The Lazy Boy Is, In Fact, the Strongest and Most Brutal Assassin. - Chapter 14: The Serpent and the Boy.

The Serpent and the Boy.

The morning in the pleasure district carries a certain melancholy.

Once dawn breaks, the grimy scenes you’d rather not see come into view. The cheerful laughter, the seductive gestures of the women—all of it disappears along with the foam of ale, leaving only the corpses of fleeting dreams exposed in the harsh daylight.

Il walked through a narrow alley reeking of staleness and stopped in front of a building deep within the district. It was the largest building in the area. From the second-floor window, a purple banner hung, signaling to passersby the nature of the establishment.

Il now stood in front of a brothel. He had come here to meet a man who used this place as his base of operations.

Just beside the entrance, a man was sitting cross-legged on the ground, slouched over. He stretched his arms lazily, yawning as Il approached.

“We’re closed for the day,” the man said in a drowsy voice. For those who make a living in the night, morning is merely a continuation of the evening, not the beginning of a new day but the end of the last.

“I’m here to see Hiluluk,” Il responded.

At these words, the man lifted his head sharply, eyeing Il up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Tell them a young one from Bodoin’s lot is here. Could you pass that along for me?” Il said as he tossed some coins to the man.

“Wait here a moment,” the man grumbled, then disappeared into the building. After a short while, he returned, cracking the front door open just a little, and motioned Il inside with a nod.

Following the man to the farthest room, Il opened the door himself when prompted. What greeted him was a luxurious room with a red carpet. On the sofa sat Hiluluk, leaning back with a woman on each arm, their bright dresses draped over his shoulders. Along the walls stood men with dangerous looks in their eyes, ready to pounce at any moment.

“You’ve got guts, showing your face here. Last time, it looked like you were trying to get in my way,” Hiluluk said with a thin smile.

Il, unfazed, replied, “Getting in your way? Hardly. Just doing my job. Had to put up some token resistance, or the boss would’ve chewed me out. Though, things got pretty muddled when that stranger barged in.”

Hiluluk let out a small chuckle from the corner of his mouth.

“Well, you were using a woman as a shield. It was pretty clear from the start that you’re quite the scumbag.”

“Thanks for that,” Il replied sarcastically.

The men by the wall burst out laughing at the exchange between Hiluluk and Il, and Il couldn’t help but force a smile as well. However—

“So, the reason I’m here… it’s about that guy, Toruk.”

As soon as Il brought up the name, Hiluluk froze, still wearing his smile, while the men by the wall immediately tensed up. Despite the flood of hostile glares directed his way, Il remained unfazed.

“Kid… What is it that you know?”

“Oh, you know, I was just thinking… maybe I could get a piece of the action too.”

Hiluluk eyed Il, sizing him up, as Il continued, his tone light but suggestive.

“Using Toruk to put that mansion up as collateral just to corner that stubborn girl… must’ve fetched a nice pile of cash, huh? I was hoping maybe I could get a little slice of the leftovers or something.”

Il grinned, and Hiluluk, relaxing a bit, let out an exasperated sigh.

“A blackmailer, huh…”

“Well, you know, the salary from the city guards barely covers anything. They say a snake knows the path of another snake, don’t they? Isn’t that right, Serpent Hiluluk?”

Hiluluk’s brows furrowed in irritation.

“Unfortunately for you, not a single coin made its way here. That bastard Toruk ran off with the money.”

“Well now, isn’t it surprising that someone of your caliber, Hiluluk, got outsmarted by an amateur?”

“Watch your mouth, punk!”

As Il’s mocking tone stirred up the men around him, causing them to raise their voices in anger, Hiluluk raised a hand to calm them.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, really. We had an arrangement to hand the young lady over to him as a slave, but as soon as he laid eyes on the money, greed got the better of him. He was pretty obsessed with her, so I didn’t think he’d betray us.”

For someone willing to associate with this kind of crowd just to get the woman he desired, it was clear he wouldn’t give up so easily.

“And so, Mr. Blackmailer, the best I can offer you now is the fare for crossing the river of lamentation,” Hiluluk said, his voice dripping with theatrical sarcasm. At his signal, the men around the room drew their knives and closed in on Il, while the women on either side of Hiluluk squealed with delight, laughing at the unfolding scene.

“Well now… isn’t all this a bit too much for a small fry like me?” Il said, nonchalantly tossing his sword, still in its scabbard, onto the floor and raising both hands in surrender. Hiluluk looked momentarily surprised, as if caught off guard.

“Come on now, no will to resist at all? If this is how the city guards act, I fear for the future of this country.”

“No need to worry. I’m the weakest link among the guards. The rest are quite capable,” Il replied with a casual grin.

Hiluluk’s expression shifted, a mix of amusement and mild curiosity flickering across his face. He nodded toward a man standing nearby and said, “I’d rather not dirty this room with trash like his blood. Take care of him out back.”

“Alright, get out!” one of the men barked, shoving Il towards the exit.

Il was shoved by the man, stumbling out of the room and into the hallway. With a knife pressed against him, he was led through the back door into a dimly lit alleyway. The sound of the door creaking open echoed in the narrow space, sending the stray cats that had been loitering around scattering in all directions.

“Never thought they’d come for me this quickly. Not even a chance to talk my way out,” Il muttered under his breath, his tone tinged with resignation.

The man behind him let out a rough laugh from deep in his throat.

“I’ll give you a bit of pity, at least.”

“Much appreciated,” Il responded sarcastically.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the man swung his knife, aiming directly for Il’s heart from behind.