“What are all those wounds?”
“Gunshot… here is from training, here is from fighting, and this one is from that guy….”
The most recent gunshot wound is the one I shot.
Aside from that, there are about seven other bullet wounds.
I could understand why I was so scared when I pulled out the gun.
“You managed to survive.”
“I tried to dodge a few times, but I couldn’t.”
“You can block it with magic, right?”
“Do you think I haven’t tried?”
Most bullets infused with mana can be sufficiently blocked with magic.
However, Isabel explained that bullets fired with special mana cannot be blocked.
“I couldn’t block the one you shot. What the hell is that?”
The bullet I shot at Isabel contained refined mana.
I hadn’t thought that refined mana would have such an effect.
That meant the person who left Isabel with a gunshot wound used refined mana.
“Who did this to you?”
“You.”
“Not me, the wounds from other places.”
“I don’t know the name, it was another magic swordsman who suddenly pulled out a gun and shot at me. I blocked it with magic, but it pierced through. After that, I got hit a few more times.”
The marks of the shots avoided only the heart and remained all over.
“Do the magic swordsmen of Latnia know how to handle refined mana?”
“Why would you refine mana?”
From what Isabel said, it seemed most human mages also did not refine mana.
“Why would you refine mana?”
“You don’t need to know.”
“The wound I got back then is throbbing.”
Isabel pretended to be in pain with a blank expression.
“I know you’re acting.”
“You two have become quite close, huh?”
Isabel and I answered Aila’s comment at the same time.
“We’re not close!”
Mana refinement is a process learned only in advanced classes at Roran’s academy.
So using refined bullets means there’s a high possibility of being a skilled magic swordsman.
“Where did you learn magic?”
“You don’t need to know.”
Isabel returned my previous question right back to me.
“What’s the usual level of magic swordsmen?”
“Are you asking me?”
I knew asking Aila would be pointless, but I asked out of frustration.
“Based on academy standards, it should be between beginner and intermediate.”
I could roughly gauge the level.
The very fact that someone refined mana allowed me to speculate about their skill level.
High purity in magic can easily overpower an opponent.
This led to the conclusion that Isabel’s magic level was lower than her opponent’s.
“Get ready.”
I took out the mask I had in my pocket and gave it a light wipe.
The night grew deep.
The vibrant energy of the city had quieted down into stillness.
We hid ourselves in the darkness of the area where our target was located.
Though it was said to be the second-largest organization, only three people were guarding the boss.
The moment we entered the alley, we decided to ambush them.
“Uagh!”
With a short scream, the three people fell to the ground.
One of them was the organization’s boss.
“Y-You guys are who?!”
“Go tell them we are….”
As soon as I said the name of the rival organization that Hilde had informed me about, he panicked and fled.
Soon he would gather his followers and retaliate against the rival organization.
After finishing our task, we scattered in different directions just in case and met up at our lodging.
“They’ll be fighting among themselves and causing a ruckus by morning.”
“Will it go according to plan?”
Hilde’s plan was to use one organization as a front to seize control of the underworld.
There was one small but significant issue with this.
After causing them to fight, when they unified into one organization, there would remain suspicions about whether the last organization was the one pulling the strings all along.
“Well, we’re just getting paid, so it’s not our concern.”
Isabel spoke calmly while maintaining her sword.
Once we took care of four more people, the job would be finished.
I wished it would be just as easy as today.
The next day around lunchtime, we returned to the Commercial Guild.
Already there were piles of paperwork in Hilde’s office indicating that something had transpired.
“You work fast. Reports have already come in.”
It seemed that information circulated quickly here due to the nature of the Commercial Guild.
“And where’s the next target?”
“This person here. Let’s send the organization here.”
The organization that the boss we had dealt with the previous night belonged to.
“Please execute it tonight. Otherwise, it’ll lose its effect.”
“You seem impatient.”
“I wasn’t just idly playing as the boss’s lover for these organizations. They’re simple-minded. They boil quickly and cool down just as fast. We need to throw more wood onto the fire before it cools down.”
Hilde seemed to know the habits of such organizations very well.
After hearing the information about the next target, we settled down for a meal within the Commercial Guild.
“Can we trust this Hilde person?”
“No.”
“Then why are we doing work for her?”
“Because she’s paying us. You also worked under Walker for food, right?”
Isabel nodded as if understanding.
We began to formulate a plan to take on our next target.
Interestingly, this target was said to be a fairly skilled swordsman.
The subordinates he carried with him were also mercenaries.
Moreover, since we had to take one alive, it was a bit more difficult.
“You two take care of the boss; I’ll have fun with one.”
Isabel said confidently.
First, I needed to do a bit of background research on the target.
Since Hilde didn’t provide much information this time.
