Survival 36

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“How did you know…?”

Georg held his breath and peeked over the wall.

“Haha! I heard you were a promising mercenary, but you’re just laughable!”

While on guard duty after accepting a request, he quickly led the available troops to deal with the commotion at the auction house.

Yet, it was still insufficient.

The elusive swordsmanship that was hard to follow, the dazzling footwork that was almost invisible, and the various explosives and traps.

He thought the thief, infamous in the West, would only be chased in pursuit, but it didn’t take long for the Sand Mole to corner him.

Despite the many variables, defeat was already a clear situation.

He could only face it as a mercenary.

Just before collapsing from exhaustion, fortunately, reinforcements arrived.

“Leave this to me. Go check the warehouse.”

The ruler of the North, whose face he also knew.

Georg had no choice but to follow that command.

And there, he witnessed the Northern treasure, Luciana, fighting an unidentified assailant.

He saw her lose consciousness and fall.

Everything.

“Can I win if I strike now?”

To complete his guard duty, he had to confront the one wearing the golden mask.

Especially with the Northern lady captured.

But having watched that battle earlier, he hesitated.

“I couldn’t follow it with my eyes.”

The golden and frosty trajectories clashed, and he swiftly closed the distance and struck Luciana’s neck to win.

That series of movements was beyond his level.

Moreover, the Golden Mask, the victor, was none other than Luciana.

Georg remembered that day clearly.

“You know how to handle a sword, but that’s all. Strive for more.”

The cold blade touching his neck.

The light movements and the heavy aura.

The person who thoroughly crushed him at the martial arts tournament that day.

How many nights had he spent awake because of that day’s helplessness?

Georg swallowed his saliva and hid behind a pillar.

His pride as a mercenary, soaring to the skies, was shattered by her, the Frost Mane.

He wondered if he stood a chance against her. Then.

At the Golden Mask’s glance in his direction, Georg froze in place.

After the Golden Mask left, Georg wiped his cold sweat and muttered in wonder.

“The Sand Mole and that person, is there something about people from the West?”

The proverb he muttered, “Even a sandworm speaks when it’s its turn,” was a saying only used in the West.

He wouldn’t have known it if his mother, also from the West, hadn’t told him.

Come to think of it, his light footsteps also resembled his mother’s, walking as gently as possible to avoid sinking into the sand.

It wasn’t hard for him to guess that he was also a figure from the West.

“Ah, damn it!”

Georg hurried to Luciana, who had fainted and was leaning against the wall.

Although he felt a brief surge of rebellion for following the orders of the man who ruined his mission, the opponent was a noble lady of a ducal house.

His cunning intellect quickly found the answer.

It was a disgrace for a mercenary to receive a fee and not fulfill his duty.

This rescue would mitigate his fault.

He lifted her, gasping for shallow breaths.

Georg smirked at her flowing white silky hair.

“…Some change their names and genders to survive in the industry.”

If he gains more power, could he, like this child, reveal his true, unadorned self?

The Sand Mole and the Frost Mane make him wonder if there’s a secret in the West.

‘Next time I meet someone from the West, I should have a chat.’

In the mercenary industry, strength is power.

Becoming stronger was a minor issue compared to the closed-mindedness of the Northerners.

***

“Ouch… that hurts.”

The emergency treatment was applied, but the left arm pierced by Luciana showed no signs of improvement.

I needed proper treatment soon.

“When is this gentleman supposed to arrive?”

It had been a while since I arrived at the rendezvous point arranged by Elizabeth.

However, there was no sign of Perno.

Of course, since he took on the most dangerous role of bait, it was natural for him to take time to shake off the guards, but even considering that, I had waited too long.

“Is it better this way? If I just swallow all the artifacts myself…”

“That’s absolutely not going to happen. I’m a little late, and you’re already showing your banditry without me.”

As the saying goes, speak of the tiger and it appears. The key figure in today’s operation had arrived.

“Of course, I was joking. Please come in. Let’s start with the distribution…….”

But my words were cut off the moment I saw him.

“Perno? Your arm…”

His right shoulder was conspicuously empty.

“What on earth happened?!”

Perno was no ordinary person.

He was a legendary thief who had evaded the pursuit of ducal houses.

I never imagined he would return in such a wretched state.

“Tsk, talk about bad luck. Who would have thought there’d be a monster hiding in the auction house.”

“A monster?”

“If I traded swords with the war god and only lost one arm, that’s a bargain.”

Then I remembered what Luciana had been saying all along.

‘She was certain that my ally at the auction house would die.

I thought at most it would be that mercenary, but this was beyond my calculations.

