The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 297

I could feel the gazes of people glancing at me as I wandered alone.

It was obviously because of my attire, which was so different from that of the locals.

In a good way, it’s a slum; in a bad way, it’s a slum.

If I really wanted to blend in, I could have worn tattered clothes, but there was no need for that.

Since I wasn’t planning on infiltrating this time, confirming that I’m an outsider makes things easier.

“Hey there, young master, are you lost? I’m pretty good at finding my way around.”

Well, it’s nice to have such fearless folks coming up to me.

Crash!!

Bam!!

A clear sound like a beam breaking echoed throughout the slum.

The man who had been snickering at me just moments ago had a swollen face and was bleeding from his mouth.

“Ha… haha, you’re quite the exceptional young master, huh? I didn’t recognize you….”

Even while blood was gushing from his nose and mouth, he kept his smile and lowered his stance.

At least it seems he’s got some sense not to let pride get him killed.

With this kind of knowledge, he might even be fit to act as a guide in the slum.

“I’m new here and have a question. Can you answer me?”

As I drew my sword and brought it near his neck, I could hear him gulp down dry saliva.

“Would I refuse? You’re quite perceptive! I’ve been living here for over 20 years, and I can say I know this place better than anyone!”

It’s good to know he’s well-informed.

I decided to cut right to the chase with my question.

“Who are the organizations that hold sway around here?”

“A…ha… so that was your purpose…”

When I asked for the nearby organizations, cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

He seemed hesitant to speak, but as Squirette’s shadow moved, he began to spill out words quickly.

“The most influential group around here is the organization called Vulture. They’re your average violent gang centered around an Expert-class boss. They collect protection money and deal drugs here. The next one is those guys from Ash Chain; they mainly profit from human trafficking and loan sharking. They don’t collect protection money but kidnap people from outside and hand them over.”

“Is that all?”

“Those two have it all locked down, so the rest are just scum with ten members or fewer. If we’re talking influence… the Merchant Association that runs the black market has significant power too… Should I guide you there as well?”

While the Merchant Association is something to keep an eye on, since Amy is gone, I should focus on what I need to do first.

Vulture, dealing drugs and collecting protection money, and Ash Chain, engaging in human trafficking, are both scum that must be eliminated, but right now, I need to find the connection to the Demon.

Human trafficking scum are a suitable profession to procure sacrifices for a Great Demon’s summoning ritual.

However, the ones collecting protection money are also perfect for concealing altars needed for the ritual.

From what I’ve heard, both are capable of anything.

“First, tell me where the boss of Ash Chain is.”

“Uh… y-yes, understood…”

But there’s no need to choose just one.

I could take care of both of them.

—————————————

Among the residents living in the slum, there are those who don’t have proper jobs in the city, nor do they join any other organizations in the slum, skimming money off people while avoiding the eyes of others; they are called scum.

Strong against weak individuals but very weak against any group, they are referred to as scum.

If they lack awareness, they might get caught and forcibly join other organizations or suffer a nasty fate, but Joe was one of the more perceptive scum.

“Today is just my luck… damn!”

That Joe was feeling a life-threatening danger like never before.

“Is this the right area?”

“Yes, it is! This is the very base of Ash Chain!”

The cause was a little brat trailing behind Joe.

Dressed in luxurious clothes and looking quite neat, it was clear from a distance that he was not from the slum. At first, Joe thought he was just a young master lost in the city.

With a party coming up next week, many rich people were visiting the principality.

It was common for one or two of them to get lost and wander into places like this while caught up in the festive mood.

Joe thought about skimming some money off this clearly wealthy-looking kid.

It would be the perfect choice to threaten him for a piece of gold without having to resort to much violence.

No matter what his background was, if he used too much force, he’d face repercussions; if he skimmed too much, he’d also face retaliation.

With the royal guards on high alert in the month before the party, there was no need to provoke him.

But his thoughts were completely off-base.

The kid he thought was a rabbit was a tiger disguised as a herbivore.

Joe found himself getting whaled on before he could even put up a fight, realizing he had picked the wrong person to mess with.

With a fancy sword in hand, he never expected the kid would be much stronger than him; nobles really are on another level.

His freshly bruised face still throbbed painfully.

What he said next was even more absurd.

When he asked about the organizations exerting influence in the area, Joe’s instincts screamed danger.

“So… it looks like you’re trying to deal with those organizations, huh?”

It’s not rare.

Nobles often come to town looking for hard-to-find drugs or to acquire slaves at low prices.

But Joe didn’t want to be tangled up with either Ash Chain or Vulture.

He was planning to deliver him quickly and look for an opportunity to escape.

Where they arrived was the red-light district, where naked women beckoned from behind the window.

“Is this it?”

“Yes. I heard the boss is staying on the top floor here.”

Once he goes inside, it’ll be time to bail.

“Oh my, such an unfit person is here?”

“Young master~ I can pamper you properly~”

The women in the windows who were soliciting guests saw the noble-looking young master and all began beckoning him over.

Having seen that more than half of the women in the red-light district were forced to come here to repay debts, Joe had never seen anyone so willingly solicit guests.

So it seems that any man who looks wealthy is at the top of the heap.

“Foolish girls…!”

They had no idea how dangerous the beast with the deadly claws they were beckoning was.

They probably mistook him for a naive nobleman wanting to experience something new, thinking it was just a simple thing to lure in a simple young master.

He shouldn’t be judging; after all, he was one of the fools caught looking at appearances.

But the little brat didn’t seem interested at all as he looked up at the firmly closed window to the very top floor.

“I’ll be back soon, so if you flee, you’ll die.”

“Wha..? Do I really have to stay here??”

“Of course, you have other places to take me.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the little brat suddenly leaped up as if he had springs on his legs and broke through the window to the top floor.

Crash!!

“U-uhhh??”

In disbelief at the surreal sight, Joe stared at the shattered window.

Voices of shocked people could be heard from inside.

“Did… someone just break in?”

It was an incredibly surreal spectacle.

From the gaping hole came screams and the sounds of breaking objects, then something plopped out the window.

“Graaah???”

What fell was indeed a severed human head.

A male head, wide-eyed and dead, Joe recognized who it was.

“C-Crawler??”

This was the great Poison Claw Crawler, the boss of Ash Chain.

The very one capable of unleashing a poison that could even intoxicate experts was now dead in a pathetic manner.

The red-light district had turned into chaos.

Inside, it seemed people were dying in utter disarray, and women were screaming as they ran outside, while men armed with weapons entered the building, never to return.

“That was no big deal.”

A moment later, the brat stepped out just as casually as he’d gone in.

Despite the severed head of Crawler spilling blood everywhere, there wasn’t a drop of blood on him.

While everyone else came out covered in blood, he walked out looking completely fine, creating a truly frightening image.

“You didn’t run away? That’s a relief. Next, lead me to Vulture.”

“Y-yes…! I’ll guide you..!!”

He barely stopped himself from begging that his life be spared.

After all, saying such a thing could easily make the kid angry enough to have his head roll.