episode_0004

Maxwell, the head of the Thongs Corporation, not only ran away with the money but also gave me a heavy blow to the back of my head.

To get back at him, I finished my hiding life and came out, but I was at a loss as to what to do next.

I knew I had to hide my original identity and create a fake one, but I had mostly relied on Maxwell for that.

“Ugh…! I had more expectations from the Thongs Corporation than I imagined.”

Avoiding people and not wanting to expand my connections had backfired on me.

By forming a close relationship with the Thongs Corporation and fully supporting them, I had built trust with them, only to be betrayed.

“I didn’t think I was so blind to Alaina.”

The provocation I had made to the Holy Sword eight years ago came to mind, making my face flush.

I hadn’t even realized that Maxwell was harboring ill intentions towards me.

“I feel humiliated……”

There were hardly any people I knew, and enemies surrounded me from all sides.

The Holy Kingdom, the Demons, the Creed Assassins, and those who coveted the title of Sword Saint.

Wherever I went, there were only hostile forces, so I needed a plan.

“First, I need to hide my face quickly.”

The hood and mask that assassins had recklessly attacked me with.

The smell of blood and sweat mixed together was unpleasant, but I had no choice but to wear them.

I pulled the mask up to my nose and flipped the hood over my head.

Dressed in leather armor, I stood in front of the mirror, looking quite convincing as an assassin.

“I’m ready to go, but I’m already annoyed……”

I didn’t need to hide my identity, and I could easily defeat those who challenged me.

But if I made a big scene, news of me would reach Maxwell’s ears, and then there was a possibility of fleeing even further.

Therefore, if I wanted to deal with him quickly, I had to move discreetly while hiding my appearance.

“It’s all my fault.”

Muttering complaints, I set fire to my beloved home and left.

Crackle! Crackle!

As I walked on the deserted mountain, I could hear the sound of snow crunching under my feet.

I had heard this sound countless times over the past 8 years, so I could immediately tell if there was any noise mixed in.

“What idiots have crawled all the way here during the Ice Smilodon’s breeding season?”

The roar of a beast and the screams of humans coming from below the mountain.

Having spent a long time on the mountain, I could immediately identify the creature just by its cry.

Having caught each type of creature living in the mountains one by one, I knew their appearance as well.

The creature currently attacking humans was a large beast with sharp fangs like a tiger.

With ice fangs sharper than icicles, it could cut off the vital artery of a creature or pierce through the skull.

It was a very fierce creature that even five knights would have a hard time defeating.

“But if there are only two humans being attacked……”

If I ignored them, they would definitely become the Smilodon’s prey.

I had no obligation to help them, but as I had just regretted, I had lived without building too many connections with others.

If there had been someone other than Maxwell whom I could trust, I might have been able to resolve things relatively easily.

It was nothing but a belated regret, but it might be better to slowly build relationships now.

With a firm resolve, I ran towards the source of the sound.

“Hmph!”

“Ahhhh!”

Sliding down the steep path, I leaped off the cliff.

Amidst the swirling snowstorm, my gaze was fixed on the blurry figure of the Ice Smilodon.

As I neared the ground, I spread my palm and clenched my fingers.

“Haah!”

Just before my foot touched the ground, I struck the Smilodon’s neck with the blade of my hand.

Crack!

Upon impact, a deafening sound reverberated, creating a crack in the ground.

The snow piled at the landing point scattered in all directions, creating a hazy snow fog around.

As the snow fog gradually dissipated over time, the head of the Ice Smilodon rolled around at my feet.

Simultaneously, the Smilodon’s body, with its detached neck, tilted to the side and collapsed.

“Ugh!”

“Are you alright?”

“Uh? Yes…?”

“I asked if you’re alright.”

“Oh…! Yes! Thanks to you, I survived!”

“Good to hear. Ice Smilodons are very sensitive during mating season, so it’s best not to venture near their territory.”

“Oh… I didn’t know that.”

“If you’re from around here, it’s common knowledge. Are you from out of town?”

“Yes. I’m a wandering merchant from the south named Fabio. And this is my daughter, Rama.”

“R-Rama!”

A bearded man and a young lady with rosy cheeks.

Her red hair was a color not easily found in the north.

It seems believable that they came from the south.

“I apologize for saying this, but this is not a safe place for women to conduct business alone.”

“Yes, we are aware of that. But due to difficult circumstances, we needed urgent help and had no other choice.”

“I heard that the north has many dangerous beasts and difficult terrain, so they pay a high price for specialty goods from other regions!”

“That’s why you risked all these dangers to come here?”

“Yes!”

Reckless.

The reason I made this mountain my hideout is because of the fierce beasts like Ice Smilodons.

Even for a skilled individual, letting your guard down could cost you your life in an instant.

That’s why I’ve managed to survive without being noticed by anyone.

But a woman wandering around the dangerous mountains without any protection?

It was like committing suicide.

But the reason they took this risk must be the circumstances mentioned earlier.

“If you feel like your life is not worth risking, please turn back now.”

“…I can’t do that.”

“Then at least hire some guards or a knowledgeable guide. Otherwise, you’ll die in vain.”

“We don’t even have the funds to hire people. That’s why I can’t repay the favor from our benefactor. I’m truly sorry…!”

The woman’s situation seems worse than imagined.

It seems like they’ve staked their luck on this journey to the point of being prepared to die if it fails.

Although they lack strength, the determination in their eyes is stronger than anyone else’s.

“Sigh…!”