We decided to check out a restaurant that the organization’s boss was said to frequent, dressed in regular everyday clothes.
Inside what appeared to be an ordinary restaurant, a separate room had been prepared for VIPs a bit inward.
While spending some time there, a group of people entered the restaurant.
The shop owner, looking quite flustered, welcomed the customers with a very low demeanor.
As if it were natural, he headed to the VIP room.
In front of the room, one bodyguard stood watch, and the others followed inside.
“It’ll be a bit difficult inside the shop.”
Aila quickly assessed the situation inside the store and came to a conclusion.
We waited until our target came out to leave and quietly followed behind.
I thought that the hideouts of organizations were all located in secluded alleys.
“It looks like they live here.”
In the middle of the city, a place bustling with people even at this late hour.
A five-story building stood proudly, with people who looked like bodyguards stationed at the entrance.
“If we go in, we’ll be kicked out immediately.”
“If we break it with magic, won’t they come out?”
Isabel suggested breaking the building.
“Do you know any magic that can destroy the building?”
“If I just keep using it, it should break.”
“That won’t….”
Aila rebutted and looked at me.
“Ririan. Can’t you do it?”
“What do you mean….”
I could.
The magic I used to catch monsters could melt down the entire building.
“Then there won’t be any witnesses left.”
Our goal was to create a scenario where the rival organization attacked.
To do that, we needed to leave a few witnesses.
Before executing the plan, I conducted a bit more research.
I went around asking nearby shops and residents about the building.
The combined information concluded that there were no ordinary people inside the building.
The building itself served as the organization’s hideout, and I learned that the boss stayed on the fifth floor.
“Then let’s change clothes and execute the plan.”
After stopping by our lodging to change, we put on our masks and climbed onto the roof of the adjacent building.
Aila and Isabel adeptly scaled the outer wall of the building.
I also utilized mana threads to ascend far more comfortably than before.
As soon as we reached the fifth floor, a wide corridor appeared.
“It looks like a mansion.”
As we walked down the corridor, we halted at a corner.
Faint murmurs reached our ears.
“The atmosphere has been unusual lately.”
“It’s a war. Those guys are running amok everywhere.”
“We need to be careful ourselves.”
“Who would target us? Even if we’re a bit smaller in scale, our organization isn’t easily touched.”
It seemed they were aware that they were much stronger in strength than other organizations.
Given the swords strapped to their waists, they probably had quite a bit of skill.
“Let’s strike.”
As Aila whispered quietly, Isabel jumped out.
Clang!
“Huh?”
Isabel’s sword clashed against the arm of her opponent, producing a metallic sound.
“Who the hell are you?!”
As mercenaries, their reflexes were quite impressive.
Thin chainmail appeared through the ripped clothing.
Swish!
Without a word, Isabel swung her sword and bound one person’s foot.
In the meantime, Aila quickly dealt with one nearby and entered the room.
I used magic to support Isabel.
The remaining one seemed experienced in combat and was handling himself well.
Of course, that was only possible because Isabel and I weren’t using our full strength.
We had to leave a witness, so we waited until Aila came out of the room.
Thud!
With an attack received, Isabel was sent flying by the guard’s sword as faint mana gathered around it.
It seemed he had learned some magic because he was gradually applying it to his sword, albeit slowly.
“I don’t know who you are, but I was somewhat famous back in my mercenary days!”
Bang!
As the door shattered, the guard was pinned under the wreckage.
“We came… for revenge.”
Aila left those words for the guard trapped under the door as we swiftly exited the building together.
Having completed our task safely, we moved our lodging to another location.
“This place is bigger than the last room. Is it expensive?”
“We made a lot of money.”
As soon as we entered the room, we changed our clothes and chatted in a comfortable state.
“The bodyguards were pathetic.”
Even among dark guild organizations, not everyone had the skills of trained knights or soldiers.
Unlike the demon race, the majority in Latnia are humans.
Even if they’ve learned magic, they’re no match for the demon race.
Unless they’re magic swordsmen.
The guard, claiming to be a mercenary, was quite clumsy by my standards.
I thought that when I returned to my original body, I would seriously consider learning swordsmanship.
“Now, Ririan, it’s time for your medicine.”
“Ugh.”
As I received the vial, I shut my eyes tightly and downed it in one go.
Isabel, watching me, gazed at me with curiosity written all over her face.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’ll tell you when the time is right.”
Isabel, looking a bit disappointed, moved closer to Aila and cautiously extended her hand.
“Can you give me one? I have many hurts too.”
“This isn’t that kind of medicine.”
“Are you just trying to keep me from taking it?”
“No. It’s tailored medicine; it’ll have no effect on anyone else.”
There was a slight look of disappointment on Isabel’s face, which was usually devoid of change.
