While I was sleeping, Yuel woke me up.
Right after that, I felt an approaching presence.
‘There’s quite a few of them. At this time, in a place like this… who could it be?’
I held my breath.
I placed my hand on my sword and waited.
‘The direction seems to be towards me… but maybe slightly off. It’s ambiguous. Am I just in the way as they pass through? But why would they have a reason to pass by here?
I considered several possibilities.
To avoid the worst-case scenario, I needed to be alert.
Holding my breath, I hid and thought.
‘What’s my current state? Can I fight?’
Although I had just woken up, my mind quickly sharpened.
There’s also a Moon Deer by my side.
The spirit Yuel is powerful enough to be noteworthy.
‘Who could the opponent be? Human? Demon?’
I didn’t really care either way.
I had been through a lot in the five years.
Of course, there were several times when I had to kill.
Every time, I managed to pull it off.
The first kill, taking Sardis’s life for Eliya, had served as an effective vaccine for me.
The movements of the approaching figures abruptly stopped.
It seemed they had lit torches, and the shadows in the forest flickered.
Soon, I heard a voice.
“Is someone there?”
I slowly revealed myself before them.
Several torchbearers fixed their eyes on me.
I drew my sword, maintaining distance.
“Who are you? Reveal your identity.”
“Aaa…!”
The torchlight reflected on my sword, igniting fiercely.
Upon seeing my armor, they asked.
“A, are you a knight?”
“I thought I was the one asking first.”
“A, my apologies…! We are f, fleeing refugees. Our nearby village was attacked, and we are hurrying to escape…”
The man at the front spoke tremulously.
His face, marked by the passage of time.
The worn cloak that reached his ankles was certainly shabby.
“Hm. Given the context, it seems there was a misunderstanding. I apologize.”
I lowered the tip of my sword slightly and spoke.
“I’m not a knight, just someone wandering around. Quite common these days.”
“Ah, I see. If it isn’t too much trouble, could we stay with you for one night? As you can see, we’re all just ordinary refugees, and we have no means to protect ourselves against an attack.”
There were about eight of them.
A mix of men and women.
I nodded my head.
“Very well.”
“Thank you very much. While it’s not much, please take this…”
As the man approached, he reached into his pocket.
It seemed he wanted to give me something in return.
Just as he got close enough, I lunged at him with my sword.
In an instant, the blade pierced through, emerging out the other side of his neck.
“Gah…”
A sound like air escaping as blood gushed from his mouth.
His hand, which had been reaching for something, trembled and withdrew.
In his hand was a sharp dagger.
A chilling silence settled.
“Such poor lying skills.”
This was the border of the Demon Realm.
It’s easy to encounter humans as dangerous as demons here.
‘What kind of refugee would be carrying a torch in this forest? Eight of them at once? They might as well be praying for death.’
In other words, this meant they could walk around with a torch and still guarantee their safety.
They must be quite capable.
In fact, I had been hidden at an angle where they could not see me.
Yet, they spoke as if they had spotted me.
One more thing.
Although they looked like disoriented refugees, that was not the case.
Upon closer inspection, they had formed a battle formation.
A skilled formation, ready for combat at any moment.
I still wasn’t as clever as Eliya.
But I had learned enough perception to survive.
It wasn’t merely the reason I had ambushed them.
Since earlier, a survival expert had been warning me.
That death was right in front of me.
Thus, it meant these people were my enemies.
Breaking the silence, the so-called refugees rushed at me all at once.
Each brandishing a sharp weapon.
“Surround and kill him!”
“Don’t give him a chance to counterattack!”
Their true colors were revealed.
They surrounded me in an instant, cutting off my escape.
I didn’t even try to dodge or block.
“Yuel.”
Calling out her name, I soon felt my body lift into the air.
Yuel had leaped with me on her back.
Cutting through the cold night air, we flew upward.
Trees that had yet to sprout winter leaves were visible from below.
In the distance, only barren sand of the demon realm could be seen.
The cold night sky sparkled above.
The large full moon looked like a watching eye.
The frigid night air brushed past.
And right beneath us, the ones who had attacked me became entangled with each other.
I looked down at my armor.
‘Fast and sharp.’
Even though Yuel had jumped in an instant, I had been scratched.
They weren’t to be underestimated.
‘They aren’t simply defeated soldiers or mercenaries. Who do they belong to?’
With a firm grip on a thick tree, Yuel put her strength into it and drew a line towards another tree.
She stepped down, swiftly moving again.
Like a goat descending a cliff, Yuel traced a lightning-like path in the air, heading down.
“They’re coming! Be careful!”
Just as they tried to assume a defensive stance, Yuel landed behind them.
