Volume 5 Chapter 30 Puppet Master
For Nightfather, Puppet Master was an old and trusted high-ranking executive.
Since Nightfather's establishment, Puppet Master had always been by the boss's side, supporting the genius of the underworld, the boss. Their relationship dated back to when Karditsa was still under Greek territory, before the Roman Empire's invasion.
The reason they had been able to maintain such a long relationship was not only because of their compatible personalities but also because their goals and directions aligned.
The boss wanted to make money, regardless of whether it was legal or illegal. Puppet Master wanted to engage in "human play" that was impossible in a law-abiding nation.
As a result, the numerous works created by Puppet Master became the seeds of the boss's successful business. The puppets that listened to every command, with combat abilities, were illegal sl*ves.
There were many customers who wanted to keep humans as pets. Many people were also fascinated by Puppet Master's works.
That's why.
Even in this desperate situation, Puppet Master did not abandon the boss.
"...It's the end, isn't it?"
Upon hearing that Swallow had been killed, the boss smiled, smoking a cigar. His hair was now mixed with white, giving the impression that he was no longer young.
"I had a lot of fun in Karditsa. Nightfather built an era of evil in one generation. And now, the times are changing. That's just how it is."
"That's a weak statement, boss. If it's the end, can you become my (watashi) puppet?"
"Hahaha, that's not bad either. I'll leave this body to you. You can use this old, worn-out body if you want."
"―――Boss"
"Don't call me that. I liked the part where you messed with someone's body and laughed at your serious face. I don't want to hear your gloomy voice."
The boss burst into laughter. Then, he called out to "Protean," another high-ranking executive. Puppet Master's expression stiffened for a moment when he saw the figure that appeared.
A pale, white-haired man. He was the strongest man in Nightfather, someone Puppet Master had once manipulated in a different form, apart from his puppets.
"What do you want to do? You're like a convenient tool, but you're also a high-ranking executive now. You must have some regrets about the Nightfather's last moments."
"..."
Protean wove a silent word. It didn't reach the Puppet Master's ears, only the boss's.
The boss laughed without changing his expression.
"That's right, that's right. You followed me to the very end, and that's quite impressive."
But you were that kind of guy, weren't you? The boss said, then turned his gaze back to the Puppet Master.
"So, what will you do, Puppet Master? What do you want in the Nightfather's last moments? You can still survive. Will you escape from Karditsa and build another workshop? I'm already done for, but you can still do it."
"No, boss. I ―― I won't let Nightfather end."
When the Puppet Master said that, the boss looked down, blew out a ring of smoke from his cigar, and spoke.
"...Alright then. Go ahead and do it. Don't have any regrets, move."
"I will. Yes, I'll do it."
The Puppet Master turned around, pulling up all the puppets deployed in the boss's room. If Protean is around, there's no need for guards anymore.
And so, the Puppet Master opened the door, ready to challenge the enemy alone. The boss threw a word atPuppet Master.
"Do your best, hang in there. But Frain ―― my son ―― is strong. He's become quite strong."
"...I pray that no accidents will happen to your son."
"Haha, if you can kill him, go ahead. At that time, I won't say anything."
The Puppet Master gritted under the mask and left the scene.
The Puppet Master is a gold-ranked Sword adventurer.
The strength is that of a pack. It's not about individual power, but about minimizing risks in battle, and having overwhelming force as a group, which is why the Puppet Master has reached the gold rank.
Specifically speaking, a Puppet Master has multiple bodies.
This concept is difficult to understand. For example, let's say there are 5 Puppet Masters. At that time, all of them are the real Puppet Master, and there's no fake one among them. Even if one of them is killed, the Puppet Master will still survive. It won't die until all 5 of them are killed.
In that sense, the Puppet Master currently has 342 bodies. All of them are the real Puppet Master themselves, and they're completely under the Puppet Master's control.
"Well, what should we do, then?"
"That's right. Launching a surprise attack is easy, but we need refinement and aesthetics, after all."
"How about we split them up and take them down one by one? We've been pushed this far by that hated enemy. We need to make them scream loudly and die, or we won't be satisfied."
"That sounds good. Then, let's kill them cruelly and mercilessly. Although that's just a usual thing for us."
In the shadows, several Puppet Masters whispered to each other. They had positioned themselves around the building where their enemy was hiding.
It was evening. The sun was about to set, and night was falling. That meant the city would be crowded with pedestrians soon. It would be fun to get them involved and cause chaos, or to blend in with the crowd and move around.
The dim alleyway was slowly being swallowed by the darkness. That was the signal for the Puppet Master's solo performance. The countless puppets hiding in the darkness began to make a creaking sound as they unsheathed their claws.
That was when it happened.
"Fireball!"
Suddenly, a voice was heard from above, followed by a single red orb falling down. The Puppet Master realized it was a fire magic sphere after a brief moment.
However, there was no time to escape.
"Explode!"
The fireball burst. With a force like a bomb, the shockwave and flames spread, striking down all the Puppet Masters hiding in the alleyway and setting them ablaze.
"Ah, ga, aaaaahhhhhh!"
Many screams echoed. And there, a figure descended calmly.
"This is perfect for a one-shot kill."
The youth who muttered this had a large burn scar on his eyes. The Puppet Master knew him. One of the boss's lovers' children. A genius adventurer who rose to silver rank in an instant. The mastermind who drove Nightfather to this point.
"Frainnnnnnnnnn!"
Even with wounds all over, the only moving Puppet Master attacked Frain. But Frain just smiled and briefly thrust out his cane.
"Rapid Fire"
A barrage of tiny fireballs was unleashed with incredible force, instantly rendering the Puppet Master powerless.
"Ka... Ha..."
And then, the Puppet Master on the scene was completely annihilated. Stepping on its corpse, Frain said.
"If you're still moving, that's good. I'll wipe you out right away."
'Whoa, nice one, Frain! That was a perfect submachine gun burst just now!'
"What's with the 'submachine gun' thing?"
Frain continued talking to someone, moving on to the next target. The Puppet Master reached out to Frain, and then quietly perished.
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