The Lazy Boy Is, In Fact, the Strongest and Most Brutal Assassin. - Chapter 10: A Corpse That Orders Its Burial.

A Corpse That Orders Its Burial.

“Hey, Old Man, about the dead body that was found in the river this morning…”

“Yeah, that was pretty gruesome. It definitely looks like it was a murder related to a grudge.”

“Actually, it turns out…”

Il began to tell Bodoin about yesterday’s incident with Hiluluk. After listening for a while, Bodoin let out a small sigh.

“Well, if that’s the case, it’s safe to say that Hiluluk’s crew is responsible for the killing.”

“Should we arrest them?”

Bodoin rested his chin on his hand, showing a moment of contemplation.

“That wouldn’t be wise. After all, it was just some traveler whose background we don’t know. No one is going to come forward to press charges anyway.”

“That’s true.”

As much as I feel sorry for Haiker, that’s just how the guards operate. It’s common sense to turn a blind eye rather than get involved in complicated situations. Ultimately, the one who got killed had it coming. Such is the corrupt nature of this world.

“However, that corpse seems to have been quite the character, too.”

“Really? He seemed like a decent guy to me.”

“He had a huge tattoo on his stomach.”

“A tattoo?”

“Yeah, it read, ‘Please bury my body in the ground.'”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know. I figured it was a last wish, so I buried him out by the town cemetery as he requested.”

Bodoin said this dismissively, then slurped his tea loudly.

“By the way, how’s that girl over at Ward’s place doing?”

“I can’t really say much about that. Honestly, there’s nothing I can do. Hiluluk is a real problem, and I have no means to pay back my debts. Wouldn’t it be better to get someone more skilled involved?”

It seemed like a rather obvious question to ask at this point. No matter how one looked at it, the circumstances surrounding Shia were far too heavy for Il, who was known as the weakest among the guard squad. It was impossible not to think that they had made a poor choice in personnel.

However, Bodoin wore a faint smile and leaned back in his chair, puffing out his chest.

“Don’t be ridiculous. If you brought in someone who’s overly confident in their skills, you might end up in a confrontation with Hiluluk.”

For a moment, Il was unable to grasp what Bodoin meant, standing there with his mouth agape in confusion.

“…So, are you saying I should just run away with Shia to avoid provoking Hiluluk?”

“Yeah, and by the way, it’s also true that losing you wouldn’t be a problem for anyone.”

“That’s awful!?”

Bodoin laughed, waving Il off with a gesture that seemed to say, “Just go already,” as Il looked at him with pleading eyes.

“Well, since you’re at it, why not try to find a way to pay off your debts?”

“Huh?”

“Huh? It’s not just ‘huh.’ I’m talking about the ‘Method of Dark Green Steel.’ It seems you really don’t know, but it’s impossible that the great Ward left no writings behind. He must have hidden something somewhere. If you find it and sell it to the guild, you can pay off your debts.”

“That’s not really a guard’s job, is it?”

“Neither is running away. I still hold your perceptive nature in high regard. To be able to dodge work like that, you must have a fair amount of cleverness.”

“Well, I don’t feel particularly flattered by that…”

“I don’t recall complimenting you at all.”

“…Is that so?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Il opened the door to the guard station and stepped outside. Normally, as the one assigned to protect Shia, he had no need to drop by the guard station, but since he had shared a drink with Haiker the night before, he thought he should at least inquire about how the man had met his end on his way to Ward’s workshop.

“However…”

As Il left the guard station and headed toward Ward’s workshop, thoughts began to swirl in his mind.

• • Shia’s father was murdered in a room that should have been locked.

• • Debts he had no recollection of.

• • The house that his apprentice was supposed to be looking to sell was already under mortgage.

• • The elusive method of creating dark green steel.

He felt that there might be a single thread connecting these events. Yet, at the same time, they seemed entirely unrelated. It felt as though someone’s malice was peeking through, but it could just as easily be a series of unfortunate coincidences.

In any case, given Il’s nature, there was nothing in this situation that compelled him to stick his neck out.

“I just hope things don’t get complicated…”

With an unusually serious expression, Il muttered this to no one in particular.

Because he had stopped by the guard station, Il arrived at Ward’s workshop just around lunchtime. Although it was late spring, the weather was already warm enough to make him sweat.

As soon as he arrived, Il brazenly ascended the stairs without permission, calling out, “Hey!” as he entered the living room. There, he found Rimrim sprawled on the sofa in a position that suggested she had just melted into the furniture, her expression one of complete laziness, as if she had just woken up.

“…You were actually guarding Shia properly, right?”

“Shut up! You’re echoing in my head, so could you speak a little quieter?”

The reason Il had to make the trip to Ward’s workshop instead of staying over at the mansion was because of her.

Last night, while he was drinking with the Haiker, Il had casually mentioned that he would be staying at Shia’s house for protection. The moment he did, Rimrim had completely lost it.

She claimed it was like throwing a wolf into a sheep’s den…

Regardless of whether sheep actually make nests, Il understood her point.

Eventually, Rimrim insisted that she would take on the role of protector, telling him to go home. For Il, who wanted to distance himself from trouble, this was convenient. He decided to offload the nighttime guard duty onto Rimrim, feeling it was a stroke of luck.

Looking at Rimrim, who was nursing a hangover, it seemed likely that nothing had happened last night. Given her current state, even if they had been attacked, this drunkard would have been of no use whatsoever.

After boasting in the tavern and berating Il to go home, her present condition made it understandable if he wanted to throw some sarcastic remarks her way.

However, just as Il was about to voice some of his thoughts, starting with a certain age-related insult, Shia peeked in from the kitchen, seemingly timing her entrance perfectly.

“Ah, Il-san. Good morning!”

“Hey, was everything alright last night?”

“Yes, it was fine.”

“That idiot girl didn’t do anything weird to you, did she?”

“Of course not! You fool!”

Rimrim shouted back at Il’s light-hearted joke, prompting Shia to giggle at the scene between the two.

“By the way, where’s your brother?”

“An old friend of my father is going to help him with his training, so Peter has been over there since this morning.”

“Oh, so he’s really going to become a blacksmith, huh?”

“Yes, it seems Peter has decided on that.”

In Il’s eyes, Shia’s smile as she said this appeared to carry a hint of happiness.

However, the workshop was already burdened with debt. It wouldn’t be long before this brother-sister duo would be forced to leave. Despite everything, Peter was still just a child. It would be quite some time before he could stand on his own as a blacksmith and support his sister.

Il let out a small sigh.

He felt reluctant. Extremely reluctant. Stepping into this incomprehensible series of events was far too out of character for him. Yet, if he even felt a smidge of pity for the siblings, it seemed he had no choice but to heed what the old man said and find that “method of dark green steel.”

And so, despite his deep-seated reluctance, Il forced out a word he didn’t want to say.

“Sorry, but could you show me your father’s workshop for a moment?”