The Protagonists Are Murdered By Me Chapter 5: 26-30, a 13 tzameti fanfic

This is the second time since facing Gilitender that I've met the protagonist as soon as I traveled to another world.

I didn't think much of it at that time because I wasn't myself back then, but I'm different now.

What's my chance of winning against a level 70 head on?

What's my chance of winning if I ambush her now?

There is no answer.

I am a hunter, and a hunter does not fight head on.

In order to hunt those who are stronger than myself, I have to thoroughly prepare.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Fortunately, the red haired protagonist, who looks to only be around 10, is not aware that I'm a hunter.

Indeed, it was a really good thing.

The Duke of Almus is the most prestigious family when it comes to swordsmanship in the Alethea Empire.

Alethea Empire is strictly a place where martial arts are practiced, so it's best to refrain from using magic.

'Why?'

Because magic is exclusively used by witches in this world.

And here, witches are the enemy of all mankind.

No witch survived after the last witch hunt a year ago.

It wasn't surprising that there are other worlds with magic.

It also wasn't surprising that I would eventually come across one where magic is ostracized.

By the way, if no witch survived, who's the girl in front of me?

The protagonist is in a state of 'possession.'

She was the last witch, and after being killed by the Duke of Almus, she possessed princess Ella and lived on.

…Crazy.

Just hearing it gave me goosebumps.

It's a shame Ella is the protagonist, but what if it was the Duke of Almus who was possessed?

What if he finds out that the worst enemy of humanity he killed has possessed his daughter?

There will be no good ending.

Should I say that I'm really glad Ella is the protagonist?

'By the way, what the hell is a witch?'

It's a superior race to human, being able to use magic naturally from birth.

They can handle magic and have a much longer lifespan than humans, but they have no emotions at all.

'Really?'

Following Ella, I listened to her talk.

"That resident is Camillia and that…It's the residences of the knights and guests respectively. And over there…"

Her voice was gentle, polite, and thoughtful.

She would greet the passing maids and butlers with a 'good morning.'

She looked so kind and beautiful saying hello to everyone.

'Are witches really emotionless?'

Ella, who was smiling and waving her hands, looked like an angel.

Also, while Ella and I were walking, a servant accidentally dropped a plate, and instead of reprimanding the servant, she approached to help.

"T-thank you! Princess!"

"No, please be careful."

I was having my doubts.

Do nobles usually treat their servants with respect?

The image of what I knew about nobles and witches confused me.

'…this isn't a good protagonist, is it?'

Although their existence itself puts the world in danger by law of causality, the Client once said that not all protagonists are necessarily bad.

Though, whether the protagonist is good or bad, what I do doesn't change.

Even the existence of good protagonists will slowly destroy their world, so I wasn't just going to say, 'Oh, they're nice, so I'm going to let them live.'

I have no intention of changing my mind just because of that.

The reason I kill protagonists is to live, and it's a selfish act.

Balancing worlds is just one of the consequences.

Nothing shall stand in my way of trying to survive.

All is fair game in this game called 'life.'

That's not to say what I do is fair.

I don't intend to justify what I do.

Rather, it is what it is.

'This little girl, if I try to kill her now, I would be the one dying instead…'

I can't be sure of Ella's personality after only briefing interacting with her.

An investigation is necessary.

After walking for a long time, Ella guided me to a training hall.

Ads by Pubfuture

This magnificent mansion is said to have more than seven training buildings, with Ella using the third one.

In a place where hundreds of knights were gathered, Ella introduced me.

"This is Sir Yoo Seodam, from now on he will guide me in swordsmanship."

The knights did not clap or speak.

They just remained silent with a sharp look.

It suddenly became quite awkward standing here.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Erache, 3rd squad leader of the Knights of Camellia."

A middle-aged man with an impressive mustache shook my hand.

Somehow it felt like meeting a movie star, but I quickly dismissed that feeling.

"Nice to meet you."

"…By the way. I've never heard of Sir Seodam's name even when I was wandering out in the world. May I ask where you've resided?"

Shit.

How can I explain this?

When I looked around, Ella quietly stared at me, curious as well.

Erache's question was normal.

An instructor was invited to teach the second daughter swordsmanship, yet he has never even heard of this instructor's name.

Does that make sense?

I have always flowed along the river of fate, but now a stone has fallen in, forming ripples in the river.

Erache sensed something was wrong.

Anyways, no matter if I am a stone or whatever, the flow of the river will not stop for me.

Slowly taking out my aether sword, I spoke.

"I came from a far away place you won't know."

"Then…"

"I'll show you instead."

This was kind of a gamble.

The other day, I recalled what Gilitender said when he saw my aether blade.

'It's sword intent that only appears in legend.'

Sword intent.

It's a very common word.

It's a technique that only 'master swordsmen' could use.

Wiiiing!!

"Hmm?!"

"Oh…!"

"Oh, my. Master swordsman…!"

Master swordsmen seem to be able to infuse their swords with light as well.

Even if that wasn't the case, I have other methods to pass this hiccup.

It was just easier this way.

I slowly walked towards the rock, and lightly swung my sword.

My 2nd-Grade aether sword very easily sliced the rock.

"As expected. That's amazing."

"Did you swing slowly so it would be easier for us to see?"

No, I did it with all my strength.

"A swordsman who has achieved the stage of master. That's amazing."

Said Erache, nodding his head and coughing.

Then, he looked at me and spoke.

"It's not everyday I get a chance to witness a master swordsman. Is there any chance we can spar…"

"No."

It was a terrible thing to instantly say.

Erache's position seems higher than mine, but I only know how to swing glow sticks and my physical ability is poor.

Therefore, I must turn down all requests for a fight.

"I was seriously injured during a battle, so it's hard to move now. My technique still remains, so I want to pass it on. Thus, I became a tutor."

"Oh my. Really…! This, I was too rude."

If anything, what I'm doing to you guys is rude.

So, that's how I managed to blend in as an instructor.

The Duke of Almus has five children.

The eldest son, Phil Almus, is 27 years old and on the verge of becoming a master swordsman.

The eldest daughter, Haren Almus, is 22 years old and a professional swordsman.

The second daughter, Ella Almus, is 15 years old with little achievement.

And the last two are side characters.

To be honest, knowing the names of the eldest son and daughter was annoying, but as I listened, I had no choice but to find out.

"Right. Did you know? Princess Ella had a terrible illness until a year ago and couldn't even get up."

It's a common possession cliché.

The princess fell ill, then another soul took over.

Ads by Pubfuture

"But the amazing thing is, the moment the Duke of Almus stabbed the heart of the last witch with his sword, princess Ella opened her eyes. It's amazing, isn't it? Maybe the princess was cursed!"

"Aye. The maid there! What are you talking about to the instructor!"

"A-ahem! Anyways. Can you tell me this some other time?"

"Of course."

Because there was no class today, after Ella dismissed me, I poked around and searched this place.

It turns out that this mansion is enormous.

Frankly speaking, it's almost the same size as a small village.

And it wasn't even a castle but a mansion.

"Come to think of it…Did the princess's personality change after the curse?"

