Chapter 30
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Rookie Duties
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“Do I really need to be here?”
“It’s not about necessity. It’s just a process every rookie has to go through.”
Alize ignored Ruyan’s half-hearted reaction and dragged him along by the sleeve.
The two were heading to the market to purchase supplies needed before their expedition.
Even if he is a ronin... this is such a hassle.
Ruyan wanted to devote as much time as possible to training, but Alize was relentless.
“This mission will take a while. Once we leave the village, we won’t be back for at least a week, so we need to prepare thoroughly.”
“Got it. But if this is training, why am I the only one carrying everything?”
Was she just looking for a pack mule? It wasn’t an unreasonable suspicion.
Ruyan was currently burdened with so much luggage that it blocked his view entirely.
“W-well, you need to carry it yourself to really understand what’s essential.”
It was a blatant excuse, lacking even the effort to sound convincing.
Ruyan sighed, too annoyed to press further, and followed behind Alize.
“Is there more to buy?”
“Hold on. Sleeping bags and spare cloaks are good. Jerky should be enough too. The problem is water...”
On an expedition, potable water was more crucial than food.
No matter how skilled a warrior, no one could last a week without it.
“Buy what you need. No need to hesitate.”
“It’s not about buying—it’s the weight. Do you know how heavy water is?”
Alize glanced at Ruyan’s already full hands as she spoke.
This proved once again that “training” wasn’t the goal.
Ruyan suppressed another sigh and walked ahead, leaving Alize behind.
“I can’t carry any more.”
When Ruyan responded firmly, Alize scurried after him, firing off words rapidly.
“Ruyan, you’re a mage, right? So you can use Water magic?”
Water.
A basic 1st Circle spell that simply created water—no offensive capabilities.
Ruyan seriously debated whether to answer such a ridiculous question before giving up entirely.
“Yes.”
“Music to my ears! Then we only need to buy half as much water.”
It was the brightest tone she’d used since entering the market.
Hah! To think I’d be using Blanc’s magic to make drinking water.
For Ruyan—who could flood the entire village with a full-powered Water spell—it felt utterly deflating.
In the meantime, Alize bought only enough water for three days and grimaced at its weight.
“Ruyan! Come on! This is seriously heavy!”
When Ruyan ignored her whining, Alize puffed out her cheeks and yelled.
“Hey! I said come on!”
Ruyan glanced back at the frail-sounding voice and flinched.
This woman is...
Alize gripped a water jug with arms as thick as her face, veins bulging on her forehead as she strode forward.
Rocksolid muscles!
Fierce, blazing eyes!
Her bizarre appearance could make even the Divine Bow flinch.
No need for Water magic after all.
Ruyan resolved to cherish his spells even more.
Over twenty shadowy figures infiltrated a quiet rural village.
Shh.
Even in broad daylight with the sun high overhead, none of the villagers noticed them.
Only the Black Lion Knights could move with such stealth.
“Is this where Gawain was staying?”
“Yes. The forced traces suggest he was out on a mission.”
The Black Lion Knights’ vice-commander had personally led his subordinates to Hatchling Village.
For the vice-commander to step in over a mere severed contact with a low-rank knight was extremely unusual.
It starkly showed how seriously the Black Lions were taking this matter.
Was he carrying out a mission in a place like this?
The vice-commander clicked his tongue bitterly while scanning the shabby hut.
But now wasn’t the time to worry about his subordinate’s accommodations—he needed to focus on the incident.
“Pursue.”
Dozens of shadows wordlessly followed Gawain’s trail into the mountains.
Tracking experts!
It took them less than ten minutes to find Gawain’s corpse.
“Gruesome.”
The vice-commander frowned slightly at the bisected body but didn’t look away.
The dead don’t speak, but corpses tell tales. He’d raced here to hear this one.
However...
“Damn. Not an arrow.”
The wounds were clearly from a sharp blade in a single clean cut.
Likely a massive weapon.
A greatsword wound.
“Not Ruyan.”
The vice-commander concluded his examination with firm conviction.
Could Ruyan have learned a new weapon in the past five years?
Possible. But the vice-commander dismissed it outright.
“How many is this?”
“Six including Gawain.”
Six Black Lions had already been killed in this manner.
They weren’t even Ruyan’s pursuers and had been attacked sporadically across the nation.
I thought we’d caught Ruyan, but it was that damned greatsword wielder.
Irritation surged, and the vice-commander bit his lip in frustration.
Ruyan was trouble enough, but this “greatsword” killer was a major headache for the Black Lions too.
Where the hell did it slip away to this time!
Suppressing his anger, the vice-commander meticulously searched the surroundings.
But for some reason...
Nothing?
No traces whatsoever at the scene.
