The Black Ravens in Conflict with the Spider
As I was planning to head to the ruins tonight, Prime Minister Sylberg suggested assigning a bodyguard.
I politely declined the offer because having a bodyguard would be a nuisance while wandering around the city at night.
Besides, if I go to the ruins and consult Orlan, I'm sure she'll help me out.
Late that night, as I opened the door to sneak out of the castle, Sister Emilia was standing in the hallway for some reason.
Why is her intuition always so sharp?
"I knew you were up to something sneaky again, trying to sneak out of the castle. I won't allow it."
"Uh... This time, I got permission from Big brother Roland..."
"If that's the case, you should have told me sooner. If there's no risk of getting into trouble, I'll go with you."
Ah, I figured this would happen as soon as I saw Sister Emilia. I don’t even feel like resisting anymore.
Sister Emilia and I slipped through a hole in the outer wall of the castle and ran into the city.
We explored each alley behind the famous restaurant until we found Mr. Kernel leaning against the wall of an alley, drinking from a small barrel of liquor.
The two of us waved and ran over to Mr. Kernel. We sat in the alley and rejoiced at our reunion.
Then I asked Mr. Kernel if he could gather information for me again.
Mr. Kernel’s face turned serious and he squinted his eyes.
"Has something troublesome happened?"
"Yeah, it seems that a magician from the Elfast Magic Kingdom has escaped and is hiding in the Capital. I really need to contact and protect this magician. I can pay you for your help, including for the last time, so can I ask for your help?"
"I’m helping you because I want to. I don't need any payment. It’s enough if you visit me from time to time."
Then we decided to move to a different location and headed to the ruins.
When we entered the room, we found Orlan wrapped in a blanket and sound asleep on the bed.
Mr. Kernel pulled off her blanket and woke her up.
"Ian is here. Wake up."
"Sleep is important."
Orlan opened her eyes slightly, glanced at us, then changed her position to go back to sleep.
I took out a red-yellow bottle from my cloak for her.
"I brought something you love today, Orlan."
"Something I love?"
Orlan sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, and stared at the bottle. As soon as she realized what I had brought, she quickly snatched the bottle from my hand.
"Honey."
She muttered and started licking the honey from her finger after opening the bottle.
I explained to Orlan about the magician escaping from the Elfast Magic Kingdom.
As I spoke, her honey-licking stopped, and she turned her expressionless face towards me.
"A person with messy black hair. Was being chased by someone. Took them to the Black Raven hideout."
"That doesn’t explain anything. Use clearer words to explain."
Ah, here we go again. Sister Emilia and Orlan started arguing.
Why does Sister Emilia always break character when Orlan is involved?
And Orlan, please stop provoking her.
Since this was a usual occurrence, I ignored them and tried to make sense of what Orlan had said.
She must have helped someone in the city and took them somewhere.
I asked Orlan.
"What are the Black Ravens?"
"Thieves' Guild? Assassins' Guild? It's an organization that's hostile to the Spider."
So, Black Ravens are a rival organization to Spider.
As I pondered, Mr. Kernel grinned.
"Black Ravens is an unusual group. They steal and kill, but only target those who have made money through shady means. They're an organization that lurks in the shadows of the Kingdom and frequently clashes with the Spider."
I see, it seems similar to a band of righteous thieves from my memories of Japan in my previous life.
If that's the case, there might be some room for negotiation.
Even though we still don't know if the person Orlan helped is the magician, meeting with Black Ravens might give us some leads.
After consulting with Mr. Kernel, we decided to make contact with the Black Ravens organization.
The four of us left the ruins and headed into the city.
Guided by Mr. Kernel, we walked through the alleys until we found that the Black Ravens hideout was surprisingly located on the main street.
Despite it being the middle of the night, a large group of rough-looking men were hanging around in front of the building.
Mr. Kernel smiled and raised one hand in greeting to them.
"Hey there!"
"Oh, it's Uncle Kernel!"
The gathered men straightened up and bowed their heads repeatedly upon recognizing Mr. Kernel.
They then split into two groups, creating a path to the entrance for us.
Smiling, Mr. Kernel walked down the path and entered the building.
"Tell Boss Cynus that Kernel is here."
Wait a minute.
Judging by this reception, could it be that Mr. Kernel knows Black Ravens personally?
What do you think about this chapter?
