Chapter 88. It’s Not the World That’s Wrong
Sirius returned to Dusten’s gang’s hideout with Galette.
Dusten’s gang had made everyone, including Dusten’s lover, work at the pier… but Galette was an exception.
“Why, why are you only taking me?”
“Because you talk too much.”
“……”
I’ve noticed it since the first time we met, but this Galette guy has a habit of blabbering on about things I didn’t even ask about.
Whenever I have a question, I just ask Galette and he’ll explain it to me nicely.
“You seem pretty old. Have you been a Black Sorcerer for long?”
“Well… until five years ago, I worked at the market. I used to carry things for a food wholesaler.”
“I wonder why a guy who worked at the market became a guy who steals money from the people at the market.”
“I had my reasons.”
Gallet sighed and started to rant.
“There was this organization called the Louisiana Guild that used to take care of other wholesalers’ behinds. They set fire to the wholesaler I was working for.”
“…..”
“I lost my job in an instant. The master I respected died in that fire. I started another job after that… but I couldn’t get the hang of it no matter what I did.”
Gallet’s complicated voice continued.
“I wanted revenge on the Louisiana Guild. That’s why… I went to work under Dustin-sama, who was hostile to the Louisiana Guild at the time.”
“So, did you get your revenge?”
“No, I didn’t. A few months later, Dustin-sama reconciled with the Louisiana Guild.”
“…..”
“I had no choice but to give up. Once you enter the Black Society, it’s not easy to get out… I just ended up being a debt collector for Dustin’s gang.”
After saying that, Gallet sighed again.
“I know my life sucks. But what can I do? That’s just the way the world works.”
“That’s not true, Gallet.”
“What do you mean it’s not true?”
“The world shouldn’t be that way.”
Sirius said in a calm voice.
“Setting fire to a competitor’s business, joining the Black Society for revenge, extorting money from innocent merchants… none of those things should exist in the world.”
“…..”
“We can’t just let it slide because that’s the way it is. What’s wrong is wrong.”
A few hours ago, Gallet had tried to justify his extortion by telling Sirius that “the West is like that.”
Sirius does not tolerate such a mindset.
“If the world is wrong, we have to fix it.”
“…..”
Sirius led the speechless Gallet to Dustin’s gang’s headquarters.
“Gallet, I heard someone from the Black Iron Alliance is supposed to come. Who’s coming?”
“There’s an executive in the Black Iron Alliance who manages this area. His subordinates come regularly to check on Palamia’s situation and collect the protection money.”
“Are they coming today?”
“Normally, they would come tomorrow or the day after. It’s unlikely they’ll come today, but…”
“That’s strange.”
Sirius stared at the four-story building that had come into view and said,
“Then who are these guys who have just barged into your headquarters?”
“Wha, what?”
Sirius led the bewildered Gallet into the building.
They found a group gathered in the first-floor space.
There were about a dozen of them, all carrying swords.
“Lou, Louisiana…!”
Gallet raised his voice when he saw the middle-aged woman at their center.
The Louisiana Guild that Gallet had mentioned earlier had just barged into Dustin’s gang’s headquarters.
“Looks like my information was accurate.”
Louisiana spat on the floor and muttered.
“So, you came running here after hearing that Dusten’s gang was subdued and sold into slavery… but it seems the rumors were true, seeing how their hideout is completely empty.”
“……!”
Without even glancing at Galette, who gasped, Louisiana looked at Sirius.
“It seems you’re the one who led Dusten’s gang away. I’ve never seen your face before. Where on earth did you come from?”
“I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Dusten’s gang didn’t become slaves.”
Louisiana tilted her head at Sirius’s response.
“I heard they were taken to the docks, and were forced to do hard labor while being beaten with iron clubs… Was that information wrong?”
“Well…”
Sirius closed his mouth for a moment.
Then, Galette looked at Sirius and asked.
“Were we made into slaves?”
“That’s not it.”
Right now, they may be forced to work, but as time goes on, they’ll be allowed to choose their own paths.
They can only rehabilitate if they get used to working hard, so they were forcibly taken away to work… It’s true that there’s room for misunderstanding.
“Either way, it’s not a bad situation for us.”
Louisiana smiled.
“Our guild has been taking losses because that Dusten brat made connections with the Black Iron Alliance. Now, we can take over Parmia in Dusten’s gang’s place.”
As Louisiana said that and gestured, the dozen or so subordinates around her drew their swords.
“And… if we offer your head, the Black Iron Alliance will recognize us as well.”
“L-Louisiana!”
Galette raised his voice.
“You’d better not do anything rash! This person is actually…”
“Sirius Canisルート?”
“Ah, you know?”
“There’s a fleet from the Howling Moon Nation at the docks. So, of course it’s Sirius.”
Louisiana said with a sneer.
“If I kill you, I’ll be able to make my name known far and wide. So… die here, Sirius.”
At that moment, Louisiana’s subordinates charged forward.
Their movements were quite impressive. They were clearly trained swordsmen who hadn’t neglected their連携 training.
Despite having heard of Sirius’s reputation, they were still charging at him, which meant that they were confident in their own abilities.
“Who gave you permission?”
But, right after that.
Along with the sound of thunder, the swordsmen were sent flying in all directions.
This was because Sirius had used his Thunderclap’s force to blast them away with his Fist of the Thunder God.
Louisiana’s eyes widened as she hid behind the shadows of her subordinates and tried to ambush Sirius.
