A Disaster-Level Assassin Has Been Freed

Chapter 141: Seton Swordsmanship Hall (3)

At last, the confrontation with Seton Swordsmanship Hall came to an end.

The victor and the defeated were clear. Glen single-handedly defeated five trainees, washing away the pain of the orphanage children, while Seton Swordsmanship Hall’s honor plummeted to the ground. Fortunately, the match had taken place within the hall, so the rumors hadn’t spread outside.

‘Or perhaps not? Will the rumors spread somehow anyway?’

The thought crossed my mind that it might.

But to Glen, that wasn’t the important matter.

What was important, then?

Focusing his mind up to this point, Glen concentrated.

“Phew.”

Recalling the ferocious atmosphere during the match, and how, despite his physical exhaustion, his mind had become as sharp as a blade honed by a whetstone, he operated the Aura Cultivation Method taught by Harang without wavering.

Then—

Wooong…!

“…I did it!”

Seeing the pale gray aura burst forth, Glen flashed a radiant smile.

An Aura Sword.

It wasn’t a complete form. The aura flickering faintly along the blade, like a mirage, was, frankly, rather unimpressive.

But that was fine.

It was more than enough to fill him with joy.

An Expert.

Just a year ago, he’d been little more than a beggar, yet now he had risen to the level of a Silver Plate Mercenary!

Pssht—!

“Argh!”

Perhaps because his concentration wavered?

The aura, which had briefly manifested, vanished as quickly as a match flame snuffed out.

It was a pity.

During the match, it had felt so effortless, but now, trying to manifest the aura again after some time, he couldn’t maintain it as well as he’d hoped.

Still, it wasn’t enough to make him sad.

The boy believed in himself.

And more than that, he believed in the people who believed in him.

As long as Harang, Eddy, and the others were by his side, Glen was certain he could grow stronger without ever breaking.

‘On the other hand, that big guy I fought last… he didn’t seem to have that kind of conviction.’

Of course, he must have been scared.

Glen, whom he’d thought insignificant, had suddenly drawn an Aura Sword, the hallmark of an Expert.

But thinking calmly, the big guy had a fair chance of winning.

Glen had been exhausted after facing four opponents in a row, and aside from the Aura Sword, the physical conditions—especially their builds—showed a massive gap.

‘Yet he gave up on the fight with me.’

I still remember it.

The way he backed away, his frightened eyes contrasting with his rugged face.

The way he lacked confidence in himself.

Why was that?

Why didn’t he have faith in himself?

Was it because he had no one to believe in him, to cheer him on?

I didn’t think so.

‘At the very least, his family must have believed in him.’

That’s right.

Even I, an orphan with no one, had people to trust, believe in, and rely on. Surely, someone raised in comfort like him wouldn’t lack such people.

In other words, no matter how much others cherish, love, or believe in you…

‘If you don’t make an effort yourself, it’s all for nothing.’

At this thought, the faces of Cain, Huck, and the other orphanage children flashed through Glen’s mind.

In a way, they were similar.

Just as I had Harang and Eddy’s Mercenary Corps, they had Hagio, the wonderful orphanage director.

Yet they had been mired in despair because they hadn’t made an effort themselves. They’d even pushed away the hands extended to help them stand.

But not anymore.

I showed them.

While the environment you grow up in isn’t unimportant, there are far more important things in this world… and I made sure to show that to my peers.

‘…With this, haven’t I completely succeeded in this mission?’

With a brighter smile than ever, Glen resumed his training for the Aura Sword in a corner of the orphanage.

***

“Thank you, Harang.”

“What’s there to thank me for? Glen did it all.”

“Of course, I expressed my gratitude to Glen separately. But apart from that, it’s only natural to be grateful to you as well. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have resolved things so well.”

“Hmm.”

After a moment of thought, Harang nodded.

Hagio was right. There was no need to be overly humble.

Above all, seeing the drastically changed expressions of the orphanage children, I couldn’t deny that I’d played a part in their transformation.

It was a good deed, wasn’t it?

I felt it was enough to be proud of myself.

‘It feels far more rewarding than usual missions.’

I couldn’t explain the feeling clearly or eloquently.

But seeing the kids, who had been sullen before going to Seton Swordsmanship Hall, now rushing to Hagio with enthusiasm, eager to learn swordsmanship, my lips kept curling into a grin.

Finishing my thoughts, I replied with a smile, a beat late.

“Yeah, I did contribute quite a bit.”

“You’re right. Thank you again.”

“If you’re grateful, come by often. Let’s spar sometimes.”

“Sounds good. I need to get stronger to protect the kids… You’re welcome anytime.”

“Haha, I’m welcome too.”

“…?”

“…?”

Harang and Hagio looked puzzled at the sudden interruption.

It was only natural.

Someone who hadn’t helped with this mission at all—

no, someone who had no connection to it—was standing beside them.

But that someone, Philip Portville, was shameless.

Utterly brazen.

Why had he abandoned his family duties and followed them all the way to Ruibil?

