrath…”

“What? You were wronged by a noble?”

Rael felt a sense of kinship with Clara once again!

He saw his own image overlapping with her, having been dropped into the Special Guard due to the nobles’ abuse of power.

Now that he looked at it, she was also a comrade.

“Clara. You should have said so sooner. Let’s go to Beggars right away. You’ll be an elder of Beggars from today.”

It was a connection based on shared origins.

People from the streets have something in common.

“Elder…? Is that a good thing?”

“Of course. We’re going to dominate the empire’s nightlife.”

“Okay…! I’ll show you that I didn’t get the name Thieving God for nothing.”

Clara clenched her fist and nodded.

Rael was an excellent assassin who had subdued her in an instant.

Weakening the effects of the curse was the goal, but with him, dominating the empire’s nightlife didn’t seem impossible.

“Ah, but you have something to do today.”

“…Huh? The empire’s nightlife?”

“It’s that important. Investigate the Order’s Inquisitors [members of the Silver Cross Order]. You said you’d show me your trust.”

“That’s right… Okay. I’ll show you my skills, so don’t worry.”

Clara smiled.

It was time to use her strength after a long time.

*

The Order’s Inquisitors are a sacred position.

A place only accessible to the children of nobles who have made numerous donations to the Order and have Order branches in their territories.

That was the position of Inquisitor.

“Damn it. I can’t stand commoners running rampant in the Order…!”

Inquisitor Garharte Elga distorted his face as he entered a noble’s room.

Inside, his close Inquisitor friends were sitting.

They were nobles with ambiguous power in the empire, relying only on the Order.

“I didn’t like it anyway. Especially that guy Carlson.”

“Yeah. What’s so great about overlapping divine power? Everyone must be crazy.”

Contrary to their wishes, Carlson’s sword quickly spread throughout the Silver Cross Order.

Marco’s battle-axe shone first, and Marco, feeling that power, was promoting Carlson to vice-captain of the Silver Cross Order.

“The Silver Cross Order is a place that accepts commoners, but… there are lines you shouldn’t cross. A commoner as vice-captain.”

“Tsk. And the Saintess is also a problem. She’s also from a commoner background, and… even the Pope, who had been in long prayer, has moved.”

The Saintess is originally a symbol of the lower classes.

Garharte, as someone who had actually witnessed her divine power, sensed that the Order would change greatly in the future.

And the Inquisitors would not be able to keep up with that change.

“Sir Garharte. What should we do? Should we also increase our training time?”

“…That training is not important. We will create results.”

“Results?”

“I’ve heard something. It’s reliable information.”

The Inquisitors’ gazes focused on Garharte’s words.

He lowered his voice and said.

“Soon… a mid-tier demon will invade District 1.”

“D, a demon?! Then we must tell the Order immediately…”

“You idiot!”

Garharte frowned and said.

“This is an opportunity, we become heroes. We show the power of the Inquisitors.”

“Heroes…! We can finally be recognized!”

Garharte briefly explained his plan.

The plan was to lure a commoner to the place where the demon appeared, and if the two fought and died together, the Inquisitors would take all the credit.

“We will subdue the demon who killed the Silver Cross Order’s young rookie. It’s an opportunity to raise the name of the Inquisitors.”

“But what if that guy wins against the mid-tier demon? Seeing his recently awakened power, he’s on par with a mid-tier demon…”

“Don’t worry. We plan to intervene in the middle of the fight.”

“Sir Garharte, could it be…!”

“Yes. If the fight is about to end, we will intervene, kill the exhausted demon, and kill the commoner to monopolize the credit!”

“As expected, Sir Garharte! You’re amazing!”

Garharte showed the plan he had prepared.

The Inquisitors nodded in admiration at the perfect plan.

After urging them to keep their mouths shut, Garharte came out of the room.

“Even if they’re idiots, they won’t spread the plan.”

Even though they look like that, they are born with the noble blood of nobles.

They will have this much patience.

The plan will be executed in 3 days.

There’s not much time left to see that annoying commoner’s face.

“That’s why you should act appropriately. Commoners should just stay in the corner like commoners. If they did, they would have saved their lives. Tsk tsk.”

Garharte returned to his room with a satisfied face and took off his armor.

Since the Inquisitors are all nobles, they use luxurious private rooms as accommodations.

“…Hmm?”

At that time, Garharte, who took off his armor and looked around the room, felt something was wrong.

The demon invasion plan he had written was not visible.

“Tsk. I must have thrown it somewhere in the room.”

Garharte clicked his tongue and lay down on the bed.

After all, no one can enter the Inquisitor’s room.

It must be somewhere in the room, so he planned to find it later.

Swish-

A night where the moon shines brightly.

A thin shadow passed behind him.