Raising the Elf’s Genius Slayer

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Chapter

A couple of months since the last visit.

Enok arrived at the small town of Dendalo, walking through the streets as if he owned them.

As always, Rionne was not by his side.

But the change since three years ago was that even Undine was no longer around.

Enok yawned lazily, not particularly concerned about any guards.

Of course, that was to be expected.

In this little town, there was unlikely to be anyone who could rival Enok.

Living with Rionne and Undine, he couldn’t help but feel a bit numb to his senses; after all, they were among the strongest in this continent.

Sure, Enok wasn’t at their level, but in such a small town, he held a relative position of strength.

He had no idea what the knights or mages at the Lord’s Castle were like…

But, would he even have a chance to run into them?

Even if he did, he wouldn’t have the slightest inkling of fear.

According to Undine, he was a “crazy kid who would yawn even if a sword was at his throat.”

“Hmm…”

Is this the place?

Enok’s gaze settled on a building.

A three-story structure that was notably larger and more stylish compared to the surrounding ones.

By the feel of it, there seemed to be a lot of people inside.

It was a strange sight for a small town, but perhaps it made sense.

Dendalo was a border town.

Close to the forest where Rionne lived, it attracted many mercenaries who hunted monsters and beasts.

‘Mercenary Guild’

Having confirmed the sign hanging there, Enok pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Ding-

The sound of the bell drew the attention of a few people.

And what followed was a mix of searching glances and subtle silence.

‘Is he a noble?’

‘What is a noble doing all the way out here?’

Based on the whispers, it seemed there was some misunderstanding going on, but Enok ignored it and headed straight for the counter.

“What brings you here today?”

“I’d like to create a mercenary group.”

“A mercenary group… you say?”

For a moment, the clerk’s eyes darted around before pulling out a document from below the counter.

“Do you have anything to prove your family affiliation?”

Is there even a chance of that?

If he asked Rionne, he could get the Estor family insignia, but he hadn’t even thought about it.

“No.”

“Ah… then…”

The clerk, Roze, assessed the young boy in front of her.

Young, freshly dressed in elegant clothes, with extraordinary looks and skin as soft as snow.

It seemed he either belonged to nobility or had quite a renowned master, but the absence of proof of identity meant one of two things.

Either this noble boy was just playing at doing something without family support, or he had some kind of trouble that he didn’t want to disclose.

Quickly reaching a conclusion, Roze guided him through the process with a smile.

“All you need to do is fill in your name, gender, and the items marked here in the common tongue. Please read the notices and terms carefully, and check in the consent area. The fee is…”

Enok filled out the paperwork casually.

With the way he wrote so skillfully, Roze’s doubts began to solidify.

“Martial Arts, Expert… Wow! Impressive!”

“……”

“The initial rank for a mercenary group is F, but if you can prove your abilities, you can immediately advance to D rank.”

This was information he’d received from Rionne.

Just as Enok was about to nod in agreement, he heard laughter from behind.

“Expert? You’d better write the truth instead of being embarrassed.”

“Hey, hey! What are you doing?”

“Ah, move aside! Do you think this mercenary work is a joke?”

Surprisingly, there were stories about such situations.

If he interpreted what Rionne had said, it generally meant “There are a lot of empty-headed fools looking to pick a fight.”

Of course, he had also learned how to deal with such situations.

Simply ignore them, and if they crossed the line, deal with them decisively.

“A kid who looks like a Gisaeng-Ohrabi. He’d do well just working in a tavern instead. Huh? With ears that long, I could believe he’s an Elf. Those Elf ladies are to die for just to look at…”

Yep, they had definitely crossed the line.

Enok sent his pen flying like a dagger.

“Aaaah—!”

Red blood splattered everywhere.

The pen he threw roughly tore into the mercenary’s shoulder, leaving one arm like a lost thing on the ground.

“Jack!”

“I knew this would happen!”

“This punk! You asking for it?”

The guild erupted into chaos in an instant.

Enok was quietly calculating how far he would go with his decisive actions.

In truth, he wanted to kill them right then, but he feared getting scolded by Rionne.

Would just dismembering them be enough?

While he was contemplating, other mercenaries rushed in.

These guys hadn’t insulted the elves, so what was crossing the line here?

A spear thrust right up to his face.

At the same time, a sword flew toward his side.

Enok tilted his head slightly while stepping aside.

Swoosh-!

The weapon sliced through the air.

This, of course, left an opening.

If he were up against a superior master, even seizing that opening would be difficult…

“Wha…!?”

With a light sound, a man flew through the air.

Was it the gloves given to him by the Dwarf that made for such a lackluster experience?

“With this level of skill… a mercenary?”

Enok tilted his head as he approached another mercenary.

He’d taken care of the spear-wielder, and the woman standing ready with a sword had now made her fatal mistake by letting him get within reach.

