༺ Not Ideal for Educational Environments! ༻
The place I was heading to was the underground market.
It was well past midnight.
Most people were in their beds, preparing for the next day, but the underground market at midnight was even more bustling than when I had visited during the day.
“I’m selling wooden tops. These tops are blessed by Snix. You can throw them instead of daggers.”
“I’m selling cats rescued from the neighbors upstairs. We also have cats rescued from the neighbors below.”
“Could someone help me move my belongings? Definitely not a scam.”
Wow, there’s no shortage of goods here.
Well, it’s a marketplace after all.
I navigated through the chaos and noise, making my way to the headquarters of the「Shadow Council」 that must be ruling this underground market.
It was easy to recognize their headquarters.
Even in this underground filled with all sorts of things, you just had to go to the only place that could be called a sanctuary.
“Here it is. It looks the same in every city. Is this a standardized design or something?”
It was a place resembling the ruined temples in Greece.
In the center of those columns, a giant statue of a goddess with cats and crows on her shoulders stood proudly, surrounded by countless coins.
Ding—
Soon, a masked figure beside me bounced a coin in front of the goddess statue and clasped their hands.
“Oh Snix, grant us another day without being caught.”
As everyone can see.
The name of this goddess statue was Snix.
The object of faith for thieves.
Throw a coin and make a wish, they say, and your footsteps will be lighter, your hands more nimble, and you’ll be better at hiding in the darkness.
Of course, I didn’t believe in such things.
But if I had to admit one thing, it was that I liked the Snix statue.
Why, you ask?
Ching-ching— Ching-ching—
Because I could pick up the coins that had fallen in front of the statue!
“Hehe, there’s so much money here. It might add up to around 10,000 arcs.”
If you’re lucky, you could even find silver or gold coins.
How could I hate a place like this?
“…Hey, look at that guy! He’s insane!”
“He’s stealing offerings to the goddess!”
“That guy’s a total lunatic, isn’t he!? Isn’t he afraid of divine punishment!?”
“Hiiii…! I can’t believe my eyes…!”
They were all shocked.
Thieves who steal other people’s money are making a fuss over a few fallen coins on the ground.
That’s how it was with them.
Swoosh—
At that moment, someone appeared from the darkness.
He wore a circlet on his head and his thin body was covered in black bandages, like a mummy.
Let’s give him a nickname based on his appearance.
“Mirror Ninja?”
“……”
Whether it was because he was the silent type or not, he didn’t respond to my words.
But he nodded his head as if he wanted to guide me somewhere.
Swoosh—
Following him as he quickly disappeared into the darkness, I was able to enter a room in the Snix temple that served as a meeting place.
There were already various types of thieves gathered there, making it completely feel like a crime den.
Wait, no, it’s an actual crime den.
“Mirror, who is that guy? He has a truly bizarre atmosphere.”
“Snix goddess statue. Coin. He stole it.”
Mirror Ninja explained in a peculiar tone in response to someone’s strange question.
Seems like he’s not good at speaking.
However, after hearing his rough explanation, the thieves seated at the round table were very surprised.
“He stole coins from the Snix goddess statue?”
“What a madman!”
“I can’t believe such a thief exists. Even followers of the wicked Nocturne wouldn’t do such a thing!”
Everyone was in an uproar.
Then, an old man with a white beard approached me.
Let’s call him the ‘Old Thief.’
“A thief who fears no divine punishment. I’ve been around for a long time, but I’ve only heard of such a person once before. Could it be that you’re the 13th Judas?”
“Yes.”
I nodded casually.
Upon hearing that, the eyes of the hidden figures twinkled with admiration and some muttered, “Ohh…” or “As expected…”
Of course, not everyone was in awe.
“You’re the 13th Judas with this kind of skill? You don’t seem much different from us.”
“Don’t let your guard down. They said he defeated Alubaba’s Al Sahad.”
“Wasn’t it the demon hunter and the black mage who defeated Al Sahad?”
“I heard the 13th Judas is someone who has transcended the realm, but he doesn’t look like it. He also doesn’t seem like an imposter.”
They all seemed puzzled.
I keenly felt that I was an uninvited guest.
It’s best to get to the point.
“Members of the 「Shadow Council」 of the Freesia Kingdom, nice to meet you. I am Judas. I’ve come for information.”
I said calmly.
I hated it when fights broke out for no reason.
It seemed they were more agitated by my words than by fighting.
“Seems quieter than we expected.”
