A Disaster-Level Assassin Has Been Freed

Chapter 123: Who Are You? (1)

“…Damn it.”

A rare curse slipped from my lips.

I had no choice.

It was definitely an Aura Cultivation Method. I could read the contents. The first page began describing “Aura Utilization.”

But the critical issue was that I couldn’t understand the contents 100 percent.

Why?

“It’s not in the continental common language. Well, I suppose that makes sense…”

The script appeared to be from the ancient kingdom of Delkaro.

I sighed as I looked at the book, densely filled with those characters.

In a way, it was only natural.

The clues in the secret room had been written in ancient script.

The old man’s apparition had spoken an ancient language.

It would be stranger if the Aura Cultivation Method were written in the continental common language.

“I heard that Aura Cultivation is a delicate and intricate skill…”

After examining the Aura Cultivation Method a bit more, I clicked my tongue and closed the book.

Thanks to the similarity between the ancient script and the cipher used among Godok peers, I could understand the contents to some extent.

But that wasn’t enough. To properly learn the cultivation method, I needed a 100 percent accurate translation, and that was impossible with my abilities alone.

“Could the Mercenary King Austin manage it?”

With his wide connections and deep knowledge, it seemed like he might be able to help.

The problem was, I had no idea where he was right now.

“He didn’t seem like the type to stay quietly at the mercenary brokerage headquarters.”

He was probably wandering the continent, pursuing his ambitions.

Tracking him down was out of the question for now. Too much time had passed since I left Marzen.

“Right, let’s head back to Marzen. I’ll go see the mercenary corps.”

Eddy, Pale, the Fist Brothers, Glen, Daereon, and the other mercenaries.

Other people came to mind as well.

Philip Portville.

Sheratiya Viyan.

The beggar old man…

Thinking of them naturally brought a smile to my face.

“I didn’t realize before. Having a place to return to feels this good.”

That’s right.

Freedom wasn’t just about endlessly wandering the continent.

A place where my heart led me.

If I could be there, even staying in one place for a lifetime meant I had already found freedom.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Surveying my surroundings, I nodded.

I had a rough idea of where I was. It wasn’t far from the ancient dungeon, nor was it far from the commercial city of Marzen. Even the dark city of Kalbaron was within a few days’ reach if I set my mind to it.

At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

“…Would it be too much to ask Collector Neumann for another sword?”

“…Hm.”

Honestly, it probably would be. I didn’t have the means to pay a price equivalent to a high-kingdom treasure sword.

But it was hard to let go of the idea.

Having realized the importance of a fine sword, and having survived thanks to one, I couldn’t stop my steps from turning toward Kalbaron.

“Right. I’ll just stop by Kalbaron briefly before heading back.”

Whoosh!

Nodding again, I moved quickly.

My destination was the dark city of Kalbaron.

A place filled with memories of my now-departed friend, Ulrik.

***

To cut to the chase, the trip to Kalbaron was a waste of time.

Collector Neumann had vanished without a trace.

The antique shop he’d run was still there, but it had a new owner.

“Mr. Neumann? I don’t really… Oh! He did say something about not needing to be here anymore before he left…”

“I see.”

Just in case, I snuck into the basement, but all the treasures were already gone.

In the end, I could only click my tongue and set out for Marzen again.

“Still, it was a fruitful journey.”

I muttered in a satisfied tone.

It was true.

Thanks to unexpected battles with numerous strong opponents, my skills had grown significantly. I had also gained information about the village, Black Hydra, and the Red Magician, though many questions remained.

And on top of that, an Aura Cultivation Method!

Sure, it needed translating, but I was confident that through the Mercenary King Austin, I’d find a way.

“This is more than enough. More than enough.”

It was still lacking.

The village’s general manager, Akanthus’ Heitz, the higher-ups of Black Hydra, and many others were tied to me through bad blood. To survive them, to protect my bonds in Marzen, I needed more training.

But for now, I thought I deserved to pat myself on the back.

“Hm.”

As I thought this, the walls of Marzen came into view.

A faint smile spread across my lips.

Marzen, bathed in the golden glow of the sunset, always warmed my heart.

The lively calls of merchants hawking their wares.

The rough banter of customers haggling.

Even the Eddy Mercenary Corps, now shedding their thuggish ways and looking more like proper mercenaries.

“It’ll be the same as always, right?”

It should be.

There shouldn’t be any problems.

The outer district of Marzen, waiting for me unchanged, just as it was when I left.

I couldn’t wait any longer.

Urging my horse to speed up, I raced toward the city gate and entered without any hindrance, greeted by the now-familiar gate guard.

What was surprising was…

“…Everyone, you’ve gotten quite strong, haven’t you?”

