25 – Episode 25: Runaway Ninja vs Yakuza (7)
The dark underground passage of Goldon was illuminated by the light of lanterns.
Thud, thud.
People armed with various weapons were cautiously walking with caution.
Everyone focused on where the light touched, straining their ears not to miss even the slightest sound, but all they could hear were the sounds of falling water and their own footsteps.
“No one’s guarding it.”
Beryan, the right arm of Dorgen and a master of dual wielding, asked as if confirming.
“I told you. Even the Gol don’t know about it.”
Dorgen, the action leader of the Delbanas Thieves’ Guild, known as “Gaebaekjeong,” snorted.
The underground waterway was the place where he committed his first murder and frantically fled from. It was said that the Gol, built during the ancient era ruled by the Observers, was filled with secret passages unknown even to the current lord.
“If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have let those damn assassins know.”
They’re probably all dead by now.
As expected, important things must be done personally.
Throughout his life, Dorgen’s lesson, learned with his whole body, once again proved to be true.
“It’s so spacious, and there really is no one here.”
“Dorgen was right. That bastard wasn’t an assassin sent by the Gol.”
“Smith worried for nothing. He was just showing off his experience.”
“To be honest, it was strange. How could that fat lord afford such assassins with his money?”
“Maybe those assassin bastards were plotting some weird scheme to get more money? They looked suspicious from the start.”
“Damn, they killed their own side?”
“Just shutting them up. They were such treacherous bastards.”
The tension eased, and the group became noisy.
All the fierce and rough-looking guys were the handpicked elite 40 members of Dorgen’s group, gathered to conquer the Gol.
“I see a ladder.”
At the front of the line, the clever Bilde illuminated the old ladder with a lantern.
It was a bit rusty, but the condition was acceptable.
“Prepare, and as soon as it gets noisy, climb up immediately.”
Dorn, who took out a cold hand axe from his waist and blew mana into it.
Clank-
The handle with vine patterns engraved on it responded to the mana and expanded in size.
Now the hand axe, transformed into a battle axe, trembled with a low growl.
“A novice and an old man. Two knights.”
It should be manageable. Even experienced knights would be no match for the weapon he cherished.
That brat Trent will die today.
It is impossible to subdue the agile and sturdy Heiner group with the forces of the small-town Goldon, which will probably not exceed 100.
“It’s enough.”
When Delbanas said that he could control monsters, Dorn snorted.
He couldn’t easily accept it even when a village collapsed under Heiner’s attack the next day.
He tried to rationalize it by convincing himself that they lured the monsters with some method they luckily discovered.
– What? Me? Ah!
It was only when she threw herself into the middle of the Heiner group as a newcomer that he started to believe.
Surprisingly, the Heiners finished their meal leisurely without even glancing at that guy and scattered.
While other thieves joined for reasons such as fear of Delbanas personally and to take over the village near Goldon, Dorn was different.
Delbanas knows something and plans to do something even greater. By just helping out like this, he can gain even more.
We fought to survive until now, but it’s time to look at the bigger picture.
If I’m going to be hated and chased by many people anyway, and if I’m going to die no matter what I do, it’s better to walk the path of ambition.
“First, I need to gain Delbanas’s trust and learn how to control monsters.”
That’s what I was thinking.
“Lord Dorun, something seems strange. By now, the Heiners should have invaded the Goldon.”
Berian couldn’t hide his unease and pointed to the ceiling.
Now that I think about it, quite some time has passed.
“Have they all been caught already?”
“I didn’t hear any sounds of fighting.”
“Did the monsters just run away?”
“Bullsh*t.”
The unease spread quickly.
Half of the guys who were chosen purely for their combat skills make too much noise.
It’s because of the nature of these guys, who are closer to ruthless murderers than skilled warriors.
Dorun growled quietly.
“Everyone shut up. If you don’t want your heads smashed to pieces.”
“…”
Dorun’s notorious reputation was so high that even the most hardened criminals couldn’t argue back.
“Should we retreat for now?”
Berian, who was cautious, looked towards the path he had come from.
“Hmm.”
If he failed this time as well, the only option left would be a siege.
No matter how much it was a relic of the ancient times, the castle was still a formidable fortress.
Even if there was a difference in military strength, there would inevitably be great sacrifices.
Most of the sacrifices would be made by Dorun, who was at the forefront, and his direct subordinates.
Dorun, who desperately wanted to avoid a siege at all costs.
“We retreat.”
There were too many variables that had occurred so far.
Dorun, who judged that things had gone awry, turned his back.
Clang!
“Huh?”
The woman who was holding a lantern at the end of the group fell down.
“Damn it!”
Berian rushed forward and flipped over the woman’s body.
A sharp dagger that had shattered the lantern was embedded in her heart.
Clang! Clang!
“Ah!”
“Gasp!”
With a delayed scream, the light of the lantern went out one by one.
The ones with small shields stepped forward and assumed a defensive posture, while the others drew their weapons and scanned the direction from which the daggers were flying.
“Don’t hesitate, stick together.”
At Dorn’s command, the subordinates who were moving busily gathered together.
Thud. Thud.
The underground passage fell silent in an instant, with only the sound of water dripping, without even the sound of footsteps on mud.
A few trembled in the eerie stillness.
Sinister… Sinister…
Something moved in the darkness.
The subordinates swung their lanterns back and forth, trying to identify its identity, but the light didn’t reach that far.
“Throw a lantern over there.”
Dorn pointed with the end of his battle axe.
As if understanding immediately, Vilhelm threw the lantern as if throwing a hug.
Thud!
