The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board-Chapter 426

As the events that happened at the Star Graveyard were being dissected in detail, shadowed figures who had also heard the news began to murmur among themselves.

Naturally, the atmosphere was far from amicable.

Seated around a round table, the Kings of the Night spoke in irritated voices as they debated the night’s agenda.

"The Star Graveyard operation ended in failure."

"Was the power of the Calamity truly that immense?"

"There's no way to tell."

"Could the information have been wrong?"

At the last question, everyone's eyes turned in shock toward the one who had asked.

"Are you doubting him…?"

"N-No… I just meant that not even he can personally verify every piece of information."

"But even so, the mistake lies with us. So watch what you say." freёweɓnovel.com

"Right… It was an unavoidable outcome. But how come we weren't able to gauge the extent of the Calamity's power?"

"Because they were all killed by the investigators."

"What? What do you mean?"

"This is my first time hearing of this, too. Weren't they defeated by the Calamity?"

"They didn't even make it that far. The investigators wiped them out."

"What the… Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. One of them survived. He hid among the other survivors. He told us how things unfolded."

"So, what's the conclusion?"

"We underestimated their strength…"

The Kings of the Night had never dreamed that mere dogs of the Investigation Bureau would be able to interfere with matters related to the Calamity.

The subordinates they sent were monsters capable of slaughtering hundreds of ordinary soldiers single-handedly. After all, no matter how many times they were stabbed or cut down, they would just regenerate.

"To think the Investigation Bureau would have that kind of hidden power…"

"How could they… They were always struggling to clean up the mess."

"It seems that things were different this time. Not only did they dispatch personnel in advance, but they also slipped formidable fighters among them."

"One or two slipping through is normal. But then, why did they plant such strong ones now?"

"That's exactly what's suspicious. They eliminated some of our best operatives. Some could even survive decapitation. And yet, they were all wiped out."

"…"

"It seems the tail we had on the Sanshi family was also discovered and killed. Hmm… It's nothing but unfortunate news."

Gulp… Gulp…

A giant man, who had been gulping down wine, slammed his glass down violently.

Crash—!

The cup made of oak shattered into pieces.

"Things are turning into a real mess."

"Well, in the end, this isn't a significant loss for us."

"What?"

"We only pursued the Calamity because of his order, so we had nothing to lose. Still, it is a shame the nobles in the Star Graveyard weren't wiped out. The problem is they gained something despite our minimal losses."

The man seated across him raised a finger. "First, there's a probability the Investigation Bureau has recovered the power of the Calamity that was left in the legend. And second, the surviving nobles have begun to unite due to this incident."

"Damn it. Those scarecrows banding together probably won't change much, but we've given them unnecessary leverage."

"We couldn't have avoided the operation. We must face the results and devise a countermeasure. The silver lining is that the Federation's nobles are arrogant fools who haven't progressed much throughout their long history."

The table was round and equal. They all expressed their opinions.

However, there was someone who'd remained silent.

Someone asked for his thoughts.

"Goeben, what do you think? Is there any way to break their unity or keep them in check?"

"Hmm…"

"Goeben?"

"More than anything… They might have caught onto our trail."

"What…?"

"There's been a disruption in our distribution network. The Investigation Bureau suddenly started digging deep into the flow of home. We had to burn down a few perfectly good warehouses because of it."

"I heard about that… But are you saying that might be related to this incident?"

"Yes. They might be targeting home."

"Damn it… That's the worst-case scenario."

For them, home was a golden goose. And if you considered all the secrets tied to it, it was something they couldn't afford to lose.

"That's why I'm thinking of biting."

"Do you have a plan?"

"It's as simple as showing them our strength. They're overconfident in their power, riding on their momentum. That's why they're uniting. They will scatter in fear if we crush their forces mercilessly. You all know how cunning nobles can be."

"Haha… They're indeed the type of people who would scurry away at the first sign of trouble. I like this. Do you have a plan?"

"I deliberately leaked the location of a warehouse. They will most likely launch a large-scale raid within days. The original plan was to lure them in and detonate it, but with the Star Graveyard incident causing unrest, explosives alone might not cut it. That's why we're going to set a trap and wait."