Parts of Marzen, which I thought would remain unchanged, had transformed in a far more positive way than I’d expected.

“Haha, of course! I may not look it, but I’m the leader of this mercenary corps. I’ve got to be at least this good, don’t I? And the same goes for Pale, my second-in-command. Right, Pale?”

“Absolutely, Boss!”

Just four months ago, both had been stuck at the lower Expert level.

Sure, they had pulled off the feat of defeating mid-level Expert swordsmen from the Portville family in sparring… but that was limited to swordsmanship and stamina. Their aura utilization had been sorely lacking.

But not anymore.

Hum!

They now had the composure to maintain Sensory Awakening even while enveloping their swords in aura.

It wasn’t just Eddy. Though slightly less refined, Pale showed the same prowess. Watching them, I couldn’t help but clap my hands.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

The Fist Brothers and the former assassin Daereon had also advanced—from barely Expert to lower Expert, and from mid-level Expert to upper Expert.

“When the bosses are training so hard, how could I, as their junior, just sit still?”

“I’ve trained hard enough not to shame anyone!”

“Hehe, same here, Boss! Excluding Harang Boss, I’m practically the top fighter in the Eddy Mercenary Corps! Oh! Of course, I’m not saying this for Eddy Boss or Pale Boss to hear, but… uh, don’t you think it’s about time to raise my rank a bit, Harang Boss? Could you maybe put in a good word with Eddy Boss? I know our first meeting wasn’t great, but still being ranked below Glen is a bit…”

“…Honestly, I’m amazed.”

Ignoring Daereon’s ramblings, I looked at everyone.

It was true.

I was the one who had told them that effort would improve their skills, that they could reach just below Graduate if not Graduate itself.

But saying there was “potential” didn’t mean everyone could turn that potential into reality. I, of all people, knew how arduous and grueling that process was.

That’s why everyone, having advanced their realms in a shorter time than I’d expected, felt almost miraculous to me.

I asked again.

“I’m curious. Did something happen while I was gone?”

“Hm. Nope?”

“Nothing in particular happened. But it’s not like there’s no reason.”

Eddy and Pale answered, and everyone nodded.

I gave them a curious look.

What was it?

What could have caused these people, who were barely at Expert level or struggled even to manifest aura, to grow this much?

The answer came quickly.

Eddy, Pale, Thomas, Kennedy, Daereon, Glen.

After exchanging glances, they all said in unison:

“It’s all thanks to you, Boss.”

***

“Thanks to me? I might’ve believed that before, but I haven’t been in Marzen for the past four months.”

“That’s not what’s important. No! I mean, it’s not that it’s unimportant, but…”

“Enough, Thomas. I’ll speak as the leader. So…”

“It’s your very existence that motivates us, Boss!”

“Hey, Daereon! I said I’d talk!”

“Who cares who says it? And seriously, can we talk about raising my rank now?”

“We’ll discuss that later, but anyway… Daereon’s right. We’ve come this far because of you, Boss, and we’ll get even stronger because of you.”

“…”

“We’ll make sure we never hold you back. To stand proudly by your side… we’ll keep giving our all. Please keep watching us!”

“Keep watching us!”

“Keep watching us!”

“…Haha.”

Sitting in an empty room at the hideout, I let out a soft laugh as I recalled the earlier conversation.

In the past, I wouldn’t have understood their words. I would’ve found them strange, no doubt.

But not now.

Working harder for someone else.

Finding joy and fulfillment in that process.

It wasn’t just the Eddy Mercenary Corps’ story.

I, too, was honing my swordsmanship with the same heart as them.

“It’s strange. That I don’t find this kind of relationship awkward anymore.”

I nodded to myself.

This wasn’t coercion.

Nor was it a transaction.

It was goodwill, kindness. No, it was something that couldn’t be fully explained by those terms.

Respect, care, trust, camaraderie.

A relationship woven from all these pleasant feelings and more.

I pondered, and pondered, and pondered again, searching for a word to describe it.

Then, it happened.

The moment I saw a middle-aged man barge in without knocking, I forgot my previous thoughts and broke into a delighted expression.

“Lord Austin? What brings you here…”

“You.”

Hum!

“…Who are you?”

Hummm!

The Mercenary King Austin asked in a low voice.

It wasn’t a request for a stranger to introduce themselves. I had enough sense now to know that. Smirking, I raised my own presence in response and said:

Hummm!

“It’s been a few months, and I’ve gotten a bit stronger, haven’t I?”

“A bit? Haha, hahahaha…”

The Mercenary King Austin burst into loud laughter, then abruptly stopped.

With a stern expression—there was no other way to describe it—he said:

“You’re far crazier than I thought.”