Surviving as the Emperor's Assassin

Chapter 7. My Body Moved On Its Own.

Once the goblins were all dead, the other Hond Wolves would surely attack me.

There was still no sign of Nilia, who went to fetch support.

‘2 vs 1, is it possible?’

Even the leader Hond Wolf alone was proving difficult, so my mind was racing.

Eventually, what I feared happened.

One of the Hond Wolves, which had been tearing into goblins, turned to look at me.

‘Damn it. This is really screwed.’

Now I faced two Hond Wolves.

As I backed away, warily watching both simultaneously…….

I felt a presence behind me.

Turning around, I saw a Hond Wolf already right upon me.

At the same time, the Hond Wolves in front of me also started to move.

‘What should I do? What, what?’

For a fleeting moment, my mind went blank.

I couldn't issue any command to the body that needed to move.

“……?!”

Surprisingly, my body moved on its own.

A single breath.

I didn't even feel strength entering the hand gripping the sword.

As if sliding, the sword flowed.

Pssh.

When I came to my senses, a Hond Wolf's head was spinning in mid-air.

“……What was that, just now?”

The Hond Wolf collapsed, spraying green blood like the monster it was.

I did it, but I couldn't understand how.

Grrrgrrr-

The atmosphere among the Hond Wolves changed.

Ignoring the surrounding goblins, they glared at me.

Nine Hond Wolves.

Hatred burning in 27 eyes.

But why?

I didn't feel like this was a crisis.

Only the thought of wanting to feel that sensation again, the flowing sword.

It was then.

“Yaaaah!! Get away!!”

Nilia ran up, holding a torch.

Behind her, I saw what looked like the village farmers rushing over, carrying various farming tools.

Seeing the fire, the Hond Wolves hesitated, then turned and fled.

The leader Hond Wolf looked back at me until the very end, but didn't charge again.

“Are you okay?!”

Nilia asked, panting for breath.

“Yes.”

I answered curtly.

My hand holding the sword felt unfamiliar.

The sword technique displayed in that instant wasn't mine, but Luke Ivers's.

It was a memory etched into the body.

This damn body.

What on earth was wrong with it?

“That's a relief. I was so worried.”

Nilia smiled awkwardly.

From rushing over hastily, the hem of Nilia's skirt was a mess with twigs and leaves.

“I was lucky.”

I blurted out words I didn't mean reflexively.

It would have been better if Nilia had come much earlier or even later.

Interrupting right when things were getting exciting left me feeling unfulfilled.

“Uh…… Anyway, since the goblin hunt is finished, I'll give you the payment.”

Nilia spoke cautiously.

“Ah, the payment.”

Right, I am a mercenary.

I came here for a request.

I had momentarily forgotten that fact.

“I never expected Hond Wolves to show up……”

Nilia took out a pouch from her clothes and fumbled with it for a long time.

Given the situation, she probably felt she should pay more, but her pockets seemed rather empty.

“……”

I silently waited for Nilia's decision.

“This is all the money I have! Please be lenient with this……!”

Nilia handed the entire pouch to me, half-crying.

This didn't look good.

Anyone seeing this would think I was the robber.

“……”

Just looking at the expressions of the farmers who had run after Nilia confirmed it.

“I'll just take the promised amount.”

I took only 9 silver coins and returned the pouch.

It wasn't like there was a huge amount of money in it anyway,

and the Hond Wolves running away was partly thanks to the villagers arriving.

“Thank you! Mercenary Uncle! You're truly a good person!”

Could she please stop with the ‘uncle’ part?

* * *

The sun set before we took more than a few steps from the field.

After sunset, the city gates close.

Unable to enter the city, I headed towards Nilia's village.

Near the village, I encountered the old man who still hadn't made it inside.

His steps were painfully slow.

Nilia, still watching my expression, provided a room and dinner without me even asking.

The dinner Nilia served reeked of poverty.

I felt a slight pang of guilt taking money from someone like this, but seeing my clothes ruined with goblin blood quickly dispelled such feelings.

‘Can laundry even fix this? If the color doesn't come out…… the cost of new clothes will eat up the entire request fee.’

This kind of request, the one accepting it was truly the sucker.

After finishing the meal, I washed up lightly and immediately lay down on the bed.

“Phew……”

Staring at the ceiling in the dark room, my thoughts gradually organized themselves.

Successfully completing the first request as a mercenary was important, but what I learned about this body bothered me more.

The skills Luke Ivers had built up still remained in this body.

This time it came out unconsciously, but if I could intentionally draw it out, it would be more than enough to protect this body.

‘Maybe continuing mercenary work here wouldn't be so bad.’

As long as my identity wasn't revealed, it was a profession where I could utilize this body's abilities to the fullest.

Few people would recognize me just by wearing a helmet.

And it wasn't strange for a mercenary to wear a helmet.

This place was close to the Imperial Capital, but isn't there a saying about it being darkest under the lamp?

Hiding nearby might actually be safer.

‘These villagers didn't even seem to know the Emperor had died…….’

They only reacted with surprise after hearing Nilia's story when she returned from the city today.

