Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation

Chapter 20. I’m younger. (2)

“How did you know?”

“Well? How did I know?”

“…….”

“Why don’t you guess. You guys are good with information, aren’t you?”

At Patrick’s sarcastic words, the moment his eyebrows twitched….

“Draw it and you die.”

Patrick’s one sentence made his body flinch.

His hand, which had been about to reach for the poisoned dagger under his skirt, stopped as it was.

Seeing that, Patrick said.

“Kuuuh…. yes, this is it.”

“…….”

Looking at the opponent who was frozen solid with killing intent, Patrick said with a relaxed smile.

“As expected, a high-class threat like this only works on someone who knows what’s what. Isn’t that right?”

“…You monster.”

The red-haired waitress.

No, the man disguised as a waitress, ground his teeth.

The moment Patrick said he would die, he felt his heart stop.

As someone with skills equivalent to a 3-star knight, he could tell.

He was already dead.

The moment he revealed a faint killing intent, a ferocious one, with no intention of hiding it, pounced on him, bit him, and tore him to shreds.

In his head, the image of his entire body being torn into dozens of pieces was drawn in too much detail.

A novice wouldn’t know.

He had already died once, and at this moment, it was no different from being dead.

The moment that little brat decides to, he will die.

Resistance, counterattack, escape.

All were useless.

If that little brat wanted to kill him, he would die.

To him, whose back was damp with cold sweat, Patrick said.

“I think we’re in a mood to talk now, don’t you? What do you think?”

“…….”

“What? A little more?”

The killing intent emanating from Patrick grew even thicker.

In a state where it was hard to even breathe, the red-haired man managed to squeeze out his words.

“I’ll pass….”

“Good. Then sit.”

It was time for a conversation.

After sitting down facing each other, Patrick spoke first.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Patrick Schneider.”

“Hoooh….”

“From the Baron Schneider family. Came to this city to sell monster materials, and after putting them up for auction, you made a record-breaking sale.”

‘Pass.’

Despite his information being completely exposed, Patrick was not displeased at all.

He hadn’t particularly hidden his tracks after entering this city and had moved openly to attract attention.

But to miss his tracks like that?

If they were such absent-minded fools, Patrick wouldn’t need them either.

“You know well. So? Your name?”

“Red.”

“That’s not your real name, is it? What’s your real name?”

Red was probably an external title used in the thieves’ guild.

Patrick, who had judged so and asked for his real name, spoke in a dumbfounded manner after seeing his opponent stealthily turn his head.

“Don’t tell me that’s your real name?”

“I’m told they named me that because my hair is red.”

“Aren’t they naming their child too carelessly?”

“Rather than that, why don’t you state your business for coming to see me.”

At Red’s irritable reaction, Patrick shrugged and said.

“Well, it’s nothing much. As you know, our Schneider fiefdom is in such a remote backwater that it’s a bit difficult to grasp the state of the world.”

“So?”

“I want to establish a connection with a decent information organization. That’s it. How about it?”

At Patrick’s words, Red said with a sly smile.

“What benefit is there for us in establishing a connection with such a backwater and providing information?”

“There are two benefits.”

Patrick answered without a moment’s hesitation.

Red made an interested expression and said.

“Tell me. I’ll at least listen.”

“First, what do you think of me?”

Patrick spread his arms and presented himself.

Red stared at Patrick for a moment and then said.

“…A monster.”

“I was hoping for a more pleasant expression like ‘genius’.”

“The expression ‘genius’ is not enough. You are a monster.”

Red usually thought of himself as a genius.

While being educated as the heir to the thieves’ guild, he realized the need for martial power and, as a result of diligent training, had already reached the 3-star realm in his mid-twenties.

A realm that ordinary knights would only reach in their thirties or forties, assuming they trained diligently.

So, a genius was someone like himself.

But Patrick….

‘I can’t even guess what star he is.’

Just by looking at how he overwhelmed him with just his presence, it was clear that he was unfathomably strong.

And that, at an age where he looked no different from a child on the outside.

‘Genius, my ass….’

If you called that a genius, then what were the people who were considered geniuses until now? Vermin?

It was better to just elevate that thing to the status of a monster.

Patrick nodded as if he roughly knew what he was thinking and said.

“In life, you see. Sometimes a dragon rises from a humble stream and shakes the world.”

“That’s not a common occurrence.”

“It’s not something that never happens either, is it?”

“…….”

That was true.

Sometimes there are such people.

People who are truly equipped with out-of-spec talent and ability and shake the world.

Whether their path chose good or evil, they always left a great mark on the world.

“As an information organization, wouldn’t it be advantageous in many ways later on if you discover such an existence earlier than others and establish a connection?”

“That’s true.”

It was a plausible argument.

In Red’s eyes, Patrick was a person who would make his mark on the world someday.

If so, establishing a connection with him from now on would definitely be useful in some way.

“You said there were two benefits, right? What’s the second one?”

“Ah, the second one is simple. If the first condition is a proposal looking at the future, the second one is something that will benefit you right now.”

“That sounds tempting. Tell me.”

“If you take my hand here….”

Patrick said with a very bright smile.

“I won’t kill you.”

“…….”

“It’s true. Really. I’m serious.”

In other words…,

‘He’s saying he’ll kill me if I don’t take his hand now.’

From the very beginning, Red had no choice.

The former master of the thieves’ guild.

That is, Red’s father, one day told him.

[Son. In our line of work, there are times when things are dirty and cheap, but you have no choice. The so-called case where you have to eat mustard while crying.]

[What should I do then?]

[What can you do? Eat it. Don’t eat it while crying, eat everything they give you with a bright smile.]

