We moved to his house, the hole on the other side of the cliff where I appeared. It was unexpectedly a cool house, with a polished wall and a spacious room. However, there was no furniture, and we sat on the ground above a hard carpet around a stone table.
Only I and the assassin leader, who introduced himself as Old A, were inside. There was no sign of poison, which was great. Although I couldn't be affected, it still left a bad taste in my mouth if he tried to poison inside his house.
I would probably use by instinct, destroying this den and creating a large hole in the ground.
"Thank you for waiting."
The assassin leader appeared from inside a small hole connected to the deeper part of the house, bringing two clay cups filled with clear water.
"I want to show my hospitality and thank you for your rcy. But… there is nothing here, so… please do understand." He put the cups on the table and sat across from .
"Your sincere intention alone is enough. Thanks."
"I am glad if that's the case." He said.
This ti, his mask was lowered, showing the wrinkled face of an old man. Only his eyes still stayed sharp. So of his teeth had already fallen off.
In this world where many young people and middle-aged n filled the street, I would've never expected to see soone like him. If I guessed correctly, he was probably over 100 years old. He was supposed to be 'dead'.
'This… Is this the fate of soone who isn't sent to the Goddess' side by the Holy Maiden?' I thought, looking at Old A silently.
Noticing my gaze, he smiled slightly and laughed, "Are you surprised by my appearance? How old do you think I am?"
"Over 80," I answered, surprising him this ti. "Your lifespan was supposed to be over for a Human. Why won't you head to the Goddess' side? You… Your Virtues are higher than your Sins, unlike the other assassins here. That's why I put so trust in your words and decided to listen."
"Well, I am glad you took our surrender seriously." Old A chirped, drinking the water slowly as if it were a precious treasure.
Maybe it was indeed a precious treasure. The assassins I killed and the assassin nad H I interrogated had malnourished bodies. Their weapon was great, probably given by Viscount Steelwill or Mr. C. to complete the mission given to them.
'They don't look like assassins but refugees instead.'
Because of this, I hesitated to drink the precious water he gave . I didn't touch the cup a little bit, and Old A noticed it.
"If you killed all of us earlier, they probably would end up in Castitas Church's jail while I would be sent to the Goddess' side. Isn't that so, Mr. Paladin?"
"You're wrong," I answered him seriously, causing him to narrow his eyes curiously. "What happened to all of you depends on my mood and your answer."
"I see. That makes sense." He agreed with a nod.
"Now, for my answer. I would like to apologize first. My subordinate seems to act rashly, but please don't bla him. They all have no common sense, and I could only teach them my way of life, and that's being an assassin."
"I don't bla him. But I want to know his employer." I said with a low tone. "I have a problem with whoever this is. And I wanted to know where the slaves and prostitutes you bought from the Border City were."
Old A reacted slightly when I ntioned slaves and prostitutes. He didn't question anything, only raising his white brows in question.
"Now I wonder where you hear about that, but that's not important, right?" He laughed and put the clay cup down carefully.
"I will answer the latter first." He said, pausing slightly as his smile curled up. "The answer is, you've seen them."
"The assassins?" I asked to confirm, and he nodded.
Now that connected the dots as to why he said they all had no common sense and why their bodies looked malnourished. They were also too weak to be an assassin. Even Garcia's forr squad was stronger than them.
And I just killed all of them without batting an eyelid.
If you asked whether I felt guilty or not, then I would be lying if I said yes. At that mont, they were my enemies. I didn't confirm it, but they were hostile toward , and that was enough for to kill them.
But… It made everything different.
'It will depend on this Old A.'
"So you bought slaves and prostitutes to make them assassins?"
"Making them assassins would be incorrect." Old A stroked his chin, lowering his gaze. "I gave them choices. Work under or get released in the wild. Most of them chose to stay under , as free life wasn't for them because…"
"They don't know how to live by themselves as they only know one way to live." I finished his sentence and made him smile.
"Exactly. Viscount Steelwill from a generation ago allowed to use this place, an abandoned mineshaft, as my base after I ran away from the church. Living as a shadow squad is just not for ." He shrugged his shoulders.
The fact he was the forr shadow squad didn't surprise at all.
"Laughable. I confessed this secret I had kept for many years to a Paladin. If you want to bring back to the church, feel free to. I know that I can't resist. Paladin's power is imnse. I heard it from my grandfather, who lived in the first Paladin era. But, I request sothing."
Suddenly, Old A bowed his head deeply until it touched the dirt ground. And…
"Please at least give them a purpose to live. Make them useful."
… He suddenly begged.
I froze, unable to react to his request. But he hadn't finished yet.
"Assassination is a bad occupation. We have had no jobs for a while already. The provision in this base is nearly depleted. To survive, we died once every 3 days and reset our hunger."
Pitiful. That was what I thought when I saw him.
"Mr. C, the lord's son, had broken his promise. He gave us no food and money. The fact H tried to assassinate the Queen must be because he cared about us. I don't ask you to free him, at least the other assassins. Please feel pity for them."
Looking at his condition right now reminded of those unfortunate people in Horizon Online. They begged to survive but were eventually betrayed by their helper and got killed, or they would kill their helper once they were strong enough.
I already had my answer.
"No."
If I were still that naïve boy, I would imdiately say yes. But I wasn't that naïve boy whom Tristan called a crybaby no more.
Old A raised his head with a hopeless look. Not even tears dripped from his dry eyes as they had dried up with his life. Once again, he was supposed to be a dead man. He originally wasn't supposed to live past 80, an average Human lifespan.
"I see… Hahaha…" A dry laugh escaped his lips as he raised his body. "I understand. You also have a duty."
"Yeah, I don't want to look at your little pitiful assassins," I answered with a cold tone as I stood up.
I walked past him without saying anything, crouching in front of the entrance as it was too small for him. Before I left, I dropped a [Teleportation Gem] led to the Border City and a note with my signature.
What he would do with that, I wouldn't care. But at least I had recorded this place's coordination with an empty [Teleportation Gem] so that I could visit anyti if I needed to.
'It's hard to care about them.' I thought as I took out another [Teleportation Gem], the one I recorded with Cecil before entering Tiga Port City. 'But they will be useful for Queen Eve whether Old A understands my intention or not. His fate is in his choice.'
At that mont, I heard a muffled voice from behind.
"W-Wait! Thank–"
Ignoring the voice, I teleported away from the abandoned mineshaft. I was in a hurry because I needed to get my refund.
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