"Well. There's one thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, like, before she recovered from her illness she was a total stranger…Something like that."

Throwing plates and candlesticks at the littlest inconvenience, hitting maids and knights, or screaming in the morning because she was hungry.

Therefore, nobody in this mansion liked her at all, and everyone was worried because she was the second daughter of a master swordsman but didn't even think of holding a sword.

While the eldest son and daughter have already made a name for themselves with their outstanding talents, Ella did not even want to do anything.

Then, princess Ella collapsed one day, and the moment the Duke of Almus pierced the last witch's heart.

Princess Ella woke up with a 180 degrees change in personality.

"She became polite to everyone, took classes she was behind in, and even became interested in swordsmanship."

"Aye. I hope she doesn't strain herself too much."

"Don't you think the princess is reassuring?"

While listening, I turned my head to look out the window at the training ground.

Despite it being late afternoon and the knights' training session being over, Ella was still swinging her wooden sword.

Honestly, it's unbelievable that she's level 70.

Most of those levels are probably due to her magic.

So, I shouldn't hastily go after her until I know what magic she has.

Well, if it's just swordsmanship, at best, she's only a little better than Celeste.

That's when it comes to technique.

It's fortunate that her physical ability is at a very weak level.

The reason why she, who has a weak body, can show such outstanding swordsmanship is probably because the basic swordsmanship here is very good.

[Protagonist Ella used the skill Almus Secret Swordsmanship Style (SS)]

That must be her golden spoon.

She can learn a SS Rank skill just because she was born into a good family.

"Well, she was originally a healthy person. Those witches were the real problem."

"But I'm glad they're all dead."

"…"

The maid's tone changed at the mention of witches.

A voice full of hatred.

It was a sincere hatred from the heart.

"You seem to have a lot of hatred for witches."

"Of course."

"It's my first time on this continent, so are the witches here the same?"

"Oh, it's the same everywhere."

The maids told me all the horrible things the witches had done to humans without reservation, and it was so cruel that it made even me frown upon.

On top of that, the last witch was such a terrible existence that it scarred half the continent.

"The last witch…"

"His excellency finally caught the last witch!"

Shortly.

"I lost both my parents to that last witch."

"I lost my hometown. Damn it."

"Me too…I lost my husband."

Perhaps because the last witch was the most notorious, she left the deepest impression in their mind.

While listening quietly, I heard a sweet and soft voice from behind.

It was Ella.

"What's the matter?"

"Oh, young miss. Aye, I'm suddenly reminded of my hometown…!"

"What happened to your hometown?"

"Because of that last rotten witch…Ah! I'm sorry, young miss. Forgive my language…"

"No, it's okay."

Ella smiled, hugged the maid, then spoke.

"It must be hard losing your hometown. I can't be of much help, but I hope I can comfort you."

"Ah. Young miss…"

Was this what it's like when an angel came down from heaven?

Everyone teared up, moved by her caring heart, but I looked at Ella with a puzzled look.

The last witch.

Wasn't that none other than Ella?

"If only I could share the pain with you, I would be happy to grieve with you."

That's nothing but a fucking psychopath.

WARNING, descriptive imagery this chapter.*

Ella's swordsmanship is at a respectable level.

She only started learning swordsmanship a year ago at the age of 15, but already she's much better than Celeste, who is considered a genius on Earth.

Though, that's only when it comes to her swordsmanship and not her physical ability.

Also, in terms of her control over the sword, it's superior to even me because she has a SS rank skill.

In order to teach Ella, I would have to show my sword, but I didn't want to, so I asked some young knights to spar with her.

"Don't hold back when you're sparring with the princess."

So, I just pretended to diligently teach while watching them spar.

"Ahem. Your posture is good, but the pose is a mess."

Sometimes, I would even mix jargon because I'm pretending to be a teacher.

Of course, If I lie poorly, I might get caught, so I had to mix knowledge from other worlds.

Later, we arrived at a waterfall deep in the mountains.

It wasn't very difficult getting here with a dozen knights escorting us.

Shaa!!

Currently, Ella and I were sitting on a rock letting the waterfall hit our backs.

It's my first time doing something like this, and it's more painful than I thought.

"Er, hm."

Ella, who was getting hit by the waterfall, frowned.

Why am I doing this?

It's to kill time with useless lessons.

In the first place, I can't teach her swordsmanship whose talent is better than mine.

Besides, it would be stupid to train an enemy I have to kill.

So, I used the 'waterfall and meditate training method' found only in novels.

'Young miss. Swordsmanship isn't just about holding a sword.'

'So, then what?'

'I used to wield a sword mindlessly. But at one point, I reached a bottleneck. That's when I realized. I didn't have a good enough foundation. So I had no choice but to start over again on a different path I once took.'

'Then…'

'Front now on, I will teach you the Three Trinity method, namely, the heart, body, and spirit.

What I said was about 0.0002% honesty, but what if a teacher told you to do something impossible?

There was no reason for her to question me, an instructor.

So, I was just killing time by getting hit by the waterfall without any purpose.

"…Ah! I think I just grasped something!"

[Protagonist Ella has gained an enlightenment.]

…Isn't this crazy?

I underestimated the protagonist.

I didn't know that it's possible to gain enlightenment just by doing the simplest things like looking at fallen leaves or picking up a pebble.

That's why I can't be careless around the protagonist.

Luckily, Ella's level didn't go up.

However, her sword has become quicker and more efficient.

Unlike my mixed feelings, the mansion went wild.

It was a very unique training method that everyone became interested in.

The world view of this world is that even a swordsman can cut down witches.

Even among the most veteran of swordsmen, this ridiculous waterfall training method was something they have never seen in their life, and they thought it was impossible.

In the first place, Ella was going to have the 'protagonist correction' eventually anyways, so gaining enlightenment after being hit by the waterfall did just that.

Though, it wasn't without a benefit to me.

After roughly proving I was a master swordsman, my reputation was cemented, but now it has increased even further after Ella gained enlightenment from my unusual method.

"Sir Seodam, the training method you did…Could you please teach me?"

Erache had mentioned that another master swordsman hasn't come by in over 10 years.

No wonder he asked to spar with me soon after our meeting.

"Just go…take off your shirt and get hit by a waterfall…"

"Oooh. Thank you!"

To be honest, lying to an honest person like Erache pricked at my conscienceless, but I couldn't stop now.

"Haap!"

Thwak!

A wooden sword struck, making an incredible loud noise, and then a knight fell down.

Even a decent adult male knight couldn't beat Ella now.

Her swordsmanship is quite interesting, but I wasn't at a level where I could just copy it.

Swordsmanship isn't just about the movements, but also the time in between when you breathe, which has to be learned.

Although I won't be able to bring out its full potential, I could imitate it to some extent.

'How a woman with a small build overcome her enemies.'

'How to overcome the relative lack of strength and speed.'

Ever since I gained the swordsmanship talent, just looking at the sword made me happy, so it wasn't odd for me to watch Ella's swordsmanship.

Even I, an enemy, was impressed with her progress, so what about the people here?

"Oooh, as expected, young miss. You're amazing."

"You won again!"

Maids behind the scene were uttering exclamations of admiration.

