Chapter 248: Seven Southern Families (1) (2/2)

“But Jude. What made you so confident?”

This wasn’t just a fight since this was a stealing match.

Unlike Jude who was new to stealing, Scarlet was born into a thief family and was a stealing professional who had sharpened and polished her thieving skills up to the present, so it was not a situation where he could confidently win.

But he had said that with a confident expression.

“I’m confident because I can do it. Have you ever seen me lose in a fight?”

“No. But why are so cheeky?”

“Woah, woah… calm down. Anyway, even if it’s a stealing match, there’s a high chance that we will win. So don’t worry about it too much.”

He seemed to be really confident when she saw her talking like that.

‘Why?’

How come? Where does his confidence come from?

Cordelia tilted her head and at some point, her eyes widened in surprise. Because something flashed into her mind.

“Ah! You were a thief, huh? A professional thief and not a scammer, right?”

She thought that it was reasonable when she said that.

It wasn’t just scammers who were good at disguising or forging.

Rather, it was one of a thief’s specialty!

“It’s… possible!”

When Cordelia said that with sparkling eyes, Jude flicked her round and white forehead.

“Ouch.”

“I told you before that I’m not a criminal, okay? Rather, I was a model citizen who faithfully fulfilled his duty to pay taxes, okay?”

“Argh. Then what in the world were you?”

“Figure that out on your own. Anyway, there’s a reason why I’m confident that we’ll win this match.”

“What is it? Can you teach me about that?”

As Cordelia touched her forehead, Jude pinched her cheek and spoke while drawing his face closer to her ear.

“We’re going to rob Kajsa’s house.”

“Eh?”

“We’re going to hold the match in Kajsa’s house.”

Cordelia looked surprised at Jude’s words. She couldn’t help it.

“Kajsa’s house?”

“Yes, of course, we’ll ask Kajsa for her cooperation. Don’t you think that we’re definitely way ahead of Scarlet then, who has to do a preliminary investigation first?”

Kajsa could just hand it over to them.

It was a match that they had no way of losing.

“So, what do you think?”

Jude was expecting her to say, ‘Yes, I love it!’ and smile brightly, but he was soon confused.

Instead of smiling brightly, Cordelia glared at him with a disagreeing expression.

“That’s unfair.”

“Huh?”

“That’s unfair. Really, really unfair. You’re not even a human. You’re a beast. A demon. A scammer. An evil guy.”

“C-Cordelia?”

“How can you do that to Scarlet? She’s a friend. No, she’s MY friend. But you’re going to cheat her? Huh?”

Cordelia’s sound argument made Jude flinch.

And he realized it again.

The fact that Cordelia is a real angel.

But it was at that moment.

“And it’s not very efficient.”

“Huh?”

“Efficiency. It’s Kajsa anyway, so we can get it if we just ask her. Wouldn’t it be a waste of resources then if we have to compete? It’s better if we compete for something else.”

It was a sound argument again, but it was a bit different from the previous one.

“Cordelia, you’ve become black too.”

“No, I’m cleaner than anyone else. I’m like a white tissue.”

And whose fault was it that I’ve become black in the first place?

As Cordelia looked up at him cutely, Jude eventually laughed out loud and then said.

“Okay, I’m a bad guy.”

“Yes, that’s right. You’re a bad guy.”

When Cordelia called him a bad guy as she widely smiled, the mental damage he received was unexpectedly huge.

Therefore, Jude unknowingly groaned and quickly changed the topic.

“Moving on… what if we lose against Scarlet?”

“Then we lose. Scarlet will become the new Rogue Master after Pink Bomb, right?”

“Is that fine with you?”

“Yes, because my goal is not to become a Rogue Master. And if it’s Scarlet, she’ll help us even if she wins the match. She’s kind after all.”

“She’s kind…”

He wondered if she was kind to everyone, but he was sure that she was kind to Cordelia.

“Okay, Scarlet is indeed kind.”

“Yes, she is. So let’s not cheat her. I want to properly fight Scarlet too.”

“Okay, let’s do that.”

Cordelia smiled again when Jude agreed.

“Yes, that’s good. My Jude is good.”

“You said that I was a bad guy earlier.”

“Yes, that’s right. You’re also a bad guy.”

“Anyway, you’re saying that I’m good, right?”

“I don’t know about that.”

Cordelia replied with a giggle, and moved behind his back as if she was hiding before she climbed on his back so naturally.

Jude naturally adjusted Cordelia’s position and said.

“Let’s go. Kajsa’s staring at us with an irritated expression.”

“Yeah, Bentham too.”

If Sebastian was conscious, would he have a similar expression?

Jude had a small smile as he thought that, and he adjusted Cordelia’s position again before he stepped forward.

***

A few hours later.

The Ophand family was in an uproar in a good sense.

Because Kajsa, whom they had not heard of after being captured by the pirates, had returned safely without any injuries.

Moreover, she didn’t just return.

She completely destroyed the pirate island, and also rescued Bentham, a dwarf artisan who had been previously kidnapped.

And there were two more things.

Sebastian, one of the Ten Great Swordmasters from the south, and the fantasy couple who were the rising stars of the royal capital.

At this point, it had gone beyond an uproar as the rumors spread throughout Argon Port.

The ‘Sea Wolf’ was back.

Sebastian returned.

The fantasy couple who had runaway for the seventh time had appeared at Argon Port this time, and so on.

Cordelia was at a loss when she heard the words ‘runaway’ and ‘elopement’, but Jude was very happy.

Because he liked Cordelia’s cute appearance when she heard those rumors, and also because it saved him some effort.

“You two are always impressive.”

“Scarlet!”

At the very night they arrived at Marquis Ophand’s mansion.

Cordelia had a wide smile at Scarlet appearing from the open window in the room where Jude and Cordelia were staying, and Jude had a sly smile.

“You look good.”

“Ha.”

Scarlet sarcastically replied to Jude’s greeting before she hugged Cordelia who had rushed to her.

“Anyway, did you know, Pink Bomb?”

“Eh? About what?”

What are you suddenly talking about?

Cordelia blinked her eyes as if she didn’t really know, so Scarlet frowned and looked at Jude.

“Black Cloak, you don’t know?”

“Shouldn’t you say what it is first? I won’t know what you’re talking about if you don’t say it.”

“It seems like you really don’t know.”

Scarlet furrowed her brows as she looked troubled, and sighed before she pinched Cordelia’s cheek and said.

“We have a big problem.”

“A big problem?”

Cordelia seemed to have gotten used to having her cheeks pinched these days, and she opened her eyes wide as she asked Scarlet, who nodded and spoke while stroking the cheek she had just pinched.

“There’s someone who’s robbing the 7 southern families.”

“What?”

“There’s someone who’s robbing the 7 southern families of their heirlooms. Of course it’s not me, and now that I see you, it’s not you either, so it’s a third party.”

The heirlooms of the 7 southern families.

Carlos’ tokens.

It was something that Jude and Cordelia must get.

But someone was already collecting it.

At Scarlet’s words, Jude and Cordelia turned to each other.