Chapter 21: First Mission (4)

Orhen and I rushed out of the tent without a word. There was no need to be stealthy this time.

Given that a loud scream had already been heard, it was a pointless action.

The fortunate part amidst the confusion was that the voice was not Denif's.

Perhaps some time had passed, and he had dealt with one and encountered a problem with the other.

That was a strong possibility. It was also one of the risks we had anticipated.

Denif is still young. If he had hesitated like Orhen, something could have gone wrong.

Outside was the same as before.

As we headed towards the tent Denif had entered, someone burst out from a distant tent.

A roughly tied back gray hair. I recognized it as Hoze Dmitri from his distinctive appearance.

He tilted his head with a dazed look, clearly just waking up from a drunken sleep.

“What the hell. Kids are here...”

Dmitri noticed the daggers in our hands and let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re not just kids, I see.”

His face showed more surprise than tension at the unexpected attack. Was he that confident?

As I thought this, Denif burst out of the tent, roughly opening it.

I quickly checked on Denif.

He didn’t seem injured. There was blood on his face and body, but it wasn’t his.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Sorry. I was dealing with one, and the other guy next to him suddenly woke up.”

Denif spat, nonchalantly. His mouth was also stained with blood.

Denif grinned at me.

“Anyway, I took care of both, so no need to worry.”

“Good.”

Not bad. Silently eliminating the lackeys and ambushing Dmitri would have been ideal, but we had planned to face one with three.

We didn’t know his skills or fighting style, but we could figure that out now.

Denif slowly moved to stand in front of us.

It was a pre-arranged formation.

Even so, it made me feel more secure. Even if he was a pain in the game, he was on our side now.

“What are you two?”

Dmitri frowned deeply, glanced at the tent, and then glared at us.

He seemed to be thinking hard.

I didn’t get the sense that he was particularly wary of us. Perhaps he was dismissing us due to our age.

Or maybe he was confident in his abilities.

‘Maybe it’s better if he charges now...’

The thought crossed my mind, but I shook my head. Denif, who was in the front, also remained still.

Don’t let your guard down.

Failure in a mission often starts from a minor lapse in attention. This could be a trap.

We were watching him, and he was watching us. A sharp tension hung in the air.

The only sound was the crackling of the fire at our hideout, which was distinctly audible.

As the fire flickered, our shadows grew and shrank, dancing.

I gently pushed Orhen back and stepped forward.

Denif was in the front, and I was in the second line, supporting Denif and protecting Orhen.

I quietly put away my dagger and placed my hand on the hilt of my longsword.

The moment Denif in the front moves, the battle begins. The fact that Denif is still standing still means...

The frowning man in front of us is not just a nobody.

The sound of an owl hooting came from somewhere. Dmitri scratched the back of his head.

“Damn. What’s going on here?”

Dmitri muttered to himself and sighed deeply.

“So, are you assassins? My subordinates are all dead.”

“You’re smarter than I thought.”

“Watch your manners, kid.”

Dmitri burst into a hollow laugh at Denif’s words.

“Where are you from?”

It was a sharp question. Could he have guessed this far in this situation? He seemed quite exceptional.

We shouldn’t underestimate him. This might be more difficult than expected.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Denif’s response was a beat late. Objectively, he was caught off guard.

“Huh.”

Dmitri only smirked instead of asking more.

“Unbelievable. Just because you did some odd jobs, you’re made into training targets for kids.”

Dmitri placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“This is my last question. Where are you from? If you tell me, I’ll let you go easily.”

He said it with a smile, but I knew he didn’t mean to let us go easily.

Just as the atmosphere was about to turn heavy, Denif laughed and raised his middle finger.

“Go to hell, you bastard.”

“You’ll regret it if you don’t kill yourself now.”

As soon as Dmitri finished speaking, Denif drew his sword. I and Dmitri did the same almost simultaneously.

I checked on Orhen. Compared to his earlier tension, he seemed fine now.

“Phew.”

I exhaled deeply, realizing I was quite excited.

It wasn’t the time to worry about Orhen.

Battle excitement.

I had been telling myself to be careful, but I had been caught up in it without realizing.

Marhan wasn’t wrong to warn us. Knowing and still falling for it is exactly this.

Well, at least I realized it now. I need to think calmly and rationally.

Denif kicked the ground.

I turned to the side at the same time.

* * *

As Denif charged forward, Kallin and Orhen ran in a line to the left.

They were trying to get behind Dmitri.

This was a formation to protect Orhen and support Denif.

If Dmitri focused on Denif, Kallin and Orhen would have an opening, and vice versa.

Dmitri glanced at Kallin and Orhen but focused on Denif first.

He wanted to deal with the insolent kid first.

‘Huh.’

Dmitri smiled inwardly. He enjoyed humiliating his enemies in such situations.

How should I do it this time?

The death of his subordinates wasn’t a problem, but it made things very troublesome.

So, he wanted to make them pay for it.

‘Should I pretend to lose?’

It didn’t seem like a bad idea. Dmitri observed the kids. They were confident.

From their aura, they didn’t seem to be from just any place.

Given that we were in Haisen territory, they were likely from Haisen. Dmitri wanted to see their confidence turn to despair.

He felt blood rushing to his lower body. The swords clashed.