I have a good memory of people' faces, and I know what these people have been through.

A young maid with short hair and freckles.

She is suffering from a major trauma after seeing the last witch split her parents in half right in front of her, and is struggling every day inside this mansion.

A middle aged maid dressed in puffy clothes.

Her husband participated in the war as a mercenary to kill the last witch, but he never returned, and now she's serving princess Ella.

A maid in her twenties with smooth brown hair.

Ads by Pubfuture

She lost her whole family to the last witch, including her left eye and three right fingers.

No one wanted a disabled maid, and it was princess Ella who kindly took her in.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it all.

Killing Ella is a foregone conclusion, but I felt quite uncomfortable that the hearts of those here will be torn.

Then again, I don't have the time to care about any of that.

After all, witches are absolute evils in this world.

They…just don't care about human lives.

It's that simple.

It's like a child burning ants with a magnifying glass out of curiosity.

Witches are driven by that same curiosity.

'What? You committed suicide after I boiled your newborn baby alive and fed it to you? Wonderful.'

'Aye, I can't feed you your own heart now after cutting open your belly…none of your bodily functions are working!'

'Why? Why do humans suffer more when their loved ones are tormented? Are their nervous systems connected? Maybe? That's a different thing, isn't it?'

It's naive evil.

Humans spent years in hellish agony, tormented by the pure curiosity of the emotionless witches.

Eventually, humans took up arms and martial arts rapidly grew because of the geniuses who stood up to survive.

After thousands of years of war, humanity finally exterminated the witches and the era of peace arrived.

Only I, a person not from this world, knew that a witch is still alive.

Weekend.

Ella is still training, and I'm still feeding her nonsense.

When Ella was about to leave, someone came.

Haren Almus.

The eldest daughter of Duke of Almus, a genius at the stage of professional swordsman.

"Long time no see, Ella. You seem to have changed a lot."

"When I think about my past self, I feel ashamed."

Their encounter was so tense you could hear a pin drop.

Since forever, Haren and Ella have never been on good terms.

Born to the Almus house, Dame Haren Almus, is cold-blooded and had a stronger heart for the sword than anyone else.

And since Ella had lived a disappointing life since an early age, revealing her wild temper without even thinking of holding a sword, Haren Almus hated her to the core.

Because of this, Haren had always ignored Ella, and Ella was so terrified of her that she would tremble like a frightened rat every time she faced Haren.

But, it was different now.

Ella Almus and Haren Almus faced each other resolutely.

"…Recently, your eyes have changed a lot."

"All I can do is to face the world proudly."

"Yes. Excellent. I've been watching for a while, and your swordsmanship is very sincere."

"I'm flattered. It's lacking compared to you, big sister. I'm just lucky to have a good teacher."

"I've heard rumors about such a teacher. A very unique person came this time."

When Haren looked at me, I bowed appropriately.

She came up to me and placed her hand in front of me for a handshake.

"Thank you for teaching my poor sister. I heard you're a master swordsman, but that you're a very unusual man."

Haren's personality is quite different from what I heard from the maids.

The one in front of me is so talkative and not as coldhearted, much to the surprise of even the other servants nearby.

"This is the only talent I have, and I'm glad I could help her."

"Huhu. You've reached the level of master swordsman, yet you're humble."

Haren, who briefly greeted me, turned her attention back to Ella.

"I see that you are taking a break now, what are your plans for the rest of the day?

"I was going to go to the church to pray."

"Oh my. If so, let's go together."

Haren seems to like the Ella who has changed for the better.

It was a common development.

A prodigal noble who made a 180 degree change in personality, and of course the people around them.

A change that is even welcomed by the family.

This is also a cliche.

"Yes, let's go now."

After some brief preparations, Haren, Ella, and a few attendants headed for the church.

It's to worship Alethea Empire's state religion, 'Goddess of War and Victory Alacia.'

Following them, I looked at Haren's back.

Haren Almus.

She also has a tragic story, losing her mother to the last witch.

Which led to the setting of the Duke killing the last witch for killing his beloved wife.

The church was also built by the Duke of Almus, so it was a considerable size.

The Duke's children would regularly come to pray.

I'm an outsider, so I took a proper back seat and pretended to pray.

A sacred song flowed, and a man dressed in black, who I think is a priest, came out to talk.

It was boring.

"Everyone, let go of yesterday's worries and look to the brighter future."

As soon as the priest finished speaking, Ella burst into tears.

The sound was very small, but the place was so quiet that everyone could hear it.

Haren with a sullen look asked Ella.

"What's the matter?"

"…Nothing. I'm so sorry for what I've done, I'm ashamed, and I'm sorry for everything. So…Heuk, hu…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"…!"

Haren had a surprised look on her face, and at that moment.

The Client spoke.

The protagonist, Ella, is slowly awakening emotions.

Ella.

Having lived as a witch her whole life and never feeling any emotion, she remained calm until the moment of her death when she was pierced by the sword of the Duke.

Revenge?

She didn't have such thoughts.

Ads by Pubfuture

She just died because she was weak, she thought.

Also, she doesn't even know why the Duke killed her.

That's all.

After being reborn in Ella's body, she discovered joy and sorrow.

She felt happy when people around her recognized her, and she also became contemptuous of her past self.

How many have she killed so far?

What terrible things she had done.

'Front now on, for everyone, I will live a life of atonement!'

That's the overall plot of the protagonist, Ella.

…Also.

"Really, heuk! I'm really sorry to everyone…"

"Oh no, oh young miss…"

"I can't even remember being bullied by the young miss."

"You've grown so pretty and upright."

Somehow I felt a lump in my throat when I saw people sympathizing.

That wasn't an apology for Ella.

She is apologizing for what she had done in the past as a witch, not for what the former Ella did.

Nevertheless, the people around me fell into a delusion, and they all got emotional by her tears.

In no time, the church became a sea of tears, and Ella apologized to everyone until the last minute.

However, if she is really sorry, she has to reveal the truth.

How many people have been affected by her curiosity?

She's trying to rationalize herself by apologizing to them without even thinking of revealing her identity.

'Because I'm truly sorry. I'll live a life of atonement and self reflection.'

She knows.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝑚

If she reveals the truth, what would happen?

She is afraid.

Because she wants to protect her image even though she says she's sorry.

She's deceiving everyone.

Empty words are not enough.

Apologizing by deceiving everyone is not an apology but a deception, and it is neither an apology nor an atonement at all.

"Everyone, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry…"

I listened silently without saying anything.

In fact, it doesn't matter whether Ella apologizes or not.

Seeing the apologies mixed with pretense and sincerity, I just thought of a way to hunt her.

'You're sorry?'

In that case, I'll help you make a real apology.

Late night.

On this night when everyone is deep asleep, Seodam had settled atop the highest hill near the mansion.

It's different from my original plan, but it's time to start hunting.

Chikchik!

The point of shooting afar is to kill someone.

But my shotgun isn't great for that.

The reason why I took out my mega shooter is for another reason.

After installing an 'Aether Discharge' on my mega shooter, I brought my eye to the scope.

The distance is quite far, and the cool wind blew, but my scope automatically zeroed in on the target.

