Volume 4 Chapter 118: The Acrobatic Troupe

Once upon a time, the royal capital had two legendary troublemakers.

Both had undeniable talent—so much so that their eventual rise to Rank A was considered inevitable. And yet, they were such a menace to society that they never climbed beyond Rank D in the Miner’s Guild.

One was an uncontrollable berserker.

A shameless womanizer who caused chaos wherever he went and challenged the strong to fights regardless of who they were.

People called him “Mad Dog, the Rabid Hound.”

The other was an unapproachable enigma.

He never spoke a word, completely rejected human interaction, and, just like the Mad Dog, pounced on the strong without hesitation.

He was known as “Silent Cat, the Mute Wildcat.”

But the real problem?

For some reason, these two constantly acted together.

They weren’t officially in a party, nor were they friends. If anything, they were always at each other’s throats. Yet, despite supposedly being solo operators, they were always found together, much to the misery of everyone around them.

Just one of them was already an absolute nightmare.

Put them together, and they were a full-blown natural disaster.

Still, they had talent.

The Guild should’ve banned them ages ago, given the number of problems they caused. But they were too skilled to simply throw away.

Besides, they were still young.

Barely adults, they had plenty of time to mature. The Guild held out hope that they’d eventually calm down.

And so, instead of outright expelling them, the Guild chose to discipline them repeatedly while still keeping them around.

Unfortunately, no amount of punishment ever got through their thick skulls.

The one who finally snapped before the Guild did was Lowry Hellsite, a fellow miner.

It supposedly all started when the two idiots broke one of Lowry’s magic artifacts in their usual reckless antics.

But no one knows if that’s the whole story.

What’s certain is that Mad Dog and Silent Cat were struck by divine judgment and dragged into Lowry’s party.

The wild beasts had been collared.

Literally.

Lowry personally crafted magical collars and forced them to wear them, subjugating them completely.

The news that “Mad Dog and Silent Cat have been tamed” spread like wildfire through the Miner’s Guild.

Their party name?

“The Acrobatic Troupe.”

A perfect name, considering their circus animal-level behavior.

Technically, Lowry was the leader.

But in reality, there was another “Owner.”

This person was rarely seen—very few miners had even met them. Nobody knew if they were even a miner.

Yet, The Acrobatic Troupe always operated with five members:

1. 1. Lowry

1. 1. Mad Dog

1. 1. Silent Cat

1. 1. A seemingly average, unremarkable miner girl

1. 1. And the mysterious “Owner.”

Despite their wild reputation, The Acrobatic Troupe quickly became unstoppable.

Given their sheer combat prowess, it was only natural that, once controlled, they’d begin rapidly climbing the ranks.

And strangely enough…

Ever since the Troupe was formed, Mad Dog and Silent Cat practically stopped causing problems.

It was like they’d been reprogrammed.

Many suspected it was thanks to the Owner pulling the strings.

At the rate they were going, people expected them to become the defining party of Ilithst.

But then, it all ended.

Following one last request, The Acrobatic Troupe suddenly disbanded.

Lowry retired, claiming she’d found a successor.

Mad Dog and Silent Cat vanished from the capital and were never seen again.

The miner girl also retired.

And as for the ever-mysterious Owner?

They disappeared, leaving Lowry as the only remaining trace of the Troupe.

Their disbandment happened at the same time as the rise of the first Rank S miner in history.

With The Acrobatic Troupe’s existence so short-lived (barely two years) and their fall overshadowed by bigger events, they faded into obscurity.

Mining is a dangerous profession.

Many retire due to severe injuries. Others die. And those who age and lose their edge have no choice but to step down.

After twenty years, most don’t even remember them.

Even those who do only recall them as:
“Oh yeah… those guys existed, huh?”

Aside from Lowry, who became famous as a Creator, the rest are nothing but ghosts of the past.

But not everyone has forgotten them.

One such person is Gulf Cordius.

◇

Gulf once envied and admired them.

