The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 28

After finishing the request from the LeBlanc family, my days continued as usual, looking for cats or driving away Pitt and his gang who tried to harm the residents. In between, I would practice swordsmanship just like during my knight days, and in the evenings, I’d go to the bathhouse with everyone to wash off the sweat. There were no big requests, just small tasks like searching for cats or fixing leaks. These peaceful times weren’t so bad.

One day, while reading the royal capital’s newspaper in my room, Sani, the guild receptionist, came in.

“Don, there’s a visitor for you!”

“A request? I’m free today, so I can start on any task right away.”

Sani tilted her head.

“It doesn’t seem like a request.”

“If it’s not a request, then what is it?”

“It’s someone from the Capone family, a young boss who wants to meet with you directly.”

Those words made my head go blank.

“The young boss of Capone… could it be Gritts, the mad dog of the Capone family?”

“Are you the rumored Don Michino?”

As soon as he was let into the room, Gritts, who claimed to be the young boss of the Capone family, said this. Along with Gritts, there were two subordinates, all with ancient letters floating above their heads, shrouded in mist.

I took a good look at Gritts’s face. The existence of the dark guild’s executives, including Gritts, was known to the knight order, but their appearances were mostly unknown. If the name he gave was true, the man before me was a major figure unseen even by Cecil.

Gritts said with a smile still on his face.

“The boss was surprised to hear about La Bohème. He wondered what kind of man could win over the virtuous Sofia.”

The young boss added that he looked as tough as expected. Of course, I was using my skill to change my face into that of a fierce man.

Kano, who was also called into the room, said with a nervous look.

“So, what do you want, young boss? I don’t think La Bohème’s bodyguard and the Capones have anything to do with each other.”

“You’re the elf named Kano, huh? Younger than I imagined.”

“What does it matter if I’m young, Mr. Mad Dog Gritts?”

Gritts laughed out loud. “Everyone calls me that, but I’m like a well-trained Doberman. I don’t bite unnecessarily. But once I bite, something snaps, and I go mad. Before I know it, the one I’ve bitten ends up dead in a gruesome state.”

Gritts smiled and looked back and forth between Kano and me.

“True, nothing has happened between us so far. No grudges, no reason to fight. We came here, well, out of what you might call kindness.”

“Kindness? What do you mean?”

“Right now, the Gambinos are smearing mud on your faces, trying to find out who you are, who’s backing you. But according to our research, you’re just a group from the slums with no backing at all.”

“So, we thought we’d protect you. To put it bluntly, join the Capones. The boss appreciates the La Bohème incident. Join us, and we guarantee your lives and a decent position.”

Of course, I had no intention of joining the Capone family. I declined as politely as possible, but this man, known as the Capone’s mad dog, immediately filled with anger.

“You know this isn’t a world where amateurs can make a difference, right?”

His voice, now full of anger, was a stark contrast to before.

“The Gambino family’s retaliation is terrifying. Just the other day, they sent a black magician to our casino, and we barely avoided being blown up with the building. They don’t care about civilians, throwing fireballs around. That witch they keep, Kirke, has a screw loose. It’s a miracle your liquor store hasn’t been burned down yet. You should be thanking God, Don Michino.”

Gritts said he would leave for today but stopped after a few steps.

“Don Michino, the royal capital is full of terrifying monsters you don’t know about. Those who step into the underworld often meet a tragic end. You have a family to take care of; make sure they’re happy. Well, if you change your mind, feel free to contact us.”

With that, the young boss of the Capone family left. And that night, a request arrived from the LeBlanc family. The difficulty of the request was incomparable to the previous escort mission.

It said they wanted me to steal a certain holy relic stored in the treasure vault of the towering Giant Stone Castle. The reward was ten gold coins. The content of the request was as unusual as the reward was extraordinary.

Naturally, I couldn’t accept such a request. I declined as politely as possible, but the Duke LeBlanc side doubled the reward and pressed the same request again.

“Those who step into the underworld often meet a tragic end.”

Even while exchanging letters with the duke, Gritts’s words kept echoing in my head. And a week after Gritts’s visit, Nina, the “Vessel of the Demon Lord,” came to my room and said.

“Don, the Demon Lord says that a strange magician is approaching our town.”