Chapter 85. The End of the Assassin's Guild

Whether Kasho was flustered or not, Radel cleared out the secret passage in an instant.

Soon, only Kasho was left in the secret passage.

'I shouldn't have let my guard down.'

Seeing Pirenzo after a long time, he had gotten excited and talked too much without realizing it.

It was probably because he had met someone who knew his past self and wanted to show how successful he had become.

However, he still had an ace up his sleeve.

Although all the ones who were protecting him had fallen, he still had the curse magic.

Laughter unconsciously flowed from Kasho's mouth.

"Heh heh."

In fact, while those guys were taking care of his guild members, he had secretly laid a magic circle on the floor.

The curse magic was as good as complete.

It would be activated if anyone came near him.

If they were caught by this magic and fell under the curse of the tattoo, they would have no choice but to follow his orders.

'Just let one of them fall for it.'

Then he would use that guy's life as a hostage to make them fight, and then it would be over after he escaped.

"Surrender now!"

Inette shouted at Kasho.

The guild members had all fallen, and the tide had turned.

If only that guild master surrendered, Tunia would be a free woman.

Radel could also be free from the threat of assassination.

"Surrender? Why should I surrender?"

However, Kasho let out a vile smile and activated the curse on Tunia.

"Ugh!"

Tunia clutched her shoulder.

A tearing pain from the tattoo spread throughout her body.

Inette's eyes widened, knowing that once that magic was activated, the pain would not stop until death.

"No!"

Inette unknowingly clenched her fists and rushed at the guild master.

Then, Kasho wagged his finger and sneered at everyone.

"No, no. Did you see that? I've set up a magic circle so that a curse magic is cast if you come near me."

"...Ugh!"

"Uh oh? You're not thinking of rushing at me now, are you? Do you want to be cursed?"

Inette stopped in her tracks with a dazed face.

She wanted to give that guy a piece of her mind, but if what he said was true, she couldn't move rashly.

'Is the guild master right?'

'It's true.'

Radel confirmed through Armandy that there was a magic circle under the guild master's feet.

The entire group stared at Kasho, unable to move.

Amidst those angry gazes, Kasho packed his things.

Although it was a waste of what he had raised so far, a guild like this could be made again as long as he had the curse magic.

"Well, then, I'll be on my way. Goodbye, Tunia. You should have listened to me."

At Kasho's brazen words, which even prayed for Tunia's soul, Inette ground her teeth.

"That bastard...!"

It was then.

Radel strode towards Kasho.

'Is he crazy?'

Kasho was flustered at Radel's action, which could only be seen as insane.

Coming all the way here knowing that he would be cursed if he came close?

However, he was the 8th Prince he had intended to kill anyway.

He had received a large commission fee, and thinking that it would be more profitable to take him hostage, Kasho activated the curse magic.

Flash!

'What is it?'

But it was strange.

The magic kept bouncing off.

Whether Radel knew it or not, he was approaching him with a calm expression.

Kasho cast the curse magic again.

Flash!

But the magic just kept bouncing off.

It was impossible.

A normal human could not avoid this curse magic.

'What is that?'

A cold sweat ran down his back.

* * *

Tiring.

[An unknown curse attempts to change the user's status.]

[Status Effect Nullification is activated.]

Tiring.

[An unknown curse attempts to change the user's status.]

[Status Effect Nullification is activated.]

A window saying that Status Effect Nullification was being activated due to the curse magic kept popping up in front of Radel.

It was to the point where it was annoying to clear them one by one.

'How many curses is he casting?'

Even so, the curse magic did not work on Radel.

Because his S-rank trait, 'Status Effect Nullification', repelled all magic that changed one's status.

Everything was going as Radel had expected.

"H-how is this...!"

Kasho trembled in fear and looked at Radel as if he were a monster.

Radel, regardless of that, approached the guild master and said.

"Didn't I say I wasn't very curious earlier? But why are you being so long-winded?"

Is he usually a talkative person?

Even in a situation like this, he was being too talkative.

"I'm sure I told you we don't have time..."

In Radel's opinion, this wasn't something that should have taken this long.

According to his plan, after dealing with the Black Fang, they had to catch one medium-sized monster per person as stated in the field trip plan submitted to Professor Lilian.

If Kasho kept this up, they would have to search the mountains until dawn.

"Y-you crazy...!"

Kasho did not give up and continued to activate the magic circle.

But for Radel, it was just tiring because the alert kept ringing.

Tiring.

[An unknown curse attempts to change the user's status.]

[Status Effect Nullification is activated.]

"It's noisy, so let's stop."

Radel stood on the flashing magic circle under his feet and smiled at Kasho.

It was a smile of peace, saying that they should just finish it moderately.

However, to Kasho, that appearance looked like an evil spirit from hell.

"Aaaah! D-don't come!"

And so, the guild master's terrible scream echoed through the secret passage.

* * *

"I'm glad it ended better than I thought. Right, Armandy?"

Radel stood outside with Armandy with a refreshed expression.

He had been in the basement for so long that just being outside felt refreshing.

