Chapter 281 – The Dark Elves (3)

They were literally black. The uninvited guests were wearing black masks and travel clothes from the head to the bottom.

“W, what?”

Beryn stuttered with a dumbfounded expression but Roan was extremely calm and collected. These uninvited people were ones he had seen before.

‘The Black Moon Guild.’

The ones that had appeared through the grass uninvited were the assassins of the Black Moon Guild.

“We’ve finally got you.”

From the group of assassins, the man in the lead murmured and a cold killing intent escaped from between his mask.

‘Did you think you’ll be safe after touching our Black Moon Guild? Hmph’

An undisguisable sense of pride filled him up to his throat. The night would come after day and if there are sunny areas, there were also shades. Although the world’s history only recorded the bright side, there were a lot more dark stories that were not known to the public.

No, it was not an overstatement to say that the ones writing history were actually the ones acting in the shadows. At least Colbee, one of the deputy guild masters of the Black Moon Guild thought so.

‘Historically it wasn’t just one or two that had received our help to rise to the thrones of kingdoms and empires.’

Ones that had received the help of the assassins to reach the top. It was only thanks to them that they were able to leave their names in history.

Because of that, the fights for authority beneath the surface had spread down to even the assassin guilds of the continent and were never ending. And during that, dozens of large and small guilds had been destroyed, while the ones in authority carried large-scale subjugations answering the havoc they wreaked.

In that situation which would have resulted in the destruction of assassin guilds, the guild masters of 10 assassin guilds decided to stop their wars of attrition and combine their guilds to one.

‘Which was the birth of the Black Moon Guild.’

Let alone the strongest of the continent, they were also the strongest assassin guild in history and naturally, their pride was enormous. Their skills were on par with their pride as well, as they had nothing to be reluctant on, and nothing to fear.

Therefore, even when they had received a request to kill Latio of the Tallian Church, they had not been worried at all.

‘But there was the identity of the one making the request to consider as well as the possibility to be interrupted by believers of the Tallian Church so…’

They had been prepared in full.

Almost 300 assassins had been put to the request and although 200 of those were newbies that were taking their first quests since entering the guild, it was a quest that was impossible to fail.

However,

‘Close to 300 assassins had all lost their lives.’

Colbee clenched hard.

It was a completely unexpected result.

‘We had first doubted the guardians of the Tallian Church.’

However, after investigating, they found out that all of those following Latio had died with only 2 priests remaining. Besides, those two were hiding in Castle Mediasis of the Amaranth Kingdom that was currently known to be the hardest location to lay their hands.

Also,

‘The Kaja perfume that the one in charge, Delk had sprayed was found at a completely different location.’

Kaja perfume was something made by the Black Moon Guild using the Kaja leaves that grew from remote areas to the south of the continent to use for pursuit. It was a liquid without odour, colour or flavour, but people that consumed Kaja leaves for a long time could smell that unique smell.

The Black Moon Guild relied on this to create professional chasers and used them.

“It’s that guy. I can smell Kaja from that man.”

A vicious-looking chaser flared his nostrils and pointed at Roan. Squinting his eyes, Colbee stared at Roan.

‘That beggar-looking guy killed close to 300 assassins by himself?’

It made no sense but there was a reason that made him unable to think otherwise.

‘Almost all the assassins including Delk had the same wound on their bodies.’

That meant that it was done by one person. Colbee waved his left index finger left and right.

Pabat!

Dozens of assassins formed a circle with Roan in the centre, and Beryn who had been nearby was surrounded as well.

‘I don’t know who you are but this time it’ll be different.’

He clenched hard. The dozens of assassins surrounding Roan and Beryn were those that were considered elites even from their guild. And besides,

‘They aren’t the only ones here.’

Close to 200 assassins were hiding nearby behind the shadows, with each of them being highly skilled as well.

‘I’ll definitely kill.’

To keep the fame of the Black Moon Guild, they had to kill him and that was also the reason why a guild master had personally stepped into this mission. Colbee stared directly at Roan.

“You must already know who we are?”

To the low questioning voice, Roan replied with a nod instead but the one confused was Beryn.

“Who? What? What’s happening?”

Realising that the one the uninvited guests were searching for was Roan and not herself, she made a frown. However, she could not get any replies as the assassins had already kicked off the ground.

Roan quickly stood in front of Beryn.

“I’ll take care of these guys so Miss Beryn can stay inside the hut…”

When his words reached around that point,

Ping. Pibing.

