My Disciples Became Scoundrels - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The man with his head driven down went rigid for a moment. He hadn’t expected Cesare to take the hit head-on.
But he quickly came to his senses. A knuckle-clad fist lashed out at Cesare again.
Crack!
An exchange of blows ensued. Even when his opponent struck back, Cesare held firm. He took one hit and returned two.
I couldn’t trade blows like Cesare did. I let the attack slip past and struck the man’s throat instead. He gasped, his breath cut short.
Cesare thrashed about like a maddened bear, while I moved with slightly less fury, cleaning up the situation.
Crack!
All ten of them lay on the ground, crawling. They seemed to have lost consciousness. I’d need to extract information from them, though.
“Cesare. Wake one up.”
“Yes, sir!”
Cesare slapped the fallen man’s cheek. After a few more blows, the man’s eyes fluttered open.
“Ugh, damn it… Stop hitting me, you bastard. I’m bleeding…”
“What? You’re complaining about a nosebleed? You were just muttering about money a minute ago.”
“…You talk like an outsider.”
The man shook his head reluctantly, seeming to begrudge even the blood that dripped from his nose. As I watched the blood flow, I spoke.
“You’re Blood Thieves.”
Blood trafficking is generally illegal. That doesn’t mean it can’t be stolen, though.
Blood Thieves are robbers who steal blood—literally. Since blood serves as a conduit for Mana and fetches decent coin.
Even those with nothing have blood running through their veins. In this world, a drop of blood is a coin’s worth.
The reason they didn’t use Bladed Weapons was the same. To minimize blood loss.
Actually, that worked in my favor. I crouched down and met the man’s gaze.
“If you’re a Blood Thief, do you sell blood to a Blood Bank?”
A Blood Bank is a place that buys blood. I’d heard that Hyeoldu, whom we were pursuing, operated one.
If they were a Blood Thief, they couldn’t possibly not know. He nodded, but that was all.
For someone like this, persuasion through other means was more effective than violence.
I pulled a few silver coins from my pocket. The moment I handed them over, the Blood Thief’s expression changed.
“Yes. We sell to the Blood Bank.”
“I’ve heard there are several Blood Banks. Do you know anything about a man named Hyeoldu, one of the Blood Bank owners?”
“The owner of Crimson Red. I’ve never seen him myself, but… I only know that he’s strong and has backing.”
That sounded true. A street-level thief wouldn’t easily meet the boss.
He seemed to know nothing else. Getting the location of Crimson Red was the real find.
Just as our questioning was wrapping up, Cesare spoke.
“Hey. How much do you get for selling blood?”
“It varies. Depends on the person, and on where you’re selling it.”
Blood carries the Mana of its owner. The quality of blood differed depending on bloodline and the level of one’s Rank.
“For an ordinary person, one copper cup brings 10,000 Batz.”
“I can’t do math. How much if you grab one person?”
“You get about twenty or thirty cups from one human body. You’d get more than that, though.”
That meant 200,000 to 300,000 Batz per person. Not even half an ordinary laborer’s monthly wage.
Of course, they wouldn’t sell all their blood at once. Taking a couple cups now and then wouldn’t be a problem.
But poverty turns “once in a while” into “every day.” The body is never given time to recover.
That’s why he’d come clean so easily for a few silver coins. I left the Blood Thief behind and headed for Crimson Red.
Cesare only clicked his tongue once. He seemed deeply uncomfortable with the situation.
From a distance, I surveyed the building.
It was cleaner and more upscale than the surrounding structures, which somehow made it look out of place. There were quite a few customers.
“Should we go in?”
“No. We’ll move as quietly as possible.”
I didn’t want Hyeoldu to know of our existence. After observing a bit longer, Cesare and I headed for our meeting point.
A shabby, crowded tavern in the lowest district. The moment I stepped inside, my ears nearly split from the noise.
We’d arranged to meet my disciples here. But getting six people together was difficult.
Moreover, we were in enemy territory. To avoid drawing attention, we’d devised a trick: pretend not to be a group.
That’s when I heard a familiar voice.
“Want me to buy you a drink?”
I turned at the sultry tone. Bella stood there, holding a glass of wine.
She had an air both provocative and enchanting. Several men nearby were glancing in our direction.
Cesare made a disgusted face.
She was beautiful, but she was still my disciple. I took a deep breath and smiled at Bella.
“Could you buy two glasses, miss?”
“I could. I could keep going till morning. Shall we go inside?”
Cesare looked as though he might be sick. Bella approached him without the slightest change of expression.
Then she grabbed him by the collar and whispered something in his ear.
“Smile.”
“…Yes.”
She pulled the forced-smiling Cesare inside, into a space somewhat isolated from the outside where people’s gazes couldn’t reach. I decided not to think about what kind of place this was. Cesare rubbed his goosebumped neck vigorously.
“Damn. How could you give me a look like that…?”
“I didn’t want to do it either.”
“I can’t stay sober through this. Give me a drink.”
Bella struck the back of his hand. She wore an expression of pure disgust. I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them again.
“So, Bella. Did you manage to gather any information?”
She nodded.
“Hyeoldu appears to be a mage. They say he controls wind. The ability itself seems quite strong, but…”
Wind Control. I recalled how my disciples had been cut down.