"Who's going?"

"Benhyu and his people."

"To think you would make that lazy guy move… Perfect. He's the type of person to slaughter them all and come back laughing."

Everyone nodded.

Their trust showed how formidable Benhyu and his subordinates were.

"Understood. Let's proceed with that."

"Ah, right. About that crow symbol."

"Tekon! I had completely forgotten about that guy."

Tekon was the one who, along with his subordinates, had been annihilated by Seol. If he hadn't provoked Seol, he might have been here now, strategizing with them.

"So far, we've identified about 167 organizations linked to the crow symbol."

"That's a lot."

"Half of them are cults. Groups dabbling in black magic."

"Don't tell me we've lost against such crazy people."

"No. That's probably not the case… They're most likely among the other half. But they will be hard to find."

"But they are guys who wiped out Tekon's forces. Can't we narrow them down?"

"As you know, Tekon's forces weren't that strong to begin with… There are over twenty organizations that could have pulled that off if they went all out. And there's been an interesting rumor related to this…"

"An interesting rumor?"

"That the Dragon of the East has fallen."

"Hong Cheon? I heard he was scheming something, but it went awry. Khan has been hiding information. Have you heard anything?"

"Yes. Some groups that aided in stopping that incident used the crow symbol."

"So? It doesn't seem related."

"I'm just saying that there were rumors like that."

"What a waste of time."

* * *

A few days later, Sanshi Mariju visited Seol's residence.

"For now, we've decided to operate under the name 'Silver Lion Society.'"

"Silver Lion…?"

"The Silver Lion is one of the sacred beasts of the Northern Federation. A noble creature that roams the snowfields."

Seol responded with an indifferent expression. "Ah…"

"What's with that expression? It's incredibly unpleasant… But more importantly, why is Somi acting like that?"

Somi was also present. For some reason, Gael had sent her here as well, right on time.

Somi was holding a massive crossbow Mariju hadn't seen before, aiming it around while going 'Pew! Pew!'.

"Pew! Pew! You're already dead."

"Somi…"

"Ah, I don't mean actually dead. Just my imagination, you know? This thing's always thirsting for blood."

The crossbow Somi had obtained… was Peerless.

When she unlocked her box with a key, a radiant light emerged, which bestowed the crossbow upon her.

Usually, it stayed small, attached to her wrist. But when she channeled mana through a special method, it would transform into its true size.

'Honestly… I couldn't care less.'

All of this was information that had been forced upon him.

"Silver Lion? It's a nice name. I'm Han Somi, The One Who Brings the Agony of Death."

"Ah… Yes…"

Seol looked at Mariju and said, "So, what brought you here today? I don't have any business with the Sanshi family yet."

"I know. No, if it's investigator Seol, we're talking about…"

"That position was temporary. It will be stripped soon anyway."

At that moment, Somi looked surprised and said, "Huh? I heard that wasn’t the case…"

"What…?"

"Gael told me otherwise."

Noticing Seol's reaction, Mariju added. "The Silver Lion Society negotiated with the chief of the Investigation Bureau. Your position is no longer temporary."

"Ah…"

It seemed they intended to leash him this way. Right now, whatever side Seol took could determine whether their problems would be swiftly resolved or dragged out endlessly.

'But how did they manage to sway the chief?'

Seol asked Mariju. "What's your relationship with the chief of the Investigation Bureau?"

"He's my uncle."

"So he was your family…"

To be honest, Seol didn't want to get close to this so-called Silver Lion Society.

It wasn't that he had nothing to gain from them, but he found their noble-born demeanor and attempts to boss him around annoying.

It seemed that after the Star Graveyard incident, they had taken an interest in him. No… they became very interested.

Although they hadn't witnessed his power firsthand, Mariju had most likely told them.

"I'm sorry… It's a bit chaotic, right?"

"It's fine. The commotion outside my residence is unavoidable… Servants knocking on my door as if it were theirs is to be expected. The problem is the items being delivered…"

"Are they love letters…?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Too many to bother reading."

At Seol's words, both Somi and Mariju laughed.

