Graduation (Part 2)
Slipping past the hostiles targeting me, I made a beeline for Sowol's quarters.
It seemed the raiders had struck there as well; a handful of our guards were already locked in combat with men clad in black robes.
"Where is Sowol?!" I shouted.
"The young lady is inside her room!"
Is she? What a relief.
As a token of gratitude for the answer, I lopped off the head of the assassin grappling with the guard, then kicked Sowol's door off its hinges.
Crash!
"Sowol! Are you alright?!"
"Pardon? Ah... yes, Master."
Two black-clad intruders lay sprawled lifelessly across the floor. Judging by the wooden training sword in her hand, Sowol had dispatched them herself. All those grueling lessons had truly paid off.
"If you're unharmed, we're heading to the Guild Head's chambers."
"Yes, Master!"
I kicked up a steel blade lying on the floor, caught it midair, and thrust the hilt into Sowol's hand. She had only ever trained with wooden swords until now, so a real blade might feel unfamiliar in her grip, but this was a live battlefield. Proper equipment made all the difference.
"Is it really alright for me to wield a real sword?" she asked, blinking up at me.
"Of course."
With Sowol's current level of skill, she easily outperformed most of the guards in the Eastern Merchant Guild. There was zero reason to hold her back with blunted wood. She gave the blade a few experimental tests, adjusting her grip, and seemingly satisfied, fell into step behind me as we exited into the hallway.
Out in the corridor, the number of black-clad assailants had swelled noticeably compared to when I had first entered. Seeing the guards being pushed back, I pushed Sowol to the vanguard.
"Moonlight Flash."
"Haaah!"
Crescent-shaped sword energy surged forward, cleaving through the encroaching enemies. As the men in black caught in our barrage of sword aura were violently reduced to former men in black, the guards' morale surged.
"Master Lee and the young lady are with us!"
"Keep pushing forward!"
"Slaughter every last bastard who dared trespass into the Eastern Merchant Guild!"
This is why sword aura is so great. It worked wonders for bolstering morale.
I held Sowol back before she could spam another Moonlight Flash, then shifted our direction down the connecting corridor.
"Who do you think they are, Master?" she asked.
"Hard to say."
The wealthy naturally accumulated no shortage of enemies. But if I had to voice my suspicion...
"I suspect it's the Asura Cult."
"The Asura Cult?"
Yes. The final antagonists of the Religious War event. The wicked heretics inextricably tied to the True Ending.
As we hurried toward So Jung-yang's quarters, I shared the intel Serin had passed along to me. Sowol listened with a composed expression, then lapsed into brief silence before spitting out low, growling words.
"...Unforgivable."
Right. Don't forgive them. I have no intention of forgiving them either.
Approaching So Jung-yang's quarters, we spotted guards and paladins desperately holding the line. But overwhelmed by sheer numbers, their defensive perimeter looked on the verge of collapsing at any second.
It was precisely then.
"Ahhh!"
Lyla, who had been fighting tooth and nail, lost her grip on her weapon. Dismay washed over her face, and before she could bend down to retrieve it, an assassin slashed his blade directly at her neck.
"Spider Web."
"...Master Lee!"
Threads of mana shot from my fingertips, binding the assailant tight. A brilliant smile broke across Lyla's face, having narrowly escaped death. If you have time to grin, pick up your damn sword already.
"Hup!"
While Lyla scrambled for her blade, Sowol darted forward and neatly severed the throat of the ensnared cultist. Thoroughly ruthless. Despite this being her first time wielding live steel, she handled it like second nature. Truly, a terrifying talent.
"Thank you, Milady!"
"Enough. Where is my father?"
"Inside!"
Sowol flung the door open without hesitation.
Inside sat So Jung-yang, flanked by two paladins. Even amid a full-scale ambush, his demeanor remained remarkably serene.
"Ah, you've arrived, Master Lee."
"Are you unharmed?"
"Haha, quite so. With Master Lee and our fine warriors present, what could I possibly have to fear?"
The man certainly has guts.
I returned his smile and positioned Sowol by his side. With the paladins and Sowol guarding him, he would be safe.
"By the way... who do you reckon they are?"
"My guess is the Asura Cult."
"I see..."
Well, whoever the enemy was hardly mattered at this exact second. What counted was surviving the present. I was curious why the Asura Cult had set their sights on the Eastern Merchant Guild, but uncovering that could wait until after the dust settled.
"The enemy forces are numerous. Please stay inside and do not step foot outside."
"Understood."
He readily accepted my suggestion—which was effectively telling him to stay hunkered down in one corner instead of wandering around and getting stabbed. Much better. In RPG escort quests, the VIPs you were supposed to protect always wandered off and made a nuisance of themselves.
"Sowol. You know what your duty is here, right?"
"Yes, Master!"
"Good girl."
I patted Sowol on the head. Whatever her quirks, she listened exceptionally well.
"You will be careful as well, won't you, Master?"
"Who do you think I am?"
I gave her cheek an affectionate pinch, then turned and stepped outside.
