NOVEL WEB Book 2: Chapter 8
Rookie Hunter
「……Welcome.」
*Cling*……the bell that was attached on the door rang. The middle aged shopkeeper frowned slightly at the appearance of the entering customer.
This place was a apothecary that was ran by an alchemist. Although this place was called an apothecary, it didn’t only sell medicine to treat human’s wound and sickness. It also sold herbicide or poison to kill mouse, and it also sold things like alchemy ingredient although not much.
That customer was wearing a worn out cloak that covered their whole body. The hood was also covering their face, but some customers occasionally also came here to buy dangerous medicine or substance, so the shopkeeper thought that this customer also that kind of customer.
No matter how suspicious the customer was, the shopkeeper couldn’t afford to be picky. Especially the type of customer that came with their face hidden, in some case they might be a servant of a noble who intentionally wore dirty outfit to disguise themselves, so the shopkeeper was scared that carelessly driving them away would cause retaliation to him later.
「Are you selling monster material here?」
「Well, I do but……I’m not selling anything other than alchemy material you know? If you want something rare, go to the adventurer guild or merchant guild.」
From the voice the customer might be a young girl. She shook her head at the shopkeeper’s words and ordered materials that weren’t rare in this city and materials that were rare but still sold even in this shop.
「You look young, but are you an alchemist? That’s a really unusual assortment of item you are asking for. If you don’t mind, can you tell me what are you going to use them for?」
The shopkeeper took out the ordered items from the back of the shop before he asked due to his curiosity as a fellow alchemist. The customer who was walking toward the door after paying the cost stopped for a bit and turned around a little.
「They are just for “exterminating bugs”.」
The territory of Count Sentrea is a main road on the route that connected the capital until the neighboring country Gordor Dukedom. The territory’s capital is very thriving although not at the level of Dandall. Is it because it’s near the sea? There is a faint strange smell from the city. I realized that it’s the smell of salt from my “knowledge”.
My travelling outfit and cloak has become very dirty due to my training on the way here. Normally I’d infiltrate the city from the slum district or some other spot, but this time I’ll also stop by at the adventurer guild so I cleaned my body with Clean and entered the city from the front gate by paying a silver coin.
I guess I’ll need to change my clothes too before long……. Even after cleaning my attire, the city guard at the gate still looked at me funny. That’s just how tattered my outfit has become. Either way I need to dress up a bit better in order to lay the “trap”.
First I pulled down my cloak’s hood low to cover my eyes and looked around at the condition of the city. Most of the city’s main facilities are located along the main street. And then the adventurer guild will be at the side of the merchant guild no matter the city.
My targets are thieves who hunted the rookies. Most of their crimes are carried out inside the dungeon, so I need to obtain the dungeon’s information from the adventurer guild, but there is something that I have to do first before that.
To kill time until then, I buy things like soup and the like from food stands while also talking to the stall owners. From the m I learned that there is only one dungeon near here and bug monsters are living there.
「Even if you call it a dungeon, there is nothing there that can become a local specialty here from hunting bugs like that.」
「There isn’t anything good there?」
「No, not completely. I heard you can harvest medicine ingredient from the bug’s organs. It’s disgusting but it made medicine’s price to be cheaper so that helps. It can’t be considered as local specialty though!」
「Hee……」
In this world, living thing that is strengthened by magic particle won’t get sick easily. Even so the commoners can still get sick quiet easily, but most sickness generally is treated by drinking nutritious tonic and sleep.
That means, such ingredients can be harvested from the insects of this dungeon. In that case perhaps there are usable insect materials here. I asked at a shop of an alchemist that can be trusted and headed toward that direction too.
.
After buying alchemy materials, I slipped into the city at night and waited until it became dark. I arrived at my destination just before the “first bell” rang to signal that it’s midnight.
It’s the biggest church in this city. The place is opened for the whole day. I entered inside the empty confession room and sat on a wooden bench. There I waited for the time.
*Gooooon*…….
The clock tower’s bell rang once. I confirmed the faint sound of a magic tool’s key being unlocked. I crouched and lifted the seat that shouldn’t be able to open. I collected the paper bundle inside and left behind several silver coins as the information fee. Then I returned the seat back to its original position before leaving the church immediately.
This is a big city so there are still people even at this kind of time, like in the bar, but there is nobody that can be seen around this area where the church is located. I stared at the street that should be empty and let out a small voice.
「Hmm~……」
I erased my presence and entered the slum. I found an abandoned building and read the document that I collected in there.
