Chapter 51: Sheratiya Viyan (3)
A major incident had occurred.
It wasn't just anyone, but the attendant secretary.
The fact that Sheratiya Viyan's closest aide was a disguised assassin was bound to plunge everyone into shock.
Neither the head of security nor the temporarily hired rcenaries would be able to evade responsibility.
However, more important than determining fault was confirming whether other assassins had infiltrated.
Harang, with his characteristic stealthy movents, checked the rchant guild mbers, found another assassin, and knocked him unconscious before he could notice, handing him over to the head of security.
“Phew, still, that’s a relief. The other assassin was found right away.”
“Indeed, it is.”
“A relief… I don’t know. The fact that two had infiltrated is quite shocking enough.”
“Still, it’s better than not having found them out.”
“That’s true.”
After all inspections were completed, Jack, Matthew, and the bald rcenary Konjinyu, who were organized into comradeship-in-arms units, chatted.
Everyone wore expressions of relief amidst misfortune.
If it hadn't been for Harang, the rcenaries' escort mission would have clearly ended in failure.
“Of course, it doesn’t seem like those guys will give up easily……”
“Still, from now on, checking each other’s chin skin will beco routine, so it’ll be difficult for them to use the approach of wearing masks.”
“That’s true. Anyway, I was really surprised. I knew assassins’ disguise skills were top-notch, but I didn’t expect them to be that good.”
“Exactly. It’s because it was soone like Harang that they were recognized; I can understand why others wouldn’t be able to tell.”
“Ahem, hmm. Speaking of which, that young man nad Harang… What kind of person is he?”
Konjinyu, who was conversing, casually threw out a question.
He was incredibly curious.
Despite being rely a Wooden Plate rcenary, he had not only escaped the clutches of Leech Jyakari but had also single-handedly exposed an assassin.
Not only that, but he was receiving such acknowledgnt from the Jack & Matthew duo, who had recently been gaining fa, so it was natural for interest to arise.
Who on earth could he be?
A knight undergoing wandering training?
Or an unidentified skilled individual who had been employed by the Viyan rchant Guild from the start?
As he was coming up with various answers, an unexpected one flowed from Jack’s mouth.
“Harang is our benefactor.”
“Benefactor?”
“He’s also our teacher. We’d like for him to be our friend too… but I don’t know if Harang would think of us as friends. Actually, we don’t know enough about each other to be tied by such a relationship.”
“You don’t know much about him? Weren’t you fairly close?”
“Not really. Harang is… like a person who just fell from the sky. Soone whose past actions and future plans are unknown… that kind of person.”
Matthew, hearing Jack’s words, nodded.
It was true.
He had never seen anyone as mysterious and unpredictable as Harang.
He vividly recalled the fight with the Carlson rcenary Corps, still fresh in his mind, and reminisced about Harang’s initially clumsy appearance that still made him chuckle.
Whenever they recalled the sense of incongruity from that enormous gap, both of them would feel goosebumps on their skin without realizing it.
“Still… I can be sure of that.”
“Of what?”
“That Harang is not a bad person. I don’t know if he’s a good person, but……”
“Jack is right. As long as you don’t provoke him first, there’s probably no one more harmless than Harang.”
Both of them nodded simultaneously and, at the sa ti, fell into thought.
Konjinyu, seeing this, was about to say sothing but soon closed his mouth and similarly sank into his own thoughts.
‘An unpredictable person, huh.’
Sohow, he felt even more puzzled than before he had asked the question.
The more he knew, the more his curiosity grew, a feeling similar to when he first heard about Sheratiya Viyan.
She too was not simply an ill-tempered young lady, but a person with an onion-like charm, revealing new facets the more one delved into her.
‘Interesting.’
Konjinyu smiled faintly.
Both Lady Viyan, already on his list of people to watch, and Harang, newly added to the list this ti.
Each was an interesting individual with a distinct, sparkling charm.
So interesting that he even felt like peeking into the tent where the two of them would be together.
‘What’s clear is that Sheratiya is not the type to be scared just because an assassin got close. And neither would that young man, Harang.’
Indeed, in what direction would this incident flow?
He couldn't know.
That was why it was interesting, and Konjinyu had no intention of giving up on that interest.
‘The plan is on hold for now. I’ll just have to watch for a while.’
Smiling even more deeply, he soon managed his expression.
