Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Cut the Grass and Remove the Roots (2)
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Allen scanned the knights surrounding them with uneasy eyes.
“What’s going on?”
The knights in black armor looked down from their horses, their height adding to the pressure.
One of them rode forward.
He was the one gripping a long spear in one hand.
He asked,
“Where are you coming from?”
“From Chezen Castle.”
Allen answered truthfully.
In situations like this, half-baked lies were worse than concealing secrets. Their attitude toward us suggested they knew about Vitero’s assassination.
That must be why they were heading to Chezen.
And they’d spotted us along the way.
The rough situation came into focus.
The man pressed on aggressively.
“When did you leave?”
“Three days ago. What’s this about...?”
Allen trailed off. This answer was a lie.
Three days ago was the day of Vitero’s assassination.
The gates were closed at night, so we naturally became people unaware of the incident in Chezen.
The knight spoke in a forceful tone.
“Show me your identification.”
Allen gathered our tags and handed them over, adding an explanation.
“We’re all from the Juraden Kingdom. We belong to the Palette Merchant Group.”
The knight examined the tags without acknowledging Allen’s words. The bronze tags listed names, ages, and origins. I had a solid identity prepared, so there was no issue.
He continued questioning.
“Where were you headed?”
“To Lennon City.”
“For what reason?”
“To scout for expanding the merchant group’s business. He knows the details.”
Allen pointed to Iriel. She was best suited to explain, having managed a branch before.
Allen had shown some sharp improvisation.
But the knight’s gaze went not to Iriel, but to Veron beside her. The presence of a child in our group might work in our favor. Assassins wouldn’t drag a kid along.
The knight’s eyes shifted to my waist.
“You use an unusual sword.”
The Thundercloud Sword looked nothing like swords from the Valencia continent, impossible to miss. That’s why I’d used a longsword for Vitero’s assassination.
“They say this style is popular in the Urdan Kingdom at the far east of the continent. Haha, pretty novel, right?”
Allen laughed good-naturedly. Still, the knight’s cold stare lingered on me.
“Don’t you have a tongue?”
What an asshole.
Something boiled up inside me. He was testing my sliver of patience.
I had to suppress the rising killing intent. This was why I hated traveling with baggage.
To protect them, I had to know when to hold back.
Sigh. How did I end up at the mercy of these fools?
I opened my mouth to say something, calming myself.
Or tried to.
Before I could speak, Iriel jumped in.
“He can’t talk by nature...”
“...”
I swallowed the words that had risen to my throat.
Yeah, better that way.
That’s when the knight suddenly swung his spear at me.
Swoosh!
A completely unprovoked attack.
It looked boringly slow to me, but I didn’t dodge.
No killing intent.
He was clearly testing my skills. I stayed still, unresponsive.
The spear tip halted precisely before my brow.
The wind from it lifted my bangs.
“W-Why would you do that?”
Allen, pale-faced, stared at the knight.
Iriel beside him was so shocked she couldn’t even scream, collapsing to the ground.
The knight still held the spear to my forehead, and I looked up at him calmly.
“Why didn’t you dodge?”
He asked. He thought I’d seen the spear tip.
“How could he dodge that?!”
Iriel shouted, eyes blazing.
The man who’d been watching us turned his horse and addressed the encircling knights.
“Let’s go.”
The snorting horses vanished into the forest like a black gale.
“Those damn bastards!”
Only after they were gone did Allen vent, shaking his fist at their backs. Then he turned to me.
“You okay?”
Iriel patted her chest beside him.
“Yeah, I really thought you were dead.”
“As if that could kill me.”
“Oh, right. Impressive as always.”
Iriel gave a half-hearted reply and thumbs-upped Allen.
“Anyway, Allen! That was awesome. Your quick thinking is top-notch.”
“What, this much? Haha.”
Allen puffed out his chest, laughing heartily, shoulders squared. My head-knock must’ve sharpened his wits, but I didn’t mention it.
I cut through his laughter.
“We need to change plans.”
“Huh? What plan?”
“We cross the Kterer Mountains.”
“What?! Why all of a sudden?”
