"So, you said you're heading to Owlheim for that Quadrennial Contest?" the old man driving the carriage asked Cloud.
Owlheim was the capital of the Alitia Kingdom, famous for the Quadrennial Contest held once every four years.
When Cloud nodded, the old man sighed and shook his head.
"The vigor of youth is a fine thing, but you should reconsider. No matter if you're an A-rank adventurer, the Quadrennial Contest is no walk in the park. It's a place where even S-rank adventurers die from time to time."
"I appreciate your concern, elder, but I've already made up my mind."
"Hah, I'm telling you to think it over. Haven't you already achieved the rank of A at such a young age? If you continue to hone your skills, imagine what greater achievements you could attain. You have a bright future ahead of you, so why take such a risk?"
The old man's voice was filled with genuine concern. To him, this young man, who was young enough to be his grandson, was talking about going off to die, and he wanted to stop him.
But Cloud just smirked and replied.
"Elder, do you remember the story you told me a while ago? The one about how you ran away from your well-to-do family to start your own merchant company."
"Hmm… I do recall…"
"Back then, you threw yourself into danger despite everyone around you trying to stop you. And as a result, you've now built a company far larger than your family's."
"Ahem, are you and I the same? I sell goods for a living; you wield a sword."
"Failing is failing. Whether you starve to death from a failed business or die by the sword, the end result is the same."
"You just won't let up, will you? Don't you know how to respect your elders?"
"Well, you're not an elder from my family. If you're so displeased, you can be my adoptive grandfather."
"You crazy bastard."
Without another word, both the old man and Cloud burst into laughter.
The other guards and hired adventurers watched them with fed-up expressions.
The old man's company wasn't famous across the continent, but it was well-known in this region.
And he was no commoner.
Though he had run away from home, he was the second son of a viscount.
For a mere A-rank adventurer to be joking around with such a figure…
Some of the adventurers were openly jealous.
'Damn it, that should've been me.'
'Why does that old geezer keep a guy like that around? He just looks like a pretty boy.'
But with the company's guards nearby, they could only grumble inwardly.
The caravan continued its journey toward Owlheim. That is, until halfway up a mountain path, dozens of armed men appeared and blocked their way.
"Bandits?"
"Hold on."
The old man stopped Cloud as he was about to draw his sword.
"Why are you stopping me?"
"You said it's been less than a year since you became an adventurer, right? Then it makes sense you wouldn't know. It's customary for caravans to pay a reasonable toll when bandits show up."
"Is that so?"
Cloud accepted the old man's words without much question. Merchants must have their own ways. It wasn't his place as a hired adventurer to interfere.
Instead, Cloud looked ahead.
A man who appeared to be the bandit leader was talking with someone from the merchant company.
Probably negotiating the toll…
Swish—
Judging by the company man's head flying through the air, the negotiations hadn't gone well.
The expressions of the old man, the guards, and the adventurers hardened.
The Guard Captain in charge of the escorts rode forward.
"Who is your representative?"
"That would be me."
The man who had just lopped off the company member's head stepped forward. He wore a bandana and was shirtless, his body covered in toned muscles.
"And how should I address you?"
"Why bother with another name? Just call me Chief."
"Understood. Why did you harm a member of our company who came to negotiate?"
"I told you to call me Chief. As for why I killed him? Obviously, it's because the bastard tried to swindle us."
"Swindle you? What kind of scam did he pull to make you cut his head off without a word?"
"The toll, of course. There's a limit to how much you can lowball someone. 5000 gold for a caravan this size? Is that supposed to be an offer or a fart?"
"…How much do you want?"
"Everything in the carriages. Hand it all over, and I'll let you live."
"All men, draw your swords!"
At the Guard Captain's command, the guards and adventurers drew their weapons. The surrounding bandits nocked arrows to their bows.
A tense silence hung between the two sides.
It felt as though a fight could break out at any moment.
The Guard Captain spoke to the bandit chief.
"Must it come to this?"
"Must it come to this? I gave you a choice. You're the ones who refused it."
"Who hired you?"
The old man's voice cut in.
His words implied these weren't ordinary bandits and that they had never intended to let the company members live.
The bandit chief… no, he should be called the Assassin Leader now… looked surprised.
"I see the master of a large merchant company isn't just anyone."
"Take my life and all the goods in the carriages. But please, spare the others. Isn't this needless slaughter?"
"Elder, what are you saying!"
"You, be quiet!" the old man shouted at the Guard Captain.