“The 13th Judas is known for being a merciless villain, but it’s strange. Could you be an impostor? A spy sent by Nocturne’s scum?”
“Yeah, you don’t look like the owner of the Scum King’s throne. You seem more like a nobleman.”
I’ve always been a nobleman.
This world just doesn’t leave me alone.
“You fucking scum, answer my question!”
I swore roughly.
Only then did they laugh approvingly or say something like, “Ah, that’s better now.” or “Looks like he’s improved.”
They were truly foolish.
* * *
When the atmosphere had settled a bit, I spoke.
“So, let’s be straightforward since we’re both busy. Do you happen to know anything about the Back Alley Princess? She seems to be around the Freesia Kingdom.”
The Back Alley Princess.
I inquired about her existence.
In response, the ‘Old Thief’ chuckled.
“Are you talking about Naru? I’ve heard rumors about her. Apparently, she’s the daughter of the 13th Judas and has enrolled in the place where nerds go.”
At that moment, an uproar erupted.
“You enrolled a kid in school?”
“Why would you do such a terrible thing? Going to school won’t turn her into a great thief.”
“Exactly, exactly! Being righteous will only lead to getting caught and beat up!”
“Sending a child to school… This is outright child abuse! Don’t you know that children have the right to play freely and be free from school?”
“…”
Is a world that criticizes sending children to school really okay?
I shouted optimistically.
“My daughter won’t become a thief. I won’t let her live like me.”
My words made everyone blink.
There was a brief silence, maybe about 2 seconds.
Then laughter erupted here and there.
“That sounds ridiculous!”
“Is the 13th Judas ignorant? What nonsense is he spouting?! Saying that Judas’ daughter won’t become a thief. Haven’t you heard that there has never been such a thing in history?”
“This one’s more entertaining than the previous Judas for sure.”
Yes, laugh, laugh.
Anyway, this isn’t what I wanted to talk about.
“I’m not looking for my daughter but my predecessor’s daughter. I don’t know what name she’s operating under now, but do you know anything about the 12th Judas’ daughter?”
I asked.
Then, a different kind of silence settled among these ignorant thieves compared to when I had asked about Naru.
A feeling of hesitation between them.
The ‘Old Thief’ soon spoke.
“We don’t know much about the 12th Judas’ female offspring either. In fact, it’s giving us a lot of headaches. You know there’s unrest between the followers of Snix and Nocturne, right?”
I didn’t know much.
Of course, I couldn’t admit that I didn’t know here, so I just nodded my head.
“That’s right.”
“Well, as you know young man, our 「Shadow Council」 serves as a group of followers of both Snix and Nocturne. But perhaps because we were never meant to see eye to eye, discord never ceased.”
“I see.”
“Rumors have it that Nocturne’s followers created a new guild near the Freesia Kingdom. And there’s talk that the Back Alley Princess is involved.”
A new guild created by Nocturne’s followers.
As far as I knew, Nocturne was a somewhat violent god.
If the thieves who worship Snix were the thieves who concealed their identity, Nocturne was the god of street thugs who wanted to reign with terror and destruction.
The ‘Old Thief’ added.
“The 12th Judas was a follower of Nocturne. His top warrior. But as he fell, Nocturne’s followers lost their power, and they became full of discontent, leading to conflicts.”
In simple terms, there were two factions.
They started fighting each other.
And the Back Alley Princess must have joined Nocturne’s side.
Then, someone whispered.
“The Back Alley Princess is said to be a thief who has transcended the realm. To think that such a monstrous figure is involved with Tenebris. Honestly, it won’t be easy to fight.”
“I’ve heard that ‘Night’s Fang’ and ‘Apostate Monk’ also joined Tenebris?”
“Is that true? Those two are monsters who have transcended the realm as well!”
“At this rate, won’t our council be absorbed by them? I heard council members are falling one by one…”
Everyone trembled like mice in front of a cat.
It was at this moment.
“All of this is because the current Judas is unremarkable. If this guy, who became the owner of the Scum Throne, had reigned with overwhelming terror, such problems wouldn’t have risen.”
Someone got up and slammed the chair.
In the darkness, his whole body was covered in scars, and his face was rugged.
His leather clothes looked like they might burst because of his muscles.
Let’s give him a nickname, the Muscle Thief.
“Baraba.”
“That Baraba fellow, he’s about to ascend to the platinum rank and become a transcendent thief.”
“There’s a high chance he’ll become Snix’s top warrior too.”
Is he quite famous?
The thief revealed as Baraba spoke.
