Surviving as the Emperor's Assassin

Chapter 10. I Met Someone I Knew.

'Little Eye' Pinis really did have small eyes.

Not just vertically small, but narrow too; it would be more accurate to call them dot eyes rather than slit eyes.

It was hard to tell if her eyes were open or closed, but surprisingly, her eyesight was quite good.

“It’s quiet. So the guards earn money just lazing around like this. Maybe I should quit being a mercenary and become a guard.”

Pinis mumbled while yawning.

Indeed, patrolling the top of the wall was utterly peaceful.

It was work so mundane that calling it a walk would be more fitting, almost embarrassing to receive money for.

“Not a bad idea.”

If I were to live in one place forever, being a guard would be quite decent.

If I hadn't killed the Emperor, maybe I would have lived leisurely, even as a neighborhood guard.

“But the guard’s salary is too low. We get this much only because we're mercenaries. Do you know how much the original guard salary is?”

“Then why say things like that?”

What on earth does this person want?

“Because I'm bored.”

Pinis’s listless voice sounded like air escaping a balloon.

She had a point.

Hours of aimlessly walking on the wall.

It was a succession of boredom reminiscent of my time in the military.

If it were street patrol below the wall, at least there would be the fun of watching people live their lives.

“So, what happened the day before yesterday?”

Pinis brought up a random topic.

“Pardon?”

The day before yesterday? I accepted Nilia's request, tangled with goblins and Hond Wolves, and afterward, an Imperial soldier came to the village…….

My hand instinctively moved towards the sword hilt.

How much did she know?

Depending on the circumstances, I might have to silence her.

“You said the client was your type. You went there coolly and solved the request, so there must have been some progress, right?”

Tension eased at Pinis’s words.

That topic?

My thoughts went too far.

Right, there was no way Pinis would know about the Imperial soldier incident.

“Nothing happened.”

I shook my head with a sigh.

“Eh, really?”

“Why would I lie about this?”

Anyway, it’s the same in every world; when conversation runs dry, people bring up relationships.

“Ah. Right, you were ‘Green’. Most women would have run away immediately.”

Pinis chuckled lightly.

That damn Green.

“Saying she was my type was just something I said to get the request. I didn't have any personal interest at all.”

“Yeah, sure. All guys who get rejected say the same thing.”

Pinis, seeming quite pleased to have found something to tease me about, kept adding remarks with a grin.

“Annoying brat. With your tiny eyes.”

Can’t even hit her.

“What, punk?”

“Ah, my inner thoughts slipped out accidentally.”

Seeing Pinis's distorted face felt quite refreshing.

Her own nickname wasn't exactly cool either, yet she kept nagging others about their nicknames.

Thinking about it now, could it be that the Guild Master also gave Pinis the nickname 'Little Eye'?

There probably weren't many other people who would forcibly attach names the person dislikes.

“You think I'm funny? Huh?”

“Hmm, a little?”

I responded with a smile.

This request also had the purpose of testing me.

In that case, the person paired with me should either be a supervisor vastly superior to me, or a blockhead who wouldn't be much help.

And Pinis was clearly the latter.

According to rumors, she recently took a request to hunt orcs and had a hell of a time.

Orcs are monsters considered weaker than Hond Wolves, leading to the conclusion that Pinis < Orc < Hond Wolf < Me, meaning Pinis was weaker than me.

“I was respecting you as a senior, though. How about it. Wanna go a round?”

I deliberately stretched my body exaggeratedly.

Truthfully, when I cut down the Hond Wolf, I relied on the body's memory, so I wasn't sure if I could do the same now.

But the important part was that others firmly believed it was my skill.

“Ah, why talk so violently? We're on duty. Later. Later.”

As expected, Pinis turned pale and avoided answering.

“Well then, let's just patrol.”

I had no intention of actually starting a brawl from the beginning.

Part of a mercenary's ability is how well they get along with colleagues.

Since it was a test for now, I intended to try my best to receive a good evaluation.

“Is patrolling even meaningful?”

Pinis grumbled, seemingly full of complaints.

“They said people climb the wall, but there can't be that many…… Hieeek?!”

Thump.

A hand suddenly appeared over the top of the wall.

* * *

“……Looks like there are more than I thought. What should we do?”

Pinis whispered, hiding behind me.

“Good. Let's deal with it as planned.”

Catching an intruder would surely earn a better evaluation than simply patrolling.

“As planned?”

In response to Pinis's question, I made the throat-slitting gesture just like Bill did.

“You do it.”

“That was the plan.”

Directly handling it and assisting carry different weights.

I had no intention of yielding the opportunity to build my record.

“Ugh. Just imagining it is gross. Hurry up and do it.”

“Are you even a mercenary?”

A slight irritation rose at the sight of Pinis covering her face as if unable to watch.

While Pinis and I were chatting, the illegal intruder had completely climbed onto the wall.

“Oofcha……”

It was a boy wearing leather armor.

About fifteen years old.

Seeing him carrying a sword, I wondered if he was a mercenary.

He panted heavily, seemingly exhausted from climbing the wall.

In that case, I shouldn't give him time to catch his breath.

I rushed towards the boy at once and swung my sword.

No personal grudge, but…… it's work.

“Whoa?!”

Contrary to my expectation, the boy instantly drew his sword and blocked my attack.