The Assassin Leader, on the other hand, gave a bitter smile.
"It's a shame my employer isn't someone like you. And I'm sorry, but I must refuse your offer. You've already seen our faces. We can't let you live, can we?"
The Assassin Leader raised his hand.
When it fell, the battle would begin with a volley of arrows. The survivors would be brutally murdered by the fifty-plus assassins.
The faces of the caravan members turned grim.
"Elder, do you have any spare potions?"
Cloud broke the heavy silence, asking the old merchant leader. His tone was so calm and out of place that the old man wondered if he had heard correctly.
"A potion, you say?"
"You don't have any?"
"No, I have one."
"Could I have it?"
"Hmm… Alright."
The merchant leader took a glass bottle from his waist and handed it to Cloud. Cloud checked the color of the potion inside.
A bright crimson, free of impurities.
It was a high-grade potion.
"Thank you."
He gave a nod, uncorked the potion, and held it in his mouth. Drawing his sword, he slowly walked toward the Assassin Leader.
The move was so natural and absurd that everyone was left speechless.
"Hah, what the hell are you…"
Just as the Assassin Leader let out a derisive laugh and began to speak, Cloud kicked off the ground and lunged at him.
It happened in an instant, and he was too fast.
By the time the assassins realized what was happening, Cloud was already in close quarters with their leader. They couldn't shoot their bows at this range.
"This crazy bastard?!"
The Assassin Leader drew his sword and slashed forward. Cloud ducked, and the blade cut through empty air.
But Cloud's sword did not.
Swish—
The Assassin Leader's head flew into the air.
"Shit! Fire!"
They might make a mistake once, but not twice. At the vice-captain's command, the assassins fired their arrows at Cloud without hesitation.
In response, Cloud threw his sword high into the air.
Then he jumped, turned his body horizontal, and spun.
Shushushuk. Arrows grazed past his body.
But not all of them missed. A few found their mark.
Landing on the ground, Cloud quickly pulled out the embedded arrows. He tilted his head back, drank the high-grade potion, and spat out the empty bottle.
The moment the bottle hit the ground, the sword he'd thrown up fell beside him.
Cloud reached out and caught the falling sword.
He immediately kicked off and ran toward the assassins on his left.
Three seconds. Not enough time to nock another arrow and take aim.
The assassins had no choice but to drop their bows and face Cloud with their swords.
"It's just one guy! Don't be scared, kill him!"
The moment the vice-captain gave the order, the torso of the assassin in front flew off. The next ones to charge had their legs cut off, and the one after that got his throat pierced.
The fifty assassins were split into two groups, so Cloud was facing about twenty-five of them.
Those twenty-five were cut down one by one, sometimes two at a time.
"What… What the hell is that bastard…!"
The vice-captain was stunned.
'He said it was just guards and adventurers… That son of a bitch lied to me!'
"Shit!"
The vice-captain turned to flee.
His dying men would buy him time. If he ran now, he could survi—
Thud!
A strong impact hit his back, and his body fell forward. He turned his head to see a curved sword embedded in his back.
Cloud had thrown it even amidst the chaotic battle.
"Crazy… monster…"
The vice-captain closed his eyes as he watched the last remaining assassin's head fly off.
Shushushuk.
The sound of something cutting through the air.
Cloud grabbed a falling, headless corpse and used it to shield himself.
Thwack thwack thwack.
Arrows embedded themselves in the corpse.
Cloud threw the arrow-riddled body aside and flung the daggers held between his fingers.
"Aaargh!"
The assassins hit by the daggers dropped their bows and collapsed.
Seeing this, the other assassins glanced between their fallen comrades and Cloud, then turned and started to run.
"Not even second-rate, more like third-rate."
Ptui. Cloud spat dirt-mixed saliva onto the ground.
He kicked off, running after the fleeing assassins.
He had no intention of letting a single one escape.
*
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, everyone here would have died," the old merchant leader said, grasping my hand before we finalized the escort contract upon arriving in Owlheim.
"I was just doing the job as written in the contract."
"And you performed far beyond what was written. If not for you, not only would I have died, but the company I've dedicated my life to building would have collapsed. My sons are still too incompetent to take over."
"My, you may be blessed with wealth, but not with children."
"You're telling me! They should be working together, but all they do is fight amongst themselves…"
Tsk tsk. The merchant leader clicked his tongue and called over the Guard Captain.
"Bring the sword."
"The sword, you say?"
"What other sword would I be talking about?"
