A Disaster-Level Assassin Has Been Freed

Chapter 6: A Dangerous Person (1)

When is the time one least wants to encounter monsters?

It depends on the situation, but mostly, it's at night.

Unlike humans who are not accustomed to the darkness, the eyes of beings influenced by Magi are less affected by the night.

Therefore, the news of a monster appearance just before bedtime inevitably brought considerable anxiety to the merchant guild.

“What, monsters?”

“What kind are they? I can’t see them?”

“Damn it…… I thought we were lucky enough not to encounter any this time.”

“This is why I hate camping out.”

“Ugh, wh-what should I do?”

The cries of the merchant guild employees could be heard from here and there.

While the experienced ones merely frowned, the young workers were the problem.

For those experiencing a long-distance trade journey for the first time, there was nothing more terrifying than the combination of night, darkness, and monsters.

Just then, the Merchant Guild Leader’s voice echoed.

“Hilton, light up the view.”

“Yes!”

A magician wearing a gray robe focused his mind and raised his staff towards the sky.

Then, three masses of light shot up, illuminating the heavens.

“Oh!”

“It’s light! Now I can see!”

“As expected of the magician!”

Color returned to the workers' faces.

Though it couldn't compare to the midday sun, people quickly regained composure just by having their vision secured.

Of course, some experienced mercenaries had kept their wits about them even before the magic manifested.

“No one’s drunk too much, right?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Over here! Look at this guy Jonadan’s face! Isn’t it bright red?”

“Don’t talk nonsense! I only had two mugs of beer!”

“What? You got drunk after just that much? Captain, is it really okay to keep such a weakling in the mercenary corps?”

“Hmm, that’s an issue to discuss seriously after this request.”

“Ah, Captain!”

“Puhahahahaha!”

The Carlson Mercenary Corps acted just as swiftly as the merchant guild’s response.

Unlike the regular mercenaries who belatedly got up and moved hastily, they quickly formed ranks while exchanging jokes.

Watching the Carlson Mercenary Corps stand firm with their backs to the wagons and workers, several people muttered.

“Indeed, the Silver Plate Mercenary Guild.”

“They’re so composed…… Well, it’s unlikely men who’ve been through thick and thin would panic over something like this.”

“Hey, are you feeling a bit calmer now?”

“Huh? Ah, yes!”

One young worker, who had been particularly more frightened than others, nodded dumbly.

It was just as the senior worker had said.

Though they usually seemed utterly frivolous, right now, they were incredibly reassuring.

The thought that they weren't more expensive than regular mercenaries for nothing gradually eased the tension in his heart.

‘Thank goodness. Not everyone is like those rookies.’

The young worker glanced sideways.

He saw Matthew and Jack, who were even more agitated than himself, but it was okay.

The belief that the Carlson Mercenary Corps would somehow handle it was instilling stability in his heart.

However…….

“This looks trickier than expected.”

Carlson, having confirmed the approaching monster horde from afar, muttered quietly.

Vice-captain Nick beside him nodded as if in agreement.

The type of monster wasn't the issue.

Goblins.

Green-skinned humanoid monsters, small creatures that a Bronze Plate Mercenary could handle two or three of alone.

But their numbers were quite large.

And most of them carried weapons.

And unlike typical goblin hordes, the fact that they maintained some sort of order was extremely bothersome.

A monster horde approaching while maintaining formation like an army, without rushing in excitement.

There was only one explanation for such cases.

“……It seems an Elite Monster, specifically a leader type, is likely among them.”

“Hmm…….”

Hearing the magician's words, Merchant Guild Leader Barjean let out a groan.

Monsters were sinful beings born from the influence of Magi that flowed from the rifts of cracks.

Among them existed individuals who had absorbed an unusually large amount of Magi, and such entities were referred to as ‘Elite Monsters’.

Not all Elite Monsters exhibited the same characteristics.

Warrior-type Elite Goblins displayed physiques and strength exceeding the species average.

