Vilto, Delmiel.
As the names were entirely unfamiliar to Ruon, he cocked his head in confusion.
Even though he had discarded any thoughts of a peaceful resolution when the fight began, Ruon couldn’t help but feel curious. He asked the man, who was clutching his chest and moaning, “Who are you?”
“Who am I?”
The man let out a sneering laugh.
“Would you remember if I mentioned a dwarf wizard and an elf swordsman?”
The friendly explanation brought to mind an incident that had long since sunk into the depths of Ruon’s memory.
” —The monument?”
Those were the appearances of the two who had attempted to break the monument that held the shield when Kyle had first sought him out.
“How do you know I killed them?”
In response to Ruon’s question, the man slowly opened his mouth.
“Before they died, they made a pact with you so that their comrades could recognize who killed them.”
“I don’t make pacts with the people I kill.”
As if to remind Ruon of her last words, the man spoke bluntly.
“The waning moon never forgets its vengeance.”
Without warning, the man crossed his arms before throwing them forward.
From his cloak, a black object flew towards Ruon. Reacting quickly, Ruon swung his Holy Sword to block it, seeing that it was a thin column of iron.
Judging from the rapidly burning tips of the weeds that touched the metal on the ground, it was obvious that it had been heavily poisoned.
Unsheathing the two swords at his waist, the man rushed forward.
A rapier with an impressively thin blade arced down, aiming for Ruon’s heart.
Ruon quickly swung down his Holy Sword, intending to cut through his opponent’s blade, but he quickly stepped back as a dagger slashed at him from out of nowhere, aiming for his knee.
“For someone of his size, he’s surprisingly fast,” the man said in a peculiar stance, his upper body bent slightly.
Ruon snorted at the man, whose right hand was clutching the rapier to his chest and left hand held the broad-bladed dagger behind his back.
This time, Ruon moved first. As he kicked the ground, the force was more than it could handle, causing a burst of muddy water to spray.
Realizing he couldn’t block the descending Holy Sword, the man pivoted on his left foot, twirling his body to avoid it narrowly. He then swung the dagger from behind his back.
Ruon tilted his head to dodge the dagger, which narrowly missed him.
Quickly recovering after avoiding the dagger, Ruon swung his Holy Sword horizontally.
The man leaned forward to an extreme degree, evading the Holy Sword, and at the same time extended his rapier forward.
The timing of the man’s rapier thrust was almost perfect.
Ruon’s arm was still extended due to the Holy Sword’s inertia, making it impossible for him to retract it and defend.
The man wore a triumphant smile.
He was convinced that he would pierce Ruon’s head in exchange for his overconfidence. Even if Ruon held onto the sword with the intention of losing his hand, the deadly poison on the tip of the rapier would claim his life in an instant. The outcome would be the same.
With such confidence, the man didn’t lose his smile even as a cold blade penetrated his skull.
Chack!
The man, whose head was split in half, collapsed on the spot.
He had underestimated Ruon’s overwhelming physical ability, changing the direction of his sword mid-swing.
Ruon shook his throbbing arm in the air. The pain came from forcibly changing the sword’s trajectory due to the unexpected rhythm of the man’s attacks.
‘Still, the experience points aren’t too bad.’
Unfortunately, he hadn’t leveled up, but he felt fulfilled.
Looking at the severed head of the corpse, Ruon muttered softly.
“The waning moon doesn’t forget…”
He faintly remembered the elven swordsman having uttered similar words before her death, but in truth, it didn’t matter much.
He had unknowingly become the target of assassins. That was the conclusion.
“Kyle, that bastard brought me into all sorts of trouble.”
Thinking of the woodsman who used to curse and spout nonsense, Ruon turned his head. Beyond the open door, he saw Becky running towards him.
“Ruon!”
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
“I cut off his head.”
Shouldering his way into the house, Ruon knelt beside the corpses of the dead man and woman, where Igor was praying.
Ruon asked him, “Do you pray even for such people?”
“Deeds in life cannot be washed away by death. However, for the souls that cannot find comfort in Mother’s embrace and suffer, I can offer a final prayer. That is what my Mother would call mercy.”
It wasn’t a sentiment Ruon could relate to. In this gray world where the line between good and evil was blurred, he thought that discussing an afterlife was meaningless.
“Is that so?”
Uttering a curt, emotionless reply, Ruon promptly carried the bodies outside.
Mercy or not, he couldn’t rest next to a corpse.
Igor approached him as he returned from placing the bodies next to the dead assassin.
“May I see your injured hand?”
Ruon opened his right palm.
Igor frowned at his hand, which was covered in small blisters.
“To swing a sword with such a hand…”
Igor trailed off as he reached out and gently wrapped his hand around Ruon’s palm, running his fingers up and down it. His hand began to emit a faint glow.
Feeling the throbbing pain in his hand lessen, Ruon relaxed.
“That’s impressive.”
“It’s just a humble skill.”
Ruon lightly patted Igor’s shoulder, who was faintly smiling, and settled down by the hearth.
The warmth from the fire washed over the group, enveloping them as they sat like drenched mice.
The cabin, which had been a refuge for a couple with a checkered past just half a day ago, had now transformed into a quaint space where three people relaxed by the fire.
Outside the window, the downpour continued as before.
***
The port city of Nook.
Due to its geographical characteristics, the docks of this city, where trade and fishing industries thrived, were always bustling with various individuals.
People of different races, genders, and skin colors lived side by side, and the air was filled with the smell of salt and the lively atmosphere of goods and fresh fish brought from across the sea.
