The Corrupt Guildmaster, Recruiting an Assassin
~Lizette~
I activated my unique skill, “Black Bolt.” The skill that multiplies my movement speed by ten.
Leaping as the scenery blurred past at high speed, I kicked off the warehouse wall and toyed with that female knight called Fiel. Thanks to my skill, afterimages were trailing behind me, confusing Fiel. She slashed her sword in a flash, but it cut through empty air in the completely wrong direction.
This kind of woman thinks she can beat ME…!? Don’t screw with me…!!
“So fast!?”
“You’re just too damn slow!!”
I closed in on her. With both knives ready, I aimed straight for her neck.
──I don’t want to kill anymore. I hate this....
I shook off the words that floated up for just an instant and thrust the knife forward. If I don’t do it, I won’t survive. What the hell am I thinking, acting soft like that...!?
“Die!!”
A flash. I should have taken her head clean off, sending a red spray of blood raining down around us.
The moment my blade touched her neck, Fiel’s body shimmered with a faint light. In that instant, I was hurled backward.
“Hah!? What the hell!?”
Too hard… what is this!? Defensive magic? No, it’s not something like that… this is the same realm as mine…
“A unique skill!?”
I kicked off the wall again and continued to toy with Fiel. I dove in whenever I saw an opening and slashed. But every time, I was blasted away the moment I struck. I couldn’t deal any damage…!? What the hell is with this woman…!!
“My unique skill, Eisen Maiden, reflects physical attacks. Those kinds of attacks will not work!”
“What kind of bullshit skill is that!?”
“That is my line!!”
Damn… fine, then I’ll break it! I’ll conquer that skill!
I dove in again and slashed with my right knife. As I was knocked back, I spun my body with the momentum, twisting sideways and slashing with my left.
“I told you it’s useless!”
“Oh, really!?”
The moment I was repelled, I spun again, this time following with a right slash. Each rotation added more force to my combo. Eventually, one slash left a sharp crack across her armor.
“Guh!? You…!? You’re using Eisen Maiden’s reflection to increase your power!?”
“You got cocky!! I already figured out your stupid skill!!”
“Ghh!!”
I unleashed a continuous spinning assault on Fiel. With this, her skill was neutralized. Hah. I thought it was troublesome, but this is easy. Then I’ll just finish this in one go—
“Naive!!!”
Fiel deflected my slash with her sword.
“What!?! Don’t piss me off like that!!”
I increased my rotation speed. But Fiel blocked every single strike. She was responding to my speed!?
“You may think you’ve conquered Eisen Maiden, but with such monotonous movements, you cannot defeat me!! Do not underestimate me!!”
She deflected my knife and immediately swung her blade horizontally. I bent backward to avoid it. The moment my body arched and I was looking up at the ceiling—
Fiel appeared in front of me with her fist drawn back.
“You won’t avoid this...!”
“Crap—”
I couldn’t move. The moment I realized that, her fist slammed into my face. Impact shot through me, and with no guard up, I was smashed into the ground.
“Gah!?”
“Haaaah!!!”
She swung her sword down. No way, I can’t block that kind of power. I rolled across the floor and activated my skill again. The moment I got up, I kicked off the ground and widened the distance.
“Hah… hah…”
Breathing steadily with my knives raised. How do I attack? How do I break her down? Think. I’m not weaker. No, I should be stronger. She has the advantage in compatibility, but I already found a way through. I’ll finish her no matter what…!
“What’s wrong? Is the match already decided?”
The man who challenged me, Zilkein, spoke without changing expression. That guy… how can he be so calm? Does he trust that knight woman, Fiel, that much?
… It pisses me off. How do you build a relationship like that? I can’t.
“We’re not trying to kill you. Even if you lose, you lose nothing.”
“Shut up!! I know you’re trying to trick me!! Nobody accepts someone who used to be an assassin!!”
Zilkein sighed and shook his head.
“You were an orphan, picked up by the assassination group Owl’s Talon by bad luck. They forced brutal training on you, didn’t they? You had no choice but to obey. If you didn’t, you would have been killed.”
“Wha…!?”
How does he know…!? Nobody should know my past except Raltos…!!
“But you hate it, don’t you? Taking lives. That’s why you tried to find your own place. But ironically, a girl with weak ties to others had no idea how. So Raltos used you.”
My heart pounded. His voice echoed in my head and wouldn’t leave. Did he watch my past? Stop it, don’t talk like you were there…
“Lizette. In our guild, we can help you atone, and give you a place. Come with me.”
“Don’t lie to meeeeeeeee!!!”
Damn, my head’s numb. Sweet words have NEVER been true for me.
