Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 64: The Demon Mask

And so began their unusual journey together.

Once they passed through the maze-like canyon, they emerged onto a wide pathway where the patrol unit’s horses had gathered. The soldiers provided Utallo and Gletch each with a horse.

“What’s going on?”

“Being part of the Imperial Guard… that’s impressive.”

The two, riding alongside Karon, spoke with amazement. Karon merely tilted his head slightly in response.

“It just happened that way.”

“Hmph, still as reserved as ever.”

“Though, meeting again like this, it’s unexpectedly nice. I’m sorry about back then, really.”

Gletch apologized, and Karon simply nodded in acknowledgment. Any grudge he held against them had long faded. In truth, there was nothing to hold against them. They had all been too busy surviving as slaves. Besides, there was a sense of camaraderie from escaping the gladiator training camp together.

The three of them chatted for a while, mostly with Utallo and Gletch doing the talking. Once they finished reminiscing, Hinshan, who had been patiently listening, approached and spoke.

“Apologies for interrupting, but could you tell me what happened? I feel I need some details to help resolve this matter.”

“Of course.”

Utallo readily agreed and began explaining how they ended up in this situation.

About twenty gladiators had managed to escape from Palemon. They formed the Condor Mercenaries, wandering the empire in search of work. Recently, while passing through the northern region of the empire, they received a secret commission in Count Fillmore’s territory. They were tasked with escorting a shipment heading toward the capital, with strict instructions to move discreetly, traveling only by night and asking no questions about the cargo.

Although the mission seemed dubious, the payment was substantial, and they couldn’t afford to be picky. Thus began their secretive nighttime escort.

Instead of heading directly south, the convoy made a detour to the north. However, soon after setting out, they were ambushed by mysterious figures wearing strange masks.

A sudden barrage of lightning-like flashes surrounded them, and, in the confusion, the attackers managed to steal the shipment and kill everyone associated with the Count’s household.

Utallo and Gletch barely had time to react as the attackers swiftly executed their plan. In a cruel twist, the only survivors—the Condor Mercenaries—were accused of the ambush and became wanted criminals.

After listening to Utallo’s story, Hinshan posed the same question to the commander of the 14th Order.

But the 14th Order had only been ordered to chase down suspects believed to have stolen property from Count Fillmore’s estate; they knew little of the actual details.

“There are too many oddities here. Something definitely smells fishy. We may need to visit the site of the ambush before heading to the count’s estate.”

Hinshan rubbed his chin, narrowing his gaze.

The secret nature of the commission was suspicious enough, but it was also strange that the ambushers appeared as soon as the convoy set out at night. Visiting the scene of the incident might reveal clues.

Karon looked silently up toward the cliffs. Hinshan followed his gaze but saw only birds soaring above the cliffs.

Shrugging, Hinshan approached Baron Johan to inform him of their plan to visit the site first. He then casually returned to Karon, but suddenly, he drew his bow from his back and loaded it with lightning speed.

Creak—

Just as he was about to aim at the top of the cliff, Karon was there, his hand resting lightly on Hinshan’s shoulder, shaking his head.

Hinshan immediately put away his bow, understanding Karon’s silent instruction.

“Proceed as usual.”

“Understood.”

Hinshan urged his horse forward and resumed his conversation with Utallo and Gletch. Meanwhile, Karon expanded his senses, scanning their surroundings thoroughly.

The flapping of birds’ wings, the chirping of chicks, the faint sound of stones falling from the cliffs, and the wind whistling through the narrow canyon—all blended into the background.

But amidst it, there was an artificial rhythm—a pattern of footsteps. Someone was following them quietly along the cliffs above.

“One, two, three… still tailing us,” Karon mentally counted, chewing on a herb. It seemed that whoever was following them wasn’t aware of Hinshan’s attempt to take aim.

Catching all three of them here would be challenging, perhaps impossible. Leading them to the scene of the ambush might provide a better chance.

By the time they exited the canyon, the sun was already low in the western sky, the horizon painted orange, and a forest sprawled out before them, gently rippling like waves. Although it wasn’t as vast as the forests of the Altun Mountains, it would still take them half a day to cross.

“Are you sure you want to go in there? It gets dark quickly in the forest,” Baron Johan asked with concern. Without hesitation, Hinshan reassured him.

“It’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so.”

And so, Karon’s group and the patrol unit entered the forest path. The dense trees blocked out the sunlight, making the forest even gloomier as night approached.

“Feels like something’s going to pop out any moment.”

