9 – Episode 9. When Five People Gather (4)
The runaway ninja’s mission was temporarily suspended.
It doesn’t matter if I just go in and kill them all, but without knowing how to read, I can’t extract any information.
He’s not just an escaped ninja with a murder weapon.
So for the remaining three days, I studied letters.
I fell asleep in the middle of the second day because it was too boring. Difficult words make ninjas feel like babies.
I continued to learn during the second quest, but there was no income. Of course, the quest was just child’s play.
The request was to catch a swarm of yokai grasshoppers that appeared in the countryside, but it was too much trouble to kill each one, so I killed them all with a ninja fireworks party.
In the third quest, I killed a strange yokai called the venomous monkey.
This yokai, with a tail with a poisonous sting and a body like a lure, was small but agile and had a highly dangerous paralyzing venom in its tail, which made it difficult for my party members except me.
Especially this idiot named Saetun had no clue and got stung by the venom, turning into a stone-like state. He suffered a lot.
All the money Saetun earned so far went to the treatment for the venom.
At least he has some awareness, so he didn’t get stung by the venom this time when he didn’t come out to collect arrows.
The problem is that he still received some money even after playing as a spectator in Team Q.
Orphe and Bonita always do their part, needless to say.
“Learn from the past, serve the present, and move towards the future.”
After the third quest, I was finally able to read and write easy words.
Even I think it’s a talent bestowed by the Buddha.
The phrase I just read aloud is a propaganda slogan of the Red Whale Matap, the company that made my ninja suit.
Among the Matap, it is said to have the greatest power and highest recognition.
“You’re doing well. Let’s finish up here and go.”
Orphe stood up with his armor on, carrying his luggage.
According to the internal clock, we had to go to the guild for the fourth quest in less than an hour.
It seems that strange monsters keep appearing in a place called Maple Leaf Village.
This quest required me to travel a long distance, so I had to pack my belongings considering that I might have to stay overnight. Of course, Orphe carries all the luggage.
“Nin-nin.”
It’s definitely convenient to have a subordinate. I think that voluntary outcasts should be recognized as official members of society, even though school violence, group bullying, and shuttle shops should disappear.
While asking Orphe about basic common sense and walking, I saw someone familiar with the market.
“Buy some herbs~ herbs~”
For a vendor, he had a voice without any pretense.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that he was selling strangely shaped weeds in five baskets.
Indeed, is it necessary for a Jack-of-all-trades to have a side job? But with three quests, I must have earned a decent amount of money, right?
“Mr. Jina?”
Orphe spoke first.
I was thinking about talking to him, but he beat me to it. It can’t get any easier than this.
“Oh? Orphe, and Mr. Robin too? Hello~”
Jina greeted us warmly. During our time together, Orphe and Jina had become quite close after having many conversations.
Our party members had such rounded personalities that we got along well without major conflicts.
Honestly, that brat Saiten wasn’t a pervert, but he did have an abnormal s*xual appetite. He wasn’t a counter-revolutionary yakuza either.
“Why are you selling herbs here? Are you in debt or something?”
“No… I just needed some money for my father’s treatment and equipment, so I’m a bit short on living expenses.”
Jina’s belt, as he spoke with a gloomy expression, had two daggers stuck in it.
Damn it, did he finally buy them? Of course, he must have bought arrows too, right?
Otherwise, I swear to the Buddha that even if I can’t kill you, I’ll beat you up at least ten times.
“Well, I should start heading home and get ready now. I’ll see both of you later.”
Passing by, she balanced five baskets on her head and stood up.
She had more muscle mass than she appeared, making her body sturdy.
I learned archery to build the perfect ninja body, but pulling the bowstring was unexpectedly difficult. If you don’t have strong muscles, you can’t be an archer.
The bulging muscles of her arms proved that.
“Wait a minute. Since we met like this, I’ll help you carry your luggage. You’re just going straight home anyway.”
Orphe sent me a look as if asking if I was okay. It didn’t matter since I was just going to walk.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. Thank you, though.”
Even though she said that, she quickly put down the baskets.
The body doesn’t lie. I ignored Jina, who handed me a basket on the sly.
“Nin-nin.”
Of course, Orphe carried it for me instead.
After walking for about ten minutes away from the market, we saw a dilapidated thatched house hidden in the bushes.
The grass in the basket that Jina brought was spread out, looking exactly like the weeds here. She was a total scammer.
“Daddy~ I’m here~!”
Jina ran out with a cute act, using only her size. Soon, a man opened the door and came out.
