The Genius Orphan Wh Chapter 169 : Good Guy, Bad Guy, Strange Guy

Chapter 169: Good Guy, Bad Guy, Strange Guy

A place crowded with a magnificent castle at its center and buildings rising up to four stories.

He had arrived at Crystallion, the capital of the Terrinos Empire.

Its scale and population were overwhelmingly beyond comparison with any city he had seen so far.

Perhaps because the sight was so fascinating, Aelin kept letting out exclamations of admiration.

“Wow, there are people everywhere.”

“Seriously. I’d believe it if soone said this was a kingdom on its own.”

Robin, too, felt the Empire’s strength as he looked at the streets packed with people.

What kind of person was the Emperor who ruled the entire continent?

“Here it is.”

When Sigbard opened the inn’s door, a neat-looking first floor ca into view.

If the Oak Tree Inn in Narvik had been an inn for Adventurers,

this place looked suited for the upper class to rest.

“Welco! Is this your first ti at our inn?”

“Yes. Four of us will be staying for three days.”

“You’ve co at just the right ti! We happened to have four single rooms left!”

50 copper per night.

For an inn in the capital, it was a cheap price.

Satisfied that the information he had picked up had been worthwhile, he paid the fee.

Then Sigbard spoke.

“So we’re moving separately now.”

“Right. I’m going to look around the blacksmiths. Want to co with , Sigbard?”

“No. I’ll look around the capital.”

Serena and Aelin were no different.

Robin had a clear goal of acquiring a weapon, but for the other three, it was practically a sightseeing trip.

Stretching, Serena looked at Aelin.

“Aelin, let’s go there.”

“Huh? Where?”

“There’s a sandwich shop I know.”

“A sandwich…?”

“Yeah. Sardine sandwich. They run out if you go late, so let’s hurry.”

For a mont, Aelin sent a look asking for help, but unfortunately it was hidden by her helt.

Sigbard had already left, and Serena pushed Aelin out the door.

“…Good thing I said I was going to the blacksmith.”

Left alone, Robin set off at a leisurely pace.

Perhaps because it was the capital where all kinds of people gathered,

Robin’s appearance did not draw attention here, even though it did everywhere else.

“Is there a particular sword you’re looking for?”

The first blacksmith was ordinary.

“If you bring the materials, I’ll forge whatever you want.”

The second blacksmith specialized in custom work.

“With enough money, there’s nothing I can’t get for you.”

At the third blacksmith, he found a sword he liked, but the price was too high.

The fourth, the fifth…….

Even after wandering around until the sun set, he could not inspect every blacksmith.

Since it required going around in person, it was rather difficult to make a quick decision, but having many options was better than having none.

“Aren’t you being too picky?”

“I’m just a country bumpkin. I need to compare a lot before choosing so I won’t regret it.”

“A sharp-minded young man, aren’t you? Take this at least.”

At the last blacksmith he visited, the owner handed him a ticket.

“You know the whole city’s crazy about the Arena right now, don’t you?”

The Arena, a swordsmanship tournant held once a year.

Of course he had heard of it.

By the ti Robin arrived in the capital, the preliminaries had already ended.

It was noisy with talk about who would win among those who had advanced to the main round.

“You’ve heard of Black Mask, the one ntioned as a favorite to win. I forged the sword he uses.”

“You must be quite skilled, sir.”

“Of course I am. There’s a match tomorrow, so see for yourself.”

Confidence that only soone certain of his skill could show.

Robin tried to pay for the ticket, but the blacksmith firmly refused.

Not disliking his frank attitude, Robin gave a polite bow and left.

“Black Mask… Shall I go take a look?”

Robin did not have much interest in the Arena.

Since strong fighters from across the Empire gathered, he would be able to see skilled warriors,

but because it leaned heavily toward entertainnt, he regarded it largely as a kind of show.

One example was the nickna ‘Black Mask.’

To excite the audience, there were quite a few participants who wore unusual outfits or joined with a specific concept.

