Volume 2 - CH 5

As I thought……. Dino had left behind an observer here just as I predicted.

Master can’t go against the assassin guild. Part of it is because she  can’t fight continuously for long, but mostly it’s because a dark elf  like master will find it very hard to obtain a safe place in this human  country. Perhaps escaping is possible for her, but for that she will  have to rely on the underworld society again.

But I’m different. A human like me can escape to anywhere, or I can  blend into a settlement somewhere and hide there. That was why Dino  ordered his man to monitor this place. It wasn’t to cut off the choice  of escape for me and made me do the work, but to make me a hostage for  tying down master.

Dino had never put his expectation on a child like me from the start.  That was why, Dino easily accepted me to be master’s replacement  because he was planning to tie me into the assassin guild as hostage  against master.

Dino is harboring a distortion in his heart. I could see inside his  eyes, the happiness he was feeling from using me to corner master  mentally.

Although he is that distorted, at that time Dino was too  understanding. Even I wouldn’t believe that a child could do something  like assassination even if that child is a disciple of a sorcerer. That  was why I thought that Dino was definitely placing an observer here, and  as I thought, there was one here.

It was a pain to locate him because he seemed to be someone  specialized in observing, but if I knew that someone was definitely  “there”, it was possible to search him for someone like me who could see  mana particles in color.

Just in case I used an illusionary image──Shadow to make him let his  guard down while approaching him with Stealth, and used pendulum to  finish him off. I expected that he wouldn’t be a combatant, but I was  lucky that I could finish him before he made a ruckus.

I am hostile against the assassin guild. I still don’t want master to know about that.

I only collected money from the man’s corpse, bled the corpse to  lighten its weight, then carried it until an area where wild animals  lived and dumped it there. After that wolf or the like should clean it  up, bones and all.

Let’s depart. I have spent five months in this forest and the early  summer season now has become the end of autumn. I have become eight  years old and my height has grown again. Now I have the appearance of an  eleven years old child. The girth and weight of my body are still  lacking but, at least my speed is approaching an adult. If it’s now I  should be able to fight an adult better than before.

Not only my body, my hair has also grown really long, but I never cut  my hair short other than when master tidied up my hair for me. I  braided my long hair and wrapped it around my neck so that it won’t get  in the way.

「Later……master.」

I don’t know whether I’ll be able to go back here again. There is  also no guarantee that I’ll be able to return. That’s why, I had already  finished my farewell with master. Even so I only said those words at  the end before shouldering my baggage and started running to the  direction where I previously made my simple base.

I’m not heading directly to human settlement. Five months has passed  so I think the monitoring of the organization that Grave belonged to  must have been relaxed, but it will be better if I don’t let my guard  down yet.

But there is still just one thing left for me to do before I departed from this territory.

It will be winter soon, but Claydale Kingdom that is located at the  south won’t become so cold that snow will fall. Even so now it have  become the season where it will be harsh to not make fire when camping,  but those who can use body strengthening won’t fall sick even then.

I ran through the forest for two days while using Stealth and Night  Vision and Search, then I arrived at the simple base in the forest that  I’m feeling nostalgic about. More than half of it is almost buried under  dry leaves, but it’s better than remaking it from zero. I used a tree  branch to sweep away the dried leaves, replaced the rotten sticks, and  kindled bug repellent grass.

During that time I headed to near the river and gathered clay before returning to the base and started making something.

.

The next day, I walked inside the city at night while hiding my face  with a shawl. I checked for a rumor with a peddler outside the city and  confirmed that I properly made it in time.

I’m glad that I made it in time before the season turned dry in  earnest. Master had also guessed that there is still around half a year  of time extension but, it’s also possible that she guessed wrong.

That thing should be unable to move in order to heal itself. Even  though its existence had been whittled until the very limit and  tormented with extreme hunger, that thing should be struggling in its  state of apparent death in order to live.

But if the air began to dry, then even that effort would reach the  limit. I have guesses of where it is right now based on my experience  last time. It will attack again in order to regain its strength.

