How to Catch a Big Fish (7)

The next evening, the night market opens.

The streets and harbour, alive like a blaze of lights, were more vibrant than usual, crowded with people. The narrow alleys were filled with traders who had come to the port city of Sinistra, seizing the opportunity during this period that came once every three months.

The traders were like migratory birds—appearing suddenly where the market was bustling, and vanishing without a trace when the market closed, so this was a natural flow.

The reason this period was so fitting was because, blending in with the flow of merchants like the rising and falling tides, it would be easier to smuggle away Leovald's corpse. After all, when a major market was held, the inspection standards were more lenient.

After glancing at the bustling streets, they soon turned into a secluded alley.

As they moved deeper into the alley, the number of people began to sharply dwindle. Despite the bright and noisy night market just beyond a few walls and buildings, this narrow, out-of-the-way alley seemed to have been surgically removed from the city, standing alone in a different time and space.

Perhaps it's an obvious story. This area leads to a massive graveyard, so the air and atmosphere here were always heavy and desolate.

Ahead, the audience for today appears. From a distant, vague sound, the noise of the crowd can be heard, along with the gentle trickling of a stream, and the wind rushing through the passageway creates a humming sound, over which I add my lines.

"We seem to have gathered on time."

The voice that slips out is lower and rougher than usual, deliberately made dry by withholding water. It's not hard to mimic this. My face is hidden beneath a cloak, with a beard made from goat hair covering it.

The five merchants, or rather, the count's subordinates who had already gathered at the meeting point, nodded indifferently.

"The goods?"

"Down below."

I point to the ground beneath me with a finger. Today, that hand looks strangely unfamiliar. My face is covered in hair, but with a bare hand, it would certainly look out of place, so I had disguised this part as well.

I waited for the mud to dry and shift colour before gently brushing it off, making it appear as though my skin had been burned. Then, I waited for the melted wax to cool slightly before dipping straw into it and drawing lines over my skin, making the texture of my skin appear rough.

One of the Count's aides raised an eyebrow.

"Below?"

"Below, there's a large cemetery and a mock city. No one uses it now. The goods are hidden there."

"Why there, of all places?"

"If you want to hide a tree, wouldn't you hide it in a forest? And where else would there be enough space to hide something of that size?"

The subordinates seemed to agree. With Viscount Lopez staying as a guest at the Baron's estate, it would be impossible to hide a corpse there. There's no better place to hide something away from prying eyes than underground.

After reaching the entrance of the waterway, I led the way, holding up a torch. The lantern was left at the inn, and for atmosphere, I had chosen a classic torch instead.

Intentionally, I wound through the underground first floor cemetery, disorienting their sense of direction, before heading down to the second floor. Eventually, we came upon the elaborate imitation of a city made of clay and stone.

"The floor is slippery, be careful."

I led them in front of the building where Leovald's body was hidden beneath the fake Sinistra.

"Here. Confirm it."

They opened the coffin, just as Leonardo and I had done in the past in the underground. Leovald's face, now long dead, was laid bare before them. It's unfortunate that his treatment was so poor. I hope Leonardo doesn't hold a grudge because of this…

The Count's underlings exchanged glances and nodded.

"It's certain now. We'll take it from here."

Five underlings prepare to transport the coffin. Just as they lift it and start to carry it out of the mud house in the model town.

Whoosh!

A flash of light bursts from the darkness. The head of the torch I'm holding is swiftly cut off and rolls on the ground. The fire doesn't go out immediately, casting a faint glow over a small area.

I stagger and tremble. Someone grabs my arm, pulling me close. A black blade emerges from the darkness, piercing through the cloak somewhere between my side and armpit.

The sharp edge gleams in the light, visible to anyone.

"Ugh, cough…!"

A wheezing sound escapes from their punctured lung. Red blood flows down the blade, forming a round puddle on the ground. Suppressed groans escape through their teeth as they stagger back. At the same time, the fire is thoroughly extinguished, as the ground is scraped and embers are covered with dirt, plunging everything into darkness.

'Lighting effect is just right.'

One of the count's underlings shouts urgently.

"It's an ambush! We're under attack!"

'The line is a bit cliché, though.'

"Secure visibility first!"

"Get outside!"

Srrrng—

The sound of them drawing their weapons and the frantic rustling as they search for torches and try to light them is perceptible.

Leonardo, now turned into a nocturnal attacker, chased after them. Dressed in black combat attire, only his eyes were visible. Before we split up, heading in different directions, we exchanged a brief glance and nodded.