In the past, snipers had a hard time and would have to read the wind and such, but now that modern science has developed to such an extent, it wasn't necessary.

In fact, if my goal was to shoot, it might be better to have a sniper rifle that focuses on a single target, rather than a shotgun that explodes in a wide area, but in the first place, I have no intention of hurting her.

Only, it's important to leave a trace of the damage.

Whiiriing…!

The wind swept through Seodam's hair.

Holding my breath for a few seconds, I pulled the trigger.

Bang!!

An earth shattering roar.

Clink, boom…!

Ella's bedroom was caught up in a massive explosion.

It took less than a second for the knights to react.

"What happened, young miss…!?"

The knights quickly opened Ella's bedroom and entered.

It was a mess.

Everything in the room was in ashes, and the bed was half blown away.

However, Ella was fine.

"Ah…I'm fine, don't worry."

Before long, Haren Almus, in her pajamas, came in holding her sword.

"Ella! Are you all right?!"

"Sister…!"

Touched by the fact that she, who had always been cold, came running as soon as she heard the explosion, Ella quickly ran into Haren's embrace.

Haren also stroked Ella's head with a sigh of relief at the fact that she was safe.

"It's alright. Don't worry. Zetsu, Kalmer. Launch a search party now!"

"Yes!"

After ordering the guards, Haren stroked Ella's head, who was still in her arms.

Then, she suddenly noticed something strange.

'What…this…?'

The bed where Ella would have been lying, was cut into a semicircle.

Everything inside the room was in ashes except the three meter semicircular bed, and only the place where Ella was lying is unscathed.

'It's semicircular…?'

Haren suddenly had an incredulous thought.

An unscathed semicircular area.

That…Doesn't it resemble something from the race that no longer exists in this world?

Two days have passed since the bizarre explosion.

The knights searched the interior of the mansion for the culprit, but they couldn't find anything.

In the first place, I was in the mountains.

There were some reports of a loud roar coming from the mountain, but nobody would think that had anything to do with the explosion miles away.

This was such a world.

I glanced at the culprit, my mega shooter, laying on the table, then I looked out the window.

Using my digital telescope that looks like a pair of black-rimmed glasses, I could see Ella and Haren enjoying tea time in a white terrace on a beautiful hill in the distance.

It's interesting.

It's really interesting.

Ella was smiling at Haren with a sincere look that really came from her heart.

After murdering Haren's mother and making a false apology, she really appears to want to atone for her sins.

'I'll live better from now on.'

'I'll be nice to them from now on.'

After her self reflection and rationalization, everyone around her, including herself, seems to have turned over a new leaf.

Just because she has gained emotions now, doesn't take away the many atrocities she had committed in this world.

Of course, it doesn't matter much to me whether she is evil or not.

However, if I can take advantage of it, then that's a different story.

Ella's self reflection has paved the way for me.

I've always faced beings stronger than me.

And to deal with such beings, I've always had to find a way to fight it, but in the case of the protagonist, the method is quite different.

It's using the situation and shaping the plot.

A certain degree of realism is needed to kill the protagonist.

If a protagonist of a story is suddenly hit by a bus and dies, who would think that's the end of the story?

Without some realism, the protagonist will somehow twist the cliché, and the mission will fail.

So, I've devised several plans to kill Ella, and some are quite plausible.

However, revealing the identity of the real Ella is my best option.

It's low cost.

And it's the simplest way.

'Hmm?'

Looking through my telescope, I saw Haren standing up from the table on the hill and going somewhere.

Maybe she's going to get something.

Now's my chance.

Taking out a black remote control, I pressed the red button on it without hesitation.

Then, a small explosion occurred near Ella who was still enjoying her tea at the table.

Boom…!

There's no damage.

There won't be any scratches on Haren either.

I didn't want to hurt someone who isn't the protagonist.

I wanted to keep at least that level of principle.

"W-what's going on?!"

"There's an explosion outside…!"

In an instant the mansion became noisy, and Haren is seen running over to Ella.

Ella was also in a state of panic.

'There are about eight left.'

When I dealt with Gilitender, I didn't have a mega shooter, so I was able to pack more bombs.

Now that I've brought my mega shooter, there wasn't enough room for bombs, so I brought less than ten.

Still, I think this should be enough.

I've been watching Ella for the last few days, and have learned her routine.

Not only do I know when she would go up the hill to have tea time, but also when she trains, when she has classes, and where she goes for meals.

I've set up some aether dispensers here and there.

Some created flames, some formed magnetic fields, and some sparked electricity.

These things are meant to deal with low level monsters, but they will be very useful here.

Rumors have been circulating in the mansion.

For several days.

Strange things have been happening near princess Ella.

Something bursts out of nowhere, sparks flying near her, or a table catches fire while she's eating.

On top of that, I leaked some rumors to the people I knew.

"I saw something amazing. Well I'm not too sure. The princess was eating alone, and suddenly her plate moved up and down by itself…"

"Aye. Who would believe that?"

"Don't you think it would be amazing, though?"

Slightly smiling and passing it off as a joke.

No one would believe such a story, but the more strange things happened around the princess, the more people thought of my story.

Then, among themselves, a rumor quickly spread.

"The plates were flying all by itself? There must be a ghost inside the princess' body."

"That's right. That's what I heard too."

"Aye. What's going on."

Yes, this is the essence of witch hunting.

Once a wild rumor spreads, it'll gradually grow until it's too much.

I didn't like the words 'witch hunt' or the act of it, but I've actually encountered a witch, so shouldn't I follow the plot?

Even after the strange rumors began to circulate around the mansion, I continued to teach Ella.

There was nothing much to teach, but Ella still made progress, and all the other knights who I 'taught' began to trust me.

It was an unintended consequence.

However, there was a limit to teaching them by spouting nonsense.

Finally, the day has arrived.

"Ella."

Ads by Pubfuture

"Big sister?"

Haren Almus, fully armed as if she was going to the battlefield, came to Ella.

Very slowly, she spoke.

"…A 'witch interrogation' order came from above."

"Huh? W-witch interrogation?"

Witches look just like human beings.

Thus, in the Alethea Empire, to hunt down witches, they would catch and interrogate women who are suspected of being a witch.

The process is not brutal and the method used is very accurate in determining a witch, so it did not cause much controversy.

Just, it was absurd that the second daughter of the Duke is being interrogated.

"Older sister. I'm Ella Almus. Father won't allow it, will he…?"

"I've already agreed."

"…What?"

Listening to Haren's cold voice, Ella felt something was strange.

It's as if she was trying to distance herself.

Unknowingly, she looked around.

The maids, the butlers, the knights.

Everyone was looking at her with a suspicious look.

'Uh…huh?'

Something is strange.

She has always felt a sense of unfamiliarity with the people around her, but it wasn't much different from day to day.

Ella thought as such.

Only, she doesn't know.

The subtle difference in awkwardness felt by people with emotions and relationships.

It's only been a year since she mingled with humans, so she has no idea that others have been slowly distancing themselves from her.

Then…

"..Don't tell me, is it because of what's been happening around me recently?"

Ella is not a fool.

