Chapter 1451

<Chapter 1451> 1451. Dark Moon

“……”

Invisible Blade stayed silent.

When you think about it, she had been acting separately from us. Was it because she’s a ninja and moves alone in secrecy? No, there was another purpose. She must have planned to get her hands on Jupiter’s ledger first. But Philip Jupitertrain acted faster than expected, causing things to go awry.

That silence was as good as an answer to my question. I quietly waited for her response. Dragging out the time would be disadvantageous not to me, but to her.

“Haa.”

An intentionally released sigh. Her voice sounds so good that it inexplicably feels seductive.

“Yeah. I took a double commission.”

“Accepting dual commissions for any task is a betrayal of trust.”

“Well, it works if no one finds out, right? I’m a ninja. I was confident I wouldn’t get caught.”

“Do you know who your broker is?”

“What do you think?”

“You probably don’t. A sane broker wouldn’t do anything that ruins—or worse, ends—their career in this industry.”

Mercenaries work by taking commissions. Brokers receive fees for handling requests and introducing mercenaries to jobs. The moment a broker plays around with requests, they’re done in this business. Of course, a mercenary might still have a chance at a comeback if they’re skilled enough…

“You’re sharp. I received the ledger recovery request two days before the mission started. And yes, the client is the person you’re thinking of.”

“If they hired you… then that councilor must’ve known what Philip was up to in the casino basement.”

“Is that important?”

“…No. At this point, I’m curious why you accepted the double commission. Why did you do it?”

“Not much to it. It was easy work with a surprisingly large reward. …Though thanks to you, everything got messed up. I’m regretting it fiercely now. I didn’t intend to drag you into this.”

Invisible Blade shakes her head.

“I could pretend I didn’t see anything.”

“Conditions? Money? I can offer 30% of the commission. It’s quite a sum. You won’t regret it.”

I shook my head. I started the fried chicken business to avoid being swayed by such distractions. While the business is still in its early stages and I do need money, time will take care of that. The chicken business is growing, after all. And I don’t need a large sum immediately. More than anything, I want to resolve the curiosity I’ve felt every time I see her.

“Ninjutsu.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m curious about the ninjutsu you use. As far as I know, ninjas use hand seals when performing techniques. But sometimes you use them, other times you don’t. If you were like a mage opening astral channels, I’d understand… but you’re not, are you?”

“Hmm. So that’s what you’re curious about?”

The young woman snorts while crossing her arms. My gaze instinctively drifts to her chest. With her arms crossed, her already impressive bust seems even larger. Each breast looks about the size of a human head. Or maybe even bigger.

“Sorry, but…”


Body, my answer is refusal. You think I’d sell my Secret for a measly task like this?”

“I swear on my life I won’t tell anyone else.”

“Are you underestimating ninjas too much? Do you really think I *have* to deal with you?”

“Planning to silence me ninja-style by killing me instead?”

“If needed… anytime!”

Kaaang!

In an instant, the distance closed as her blade struck my barrier. On closer inspection, water clung to her katana, vibrating at high speed. It was enhancing its cutting power—a technique of hers, no doubt.

‘She’s using techniques without seals again.’

Keeeeeeeeeeng!

One barrier slice apart. That blade might as well be a chainsaw right now.

Barriers left: four. Still plenty of time.

“…Wasn’t your mana supposed to be plentiful? These barriers feel unusually solid.”

“It’s true I’m low on energy, but compared to you now, I’m still in better shape.”

“Caught me. Yeah, I overexerted myself earlier dealing with that berserk Philip guy. He wasn’t exactly normal. But… taking you out shouldn’t be a problem.”

She gripped her sword reverse-handed and spun her body. A transparent blade of water formed from her katana sliced through the air, carving into the barriers. The droplets scattering with every movement were almost beautiful.

‘Did she forget I can use lightning magic?’

[Electric Field]

I moved my feet. Lightning surged forth from me, filling the room. With a flick of my fingers, the currents racing outward abruptly changed direction, surging toward her. There’s no way she could dodge this.

She threw her katana into the air and rapidly formed seals with both hands. I stared in awe as her hand motions changed more than ten times in a second. She caught her falling katana again. Immediately after, a pillar of water shot up around her, blocking the electricity.

Her voice came from within the water pillar.

“If you thought water would be weak against electricity, you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Magically conjured or ability-created water tends to be close to distilled water. Did you really think I wouldn’t know that?”

From the open back of the room, an elemental sword flew and pierced the water pillar. Though it couldn’t penetrate completely, its cold managed to seep into the water pillar. In an instant, the pillar froze solid, trapping her inside.

