Sword Master With One Strike Kill - Chapter 135

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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One-Strike Kill Swordmaster Episode 135

 

Episode 135. Auction Preparations (9)

 

Huuuu-.

 

Karayan leaned back on the sofa and let out a deep sigh.

 

The magic city of Wintershield had been swept up in major incidents over the past few weeks.

 

The death of The Adversary. The sudden replacement of the Magic University’s chancellor. And even the exposure of the Shadow Conclave’s existence.

 

“….”

 

Though there was no clear proof, Karayan thought Gaon was behind all of these events.

 

Indeed, these incidents had erupted one after another right after he arrived in Wintershield.

 

‘That’s why I tried to probe him despite knowing it was shameless….’

 

─When we first met, you deceived me by pretending to be a servant, and now you’re hiding your sinister intentions from me.

 

“….”

 

Gaon was already several steps ahead of him.

 

He had thought he was hiding his true intentions well.

 

But Gaon, who had seen through all his intentions, had instantly dismissed his ulterior motives.

 

“Ha, hahaha….”

 

Karayan let out another hollow laugh and rubbed his face with dry hands.

 

Gaon had always helped him.

 

There was no need to mention how he had saved his life in the Uncharted Wilderness, and thanks to him revealing that Seorineul wasn’t genuine, he had avoided great embarrassment.

 

The reason for specifically holding the Celestial Dragon auction in Dungarrd?

 

That too was surely to elevate the Ruin Guild’s standing.

 

‘And yet I was trying to probe The Protagonist….’

 

Somehow he felt pathetic about himself.

 

Instead of repaying kindness with kindness, he had kept beating around the bush trying to extract information.

 

…He thought he should sincerely apologize when he met Gaon again. Perhaps with a small gift as well.

 

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Karayan muttered in a low voice.

 

“Roren.”

 

Swish-.

 

As soon as she finished speaking, a shadow in the corner of the room rippled.

 

Soon after, a knight wearing a black robe revealed himself.

 

“Did you call for me, Master.”

 

“….”

 

Karayan’s eyes gleamed sharply.

 

Though his heart was still uncomfortable, it was time to stop the self-reproach for now.

 

Before the auction began, this was a time that required more thorough preparation than ever.

 

─Puppet Master Batu has hidden himself in the Dark City.

 

“There’s work to be done.”

 

…The tragedy looming over the Dark City had to be prevented at all costs.

 

* * *

 

Crackle, whoosh-!

 

Blue-green flames illuminating the back alley.

 

The sack containing the corpse had completely burned to ash.

 

As the last handful of ashes scattered in the wind, Adelia finished her brief prayer and raised her head.

 

“Thank you for your consideration every time, The Protagonist.”

 

“….”

 

“Now, let’s move.”

 

Nod-.

 

After finishing the memorial service and leaving the alley with Adelia, the city’s atmosphere completely changed.

 

Unlike the gloomy and desolate back alley, the main street was quite lively.

 

Murmur murmur-.

 

The busy movements of merchants preparing for evening business.

 

Warm light spilling from inns and taverns. Even the presence of Ruin Guild guards stationed throughout.

 

Of course, compared to other major cities’ commercial districts, it still had a dim and bleak atmosphere, but at least the eerie aura felt in the back alleys seemed to have definitely lifted.

 

‘Well, that aside….’

 

Stop-.

 

While looking around, I suddenly stopped at a familiar scene.

 

Right here.

 

Two months ago, this was the place where I first noticed Adelia’s surveillance.

 

At that time, Adelia had followed me with clumsy skills, and I had pretended not to know while being aware of her presence.

 

Chuckle-.

 

As that memory came back, laughter escaped me without realizing it.

 

“It was just two months ago that you were tailing me in this alley.”

 

“Ah….”

 

Hearing my words, Adelia scratched her cheek with an embarrassed expression and replied.

 

“…That’s right.”

 

She turned to look at me and smiled.

 

“I’ve said this countless times already, but if I hadn’t followed The Protagonist that day, I would have regretted it for life.”

 

Nod-.

 

I silently nodded my head.

 

Actually, Adelia’s decision was something I was truly grateful for.

 

If she hadn’t mustered the courage, I wouldn’t have achieved such great results either.

 

‘Speaking of which….’