The appearance of a good-natured Bronze Plate rcenary, seeming moderately experienced yet sohow retaining a rustic feel.
No one paid any attention to him, who had returned to his usual self as Konjinyu.
* * *
‘Finance and accounting are done. Other parts to process…….’
It was just as the bald rcenary Konjinyu had predicted.
Despite being exposed to the clutches of an assassin, Sheratiya Viyan was not frightened.
No, rather, she worked even harder, tackling the tasks she had to do.
Modifying and checking plans related to this trade journey.
Overseeing major affairs related to the rchant guild.
Besides those, she showed herself becoming more and more imrsed in her work while handling nurous other tasks.
Fiercely, as if she could only live by doing so.
Perhaps if there had been no particular variables, she would have continued her paperwork throughout the deepening dawn.
However.
‘……It’s bothering , I tell you.’
Harang, newly appointed as her guard, had shattered her sharp concentration.
She, who had been glancing sideways at the black-haired young man, let out a shallow breath and her questions grew.
‘There isn’t just one or two things I’m curious about.’
How on earth did he see through the assassin’s disguise?
Was he just good at observing? Was his swordsmanship as great as his discerning eye?
If so, how on earth did he develop those skills? Could he be from a famous swordsmanship hall or a swordsmanship family? Was he temporarily hiding his identity while on a training journey?
But for that, he seed too lacking in common sense. As if he had been confined for a long ti and had just co out into the world?
Perhaps a secret master-disciple relationship passed down to a single successor? Soone who only trained in the mountains and had just encountered civilization for the first ti?
No, this wasn't an era from hundreds of years ago; could such a thing exist in today’s world?
Truly, all sorts of questions followed, one after another, and she couldn't co up with a single clear answer.
What was sowhat fortunate was that this extraordinary young man was being a help to her and the rchant guild.
Nevertheless, what didn't reassure her was that she had no idea how long that goodwill would last.
When she had thought this far, Harang, who had been standing with a blank expression all along, looked at Sheratiya.
Since she happened to be looking at him too, she almost flinched, but fortunately, it didn't show.
As she naturally showed a smiling face, the black-haired young man said this.
“Why are you smiling?”
“……Am I not allowed to smile?”
“Hmm. Yesterday, it seed like you were just annoyed all the ti……”
“No matter how bad my personality is, I’m not the kind of person to keep being irritable even in front of soone who saved my life.”
“Ah, I didn’t an it that way. I was just purely curious……”
“Is my smiling that curious of an event?”
“Th-that, um……”
“What is it? Why are you hesitating?”
“Are you not annoyed right now?”
Twitch.
A vein on Sheratiya’s temple throbbed, and she squeezed her eyes shut.
It was strange.
Whenever she talked to this guy, she strangely couldn't control her anger.
Of course, she couldn't show it, so she forced a smile and continued speaking.
“That couldn’t, possibly be. Just like you asked various questions, I was just asking you various questions too.”
“I don’t think so.”
“…….”
“…….”
“……What is it you want to say?”
“Ah, right. Co to think of it, I did have sothing else I wanted to say.”
Harang nodded.
Sheratiya looked at him.
His usual innocent expression sohow provoked her anger even more, but she barely managed to hold it in and tried to listen to the black-haired young man’s follow-up story.
After a mont, the forgotten topic flowed from his lips once more.
“Impressive people.”
“……What?”
“Ah, I shouldn’t start with this. So… people with power. Lady Sheratiya, you said that, didn’t you? That people aren’t interested in others’ stories. But they tend to listen a bit more to the stories of people with power.”
“……I did. Why bring that up?”
“So I thought about it carefully, and it seed like it wasn’t just people with power, so I pondered a bit more. Not everyone who influenced had power.”
“……So, as a result of your pondering, you ca to the conclusion that not just people with power, but also impressive people can influence others… Is that what you an?”
“That’s right. I think that’s it. You summarize well.”
“That category is too broad.”
Sheratiya said, frowning.
That was right.
The expression ‘impressive people,’ in a way, could be used in a broader scope than ‘people with power.’
Since the word ‘impressive’ itself was bound to be abstract, she found herself in a position where she vaguely understood Harang’s words but couldn't completely agree.
So, what does ‘impressive’ an?
What kind of person is an impressive person?
As she thought that.
An unexpected story flowed from Harang’s lips.
