Chapter 104

“Alright, I'll give you a chance to explain.”

I placed my hand on Veranio's shoulder.

“You said you haven’t received a similar job recently, right?”

“No, it wasn't a job! Isn't he just another person who looks similar!?”

“A man with a tall build, dark blonde hair, and piercing eyes and there just happen to be two of them in Merion, and they happen to be with similar-looking lovers, and they happen to be fleeing at the same time? Wow, what a coincidence.”

“…No, no, you're right, it is the same person, but….”

He desperately tried to talk his way out of it. It was to prevent Amethus's sword from leaving its sheath.

“Kedro is one of ours! He said he wanted to move in with his lover, so I just happened to send him a suitable trade caravan!”

“So he's using the name Kedro. Then why did you erase his tracks?”

“I helped him out because the woman's family situation was complicated!”

“Sounds plausible.”

I nodded.

“Then I'll confirm for myself whether he's a different person or not. Give me the information on the trade caravan you sent him with.”

“…I can't do that.”

The man with the three scars, Veranio, said firmly.

As much as he feared me and Amethus, this was non-negotiable.

“He's one of ours. I can't tell you, even if I die.”

“Even if you die? Should we test that?”

“…Ugh! Go ahead and test it!”

Veranio gritted his teeth.

“I've been with Kedro on and off for three years. Answering a guild member's trust with trust is our guild's second principle!”

“…You’ve been with him for three years?”

“That's right. Even though he didn't take on many jobs, he was a trustworthy guy.”

How thorough.

To have built up the trust of the mercenary guild over three years.

I shook my head.

They say the representative of the Original Ladder Church is skilled in all kinds of schemes and it seemed to be true.

I didn't know if his intention from the beginning was to use it for his and his lover's escape.

Perhaps it was trust he built for the sake of a church mission.

“Anyway, it seems like the guild master is really determined not to say a word, even if he dies.”

I looked away.

Amethus shook his head.

It was as if he was saying that it wasn't a matter serious enough to kill the innocent Veranio.

I had the same opinion.

“In that case, there’s nothing we can do.”

I stood up.

Only then did the guild master breathe a sigh of relief.

“But do you know something, Veranio?”

“…What?”

“You probably already figured out that the name Kedro is fake. Then what's his real identity?”

“…I don't really want to know.”

“He's a priest of the Original Ladder Church.”

“…A priest?”

Veranio let out a low groan.

An identity he had never imagined came to light.

The Kedro he knew was a man quite distant from a clergyman.

“With such excellent sword skills? I thought he was some kind of intelligence agent….”

“I know, right? Why would a priest be so skilled? A priest who's like an intelligence agent…”

“Ah…!”

The guild master's eyes widened.

He had been suspicious all along.

Despite his excellent sword skills, he went to great lengths to avoid becoming famous and was skilled in all sorts of dark methods.

If such a person were a priest, there could only be one answer.

A representative of the Original Ladder Church. Veranio's face turned white.

“D-don't say it! Don't say it!”

Knowing would be the end of him.

A representative of the Original Ladder Church was top-secret.

Once he knew, there was no turning back. I pulled up the corners of my mouth.

“So, will you give me the information I want?”

“I can't do that!”

Veranio shook his head.

“I can't say it! How could I possibly tell you that he joined the Schmeizen trade caravan that departed six days ago and that one of our guys took a communicator with him! The communicator connected to him is right in my pocket, but I would never tell you that!”

“…Thank you very much for the detailed explanation.”

I slowly walked over and rummaged through Veranio's pocket to find the communicator.

He didn't try to stop me at all.

Instead, he feigned surprise as he watched me hold the communicator.

“No! How did you know!”

“…Stop it.”

“Ahem.”

Veranio laughed awkwardly.

I shook my head.

“Didn't you say that your guild's second principle is to answer trust with trust, Veranio?”

“Our first principle is flexible response.”

“I understand. How could you have known he was hiding such an identity?”

“……”

The man with the three scars scratched his cheek.

I was right.

In his heart, he wanted to be loyal to him, regardless of the identity he was hiding.

But a representative of the Original Ladder Church!

That was a name he couldn't just ignore, it was too dangerous.

The entire guild could be shaken.

“I'll do my best to ensure your side doesn't suffer any damage. You don't have to worry.”

“…That’s a small mercy. Are you going to kill him?”

“Depends on the situation.”

“…I'd prefer you didn't.”

“I'll try.”

“……”

I smiled.

The guild master couldn't say anything.

Looking at the thoroughly demoralized man with the three scars, I spoke.

“Oh, Veranio. You told Miss Serena I was the most dangerous man in Merion, didn't you?”

“…Aren't you?”

“You were spot on.”

I turned to leave.

Amethus followed behind me.

The whispers continued.

“Remember it for the future. Who you should fear the most in Merion.”

***

“He went quite far in just six days.”

I murmured.

According to the communicator I got from Veranio, the trade caravan had already crossed five mountains.

I took a metal container from my pocket and tapped it on my palm.

Two hard candies rolled out.

I offered one to Amethus, but he was refused.

As I savored the mint and raspberry flavor, a conclusion was quickly reached.