It meant I could relax here, at least.

‘Constantly running away is tiring too…….’

Just because the body was sturdy didn't mean there was no fatigue.

Since waking up in this body, the only rest I'd had was curling up on the dirt ground to catch some sleep.

Now that I could relax, fatigue belatedly washed over me.

…….

…….

Lost in various thoughts, I dozed off for a moment.

I could have slept soundly, but strangely, I woke up.

“Umm……?”

As I tossed and turned, I realized it was a bit noisy outside the room.

What's going on at this hour?

I quietly got up and peeked outside through the crack in the door.

The entrance hall.

Someone holding a torch was talking loudly to Nilia and the old man standing before them.

* * *

‘An Imperial soldier?’

The armor he wore looked familiar.

It was the exact same armor worn by the soldiers I encountered in the Imperial Palace.

My heart sank.

Why was an Imperial soldier here?

‘Did he follow me?’

Ominous.

I got up as quietly as possible, approached the door, and listened intently to the voices coming from outside.

“Are you aware that the culprit who assassinated His Majesty the Emperor has escaped?”

The soldier asked in a low voice, as if worried about being overheard.

“Did such a thing happen?”

“Grandpa! I told you earlier! Dejong was in a complete uproar!”

Nilia chided the old man.

It seemed the news hadn't spread everywhere yet.

But it was only a matter of time.

Soon, everyone would know.

“So, you came all the way to this backwater village looking for that assassin?”

The old man asked the soldier while cleaning his ear, as if annoyed by Nilia's words.

“I received orders to investigate everyone suspicious.”

The soldier lowered his voice even further.

“About the young man who visited the city today. We received information that he headed to this village after accepting a request. Is he perhaps still in this village?”

I held my breath at the soldier's question.

It was natural they'd be searching frantically, given it was the Emperor's assassin, not just anyone.

But without any clear clues, I never expected them to chase someone all the way to a remote village based solely on being an outsider who arrived in the city around this time.

‘It would have been dangerous if I stayed in the city.’

In hindsight, accepting Nilia's request turned out to be a good thing.

I would have either been immediately captured and interrogated or engaged in another chase.

“Ah. That fellow? He's in there.”

The old man glanced back at the room I was in.

Even after hearing I might be the Emperor's assassin, the old man showed no sign of panic.

“I'll need to check.”

As soon as he heard the old man's words, the soldier tried to enter the house.

A hint of tension could be felt in the soldier's voice.

I took a step back from the door.

‘The chance he won't recognize me is…… non-existent, right.’

He probably came searching all the way here alone because he had a means to identify the culprit.

Facing him was dangerous.

But running or hiding was tantamount to admitting I was the culprit.

Killing the soldier would be the same.

If they learned I was here, the pursuit team would swell instantly.

‘What should I do?’

My heart pounded fiercely.

Dangerous.

I couldn't see a way to get through this situation smoothly.

I picked up my sword just in case, but prayed I wouldn't have to swing it.

“Check what? No need to see that fellow.”

“Are you refusing the investigation?”

The soldier's voice turned harsh at the old man's obstruction.

Obstructing an investigation was also an action perfect for attracting suspicion of involvement with the culprit.

Stopping the soldier was helpful, but it was merely a stopgap measure.

The possibility of the soldier leaving without even checking on me was low.

‘If running and fighting lead to the same outcome, running is better.’

No need to waste energy unnecessarily.

Fortunately, this room had a window.

I opened the window as quietly as possible.

“It's not like that, I'm saying it's a meaningless waste of time. How could a guy who struggles fighting goblins assassinate His Majesty the Emperor?”

Just as I was about to climb through the window, the old man chuckled and spoke.

“Goblins?”

The soldier asked back in a dumbfounded voice.

“That's right! I requested a goblin hunt, but he couldn't even handle those few goblins properly, took forever. Because it dragged on so long, Hond Wolves even showed up, almost caused a huge disaster.”

It wasn't a few, it was dozens.

That old geezer, making me look like a fool.

“My granddaughter rescued him with a torch. A mercenary rescued by a farmer! There's a limit to embarrassing mercenaries!”

The laughing old man couldn't have been more annoying.

“And despite all that, he took the payment fair and square, even got a meal, and is now sprawled out sleeping like that. I swear, I'm speechless. Calls himself a mercenary, but what a nasty temper, waking him up would be a real pain.”

The old man lowered his voice significantly, as if conscious of my ears.

Not that it mattered much in the quiet house.

“Oof.”

The soldier recoiled, so brilliantly did the old man portray me as utterly incompetent.

“True, no need to provoke mercenaries unnecessarily.”

The soldier was looking for the assassin who killed the Emperor, not some idiot mercenary who had to risk his life just killing goblins.

The soldier, who had approached the door of my room, tiptoed back, even quieting his footsteps.

“Well then, I'll be going.”

“Travel safely.”

After sending the soldier off, the old man and Nilia seemed to return to their own rooms.

Finally, I could release the sword from my hand.

I had definitely overcome a serious crisis…….

But I wasn't exactly thrilled.