She at least knows that someone is deliberately playing a mean trick on her.

However, she couldn't figure it out.

A kind of magic that even Ella, an outstanding witch, could not detect at all.

So she couldn't do anything to stop it.

That's the problem.

Strange phenomena are happening around Ella, but she remains unscathed.

"No! This is not magic…"

"Judgement will be held in the Empire."

Ella knows the truth.

It wasn't magic.

It's not her fault.

But, now she has to be questioned.

It was unfair.

It was unfair that a witch is being accused of being a witch even though she didn't use magic.

However, it's impossible to prove.

Everyone else is ignorant of magic, so only if she says she's a witch can she prove that it's not magic.

What contradiction was this?

'No, if I'm taken to the Empire, I'll be caught!'

With trembling eyes, she slowly asked Haren.

"Big sister, are you doing this because of rumors and what's happening around me? But you've met a witch."

"…Yeah. I've met one."

That's why she has no doubt.

Seodam deliberately used a dispenser most similar to magic, ones that Haren have seen.

"Big sister…You believe me, don't know…?"

That was the last thing Ella asked.

Haren calmly spoke.

"No. I've already submitted the application for the witch interrogation…"

And that's the final answer.

"Uh, you…?"

Without realizing it, Ella took a step back.

It was because Haren had a painful expression.

"Ella. There's still a chance. Tell me the truth. That way this can be done as if it never happened. It's possible with my power."

"…Big sister."

It was almost like a plea.

However, she couldn't.

She must not tell the truth.

She knew how witches are seen in this world that belongs to humans.

She was happy.

No, she was happy to know the feeling of happiness.

Being able to share affection with someone, being recognized by someone, and being able to share a familial bond.

All those feelings made her happy.

However, if she reveals herself to be a witch, she will no longer be able to feel those sweet feelings.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝗆

So.

"Big sister…I'm not a witch."

She had no choice but to say no.

After hearing Ella's words, Haren smiled.

The smile was so warm that Ella, who realized it was an emotion for the first time, felt full.

"Yes. I believe it. I knew it."

"Of course…!"

At that moment.

Suddenly, Haren pulled out her sword and rushed at Ella.

A moment that was faster than the blink of an eye.

Having narrowed the distance to less than 10 meters, Haren slashed Ella's throat, who could not react at all.

Clink!!

Ads by Pubfuture

…A barrier protecting her own body was automatically released.

"…Huh?"

White shards scattered in the air.

The barrier, which wasn't made properly in the first place, was like a sheet of paper in front of Haren.

Ella slowly looked down.

The sword that touched her neck was stopped.

Only her barrier was destroyed.

"…I said I knew it. Ella."

When Haren saw the white barrier, her expression turned colder and colder.

Witches each had their own colors, and Haren, who had followed her father through numerous witch hunts, memorized some of its characteristics.

And the most memorable color.

"White magic…"

She hasn't forgotten.

Haren looked at Ella with trembling eyes.

She assumed Ella was a witch.

However, she never imagined it would be like this.

White.

The unique color used by the last witch.

She put her sword down, and slowly backed away.

Ella looked at Haren who had a miserable expression, then at her surroundings.

Maids who collapsed under the strain of their legs.

A few knights who were so surprised that they dropped their sword.

Servants who froze in place.

What they all had in common was the contempt in their eyes, looking at her.

"Big sister, it's a misunderstanding."

"…Misunderstanding?"

"Yes. I've certainly done bad things to humans. But! Now I know. That I was wrong. I know how to feel now. I feel guilty, too. I'm fully making atonement!"

Listening to her speech, Haren dejectedly laughed.

"Atonement? Doing it in your head is atonement? Atonement is paying for the sins you've committed."

"…!"

Price.

The word that humans like most.

Ella hurriedly spoke.

"That's right. I was a witch, and I made terrible mistakes in the past. However, I'm going to atone for it from now on. I will live a good and sincere life from now on. You saw how I've been living."

"…"

"I was a witch. So, thanks to that. I can do whatever you want. I'll pay for it. If that is enough to atone for it!"

At Ella's desperate cry, Haren raised her head.

Haren rarely smiled at all.

But now, for some reason she had a bright smile.

"Ella. Do you remember?"

"…What?"

"A year ago, the day before you collapsed. You told me."

[You rotten sister, I'll kill you! I hope a witch curses you!]

Ella lived a life in her sibling's shadow.

A life where she wasn't good at anything, a life where everything she did was compared to her sister, a life where her father didn't care about her, and a life where everything she did was wrong.

As much as Haren hated Ella, Ella also hated Haren.

However, she shouldn't have prayed to witches.

Anyone who is caught in company with witches, or are heard praying to witches are executed.

So Haren, who didn't want to implicate her sister Ella to the Empire, kept her words to herself.

"Do you know what that means in human society?"

"I…"

"Ella."

Haren was still smiling.

"That day, I should have stopped you. I know you can't hear me anymore…but I'm sorry. I never thought you would actually summon a witch…I really didn't know."

There's no Ella anymore

There's only a witch in Ella's skin.

Nonetheless, Haren apologized.

She thought she would feel better if she did so.

"Yes. You said you wanted to pay for it, didn't you?"

When the question came up, Ella desperately nodded.

Haren's smile faded, and then she spoke.

"If you really want to atone, bring back my mother you killed. Bring back all the human beings you killed out of curiosity, including my mother! In front of my eyes right now!"

"…Uh, big sister."

"If you can't do that."

With a smile like she was looking at a beast, Haren pointed her sword at Ella.

"At least, atone with your death."

"Ah, ugh…"

[A crisis has been detected for the protagonist Ella.]

[Ella's skill Witch Law (SS) has been partially unsealed.]

The current situation was not favorable.

Ella slowly stepped back, drawing magic from both hands.

Although she has lost most of her strength and is weakened now, she was once on par with the Duke of Almus, the world's best knight.

'It'll be a little hard on my heart, but if I just bring in a little bit of my old power…'

Thinking so, she held out her hands as Haren rushed towards her.

Bang!!

At that moment, her neck was slightly bent to the side by a shock that came from somewhere.

'…Huh?'

Just a little bit.

It was just a slight shock, so her magic timing was only 0.3 seconds slower.

"Goodbye, witch."

However, it was enough time for Haren, a professional swordsman.

Swish!!

[You've successfully hunted a Level 70 protagonist.]

Early morning.

Haren Almus was performing her patrol duty in Hyacinth Hall.

The hall got its name after the hyacinth flowers that grow here.

Particularly, the white hyacinth flowers that symbolizes loveliness.

Haren Almus, who has never felt happy and also hated the color white, hated this place.

She even asked her father to change the flowers to yellow hyacinths, but Duke Almus only smiled and refused the request.

"Uh…Miss?"

"What."

It was the same as usual.

Normal…

The day before.

Last night, she killed her sister with her own hands.

Really normal.

Those kinds of days.

How can she be okay after killing her sister?

Only when a fearless knight asked Haren that question did she realize it.

"Miss, are you all right?"

"I'm okay."

"…!"

"So stop asking me questions."

"F-forgive me!"

She's really okay.

In fact, when she thought of how Ella loved her, she felt uneasy.

