A Disaster-Level Assassin Has Been Freed

Chapter 125: Nadan Royal Academy (1)

A gentle breeze blew through May.

Thanks to the warm and cozy weather, the residents of Marzen went about their daily lives with brighter expressions than usual.

But Sheratiya Viyan was an exception.

Her face was contorted as if she had bitten into something sour.

There was a reason for it—Harang.

He had stirred her emotions by calling her “someone close to him,” only to leave for the notoriously dangerous dark city of Kalbaron without a single word.

And now, as if none of that had ever happened, he had shown up out of the blue, talking about something completely different.

How could this not be infuriating?

“What’s even more annoying… is that despite all this, his words are so smooth.”

Sheratiya stared at Harang.

It was absurd.

The sight of him, with an unchanging, utterly serious expression, declaring, “Lady Sheratiya is more trustworthy than anyone else,” was unbelievable.

Just how much of a fool did he take her for?

Did he think he could sweet-talk her, appease her mood, and easily get what he wanted?

No way.

No, it absolutely shouldn’t be that easy. That was why Sheratiya remained silent, showing her discomfort.

But…

“…Why do I feel like the corners of my mouth are starting to turn up?”

“…”

Sheratiya Viyan forced her face to stiffen.

Her expression, which had begun to soften, tightened again.

Strict, dignified, serious.

Adding a touch of anger, she crafted the desired look.

Glaring at Harang for a few more seconds in that state, she finally spoke.

“Is that true?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“That I’m the most trustworthy person. That there’s no one else you can ask for this… Are you saying it’s not a lie? That you’re not just using sweet words to manipulate me for your own gain?”

‘Crazy, why does that matter right now? Why am I even asking this!’

Sheratiya scolded herself inwardly.

That’s right. She was asking completely irrelevant questions.

If she didn’t like Harang’s attitude, she could just refuse him outright.

But what was she doing now?

It was as if she was hoping his words were sincere, as if she wanted them to be true, leading him with these questions!

‘No way. This can’t… What can’t? I need to hear it. I have to hear it!’

Finally acknowledging her honest feelings, Sheratiya glared at Harang with wide eyes.

Receiving her gaze, Harang remained calm.

He had no choice but to be.

He was a sincere and pure young man who didn’t know how to deceive others with flattery.

“No, it’s not.”

“…Not?”

“Yes, absolutely not.”

“…Any proof?”

“Well, I don’t have any proof, exactly.”

“See! You’re just saying it without—”

“What can I do? When something is so obvious, no one thinks about needing proof.”

“…”

“That you’re a trustworthy person to me, that I consider you the most knowledgeable and capable among everyone I know… it’s all my honest truth. I just don’t have a way to prove it.”

A direct approach.

Watching Harang pour out his feelings without shame or hesitation, Sheratiya slightly lowered her head.

She couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from turning up.

After a brief moment of smiling downward, she raised her head again, now perfectly composed with a haughty and cool expression.

“…Fine. I’ll believe you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re right, in a way. If you were to name the five most knowledgeable people in Marzen, I’d definitely be one of them. The other four are people you could never get close to… so there’s no helping it. If you put it that way, I have no choice but to help.”

“Oh, do you really have a way? Can you translate it yourself?”

“No, that’s not it. I may be an elite who graduated from the advanced division of the Royal Academy, but I didn’t major in history.”

Sheratiya spoke honestly.

After the great war with the orcs, under the leadership of the Holy Kingdom, the continental common language spread across the entire continent. Now, unless you were in the remotest of villages, everyone spoke the same language.

In such an era, the only eccentrics who studied extinct ancient scripts were historians and magicians.

“I don’t have any connections with magicians. To be precise, the magicians in the eastern continent… those obsessed with labyrinths and dungeons are mostly concentrated there.”

“Then…”

“Yes, I know a professor who specializes in the history of the southern continent. Professor Gabone Emans… he’s at the Nadan Royal Academy. We exchange letters about once a year, so he’ll likely agree to a request like this.”

“Thank you. Then, about the payment…”

Harang’s voice trailed off, sounding a bit timid.

He had no choice. All he had to offer was money, and Sheratiya had far more wealth than he did.

Fortunately, Sheratiya quickly offered an alternative.

“Do me a favor later.”

“Oh, sure.”

“You’re agreeing pretty easily?”

“Hm?”

“How can you agree so readily when you don’t know what I might ask?”

“Uh… was I supposed to hesitate?”

“No, but don’t go making deals like that elsewhere. You might get taken advantage of.”

“I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“You don’t look like you’re taking it seriously… but whatever.”

Thus, the two set off for the Nadan Royal Academy to translate the Aura Cultivation Method.

However, there was one variable: the schedule of Sheratiya’s escorts.

“Escorts?”

“Yes. My personal schedule can be pushed back a bit. I’ve already planned a lot, so I have some leeway… but my staff are at their busiest right now. Some are dispatched elsewhere, too.”

“Hm…”

“It’ll take at least two or three weeks for some of them to be free. So we can discuss it again after—”

“Do we need to wait?”

“What? Didn’t you hear me? I said there’s no time.”

