Chapter 132

Chapter 132

The Clawed Hands got to work.

Giles could already see Kristen and her team doing their part and engaging with the convoy from the flank. Spells and arrows were being flung across the valley as voices shouted and screamed in the distance. But the soldiers from the Kingdom of Kal could barely put up a fight, even though they outnumbered their opponents.

Because Kristen was A-ranked, just like Giles. And the rest of her team were low B-ranks at most. Even if there were only a handful of them, they were more than enough to deal with the first wave of guards protecting the convoy.

Not that they needed to engage in combat for long. Because they were meant to be a distraction— to lure the main bulk of the soldiers from the convoy away from the armored wagon carrying Guildmaster Evan.

“We just have to watch out for Seth the Battlemage,” Giles said as he hopped off a rock, before sliding down the hill. “He’s an A-rank [Mage]. If you see him, just back off. I’ll handle him.”

Both Sylvie and Jaden followed right behind him. Sylvie seemed to glide on the earth as the ground shifted beneath her feet— a result of her spellcasting. Meanwhile, Jaden ran down as fast as he could... only to trip and tumble all the way down.

Giles paused to stare at the boy as he crashed at the bottom of the valley. Sylvie also came to a halt right next to the leader of the Clawed Hands.

“Are you alright, Jaden?” she called out.

And Jaden groaned as he picked himself up from a small crater on the ground. He dusted himself off as he shook his head.

“I’m fine—” he started.

Only to be interrupted as an arrow flew into the back of his head. The initial posting of this chapter occurred via Ñøv€l-B!n.

“Take this, you brigand!” a soldier shouted as he loosed another flurry of projectiles at Jaden.

But as the second and third arrow landed on Jaden, the soldier paused. His eyes went wide as one after another, the arrows shattered upon impact.

“What...?”

Jaden stumbled back as he spun around with an annoyed look on his face. “That hurt you asshole!”

He picked up one of the broken arrowheads as the soldier turned to run. But before the soldier could get far, Jaden hurled the broken arrowhead with all his strength. And the broken arrowhead short forward so fast like it had been fired from a crossbow.

The soldier slumped over with a gaping hole in his chest as Giles and Sylvie came to a halt right next to Jaden.

The leader of the Clawed Hands smirked as he nodded at the boy. “Good work.”

That was why Jaden was called the Titanium Brute. Thanks to his Skills, it was like his skin was made of metal. He could tank most attacks by lower-leveled individuals unscathed. Even if he did feel a little bit of pain from them.

“Remember, our target is that armored wagon,” Giles said as he nodded up ahead past a group of running guards.

The convoy was in a panic. And the soldiers escorting it were thrown into disarray. Most of them were distracted by Kristen and her team as they took out guard after guard. Only a handful of them even noticed the trio of mercenaries standing at the other side of the convoy.

A group of soldiers paused as a [Mage] raised a wand and pointed at Giles. They let out a war cry, before charging forward as the [Mage] supported them with a volley of spells. Giles took a step forward as he nodded at Sylvie.

“Do your thing,” he said.

“Right— [Mass Sleep]!” She pointed at the charging soldiers.

She was a [Sorceress]. That meant she was capable of casting rather unusual spells that weren’t typically suited for dueling. But right now, her magic sufficed in distracting the soldiers. That was why she was known as the Diverting Dandelion.

Their movements slowed. They grew sluggish, before collapsing on the ground, completely unconscious. But the [Mage] was still awake. He screamed as he hurled a fireball straight at Giles.

The explosion rocked the ground as Sylvie and Jaden winced. However, Giles was no longer standing there. He appeared right next to the [Mage] with a grin plastered on his face. The [Mage] blinked, before spinning around.

And Giles just shook his head. “Don’t even try— you’ve already lost.”

With that, the [Mage] crumpled silently to the ground as blood spurted out of his chest. Giles twirled his dagger in hand as he looked back up to the armored wagon just up ahead. The convoy was starting to take notice of him. Dozens of soldiers moved to intercept him as he started to sprint forward.