Mad Dog and Silent Cat—two men whom society rejected, yet forced their way into becoming miners with nothing but raw strength.

They never groveled or compromised.

And after forming a party, they climbed the ranks at an unstoppable pace.

To Gulf, they were icons of defiance and strength.

His party, “Fierce Lions,” was inspired by them.

But he never actually met them.

Back then, Gulf had failed the miner’s exam multiple times.

He had seen them from a distance, causing chaos.

But that was it.

Still, just hearing about them was enough to ignite his ambition.

Honestly, Gulf became a miner because of them.

But by the time he finally passed the exam—

They were gone.

◇

“Sorry, but…”

After finishing his story about Mad Dog—my father— Gulf got up from his seat.

I wordlessly grabbed his sleeve.

“…What, Noel?”

“…What are you planning to do?”

“Oh, just… get an autograph…”

“GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!”

I begged Gulf.

I refuse to see him go down that road.

I will not watch Gulf Cordius—the man I respect—beg my father for a signature.

“JUST LOOK AT THAT!”

I pointed.

“DAHAHAHA!! IT’S A BARREL! I’M DRINKING STRAIGHT FROM THE BARREL!!”

“HELL YEAH! BARREL BATH TIME!!”

Are you drinking or bathing? PICK ONE.

They’re both beyond saving.

One was shirtless, loudly celebrating.

The other? Letto was desperately trying to keep his clothes on while an overly aggressive woman tried to strip him.

I immediately looked away.

I can’t let Gulf turn into them.

“Kreiss-saaan, wake up… or else… I’ll do something… n-a-u-g-h-t-y…”

That Side is Doomed Too.

I turned my gaze away—only to find Kreis slumped over the table, surrounded by an increasingly sketchy atmosphere. I immediately looked away again.

Nope. No hope there either.

“Well… yeah, I guess…”

Gulf muttered as he sank back into his seat.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“I’ll ask him later.”

Damn it. This world is beyond saving.

Well… well, fine.

As long as he does it when I’m not around, it’s fine.

If I don’t see it, I can pretend it never happened.

To shake off my growing exhaustion, I downed the champagne in my glass in one gulp.

Apparently, it was the most expensive drink in this place.

I did not care.

I needed a drink.

“…So, why do you know so much about ‘Mad Dog’? How’d you even figure out he was Noil’s dad? It’s been twenty years—he must look pretty different by now.”

Stop calling him “Mad Dog” with a “san.”

Just stop, Gulf-san.

Gulf-san, you’re older than my dad, aren’t you?

Please. Just stop.

Ah, I need more alcohol.

As if she’d been waiting for this moment, Shaimi refilled my empty glass with a beaming smile.

…She was way too close.

I could feel the unwavering determination radiating from her—she was not letting me go until she heard about the Floating City of Pharmament.

What do I do…?

The best option would be to jump out a bathroom window into the waterway and escape.

Unfortunately, I hadn’t checked whether this ship’s bathroom had a window I could fit through.

“I, uh… need to use the restroom…”

“I’ll show you the way!”

“…I was mistaken.”

…Okay, bathroom escape is off the table.

“It’s nothing special. I just have a bit of a connection to the ‘Acrobatic Troupe.’ Actually, probably more than you do. So yeah, even if they’re older, I can still recognize their faces.”

No. 2 smirked as she took a sip of her drink.

Gulf frowned, stroking his chin.

“…How old are you?”

“Don’t ask a lady’s age. But I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You were one of the ‘Creator’s’ aides, right? I saw you a few times. But… you weren’t a miner, were you? Now that I think about it, unlike that ‘Captain’ you always had with you, I never saw you injured. Hell, I never even saw your clothes get dirty. If you’d been diving into excavation sites, that would be impossible.”

“Ever consider that I’m just so strong my clothes don’t get dirty?”

“Bullshit. If you were that skilled, people would know your name.”

“Heh… good observation. You got me. I’m not a miner. Just a glorified babysitter, really. Alice-chan’s personal meat shield—that’s my job.”

