Chapter 150

In truth, this mission was more akin to espionage.

Even as a guardian of the shadows, there was no way to know what treasures were hidden in a newly announced dungeon tower.

All they were supposed to do was record the interior and find out what kind of treasures came out of it.

Stealing something was only a possibility if the circumstances allowed it.

“Let’s do this. I’ll spare you, so just leave on your own. How about that? Sounds like a good deal for both of us, right?”

Thus, the proposal Delreger made wasn’t all that bad.

Luon thought for a moment.

‘It’s not a situation where my life is at stake, but…?’

He felt curious about the man standing before him.

An opponent who gave off no smell, no sense of presence at all.

Luon drew his sword.

‘It wouldn’t be a bad idea to test his skills, would it?’

Now that he realized the pleasure from battle was merely an illusion, he doubted he’d feel much thrill from it.

But it seemed like it could offer him some small enjoyment.

More than anything, how could he trust someone who claimed they would just let him go?

“Excessive generosity always arouses suspicion.”

When Luon said this, Delreger sighed deeply with a weary expression.

“But I’m being serious….”

Luon gave a subtle signal to Alena (who used to be Felia), who was beside him.

Alena nodded and ordered her subordinates.

“You guys, retreat for now.”

Without much loyalty to speak of, they happily left.

Alena glared at their backs with an irritated look.

“Those rude bastards. Look at them, not even pretending to hesitate.”

“We’re pretty much outsiders here. It’ll take time to earn their trust. But more importantly, Alena.”

“Yeah?”

“For now, I’ll play alone.”

At Luon’s words, Alena nodded.

Delreger began to approach with a face that looked thoroughly annoyed.

Just as they drew closer, Delreger swiftly swung his sword into the air.

Clang!

Sparks flew as Luon slightly smirked.

He had easily blocked what had almost been a surprise strike.

‘His senses are sharp.’

As Luon made that assessment, Delreger’s expression turned cold.

“A magic swordsman, huh?”

“As you can see.”

Luon unleashed his Frost Blade.

Despite the cold swirling around, Delreger’s gaze wasn’t on the sword, but locked onto Luon’s eyes.

“Those murky eyes… I’ve seen them somewhere before.”

Delreger quickly drew a crescent arc with his sword and closed the distance.

After briefly deflecting the attack with the smooth side of the Frost Blade, Delreger moved to sweep Luon’s legs from the side.

Thump.

Just before Delreger’s foot could reach the back of Luon’s ankle, Luon stabbed his sword into the ground.

The Frost Blade was wedged between Delreger’s foot and his own.

Delreger’s foot halted just before the blade.

‘So he mixes swordsmanship with hand-to-hand combat.’

Without even time to fully comprehend, Luon hurriedly pulled out his sword.

Delreger’s sword was glowing as it slashed diagonally downward.

Once again, Luon intended to smoothly deflect it with the Frost Blade.

But Delreger’s sword surged forward without the slightest deviation, and the ice crystals began to crack and split with a sharp crack. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Realizing the clear difference in their abilities, Luon swung at Delreger’s neck.

Delreger urgently ducked his head and withdrew his sword, allowing Luon to retreat without losing the opportunity.

Then, Luon gazed into Delreger’s eyes.

‘He’s not focusing at all. It seems like his pupils, which have been unfocused so far, are staring off somewhere distant, as if thinking about something else.’

As Luon was considering retreating, Delreger lowered his sword and spoke.

“Do you happen to know a man named Gedger?”

“Gedger? Why do you ask?”

“Just, your indifferent eyes resemble his exactly. I was wondering if you might be related to him or something.”

“I’ve never heard that name before…”

When Luon responded, Delreger returned to his lazy expression, as if he had lost interest.

“Oh, really?”

Delreger said that as he approached with relaxed steps.

Sensing the chilling aura, Luon instinctively knew.

Now, this man was about to kill him.

“Just so you know, don’t think the proposal I gave earlier is still valid. You see, I feel like leaving you alive would only cause more trouble later.”

Luon summoned all the aura stored in his core.

***

Around the towering spire stood numerous commercial buildings.

One of them, the most elaborately constructed, was owned by the Orvella Trading Company.

From the top floor of the building, Aria gazed out the window at the adventurers passing by below.

