Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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Chapter 65: From This Day Onwards, This Street Belongs To Me
"See you later."
"…Take care."
I casually bid farewell to Olivier and left the annex.
‘I am Peter. I am Peter…’
I hunched my shoulders, slouched like a man without muscle, and shortened my stride, moving in uneven, slightly skewed steps as if my hips were misaligned.
‘Perfect.’
It was flawless. Truly, didn’t I look unmistakably like Peter?
For someone like me, who can replicate even sword techniques, mimicking Peter’s posture and gait was as natural as breathing.
‘Skilled trackers identify people by their walk.’
That’s why paying attention to such details is crucial. Now, who would recognize me? Even the servants who’ve worked alongside Peter for years didn’t suspect a thing.
Of course, there are limits. After all, the polymorph spell only alters appearance—it doesn’t suppress mana. Someone with exceptional sensory abilities could still see through it.
‘Although I’ve heard of rare artifacts that can even hide that…’
Naturally, obtaining such items isn’t easy.
‘Not that it matters. There’s no way any of the watchers assigned to this task are high-level.’
A 6th-tier expert? That level is equivalent to a knight capable of commanding an entire battalion. It’d be absurd to assign someone like that to a trivial surveillance job.
"Ah, Sir Peter, heading out for the evening?"
A sturdy-looking guard at the castle gate held up a torch to illuminate my face, checking my identity.
‘At least they respect me enough to use honorifics, even for a servant.’
The dignity of an organization is often shown in such small details.
"Yes, I’m sorry to trouble you twice today."
"Not at all. But is something the matter tonight?"
"My mother’s feeling a bit unwell. The young master kindly gave me leave to visit her."
"Ah, I see."
The guard replied, his face softening with sympathy.
"Please, go quickly then."
"Thank you. Take care."
I gave a polite nod and stepped outside the castle.
"…"
How anticlimactic.
For Allenvert to leave the premises, he’d need approval from the head butler—such a serious process.
But leaving the castle disguised as Peter? It was this easy.
‘Walking on foot feels so much better than riding in a carriage.’
As I descended the wide, well-maintained road, the bustling city greeted me. The urban sprawl, illuminated by countless lights, came alive in the absence of the sun.
‘A city that never sleeps.’
The road to the harbor was flanked by rows of shops. The deeper into the city, the more residential areas appeared, eventually blending into the slums.
‘No pursuers.’
After looping around several blocks to confirm I wasn’t being followed, I finally headed toward my destination.
‘There it is.’
At the far end of the bustling district stood a clothing store. Judging by the mix of customers from all walks of life, it was quite a lively place—just as Peter had described.
"Welcome! Oh, Peter, it’s you?"
"Hello, ma’am!"
I greeted her with a cheerful smile.
"Oh, it’s been a while."
"Hehe, I’m here to splurge a little today."
“Oh my, what’s the occasion? Go ahead and spend freely!”
“Got it.”
It was surprising how naturally Peter had blended into this neighborhood for such a long time. I responded casually to anyone who spoke to me as if it was second nature.
‘This should do.’
I picked out clothes that wouldn’t look out of place amidst the street’s scenery.
“Oh dear, why are you buying such big clothes? They’re not for you, are they?”
“No, they’re not. It’s an errand.”
“Ah, I see.”
She didn’t ask any further questions. People around here were generally indifferent and didn’t pry into others’ business.
After purchasing the clothes, I walked further into a secluded alleyway.
‘The air’s changing bit by bit.’
The salty scent of the sea was mingled with the stench of various refuse. As I grew accustomed to the smell, I arrived at Peter’s home.
A single room tucked into the corner of a three-story building. Peter’s family lived as tenants in that small space.
For a servant of the Grunewald, the residence was shockingly dilapidated. Wasn’t this a family that once held a baronial title? Just how far did they have to fall to end up like this?
Shff.
Moving like an assassin, I silently peered into the room.
Inside, a gaunt middle-aged woman and two children—a boy and a girl who resembled Peter—were sleeping together under a single blanket.
So this is Peter’s family. I memorized their faces.
“Alright then.”
I climbed up to the building’s rooftop. With the Scarlet Cloud Ghost Path, scaling a building felt no more challenging than walking up a hill.
Once on the rooftop, I changed into the clothes I’d just bought, carefully folding Peter’s garments and tucking them away in a corner.
Then, I imbued mana into the mask, transforming myself into Karzan.
‘Perfect fit.’
The clothes, which had been oversized to the point of being cumbersome on Peter’s body, fit Karzan as though they were tailored for him.
Drip, drop.
I glanced up at the sky, feeling raindrops hit the mask. The heavy clouds obscured the moon, plunging the night into pitch-black darkness. It looked as if it would start pouring at any moment.
‘Perfect weather for some chaos.’
I looked down at my reflection in a dirty puddle of water. The faint glow of blue aura illuminated my face.
“…”
Karzan’s face stared back at me.
Young and unscarred, it was the visage of Karzan from years ago. This is the face that would once again conquer Grunewald’s underworld.
‘I never intended to live under another identity.’
Karzan had died.
And now, Karzan had returned.
Both Allenvert and Karzan—neither identity would be discarded. Right now, though, it was Karzan’s time.
That said…
After being accustomed to Allenvert’s face, returning to this one felt oddly jarring.
‘No mistaking it, I look like someone who’s lived their life crawling through the underworld.’
Seeing this damned old face again brought back memories of other faces I’d once known.
‘Are they all still out there, living their lives somewhere?’
Those who’d gone their own way.
Those who had stayed with me until the bitter end.
And…
Zamuel.