The pattern’s changed.
Previous greatsword victims had faint traces leading to major cities.
That’s why they hadn’t caught the culprit—they always pointed to crowded metropolises.
The greatsword is a sly bastard.
Assassins are hard to track even without blending into crowds, where it’s nearly impossible.
But this time was different.
What the hell happened?
Not just disrupted—there were no traces at all.
Evolution, or a new variable?
Of course, Ruyan had erased them all, so the Black Lions’ confusion was natural.
The vice-commander’s mind reeled.
He’d rushed nonstop across vast distances, only for both Ruyan and the greatsword to vanish.
But retreating empty-handed wasn’t an option.
“How many cities with over 50,000 people within three days’ travel?”
“Eight total.”
His subordinate’s report made the vice-commander’s expression harden sternly.
If it’s the greatsword, it’s obviously holed up in a big city.
The vice-commander scanned his dozens of Black Lions before issuing a low command.
“Search them all.”
Whoosh.
The shadows leaped into the sky.
“You cheating bastard! Grabbing hair during sparring is against the rules!”
“Hmph, it’s all strategy. If you hate it, cut yours short too.”
“You think I’d cut my precious hair for a punk like you?”
“Aaaah! Don’t bite! Why use teeth when we have wooden swords!”
Eric and Eddie were tangled up in what was less sparring and more a dogfight.
It was a pathetic sight.
“Hey! Time out! We’re both guys—going for the nuts is...”
“You said it’s all strategy, right? Who was it that told me to cut ’em off if I didn’t like it?”
The two were like sworn enemies. Their brawl was brow-furrowing to witness.
Still, Ruyan watched their “spar” without looking away, tongue clicking.
They’re working hard.
It looked like childish grappling, but intense training lay beneath.
Abusing their bodies until collapse to forge resilient heartbeats.
Without the Return Heart Technique, I’d be rolling around like them too.
A fortunate thought.
No matter the training benefits, the brutality gave him chills.
No real need to go that far, though...
As Ruyan observed the twins’ dogfight, Alize stormed out of the office, bellowing.
“You lunatics! Cut it out and eat already!”
Not even the world’s mightiest warriors could withstand Alize’s cursing.
“Time already?”
“No wonder I’m starving.”
Eric and Eddie brushed off their butts as if nothing happened and headed inside.
The mercenary group was bizarre in many ways.
“Ruyan, come on in. It’s our last supper before departure.”
“Supper... Got it.”
Ruyan gave a curt reply and followed Alize inside.
Far from a grand “last supper,” the table held simple fare: bread, stew, and a bit of bacon.
Yet the mercenaries’ faces lit up with cheer.
Alize’s Mercenary Corps knew gratitude for humble meals.
But as dinner wound down, Alize’s casual remark shifted the mood instantly.
“Rest up well tonight. We depart at 6 a.m. tomorrow.”
The expedition was finally set.
Ruyan’s first mission since joining!
Even the bickering twins clamped their mouths shut this time, knowing the gravity.
“Finish any last prep in three hours. Lights out by 10.”
Alize, usually playful, grew stricter as departure loomed.
After dinner, everyone dispersed to their rooms to prepare in their own ways.
Ruyan, gauging the mood, silently returned to his quarters—the innermost room on the second floor.
Finally some quiet.
Training would be tricky during the long expedition.
“Meditation.”
Ruyan sat cross-legged and sank into his inner world.
His form blurred as mana became Ruyan, and Ruyan became mana.
Hummm.
How much time passed?
Deep in trance, Ruyan frowned and cracked his eyes open.
A fly’s buzzing around.
Circulating the Return Heart Technique connected his mind to the natural realm.
Nature’s energies became his limbs; his breath raced ten li as wind.
No corner of Twente Village—a grand city—escaped his senses.
Yet now, one suspicious presence snagged in his awareness.
A crafty one.
It had vaulted the high walls and boldly infiltrated the guard post.
Clearly aiming to check logs or duty rosters.
These guys aren’t small-time.
Ruyan knew the shadows would reach here eventually.
He’d even guided them somewhat.
Had he wanted to evade completely, he wouldn’t have left Gawain’s body.
Erasing traces too perfectly would’ve turned suspicion on Hatchling Village and Uncle Gers.
He’d left a trail to divert it from the villagers.
Still, he’d expected more time—they’d moved faster than anticipated.
Quick operators. Might be more trouble than I thought.
Leaving them be would ruin his budding mercenary life.
Sigh, no choice. I still need this setup.
Most urgent: an ID badge.
He needed at least 4th-grade mercenary status, which meant sticking with Alize’s group longer.
Time to step in a bit?
Calmly gathering his energy, Ruyan ended his session and slowly rose.