Mage-type Elite Goblins were more skilled than typical mercenary magicians.

Since all goblins tried to protect the precious resource that was the magician, they were known to be trickier than warrior goblins that charged recklessly.

However, there was a type of Elite Goblin far trickier than those: the leader type.

Goblins accompanying this type were not only armed with much better quality equipment than the species average, but their overall physical abilities were enhanced.

Also, unlike typical hordes that ran wild, they understood the concepts of strategy and tactics.

Consequently, those facing them often felt the illusion of confronting a well-trained goblin army.

Of course, it wasn't without a method of attack.

If only the leader was eliminated, they would revert to a normal goblin horde.

There were no easier prey than ordinary goblins without buffs or tactics, so everyone facing them tried to find the leader.

However…….

“The problem is that there’s no way to find that leader.”

“Exactly. That cunning bastard is probably disguised to look exactly like a regular goblin.”

Carlson spoke, and Vice-captain Nick replied.

Zepin, the third-in-command of the mercenary corps, glanced towards the Merchant Guild Leader, specifically at the magician beside him.

A deeply troubled expression.

It was hopeless.

It seemed he wasn't skilled enough to distinguish an Elite Goblin by the concentration of Magi.

Smirking, he looked at the captain and said.

“It seems the fate of the merchant guild rests in our hands?”

“Haha, well, when has it not?”

“That’s true.”

Woowoong-!

Woowoowoong-!

Having finished their replies, Carlson and Nick drew their weapons.

A grayish-white energy shimmered like a heat haze from both their blades, and the eyes of the surrounding mercenaries filled with envy and admiration.

Aura Sword.

It wasn't the completed form.

Meaning, it was clearly far below the level of a ‘Graduate’, who had achieved the 'Sword Rank'.

However, even being at the ‘Expert’ level below that earned one tremendous respect as a master in the mercenary industry, so a solid sense of security and confidence, unlike before, inevitably surged in everyone’s hearts.

Two whole Experts are with us!

No matter if it's a horde including an Elite Goblin, with this much power, we should be able to defeat them without significant losses.

Definitely!

The mercenaries squeezed out even courage they didn't have and watched the gradually approaching goblin horde.

Chak, chak, their mouths went dry at the sight of the creatures approaching in step like a well-trained army, but they still felt much more relieved than before.

Mercenaries with close-range weapons slowly warmed up, while those equipped with crossbows scanned every corner of the horde with hawk-like eyes, aiming for areas unprotected by shields.

And a moment later.

“Huh?”

One of them discovered something strange.

‘What is that?’

A mercenary blinked.

Finding that insufficient, he briefly lowered his crossbow, rubbed his eyes hard with both hands, and stared straight ahead.

There was a person.

A black-haired young man walking in file, as if he were a friend of the goblins.

As the mercenary next to him, and the one next to that, and gradually more comrades wore bewildered expressions at the sight.

Kwaddeuk!

The young man used his hand.

To be precise, he snapped the neck of the goblin next to him.

The creature had no discernible differences from the surrounding goblins and was an ordinary one, but that was a deception.

As proof, the goblins' bulging muscles began to shrink slightly.

Kki?

Kkiik-?

Kkiik!

Kikiki- ik!

That wasn't all.

Sensing the death of the Elite Goblin, the goblins became greatly agitated.

They looked at each other, looked behind them, then looked forward again.

The monsters, fidgeting anxiously and scanning their surroundings, soon turned around and began to flee.

“……Advance, advance! Drop the crossbows, approach and kill them!”

“Their strides are short! We can catch up and kill them easily!”

The captain of the Carlson Mercenary Corps and the head of the merchant guild’s escort, regaining their senses a beat later, issued commands.

“W-Waaaaaah!”

“Kill all you sons of bitches!”

Only then did the mercenaries come to their senses and begin chasing the goblins one by one.

Jack and Matthew did the same.

Though they still moved with dazed expressions, filled with tension, there was no danger.