Then, in an irritated voice, she asked,

“You didn’t just let him go because it was too much trouble, did you?”

“I swear, I really tried to kill him. But this woman, who had broken her leg, pulled out a magic book and disappeared without a trace.”

Judging by Delreger’s voice, he didn’t seem to be lying.

Aria sank into her chair and stared at Delreger.

“I’ve been gathering information here with great effort, yet your work seems rather sloppy.”

Delreger perked up his ears.

“Information, you say…”

“That’s right, information about Gedger, the man you’re so eager to kill.”

Delreger’s expression turned serious.

It was no surprise; the name mentioned was of the man responsible for the death of Redenik, the gray knight commander who was like a father to him.

“Stop dragging it out and just tell me what you know.”

Aria sighed.

There were some things that were highly confidential, but she had no choice but to speak.

Helping Delreger with his revenge was part of the deal they made for him working under her.

“This is going to take a while. I’ll need to explain the background first.”

When Delreger nodded, Aria began explaining calmly, step by step.

“You’ve heard the story, haven’t you? A renowned knight was taken down by a farmer who had never even held a sword before.”

“I always thought that farmer was hiding some kind of past.”

“We investigated his background thoroughly, from his childhood friends who grew up with him, and it’s true. He really was just a commoner who had never held a sword.”

Though it was hard to believe, there were too many witnesses for it to be dismissed as mere rumor.

Delreger tilted his head and asked,

“But I heard he was immediately imprisoned and executed?”

It was only natural that a commoner who dared to kill a knight would be sentenced to death.

However, that was merely a story concocted to prevent public unrest.

The reality was different.

“No, he didn’t die. Gedger stormed the prison by himself and took him away. That’s how we found out about Gedger’s whereabouts.”

Aria gazed at Delreger.

She wondered if he would ask why Gedger did such a thing.

Since she didn’t know the answer, she wouldn’t be able to explain it.

Fortunately, Delreger stayed focused on the main point.

“So, where is he now?”

His voice dripped with murderous intent, and his face looked like that of a vengeful demon.

Aria looked at him with pity and answered.

“The Sun Church.”

Delreger’s expression grew grim.

Gedger was a criminal with a bounty on his head, notorious not only for killing the gray knight commander Redenik but also several key figures.

It was only natural to be shocked that such a man had been taken in by the church.

“…Those cultists?”

“That’s right. From what I hear, they’re planning to appoint him as a holy knight. Isn’t that laughable?”

The position of a holy knight was reserved for those known as the finest swordsmen of the church.

The fact that Gedger’s newly laundered identity was being considered for that role confirmed the absurdity of it all.

Delreger, with a face full of disbelief, asked,

“Is that even possible?”

“They’re willing to accept him, so why not? Cleansing someone’s identity isn’t that hard, and even if someone who knows Gedger’s true identity shows up, they can just label them a liar.”

In a world where the church could call black white, and people would believe it, holding them accountable was almost impossible.

Even if someone did try to expose the truth, the church’s believers would surely rise in protest.

Given the precarious situation with the empire, it was practically impossible to punish him.

Even Aria, after saying it aloud, showed reluctance regarding this matter.

“I don’t really know what the relationship between the church and that man is. No matter how much I try to guess, I can’t come up with a solid idea. It feels like it’s become a story from a completely different world.”

Did Delreger take her words as a sign that she wanted to back out?

He pressed both palms onto the table and leaned in close to her face.

“Just to clarify, you’re not thinking of ending the contract here, are you?”

Aria looked into Delreger’s unwavering eyes, at his tightly sealed lips, and even at his hands pressed against the desk.

At first glance, he seemed calm, but his fingertips were trembling slightly.

“To be honest, I’d love nothing more than to end it. But you know what? Gedger sent a letter. Not to you, but to me.”

Aria handed the letter to Delreger, then looked back out the window. At that moment, some adventurers were loitering near the building.

Behind her, Delreger quietly read the letter.

“‘My Lady, I ask you to continue assisting Delreger without any burden…’ What…?”

The sound of the letter being crumpled reached her ears.

“What is this supposed to mean?”

Without taking her eyes off the window, Aria replied to Delreger.

“Keep reading.”

Delreger didn’t read aloud anymore.

He didn’t need to; Aria had already memorized the contents of the letter.