“The organization seems to have over fifty members. Apparently strong enough that other Blood Banks can’t easily eliminate them.”
Were all of them Guardians? Just then, Cesare’s expression shifted to something like disbelief.
“That’s more ordinary than I expected.”
I agreed. These weren’t disciples who would be annihilated by a mere criminal organization.
There was something else at play. This time I needed to be far more cautious. My future self had misjudged the enemy’s capabilities.
That’s why the disciples died.
“Let’s gather more information and avoid direct confrontation for now.”
This time, I decided to overestimate the enemy. I would treat the opponent as a giant I could never hope to fell.
I wouldn’t try to win. I needed neither honorable victory nor fair combat.
Capture a Guardian alive and save my disciples. That would be enough.
I would employ every means at my disposal toward that goal.
* * *
In one corner of the Slum District. Numerous tents made from tattered cloth were strung haphazardly together.
Rust-colored water dripped down, pooling in the tents before spilling over. The poor man’s shoulders grew damp and heavy.
“Damn it, is it my fault I haven’t paid? I told you to wait! You can’t wait and now you want to go to the Blood Bank again?!”
The man bellowed. His wife showed no sign of backing down. Her ferocity matched his own.
“How much longer are we waiting for? Until the children starve to death? If I sell some of my blood, at least I can feed them something!”
The shouting wife was skeletal, her face pallid and drained of color.
The husband’s face was little better. He lurched to his feet.
“Hell, I’ll get the money—just lie down!”
He stormed out of the tent settlement. His steps carried him toward Crimson Red.
‘Damn it, wages are nothing but scraps anyway… I’d be better off selling blood.’
One tin cup’s worth. A paltry amount. If he hadn’t sold blood three days ago, it would’ve been even worse.
But he had no choice. He headed toward Crimson Red, which at least paid the most.
As he stumbled along, dizzy from blood loss, he spotted someone coming from the opposite direction.
The man’s face bore a rare, cheerful grin. For some reason, it irritated him.
“What’s with you? Got good news?”
“You haven’t heard? The Silver Blood Bank started buying blood at higher prices.”
The Silver Blood Bank—a place where you could sell less blood but got paid far less than Crimson Red.
“They’re paying 50,000 Batz per tin cup?”
The husband’s eyes went wide. Crimson Red paid only 10,000 Batz. This was five times as much.
At this rate, even selling a small amount would be worthwhile. He hurried toward the Silver Blood Bank.
“What… what is this?”
The area in front of the Silver Blood Bank was swarming with people—the very people who would normally have sought out Crimson Red.
Arkel stood on the second floor of the Silver Blood Bank, peering through the window. His expression was dark.
“Master, the expenditure will be substantial.”
“I know.”
Dein sat at a table, gazing indifferently at the ledger. The daily outflow of money was considerable.
He had rented the quietest Silver Blood Bank in its entirety. Bella had negotiated well, but the cost remained steep.
Moreover, he’d since begun purchasing blood at premium prices. Arkel spoke with a gloomy air.
“It will cost at least 100 million in total.”
“A pittance. I was prepared to spend around 300 million.”
Balanus’s coffers exceeded 1 billion, so there was no real problem—only Arkel’s psychological difficulty in accepting it.
“Customers have stopped coming entirely, so Crimson Red will certainly notice us. However… isn’t using such vast sums merely to lure them excessive?”
“There’s another use for it besides luring.”
Whether it’s 300 million or 1 billion makes no difference. Anything is better than my disciples dying.

Four days passed in that manner.
Around the time Arkel began to waste away from endless expenditure,
Hyeoldu’s subordinates came calling.
* * *
The Silver Blood Bank’s entrance remained crowded with residents. A group of men shoved through the throng with brutal indifference.
“All of you, get lost! You worthless blood sacks…….”
They were Crimson Red’s men. Bloodline Energy seeped from every one of them.
Twenty strong. The frightened residents backed away one by one. They whispered among themselves.
“So Crimson Red finally came? They did pay well for it, though…….”
“The other blood banks didn’t last long either.”
Bang!
The blood bank’s door was torn from its hinges. Crimson Red’s men strode into the building.
They knew the layout of the Silver Blood Bank—lobby, phlebotomy and storage, second-floor office.
The residents waiting inside hurried out. Soon the blood bank stood empty.
Only one person remained in the lobby. Gai, seated at the counter, spoke with shameless ease.
“Welcome. You’ve come to sell blood, have you?”
A half-mask covered his face, showing only his mouth. Several of the men frowned at such brazen composure.
“We’re here to speak with the owner of this blood bank.”
“Is that so? Well, unless you’re here to close shop or demand lower prices, I’ll fetch the owner for you.”
The subordinates drew their weapons in response. Bladed weapons glinted dully.
Gai let out a soft laugh and removed his mask, revealing his bare face.
“Do you think the owner will be in a good mood for this?”
“What in the world are you——”
Crack!
The foremost subordinate’s leg buckled. An Ice Blade had pierced through his thigh.
Arkel emerged from the back, his eyes burning cold with fury.
“You should have come sooner. You’ve cost me dearly.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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