Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“I’d prefer if we could do without the pointless chatter.”

“Oh, did that make you uncomfortable? My apologies, I didn’t mean to. I had somewhat guessed that there was a user mixed in with Bluebeard’s crew… but meeting in person like this, I got a bit too excited.”

Lark offered a kind-hearted smile.

The person standing opposite him had their face covered with a thick mask. Seeing no particular reaction from the masked man, Lark once again broke the silence.

“The fact that you approached us so quickly after finding out we were on your trail… well, it naturally suggests that you have quite a lot of connections in the royal palace.”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Huh, seriously. You’re being so tight-lipped without even proper introductions. But since you contacted me directly and even arranged this meeting place… it seems like you might have something to say to me.”

Lark tapped the hilt of his sword lightly as he spoke.

Apart from the fact that he was in New Continent, he couldn’t pinpoint his exact location.

He had quickly tested the teleportation scroll and the crystal ball, neither of which activated, leading him to conclude that quite a bit of effort had been put into this.

“Getting information from Espion and moving on to the palace, and not even a day after beginning to trip up, the fact you reached out means the intelligence network of the force that has the paleo tribe all marked on a map for the palace is that much faster.”

It’s not just about the speed of information. To think they would call me out like this…

Lark closely observed the masked man.

The dim lighting made it impossible to see the other’s eyes.

‘I wonder if they’ve gauged my personality too?’

To not simply snuff me out but summon me to a special location where teleportation or location saving is disabled, what could be the reason?

Especially since Lark himself was no ordinary user.

Lark gripped the hilt of his sword, smiling slyly.

“So, what is it that you want me to do? From the standpoint of Minis’s capital defense knights, to ‘collude with the demon king’s army’ and you—hmm, there seem to be about five or so others around. So, should I take the heads of all six of you back to the royal palace?”

A knight of the kingdom!

He must absolutely obey the commands of the royal palace, and especially in the New Continent, he must follow the directives of the Ezron Papacy, the antithesis of Marat.

Considering he had been called forth, the man in front of him not only had various information networks but also a considerably remarkable ability to read and judge people quickly.

“If that was my intention, I wouldn’t have come in the first place.”

“Why? You think it’s as easy as memorizing your faces and names before putting up a wanted notice through Minis?”

“If you think it’s possible, feel free to try.”

“Oh, oh! So, you’re already prepared? You’re confident enough to stop me from doing that, then? Even against the [Virtue Knights]?”

Lark looked genuinely intrigued.

In reality, if Lark followed through with his mentioned approach, it might be impossible for them to continue playing unhindered in Middle Earth.

However, the other party exuded confidence, a certainty in their ability to ‘block it’.

“If you have hands that can reach into the wanted postings, you’ve bribed people in the palace strong enough to influence, or are you a part of some powerful group? Or perhaps fools?”

Was the other party lying or not?

“Let’s end this meaningless standoff. I’m not completely intent on dragging you into this.”

And then? The name is…

“It seems we’ve got an issue with a witch coming in—”

Interrupted midway, “Please call the person in charge, not you… It seems there’s someone behind this.”

Lark did not miss even the slightest slip of the tongue. The word ‘we’ is something a person in charge should never utter because they are supposed to make decisions and judgments alone. Hence, saying ‘we’ implies there is someone above even him.

The man hastily tried to feign ignorance with a puzzled look, but Lark was not one to be fooled so easily. How many seconds of silence passed?

“Hmm, still not showing yourself, huh? Okay, I get it. If there’s no trust between us, things can’t proceed. I’ll be off then—”

Click, clack, click, clack.

As Lark turned to leave, the sounds of footsteps echoed through the room.

“Oh ho ho… Impatient, aren’t we, Sasuke-ssi? You may leave now.”

Chiyou whispered a firm warning to Sasuke, then finally stepped in front of Lark, the commander of the [Virtue Knights] in the New Continent. Revealing herself was not something Chiyou had hoped for, as it could potentially put her at risk. However, realizing that Lark was more perceptive than she had anticipated, Chiyou could no longer keep herself hidden.

“A lady, huh?”

“I’m Chiyou. This is our first face-to-face meeting.”

With just these few words, including revealing her name from the start, Lark deduced that Chiyou was a higher-up compared to Sasuke.

“Ranker Chiyou. So, you were here? A ranker siding with the Demon King’s Army… And of all places, a ranker from Minis.”

Lark had to continuously force a smile to hide his dismay. He had suspected that there was someone behind Sasuke, but never could he have guessed it would be Chiyou, a ranker within the top 10 from Minis.

“Our request is simple. Please interfere with Master Kay’s hunting.”

Chiyou emphasized the word ‘our’ while smiling deliberately.

However, Lark was not deceived. Unlike Sasuke’s natural mistake, it was clear that Chiyou was intentionally trying to confuse him.

“Master Kay… As I’ve said before—”

“You can’t wield my sword against users.”