[To the Orvella family, I wish to avoid any conflict with the church. Even if you and Delreger aim for my head, there will be no harm done, so rest assured. This is nothing more than a private amusement between you and me. P.S. I’ve sent a small gift to Delreger.]

The letter’s contents were nothing short of provocative.

It basically said they could attack whenever they wanted, without any concern for consequences.

Aria found that deeply unsettling.

“Are you as dumbfounded as I am? I feel the same way. There’s a limit to how much someone can look down on others. That man treats you and me like mere toys.”

The adventurers who had been loitering outside finally entered the building.

Only then did Aria take her eyes off the window and look directly at Delreger.

“The contract is still valid, so you can relax. Although, I can’t be sure the church will truly stay out of it like he claims, but we won’t break the contract without mutual agreement.”

She never intended to back out by herself from the start.

Even if the contract were to be broken, it would only happen if Delreger decided to give up on his own.

With a calm expression, Aria added her final words.

“After all, I’m a merchant.”

Her face appeared expressionless, but her eyes remained steady and serious.

Delreger took his hands off the table and stepped back.

“But what about the gift? Did he really send something to me?”

At that moment, footsteps could be heard approaching from the hallway.

“Looks like it’s here.”

As soon as Aria finished speaking, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The door opened carefully, and a servant from the trading company entered, carrying a large box.

Aria asked, “Did you check for anything dangerous?”

The servant replied nervously, “Yes, we even had a mage examine it thoroughly, but… well…”

“That’s enough. Just leave it here and go.”

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

After the servant left, Delreger approached the box on the floor.

The moment the lid opened, his eyes widened.

Sensing something was wrong, Aria stood up from her chair and checked the contents.

Her heart sank.

“…That, that’s…?”

Inside the box was a skull, covered in dirt.

Delreger handed Aria the letter that had been inside the box.

As soon as she read the words, the letter slipped from her hand.

[It’s the commander’s death anniversary, but you didn’t show up. Isn’t that a shame? You should have at least come to see his face.]

Aria looked at Delreger’s expression in shock.

What Gedger had done was beyond comprehension.

Delreger’s face was shadowed, but his lips moved slightly.

“Redenik…”

The remains inside the box were those of Redenik.

Gedger had gone so far as to desecrate the grave and send the bones as a “gift.”

Feeling her blood boil in fury, Aria clenched her teeth.

If there’s anyone who truly deserves to die, it’s surely a man capable of such a heinous and unforgivable act.

Aria felt a deep sense of anger but also pity.

In that moment, Delreger’s figure, standing before the remains, seemed especially pitiful.

***

As the two men walked down the tree-lined street, the sound of cicadas filled the air.

Their destination was a massive building at the end of the road.

The structure, with its pointed roof and a sun symbol engraved on the front gate, was the headquarters of the church.

The man in the prisoner’s uniform asked,

“Why did you do something so meaningless?”

The armored man beside him answered with a blank expression.

“I just wanted to relieve a bit of boredom.”

“Did it work?”

“Well, let’s say it offered a small degree of novelty.”

“Gillem felt the same way. I envy the fact that you never seem to tire of things, Gedger.”

With that, the man in the prisoner’s uniform fell silent.

They stepped into the building.

The first floor was a chapel.

Four men and women of various ages and appearances greeted them with cold, emotionless gazes.

The armored man, Gedger, glanced over their faces one by one before blinking.

“It’s been a while since we gathered, but it looks like one of us is missing.”

Gedger shrugged and blended into the atmosphere of emptiness that filled the room.

***

Before long, the end of the first semester was approaching.

Final exams were just around the corner.

I wasn’t too worried about the written exams, but the problem was the practical test.

This time, instead of a labyrinthine trial or something like that, it was simply an assessment of pure magical skill.

Which made it all the more hellish for me.

Ricks, who had been helping me with training, widened his eyes in shock and asked me,

“Uh, Hersel… what is that?”

The theme of the upcoming test was to create an artificial life form using elemental and shaping magic.

Ricks was horrified by the hamster I had created.

“Is that… a translucent salamander?”

Salamander? This guy…

“It’s a hamster.”

“But it doesn’t have any fur.”

“It’s a short-haired breed.”

“Even though I can see its internal organs?”

“…It’s a new species.”

Looks like I’m going to fail this exam.

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