The Town With a Chapel

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】

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『────────!』

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.」