Chiyou interrupted Lark smoothly, “I know, Lark. After all, I did not ask you to kill Master Kay. But there have been many paleos gathering near their hunting grounds lately…”

“So, you mean to use them? Well, since I’m in a situation where I can’t attack paleos… Having them chased away ‘naturally’ could work. If those fleeing happen to run towards Master Kay’s people, it wouldn’t be a big issue.”

With just a few words from Chiyou, Lark crafted a plan. A tiny hint from Chiyou and Lark’s quick wit found the solution instantly.

Their eyes met in the air, entwining. Even though Lark had spoken the ‘correct answer,’ Chiyou’s reaction was hard to read, prompting Lark to speak again.

“It seems like a simple task. Why bother with something like this? Got a grudge against Master Kay?”

Lark was quick-witted, but Chiyou was equally fast.

“It’d be a pleasant outcome for the users, but personally, I want to prevent him from achieving his second class advancement. Especially since it’s related to the Papacy… Just thinking about it scares me.”

Chiyou let out a sig of amusement, causing Lark’s usually composed expression to harden for a moment. Second class advancement! Chiyou casually leaked the information she had acquired, stirring Lark’s competitive spirit.

“What do you gain if I jump into action?”

“Well, since I’m already siding with the Demon King, I’d naturally cheer a little harder for his victory, right?”

“And what do I gain? Whether Master Kay advances or not is actually none of my concern.”

Until a moment ago, Lark had been blazing with rivalry spirit, but now he wore a serene expression. Someone else might have pointed out Lark’s abrupt change in demeanor, but Chiyou did not. She understood the meaning behind Lark’s actions.

“Of course, that alone might not justify the means. But what if I offered you information on paleo locations and the geography of the Central New Continent?”

“Not bad. Not bad, but if I were to interfere with Byulcho, I’d have to risk my life. It’s going to be a terribly difficult task. But that… seems a bit small, doesn’t it?”

Receiving terrain information and paleo-related intel from Chiyou could save the Virtuous Knight Order a tremendous amount of time.

Most importantly, if they could get a hold of the characteristics of the paleos in advance? For Lark, devising a strategy to subdue them would be as easy as pie.

“After all, it would only take three or four days for the paleos to start wreaking havoc. Is it just about causing interference to Byulcho in the meantime?”

Lark was cutting straight to the heart of the matter. Considering the hassle of enduring three to four days, the information from Chiyou would certainly be a profitable deal for him.

Yet, he was playing hardball.

“Is that information not enough for you?”

“Well, it’s our first meeting, isn’t it? I was hoping Chiyou-ssi might kindly offer a bit more~.”

“Alright. In that case, let me provide you with a special bonus service.”

Chiyou raised her palm in a gesture of defeat. Even seeing this, Lark did not let his joy show.

As the corners of Chiyou’s eyes curved into crescent moons, she whispered in a very soft voice, “In addition to those things… How about a few interesting facts related to your sword?”

“What!?”

Lark’s expression hardened.

Chiyou laughed as she watched Lark gripping the handle of his sword reflexively.

“Oh, do I see a hint of red? No, that’s impossible. Oh, Chiyou-ssi, you exaggerate too much. Do you even know what my sword is? And as for the information, rumors, or facts about my sword that I use… You think I haven’t looked into it? I am, after all, a member of the Virtuous Knight Order.”

Lark’s reiteration of his affiliation carried much significance.

Of course, Chiyou understood this.

“Obviously, I know. Being a member of the Virtuous Knight Order, you must have connections with the royal family to some extent, and you probably did a considerable amount of investigation. But it’s true that there are secrets you haven’t unearthed, isn’t it?”

“And you know these secrets that I don’t?”

“Believing is at Lark-ssi’s discretion.”

Chiyou covered her mouth and smiled. Seeing her eyes curl like crescents, Lark swallowed dryly for the first time since his arrival. He had to acknowledge that the upper hand he had been holding onto all this time had passed to the other party.

“However… Trying to fish without bait seems a bit malicious.”

“If there are fish that bite without bait, why bother?”

Chiyou laughed again. Lark had to decide. Was this woman telling the truth, or was she lying to use him? The intense battle to read each other’s minds was sparking, but on the surface, they merely appeared as a laughing man and woman.

And the leader of the Shinobi-Gumi knew how to read people’s eyes accurately. She knew exactly what Lark was thinking at this moment.

“There are known to be seven, but not seven… Something that is both color and light… No, something that is both color and light, wasn’t it?”

Hearing Chiyou’s words, Lark closed his eyes.

He couldn’t afford to show his surprise.

“Okay. I understand. For now, let’s go with what Chiyou-ssi suggested.”

“Hmph. It won’t just end with ‘for now’. The second step, third step, and forth – you’ll have to do it all with me.”

“That depends on how much we can trust each other, doesn’t it?”

“Agreed.”

Chiyou extended her hand. Lark took it.

Moments later, Lark received various location information and coordinates.