Chapter 6: First Encounter

NOX wrapped things up faster than expected, giving him a brief break.

There were two days left until the entrance exam.

Carl was deep in thought.

‘What should I do.’

After following a tight schedule, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to spend his time leisurely.

On a whim, he decided to step outside the campus and explore the city.

Since he’d be spending the next few years here if he passed the entrance exam, he figured he might as well get a feel for the atmosphere firsthand.

“Hm.”

Overall, the vibe felt similar to Leipzig.

Aside from the fact that the capital had more people and a larger scale, there wasn’t much difference.

Carl strolled through the city like an ordinary person.

He browsed shops and street stalls, and even bought a few items himself.

To Carl—no, to Mu-ak—this world was still full of wonders.

That was why he took it all in slowly, adjusting to the world’s atmosphere.

“……”

While walking aimlessly, he stopped as a sweet scent tickled his nose.

It seemed to be a rather large dessert shop.

Carl joined the line behind the crowd and was soon able to enter the store.

“Oh.”

Inside the display case were colorful, vibrant desserts he couldn’t have seen in the countryside.

Carl carefully chose a dessert.

He could’ve bought the entire store if he wanted, but he didn’t do anything so tasteless.

Aesthetics were born from longing, after all.

Tap.

Carl paid extra to be seated on the third floor with a good view and set down the dessert and coffee he had chosen.

It was a seat with a clear view of the street below.

It was a pricey place, and he’d spent quite a bit, but he felt it was worth the money.

Sweetness sharp enough to make his tongue tingle, bitter coffee to wash away the aftertaste, and a leisurely atmosphere.

‘This is the best part of the second life.’

Carl gave a faint smile.

For an assassin, taste was an unnecessary sense.

What use was there in savoring flavor when the task was killing people?

Moreover, human senses were mysterious—if one sense was dulled, the others became sharper.

That’s why he deliberately dulled his sense of taste to hone the rest more finely.

It had been decades since he had last truly tasted anything.

From the moment he awoke as Carl until now, the thing that had moved him the most was regaining the sense of taste.

“……?”

There was a slight commotion downstairs.

It sounded like a customer and a staff member were arguing.

He ignored it, thinking it had nothing to do with him, and continued enjoying his dessert, but soon a staff member climbed the stairs and approached Carl with an awkward expression.

“Excuse me, sir.”

“Yes.”

“I’m terribly sorry. This seat is actually a reservation, but there seems to have been a mix-up with the order.”

“……”

Carl frowned.

He had already paid and was enjoying himself—what was this nonsense?

Just then, someone who had followed the staff up the stairs spoke toward Carl.

“You’re alone, I see. If you don’t mind, would you be willing to share the table?”

He was a man with neatly styled blue hair and a friendly, easygoing look.

Even though the store’s mistake could’ve soured his mood, he still spoke with a bright expression, suggesting he had a pretty good personality.

“……”

Behind the man, the staff member stood awkwardly, unsure what to do.

Having his alone time interrupted, Carl sighed inwardly and gave a slight nod.

“I don’t mind.”

“Ah, thank goodness.”

The man ordered from the staff and sat across from Carl.

His eyes wandered around, showing a hint of excitement.

When Carl looked at him, he scratched his cheek with a sheepish expression.

“This place is really popular. I really wanted to come.”

“Is that so.”

Carl glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye.

He looked to be about the same age, but his rough hands hidden under the table, his body frame, and the muscles hidden beneath his clothes showed he wasn’t just someone who trained lightly.

‘And yet, I can’t sense even a hint of presence.’

That meant the man was skilled enough to suppress his aura to Carl’s level.

Carl didn’t think much of it.

The world was several times bigger than the Central Plains. It wouldn’t be strange to run into someone like this.

“…It’s a bit awkward. Since we’re here, how about we introduce ourselves? I’m Damian. I came to the capital to take the entrance exam for the Bavarian Academy.”

“I’m Carl Leipzig. I also came for the Bavarian exam.”

“Ah, I knew it!”

Damian’s eyes lit up as he raised his head.

“Then we’re probably the same age. Want to speak casually?”

Carl gave a bitter smile at that question.

He had already started speaking casually—what more did he want?

“I’m comfortable with formal speech.”

“Mind if I speak casually, though?”

After that, the two chatted fairly easily.

Their hometowns, the journeys they took, the academy entrance exam…

Damian carried the conversation effortlessly, bringing up stories even Carl hadn’t asked for.

“Do you have plans after this?”

“I was going to finish exploring the city.”

“Then how about we go together? I was planning to look around too.”

“I don’t mind.”

Carl nodded without resistance.

This man had an unusual air about him.

Building a connection before entering the academy might not be a bad idea.

After that, they spent time touring the city’s landmarks.

While they were walking around, Damian suddenly spoke as if he had remembered something.

“Oh, there’s another place I was told to visit.”

“I think I’ve eaten enough for now.”

Carl patted his stomach.

He had picked up snacks sold at each tourist spot, so he was full.

Since skipping dinner wouldn’t be a problem, Carl said so, but Damian shook his head.