Marhan was watching everything. It didn’t seem to be a problem. The formation was good.

Denif held his ground while Kallin stabbed or threw a dagger, looking for an opening.

The kids were gradually taking control.

I was slightly disappointed that it took time to enter the tent, but it was within the expected range.

First kill.

Many freeze and can’t move. This was a good performance.

‘They’ll get used to it in the future.’

In any case, there wouldn’t be a problem in the future. Under the kids’ formation, Hoze Dmitri would fall.

He was already a character investigated by the Haisen intelligence agency.

A mercenary of moderate skill, who killed his client and fled during a mission. Nothing special.

However, what Marhan and the Haisen intelligence agency overlooked was...

Hoze Dmitri was a spy for the Ilan Kingdom.

His past, beyond the recent crimes, had already been manipulated at the kingdom level.

A rare encounter between spies.

After a few minutes, the moment that deviated from Marhan’s expectations came suddenly.

Dmitri, who had been gradually losing ground, suddenly charged like lightning.

Denif instinctively swung his sword but couldn’t prevent a wound on his right forearm.

“You’re good, aren’t you?”

Dmitri grinned.

Denif clenched his teeth, checking his burning arm.

“You bastard...”

“Stay calm.”

Kallin’s words helped Denif calm down and take a deep breath. The formation had been broken.

It was clearly his mistake.

He shouldn’t have let the guy get out of position.

Of course, that movement was unexpected.

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. He’s stronger than expected. Just don’t get excited.”

Kallin observed the speed. Denif doesn’t get complacent in battle.

That was the speed Denif couldn’t catch up to.

From Dmitri’s relaxed expression, it seemed he hadn’t used his full strength.

How am I supposed to catch this kid? Kallin wondered.

But there must be a way.

This is a mission given by the head of Haisen’s intelligence. It must be difficult but possible.

‘Denif is injured, so I can’t hold back anymore.’

Kallin realized it was time to use his secret.

His secret was an ability the enemy wouldn’t expect, so he kept it as a last resort.

Then, something flashed through Kallin’s mind.

Meanwhile, Dmitri was also thinking quickly.

The kids were better than expected. They weren’t just any kids.

They were clearly raised with great care. So, it was awkward to drag this out.

No matter what, this operation was already compromised when they became training targets.

Kids wouldn’t be sent alone. Someone must be watching from somewhere nearby.

This identity wouldn’t allow further activity.

And since they were carefully raised, the observers were likely skilled.

Even if they were retired, they would be a nuisance.

Dmitri calmed himself. He needed to look at this rationally.

‘I was going to kill the kids and run...’

If he did that, a skilled and angry pursuer would chase him.

Dmitri quickly made a decision based on his long experience and memorized the face of the kid in the lead.

‘I’ll deal with you later.’

If he left the kids alive or killed them all, a pursuit team would definitely follow.

But there wouldn’t be many. He had experienced this a few times.

‘One at the least, three at the most.’

Considering his fake identity, three was unlikely. Probably just two.

He needed to inflict serious injuries and run.

The chances of catching a potentially talented kid were higher.

The kids couldn’t catch up to his speed anyway.

Dmitri naturally targeted his prey.

Emotions were excluded. The most certain way was to target the mage at the back.

‘It will make the other kids stop too.’

All this thinking happened in a few seconds.

At a distance, Marhan was also pondering, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

He was considering whether to intervene. The moment the formation broke, the target’s demeanor changed.

The changed demeanor and the speed he briefly showed were beyond the expected range.

Based on his long experience, Marhan realized the existing information was wrong.

This practical training was a failure. Was someone involved in the middle? Did the information about the secret leak?

Of course, the probability of a failure in assessing the opponent’s level was higher.

It was a very basic matter.

‘These bastards...’

Marhan calmly dismissed the thought. It wasn’t something to worry about now.

Marhan also made a decision.

Casualties within the planned framework were dependent on the kids’ abilities, but this was different.

Just as Marhan was about to intervene, Dmitri kicked the ground.

Dmitri charged at Denif with lightning speed. Denif got into position, but it was a feint.

As the swords clashed, Dmitri brushed past Denif.

Kallin and Orhen were behind him. Dmitri kicked the ground and leaped over Kallin.

Orhen was right in front of him.

If he stabbed Orhen in the abdomen and fled, it would be over. He had already memorized the faces for the report.

But something intervened at that moment.

It wasn’t a person.

Wind. Wind enveloped his body. He didn’t stop, but his speed slowed.

It wasn’t enough to change the outcome. In his confusion, the sword tip still pointed at Orhen.

Suddenly, Kallin stepped between the sword and Orhen.

Thud.

The sword tip pierced Kallin’s side. Kallin grabbed Dmitri’s sword with his left hand.

Blood flowed from his abdomen and left palm.

Kallin gritted his teeth, enduring the burning pain, and swung his right hand.

All his other senses were focused on the wind.

Dmitri tried to pull out his sword but couldn’t move due to the wind wrapping around his body.

‘...Secret? Impossible.’

Kallin’s sword stabbed at him from close range. Dmitri saw it clearly.

At the moment his shoulder was pierced, he felt someone approaching from behind.

It must be the insolent kid. Damn. Dying like this? It was absurd.

At that moment, the kid who stabbed him shouted.

“Don’t kill him!”