They weren't foolish enough to be defeated by a disorderly mob of retreating monsters.

Seogeok!

Chwaaak-!

They felt the pleasure of killing monsters for the first time in their lives, and felt pride as mercenaries.

It was an utterly thrilling moment.

Of course, they weren't the main characters.

Barjean looked ahead.

The head of the merchant guild’s escort, Carlson, Vice-captain Nick, and the third-in-command Zepin did the same.

All the important figures of the merchant guild watched the black-haired young man nonchalantly rejoining the group.

“What on earth just happened?”

“Were you looking for me? Ah, that’s my sword. Thank you.”

“That’s not what’s important right now! What was that stunt!”

The Merchant Guild Leader’s daughter, Bianca, approached Harang and asked.

It was closer to questioning him sharply, but the black-haired young man asked back as if he didn't quite understand.

“Pardon? What stunt? I’m a guild guard, so I just did my guard duties.”

“…….”

“It’s an Elite Monster, right? A leader type. I thought if I just took care of that one, there wouldn't be any problem, so I did that…… Did I do something wrong?”

“……How did you identify it?”

“Identify what?”

“The leader. They look identical on the outside.”

Bianca asked another question.

There were many other things she wanted to ask, but this was the most important right now.

If there was a way to distinguish the leader type, if she could just learn that method, it would be a significant help for future trade journeys.

However, the answer that came from Harang’s mouth was completely different from her expectations.

“They’re not.”

“Pardon? What’s not……”

“It’s slightly different.”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

“Uh, first, its eyes are a bit more slanted, and you might not have noticed from the front, but it has a small tattoo on the back of its neck, and its skin color is also slightly different……”

“You can tell all that?”

“Uh…… I couldn’t at first……”

“At first? Has something similar happened before?”

“Many times.”

Harang recalled the events in the village.

The administrators made the Godoks fight various monsters, so much so that he wondered where on earth they captured them from.

Among them were goblin hordes that included leader types.

Though they weren't threatening now, his younger self had to somehow develop the discerning eye to distinguish the leader in order to survive.

‘Come to think of it, there were many other terrible training sessions besides that.’

Sometimes, they forced peers to engage in life-or-death duels.

They made them pass through horrific traps where a moment's lapse in concentration meant leaving this world.

They even fed them poison.

With the aim of building tolerance, they stuffed all sorts of dreadful things down their throats, and here again, over 100 children died.

‘I never want to go back.’

Harang shook his head.

Of course, Bianca didn't know about his past.

But she could roughly infer from his suddenly hardening expression.

The fact that he had experienced many terrible things she didn't know about.

‘Normally, I should warn him about acting alone, but…….’

Bianca also shook her head.

She couldn't do that.

Treating today's greatest contributor in such a way was not the attitude of a proper merchant.

“There are a few things I’d like to ask, but for now…… I want to first say you worked hard, and thank you.”

“This is my job.”

“Because there are plenty of people who don’t do their assigned jobs properly.”

“They’re bad people.”

Harang said with sincerity.

It wasn't forced upon them, yet they don't properly honor a contract they agreed to?

He thought they were very bad people.

‘What is with this person?’

Of course, from Bianca’s perspective, Harang, reacting this way, couldn't help but seem peculiar.

She felt like opening up his head to take a look if she could.

Of course, she couldn't do that.

Looking around, she shrugged her shoulders and said.

“For now, it seems we need to clean up the surroundings. Please rest for a bit.”

“Should I help too?”

“No. It’s alright. Please rest.”

Bianca deflected him with polite yet sharp words.

Watching her, the newbie guard Harang smacked his lips.

“What should we do, Captain?”

“…….”

Carlson, who had been watching the two intently, muttered in a low voice.

“The plan proceeds as scheduled. He’s stronger than expected, but…… this should be enough.”

His eyes grew deeper and deeper as he fiddled with the paralysis poison rustling in his pocket.