A month had passed.
Shushruta passed the promotion test without any problems and beca a gold rank, and Miho got her paw print and just beca an honorary Sherwood rcenary Corps mber.
She was a girl who had been hanging around like that before, so I didn't feel the need to get her a rank.
I also wanted to challenge the platinum rank, but I couldn't just take the platinum rank promotion test because I wanted to, and I didn't feel the need to, so I cleared my mind.
While you had to be a gold rank to create a rcenary corps, I hadn't found anything that could only be done by being a platinum rank yet.
Well, if an A-rank magical beast appears like a cot sowhere, I'm willing to give it a try.
Schmitt and I went around killing magical beasts with excitent.
Since we split up and killed the magical beasts, the speed was doubled.
I scanned the request forms Boris had gathered and then made a route to kill the magical beasts as efficiently as possible.
After doing that a few tis, Boris, cursing, made a much more efficient route, saying why I had made the route like that.
Thanks to that, the efficiency went up.
Anyway, since we were enough for the magical beast hunt, I had Shushruta do it a few tis for experience and then asked her to investigate the information of the other Sherwood mbers.
I threw a request to Miho whenever she was seriously bored.
The current mbers of the Sherwood rcenary Corps are Ashuban of the Half-Sword, Shushruta the Shadowless Phantom Thief, Schmitt the Golden Martial Artist, and Miho the White Fox.
No, Miho the White Fox is not cool enough, so let's make it Miho the Worst Magical Beast.
Anyway, there are four of them like this.
As soon as we received a request, we went to kill magical beasts, and in the rest of the ti, we focused on energy circulation.
I really went around killing magical beasts to my heart's content.
From F-rank to E, D, C, B-rank. I killed them all without discrimination.
Because even if they are weak now, they can grow into stronger ones later and attack people.
The one that made fall off the cliff must have been an F-rank at so point.
Probably.
B-ranks were not common, but anyway, I found them and killed them too.
I killed every magical beast I saw, regardless of its rank.
Even if it wasn't in the request, I killed it as soon as I saw it.
As a result, the magical beasts around Milestone gradually disappeared, and naturally, the ti for energy circulation increased.
As I focused on energy circulation...
I reached the fourth stage of the Snow Branch Blue Fla Art sooner than I thought, and I was on the verge of the fifth stage.
The problem started here.
Because I had to use ice art and fla art at the sa ti.
It was not an easy task.
I continued to walk the boundary between the blue pit of fire and the white snowy mountain in my mindscape during energy circulation.
Maybe because I had reached the fourth stage, it beca colder and hotter, but I walked on without caring.
I walked on steadfastly, overcoming the cold that felt like I would freeze to death and the heat that felt like it would burn my whole body.
When I felt it was too hot or cold, I would walk backwards and then move forward.
I thought that what was important was to move forward anyway, so I didn't stop walking.
I just walked on and on.
I thought about where this road ends, where it goes, what is at the end... and eventually, I couldn't think of anything.
I just walked.
I couldn't help it.
Because there was no other way but to just walk.
Because no matter how much I thought about it, no sharp solution ca to mind.
Because the Heavenly Demon was also watching silently without saying anything.
I moved forward like a rhinoceros.
Is there anyone who trains as ignorantly as I do?
The Heavenly Demon had said that I should train every day as if walking in the darkness with myself as a lantern, so I repeated it without a doubt.
The destination was not in sight, and the scenery I walked through every ti was no different from before.
But I didn't feel any sense of hopelessness or despair.
Why?
Co to think of it, it was because I had a reliable master like the Heavenly Demon, who was as reliable as beef jerky.
Is the existence of a master sothing that gives strength to the heart just by watching?
As I walked like that...
One day, a white cold air and a blue fla were naturally ford in each of my hands.
"Huh?"
I blinked my eyes and looked at my two hands alternately.
Although it was still weak, I was definitely using ice art and fla art at the sa ti.
The dizziness that had washed over like a tsunami every ti I tried was gone without a trace.
It was just very natural, as if I had been born with it.
"???"
Sothing that I couldn't do even with all my might until yesterday had suddenly beco so easy, so extrely natural.
Did my body gradually change to fit it while I was walking between the pit of fire and the snowy mountain?
I thought it was more appropriate to say that my body had awakened rather than my head.
The more I knew about martial arts, the more I couldn't know, and the more I learned, the more mysterious it was.
[You have reached the beginning of the fifth stage.]
I heard the Heavenly Demon's low voice.
I looked at the frost and fla flowers that had blood in my hands and answered.
"...It seems so."
As expected, the Heavenly Demon's nagging poured out right away.
[You pathetic fool. How long did it take you to do just that? You're so foolish.]
"No..."
[Tsk, tsk... you pathetic fool. I created the Snow Branch Blue Fla as soon as the mindscape was projected. How can my disciple take so long to reach just the fifth stage?]
