Infiltration

Even if you say ‘dark guild’ all in one word, its forms are diverse.

Petty thieves and pickpockets.

Organizations conducting kidnappings and underground dealings of stolen goods.

Gangs of madmen who attack trading companies and caravans, killing for gold and goods.

Furthermore, some of these organizations actually commit crimes themselves, while others simply act as intermediaries.

Naturally, the dark guilds that commit serious crimes have high-level members, and the ones that act with a plan have complex extermination conditions set.

Requests that merely involve extermination.

Requests that require the capture of a specific person.

Both the conditions for clearing a quest and its difficulty level can vary greatly depending on the dark guild you’re dealing with.

Moreover, the extermination of dark guilds in this world is becoming more and more complicated.

Unlike the game where soldiers and knights had the 【Appraisal】 skill as standard, here the skill itself is a special ability.

If their level is low, they might not even have any skills at all, which isn’t unusual.

Because of this, distinguishing between ordinary people and criminals is incredibly difficult.

Especially considering that the NPCs that just acted according to the scenario have evolved into beings with will in this world.

There might even be dark guilds that are overlooked in exchange for bribes.

By this point, it’s not a problem that can be resolved by simply exterminating or capturing the designated person.

Even now, I don’t have a full understanding of our current target, the dark guild 『Fenrir』.

If we capture a mid-level member but let the key conspirator escape, the problem might not only remain unsolved but even worsen.

Who should be killed?

And who should not be killed? I’m a bit at a loss.

However, there’s no need to think too hard about it.

I just have to exterminate the members of 『Fenrir』 that I come across.

Even if we can’t completely annihilate them, causing significant damage should at least serve as a show of force.

Later, I’ll have Rose-san organize an extermination team and carry out the operation against the dark guild. That would be perfect.

If they get carried away and end up attracting the attention of the knight’s order or the adventurers’ guild, the dark guild will have no choice but to scale back their operations.

Sure, they might become more cunning in their activities, but that’s none of my concern.

Those who couldn’t keep a firm grip on the reins are the ones to blame.

After all, we should be working to end the current situation where an organization capable of laying hands on royalty is running rampant.

I head to a corner of the slums, as marked on the map given to me by the owner of 『The Cannibal’s Den』.

What I find there is a dilapidated shack.

A tiny hut that looks like it’s about to collapse at any moment, as if a gust of wind would be enough to blow it away.

I activate the wind magic  『Detect: Creature』 and check the inside of the shack.

Someone’s in there… just one person.

I pull on the rotting doorknob and enter the shack.

I use the 【Appraisal】 skill to check the status of the man who seems to be on guard.

As expected, he’s a member of the dark guild 『Fenrir』

His level is in the single digits.

Just a lowly goon, then.

Fenrir Goon: “What the—”

He’s of no use to me, so I behead him with 【Razor: Kurikara】

Since the guild has announced a request for the extermination of Fenrir, this killing will not be treated as Player Killing.

Furthermore, this is a slum, so all actions are exempt from crime counts due to the field characteristics, so I can act without worry.

I temporarily store the body in storage and begin searching the shack.

According to the map, there should be a hidden passage under the floor of this room.

Arata: “Found it.”

Following the map, I check the floor.

And indeed, I find a part where the quality of the wood differs from the rest.

The map mentions that if the door is not opened correctly, a trap will be triggered. But deactivating it sounds like a hassle.

I slash at the floor leading to the hidden passage with Kurikara.

Splintered wood pieces.

Rising dust.

And from beyond, a black shadow flying towards me.

Poison arrows?

I knock down the three poison arrows flying towards me with Kurikara.

It’s a simple trap, but it’s a bit too elaborate for a small dark guild’s hideout.

There’s no mistake that beyond this point is the base of 『Fenrir』

Any other traps?… According to the 【Appraisal】, there seems to be none.

I descend the stairs of the hidden passage.

Following a short staircase, there is a narrow yet maintained underground passage.

Despite being narrow, it is wide enough for a few people to pass with ease, like a mine tunnel.

Magic item lamps are installed at regular intervals in the underground passage, casting a faint light.

I check the map from the menu screen.

It’s like an ant nest.

The underground passage is vast, even more than I had anticipated, with some parts extending out from the slums to commercial and residential districts, and even as far as the nobility district.