I slipped into the darkness of night while using Water at the  waterway near Seylace residence to pour water filled with mana into it. I  can sense it detecting the mana and approached here rapidly.

「I’m here to settle things……”Water Spirit”.」

.

▼ Low Ranked Water Spirit

【Magic Power : 135/503】

【Overall Combat Strenght : 148/533】

【Status : Madness, Weakened】

.

『────────!』

It’s alive as I thought. Grave’s Battle Technique broke its shell  that prevented its evaporation, but spirit wouldn’t perish that easily.  ……Grave really acted unnecessarily.

The water spirit is possessing a corpse of stray dog that died from  drowning. The corpse is bloated up. It controlled the dog corpse to  attack me, perhaps because it doesn’t have any spare strength to use  magic.

『──────!』

「──Hard──」

I used martial art to dodge the water spirit’s attack and used a small slingshot to launch a sphere that had Hard applied on it.

『────────────!?』

What I used this time is a “ball” made from clay with size around 2  cm. In the battle last time, I learned that I just needed to whittle  down the water spirit’s mana. There is no need to be fixated with  weapon.

I dodged the water spirit’s attack while accurately firing the balls  at the water spirit, whittling down its existence. Its movement is slow.  It’s weakening……as I thought, I wanted to finish the fight with my own  hands at that time. But, I can’t possibly leave this water spirit alone  and exposed those siblings to danger. Besides I also have a reason for  defeating it with my own hand.

I said that I’m not fixated with using weapon, even so I made just one small clay knife.

My combat skills had grown drastically from real battle where I put  my life on the line. I had continued training during these five months  and even defeated a Giant Spider, but none of my skill leveled up,  however──

「I’ll have your life as my “nourishment”.」

I put away the slingshot and held the clay knife in my right hand. Then I met the water spirit head on.

I had seen that “technique” several times with my eyes. I saw when  Viro used it to defeat mountain bandit. I directly tasted that attack  when that female thief used it.

I poured mana in order to engrave that technique that is engraved in  my eyes into my soul. I don’t falter against the water spirit that  rushed me from the front and activated it, believing that I definitely  can use it.

「──Double Edge──」

The level 2 Battle Skill of short sword skill, Double Edge activated  and smashed the drowned corpse’s fangs before piercing its forehead.

『────────────────────────!!』

The Battle Skill smashed the water spirit’s defense, and the mana of  Hard that has earth element pierced its core. It raised a voiceless  death throes and a lot of water overflowed from the drowned stray dog  corpse. The water spirit’s mana dispersed and at the end a glittering  magic stone fell like a drop of tear.

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▼ Aria (Alicia)   Race : Human  –  Rank 2

【Magic Power : 112/165】△ 5 UP【Stamina : 92/110】△ 5 UP

【Strength : 6 (7)】△ 1 UP【Endurance : 6 (7)】【Agility : 8 (10)】△ 1 UP【Dexterity : 7】

《Short Sword Skill Level 2》△ 1 UP《Martial Art Level 2》《Throwing Level 2》△ 1UP《String Control Level 1》

《Light Magic Level 2》《Darkness Magic Level 2》《Non-Elemental Magic Level 2》

《Daily Life Magic×６》《Magic Power Control Level 2》《Pressure Level 2》

《Stealth Level 2》《Night Vision Level 2》《Search Level 2》《Poison Resistance Level 1》

《Simple Appraisal》

【Overall Combat Strength : 143 (With Body Strengthening : 162)】△ 15 UP

.

「…………」

With this can the water spirit returned to the spirit world……. I  grasped the mysterious magic stone that the water spirit dropped while  looking up to the night sky. I won this battle and obtained Short Sword  Skill level 2.

Short Sword Art level 2 will be a necessity in the battles ahead.  There was a need to obtain it without waiting for my body to grow, but  the level wouldn’t go up if I just faced ordinary opponent. That was  exactly why I forcefully increased Short Sword Skill to level 2 by  『cutting』 a special existence like a spirit and unleashing the Battle  Skill with a desperate resolve.