“Our Jina is here~? Oh, um, who are these people?”
The man, who was pleasantly surprised to see Jina, stopped in his tracks.
Jina’s father, who leaned on crutches, was a middle-aged man with an excessive sense of decadence.
Top-ranked middle-aged man in the city.
Orpheus’s heart was pounding… but his expression remained as stoic as ever. Perhaps Orpheus was an as*xual.
Anyway, now I understood why she was called Papa Girl.
Your face determines your credibility. The excited look on Jina’s face when she introduced us to her father was childlike.
“I have heard a lot about you from Jina. Thank you so much for helping her. It’s humble, but please come in and have some tea.”
I didn’t really want to go in, but it was too late to back out now, so I just went inside.
Orpheus seemed to have no thoughts either way and followed me in.
Jina’s father brought out the tea, but upon closer inspection, it turned out that he had washed the weeds that were growing outside.
This is driving me crazy, seriously.
“Is today the fourth request? It’s already gotten to that point, Jina is really amazing. She’ll soon become a true adventurer.”
Pat pat.
Jina’s father, who was talking to us, suddenly started patting Jina’s head, unaware of the embarrassment.
Jina happily accepted the touch with a beaming smile. It’s an obsessive family love.
Well, still, it was always nice to see the happy faces of the people.
When you have someone you love by your side, you find a way to live with a smile.
I listened to the conversation between the women for a while and said that I wanted to go outside and get some fresh air.
Jina talks so much when she’s with her dad. It’s so tiring.
“Phew.”
I took a deep breath using the ninja breathing technique after a long time. I should take a nap on the carriage.
Creak.
The old door opened, and Orpheus came out.
Was it something she couldn’t bear either?
Orpheus, slowly walking around the grassy surroundings, stood next to me.
As the wind blew, the scampering weeds and Orpheus’s thick blue hair fluttered.
It seems like her hair has improved since the mine.
“At first, I thought you were a person with a frozen heart. But now I know that’s not true. Still, it’s the first time I’ve seen you smile like that. It’s quite fascinating.”
“Nin?”
“When you were talking to Father Jina, you were smiling. It seemed like you enjoyed seeing that side of him.”
“Nin-nin.”
“They said you fought with the officers in the mine because of the people who were brought in. It was Shino Bin’s mission and the duty of a deserter, right? Honestly, I didn’t believe those words completely. But seeing you today, my thoughts have changed.”
“Abu, trouble.”
“I’m not good at lying, Abu. That’s why I usually save my words.”
As I was teasing Orpheus and Nogari, Jina, armed and carrying luggage, came out soon after.
“Dad, I’ll be back~! Take care and stay at home as much as possible~!”
“Yeah, yeah. Captain Robin, Miss Orpheus. Please take care of our Jina.”
“Don’t worry, Dad~!”
“Understood. Don’t worry too much, I’ll be back soon.”
“Nin-nin.”
***
The rotting corpses torn apart by monsters emitted a terrible smell.
Stefan involuntarily licked his lips at the nauseating smell.
“Stefan, what’s wrong?”
There was only one person in the world who still called Stefan “sir” after he had been stripped of his knighthood for the mistakes of his youth.
Stefan looked at Lady Blofelt with her aging face, carrying the weight of the years.
Lady Rachel Blofelt, the successor of the Blofelt family who believed in Stefan and hired him, despite his wife and son leaving him and waiting for the day of his death, was the only reason Stefan was still alive.
“Just momentarily overwhelmed by a horrifying sight. I apologize.”
Rachel nodded, assuring him it was alright, and turned her attention back to the man observing the tragedy in the mine.
The man, who had proven his identity as a special inspector, meticulously examined the scattered corpses, taking out paper and pen to jot something down.
“Lady Blofelt, is it true that this information is being controlled?”
“Absolutely. Even the residents who reported the monsters roaming in the mountains had no idea what exactly had happened. Only a few people in the Blofelt family knew about this incident.”
“It seems like many people have lived and returned from here based on the evidence, but there is no one who knows their whereabouts?”
“It was discovered too late, so the Blofelt family couldn’t take any measures. I’m sorry.”
“Hmm, it’s alright.”
The man, dressed in a sophisticated smoking jacket, took out a state-of-the-art pipe with the emblem of the Red Whale Matou engraved on it and sought permission from Rachel with his gaze.
Rachel gestured that it was okay.
The man blew mana into the pipe and lit the fire.