This document contained the target’s information that was investigated by the contacts here. The last date of the document is two days ago. If it’s just that long then this information can be considered as the latest.
The rookie hunting thieves, the Fang of Blade had down themselves in the adventurer guild here from the dungeon that is located two days from here.
Their cycle of “work” is rotating around a week where they would dive into the dungeon for three days and resting for three days, including the travel time. They would search for their next prey during that break time. The requirements of their prey are low ranked adventurer who doesn’t number more than two. They would steal money and equipment from the nicely dressed targets while those with nice appearance would get kidnapped and sold as slave with the intermediary of the guild.
However, even if they are unable to find any prey that fulfill their requirements, they won’t overdo themselves by targeting any random person. In that case they will do the activity of normal adventurer so that the people around them won’t suspect them as thief.
Even so because of this time’s client accusation toward them, their evaluation in the adventurer guild has worsened. Even so there is no definite proof so they don’t get punished, rather some of the rowdy adventurers even sympathized with them thinking that they got suspected by the wrong accusation of cocky beginners who took on more than they could chew. That’s what written in the document.
Because of the adventurer guild suspecting them, there is a chance that the Fang of Blade will change their base of operation, so it’s desirable if they can be taken care of quickly……hm.
「……Fire」
I burned the paper before leaving the abandoned building.
I have decided what I’m going to do to some degree. The rest depended on whether I have the strength to carry it out or not. I also found one other thing that I have to deal with but, in order to settle things including that, I sneaked into the shed of a private house and began making something.
.
The next day, after I cleaned my body with Clean, I visited a second hand clothes shop that seemed to be good that I found during my stroll around the city yesterday. I entered inside as soon as it opened.
「Welcom……」
A young woman who seemed to be the shopkeeper froze seeing me entering the shop as soon as it opened while wearing slightly dirty cloak to hide my appearance.
「……Err, this is clothes shop for girl you know?」
「It’s alright. I’m a girl more or less.」
When I pulled down my hood and showed my face to the slightly bewildered shopkeeper, she blinked repeatedly. I’ve erased the illusionary ash on my hair. It seemed that in this state I at least looked like a girl and the dubious looking shopkeeper finally smiled again.
「Are you a traveler? I thought you are a street urchin because you’re dressed like that. If you want the same type of outfit like what you’re wearing right now, then we also have clothes for boy here although we don’t have that many of them. Look around as you please……or that’s what I want to say, however there is still no other customer here so I’ll help you look.」
After realizing that I’m a child, the shopkeeper changed her speaking tone to match by speaking informally. I myself am not really knowledgeable about clothes so her offer really helps me, but it’s not like I want to buy kiddy clothes.
「Do you have clothes that can make me look feminine?」
My purpose for buying clothes is to dress as woman. Describing it like that sound strange because I’m woman by nature, but this time I’m planning to especially dress up femininely.
There are two types of second hand clothes shop. Shop that resold cheap clothes worn by commoner, and shop that sell moderately good second hand items from wealthy merchant or low ranked noble. This shop is the latter and they have quite a lot of merchandises.
With the shopkeeper’s recommendation, I chose a stylish light green dress that is easy to move in. To match that I also chose high laced cloth boots and a new cloak. Although the shopkeeper grimaced at the tattered clothes that I’m wearing to here, she allowed me to change inside the shop. When I came out of the dressing room, the color of the shopkeeper’s eyes changed.
「……Can I, fiddle with your hair for a bit?」
「I guess……」
「Do you also want to try some make up, just a little is fine……?」
「…………」
The female shopkeeper is breathing roughly for some reason. I got handled a lot by her and it took an hour after that when I finished with my shopping. I’m feeling slightly tired, but for some reason the shopkeeper is smiling in satisfaction toward me.
.
When I entered the adventurer guild after finishing all of my “preparations”, the slightly noisy atmosphere quiet down and gazes of the type that I also felt on my way here are directed toward me.
The majority of this city’s adventurers will either hunt monsters outside the city or head to the dungeon in order to obtain magic stones and materials. Even so the guild is also providing manual labor work at the harbor that pays quite well and bodyguard job, so many adventurers showed up at the guild in the morning to check the request.
But, only adventurers with good reputation can accept the profitable job. The low ranked adventurers accepted dangerous jobs in order to obtain reputation and died. The adventurer guild also doubled as a meeting place for adventurers who lost their comrade from such event or those who wanted to search for member to form a new party.
Previously, when I entered the guild together with Viro, the atmosphere felt like some adventurers would pick a fight with me if only Viro wasn’t at my side, but this time the type of gaze toward me in different from that time.