Ella Almus.

Half-sister born from a concubine after her mother died…

Originally, she disliked her a lot, but recently they've bonded.

Haren didn't quite understand it herself.

Unknowingly, Haren had come to love her sister, Ella, as if the world was playing a cruel prank.

Then, when her beloved sister died, she was not heartbroken, but rather felt at peace.

It's as if it should have been this way all along.

She didn't feel strange at all.

Why she, who hated Ella, opened up her heart to her.

People around her haven't said anything, but they felt the same way.

Ella's former self was hateful and never did anything right.

Then, all of a sudden her behavior changed into something that everyone liked?

As a protagonist, it's one of the clichés and effects of possession called 'image correction' and 'past redemption,' but the people of the mansion have no way of knowing that.

'But…who is this man?'

Haren was investigating the man named Yoo Seodam.

One day, he suddenly appeared in the mansion as if it was natural.

And, he became Ella's sword instructor.

Almus family.

If you are a teacher who teaches children from such a prestigious family, naturally you should come to use 'Almus Swordsmanship.'

That has always been common sense.

However, no one felt anything was out of place when a stranger became the family's sword instructor.

"I have to go somewhere for a while."

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes."

Haren, with a stiff expression, nodded.

"I'm going to the church."

Seodam sat in a corner of the church, bathing in the sunlight with a blank expression.

[You've successfully hunted a Level 70 protagonist.]

[Your Level has risen by 41.]

[700 days of lifespan will be rewarded.]

[Remaining Lifespan: 2728 Days, 9 Hours, 19 Minutes.]

I had killed a level 70 protagonist before, but my level didn't increase as much as it did this time.

The higher my level is, the harder it'll be to level up.

However, as a result of completing the Client's recommendation, my level rose by 5.

Ads by Pubfuture

I've also absorbed a useful skill.

[Ella's skill White Witch's Library (F) has been absorbed.]

F-Rank skill.

However, it's a very useful skill to me.

I can access the library of the white witch where she kept her magic books.

A bookcase will appear after I activate the skill, and from here, I can take out any of her magic books.

The magic used by the white witch was almost at the same level as Vivienda Magic Empire, and even more outstanding in some respects.

It's no wonder magic created by a magic species is better than the magic created by humans.

My level has risen rapidly recently, and it's almost safe to say I'm D-Rank in terms of level.

Since I hardly work out, my attributes are lower than my actual level, but luckily, my mana has reached its limit thanks to Araceli's Mana Circling.

Just looking at my stats, anyone would think that I'm a mage and not a fighter.

I reached out my hand and grabbed a transparent book.

I was holding a book as thick as an arm that's not visible to anyone else but me.

The moment I turned to the first page, I immediately closed it.

'Crazy, this is fucking confusing.'

Even though it's just the most basic magic book, I thought my head was going to explode.

Nonetheless, I can now study magic leisurely, unlike when I was at Vivienda.

It's a good skill.

Do you wish to return to your world? 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝕞

'I should…'

I've finished everything I wanted to do, so I have no reason to stay.

When I was about to get up, someone kicked the church door open and walked in.

Even though I don't believe in God, that's not something I would do.

"Haren?"

"Yeah. You're just calling me so casually now."

"No, well…I can."

"No, you can't."

Said Haren playfully.

Seodam tilted his head and asked.

"Did you come to see me?"

"Yes…Your presence has been quite questionable."

"I'm not going to tell you."

"I didn't expect you to give me an answer in the first place."

Haren fiddled with something at her waist.

A sword bestowed by her father.

Unsheathing it and pointing it at the man's neck, will she get the answer she was hoping for?

No, why did she come here in the first place?

What answer does she want from him?

Couldn't he just be a normal swordsman?

"I don't know."

"Is that all you wanted to say after coming here? You don't know?"

"I don't know what you are. Who the hell are you?"

Seodam, who was about to answer 'sword instructor,' changed his mind.

"I'm a hunter."

"…Hunter?"

"To hunt beings like princess Ella."

"Witch hunter?"

"It doesn't have to be a witch."

I didn't say any more after that.

The Client had asked me not to reveal my purpose of hunting protagonists.

Haren, agonizing over her thoughts, soon spoke.

"Then…you must have already known who Ella was."

"Yes."

"Do you think I would believe you? No one, not even my father, the Duke of Almus knew. So how did you?"

I didn't answer her, so the only thing she could do was stare at me.

"…If I pull out my sword and point it at your neck. Will you tell me?"

"That's a pretty serious threat. You won't be able to hear it."

Looking at him, Haren calmly nodded.

"I see."

That was all.

She has no intentions of prying further.

There was just one thing.

"Was it right for me…I mean us…to kill Ella?"

Ads by Pubfuture

She was hoping.

Coming here, this question has been plaguing her mind.

I also thought about it a lot, and the answer is yes.

She was a dangerous being that will eventually shake the foundation of the world before it could be discovered.

So I replied.

"Don't ask a question you already know the answer to."

When she heard his answer.

"…Huh?"

The man had already disappeared.

As if possessed by a ghost, Haren absentmindedly stared at the spot where Seodam was sitting.

Haren, who has risen to the level of professional swordsman, a level only below master swordsman, couldn't even sense when he disappeared.

'What the hell is that man…?'

Haren, who was still staring at where Seodam had been sitting, soon smiled.

"Is that so."

It was as he said.

She already knew.

She just wanted to ask someone.

Haren turned around and kicked the church door.

Somehow, her heart felt relieved, as if a huge weight had been lifted.

[Time has returned to normal.]

I spent nearly four weeks in the other world, but only a week has passed on Earth.

After coming back, I checked to see if Taylor had messaged me while I was gone.

There were several text messages on my phone.

[Taylor Nine: *Picture]

[Taylor Nine: Haha, look at this. Shit is hilarious haha.]

[Taylor Nine: *Picture]

[Taylor Nine: Hey, I'm on TV.]

[Taylor Nine: *Picture]

Most of them were badmouthing Lost Day.

Taylor Nine has been going on a wild spree doing all sorts of things to keep public reaction on Lost Day from dying down.

In the past she never got the chance to do so because I was part of Lost Day.

When I checked one of the photos, a full body shot of Taylor was plastered on a magazine site called 'Today's Fashion.'

She shows as much interest in fashion as her beautiful face, but the clothes she wore this time was more excessive than usual.

If there's one problem, it's that most of the time she wore summer clothes.

Thanks to the fashion trends of notable celebrities, Korea's fashion has become ridiculous, resulting in crazy fashion not suited for the colder climate.

[Taylor Nine: Oh right, the payment for the aether crystals from the deformed dungeon has been settled.]

'Oh?'

The countless aether crystals that we obtained from the deformed dungeon weren't settled when I left.

It was supposed to take quite a while to handle everything because it was just the two of us who ate it all up, but it was settled in a week.

I checked Taylor's text messages one by one, then sent her a reply.

[Seodam: I'm back.]

A reply came back almost instantly.

[Taylor Nine: Hey, what the fuck have you been doing?]

Reading it, I decided not to reply.

It was because I was too lazy to answer.

Next, I checked Celeste's text messages.

