Chapter 150
Chapter 150
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: Necromancer of the Sword Clan
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"What a bunch of trash."
Camilla gazed down at the extremist Muslims sprawled across the village square with a cold expression.
They lay dead, their faces drained of color, limbs hacked off.
All because of her blood magic.
The terrifying aspect of blood magic was its ability to manipulate the enemy's blood.
It could draw blood out through wounds and shape it into all sorts of weapons.
Of course, the catch was that they had to be wounded and bleeding first.
'If only I'd arrived a little sooner... I could have saved them all.'
Camilla turned her gaze backward.
A short distance from the village square, where the corpses of the extremist Muslims were gathered, stood a group of children and women.
They were the hostages kidnapped and held captive by the extremists.
Camilla had rescued the children and women.
But it was already too late—casualties had mounted. Among the villagers taken prisoner, the men had been slaughtered, and the women defiled by the extremist Muslims.
If she'd come even a bit earlier, she might have saved everyone.
The only silver lining was rescuing the children before they could be sold off.
But,
"Eek!"
The children stared at Camilla with terrified expressions.
They had witnessed her brutally slaughtering the extremist Muslims.
And Camilla, who had wrung the blood from those extremists to kill them, was covered head to toe in gore.
Naturally, the children were frightened of her.
'Hmm.'
Camilla looked at the children.
She adored and cherished kids. It reminded her of the cute little sister who had followed her around in her own childhood.
So she didn't want these sister-like children to hate her.
But no matter her intentions, the children only gazed at her with fear.
'In that case...'
Camilla slipped her hand into the pocket of her red suit pants and fiddled with something inside.
Recently, a friend had advised her on how to get close to children, and she'd prepared accordingly.
This ought to win them over.
With that thought, Camilla approached the children, pulled her hand from her pocket, and held it out.
But,
"Eek."
The children couldn't even look at the approaching Camilla.
They squeezed their eyes shut in fear, turned their heads away, or clung to the women beside them.
Camilla especially eyed the women holding the children with envious longing.
"S-Sorry."
Overwhelmed by the children's reactions, the women bowed their heads in confusion.
They knew Camilla was their savior.
"......"
Camilla's shoulders slumped in disappointment as she awkwardly pocketed the item she'd offered the children.
In the meantime, the women soothed the kids and backed away.
And just as Camilla turned,
"Looks like it didn't work out."
A middle-aged man in his mid-40s spoke up.
He wore a beige coat over camouflage fatigues, with a black eyepatch covering his left eye.
Camilla hadn't taken the village alone.
Her mercenary company, Blood Company, had been with her.
"Yeah."
Camilla nodded at the man—Mikhail, Blood Company's vice-captain.
"You said candy would make us friends."
Camilla shot Mikhail a sharp glare of protest.
"Usually, it does."
Mikhail cleared his throat awkwardly.
He was the one who had given her that advice on befriending children.
"Just bad timing, I think."
Mikhail glanced at Camilla.
Under the dark night sky, her red suit hid the bloodstains well.
But right after battle, even he could feel the chill radiating from her.
How must the ten-year-olds feel?
They had no choice but to be terrified.
"At least we saved who we could."
The mercenary company led by Camilla, Blood Company, was at war with the extremist Islamic sects.
The Ashen Order she belonged to had ordered their extermination.
In the Middle East, only armed extremists remained among Islamic sects.
The relatively moderate ones had already been wiped out.
By those same extremists.
Thus, the Ashen Order clashed with them across the region.
They were obstacles to the Order's goals.
And Camilla faithfully carried out the Ashen Order's commands.
She harbored her own grudge against the extremist Muslims.
The wars with magic beasts and sectarian strife among Muslims had claimed countless lives, even producing war orphans.
That's why Camilla gathered those orphans and founded an orphanage.
Seeing their innocent faces reminded her of her cute little sister from childhood.
She couldn't ignore children dying miserably in ignorance.
But maintaining the orphanage and running an elite mercenary unit required funds.
So she took the Ashen Order's employ.
With them as sponsors, she could breathe easier.
But the Order couldn't control her freely.
She ignored anything beyond missions, and her unique, powerful blood magic made her invaluable.