My heart sank at this unexpected tragedy.

“Don’t look at me with such worried eyes. It’s burdensome. Anyway, I’ve recovered the severed arm, so I can reattach it if I just go to a priest.”

He tried to sound nonchalant, but how could anyone maintain their composure after losing an arm?

Just looking at his face contorted in pain, I could guess how he felt.

“…Let’s distribute and get you treated.”

Jewels, elixirs, artifacts…

As the loot poured out, Perno lifted the corners of his mouth even in pain.

“Ha, this is it. It’s worth the trouble. These are really valuable. I won’t have to worry about living for a while.”

“Is that so?”

His reaction was quite modest for someone who had spent his life handling artifacts.

Sensing my questioning gaze, he gave a wry smile and answered.

“The really good stuff is hard to convert into money. These kinds of goods are actually in demand.”

Ah, so he preferred liquidity over performance. Well, it would be absurd for a retiree to fuss over the performance of artifacts.

He wouldn’t need them anyway.

“Shall we start the settlement?”

“That’s okay. Just give me the thirty Frostroots as we originally planned.”

I was going to use my pierced left arm as an excuse to extract more shares.

But how could I haggle in front of someone who lost his right arm?

“Look at this. I’m not in a position to receive sympathy from anyone.”

“Please reattach your arm before saying such things.”

“Seriously. I don’t refuse what’s given.”

He smirked and began to casually gather the items.

Not bothered by using only one arm, the speed at which the loot disappeared into his bundle increased.

“Ah, and the knife I lent you.”

As he continued to pack the loot, he mentioned the ‘Will of Hatsan.’

I pulled out the dagger.

“Yes, it was very useful. Thanks to it, I became accustomed to counterattacking, and now I owe you my life.”

If it weren’t for this dagger, I wouldn’t have been able to block Luciana’s attack or protect the loot.

Then.

Without looking back, Perno said indifferently.

“Keep that.”

“…Really? Are you serious?”

Compared to the value of the loot we got today, this dagger was worth more.

I was taken aback by his sudden offer.

“Of course. With my arm like this, am I going to use it?

Besides, I stole it from a prominent place in the West, so I can’t just sell it. It’s better to just give it to you.”

Although his words were rough, I bowed my head in appreciation for his thoughtful gesture.

“I’ll accept it gratefully.”

“Gratitude? Think of it as a graduation gift for the successor.”

Waving his only remaining arm, he gathered his packed bundle.

“Give this to the noble lady who cooperated with us.”

In his hand was the staff that Elizabeth had been searching for.

[Mystic Coral Staff]

[In the Eastern lands of the Manhet Empire, known for their fertility, corals with peculiar magical powers are sometimes found as marine resources.]

[This staff, centered around a coral branch and adorned with jade, has become a symbol of luxury and a tool for amplifying magic among the Eastern nobility.]

[Significantly increases the skill level of one of the wearer’s elemental magics]

[Magic Power +3]

“If you’re referring to Lady Frontal, she probably has much better artifacts than this, doesn’t she?”

“Don’t try to swallow it already. We owe a lot to that girl.”

Well, it’s a joke.

I have a conscience, I have no intention of cheating an important business partner.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. There’s nothing left for me to teach, and why stay here? The North is too cold and barren.”

It’s a pity.

If he were to stay in the North, he would be a great help in the war against the demons.

With his genius for innovative ideas, his strategies would be excellent as well.

But the North is not an easy place for someone who has lost an arm to live.

“Where do you plan to go?”

“The West is my homeland, but it’s dangerous since I’m marked by the ducal house. Maybe I’ll just enjoy fishing in the East.”

The East.

I have to visit there anyway because of the disaster, so I should drop by and say hello later.

“Let’s get treated first. You seem to be injured too.”

“It’s less urgent than someone without an arm.”

***

“Lucy, wake up!”

“Umm…”

Luciana slowly opened her eyes, feeling stiffness in her neck.

“Liza…?”

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

The concern of a close friend greeted her as she lay down. However, her mood sank coldly in contrast to that warmth.

“Did I lose again?”

“Well, I’m not sure? The mercenary who carried you here didn’t say anything, so I don’t really know.”

Luciana clenched her eyes shut.

Hans, the demon, and now a mysterious thief.

This was already the third time.

Even though she had used the new power imbued in her ancestral sword.

She still couldn’t avoid defeat.

“Frost Mane.”

Her teeth gritted involuntarily.

What hurt her pride more was that, apart from the bruise on her neck, she was overpowered without any significant injuries.

‘There’s a limit to being ignored.’

Thinking about it, she had drawn her sword with the intention to kill, but there was no killing intent in his sword.

