Chapter 74: Twisting Two Fates (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: Twisting Two Fates (6)
“Wait a moment, Quicantel.”
“Hmm?”
“You don’t actually think those are neighbors asking for firewood, do you? I suspect they’re from the Special Task Force.”
Quicantel was undeniably powerful, but because of that very strength, she didn’t have a shred of caution.
Looking back at her actions, and considering Enya was murdered in my previous life, Quicantel is not fit to be a guardian. At least, not in this situation.
“The Viment Special Task Force? I’ve heard of them, but why would they be after me?”
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
The knocking from the presumed Special Task Force agents continued. Quicantel tilted her head, a puzzled expression on her face as if wondering what all the fuss was about.
“It’s probably because of Enya. I think they’ve been monitoring this place. Now that they’ve seen you bring outsiders here, they’re trying to identify us.”
It might have been a leap in logic, but who would come all the way to a secluded log cabin in the middle of a forest just to ask for firewood?
Even if they truly were commoners who had stumbled upon the cabin by chance, there was no harm in being wary.
“If they are the Special Task Force like you say, pretending no one is home will only make them more suspicious. I’ll go check, and if I sense anything strange, I’ll subdue them immediately.”
“Subdue them? There’s no need to go that far. Wouldn’t it be better to give them a plausible excuse and send them on their way?”
“No. If they were spying on me, I can’t let it slide. That’s beyond insulting.”
Quicantel strode toward the entrance.
While she did, Jin carried the sleeping Murakan into a side room, took cover, and activated the Rune of Mul-ta. Enya, meanwhile, watched with sparkling eyes, appearing to find the whole situation fascinating.
Between Quicantel and Enya… neither of them is ordinary.
Creeeak.
When Quicantel opened the door, she found two men of sturdy build. Though they wore straw hats and loose, dirt-stained shirts, their well-trained muscles were clearly visible beneath their clothes.
“Tell me the truth. Are you from the Special Task Force?”
Despite Quicantel’s blunt question, the men just shook their heads, unfazed.
“What are you talking about?”
“We apologize if we startled you. We’re just farmers from the forest down below, and we ran out of firewood…”
Listening quietly, Jin thought to himself, Those guys are going to get chewed out by their superiors and forced to write dozens of incident reports when they get back.
Using disguises for covert operations was standard procedure for the Special Task Force. By that metric, these agents were utter failures. Claiming to need firewood when they were surrounded by an entire forest was nonsensical, and their disguises were amateurish.
They had to be the lowest of the low—fresh recruits just assigned to the force.
This shows just how lightly Viment is taking this situation with Quicantel and Enya. Still, isn’t this a bit much? Are they really the Special Task Force?
Thud! Crack!
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the heavy sound of a blunt impact echoed through the cabin.
It was the sound of Quicantel pummeling her uninvited guests.
“I gave you a chance to tell the truth, yet you dared to lie to me…”
Peeking out, Jin saw Quicantel mercilessly beating the intruders. They had been completely overwhelmed by her first strike and couldn't even mount a proper defense.
“Gah!”
“How dare you splatter your filthy blood in here.”
The brutal beating continued. A moment later, Quicantel grabbed the two limp men by their hair and dragged them into the living room, their bodies scraping pitifully across the floor.
“How long have you been spying on me?”
“W-we aren’t the Special Task Force!”
“What? Then who sent you?”
“I sent them.”
Another man’s voice cut in.
Shockingly, the voice came from inside the house.
And it was right next to Jin.
What?! I didn't sense a thing!
Startled, Jin scrambled away from the man.
His face was hidden by a red mask, and he wore the tight-fitting blue uniform of the Viment Special Task Force. As far as Jin knew, that red mask was something only unit leaders were permitted to wear.
Quicantel also seemed slightly surprised, releasing her grip on the intruders she’d been thrashing.
“So, you’re the real Special Task Force. You sent these fools to draw my attention so you could slip inside?”
“You two, leave.”
The men who had been babbling about firewood scrambled to their feet and fled.
Just as Quicantel was about to fire a magic arrow from her fingertip at their retreating backs, the agent spoke in a low voice.
“It will become troublesome for you if you kill them. More agents will be dispatched here.”
“Is that so? Then let’s see just how troublesome it gets.”
“I won’t stop you if you insist.”
Quicantel hesitated for a moment before lowering her hand.
“Fine. If I’m going to kill a human, it should be you, not those grunts.”
The man remained composed even as Quicantel radiated pure killing intent.
It was only natural. Jin could tell at a glance that the man was at least an 8-star knight, and Quicantel had clearly realized it as well.
Now that I think about it, that curved sword… I heard about it a few times in my past life.
There was only one person in the Viment Special Task Force who used a curved sword.