“Whoa, hold on…!”

Ignoring her, he struck her in the abdomen, causing her to scream—“Kyaaaah!”

Enok confirmed that the two mercenaries were out cold before turning to the last standing one.

It was the guy who had been hesitating in the back.

As soon as he met Enok’s gaze, he trembled and stepped back.

“Hmm.”

He didn’t seem inclined to fight.

Enok ignored the retreating man and stood over the one groaning on the ground, clutching his torn shoulder.

“You.”

“Ugh…”

“Just a human.”

Crunch-! As he stomped on the severed shoulder,

“Gyaaaaah……!!!”

A horrendous scream erupted.

Hmm, Enok let out a satisfied sigh as he surveyed the surroundings.

Most eyes were wide with interest, while a few looked horrified.

Yet, there didn’t seem to be anyone who would dare come at him, which was a bit disappointing.

“What should I do with you?”

If he acted purely on impulse, he would want to dismember him and let him dry out in the sun, but he knew for sure that would earn Rionne’s scorn.

He would have to pay with his life for daring to insult an Elf, but there was nothing to be done about it.

Enok clicked his tongue and settled for crushing one of the man’s legs instead.

“Ahhh…!!”

The man writhed on the ground.

Enok then turned his gaze to the guild clerk.

Today, Rionne had tasked him with creating a mercenary group.

Since he hadn’t yet received the group emblem, he needed to follow through with the remaining procedures.

“So, about that D rank?”

“Ah, yes… But…”

Roze’s eyes darted around anxiously.

They couldn’t issue a mercenary badge to a criminal.

But this incident was rather ambiguous in terms of legality…

At that moment, a group charged through the guild’s door.

“Freeze! We’ve said time and again that fighting within the city warrants immediate punishment!”

Clad in reflective silver armor, the city guards entered.

Though their skills weren’t unusually remarkable, it wasn’t worth tangling with them unless he was eager to face down the Lord.

Naturally, the best course was to explain and seek their leniency,

“Whoa.”

But that wasn’t common sense that applied to Enok.

He had been born and raised in the slums.

Watching fights was an everyday occurrence, and there was no such thing as city guards.

Since Rionne had taken him in, he had no reason to be intimidated by guards.

His eyes sparked with electricity at the potential for a fight.

“Don’t make this complicated, just surrender!”

One of the guards approached Enok without hesitation.

Enok smiled brightly and raised his hand.

‘A good beating shouldn’t earn me a scolding, right?’

Just as the guard’s head was on the verge of swelling dramatically,

“Stop! Stop…!”

Someone rushed into the guild in a panic.

“W-Wilbert! What’s going on?!”

As soon as the guards saw the newcomer, they quickly bowed their heads.

Unlike the others, the man was clad in shining armor from head to toe—a true knight.

“Listen up! Stop messing around and return to your posts!”

“E-eh? But our mission…”

“Enough with the nonsense! Move it!”

The guards couldn’t hide their shocked expressions, but they dared not counter the knight’s words.

One wrong move and they could find themselves losing their heads over such a matter.

Ultimately, the guards saluted the knight and left, casting wary glances at Enok on their way out.

Now, only the mercenaries, Enok, and one knight were left in the guild.

The knight called Wilbert wiped the sweat from his forehead and bowed slightly to Enok.

“I’ll be taking my leave too.”

“……?”

“Then I’ll be off.”

Soon enough, the knight walked out of the guild.

Enok scratched his cheek while receiving strange looks from the mercenaries.

“Hmm.”

What a shame.

Quickly dismissing his disappointment, Enok returned his attention to the clerk.

“D rank?”

“Ah, yes!”

*

The mercenary badge was issued in no time.

Though it seemed like they were rushing through matters for some reason, well, that was good for Enok.

As he received the badge, he inspected the metal plate closely.

It simply stated his basic information.

He had paid a significant sum, but was this one plate really enough to prove his identity?

It didn’t feel like there was anything magical about it.

So what exactly did this signify?

Thinking he should ask Rionne, Enok was just about to leave the guild when—

“Hey, are you that little punk?”

Someone blocked his path.

“?”

As he lifted his head, the face of a muscular woman who towered over him by at least three heads came into view.

He had no clue who it was.

“I’m the clan leader of the punk you turned into a half-wit earlier.”

Well, there we have it.

Is she crazy?

If she had heard the news, then she must have also heard about the knight’s attitude.

Enok wasn’t unintelligent; he simply thought it was a hassle to think.

Given the situation, he could infer a certain degree of the context.

So who exactly was this woman?

Was she a figure powerful enough to contend with a lord, or was she a complete airhead?

Whichever it was, Enok welcomed either.

Zzap-!

Colors of purple electricity sparked from his pitch-black eyes.

“W-wait a second!”

There was no waiting.

Boom-!