「Welcome to the adventurer guild. Do you want to make a request?」
「I want to register as adventurer. I’m a level 1 “light sorcerer”.」
The receptionist’s face slightly twitched at my statement. The sound of commotion is spreading through the guild.
One of my reasons to visit the adventurer guild is for 『fake status and name』. There is a risk of Grave’s organization looking for my previously registered adventurer name. They should be thinking that I’m dead but, it’s better for me to keep vigilant, and I can use the false name and guild card from here as disposable thing.
And then the other reason is to lay the “trap”.
The reason the receptionist’s face twitched because the number of sorcerer among commoner is few and there is a risk of young light magician to be treated as disposable by other adventurers, but that’s exactly why this will become a “bait” for my trap.
「Please come over here.」
The receptionist said that quickly with hard tone and grabbed my arm to drag me to the back. As expected, she lectured me for announcing my ability inside the guild and the danger that would follow me because of that, but it’s already too late.
「I understand. Then please give me the examination.」
「Y-you-」
I understand that she is worried for me but, I also have a reason why I can’t withdraw here.
When I asked for the examination with a conduct that I learned from my maid training, the receptionist looked like she wanted to scold me again but, as a guild staff she can’t refuse my request. After that I used Cure to heal a guild staff’s waist pain and I became rank 1 light sorcerer Anya without incident.
From the start even Aria is a fake name but, I won’t be troubled no matter how many fake identity I have. For adventurer who want to become famous, registering multiple times is simply pointless but, using fake name is only natural for people of the underworld.
.
「Then please wait for around nine hours.」
The slightly displeased receptionist told me that. To wait until the tag that will serve as my guild identification to be finished, I’m looking at the wall where there are only heavy manual labor works like road building and the like remaining. As I’m doing that, there are scrutinizing gazes that felt like they are licking all over me being directed at me.
Right now I’m wearing light green dress and high laced boots with a thin cloak like a mantel covering me. My hair is down and I’m holding an old staff that is used by sorcerer. There is a knife hanging on my waist and a leather bag hanging on my shoulder. With that the appearance of a 『beginner magician who is ignorant of the world』 is completed.
My height has grown even more and I have the appearance of an eleven year old child. Thanks to the shopkeeper of the second hand clothes shop working hard for some reason, she gave me her seal of approval that I looked like a twelve years old or a thirteen years old who is at the small side.
I used one golden coin for this disguise but, I’ll be able to use it again for later, and the shopkeeper also gave me a large discount so let’s just consider it as a gain for me.
「…………」
There are these persistent gazes on me, but there is no sign of anyone approaching me. I tried to have the appearance of a young lady of a low ranked noble but, perhaps I should dress more roughly than this? But, I already registered with the guild and gathered this much attention, so I can’t dress another way at this point, so perhaps I’ll need to wait for several days……as I’m preparing myself for such possibility, a hesitant voice called out to me from behind.
「H-hey, you-, are you by any chance alone?」
「……Yes?」
When I turned around toward the voice, I saw that it’s an adult……no, a young man who might be younger than that. He is perhaps around fourteen or fifteen and accompanied with other people of his age.
「We, started being adventurer since this summer. But, all of us are vanguard and none of us can do any sorcery……」
「Y-yep-」
「If you want, how about joining us……」
「…………」
……A miss.
「My deepest apologies.」
They aren’t my target. I faced them fully and lowered my head to apologize so as to not cause any offense……but, there is no respond. I wondered what’s the matter and lifted my head. There the young men are frozen with red faces.
「……?」
「N-no, that’s……」
Really, just what’s the matter with them? When I tilted my head quizzically, the young man who called out to me first started to look flustered and gathered the attention from other adventurers too.
……Did I anger him perhaps? Perhaps I immersed myself in the young lady role too much and acted too politely? But there──
「Oi brats! You are bothering the lady there-」
The one who said that and rebuked the young men are three adventurers who looked to be in the middle of their twenty. One of them put himself between me and the young me. The other two grabbed the shoulders of the young men and dragged them away from me.
The first young man looked overwhelmed facing the adventurers who clearly looked stronger than his group, even so he doesn’t back down.
「W-we are, proper adventurers-」
「If you are adventurer, don’t try making that kind of strange pass with the girls, go outside and hunt some goblins-」
One of the adventurers lightly glared at those young men and drove them away. They went away reluctantly while looking back several times, even so they went out of the guild quietly. After seeing them off, the short haired man who spoke up first made a reassuring smile and spoke to me with a tone of consideration.
