Chapter 63 – Assault (4)

Looks like I have no choice but to ‘assassinate’ them. I learned this from playing games; assassination is simpler than you think. If you kill all the witnesses, that’s an assassination, right? What else would it be?

A hazy barrier appeared in front of me, deflecting the incoming bolts. Thud, thud—the dull vibrations shook the shield, but the sturdy wall held firm, blocking the projectiles before disappearing as if its job was done.

“Damn it! It was a trap! No wonder the brat wasn’t here; the temple must have moved her beforehand.”
‘Brat?’

It was satisfying to see the commander, who had maintained a calm and collected demeanor, now losing his temper. However, I couldn’t ignore the word ‘brat’ he used.

I readjusted the dagger I had been dangling, and immediately, the shield-bearing soldiers reacted, instantly filling the front line. Behind the shield wall, soldiers with spears lined up, looking like a proper army. …An army?

A sense of unease flashed through my mind, but I pushed it aside since we were in the middle of a battle. First, I need to clear out the guys in front of me and capture the leader.

“They’re coming! Don’t fall back!”

Whirr, whirr—I took a step forward, tossing and catching my dagger, and they yelled loudly, clearly on edge. What should I do? I’m not a melee character, to begin with.

While they were hunkered down, the divine power I had been preparing surged, finally erupting into a bright light and materializing before me.

‘Saint Monobolt.’

The divine power condensed in the air, instantly crackling with electricity, tearing through the atmosphere before striking down. The enemy commander, who had been watching the white lightning fall, suddenly smiled, and a blue barrier appeared above his men, blocking the white lightning.

‘A mage? Was he here?’

Fragments of white lightning scattered in all directions as they collided with the blue barrier, scorching the ground with a threatening sound, causing Merosi to retreat further.

“It’s not like we’re the only ones with hidden cards. Too bad, you interesting little bitch.”

I wanted to kick his handsome, smiling face, but I couldn’t move in a magic power contest. The roar that tore through the sky grew louder, and the lightning, shaking the translucent blue barrier, intensified.

“Ugh… She’s, she’s stronger than I thought. Albert, we can’t hold out much longer.”
“Is that so? She’s more capable than I expected. Hmm. She’s pretty too… A bit too tall, but considering the child she’d bear, it’s not bad. How about it? If you come to me, I’ll give you everything you want.”

What a crazy bastard. I was so dumbfounded that I almost lost my concentration. Surely, this isn’t a tactic to shake my mind… His expression is too confident and arrogant for that.

“Everything I want? Really?”
“Of course. I, Albert Hamatan, never speak empty words.”
“Everything I want… Is this One Piece or something?”
“…One Piece? What’s that? Are you talking about women’s clothes?”
“You’re hopeless if you don’t even know that, you moron.”

If we continue this magic power contest, I’ll win. I could see the middle-aged man in soldier’s garb behind him sweating profusely, scattering his magic power. He’ll soon be out of mana. He was too busy maintaining the barrier to even open his mouth, just groaning.

“Interesting. A very interesting bitch.”
“Are you a masochist, you bastard? Do you get excited when you’re insulted? That’s a disease.”
“I’ll give you one more chance. Become my woman, bitch.”
“You said you’d give me everything I want.”
“Of course!”

Crack.
It wasn’t a sound I heard, but a breaking sensation I felt through my magic power. I could feel the mana barrier, which had been shaking as it struggled to block the falling lightning, cracking. Good. Once I get rid of the mage, I can just sweep away the small fries with magic.

Thanks to that idiot for talking and buying me time, this is going to be easy. He’s kind of a contributor to this victory, so I should give him some praise.

“Hey, is your name Alberto?”
“Remember the name of the man who will be your husband. Albert Hamatan! Son of Camellon, of the great Hamatan family!”

What a load of crap. Since I’m feeling generous, I decided to be magnanimous.

“Okay, son of Caramel, whatever. I only want one thing. If you grant it, I’ll marry you.”
“……You’re still arrogant. Speak.”
“Your life, you moron.”

I poured all my divine power into it. A deafening roar, as if the world was collapsing, echoed as the white lightning, surpassing all previous power, struck the blue barrier directly, shattering it instantly.

Is it over…? What, what is this?
The lightning, which had broken through the blue barrier, was blocked by an even denser blue barrier. The collision of lightning and the blue barrier shook the world, and a whirlwind blew around us, obscuring our vision with dust.

‘Was there another mage? He’s… stronger than I thought.’

As the dust settled, the source of the deep blue mana was… Albert, the guy I had just been talking to.

“…You were a mage.”
“Yes. Unfortunately, I can’t give you your life. So, how about this?”

I poured in as much divine power as I could, but I couldn’t break through the solid mana wall. …Damn it, this is cheating. How can a guy like this appear so early on?

In hero stories, the final boss doesn’t appear right away. Instead, they throw small fries at the hero to help them grow. They start with insignificant minions, then move on to their trusted Four Heavenly Kings, and finally, they offer themselves as the final stepping stone for the hero’s growth!

It’s about nurturing and being devoured, not nurturing and devouring. That’s the essence of a hero story. What is this apostle doing? I’m clearly a hero…! I’m the protagonist…!! Why is such a strong guy appearing so early on?! Where did this bastard come from?

“…Damn it. Go ahead and babble all you want.”
“Your language needs correction. Don’t worry, I’ll personally fix it.”

I shuddered at the way he was looking me up and down. This guy is serious. His eyes are full of sincerity. I’m not even a woman, but I feel like I’ve become one. …My beauty. Isn’t it working too hard? Is it because of the names Kim Tae-hee and Emma Watson?

“You want my life? Then how about exchanging it for yours? Today, I will spare your death. A life must be exchanged for a life. How about it? Isn’t saving your life enough?”

