chapter_0027

Chapter 26 : War heroes

It all happened in an instant.

“Alright, this concludes the mercenary test! You all worked hard!”

After completing the last recruit’s test, the mercenary test ended with words of congratulations for the efforts of the golden badge mercenaries.

“There are quite a few promising ones this time.”

“Should I try to build some rapport with that one over there?”

Mercenaries were talking about the new recruits that stood out in this test, planning to make an impression on them in advance.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work. The successful candidates should head to the counter to receive their badges, and those who need to retake the test, please register and aim for a new opportunity next week.”

The examiners also sent the recruits off as they announced the end of the mercenary test.

Everyone was speaking their minds, and the exam scene was being cleaned up in a rather chaotic manner.

“Well then… That new recruit looks good. Little lady, let’s go!”

“Yes.”

“Miss, come here.”

Finally, with the test wrapped up, Martin jumped down from the terrace to grab the recruit he’d been eyeing, and Zenre knelt down to lift Elia into her arms, intending to follow Martin.

And then, at that very moment.

At a time when nothing in this place seemed special, everything was ordinary.

A sudden loud ringing sound, along with a huge explosion, shattered everything.

KWA-AAAAANG—

-!!!!!

“Miss!”

“Ugh…!”

With the explosion, a tremendous shockwave shook the guild’s building.

Upon hearing the explosion, Zenre immediately covered Elia’s ears and pulled her into her embrace.

At the same time, Zenre’s own ears, which she hadn’t covered, were blocked by earplugs made of mana.

KUGUGUGUUNG—

It seemed that the explosion was not directly aimed at the guild’s building, so it didn’t collapse, but the ground trembled and the ceiling shook violently from how massive the blast was.

After about ten more seconds, the vibrations ceased, and the building quieted down.

“Miss, are you alright?! Are you hurt anywhere…?”

“I’m… alright… except for the ringing in my ears…”

“I’ll check your ears right away, Miss.”

Once the tremors stopped, Zenre, more than anything, checked on Elia’s condition, whom she had been holding in her arms.

Since the building hadn’t collapsed, there were no visible injuries on Elia’s body.

After hearing Elia’s words about her ringing ears, Zenre checked her ears and was relieved to find that her eardrums weren’t ruptured. It was just ringing due to the explosion.

“Thank goodness, there are no major injuries. We don’t know what’s going to happen next, so don’t stray even an inch from me, Miss.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

Perhaps because Zenre had never created such an oppressive atmosphere before, a fleeting look of fear crossed Elia’s face for a moment.

Seeing that, Zenre wondered if she had been too forceful, but she couldn’t afford to ease up now, as the situation was too dangerous.

Sss-

With a stiff expression, Zenre drew a sword from its scabbard, one she had barely used in the past few years.

Then, Zenre shouted to Martin, who was talking to a guild employee with an anxious expression below the terrace.

“Martin! What the hell is going on right now?!”

“Looks like some underground organization is causing a ruckus around the guild! They’re not attacking the building directly, but the aftermath is damaging it! I’ll check outside, you stay there and protect the little lady, Zenre!”

“Got it! I’ll stay!”

Amid the screams and loud voices from all directions, Zenre, having received the information, quickly scanned her surroundings and made a decision.

“The inside of the building is dangerous. If the fight outside brings down the building, it’ll be hard to deal with it with a sword.”

Whether the floor collapsed or the ceiling fell, staying inside the building would make it impossible to respond quickly if something happened.

However, running out to the open area outside would make it difficult to assess the situation, with mercenaries and guild employees running around kicking up sand and dust.

What was needed now was a place that would allow for quick action even if the building collapsed and a place that could continue monitoring the situation outside, while also being safe to protect Elia.

Zenre thought there was only one such place.

“Miss, please hold on to me. We’ll go up to the guild’s roof.”

The roof of the guild building, which was three stories high.

It was the most suitable place for the current situation.

In case of an emergency, they could jump to the roofs of other buildings to escape, it was a good place to assess the situation, and the underground organization members wouldn’t be able to climb up to the roof to avoid the mercenaries.

Even if they did, Zenre, having already taken the high ground, would have a far better advantage.

So, they were heading to the guild’s roof.

Hearing Zenre’s words, Elia unhesitatingly entrusted herself to her, and Zenre, holding her in her arms, stepped onto the terrace railing and leaped.

Boom—!!

With the mana-enhanced strength of her legs, Zenre launched herself into the air with Elia in her arms.

She turned a full circle and landed easily on the roof of the building.

“Miss, we don’t know the exact situation yet, so hold my hand and be careful…”

Just as Zenre was about to advise Elia, hoping to understand the situation better,

Thud-

With tremendous speed, two people landed in front of them. Zenre quickly raised her sword.

“Who is it?!”

But as soon as she identified the strangers, Zenre’s eyes widened and then softened with relief.

The two people who had landed were none other than people she had never expected to see here.

“Master! Ruina!”

It was Kael and Ruina.

However, even though Zenre called out, Kael and Ruina didn’t look at her.

Their gazes were fixed entirely on Elia, who was standing behind Zenre.

They scanned Elia from head to toe, not missing a single part of her.

“Mom… Dad…”

“…Phew, thank goodness. You’re safe, Elia.”