「Miss, that was a disaster huh. It’s dangerous for a pretty girl like you to be alone.」
「But, it’s fine now. We have chased them out.」
「Not all adventurers are like them. Those guys are also still young so forgive them.」
The remaining two also smiled really nicely and used nice sounding words even while “psychologically leading” me to think that being alone is bad.
「……Thank you for the help.」
I quietly bowed my head and showed them the business smile that I learned from Sera. I’m not really good at making this smile, but it seemed the men interpreted my awkwardness positively as me still feeling scared.
「Are you nervous? It’s alright, there is no need for that anymore.」
「But, those guys, they looked like they were really fixated with this young miss. Is she going to be okay?」
「Yeah, they might ambush her again outside.」
One of them spoke reassuringly at me even while the other two were talking worrying things as though they were having idle conversation.
「Is that so……」
I slightly frowned to look as though it will be troubling if what they are saying is right. Then the first man made a refreshing smile and gave me a suggestion with a line that sounded like something that he has prepared beforehand.
「Then if you like, how about coming with us for today and tomorrow at least? We don’t mind even if it’s only until you can be really sure that you’re safe.」
「Aa, nice idea, that one.」
「We ourselves won’t need to worry to death in that case.」
The three smiled cheerfully as they said things that are convenient only for me. I pretended to think for a bit before nodding a bit with an apologetic look.
「……If that won’t be a bother then, can I ask that from you misters?」
A short haired man with one-handed sword and a shield.
A red haired man with a hand axe and a bow.
A man with shaven head carrying two short swords.
Their features matched with what was written in the “document”.
……I hit the “jackpot” this time.
The three people that made up the adventurer party Fang of Blade had become famous in the adventurer guild. Of course not in a good way.
All of the young adventurers who got involved with them became missing in the dungeon. Death was always right nearby inside the dungeon, and there were many beginners who lost their life there due to carelessness, so the adventurer guild also couldn’t question the matter too much, but a young man who once partied with another young woman accused the Fang of Blade of attacking them in the dungeon, so the situation changed.
Even so no corpse remained in the dungeon after the monsters got to it. With no proof, they couldn’t be charged but, in exchange now the adventurer guild was suspecting them.
「To think that man could reach the adventurer guild with that injury……」
「Things were going too well for us until now. WE should just kill them and take only their money without getting too greedy thinking to sell the woman.」
「In the end that woman also died to allow that man to escape. Guess it’s time for us to leave this city soon. We’re going to get purged by the thief guild if we stand out too much yeah.」
The three were thieves who belonged to the thief guild despite being adventurers.
They weren’t being undercover or anything, their membership was legit in both guilds, but their main profession was thief. But, their thief type skill was meager and so they were just low ranked thieves. That was why they weren’t doing robbery in the city where skill was necessary, but got the idea of hunting rookies in the dungeon to get money.
Thief generally didn’t kill ordinary people because the thief guild disliked when a case got too big. Even so it was a gray zone when the crime scene was in a dungeon and the victim was adventurer, but this time the thief guild was also keeping its eyes on them because they got suspected in their crime.
「It will be better if we move to somewhere else but, do we have enough money to keep us going until things get back on track?」
「You spent too much money. Are you still paying the guild’s share?」
「Either way, it will be hard unless if we earn a bit more……」
To change location and start doing “work” from beginning again, it would be necessary to pay money to the branch of the thief guild in that area. Such expense would be painful for low ranked thieves like them. In order to earn the required money, they decided to do several more jobs here but, a different problem came up with that choice.
The number of job they could do in this place was only one or two more times at best. The amount of money they could get from killing rookie adventurer didn’t amount to much. In order to save enough money, the best way would be to kidnap girl but, their skill was insufficient to capture someone without harming them.
Until now they didn’t really care even if the amount of money they got from selling to the guild was lowered because their kidnapping victim was injured to some degree. But if they wanted to earn some amount of money in short time, they couldn’t give injury that would leave scar to their victim. But, their combat strength was only around rank 2. If an adventurer resisted them seriously even if she was a woman, it was possibly that they would have to kill the woman like before.
But, one night while they were worrying about that, a “thief” called out to them as though he knew about their difficulty.
「You guys, do you want some sleeping drug?」
It was a Cruzian man with tanned skin. They never saw him around here before but, that man showed them the symbol of thief guild. It seemed that he didn’t have enough money for the offering to this area’s guild branch, so he asked them if they wanted to buy his drug. He would sell it for cheap.
