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Chapter 1
Nights in the forest are dangerous.
Especially when the rain pours down as if the sky has a hole in it, the danger doubles.
I can barely see an inch in front of me right now, but I actually consider it a blessing.
Because the pouring rain will wash away at least some of our tracks.
"Um, can't we rest for just a little bit?"
"If we delay any longer, our bellies are going to be riddled with holes."
"Eek, I'm... I'm sorry."
She's completely terrified.
Under normal circumstances, she would never have said something like that.
Even though we are still in another country, the girl on my back is the Imperial Family.
Insulting the Imperial Family is an automatic death sentence, after all.
"If you're sorry, then shut your mouth and hold on tight."
The warning must have worked, as she clamped her mouth shut and wrapped her small, fragile hands around my neck.
After running for a long time, I spotted a large tombstone.
It's a boundary stone marking the division of the continent
Have we finally left the Quasar Empire's territory?
But it's still too early to let my guard down.
The next 5km is the Neutral Zone, but considering our journey over the past month, I can't rule out the possibility of enemies lying in ambush ahead.
I should slowly start reducing the number of pursuers.
"Get down for a second."
"Are we finally resting?"
"That's right."
As I answered, I set the girl down under the shade of a large tree ahead and opened my Subspace to take out a shovel.
"You said we were resting, what are you doing..."
"Go in here and stay quiet until I come back."
I quickly dug a pit, put the Imperial Princess inside, and gathered branches to camouflage it.
I finished by driving the Dagger from my waist into a tree to activate the Spatial Distortion Barrier.
Thinking this would be fine for now, I spread my Magic Power.
I sensed about thirty pursuers behind me.
They couldn't all be the main force; they were definitely the ones assigned to search or flush us out.
Since it was raining anyway, I began to retrace my steps as stealthily as possible, keeping quiet.
After moving for about five minutes, I found the group detected by my Magic Power.
Pointed ears and dark skin—Dark Elves.
They aren't as skilled as Elves, but they are a race familiar with the forest, so it seems they were put in charge of the Advance Party.
Drawing upon my Magic Power, I took out a Flying Dagger.
"Captain, it's hard to find tracks because of the rain."
"We're already in the Neutral Zone, so pursuing them further..."
"Quit your whining and just find them... Ugh!"
Thud—
The Flying Dagger that flew from my hand pierced through the head of the Dark Elf who appeared to be the Captain.
"Henencia!"
I didn't expect to take him down this easily. Was he careless?
Well, he probably didn't expect the fleeing prey to suddenly turn into the hunter.
"It came from the west. Go west!"
Tsk, I thought it would be hidden by the rain, but an Elf is an Elf after all.
Unfortunately, my position was exposed, but taking out the Commander still makes it worth it.
I suppressed my presence even further and chanted a spell in a low voice.
Blue Mist begins to slowly rise.
The rain has weakened a bit compared to earlier, but no matter how hard it pours, the Blue Mist doesn't disappear.
"Rao, this is definitely that bastard's..."
"Hey Rao, was the one we're tracking the Blue Mist?"
Look at these idiots, did they really chase us without knowing who they were dealing with?
This is a little disappointing.
"If the Imperial Princess's companion is the Blue Mist, then this mission..."
"Shut up! Henencia is already dead. Blue Mist or whatever, our mission is the Imperial Princess's death."
The female Elf who appeared to be the Vice Commander scowled and yelled, but everyone was clearly hesitating.
It didn't seem like they were going to back off, and I was running out of time, so I decided to start wrapping things up.
Slipping Flying Daggers between my fingers, I infused them with plenty of Magic Power and let them fly.
Thud— Thud— Thud—
I threw eight Flying Daggers, but only seven Elves fell.
It seemed my condition had dropped a bit from the arduous journey.
"Don't bunch up! Keep your distance from each other."
Tsk tsk, the Vice Commander was desperately trying to regain control, but that was a clear mistake.
If they scatter, it becomes much easier to take them down one by one.
Weaving through the mist, I calmly drove my Dagger into the back of each Dark Elf's neck, one by one.
It only took 10 short minutes to annihilate all thirty Dark Elves.
Thud—
Just in case they could provide information, I retrieved my Flying Daggers, finished confirming the kills, and returned to where the Imperial Princess was.
I drew the Dagger to dispel the Spatial Distortion Barrier and arrived at the pit where I had hidden the Imperial Princess, but wow, I was so dumbfounded I was at a loss for words.
The Imperial Princess had her Robe pulled over her head and was fast asleep.
