Subduing the Two-Faced Kevin (2)
A few months ago, I had crossed paths with Kevin at a bandit leaders' meeting I attended with Olivia. We hadn't exchanged words, but I'd made a point of memorizing every bandit leader's name and face as best I could. That effort meant I still remembered Kevin's face clearly. On the other hand, my distinctly unusual appearance—different from ordinary people—must have left an impression on him as well, which is why he recognized me now.
“So you were the traitor. How amusing. Is that why the Elk Bandits were the first to fall?” Kevin let out a low chuckle.
The man known as a demon wearing human skin. I'd heard his combat skills were on par with a formally trained knight, exceptional for a bandit leader. And that once battle began, he became more vicious and cruel than a wild beast, while still keeping a sharp mind. If things had gone according to plan, he would have been the opponent I'd face after dealing with the third weakling, Rapilwood.
Nobern's wild wolf Bison, the two-faced Kevin, the two shadows Rapilwood. Yet here we were, meeting much sooner than expected. Whether this was luck or misfortune remained to be seen.
Deciding to test my fortune, I stared Kevin down and quietly drew my Shai dagger. In my mind, I offered thanks to Haida. The spicy, savory dish she'd made that morning—reminding me of home—had left me bursting with energy. My head was clear, my focus sharp, my body light and full of vitality. It was a relief to face such a formidable opponent while in peak condition.
“Thanks for walking right into my hands, two-faced Kevin. Thanks to you, I'll be able to claim quite the reward from the Lion Heart unit.”
“Is there a hefty bounty on my head?”
“No. But since you've spared their forces the trouble of marching out, I imagine they'll value your head quite highly.”
“Aigoo! Please, for the sake of my face, let me meet him! If I go back empty-handed, Lady Tele will scold me! Please! I beg you, let me see Commander Hyun-woo!”
“I already told you, no! Commander Hyun-woo is busy today and won't be coming here! Just accept that and leave! I'll tell him later that someone from the Barvent family stopped by!”
“Ugh, if I return empty-handed, my lady will throw a fit!”
Inside the Kether Mercenary Group office, Kelly was arguing with visitors from various noble houses. She'd been politely receiving the endless stream of guests since morning, and now exhaustion had crept into her voice with a hint of irritation. She was barely holding back her frustration as she dealt with them.
She tried to soothe and persuade each one to leave, but it wasn't easy. They acted as if their lives depended on it, insisting they absolutely had to meet Commander Hyun-woo. None of them showed any intention of backing down, throwing tantrums and standing their ground. The more they resisted, the more Kelly's stress piled up.
“I just want to smack each one of them on the head!”
While Kelly gradually lost her patience, Epibia peeked around the bustling office. She poked her head out, glancing this way and that as if searching for someone.
Epibia approached Pasvachio, who had taken it upon himself to guard the office and was busy chasing away the noisy visitors.
“Where is leader?”
“Where?”
“Not where. Is he somewhere?”
“Ah, you mean where is he? He stopped by briefly earlier but left. He won't be coming here today. Why, is something wrong?”
“Leader said if weapons of our members break, we should not go to other shops but repair them ourselves. I made estimate for forge. I will show him.”
“Whoa, you're going to build a forge? Where's the money coming from?”
“Leader said he has plenty of money, so buy all equipment I want. I wrote everything down carefully.”
“Looks like another big expense. Well, if it's necessary, I suppose it can't be helped.”
Pasvachio glanced around before leaning in close to Epibia's ear and whispering quietly.
“Go to the canal in front of the Zigrato Theater troupe's building. He said he'd be fishing there until evening.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
Epibia smiled brightly, pushed through the crowded throng, and left the mercenary group office. She headed straight for the canal.
Gameller Jurbyon. Standing before me, he shamelessly boasted about his past deeds as if they were achievements. From what I gathered, this man—who had been a vassal of the Nobern family—was just like the recently executed Nirgof. He had colluded with bandits, sucking the lord's wealth dry like a vampire.
While Nirgof had made contact with multiple bandit groups, Gameller had worked exclusively with Kevin. Using every filthy method imaginable, he had plundered the territory's people to amass his fortune. Once Lord Roton was expelled, Gameller could no longer enjoy his former glory. That was when he began harboring resentment and hatred toward our Kether Mercenary Group and the Lion Heart unit.
And so, in the end, he had conspired with the bandit leader Kevin to assassinate both me and Adelia.
