Jeong Yusin quietly looked down at the assassins as they wet themselves.
“Wh…Why are we your disciples?”
The Blindfold Man stuttered and asked.
“You taught me how to parry, didn’t you? By firing those damn bolts.”
“Mi…Madman.”
“Shut up!”
Jeong Yusin bellowed furiously.
The loud shout echoed through the cavern.
The assassins turned into speechless mutes.
“Sorry, Masters, I will now show you a splendid dance of swords.”
“…”
Jeong Yusin moved about, swinging his sword.
The wide cavern.
Beyond the flickering torches, Jeong Yusin’s shadow stretched long.
The assassins felt as if they were going mad with fear.
Right in front of them, Barbaroy stood riddled with bolts, creaking as he swung his sword.
A completely unfathomable and nonsensical scene.
The grotesque dance continued for three minutes.
“UWAAAAAAAH!!!”
The dance ended with Jeong Yusin spitting out a cupful of blood.
He panted, picked up a mace that had fallen to the ground, and approached the assassins.
“I’d like a comment on my sword dance.”
The mace was thrust towards an assassin.
One of the assassins had a Hitler-like mustache.
“···Spare… Spare me!”
“Clang! You’re out.”
The mace came down.
SMASH!!!
CRUNCH!!!
The skull broke, and the eyeballs popped out. The head of the man with the Hitler mustache was squashed like a pancake.
One death.
Jeong Yusin swung the mace to shake off the brain matter and turned to the others.
“I asked for your opinion, you bastards.”
He aimed the mace at another one.
“What’d you think?”
“…”
An assassin with a nose as big as a fist couldn’t say anything, his mouth moving but no words coming out, as if afflicted by aphasia.
Jeong Yusin nodded and struck with the mace.
The big-nosed man’s head caved in. His body twitched, so Jeong Yusin struck several more times.
CHOMP!! CRUNCH!! SLURP!!
Blood splattered on Jeong Yusin’s expressionless face.
“Oswald, I know you’re watching. Come out.”
“…”
“Are you just going to leave your client to die?”
‘Testing me, are you?’
Jeong Yusin calmly looked for the next one.
“Me…Me!”
An assassin with one ear missing raised his voice.
Without reply, Jeong Yusin struck and crushed his head.
The last one remaining.
Blindfold Man.
“Since we’ve met fate, let’s exchange names.”
The lips of the Blindfold Man quivered.
WHOOSH.
Blindfold Man couldn’t help it and wet himself again.
Jeong Yusin looked down at him the whole time and finally spoke.
“You’ve emptied yourself nicely. My! Well done. You’ve done very well.”
Gently stroking Blindfold Man’s head, he grabbed it.
“Didn’t it feel nice shooting bolts from a distance? Didn’t you think this would happen? You fools. Cough!!!”
Unintentionally, Jeong Yusin spat a mouthful of blood onto Blindfold Man’s face.
“···I’m sorry.”
As a gesture of apology, Jeong Yusin wiped the blood off Blindfold Man’s face with his palm. It didn’t clean well, instead making his face a mess of blood.
Jeong Yusin met Blindfold Man’s eyes again.
“I don’t have much time right now. I’ll ask just one question. Are there any more of you?”
“…”
Blindfold Man didn’t answer, but his eyes wavered slightly.
‘Confirmed.’
The most important information had been verified.
Jeong Yusin stood up and firmly stepped on Blindfold Man’s neck.
CRUNCH-CRACK.
The man with the broken neck trembled. Jeong Yusin didn’t move his foot, continuing to stomp on him to stop his breathing.
“GUUUUUUUUUURGH!!!”
The man’s face turned blue, then white. He soon passed away.
Jeong Yusin stepped off the man’s neck and looked around.
Four. All dead.
Jeong Yusin’s body swayed.
“···Oswald, come out.”
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!!!
A round of applause came from right behind him.
Turning around, Jeong Yusin saw Oswald clapping madly with a flushed face.
“Amazing!!! Incredible!!! Scath!!!”
Oswald suddenly stopped clapping and smirked.
“You crazy bastard!!! You’ve got guts, ferocity, and the ability to adapt—nothing’s missing. When I heard that some no-name was causing trouble in the Eastern Sector by wiping out the slave hunters, I thought it was some random nutcase, but turns out you’re a gem!”
Jeong Yusin looked at Oswald for a while.
Oswald’s tone had changed quite a bit, as if he were excited.
