SMT 72

Haas was startled and tried to grab her, but Enya stood right in front of Black Bear and asked in a cold voice.

“You’re a swordswoman?”

Instead of Black Bear, Solongo gave a direct warning.

“Mind your manners.”

“Black Bear, you handle your sword quite well. What’s your real name?”

“You don’t need to know, Janvaga Enya.”

Enya flinched, and she stepped back as she drew her sword.

“How do you know that name?!”

Rick and Haas were confused because it was the first time they had heard their companion’s full name. Enya was a commoner without a surname, so what was that name supposed to mean? But Black Bear didn’t seem interested in explaining. She only replied with annoyance.

“You should first ask what else I know.”

Enya glared at her as if she was going to kill her, but then took a step back.

Rick and Haas froze, their mouths agape at the sight. How could she silence Enya so easily? What kind of name was that?

But after, Rick’s also froze in shock. Solongo asked him calmly.

“After the spy planted in Borhumi Castle was exposed, how many of the new targets you tried to recruit have come over?”

Rick’s jaw dropped so low that it almost hit the floor.

“How on earth do you know that? Who told you…”

“If there’s a move inside Borhumi to look for suspicious people, tell them to inform me. We’ll provide the money.”

“No one would switch sides for money…”

“They only know money. Give them double and use them once, then throw them away.”

You mean you know who it is?! Solongo ignored Rick, who was shocked, and turned her eyes to Haas. Haas braced himself, ready not to lose no matter what she said.

“Why?”

“Have you reconfirmed Grand Duke Kun’s whereabouts?”

“Hmph, why would I tell you that?”

“So you haven’t.”

“N, no… it’s just…”

“When you confirm it, make sure to tell me first.”

Solongo coldly ordered and turned away from the flustered Haas.

“Why should I do that?!”

Haas belatedly shouted, but it had no effect. Solongo seemed distracted by something else. Her face didn’t show it, but her heart was restless.

If Lu was really there, he must be confused and frightened in that unfamiliar place. And the one with him was that annoying Tairok.

“Let’s go. We can use the teleportation portal to reach Borhumi’s border, but once we enter, their surveillance squad will follow us, so we’ll have to use a carriage.”

When no one moved, Solongo urged them with the words Lantuya used most often.

“Come on, hurry up. Move quickly. Move quickly, move quickly!”

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One thing I’ve learned while doing monster extermination work where life and death were at stake: a person who fits you best at work might be the bastard you hated most before.

As you work, you eventually encounter peo ple you can’t avoid, even if you don’t like them. And now, l’ve met the partner who boasts the best compatibility of my life. He’s a fucking annoying guy.

“Stop.”

Tairok grabbed my arm from behind and said.

“Three to the right after the corner.”

I stopped walking at his warning. I knew the layout of Borhumi castle well, so I led the way, and Tairok had good hearing, so he noticed movements that weren’t visible and told me like that.

We only had to pass the main castle wall now, and we came this far easily. I didn’t want to admit it, but we worked together well.

We communicated smoothly too.

‘Ah, I didn’t expect one more guard.’

‘If you had, you wouldn’t have smashed someone with a club?’

‘I’d have hit lighter. You’re the one leading the raid, so if the target notices and yells, it ruins the plan.’

‘What am I supposed to do about my size?’

‘Then crouch down when you move.’

‘Fine.’

‘I’ll swing my club a bit softer too.’

‘Alright.’

We checked each other’s fighting style and strength, and we moved out. A moment later, we both realized the other was good at improvising.

‘What are you searching for in that room?’

‘Ah, I thought they might check the castle passes… Who are you?’

‘That’s my line. What’s that face?’

‘I smeared some soot. You found clothes that fit you well, Grand Duke. But how did you change your eye color?’

‘I have an artifact for disguise. A ring.’

“You call changing only your eye color a disguise?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, right… well, I guess you did lower your bangs too… your bangs are long enough to cover your eyes?”

“Now that you’ve seen it, remember it.”

“Do I have to remember it?”

“Yes.”

“…Ah, right.”

“The pass is in the second drawer.”

We had disguised ourselves and got the pass. We stopped at the corner before the last wall.

“Two of the three are guards.”

Having someone with good hearing is useful. But this time, it was much more of a problem. Why did he have to lean so close behind me and whisper into my ear?

“Do you really have to whisper like that?”

When I turned with an annoyed look, he slowly smiled.

“Don’t want me to?”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

That smile bothered me. The ominous feeling immediately turned real. When I was cautiously clinging to the wall to check around the corner and looked for movement,

‘Haa~’

Suddenly, hot breath covered my ear.

Ugh!

I barely managed to stifle the scream that threatened to escape, covering my ears with my hands. “What the hell are you doing?! He couldn’t help but smile, finding my terrifying expression so amusing.

“It works well. I’ll signal like this next time.”

“No. Never do that. It gives me goosebumps.”

Even though I was getting worked up, his smile remained the same. His gaze deepened, and he glanced at my ear.

“Where are the goosebumps?”

This guy is seriously…. I almost grabbed him by the collar, grand duke or not. But a loud voice came from beyond the corner before I could.

“You dare try to smuggle water out!”

Water? At the unexpected word, I turned slightly toward the sound.

Two guards were yelling at a middle-aged woman who was pulling a handcart the size of a wagon.

She had a sturdy build and looked East Asian like me. With a tense face, she pulled a piece of paper from her clothes.

“This is the payment I received for blacksmith work inside the castle. I also have a written promise from Administrator Puanru Yan.”

But the guards looked at the paper and laughed mockingly.

“You call this a contract? This is about raising geese outside the castle. If you were a goose, maybe it’d count as a document. Hahaha!”

The blacksmith woman’s face turned pale. She must have been illiterate, and the castle administrator had probably deceived her.

“Then, then I’ll bring the administrator.”

“You’ll bother that busy man to check a goose document? Drop the water bottles and get out!”

“But there’s no drinking water outside right now. My family is waiting only for this water…”

“If you take water out without permission, you’ll be jailed and forced into labor for a year. Be grateful we’re letting you go and get lost!”

Is Borhumi in a drought? I tilted my head. From what I studied, Borhumi was supposed to be the most fertile region, so why was there a shortage of water?

While I watched, Tairok suddenly started walking forward.

Hey, what are you doing? We need a plan first!

But there was no time to stop him. Maybe because his legs were long, he didn’t even rush, but it looked like he crossed the distance in an instant, almost like he used a step technique.

…Should I just leave him? I hesitated, then had no choice but to follow. When I finally caught up with short, quick steps, he was already standing before the guards. Then he snatched the paper from their hands.

“Puanru Yan, the chief administrator of Borhumi Castle, promises to pay five bottles of water as compensation for labor.”

Tairok read the paper while scanning it with his eyes. The guard flinched and frowned.

“Who the hell are you, showing up and making up nonsense?!”

The other guard thrust his spear forward threateningly.

“Are you trying to trick us?!”

I stretched my neck to look at the paper in Tairok’s hand. It was the goose document. But Tairok shamelessly insisted to the guards,

“Yes. I was mistaken. It says ten bottles of water.”

He even increased the number of bottles, but the guards’ reaction changed.

They fixed their gaze on the paper, or rather, on the gold coin that Tairok held together with it, which none of us noticed him pull out.

Wait a second. That coin has Borhumi’s family crest engraved on it.

Where did he get that… He must have taken it from the relic room! I stared at him, stunned, just like the guards. How did he sneak it out that quickly?