Chapter 44 : Chapter 44

Chapter 44: A Twisted Fate (2)

The dagger she possessed was no ordinary dagger.

It was an item crafted at a very high cost by a client, bearing the name ‘Target Tracker’.

‘It’s certainly worth the money.’

As its name, Target Tracker, suggested, this dagger could mark the first target it struck.

And if an attack on the target was blocked beforehand, it could forcibly stop the deflecting hand as if putting a brake on the arm.

‘Even if he realizes and swings his sword again, it’s too late.’

The deflected dagger would momentarily pause for less than 0.1 seconds and then fly back again.

It was a blade that was impossible to block by common sense.

By the time he recovered his swung sword, the dagger would have already pierced his heart.

‘Even if you know, it’s already too late. You’re a dead man.’

Therefore, the female assassin simply watched Artier with a sneer.

[Perfect Counter has been activated!]

Thwang!

“What?”

But the dagger couldn’t reach Artier.

Having brought his sword back in an instant, Artier was parrying the incoming dagger again.

‘A skill? It doesn’t matter.’

The assassin immediately regained her composure.

The dagger’s effect was permanent anyway.

It was impossible for her arm to be deflected.

Cl-Cl-Cl-Cl-Clang!

However, her regained composure quickly crumbled.

Artier was parrying all of the dozens of attacks she swung.

‘How?’

Even she couldn't perform such an attack without the help of a tool.

Unless one's body and sword were as light as a feather, swinging a sword like that was impossible.

Yet this man was doing it.

‘It’s like time is accelerating for him alone!’

Clang!

At the moment he deflected the tenth sword, Artier muttered in a voice that only she could hear.

“I see. It’s an ability limited to the dagger.”

“What!”

His gaze was so chillingly calm that she hesitated to swing her dagger.

Thwack!

She felt a dull impact in her abdomen.

Her breath caught in her throat, and strength drained from her entire body.

Lowering her gaze, she saw Artier’s leg kicking her in the stomach.

“Keoheuk!”

Crash!

The assassin flew helplessly and ended up breaking all the liquor barrels stacked in the corner of the room.

“A dagger that blocks counterattacks. What an annoying fellow.”

Artier muttered as he picked up the dagger that had fallen to the floor.

‘I used Perfect Counter too many times.’

I forcibly held onto the drowsy sensation.

Using a huge amount of mana in a short time made my head ache as if I had a hangover, and my vision blurred, making it hard to see properly.

‘There’s no time to waste. I have to deal with the other assassins too.’

Artier forcibly held onto his consciousness and raised his sword.

However, when I lifted my head, the situation was turning out to be quite interesting.

“Huh?”

The assassins who had seeped near the female assassin were supporting the unconscious woman, not even paying attention to Artier.

“The operation has failed. We’re withdrawing.”

They were wise.

They knew well how foolish it would be to charge at Artier, who had defeated the strongest among them.

“……”

Before long, all the assassins disappeared into the shadows.

Artier and Collie looked around the now-peaceful inn room with dumbfounded expressions.

“This is… incredibly absurd, sir.”

“I know, right.”

The woman must have been the strongest assassin among them.

The assassins had no intention of sacrificing themselves to deal with Artier.

In a way, they were even more ruthless than mercenaries.

“Splendid.”

Pop!

The golden barrier burst and disappeared.

Ropin, staggering and barely leaning on his staff, managed a small smile on his sweat-drenched face.

“As expected…… I can trust and leave it to you……”

Thump!

With those words, Ropin collapsed powerlessly to the ground.

“Mr. Ropin!”

***

It took quite a long time for the unconscious Ropin to regain his senses.

“What in the world happened?”

Jeina burst through the inn door and shook Artier frantically.

“That kid who was crazy about chicken skewers suddenly gets a stiff face and disappears with a pop, and why aren’t you answering your communications? You scared me!”

“……A lot happened.”

Artier quietly shifted his gaze and checked the information window floating next to him.

[Vicious Target Tracker (Rare)]

Attack Power: 8~11

Options: (Vicious) Negates recoil when an attack is blocked, Critical Hit Chance +15%, Movement Speed +10

Temporary Option: (Mid-Grade Paralysis Poison) On attack, inflicts paralysis on the enemy for 10 seconds (Remaining uses: 3)

‘I thought so, but it really is a Rare-grade dagger.’

If the tide of a fight was one-sided despite similar levels, it was usually due to the influence of equipment or skills.

The flow of the battle had tilted sharply because the Target Tracker had perfectly countered Artier’s Perfect Counter.

‘If Collie hadn’t come…….’

Lost in thought, Artier looked at Collie and said.

“But how did you get here so fast?”

“It’s a druid-exclusive skill, sir.”

Collie said with a grin.

But at the same time, Artier could hear Collie’s frantic voice in his head.

Ugh! I’d appreciate it if you didn't reveal it recklessly!

Huh? What’s wrong?

My contract with Mr. Artier is a secret.

For reference, this conversation was echoing in my head like a communication, but strangely, I could communicate just by thinking, without the characteristic gesture of putting a hand to my ear.