One soldier shivered, prompting a grumble from his companion.

“What a pain this is.”

“Not much we can do. That golden eagle badge—it’s not every day you see one.”

“What’s the big deal about it…”

“Shh, quiet. They’ll hear.”

The soldiers whispered to each other, trying to suppress their unease. Their pace naturally quickened, and one by one, more torches were lit.

By the time they reached the scene of the incident, night had fully settled in.

Karon, however, appeared unaffected by the darkness as he examined the area without a torch, his sharp vision unhindered.

The soldiers formed a protective circle around them, and Hinshan followed closely behind Karon, searching for clues.

Karon stopped and crouched, prompting Hinshan to quickly approach with a torch.

“Did you find something?”

“Gunpowder.”

Karon ran his fingers over a slightly indented patch of earth, which left a trace of black soot on his fingers. A faint, acrid smell in the air suggested that an explosive had been buried here.

“Hmm. This means they likely knew the convoy’s route. That would imply there’s a spy within the count’s estate.”

“Very likely.”

“And gunpowder isn’t easy to come by. Tracing the source could lead us to a clue.”

Hinshan raised his voice intentionally, speaking as if to himself. Meanwhile, Karon continued to search, uncovering something else. He lifted his hand to reveal a find.

“What now?”

“A marker.”

In his hand was a thin white thread, woven between branches and barely noticeable, invisible to the untrained eye.

“Impressive. Finding that in the dead of night?”

Hinshan complimented Karon, then continued, “It looks like someone marked the bomb locations for an accomplice. This operation wasn’t just thrown together.”

Hinshan raised his voice once again, exaggerating his tone, which earned a subtle shake of the head from Karon. But it seemed his theatrics were working.

Suddenly—

Shhh—

Three dark figures leapt out from three different directions, choosing their approach with such precision that escape seemed impossible.

Blades gleamed as they flew toward the two men.

Just as the first attacker’s blade was about to pierce Karon’s back—

Clang!

Hinshan had already closed the distance, using his sword sheath to deflect the attacker’s blade, then grabbing his throat with his other hand.

The assailant was left dangling, gasping for air, a grotesque demon mask obscuring his face.

“Finally caught one!” Hinshan grinned.

The two other figures, realizing they’d walked into a trap, veered off course, trying to escape. But it was too late.

After knocking out the masked attacker with a blow from his sheath, Hinshan swiftly drew his bow, nocking two arrows in quick succession.

Taking a deep breath, he followed the fleeing assailants’ path and released the arrows.

Thud! Thunk—

“Aagh!”

One of the attackers fell, clutching his leg where an arrow had pierced his thigh. However, the other evaded with impressive agility, twisting his body to dodge the arrows and continuing his escape.

“Impressive.”

Just as Hinshan was about to draw another arrow, Karon stepped forward.

“Wait.”

Hinshan paused, watching as Karon’s figure vanished in an instant.

“Whoa.”

Hinshan marveled as he tried to keep track of Karon’s movements. His eyes struggled to follow, even though he prided himself on his keen vision.

Meanwhile, Karon’s suspicions grew as he pursued the fleeing figure.

“Something’s off.”

He had stopped Hinshan because he sensed that arrows wouldn’t be enough to catch this one. The assailant had approached the latest, chosen the most efficient attack path, and dodged the arrows without wasting a single movement. It reminded him of Shong’s cloak—a mastery of stealth and movement.

“Why would someone of that caliber be wearing a mask and engaging in such shady work?”

As he closed in, Karon quickened his pace. He could have caught up at any time, but he was now intent on observing his quarry more closely.

But then—

Skid—

Karon stopped abruptly, bringing himself to a halt just within arm’s reach of the fleeing figure.

The masked man looked back, tilting his head in curiosity.

“Could you… have figured it out?”

His voice was steady, neither heavy nor light, and he wasn’t even out of breath despite the desperate chase. Clearly, he hadn’t been running at full speed either.

“…Are you leaving your comrades behind?”

Karon finally asked, his voice calm. The masked figure scoffed.

“Hmph. You’ll take them to the count anyway. Wait there—I’ll be back to rescue them.”

“…”

The figure then fixed his gaze on Karon, a subtle threat in his tone.

“If you kill them, I’ll hunt you down. Forever.”

With that, he darted to Karon’s opposite side and continued his escape, glancing back to find Karon still standing there, watching him with those unfathomable eyes.

“Impressive instincts,” the masked man thought with growing apprehension.

In truth, he had planted numerous bombs throughout the forest as a failsafe.

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