“There are guards on the wall?! Damn it, I didn't hear about this! Wasn't the security in Dejong supposed to be lax?!”

The boy grumbled, taking two steps back.

“Surrender quietly, intruder.”

I warned, keeping my sword pointed at the boy.

The boy's reaction was fluid and natural.

Someone accustomed to combat.

Though he looked young, I couldn't ignore the possibility that he was stronger than me.

That old man, the Sword Saint, was stronger than me too.

With Pinis beside me, we had the numbers advantage, but expecting help from Pinis would be foolish.

“Can't be helped. The goal was to enter quietly.”

The boy muttered calmly, as if I posed no threat, and readjusted his grip on the sword.

Somehow, that stance looked familiar.

“Consider yourselves unlucky, uncles.”

The boy shot forward like an arrow.

Faster than the Hond Wolf.

But I wasn't flustered.

For some reason I didn't know, I already knew where the sword would come from.

Also for some reason I didn't know, my body reacted first, raising the sword.

Clang!!

With a metallic sound, the boy's sword was deflected.

However, the boy's attack didn't end with one strike.

As if using the impact of the clash, it drew a smooth curve and rushed in again.

Matching it, my sword also changed direction.

Kaklang!!

This time, I wasn't pushed back.

A contest of strength, sword against sword.

Sparks flew as steel scraped against steel.

The boy's sword seemed to be quite a good item; my sword was being unilaterally worn down.

When I earn money, the first thing I need to buy is a proper sword.

“……”

The boy looked at me with a peculiar expression.

When I tilted my head, the boy tilted his head too.

He kept blinking, looking like he was trying to remember something.

The moment I frowned because it felt unpleasant.

“……Brother?!”

The boy's eyes widened as he shouted.

* * *

“……What?”

Brother?

I swallowed dryly at the suddenly emerged familiar address.

“Brother! I knew you were here! I didn't recognize you because you cut your hair! I came all the way here looking for you! Brother……!”

I hastily covered the mouth of the boy who was repeatedly calling out 'Brother'.

It didn't seem like he was just making things up to escape the crisis.

He obviously didn't know 'me'…….

It's certain.

This kid knows Luke Ivers.

That means, I don't know what bombshell might pop out of this mouth.

If Luke Ivers's name or the story about killing the Emperor came out, being suspected would be the baseline, and there was a high possibility of being immediately handed over to the Empire.

“You know each other?”

“……Yes. An old acquaintance, a younger brother figure.”

I forced a smile at Pinis's question.

If I denied it here, this kid would surely act up even more.

“Then…… isn't this awkward?”

In principle, this should be handled with summary execution.

From my perspective too, killing him right now would be safer.

“……I need to talk to him for a moment. Killing someone you know feels dirty, doesn't it?”

However, it was also an opportunity to get information about Luke Ivers.

To avoid the Empire's pursuit, I needed to avoid actions that made me look like Luke Ivers.

But paradoxically, I needed to know what kind of person Luke Ivers was to avoid such actions.

When I met the Sword Saint, I was too busy escaping to talk deeply, and I didn't know any other people acquainted with Luke Ivers.

At the very least, this boy who called Luke Ivers 'Brother' surely had information that could help me.

“Yeah, well. Since you know each other……. You handle it.”

Pinis clearly wanted nothing to do with it.

It was fortunate this person was lazy.

I moved a little away from Pinis and removed the hand covering the boy's mouth.

“Brother!! I wanted to see you!!”

Despite having his mouth covered for quite some time, the boy wasn't angry at all.

He just looked happy to have met me.

“Yeah, good of you to come.”

I patted the boy's shoulder, pretending to be nonchalant.

Acting as Luke Ivers would make it easier to control this kid and extract information.

“How much hardship have you been through? I almost didn't recognize you. It's not just the hair, your aura has changed too. You weren't originally like this, Brother.”

The boy examined me with a face full of worry.

The Sword Saint also mentioned something about expression.

Certainly, just one's expression can significantly change how a person feels.

“A lot has happened.”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

Luke Ivers, I sincerely hope you're screwed.

It's unfair if only I suffer like this.

“But when you frowned, Brother, I definitely saw your old self. You are still you, Brother!”

The boy nodded to himself and chattered on.

“But Brother, why didn't you recognize me? I almost got stabbed to death by you.”

Suddenly, a tricky question popped up.

Of course I wouldn't recognize him since I have no memory, but saying that would reveal I wasn't Luke Ivers.

“……It's because you've grown a lot.”

No other suitable words came to mind, so I just made something up.

What if we only met a few days ago despite me saying this?

Won't this just raise suspicion?

“Right!? I did grow, right? Everyone keeps saying I haven't grown much!”

Anyway, he seemed pleased with my answer.

“You said you came looking for me?”

Before the boy could think too deeply, I immediately got to the point.

“Yes! I thought you'd return after successfully assassinating the Emperor and escaping!! But I couldn't find your whereabouts at all!! How could I just stand by in that situation!! So I decided I'd go find you!!”

“How……?”

You found out I was here?

This wasn't something to be taken lightly.

It meant someone else could trace my movements, signifying the possibility of the Empire's pursuit descending upon me.

“A hunch!”

A wave of anxiety washed over me.

Is getting information from this kid really the right thing to do……?