Originally it was difficult to obtain close quarter combat skill  level 2 when you are less than ten years old, but I finally got my hand  on it. However, I can’t keep basking in the achievement forever.  Although there is a bit of distance, my use of mana and Battle Skill  drew attention. I can hear voices coming from the direction of Seylace  House already.

I immediately used Stealth and hid myself in the darkness of night.  As I turned my gaze just a little, I saw the siblings, Maria and Rody  peeking out anxiously from the terrace of Seylace mansion’s second  floor.

「…………」

Although I thought that they should be okay, I’m glad that I can  confirm it with my own eyes. When I decided to leave this place because  all my worries here has been taken off, I could hear Rody’s voice  whispering 『Aria』.

I left the city of Baron Seylace while it was still night and headed  toward my destination. I did my best to not pass through the highway. I  avoided travelling during the day as much as I can and traveled during  the night. I went back the path that I passed on my way here half a year  ago from Dandall, and after ten days I arrived at the territory of  Count Heydale.

Count Heydale has two large cities. One of them is a city where Count  Heydale’s residence is located and the city is booming with commerce.  The other city is booming with industry where a lot of craftsman are  living. The important facilities like adventurer guild and merchant  guild are located at the city where the count is living, but my business  is with the other city where the craftsmen are living.

This city’s trait is how it’s neatly divided between the sout side  where the cratsmen are living and the north side that is the industrial  zone. The morning and evening are pretty lively with craftsmen all going  and returning from work, but the city is unexpectedly filled with  silence and tranquil during the noon.

A part of it is due to the presence of the chapel located at the  boundary between the residence district and industrial district. This  chapel is the largest building even in the north frontier district. That  chapel is the only building that soared high in this city where there  are only short buildings lined up. It’s radiating a certain kind of  conspicuousness.

That chapel is none other than my destination. It can also be called  as the headquarters of northern frontier district’s branch assassin  guild.

Looked only from outside, it made me doubted whether this place is  really related with the assassin guild, but it matched the memo that  Dino gave me and what master told me.

I had heard directly from master about this place, but the memo from  Dino doesn’t tell me about the place directly, but the method to contact  a guide.

I’m hiding my face with shawl but I don’t really use Stealth inside  the city. Because using Stealth in a situation where I don’t know where  the people are and what organization they belonged to is like walking  around while announcing your own identity.

I spent a day looking around the city, then the next day I visited  the area that is selling food and daily life necessity. I tossed a  silver coin at a beggar in a back alley there.

「”Guide” me.」

「……Until “where”?」

The beggar caught the silver coin that I threw really fast with one  hand. He slightly raised his dirty eyebrow and replied with that “word”.

「Until the

“graveyard”.」

「……Come.」

The beggar soundlessly stood up and walked ahead. I followed several steps behind him.

This beggar is the assassin guild’s 『guide』. Most likely he isn’t  just a guide, but he also doubled as the lookout of this area. He has  the combat strength around level 2.

「The leader told me about you. You’re really just a kid huh.」

「……You won’t check?」

「The feudal lord here won’t catch us. Even if you are a spy from  other territory, it will be you who get dragged to the execution stand  if you do anything suspicious.」

「I see.」

……So the feudal lord is also in cahoots.

「We’re here. You go alone from here. It’s the sixth of 88.」

That place is a huge underground cemetery that we reached by going  down the stair beside the chapel. I walked inside the darkness that is  only illuminated faintly by a cheap tallow lamp. I entered a small room  that has 88 written on it and opened the sixth coffin. There I found a  stair that continued to further underground.

I went down from there through a cramped passage that felt  suffocating until I found an open space at the end. When I stepped into  there, a young woman wearing strange black dress turned toward me and  grinned with crimson lips.

「I’ve been waiting, dark elf’s little apprentice.」