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Chapter 181: Smell of Blood

~Nelfie’s perspective~

「So, how long will it take to get to the arena?」

「Assuming that the enemy knows this passage, it will take about 20 minutes if we proceed cautiously.」

「Hmm. In that case, I would like you to tell me all the information you know.」

「Alright. But… won’t the enemy notice us due to our voice?」

「I will keep my detection skill activated, so as long as we keep our voices low, there shouldn’t be any problems.」

Although it took more time than going above ground, being able to use the underground passage meant that we had a better chance of invading the arena, which we thought would be the most difficult obstacle.

Fernando probably knows that we will be coming to Alrain. If that is the case, he must have prepared some countermeasures. This battle is a rebellion started by Fernando, so we are constantly forced to be on the defensive. In order to narrow that gap as much as possible, we need to obtain as much accurate information as possible.

「I will tell you all the information I have found so far. Firstly, the royal castle is occupied by the Fernando faction, and there has been no information that the king has died. Secondly, most of the civilians have been moved to the arena, and those who could not be moved are being confined to their homes.」

「So far, the information seems to tally with what I know.」

「It can be said that security in the arena is quite strict. All entrances and exits except for this underground passage are sealed, making it difficult to enter or escape.」

「Hmm… Even if there are a lot of people gathered there, most of them are civilians who don’t have the ability to fight. So why is it necessary to guard the entrance and exit so strictly?」

「We won’t know until we investigate, but the soldiers guarding the civilians probably haven’t been told the detailed reason either. If they knew, I would have heard of it.」

「If you haven’t gained that information even with your skill, Michael, then that is probably the case…」

「Yes. I continued to gather information while hiding. But strangely enough, I haven’t been able to obtain any such information.」

「If they are controlling information that thoroughly, you could say that they are hiding something important.」

「Indeed. Turn left at this crossroad…」

Just before Michael turned the corner, I smelled a faint murderous intent and blood, and after a moment, my detection skills detected the presence of a person.

When I covered Michael’s mouth and pulled him towards me, two knives passed by where Michael had been.

「That’s strange. I thought I definitely killed him, but maybe my skills have gotten dull over time?」

A voice that made me feel uncomfortable echoes. Immediately after that, a tall, thin man appeared from the darkness, giving off an eerie aura.

「Wh… why are you here…」

As soon as Michael saw the man, the blood drained from his face.

There’s no doubt that he was an enemy… His knife targeted our vitals faster than my detection skill could sense him.

It was clearly the skill of someone who was used to killing humans.

「Michael, who is this?」

「The serial killer who caused trouble in the royal capital 10 years ago… Bloody Joseph…」

「Oh? I’m so happy… There are still people who remember me.」

「But… you should be held captive in the underground dungeon! Why are you here!?」

「I promised His Highness that I wouldn’t reveal it… Oops, I revealed it. I can’t control my mouth…」

「Did Fernando let you out of prison?」

「That must be the case…」

However, even though this man named Joseph had leaked important information, he didn’t show any signs of panic, and the corner of his mouth was curled up as if he was genuinely happy.

「Well, now I have to kill both of you. Man, I have no choice now. Now that you know, I have no choice but to kill you. … Well, I’ll kill you even if there’s no particular reason, though.」

「You sure are talkative. What are you so excited about?」

「Think about it from my perspective. It’s my first murder in 10 years, you know? Anyone would be excited, right?」

「…That’s a lie. If that’s the case, why do you smell like blood?」

「Kufufu, you can tell? It’s just… I can smell the strong smell of blood from you too.」

While we were talking, I observed his movements and posture, and it was hard to believe that he had been in prison for 10 years. Moreover, the question arises as to who on earth could have captured such a powerful person.

However, what is clear is that Bloody Joseph is our enemy, and that he is likely to have some information.

Now, how do I capture him without killing him? …This is going to be a pain.