"...."
I silently endured the Heavenly Demon's nagging and then shot up and went out to the backyard.
I sat in the spacious backyard of the hideout and played with the cold air and fla, grasping their characteristics.
When I created the two at the sa ti and compared them... their characteristics were even more extre.
The blue fla was quiet, but once it stuck, it had the feeling of a leech that wouldn't let go until it turned to ash.
The white cold air was like a cold blizzard that froze everything it touched, whether it was an enemy or an ally.
Naturally, the two energies were polar opposites.
As I looked at the two...
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.
'The principle of explosion that Sir Ashley used.'
Until now, my other energies had mixed naturally without repelling each other, like water in water, or alcohol in alcohol.
So I had no choice but to reproduce the bloody flash with a different principle, and I couldn't use the principle of explosion that Sir Ashley had used.
'But with this...?'
I carefully brought my two hands together and tried to gather the two energies.
Crackle—
The two repelled each other, as if magnets were pushing each other away.
'That's it.'
A smile appeared on my lips.
To explode, you have to gather first.
I forced myself to apply strength and narrowed the gap between the two.
The more I did, the more they repelled each other.
As if an invisible force were pushing each other away.
Crackle!
'No way.'
I applied more strength and gradually narrowed the gap between the two... and finally succeeded in rging them.
The two, as if they couldn't completely mix, repelled each other inside and spun around...
Crackle!
"Huh?"
In the end, they exploded as if they couldn't stand it anymore.
Bang!
"...."
My face was hot from being hit by the explosion head-on, but at the sa ti, it was as cold as if it were freezing.
It was cold, but at the sa ti, it was hot.
I muttered, touching my face.
"What is this?"
I can't explain it in detail, but that's how it felt.
It was an extrely strange thing.
Since I had just reached the beginning of the fifth stage, I had only mixed a very small amount of energy, but the explosion was by no ans small.
It was a good thing it was a small amount; if I had mixed a certain amount, the hideout might have been blown away.
[It is the sun and the moon. And at the sa ti, it is the Taegeuk.]
"What?"
The Heavenly Demon laughed lowly.
[There is such a thing.]
At that mont, I heard a voice calling .
"Ashuban!"
When I turned around, Shushruta was calling eagerly from the window.
"A guest has arrived!"
"...A guest?"
***
I looked at the fat toad—no, the noblewoman in front of .
To be honest, I was surprised when I first saw her.
I thought she was Baron Brankai's younger sister.
I looked at her, thinking that if you painted his face with garish colors, it would look just like this.
Our noblewoman was diligently looking up and down, her face slightly covered with a fluttering fan.
It's not easy to make soone feel bad just by looking at them, but it's a great talent.
She was trying to act noble, but she was far from it.
Anyway, since she was a precious custor who had co to the rcenary corps, I was polite.
I was now the leader representing the Sherwood rcenary Corps.
"You wish to make a request to our Sherwood rcenary Corps."
There are roughly two types of requests.
There is a normal request in the form of 'Help , anyone!' by putting a request in the rcenary guild.
And there is a designated request in the form of 'You, help !' by designating a specific rcenary or rcenary corps.
Usually, designated requests co to rcenaries or rcenary corps that are famous for their skills.
Of course, since they designate a specific rcenary or rcenary corps, the cost is high, and they often bring very secret or important requests that must not fail.
In short, it is a high-class request.
A designated request is sothing that only cos to famous rcenaries or rcenary corps that are well-known.
To think that the first designated request ca in just a month after the rcenary corps was established.
I can't ignore the fact that it's because of the na Sherwood, but anyway, it can be seen as a very encouraging achievent.
All I did was kill magical beasts. Such an honor...
In the case of a designated request, it is common to co in person and make a request like this...
This was the first ti I had t a custor in person, so my heart was pounding.
Until now, 'that guy' had been in charge of greeting custors and deciding whether to accept requests, and in case of a serious matter, the leader would co down and deal with it, so my turn never ca.
No, rather, when an important custor ca, a few of us, including , who were lazing around in the hideout, were often kicked out of the hideout.
At tis like that, we would wander the streets like idlers and then go hunt magical beasts.
I don't know the reason.
It's not like we would suddenly go crazy and hit the precious custor who had co to make a request.
I thought I would never be able to et a custor who ca to make a designated request...
Finally, the opportunity ca.
It is a stage where I can prove that I can also greet custors well.
I said to the noblewoman in a very polite tone.
"Would you please tell the details of the request?"
Our toad noblewoman fanned herself and looked down at with a very arrogant look, and then she glanced at the servant who was standing next to her.
The servant opened his mouth.
"This is the noble Lady Mongoberry, the Baroness."
Hmm. This one was also a baroness.