Step.

On his way back to the inn, Robin suddenly stopped.

His current location was a relatively deserted outer district.

On top of that, the sun had tilted and darkness was gradually settling in.

Thud. Thud.

From deep within a shadowy alley ca faint but distinct sounds that pricked his ears.

Soone was being beaten.

Robin imdiately shouted.

“Guard! Guard!!”

As he hurried over, what ca into view was a man wearing a black mask.

The mont Robin saw him, he recognized who it was.

“Black Mask?”

A man with a black mask covering his entire face, and another man collapsed on the ground, curled up.

It was obvious to anyone that this was a scene of assault.

Robin slowly stepped forward and warned him.

“Stop. I’ve called the Guard, so you’d better not try anything foolish.”

“Called? Who?”

Black Mask spread both arms and turned in a circle.

No external noise could be heard.

It was as if this place alone had been separated and sent sowhere else.

“What did you do?”

“Worship.”

“What?”

Whoosh!

With the sound of sothing slicing through the air, sothing sharp brushed past his ear.

If he had been a little slower, there would have been a hole in his forehead.

“Ugh… Be careful. He uses a strange technique!”

At the warning from the man on the ground, Black Mask growled, but Robin was not one to let it go.

He quickly pulled a dagger from his chest and threw it at him.

Ting!

The dagger aid precisely at Black Mask, but the mask was harder than he had expected.

“It deflected it?”

Whatever it was made of, it was no ordinary mask.

Shing.

At last, Black Mask drew his sword.

Coming this far ant he intended to see it through to the end.

Robin also drew a sword and aid it at Black Mask.

“Even now, beg for forgiveness.”

“Beg? Begging is good.”

Black Mask muttered sothing incomprehensible to himself.

A chant that sounded vaguely familiar and an ominous aura.

What began to seep out from his mask was Demonic Energy.

“A Demon Tribe Worshipper.”

The reason surrounding sounds had been cut off.

The reason for the invisible attacks.

Both could be explained by the Demonic Energy contained within his mask.

“No Guard will be coming, will they?”

“You finally realized. I hadn’t planned to go this far either…….”

Slash.

Black Mask could not finish his sentence and collapsed to the ground.

His strength gave out as nearly half his ankle was severed.

“You brought this upon yourself.”

“H-how……?”

The pupils behind the mask tore wide open.

Just monts ago, Robin had been about five ters away, yet now he had slashed his sword right in front of him.

“They say you’re a favorite to win the Arena? You’re nothing special.”

Smack.

When he struck his temple with the hilt, Black Mask crumpled helplessly.

After snatching the sword from his hand, he thoroughly searched him to see if there were any hidden weapons.

There was nothing that looked dangerous.

“The sword’s usable, at least.”

Swinging Black Mask’s sword, he prodded his upper body.

He did not look like he would get up easily.

“Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been done for.”

“Are you alright?”

“Thankfully, I can still move. But to think Black Mask would lose.”

The man was bruised all over, but fortunately there were no wounds from a blade.

Just as Robin was about to ask what had happened.

Thud.

The mask Black Mask had been wearing fell limply to the ground.

The face of the Demon Tribe Worshipper behind it was unremarkable.

As he wondered how to deal with the lingering Demonic Energy—

“Get back!”

The battered man suddenly shoved Robin without warning.

Almost at the sa ti, the black mask rose into the air and flew toward the man’s face.

‘Not happening.’

As Robin extended his sword to strike it down in front of the man’s face, the mask, as if it had anticipated it, latched onto Robin’s face instead.

“What the—.”

He imdiately tried to tear the mask off his face, but it would not budge, as if glued on.

Not only that, Demonic Energy was trying to seep into his body, so he infused Fighting Spirit into his fist.

“Wait! Calm down!”

The man tried to stop him, but Robin slamd his fist into the mask.

It was like punching his own face.

He had expected the mask to shatter, but he was wrong.