Allen’s nostrils flared.
I gazed toward the forest where the raven knights had disappeared.
“We kill them.”
“Huh?!”
Allen and Iriel yelped in unison, startled.
Allen looked utterly bewildered.
“They aimed a spear at you, which was rude, but it’s in the past. Better to let it go, no?”
I shot Allen a baffled look.
What does this guy take me for?
“You think I’d do this over that?”
They had no response.
At their silent affirmation, I clicked my tongue and shook my head.
Traveling with these idiots.
“What happens if they reach Chezen territory?”
I continued before they could answer.
“They’ll hunt the assassin. Checking outsider registries is standard. But I’m not on any list.”
“Ah.”
They let out short exclamations.
I’d deliberately left no name on the lists. I’d planned to erase all traces from Chezen.
I’d moved with concealed presence when leaving. Locals wouldn’t have seen me pass.
In Chezen, I was practically a ghost.
But the ravens had seen me. Seen me with Allen and Iriel, checked our tags.
Finding me absent from the lists might make us suspicious.
That could link back to Corern, who’d traveled with Allen and Iriel.
The odds of them missing it were high, but no need to risk it.
I’d decided to kill them all the moment I spotted the raven overhead.
Killing and silencing— the best way to cut the grass and remove the roots completely.
That’s why I’d shown a bit of restraint.
They were dead by my hand anyway.
* * *
Debris from the spires lay piled like mountains. The severed upper sections had toppled to the ground at an angle.
“Unbelievable.”
Erka, second squad leader of the Raven Knight Order, clicked his tongue at the traces in the inner courtyard. Even a glance showed it was beyond him.
And security magic had been active here.
Clear footprints on the floor proved it.
Yet he’d killed Vitero—rated mid-tier Sword Expert—alone, with a hundred guards present.
Erka ascended the spire stairs after scanning the courtyard.
The blasted-open ceiling made it feel like walking toward the sky.
At the top, an unobstructed view.
Sky everywhere.
Fierce winds tousled his hair.
Erka examined the spire’s clean-cut edge against the wind. No roughness even to the touch.
A single slash that severed it without dulling the blade’s edge.
A feat beyond his imagination.
At least a top-tier Sword Expert.
“Looks like we found him.”
Erka was certain, inferring the enemy’s path.
The assassin who killed Vitero was the same one who wiped out third squad and took the national seal.
They’d been dispatched near the border a month ago to investigate third squad’s annihilation.
They’d come here upon hearing of Chezen Castle.
‘Just as expected.’
The scene confirmed it. Two such powerhouses appearing suddenly in the north? Impossible.
This was their man.
“All squad members, assemble and stand by.”
“Yes.”
The attending knight behind him descended the stairs with the order.
Even after, Erka lingered, gazing at Chezen below.
‘...Need to request the Special Task Force.’
This foe was beyond their squad.
A top-tier Expert transcended human limits.
Only those who did the same could face him.
The Special Task Force existed for such asymmetric threats.
The Empire’s true blade, one squad outmatching a knight order.
They were needed.
Soon, descending, Erka saw the assembled squad.
His brow twitched.
“Still no sign of one team?”
“Yes. We sent a raven messenger; news should come soon.”
Second squad moved in three teams of twelve. One was unusually late.
“Now, our plan is—“
As he began outlining, the raven messenger signal arrived.
The ring on first team leader’s finger glowed faint blue, vibrating.
“Check it.”
At Erka’s nod, he closed his eyes to connect with the raven.
Moments later, he opened them without a word. Erka knew from that something unexpected had happened.
“What is it?”
“...You need to see for yourself.”
He cautiously handed his ring to Erka.
“Third team was wiped out.”
Erka’s eyes shook. He snatched the ring and slipped it on.
Closing his eyes, focusing mana, darkness faded into a smoky gray world.
The raven’s view.
Not sharp, but enough to discern.
“...”
Erka was speechless at the scene.
The forest ravaged like a storm’s path.
Corpses strewn amid snapped trees and upheaved earth.
At the center, a spear shaft inverted in the ground.
Francia’s national flag fluttered from it in the wind.