A plaything.

To the Frost Mane, she was nothing more than that.

“Ugh!”

She tried to get up to chase after him, even belatedly, but her body couldn’t withstand it.

It was the price of overusing her aura.

“First, calm down. If you move recklessly now, the wound on your neck might get worse!”

Despite Elizabeth’s restraint, Luciana couldn’t contain her anger and slammed her fist into the ground.

“Lucy! Stop it!”

She knew it. Such rash behavior was nothing more than childish venting that would worsen her condition.

But if she didn’t do this, where would she direct her aimless rage? If left alone, it would slowly fester from within.

Only after venting her emotions to the point where her fists were bruised and bleeding could she regain her sanity.

“Liza, I have a favor to ask.”

At Luciana’s words, Elizabeth gasped in surprise.

For a noble, asking a favor was an act of incurring debt to the other party.

Therefore, Luciana had never asked anyone for a favor before, though she might have given orders.

However, the moment Elizabeth met Luciana’s blazing eyes, she was unwittingly drawn into them.

“You have connections to the underworld, don’t you? Am I wrong?”

Luciana looked at her friend with sharp eyes.

She herself was devoted to martial arts and was not a successor, so she had no real means of contacting the underworld.

But her friend, Elizabeth, was different.

She was not only a lady of a count’s family but also a member of a trading company.

She had suspected as much from the way Elizabeth seemed familiar, almost as if she had the auction house figured out.

Luciana Speda, a warrior more solid than her high pride and noble honor.

Now, after a humiliating defeat, her pride was a secondary concern.

“…Right. But why do you ask?”

“Find out information for me.”

Luciana gritted her teeth, recalling her battle with him.

He had countered all her attacks, including her sword transitions, which she prided herself on being unconventional.

As if he had known them in advance.

-Oh, the treasure of the North knows my name. I’m honored.

Her opponent knew her, but she knew nothing about him except his name.

There could be countless reasons for the defeat, but in Luciana’s opinion, that was the decisive factor.

If the cause was known, it could be fixed.

“Bring me any information about Frost Mane, no matter how trivial.”

“……”

“Liza?”

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was too excited to respond to Luciana’s request.

‘Oh my, Lucy is asking me for a favor!’

Noble society is a place of countless intrigues.

In such a place, a request is an act of directly exposing one’s desires to others.

Luciana’s attitude of even bowing to a lower noble could become a weakness in political strife.

As such.

Showing that to her meant she was somewhat trusted.

“…No, I’m sorry. Was it too burdensome? I’ll look into it myself.”

“Lucy, why do you say that? Of course, I can help with that.”

A strange fervor appeared in Elizabeth’s eyes.

Although they called each other by nicknames, if asked whether they were truly close friends, the answer would be no.

They each had their own families and various restrictions.

Luciana’s attempt was to break through all these petty constraints.

‘That bastard created this opportunity.’

A follower wouldn’t miss the chance to get one step closer to their idol.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

As they clasped hands, Luciana also smiled at Elizabeth’s willingness to go along with her insistence.

“Thank you.”

“Is this something to be thanked for? It’s not a difficult favor.”

They looked at each other for a moment and then burst into laughter without anyone starting it first.

Gone were the two ladies who only called each other by formal nicknames.

There were two girls who had become true friends, shedding their noble status.

“Drink this for now and return to the duke’s residence. I’ll gather some information here. With Frost Mane’s recent terrorist act, now is the perfect time.”

“I’ll accompany you…ugh.”

“Don’t be reckless when you’re not even fully healed. Leave it to me.”

Luciana relented her stubbornness at Elizabeth’s confident declaration.

“Then I’ll leave it to you. I’ll be waiting for good news.”

Watching Elizabeth’s bright figure leaving, Luciana pondered her original goal.

Of course, to recover as quickly as possible.

“I’ll make you regret leaving me alive. I will definitely catch you.”

Frost Mane. Just as he spared her life, she too will capture him and make him experience the same humiliation.

“Come to think of it, I can make good use of this birthday.”

A thief is nothing more than a criminal.

And among her acquaintances, there was someone experienced in capturing and dealing with such criminals.

“I only thought of it as an extension of tedious social gatherings. But this time, I must engage properly.”

Even if it’s to catch Frost Mane.

Luciana, with her throbbing body, sat in front of the mirror.

She washed the wound carved by the dagger handle with the potion Elizabeth had given her.

It should indeed be called a potion.

The bruise was cleanly erased. The visible bruise, that is.

In the mirror.

Luciana’s eyes, as if ice had been directly embedded in them, shone ominously.

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