"Once the slums in the southern region are settled, I will put in a word to see that you get a branch head's seat."
"Th-thank you!"
Ospon gave a faint chuckle and waved his hand.
"After we secure the south, let us take control of the central region and bring the criminal organizations in the east, west, and north to heel."
An opportunity to rule the darkness of the Rabadian Empire had arrived.
'If we absorb the criminal organizations in the south and advance into the central region......'
They could bring down even the largest organizations in the empire.
"Now, then...... let us see how long Chaos can hold out."
Ospon drank the red wine in his glass and grinned.
While Skull took its time, Despel moved its forces toward Albarid faster than anyone else.
Chaos's leader, Blood, was reportedly away from Albarid at present.
If they attacked the city, he would come to them on his own.
"Despel will rule Albarid's slums!"
"There's no way Phyllis truly betrayed us. She must have judged that she couldn't defeat Blood and waited for her chance!"
"An organization the size of Chaos can't bring down Despel! Even a child knows that! Phyllis must be waiting for us!"
"Let's go!"
And so Despel's branch heads marched toward Albarid with their hopes running high.
Many other criminal organizations followed, roused to anger against Chaos.
With their bases in Albarid destroyed, the distribution of illegal tobacco and slaves, their largest sources of income, had been disrupted.
"We have to kill those bastards and take Albarid back!"
"We have to be the first to claim Albarid's slums!"
"Kill every one of those Chaos bastards!"
"Hyah!"
The criminals galloped toward Albarid.
Phyllis grinned at the news of the criminals gathering there.
"It seems they have begun to move."
"......That was quick."
"It shows how desperate they are."
"So how large are their forces?"
"Skull has not moved yet, but...... the other large criminal organizations in the southern region appear to be converging on Albarid. There are around 300 fighters at branch head or officer level, and the remaining thousand are members skilled in combat."
Chaos had the advantage in numbers.
Most members of its Albarid branch, however, were low-ranking thugs.
The difference in quality was vast.
Even mid-level to top-level Experts had been mobilized.
In a head-on clash, Chaos would certainly fall.
"Fortunately, they have not formed an alliance."
If they did, they could bring down an ordinary lesser noble house in an instant.
"Well, it wouldn't matter if they formed an alliance......"
No, an alliance might even let him eliminate his enemies more efficiently.
He could take them all down at once.
"Keep watching their movements. Report to me when they enter the city."
"Understood."
Three days passed after Phyllis gave Astan her report.
Small and midsized criminal organizations began arriving in Albarid one after another.
Then Despel's officers entered the city.
Barban, a swordsman of Despel and a top-level Expert, led his subordinates boldly into Chaos's territory.
"Th-this is insane......"
"B-Barban......"
Those who had once belonged to Despel recognized his face and backed away.
"Fuck, what are you all doing? The enemy's coming!"
"Stop them now!"
"Don't talk bullshit! Barban is a monster with a bounty of 300 million wid on his head!"
Chaos's members were startled to hear the size of Barban's bounty.
What on earth had he done to earn a bounty of 300 million?
"Even Phyllis can't act rashly in front of Barban!"
"A-and the boss has left Albarid, hasn't he?!"
"L-let's fall back for now! This isn't something we can handle ourselves!"
The Chaos members hurried away, terror on their faces.
Despel's officers gave faint chuckles at the sight.
"It seems they were waiting for our visit."
"Looks to me like they got scared and ran."
"Either way, there will be no needless clash."
Barban smiled and nodded at their words.
"We will attack the other organizations with Phyllis."
Barban and his party stopped in front of Chaos's branch.
It was not the building where Astan was staying, but Skull's former branch building, which Liger had used.
The Chaos guards at the branch glanced around, trying to read the situation.
The street had filled with Chaos members before they knew it.
Should they fight here and now?
'The man has a bounty of 300 million wid. If he wants to, he could kill every criminal on this street......'
Just as one guard swallowed hard......
CLICK-
The front door opened, and a purple-haired woman appeared.
It was Phyllis, the head of Chaos's Albarid branch.
Like Barban, she was known as a master swordswoman and a top-level Expert.
"It has been a while, Barban."
He smiled and nodded at her greeting.
"It has."
"Did you bring all the officers and branch heads from the other branches?"
"Yes. The boss ordered it. But first, I would like to hear what happened here......"
"Come in."
The Chaos members could not hide their confusion when Phyllis readily welcomed Barban and his party.
'D-does she mean to betray us? Was that her plan all along?'