The enemies all turned around in unison.
However, I was nowhere to be found.
“Uh…?!”
The bewilderment of someone’s question split the air.
I swooped down ahead of Yuel, backstabbing the enemies who had turned their backs.
As Yuel landed opposite me, distracting them, I attacked from behind.
It was a teamwork trick only possible due to her spirit nature.
Thanks to Yuel’s incredible speed, it was hard to tell whether I was on her back or not.
“Behind you!”
“Let’s rush in at once!”
Enemies charged directly at me.
I parried the first attack with my shield.
“Gah!”
A one who lost balance fell from the force they charged with.
Another one got caught up because of him.
Retreating, I kicked the ground hard.
Swish-!
Dirt and grass flew up violently.
In that fleeting moment of obscured vision, I slashed at the hesitating opponent.
“Ugh!”
Screaming, they attempted to retreat but instead entangled with another.
‘…One’s missing?’
At that moment, my hairs stood on end.
A chill like ice gripped the nape of my neck.
Instinctively, I ducked and swung my hand back.
A hard object was caught under my glove.
‘A dagger…!’
With the dagger in hand, I leaned forward.
Something rolled in front of me.
Once I confirmed it was an enemy, I swung my sword to finish it.
‘Their stealth technique is impressive. They’re definitely not ordinary.’
There were five of them left.
“W-What is this deer…?!”
Meanwhile, Yuel began to rampage in the back.
The power of the Moon Deer, soaked in lunar energy, is formidable.
Especially on nights when the full moon is out.
The opponents were no mere pushovers.
But neither were we.
*
Every single enemy had been dispatched.
“Hm…”
I wiped the blood off my sword while pondering.
‘What is their identity?’
For now, I combined the information I had gathered.
‘Even after searching their bodies, there’s nothing to indicate their identity or faction. They were thoroughly prepared. Plus, their skill level is not normal.’
A simple conclusion emerged.
It wasn’t just because I made logical deductions with my head, but because I knew quite a bit about this world.
…Maybe my brain has improved a little?
‘It’s most likely an assassin group sent by someone.’
However, it was hard to guess who was behind it.
‘A faction that could send an assassin group to kill me.’
What was their true objective?
Me?
Surely not.
I’m not that significant of a figure.
‘What if it’s Balak?’
I know he thinks poorly of me to some extent, yet I don’t think it’s him.
For reasons unknown, Balak hasn’t tried to touch me like before.
More than anything, if Balak sent them, there was no way they would be this weak.
I suspect their goal is probably…
‘To weaken Eliya’s base?’
Then certain notable individuals can be narrowed down.
The Bevel Family’s children.
Cain, Levi, Jezebel, Aghan, Sara.
Unfortunately, I know nothing about those siblings.
‘I can’t know any more than this…’
I’ll report today’s incident to Eliya.
Being the smart Eliya, she should figure everything out.
‘Should I have left a survivor to interrogate…’
I set a bonfire amidst the corpses.
Using the torches they had brought made it easy.
There was no need to dispose of or clean up the bodies.
Someone would come to deal with it after seeing this fire.
Demons.
Creatures transformed by magical power from the forest.
Humans even more frightening than those two.
Whichever it is, they will kill and loot the bodies.
Moreover, I need to hurry and leave.
There’s no guarantee that an assassin group would only consist of these guys.
Reinforcements could be on their way here right now.
I need to leave quickly.
‘First, I need to clean the blood off my clothes.’
I approached Yuel.
“Let’s head to the nearby riverside.”
Yuel understood, of course, not only the words but the geography of the forest as well.
In situations like this, she’s much faster than I would be trying to find my way.
Once I hopped on, Yuel dashed in a straight direction.
As soon as the sound of a gently flowing creek wafted through, a shallow river appeared.
I washed off the blood in the dazzling moonlit waters.
‘An experienced tracker might follow the scent of blood.’
I need to erase traces here before moving on.
Rustle….
“Hm?”
The bushes on the opposite bank stirred.
The sound quickly retreated into the darkness on the other side.
Given how silent the survival expert was, it likely wasn’t an adversary or dangerous entity.
‘Just a beast, perhaps?’
After wiping off the blood, I looked at the sky.
It was still night, but sleep had fled.
‘Since I’m awake now, I might as well move on.’
If I find them quickly and return… well… there’s no harm in that.
*
On the opposite bank, a shadow that had been confirming a target cleaning the blood withdrew from the riverside.
The whereabouts of the target had been found again, but it was risky to approach from the front.
He observed.
He witnessed the figure tracking the young man.
He was considering the possibility of subduing him after a fight, should it come to that.
