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Chapter 44

She was a delicate young girl.
With slender limbs and sky-blue hair, her frail and fragile appearance gave the impression that she might break if hugged.
Her complexion was so pale that it seemed as if her skin would shatter upon touch.

Though she looked more like a mage, she was equipped with a Mithril Sword and Adamantite Light Armor.
These were exceptionally rare items, and only adventurers of A-rank caliber or higher would commonly possess them.

Just moments ago, she and her retinue had stormed the hideout of the thieves guild that had employed me.

「Two enemies! A woman and a man!」

The lookout’s voice echoed within the dim cave.
The large hall inside the hideout turned into a chaotic beehive of activity.

「Kill them!」

「Capture the woman! Kill the man!」

「Kill them! Kill them!」

「Hey! Don’t kill the man! I have other uses for him!」

Amidst the menacing words, the ruffians, about a dozen of them, rushed toward the entrance, weapons in hand.

「Aren’t you going, Laxel?」

The leader asked in disbelief, and I responded, also in disbelief.

「Is it okay? I’m a mercenary equivalent to a B-rank adventurer… Can I accept this as a formal request from the boss? As you know… I’m rather high-priced, aren’t I?」

I shook my head, and the leader shrugged dramatically.

「Well, you’re our insurance. When a renowned bounty hunter arrives… you better be of full use, alright?」

「Yeah, I’ll work for the money.」

「But it’s quite something to see a man who was conscripted into the Empire from a local swordsmanship competition, went from a commoner to the Emperor’s elite guard, and ended up in a place like this.」

I remained silent, placing my hand on the hilt of the sword at my waist.

「You’re my employer. If you don’t like me, you can fire me. And if I don’t like you, I can cut you down.」

「You can’t be serious. Don’t get all worked up.」

My shoulders stiffened. Working at the palace was taxing.
I wanted to quit due to the exhausting interpersonal relationships, but my superior refused to accept my resignation.

I was among the most accomplished of the Imperial Guards, so they didn’t want me to leave until a replacement was found.
I waited for half a year.
My superior still wouldn’t accept my resignation.

I was at my breaking point.

So I decided to cut down my superior and make a run for it.
Within the Empire, I was considered a major criminal, which made life a bit more challenging.
And that’s how I ended up making a living as an assassin.

However, I’ve grown tired of dealing with these sorts of people.

— Maybe I should try solo monster hunting.

The guild accepts monster parts, and your identification isn’t necessary.

However, there are some issues.

My swordsmanship and skills are designed for combat against humans.
I have no social skills and can’t work in groups.
I’ll have to hunt lower-ranked monsters, leading to a significant income reduction.

But that’s fine.
I’m not a spendthrift.
With a reasonable income, I can live a decent life without relying on excessive wealth.

Besides, my strength is genuine.
I can handle most situations with just a sword, without relying on money.
I’ve done it before, and I’ll continue to do so.

And then, I noticed something unusual.

「Strange.」

The leader tilted his head in response to my words.

「What’s wrong?」

「I don’t hear any screams.」

Probably, the group that charged in earlier is in a large cavern not too far from here, clashing with intruders.
I can hear shouts and cries of anger but no screams, neither from their side nor ours.
In a scene of violence like this, the absence of screams was incredibly eerie and uncharacteristic.

The leader, holding a Great Ax, and I, with my beloved weapon, the Magic Sword: Bloody Blade, headed for the large cavern.
Inside, we found a petite female swordsman with sky-blue hair, seemingly accompanied by a young boy, surrounded by more than ten rough-looking individuals.

Nearly an equal number of lifeless bodies lay around her.

「What’s the deal with all these corpses? What’s going on?」

Ignoring the bewildered leader, I nodded in realization.

「So, this explains why there were no screams.」

Each body on the ground displayed a clean and perfect lethal wound, meaning that every one of them was taken down with a single blow, without time to feel fear or pain.
As the leader and I appeared, the morale of the rough men suddenly improved.

「They brought the boss and Laxel!」

「Just because you’re a bit stronger, don’t get cocky, you little brat!」

「Don’t show weakness to the boss! We’re done with testing the waters here! Everyone, charge! Kill them!」

About ten of them rushed at the girl in unison.

「Hmm…」

I sighed in admiration.

— It was a beautiful dance.
She gracefully evaded the attacks of the approaching men as if she were a butterfly.

— A beautiful sword dance.
Minimizing wasted movements to the extreme, she precisely thrust her Mithril Sword into vital points one after another.
Avoidance became an attack, and attack became avoidance.
Every move had meaning, and every move was the optimal solution to the equation of victory.

This wasn’t a battle, but rather a dance.

— People call it a sword dance.
Outside of staged demonstrations with prearranged scenarios, it was a rare experience to witness such a level of sword dance in actual combat.
The incredibly delicate and beautiful girl who seemed otherworldly was performing it, so even I couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.

In the blink of an eye, the rough men were wiped out, and their leader stood there with widened eyes in astonishment.

「Hey, you there, young lady?」

Wiping blood spatter with oiled paper, the girl reluctantly responded to my question.

「…What?」

「Your physical abilities are incredible… In terms of speed alone, you’d be on par with an A-ranked adventurer.」

「…」

「However, you lack strength. But you can more than compensate for that with the power of your weapon.」

「…」

「But there’s one fatal flaw.」

「…Fatal?」

「You can see it in your sword technique. You lack the experience devoted to swordsmanship.」

「…」

「It’s a shame.」

「…A shame?」

「I don’t know how you developed such remarkable physical abilities, but that alone won’t cut it against the real deal.」

「… The real deal?」

「In a few years, maybe after you’ve devoted yourself to swordsmanship, you might have been able to stand a chance against someone like me… That’s why it’s a shame. As a warrior, I genuinely believe that.」

I unsheathed my magic sword, Bloody Blade.

「Sorry, but I have work to do too.」

「…」

I smiled and took a stance with my sword.

「Now, come at me— I’ll play with you.」