kscans

Chapter 15 - The Spy

Hayato made his way to the black stone fortress that served as the headquarters for the clan Kokuryu.

He thought that showing up right after the clan had lost might be taken the wrong way, but since they had lost in a perfect game, he came to find out what had happened.

A perfect game was a method of victory where you annihilated the opposing team without a single one of your allies being defeated. In this case, it was the reverse. Not a single opponent was taken down, while all their allies were. It was a rare outcome for a battle between two A-rank clans.

Achieving a perfect game didn't grant any particular reward. There was no special title, no item drop, no increase in prize money. It was simply a piece of information indicating how the victory was won.

Hayato's own team had also won with a perfect game in their recent match. They had wiped out the enemy without losing a single person. A perfect victory. But normally, that wasn't possible without a significant skill gap between the two sides. In Hayato's case, you could say there was such a gap, but it was more a matter of a surprise attack.

A surprise attack is a battle tactic that prevents the opponent from forming a countermeasure by using a strategy they've never seen before.

Ash's wide-range Dragon Breath could be called one such tactic. There were ways to counter it. You could prevent Ash from being isolated, forcing him to involve his own allies in the blast, or you could cancel his attack with knockback. But an opponent seeing it for the first time would have no way of knowing that. Without that knowledge, they would be hit before they could do anything.

Thanks to that, Hayato had managed to secure a perfect game. But Kokuryu was an A-rank clan. True, they were on the lower end of the A-rank listings, but to lose in a perfect game, even to the number one clan, suggested something extraordinary had occurred.

(It's possible they fell for a surprise attack, but everyone in that clan is cautious. They have plenty of highest quality potions, and their strategy is to observe the enemy's moves from near their own base. They wouldn't be defeated so easily, and I can't imagine there's a tactic at this stage potent enough to score a perfect game against an A-rank clan. Besides, as long as they have that sword, I don't think it's possible for them to go down without defeating anyone.)

As Hayato pondered this, he knocked on the door.

"It's Hayato. Can you let me in?"

From the other side of the door, he heard a voice say, "H, Hayato!?" From the sound of it, Hayato identified the speaker as the clan leader, Ney. Then, he heard an unfamiliar man's voice as well.

"Why not let him in? Our business is concluded, so I don't mind."

A few seconds later, the lock on the door clicked open. A surprised-looking Ney peered out. Seeing her somewhat weary face, Hayato guessed that something had happened.

"H, Hayato, w, why are you here?"

"I saw the results of the Clan War. I got a little worried. Well, there are other reasons too. Do you have a guest?"

"Ah, yes, a guest, or rather..."

"Don't just stand there, please come inside. I've been wanting to thank you, Hayato-san."

(Thank me? What's he talking about? Is this someone I know?)

Though puzzled, Hayato passed through the doorway and stepped inside.

A month after he had left, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. The interior hadn't changed at all in that time.

It was designed to resemble a dimly lit medieval dining hall, with the only light source being a wax candle chandelier hanging from the ceiling. In the center, a long wooden table was draped with a white tablecloth, with five matching wooden chairs on each side. Along the walls were other pieces of furniture that complemented the theme.

Hayato himself had crafted the entire interior with his Woodworking Skill. He smiled faintly as he recalled his companions good-naturedly telling him he was getting too carried away.

After indulging in the memory for a moment, Hayato looked at the people inside. There were two men and one woman.

A man in knight-like equipment sat in the center, with a woman in a white dress to his right and a man with a mohawk and spiky shoulder pads, looking like he was from a post-apocalyptic world, to his left.

(I don't think I've ever met them. Who are they?)

Seeing Hayato's puzzled expression, the knightly man returned it with a smile. Then, as if it were his own home, he gestured for Hayato to take a seat. Hayato felt a flash of irritation at his attitude but sat down as told. Ney did the same, taking the seat to Hayato's right.

"First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Leon, the leader of the A-rank clan, 'Goddess of Annihilation'."

The man stood up from his chair and bowed his head. His manners were proper, but to Hayato, it seemed forced.

(Goddess of Annihilation? That's the name of the team that got the perfect game, right? Why is the enemy team here? And that sword at his hip. Why does he have that...? No, I should hear him out first.)

"I'm Hayato. A pleasure to meet you. By the way, I thought I heard something about you wanting to thank me?"

"Yes, it's fair to say we won against Kokuryu this time thanks to you, Hayato-san. You were a great help. Thank you very much."

"...May I ask why?"

"It means that we were able to win because you left Kokuryu. The clan leader of Kokuryu has likely learned that it's dangerous to have someone you can't trust in your clan. I believe it was a good lesson."

At those words, Ney looked down, her expression filled with regret. Hayato glanced at her but decided to put that aside for the moment.