Codename: Latz. Leader of Special Task Force Unit 3. A confidant of the Viment Emperor, he was a man whose name was occasionally mentioned even within Runcandel as a ‘skilled swordsman.’
To be recognized as a swordsman by Runcandel meant he was an indisputably powerful individual.
It’s a good thing I hid my face with the Rune of Mul-ta. That could have been a disaster.
Latz gave a slight bow to Quicantel.
“I apologize if I’ve offended you. My duty was to personally identify the guests Quicantel-nim brought in through illegal entry. Now that I have, I shall take my leave.”
Latz didn’t even bother asking who Jin and Murakan were. He knew Quicantel wouldn’t answer, and it was his job to investigate their identities later anyway.
“I don’t think a simple apology for spying on me settles this. Besides, who said you could leave?”
Quicantel threw a punch.
Latz didn’t dodge. He took the blow squarely to the face but remained standing like a stone statue, seemingly unharmed.
“Oho, you’re quite capable. Not bad for a human. Is that where your arrogance comes from?”
“If that has eased your anger, I suggest we stop here.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I will have to retaliate. My orders did not explicitly state that Miss Enya must be kept alive.”
Latz said this while casting a subtle glance toward Enya. The girl, who had been watching with curiosity, froze solid the moment she met his gaze.
It was a threat. He was saying that if a real fight broke out, he might not be able to kill Quicantel, but he would certainly kill Enya. It was also a negotiation—a request to be let go because he didn’t want to fight.
It was a perfect move. No matter how fiery Quicantel’s temper was, she wouldn’t risk a fight with Enya’s life on the line. As strong as Latz was, he stood no chance against Quicantel in a one-on-one battle. In this cramped cabin, however, Enya’s safety could not be guaranteed.
If only Murakan were awake. For now, settling this quietly was the best option.
“Then, until we meet again.”
Latz walked past Quicantel and headed outside. The moment he stepped out, he vanished as if using some specialized technique.
“Dammit…!”
Quicantel fumed, shaking with rage. She felt as though the Viment Empire had not only spied on her but had openly mocked her.
“I was a fool to leave Enya in this godforsaken place for so long. Sigh. Jin Runcandel, if you and Murakan hadn’t come, I can see exactly what would have happened to her. They weren’t just watching Enya; they were watching me!”
Enya also looked dazed, clearly shaken by the encounter.
“T-that man just now… he was so scary.”
The murderous intent of an 8-star knight was on a completely different level from the bullying she’d faced at the Magic Academy.
“My brother! I have to get my brother! Jin-nim, let’s leave today…!”
“Go with Quicantel-nim and bring him back. You should board the Tikan trade ship first thing in the morning.”
*
Her luggage consisted of only a small bundle.
That single bag, the same one she carried to the Academy, was all Enya packed to leave Viment behind. With the bundle on her back, she tightly held the hand of her seven-year-old brother, Pinte, while clutching her pet dog in her other arm.
Her eyes were filled with fear.
“Ugh, Young Master… Are you sure we won’t get caught? I couldn’t sleep at all last night after meeting that man…”
All Jin could offer was this:
“Even if you are caught, I will make sure you and your family are never harmed. So trust me. The sooner we get you out of here, the safer you’ll be.”
Jin didn’t believe the Viment Special Task Force normally monitored Enya from such a close distance. No matter how careless Quicantel was, she wasn’t so oblivious that she wouldn’t notice being followed.
Murakan didn't sense anything either until Latz appeared. It’s highly likely we were spotted by their aerial surveillance when we flew in on Quicantel, and the Special Task Force was dispatched in response.
Furthermore, Viment would expect Quicantel to be on high alert after yesterday’s incident. From their perspective, there was nothing to gain by provoking her further. They also wouldn’t expect Enya to attempt an illegal departure this very day. They would likely assume her absence from the Academy was a natural result of the psychological shock.
“Go to the ship with peace of mind. Quicantel-nim is staying behind in this house, so they won’t even imagine you’re leaving the country separately. And this cat—no, Murakan—will be watching your back.”
Since Jin couldn’t reveal his face, he couldn’t personally escort Enya to the trade ship. Instead, as a precaution, Murakan—transformed into a cat—would protect her. Even if the Special Task Force discovered her departure and attacked, Murakan would be there to stop them.
Of course, since the harbor was connected to the busy downtown area, Jin was confident that wouldn’t happen. In a street crowded with thousands of people, it was impossible to track Enya’s family in real-time without close-range surveillance.
“Young Master…”
“He may not look like much, but he’s a Great Black Dragon. We’ll meet again soon in Tikan, Miss Enya. You too, Pinte.”
Enya bit her lip and gave a deep bow.
Then, she left Quicantel’s log cabin and walked toward the city center. It was the same path she always took to the Academy.
Only this time, Enya wouldn’t be going to the Magic Academy, and Pinte wouldn’t be going to his elementary school.