Chapter 17

This time, it's in third person, favoring Alma.

From next time, it will return to Noel's first person.

Alma visited the hidden den of the Assassins' Guild three days before she met Noel.

She had heard from Alcor that the guild's headquarters were located behind a hidden door in the underground crypt of a dilapidated church on the outskirts of the imperial capital.

The visit had already been arranged through an intermediary. By uttering the password at a certain rundown bar, one could contact the Assassins' Guild. The bar also served as the main point of contact for assassination requests.

"You've come. You are Alcor's granddaughter, Alma, I presume. Follow me."

Alma was guided into the hideout by a man in a white robe who greeted her.

Perhaps because she had used Alcor's seal when making contact, she was not questioned about her lineage. Or perhaps she was being questioned, but for now, they were treating her as Alcor's granddaughter.

In any case, she would have to pass a test to join the guild. The guild would likely judge her true intentions based on her abilities.

The Assassins' Guild hideout was bleak and barren. There were no furnishings, and the bare rock walls flickered with the light of animal fat candles.

Eventually, the guide stopped in front of a large iron door.

"Alma Iudicale. Let me confirm. Do you truly wish to become a comrade of our guild?"

"That's my intention."

"Very well. Then proceed beyond this door. When you overcome your trial, our god of the underworld will bestow his blessing upon you. Go on."

Prompted by the guide, Alma placed her hand on the door, and a heavy sound echoed as it opened. A door that would normally require several grown men to open was easily opened by Alma's slender arms.

Beyond the door was a space that seemed to be a training ground. A man stood there, wearing a traditional Eastern robe with long hair, and he had hooks on both hands. His posture and the quality of his fighting aura were unmistakably those of a B-rank Scout, an Assassin.

"Are you Alcor's granddaughter? I've heard about you, but you don't look like it at all."

Alma sighed as the man looked down at her condescendingly.

"Can someone like you even join the guild? ...Disappointing."

"What did you say, you brat!"

"Are you the examiner? If so, let's get started."

"A C-rank like you, trying to act cool! I'll show you the true power of an assassin!"

With the speed and agility of the wind, the man lunged at Alma. A mere C-rank would be torn to pieces in an instant.

But Alma was not just a C-rank.

She was Alma Iudicale, who inherited the blood and skills of the legendary assassin, Alcor.

"Wh-What!?"

In a moment, the man with the hooks was the one lying on the ground, splattered with blood.

"Still a nobody. Not even worth talking about."

Alma slowly approached the fallen man. Now it was his turn to be looked down upon. The man panicked at the unbelievable situation.

"It can't be! What is your power!?"

"Stupid? All the fighting techniques passed down in the Assassins' Guild were created by grandpa. So, they wouldn't work on me."

"Are you really... Alcor's granddaughter?"

"You should have known the moment we faced each other. Even as a nobody, you're a hopeless fool. But don't worry. You no longer need to be troubled by your incompetence."

Alma smiled and raised her knife.

"W-Wait! The test is over! I admit defeat!"

"No, it's not over. It's over when I kill you."

"Stop it!"

Ignoring the man's screams, Alma brought down her knife.

But—

"That's enough. Sheath your blade."

Alma's knife did not strike the man. It was stopped by just two fingers of an intruder who appeared without a sound.

Clearly a formidable opponent, Alma took a large step back to regain her composure.

The intruder was a brown-skinned man in a white high-collared ceremonial robe. He appeared to be middle-aged, but his muscular build was evident even through his clothing. His well-trained physique and short white hair gave him the appearance of a warrior monk rather than a priest.

"Who are you?"

"I am the guild leader, Simon Gregory."

The man announced who he was with a deep, resonant voice.

"I see. As the guild leader, your strength makes sense."

Alma sheathed her knife and tilted her head.

"But I don't understand. Why did you stop me?"

"Let me ask you instead. Why did you try to finish him off?"

"Grandpa told me it was a test like that. Only the strong survive, and the defeated must offer their lives to the god of the underworld."

"That's in the past. Under my leadership, such outdated and abhorrent rules are not allowed."

The guild leader dismissed the long-haired man with a single glance.

It had been several decades since Alcor stepped down as the guild leader, and the organization had changed significantly.

But Alma had no objections.

"Understood. So, did I pass?"

"You passed. ...In terms of combat skills."

"Is there something else?"

"I have a simple question. Just answer it."

The guild leader's eyes, which seemed to delve deep into one's soul, were directed at Alma.

"Did you kill Alcor?"

"Yes."

Alma answered immediately. She had told them Alcor died of old age in her letter, but if they knew the truth, there was no point in hiding it. Alcor did not die of old age; he was killed by Alma.