From the end of the light emitted by the lantern, a person in black clothes was holding a sword.
Whoosh!
Berian, who was the first to approach quickly, swung his sword, but suddenly it disappeared like an illusion.
“Oh?”
That was Berian’s last words.
Swish!
Silently appearing from behind, it sliced Berian’s throat, and at the same time, people dressed in the same clothes as it fell down from the ceiling.
“Ah, ah!”
“Huh!”
Everyone stabbed their weapons towards the ceiling, but as soon as they made contact, those things disappeared.
Clang!
The last lantern went out.
Thud-
Something sliced through the air in the underground tunnel.
“This… this is…”
With a sizzle, the subordinates in front of Doren disappeared.
“Commander, they-“
Even Billden, who was searching for Doren while shouting, couldn’t continue his words and fell silent.
Drip, drip.
Silence descended upon the underground tunnel, and a hot, sticky liquid flowed onto the floor, soaking Doren’s shoes.
“W-who’s there?”
Doren, barely regaining his senses from the chilling sensation, stepped back while gripping his battle axe with both hands.
“Are you one of the bastards who came to the tent? Were you on Goldon’s side?”
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Was it all a trap? He tried not to show any signs, but it was in vain.
Doren’s lips trembled intensely.
“Can I defeat this guy?”
To make a rational judgment, the answer was no.
I couldn’t even see anything moving.
“I am a member of the ‘Gae Baek Jeong’.”
I can’t even hear the enemy’s breathing.
Doren’s eyes scanned the darkness.
“I am the leader of the Ma Jeok Dan and a close aide to Delbanas. I won’t resist. If you capture me, you can obtain a lot of information.”
I have to survive somehow.
Thinking that way, Doren slowly placed his battle axe on the ground.
“Lift it up again.”
A slightly trembling voice came from nearby.
“…Tell me what you want. If I can do it, I’ll listen.”
Cold sweat formed on Doren’s head as he held the battle axe in a hesitant posture.
You have no intention of sparing me?
Still, I have to buy some time somehow.
“Tell me what the current situation is.”
“The situation…? Ah, Delbanas has controlled a group of monsters and attacked Goldon, and we tried to take advantage of the chaos and go up.”
“Controlling monsters? By feeding them seaweed?”
“Whether it’s monsters or seaweed, I don’t know. Is it a slang term you guys use?”
Why are we even having this conversation if you have no intention of sparing me?
Is it because he’s tired?
Or is it because the duration of the magic tool he was using has expired?
“Is this my chance?”
Dorun knew well the extraordinary nature of the magical tools created by renowned wizards.
Delbanas alone possessed boots capable of instant acceleration.
“A tool that shows illusions and erases presence? It’s possible. And he looks a bit tired.”
The guy was fast and strong enough to lightly tap Berian’s neck, but after continuously killing 40 people, there was a hint of fatigue in his tone.
“Are you a member of the Swordsmanship Association?”
Dorun asked.
“I am not a samurai.”
Straightforward answer. It was a question that didn’t need to be asked, in fact.
Dorun had shouted to buy time, to accurately pinpoint the guy’s location in order to adapt his eyes to the darkness.
“Hyah!”
If it’s strength, it won’t give in.
With that judgment, Dorun swung his battle axe at the spot where the guy was supposed to be-
Thud.
“Huh?”
As he swung, both his hands were caught by something.
“Huh?”
No matter how much strength he exerted, he couldn’t pull them out.
Dorun met the guy’s gaze with a foolish expression.
“0.7 Kakkashi.”
With those incomprehensible words, Dorun’s throat soared into the air.
***
“Damn it, you rushed in so quickly that you didn’t even mention the skill name once.
That’s a deduction point.
“I mean, I’m right, aren’t I? Heiner is the bait, and the underground river is real.”
Orphe finally arrived.
Gasping for breath, just like a Poppie.
“Look at this axe. It shrinks and expands just like that.”
When I release mana, the handle of the axe I just obtained lengthens again.
This looks pretty good.
If I keep it, I have a feeling I can use it somehow.
“Delbanas’ subordinates, right? And that dead guy over there is Dorun, right?”
Orphe carried the corpses.
“Seems like it.”
“They’re all dead. Well done. Anyway, it’s hard to explain all of this.”
It’s reasonable to catch an assassin, but slaughtering 40 yakuza and monsters is impossible for a wandering swordsman.
To hide the Ninhimsu (refer to Episode 1), it’s best to keep it a secret, as Orphe said.
“So, do we leave the bodies here as they are?”
“Yeah. Heiner, other monsters or animals will eat them on their own. Besides, there’s no one passing by anyway.”
It seems like it’s all neatly wrapped up.
“Give me my backpack.”
“Here.”
I opened the backpack I received from Orpheus.
I feel like I made a good decision to pack the ninja suit in the backpack.
Evil lurks everywhere, so an escape ninja must be thoroughly prepared.
“Oh damn, it doesn’t fit.”
“You want to put the battle axe in the backpack? Even if the handle is shortened, it won’t fit.”
“Just throw away some contents.”
It’s been quite a while since I organized the backpack.
As I rummaged through it to the bottom, strange books came out.
“Isn’t that the Martholran Lord’s book? Didn’t you return it?”
“Did I?”
Well, I might have forgotten.
Even if I go back to Martholran, that’s a distant future event.
I just casually threw it on the floor.
“It’s not working.”
It still doesn’t fit? It’s so stubborn.
I guess I’ll just come back later to pick it up.
Anyway, now it’s time for my axe.
“Now, let’s go back.”
“…Sure.”