"They're people who grew up surrounded by roses. That's why they're predictable and dull. They probably see you as someone special, a knight in shining armor who saved them from danger."

Seol couldn't care less what they thought.

"This is dragging on. What is it you want from me that you went as far as to use the chief of the Investigation Bureau?"

He wanted to know why they were so eager to make him an investigator.

"A special task force for narcotics is being formed. Officially, it will be under the Investigation Bureau, but the Silver Lion Society will be backing it from behind."

"How boring."

"Just stay at the forefront until we catch their trail."

"No."

"I knew it."

Mariju didn't look disappointed at all. She seemed confident she would be able to convince him.

"We're going to set a time limit. No more than a month."

"My answer is still no."

"You can handpick the task force members. Somi, and of course, outsiders too. We're going to accept anyone you bring."

"I'm not going to take the position in the first place. How the task force is structured is none of my concern."

Mariju's eyes burned with fervor. "We're going to grant you immunity. Full exemption for all illegal acts committed during the mission."

"Meaning…?"

"Murder, property damage… No, given your scale, even destruction-related liabilities. The Silver Lion Society will cover all financial repercussions."

Unlike others, immunity was a tempting offer. If negotiated well, it could be perfect to cover for his activities in the North.

"How long will the immunity last?"

"For as long as you stay in the North…? Even if the mission ends, we're willing to extend it temporarily."

"Although I like the offer, I have a feeling I'll be dragged into troublesome affairs. So I'd rather move alone…"

"Wait! You still haven't heard the real offer!"

Clap–!

As Mariju clapped her hands, servants carrying suspicious-looking boxes came in.

They placed three boxes on the table before stepping back.

"Please, take a look."

"…"

Creak…

'Damn…'

Seol was drawn to the light spilling from the boxes.

They were Peerless.

Given that the boxes were identical, the contents inside were most likely similar as well.

'The Silver Lion Society had such a card available?'

"We're prepared for significant losses."

The tip of Seol's mouth curled up after looking at all three items.

They were all high-quality items, suitable for levels 57 to 68.

Moreover, all of them were things he could use…

"Where did these come from?"

"They're heirlooms left by our ancestors. Relics from those who roamed the era of the Great War."

"I see…"

"If you want, you can take one of them…"

Lost in thought, Seol tuned out the rest of her pitch. The time limit was clear, and he could wrap things up sooner if he worked efficiently.

However, he had a feeling that he would be stuck with this issue for a full month.

One peerless for one month of work.

'Am I going to be a salaryman…?'

He felt a bit disappointed.

Noticing his hesitation, Mariju added. "We're going to give you one as an advance payment, and another upon success."

Now, this was a real dilemma.

Could he finish it within half a month if he went all out? That hopeful thought arose.

Was freedom more valuable than two Peerless-items?

Seol deeply pondered it, weighing his worth—his freedom was more valuable.

But at that moment, Mariju said while sweating nervously, "Investigator."

"…"

"Why do you think there are three boxes?"

A few days later…

Seol draped his uniform jacket over his shoulders, tucking his cap under his arm.

- There were too many items.

- The value of freedom was greater than two Peerless-items but less than three.

- Deliberation only delayed the inevitable.

- Sia, Dad's going to be late again…

- Kang Seol couldn't overcome the wall of collective bargaining.

And behind him stood three figures, impeccably dressed in uniforms.

"It fits perfectly. How does it look?"

"How do I look?"

"Quit making a fuss. It's nothing special."

They were Karen, Karuna, and Ur.

Seol had used the privilege of being able to choose the task force members to pick his own people.

"As expected… They're comrades worthy of ‘The One Who Brings the Agony of Death.’"

"Long time no see!"

As Karen hugged Somi and chatted, something massive appeared at the residence.

Boom…

Boom…

"If I wear this, can I move around freely?"

"Yes… In principle."

A massive figure, draped in what seemed to be the same uniform jacket as Seol, appeared.

"Humans are too fixated on status."

It was Jamad.

With the crossbow in her hand, Somi froze like a statue after seeing Jamad's overwhelmingly aggressive appearance.

"This is undeniably a crime…"