With extremely soft movements, she turned her body and poured out arrows.

Slam! Bam!

The arrows accurately pierced through the assassins’ foreheads. Being unable to avoid an arrow from a female hunter of a countryside village, the skilled assassins of the Black Moon Guild succumbed.

That was how quick, fast and accurate Beryn’s archery skills were. Her linked movements and skills were so perfect that no matter where the assassins went, they could not dodge the arrows.

“Wandering Merchant. I don’t know what’s happening but you should be the one hiding.”

While speaking indifferently, she once again pulled the strings back.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

“Kuk!”

“Kuuk!”

The arrows always found their foreheads. It was an unbelievable skill and Roan stared at her with slight surprise. In fact, he was fairly shaken inside.

‘This kind of archery…’

He could count the times he had seen such archery with one hand.

‘It’s as if I’m watching Harrison.’

The Commander of the Western Provincial Army, a special-grade founding contributor, who received the castle Inpec, Count Harrison Inpec. Beryn’s archery reminded Roan of the genius bowman who he had personally given a bow to after thinking of the regretful days of his past life.

‘Of course, it’s slightly more rough and untamed than Harrison’s’

Subconsciously, Roan made a small smile while looking at Beryn and she frowned after seeing that smile.

“What? Why the heck are you smiling at me?”

A sharp voice, and with a surprised expression Roan immediately gave a few coughs.

“No, looking at Miss Beryn just reminded me of someone.”

“Who?”

She didn’t back off easily and continued asking. Roan smiled and shrugged his shoulders in response.

“I’ll introduce him to you later.”

At the same time, he lightly waved both of his hands. Suddenly, the shadows left behind by the two hands immediately filled up the space and appeared like a shield made of fists. It was one of the Reid Martial Arts skills that had dominated a generation.

Pabababababak!

Along with stiff sounds of things breaking, the assassins were bounced off.

“Kuuk!”

“Kuk!”

Moans filled with pain echoed around the mountains.

“…”

Seeing Roan who she thought of as a wandering merchant have such frightening skills, Beryn had made a slightly surprised expression, but that was it. She was neither scared nor did she question it.

“Quite good.”

With a nonchalant expression, she spoke one word before pulling back the strings once again.

Pibing! Pibibibibing!

A countless number of arrows pierced through the night without a stop. Following from behind, Roan kicked off the ground and moved his body as if he was dancing. A strong power was behind the fancy movements as the true form of Reid Fist Martial Arts was laid bare within the Grain Mountain Range.

Paak! Pabak! Paaak!

Fist, feet, elbows, knees, shoulders and the back – wherever he touched, bones would break and skins would burst open. Strong attacks that could each be considered a killing blow continued endlessly, as the dozens of assassins had fallen to below half in number in an instant.

“T, t, t, this monster!”

Colbee who had been staring at that cried out. Then, he took out a whistle the size of a finger from his clothes.

Piiiiiiik!

A sharp sound resonated in the dark mountains. It was the sign calling the 200 assassins that were hiding within the shadows, but even after he whistled 3, 4 times, he saw no signs of any assassins showing up.

‘What? What’s happening!’

With a rigid expression, he scanned his surroundings, and that was the same for the other assassins that had fallen back, hiding from Roan and Beryn.

It was then,

Pabababat!

The grass rustled and large trees trembled, with black shadows falling onto the ground.

“Finally! Where the hell…”

While he was about to sing in joy, he soon closed his mouth shut. His eyes widened and his face stiffened. The ones that had appeared were not assassins of the Black Moon Guild. It was surprising already that they weren’t the assassins but what was more startling was the identities of the ones that had appeared.

“I, impossible.”

“T, these guys are…”

The assassins that had fallen back also stuttered with their words. In the midst of all that, Roan and Beryn remained calm and nonchalant. Beryn made a strange smile with an intrigued expression.

“Ohh it’s my first time seeing them in real life.”

Curiosity entered her two eyes while Roan stood still and murmured to himself like a whisper.

“Very black.”

That was the first feeling he got from seeing the newcomers and was the same as what he had said when the assassins of the Black Moon Guild had appeared.

***

“Aigo, did you come out today as well?”

“Isn’t it tiring to do it every time?”

Voices full of laughter filled the streets.

“This is what I must do.”

A bright, soft voice tickled their ears. The owner of the voice was a lady with a beautiful, yet somewhat playful face.

“Thanks to the princess, no Miss Castellan cares a lot for us every day, it has become a lot better to live than the past.”