"Even an EX-rank can become senile and useless. He was easy to kill."

"Let me ask why, just for the sake of it."

"Is there a need to ask?"

"...No, there isn't. It was a foolish question."

Alcor had harbored a desire to kill from a young age.

He had never given his family any love. What he provided was only the knowledge necessary for an assassin and the extreme training he imposed every day.

Days of mental and physical wear and tear. If she wanted to reject the death that awaited her, the only way was to kill Alcor and gain freedom.

"Alcor was a seeker of power. His mind was closer to a ghost than a human, a being that only spread death."

The guild leader's eyes turned to the past, and he spoke of his memories.

"He was a deeply terrifying person. Even now, as the guild leader and an EX-rank, I doubt I could have defeated him in his prime. He was not human. He was death itself in human form."

"But he lost to an immortal demon."

"Yes, he lost. There is always someone stronger. Even as an embodiment of death, he could not defeat an immortal demon. It makes sense when you think about it. And from that moment, Alcor began to lose his mind."

Suddenly, a look of pity appeared in the guild leader's eyes.

"Alma, you're not Alcor's granddaughter. You're actually his daughter, right?"

It seemed everything had been thoroughly investigated. Alma smiled wryly at this.

"Yes. I'm not Alcor's granddaughter but his daughter. One of the children born to a woman he kidnapped from a village."

Alcor lost his sanity after being defeated by the immortal demon. For a seeker of power, his strength was his absolute value. When that was shattered, he lost the meaning of his existence.

Losing his ability to make sound judgments, Alcor became a fanatic, consumed by twisted delusions. —He believed that if he could not win a battle he should not have lost, then creating a version of himself that could not lose would erase the past. That's what he thought.

"That man didn't want a successor. He wanted to create someone like himself. He truly believed that by doing so, he could erase the stain on his past."

"...How pitiful. Is this the end of a legend?"

"No. The pitiful ones are his victims. The women kidnapped from villages and forced to bear children they did not want. And my brothers and sisters, who were killed by Alcor's delusions."

Many innocent lives were tossed around and extinguished by Alcor's delusions. Thinking about their despair, the taboo of patricide was no sin at all. At least, that's what Alma believed.

"To that man, I was his greatest success. Even so, he repeatedly told me not to go after the immortal demon. Even in his madness, he couldn't forget the fear of losing."

"I still hate that man, even after killing him. But thinking about it, it makes me feel a little better. The immortal demon is already an old man. It's ridiculous."

"The immortal demon died a few years ago."

"Eh?"

"The city he lived in became a abyss, and he was killed in a mutual destruction with a demon of the Demon Lord level."

"...So, the immortal demon is dead too."

Alma was the only one left. She felt both a sense of relief and a loss of purpose.

"Alma, to be honest, you are not suitable for the guild."

Alma was shocked by the unexpected words from the guild leader. Despite being forced into training since before she could remember, she did not want to believe that she was not suitable for the Assassins' Guild.

"Why!? I showed my strength!"

"Indeed, your strength is remarkable. I can even see the potential for you to reach EX-rank. But that and being suitable for the guild are different matters."

"I don't understand! Explain it properly!"

When Alma pressed him, the guild leader stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"...What I say next is strictly confidential. Can you promise to keep it to yourself?"

"Alright, I promise..."

"The Assassins' Guild is planning to reform its organization soon. It will no longer be an independent secret organization but will become a part of the empire, focusing on intelligence activities and serving the nation."

"...So, you won't be killing anymore?"

"Unfortunately, we won't completely stop killing. But while killing was the purpose before, it will now be a means. It may seem similar, but the difference is significant. At least, the latter has a future."

"Future..."

Alma didn't understand what kind of future it would be. But she clearly understood that there would be no place for her in it.

"There is a demon within your heart. It would be too dangerous to let someone like you, who could be a threat, work for the nation."

"......haha"

A dry laugh welled up inside her. What a cruel nightmare. No, this was reality. A reality that had been a nightmare since the day she was born.

"Twenty-one years, twenty-one years of forced training, and this is the result? There was nothing enjoyable. No friends, no lovers. I was always... always, forced to follow that man's delusions, and in the end, my strength is useless... Then, why did I live? What were the past twenty-one years... What were they?"

Tears wouldn't stop. It was so empty, so regretful, that the tears overflowed uncontrollably.

"Give it back! Give my life back!"

She knew it was futile to plead to this man, but she couldn't help but scream. In this world, the only person who cared about Alma was Alma herself.

"Your life is yours."

The guild leader said only that and turned to leave.

"Wait! What should I do!? Tell me!"