“Hmm, among the people I t recently, the impressive ones are… Jack and Matthew, and Lady Sheratiya Viyan.”
“……What did you say?”
“I said Jack, Matthew, and Lady Sheratiya Viyan are impressive people.”
“No, it’s not that I misheard… Th-that, uh……”
Sheratiya wore a very flustered expression.
The poker face she had forcibly maintained shattered, and her usual sharp, articulate way of speaking was gone, replaced by heavy stuttering.
Harang, who was staring at her blankly, tilted his head.
However, that too was brief; having organized his thoughts, he continued speaking.
“I’ve never really worked hard at anything in my life. Ah, to be precise, well… it’s not that I haven’t worked hard, but should I say the intention was impure.”
“……The intention was impure?”
“Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever sincerely wanted or wished for sothing and strived for it.”
Harang recalled the words of the Carlson rcenary Corps Leader.
That people strive to avoid things they don’t want to do, to escape situations they dislike.
They earn money to avoid poverty, and build strength to avoid oppression.
He didn't disagree with this.
Even he himself had learned assassination techniques and practiced swordsmanship to escape the village.
Besides himself, truly many people were struggling through life to escape their current unsatisfactory circumstances.
He had watched so many such people while roaming the back alleys of Marzen.
However.
Seeing Jack and Matthew, he realized.
The them from a few days ago, who said they wanted to beco veteran rcenaries and role models for their juniors, rather than the them from before, who said they chose to be rcenaries because they hated living as lowly farrs… had resonated much more deeply in Harang’s heart.
“Lady Sheratiya is like that too.”
The young lady before him was also the sa.
Even in a life-threatening situation, she focused and imrsed herself, and with each piece of paperwork finished, her smile grew brighter.
He didn't know exactly, but Harang vaguely understood that it was the process of Sheratiya achieving her ‘dream’ and ‘conviction.’
That was impressive.
He envied that, and wanted to be like that.
For Harang, who still didn't have anything he truly wanted to do, they wielded a much stronger influence on him than ‘strong’ people.
“So I’m curious.”
Harang said, looking at Sheratiya.
The person he thought was impressive.
How this person, who could exert sufficient influence on him, would think about this new topic he had newly realized.
He was so very curious about that.
He hadn't realized it when he was busy pouring out his own thoughts, but now, he was so eager to hear the answer as soon as possible that his body was itching.
However, her reaction was completely different from his thoughts.
Lady Viyan, who had suddenly adopted a cold expression, said this.
“What do you know to be spouting such nonsense?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking what you know about to be carelessly spouting nonsense. What my dream is, what the rchant guild’s work is… Are you blabbering on knowing all that?”
“……Hmm.”
Harang wore a perplexed expression.
Did he make another mistake? Did he unknowingly say sothing that deviated from common sense?
With that thought, he quickly replayed the words he had said, but nothing ca to mind.
It was strange.
He thought he had poured out words that were closer to complints, but the other person's reaction was extrely unfavorable.
‘Indeed, it’s beyond being annoyed… she looks almost furious.’
“…….”
“…….”
Silence descended.
Harang couldn't open his mouth, worried about making more mistakes in the suddenly chilled atmosphere, and Sheratiya Viyan, apart from her anger, desperately needed his abilities, so she couldn't take any action.
Her mind was a mixture of the thought that she had misspoken and an uncontrollable feeling of anger, and it would take much longer to calm this down.
In other words, the awkward ti was bound to continue for quite a while.
It was then.
Shhrk-!
A rchant guild employee, who entered the tent without even reporting, reported to Lady Viyan with a serious expression.
“Ah, ah, the assassin’s identity has been revealed.”
“Which group do they belong to?”
“Th-that is… Black Poison. It’s Black Poison.”
“……Are you sure?”
Sheratiya Viyan’s expression hardened rigidly.
Worry, enough to push even her hard-to-control anger aside, was evident in her voice, and the employee who heard it also had a trembling voice.
“Po-positive. A black ta-tattoo was, discovered, on the back of the neck……”
“…….”
Silence. Then more silence.
In the quietness, which had a slightly different atmosphere than before, Harang’s eyes glead.
Tattoo.
Black color.
He, who mulled over the two familiar keywords, gazed at Lady Viyan and threw a question.
“What is Black Poison?”
Reviews
All reviews (0)