When a man shouted in a loud voice, others nodded their heads in approval.

“Right, right. That’s true.”

“Even when compared to back when it was a capital city, I think we’re a lot happier these days.”

“I’m sure the happiest castle within the Amaranth Kingdom apart from the Castle of Mediasis is our Miller Castle!”

Their voices were raised louder and louder. Cleaning the tidy streets and moving around busily were the citizens of the Miller Castle, and the one they were amiably conversing with was the person who had once been a princess of the Rinse Royal Family who had now become the castellan of Castle Miller under Rinse Special District, Katy Rinse.

Katy gave a little smile as she stared at the happy citizens.

Then,

“Oi don’t be so indiscreet like that. That is also in itself not good manners to Miss castellan…”

Carelessly being noisy about how it was good to live right now might mean that it was uncomfortable back during the Rinse Kingdom.

“Ah…”

A part of the citizens covered their mouths with exasperated expressions but Katy quickly waved her hands.

“It’s alright. What was wrong is wrong.”

She looked directly at their faces.

“I’m also glad to be able to pay back for the past mistakes and I’m happy. Please continue to help me and whenever there are tiring, uncomfortable or unreasonable things happening, don’t stop yourselves from telling me.”

Those were honest words. The careless and playful Katy was already becoming a great leader through the hardships she had faced.

“Miss castellan…”

“Thank you so much for taking care of us.”

The citizens all bowed their heads. It wasn’t because someone had made them, and they were lowering them of their own will.

‘Rather than forcing them, we should’ve acted to earn their respect.’

It would’ve been so much better if she had learned that earlier, and that thought wasn’t just because of the regret for not being able to defend the Rinse Kingdom or the royal family.

‘If we had known that a little quicker, the innocent people wouldn’t have died or gotten hurt… they could’ve been a little happier…’

That kind of regret filled her heart. Katy made a bitter smile without realising but it was then that a woman from amongst the group of citizens had carefully raised her hand.

“Um…”

It was a very careful attitude. When Katy smiled brightly signalling her to talk without worries, the woman brought out her courage and carefully continued her words.

“You aren’t together with Corps Leader Pierce Newman today?”

As soon as her words ended,

“Now that you mention it.”

“The two of them suit each other really well.”

“I knew something was missing…”

Voices looking for Pierce were heard from all around and Katy blushed in response. She and Pierce still had not made any official clarifications about their relationship, but the people living in and around Castle Miller, or rather, the entire kingdom knew clearly what kind of relationship Pierce and Katy had.

‘Corps Leader Pierce.’

Katy faced towards the west. Today, Pierce was training the Rinse Corps on the grasslands to the west of Castle Miller.

‘Did you hear that?’

She asked in her heart to the invisible Pierce.

‘The people are all saying that we suit each other.’

Her blush deepened further.

‘What do you think?’

The question she threw inside her mind had rode on the western wind towards the grasslands.

“Hmm?”

During the training of the soldiers, Pierce suddenly felt his thumping heart and gave a strange smile. It wasn’t the bad kind of bloodrush. Covering his right chest with his left hand, he stared towards the east, suddenly feeling an urge to see Katy.

“Is anything wrong?”

The deputy leaders around asked with curious expressions and Pierce shook his head without being able to hide his smile.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

It was then,

“Uh? That’s weird.”

An unfamiliar voice escaped from right next to him.

Tat!

Pierce instinctively retreated back and pulled out his spear.

Paat!

Together with a sound, the point of his spear reached into the empty space. The sharp blade pointed at the front where a good-looking, or rather, a beautiful young man was standing.

‘Since when was he next to me?’

He hadn’t felt any presence and was totally clueless as to how and when he had been approached. This was his first time experiencing such a thing.

A cold sweat flowed down his backside.

“Who?”

Pierce asked with a low voice but instead of replying, the beautiful young man started spewing out unrecognisable words.

“What? That’s strange. I can definitely feel signs of Astrum but how’s it this weak? Or more like, the sign that guy mentioned is not there. What’s happening?”

Incomprehensible words to which Pierce scowled.

“I asked who you are.”

A cold light entered his voice and it was then that the youth’s eyes widened.

“Aha! I get it now!”

With a strange smile, he stared directly into Pierce’s two eyes.

“You. You are not the one that received Astrum’s blessings but the one that gave them.”

His words were still incomprehensible. The colours of the nonsensical young man’s hair, eyebrows and irises were surprisingly all red.

<The Dark Elves (3)> End.

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