"Live as you please. The guild is not the only place where your skills can be used. There are many who would seek you out. For example, explorers."

"...Explorers?"

Indeed, explorers might need her skills. But she knew almost nothing about them, except that they relied on their strength to hunt demons in the abyss.

"By the way, there's an interesting story."

As Alma was confused, the guild leader continued speaking without turning around.

"The grandson of the immortal demon is an explorer in this imperial capital. Apparently, his party had some trouble and is now recruiting new members to revive it."

"...What's that?"

Alma tilted her head, not understanding the guild leader's intention.

"It's not strange for the grandson of the immortal demon to be an explorer. It's like a frog's offspring being a frog."

"But his profession is not a Warrior but a Talker."

"A Talker!? The grandson of the immortal demon!?"

"Yes, a support class Talker."

The guild leader turned around and smiled at the surprised Alma.

"The weakest profession known to all."

"Yet, he's an explorer? Was he forced by the immortal demon?"

"No, it's his own choice. Besides, the immortal demon is already dead."

"...That's right. But then, why?"

"I don't know the details. But there is one thing that is clear. The grandson of the immortal demon, the Talker Noel Stollen, is strong."

Alma, who knew little about support classes, was aware of their flaws. It was understandable why they were considered the weakest. It was hard to believe that a support class Talker could be strong.

"Is that story true?"

"It's true. He is even called a rookie who eats big catches. He's still at C-rank, but he is one of the rookies who will eventually reach the top."

"Unbelievable..."

"That's why I said it was an interesting story."

The guild leader looked at Alma and deepened his smile.

"If you're interested, you should visit him."

†

†

"I'm not interested in explorers. I'm only interested in you, the grandson of the immortal demon."

Those words were half true and half a lie. To be precise, she was not interested in the immortal demon. The connection between the immortal demon and Alcor was just a trigger. Alma's interest was entirely focused on Noel.

How a supposedly weak Talker managed to become a strong individual was a mystery to Alma, who was a pure strong person.

"His eyes are different. They are the eyes of someone who will do anything to win."

When she met him, she understood why he was called strong. The root of Noel's strength lay in his mindset. In the world of combat, ruthlessness directly translates to strength, and those with a robust and fierce mental structure tend to achieve better results. She could see that at a glance.

But Alma also saw that it was not enough.

"To build that body, it requires unyielding effort. It's not something that can be achieved with ordinary training. But no matter how much Noel trains, he can't match the front-line professionals. It's just the result of effort without talent. So, it's a shame. If Noel's profession was the same as the immortal demon's Warrior, he could have become the strongest explorer."

Noel must have known this. There was no need to say it out loud. But the sight of his unrewarded efforts was painful, and she couldn't help but speak without thinking.

Indeed, Noel was strong. She was greatly impressed by his excellent tactics when they fought a band of thieves together. But it was still a realm that could be reached with effort. He was strong, but not special. Alma, who possessed genuine talent, could easily predict that Noel's limits were near.

Yet—

"The Azure Extraplanar became a Seven Stars in a year."

Noel was arrogantly reaching for the sky, which was out of reach.

She thought it was foolish. She thought it was a story that would end with a laugh. As a companion, she thought she should honestly tell him and stop him.

But despite her rational thoughts, Alma felt her heart grow warm.

She wanted him to be rewarded. If someone who worked so hard and struggled so desperately was not rewarded, then this world was all a lie. The heart of Alma, who possessed genuine talent, was moved.

"It's all fine. Worrying about trivial things is a waste of time."

She didn't miss the slight shadow in Noel's face when he said that.

Thinking about it, Noel was only sixteen. No matter how robust his mental structure, the heart of a young adult still retained some childishness. It would be difficult for even a mature adult to remain calm when faced with the hatred of a child.

Alma believed that Noel's arrogant attitude and his cold, ruthless, and merciless thinking were part of his efforts to appear strong. There were many trivial people in this world. To avoid being looked down upon by such people, Noel hid his true heart and acted that way.

Furthermore, according to the information she gathered before the interview, Noel had experienced betrayal by his previous party members. The punishment had been carried out, but the pain of being betrayed by comrades with whom he had shared hardships for a year was something even an outsider like Alma could understand. Despite that, he still aimed for the top, and she could only admire his strong will.

Strong people like those who continue to work hard.

They see their own past efforts in the efforts of others and feel a sense of empathy. The more ambitious the dream and the more resilient the person in the face of difficulties, the more they want to support and help them.

"I'm starting to understand Noel's personality. —It means he's very cute. So—"

So, for Alma—

"I'll keep fighting with you forever."

That resolve was genuine.