“Ugh…!”
Louisiana charged at Sirius with her sword in both hands.
The blade imbued with mana aimed for Sirius’s nape, but Sirius deflected the sword with his palm imbued with lightning.
“You wretch…!”
But even so, Lucianna did not retreat.
She continued to charge with quick and fierce attacks.
“Lucianna, where did you learn swordsmanship?”
“What are you talking about?!”
Flicking away Lucianna’s blade, Sirius spoke in a calm voice.
“I’ve seen similar swordsmanship somewhere in the East.”
The leader of the bandits that he had subjugated with Velid in the past had displayed similar swordsmanship.
He swung a large greatsword in a heavy style, and while Lucianna’s swordsmanship focused more on speed, there were similar elements in its fundamentals.
“Looks like you picked up a swordsmanship created by the Sword Emperor of the Alliance. Are you acquainted with someone from the Alliance?”
“Ugh…!”
“Seems like I’m right.”
In the West, the power of the Black Iron Alliance is strong, but the Western Branch of the Alliance also exists.
They would also be desperate to seize power in the West.
So Sirius had to subdue not only the Black Iron Alliance but also the Western Branch of the Alliance.
“Lucianna, shall I tell you why I spared Dustin?”
“Wh-what?”
Lucianna’s swordsmanship had been sufficiently confirmed.
So there was no need to prolong the fight any further.
“Because he surrendered without raising his sword against me.”
Thwack!
Sirius’s right palm struck the side of Lucianna’s head.
Lucianna flew away and crashed into the wall, unable to get up again.
“Ah, aah…”
Galette, who had witnessed everything, collapsed to the ground.
Lucianna, who had taken everything from him five years ago, was dead.
At that fact, Galette felt something that had been congealed in his chest for so long begin to dissipate.
“Galette.”
Sirius addressed Galette like that.
“It’s not your fault that you joined Dustin’s group to get revenge when the wholesaler you worked for was burned down.”
“……!”
“It’s this world that’s wrong for not giving you any other way but to join Dustin’s group.”
You shouldn’t demand chivalry from a lone wolf like Lucianna who went out to kill.
At that time, the only way for Galette to get revenge would have been to join another dark organization.
“Changing that kind of world is my goal, Galette.”
“……!”
The Murim Alliance that Sirius will create anew will not tolerate such things from happening.
If a report of injustice is received, the truth should be investigated, and appropriate action should be taken.
Even if the wronged individual is powerless and the opponent is difficult to punish, if the Murim Alliance steps in, they can be properly punished.
If the grievances of such powerless individuals are properly redressed, it will be possible to reduce the number of people who go down the wrong path like Galette.
“Galette, first guide me to the Louisiana Guild.”
“Ri, right now?”
“Yes, I have to clear out the small black market organizations in Paramia City today.”
Sirius spoke coldly to Galette, whose tone had suddenly changed.
“Starting with Paramia, I’m going to clean up the entire West.”
* * *
“I’m so sorry.”
Eustia bowed her head deeply.
Sitting before Eustia now was a woman with a mature appearance.
She had similar facial features to Eustia, but her overall demeanor was much more mature.
“I should have kept a hold of him, but he disappeared as soon as I looked away.”
“It’s alright, Eustia.”
She smiled gently in response to Eustia’s apology.
“I’ve already heard rumors that he’s no ordinary man. So I understand.”
“Titania, my dear sister…”
Titania Rigel.
The eldest daughter of the Rigel family, who had come to Paramia to greet her youngest siblings.
She had taken care of her younger siblings in place of their mother, who had passed away early, so Eustia always felt grateful to Titania.
“But Eustia… I’m a little worried.”
“Worried, you say?”
“You went after Dustin’s gang as soon as you arrived… Paramia is going to be in chaos for a while.”
Right now, Dustin and his men were working hard to unload cargo at the pier.
All while fearfully watching Velid, who was practicing his Three Calamities Swordsmanship alone nearby.
“Paramia is a city where several small and medium-sized black market organizations keep each other in check, maintaining a delicate balance. That’s why the Black Iron Alliance and the Federation have always kept a close eye on it.”
“….”
“Now that Dustin’s gang is gone, the other organizations won’t just sit idly by. They’ll all try to seize control of Paramia, and if that happens, the civilians will suffer…”
Just then.
They heard a commotion outside.
“What’s going on?”
“I wonder…”
Eustia and her older sister went outside to check on the situation.
And then… they witnessed it.
“….”
Sirius was approaching the pier, leading a hundred or so gangsters.
Eustia raised her voice anxiously at the sight.
“Sirius, what are you doing?”
“I brought some people to work.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“You don’t need this many people!”
“Then I’ll have them renovate the pier. It looks too old and dangerous.”
As he spoke, Sirius noticed Titania standing beside Eustia.
“Greetings, Lady Titania. I am Sirius, husband to Justitia.”
“Y-yes. It is a pleasure to meet you…”
Titania spoke in a trembling voice.
“But Sirius… what exactly is going on here?”
“I have come to eliminate the Black Order organizations in Palamia.”
“What?”
“I believe that acting swiftly will minimize the chaos.”
Titania blinked wordlessly.
As a gentle soul, she found it difficult to comprehend the current situation.
Witnessing her elder sister’s struggle, Justitia sighed.
“Sister, I apologize. My husband… he can be this way.”
“…”
How did she end up marrying such a man?
Titania gazed at her youngest sister with questioning eyes.