After Allen left, in the Rose Family office.

    Confirming that the Mad Hound had turned into a corner in a distant alley and disappeared from view, Tomora finally relaxed and asked Red standing beside him.

    "What''re you going to do about those conditions, Red? I can understand why you''d put a non-intervention clause against him and ''Apple Home’, but I don''t see why you needed to add the Eastern Branch as well. I''m sure he wouldn''t have demanded that either."

    Red squinted his fox-like slanted eyes and answered, his back trembling.

    "Huff The Mad Hound...... he''s really different from others. I really fumbled here. It''s a pipe dream for us to control him. But it did show that he''s still a brat at the end of the day... I noticed him going soft for a moment when Lynd appeared.

    Despite putting up that awful bloodlust and beating the shit out of so many strong people, he didn’t kill anyone. It was as if he intentionally went easy on us, but it''s hard to imagine such bloodlust from such a naive guy...... It just doesn''t make sense."

    "I had the same thought. That kid’s bizarrely unhinged in some places...... So, what are you trying to do anyway? I definitely don''t want to face that kid again. Our values are just too different to make him one of us."

    "I know what you''re trying to say. But we’re already at a road of no return with our actions...... I, and of course Zest-san too, won''t have a good end if we back down here."

    Red said, licking his lips.

    "Mad Hound has clearly shown that he wasn''t interested in what was cooking in the underworld here, nor did he look like someone who would be dazzled by power. It''s impossible for us to bait him, but it''s clear that he also won''t stand in our way.

    However, he''s yet to shed his naivety from the looks of it, so by pleasing him here a bit, we should be able to get him to be our business partner. The word is that Gin from the Crane-Dragon association seems to be back in business. The only danger to us now is undoubtedly him as he holds the greatest power in the underworld. And the only one who can transact with us is Mad Hound. We can isolate Crane-Dragon by publicizing this to others."

    Finally having an inkling of where Red was heading, Tomora laughed.

    "Hahaha! You''re really cunning. You just want to throw Mad Hound''s name out when he would least expect it and by the time he even realizes what is happening, he would be so deep in the water that he wouldn''t be able to clear his name.

    True enough, strength doesn''t necessarily equate to intelligence. And the last thing we need is for Mad Hound and the Crane-Dragon Union to join hands. But since he''s under that solitary walker Lynd, I doubt Mad Hound would want to get close with Crane-Dragon either......Alll latest novels on

    Either way, we need a stronger narrative to make it news that Gin, who is directing the Eastern Region, is worthless, and that he and Mad Hound are at odds with each other. As the gossipers do their work, we''ll slowly chip away Crane-Dragon''s force."

    Red nodded.

    "I know, I doubt anyone would hold suspicions against us when it''s happening miles away from us. And we can seal the deal by claiming Rose really feels worthless against Mad Hound.

    But once he is cornered by unwanted obligations, we would be the only ones to accept him, and that''s where we''ll act like his beacon of hope. We just need to somehow get him into our ranks, and hehe, he would never be able to leave us."

    "Kukuku, kuhahaha."

    "Pfft, hahahahaha!"

    ◆◆◆

    "Pfft, hahahaha!...... Or so they then laughed at the end. Truly, idiots to the core."

    Just as Master had asked me, I reported to him first thing the next day, recounting everything ‘til the minute details. Right now, I had just finished recounting the exchange that had taken place between the two morons after I left completely from their sight around the corner.

    Frankly, I was stunned. Did those idiots not realize that their detection-prevention tool was destroyed...? I thought they wouldn''t be too brain-dead, but......

    Then again, I guess they weren''t expecting someone to hear their conversation from so far away. They were truly careless.

    Once I was done on my side, Master, who had been listening to everything with a crease on his brow, tightly pulled on my ear, a blue vein throbbing on his forehead.

    "It hurts, Master! Are you trying to pull out my ear!?"

    "What''s the use of such ears when they can''t hear and register words clearly despite being so good otherwise? What did I say about not going too deep into their water, huh?"

    Being pressed by my Master, I justified myself.

