Chapter 217

Chapter 217 – The Devil of the Ivory Tower

There was absolutely no reason to inquire.

It implied that words were entirely unnecessary, and the present circumstance matched that concept to a tee.

“What? Who the heck are these guys? Why can’t I look at their faces… Argh!”

Aster slammed the pommel of his blade straight into the skull of the arrogant hoodlum who drew close, then dropped low in front of the collapsed figure, clutched him by his locks, and jerked his skull upward.

“Hey, let me ask you just one thing… Ah, did I strike him a bit too fiercely?”

“Uh… ugh…”

The blow had clearly been devastating; the hoodlum’s eyes were twitching backward, leaving him capable of only low groans.

Aster tapped the hoodlum’s jaw softly to see if he retained consciousness, then clicked his tongue with a disappointed sigh as he shifted his gaze toward Evelyn.

“Master, this guide isn’t going to be of any help. Let’s just keep pushing forward for now.”

“No, what on earth…”

“Tsk, you need to keep your composure, Master. Understand?”

“…Ah.”

What in the world was taking place right now?

Evelyn felt a wave of vertigo from the completely bewildering development, but she quickly regulated her respiration just as Aster instructed.

As long as they were maintaining the illusion of a master-servant dynamic, she had to keep an expressionless face, exactly as he pointed out.

However, observing Aster’s subsequent actions, Evelyn could not prevent a muscle near her eye from twitching.

‘Is this… truly an academy student?’

Deep within the pathways of the Black-White Slums, Aster operated as a solitary rogue.

First, a blunt strike.

“Hey, you over there! Walk this way for a moment… Ack!”

The very second their gazes crossed and he was preparing to speak a few words, zoom—the pommel of his blade cut cleanly through the air.

The inquiry came only afterward.

…Naturally, by that point, the individual was in no condition to provide a reply. Even so, it was his method.

“Tsk, another useless one.”

Operating in this manner, Aster stalked through the narrow pathways of the Black-White Slums, felling the approaching hooligans one after another.

As things progressed, he ceased waiting for them to even deliver their introductory remarks.

Whenever a thug drew near, drawn by the jingling sound of currency…

Crack, zoom!

“…Gah!”

He lunged forward with a solitary leap and swung the pommel.

It resembled watching a predatory tiger on the hunt.

Eventually, it became impossible to discern whether he was striking them to extract data or simply striking them for the sake of it. Observing the spectacle, a piece of counsel suddenly surfaced in Evelyn’s thoughts.

• Evelyn, that individual really snaps.

‘…It wasn’t an exaggeration.’

Evelyn had possessed half-doubts regarding Chenbi’s account of being battered black and blue by Aster at the Blandoga Family grounds, but witnessing this display made it undeniable that Chenbi’s narrative lacked even a trace of hyperbole.

If anything, Chenbi might have minimized the severity out of camaraderie!

Regardless, Aster persisted in his rampage through the passageways, and it wasn’t until he had accumulated roughly a dozen casualties that a single survivor materialized.

“Friend, let me ask you a single question.”

“W-What…”

“Are you aware of where the closest cartel base is around here?”

For context, the cartels were criminal coalitions that governed various territories within the Black-White Slums.

Granted, considering their scale and roster, labeling them as mere “thugs” might be an understatement, but it mattered little.

In response to Aster’s inquiry, the survivor stammered out an answer.

“I-I recognize it, yes.”

“Excellent. Then lead the path.”

Naturally, there was a degree of hesitation.

The individual was clever enough to transition to formal speech following a single blow, but the cartels possessed that level of terrifying reputation.

Of course, that hesitation had minimal impact.

“N-No, it’s impossible. Those individuals are…”

“Master, shall I press him further?”

“…I recognize who they are, but I-I will guide you.”

The survivor rose unsteadily to his feet and assumed the lead.

Consequently, Aster and Evelyn moved behind the thug.

How much time had they spent walking?

The thug’s velocity slowed down significantly, then ceased entirely as he gestured toward a particular spot.

“Right around that bend. You will perceive it immediately… May I depart now?”

“Sure, get lost. Travel to a different sector and behave properly.”

“Th-Thank you!”

The survivor sprinted away in sheer terror.

Evelyn observed his retreating form for a brief moment, shifted her gaze to Aster, and mused:

‘An individual who flourishes outside the bounds of law.’

A demon resided within Jenion Academy, the ivory tower of intellect.

Black Pig, the cartel governing Sector A-12 in the Second Black-White Slums.

Leader Puglak, who resided like a monarch within his domain despite heading a low-level operation, dropped meekly to the dirt.

His subordinates were scattered across the floor, bruised and shattered, and Puglak’s own features were far from unblemished.

One eye was swollen shut and purple. A hematoma bulged from his brow.

Dehydrated blood was crusted around his nostrils and jaw.

Sniff, snort.

Puglak was still clearing his nose from the bleeding that refused to halt when a vocalization struck his ears.

“So, if we just follow this passage, we will arrive at the black market?”

It was an uncanny vocalization that was impossible to categorize as masculine or feminine, youthful or elderly, and Puglak nodded with immense fervor.

“Y-Yes, that is accurate. Is it difficult to navigate? I could escort you…”

“Don’t bother…”

Aster grinned at Puglak’s deceitful chatter and looked sideways.

“Master, that is his assertion. Shall we depart?”

“Mm, yes.”

Prior to exiting the Black Pig sanctuary, Aster offered a casual gesture toward Puglak.

“Pleasure interacting with you. Let’s encounter each other again sometime.”

The man trembled—whether from appreciation or terror was uncertain.

Returning to the alleys of the Black-White Slums.