However, upon seeing the young man fight, he instantly canceled that plan.
He was a far more formidable swordsman than expected.
‘I was planning to strike the moment he slept, but that won’t be easy. His senses are sharp.’
Pulling his hood down deeply, the man turned away.
He moved towards the battleground where the attackers who had assaulted the young man lay defeated.
The place was where a campfire flickered amidst the surroundings.
There, a few who barely held onto life would spot him.
“W-Who are you…!”
“Are you reinforcements?”
“……”
In the uncomfortable silence, the survivors gazed at the stranger.
Illuminated by the firelight yet appearing shadowy.
He didn’t look friendly at all.
The stranger ultimately did not answer.
Arming himself with a sword from the ground, he immediately sliced off one of their heads.
“What are you doing…! Who are you?!”
The stranger approached the remaining individuals.
The survivors were unable to struggle or retreat.
They were already on the brink of death, waiting for it to come.
The stranger raised his sword.
At the same moment, something strange occurred.
Blood began to rise from the neck of the freshly beheaded comrade.
Droplets of blood rose even from the body of another already deceased ally.
Their comrades rapidly withered away.
Just before the sword fell.
The survivor realized the stranger’s magic and identity.
“A Dark Wizard…!”
Thud-!
Blood and death cries scattered through the air.
Crackle, crackle.
In the nighttime forest, the campfire blazes.
Fresh blood splattered into the air like being sprayed.
The rising blood gathered, forming a red mist.
That mist was drawn under the stranger’s sleeve.
Sensing the vitality of the absorbed blood, he recalled the face of Judas.
A grown-up image compared to their first meeting.
A child he had brainwashed.
‘Seems I need to approach more cautiously and meticulously.’
Confirming that his dark magic was brimming, the Dark Wizard departed the forest.
‘Everything is for Lord Johan.’
*
Early morning.
Ria cautiously entered Eliya’s Bedroom.
As usual, she arrived a little earlier than necessary to wake her.
This was to see the sleeping Eliya.
Even though she had matured, some remnants of her childhood remained on her face, bringing Ria joy just to gaze at.
But….
“…Miss?”
Eliya wasn’t in bed.
Ria hurriedly touched the bed.
There was no warmth left.
Sometimes Eliya would wake up even earlier than her, but this didn’t seem to be the case.
‘But I confirmed she went to sleep yesterday….’
The window was locked, but it was a meaningless check.
Eliya could use teleportation.
Suddenly, Ria sensed something unusual from the usual routine.
There were no flower pots on the window sill.
The anemone pots that Eliya had checked every morning for the past five years.
‘…Could it be?’
Ria cautiously entered the neighboring room.
This was Judas’s room.
As expected.
Eliya was asleep in Judas’s bed.
The sunlight illuminated two pots sitting side by side on the windowsill.
Ria approached the bed, unable to hold back a laugh.
The figure of a soundly sleeping Eliya came into view.
The pillow she lay her head on, the blanket pulled up to her chin were all Judas’s.
She held a cat doll in her arms and hadn’t forgotten her usual red blanket around her neck.
Tossing in her sleep, she brushed her face against the pillow.
A habit she often displayed towards Judas.
Seeing her looking like she was flirting unintentionally, Ria broke into a warm smile.
Unconsciously reaching out to tidy her hair, she stopped.
‘I must….’
I should be someone who doesn’t exist.
Steeling her heart, she lowered her own hand.
Unlike Narcissi, I have no base or power.
I’m not strong on my own like Balak; I’m just one of many ordinary, feeble humans.
Thus, all I can do is a bit of information distortion and manipulation.
The true target of the bait Eliya threw was not any of Balak’s children.
It would’ve been nice if those guys got caught too, but it wouldn’t matter if not.
Ria neatly packaged that bait and delivered it to them.
That was all she could do.
What a pitiful reality.
That’s all I’m able to offer.
‘There’s so much more I want to do….’
But I must not reveal myself.
I am Eliya’s weakness.
It’s too late to reveal myself now.
Knowing how much pain Eliya would feel if she learned the truth, I would rather remain a shadow and eventually disappear.
Someone is already there to replace me.
Before long, both flower pots began to sprout.
Eliya faintly smiled in her dreams.
Ria alternately glanced between Eliya and the pots, forcing a bitter smile.
*
At dawn, Judas arrived at the entrance of a ruins.
After surveying the surrounding scenery, he reaffirmed.
“This is it.”
The place where the Sun Symbol is enshrined.
It matched his memory.
‘Looks like I’ll be able to return earlier than expected.’
Judas led Yuel into the entrance of the ruins.
Moments later, a man arrived at the entrance where Judas had disappeared.
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