    "But wait, Master. Your words were ''Just act naturally, and don''t bother investigating them'' and ''If a meeting feels inevitable, report to me immediately’.

    I immediately slapped Benza.

    "Who do you think you are to call Boss an old fart? Call him Master Lynd, got it?!"

    "......I-It’s alright, it''s a fact that my age is catching up to me, so I don''t really mind. Also, it''s all Ren''s doing, the matter was already resolved by the time I arrived here."

    As Boss explained the situation, Benza clenched his teeth, his eyes shut and his jaw projecting out. His body trembled as if reveling in his emotions.

    Haa, he was really crossing the line to becoming like those gag-characters from the manga of my previous life. I would die of embarrassment if the Boss were to think I was buddies with him.

    I received a potion from Benza and made Chabul drink it.

    Chabul regained consciousness, but maybe the ordeal was too traumatizing for him, he just continued to shiver without uttering a word.

    "It doesn''t seem like our Chief is in a good mood to talk. Let me answer on his behalf. Well, though I believe we’ve already drawn out the conditions earlier. I just need to know how we can contact you, Mad Hound?"

    Red joined in between and turned the flow of conversation, something I had really wanted to avoid at all costs. But I also wanted them to just stop creeping up to the Boss or the other members of Apple to ask about me.

    So I...... grabbed Benza''s shoulder and said.

    "......He''s Benza from Gold Rat. He''s a rough fella, but his unyielding spirit is something that has me in awe too. You can contact him when you have trouble."

    It was my signal that Benza would be their intermediary to get in touch with me, not that I was going to let Benza know how to contact me either.

    "Understood. We''ll refrain from interfering with the Eastern Region now, so I hope it won''t pose a problem with our relationship, Benza of Gold Rat. "

    ''Roger!'' Benze replied enthusiastically.

    ◆◆◆

    By the time I finished explaining, Master was cradling his head in his arms as he questioned.

    "The Benza of Gold Rat?!...... Who the hell is that!!? Can he even control all the explorers from being too rowdy? Does he have that caliber?! Surely, since you picked him, he must be able to do that, right? Righttt?!!"

    "Ahaha! Surely you jest, Master. Like hell that I care. If anything, we’re total strangers. Anyway, no need to waste your energy over something so trivial, I just wanted to get it over with, and he was quite a pain, so I pushed it onto him.

    Of course, you can be worry-free! I also feel like losing my brain cells whenever I interact with them, so I already told Benza that they won’t be able to contact me for a while. Even if something happened, and he needed to make a decision, I told him to ''Follow the compass of your heart!'' (ripped-off from my past life).

    He looked so pumped up though, shouting things like ''T-This unworthy Benze is honored to learn the path of the Hero Jock from Aniki himself!’ (Pfft)."

    Master had a thoroughly speechless expression for a moment as I desperately explained myself.

    "P-Pfft, you really are something, boy!"

    ◆◆◆

    Mad Hound fearlessly charged the office of the Rose Family, the mammoth of the Royal Capital, and created a bloodbath, thrashing at least 100 people in his wake. In the end, with his negotiation skills that put even adults to shame, he coerced Rose to get into a completely one-sided agreement.

    The news spread like wildfire, immediately propping up Mad Hound’s reputation to the top of the world of outlaws.

    Mad Hound''s action of ''no-kill'' was interpreted by some as him sparing some ants. Some guessed it was to keep the negotiations ongoing. Meanwhile, a portion claimed that it was the naivety of a brat.

    Later on, this would become another cornerstone that would push others to believe that Allen Rovenne and Mad Hound were always different people.

    In contrast to Allen Rovenne, who was never picky with his means if it meant achieving his goals, earning him a reputation of being cold-hearted and merciless, ''Mad Hound'' appeared to be someone who was appalled by the idea of killing.

    Was everything a product of intrinsic philosophy, just some whims, or maybe... were they truly different people? It would later become a topic of constant debate.

    At the same time, an orphan cast into an orphanage at an early age, having no surname, but later earning a notorious reputation, the gears of fate had started moving for Benza, too.

    —This was the beginning of his path to becoming a Hero Jock.