“Today, Nobern territory will finally regain its former peace!” Gameller pointed at me and shouted to Kevin. “Kill that man!”
The moment those words left his mouth, Kevin's eyes gleamed with the hunger of a monster craving my blood. He drew his longsword and spun like a whirlwind, swinging his blade with ferocious speed.
With a sharp clang, my dagger met his sword. Kevin grinned as he locked eyes with me.
“Not bad reflexes.”
“In a fight, you should just swing your sword. Why's your tongue so long?”
“I'll start by cutting off that arrogant mouth of yours.”
My retort must have struck a nerve; his expression twisted into something ugly.
“Hyun-woo. If you believe in any god, pray for salvation. I'll kill even the god who tries to save you.”
With that cringeworthy line, his assault resumed. He leaped high and brought his sword down as if to split my skull. But thanks to Sohee, I could predict the trajectory of Kevin's swings in advance and dodge them. I barely deflected the descending blade with my dagger and retreated.
I could hear his inner thoughts all too clearly. The sheer madness of his constant internal screaming about how much he wanted to kill me was almost admirable. And just as the rumors said, Kevin's skill was flawless in both speed and power. His ability was high enough that he could pass for a knight trained in formal swordsmanship.
But no matter how outstanding one's talent, it all becomes meaningless against someone with a cheat-like special ability. Every single strike Kevin unleashed carried the shadow of death, yet none of them felt truly life-threatening to me.
Among all the opponents I'd faced so far, only two had made me feel genuine danger even with Sohee at my side: Olivia and Orleans. Against Olivia, I'd been overwhelmingly defeated. Against Orleans, I'd barely won by using hidden weapons, and even then, if Olivia hadn't been there to administer emergency healing potions, I would have died.
I hated to admit it, but it had essentially been a draw with Orleans. Come to think of it, the only ones who'd given me real trouble despite my cheat item Sohee were all knights. On the other hand, bandits...
Bandits were just bandits, after all. They practiced rootless, haphazard swordsmanship and spent their pathetic lives tormenting the weak.
Gameller, who had been watching our fight with bated breath, cursed furiously when Kevin drove me toward the canal only for me to slip away nimbly. The next moment, his eyes widened in disbelief and his jaw dropped.
My blade, which he thought was fleeing, had suddenly slashed Kevin's throat in a straight line.
Kevin was just as shocked. Blood poured down his neck. He stood frozen in place like a block of ice. Rather than screaming in pain from the wound, his eyes were filled with confusion about how this had happened.
I smiled faintly and spoke in a low voice.
“You thought you dodged it well, but the blade's length was longer than you expected, wasn't it? This isn't actually a dagger. When you include the hidden fifteen centimeters, it's shorter than a longsword but longer than a typical dagger. It looks like nothing but a dagger on the outside, but that's a lie.”
After finishing my explanation, I launched the finishing blow at Kevin. I stabbed him through the heart, then channeled mana into the blade and severed his neck. As Kevin's head rolled across the ground with a dull thud, Gameller jumped in place and let out a horrified shriek.
“O-oh my god! He's really dead?!”
I chuckled and replied, “You picked the wrong day. I'm in the best condition I've been in for a long time. Back in my homeland, everyone lives on the strength of their meals, and today's food was especially delicious. It was so good I feel like I could take on a million-man army without breaking a sweat.”
Gameller snapped out of his momentary daze and urgently shouted at his remaining four subordinates.
“A-all of you, attack! Kill him! Hurry!”
His men, who had been wearing dazed expressions, pressed their lips together firmly and began closing in from all sides, tightening the encirclement. I charged at full speed toward one of them and swung my dagger. The opponent desperately tried to counter, but with their leader dead, fear had taken root. His swings lacked any real sharpness. Soon enough, he fell with my dagger buried in his throat.
After dispatching the second subordinate just as easily, dealing with the remaining third and fourth was child's play.
“H-how can this be! I-it was five against one! Five against one...!”
Gameller's face had turned deathly pale with terror. His lips trembled violently. As I slowly approached with the dagger in my right hand, he cowered like a beaten dog, his voice weak and broken.
“W-wait, I've thought it over. Revenge and all that... i-it would be better to just live quietly. I'll behave myself, so please spare me! Spare my life!”
Those were the last words he ever spoke. In a flash, I swung my dagger and took his head clean off. The thought of sparing him for a trial had been repulsive after hearing him boast about opening my anus.