“This guy, who looks like he’d fall over with a single punch from me, is the 13th Judas? I honestly can’t believe it. The 12th Judas was ruthless and strong. He had charisma. Compared to him, look at this guy. He may look as savage as a barbarian, isn’t he sending his daughter to school?”
He was criticizing me.
I didn’t like how I was being perceived.
Soon, voices of agreement with him echoed in the darkness.
“Judas, Nocturne’s followers wouldn’t have created a new guild if you had not abandoned the Shadow Council.”
“That’s right.”
“Look! Everyone is talking! Judas, you don’t have the qualifications to carry that name. Did you even have the ability in the first place? Does this guy look like he can solve the current kidnapping cases involving women? No, he can’t!”
Muscle Thief.
Baraba shouted.
“Therefore, I’ll take your name! I’ll become the owner of the Scum Throne and set everything right! Don’t blame me, Judas!”
Slink—
Baraba drew a dagger from his waist.
Compared to the nearly 2 meters of his body, the guy’s dagger looked mini-sized.
Maybe about 10 cm long.
“Looks pretty expensive.”
I examined the dagger in my hand from every angle.
It was more like a fruit knife, but it seemed usable.
However, Baraba was greatly perplexed.
“What, what? What did you say? When did you…!? When did you take the knife from my hand…!? This is unbelievable…! I’ve never heard of such a thing…!”
He seemed puzzled that the dagger he held in his hand was now in mine.
Then, he shouted in great confusion.
“…Give it back!”
“I already gave it to you.”
“W-what, wha…agh!”
Baraba looked extremely shocked as he stared at the dagger stuck in his thick shoulder.
Soon, those around him began to tremble in fear.
“…By Snix, I didn’t see a thing.”
“Damn, what the hell just happened…!?”
“I don’t know!”
To be surprised by this.
Since I saw the underground market, I had a vague feeling that the thieves in the City-State of Freesia were not very skilled.
Probably because the security was so good that the thieves were not able to thrive there.
In fact, the low level of thieves meant that the city was a good place to live.
A perfect place to raise Naru and the girls.
Absolutely wonderful.
However, I should say something.
“In fact, you’re right. Being the leader brings various problems. So what? If you don’t like my way, try taking the crown from me. Steal it if you can.”
Everyone fell silent at my words.
Of course, one person chuckled.
The ‘Old Thief’ said to me.
“They’ve all made mistakes in their youthful exuberance, so don’t be too hard on them. They’re all sensitive for various reasons. But after seeing your skills just now, everyone should know what you’re capable of.”
“I hope so. And if you’re thinking of giving me a hard time, prepare yourself, even you, Old man. I won’t go easy on anyone.”
“I know it well. In fact, I’ve seen you before. I saw you on the battlefield a few months ago. Honestly, you looked so different from now that I thought you were someone else, but after seeing your skills just now, I’m sure it’s you.”
He knew me.
The old man added.
“I can tell you where the Back Alley Princess is. She’s in Fressia’s 61 street. In the most backward and remote area, there’s a place called ‘Pleasure Street’ where the Nightblade reigns.”
“Nightblade…”
“Have you heard of her?”
“No.”
“I see. But even so, she’s a well-known woman in this area. The story goes that she kidnaps young women and forces them to work on her street.”
A kidnapper of sorts.
Such a thing existed in this city?
“My informants have confirmed that members of Tenebris come and go to Pleasure Street. There’s a very high probability that the Back Alley Princess is there. It seems that there’s a gathering point for those guys in that area.”
“Then, I’ll just take care of all of them.”
I said confidently.
At that moment, the thieves and rogues in the shadows shouted with excitement.
“J-Judas has finally taken action!”
“The hero of the world!”
“If he could defeat Baraba so quickly… then there’s hope for us too!”
Those who had just complained about me quickly changed their attitude.
Nasty criminals!
Of course, it didn’t matter.
I had decided to eradicate Pleasure Street not because of these guys.
It was for Naru.
Having a red light district in the city wouldn’t be good for her education and would definitely foil the SSR Princess plan.
Her princess power would decline!
Especially if it’s someone who kidnapped women.
—Oh, holy shh! Twenty-five-year-old Naru! She’s become a kidnapper of women! The Queen of the Back Alley, Naru Barjudas! No, now I’m Judas! Give me Dad’s name…!
“……”
At that moment, I could deeply empathize with the parents who had seizures when a red-light district was next to the school attended by their children.
I’ll eliminate all those who interfere with my 「Naru SSR Improvement Plan」!
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