Sheratiya frowned again.

She had thought Harang had become more reasonable after his recent travels, but seeing him still fail to grasp her words made her chest tighten with frustration.

But that was a misunderstanding.

Hearing Harang’s next words, she couldn’t help but look dumbfounded.

“I can be your escort.”

“What?”

“Honestly, my skills are probably better than those of your escorts. Sure, escorting isn’t my specialty, but even accounting for that, I’m likely better.”

“…”

“…”

“So, you’re saying…”

“Yes.”

Harang said with a matter-of-fact expression.

“It’s not a merchant caravan. Can’t just the two of us go?”

***

‘…How did things end up like this?’

On the morning of their departure from the commercial city of Marzen.

Or rather, at the moment she was setting off on a journey alone with Harang, Sheratiya wore a dazed expression.

Her parents’ advice—to take this opportunity to get closer to her “lover” and make progress—didn’t even register. That’s how bewildering and nerve-wracking the situation was.

‘This isn’t just a date. Even if it’s a contracted relationship… is this okay? A man and a woman going on a long trip together? Is this right?’

Of course, she had no intention of engaging in any romantic antics like real lovers would. Their relationship was strictly business. This trip was merely about securing a ticket to use Harang, a “high-value asset.” There were no personal feelings involved.

But even so, traveling side by side to the capital of the Nadan Kingdom, to the Nadan Royal Academy, was undeniably burdensome. At least, it was for Sheratiya Viyan.

But that feeling was short-lived.

About two hours after leaving Marzen, she found herself naturally smiling, overwhelmed by an incredible sense of freedom she had never felt before.

“You look happy.”

“I guess so. I didn’t realize it, but I’m really happy right now. Very happy.”

“Why’s that?”

“Hm… maybe because this trip feels like a vacation? Up until now, it’s been nothing but work, work, work, every single day.”

Sheratiya’s words were true.

To support her parents’ extravagance, to elevate her status, to live a self-directed life, she had to keep running without a moment’s rest.

Especially in the last four months, she had thrown herself into work like a madwoman to forget her irritation toward Harang, who had disappeared without a word, leaving her no time to catch her breath.

In the midst of that, taking on such an easy request felt like the burdens she’d been carrying had vanished entirely.

‘Really. The professor may be sly, but he’s a good and trustworthy person, so there shouldn’t be any issues with the cultivation method. And as Harang said, safety isn’t a concern either. Having one Graduate-level escort is far safer than several Experts. In other words, there’s no risk for me to bear… but the return is enormous.’

The Harang free-use ticket.

Feeling as if she already had it in her grasp, Sheratiya let out a sly chuckle.

Watching her, Harang gave a puzzled look before muttering in a low voice.

“We’ll reach the village soon.”

“You’re right. According to the map, about an hour from now… It’ll take a full day to get to the next city, so it’s better to spend the night here. Agreed?”

“Yes. I’ll book the rooms.”

“Oh… you know how to do that too?”

“It’s been a year since I started broadening my horizons. Don’t you think my speech has changed a bit from before? Like my vocabulary’s gotten richer?”

“That’s not wrong, but hearing you say it yourself makes you sound a bit smug.”

Bickering like that, they soon arrived at the village, and Harang, as he had boasted, skillfully secured rooms.

He even managed to haggle the price down after five minutes of negotiation, proudly showing off his achievement to Sheratiya.

She asked in surprise.

“Really? You didn’t get ripped off?”

“No, it’s true.”

“You didn’t get a bad room for the price, did you?”

“I checked it myself. Want to come up and see?”

“Hm, should I?”

Sipping beer in the first-floor lobby and dining area, Sheratiya followed Harang. Her expression was full of skepticism, which was only natural given Harang’s usual behavior.

But that doubt was short-lived.

After checking the room’s condition, Sheratiya said in a surprised voice.

“It’s actually nice?”

“I told you, it’s a good room.”

“You’re right. I thought it’d cost at least 20 silver for this quality… How much was it?”

“13 silver.”

“…Well, good job.”

Sheratiya nodded, a faint smile on her lips.

‘This trip’s better than I thought.’

It really was.

Harang was more reliable than anyone in the world, and he didn’t act recklessly.

Could there be a better travel companion? The thought naturally eased her mind.

In that moment of relaxation, she instinctively flopped onto the bed and said.

“Good work, Harang.”

“No big deal.”

“No, really, you’ve exceeded my expectations. You read maps well, your swordsmanship is top-notch, you haggle well… You’re not the same Harang as before. I feel like I can rely on you throughout this journey.”

“Thank you.”

“…”

“…”

“…So, don’t you think it’s about time to head to your room?”

“My room?”

“What?”

“Huh?”

“…”

“…”

Silence followed.

For a long time.

Long enough for the two in the room to feel awkward.

After taking a sip of water from the pitcher on the table, Sheratiya asked in a low voice.

“Did you… only book one room?”

“Yes.”

“…”

“It’s easier to guard you this way.”

Seeing Harang’s confident response, Sheratiya Viyan pressed her hand to her forehead.

Her slightly flushed face lowered her voice even further as she ordered him.

“Get out.”