'Despel is better than a newly formed organization, but......'
'What on earth...... is going on?'
'Can we afford to make an enemy of that "monster" who killed even Liger in an instant......?'
'If Phyllis and Barban...... and the other branch heads join forces......'
They might be able to kill that monster.
'If I distinguish myself here, I might become a Despel officer.'
The Chaos members looked around and gripped their weapons tightly.
An opportunity to rise through the ranks had come.
Chaos's future was uncertain to begin with.
Who knew if it could survive a clash with the large organizations?
For now, their best course was to side with another large organization and distinguish themselves.
"The other organizations may attack! Everyone, keep watch around us!"
The members gathered at the branch scattered in all directions.
Meanwhile, Phyllis brought Barban into her office and explained the situation.
The massacre in Albarid's slums.
Chaos's main forces and the abilities of its boss, Blood.
"......So he was a Swordmaster after all."
"I estimate he is a lowest-level Swordmaster. He crushed Liger, a top-level Expert, in an instant."
"Hmm......"
"I have no wish to clash with Despel. I have no reason to swear loyalty to a new organization like Chaos, either. Oh, and I hear Blood is headed to Vuren. I have not told him what is happening in Albarid......"
"So he will not come to Albarid."
"Even if he does, from Vuren to Albarid it would take...... five days...... No, at the very fastest, about four days, would it not?"
Barban folded his arms and nodded.
"Oh, and Blood is a Swordmaster as well as a magic swordsman who uses third-circle Magic."
"......"
He had already heard that Blood was a magic swordsman.
But a magic swordsman who wielded the Sword Aura of a lowest-level Swordmaster and third-circle Magic......
Even in the empire, a man like that would probably be hard to find.
Why had such a monster appeared in the slums?
"His name and bounty......"
"He seemed to be using an alias. I checked the posters for criminals with high bounties...... but none of their faces or builds matched his."
"Then he may be a criminal who came from another country."
"I am obtaining wanted posters from the neighboring kingdoms to investigate that possibility."
"Good."
Barban did not greatly suspect Phyllis.
She was not foolish enough to betray Despel.
Even if she had betrayed it, joining Chaos would have been a foolish move.
Skull, perhaps, would have made sense.
'But she has no reason to leave Despel for Skull, either......'
For now, he had to focus on defending Albarid's slums with Phyllis.
"Pull our forces back as far as possible. For now, we must steer the other organizations into clashing with one another."
"Blood is no fool. If he returns to Albarid before the other organizations are dealt with......"
"I intend to request reinforcements. We cannot attack the other organizations with the forces we have now."
Numerous criminal organizations had gathered in Albarid.
If they fought them all head-on, Despel's forces would face destruction too.
"Skull has also summoned its officers. It will watch Albarid and move when it sees an opportunity."
"We are surrounded on all sides."
"For now, we must hope Blood does not hear what is happening in Albarid and wait for reinforcements."
Phyllis sighed softly at his words.
"I understand. I will cede parts of the slums to the other organizations and try to draw them into fighting one another."
"Good."
"Oh, have you arranged somewhere to stay? There is a building we used as a branch before. Perhaps you could stay there......"
Barban nodded at her offer.
"I should be going."
As Barban rose, Phyllis saw him out and assigned someone to guide him.
The Chaos members frowned slightly at the sight.
Their branch head was seeing Despel's party off with a bright smile.
'Betrayal...... No, perhaps it is not betrayal?'
Phyllis had belonged to Despel in the first place.
The members did not feel much resistance to joining Despel.
In fact, they thought it might be better than Chaos.
'Every criminal in the southern region of the empire knows Despel.'
'Compared with that, Chaos...... there are still plenty who have never heard of it.'
The members appeared to accept Phyllis's behavior.
"Does this mean we're Despel members now?"
"Well, we just go with the flow...... Let's follow the branch head's orders."
"True."
"Honestly, even Blood might have trouble against Despel's highest officers."
Among those accompanying Barban was Bis, one of Despel's highest officers.
Including Phyllis, they had three swordsmen who were top-level Experts.
They also had five swordsmen who were high-level Experts and many more who were mid-level Experts.
Even a Swordmaster could not count on an easy victory.
"Whew. Let's get to our posts for now. It could be dangerous if the other organizations move."
"Yeah, we can keep talking there."
The members moved to their assigned positions to watch for the other organizations.
Phyllis climbed the stairs to her office, giggled to herself, and picked up a communication orb.