How to Survive as a Mage Inside a Game-Chapter 33: Information Guild (2)

So, yeah, it was a mutiny after all.

‘Of course things went to shit again.’

Karl frowned, trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do now.

He needed these people to get information. This situation was just pissing him off.

It was like walking into a restaurant, starving, about to order food—and suddenly a robber storms in and sticks a gun in the owner’s face.

“Uncle Tomk... why you?”

The silence broke as the woman spoke.

Her voice trembled, barely holding together, a mix of shock and disbelief.

And how could it not?

She’d never even imagined that the man would betray her.

Tomk had been her mentor, guiding and advising her from the very beginning.

He’d come down with her from headquarters when she was first assigned to this branch, a loyal aide to her father.

Even now, with a comrade dead and a sword at her throat, she couldn’t bring herself to believe it.

Thud, thud, thud...

More footsteps echoed from the passage.

A hulking bald man entered.

He was holding an axe, dripping fresh blood as if he’d just hacked someone—or several someones—apart.

“This the last one in here?”

The giant whistled casually, glancing around the room.

A faint, metallic scent of blood drifted in from beyond the door, along with distant, muffled movement.

The woman realized the situation was much worse than she thought.

This wasn’t just Tomk and a few rogue guild members.

“...Blood Skull?”

She instinctively recognized the giant for what he was.

His eyes widened in surprise.

“What the—how’d you know? Did you tell her already?”

Tomk shook his head.

“You killed all our agents last time. I mentioned your group when I sent in the report.”

“What? Are you nuts? What if you’d blown the whole thing?”

“I did it so it wouldn’t blow up. That way, we could follow the protocol and recall all the external agents.”

“Ohh, I see. You were planning to lure them all back here in one shot, huh? Guess I misjudged you. Forget I called you crazy.”

The giant chuckled and clapped Tomk on the shoulder.

Watching them, the woman finally understood everything.

Tomk, the Deputy Branch Manager, had betrayed the guild.

And he’d done it by joining forces with Blood Skull.

“...No. No way.”

Her voice was almost a whisper, half-lost in a daze.

“There’s something I don’t know, right? There has to be. There’s no way you’d betray us, right?”

“Branch Manager—no, Scarlett.”

Tomk cut her off.

“How many times have I told you? Use your head. Keep both your heart and mind cold. Always leave emotion out and follow reason.”

“......”

“Deputy Branch Manager Tomk betrayed Herlando and sided with Blood Skull. That’s the truth. No denying it. Is it really that hard for you to believe I turned on you?”

She stayed quiet for a moment, then asked in a colder voice.

“Why? What reason could you have to betray the guild? You, of all people—you’ve given everything for it.”

“Reason? A reason, huh...”

Tomk paused, then asked.

“I’m more curious. Why do you assume I wouldn’t have a reason?”

“......”

“I’ve been loyal, sacrificed so much. Half a lifetime of service, and what do I have to show for it? This. Stuck in this branch, playing second fiddle to some brat, still just a deputy.”

He shook his head, looking disgusted.

“In the end, this line of work’s the same as any other. No background? Then no matter how hard you work, you’ll never move up. To your father, I was just a tool—one that followed orders.”

“......”

“Being the reliable guy, trusted by the higher-ups, respected by the underlings—I’m sick of that too. So I turned. Right when I was hitting my limit, they reached out first. No reason to say no.”

She glared at him.

“All the undercover agents in the city—you killed them all?”

“Of course.”

“...And the ones in this branch?”

“Oh, I haven’t killed these ones yet.”

The giant cut in.

“From what I hear, you’re the branch manager, yeah? This traitor said you’re real fond of your people. Figured they’d be useful.”

Whoosh!

The giant’s body blurred.

When he reappeared, he had both combatants behind Karl by the neck. The speed was unreal, totally at odds with his size.

Crash!

They hit the ground hard, not even able to resist.

With hands like iron plates, he pressed their heads into the floor. Pained screams followed.

He looked over at Scarlett.

“You know, right? That fat bastard Duckle had you dig up dirt on him. You wouldn’t keep that written down anywhere, so it’s all nice and safe in that pretty little head of yours.”

“......”

“So start talking. Unless you want to watch your boys get their arms ripped off and guts pulled out—one by one. Not just these two. Every one of your people we caught outside? I’ll kill them the same way, right in front of you.”

Her eyes shook.

Talk or die. Brutally, painfully.

It was basic, primal blackmail, but it worked—on her, at least.

“...You’re going to kill us all anyway, whether I talk or not. Why would I give you anything?”

“That’s your choice. Oh, and didn’t you say you were some bigwig’s relative back at HQ?”

Tomk nodded.

The giant grinned.

“Even better. You’ll be handy. We’ll keep you alive and take you with us.”

Scarlett felt despair wash over her.