To disregard the consequences and throw caution to the wind is truly foolish.

But personally, I liked them.

I, too, resorted to pickpocketing in the past, prepared to die.

“I don’t need any compensation. I didn’t do it expecting any reward.”

“Thank you for your kindness. Even though we can’t do anything for you now, we promise to repay you when we have the means in the future!”

“Well, instead of that, if there’s a way you can repay the favor right now, what would you do?”

“What?”

“It’s nothing grand. Just hire me as your mercenary escort to prove my identity.”

“As I mentioned before, we don’t have the funds to hire mercenaries…!”

“Do not worry. If you promise to keep the conditions I mentioned, I will help you for free.”

An excellent opportunity to get a free pass to Gyeongseong, although such opportunities did not come every day.

“Then, wouldn’t it be a loss for you, sir?”

“Not necessarily. Just as you have your reasons, I also have reasons that I cannot disclose. I considered this proposal to be more beneficial than harmful.”

First of all, I could deceive my identity and move around freely.

When entering villages, individuals must go through a process to prove their identity.

However, for merchants, only their merchant status is closely inspected, and employees are let off with a warning.

Since merchants include a clause in the employment contract stating that they will take responsibility for their employees, I could enter the village without any issues by accompanying this lady.

Furthermore, there were benefits to be gained from traveling with wandering merchants.

As merchants who traveled to various regions, they had access to a vast amount of information.

Among them, there was a high possibility of obtaining information about the Tongsu Trading Company and Maxwell, who had fled.

Even if it wasn’t available now, it would naturally come if I waited.

“What do you think? Isn’t the offer tempting?”

“I know that I would feel very secure if you were to protect us, but…”

“If you think so, then you should hire us even more! There may be risks ahead on the road, you know?”

Perhaps because she still couldn’t fully trust us, the lady was hesitating to accept my proposal outright.

Being appropriately suspicious was a good sign.

If they had readily accepted my proposal, I had planned to change my mind and leave after saying that.

There was nothing more unreliable than information from someone with loose lips.

Of course, being too suspicious was also not good, but that concern was resolved before it became an issue.

“Understood. We will hire you as our lady’s escort.”

“Oh, Father?”

“If the lady hadn’t helped us, we would have been cold corpses. Besides, since we’ve already thrown the dice, there’s no reason not to throw them again, right?”

“…That’s true.”

“For those reasons, I ask for your cooperation. Um…”

“Excuse me, I’m late with my introduction. My name is Aaron, Fabiel.”

“That’s a very cool name. I look forward to working with you, Aaron.”

“Alright, let’s work together!”

“Don’t worry. I will safely escort both of you to your destination.”

I disguised myself as a bodyguard in Gyeongseong.

***

The Papal Office within the Kynell Empire.

A gloomy Alaina was working with the deacons, her face pale with worry.

The reason for her melancholy was that there had been no news of Lian for three years since the search began.

To the point where rumors of his death were starting to spread in society.

Naturally, Alaina did not believe the rumors, but she was equally tormented by them.

The time when Lian disappeared was right after he sold his sword.

It was interpreted that he had been hurt enough to live in a place where no one could find him.

As the days passed without any news, her guilt continued to grow.

Recently, it had reached a point where she could barely bear it without hurting herself, nearing her limit.

“Alaina! Urgent news!”

“Damn it! Is this place even safe…!”

“Stop, what’s the matter?”

“Just now, we received news that the knight’s location has been identified!”

“Is that true!”

Upon finally hearing news of Lian, Alaina pushed aside her meeting with the deacons.

To her, Lian was more important than state affairs.

“Wh-where did the news come from?”

“It was confirmed to have come from the head of the Tongsu Trading Company!”

“Alright, I will put off the meeting with the deacons. Lian is more important to me than anything else.”

“Excuse me, I’m late with my introduction. My name is Aaron, Fabiel.”

“That’s a very cool name. I look forward to working with you, Aaron.”

“Alright, let’s work together!”

“Don’t worry. I will safely escort both of you to your destination.”

I disguised myself as a bodyguard in Gyeongseong.

Liana had frequented the Tong’s Trading Post, a fact that Alaina also remembered.

However, no matter how much she asked the head of the store, Maxwell, he remained silent.

Despite that, he somehow divulged information about Liana.

Finally feeling confident that she could find Liana, Alaina shed a tear.

“Where is she located?”

“I heard she’s near the Fernil Snow Mountain in the north!”

“That’s not too far. Alright, please summon Roland Kye right away.”

“Are you planning to dispatch Roland Kye?”

“No, I will go myself. Roland Kye is simply accompanying me as my guard.”

Alaina left the remaining tasks to be handled on their own and returned to her private room.

As soon as she entered the room, she began to breathe heavily, releasing all the pent-up breath she had been holding.

With a heart trembling uncontrollably, she clenched the sacred stone that was pinned to her chest.

There wasn’t much time left. The reunion with Liana was imminent.

“What should I say first when I meet Liana? First, I should sincerely apologize and then…! But what if Liana refuses to forgive me?”

Thinking about various scenarios, Alaina grabbed her head in worry.

As a result, her carefully styled hair quickly became disheveled.

“What should I do…! What should I do…! No, this is not the time. I can’t go to meet Liana looking like this.”

Despite biting her nails and being extremely anxious, Alaina’s smile brightened again at the thought of the reunion.

In her extreme emotional changes, one could even catch a glimpse of her symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Alaina’s guilt and obsession towards Liana were growing day by day.