Is this not his usual clown mode anymore?
“Alright.”
“Join our clan!”
“That won’t work.”
Jeong Yusin coldly rejected Oswald’s invitation.
Oswald smiled.
“Huh, you talent? You’re good at making people anxious, aren’t you? I like you more and more. Is there anything in particular you want?”
“I want to ask you one thing.”
“Anything!”
“Where have you been?”
Jeong Yusin’s question made Oswald’s smile deepen.
“Exactly as you suspected. I went after your party.”
“…”
Jeong Yusin’s heart sank.
A shockingly painful news.
Jeong Yusin gripped his sword.
Oswald quickly continued.
“But I just came back. After thinking about it, it seemed like a useless thing to do.”
Jeong Yusin glared at Oswald.
“Where is the wet nurse of the 5th Prince?”
“Here.”
Oswald stepped aside, revealing the figure of an old woman.
Though unconscious, she looked relatively intact, not in the critical condition of spitting blood from the last time Jeong Yusin saw her.
Jeong Yusin approached, sword in hand.
He had confirmed everything.
All it would take to end this was to kill Oswald.
Though calm on the outside, his body was deteriorating rapidly.
‘I need to finish this quickly.’
Oswald noticed his sword glance and waved his arm, stepping back.
“Hey, why are you so eager to kill me?”
“Because you tried to kill me.”
“That’s not true.”
After hearing Jeong Yusin’s answer, Oswald sobered up and replied.
“I was just following the commission. Besides, I saved your companion. It was also me who told you that this old woman is the wet nurse to the 5th Prince, right?”
“Oswald, do you not see me as more than a dog?”
It was too bothersome to argue point by point.
“Huh, sorry. Sorry. To be honest, I was having a bit of fun. Guess I didn’t realize how talented you were.”
Oswald sighed and apologized.
“Shut up and fight me already.”
“Really? Isn’t your party coming here right now?”
Jeong Yusin’s body froze.
Oswald’s eyes flickered.
“Want to all die here? Scath, aren’t you underestimating me too much?”
“…”
Jeong Yusin and Oswald stared at each other in silence.
Oswald spoke.
“I’ve made a lot of concessions. Regardless of my intentions, I saved your party and even gave you information. Plus, I didn’t interfere while you were fighting. I’ve never been this nice before. So, here’s one request, of course not out of kindness.”
“···What is it?”
“Our clan in the underworld would like a visit from you.”
“Really?”
“Because you appeal to me. Just come by as a visit.”
“If I’m bored, I’ll come.”
‘You lunatic, would you do that?’
Jeong Yusin answered the opposite of what he thought.
“Great! Then I’ll take this old woman. I’ll treat her well in our clan until you come.”
The wet nurse of the 5th Prince taken hostage?
Jeong Yusin wracked his brain.
The assassins targeted the wet nurse of the 5th Prince. That meant her identity was confirmed.
If he took her outside the labyrinth, she wouldn’t be safe anywhere. There would be attacks, and Darong’s inn could be in danger too.
In short, the wet nurse of the 5th Prince was a
‘Bomb.’
“Alright.”
After doing all the necessary calculations, Jeong Yusin answered.
“Then next time…”
Oswald stopped speaking and turned to point at the Blindfold Man.
“Right! Don’t forget the bag those assassins had. That’s a magic-infused bag, so it’ll be quite profitable. Also, here.”
Oswald took a stone from his pocket and threw it.
TUNK!
Jeong Yusin swung his sword and knocked the stone to the ground.
“···Hey, I’m giving it to you, friend. Don’t knock it away. It’s a pretty expensive magic stone.”
“Why are you giving me this suspicious stone?”
He couldn’t take something like this from an enemy without suspicion.
At Jeong Yusin’s question, Oswald shrugged and began.
“Friendship building?”
“…”
‘Is this guy insane?’
The clown who jumped around ecstatically talking about hunting time had just transformed his face within moments to offer recruitment and show friendliness.
His overheated mind couldn’t keep up with the dizzying situation.
‘No sane person exists among the Eastern Sector underworld.’
Seeing that the suspicion hadn’t left Jeong Yusin’s eyes, Oswald sighed.
“If you’re so suspicious, just sell it to the Explorer’s Guild. You might make some money. See you later.”
Oswald slung the wet nurse of the 5th Prince over his shoulder and disappeared from the spot.
Like a curtain falling, completely disappeared.