“I'll have to ask you, Amethus.”

The jade-eyed man frowned.

“…Me?”

“You.”

Amethus looked displeased.

The guy who was so stiff at first no longer hid his emotions well.

Well, we had been together for seven years, so it couldn't be helped.

“It's far. Even if I rush, you'll still be faster.”

“They traveled on horseback for six days, so it would take me half a day to get there.”

“Exactly. It would take me more than a day.”

The jade-eyed man was exceptionally quick on his feet.

He also had the stamina to run long distances without getting tired at all.

Amethus already knew he was more suited for this request than me.

But his look of displeasure didn't fade.

“…If it’s a command, I’ll obey.”

“It’s a request. I told you, I’m not a master who gives orders willy-nilly.”

I touched the bridge of my nose.

“I know what you're worried about, but just leave it to me. When have I ever been negligent?”

“…Alright.”

Amethus gripped the hilt of his double-edged sword.

The hilt of his cherished sword, which he had polished every single day since graduating from the academy, since that day on the Isle of Arete, always felt as if it was stuck to his hand.

“I’ll be back soon.”

***

“Ms. Susanna. There are often monsters on the road ahead. We can still turn back, what should we do?”

“Now it really feels like we've crossed into the north.”

Susanna pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

She looked back at the trade caravan she was leading.

There were many wagons and people.

“Normally, I would have turned back, but….”

This was a caravan she had put a lot of effort into.

There were many urgent goods, so they needed to hurry.

With so much money at stake and so many people to lead, her sense of responsibility was heavy.

Suddenly, a face came to mind.

The bald merchant Sansio, her twin brother.

Sansio considered her his younger sister, but that was just wishful thinking.

How much had Sansio bragged about making a fortune from a recent deal with the Empire?

She couldn't stand it anymore. Personal feelings were added to the responsibility of a leader.

The two seemed to be heading in the same direction.

“It depends on the monster. Do you have any information?”

“It’s a mutated wild boar that has been the owner of the nearby mountains for a long time.”

“That sounds highly dangerous.”

Susanna turned her head.

“What do you think, Kedro?”

“I can only judge if I see it in person.”

The man had piercing eyes.

He wore a longsword on his back, so long that she wondered if he could even draw it.

“The level of monsters varies so much from individual to individual.”

“You can still guess, can't you?”

“I saw a few houses on the way here. It can't be an extremely dangerous monster if people are living here.”

“You mean it won't be a big problem?”

“I can't guarantee it, but.”

“Good.”

Susanna smiled.

The mercenary named Kedro was a man who always brought a sense of security.

He was a skilled swordsman and never did a job sloppily.

She liked him so much that she would have genuinely made a move on him if he wasn't already taken.

“We’ll keep going. Be on high alert just in case.”

She was the leader of the caravan.

Dozens of merchants and workers moved around at her command.

They led the rested horses back out, repacked the luggage they had unloaded, grabbed their swords, and steeled their eyes.

The group of wagons walked the mountain path. Armed mercenaries were stationed at the front and back.

The man with the dark blonde hair and piercing eyes, who used the name Kedro, was beside Susanna.

It was a sign of his trustworthiness.

Kedro's piercing eyes made him look like an owl.

He was also so tall that just by turning his head, he could easily see everything around him.

Tree branches, leaves, and birdsong.

Strange signs began to mix in among the things that were naturally found on a mountain path.

A terrible smell from animal droppings or traces left by something large and heavy.

The first to notice the strange signs was, of course, Kedro.

Soon, the other mercenaries also noticed and stopped walking.

Only then did Susanna motion for the group to halt. She held a small bell in her hand.

“Where is it?”

It was a bell that rang with mana.

It would ring if there was a monster nearby.

If not, it wouldn't ring at all.

“…It seems to have appeared.”

A jingling, jingling sound was heard.

“Can you tell me the direction, Kedro?”

“It's blocking the path right ahead. You should be able to see it too, Madam Caravan Master. Its size is enormous.”

Following Kedro's finger, she stared into the trees.

In the distance, there was a large, dark brown mass.

She thought it was a large rock, but on closer inspection, it was moving slightly. It even had eyes and tusks.

“…It looks like it's waiting for us, for a wild boar.”

“A monster that's the owner of a mountain has high intelligence. It's not uncommon for them to learn that they can get food by raiding trade caravans.”

“My goodness, a wild boar monster bandit?”

Susanna ran a hand through her hair.

The boar's size was beyond her imagination.

It looked like three or four houses put together, and its fierce mana had already made the horses afraid and whinnying.

However, Susanna didn't feel a hint of worry.

The same went for the others.

“You said you could judge it by seeing it in person, Kedro?”

The man with the piercing eyes was a source of security for her, for the entire caravan.

If they had seen Kedro's swordsmanship even once, there was no reason to worry about a boar like that.

“What do you think? Should we turn the caravan around now?”

“……”

Instead of answering, Kedro began to walk.

His gait was leisurely, as if he was out for a stroll.

“I'll clear the path quickly. Just in case, please send two archers with me.”

He blurted out.

“It would be troublesome if it ran away while injured.”

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