episode_0023

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

The footsteps drew closer.

Every sailor on the ship was running towards us, intent on killing us.

A sense of dread washed over me. I immediately ducked my head.

A single arrow flew past where my head had been.

“They don’t even try to explain why they’re killing us,” I muttered, swinging my fist.

I aimed for the head of the assassin disguised as a crew member.

“Your movements are rough. It’s obvious how you swing your fist. You’re no hero,” I taunted.

The crew member who easily dodged my punch sneered.

I was so enraged by the villain’s words that I felt my eyes roll back.

“You treacherous assassin! Don’t lecture me!”

It wasn’t my place to speak, having killed and harmed others.

I had killed those who had a positive influence in society.

I was no better than that guy.

Despite losing the moral high ground, my hands did not stop.

I charged recklessly, launching myself at the enemy and activating the Harbinger of Death.

I made sure to crush the enemy’s skull completely to hide my true strength.

“Is he dead?”

“How? He’s been treated with magic.”

I didn’t know what being treated with magic meant, but I could guess that it meant he wouldn’t die easily.

During the training exam, the captain who had been set on fire didn’t die easily.

“Die quietly!”

I couldn’t let him speak. If it was known that I could kill without touching, my past misdeeds would be exposed.

“Triple jump!”

I leaped forward, using Hermes’ Boots to propel myself through the air.

I struck the air repeatedly, propelling my body forward like an arrow.

I had no knowledge of martial arts or combat techniques, but the assassins couldn’t keep up with my overwhelming physical abilities.

“Next!”

I sent two more to meet their maker.

I had to silence them before they could reveal the truth to others.

“Don’t let anyone else know besides Lyra and Decard!”

Damn, I realized that there were too many people who knew my secret.

There were too many people who held my weaknesses.

“I have to kill them all!”

My eyes rolled back, and I felt like I was standing on a blade.

“Die! Quietly die and disappear!”

I launched myself at anyone who wasn’t Marcytana or Daphne.

“Rise! O spirits of the dead!”

“Explode! Corpses, explode!”

The enemy revealed their true colors and began using magic.

They pierced through the wall, summoning reanimated corpses.

They had cast a spell on the bodies of their fallen comrades.

“These corpse lovers are getting on my nerves.”

The corpses that clung to me were the same ones who had targeted Marcytana during the treasure hunt.

I had expected it to some extent, but when I confirmed it, I was furious.

Thanks to Marcytana, I had been dragged into battle twice.

I had faced the possibility of death twice.

Angry, I vowed to make Marcytana pay for it.

Repayment should be in the form of money, of course.

“Marcytana! Don’t even think about cutting off my head!”

“Cut off their limbs! If you completely sever their limbs, they won’t be able to act!”

We each took our own measures to deal with the situation.

“Even if your limbs are cut off, you’re still alive?”

I figured out the nature of the magic.

Those who received the magic treatment gained a resilience akin to a cockroach, making them hard to kill.

The assassins remained unharmed even after losing limbs.

The severed parts were trying to reattach themselves on their own.

If you cracked open their heads, they would lose their lives, but the necromancers, who shed no blood or tears, even used their comrades’ corpses as food.

Killing enemies only led to more enemies multiplying.

When Daphne cut off their limbs to incapacitate them, she shouted, “You’re not doubting me, right?”

I quietly observed her reaction.

Especially when it came to Daphne, I couldn’t afford to be caught.

I was the one who killed her grandfather, Lord Aeris.

“I’ve taken care of everything. Let’s head to the helm. We need to change direction for now.”

It was fortunate that the battle was urgent.

I didn’t pay much attention to the fallen enemies.

I gathered the incapacitated enemies together and killed them all at once.

Both Daphne and Marcyta had no qualms about killing people.

I suddenly became curious about the lives they had lived.

“Anyone here knows how to steer a ship?”

“I do.”

After the apocalypse, there was nothing I hadn’t done to survive.

I learned how to steer a ship back then.

I learned it over my shoulder, but nonetheless, I knew how to steer.

Thud!

The ship crashed into a reef.

The body shook back and forth.

“You do know how to steer, right?”

“Steering and docking are different. Anyway, we’ve arrived. Let’s disembark.”

I only knew how to steer, not how to dock.

Steering was quite a challenging task. I had to adjust the sails to catch the wind and turn the helm.

If I hadn’t been there, we might have been stranded in the open sea.

“I’m sorry. I got us into this mess.”

I set foot on the ground.

Marcyta immediately apologized.

It was a natural reaction since it was because of her that we got into this mess.

“Too bad. We’ll have to visit the training ground next time.”

Daphne expressed her regret.

It wasn’t the right atmosphere to head to the training ground in the current situation.

We went straight back to the dormitory.

“Aria, what did you find out?”

We returned to the dormitory and immediately called Aria.

I had planned to relax for a month, but with the current situation, there was no choice.

“I’ve finished the investigation. I’ve also found out the identity of the person behind this incident. They’re nearby.”

Aria revealed herself.

The person behind this incident was nearby.

Good. I needed to eliminate them now to prevent further trouble.

“Let’s go right away.”

I followed Aria.

Not long after, we arrived at our destination.

*

“Incredible.”

Daphne was in awe.

She was captivated by Emile’s skills.

“How does he kill his opponents?”

Those he touched with his hands immediately lost their lives.

Normally, they should have felt their lives in danger.

But thanks to Emile taking the lead and killing the enemies, the danger never came.

Daphne made an effort to follow Emile’s amazing techniques.

“Is he sending magic inward to strike?”

She came up with her own reasoning.

Sending magic inward to strike the brain.

It was a remarkable technique, one that was difficult for her to replicate.

“Incredible. He possesses skills far beyond what I expected.”

He had skills far superior to what was known to the world.

The rumors about him were nothing compared to his true abilities.

Surviving Rich’s magic was actually a coincidence.

Emile had nothing to do with the fight against Rich.

The credit for killing Rich belonged solely to Decard.

That was the rumor that spread throughout the world.

But the reality was different.

Judging solely from the skills he displayed today, it was clear that he had played a significant role in the fight against Rich.

“Shall we spar later?”

She smiled at the thought.

Training with Emil is going to be really fun.

The sound of hitting training dummies echoed inside the training ground.

*

Marzita returned to the dormitory.

Sitting at her desk, she reflected on the events of the day.

“Why did you mess with our members? Was it Iron Maiden’s intention? Or did you kill our members on your own?”

The words of the Asrai Assassin lingered in her ears.

She hadn’t killed anyone recently, except for the Necromancer.

It had nothing to do with the Lich’s attack.

During the Lich’s attack, various people killed the Necromancers.

There wasn’t enough reason to single her out for death.

“Artrehan’s death is related to this. But why are they trying to retaliate against Artrehan’s death?”

She returned to the dormitory and fell into contemplation.

It hadn’t been long since she realized she had lost the family brooch.

It was dropped when she followed Emil.

The Necromancers were chasing her to find the brooch and seek revenge.

Artrehan was connected to the Necromancers in some way.

But Artrehan was a senior who graduated from the Hero Academy.

He was a figure standing opposite the Necromancers.

“Why, why on earth, retaliate in death?”

There was something she didn’t know.

The dark truth of the world.

The secret that the rulers were trying to hide was hidden here.

“I need to investigate.”

She took out a paper from her pocket.

It was a business card.

It read ‘Artwick Corporation.’

Marzita clenched the paper.

She would find out what hidden truth lay beneath the surface of the world.

Prepared, she discreetly left the dormitory.

The curtains fluttered through the open window.