episode_0006

A fountain in the center of the city of Mulledi.

There, Bedi and his group were waiting for me.

But there were more people in Bedi’s group than I had anticipated.

“I thought there would be about a dozen or so.”

Roughly counting, there seemed to be over twenty.

“I wanted fewer people…”

Thinking about the upcoming battle with them made my chest feel strangely tight.

Perhaps it was a natural reaction.

When the number of people I had to kill increased, of course, I wouldn’t feel good.

I’m not a bloodthirsty killer who enjoys murder.

“Oh, have you arrived? You’re later than I thought.”

Bedi warmly greeted me, who arrived late.

I expressed my apologies for his reaction.

Or rather, I pretended to.

“Haha, I’m sorry. Have you been waiting long?”

“Oh, not really.”

“…That’s fortunate.”

Bedi’s words were a lie.

Bedi had waited for me for a long time.

I arrived much later than them.

And before speaking to Bedi, I eavesdropped.

Hmm… Did I run away?

Run away?

Yes. If I hadn’t noticed and run away, I wouldn’t be here like this.

Is that so…

Shall we release the kids to check?

That kind of conversation.

I did wake up late.

But honestly, it wasn’t something worth calling oversleeping.

Just…

“We only talked about the meeting place, not the time…”

Naturally, I thought we would leave at noon.

So I took my time like this.

But it seemed like they had been waiting for me for quite some time.

Their patience is remarkable… truly diligent.

“I should have come a bit earlier.”

“Haha, no. Considering the time for preparations, you arrived at the right time.”

Bedi laughed heartily.

But his eyes weren’t laughing.

It seemed like he was reproaching me for arriving late.

“If you’re going to pretend to be a merchant, at least practice hiding your emotions…”

To show your emotions so openly.

Does he reveal his emotions like that to look down on me?

Bedi still spoke with a gentle smile.

“Shall we start moving now?”

“Oh, yes! Should I stick to the rear?”

“If you would, I’d appreciate it. Alright, everyone! Let’s go!”

“Yes!!!”

And so, the journey with the merchant Bedi began.

***

The first day of escorting.

As expected.

Nothing happened at all.

As night fell, it was time to rest.

I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.

“Lord Bedi, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

I listened carefully to the conversation between Bedi and one of his subordinates from afar.

“Why are you leaving him alone like that? Isn’t it okay to start the job now?”

I was curious about that too.

I was on edge, not knowing when we would be attacked.

Honestly, I was worried that we would be attacked as soon as we left the village.

“You don’t know how fun it is to make people unhappy.”

“What?”

“Do you know how fun it is to betray someone when they’re about to sell the magic stones? How desperate they’ll be?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“He’ll be excited that he can sell the magic stones soon. But then, watch him get betrayed. How desperate do you think he’ll be?”

“Ah! You’re truly a master… Lord Bedi!”

He’s truly wicked.

But I was grateful for that wickedness.

Thanks to that thought, I felt like I could safely reach the South.

***

“Miss Asia… Are you really going to go on this journey?”

Asia Messiah looked at the nanny, who was sending her a worried look.

The nanny, who was like a mother to Asia, who had no mother.

That’s why Asia took the nanny’s worries as if they were her mother’s worries.

“Yes. I have to.”

“No matter what…”

The nanny knew Asia’s abilities.

In fact, Asia was a talented swordsman who had no match among her peers.

The blood of Geomseong couldn’t be deceived.

Yet, the worry was inevitable.

“You know the reason why I must make my debut, right, Yumo?”

Asia’s reason for wanting to make her debut this time.

It was to gain recognition.

“You know. The nobles in the South are gradually distancing themselves from our family.”

With Geomseong not returning.

The pressure from the royal family was growing stronger.

At this rate, it was becoming more likely that she would have to marry a prince.

The impact of this pressure began to turn the Southern nobles away.

More accurately, they began to side with the royal family.

That’s why Asia decided to take action.

To help the Southern nobles, to strengthen the alliance with the South even further.

“Now is the time to solidify the alliance with the South. So, I can’t afford to miss out as the next head of the family.”

“But still…”

“Don’t worry, Yumo. You know I’m strong.”

“…Be careful.”

“Don’t nag me!”

In truth, Asia’s goal was not just to win the favor of the Southern nobles.

It was a bigger goal.

“To gain recognition and become stronger than now.”

If Geomseong was not in the Messiah family, then she would become the new Geomseong herself.

Enduring the pressure from the royal family and becoming the new Geomseong was her current goal.

“Then, I will make my debut!”

As Asia led the knights to make her debut, Yumo still looked at her with a worried expression.

***

The journey with Vedi passed quickly.

They had already arrived in the South.

Perhaps that was why.

“Hey, enjoying yourself? Even though there’s no need for an escort, you’re getting a free escort.”