A call from last week.

That was all, until.

[Celeste: I've just arrived in Korea.]

It turns out that I came back just at the right time.

'Can I really be a sword instructor…"

I was able to watch a SS-Rank swordsmanship for almost a month.

A swordsmanship from a prestigious family, and one far superior to White Swordsmanship (S).

In the end, I learned quite a lot from watching Ella and Haren train, and even had many enlightenment.

My new skill?

Of course I wanted to learn magic right away and was itching to do so, but there was a mountain of work to be done.

I have to meet up with Taylor Nine so she can fill me in on everything that's been happening with Lost Day, and of course settle the matter regarding the aether crystals.

But right now, I wanted to wield a sword even more.

I don't know what lies ahead or what it is I'm looking for, but I think…if I was to take another step forward, a new world I've never seen before will unfold before me.

It was really not an easy month.

I had suppressed my urge to wield a sword, so now it's time to release everything and check my progress.

[Yoo Seodam: Head straight to the gym.]

[Celeste: Yes!!]

The taxi culture in Korea is very developed, so taxi stops were commonplace.

Taylor Nine liked Korea very much.

She liked to ride around the city in a taxi.

Outside, streets and buildings quickly passed while she tapped on her phone.

[Taylor Nine: Crazy punk.]

[Taylor Nine: You immediately locked yourself in the gym after coming back from somewhere?]

[Yoo Seodam: Yes.]

[Taylor Nine: You have to tell me where you've been.]

[Taylor Nine: Hey!]

[Taylor Nine: Are you ignoring me?]

[Taylor Nine: Son of a bitch!]

Her phone showed a '!,' which meant he didn't read her latest texts.

She was certain that he closed his phone after saying what he wanted to say.

She knew his personality because they've known each for years, so she didn't mind.

Rather, she happily smiled.

Perhaps it's because they haven't spoken to each other until recently.

But It was enough to keep in touch like this, and to make sure that both were okay.

"Hey…Can I get off here? I'm a foreigner."

"Okay~ Can you pay with a credit card?"

She has the appearance of a Russian native, so people used to stutter when they saw her, but now they were quite used to it.

Wearing sunglasses that hid her face, Taylor got out of the taxi.

Recently, she has become quite a celebrity in Korea.

Every time she spoke to the media about a guild as large as Lost Day, people would cheer her on, so thanks to that, she was invited on various TV and radio programs.

And, she was simply stunning.

'With this, it should hide my identity.'

Taylor was reluctant to make her face known.

She didn't want to be running around like this, but she also didn't want the incident with Lost Day to be buried.

She doesn't know if Seodam knows that.

"Taylor Nine, hold on a minute. There's something we need to discuss with you."

"Huh?"

Taylor, who was heading for the broadcasting station while chewing bubble gum, smiled faintly when she saw two men in black suits blocking her way.

"You're a little polite this time, aren't you?"

There was a Lost Day mark on their suit.𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕓.𝕔𝕠𝒎

Not long after Taylor came out to the press and started harassing Lost Day, they visited her quite often, mostly with threats, so she was furious and told them to fuck off.

At one point, four S-Rank hunters came, but in preparation for that, she only traveled in crowded places, so they were stigmatized as 'sending hunters to threaten people."

But this time it was different.

Instead of hunters, it was normal office workers.

One of the office workers handed her a business card that had the name 'James Clinton' and beside that was the title of 'CEO.'

James, a middle aged man with fine blond hair, nodded at Taylor, then spoke.

"I'd like to make a deal."

"A deal. Hmm, continue."

"I've learned a little about you. Taylor Nine. You only had some contact with Lost Day in the past. Then the problem is your colleague, Yoo Seodam, and his grudges. Is that why you're doing this?"

"That's right. You know me well."

Lost Day kicked Yoo Seodam out of the guild.

And Yoo Seodam was slowly biding his time, vowing to avenge himself.

It's how a F-Rank hunter hunts big game.

However, Taylor Nine has the ability and does not want to wait so long.

She was just following her beliefs.

"Then."

Taylor while grinning, spoke.

"When you ask for a deal, you know it's rude not to treat the person to a meal first, right?"

Taylor Nine told them to head to Town Gallery, a five-star restaurant located near Gyeongbokgung palace in Jongno District.

After spending an hour driving, they arrived at the restaurant, then Taylor spoke to the waiter.

"From here to here. Please bring everything out."

"…Ah, yes ma'am."

As a five-star restaurant, the price was exorbitant.

This won't necessarily scratch Lost Day's wallet, but Taylor still wanted to pluck another penny from them.

James, who thought it would be a cup of coffee or a simple meal, was caught off guard, but soon smiled.

"I've been thinking."

Taylor smiled leisurely, then continued to speak.

"There wasn't a need to go after me, I'm only one person after all."

"…"

James listened silently without saying a word.

"In fact, I was going to stop."

Yes, after a certain point, this sort of scandal would naturally fade.

No matter how famous she is, if she continues, public opinion will probably swing against her.

"Did you do that even though you knew?"

Ads by Pubfuture

"Yes. Actually, if you were trying to cover up the media, you would have done so already."

There were a number of cases involving Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company, a recent subsidiary of Lost Day.

A few years ago Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company was active in South America.

At that time, Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company was notorious for experimenting on humans.

Of course, few knew because it was an ordinary pharmaceutical company on the surface.

Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company mainly approached ordinary F-Rank hunters and tempted them by saying they could gain superpowers.

Many who fell for such words were mutilated or killed.

Finally realizing what was going on, a union for ordinary hunters was created, and the Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company was completely destroyed.

The problem was Yoo Seodam, a member of Lost Day at the time.

Upon hearing from Yoo Seodam about Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company, Lost Day quietly handled the case, hoping to gradually absorb them into their guild by doing business with them.

Taylor knew about it, and was planning to take matters with Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company into her own hands.

But it didn't receive much attention from the media.

"Why do you want to keep things quiet? I've been thinking about it."

In fact, the reason was obvious.

Lost Day doesn't want to turn this incident into something bigger.

So they'd rather threaten her, but since that didn't work, they're going to try and strike a deal now.

"…Mutation from mana poisoning. As soon as I heard about it, I thought of Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company. You guys are scared of the Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company being exposed to the media, aren't you?"

Lee Yeonjun, mutated due to mana poisoning..

So who made the drugs for him?

It was Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company, a subsidiary of Lost Day.

"…Yes. That's right."

"I was wondering why you kicked Yoo Seodam from the guild. Two reasons come to mind."

Because Yoo Seodam was ordinary?

No.

That's what everyone thinks, but that was just damage control done by Lost Day.

Yoo Seodam was competent enough that even if he wasn't a superhuman, his knowledge would be beneficial to the guild.

The real problem was Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company and its worth compared to Yoo Seodam.

"Hell Gate. Of the 47 people who survived, Lyton, the expedition leader, brought something back with him."

Five years ago, elite hunters recruited from all over the world, including members from Lost Day, were sent to Hell Gate on an expedition.

A total of 500 people.

While exploring Hell Gate, where common sense did not apply, 200 people deserted during the course of the expedition.