Zamuel had been my heir, the one to inherit everything from Karzan, and my most trusted second-in-command. Calm and patient, he surely must’ve held the organization together in my absence.
‘But the Dark King wouldn’t have let you be.’
Seventeen years had passed since then. Were you exiled? Attacked? Betrayed? Or did you lower your head, bow to survive, and continue on?
…I have no way of knowing now.
But as I walked through the night once more, I knew—someday, I would hear your name again.
‘Just stay alive, no matter what.’
I wouldn’t act hastily. After all, what’s the point of rushing after 17 years of delay?
Time was on my side. Even a terminal fate couldn’t kill me just yet.
“Alright then.”
My muttered voice was low and chilling. The perfect tone for a man of the underworld.
***
I walked through the slums of the city. The overcast night sky welcomed me back like a prodigal son, finally releasing a fine drizzle.
“Wow, what weather. Just perfect for chaos.”
It was gray, damp, and stifling, with rain steadily falling. Without hesitation, I ventured deeper into the alleys.
I carried no sword, but that was fine. I had the bracelet bestowed upon me by Ulbhild.
‘This is where it begins.’
I stopped in a certain alley. Instinct told me this was the threshold—the territory of the underworld’s residents.
“…”
The buildings were packed tight, the streets narrow, and the pedestrians were a motley crew.
The underworld’s back alleys stretched out before me, a foul-smelling maw waiting to swallow me whole.
I stepped into this nocturnal cave, muddying my feet in filth and mud as I went.
‘So many broken lives here. What a mess, honestly.’
I passed drunks, addicts, a man urinating on the street, others missing limbs, women standing exhausted with cigarettes dangling from their lips, cocky kids, and old men who might have once ruled these streets but now were nothing more than shabby shadows of their past.
“…”
Hollow eyes briefly glanced at me before quickly looking away.
Though I hadn’t walked these alleys in 17 years, they didn’t question my presence, as if accepting me as one of their own.
And to me, these strangers felt oddly familiar too.
After all, back alley residents always seemed to look the same.
‘It’s nothing new, but still…’
There was virtually no concept of law and order in this alley.
Even the guards who patrolled with torches didn’t bother venturing into these parts. It was as though an unspoken agreement existed—a separate border of the night.
“What a bunch of assholes.”
I strolled casually between the vagrants who glared at me with hostile eyes.
“What are you looking at? You fucking miserable failures.”
One of them, visibly irritated, began fumbling with something inside his coat. Likely a dagger.
‘Look at these assholes, they want to stab a person in water just because they've been cursed?’
I smirked and lowered my voice, letting it drip with menace.
“Pull that out, and you’ll die.”
“!”
I could feel the guy flinch.
Curious how I knew? It was thanks to my heightened senses, honed through years of training. I could sense a spider descending on a web, so how could I not notice such a crude attempt?
One of his companions reached out and stopped him, pulling him back. I watched the scene unfold and spoke again.
“At least you’ve got some sense. You just saved your buddy’s life.”
“...!”
They hesitated, the tension in the air palpable.
“If you don’t want to be eating gruel for the rest of your lives, get out of my way. Now.”
The moment I finished speaking, the vagrants scattered like the tide retreating from the shore.
“Well, good. Don’t block the road. Now get lost, far away.”
I chuckled as I watched them flee, their makeshift barricade dissolving into nothing.
I’m not here to save anyone who gets caught up in this mess and ends up dead. That’s not my responsibility.
‘This is the time to stay sharp.’
Even as I walked, I expanded my senses, prepared for any ambushes that might come. This was all part of my training.
‘They say that once this technique is mastered, not even a stray arrow on the battlefield will hit you, huh?’
It was a claim worth believing. Truly, it was a martial art to take pride in. Ulbhild was a remarkable teacher, and I was a student who made teaching rewarding.
“Hey, whose turf is this anyway?”
I called out to the desolate alley around me.
“You there. Know anything?”
“!”
A vagrant caught in my gaze swallowed nervously.
“…”
“Oh? Keeping secrets, are you?”
I smirked.
“Loyalty, huh? Or maybe you’re just scared of what’ll happen if you talk? Seems like the so-called boss of this area is a real big shot. A pathetic little prick, but with some presence, I’ll admit.”
The group of vagrants stirred uneasily at my taunts. Ah, the thrill of spouting nonsense—it was oddly liberating.
“You, who the fuck are you to say that.......”
“Don’t ask. Is your curiosity worth more than your life?”
“!”
Karzan’s rough, menacing face, combined with his sharp, murderous gaze and low, gravelly voice was enough to intimidate even the hardened criminals of the underworld.
‘A filthy-looking local thug with a nasty face leaves a stronger first impression than some mysterious master.’
Regardless, I didn’t press the vagrant for an answer.
Rumors spread fast in the dark. Soon enough, word of a rough-looking man spouting threats about taking over the area would reach the right ears.
‘Whether those ears belong to someone with a spider tattoo or not doesn’t matter.’
I’d meet them eventually—sooner or later, all roads would lead to them.
For now, there was something more pressing.
Snnnnff.
I inhaled deeply, taking in the damp, foul stench of the back alleys. The smell I had longed for stung my nostrils.
“Ah, this sticky, stifling, filthy air.”
The air of the slums, the air of the underworld. It finally felt real.
“I’m back.”
Karzan, the mad dog who once roamed the nights of Flanders, had returned to the darkness of Grunewald.
“I’m back, you bastards.”
I laughed like a lunatic.
“From this day onwards, this street belongs to me.”
That wasn’t the kind of declaration anyone could just brush off. Bloodlust-filled gazes shot toward me from all directions, sharp as blades.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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