ISEKAI? More like I See Crap!-Chapter 82: The Price of Information ( )

The group walked in silence, the butler leading the way as they exited the prison, the captured man following behind in handcuffs. Outside, the butler’s carriage awaited them, its black lacquered exterior gleaming faintly in the sunlight. The escort guards stood at attention, ready to depart.

Just before stepping into the carriage, the butler paused. With a subtle motion, he leaned toward the captain and, with a practiced flick of his fingers, handed him a small pouch. It was heavier than the last.

"Appreciate your help on this, Captain." His voice was calm and smooth, but there was an unspoken understanding in his words.

"Consider this my thanks."

The captain smirked, shaking the pouch lightly; the sound of gold coins clinking inside brought a satisfied gleam to his eyes.

"Oh~ Generous man. I will take it." He tucked it into his belt and turned to his men.

"ALL! Escort our guest toward the gate!"

"YES, CAPTAIN!" the guards saluted in unison.

Then—they all touched their throats, a silent, unspoken tradition among them. A gesture that meant—drinks would be flowing tonight.

The butler simply smiled faintly before stepping into the carriage, the prisoner following closely behind. As the wheels began to turn, carrying them away, the captain grinned, watching them disappear down the road.

"Heh... Wonder what they want with that guy." But in the end—it wasn’t his problem. And as long as the gold kept coming—he didn’t care.

The carriage rocked gently as it rolled down the road, its interior silent except for the faint sound of hooves against dirt. Seated inside, across from the butler, was the assassin who had just been bailed out. His hands were still bound in iron cuffs, but his posture was relaxed, as if the prison stay had been nothing more than an inconvenience.

He exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders.

"Thanks for bailing me out." He tilted his head slightly, shaking the cuffs on his wrists. "Now, the cuffs?"

The butler remained motionless, his eyes calm and unreadable.

"Ah, not yet."

The assassin raised an eyebrow. The butler smiled faintly.

"Not before you tell me about the man."

The assassin’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Which one?"

The butler’s gaze sharpened.

"The one who made the Pinky Promise with Ellyna."

At that, the assassin blinked—then let out a short chuckle.

"Oh... you mean the weird guy who made a Pinky Promise with a child?"

The butler’s expression didn’t change, but his fingers, resting on his lap, tapped lightly against the wood.

"Oh? A child, you say?"

The assassin shrugged.

"Yeah. The description you gave me of the target—that supposed ’Princess Ellyna’—doesn’t match."

The butler remained silent.

The assassin continued, tilting his head in thought.

"You said she was an adult. But the one I saw? She looked like a kid."

The butler’s eyes glinted for a moment, but he said nothing.

"But... there was one thing I was sure about."

"And what’s that?"

The assassin grinned.

"She was with the strongest Beastkin knight I’ve ever seen. The one with—" He paused, clearing his throat.

The butler tilted his head.

"With...?"

The assassin sighed.

"Plump."

"...Plump?"

"Yeah. Plump. You know—big, round—"

"I get it." The butler cut him off, massaging his temple.

The assassin chuckled before continuing.

"Anyway, that knight was strong. And the ’child’ was the only one who didn’t have full fur."

At that, the butler’s expression darkened slightly. Royal traits. The only Beastkin without full fur... were those of the royal family. That confirmed it. Princess Ellyna had met this man in that form. The butler sighed inwardly. Still, he needed more.

"And what about the man?"

The assassin grinned.

"The weird guy?" He chuckled. "Oh, he’s strong."

The butler raised an eyebrow.

"How strong?"

The assassin looked mildly annoyed, scratching his cheek.

"Strong enough to finish me in a single dropkick... while holding a big glass of ale."

Silence. The butler blinked.

"...Excuse me?"

The assassin clicked his tongue, clearly still irritated.

"I don’t wanna talk about it."

The butler sighed, rubbing his temple again.

"I don’t need to know how you lost. I need to know how he looks."

"Ah, right. Sorry." The assassin leaned back slightly, thinking for a moment. Then, he grinned.

"You can’t miss him."

The butler’s gaze sharpened.

"Oh?"

The assassin nodded.

"Yeah. He’s human. Black hair. Fierce eyes."

The butler narrowed his gaze. freewebnσvel.cøm

"That’s all?"

The assassin smirked.

"Yeah. Because he’s the only human in this kingdom with black hair."

Silence filled the carriage. The butler closed his eyes, exhaling slightly.

"...Interesting." He had enough information now.

"Very well."

The butler leaned forward and—

SHNK.

The assassin’s eyes widened in shock, his hands instinctively flying to his throat—but it was too late. The butler’s dagger had already sliced clean through. Blood spurted out, staining the expensive upholstery of the carriage.

The assassin’s body twitched violently, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to form words—trying to protest, to demand why? But no sound came out. Only a choked gasp. His vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges.

The butler watched coldly, his eyes unwavering, emotionless.

"This information must be kept."

The assassin shuddered, his life fading away.

"And you..." The butler calmly wiped the blade with a white cloth, his movements precise and practiced.

"...weren’t worth keeping."

With one final spasm, the assassin’s body went limp. The butler sighed, adjusting his cuffs before knocking twice on the carriage wall.

Outside, the coachman flicked the reins, unfazed. The escort guards said nothing. Because they already knew. The Duke didn’t tolerate loose ends.

The carriage continued on its way, the fresh corpse slumping lifelessly in its seat. A secret, forever buried in silence. The butler leaned back, adjusting his gloves as he calmly regarded the corpse before him. A minor inconvenience. Nothing more. But the information obtained? Now, that was valuable.

"A human... with black hair." He muttered the words to himself, his eyes gleaming with intrigue. Most humans in this world had various shades of brown, blonde, purple,blue or other color hair—but black? That was exceptionally rare.

"Interesting."

A man who stands out so easily, yet remains completely unknown to us until now... The butler smirked faintly.

"That means he’ll be easy to spot."

The problem, however—

"Where?"

The Human Kingdom was vast. Towns, cities, countless villages. If this black-haired man was constantly on the move, tracking him would be difficult. But not impossible.

The butler knocked on the carriage wall once more. The coachman acknowledged it immediately, slowing the carriage just enough for the butler to lean toward the window and address the escort guards riding alongside.

"Spread word to our informants." His tone was calm but firm, carrying authority.

"Find the black-haired human. Wherever he is, I want to know."

The guards nodded without question, immediately splitting off into different directions. The hunt had begun.

( End of Chapter )