Stefan, who had been watching them from a distance while checking the net, frowned.
The man’s pipe, which had been enjoyed for a short time, went out.
“Phew, looks like we have something to live for.”
“So, how do you plan to find out what happened?”
“Hmm.”
The man tapped his pipe as if pondering.
“Is it something I can’t talk about?”
Rachel’s voice became noticeably smaller. She was determined to find out the truth about this bizarre incident.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Since the policy has already been set.”
The man chuckled and put the pipe into his chest pocket.
“All these dead bodies here are high-ranking members of the assassination group called ‘Sagal’s Tail.’ I confirmed it by the small tattoos engraved on their collarbones.”
“…”
“They mainly take on commissions from nobles to eliminate other nobles. There were quite a few dead nobles, so even the kingdom was secretly pursuing them. They moved mysteriously with unique skills, making it difficult to track them accurately, let alone determine the exact scale.”
“Sagal’s Tail…”
Rachel’s pupils dilated. It was a name she had never heard before.
“They secretly train assassins, and judging by the facilities and scattered tools, this place seems to be their base.”
“Was there any internal conflict?”
“Internal conflict?”
The man laughed, a dignified and low chuckle.
“That’s not the case. Sagal’s Tail was all slaughtered by one person.”
The man explained the positions of the corpses, the swords, and the equipment, describing the situation at the time.
“Is that even possible?”
“It’s impossible. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It seems that Sagal’s Tail raised a tremendous monster and got devoured.”
“…It’s terrifying to think that such a dangerous killer is still roaming the territory. I have to inform the people in the territory.”
Even as a special inspector, she didn’t hold much power.
Rachel assumed a dignified posture only to show respect and formality for her profession.
She didn’t know how the man had found his way here, but every incident that occurred on the Count’s territory had to be resolved in the Count’s way.
That was the way of the Irugal Kingdom, which respected the rights of the nobles.
Even if a crisis were to occur here, she had Stephan and the loyal soldiers outside the mine with her.
As soon as the man drew his sword, Stephan would come running, and Rachel had the confidence to withstand the man’s attack until Stephan arrived.
“If there is a specific direction you desire, Inspector, we will do our best to accommodate it on the Count’s side.”
“That’s a good idea.”
From Noble mtl dot com
The man, who had been obediently agreeing, suddenly asked a question.
“Lady Blofeld, do you happen to know the Seven Sword Commanders of the Swordsmanship Association?”
The Swordsmanship Association. An organization of the kingdom’s strongest knights who protect the king.
“I have heard from my father. It’s a title given to seven exceptional knights in the Swordsmanship Association.”
“Do you know a knight called the Absolute Sword Commander among those Seven Swords?”
…”
A forced smile appeared on the man’s unsettling face.
Stephan, sensing something, raised his hand to his sword and slowly approached the man.
“Step back. Put your hand against the wall.”
Even in the face of Stephan’s threat, the man spoke.
“You’re silent. The Absolute Sword Commander is famous for his skill in close-range combat. It is said that he has even overcome the weakness of being weak in mid-range. If you don’t know the Absolute Sword Commander, you wouldn’t know his hobbies either. Let me enlighten you.”
“…Stephan.”
The man slowly approached Rachel.
Rachel took a step back, reminding herself not to give him any distance.
The man pulled out a strange tool from his waist.
“Stephen! Call the soldiers immediately!”
Bang!
With a loud noise, a hole was pierced through Rachel’s body.
Smoke emanated from the bizarre object in the man’s hand.
“The sword of judgment enjoys both killing and idle chatter. Dealing with the most secretive incidents in the kingdom, my mouth can’t help but itch unless I share with someone.”
Rachel fell to the ground without even a scream.
“Miss!”
Stephen screamed and ran towards the man.
The man turned the weapon that killed Rachel around and put it back in his waist, waiting for Stephen while raising his hand to his temple.
Arrogance that only those who believe they have overwhelming superiority can possess.
Swoosh!
Stephen’s body was split in half without even a reaction.
The man, who effortlessly sliced through even the thick plate armor, did not move an inch.
“Ugh…”
Stephen, who was still clinging to life, wondered why the man had done such a thing, and why he had to kill Rachel.
But even after being stripped of his position, the knight’s heart, which he could not abandon, asked for the name of the one who took his life with a single blow.
“Name…”
“Hmm?”
“What’s your name…”
Stefan’s eyes clouded as he struggled to hold onto consciousness.
“James Bonk, sir.”
The man flashed a charming smile.