These tunnels connect to the temporary hideouts and dummy headquarters used by 『Fenrir』.

Walking around the entire underground passage would not be feasible, but luckily I had received a map of the passage along with the cabin map.

I wonder how they managed to survey all this. It’s intriguing.

Other than that.

Since getting closer to the cabin, I have been under surveillance. I don’t know who or where they are from.

Could they be from another dark guild that opposes Fenrir, or maybe the knights?

Or maybe a completely different organization altogether.

Regardless, I don’t want to be bothered unnecessarily, friendly organization or not, so I’ll eliminate them around here.

I stop and turn on my heels a little way down the underground passage.

The individual following me is momentarily delayed by my sudden change of direction.

The person tries to distance themselves, but by then I’m already in range, using 『Shrink』.

Pursuer: “Stop, stop‼”

The pursuer, skillful enough to shout in a whisper.

Recognizing the familiar voice, I halt, and the figure before me takes off the hood they’d been wearing deep over their eyes.

Arata: “…Aya-san?”

Aya: “Yes‼︎ It’s me, Arata-san‼”

The one who had been following me was Aya-san, the receptionist from the Adventurer’s Guild who had been taking care of me since we met in the town of Reine.

Arata: “Why are you here, Aya-san?”

Aya: “Before that, could you please lower your sword?”

Raising both arms and turning pale, Aya-san cautiously opens her mouth.

I lower my sword, the Kurikara, which I’d pointed at her throat as a deterrent. After taking a breath, Aya-san begins to speak.

Aya: “Do you know about the ‘Hunters,’ Arata-san?”

Arata: “Don’t tell me, Aya-san, you’re…”

Aya: “Yes. My official title isn’t receptionist, but rather a member of the Adventurer’s Guild Special Operations Squad, also known as the ‘Hunters.’”

I’m surprised.

The Hunters are an elite squad directly controlled by the Adventurer’s Guild.

Adventurers who belong to this organization are called 『Hunters』.

Hunters have the role of selecting high-difficulty quests, investigating dark guilds and then announce requests, and such.

Also, the suspension of adventurer’s certifications is the role of the Hunter, and it was said that they also take on the removal of troublesome players and cheaters.

However, this 『Hunter』 position is, in essence, nothing more than a theatrical element to expand the world’s story.

Because there is no confirmation of the existence of NPCs appearing as Hunters, and the name only appears in conversations with guild employees and NPCs belonging to dark guilds.

That’s why I thought there were no Hunters in this world… I never would have thought Aya-san was a Hunter.

Aya: “My mission is to investigate and observe the rapidly growing dark guild, 『Fenrir』.”

According to Aya-san’s story, the stampede that occurred in the town of Loine was likely also influenced by 『Fenrir』

Moreover, 『Fenrir』 absorbed smaller dark guilds, expanding its power, which resulted in an increasing trend in crime rates in the royal capital and surrounding towns.

Aya: “Well, that investigation has turned out to be useless now.”

Arata: “Why is that?”

Aya: “After all, if Arata-san is here, that means, well, you know?”

…I see.

Aya-san was gathering evidence to publicize the request to subdue 『Fenrir』.

Even so, I had insisted to Vergil-san to expedite the public request.

In other words, I had taken over Aya-san’s job.

Arata: “I’m sorry.”

Aya: “No, no, it’s not the first time you’ve done something unexpected, Arata-san. Besides, the fact that the Grandmaster issued the request means that the current evidence was enough to issue a subjugation request.”

As I was talking with Aya-san, we arrived at our destination.

At the top of a stone staircase, an old door awaited.

According to the map, this seems to be the headquarters of 『Fenrir』.

Aya: “I will claim overtime and special allowances from the Grandmaster.”

Arata: “Are you going to fight too, Aya-san?”

Aya: “Yes. Actually, this is more my specialty.”

Saying so, Aya-san takes two daggers from her belt.

I also draw my Kurikara from its sheath.

Aya: “Are you ready, Arata-san?”

Arata: “Yes, once we finish this, let’s go out for a meal again.”

Aya:  “Can I choose the place next time? I know a place with delicious whiskey.”

Arata: “If it’s Aya-san’s recommendation, I’m sure it will be a good choice.”

The last restaurant was great, so I’m looking forward to this one.

Thinking about the taste of whiskey, I kicked open the door.