"Could you explain in a little more detail?"

"Of course. The member who joined after you left was an operative, a spy. Well, they're a specialist in infiltration, completely unrelated to our clan. We were contacted by them before the Clan War, so we had them betray their team. It was quite expensive, but a small price to pay for a victory."

(I'd heard about people who do that, but I guess they really exist. So, they basically fought the Clan War nine against eleven. In a Clan War, even losing one person is a huge blow. And if that one person turns against you, you have no chance of winning. Still, that doesn't explain why he has that sword.)

"I understand the situation, but I have one more question. Why do you have that sword? I believe it's the one I made for my companion, isn't it?"

"Ah, this. You're right, Hayato-san made this. It's truly magnificent. The Excalibur Replica. I'm amazed by your luck in being able to craft this weapon, one of the strongest single-handed swords, at five stars."

"I don't think that answers my question."

"My apologies. To put it simply, I received it during the Clan War."

"Received it? Was it a Betting Match?"

A Betting Match was, in short, a wagered duel. It was a type of Clan War match where both sides bet items, with the winner taking the prize.

When something was wagered, you could freely choose another clan that was also wagering something, so it was mainly used by lower-ranked clans to challenge higher-ranked ones. Once both sides agreed to the match, it was on.

However, since winning a Clan War awarded real-world prize money, it was said there was a strict screening process to prevent match-fixing, even if you chose your opponent. While they couldn't track real-world connections, it was believed that the system made its judgment based on various factors, like in-game connections between players and past battle records.

"No, it wasn't a Betting Match. I said I received it, but more accurately, I stole it during the Clan War."

(Stole it? Does he mean with the Stealing Skill? But that should be impossible. The Stealing Skill can only take items from an opponent's item bag. You can't steal something that's equipped. That sword is Ney's main weapon. There's no way she'd unequip it during a Clan War... unless, its durability dropped and she took it off to prevent it from breaking?)

Hayato's mind raced, exploring various possibilities. Just as he was about to delve deeper, Ney, sitting beside him, leaned a little closer.

"The spy had that sword in their item bag the whole time... As soon as the battle started, they ran into the enemy's lines and let them steal it at their fortress... I'm sorry. Everyone gathered the materials, and you made that sword for us, Hayato..."

Ney's voice was barely a whisper.

Hayato heard her words and understood.

In a clan, you could voluntarily designate an item as a clan shared item. This meant any clan member could use it, and it would return to the clan storage, a shared item box, every time they logged out.

You couldn't sell or give a clan shared item to someone else. Even if you left the clan while holding it, it would just return to the clan storage. If the clan disbanded, it would revert to its original owner. So even if you became a clan member, you couldn't steal it.

But you could let an opponent steal it during a Clan War.

The player who was a spy had put the Excalibur Replica in their item bag after Ney logged out, then joined the Clan War without logging out themselves. And then, they let the other team steal it.

Though it was just speculation, that was what Hayato concluded.

(I told her to make it her own personal item since I gave it to her, but she was so stubborn about making it a clan shared item. I'm starting to get the picture, but I still don't know why these guys are here.)

"I think I understand the general situation. So, Leon-san, what are you and your friends doing here? Don't tell me you came to return it?"

"Yes, that's exactly right."

(You've got to be kidding me... No, that's not it. Someone who'd use a spy wouldn't do something like that. Then, is it some kind of trade?)

"I will return this sword. However, there is something I want, and I came to propose an exchange. Well, they agreed to my terms right away."

"Something you want in exchange? May I ask what?"

"This headquarters. It's a prime location near the Royal Capital. It would probably fetch over one hundred million G right now. And this sword is worth a similar amount. It's an equal exchange."

(An equal exchange for something you stole. You've got a sense of humor... Wait. Did he say she agreed? Does that mean she accepted?)

"Ney, did you agree to that exchange?"

"...The headquarters is important, but I have to get that sword back. It's a precious sword everyone helped make. I have permission from the other members, so I plan to get it back in exchange for handing over the fortress."

"You idiot."

"Huh?"

"Excuse me, Leon-san, was it? My apologies, but the deal to trade the sword for the headquarters is off."

"What do you mean by that? In the first place, Hayato-san, you've left this clan. I don't believe you have the authority to make such a decision, do you?"

"Unfortunately for you, I do. I built this headquarters. I remembered that after I left the clan. I came here today thinking I'd have it returned to me. If you want this headquarters, you'll have to negotiate with me."

(I don't want to stick my neck into a messy situation... but I can't let them do something strange with something I made, and I can't forgive them for making a fool of my companions. I have to do something.)

Hayato's mind spun at full speed, trying to come up with a way to get the sword back.