……Wow. That’s so old-fashioned.
Listening to his old-fashioned nonsense is making my ears rot. I glanced at Diana. She nodded, signaling that she was ready.

“Hey, Albert.”
“It’s Albert.”
“Whatever. First, you had a mage subordinate. Second, you’re a mage yourself. So… what’s the third thing you’ve prepared? If you don’t have anything else, you’ll die here.”

The moment he opened his mouth, I sent the signal.

“Diana!”
“Servant of God, descend here! Damersis!”

A massive beam of light poured down from the sky, illuminating the area. Wow, as expected of a saintess. She prepared something grand.
Diana’s face was pale, as if she was feeling the exhaustion from the rapidly depleted divine power. Was she pushing herself too hard? Even though she’s a saintess, her stats, excluding physical abilities, aren’t that different from mine, who has the ‘Saint’ trait.

In other words, what Diana can do, I can do too. That’s why I could feel how much of a strain that magic was. I wondered why it was taking so long to prepare, and it was because she was doing this.

The stream of divine power pouring from the sky thinned, and a suit of armor with a pair of white wings emerged. A giant, moving suit of armor with geometric patterns embossed on its white armor and helmet, holding a greatsword with a pure white flame.

‘Wow. This is the first time I’ve seen one in person.’

As befitting a spell that summons a battle angel, the armor had a pair of white wings on its back… but it’s a bit unbalanced. A suit of armor with wings like that. Well, it’s incredibly powerful, so I guess it doesn’t matter.

“Hey, Albert. Looks like the tables have turned?”
“…A summon.”

He seemed to have lost a lot of his momentum, sensing the unusual divine power. Albert, who had been watching the 4-meter-tall armor move, turned his gaze back to me.

“What’s your name?”
“Kim Tae-hee Emma Watson.”

…I reflexively blurted out a fake name. And a ridiculous one at that.

“Kim… Kiim… Kim, Kim Tae-hee Emma Watson.”

He rolled the name around on his tongue a few times, and soon a plausible pronunciation came out. Oh, not bad.

“I’ll remember it, Kim Tae-hee Emma Watson.”
“What’s the point of remembering it when you’re dead?”

I quickly prepared my next spell, sensing that he was about to run. I might not be able to finish him off, but I could at least bind his feet.

But there was no battle. The moment he touched his ring, he disappeared in an instant. ……No, what the hell?

Is this some cliché from a manga or game where you let the enemy you’ve almost caught get away? I hate that!

“……P, please save me.”

After he disappeared, I captured the enemy soldiers who were huddled together, whimpering. …Uselessly. About 20 enemies survived the barrage of fire. After questioning them, I learned that they were quite famous mercenaries in this area. They didn’t know who hired them.

‘What should I do? They attacked us and are witnesses, so I can’t just let them go. But killing them all seems too villainous.’

After living here for 16 years, I couldn’t see them as mere NPCs anymore. In those 16 years, I’ve come to realize that they, too, have their own thoughts, beliefs, and histories.

Of course, I’m not going to say that NPCs are just like people! Except for my kids, they’re ultimately lacking as people, and too human to be simple NPCs. It’s a strange in-between feeling.

This in-between feeling is the problem. I have no qualms about killing those who oppose me. Those begging for their lives in front of me? Honestly, I could kill them all right here. But at the same time, I feel sorry for them, and pity wells up inside me. Like the time I found the mother and daughter who had starved to death in Irian and Grampo City.

It’s such a contradictory thought. I’m indifferent to the deaths of dozens, yet I feel deep sadness at the deaths of a couple.

Well, that’s just how humans are. People can be indifferent to the deaths of hundreds or thousands in distant Africa, but they’ll shed tears watching a documentary about unfortunate people.

‘Let’s not overthink it. It’s hard enough to take care of the people who are important to me.’

I treated the guards who were injured in the battle and called the merchant and Merosi. The captured enemy mercenaries were disarmed and bound, and I decided to hand them over to the merchant as slaves.

“Sell them as far away as possible. Scatter them. And of course, don’t breathe a word about our identities. Got it?”
“I understand. Thank you for saving our lives. I truly appreciate it. I now know for sure that meeting you was the luckiest thing in my life.”

The old merchant was crying and thanking me, and honestly, my conscience was a bit pricked.
Although it’s not certain, it seems like Karsilla is their target, judging by the commander looking for the ‘brat’… If that’s the case, then the merchant was just caught up in it. ……I guess I shouldn’t say anything. It’s better to leave a good impression when parting ways.

“We need to chase after our group, so we’ll part ways here. The slaves are tightly bound, but be careful since there are many of them.”

The merchant and Merosi were teary-eyed. …And the two guards. Why are you guys crying?

“Will, will we ever see you again, angel?”
“It’ll probably be difficult. Thank you for trying to save me, Merosi.”
“…Hic. No, thank you… Thank you!”

I was trying to comfort Merosi, who was crying her eyes out… but the people around us were looking at us… It’s not a romance or anything, okay? Don’t look at me like that!

I quickly comforted her and was about to leave when Merosi brought up ‘that farewell phrase.’

“C, could I… have a farewell kiss?”
“Tsk! Don’t try to fulfill your desires! …Let’s just hug.”

He was the one who shielded me from the bolts and coughed up blood, so I guess I should do this much?

He was smaller than me, so it felt like the roles of man and woman were reversed, but I was about to pull away after a light hug when he suddenly hugged me tightly. ……Should I kill him?

“Th, thank you! I’ll remember you, Kim Tae-hee Emma Watson!”
“…Don’t.”

I was about to turn away when the merchant’s old voice stopped me.

“Excuse me.”
“……?”
“C, could you hug me too?”
“……Yes.”
“Hmm. That’s a shame.”

What a busybody, this old man.