The cost of three silver coins was painful to their wallet but, it was far cheaper compared to the deduction to their payment for the doctor’s bill to treat their victim’s wound that would leave behind scar. They ascertained the effect just in case, and then they thought that they were going to use this drug, then they would have to pick a prey that could definitely sell for a high price. The next day they visited the adventurer guild for the sake of looking around and found a girl there.
.
That girl was a rookie sorcerer who came to register with the adventurer guild. Furthermore she was a light sorcerer who was rare to find outside the holy church and she also had a nice appearance. She instantly gathered the attention of the adventurers inside the guild.
No, she was already naturally drawing people’s eyes from when she entered the guild. She was still too young to be called a woman but, even so she was a girl with 『atmosphere』 that caused people to follow her with their eyes.
It was understandable for those young men to be captivated by her. Most likely this girl was from a well-to-do family. Although she was wearing a cloak and carrying an old staff, they could feel her good lineage oozing out from her conduct.
Looking from her attire, she seemed like she had money on her and her look was also nice. She was still too young to do that kind of job but, educated young girl could be sold expensively to noble of certain taste. Her price would jump even higher if she could also use light sorcery.
Perhaps she was really ignorant of the way of the world just as her appearance suggested. After they helped her from the young men who hounded her and gave her consolations that were nice to listen, she fell for their honeyed talk and agreed to accompany them for several days just like a stupid little girl.
The girl’s name was Anya, twelve years old. They asked her to show them the tag of adventurer guild that she had just received and confirmed her name and her status as a beginner sorcerer.
Seeing someone with bad reputation like them approaching her, the guild’s receptionist apparently warned her but, it seemed that ignorant little girl had gotten into some kind of discord with that receptionist at the beginning. They somehow made use of that opening and successfully brought Anya with them outside.
.
「You must have an interest with the dungeon if you chose to become an adventurer right? Want to try entering there?」
Rookie adventurer couldn’t easily enter inside a dungeon. Because other than knowledge, things like lantern, portable food, blanket and the like for staying the night were also needed. A chance to enter a dungeon with the accompaniment of senior adventurers to guard them was something rare that might never come again. When they gave her such invitation, Anya hesitated for a bit before she nodded slightly.
(……So cute.)
It wasn’t like they were lolicon. But seeing Anya nodding without saying anything much, perhaps because she was feeling embarrassed from being treated like a princess by several older men, it caused a natural smile to form on their face despite being kidnappers who were going to kidnap and sell her.
The distance from this city until the dungeon was around half a day of walking. It was still noon but, they would arrive at the evening if they departed now. At that point Anya wouldn’t be able to ask to go home. And thinking of the risk that a pursuer from the adventurer guild might follow, they decided to hire a fast carriage to carry them until the dungeon.
This looked like they were running away from the adventurer guild while taking her away, so they might not be able to do any more job in this city after this but, even after paying the carriage fee, they should be able to earn enough if they sold someone like Anya.
The 『atmosphere』 that this girl had was enough to make them thought like that. It seemed that from the start Anya wasn’t a girl who liked to talk much, she often only stared at the scenery outside even inside the carriage, but her face seen from the side that was giving off an ephemeral atmosphere made them hesitated to even call out to her. She looked like a single flower that was blooming at high place beyond their reach.
She looked adorable but she didn’t have a dazzling beauty like a beautiful princess. Her personality was quiet and she also wasn’t acting particularly charming. Even so the mysterious atmosphere around Anya made adults like them to be unable to tear their eyes away from her for some reason even though they knew that this girl was still just a child. This girl was hiding an enticing “devilishness” inside her.
If the girl kept maturing like this, how many men she would lead astray in the future who would sought for her hand even if they had to discard their fiancée and status for that? Such thinking crossed their mind for an instant and sent chills to their back.
The three were staring wordlessly in fascination at the way her sparkling pink tinted blond hair fluttered by the wind. When Anya suddenly turned her gaze toward them, her jade green eyes caused their heart to jump inside their chest.
「Are we there yet?」
「A-aa, just a bit more……」
.
Their destination, the medium scale dungeon came into view. It was thought that this dungeon first appeared around 300 years ago. It still only had thirty floors constructed, it was a dungeon that was relatively suited for beginner.
It seemed that it was originally a natural cavern, but its transformation into dungeon caused the passage to be wide and flat, and the rock surface shined faintly. The structure was becoming easier for human to enter and for monster to settle down. Most of the monsters that appeared here were insect type like caterpillar and the like. The monsters had no attractiveness other than their magic stone or organ that could be used as medicine, but conversely, there were still unexplored parts here and there were also a lot of blindspot that no one wouldn’t visit.
