[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
Chapter 2: The Abandoned Sword
There was a reason why I found myself turning into a righteous thief in the dead of night.
To put it simply, I wasn’t being hunted because I’d stolen sothing. Rather, I ended up stealing this jewel box while I was already on the run.
To understand how this all happened, we need to go back a little further..
***
After earning the forgiveness of the Godfather Daikin through sheer guts, I served under him for many years.
One day, I realized that I had surpassed Daikin’s physical abilities. My talent was that exceptional.
Even so, I always respected him. It wasn't because of any great loyalty or affection. It was simply a fact that I owed my life to the Godfather.
‘Back in the day.’
I was rely following the words my grandfather had given in my childhood, a kind of curse.
[TL/N- That old man is now referred as Grandfather by MC.]
Therefore, when Daikin died during a conflict with another organization, I gladly avenged him.
‘With this, my debt to Daikin is paid.’
However, in the process, I stained my hands with too much blood. I made too many enemies. I could no longer stay in my hotown.
After handing over the organization to those who had watched my back, I boarded a ship. It was a ship bound for a distant foreign land across the sea.
“Farewell, Karzan. You are a fine man. I will take good care of the rest.”
“Thank you. Fare well.”
Those who had followed since my orphan days, the ones who had treated like a big brother, had chased to a foreign island with no connections.
“You crazy bastards. Why did you follow here?”
“There’s nothing we can do. Where are we supposed to go?”
It's incredibly difficult for soone who has been involved in the Underworld to escape it. And just as there is no land without night, there is no country without shadows.
We had to dive back into the Underworld of a foreign land.
...And so, ti passed once more.
Many winds of fate brushed against the sails of my life. I sailed the sea of life aimlessly, drifting here and there. Looking back, where was I really headed during that ti?
“But boss, aren’t you going to get married? I know so many won who like you…”
“Marriage at my age? No way.”
“Aw, co on, you’re still in your pri.”
I thought I couldn't hold a child with my bloodstained hands.
‘Thinking about it now, I didn’t need to go that far.’
I was being too pretentious.
Would I not have had a cherished connection once? However, I could never win her heart.
"Karzan, you're a coward."
Perhaps that's true.
I was simply afraid. Living on the edge of a blade, I believed having a family was a luxury. If I was walking on a bridge that might collapse at any mont, it was better to go alone.
“It’s so fucking lonely, damn it.”
The more lonely I beca, the sharper my sword beca. At so point, I learned to endure that loneliness with dignity.
And so, the uneducated genius swordsman gradually beca a renowned master in the kingdom.
"You're the famous Karzan. I've co with a good proposition."
"And who might you be?"
"Ivan. You can call Ivan."
Eventually, my fa and skills were recognized and I was hired as a swordsman by a powerful man.
Normally, I would not have agreed, but I needed money urgently.
'The problem was that the employer was more influential than I expected.'
The real Duke who governed his family from the shadows without sitting in the family head's seat. And the king of the Underworld who ruled the kingdom's nights.
People called this unnad man the Dark King. He was a noble by birth, who had achieved his ambition of controlling both the light and dark sides of society.
Of course, I was already aware of his existence.
But there were things I didn't know.
How could I have known that this country was in the grasp of a single man, that even the king was nothing more than his puppet?
'I should have kicked Ivan's ass and told him to get lost back then.'
It was an open secret that nobles who enjoyed power maintained close relationships with the Underworld sothing even toddlers knew but the existence of a 'Godfather of the Underworld and leader of the nobles' was an entirely different matter.
"Karzan, try running to the end of the world!"
"I was just about to do that!"
The cold gleam of the blade shining in the moonlight sent a chill down my spine.
'Ah, these damn pigs.'
And I was the one who had been callously discarded by such incredibly bad people.
'They probably planned to use for a dirty job and then throw away.'
What was that dirty job exactly?
Let explain.
Nowadays, territorial wars between nobles are too burdenso. Aren't wars an expensive endeavor?
'In other words, recklessly raising an army is not cost-effective.'
Therefore, the nobility began employing the big shots of the Underworld to develop thods of 'destroying enemies and seizing opportunities' through assassinations, kidnappings, investigations, threats, defamation, framing, and planting spies.