This is a kind of hidden skill that only a summoner and their summon can do.

It’s communicating through soul wavelengths, so we can communicate regardless of communication-jamming magic.

I see.

But why do we have to hide the contract?

A contract with a Spirit Creature isn't just rare.

According to my seniors, there hasn't been a single case since the founding of the Empire.

Collie wasn't sure what the reaction would be if their contractual relationship became known to the public.

Therefore, he wanted to hide the relationship until he had a clear grasp of the situation.

You can trust the people here.

I cannot fully trust anyone except my master.

Why is that?

At Artier’s bewildered expression, Collie let out a ‘hee’ and smiled.

It was a boyishly simple smile.

“It’s a secret.”

“So, what’s the plan now?”

Bow had his leg propped up on the now-empty table.

As always, he was twirling an arrow in his hand.

When everyone’s attention focused on him, he continued.

“Normally in a situation like this, it’s standard to ask for additional payment, but honestly, it’s not like we’re completely blameless, right?”

“Pardon?”

“Have you forgotten about the Magica Mercenary Corps? What if they held a grudge against you and sent assassins?”

“……I don’t think so.”

My eyes rolled around.

We had already defeated the Magica Mercenary Corps when they tried to attack us.

But that didn't mean I could rule out the possibility.

Among the ones left back then, there didn't seem to be any high-ranking officials.

Perhaps someone with a grudge had hired assassins with their own money.

‘If that’s true, my affinity with Ropin……!’

The moment my heart sank, Ropin’s firmly shut eyes slowly opened.

“Ropin!”

“……Where am I?”

Ropin touched his head, sat up, and looked around.

Then he suddenly sighed.

“Thank you for protecting me. But you may go now.”

I’m screwed!

Even as Artier was showering in cold sweat, he tried his best to ask nonchalantly.

“What do you mean?”

But unexpected words flowed from Ropin’s mouth.

“There is no need to take such a risk for a simple escort request.”

“Pardon?”

Something about the atmosphere was strange.

Just in case, Artier threw out a question.

“Sir Ropin, do you know the identity of those assassins?”

“……I do.”

Ropin looked down at the floor, dejected.

“They have been persistently chasing me since I received the request. They act as if they have a client, but it seems to be the independent action of a single guild.”

“A guild?”

“The Waning Moon Cloak. I heard it’s a gathering of non-human assassins.”

“……The Waning Moon Cloak?”

Everyone’s gaze poured onto Artier, who had frozen like a statue.

“Ah, the name just sounds familiar.”

“You know the name?”

“I’m not sure if I should say I know it or I don’t……”

In fact, I knew it precisely.

I just couldn't find the right background to explain it.

“It’s a small-scale assassin guild composed mainly of Elves rather than just non-humans.”

It wasn't an official guild like the Mercenary Guild.

But limited to the Gigas Hall region, their influence surpassed that of a large mercenary guild.

But most importantly.

‘According to the lore, this isn’t the time for them to be active.’

As far as Artier remembered, the Waning Moon Cloak was the last Elven group leading the surviving Elves.

That’s why they only appeared in the main story about a year later in the game's plot, and before that, they were treated as a non-existent group.

‘……No, I have to change my thinking. It’s not that the Waning Moon Cloak appeared a year early, but they were originally here at this time. I just didn't know because I had never come to Gigas Hall at this point.’

The game doesn't tell you everything about the world.

At some point, Artier had come to realize that.

‘There’s a trigger that activated the quest early. And that’s probably Ropin.’

The Waning Moon Cloak, and Ropin, who wouldn't normally come to Gigas Hall at this time.

It was clear that all of this had become tangled, causing a future quest to appear early.

‘In that case, this is even better!’

Their coming here had actually become a huge advantage.

Having organized his thoughts, Artier showed a faint smile.

“No. We will continue with this request.”

“What did you say?”

Ropin looked at Artier with eyes full of disbelief.

And Gerard was the same.

“Artier, this is dangerous.”

“I know. But we can’t just send Mr. Ropin to Gigas Hall alone like this.”

“Ha, are you going to keep making us look like the bad guys?”

Tap, tap.

Bow tapped the table with his arrow and stood up.

“Who’s going to compensate us if we get hurt or killed? You have to work as much as you get paid, Mr. Party Leader. Can’t you at least follow such basics?”

“I’m not just suggesting we do this out of goodwill.”

By now, Artier had come to understand the law of mercenaries to some extent.

He knew that even if Bow’s words seemed cold, they were a given here, and it was a world where you had to be like that to survive.

“The Waning Moon Cloak is an extremist group that hates all ‘humans’ heading to Gigas Hall.”

“What?”

“To get to Gigas Hall safely, it’s better to have even one more ally.”

Jingle.

Artier took out the sack containing the request fees he had received so far from his inventory.

“I’ll provide the support, so Gerard and Collie, get some skill books, and the other two, let’s get some gear.”

The financial bleed would be severe, but it didn't matter.

To clear a quest that was supposed to appear in the latter half of the game now, I had to endure this level of expenditure.

‘Let’s do this. A high-level quest raid!’

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