Chapter 60: Shadows of Dephel: The Silent Path

At the entrance of Dephel,

two guards were verifying the identities of those entering the city.

Although they knew that a little money would let them bypass the lack of an ID,

I didn’t need to resort to that. I simply pulled out my Academy student ID and showed it to them,

and they let me pass without any issues.

Since it was the city closest to the guild hideout, I had often relied on it.

Although I didn’t know anyone personally in this city,

there was no corner of the city, no alley, that I wasn’t familiar with.

But my goal wasn’t to explore the city; it was to head outside the city to the guild hideout.

Even though the location was hidden, it was still a place I couldn’t visit during the daytime.

So, I chose an inn nearby and booked a room.

“Go to the room in the center of the second floor. The meal is not included, so order on your own.

If you prefer, you can eat outside, but there won’t be a place as good as ours.”

“I’ll let you know if I think of anything.”

I knew the food at this inn wasn’t great, but there was no need to criticize it.

It wasn’t bad, just not great.

I took the key and headed upstairs.

Inside the small room, there was an old bed, a small table, and a clothes rack,

which were enough to make it pass for a room.

If it were during my assassin days, I would have been grateful just to have a personal room,

but after a few months at the Academy, all my expectations were dulled.

I threw my simple bag on the table and lay down on the bed,

where the characteristic smell of dust immediately filled my nose.

No, it was just the dust from the blanket.

I fanned the dust away with my hand and got up.

Instead of staying cooped up in such a shabby room for hours, I thought it’d be better to go out,

so I left the inn.

As I stepped out, I heard the innkeeper’s voice calling after me,

promising that the food was good, but I pretended not to hear and walked outside.

The streets of Dephel felt both familiar and strange.

It had only been a few months since I last saw this place,

but some stores had gone out of business, and others had expanded, becoming much bigger than before.

I stopped by a weapon shop to get my sword sharpened,

went to a bookstore to buy a novel but put it back when I saw the price,

and spent some time at a café to quench my thirst.

By the time I realized, it was already getting dark.

It was about time to head back and prepare for the real outing.

Back at the inn, the innkeeper asked if I wanted dinner.

I surrendered to his persistence, as he had already asked three times.

“I’ll have something decent within three silver coins.”

“Oh, you’re more generous than I expected, young lady. By the way, are you not going to have this?”

The innkeeper asked as he flicked his wrist.

I wasn’t at an age where I couldn’t drink, but considering I had to visit the hideout later,

I didn’t feel the need to have alcohol.

“I don’t need it.”

“Okay, just wait a moment. I’ll prepare a feast for you.”

He then handed over the counter to his wife, who was cleaning the table, and disappeared into the kitchen.

It was hard to imagine him cooking with his big frame,

but I waited patiently.

After a while, the delicious smell wafted from the kitchen, and a few dishes were placed in front of me.

I was confused as to why he said my order was generous,

but I soon realized that my sense of money had gotten a little out of whack.

At the Academy, the cheapest menu was one silver coin,

and most of the dishes I ate with my friends were around five silver coins.

In fact, even the cheapest dish at one silver coin was a decent meal for someone from a common background.

In the meantime, since I ordered a three-silver meal alone,

the innkeeper, perhaps out of consideration, focused on quality over quantity and brought the food.

But even so, it was a bit much for just one person to eat.

However, after taking a spoonful of soup, a forkful of potatoes, and a bite of meat, my mind changed.

Clearly, in my memory, this inn’s food wasn’t considered that great, but the food I was eating now could easily rival the chefs of any respectable restaurant.

“How is it? Aren’t you glad you didn’t eat outside?”

“Recently, the owner kept saying the business would fail if things stayed as they were. He spent more time in the kitchen, trying to figure out a way, and this is what he started making.”

It was a moment that reminded me how even a few months could make a big difference.

Though I knew it was better to eat just enough to keep moving,

I ended up scraping the bowl clean.

I changed into my assassin attire and left the inn.

Even though there were still guards standing at the city gates during the dark of night,

there was no problem sneaking out undetected.

I left the city and headed toward the mountains, leaving the well-maintained roads behind.