Talk about a charmed life.
Was the Imperial Princess fifteen? Or maybe sixteen?
Anyway, she wasn't even of age yet, and given that she grew up like a delicate greenhouse flower in the imperial palace, I understood that this was a grueling schedule for her, but sleeping in a situation like this was impressive.
No, actually, it might be a blessing in disguise.
If she had seen me covered in the blood of Dark Elves, she definitely would have screamed.
Using the pouring rain, I washed off most of the blood and shook the Imperial Princess awake.
"Ugh, just a little more rest..."
"If you wish for the pursuers to collect Your Highness's head, then please, feel free to sleep some more."
My words must have snapped her awake, as she immediately jumped up from her spot.
She looked like she was about to cry, but I pretended not to notice.
We walked together for about 20 minutes before my spread Magic Power detected numerous human presences.
This time, they weren't behind us, but ahead.
Just as I expected, there seemed to be people from the Eastern Continent aiming for the Imperial Princess's head as well.
"Why are we stopping?"
"It seems there are enemies ahead as well."
Of course, since our current location was the center of the border, there was a chance they were on our side, but getting her hopes up for nothing would only lead to a bigger disappointment.
"Ahead too?"
"For now, get on my back."
The rainfall had thinned out.
Since the rain had lightened, there was a chance they would detect the Imperial Princess's footsteps and ambush us.
Advancing as stealthily as possible, I spotted Knights wearing heavy armor.
"News came in that the Dark Elves sent as the Advance Party from the Western Continent were wiped out."
Why do my worst premonitions never seem to miss the mark?
They had erased the emblems from their Armor and shields, but judging by their speech and accents, they weren't from the Empire; they seemed to be from Sachsen or the Perot Kingdom.
"Are those people enemies too?"
"They are."
I had a feeling it wouldn't be easy from the moment I confirmed the mission details, but I didn't realize it would be this difficult.
"There's a swamp up ahead, so everyone search carefully."
Hmm, that Commander's voice sounds familiar.
If my memory serves me right, that is Pail, the Commander of the 3rd Knight Order of Perot.
He is a formidable figure, known as the youngest Knight Commander in Perot's history, and is highly likely to become a Sword Master within the next ten years.
They really pulled out all the stops.
"Then are we surrounded? What do we do?"
Turning my head to look back, the Imperial Princess's eyes were brimming with tears.
Since she didn't know I had dealt with the pursuers chasing us, she seemed to think this was the end.
Of course, since I only took out the Advance Party, she wasn't entirely wrong.
"What do you mean what do we do? We have to break through."
"Break through here?"
Instead of answering, I opened my Subspace, took out a rope, and tied the Imperial Princess to my back to secure her.
Honestly, the situation wasn't good.
Thinking I should be prepared to leave at least an arm or a leg behind, I chanted a spell.
"Commander! Where did this sudden mist come from..."
"It's raining, so it's natural for mist to form... Wait, Blue Mist?"
"Commander? What's wrong?"
"Everyone, gather together and get ready! The one escorting the Quasar Imperial Princess right now belongs to the Empire's Special Intelligence Agency."
Oho, so someone at the level of the Commander of the 3rd Knight Order of Perot knows who I am.
"Blue Mist? Is that your name?"
"It's not a name, it's a code... Well, you can just think of it as a nickname."
"A nickname?"
"It might get a little bloody, but please hold back your screams."
Along with the warning, I took out two Daggers, gripped them in my hands, and charged.
The strongest Black Agent of the Beluga Empire's Special Intelligence Agency.
Codename Blue Mist,
That's me.
****
It's that same dream again.
I can't believe I'm still dreaming about two years ago. Is it because that mission was so difficult?
The right arm I lost back then is throbbing.
It always does this whenever I have that dream.
I rubbed my shoulder a few times to calm the phantom pain, put on my Prosthetic Arm, and came down to the first floor.
I washed up briefly, had a simple breakfast of yesterday's Soup and bread, and changed my clothes.
I sat on the sofa, read the newspaper for a bit, checked the time, and left the house.
The sky was completely covered in dark clouds, as if it were about to pour.
Was it not because of the dream, but because of the weather?
I debated whether to bring an umbrella, but feeling lazy, I just hurried my steps.
Fortunately, just as I arrived at my destination, it started raining right on cue.
[Seinty Academy]
This place, with its beautifully written cursive sign, is my workplace.
Looking at the rain, it looked like it would pour all day, so it seemed I'd have to teach indoors today.