Raltos lied too. He told me I didn’t have to worry anymore, then bound me with money and living expenses… when I said I hated it, he changed.
Everyone lies. Everyone tries to trick me.
──But this guy… it’s like he knows everything about me…
“Aaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!”
I screamed to drown out the thoughts. I activated my skill, kicked the wall, and zig-zagged toward Fiel.
“Come. I will take you head-on!!”
Fiel raised her sword in a straight stance. To break her defensive skill, I had to use my strongest technique.
Don’t be fooled, don’t be fooled, don’t be fooled.
If I defeat her, I’ll… I’ll build my own place!! If I keep doing Raltos’ work, I can earn money! And if I have enough money, someday I’ll get it!!
A place that doesn’t restrain me with violence like Owl’s Talon, not a place that chains me like Raltos, a place that truly forgives me—
I crossed my knives and gathered mana. I’d already seen the limit of Eisen Maiden during that combo. With my strongest technique, I could break that defense.
I closed in and released the mana from the crossed blades.
“Southern Slash!!”
A black slash burst forth. It struck Fiel’s armor and blood sprayed.
“Guh…!? To pierce Eisen Maiden… what power…!?”
“You and I have different years of experience!!”
I dodged her counterattack with a backstep. That blow was shallow because she pulled back at the last second… but it worked. Next one will be full power…!!
“I’ll kill you for sure!!!”
Again I crossed my knives and gathered mana throughout my body.
“Southern Slash!!”
As I screamed the technique name and the mana glowed in response, the Guildmaster shouted:
“Fiel!! Aim for the center of the crossed knives!!”
“I see…! That will break it!!”
Fiel charged forward. Charging into a finishing move!? He figured out Southern Slash’s weakness from the first one!?
Southern Slash boosts power through a mana explosion. If she targets the moment it starts, the mana will have nowhere to go and rebound on me.
“Gh, aaahhhh!!”
I activated Black Bolt to force my movement. But once Southern Slash activates, I can’t stop the motion.
Can’t stop, can’t move, no, stop—
“Uoooooooh!!!”
Fiel thrust forward, striking the exact center of my crossed knives. The blades clashed. In that instant, Southern Slash’s mana lost its outlet and exploded.
“Guhhhhh!?”
The force of my own technique blasted me away. I slammed into the wall, the impact echoing through the warehouse.
“Gah!?”
I couldn’t breathe. Pain. No, I have to move. If I relax in battle, I’ll be killed. Owl’s Talon drilled that into me. No. I don’t want to die knowing nothing fun or happy. Move, move, I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die!!
“We’re not going to kill you.”
A man’s voice. He knelt in front of me, looking down at me with a gentle tone.
“Don’t come!! You’re trying to trick me!! I won’t trust you! I won’t trust anyone!!”
He grabbed my hand. Then he pressed the knife I held against his own throat.
“If you’re scared, then kill me. I’ll let you.”
“Ah, uh…”
He’s… serious…?
My words froze. His eyes were sharp, but I could feel sadness in them, and the thoughts spinning in my head vanished. I couldn’t think at all.
“I am the Guildmaster. My job is to create a place where adventurers can live fulfilling lives. Trust me. I cannot stand seeing someone with talent like yours suffering.”
“But I… I’m employed by Raltos…”
“I’ll crush Raltos. You’ll be free.”
“B-but I’m… an assassin, I’ll be punished… so…”
I’ve done all kinds of things to survive. If I didn’t, I would’ve been killed. I dirtied my hands to live. But I hate it…
That’s why I risked my life to escape Owl’s Talon. But now I’m owned by someone like Raltos again.
Raltos said I couldn’t live without him. I believed it. After escaping Owl’s Talon, I hid in villages and towns. But… they all figured out who I was, and I couldn’t stay. Nowhere worked. I learned I could only survive under someone like Raltos.
But this man still wants to invite me? Even knowing what I am…?
“Don’t worry. Guild law has provisions to protect people like you. I will protect you. So… you no longer need to feel insecure.”
“Ugh…”
My vision blurred. No one had ever reached out to me before, and I didn’t know what to say.
“I-I can’t trust you… I only know the underworld… without Raltos I… I can’t live…”
“I see. Then I’ll destroy that illusion.”
“Huh?”
Illusion…? What is he talking about?
“In my opinion, Raltos exploited your weakness and brainwashed you into believing you can only live under him.”
“Brainwashing…?”
“That’s right. So let’s do this. Once more, let’s make a wager, Lizette. If you hear a certain phrase from Raltos’ own mouth… then cooperate with us.”
That man—Zilkein—then explained the terms of the bet to me──
What do you think about this chapter?
