Ghislain remembered the name Crank very clearly.
Every time Claude got drunk, he would curse the man who had cut off his wrist.
And now, of all days, today was the day!
"This is urgent. Take me to this Crank immediately. I'll reward you handsomely," Ghislain demanded.
The employee, looking troubled, shook his head.
"I have to do my job, sir. You'll need to find someone else to guide you..."
"Hey, noble sir, judging by your look, you're from out of town. What business do you have with our boss?"
A mocking voice cut through the conversation from a nearby table, interrupting the employee.
Ghislain slowly turned his head.
Three thugs were lounging at a table, the same ones who had been cleaning up earlier.
Ghislain walked over to them and said quietly, "I need to meet your boss right now."
"Why should we lead you to him, huh? We don't even know who you are."
"It's urgent. I'll make it worth your while."
"Well, if it's that urgent... how about you pay for the errand first? That's the custom around here." The thug sitting in the middle made a circle with his fingers, grinning.
Ghislain pulled out a gold coin and tossed it onto the table.
"Move quickly."
His eyes were beginning to glow with a dangerous light, but the thug didn't seem to notice and waved his finger again.
"Oh, come on now, you can spare a little more. The cost of living around here is pretty high."
The two others sitting beside him snickered in agreement.
Slice!
"Huh?"
In the blink of an eye, something sliced through the air, and the middle thug's wrist was severed, landing on the table with a thud.
"AAAHHHH!"
The thug screamed and fell backward, blood soaking the table.
"Save your jokes for a better time," Ghislain said as he sheathed his sword.
The other two thugs, now startled, tried to stand, but the mercenaries were faster.
Boom!
Both of them were slammed face-first into the table before they could even get up.
"Wha-what are you doing..." the thug whose wrist had been cut off stammered, his face pale as he backed away.
Ghislain grabbed him by the throat.
"Where did they take Claude?"
"T-to the slaughterhouse! It's on the outskirts of Austen! They left just a little while ago!"
Shhhk!
Ghislain buried his sword deep into the thug's shoulder.
"AAARGHH!"
"Lead me there. If Claude's hand gets cut off before we arrive, I'll kill all of you."
Ghislain dragged the thug outside, forcing him to point the way with trembling fingers as they began walking.
Before long, they reached the filthy outskirts of the city, an area not unlike a slum.
Unlike the bustling, tourist-filled areas of the city, this place was full of rundown taverns and rough-looking individuals.
As they neared a particularly large building, the thug Ghislain had been dragging suddenly screamed.
"Enemies! Enemies! Help me!"
A group of thugs lounging outside the building immediately jumped to their feet, grabbing their weapons.
They didn't seem interested in figuring out who was attacking.
"Just attack!" one shouted, and they rushed forward.
Ghislain threw the thug he had been using as a guide to the ground.
"Gillian, take care of them. I'll check the situation inside and decide if anyone needs to be killed."
"Understood. Go ahead."
As the mercenaries engaged the thugs, Ghislain swiftly stormed into the building.
Inside the slaughterhouse, animal carcasses were hung everywhere, and the stench of blood and decay filled the air.
Crank, the thug leader, cracked his neck from side to side, a grin spreading across his face.
It had been a while since he had the chance to swing his axe.
Before him sat a man in his late twenties, tied to a chair.
Despite his disheveled appearance, there was an air of intelligence about his face.
This was none other than Claude, the "Wise Fool of the Gambling Den" that Ghislain had come to find.
Though bound and facing the prospect of losing his hand, Claude's eyes held no fear, only weariness.
In a tired, raspy voice, Claude spoke, his words echoing through the slaughterhouse.
"Who put you up to this?"
"No one 'put me up to' anything. You got caught cheating, and now I'm just following the rules. I'm gonna cut your wrist off," Crank replied, his grin widening.
Claude snorted dismissively.
"I never cheated. For someone who runs this part of the underworld, you're awfully pathetic. Don't even have the guts to find out the truth, do you?"
"You bastard..."
Crank clenched his teeth in anger.
The more they talked, the more irritated he became. It was better to just get it over with and dump the body.
"Hey, bring the axe," Crank ordered.
One of his underlings approached with a small axe in hand.
Crank pointed to Claude's wrist.
"Cut it right here."
"Where exactly?"
"Where do you think... Never mind, just give it here."
Crank snatched the axe from his underling and nodded.
"If you beg for mercy now, I might just take a finger instead."
But Claude remained utterly calm, even looking annoyed as he stared back at Crank.
"If you're gonna cut it, just do it already. I don't have the energy to waste on you."
"You'll be begging to talk once I cut off your hand, you cocky bastard!" Crank yelled, raising the axe above his head.
— "Enemies! Enemies! Help me!"
At that moment, a loud cry from outside interrupted him.
Crank frowned and turned to look toward the entrance of the slaughterhouse.
"What the hell is going on? Go check it out."
Some of his men moved toward the door, but they didn't get far.
Crash!
The door exploded inward, and Ghislain burst into the slaughterhouse.
Quickly scanning the room, he spotted Crank and pointed at him.