There was no way out.

She couldn’t move. Her people were all captured. And that giant, a member of Blood Skull—he was insanely strong.

Whether she gave them the info or not, everyone was going to die. The Ormantis branch of Herlando was finished.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Not gonna talk? Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be. I don’t feel like torturing these guys one by one. I’d rather wrap this shit up quick and go get drunk.”

“......”

“Oh, and don’t get it twisted just because you think you’re the only one who knows the info. That doesn’t put you in a better position. We’re just choosing the easier way, is all. You know how it works. Give us time, and we’ll dig it out one way or another. Clamming up here? Won’t mean shit. Heh.”

He wasn’t wrong.

The giant was with Blood Skull, a continent-wide crime syndicate.

With enough time and manpower, there was nothing they couldn’t uncover. She’d just stumbled onto the info by pure chance during the investigation.

Crunch.

The giant’s grip tightened.

The cracking sounds from the two heads in his hands sounded dangerously close to bursting.

Scarlett’s breathing grew more and more erratic as she watched, unable to decide, her mind spiraling—

“Let’s make a deal.”

The flat, almost bored voice cut through the tension, drawing every eye in the room.

It was the one person they’d all temporarily forgotten about.

[Lv.50]

[Blood Skull Task Force Captain]

Karl stared at the giant, then turned his gaze to Scarlett.

“Let’s make a deal. I think I can settle this situation right now.”

Had he gone insane?

That’s the look everyone gave him. But Karl? Completely sane.

In fact, he was thinking this situation had actually worked out in his favor.

‘If I help her, I can ask Herlando for maximum support. And if she’s related to someone high up at HQ... I might even get their main forces involved.’

Then the giant spoke up.

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

“Wait, who the hell is this guy? One of yours?”

Tomk answered.

“No. He’s an outsider. Came to place a request with the guild.”

“Ah, a customer, huh? But what, is he stupid? Doesn’t seem like he’s getting what’s going on.”

Letting go of the two combatants, the giant walked up to Karl.

“You’re gonna fix this, huh?”

“......”

“I’m about to bash your skull in, and if you wanna live, you better start by fixing that.”

Whoosh!!

With a sound like tearing air, the giant’s fist came down at Karl.

But instead of smashing his head, it slammed into a translucent blue barrier that had appeared in front of him.

The giant’s eyes went wide. The others watching weren’t any different.

Karl didn’t even glance at him. He kept his eyes on Scarlett as he continued.

“If I deal with this, all I want is for you to do one thing for me—help me find the person I asked about. Do that, to the best of your ability.”

“......”

“Well? Do we have a deal?”

Scarlett blinked, snapping out of her daze.

Come to think of it, she didn’t even know who this man was.

Some guy showing up out of nowhere, using a decommissioned passphrase from years ago.

Why was he offering this? Could he really handle it?

But she wasn’t in a position to be picky.

“Y-yes.”

Her quick answer earned a satisfied nod from Karl.

And immediately, the spell he’d prepared flew straight at Tomk, who still had his sword at her neck.

“...Kugh!”

Tomk’s shoulder exploded, and he crumpled to the ground.

“You bastard! Don’t fuck with me!”

BOOM!!

The giant, already swinging his axe again, slammed it into Karl’s shield.

But even the axe, glowing with powerful aura, couldn’t put a crack in it.

Level 50.

Just reaching the level of a high-ranking knight wasn’t even close to enough to take Karl on.

“At this rate, you’ll need to swing that axe, what, a thousand times before you get my skull? Might want to get started.”

Crack!!

Dodging the next lightning bolt by a hair, the giant lunged at Karl again from the side.

Surprisingly agile for his size, speed seemed to be his main strength.

But no matter how fast he was, he wasn’t faster than Karl’s spells.

Splat!

A fountain of blood. His axe-wielding arm was severed in an instant.

And yet, unbelievably, the giant didn’t stop. He kept charging.

But another spell came right after, slicing through his ankles. He crashed to the ground.

“Graaah...!!”

Karl stood slowly and approached.

The giant thrashed in agony, eyes locked on Karl with murderous rage.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll fucking kill you, you son of a bitch...!!”

Karl chuckled.

“At least you’re not dying too pathetically. Most of your kind would be screaming about your organization by now.”

Crackling!!

With a flash of blue light, the giant’s body charred black. Dead on the spot.

Karl shifted his gaze.

Scarlett now stood over Tomk, her sword pointed at his throat.

She stared blankly between Karl and the smoldering corpse, still half out of it.

Karl activated a detection spell.

Multiple presences throughout the branch.

Blood Skull members—reinforcements from the giant’s crew.

Karl had agreed to fix this, so he might as well clean up properly.

“Keep your promise.”

She nodded, dazed.

Karl walked past her and into the corridor.