 

Glance-.

 

While having these various thoughts, I checked the city’s clock tower.

 

Considering when Dano arrived in Wintershield, Strawberry Latte should have already reached Dungarrd, the Dark City.

 

She’s probably waiting at the hotel by now.

 

“Let’s move quickly. Our companions are waiting.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Step, step-.

 

How many more minutes did we walk along the main road? Finally, we were able to reach our destination.

 

Ruins Stay Hotel.

 

I headed straight for the building’s entrance, and Adelia followed behind me.

 

Creak-.

 

The moment I opened the door and stepped into the lobby.

 

“Damn thief bastard!”

 

“…?”

 

Pause-.

 

I had no choice but to stop walking at the ear-piercing shout.

 

A high and sharp tone. Even a somewhat whining way of speaking.

 

It was a voice all too familiar to me, a veteran of Roel.

 

‘Could it be….’

 

Glance-.

 

I turned my gaze toward where the commotion was coming from.

 

Not far away, I could see the Wintershield Magic Academy delegation. Those wearing robes were all making troubled expressions for some reason.

 

And for good reason, since a girl who appeared to be around ten years old was hopping around and throwing a tantrum at them.

 

“Grrrr, eeeeeek…!”

 

Swoosh, swish-!

 

The little brat… No. More precisely, the woman who ‘looked like’ a little brat was flailing her arms, trying to grab Selena by the collar.

 

But due to the height difference, she was only flailing uselessly in the air. Her fingertips never managed to reach Selena.

 

“Die! Just die! You thieving bastard!”

 

Sand-colored shirt and shorts. A large bag and a belt equipped with various tools.

 

Every time she jumped, instruments like a compass and telescope rattled at her waist.

 

At first glance, she looked like a kid pretending to be an explorer, but…

 

I knew. I knew just how remarkable a person she was.

 

‘…I didn’t expect to encounter them this quickly.’

 

Just then, with a notification sound, system windows appeared before my eyes.

 

Ding-!

 

〔Part of a hidden message is being revealed.〕

 

〔Causality is being twisted.〕

 

〔The encounter with the Koshat siblings of the Relic Investigation Team has been moved up.〕

 

It seemed the Relic Investigation Team had dispatched their best duo for this Celestial Dragon auction.

 

‘This…’

 

…It looked like exploring the Rashutku Ruins would become much easier.

 

* * *

 

“Sigh.”

 

Selena Servich looked down at the creature throwing a fit before her and let out a deep sigh.

 

Natalya Koshat.

 

One of the aces of the Relic Investigation Team, a person who possessed both extensive knowledge of ancient civilizations and excellent exploration abilities.

 

Truly, she was a genius explorer whose talent alone could not be denied.

 

“You damn thieving bastard!”

 

But right now.

 

That genius was throwing a tantrum like a child in the middle of the hotel lobby.

 

“Look here, Miss Koshat. Please calm down. At this rate, we’ll get kicked out too.”

 

“Calm down? Do I look like I can calm down, you bastard…!”

 

Selena looked down at the screaming Natalya and smiled bitterly.

 

‘…So it’s come to this after all.’

 

Actually, it wasn’t a reaction she couldn’t understand at all.

 

Even Selena herself thought what she had done was garbage.

 

Over ten years ago.

 

The Relic Investigation Team had difficulty deciphering ancient documents and requested help from Wintershield Magic Academy.

 

And under the name of ‘cooperation,’ they had lent maps and keys related to ancient ruins.

 

─Th, this is…!

 

The moment she first encountered those items, Selena immediately realized. This wasn’t just a simple ancient artifact.

 

The Rashutku Ruins.

 

Traces of an ancient civilization that had only been passed down in legends.

 

There were rumors that knowledge far surpassing modern magical systems lay dormant in those ruins, and Selena could never let that possibility slip by.

 

‘I worked day and night trying to decode it.’

 

But clues were hard to come by.

 

The ancient script didn’t match any known language system, and the symbols on the map were incomprehensible.

 

The Magic Academy’s best minds worked on it, but for years they couldn’t interpret a single sentence.

 

Time flowed on and on.

 

For the first few years, the Relic Investigation Team persistently demanded the return of the artifacts. They sent official letters, delegations, and even protest documents.