Once Ruina confirmed Elia was unharmed, she sighed with relief and staggered slightly, while Kael roughly ruffled Zenre’s head with his large hand.

“I’m sorry for sending you here first, Zenre. And thank you for protecting Elia.”

“No, Master. It’s my duty, of course.”

Zenre heard Kael’s voice for the first time, full of genuine gratitude and melting fear.

While stroking her head, Kael’s trembling hand, filled with a faint sense of relief, revealed just how anxious he had been all this time.

When Zenre replied with a smile, saying that there was no need for that, Kael slowly withdrew his hand from Zenre’s head and turned his body.

“Then, could you take care of Ellia for a little while longer?”

“As much as you need. In that case, Master and Lady Ruina…”

“Ruina and I… are going to take care of those guys.”

Swish.

With those words, the sword at Kael’s waist, which had never once been drawn before, finally revealed itself.

“Yes, that’s how it should be, Kael.”

Crack.

At the same time, Ruina pulled out the wooden branch hanging from her waist, and as she did, the branch transformed into a bow in her hand.

Was it an illusion that the figures of these two now overlapped with the memories of the two warriors seen long ago during the Human-Demon War?

Perhaps not.

Because even though they didn’t exude the same murderous aura as they did in wartime, the intent to kill within them was even more intensely concentrated now.

“I entrust Ellia to you, Zenre.”

“Zenre, we’re counting on you.”

Before she could even respond to those trusting words, Kael and Ruina vanished in an instant, leaving only footprints on the rooftop.

Zenre could only let out a clumsy smile as she muttered, watching their forms disappear in the blink of an eye.

“I’ve never seen them this angry before…”

She didn’t know exactly why those men had done such a thing or how they had the audacity to do it.

However, there were two things Zenre was absolutely certain of in this moment.

One—those underworld scoundrels had chosen the worst possible timing for their actions.

And the other—

“Those underworld scum… won’t be surviving this.”

Not a single one of the perpetrators of today’s events would walk away alive.

At the top of the clock tower, which had a clear view of the mercenary guild’s building, two high-ranking officers, Sherda and Benjamin, were overlooking the northeastern district, where explosions were erupting.

“Haah…! Now this is beauty! How many must have died from that explosion? Dozens of those filthy kingdom citizens, right?”

“The area was densely populated, so at least thirty people are probably dead. More, if you count the wounded.”

“And the shockwave alone rocked the guild building. What a shame, huh?”

A grand clash between underworld factions had begun with a massive explosion.

An unavoidable battle between criminal organizations was unfolding spectacularly in the northeastern streets, inevitably causing collateral damage to the mercenary guild.

In the chaos, citizens were being mistakenly slain, and bombs were haphazardly hurled at the guild building.

Blood began to flow naturally through the streets, and with the sound of agonized screams, people started fleeing from the northeastern district.

The mercenaries had yet to emerge from the guild, still busy assessing the situation and arming themselves.

Benjamin let out a chuckle at the sight, as if watching turtles retreating into their shells.

“The soldiers haven’t been deployed yet, have they?”

“No. The report just got through, so they’re probably scrambling like startled foals right about now. It’ll take at least ten more minutes.”

“What about the city guards?”

“There aren’t even thirty of them. Even if they rush here, they’ll barely take down half a dozen thugs before getting slaughtered themselves.”

Perfect.

Nodding at Sherda’s words, Benjamin’s small chuckle turned into a full-blown cackle.

The city guard was insignificant, and the kingdom’s soldiers needed another ten minutes to arrive. The mercenaries would take a similar amount of time.

Ten minutes.

That was more than enough time for the underworld scum wreaking havoc down there to finish their bloody work in style.

Who knew how many dozens—no, hundreds—more would die in that time?

Laughing at the incompetence of the kingdom, which was effectively granting the criminals a ten-minute head start, Benjamin turned his gaze back to the bloody northeastern streets.

Boom!

At that moment, something sliced through the air.

Blinking in confusion, Benjamin’s eyes followed the two figures soaring through the sky.

‘…What was that just now?’

Two human silhouettes shot through the air.

His gaze tracked their trajectory—to the roof of the mercenary guild’s building.

The very spot where a knight captain had been standing, watching over the scene with a young child.

And there, in front of the knight captain, stood two figures—likely the very ones responsible for the shockwave from earlier.

“…Those two?”

Narrowing his eyes, Benjamin focused his mana to get a clearer view of their faces.

Then, his head tilted in confusion as he recognized them.

He had seen them somewhere before—faces that felt strangely familiar.

And in the next moment, the realization finally struck him.

“…N-No way… Did they detect us?”

Despite the hundreds of meters separating them, one of the men was staring directly at him—clearly aware of his presence.

As their eyes met, Benjamin could see the man’s features distinctly.

And at last, the answer surfaced in his mind.

“Ka… Kael…?”

Kael, the War Hero.

The unparalleled swordsman who single-handedly shortened the Human-Demon War.

The pinnacle of all swordsmen, revered by warriors everywhere.

Why was that man standing there?

He was supposed to be living out his retirement in some remote countryside.

Why was he here, today, in the kingdom, at this very place?

Though Benjamin had realized the truth, his mind was still reeling with unanswered questions.

But before he could even process it further, Kael moved his lips and delivered a chilling message.

—Do not even think about dying easily.

A final death sentence.