Thud.

Despite being struck squarely, the mask remained intact.

The man watching from the side hurriedly pulled sothing out and sprinkled it over him.

As pure and refreshing water was poured over him, the Demonic Energy died down in an instant.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Was that Holy Water you just used?”

“Sothing similar. A mixture made by adding a few things to Holy Water.”

Setting aside his thanks, he tried again to remove the mask, but it remained stuck.

He attempted to wake Black Mask to question him, but sothing unbelievable happened.

Sssssss.

Though he had not suffered a fatal wound, Black Mask died.

To be precise, his body lted away.

No, perhaps it was more accurate to say it vaporized.

His corpse softened like mud and vanished without a trace.

“Can you explain what’s going on?”

“This is my first ti seeing sothing like this too, so I’m not sure what to make of it…….”

“What’s your na?”

“Oswal. My na is Oswal.”

Oswal was just as shocked.

“For now, it would be best to get out of here.”

“No. Until we figure out the cause, we need to examine him.”

“I wouldn’t recomnd that.”

Tap tap tap tap.

A group was running toward them.

“Am I worrying for nothing, or do those footsteps sound ominous?”

“You’ve got good instincts. Let’s move first.”

With the corpse vanished in an instant and the approaching footsteps drawing closer as if in pursuit,

Robin had no choice but to follow Oswal.

“The group that was chasing us just now probably held a grudge against Black Mask.”

“So that’s why you said we should avoid them.”

“They’re the ones who bet money on who would win in the Arena.”

“And they co charging in mobs like that? In this city?”

“Just because it’s the capital doesn’t an every district is safe. Just last night, three or four participants disappeared.”

Robin lowered his evaluation of the capital by a notch.

No matter where one went, it seed the outskirts and slums had unstable security.

“Putting aside their grudge against Black Mask. Why were you getting beaten by him, Oswal?”

“I approached him because I had sothing to ask, but I misspoke. I joked that he looked like so shady Demon Tribe Worshipper. Who knew it would be true.”

“…That sounds less like a joke and more like an insult.”

Perhaps Oswal was not entirely normal either.

In a place where so many people gathered, it was only natural that strange individuals would be drawn in.

“Do you happen to have any of that Holy Water left? It feels unsettling to keep wearing this mask.”

“I’ve used it all. It’s not easy to make, and I’m not even sure it would help remove the mask.”

“This is a problem.”

Black Mask’s face was ordinary, but his hair color was uncommon.

His hair had been black—just like Robin’s.

Moreover, their builds were similar, making Robin, now wearing the mask, perfectly suited to be mistaken for Black Mask.

As he let out a deep sigh, Oswal spoke casually.

“Why not take this opportunity to beco Black Mask yourself?”

“What? You want

to pretend to be a Demon Tribe Worshipper?”

“That’s not a major issue. No one knew Black Mask was a Demon Tribe Worshipper anyway.”

“No thanks. If you don’t have any more useful information, let’s part ways here.”

He turned to leave, intending to find a Priest, but Oswal grabbed him.

“Couldn’t you at least fight one match in the Arena in his place? I’ve got quite a bit of money riding on Black Mask.”

“So you’re a gambler too.”

“You looked skilled to . It wouldn’t be bad for you either.”

Robin tried to brush him off and leave, but the next words made him stop.

“The Arena’s grand prize. If it’s that, the power of that vile mask will surely fade.”

“Explain in detail.”

When Robin reacted, Oswal hurriedly elaborated.

“The Phoenix Feather isn’t just a luxury item. It’s also a core ingredient for an Elixir.”

“Is that true?”

“I guarantee it. I told you, it wouldn’t be bad for you either.”

How had he gotten himself tangled up in sothing so troubleso?

Robin looked up at the sky and muttered in complaint.

A Demon Tribe Worshipper, a gambler, and himself about to impersonate Black Mask.

It was a first day in the capital where not a single thing went as he wished.