However, today was an exception.
The entire dock had been turned upside down by the strong winds accompanying the heavy rain that had poured the day before.
Although the rain had stopped, the forceful waves still made it impossible for the ships to set sail, so they were patiently waiting for the waves to calm down, their anchors firmly set.
However, unlike the desolate view of the dock, nearby inns and taverns were filled with lively noise.
Scanning the inside of the bustling inn, Igor commented.
“They seem to have no rest at all.”
“Since they’ve all been forced to take an unwanted break, they’re probably seeking a distraction,” Ruon replied.
Nodding in agreement with Ruon’s response, Igor let out a soft sigh.
“It’s a pity. We went through so much trouble to get here, but now the waves are too high for the ships to sail…”
Taking refuge from the rain in the cabin the previous day, the group had managed to arrive in Nook after moving diligently.
Originally, their plan was to take a boat from Nook Harbor to Redini Island, where the Grand Church was located. However, due to the storm the day before, they ended up stuck in the harbor along with the ships.
Even the seasoned sailors said that setting sail in such winds and waves would be madness, and they left the group with the advice to wait at least another day or two. For Igor, who was eager to reach the Grand Church as soon as possible, this situation was simply frustrating.
Ruon spoke.
“Let’s rest while we can.”
“Yes, you’re right. I let my impatience get the better of me,” Igor replied.
Igor, having thus answered, muttered through clenched teeth as the waiter brought the food and drink to the table.
“Merciful Mother, let us have our daily bread again today—“
Ignoring Igor’s prayer, Ruon looked at Becky, who remained silent, and spoke.
“I kept my promise to bring you to the city. Now, you can do as you wish.”
Becky responded.
“I want to go to the Grand Church too.”
Her quick and resolute answer suggested that she had sorted out her thoughts beforehand. She continued.
“I don’t want to just dismiss the fact that I met you, the Champion of Tibella, as a mere coincidence. Of course, you said it was a coincidence, but still…”
“It’s fine. If that’s what you think, then maybe it wasn’t,” Ruon replied.
Ruon’s reaction, nonchalantly nodding his head, was very different from what Becky had expected, and she blinked her large eyes in surprise.
Meanwhile, Ruon turned to Igor and asked, “Is the prayer finished?”
He tore apart a roasted chicken leg and placed them on Igor and Becky’s plates, then started eating himself.
“Oh, my Mother’s sword… such kindness.”
“Th-thank you.”
Moved by his almost habitual behavior, both Igor and Becky expressed their gratitude with trembling voices.
Ignoring them, Ruon chewed on the juicy meat and sipped his beer.
The meal ended quickly.
Despite trying not to show her fatigue, Becky began to doze off as her stomach filled with the first real food she had eaten in a while, and Igor, who hadn’t drunk, helped her upstairs.
Alone at the table, Ruon drank an additional beer he’d ordered and spoke to the middle-aged man sitting across from him.
“It seems like you may have taken the wrong seat.”
“N-no, I sat correctly.”
The middle-aged man with a hooked nose seemed anxious. After wiping his sweaty palm on his thigh, he cautiously asked, “I’m only asking because your physique and equipment look different—are you a mercenary?”
In response to the shaky voice, Ruon nodded slightly.
“At times.”
“Oh, then could you take on a request for me?”
“I’d have to hear what it’s about first.”
“Well, alright.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, the middle-aged man began looking around nervously.
“If you have something to say, just say it like you usually would. Right now, you seem more suspicious.”
“Uh, y-yes, I suppose so.”
With a brief cough, he straightened his back and began his story in earnest.
“I am Markus. I used to own a small merchant ship.”
“Used to? Not anymore, I suppose.”
“That’s right. I ran into trouble last night.”
Taking a deep breath, Markus began his story in earnest.
“I am a merchant. My job is to import silk from Daran, add a markup, and deliver it to the upper class.
“Yesterday, I was returning to Nook Harbor. I had met the deadline and the quality of the silk was excellent, so I was in a great mood. But that’s when the storm hit. Luckily, I was near the coast, so I managed to avoid becoming fish food, but the ship suffered serious damage.”
Ruon raised an eyebrow.
“Are you asking me to fix your ship?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Since I docked hastily, I didn’t land at the proper pier. But that’s not the main problem… it was near the harpies’ nesting grounds.”
‘Harpies?’
Ruon felt his interest piqued and leaned forward. Meanwhile, Markus continued his explanation.
“I was in the middle of moving a chest filled with silk when a terrifying birdlike monster swooped down on me. What could I do? The silk was important, but my life was even more precious. Of course, I fled for my life.”
Scratching his head, Markus continued.
“Thanks to that, I survived, but… my precious ship and silk were left behind in the cursed lair of those damn monsters. If you help me kill those creatures and move the goods, I’ll pay you handsomely.”
Ruon asked, “But why me? Why not the Lord?”
“If I asked the Lord for help, by the time his soldiers moved, it would be past the agreed deadline. Besides, using this incident as an excuse, the Lord would take a hefty sum in taxes. I can’t afford to lose out twice.”
“I see.”
‘Sounds reasonable.’
Ruon nodded his head.
Since they were already stuck in the harbor, it didn’t seem like too bad of an idea to take care of this simple task before heading to the cathedral.
Besides, thanks to the experience gained from killing the assassin, he was on the verge of leveling up, so why not?
There was no need to think any further, so Ruon smirked and answered.
“Alright. I’ll take the job.”