「Anya, over here.」
「There is a good hunting place here.」
「Keep it a secret from anybody else okay-」
In order to put the girl into the trap, they passed the first floor of the dungeon where there were many witnesses and guided the girl deep into the second floor.
It was difficult for people with meager combat strength like them to capture their target unharmed, but this time they had sleeping drug. They were putting the drug into her drink bit by bit during break time and meal time. They didn’t put the drug in all at once because there were cases when the target died when they were given the sleeping drug too much at once.
But, although they had mixed the drug once at the lunch and in her tea when they took a break, there had been no change at all with Anya’s condition from the start.
(……Did he put in too little?)
The short haired man glanced at Anya who was following behind him without any vigilance at all.
The red haired man who used bow was the one in charge of administering the poison. He was a playboy but, he shouldn’t be a man who was interested with kid or a man who blundered in his job because of that. But the way the red haired man kept talking t Anya as though to attract her interest irritated the short haired man.
(Don’t tell me, he isn’t getting “serious” with her isn’t he……?)
He wondered if the red haired man was getting too concerned with the girl and failed in administering the sleeping drug.
How serious that man was getting with this girl? The girl was still a child……but, if only he met this girl ten years ago…..no, five years ago, then perhaps he would be walking the path as an adventurer under the sunlight instead of being a trivial thief like this.
The man unconsciously averted his gaze from the girl when such thought settled inside his chest, then he saw that the man with shaven head was also making a frown in displeasure while watching the red haired man.
(Don’t tell me……this guy too!?)
The short haired man shuddered at Anya’s “devilishness”. Could it be, that the two might be thinking of not selling the girl but monopolizing her for themselves?
Ten years ago……the three who had just left their rural town were overflowing with hope. They were looking toward the future just like those young men who hounded Anya in the guild. However before they realized it……they had given up in living a decent life and preyed on other people.
If those young men could form a party with Anya, they might be able to go to a radiant adventure. But such thing wouldn’t possible anymore for them. Even if dirty people like them stayed together with Anya, a bright future would never come to them.
But was that true? Was that really the case……? It was hopeless with the three of them. But, if it was just one of them?
It still wasn’t too late……it was possible to start over if it was just one of them. Rather than handing Anya to these men who could be so easily led astray by her devilishness, it should be better if it was him who got the chance to start over with Anya.
(Aa……)
When he looked at Anya, his eyes were dazzled by that radiance. His chest tightened painfully just from looking at her. When he looked at nothing else buy Anya inside his hazy thought, the red haired man who was looking at Anya in the same way like him suddenly fell on his knee before falling unconscious.
(What’s wrong……? That guy, did he get punished from having wicked thoughts in his mind?)
The man with shaved head walked toward that red haired man, but he too fell on his knees when he took his first step and his body pitched forward.
(I see……so this guy also got wicked thoughts in his head.)
The short haired man thought that with his hazy mind. These dirty guys tried to monopolize Anya for themselves so they got punished. The god was watching. The god was giving him the chance for a start over.
His chest felt painful as though it was constricted. His field of vision turned dark and he could see nothing else but her. Amidst that, Anya who was shining inside the light reached out with her hand toward her. The short haired man fell on his knees as though to pray to god.
(Wh……at?)
Like that the short haired man fell. He couldn’t comprehend why he was falling. Did they step on a dungeon’s trap without noticing? But it’s fine. With Anya who can use light sorcery here, she would be able to heal him even if it’s poison.
The short haired man stayed down on the ground while reaching his hand toward Anya, looking for help. But, reflected in his eyes wasn’t an angelic smile that would grant mercy. It was her looking down on them expressionlessly with a chilling gaze as she unsheathed a sharp black knife.
Inside a small room in the dungeon, I finished off the three men who can’t move from poison by slitting their throats.
To prove the completion of the request, it should be enough to hand the three’s tags to the client. It looked like I was able to finish them off surprisingly easily, but the cause was that they let their guard down against me. I dressed like this in order to make them careless but, I wouldn’t be able to defeat them this easily if they suspected me even for just the slightest bit.
These three led me to a place where no other adventurer would come on their own, so I can just leave it to the monsters of the dungeon to take care of their corpses. Now then──
*Hyun-!*
A blade was thrown at me from behind. I bent so low as though to crawl on the ground to dodge it. The crescent moon shaped sword passed above me and stabbed into the earth wall of the dungeon.
「……How about coming out already?」
I stood up while calling out to the darkness. There the air slightly wavered and a man appeared as though he was oozing out from the darkness.