The initial wave of black-clad assassins seemed to be winding down.
"Master Lee!"
The guards flocked to my side as soon as I emerged into the courtyard. Every one of them was visibly exhausted. Lining up the wounded, I cast Heal to mend their injuries, bracing for the inevitable second wave.
"They're coming. Everyone, get ready."
"Pardon? What do you mean—"
Thud!
I never assumed for a second that their assault would end with a wave of human footsoldiers. As if to prove my instincts right, heavy tremors began reverberating from the pitch-black darkness.
Moments later, just as the clouds parted to reveal the moon, the source of those earth-shaking footsteps revealed itself. A hulking frame, tree-trunk arms, and serrated teeth. A monstrous beast whose grotesque visage practically had the word 'violence' carved into its flesh.
Wow. They actually sent an ogre.
The Asura Cult had really pulled out all the stops.
"T-That's... that's an ogre...!"
Ogres belonged to the upper echelons of monsters. No one was ignorant of the man-eating brutes that tore people apart with their bare hands and devoured their flesh. They were notorious for their brutality and danger. Even in the game, an ogre was a formidable threat, so the guards' terror was completely justified.
"Lord of Fire."
Though, of course, that didn't mean it posed any threat to me.
The instant the blazing flames gathering along my blade struck the ogre's flesh, a horrific screech ripped through the air. The guards blanched at the grotesque shriek, but I paid them no mind. My gaze remained fixed solely on the figure lingering behind the beast.
RROOOAAARRR!
Engulfed in flames and writhing in agony, the ogre lunged wildly toward me. In response, I unleashed a barrage of Moonlight Flashes. Pummeled by wave after wave of razor-sharp sword energy, the ogre was sent flying backward, groaning pitifully. And from the shadows behind it, a man stepped forward with an unsettling sneer.
"My, my. I prepared rather meticulously... but it seems an ogre alone isn't quite enough?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Louisville, the Priest of Sloth of the Asura Cult."
Louisville?
Wasn't he the guy from the Religious War event? A beast-tamer capable of commanding hordes of monsters. Why on earth was he showing up here?
"And what brings you all the way out here just to be a royal pain in the ass?"
"Hahaha. Our coffers have been running a bit dry lately, you see... And hearing that there was a renowned pre—ah, my mistake—a renowned mercantile guild named the Eastern Merchant Guild, I came to solicit a modest donation."
"In short, you're a broke-ass beggar."
When I drove the hard truth straight into his solar plexus, Louisville's smug expression twisted into a grimace. Twist all you want, buddy. What are you gonna do about it?
"To persecute those humbly seeking a donation... Truly unforgivable."
"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots. Sowol! Come out!"
"Pardon?!"
Sowol, who had been guarding So Jung-yang, stepped out into the open. Placing the bewildered girl in front of me, I loosened my grip on my sword.
"You take that guy."
"Excuse me? But, Master..."
"Look up. Trouble's already here."
Louisville's forte was commanding monsters. I cast a sideways glance toward the night sky. Accompanied by the heavy thrum of beating wings, something massive was descending.
"Th-That's—!"
"A wyvern...?!"
A wyvern. Much like an ogre, it ranked among the most formidable monsters. Right now, not a single soul present in this courtyard could bring down a wyvern. Fighting a flying creature demanded anti-air capabilities. Sure, there were guards carrying bows, but wyvern scales were so thick that ordinary arrows wouldn't even leave a scratch.
In other words, bringing it down required a mage capable of unleashing potent, long-range bombardment. Yet in the entire Eastern Merchant Guild, let alone powerful long-range artillery, the only person capable of using magic was me. That meant dealing with the beast was solely my responsibility.
Fighting Louisville while simultaneously swatting a wyvern out of the sky was a bit too much for one set of hands. So, I decided to delegate the ground work to Sowol. With her skills, she was more than capable of taking him.
"You can handle it, right?"
"...Yes, Master."
"Hahahaha! You grossly underestimate me! Do you truly believe someone like me could be felled by a mere slip of a girl?!"
"Yeah. Pretty sure you will."
Do you have any idea how much heart and soul I poured into teaching her?
I ruffled Sowol's hair once more, then cast a spell and lifted off into the air.
"All units!! Advance!!"
At Louisville's command, beasts began surging forth from the darkness. As the Eastern Merchant Guild's guards gripped their weapons tightly, the wyvern plunged from the heavens.
Can I really do this?
Clutching her hilt, Sowol stared down the opponent before her. The aura radiating from the man commanding the monsters was by no means weak. In fact, to someone like her, who had been learning the sword for less than a year, it felt dauntingly oppressive. Tense and wary, Sowol dragged her feet forward, closing the distance between herself and Louisville.
"Hahaha!! Come at me! I shall dispose of you first, then tear that insect out of the sky and rip him to shreds!!"
"...What?"
In that instant, Sowol felt something snap inside her mind.
How dare he. How dare he. How dare he.
"...Who did you just call an insect?"
You dare insult my Master?