Life's Unforeseen Blessings

The last day of the competition festival was lively and continued to be attended by spectators until the place was filled to capacity.

On the other hand, the people who knew Aizen seemed busy and nowhere to be seen. They started to worry because what they were looking for had not appeared since the previous day.

Dante, Inkgrit, Milo, and Nathan also wandered around Mada City all day. They didn't find any clues about Aizen other than the news that an aristocratic servant had died in a fight in a quiet place, the end of a dead-end alley.

Surprisingly, Ainkrad was also busy looking for Aizen and didn't watch the end of the competition festival. He knew the address of Aizen's orphanage. He traveled around and used his connections to find his student by asking for help from his friends, who usually hung out in the city's narrow alleys.

Previously, he had asked Dante and found out that Aizen did not return to the dorm the night before. And not seen until that morning.

"Where's that boy? Did something bad happen to him?"

Ainkrad also asked Ayduin and the other Class 3 students what Aizen had said. However, there wasn't any meaningful information that he got other than the business that Aizen was after was more important than the competition festival.

Dante considered making a missing person flier. However, he was stopped by Milo and asked to wait for three days before doing so.

For Milo, Aizen was a man who knew what he was doing and was quick-witted in any situation. So, he was sure his friend was fine and assured the others to continue their activities as usual while waiting.

Meanwhile, the competition festival event was over. Mage Division's brilliance and valor shone again after the battle against the knights. It blatantly stated the position of a mage was better and stronger than that of a knight. That was a solid fact out there that onlookers couldn't deny.

Elsewhere, Viscount Joe was engaging in a clandestine rendezvous with an esteemed aristocrat colleague in a far-flung corner of the city. He was accompanied by the Butler Herald.

"The man who died yesterday was your servant, wasn't he?" Viscount Joe asked the aristocrat in front of him named Rupert Starling.

Rupert did not answer. He just sat quietly, resting his chin on his hands on the table.

Viscount Joe wasn't upset. He blinked his eyes and sighed. Then pulled up a chair to sit across from Rupert.

"The Servant has a Spectre tattoo. Although no one knows what image or symbol it is, luckily, my underlings are in charge of the incident and location. So, no one knows the details other than the dead man being a servant of one of Mada City's aristocrats."

Viscount Joe leaned his upper body forward. His left hand held his left knee, and his right arm rested on his right thigh.

"You should tell me something like this. Don't think you can do as you please in my city.

"If you tell me about the servant, communication will be easy with the organization. I don't have to bother waiting and looking around like a useless underling.

The Butler Herald gave off his killing aura, suffocating Rupert on the spot.

But Rupert was not troubled and was writhing in pain. He tried to withstand the pressure and spoke with makeshift oxygen.

"I don't know either. One day he came to me and said it was an order from the organization and I shouldn't tell the others." Rupert said in a deep, low tone. But his face was already starting to sweat, and his body was trembling a bit.

Viscount Joe raised his right hand, and the Butler Herald immediately took a step back and dismissed the killing aura.

Rupert coughed a little, and he held his neck to clear his throat.

"I have never communicated with or received any direct orders from that servant. I only let him stay with me because the tattoos are real. He also knows everyone involved with the Spectre in this Mada City.

"I once asked his purpose and reason for hiding his identity. He only said that it was an order from the higher-ups. Or rather a core member. So, I have no right to know."

Viscount Joe was taken aback by Rupert's words. He was one of the few who knew that the core members of the Spectre were only eleven people and that their identities were kept hidden from the higher-ups and even lower members.

If the servant truly was an envoy of one of the core members. Then he couldn't voice a single complaint - despite his annoyance at the organization's tendency to act as it pleased in Mada City without informing him. He pondered the implications of that revelation, his mind racing with questions and possibilities.

"Next time, if something like that happens again, let me know even if the other person tells you not to."

"Shouldn't we just comply with what they ordered?"

"Fool. Do you want to become an object that can be thrown away? Even though we are loyal doesn't mean we have to follow all their orders, especially if it's not related to our interests."

"Sure. I'll do as you say. Here, you're the one who manages everyone." Rupert answered with a sigh. He was a person who looked like he had no ambition. But actually, he was a greedy person like Viscount Joe. That was why he agreed and joined Spectre on the welfare benefits he would get when the plan started.

When Viscount Joe came out of Rupert's house, he stopped for a moment and lifted his face to see the two moons that were lighting up the darkness of the night in Mada City.

"Did the investigation yield any further results?"

"I'm sorry, My Lord. There isn't much that can be concluded other than that the Servant died after a fierce battle. Not even the weights left at the scene of the incident provide any meaningful clue. But according to our people, there was a trace of a Genesis Knight in the battleground."

Viscount Joe's ears perked up at that, and he turned around. "How so?"

"They sensed the use of the Nullifier ability in that place. But this can't be confirmed either because they said it could be a mistake." The Butler Herald answered.

"The weights and possibly Genesis Knight, but the location trace says there were only two people fighting each other. And Genesis Knight wouldn't need weights at only 20 kg. That's no match." Viscount Joe thought of a possibility that could have happened.

But in the end, he didn't decide anything. The possibilities were too broad and numerous. If concluded carelessly, it would cause trouble later. After all, the servant's existence should not be known to anyone. Other than the core members of the organization and Rupert.

He was too lost for the matter. It was tricky to find out the motive for the fight and why the servant was killed.

--- ---

A week passed after the competition festival and Rashagul's death, and Aizen's whereabouts remain unknown. But before that, a letter came to Milo.

In the letter, Milo was told to inform the people he listed on the paper about how well he was. And there was no need to worry or seek him out. Because soon, he would be back to school as usual.

Milo then informed Dante and Ainkrad separately. Because the first one he knew, the next one didn't.

On the other hand, Aizen was currently far away on the outskirts of the city, among the beggars and slaves that were being thrown away.

To be precise, that place was a collection of humans who no longer have any use, or one could say that people who have defects.

There were only people who were old and disabled. Which, if chosen or cared for, would be more troublesome than making money.

"Kid, are you going to leave today?"

"Yes, grandpa."

"You don't need to call me like that. Just an old man will do."

"That can't be done. You saved me. If you didn't bring me here, I might have frozen to death in the rain while my blood was flowing."

Aizen smiled and reached for his pouch. He was really lucky to meet such a kind old man. The Dragon Breath Spear and the money he brought with him were still there. If it was someone else, perhaps he had been left lying on the ground, and all his belongings had been robbed without any spare.

Meanwhile, he then put 1 gold coin on the floor in return. There was no hesitation in his decision. That was a low price for kindness in saving lives.

The old man was about to refuse but was quickly stopped by Aizen.

"Grandpa, this may seem burdensome. But, if you use this money to buy food and distribute it among everyone in this place, then that would be much better and a relief. Am I right?"

What Aizen said was true. That 1 gold coin was enough to buy food for hundreds of people at a time. And the number in the slums was only tens. Then it should definitely last for a few days.

The old man did not expect to get money. He just helped Aizen without a second thought. Sometimes people didn't know what kind of fortune would come to them out of nowhere.