Tunia and Pirenzo were in the middle of discussing something with the guild members who had been freed from the curse magic after dealing with the guild master.

Gusto was treating the fallen guild members, and Inette was burning the curse-related items that the guild master had hidden in his room.

It was a peaceful scene for everyone.

"Yeees, well..."

Armandy answered vaguely and glanced at Radel's side profile.

He was an 8th Prince he couldn't understand.

Just a moment ago, he had really thought that something was going to happen.

Even to his eyes, it was an almost complete curse magic circle.

Among the magic that sometimes came as a reward from dungeons, there was a curse magic of that form.

Magic that was simple enough for even someone with almost no magic power to use, but its effects were vicious.

Of course, there was a price.

The soul of the person who used the curse magic would be bound to a devil after death.

In the first place, curse magic was such a contract. It was a very powerful magic, as it was a bet on a person's soul, but to break through it so easily.

'What on earth is his identity?'

Armandy cautiously asked Radel.

"Is it magic nullification?"

Then, Radel grinned.

"If it was magic nullification, how could I use magic?"

"That's true."

In the first place, if it was magic nullification where all magic did not work, he wouldn't be able to use magic himself.

Armandy had asked as if to test him, even though he knew it wasn't.

"There's something like that."

Since it didn't seem like Radel would tell him more, Armandy didn't ask any further.

Still, in the end, it had turned out as the 8th Prince had said.

The assassin's guild had disappeared, and the 8th Prince was a little safer.

He had really fought against a secret organization and won.

Armandy felt a sense of pride for no reason.

Then he was startled.

'Why am I happy!'

* * '

After the situation was somewhat settled, Tunia, who had become the new guild master, approached Radel.

"Thank you. If it weren't for you, it wouldn't have turned out so well."

"No need to thank me. I was also able to get out of a tiring situation thanks to you."

Radel thought it was a pretty good cooperation.

It was a case where their interests had aligned well, as he had been able to persuade Tunia, the successor of the assassin's guild that was targeting him, and she had also wanted to quit being an assassin.

"From now on, our guild will no longer be targeting you, so you can rest assured."

"That's good news. But will it be okay?"

It would be difficult to withdraw a request that had already been received. He didn't know for sure, but he might have to pay a huge penalty fee.

Tunia had an indifferent expression, as if she had already considered such things.

"It was a decision I made after calculating all that with my younger siblings. You don't have to worry about it."

It seemed she had already finished discussing it with the rest of the guild members.

She said that they had also been worried about continuing to live as assassins.

Now that the curse on their tattoos was lifted, they seemed to be very happy, although a bit dazed.

"...But there is one problem."

Tunia, who had been hesitating a little, opened her mouth.

"I don't know what to do with my life from now on."

She was saying that she didn't know what kind of work to do, now that she was trying to quit, with her guild members who had only received assassination training and lived as assassins.

Inette, who had approached them at some point, intervened.

"You have to continue attending the academy."

"Me... the academy?"

"Isn't that obvious? Were you planning to quit?"

Tunia took out the withdrawal form she had been carrying in her pocket, which she had intended to submit to the academy once her mission was over.

She had always been prepared to leave the academy at any time after getting rid of the 8th Prince.

Inette, seeing the withdrawal form, screamed.

"What do you mean, withdrawal! Rip that up quickly!"

"Right. If you're gone, the mana training lecture might be canceled. That would be troublesome."

Radel also chimed in from the side.

Tunia hesitated and then tore up the withdrawal form.

She really felt relieved.

Gusto, who had approached them at some point, also added a word.

"You've thought well. Just by studying at the academy, you'll be able to show a better side of yourself to your younger siblings."

"Oh, Gusto. I was just thinking, Tunia's guild is looking for a new job. Do you have any ideas?"

When Radel asked for Gusto's opinion, Gusto answered nonchalantly.

"How about doing what they've always wanted to do?"

"That's a great idea. Ask your younger siblings. What they've wanted to do!"

Inette was also in favor.

Tunia thought for a moment and then came back from her younger siblings and said.

"They all said they don't know. Maybe it's because they've only received training."

"It can be like that if you've lived cut off from the world."

Gusto recalled his childhood.

It was a life of begging on the streets or pickpocketing every day.

Back then, he had been so busy just trying to survive day by day that he had never had the thought of wanting to do something.

Gusto had changed when he entered the temple.

He had started with cleaning at first, but the small tasks given to him had changed him little by little.

"Perhaps we should start with small tasks first."

Hearing that, a good idea came to Radel's mind.

"Do you also learn disguise and acting during training?"

Tunia nodded.

"Those are basics for an assassin."

Disguise was often necessary for infiltration or ambushes.

The same went for acting.

Acting like a different person according to the situation was also a necessary virtue for an assassin.

Radel thought as he listened to Tunia about the training she received to become an assassin.

They learned about murder techniques and how to handle hidden weapons, but also how to control their emotions and how to erase their presence.

'It's not just assassination, it seems like they'd be good at any kind of work.'

He was just thinking about where to invest the large amount of allowance he had received from the Emperor.

It seemed like a good investment had appeared.