With a light chuckle, No. 2 tapped No. 1’s head.

The man, who had been lounging back on the sofa, suddenly shot up, scanned his surroundings, then exhaled and adjusted his seat.

Through the gap in his slightly askew sunglasses, I caught a glimpse of his eyes.

They were… surprisingly gentle-looking, considering his otherwise intimidating face.

Even back when he was disguised as an ice cream vendor, he gave off that vibe.

If he just acted normal, he’d seem like a nice guy.

“…Sorry. That was disgraceful.”

No. 1 fixed his sunglasses and turned toward Shaimi.

“So, about Noil Arlens—”

“We’re done with that topic.”

No. 2 cut him off decisively, despite it being far too late for damage control.

No. 1 adjusted his sunglasses again.

“…My apologies, Noil Arlens.”

“Uh, sure.”

I nodded at his formal apology.

How do I put this…?

Even I could tell—this guy was seriously bad at this.

I completely understood why people called him stiff.

“So… why does someone who isn’t a miner know so much?”

“Like I said, I’m a fan. You’re kinda persistent, huh?”

“Uh, um… I, uh… I’d really like to hear Noil-san’s story now… ehe.”

Shaimi timidly raised her hand and inserted herself into the conversation.

Honestly, perfect timing.

The tension had been rising, and I wanted out of this topic.

Gulf frowned briefly, then let out a heavy sigh.

“…Yeah, I was being a little rude. My bad.”

“No worries.”

No. 2 really is a mystery.

“Um…”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Could you… take off your sunglasses?”

Before I even realized it, I had asked.

There wasn’t any particular reason.

I was just inexplicably curious.

Why?

I had no idea.

For a moment, I thought I saw No. 2’s lips twitch.

“Sorry, but I have a condition. My eyes are extremely sensitive to light. So, I can’t take these off.”

She tapped her sunglasses lightly with a finger and flashed a grin.

“I see… my apologies.”

“No worries.”

“A TOWER! LET’S MAKE A CHAMPAGNE TOWER!!”

“YOU IDIOT, LETTO! WE’LL DRINK IT ALL BEFORE IT’S EVEN BUILT!!”

“HAHAHAHA!! TRUE THAT!!”

Loud.

So loud.

…But honestly, I was grateful for the distraction.

Things were starting to feel weird again, and I wanted out.

“Well, then…”

Casually, I pulled out my wallet and placed it on the table.

Not that I had much in there, but I figured I should contribute something.

And then—

“Hup!”

“AHA!”

Just as I attempted to make a natural escape, Shaimi latched onto my waist.

Damn it.

She knew I was about to jump out a window.

“Noil-san! You forgot your wallet! And your story!”

“Keep the wallet. The story, unfortunately, has also left my brain.”

“Come on! Just a little bit! I won’t do anything weird! I promise! Ehehe… just the story!”

“No! I refuse! I’m going home!”

As we struggled, a loud thud echoed from the roof of the boat.

The entire ship shook.

Several people gasped in alarm.

Kreis shot up from the table, instantly on guard.

Letto and the old man stopped laughing and stood up.

No. 1 cracked his neck.

“…What the hell?”

Gulf narrowed his eyes at the ceiling.

Shaimi, still clinging to me, froze.

I pulled her closer, channeling mana, ready to activate “Guardian” at any moment.

Everyone was preparing for a fight—

Except for No. 2.

She simply crossed her legs, sipped her champagne, and smirked, as if to say, “Not my problem.”

Something’s here.

Was it an enemy?

I didn’t know.

But the pressure in the air was immense.

Every instinct screamed at me—

This is dangerous.

And then—

A red shadow slipped through the open window.

Soundlessly, it landed.

The moment I saw it, a cold sweat broke out, and my blood ran dry.

“…Ah.”

The crimson dress covering the intruder vanished—

Revealing a familiar figure.

She slowly rose, smiling sweetly.

“—Noil, what are you doing?”

That adorable smile sent a chill down my spine.