The connection with Baron Brankai is becoming more and more suspicious.
"Nice to et you, Baroness. So, the details of the request?"
Just as the servant was about to say sothing, she raised her fan and stopped his words.
And then she said in a very high-handed tone.
"Are you Gustan of the Greatsword?"
To speak informally right off the bat.
Is this why the leader only ca down for serious matters?
I thought that if it had been the leader, he might have thrown his greatsword right away.
But unlike the leader, I was a very gentle man, so I answered politely.
"I am not Gustan of the Greatsword, but Ashuban of the Half-Sword."
"Not Gustan?"
"That's right."
"Then where is Gustan?"
"The leader is on vacation. I am the current leader of the Sherwood rcenary Corps and his rightful successor."
Shushruta, who was standing next to , looked at with a surprised look.
I can be as kind as I want if I put my mind to it.
At my words, the baroness looked at with a very displeased look.
For a mont, I was so angry that I almost overturned the table, but I managed to hold it in.
I controlled my heart and asked with a smiling face.
"I'm asking for the third ti. So what are the details of the request?"
The baroness frowned slightly, and then she reluctantly took out a note from her bosom and pushed it towards .
I took it and unfolded it.
"...."
I couldn't stop my expression from wrinkling terribly as I read it.
Fwoosh—
I burned the note and then said in a low, growling voice to the baroness, whose heart was uglier than her appearance.
"Get out."
"What?"
"I said get out. Before I kill you."
"How dare a lowly commoner—"
I gathered my killing intent and sent it out like a ray of light.
"This is the last warning. If you don't want to die, disappear from my sight. Right now."
"...!"
The baroness's face, which had t my eyes, turned pale for a mont, and then she hurriedly left the building with the help of her servant.
And then, as if she had so pride left, she glared at one last ti before leaving the door and shouted.
"I will definitely make you—"
Thwack!
The half-silver sword I had thrown flew and stuck in front of her.
"...!"
The baroness hurriedly opened the door and ran away.
I strode over and retrieved the half-sword stuck in the doorway and muttered.
"People are dying from magical beasts even at this mont. What, skin care? You've got to be kidding . Should I go after her and kill her?"
"...As expected."
Shushruta sighed.
"What's wrong with that? It seems that there is a by-product of a magical beast that is rumored to be good for the skin. You could have just hunted the magical beast and given it to her."
"If it were just that, I wouldn't have said anything. But she needs the blood of a virgin sacrificed to a magical beast, so how should I interpret this? Is she telling to lure a magical beast and attack a village where people live? What's more infuriating is that the amount she offered was a whopping 30 gold."
"...."
Only then did Shushruta also shut her mouth.
Is this why that guy was in charge of dealing with them?
If I had been in charge, I think there would have been several incidents where I smashed the precious heads of the custors.
Where does nobility, greatness co from?
It's definitely not sothing you can get by insisting.
[You should have just killed her.]
"Should I go after her and kill her now?"
In the sense of doing a good deed for this world.
As I was suppressing my anger, I heard a knock on the door.
When Shushruta went and opened the door, an old man was looking around and asking cautiously.
"Is this the Sherwood rcenary Corps?"
Shushruta looked at , and I said directly.
"That's right. Sir, please sit here."
"Oh my, yes. I've co to the right place."
The old man staggered over and sat down opposite .
"What can I do for you?"
The old man said bluntly.
"Our village is in danger. Please help us."
"You have to tell what's going on so I can help you."
The old man began to speak in a trembling voice.
"It's the Black Arachne guys. We treated a man who was injured and had collapsed in the forest, and one day he ca back with his companions and started harassing our villagers."
And then he listed the evil deeds they had committed one by one, and the anger that had subsided quickly rose again.
"They said they would kill everyone if we told anyone outside, so we gathered money and ca out secretly. It's not much, but please help us. If it's not enough, we'll pay more later."
And then he took out a heavy pouch from his bosom and placed it on the table, and when I looked inside, it was a mixture of silver and copper coins.
How much would this all be?
It probably wouldn't even be 1 gold.
I said in a cold tone.
"You seem to be mistaken about sothing. We are rcenaries, not fixers who kill people for money."
"Ah, that, that's not what I ant—"
"Be quiet. This is a request form. If you want to make a request, please fill this out."
I scribbled a few things on the docunt that was on the table and then handed the docunt to the old man.
The old man fumbled with the request form, and then looked at with wide eyes.
"Uh... Sir rcenary."
"I'm not a sir."
"Here... it says the request fee is 1 copper."
I took a coin from the pouch the old man had handed and then said.
"Request fee, received. The request has been accepted."
"...!"
"Are you done writing? Then let's go."
I stood up from my seat and muttered softly.
"To hunt humans."
The Heavenly Demon is stuffed in my head, Chapter 190
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