How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 72

72. The Start of Business is from the Streets (6)

Kaloon Merchant Guild, branch manager’s office.

Inside, the branch manager appeared genuinely embarrassed, avoiding eye contact with his guest.

“I am sorry, sir. It seems the attempt to win him over…”

“Failed?”

“…….”

“I see.”

Upon receiving the report that the attempt to recruit that street vendor kid, Aileen, had failed, the man who had ordered it simply said this.

“Then he is unnecessary.”

A single phrase, as if a child had lost interest and discarded a toy.

For a merchant, such a reaction is the most terrifying.

The branch manager of the Kaloon Merchant Guild was sweating profusely, looking flustered.

He would have preferred the guest to scold and get angry at him right then and there, so he could at least worry about how to appease him.

But what could he do in this situation?

“Shall we try to recruit him again? It seems the hired thugs made a mistake, so this time for sure… If necessary, I will go and find him myself.”

“Enough. There is no need. I have said so.”

But he refused.

A man with short, blonde hair and a solid build that radiated a strange sense of intimidation.

He dropped the potion he had been examining and stomped on it.

“It would only be a waste of time to talk to someone who refuses. Even if we win him over, he will be useless. Such a person is bound to deviate someday.”

The branch manager was taken aback by the excessively extreme logic.

“But, it might change depending on the negotiation. I heard that the incompetent mercenaries didn’t have much of a conversation with the kid who set up the stall.”

“I said enough.”

This time, his tone was clearly unpleasant.

The branch manager instinctively realized he had made a mistake and quickly shut his mouth.

In fact, he had inwardly judged that further persuasion would be difficult.

After having a few men investigate, it seemed that the Pileros Merchant Guild had summoned the street vendor a while ago.

If so, he could well imagine the situation.

The problem was what this guest would think of it.

The branch manager resolved to be careful with his words.

“You should just properly bring out the items I prepared. You haven’t forgotten why I came, have you? Do not disappoint Marquis Celond.”

“H-How could I? The ‘goods’ you ordered are definitely properly stored in our warehouse. The management here has already been bribed. There will be no problem with the removal.”

“……I will not tolerate any foolish mistakes.”

“Of course.”

The guest ignored the branch manager’s obsequious bow and simply turned his head to look out the window.

“You will never be disappointed with our transaction, Lord Krollold Nolteyl.”

Krollold Nolteyl.

The man who came to oversee this transaction directly under the orders of Marquis Celond, a noble of the Empire.

And a name that anyone who knows the affairs of the Empire would immediately recognize.

One of the Empire’s Eight Swords [elite knights known for their exceptional skill].

Who would have thought that a member of the prestigious Imperial Knights would be here dealing with a mere merchant?

He simply propped his chin up, looking bored, and stared up at the sky outside the window.

The branch manager inwardly watched him carefully.

Fortunately, he did not seem likely to reverse this transaction.

His insides were slowly burning.

His transaction with him was a rare opportunity that was hard to come by.

If possible, he had to impress upon him, and the Marquis who ordered him, that this was a worthwhile merchant guild.

‘If I disappoint him like this, it might affect future transactions.’

The branch manager was constantly bothered by the fact that he had failed to recruit the man named Aileen who sold the potions.

Above all, he was concerned that Aileen was trading with the Pileros Merchant Guild.

What if they joined hands with them in the next transaction?

The thought alone made his stomach churn.

‘Is it better to take action on our end?’

It would be better to take action before that happened.

‘Either way, this is our own decision. Then there won’t be a problem.’

The branch manager gritted his teeth and decided to put his thoughts into action.

If he was someone they couldn’t bring over, it was better if he didn’t exist from the start.

He heard that the kid was quite skilled, and ordinary mercenary groups were no match for him.

Even so, there was a way.

What a merchant guild wields is not just money and goods.

Sometimes, there are sufficient means to protect them and eliminate opponents.

If ordinary mercenary groups won’t do.

They just had to send something more.

* * *

A week later.

Several shadows gathered on the roof of the inn where Aileen was staying.

Men wrapped in black clothes to blend into the night.

They were hired by the Kaloon Merchant Guild, and their principles and objectives differed from those of ordinary mercenaries.

There is a misconception that mercenaries accept any request, but in reality, there are requests they do not accept.

Requests that cannot be made openly, such as assassinations or sabotage.

Naturally, such requests are not accepted by the guild, and no one openly makes them.

Even so, it does not mean that there is no demand for such covert activities.

There are those who desire it, and if so, there are those who accept it and live by it.

Then a transaction is established.

There are groups commonly referred to as assassination guilds, although they have no official name.

Unlike mercenary guilds, they accept requests that cannot be made openly.

They have arrived here now to carry out the given request.

The client is the branch manager of the Kaloon Merchant Guild.

The purpose of the request is to eliminate Aileen, who contacted the Pileros Merchant Guild.

“……Go.”

They infiltrated the inn with discreet movements.

Their primary objective was to secure the kid named Aileen.

‘It’s simple.’

The black-clad group calculated that this request would be extremely simple.

Of course, they did not underestimate the opponent or fail to devise a plan.

They had already conducted an investigation over several days and sufficiently grasped his abilities.

‘Even if he is an A-rank spiritist [one who can summon and control spirits], what a mere mercenary can do is limited. He cannot be our opponent.’

All of them were individuals who had awakened their auras, and were even experts.

Moreover, it was now a dark night when they could not see in front of them.

There could be no mistakes in a silent surprise attack.

‘……The target is over there.’

No doubt.

For tonight’s raid, they had observed Aileen’s actions and completely memorized his presence.