To maintain a close relationship with these two.

‘I need to get closer to them somehow. Especially Hagio and Glen!’

With Harang, I’d already settled my debts, but my family likely hadn’t. So, bringing him into the family was out of the question.

But these two were different.

Hagio, who, despite being in his early twenties, displayed skill surpassing mine!

Glen, who, at just his early teens, had already reached the Expert level!

I desperately wanted to bring these talented young men into the family as adopted sons-in-law, so whenever I saw an opening, I jumped into their conversations, acting friendly, just like now.

Of course—

“Family Head, how long are you staying here?”

“Hm? Can’t I stay?”

“No, it’s just… there’s no real need for you to be here…”

“Haha, what harsh words. Why wouldn’t I need to be here? Spending time talking about swords with you all is the joy of life…”

“Hm.”

“Hmm…”

Their reactions were lukewarm.

It was only natural.

Hagio had only just met Philip Portville and wasn’t the sociable type, so the awkwardness was expected. Harang, too, didn’t feel that close.

Though I considered our past grudges resolved, I couldn’t show the same camaraderie as I did with Eddy’s Mercenary Corps.

‘What should I do?’

Philip Portville sensed the mood as well.

But he had no solution.

Having trained with the sword his whole life and never once begged anyone, he found it difficult to navigate this situation, despite his efforts to build rapport.

‘If only these guys had some troublesome issue I could solve for them… then things might be different. But as it stands, this is going nowhere.’

Just as Philip Portville harbored such thoughts—

“Is anyone there?”

“Hm? Who’s that?”

“Ah, it’s the novice priest.”

“Novice priest?”

“Yes. Since this orphanage is in a building provided by the temple, someone occasionally comes by to check on us and manage the facilities.”

“I see.”

“Right. I’ll be back shortly.”

A novice priest appeared out of nowhere.

Hagio, the orphanage director, went to greet him.

Up to this point, Philip Portville didn’t think much of it. Priests visiting orphanages to do good deeds were common, so there was no need to question or take interest.

But—

A few minutes later, seeing Hagio return with a grave expression, the Portville Family Head realized something was terribly wrong.

His hunch was correct.

After taking a sip of water, Hagio spoke in a voice brimming with anger.

“They’re telling us to leave.”

“What? All of a sudden?”

“Not sudden. They made some excuse about needing the orphanage land for a special purpose at the request of the Holy Kingdom’s headquarters…”

“But?”

“When I pressed them a bit, they spilled the truth. Seton Swordsmanship Hall is behind this.”

“Seton Swordsmanship Hall? What does that mean?”

“Offerings.”

After spitting out the word, Hagio ground his teeth with a grating sound and continued.

“I didn’t know, but Seton Swordsmanship Hall has been bribing city officials to curry favor. The temple’s no different. They’ve been handing over hefty sums under the guise of offerings… but this time, they threatened to cut it off.”

“Why?”

“Why else? To drive us out.”

“Ah!”

Harang let out a startled reaction.

It was only natural.

Until now, whenever trouble arose, he’d resolved it with his sword or fists, and his opponents had done the same. Experiencing something as underhanded as Seton Swordsmanship Hall’s scheming was a first, leaving him bewildered.

“…This feels pretty disgusting.”

“Exactly.”

Harang and Hagio, the two Godoks, wore deeply displeased expressions.

Of course, they could understand Seton Swordsmanship Hall’s feelings to some extent. Already criticized for their master’s mediocre skills, having their trainees thoroughly defeated by Glen must have felt like a massive humiliation.

But wasn’t that a mess of their own making?

When it came down to it, weren’t they the ones at fault?

All sorts of uncomfortable thoughts swirled in their minds, and the two Godoks’ auras began to grow increasingly menacing.

And then—

‘This is it!’

Philip Portville, who had been quietly gauging their reactions, flashed a subtle smile.

This was it.

This was the way to solidify his bond with them—by mediating the conflict with Seton Swordsmanship Hall.

‘Though I’m from another city, I’m still the head of a renowned swordsmanship family. If I personally step in and give them a warning, even someone as cunning as Samuel Seton won’t dare act like this.’

Swallowing the smile that threatened to spill out, Philip Portville knew this would likely resolve smoothly, but now was a grave moment.

He couldn’t afford to show amusement.

Lowering his head briefly to compose a serious expression, he was about to say he’d handle it—

But he couldn’t.

“…Where’d they go?”

They were gone.

No matter how much he looked, they were nowhere to be found.

Philip Portville let out a gasp of shock.

Their skill, slipping away so swiftly they evaded even the senses of a Graduate like him!

It was astounding. He couldn’t help but salivate.

But the thought that followed turned his admiration into concern.

‘They’re not planning to storm in and cause a scene, are they?’

Sadly, his fears became reality.

Arriving at Seton Swordsmanship Hall’s front gate in an instant, Harang and Hagio exchanged a glance and spoke.

“Shall we go in?”

“Let’s do it.”

A chilling aura emanated from their faces.