Among them, 100 returned on the third day after entering Hell Gate, and the remaining 100 returned after less than a year.

Most became mentally disabled, and seeing them, people started to doubt the remaining 300 were even alive.

Then, a miracle happened.

Three years after the Hell Gate expedition.

47 people came out of Hell Gate.

Few people know about this matter because it has not been announced to the public.

Even between countries, information concerning the surviving members is practically kept confidential.

However, Lost Day had no choice but to be aware of Hell Gate.

Because Lyton who died was a member of Lost Day.

The expedition returned with a few materials from inside the Hell Gate, but Lyton died of a heart disease before they could claim it.

So, who's in possession of the materials that were brought back?

"Yoo Seodam, Lyton's right hand man. He must have it."

However, Yoo Seodam does not know about such a thing.

As an ordinary hunter, it was already too much just getting out of Hell Gate and holding onto one's sanity.

Even though Taylor Nine didn't enter Hell Gate, she was able to guess the truth because she is wary of the politics around her, but she didn't bother telling Yoo Seodam any of this.

At that time, Yoo Seodam was very unstable, both mentally and physically.

But now that Yoo Seodam has been kicked out.

She couldn't stay still.

"You guys. You were going to hog the materials without telling Yoo Seodam, right?"

In addition, it was impossible to absorb Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company under the watchful eyes of Yoo Seodam.

So there was no reason not to kick him out.

"…Thanks for the little story. So, what do you want? For Yoo Seodam to come back? How about no? You think Seodam will go back to you scumbags?"

She held out her palm to James.

"Give me. Yoo Seodam's share. Give me that and I'll be quiet."

James let out a sigh.

It'll be hard for this to pass quietly now that she knows what happened to Seodam.

Originally, Taylor Nine wanted Lost Day to crawl by making it public to the press, but when they came to offer her a deal, she realized she didn't have to.

The press was nothing but a 'mean to a trade' for her and Seodam who had nothing to offer.

Finally, James spoke.

"Just because you guys have it, what do you think you can do? We're also investigating the materials from Hell Gate using Kinetic Pharmaceutical Company as well as cutting-edge aether science. However, all we've managed to figure out is…1%. That's about it. How about you guys? You should exchange it for money. That's my sincere advice."

"Shut up."

Taylor calmly looked at James and continued.

"Give me what you owe."

James frowned.

Even James couldn't easily make a decision on this.

They've gone to great lengths to protect information regarding 'Hell Gate materials.'

However, the presence of Taylor Nine in the press is not negligible.

If she was really determined, she could expose the information about the Hell Gate materials to the public.

Rather than losing it all, it's better to compromise.

Maybe this is the better choice.

'Damn it. If it was just the mutant, and the deformed dungeon didn't appear…'

Ads by Pubfuture

It turned into a worse case scenario.

And a very good opportunity for a hunter like Taylor Nine to take advantage of.

Contrary to Taylor's calm expression, James with a somber look, spoke.

"…We'll discuss it at headquarters."

As soon as Taylor heard his answer, she rose from her seat.

She just wanted to get back the share that Seodam was owed.

"I'll see you later, friends."

The dishes began to come out, but she didn't touch a single one.

"Oh, you guys enjoy yourself. I'm already full from lunch."

"…"

James Clinton and his subordinate pick up their fork, thrilled by Taylor Nine's thoughtful consideration.

…It would be a waste to throw away all of this food.

By watching and learning a SS-Rank swordsmanship, Seodam was able to greatly improve his own swordsmanship.

His physical ability was close to D-Rank, and he was no longer far behind Celeste.

Thanks to her, if Seodam combines everything he has learned, the winner will undoubtedly be him.

"Haha…"

Seodam, sweating heavily on the floor, looked at Celeste and realized.

'This child is a genius.'

The Client once said the rank above C is considered a genius.

What about A-Rank then?

She said the term 'talent that comes once a hundred year' is befitting those who have A-Rank talent.

Even if Celeste does not have A-Rank talent, it's probably somewhere between C and A.

And her talent with the sword is at least above B-Rank.

Although Seodam earnestly watched and learned the Almus Swordsmanship, the fact is, most of it was tailored for a woman's body.

It was Haren and Ella that he observed and learned from.

Haren has a height of 170cm, and Ella was barely over 150cm, perhaps because she hadn't eaten properly since becoming ill.

Celeste has a height of around 160cm.

Thus, the Almus Swordsmanship fits her perfectly.

Recalling Haren's posture, Seodam would correct Celeste's posture.

"Why are your feet so far apart?"

"Hey. Is your arms longer than mine? Is the sword too long? Why are you swinging it like that?"

"Watch your breathing, don't just swing randomly."

He was now well aware of how to properly hold and swing a sword.

How the muscle should work, how the feet should move, and how to breathe.

It's only been 30 years since the emergence of superhumans and the development of swordsmanship with superhumans in mind, so it has been relatively short.

The result of combining superhuman traits with swordsmanship that has more than hundreds of years of history was what Celeste is working towards.

She learned Almus Swordsmanship very quickly.

Although it was impossible to pass on the whole technique of the Almus family because Seodam could not get it as a skill, he could still teach her how to swing the sword more efficiently.

It's been two weeks, and Celeste grew very fast in that time to the point where even Yoo Seodam was surprised.

'This…When she grows up, maybe she'll surpass her father?'

Although her father is also a genius and an outstanding swordsman, it's safe to say that his SS-Rank was gained haphazardly.

Seodam thought that perhaps Celeste could achieve the true power of SS-Rank with her own ability.

Sunday morning, a time when no would visit the gym.

"Hey, are you still doing that?"

The two of them were wielding their swords when someone else' voice was heard.

It was Taylor Nine.

She was wearing a white sleeveless shirt, blue hot pants, and a brown hat with striking bear ears.

Taylor glanced at Celeste and stroked her chin.

"While you've been playing with another woman, who do you think has been running around with blisters on her feet?"

"What is it?"

"I came to give you this."

"That's…?"

Taylor showed Seodam a black flower pot in her arms.

The flower pot covered by a clear tube had a mysterious white flower inside, and it appeared to be withering as if it was almost lifeless.

"Hell Gate. It's the flower that grew inside. You remember, don't you?"

"Well…I do."

Among the countless things he saw inside Hell Gate, this was particularly unique, so it remained in his memory.

It was one of the few mysterious and beautiful things in that hell.

He didn't know it was retrieved from Hell Gate and is still alive.

"This sister took it from Lost Day's private stash…Well, it's almost fully withered, so I can't do much about it, but I still think it's better than having it in their hands."

Seodam approached Taylor and took the flower pot.

The few symbols of hope seen in that terrible hell.

He didn't expect to see this again here, so he felt somewhat restless.

Of course, no matter how much Seodam researched, he couldn't figure out anything about it.

Because he isn't a scientist.

Besides, didn't she say even Lost Day couldn't figure anything out?

He had such thoughts.

[Skill White Witch's Library (F) has been activated.]

[Searching for knowledge on the target.]

'Huh?'

Suddenly, a transparent book floated in the air and the pages turned until it finally stopped.

[Image search found, Silver Spiritual Flower.]

'Spirit…?'