[…What kind of lesson is that.]

[Instead!]

[…….]

[Always demand a price from the other party as well. A price that makes them feel, ‘Since I ate all the mustard you gave me, you can at least do this much for me, right?’]

[So you’re saying I shouldn’t just die, even when I’m dying.]

[Right. That’s the way of life for back-alley people like us.]

Recalling the teachings he received from his father in his lifetime, Red said with a bright smile.

“I understand. I will join hands with you, Young Master.”

Even his tone of voice had changed.

Seeing his opponent, who had made a decision faster than expected, Patrick smiled.

“Hoooh, good decisiveness.”

“You said I’d die if I didn’t, so what choice did I have?”

“Hahaha. That’s true.”

Are you laughing? You devil bastard?

Those words rose up to his throat, but he managed to swallow them.

Instead, Red was planning to demand his share.

“But I have one favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

“Yes. It’s something you must grant for me to join hands with you, Young Master.”

“That’s less of a favor and more of a condition, isn’t it?”

“Well, you could see it that way.”

“Someone testing the waters by giving me conditions is the thirty-fourth thing I hate.”

‘For a young brat, you sure hate a lot of things.’

Red cleared his throat to manage his expression and continued.

“Please hear me out first. Once you hear it, you will understand, Young Master.”

“Well, I’ll at least listen.”

Patrick sat with his legs crossed and spoke with the attitude of a superior listening to a report from a subordinate.

And Red sighed and said.

“First, there’s one thing I want to say, the state of our guild is not very good right now.”

“How is it not good? Be brief.”

“We’re split in half and in the middle of an internal conflict.”

“Isn’t that too brief?”

“…….”

You told me to be brief, you bastard.

He couldn’t say it.

Patrick sighed and said.

“Weren’t you the master of the thieves’ guild in this city?”

“That’s right. I am the master. The rightful heir who inherited it from my father.”

“You inherited a goooood thing.”

“Umm….”

“No, you inherit the position of a thief boss by bloodline? You guys inherit all sorts of things.”

“Ahem, in any case, I am the rightful heir.”

“Yes. Yes. Yes. I see. But there are people who can’t accept that?”

“…How did you know?”

“How could I not know? It’s so obvious.”

He was starting to get a rough idea of the situation.

This kind of thing was common in the Central Plains as well.

Whether it was the righteous faction or the unorthodox faction, it was common for competition and secret struggles to occur over the succession of a sect.

In the case of the unorthodox faction, if it got a little severe, the sect would sometimes be split in half.

“It’s obvious that someone came out shouting that skill is more important than bloodline and that they can’t acknowledge you, right?”

“That’s right. On top of that….”

“And that person was your father’s right-hand man when he was alive, right?”

“…Did you perhaps hear it from somewhere?”

“How old do you think I am to not have that much intuition? It’s obvious. So obvious.”

‘How many years have you lived to be going on about your age?’

Red was thinking, but Patrick had actually experienced this kind of thing a lot.

As the Radiant Dragon Great Master Jin Cheon made a name for himself as a celebrity in the martial world, he was often called upon as a mediator to resolve internal disputes within sects or as a witness to duels.

Since he went anywhere, righteous or unorthodox, as long as they paid, he had participated in quite a lot of disputes.

And when he went….

[The rightful heir of my master is me!]

[Don’t be ridiculous. Master entrusted the sect to me.]

[You patricidal bastard. The fact that Master suddenly passed away must be your doing, right?]

[Don’t be ridiculous. You’re the one who….]

This kind of scene was generally what was happening.

Since what both sides were doing was a spectacle, there were more than one or two times when he just wanted to beat them all up.

‘Ah, I actually did beat them up.’

Well, what can you do.

Looking at the situation, it was unclear who the bad guy was, but it was certain that one of the two was a bad guy.

If so, if you beat both of them, the bad guy will definitely be hit, so isn’t it a truly just judgment?

The injustice of the other side?

Hey, that’s something you have to grit your teeth and endure as a sacrifice for justice.

In any case, when Jin Cheon was called to such internal disputes, he tried his best to resolve the problem.

‘But why did no one call me later on? Why?’

“What are you thinking about?”

“No, I was just thinking about the old days.”

“…….”

‘A mere ten-year-old brat and the old days?’

What is he referring to when he says ‘the old days’?

To the uncomprehending Red, Patrick cleared his throat and said.

“Ahem, anyway, I roughly get the situation. The succession of a young heir and the second-in-command who opposes it. It’s obvious. There’s probably something fishy about your father’s death too, right? Am I wrong?”

“……?”

A look of genuine surprise crossed Red’s face.

“Looks like I’m roughly right.”

“You are amazing. That’s right. In fact, signs of homicide were found on my father’s body.”

Red was purely impressed by Patrick’s insight and told him everything.

Red’s father, the former master of the thieves’ guild, had suddenly died one day for an unknown reason.

A healthy person, just like that.

From the fact that his tongue and the roof of his mouth were stained purple, it was clear that he had been poisoned.

The culprit could not be found, but the position of the guild master could not be left vacant.

So, Red was about to ascend to the position of guild master, but at that moment, the one who suddenly raised a rebellion was a man named Billy, who was a close aide of the former guild master.

[Just because he’s the son of the previous generation, a young brat like that wants to be above me? I can never accept that.]

He who had stood up saying that, took the subordinates who followed him, became independent, and created a separate thieves’ guild.

And so, there are now two thieves’ guilds in Parmas….

In the first place, the affairs of the underworld are not so easy that one city can be shared amicably.

There can only be one master on one mountain.

The two guilds immediately entered into a war, and as a result….