“The Iron Mercenaries made it to the South so easily. It’s like a walk in the park.”

Vedi’s subordinates began to openly show their hostility towards me.

Among them, the one who showed the most hostility towards me was a guy named Las.

“… ”

Unlike the others, Las didn’t directly ignore me.

He just continued to glare at me.

But that was the most burdensome.

Dealing with such strong hostility all day was starting to get a little annoying.

“By the way, Las… he was the gatekeeper. He probably informed Vedi of my presence.”

Gatekeeper Las.

Judging by the open hostility he showed, he was probably the one most deeply connected to the other five before.

“Anyway, the time is coming.”

Seeing how they were treating me, it seemed that the time was near.

Twenty-seven men.

The enemies I had to kill.

My hands involuntarily tensed with tension.

“It’s a fork in the road.”

Vedi, who was leading the way, shouted.

Two forks in the road.

One had tracks from a carriage passing through, while the other had no traces at all.

Moreover, the road was rough.

Nevertheless…

“I’ll go right.”

I chose the rough path.

The meaning was simple.

Choosing the path where people were less likely to be was choosing the place where I would be killed.

“It’s really coming soon.”

Now they were exchanging glances among themselves.

They probably gave each other signals.

“There are no skilled individuals among them.”

At the level of street thugs stronger than ordinary people.

The strength of back alley bullies.

Twenty-seven of those people had gathered.

“It shouldn’t be too difficult to deal with them. But…”

Since I had decided to face them, I had to be prepared.

That meant I had to be ready to kill them all.

I have no intention of being a hypocrite.

If someone draws a sword on me, I have no choice but to kill them.

“Murder…”

An ordinary person would feel an overwhelming burden at the thought of murder.

But I was different.

My mind remained calm.

“Am I a psychopath?”

To feel calm about having to kill someone soon was strange.

I had never experienced anything like this in my past lives.

But oh well…

“It’s better than feeling the burden of murder.”

It was better than making a mistake due to tension and getting killed.

Getting killed by those back alley thugs.

“I don’t even want to imagine it.”

Life’s end comes back around, and I don’t want to die in vain.

Especially since my past death was already in vain.

“If I have to die, I want it to be a meaningful, glorious death, not just rolling down the stairs.”

I want to do the last moments of my life properly.

Maybe these thoughts are what eliminate my aversion to murder.

As I was organizing my thoughts like that.

“Arrival!”

Bedi’s shout.

At the same time, Bedi’s companions surrounding me.

I deliberately showed a bewildered look.

“W-what, what is this?”

Breaking through the encirclement, Bedi approached.

“You said you’re Ars? Hmph, you may not know me, but I know you.”

“You know me…?”

“The item you’re trying to sell in the south, that must be a magic stone.”

“H-how did you…!”

As expected.

Bedi was aiming for the magic stone.

“That’s my item. It’s useless to steal someone else’s item.”

“….”

“Now, I must take it back.”

I saw a man approaching Bedi.

Las.

Las pleaded with Bedi.

“Please wait a moment!”

“Las? Ah… that’s right. Fine, do as you wish.”

Las took a step towards me.

“…I know you didn’t kill my brother.”

“Brother?”

“You’ll remember. The man with a scar on his forehead.”

Scar?

I don’t know about the scar, but…

“I know the man with a scar on his forehead.”

“Who killed my brother.”

Who did it?

Should I tell him?

After a moment of contemplation, I shook my head.

“Even if you come in, there’s nothing you can do.”

A mere thug like him wouldn’t be a match for a member of the Geumseong.

“You!!!”

Las started shouting in anger.

But he didn’t rush forward with reason.

“Hah… if you get tortured, you’ll spill the beans.”

Las looked at Bedi.

“Bedi, please.”

Bedi put on a sly smile.

“Alright. Don’t get hurt for nothing, subdue him. Medical bills are expensive.”

“Yes!!!”

The men gradually closing in on the encirclement.

In the meantime, I drew the sword the old man had given me.

“Oh…!”

“A famous sword!”

“Sir, how about using that sword as a reward?”

“Fine!!! Give the sword to the one who stands out the most!”

At Bedi’s words, one man pushed aside the encirclement and rushed out.

Clearly…

‘The one who was particularly annoying to me.’

Hains.

His name was definitely Hains.

Hains rushed towards me.

I swung the sword towards the charging Hains.

There was no need to use mana.

Just swordsmanship.

I drew a perfect straight line.

And then.

“Ugh…!”

Hains, whose throat was cut, knelt down and fell.

A moment of silence.

And Bedi shouted.

“What are you doing! Attack quickly!!!”

Bedi, who recognized my skill, became desperate.

He was so urgent in ordering his subordinates to ‘attack quickly.’

The men who were slowly closing in on me began to rush towards me one by one.