Chapter 30

Recently, the job of protecting Eric has become quite idle, hasn't it?

When I was in the capital of Renshia's homeland, the Imperial Kingdom of Renshia, I never thought it would become so idle.

Most of the people around me were enemies. Every day was a fight.

I thought Eric would be the same, but he wasn't.

Eric, Johan, and Reia all trust each other. Reia even said she trusts Renshia.

That was something Renshia really wanted when she was in her homeland.

"Lord Renshia, I received a sandwich from Lady Reia."

"Thank you! Thanks, Johan! I'll thank Reia later."

"Aye. That's good."

Today, Reia is setting up a barrier at the entrance of the mountain path, and Eric is watching her do it.

Johan hands Renshia a sandwich, and she takes a bite.

Since coming here, meals without the taste of blood have become normal.

"Lord Renshia, you've changed."

"Renshia has changed...?"

"Aye. Before, you had a menacing aura that made people wary, and there was a danger of hurting ordinary people. Compared to then, you've become much calmer."

Johan says Renshia has changed.

But Johan has changed more. He wears strange undergarments called fundoshi.

His way of speaking is unique, and his character is quite complex.

"Prince Eric probably thought it was wrong to punch everyone he passed—"

"I found a suspicious person!"

"Kyaahhhhh!"

Oh!? I found a suspicious person and, before I knew it, I hit him.

A small, white-haired man with a strangely shaped backpack—definitely a bad guy.

Hmm? Did Johan say something?

"Lord Renshia! You were the one who said it! You must not harm ordinary people!"

"It's fine. I held back so he wouldn't die."

"It's not fine at all! Lord Renshia, that man is foaming at the mouth and has collapsed!"

Johan is yelling in Renshia's ear.

It's okay; they trust me. Renshia has studied how to punch people without killing them.

But it's strange that he's foaming at the mouth...

"Anyway, let's treat the injuries...—!"

"Hmm. The man wasn't just a fool."

The small, white-haired man pulls out a bright red cudgel from his backpack and swings it at Johan.

Of course, Johan dodges. Such an attack is easily avoided by Johan.

"Did I, the assassin, fail to notice the target's killing intent...?"

"Of course. My disguise is perfect! When I pass by my target, red rain falls... and what remains is a blood-soaked corpse...! Is this woman's intuition as sharp as a wild animal's...!?"

The white-haired man is swinging his red cudgel and emitting a very bad aura.

Renshia can sense such things better than anyone. In the Imperial Kingdom of Renshia, there were only people like that.

"White hair, red cudgel... Could it be? You are the assassin who instilled fear in the Kingdom of Delcott—Elnoga Miktinjer."

"Hmm, you know me? I've never been discovered before my target was killed. But since you've seen me, I can't let you live!"

Johan is calling the white-haired man Elnoga.

The Kingdom of Delcott is a country to the north of this one. He seems to have come from a foreign country, just like Renshia.

"Lord Renshia, don't let that man get close to Prince Eric!"

"Is it okay to hit him seriously this time?"

"Hahaha, fool! This Elnoga! I won't be careless again!"

Elnoga swings his red cudgel in circles and charges at us.

He moves faster than an animal, so I give up on hitting him and jump back to avoid it.

"Orubran style—False Rain!"

"Ugh! Sword techniques so fast they can't be seen...! Impressive! But, weak!"

Johan uses his usual invisible sword techniques to cut Elnoga, but even when he's covered in blood, Elnoga keeps charging.

Renshia hits him seriously this time. The martial art passed down in the Imperial Kingdom of Renshia, which turns the power of the earth into a force to knock people down—Renshia has forgotten the name!

"Uaaaaaah!"

"Hahaha! A very powerful punch! If a normal person were hit, their bones would turn to powder, and they would never move properly again!"

Renshia's punch—blocked by the cudgel?

This is the first person Renshia hit since coming to this country, and he didn't fly away.

This tingling sensation is something Renshia hasn't felt in a long time.

In the past, her teacher warned her that if she feels this tingling, she might die, so she needs to be careful.

"First, the woman! You, first!"

Renshia's punch is deflected by the cudgel and swings down at her head.

If she gets hit by that, it will hurt.

If she can't avoid it, she has to endure it...

"Lord Renshia! Orubran style—Tiger Wolf Flash!"

"Still, you can get faster and stronger! Ugh! Annoying!"

"Teacher said if hitting doesn't work, kick!"

"Ugh—!"

Johan pierces Elnoga's shoulder with his sword, making him stagger.

Following the teacher's advice, Renshia kicks Elnoga's head.

This time, she hits him properly, and he flies away.

"You! This Elnoga Miktinjer...! I couldn't even get close to my target...!"

"Orubran style... Secret Technique! One Demon Blade Flash!"

"I'll hit you even harder!"

"Ughhhhhhh!"

When the opponent is weak, finish them off. This is common sense in the Imperial Kingdom of Renshia.

Renshia and Johan simultaneously hit and cut Elnoga, and he finally fell and stopped moving.

He's barely alive, so they tied him up securely and handed him over to the military police.

"Capturing such a big fish was unexpected. Being able to restrain Elnoga Miktinjer... It could be a diplomatic card with the Kingdom of Delcott. Both of you have done well."

Eric, who had been listening to the interrogation information, praised Renshia and Johan.

Elnoga was a famous assassin in the neighboring country.

Renshia and Johan might have been in danger if it had been a one-on-one fight.

"So, did you find out who hired Elnoga?"

"No, it seems he didn't know. The dark routes are complex, with multiple layers of dummy information to prevent the truth from being discovered. Elnoga was willing to take any client as long as he was paid."

"I thought the assassins would lie low after Belclain was captured, but it seems we still can't let our guard down."

Eric and Johan are having a difficult conversation, but Renshia doesn't understand it well.

Anyway, Renshia will knock out anyone who emits a bad aura.