An effect of Dark Veil? Indeed, quite a scammer.
THUD.
After Oswald disappeared, Jeong Yusin dropped to one knee.
All the strength left his body.
It was because his body, barely holding on through the Avenger’s mark, had reached its limit.
‘I’m going to die.’
Through wavering vision,
He could see people far away running towards him. They were familiar.
Soline?
Not just her, he could also see Gallerheim and Fiyaron who healed his wounds.
Oswald was right.
Which made it even more confusing. What exactly is that insane clown’s motive?
“Scath!!!”
Soline, shouting, ran towards him.
Such a foolishly kind-hearted party.
Jeong Yusin smiled and closed his eyes, only to open them again immediately.
Soline was gripping his shoulders and shaking him violently.
His body swayed from side to side like a scarecrow in the wind.
“Don’t die!!! Argh!!! Damn it!!!”
“Sol…Soline.”
Jeong Yusin barely opened his mouth.
“What?!”
“Don’t… Don’t talk about the wet nurse of the 5th Prince when you go outside the labyrinth.”
Soline, along with the rest of the party, dumbly stared at Jeong Yusin.
“That, that’s not the important thing, right?”
Soline shouted.
“It… It’s the most important. Also, collect the bag from… that one-eyed guy.”
Jeong Yusin nodded in the direction of the Blindfold Man and continued.
“It’s… It’s valuable. And take my helmet too… Ah! And this stone…”
Jeong Yusin said this and then deeply bowed his head.
He still had things to say, but was too exhausted.
He instructed them to take everything they could carry carefully. It might become funeral expenses.
Voices were heard all around, but the party’s voices seemed to drift further and further away in his ears.
Darkness approached.
“···We need to rush out!”
“···Almost there!!!”
“Scath, just hold on a little…”
The field of vision swayed back and forth. Someone was continuously talking to him.
“Stab!!! It’s just a hobgoblin!”
Soline boldly shouted.
CLANG!!!
EEK!!!!
The sound of weapons clashing.
The sound of flesh being torn and monsters screaming was heard close by.
What happened?
I don’t know.
Feels like quite some time passed.
Blue light.
Fresh air.
Have we made it outside?
Someone shouted again. The voice was a bit different.
“Man, insane! Still breathing after taking so many bolts?!”
“Umm, quickly call a cleric!!!”
His body was laid on a soft bed.
The consciousness that flickered dimly sank beneath the surface.
It felt like I had a rather long dream.
The memory of opening a beer at a convenience store in the evening and idly chatting with friends.
The memory of jogging on a park track, feeling the cool evening breeze.
The memory of counting the stars in the night sky during a family camping trip.
The missed family and friends.
He opened his eyes.
A familiar ceiling.
It was his room at the inn.
The warm morning sun was streaming in through the window.
He felt heavy in the chest.
Lifting his stiff neck with great difficulty, he looked down at his chest.
A white mouse, Lin, was sleeping face down, snoring lightly while curled up on his chest.
All the bolts embedded in his body had been removed.
Laying his neck back on the pillow, he looked up at the ceiling.
I survived.
Again.
How long had he been unconscious?
He was supposed to have woken up in the care facility.
Various thoughts crossed his mind.
There were unresolved issues.
And many things he was curious about.
How did I escape that labyrinth?
Jeong Yusin tried to move his stiff body but stopped.
He wanted to enjoy this peaceful moment a bit longer.
Jeong Yusin closed his eyes again.
Just then.
“Mr. Scath?”
Someone called his name from outside the door.
A soft voice. Familiar.
It was definitely Mion’s voice.
Since he lacked strength and also the humor to reply, he lay quietly.
Creeeeak.
The door opened and Mion entered.
Soft. Soft.
The cautious footsteps on the wooden floor gradually drew closer.
The calming scent of mother’s milk wafted into his nose.
“Mr. Scath, have you regained consciousness?”
Mion approached and spoke.
“…”
Mion’s soft hand gently held Jeong Yusin’s hand.
‘Riiight now!’
The moment Jeong Yusin was about to open his eyes,
Something touched his cheek.
Smack.
Something warm and soft.
“Huff. Huff.”
Mion’s warm breath tickled his cheek.
Suck.
Something warm and moist tickled his cheek.
‘Eh?’
Suck. Suck.
His cheek was being pulled steadily.
‘What is this?’
Jeong Yusin’s eyelids trembled.