「……Strange. I was really confident with my Stealth but, since when did you notice me?」
The one who appeared was the Cruzian youth who taught me a lot of things in the assassin guild, Guy.
Most opponent could be killed easily if they were targeted the moment they were “careless” when they finished their job. I could dodge that attack easily because I was on my guard against it from the start.
「From the church last night.」
「So it was from the start huh-! Uwaa, I don’t have any confidence now.」
「You can be confident. You were hiding properly.」
Even so it wasn’t at Viro’s level. Besides because he was skilled with it, the “shape of human” was properly visible to my eyes.
「Even if I’m told that by a kid……」
Guy scratched his head somewhat in frustration while looking at me with a cold gaze.
「And, how did you sense my attack just now? Even if you noticed me, was it really possible to suddenly dodge after getting abruptly attacked like that?」
「Forget about that. What’s your intention?」
What was thrown at me from behind was a weapon called scimitar that Guy had. I managed to dodge it but, I would die if I was unlucky.
「Don’t tell me, it was “in exchange of greeting”……you aren’t going to say that right?」
「No way.」
Guy grinned and pulled out a second scimitar from his waist. He twirled it on his hand.
「It’s a request from Keira. She told me to give you a painful experience. She can’t move because Dino is keeping her eyes on her, so I’m here in her place.」
As expected, he isn’t thinking of going as far as killing me seeing that I’m a “hostage” against master. No, if it’s Keira then she might try to do so but, that’s why Dino is keeping his eye on her.
「What, ash covered. You ain’t surprised? I was acting as a 『friendly older brother』 really well right?」
「Guy yourself aren’t surprised aren’t you? Did you notice my gender?」
「Ou, you’re completely different when you dressed the part eh. I too would be totally fooled if I didn’t know. Well, ordinary people might not notice it but, even if it’s a kid like you, but when you have grown until that big, those who are sharp enough will still notice. The position of the waist between man and woman is different.」
「Hee……」
I didn’t know that. I’ll use that as reference.
「Even so, you finished the job too damn easily there. It seemed they were also poisoning you, and yet it was them who got killed with poison. Hopeless.」
Guy approached and kicked the thieves’ corpses. He stopped moving just a step away from my range, with the corpses lying between us.
「Even though I gave them really expensive sleeping drug that has no smell and taste, these damn incompetents……-」
With Poison Resistance you can endure poison to some degree, and if it’s sleeping drug then I can guess what is its ingredients somewhat. I wondered how could these guys had such strong poison but, if it was because of Guy’s involvement, it gave me a glimpse at just how serious Keira was.
「Well, you ran out of luck because you are too capable like this. It was your misfortune that you caught Keira’s attention. Even she will be satisfied if you got a big scar on your face, so just quietly let yourself get scarred. Just remember from now that a brat shouldn’t put on air too much. You wanna live long right?」
Guy took a stance with his scimitar and gradually let loose his killing intent. This man’s mana was low, but his status was purely high. He was a troublesome opponent to get into a head-on confrontation with.
「I don’t care about that but……I haven’t mentioned the reason why I wasn’t surprised and could dodge the surprise attack just now right?」
「Hm?」
Guy stopped moving for a bit from my words while taking a stance where he could attack any time.
「You see……」
I strengthened the magic that I have been using the whole time since several minutes ago.
「That’s because I “believe” if it’s that woman, she absolutely will try something.」
「Haa? ……A? A!?」
Guy was about to take a step forward while making a puzzled face when he fell on his knee and raised his voice in confusion.
「W-what? Don’t tell me……poison!?」
Guy glared at me with a bewildered gaze because his feet suddenly can’t move.
「Since when? You shouldn’t have any time to use this kind of powerful poison-!」
Guy too must at least have Poison Resistance if he is an assassin. Even so poison should still work on him if it’s a powerful one, so he should be on his guard against me who used poison. Powerful poison also has strong smell or taste, so it can’t be mixed with food. It’s possible to smear it on weapon, but Guy hasn’t gotten attacked yet.
That was why Guy misunderstood that I gradually administered the poison to the rookie hunters with a way like mixing it into their food.
「Why is my feet can’t move……shit-……」
「It’s the nerve poison that master created. It’s really effective even though you have Poison Resistance right?」
If he has no Poison Resistance, his mind will also become hazy just like the rookie hunters and even his internal organ should stop functioning. Conversely because he has Poison Resistance, Guy couldn’t notice the poison at its early stage.