"If you move, you die. Stay where you are."
One of the thugs stepped in front of Ghislain, shouting angrily.
"Do you know where you are, you bastard?!"
The thug lunged forward, thrusting his dagger at Ghislain.
But Ghislain wasn't the type to be taken down by such a clumsy attack.
Casually, he reached out and grabbed the dagger.
Crunch!
The blade shattered in his grip, leaving the thug staring in shock.
"Wha-what the hell?! No one can break a dagger barehanded!"
"Seems like someone here can. Now go to sleep."
Boom!
With a flick of his hand, Ghislain swatted the thug aside like an insect.
The man flew into the wall, his nose and teeth shattering upon impact.
Crank shouted in panic.
"What are you doing, you idiots?! Get him all at once!"
A dozen thugs charged at Ghislain simultaneously.
He glanced at them briefly before extending his hand.
He didn't have the time to deal with them one by one.
Snap!
Threads of mana shot out, wrapping around the thugs. They all froze in place, unable to move.
Crack!
"AAAAARGHH!"
As Ghislain clenched his fist, the thugs' arms and legs twisted and snapped, sending them crashing to the floor, writhing in pain.
"What... what the hell is this?!" Crank stammered, stepping back in fear.
He had seen all kinds of horrors in his life, but nothing like this. This was beyond anything he could comprehend.
"A mage? But he's fighting with his fists... What kind of knight can do this?!"
Even Claude, who had been trying to maintain a stoic expression, widened his eyes in disbelief.
He had spent time studying at the academy, surrounded by knights and mages, but no one could do something like this.
Claude watched as Ghislain approached him, and asked, "You came to save me?"
"Yes."
"Why? We don't even know each other."
"Let's just say we're about to get acquainted," Ghislain replied with a grin.
Claude grimaced, as if dealing with a lunatic.
Still chuckling, Ghislain began untying Claude from the chair.
"I'm Ghislain Fenris, Baron of the Kingdom of Lutania. Just call me Ghislain."
At that moment, Crank, who had been standing there in shock, finally stammered out, "W-what brings a foreign noble here? Even a noble can't just do as they please!"
But even Crank didn't seem convinced his words would work.
After all, Austen wasn't just a playground for commoners. Nobles frequented the city too, and there was an unspoken agreement not to cause trouble that might disrupt their fun.
And yet this man had barged in without a second thought.
Would someone like him really listen to reason?
Crank's instincts proved right.
Ghislain responded casually, "I'm taking Claude with me."
"That... that guy cheated. According to the laws here, his wrist should be cut off."
"Don't mess with me. Do you really think I didn't know anything before coming here?"
Ghislain had lost count of how many times he had heard Claude's story about how unjustly his hand had been severed.
Crank glanced out at the broken door and the sight of his subordinates either lying on the ground or kneeling in surrender.
As he hesitated, unsure of what to do, Ghislain walked over and firmly placed a hand on Crank's shoulder.
"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let this go. Since Claude's hand is still attached, I'll let you keep your head as well. I'd say that's a fair trade, wouldn't you?"
Ghislain's cold, snake-like gaze pierced through Crank's eyes.
"Y-yes, I understand," Crank stuttered, his entire body trembling as he repeatedly nodded.
Having seen so much bloodshed in his time, Crank instinctively knew that this man was beyond anything he could handle.
"I'm glad you're quick to understand."
Ghislain smirked and pulled a few gold coins from his pocket, placing them into Crank's trembling hands.
"Here, this is for the medical bills. Use the rest to buy some drinks."
"T-thank you..."
Crank backed away, still pale, as Ghislain gave him a pat on the shoulder.
Ghislain began to leave but, just before he walked past, he suddenly grabbed Crank by the collar and yanked him close.
"Why—why are you doing this again?" Crank whimpered.
Ghislain leaned in and whispered softly into his ear, "Stop watching us. We're leaving soon anyway."
The deadly undertone in his voice made Crank break out in a cold sweat as he nodded frantically.
Satisfied, Ghislain let go of Crank's collar and gave him another reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"You've been through a lot. Take care."
"S-safe travels," Crank stammered, barely able to form the words.
As Ghislain left the building with Claude, the latter glanced back at Crank, who was still trembling. It was the first time he had ever seen the notorious Crank so terrified.
Crank was one of the most feared thugs in the underworld, yet now, he looked like a frightened child.
Shaking his head, Claude hurried to follow Ghislain, unwilling to get tangled up in this mess any longer.
As soon as they stepped outside, the fresh air hit Claude's face, and the realization that he had been saved finally sank in.
He turned to Ghislain, bowing his head slightly.
"Thanks for saving me. But... why go to all this trouble for someone like me? I'm not exactly worth much."
Ghislain studied Claude's face carefully.
Claude's eyes were hollow and lifeless, his expression gaunt and worn. He looked like a man who had lost all will to live.
It reminded Ghislain of the first time he had met Gillian. Back then, Gillian had worn the same defeated look.
Before Ghislain could respond, Claude spoke again, this time with a tired sigh.
"Never mind. It doesn't matter why. Given the situation... can I at least buy you a drink?"