Aster and Evelyn took a isolated path away from the primary route.

Toppling the cartel had not been a difficult feat, to begin with.

Truthfully, Black Pig was such a minor enterprise that it felt rather silly to term it a cartel. A genuine syndicate would not have collapsed this effortlessly.

‘Not terrible fortune.’

Aster rattled the map he had extracted from Puglak with a grin.

In truth, he had harbored a small knot of anxiety deep within.

Past occurrences demonstrated that these minor instigators could escalate into massive complications.

‘Is it Wyvern’s doing?’

[Partner, me?]

‘You bear some responsibility, but remain silent for now.’

At any rate, Aster was pleased by the unexpectedly simple victory when Evelyn suddenly paused.

She examined the perimeter, established a barrier against sound, and uttered her thoughts.

“Is this… truly acceptable?”

“Acceptable in what sense?”

“We aren’t merely arriving a single time…”

Phrased differently, was instigating conflicts with cartels truly a wise strategy?

It failed to align with Evelyn’s rational logic.

However, Aster merely offered a quiet laugh at her trepidation.

“That is simply the methodology of the Black-White Slums.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

“Patrician houses and noble figures might engage in political maneuvers and such, but there is no requirement for that here.”

It was undeniable.

Within the Black-White Slums, the powerful dictated the rules.

Granted, it remained a location populated by human beings, so entangled relationships meant prudence was occasionally required…

‘But not for me.’

That was owing to the fact that irresistible might streamlined all “entangled relationships.”

Still, was that the reason she was unable to ease her mind?

“Hmm…”

Evelyn folded her arms, locked in deep contemplation.

Aster observed her silently, then let out a massive yawn.

On one hand, he pondered to himself:

‘Is this truly such an immense concern?’

It wasn’t. This was standard procedure within the Black-White Slums.

Excessive analysis was futile; if you possessed might, you crushed obstacles first and resolved complications afterward.

Granted, he comprehended being anxious about future outcomes, but…

‘…Not to the extent of agonizing for this duration.’

Nonetheless, Aster chose to hold his tongue.

She required an interval to acclimate.

‘It likely won’t require extensive time.’

Evelyn simply lacked familiarity with the patterns of the Slums.

Her intellect was sharp under any circumstances—goodness, even syndicate leaders would bow before its unusual sharpness.

Reflect upon it.

What rational individual organizes a black market dedicated to purchasing academic scores within an educational institution?

As Aster waited with tranquility.

“Aster.”

“Are you feeling more settled?”

“…Pardon? Settled in what manner?”

What? So her silence wasn’t born of anxiety.

“It’s nothing, disregard it. What is on your mind?”

Aster dismissed Evelyn’s indifferent posture and altered the topic. As long as she remained unbothered, it was fine.

Evelyn tilted her skull slightly before delivering her words.

“I originally timed the artifact transaction to occur quite far into the future, correct?”

“Yes? Even if we accelerated the process, it would fall around the period of final examinations, according to your words.”

The rationale was straightforward.

Even Evelyn had never engaged in selling artifacts within an illicit market previously.

With limited intervals, scarce personnel, and an entirely unfamiliar territory, the preparation required was immense.

“And you conceded to that timeline without objection?”

“Yeah… Executing the sale properly is the primary objective, is it not?”

“But what if…”

Evelyn’s voice diminished slightly, her skull dipping downward as she elevated her hand toward her nose as though inhaling.

A characteristic behavior when she was analyzing deeply.

What now? Additional anxieties?

“What if?”

“Ah, what if a pathway exists?”

Aster tilted his skull to the side.

“What sort of pathway?”

“I am referring to… a method to compress that duration. No, not merely compress it, but execute the artifact sale perfectly. If such a method is available, what action would you take?”

“What else is there? I would employ it.”

Who would reject a swift, flawless transaction?

“But what if it demanded some physical exertion from your end?”

“Physical labor? That is of no consequence.”

“…Is that so?”

“…?”

Aster experienced a chill at Evelyn’s strangely icy delivery and shifted his stance.

Her gaze was concealed by magic designed to disrupt perception, yet he imagined a spark visible through the apertures of the mask.

For internal reassurance, he registered the presence of the wyvern resting in the vicinity.

A rapid, profound inhalation.

“So, what exactly is this method?”

“Ah, it isn’t particularly complicated. Somewhat comparable to… your actions from earlier?”

“…?”

My actions from earlier?

Aster searched his memories.

Earlier? He had simply battered a few pathway thugs and established an understanding with a cartel via physical combat…

“…Hold on, do you mean?”

An intuition struck his mind; he fixed his gaze directly on Evelyn.

She returned his look evenly.

And when her jaws parted.

“We dismantle the cartel that oversees the black market.”

“…”

“Raid the illicit market? There is no utility in that; where would we conduct our sales afterward? And it isn’t an issue of occupying it—we lack the capacity to administer it ourselves.”

“Then what?”

Not a raid, not a conquest.

Aster knit his brows at the mounting confusion. Evelyn delivered her explanation shortly thereafter.

“What I intend to communicate is… we form a close association with that cartel, precisely like before.”

In essence:

“There is no requirement for conducting market research. They will comprehend the operational flows, even within an illicit setting. They likely possess accounting records.”

And furthermore.

“Uncompensated labor as well. Numerous advantages, but the core element…”

The rewards gained from neutralizing the black market cartel were abundant, but it converged upon a singular point.

“Zero suffering, maximum acquisition.”

Effortless gains.

…

Absorbing that concise single-line overview.

Clap, clap, clap.

A hollow applause resonated through the passageway.

“Magnificent, Master.”

On this occasion, his tone contained unfeigned respect.