「If it’s poison then I have been using it the whole time.」
I threw the porcelain jar that I brought with me as spare. The thinly created jar broke in front of Guy.
「This is-!」
「You realized? It’s an insect’s scent gland, but you have experience of sniffing it right?」
This liquid has bad smell but with a faint sweet scent mixed in. I purchased it from the alchemist’s store. It was an item that was made from processed scent gland of a monster caterpillar that it used for marking its turf. In this dungeon, this smell can be found anywhere. Diluted it can become agricultural chemical and undiluted it can also become monster repellant.
I used this monster repellant to avoid the monsters that could get in the way of the assassination. And then──
「If there is a smell this strong, then even poison with strong smell won’t be noticed if it’s spread out thinly……」
「Ash covered……you, don’t tell me」
Guy noticed what I did and opened his eyes wide.
「You are saying that you were spreading poison even knowing that you would also get poisoned!?」
Master’s poison is powerful. It’s not something that can be endured even if you have Poison Resistance. But I know about the poison’s substance.
Even now I have been using Treat the whole time. It won’t have any effect if I don’t understand the poison’s ingredients, and its effect is a weak one that can only erase the poison gradually, but it’s possible for it to treat the effect of a vaporized poison if it’s used immediately. Even so I would get violated by the poison if my focus wavered, and it also caused me to be unable to fight properly, but I staked my life into this gamble and won.
Guy realized that and glared at me in astonishment.
「Haha……are you sane? Using poison that also affected yourself, are you touched in the head huh?」
「I’m aware.」
「……Oi oi, are you serious? You are seriously going to kill me? I was just going to hurt you a little and then consider everything to be water under the bridge you know? Do you know what gonna happen to Serjura by doing something like this?」
「…………」
Just like how I’m a “hostage” against master, master is also a “shackle” that binds me. That’s why Dino and Guy are thinking that master and I can’t go against the assassin guild. But──
「Guy, you’re an assassin, and yet you’re……naïve huh.」
「What……」
I threw another jar at Guy. Thinking that it’s poison, Guy swung his sword with his upper body that can still move. He tried to repel away the jar without breaking it.
*Gashan-!*
「Kuh」
The tip of the pendulum that I threw at the same time with Guy’s sword damaged the jar. It then got smashed by Guy’s sword and the content is scattered.
「It’s not……poison? What’s, this smell?」
「The poison I spread in this room should disperse soon. I can add more but……there is no more need for that.」
「Tsu!」
Guy might notice something too. I don’t attack Guy and backed away deeper into the room. I pressed my back on the dungeon’s wall, used Stealth and folded my arms while watching. Guy panicked and began to struggle.
Ten seconds……thirty seconds……I don’t need to count until one hundred when I heard the sound of ground rumbling. The short-tempered monsters couldn’t even wait until the poison dispersed and approached near.
「Ash covered-! Are you, insane-!? If you do something like this, you’ll seriously turn the assassin guild into your enemy!」
Guy desperately tried to escape from the point where the chemical was scattered, but he couldn’t even take three steps away.
What I first scattered was monster repellent that was collected from monster caterpillar’s scent gland, but scent gland doesn’t just produce scent to drive away external enemy. It will be only at a certain season but, the female also use this scent gland to call for male.
When this liquid that was created from female’s scent gland is mixed with the monster repellant, it will produce an intense pheromone type scent. And then it should call for the males in the dungeon.
This is my “trump card” that I created knowing that this is an insect type dungeon.
「Die in this place.」
It’s pointless even if he used Stealth. It’s only a little bit, but that liquid has definitely gotten stuck on Guy. A lot of monster caterpillars appeared and flooded into the room. They found Guy and he fought back with his scimitar.
Although his legs can’t move, someone as strong as Guy won’t be troubled by mere monster caterpillars even if there are several of them. But, what if dozens of them appeared? Furthermore the poison will circulate even more inside his body the more he moved. The monster caterpillars are also attracted by the smell and rushed closer one after another.
「ASH COVEREDDDDDDDDD-!!」
At the end Guy raised a scream of resentment and threw his scimitar at me. I dodged it and it stabbed on the wall. I used it as a stepping stone and jumped until the ceiling, away from the floor that is going to be crammed with insects soon. I stabbed my hidden weapon on the rocky wall and clung at the corner of the ceiling.
「────……Raa……──」
At the end Guy reached out with his blood covered hand and muttered something…….
While grotesque noise of bone and flesh breaking is resounding, I turned toward Guy and answered his last question even though I don’t know whether he still has any consciousness or life remaining or not.
.
「From the start my “prey” is all of you.」
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