“Sylvie, Jaden!” he called out to his companions. “Distract them!”

“Distract who?” the [Daggermaster] asked as he took a step forward.

But Sylvie collapsed. Giles blinked. He cast his gaze over the battlefield as the realization settled in. The Clawed Hands were defeated with ease— quickly and swiftly, before he could even notice it.

He took a step back as he gritted his teeth. “We’re the Clawed Hands... we’re elites! We’re specialists at our jobs! How...?”

“Well, maybe you aren’t as good at your job as you think you are,” a burly figure said as he walked past Jaden’s fallen body.

“You’re...?” Giles stared with wide eyes. “Rokh the Bludgeoning Striker?”

The [Daggermaster] recognized the burly man in an instant. He was the one who had been placed in charge of the fortress back in Windrip. An A-rank captain who was renowned for his physical prowess.

Giles shook his head as he exclaimed. “That... makes no sense! You shouldn’t be here!”

“Oh? And what made you think I would stay in that backwater city?” Rokh said with a smug look on his face. “I left my lieutenant in charge of that shit place. I’m never returning back there ever again.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Giles snarled. “You’re abandoning Windrip just to transport a single manout of the city?”

Rokh shook his head. “That man is the reason why we’re here in the first place. Unfortunately, our King had other matters to attend to, so he took his leave. The only reason we took so long to follow after him is because we were waiting for her to arrive.”

Giles narrowed his eyes. “Her? Who is—”

And there was a flash of light. He leapt back as he dodged a black beam that cut the ground open. He frowned, looking up at a black-haired girl as she descended from the sky.

The leader of the Clawed Hands paused as he saw who it was. His eyes widened, and his legs shook. He took a step back as he said her name.

“Eloise the Dark Wizard,” he whispered. “S-rank mercenary— what are you doing here?”

She just smiled at him in response. “I have been hired by the [Hero King] himself to ensure that his cargo is safely transported back to his nation. It is a pleasure to meet you, Giles the Flying Blade.”

“That’s...” Giles hadn’t even known that she had been in the city. If he had known that she’d be involved, he wouldn’t have taken this job. He pursed his lips as she glanced dismissively at Jaden and Sylvie.

“I have heard so much about the Clawed Hands— I was excited to see you in action. But...” She shook her head as she covered her mouth. “I must say, you have been nothing but a disappointment.”

Giles ground his teeth together. “Why would the [Hero King] hire an S-rank mercenary to transport a damn guildmaster? Just what is going on?”

“I do not know why my clients hire me,” Eloise said simply as she took a step forward. “I simply complete my task. I am sure you understand that as much as me. That is why—”

She raised a hand, pointing straight at him as his eyes went round. Her fingers cracked with a black electricity as she spoke simply.

“As much as I would love to continue this conversation, I have to annihilate you.”

“No—” Giles protested.

But a blast of dark lightning shot forward as he opened his mouth. He couldn’t even react in time. He winced, raising his dagger protectively. He knew it wouldn’t save him. He knew he didn’t stand a chance against her.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the searing pain. Giles knew that he was as good as dead. He accepted this outcome. He wanted to get over it as quickly as possible. But... death never came.

Giles blinked as he heard the thundering crackle of the dark lightning come and go. He saw the flash of light flicker and dissipate. He looked down at himself, seeing that he was still in one piece.

And he sighed in relief. “I’m... alive? But how—”

He looked back up to see a figure standing before him. A brown-haired woman dressed in strange clothes. His eyes narrowed as he saw an impossibly torn and tattered cloak blowing with the wind behind her. She held a rusty sword in the air, and Giles couldn’t help but stare at her in awe.

Because she deflected the attack with ease. Even Eloise looked on with a surprised look on her face as the brown-haired woman just lowered her blade. Seth frowned, and Captain Rokh peered at her suspiciously.

“Who are you?” Giles asked with wide eyes.

“I’m Amelia,” the brown-haired woman said simply. “And I’m here to save Evan.”