"…Elder. If the young masters find out about this, they will protest."
"Then I'll just disqualify whoever complains from being the heir. What's the problem? Hurry up and bring the sword!"
At the merchant leader's boisterous command, the Guard Captain bowed as if he had no choice and entered a carriage.
A moment later, he returned with a long box.
"Take it. It's a reward for saving me and my company."
"What is this?"
"Open it."
At his command, the Guard Captain opened the box.
Inside was a finely crafted sword.
With beautiful patterns engraved on the blade and hilt, it looked expensive at a glance.
"It's one of my family's treasured swords. I took it with me when I ran away from home. I was originally planning to give it to the son who would succeed me, but I'm giving it to you."
"Are you sure I can accept this? Won't your sons hire assassins later to get it back?"
"Hahaha! They might. But after seeing your skills today, I doubt you'd be easily assassinated. That's why I can give it to you without worry."
"Hmm… Well, since you're offering, I'll gratefully accept."
He could have just given me money.
With a hint of disappointment, I took the sword and fastened it to my waist.
"Yes, yes. I'm glad you accepted it. I don't know why someone like you is still an A-rank adventurer, but I'm sure you have your reasons. However, I have no doubt that one day your name will be known across the continent. I'd be so proud to see you wielding the sword I gave you then."
"I'll do my best to make that happen."
"Mm-hmm."
The merchant leader nodded with a proud look on his face.
I felt like he'd keep me here forever if I let him. I decided to cut things short.
"Well, I've received the rest of my payment, so I'll be on my way."
"Ah, right. I must have taken up too much of a young man's time. Go on, now. You'll need to rest up if you're participating in the Quadrennial Contest."
"Yes, then."
I gave a slight bow, turned, and left.
From behind, the merchant leader shouted that he'd bet on me in the contest. I gave another nod and wandered the streets in search of an inn.
"This one looks decent enough."
On a shabby street, I entered an inn that looked relatively well-maintained. The noisy interior fell silent for a moment. All eyes turned to me.
This happened sometimes, so I tried to ignore it, but the stares lingered longer than usual.
Not on me, but on the expensive-looking sword at my waist.
I found a random table, sat down, and asked the waitress for the menu.
"What's the best thing here?"
"Everything's delicious, but the tomatoes are especially fresh today. I'd recommend the tomato soup."
"I'll have that, then."
The waitress took my order and returned to the kitchen.
As soon as she left, five rough-looking men surrounded my table. Naturally, they had large swords hanging from their waists.
"Hey buddy, first time in Owlheim?" one of them asked, placing a hand on my table.
"How did you know?"
"It's obvious just by looking at you. No one around here carries such expensive things."
Expensive things?
He means an expensive thing.
The only expensive thing I had was the sword I had just received.
"So what is it you want to say?"
"Well, you see, there's a long-standing tradition here in Owlheim."
"A tradition?"
"Yeah. A simple one. A guest visiting Owlheim for the first time has to give a gift to the first person they talk to."
Snickers could be heard from the others. Ignoring them, the man looked at me with a serious face and said, "And I'd like to receive a gift according to that tradition."
"I didn't know there was such a tradition. What do you want?"
The man's face lit up as he reached out his hand.
"Oh! Now this is a guy who gets it! I don't want much. Just that sword at your waist…"
Swish.
The man's hand, reaching for my waist, was severed. He stared blankly at the cross-section of his severed arm.
Only after blood started spurting out—pshht, pshht—did he seem to snap back to reality.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAK!!!"
He screamed.
'Oh, this thing has a surprisingly nice feel to it.'
I was planning to sell it right away, but I should reconsider.
I'll use it for a while before selling it.
With that thought, I picked up the man's severed hand.
"I just found this, and it looks important to you. I'll give it to you as a gift. No need to thank me. It's tradition, after all."
I tossed his hand to the wailing man with a humble expression.
The remaining four, who had been staring dumbly, contorted their faces in anger.
"Has this motherfucker lost his mind?!"
"You wanna die?!"
The remaining four drew their swords.
I was tired from the journey from the From Kingdom to the Alitia Kingdom and wanted to finish this quickly and rest…
Click.
The waitress, who appeared out of nowhere, locked the inn's door.
At the same time, the other patrons in the inn stood up one by one, drawing their weapons.
I couldn't help but be a little impressed.
'So this is Alitia, the kingdom of crime and entertainment?'
At this rate, I won't even have to go out hunting.
Fucking awesome