I stopped by the Faculty Office, signed the attendance sheet, and went to my seat.
"Good morning."
"The weather is too awful to be calling it a good morning, don't you think?"
Derun, the Magic Instructor sitting next to me, grumbled.
"Still, since it's an indoor class, isn't it a bit more comfortable?"
"For class, sure, but I can't go fishing in this weather. The boats don't sail."
"That is definitely a bit of a shame."
Instructor Derun is a fishing buddy I often go out with.
"Should we skip fishing today and just grab a drink?"
"Tsk tsk, asking another instructor to drink first thing in the morning. Is that appropriate for an instructor?"
Media, the Swordsmanship Instructor sitting on the opposite side, threw a jab at me.
She was originally a Knight of the neighboring territory, Erentra, but she took a leave of absence to care for her sick mother.
However, by some coincidence, during her leave, the Lord was caught smuggling, the territory changed hands, and she was left adrift, eventually becoming an instructor at Seinty Academy—or so I've heard.
"Why wouldn't it be okay? It's not like I'm saying we should drink during class."
"If the Chief Instructor or the Dean heard you, they would have scolded you severely."
Here they go again.
True to her background as a Knight, Swordsmanship Instructor Media has a rather strait-laced personality.
She frequently bickers with Magic Instructor Derun, but if I had to guess, it seems like she might actually have a thing for him.
Maybe I'll be paying for their wedding sooner rather than later.
Watching their lovers' quarrel was too much for my eyes, so I left the Faculty Office a bit early.
"Oh? Instructor Bio."
"Good morning, Dean."
A white-haired gentleman with a remarkably kind face at first glance.
This is the founder of our Seinty Academy and the Dean, Greus Nordic.
As a 6th Circle Wizard, he previously served as the Chief of Staff of the Magic Corps in his prime.
He holds the title of Viscount and even has his own territory, but he left it in the hands of a Representative and returned to develop his hometown of Seinti, establishing the Academy. He's quite a decent Noble.
"I was actually just on my way to get you, so the timing is perfect."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. Just follow me for now. We still have some time before your class starts, right?"
"Yes."
I followed the Dean to the Dean's Office.
"Would you like a cup of tea? I received some as a gift the day before yesterday."
"I would gladly accept."
A moment later, the Dean brought out a steaming cup of tea.
Taking a sip, it was fragrant and refreshing—quite nice.
"The aroma is wonderful."
"Is it? It's made from Nemesis Flowers grown in the Galiot region. It's quite a rare tea around these parts."
"I see. Um, by the way, what brings this on today..."
"Ah, it's nothing else. As you know, our Seinty Academy was officially recognized as a formal academy starting last year, right?"
Originally, it was a private academy funded out of Dean Greus's own pocket, but last year it received official state recognition and transitioned into a national academy.
"Yes. Didn't we pass the inspection last year?"
The process is notoriously strict, with Examiners visiting in person to evaluate, but once approved, the benefits are substantial.
The government provides quarterly subsidies, and all faculty members are officially recognized as Civil Servants.
"The reason we passed the last inspection so easily is partly because we prepared well, but the outstanding performance of our graduated Trainees played a huge role."
I thought it was surprisingly easy compared to the rumors, but I guess this was the reason.
"I see."
"Your contributions in particular were massive. The Trainees you taught are all doing incredibly well right now."
"You praise me too highly. More importantly, my class is starting soon, so I should probably get going..."
"Ah, look at my memory. I've talked for too long. Give me just a moment."
The Dean stood up, walked over to his desk piled high with documents, and returned holding a single piece of paper.
It wasn't the commonly used recycled paper, but high-quality parchment.
"What is this?"
"It's a personnel transfer order."
"A transfer order?"
"Yes. Starting next semester, Belliard Academy is creating a Ranger Class, and they've requested to have you sent there as an Instructor."
I was momentarily stunned.
Why me of all people?
"I like it here at Seinty Academy."
I don't have any grand lingering attachment to being an Instructor.
I only applied after seeing the posting because I was bored of the repetitive daily life after my retirement.
I started this purely as a way to pass the time, but being transferred to the Capital...
"Haha, I appreciate you saying that, but isn't this place too small to spread your wings? You should go to a bigger stage and fully unleash your abilities."
I tried to come up with any excuse to decline, but I was told it was an order directly from the Imperial Family, so my refusal was firmly refused.
"The students will be sad to see you go. Still, this is for your own success, so everyone will understand. I, too, wish you the best of luck."
The best of luck my ass.
I said I don't want to go!!!