Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Ten People, Ten Colors (1)
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After Hardin departed, the office fell quiet.
Finally left alone together, Roderick turned to gaze at Sir Marco, his body wrapped head to toe in bandages.
His face was drained of all color, ghostly pale, and his slumped shoulders and hunched back while seated in the chair silently betrayed his shattered spirits.
Anyone could see he looked like a defeated soldier.
'Judging from Hardin's demeanor just now, the mission didn't seem like a failure...'
Roderick asked just to be sure.
"Sir Marco, did the mission fail this time?"
"Yes... No, not at all. Only I... I failed."
"Hmm?"
Roderick gestured with his chin, urging him to explain further.
Sir Marco reported the full story in a listless voice.
"Kyle Crobel... He was truly formidable. It's hard to believe he's just a young knight barely turned twenty. His skills lived up to every rumor."
Recalling the memory, Sir Marco clenched his fists tightly. His hands trembled uncontrollably.
"He completely seized the initiative. Before I knew it, I was cowering in fear. Then, right on cue, the elf knights burst in."
"What? They entered at that exact timing?"
Oh no. Roderick rubbed his temples hard with his fingertips.
Up to this point, it sounded no different from a total failure.
Even in the best light, it was a relief they hadn't been exposed as staging the event.
"And then? What happened after that?"
"It turned into total chaos. There was no script left to follow. But when I came to... "
He let out a deep sigh.
"The one who called herself Yulia Silvern—she took down four knights single-handedly and then went up against the young master Crobel."
"What?"
"It was utterly overwhelming. To my eyes, it looked like a fierce clash between two equals. But that wasn't the case at all."
It started as a cautious probe.
Then it became a one-sided beating.
And finally, right before the young master collapsed, she unleashed a strike on a whole other level.
On top of that, she flawlessly handled the command role he was supposed to perform and acted her part to perfection, wrapping up the staged event without a hitch.
The mission was a resounding success—beyond anything imaginable.
Hardin's enthusiastic reaction upon joining as support proved it.
Sir Marco described what he had witnessed in a quavering voice.
"......"
Roderick was momentarily at a loss for words.
'I was worried she might overperform... but not to this extent!'
Who could have foreseen such a dazzling display!
The overwhelming prowess that crushed elite knights one after another.
The fact that even Kyle Crobel, who had bested Sir Marco, was utterly dominated.
And above all...
'She took over command and nailed the acting too!'
Asha was an elf.
Just look at those elf knights. They nearly botched the plan because they couldn't rein in their boiling battle lust.
Yet Asha, another elf, overcame even that.
As if a mangled script was no big deal, she improvised flawlessly and salvaged the situation perfectly!
"Ha ha, haha..."
Roderick just lost himself, chuckling vacantly.
For a moment, his body shivered. A thrill like electric ecstasy raced up his spine...
A short while later, Roderick muttered in a voice thick with emotion.
"This is big trouble..."
They'd succeeded spectacularly.
But to claim the reward, all the details about this extraordinary elf named Asha would have to be relayed straight to the Crobel family.
Around the same time.
Returning to the upscale inn that served as their lodging, Hardin came face-to-face with Kyle, who had been waiting for him.
"...You're back."
"Yeah. Wounds treated alright?"
Hardin plopped down onto a long chair with a thud after his curt reply.
"It was a sudden skirmish, after all. The Raglain side seems busy cleaning up too."
"Makes sense."
"They're pulling in more men to chase down the bandits, apparently. They'll update us right away depending on progress, so just rest easy for a few days."
Kyle gave a small nod.
Then, belatedly, he lowered his head to stare at his right palm.
His hand trembled faintly, beyond his control.
The shaking wouldn't subside.
The memory of defeat still burned vividly.
Kyle squeezed his eyes shut.
'With my current strength, I thought I could beat anyone short of those called superhumans.'
And lately, he'd even harbored the illusion that he might stand a chance against superhumans too.
But what happened when he faced it for real?
A mysterious bandit with a slender build toyed with him one-sidedly, mocking him to the hilt.
There was a clear gap in skill between that frail-looking bandit and himself—a towering wall he hadn't yet scaled.
That guy was definitely a superhuman.
And he himself?
Just an arrogant greenhorn.
'Yeah, just like he said.'
He was still pathetic.
"......"
Watching quietly, Hardin spoke up with a mocking tone.
"That's why I told you. Learn to act with caution before you get in over your head."
Kyle lifted his head and met Hardin's gaze.
He hesitated, lips twitching.
Then, lowering his head again, he murmured so faintly it was barely audible.
"......Sorry for ignoring your advice."
"What'd you say?"
Hardin's eyes bulged wide.
What did he just hear? Was that right?
Unthinkingly, he dug at his ear with a finger.
Kyle rolled his eyes at the sight, scowled fiercely, and turned away.