"Everyone taken care of?"
"Yes. Not a single remnant left in the village."
Mikhail nodded at Camilla's question.
Her elite mercenary company, Blood Company, numbered only twenty.
The extremists who seized the village exceeded sixty—more than three times as many.
Most were 3- or 4-star superhumans, too.
Yet they hadn't lasted hours before being butchered.
Blood Company's mercenaries were all upper 4-star or higher.
Captain Camilla and Vice-Captain Mikhail were 5-star elites.
"Time for a bonus, then."
"The crew will love that."
Mikhail smiled faintly.
Whoosh!
At that moment, the piled corpses of the extremist Muslims in the square ignited.
Leaving bodies risked attracting magic beasts with the blood scent or spreading disease.
For a moment, Camilla and Mikhail watched the crimson flames rise in the square.
"By the way, the Ashen Order contacted us before the op."
"The Order? What for?"
Camilla frowned slightly at Mikhail's words.
Probably business, but their calls were rarely welcome.
"They have a request."
"Business as usual. Dungeon raid? Or wipe out more extremist scum?"
Middle East jobs were predictable: slay magic beasts or extremists.
But,
"An assassination."
"Assassination? Us?"
Camilla blinked in disbelief.
Who were they?
Magic beasts feared them; extremists screamed and fled at their approach.
Middle East's strongest armed group, no exaggeration.
An assassination gig for them?
"The Order's finally lost it?"
"Who knows what they're thinking?"
"So, who's the target? Not extremists, since it's assassination, not extermination."
"Right. For them, it'd be a purge. Target's Korean."
"Korea? Where's that?"
"Small country in Asia, they said."
"Sending us to Asia?"
"Yes."
Camilla grimaced at Mikhail's nod.
Not just assassination, but halfway across the world.
"Mikhail."
"Yes."
"What's our purpose?"
"Eradicating extremist Islamic sects from the Middle East."
Every member of Camilla's Blood Company bore grudges against extremist Muslims.
They'd lost loved ones or seen homes destroyed.
They banded together to annihilate them, evolving into mercenaries.
The Ashen Order knew this, hence the hire.
Now they wanted them assassinating in Asia?
"Word is, the target's a monster. Dozens slaughtered by him already. Even a group allied with the Order in Asia got wiped out. Occupation: necromancer."
"Hm."
Camilla pondered Mikhail's words. If like the extremists, maybe worth considering.
"And he travels with a kid around ten."
"What? A child?"
Camilla's expression shifted. She didn't fully trust the Order, but the massacres and necromancer part rang true.
Dragging a kid around?
Hard to imagine the suffering under a necromancer.
"Mikhail."
"Yes."
"Prepare to head to Korea once we're ready."
"Taking the job?"
"Yes. If that child needs help."
She'd go anywhere.
The day her only sister was ravaged by extremists and starved to death.
She'd sworn to protect sister-like children.
"Understood."
Mikhail nodded readily.
Not just him— all of Blood Company knew why she protected kids.
They'd follow her lead.
'I really wanted to get close this time.'
After telling Mikhail she'd accept the Ashen Order's request, Camilla sighed inwardly.
The village kids trembled like wounded pups.
She'd wanted to reach out, but they feared her.
She'd even brought candy this time, but failed.
'Can I succeed next time?'
Camilla thought of the child captive to the necromancer.
Save her, and maybe bond?
First, head to Korea and take down the necromancer.
'Hm?'
Suddenly, Camilla sensed someone approaching from behind and tensed.
But she relaxed soon after.
Moments later, small hands gently clasped hers from both sides.
"Sis... Thank you."
Camilla looked down at the voice beside her.
A raggedly dressed girl of five or six gazed up, holding her hand.
"No need to thank me. I'm the grateful one."
Camilla smiled warmly, knelt to meet the girl's eyes, and stroked her hair.
"Want some candy?"
She pulled a lollipop from her pants pocket and offered it.
"Wow."
The girl popped it in her mouth and beamed happily.
"Good for you."
Mikhail watched with a fond smile.
Several days later.
Blood Company, infamous across the Middle East, set course for Korea.