Volume 1 Chapter 89 Karma Strikes Back
"Why did you neglect your post? I told you to be careful!"
Chester yelled in anger, forgetting himself in the office of the trading post in Transverum. He quickly stormed out of the office and started walking down the hallway in a hurry.
"S-Sorry! But, really, we were right in front of the door like always! We weren't slacking off or anything--"
The adventurers desperately tried to explain, matching their steps with Chester. Their faces showed more confusion than remorse.
"Understand that I didn't hire you just to stand in front of the door! Damn it... And why now of all times?"
Chester muttered as he exited onto Transverum's main street and entered another nearby building. Climbing up the stairs, he saw the servants and other adventurers peering into the room with the door left open from the hallway.
"Chester-sama is here!"
The servants hurriedly lined up against the wall, bowing their heads as they made way. Chester entered the room with a group of adventurers.
"Ugh!"
He couldn't help but let out a gasp at the sight before him. Chester had prepared himself to some extent since receiving the report, but it was still too much.
On the opposite side of the room's door, there were two lifeless bodies sitting on the floor, leaning against the white wall with only a small sliding paper door.
The bodies were side by side, holding hands as if they were clinging to each other.
Their lifeless eyes no longer reflected anything. The blood that flowed from their chests had stained the red carpet beneath them even darker.
Right next to them, there was a single blood-stained dagger on the floor. They must have used it.
One of the bodies belonged to a young man with striking features. The other was a beautiful woman with vibrant red hair. They were Allen and Ellis, once renowned as S-Rank adventurers, known by everyone. But just yesterday, they had turned into silent figures.
Chester turned his face away as if he couldn't bear to watch any longer.
"...Please transport the bodies. And also, contact the church and the adventurer's guild."
"Yes, right away."
"You guys, go back to your posts."
"Y-yes, Chester-san."
After giving some instructions, Chester left the room alone.
Even though they had committed a crime, this outcome wasn't what he had hoped for.
If there was a sin, he believed it could be atoned for. That was his belief and his wish. Thanks to Ellis, Allen didn't cause any trouble, and he was even cooperative regarding the incident, so there was a sense of relief, although not completely.
But why did it have to happen now?
The adventurer's guild had repeatedly demanded that they hand over the four people, but Chester deliberately ignored it to protect them from the king. Even Fiione and Dorothea, who had almost given up, had finally started to show signs of remorse, and everything seemed to be going well. It was supposed to be going well, but all their efforts were in vain. It ended in the worst possible way, with the two of them committing suicide.
With a feeling of emptiness, Chester walked down the hallway. For some reason, he really wanted to see Toto. He analyzed himself and realized that he just wanted some comfort. However, as the son of the Clow Merchant Guild's leader and as a man, he couldn't seem to find it.
"Chester-san! Is Chester-san here!?"
"I'm here. What's wrong?"
Other adventurers, out of breath, spotted Chester and rushed over.
"Oh! Chester-san! Actually, we just received a message from the prison guard..."
"What, spit it out. What happened exactly?"
"Well... Fiione and Dorothea, who we had captured, they... they died. After we fed them like usual, they suddenly started to suffer, and then..."
"What..."
The adventurer continued to speak to Chester, who was stunned into silence.
"We found out that the poison they were given was apparently taken from the Poison Giant. It seems that only their food was drugged with it..."
"That's ridiculous! Poison from the Poison Giant!? It's a deadly poison that could kill with just a touch!!"
The Poison Giant was an especially formidable monster even among those ranked as "S-Rank." It had a giant, purple body riddled with holes that constantly emitted lethal poison. Its breath attack was particularly terrifying, capable of causing major damage to any party that faced it. If the antidote was even slightly delayed, it was as good as a death sentence. That's why, among adventurers, it was common sense to prioritize fleeing if encountered rather than trying to defeat it.
The poison from the Poison Giant sometimes appeared in auctions, but its quantity was extremely limited, with only one coming up for sale in a year. Its price was also incomparable, many times higher than popular materials from other S-Rank monsters like dragons.
Where could they have possibly obtained such a thing?
Chester thought that the fact that such a potent poison had been prepared could only be a manifestation of the desire to ensure the target's complete elimination. Moreover, he determined that the simultaneous deaths of the four S-Rank adventurers, who were in different locations, could not have occurred by chance.
In other words, Allen and Ellis did not commit suicide. They were killed by someone's hands.
"..."
Chester realized that his hand was trembling. He forcefully held it down with his other hand. He felt an unprecedented, indescribable fear.
If Ark and the others were here with him now, it would surely be reassuring. But that was not the reality. They were currently in Metis.
--No, rather... were the perpetrator aiming for this opportunity?
Chester shook his head to clear his mind. And then, he tried to organize the events that had occurred so far.
Allen, Ellis, Fiione, and Dorothea. They are all members of the same party and are S-Rank adventurers.
The timing is almost simultaneous, clearly the work of the same culprit. Everyone is being targeted by someone. And they are also involved in an incident related to three keys.
--Is this everyone? No, it's not...
"It's bad!"
Finally, Chester noticed something important and suddenly shouted.
"Quickly find out Leanne-san's and the guards' whereabouts! We can mobilize all the adventurers in the city if necessary! Hurry up! It's very urgent!"
"Yeah, got it! We'll head to the city right away! We'll try to inform the others as much as possible too!"
"Yeah! Let's go, guys!"
The adventurers started taking action. Watching them disappear, Chester prayed for Leanne's safety.
That's when it happened.
Chester felt a sensation similar to dizziness.
The ground shook, and there was a sound from outside. It was like the sound of a big tree falling. Chester hurried outside to see what was happening.
"What...what is this?"
The main street was filled with debris. Buildings had collapsed.
The buildings in Trasverum were all built by skilled craftsmen. They were really good at what they did. That's why something like this had never happened before.
And because it had never happened before, Chester felt a sense of indescribable fear.
"Why...why is this happening?"
"Chester-san! It's dangerous to get closer right now!"
The people around Chester noticed his presence and warned him. But he didn't stop walking.
--Through the gaps in the debris, faintly, he saw something he didn't want to see first. A limp arm. A familiar white coat and long golden hair. It was the childhood friend of the boy who saved Trasverum.
Chester could do nothing but stand still in that moment.
"Was I naive...?"
After restraining Allen and the others, Chester tightened surveillance on those visiting Trasverum. Other merchants agreed with his opinion. Many had witnessed the appearance of a dragon in the city. The number of personnel stationed on the walls covering the city was increased. The vigilance should have been perfect.
So, how did the assassin manage to infiltrate Trasverum and evade the adventurers' eyes?
"...No. It wasn't like that."
After pondering to that extent, he finally realized.
Not outside, but inside.
The threat was already within Trasverum. Was it a spy of King Cretia? Or perhaps an unidentified third party that he hadn't even noticed yet.
"Adventurers! Please help treat the injured! And there might still be people trapped under rubble!! Please conduct a search immediately!"
A woman's voice could be heard. It was Ciel, the receptionist at the Trasverum Adventurer's Guild.
When he saw her, Chester remembered what he should be doing. Normally, this should have been his duty, not Ciel's.
However, at this moment, he no longer had the energy for it.
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