I didn’t let my guard down, preparing for the next move. It was obvious this ice pillar wouldn’t hold her for long.

Crack!

A blade burst out from the center of the ice pillar. Vibrating fiercely, the tremors spread throughout the entire structure. Unable to withstand the vibrations, the ice pillar shattered into pieces.

“…Was that another technique?”

“It’s a ninja’s hidden art.”

An overwhelming Killing Intent radiated from her. I hadn’t felt such a concentrated amount in ages, causing my body to flinch momentarily.

It was a mistake. Taking advantage of the brief opening caused by my momentary hesitation, she aimed not for me but for the ledger in my arms. First, she hurled it into the air before forming seals again.

A massive water droplet materialized in midair, swallowing the ledger whole. The insides of the droplet began to rotate, tearing the ledger apart. And it didn’t stop there—it started dissolving the remaining fragments into mush.

I swallowed hard.

This was my fault. If I had thought about it, she didn’t necessarily need to take the ledger. Her client didn’t want the ledger; they just wanted to ensure it didn’t fall into someone else’s hands.

The ledger is gone now. Not a single piece remains.

If I report this fact to the client, will they believe me? Or will they trust the ninja’s lies? Maybe they won’t trust either of us.

“I should’ve taken the ledger first.”

“Could you have?”

“……”

Not easy, huh?

That’s when it happened.

I sensed movement behind me.

A muscular man with spiky hair and four swords strapped to his back strode forward confidently.


She arrived. He saw us inside the room and grinned.

“So, you were here? Looks like the mission’s over since Philip’s body is dealt with. We’re cleaning up outside as well.”

I took off the earpiece. I had been wondering why it was so quiet—guess these things don’t work down here.

Mons whistled while looking at the Invisible Blade.

“Are you a ninja? That was more flashy than I expected. Know any good bars? Want to come along?”

“Sorry, not my type. Your muscles are too dense… it’s creepy.”

“Is that so….”

Mons sighed dejectedly, then finally noticed something was off about our vibe.

“Something happen?”

“Nothing happened. Right?”

The female mercenary asked me.

I hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Nothing happened.”

She walked out immediately afterward. I slowly followed her.

In my head, I thought:

Is this really the end?

Reporting the ledger to the client isn’t the issue.

What I need to think about is her retaliation. Would she really let this slide? Would she leave someone who knows her secrets alive?

One thing I’ve learned from my time in this world: knowing someone’s dirty secrets can be a death sentence. Back when I was in the Precell Kingdom army, some of my missions involved eliminating civilians who knew too much about certain nobles’ misdeeds.

‘She’s a mercenary and a ninja. In other words, an assassin. Can’t trust her.’

Having a ninja of her caliber as an enemy would complicate life. Preparing for assassination attempts is exhausting. Worst of all, Yuria might get dragged into it.

‘The danger needs to be neutralized here and now…’

When we escaped through the secret passage, she suddenly started running without warning. Confused but determined, I chased after her.

[Haste]

I used magic to barely keep up with her. It’s tough, but she’s tired enough that I can follow.

[Detection]

Whenever I risk losing sight of her, I cast detection spells just in case. Thanks to her malfunctioning cyber-suit, she’s easy to track.

– Hey! What’s going on? Are you two having fun without me? Kinda hurts, ya know?

Mons’ voice crackled through the communicator. After pondering briefly, I spoke. My hesitation earlier was a mistake. From the moment she accepted dual contracts, she betrayed us—not just me, but even her own broker.

“The ninja betrayed us. She destroyed the ledger in front of me. Our mission is only half-successful. I’m chasing her now.”

– Do you need backup? Just tell me your location… damn it. They’re attacking! …Trying to demolish the entire building?

I could picture the situation clearly.

“They want to hide the machines underground. Some kind of evidence destruction.”

– These aren’t ordinary gangsters. They’re trained professionals! Back off. Their target isn’t us. There was no clause in our contract about defending the building. The ledger is already gone. Let’s call this mission a partial success.

Mons spoke coldly.

That’s what mercenaries are like; nothing surprising there.

– Luckily, they aren’t actively targeting us either. Strong scent of fellow professionals.

“Can you provide support?”

– Sorry, but it’ll be tough. Things are precarious here. The moment we disengage, who knows how the situation will change? If they judge our numbers too low, they might turn hostile. You should give up the chase eventually.

“Understood.”

Though I said that, I had zero intention of giving up.

For future peace of mind, the Invisible Blade needs to be dealt with now.