“No, it’s a shop that sells artifacts. It’s a place only known to a few even in the capital.”

“Artifacts?”

Carl showed interest.

Artifacts—put in Central Plains terms, were more or less objects imbued with spells.

Of course, Artenia’s artifacts were more diverse and useful, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a look.

Carl immediately followed Damian.

Perhaps because it was in a secluded area, they weaved through alleyways until they reached a place rarely frequented by people.

‘Even in the Jianghu, there were places like this.’

They were called black shops.

Used to acquire items for vagabonds or illegal dealings, and sometimes rare items not yet circulated in the martial world could be found.

Carl had also used such places quite usefully back in his Mu-ak days.

Memories of the past resurfaced for the first time in a while.

But his nostalgic recollection was shattered by the sudden hand tightening around his neck.

“…Kuh!”

Without hesitation, Damian reached out and grabbed Carl by the neck, slamming him against the wall.

The act was so sudden that it genuinely shocked him.

“Wh-what are you—”

“Serena told me. If you go to the capital, beware of the one who gets close to you first under the guise of coincidence.”

Damian twisted his lips into a sneer.

The friendly atmosphere from earlier had completely vanished.

A murderous aura surged, as if he could kill without a shred of hesitation.

Seeing that, Carl realized something.

‘It was all an act until now?’

To think an assassin of his level hadn’t noticed it.

He must have grown too complacent in the peace this world offered.

But one clear question still remained.

Why was Damian hostile toward him?

‘He shouldn’t know I’m the leader of NOX.’

Crack.

Damian’s grip tightened.

“Your act was pretty good. You didn’t approach me directly but created an environment where I had no choice but to approach you. I don’t know how you figured out my route, but still….”

A crunching sound came from his neck.

His muscles and bones twisted and made a grotesque noise.

“You really thought I wouldn’t notice you probing me that blatantly? And I became sure while we walked around. You’re too ordinary. Your gait, your movements, everything. So ordinary, it made me suspicious. Because no one in this world is that ordinary.”

“…Haha.”

Carl let out a laugh at the fact that he’d made the most basic mistake an assassin could make.

His feigned normalcy had backfired.

He didn’t know what Damian had misunderstood him for, but it was a lesson worth remembering.

Seeing Carl laugh, Damian looked even more convinced.

“I’ll ask your body how deep the cult has gotten its claws into you.”

His hand sharpened like a blade.

And at the end of that hand surged a clear killing intent.

As his arm moved to stab Carl’s heart, Carl stopped struggling and moved.

Whoosh!

He grabbed Damian’s arm and twisted his body to avoid the stab’s trajectory.

He then tried to disable him by breaking his joints, but narrowed his eyes at the blue light erupting from Damian’s fingertips.

‘This is dangerous.’

Though he had never seen this power before, he could immediately tell it wasn’t ordinary.

Instinctively, Carl swung his hand toward Damian.

Slice─.

“…Tch.”

Carl frowned.

The sense of danger crawling up his spine had made him overuse his assassin’s strength without realizing it.

“……”

Damian’s smiling face, which had just been staring at Carl, tumbled to the ground.

Splash!

Bright red blood spurted from the severed neck.

The headless body collapsed onto the ground, marking the end of the situation.

“…Master.”

From the shadows of the alley, Queen appeared.

She had been following Carl for quite some time and had almost intervened just now.

But upon sensing Carl’s gaze, she held herself back until the end.

Queen carefully checked Carl’s neck.

A clear red handprint and abrasions from the grip remained.

Tap, tap, tap.

Though such things didn’t even qualify as wounds for Carl, she dipped a potion onto a handkerchief and gently applied it.

“……”

Then, with cold eyes, she looked down at Damian’s corpse, as if ready to kill him a second time.

“Queen. Did you notice anything odd while watching? I can’t figure out why he was hostile toward me.”

Carl wore a puzzled expression.

Who was Serena, and why did Damian think he was intentionally approaching?

When Carl searched Damian’s belongings, aside from the academy entrance certificate with his name, nothing much turned up.

“…?”

While searching the inner pocket, Carl noticed an unnatural bulge in Damian’s chest.

“Queen. Do you have a knife or something?”

“Ah, yes.”

Queen immediately took something out from her coat.

But realizing her mistake, she froze with a troubled look.

It was something wrapped delicately in luxurious paper.

When Carl gave her a look, she bit her lip and took a knife out from inside the paper.

“Hm.”

Taking the knife from Queen, Carl looked at Damian’s chest, then suddenly paused.

The knife looked familiar.

It was the same type as the one used in the dessert shop earlier.

‘Did she like it?’

The quality warranted it.

The knife itself was well-made, and the emblem was also quite refined.

She must’ve followed him and bought it after liking it.

Maybe he should give her one as a birthday gift.

Remembering Queen’s taste, Carl raised the knife and sliced open Damian’s chest.

Slice.

Flesh parted, and blood spurted upward.

…The thing that had bulged from his chest was a small platinum medal.

“Is this some new trend in the Empire?”

Carl tilted his head, still unable to make sense of the situation.

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