Chapter 124
"...So, first off, how about a proper explanation."
The man named Klein kept grinning from ear to ear, but I could only frown in response. Waking up in some unfamiliar place I'd never seen before, with no idea if this guy was a kidnapper or what—I'm not an idiot. A friendly smile doesn't automatically make someone trustworthy.
"Like I said earlier, I'm Klein from the Assassin Guild. Feel free to use casual speech with me. Make yourself comfortable. I'm not a scary guy."
Assassin Guild. Of course, I'd heard the name before. But only in anime, games, or novels. For a split second, I wondered if this was some kind of event, but his tone and outfit made it clear this wasn't role-playing.
"This place usually operates as a tavern, and we just use it as our guild base now and then?"
...Telling me to drop the formalities, that constant grin. He came off as super laid-back. But after years as an otaku, I'd learned that people like that were rarely as harmless as they seemed.
He'd told me to speak casually, but I didn't see the need.
"...Anything else you want to explain first?"
"Oh, sorry about that."
Klein tossed out an apology that felt utterly insincere, then started explaining with what seemed like genuine kindness.
"I get it's confusing, so I'll start from the beginning. The world you came from is a bit different from this one."
"......"
The problem was, despite his friendly tone, his words weren't easy to grasp right from the start.
A different world... in other words, an isekai. Should I believe this? But then the wooden ceiling above me felt so real, and denying it meant rejecting everything I knew.
"Any proof?"
"Proof, huh? This enough?"
With a casual flick of his wrist, an inexplicable pressure hit me. Not just my chest... no, my heart felt like it was about to be pierced. An unfamiliar sensation coated my entire body in sticky dread.
The source was a dark red orb hovering above Klein's hand, like black and crimson fused together.
"...Ha."
The absurdity of it all drew a sigh of exhaustion and disbelief from me.
"Hoo."
But Klein let out a surprised sigh of his own.
I had a million questions, but he started explaining first.
"...You might not get it right away, but hear me out."
According to Klein, the orb was killing intent made manifest. I hadn't heard a precise definition yet, but given the Assassin Guild, it was probably self-explanatory.
"Thing is, killing intent is pretty lethal to normal people. I've refined it as much as I can, but in bad cases, your breathing could stop right now."
"Why pull something that dangerous right now..."
"You'll have to get used to it eventually."
"......"
Woke up in another world, first person I meet has some unheard-of power. Yeah, it had to be that.
"To put it bluntly, you're here to kill the Demon King."
"...Figured as much."
The cliché was so obvious that the tension prickling my skin vanished.
No twists here. Klein flashed another bewildered smile at my flat tone.
"But how am I supposed to kill the Demon King? I don't have any powers."
"Not yet, sure. But I'll teach you, and that'll change."
...Was that confidence in himself, or trust in me? He'd just met me too, so the faith was a bit odd.
"The fact you're chatting with me so calmly right now proves you've got heaven-sent talent."
"......"
He pointed at the orb still floating over his hand.
But he wasn't done.
"And staying this composed in a situation like this? Looks like heaven got it right."
I couldn't pinpoint why, but my heartbeat was steady even though freaking out would've been normal. Whether that counted as "talent," I wasn't sure.
The three of them listened to my story with evident amusement, nodding along. Lee Seo-yeon finally spoke up.
"...But from what you've said so far, he seems pretty nice, right?"
"His tone's friendly. Always is. That's what makes it so infuriating."
Just the friendly tone and that grin alone, and you'd think he was some saintly do-gooder. Perfect con artist material.
"Then why hate him so much?"
"There are things I'm grateful for, so it's not pure hate... but there's this annoying vibe that only clicks after living with him."
"The power balance right now splits into four main factions: the royal family, the Mage Tower with all the wizards, the archbishop and his followers, and us."
"...Why's the Assassin Guild in that list?"
"We're kinda strong. Small but elite."
Strong through whatever—fine, but "we're kinda strong" was ridiculous. Based on my knowledge, I got the royals, mages, and church being powerhouses. But assassins? Felt like a tier drop.
"Then the Demon King's army invaded, so the royals took the lead in gathering elites to infiltrate the heart of their forces."
"...So you kidnapped me for that?"
"Not kidnapped... more like escorted you here. Sounds better."
"......"
Better for whose ears, exactly?
"Unlike the other three, we don't have numbers. Losing even one hurts."
His words made my expression harden naturally.
"So you dragged in some unrelated guy to preserve your forces."
"Kinda, yeah. But you've got real heaven-sent talent—train a bit, and you'll surpass us. I guarantee it."
"...Thanks a ton."
"Right? I'm great at teaching. Opportunities like this don't come often."
He knew I was being sarcastic, yet kept grinning. I replied flatly.
"Why be so upfront about it?"
"If you find out later, you'll feel betrayed. Might as well get the annoyance out now."
"...So grateful."
His twisted logic was seriously pissing me off. Suddenly, he rummaged in his pocket.
"Hungry? Want some jerky? This stuff's good."
"...Hand some over."
Asking for jerky in this situation made me feel like an idiot too.
...But damn, it was seriously good. What meat is this?
Klein chewed on his jerky as he spoke.
"Mm. Just trust me. With your talent and my stellar teaching, taking down the Demon King'll be easy. Not that dangerous."
"...Say we kill the Demon King. Then what?"
"You go back to your world. He's so overpowered right now that's why you're even here."
"What does that mean?"
"Something about causality... not worth knowing. Just gives you a headache."
Lee Seo-yeon finally nodded.
"Yeah... I get the vibe now. That sleazy image is crystal clear."
"Exactly. And the worst part?"
"What?"
"He'd say crap like, 'Nothing beats learning by taking it,' and use me as a punching bag."
Thinking back still pissed me off.
...What was he, a fighting game pro?
He'd avoid vitals, so it hurt like hell but never knocked me out. More annoying: enduring it built up my resistance to killing intent, giving his words credibility.
Once, when I genuinely wanted to kill him, he said:
'That's the feeling. Shaping it for you is where we start.'
And he kept that grin even while beating the crap out of me. During a break, I asked—by then, we were casual.
'This training's just for your kicks, right?'
'Kinda. You hit great... haven't had this in ages. We're assassins, but the previous generation quit the bad stuff. Name's all that's left.'
'At least lie and say no.'
'Honesty's a virtue.'
'You preaching virtues? Kidnapper.'
'...Fine, you wanna go? Training resumes.'
It was just three years ago—still vivid.
Yoo Seol-ah burst out laughing at my story. I whipped my head around.
"Hey, Yoo Seol-ah. This funny?"
"...Can't help it, it is..."
The more I gritted my teeth, the harder she tried not to laugh.
Once she calmed, she shared her own tale.
"...Your mental game's always been solid. I resented mine even with way better treatment."
Thinking of our first meeting, yeah. She was ice-cold. Maybe she was the normal one.
"...Still, I'm grateful for some things now."
"Oh?"
She hesitated, then murmured:
"...I love times like this, the four of us together..."
"......"
True. Without Astasia, we'd never have this. Even meeting in the club, it'd feel different.
Lee Seo-yeon sighed beside me, then stood and hugged Yoo Seol-ah.
"Why say something so cute?? You're killing me..."
"Eep!... Mmph!"
Yoo Seol-ah pounded her shoulder like she was suffocating, but Lee Seo-yeon held on tight.