 

However, Selena ignored their demands under the pretext of ongoing research, and at some point, the Relic Investigation Team’s protests began to gradually subside.

 

‘So I thought they had finally given up…’

 

Since there had been no contact for the past few years, Selena thought the Relic Investigation Team had either given up entirely or was focusing on other artifacts.

 

That’s why she had readily given the Rashutku map and key to Gaon as a gift.

 

But now, seeing Natalya throwing a fit before her eyes…

 

‘…They were just enduring it.’

 

Since making a fuss would only result in silence anyway, they had chosen to swallow their anger rather than rage at an unresponsive opponent.

 

“…”

 

Swish-.

 

Selena turned her gaze.

 

Looking toward a corner of the lobby, she saw another small figure leaning against the wall, nodding off.

 

Snore, snore-.

 

Marcos Koshat.

 

Natalya’s older brother and another ace of the Relic Investigation Team.

 

A scholar with a quiet and cautious personality, the complete opposite of his explorer-type sister.

 

‘The fact that these siblings appeared in Dawnguard means…’

 

Selena’s eyes sharpened.

 

‘…They’re definitely here to participate in the Celestial Dragon auction.’

 

If they could examine the corpse of a divine beast that had lived for thousands of years, they might obtain clues to deduce the ecology and structure of ancient civilizations.

 

It was a situation that would drive the Relic Investigation Team crazy.

 

Perhaps the answers they had craved for decades might be sleeping within the divine beast’s corpse.

 

‘What rotten luck. To encounter the Relic Investigation Team here of all places.’

 

Tsk-.

 

She never imagined she’d face such a troublesome situation while busy with the important matter of the Celestial Dragon auction.

 

…Of course, she was the one who had committed the wrongdoing first.

 

Clicking her tongue, Selena looked down at Natalya Koshat again. Then she repeated the same excuse she had been using for the past ten years.

 

“Miss Koshat.”

 

“What!”

 

“Currently, our academy is working hard to decode the Relic Investigation Team’s map.”

 

“So! Does that sound like a reasonable excuse to you right now!”

 

“Research naturally takes a long time. Especially when it comes to interpreting ancient documents.”

 

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a lie. Research had indeed continued.

 

It’s just that there were no results, so she had handed it over to Gaon.

 

Natalya Koshat began pointing this out as well.

 

“But there’s been no progress, no progress!”

 

“…”

 

“You’ve been repeating the same words like a parrot for ten years, so how long do we have to endure…”

 

“The decoding is complete.”

 

“…?”

 

“…?”

 

Stop-.

 

At that very moment.

 

At the sudden voice from behind, all noise in the lobby came to a halt.

 

Selena Servich whipped around.

 

Dark blue hair and golden eyes. Certainly handsome features, but a face so intimidating that one couldn’t dare meet his gaze carelessly.

 

Sword Master Gaon was walking toward this place together with Adelia.

 

But….

 

‘…What’s that?’

 

Startled—.

 

Selena’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

Because Gaon was holding familiar objects in his hands.

 

A map made of old parchment. And a rusted bronze key.

 

“Huh, huhhuh?”

 

Natalya Koshat also widened her eyes as she stared at Gaon.

 

“Th-that… those are our belongings…? Why does that person have them…?”

 

Markus, who had been dozing in the corner, was now awake as well. His gaze was fixed on the objects in Gaon’s hands.

 

“Wait a minute.”

 

Markus rubbed his eyes, then adjusted his glasses and asked.

 

“You, what did you just say?”

 

To this, Gaon answered in a calm voice.

 

“I said I finished the deciphering.”

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

Silence flowing through the lobby.

 

After a long moment of quiet, Natalya Koshat opened her mouth.

 

“N-no… so who exactly are you…?”

 

* * *

 

[Middle Finger] : Hello, this is Gaon.

 

[Middle Finger] : I’m stagnant water who’s been grinding in Roel for a whole 12 years.

 

Pfft, kheup—.

 

At the note that came at such an unexpected timing, Strawberry Latte almost burst out laughing.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“…I-I choked. I’m sorry, Chancellor.”

 

Strawberry Latte apologized to Biyolf and stifled his laughter while pretending to wipe his mouth with his sleeve.

 

‘He’s going for the kill here, this crazy bastard…?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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