For them, a person’s presence is easier to recognize than their face.

Once they confirm a presence, they never miss it.

Surely, the target, Aileen, is not coming out of his room.

‘How foolish.’

Of course, there were several people drinking and staying on the first floor of the inn at this time.

It didn’t matter.

By the time they noticed, there would be no trace of the target left.

‘We’re going in.’

The person who was surveying the situation inside sent a hand signal first, and all the personnel stormed into Aileen’s room.

They firmly secured and blocked the windows and entrances to surround him.

The process would be over before he could scream.

Spirits? There would be no time to summon such things.

However, those who stormed in soon noticed something strange.

‘……This bastard.’

Aileen was calmly half-reclined, welcoming them.

He was even waving his hand.

“Oh! You really came? ……No, this is quite unexpected. I thought you’d only send a few thugs.”

Aileen sighed with a wry smile.

He was clearly embarrassed.

But there was no sign of fear or despair.

‘……Did he expect it? No way!’

But it didn’t matter.

Even if he noticed, they could just deal with him as is.

They put more strength into the hand holding the sword they had drawn and tried to approach Aileen.

“……Don’t even dream of resisting.”

“Ah, resist? Hmm~ Is that resistance perhaps like this?”

Aileen rolled his eyes, looked at the intruders, sighed, and then.

Disappeared.

“What?!”

Even they could not help but be surprised by this situation.

“Is it an illusion using spirit magic?!

“No way! He was definitely there!”

The presence was definitely that of Aileen, that kid.

But it was also true that he had disappeared.

The moment he disappeared, his presence itself vanished.

“……Magic?”

“Is he using magic?”

“That’s impossible.”

Magic related to space is a high-level skill.

There was no way he could have acquired it.

“Where is his presence?”

“Above.”

“It’s above.”

Unbelievably, Aileen’s presence had moved to the roof.

They did not understand what trick he had played, but they upgraded the level of danger regarding Aileen.

They had to kill him, even if it meant causing some commotion.

However, there was no time for him to properly display his skills.

Shuk [sound effect for a sudden movement].

Obstacles suddenly appeared in the windows and doors, blocking their path.

“What?!

“Break it down!”

The black-clad group hurriedly tried to break down the obstacles and get out.

But they soon realized.

What Aileen had disappeared and left behind in the room was a lizard spitting out embers.

That was a fire spirit.

When those who recognized it opened their eyes in horror.

The fire spirit seemed to emit a deep red light and then blazed fiercely.

It was the moment when the room where Aileen had been staying was burning like a kiln.

* * *

I had a feeling, and it turned out this way.

I squatted down and covered my head, confirming that Salamander [Aileen’s fire spirit] had definitely started the fire.

I never thought I’d actually be attacked.

‘Well, it was inevitable.’

Lowell’s meaningful remarks were also there, and when I thought about it, I thought it was possible.

‘Dealing with someone who has joined hands with a rival merchant guild is a petty idea that I would have thought of too.’

I also know about the existence of assassination guilds.

I also know that most merchant guilds have contact information with them.

Even so, I never thought they would attack me from the start.

‘Is what I did that annoying? Just because of the potion?’

The inside story of the attack is bothering me, but let’s think about the response first.

First, I have to live.

I pretended to be relaxed in front of them, but I’m still scared when I’m attacked, and my heart is still beating.

I barely hid it, but I thought I was going to suffocate when the guys in black armor jumped in.

Let’s focus on retaliation and killing, rather than prioritizing clumsy suppression.

‘Fortunately, the counterattack was successful.’

First, after evacuating with space control, I similarly summoned obstacles with space control to block the entrances and baked the inside like an oven with Salamander’s flames.

‘It’s not the time to worry about collateral damage.’

Fortunately, since it is the spirit’s fire, the flames will not spread any further if I control it.

Even if I fought as is, the room would be smashed anyway, so the damage is the same.

Above all, I can’t be safe if I worry about every little damage.

‘Tsk, it’s an inn with a bed and furniture that I liked.’

Now that it’s like that, they won’t let me stay anymore.

Even if I ask Lowell to compensate me, they won’t accept such guests anymore.

Let’s repay this resentment with the screams of those stupid guys.

For now, it seems that a few of them were burned to death in the flames, but I don’t think they will be annihilated with just that.

If you think you’ve taken care of it, it’s a flag that you’ll be attacked.

In this case, let’s think differently.

‘They must be alive.’

……Then they will really be alive.

There were two or so guys who broke the window and jumped out.

They are jumping down with the bodies of their burned comrades on their backs.

Judging by the looks of it, they blocked it by using their comrades as shields the moment the fire broke out.

‘……These are disgusting guys.’

I was convinced again.

I must not send a single one back.

I immediately chased one of them through teleportation.

The moment the guy jumped down, I moved to aim for his back.

Perhaps because he didn’t understand my abilities yet, the black armor couldn’t respond and was caught from behind.

“……What?!

“You’re jumping down, right? I’ll help you.”

I put my hand on the guy’s back and activated my gravity control ability.

The falling speed soared rapidly, and he crashed into the floor as is and died.

‘Then now there’s only one left…… Ugh!’

Where did the other one go?

He must have already landed, so should I chase him separately?

Just as I was thinking that, Undine [Aileen’s water spirit], who I had put on standby just in case, reacted.

-It’s dangerous!

Immediately, a vortex of water was automatically created like a shield and deflected the sword that was trying to pierce the back of my neck.

I quickly distanced myself from the deflected guy and landed on the floor.

The guy also changed his posture in the air and landed.

‘As expected, the most skilled guy survived…….’

Annihilation with just a counterattack was difficult after all.