The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 88

The next day, I took Nina with me to explore the backstreets of Nasheem.

Passing by the city’s more legitimate establishments, such as the adventurers’ guild and the armory, we ventured into the alleys where shady taverns and shops selling illicit magical tools lined the streets. Though I wasn’t familiar with this land, cities generally shared a similar layout, and it didn’t take long to find where its darker side thrived.

As we walked through the backstreets, the number of men who appeared to belong to the dark guild, with crescent-shaped swords dangling at their sides, grew, and the presence of heretics began to catch my attention. After navigating this dangerous part of town for a while, I stopped. “Nina, we’ve arrived at our destination.”

Before us stood a particularly large building in the back alley, marked with a sign that read Saeed Trading Company. Near the entrance stood three burly men with tattooed arms, their sharp gazes intimidating passersby.

“Saeed Trading Company? Don, this place is…”

“Yes, this mansion belongs to the dark guild that controls the city’s underworld. I plan to inquire about the city here and how we might contact Glenn Dees, the Holy Knight.”

“But Don, just yesterday you said we should avoid attracting the attention of the city’s dark guild.”

“The situation has changed. To successfully fulfill Shia Sairen’s request, we can’t afford to be too cautious.”

Shia Sairen’s goal was clear: to quell the anger of the People of the Sun and broker peace with the Count of Bernard and the Order of Holy Knights.

To achieve this, it was necessary to free the captured Royal Capital Holy Knights before they were executed and to avoid further conflict.

The letter requested that I assist in negotiating for peace, standing in for Shia Sairen, who couldn’t act openly.

Frankly, it was a daunting task.

First, I knew very little about this city, its influential figures, the organizational structure of the Bernard Holy Knights, or who the real power players were.

In the capital, I could have asked Sofia Glacier for precise information, but here, I had no such resources.

Moreover, the People of the Sun, who had captured the knights, were constantly moving across the vast frontier region, and even Shia Sairen didn’t know their exact location, let alone where the captured knights were held.

The deadline was the night of the next new moon, when the knights were scheduled to be executed—leaving us with about ten days. That’s why, as a desperate measure, I decided to visit the Saeed Family, reputed to be experts on the city.

I told Nina, “Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to greet our peers, since it looks like we’ll be staying here for a while.”

With a puzzled look, Nina followed me as I approached the Saeed Trading Company building.

As we stepped forward, their gazes intensified, but perhaps due to Nina’s presence, we weren’t met with much suspicion. When I stood before them, one of the men said gruffly,

“Hey, you’re an outsider. I’ll give you a friendly warning—this isn’t a place to stroll around with a kid. Get lost.”

“No, I’m here to see someone today. I’d like to meet with the head of Saeed Trading Company, Sheik Saeed.”

The three men looked dubious. “Do you have a referral?”

“I don’t.”

“Hah? Without a referral, there’s no way our boss would meet someone like you. If you’re here to joke around, you’ve got the wrong people.”

The man unsheathed his crescent sword. “I’ll say it again. Get lost.”

“Listen. Tell them that Don Michino, the head of the Michino Family, has come to pay a visit.”

The man paused, then scoffed.

“Hah? Don Michino? You mean the big shot who rules the underworld in the capital? Are you out of your mind?”

The crescent sword touched my throat. “We don’t have time for your stupid jokes. Open your mouth again, and I’ll slice off your head, then sell that girl to some noble who likes little kids.”

Exactly the reaction I expected. Still, I couldn’t afford to waste time chatting with these thugs.

It seemed I needed to make them understand who I was through both actions and words they couldn’t misinterpret.

“You were the one who pointed a blade at me first.”

The man spat, “You know what happens next if you open your mouth!”

The moment his blade tried to slice my throat, I snatched the crescent sword and threw it to the ground. Immediately, the other men drew their swords, but I swiftly punched one in the abdomen, forcing both to the ground. Activating my skill, Killing Intent, I said,

“Watch your mouth, punk. I’ll say it again. Tell Sheik Saeed that Don Michino has come all the way to this godforsaken place to pay him a visit.”

The color drained from the thug’s face.

“You can’t be… the real Don Michino, the one who subdued the Capone Family…”

“I’ve been telling you politely. Hurry up, I don’t have much time.”

The man yelped and scrambled like a mouse caught by a cat into the mansion, but his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground. Crawling inside, he shouted, “Bo-boss! Don Michino-sama has… arrived!”