Hardin let out a hollow breath at the reaction.
'Never thought I'd live to see that arrogant genius apologize!'
This staged incident commission...
It had yielded results far beyond expectations.
The next day.
Asha paced her room in circles.
Her expression was troubled, a far cry from her usual calm demeanor.
She couldn't stop fixating on what had gone down during yesterday's ambush mission.
'The elf knights jumped in way too fast.'
It wrecked the script completely.
That much she could understand. Everyone makes mistakes.
Isn't there a saying? It's not the mistake that matters, but how you overcome it.
In that sense...
'Why the hell did they come at me like that?'
She couldn't wrap her head around how they'd "overcome" it.
Was it even a mistake to begin with? They looked way too thrilled, like they were loving every second.
So bold and brazen, she half-suspected separate orders had come down.
'Lucky it worked out...'
Sir Marco had nearly drowned crossing that dangerous river.
After ducking into the woods, his desperate, wheezing thanks...
Recalling his bloodied state, Asha shook her head vigorously to clear her mind.
Then the image of the elf knights' grand entrance flooded in.
Even after getting thoroughly thrashed, they charged back in high excitement.
Pretty faces doing the nastiest things—like
'Green orcs or barbarians!'
Bellowing about victory or death!
Thinking of her past life's media, Asha clutched her head and sank to the floor.
In a 'W-shaped' squat she wouldn't normally do. But she had no spare attention for that now.
Because...
'Oh no...'
Her adoptive father Min Hyeong's words naturally resurfaced.
The thing she'd kept denying.
Now shoved right in her face.
"......"
Asha stared at the floor with trembling eyes. Her golden hair spilled messily over her shoulders, clothes, and the ground.
Her huddled shoulders and quivering back evoked a tragic heroine.
Soon, with deliberate slowness, Asha rose.
She muttered with resolute conviction.
"Right, the banquet."
The gathering where all of Hiragart's elves would revel in merriment.
Once the invitation arrived...
She'd get them blackout drunk and peer into their true nature!
Smack! Asha slapped both cheeks to snap herself out of it.
Then she straightened her disheveled hair and outfit.
Staying cooped up made the same thoughts loop endlessly. Time for a change of scenery—head out for some fresh air.
As Asha stepped out and strolled lightly around the area,
Passing a fancy inn, she idly thought, 'Whoa, bet the rooms cost a fortune.'
That's when her eyes locked with Kyle Crobel emerging from the entrance.
'Stranger, stranger.'
Asha flashed a bright smile and kept walking.
She figured that was that—no footsteps followed.
But just as the distance grew, heavy strides approached, and he called out.
"Hey."
"......"
Asha ignored him and kept going. Might not be calling her.
They weren't acquainted anyway—just a chance eye contact in passing.
No reason for a noble young master from a prestigious house to approach her.
Yesterday was a commission, but an ambush was still an ambush. No good getting caught. Asha resolved to play dumb unless cornered.
Meanwhile, Kyle Crobel, observing her attitude...
'Blatantly ignoring me?'
Felt an odd sense of déjà vu.
No real basis for it.
Just those vivid blue eyes that captivated him. Meeting them triggered yesterday's memories.
So he thought to strike up a chat...
"Hey!"
"......"
Ignored again.
Unless she was deaf—which she clearly wasn't, given those long ears twitching ever so slightly—it was deliberate.
Or maybe...
'She doesn't realize I'm calling her?'
Classic elf trait.
Once fixated on something, the rest fades from view.
Narrow field of vision, you could say.
Or positively, unwavering focus on one thing.
Usually, their aggression tied it to combat...
'...Annoying.'
Still, being ignored was a fact.
Daring to snub me?
In a fit of anger, Kyle nearly spat something truly provocative.
Right then.
Yesterday's events flashed through his mind like a montage.
He paused briefly, but his irritation didn't fade.
...Fine, just let it rip.
If this elf girl was that bandit from yesterday...
Clashing head-on would reveal her true strength.
Having rationalized it, Kyle opened his mouth. With an elf mentor, he knew exactly how to provoke one.
"Miss! Care for a quick chat?"
"......"
"Quit ignoring me. Even if you're ancient, your ears can't be deaf, right?"
Elves' stunning looks made age impossible to guess—that was their hallmark!
First time he snapped "old hag" at his mentor, she nearly beat him to death.
This elf would surely snap and challenge him to a duel...
"......?"
No reaction whatsoever.
Impossible. An elf woman ignoring that insult?
Or did she actually have ear issues?
Flustered, Kyle strode forward and rudely blocked her path.
"Hey, old lady. I'm asking to talk."
"?"
The elf girl finally halted, reacting at last.
She tilted her head, pointing at her own face.
"Old lady... you mean me?"
"Yeah, you!"
"???"
Perplexed, Asha blinked in confusion.
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