As Leonardo pursued them, I dropped the leather water pouch I had under my arm onto the ground. The pouch, filled with the blood of a slaughtered beast, rolled and fell.

There's no time to waste. I headed straight into the building, climbing the earthen steps upward. While ascending, I tore off my beard and discarded the cloak.

This building, where I had earlier prepared a place to respectfully lay Leovald's body, was a pre-scouted location.

It was the highest point in the underground city and the most convenient place to secure visibility.

From my vantage point, I could see them gathering in the relatively open street, the torches they held making their positions conspicuous in the dim street.

I moved aside the wooden box I had prepared in advance on the rooftop, revealing a small, blazing ember. I retrieved what I needed from the adjacent box. Click. The sensation of metal and wood in my hands was hefty. Supporting it with both arms, I brought the end to the ember. The fire quickly caught on.

Gazing at the flickering flame at the edge of my vision, I recalled memories from a few days ago.

***

The day Vittorio returned from his errand, before heading straight to the warehouse, the innkeeper pulled Leonardo along towards the market.

"Young master. While we're at it, let's look for some weapons together. The sword I got you last time got broken, right?"

"Yeah."

"I know that swords from this market are just consumables for you, young master. But if you pick up another cheap iron sword like last time, I'll end up buying all the weapons in the blacksmith's shop. That'll only add to your debts, won't it? You should choose carefully."

"Tsk."

"…Hmm."

Just thinking about the moment that iron sword broke made my blood pressure rise.

"Hmph. What's with the 'hmm'? You'd better give a clear answer."

"Ah, I get it, calm down."

When I pressed Leonardo by getting close, he stammered words of compliance. This seemed effective. Next time I need to intimidate him, I'll pin him against a wall and threaten him.

Eventually, Leonardo and I went to the market, and he bought a more expensive and higher-quality sword. It cost about as much as two horses.

And in addition to that.

I placed my hand on the rough wooden trigger. The crossbow didn't require pulling back the string each time; once preloaded, pressing the trigger would shoot the arrow. The fact that it didn't take long to learn how to use was a significant advantage.

"Are you thinking of buying a crossbow?"

Leonardo, having chosen his sword, approached and peered at what I was examining. I lightly plucked the string as if playing an instrument and nodded.

"Yeah. I think it'll come in handy."

"Is that so? This one reloads quickly. The one you're holding now is made with red stag sinew, which is tough and less elastic if not properly refined. Tendons from common livestock are more elastic. However, the red stag sinew is easier to maintain."

This guy seems more interested in choosing this than he did with his own sword. Is this some kind of newbie care?

"Then, the ox sinew one. I need something that reloads quickly."

With our weapons purchased, we headed to the warehouse.

[All this much?]

The errand I asked Vittorio to do wasn't a big deal.

[Yeah. It'll be heavy, so don't carry it yourself. Could you ask them to move it to the port? Ah, to be specific, it's…]

[…Well, it's unlikely anyone will ask, but if someone does, you can just say it's for winter preparations…]

I had simply bought a generous amount of rosin and hay.

"Alright, young master. From now on, we're going to move the hay and rosin from this warehouse to the appropriate location."

"…It will help with training."

"Positive attitude. I like that."

We diligently finished the work.

Instead of leaving the underground immediately, I took out the crossbow. The underground, with no prying eyes, was perfect for practice. Since it was easy to load and only required good aim, it seemed similar to a firearm. But to use it in real situations, practice was essential.

Let's see, first, I rested the back of my head on my shoulder. Actually doing it felt quite similar to a shooting stance. If I could just get used to the aiming sensation, it might work.

After finishing the work, Leonardo, sitting somewhere and quenching his thirst with a water pouch, showed interest.

"Did you know how to handle it? Your stance is good."

Maybe my history of being awarded leave for shooting excellence counts as experience.

"I've used something similar before. But this is my first time handling one of these, so I'm not used to the aiming yet."

Whoosh!

The arrow flew like the wind, landing in an unintended spot.

"Yeah, I can't tell where the aim point is. Young master, have you ever used something like this?"

"Yeah. Your stance is stable, so once you get a feel for it, you'll be fine. Excuse me for a moment."

Rising, he approached and stood behind me. Leaning over my shoulder and beside my face, he adjusted his view to match mine and began to murmur slowly.

"The crossbow tends to go horizontal before experiencing a sharp drop midway, so…"

I felt his breath lightly brush against my skin, almost tickling.

At that moment, Leonardo's hand cupped my chin and cheek, pulling me back slightly.