Although the grass had grown denser than before,

I had no trouble finding the guild hideout located halfway up the mountain.

In a corner of the path, hidden from view, was a small hut.

Unlike other assassins who ran businesses to conceal their identity,

our hideout looked far from impressive.

The lack of assassination contracts, combined with the absence of other side businesses,

left our finances perpetually tight.

On the outside, it resembled a small hunter’s cabin,

but inside was a surprisingly large underground room.

Considering everything was built with the blood and sweat of our assassin guild members,

it was a testament to our resilience that the hideout hadn’t collapsed yet.

I distanced myself slightly, climbed a tree, and surveyed the area.

Though there were no signs of Deretia family soldiers standing guard like before,

I remained cautious and approached the hideout carefully, maintaining my concealment.

There were no signs of life, and the bodies of the guild members who had been left to die had been cleared away,

leaving only occasional bloodstains behind.

Slowly, with the possibility of staying the night if necessary,

I searched every corner of the guild hideout.

Unless there was a secret location known only to the guild master,

I had searched everywhere I knew, but there was nothing useful to be found.

Perhaps it was because the guild was so poor, or maybe someone had already looted everything,

but money and valuables seemed to be gone.

The only thing I managed to find in the secret space was a small emblem.

This emblem, engraved with a skull design holding a gold coin in its mouth,

was worth keeping.

With this, I could truly enter Dephel.

Still, I wasn’t sure, so before leaving, I took another careful look around, hoping to find my scroll with my servant’s engraving,

but, as expected, I couldn’t find it.

In the heart of Dephel stands a building far larger and grander than any other in the area.

It’s even bigger than the mansion where Dephel’s lord resides.

Even in the dead of night, when everyone is asleep, the building shines brightly with elaborate lights.

At least, the soundproofing magic ensures that the noise doesn’t leak out into the surrounding area, which can be considered fortunate.

Inside, the most extravagant yet the most hideous space in Dephel unfolds.

A gambling hall where money no longer looks like money.

Though it has its own backstory, it is technically a legal establishment, but my goal lies not on the gambling floor above,

but below it.

To avoid detection, I pass through the maze-like corridors inside the building and reach a room at the farthest corner.

Before the small door, men, who clearly looked ready to handle some swordplay, were standing guard vigilantly.

As I approached, they immediately placed their hands on their sword handles, but when I showed them the emblem I had taken from the hideout,

they immediately lowered their hands.

They took the emblem from me, inspected it carefully, and only then did they step aside.

Without showing any grace, they didn’t open the door for me, so I opened it myself, revealing not a room, but stairs leading downward.

I had only been here once before, when I had come with the guild master.

Until then, I didn’t even know such a place existed in Dephel, nor did I know that an emblem was required to enter.

Beneath the building, beneath Dephel, there is everything.

An illegal gambling hall of a scale unimaginable compared to the one above,

an auction house where goods of dubious origin pass through,

people who are sold like toys, even less than slaves,

brothels where bodies are bought and sold for excessive amounts for just a night—

all of these things exist beneath this building.

It’s not by coincidence that our assassin guild struggled with poverty.

Given the nature of Dephel and the existence of other assassin guilds,

we weren’t the only ones operating here.

Though we didn’t engage in any foolish brawls, we were in constant competition,

and as a result, we only ever received low-level contracts.

That’s why when a request came to assassinate Celian, the entire guild staked its survival on it.

Well, that’s all in the past now.

I asked a nearby guide for directions and headed to the place I sought.

The destination was a general store.

True to its name, the store sold all sorts of things.

The owner of this place would buy anything, even illegal or dangerous items, without question, and sell anything the customer desired.

It could be a person, an item, or even information.

Following the instructions of the waiting staff, I waited briefly until my turn came, and then entered the room where transactions were made.

Except for the slightly dim lighting, the place was similar to any regular store, despite being an illegal transaction spot.

However, as I entered and saw the face of the sales staff, I froze without realizing it.

“Is something wrong, customer?”

It was the elf who had been touching my thigh in the carriage earlier.

…Wait, why is an elf here of all places?


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