How sophisticated of a thod was this? They didn't even need to deliberately invest money. As long as society exists, the shadows will inevitably erge.
'Slums, freen, criminals, assassins, smugglers, rcenaries.'
The so-called night dwellers spread their roots and expanded their businesses in every field where money and blood flow.
Therefore, borrowing the power and human resources of the Underworld to reduce costs and handle matters quietly could be considered an extrely efficient business thod.
'In other words, mutual aid.'
From the Underworld's perspective, it's the sa. If they can gain the strong support of the nobility, they can expand their organization while receiving consideration for various businesses and vested interests.
Thus, the cooperation between noble clans and the Underworld beca, in a way, the most ideal symbiotic relationship. To the point where they could no longer be separated.
'Still, that Dark King was truly a massive piece of trash.'
The nobles who had once been his enemies were often implicated in treason and wiped out, the heirs of their clans were assassinated, the clan heads went mad, were killed by their vassals, or were attacked by barbarians and pirates.
anwhile, those who challenged his power in the Underworld would be eradicated by the military or disintegrate after incurring the wrath of the king and nobles.
'The Dark King ruthlessly used both his light and dark powers to bring down his enemies.'
How many lives had he taken, how many conspiracies had he plotted, how many assassinations had he carried out? How many human lives had he destroyed? From the mont I learned the truth about the Dark King, I harbored the thought that I would soday kill him.
But I didn't have enough strength. Instead, I ended up getting backstabbed and being chased.
'How futile.'
Anyway, I wasn't the type of person who lived with such integrity, but that doesn't an I could just die at the hands of that kind of trash.
'How dare he.'
As soon as I sensed sothing, I took a step forward.
An ambush? No, that's not it. Who would dare to directly challenge the Dark King?
Opposing him wouldn't just an a few assassins coming after .
'The kingdom's proud royal guards and knight orders would have torn apart.'
His true power ca from the fact that he controlled the state's power itself from behind the black veil.
So I sneaked out during the night and stole the treasure that he cherished like his life, and I ran away two days ago.
It wasn't an impulsive act. I won't deny I wanted to get back at him. But it was also true that if things didn't work out, I planned to use the treasure as hostage to buy ti and negotiate.
But here's the thing. While I expected betrayal, I couldn't predict its timing and thod. This was one thing I absolutely didn't anticipate, even as the one who stole the treasure.
'I didn't know it was that important.'
How could this be happening? What could possibly be in this jewelry box to cause such a commotion?
'Did it contain his mother's remains? If so, I apologize.'
Seeing that nothing would open it despite all my attempts, it seed like an incredibly powerful protection spell was in place.
'Life rarely goes as planned.'
Looking back, it had always been this way.
The things I truly wanted slipped through my hands like sand, and only the things I didn't want clung to my fate.
'If I'd been a bit more cowardly and a bit more shaless, I would have lived much better.'
I thought so losses were better to accept. But now that death was right before my eyes, self-doubt and delusion began to tornt my heart.
'Grandfather, was I living honourably?'
My grandfather had said- do not begrudge small kindnesses.
And my grandfather also said- there's no need to live foolishly.
'I truly was a naive fool.'
I was quicker and more clever than anyone else, but at the most important mont, I was moved by my heart. To sum it up in one word, I ended up in such a miserable state while chasing romance.
Rember this kids - Romance doesn't put food on the table.
'...But food eaten without romance doesn't taste very good either.'
There were far more people who tried to keep alive for two days than I thought. There were people who wouldn't let die alone, so my life wasn't all in vain.
'Foolish ones.'
For example, last night there was a guy waiting for in the safe house and told to run away so he could die in my place.
Of course, I knocked him out and dressed him in the pursuers' clothes.
'You're just annoying by adding more work for no reason.’
How many had been sacrificed to get here?
Suddenly, regret welled up in my heart and I found it hard to bear.
'That's enough. Life is all about regrets.'
I could physically feel that escaping their encirclent was impossible.
But not struggling at all on my way out would be too pathetic.
“Let’s just leave it for a while.”
I still had one last resort.
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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