Chapter 63

A few days passed by without any issues. After the bandit attack, the Storm Caravan continued their journey smoothly and arrived at the next city on their route: Valkas the Fortress City.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Situated beyond the desolate desert region, Valkas was the land guarding the border. It was ruled directly by the Margrave and granted autonomous military authority. Unsurprisingly, the scale of the fortress alone dwarfed that of any other territory.

Leon gazed at the sight in awe and muttered, “I’ve never seen walls that tall before...”

Unlike Blaine the Freedom City, Valkas had an entirely different structure. While Blaine had only two layers of walls, Valkas had three concentric barriers, with a deep moat filled with water that gave it a decisive advantage in siege warfare. Archers patrolled the walls, expertly positioned.

Even estimating by sight, the outer wall alone was fifteen meters high, with the inner two walls towering just as impressively. To breach such a defense by conventional means, one would first have to pile up a mountain of corpses.

By contrast, Karen looked unimpressed.

“Yeah, I guess they’re pretty tall.”

For someone who could clear one of the walls in a single leap, they were nothing more than scenery. No matter how golden and impregnable the fortress seemed, its defenses only held meaning against armies. To block A-rank individuals, like Karen herself, one needed elites of equal rank.

Narrowing her eyes, Karen studied the wall and absentmindedly flexed her fingers, having already memorized several positions. Catching herself, she thought,

Tch. A bad habit, really.

As expected from a border city, there were plenty of high-level knights. She counted one opponent she shouldn't face head-on, and six others worth noting. As an assassin, her body instinctively sought out threats.

Perhaps it was because killing the Mole had dredged up old memories. One could forget the past but never erase it.

“We’ll stop here!” Arnold shouted.

The Storm Caravan arrived at the checkpoint in front of the city gate. The guard captain received a few documents, scanned them, and approached Arnold. From his friendly demeanor, it was clear the two knew each other.

“Been a while, Arnold.”

“

Haha

, and you as well, Captain.”

They shook hands without hesitation and walked together, inspecting the long caravan. It was a superficial inspection, plain to see.

The captain merely peeked into the wagons and glanced at the travelers’ outfits, then waved them through. A full inspection would take hours, so they just went through the motions.

“Proceed!”

The wagons began moving forward again.

“That wasn’t as complicated as I expected,” Leon commented.

“Most checkpoints are like that. It’s not like we’re in the middle of a war,” Karen replied.

If it hadn’t been a border city, they might have skipped even the pretense for just a clump of silver coins. Guards were often underpaid, so taking bribes had become the norm. If a knight had been stationed there, it might’ve been different—but none were at the moment.

Leon watched the exchange with a bit of futility, when Arnold approached their wagon.

“We’ll be staying here for about three days. Do you two have any plans?” he asked.

Leon blinked, a bit confused, and asked back, “Plans?”

“You’re welcome to stay at the lodging we’ve arranged, or if you have errands to run, just be back before we leave. What would you two like to do?”

Karen thought for a moment, then raised her right hand.

“There’s something I’d like to look for. We’ll use the lodging you’ve arranged. Just let us know where it is.”

“Certainly. Go three blocks left from the central avenue and look for a tavern called ‘The Song of the Mountain Goat.’ The inn right next to it is what we’ve rented. You’ll be using the large suite on the top floor.”

The two blinked, glanced at each other, then turned back to Arnold. There wasn’t anything strange about what he had just said, per se, but the implication felt oddly pointed.

Just to be sure, Leon asked, “Is it... just one room?”

“Yes. Wouldn’t that be more comfortable?” Arnold asked, looking puzzled.

Leon hadn’t expected even the caravan leader to misread their relationship. He was so flustered he couldn’t even find words to object.

Booked into a room with a woman out of nowhere, Leon blushed furiously. Karen, meanwhile, chuckled and jabbed his side.

She teased, “What’s this? Why so shy? Were you hoping for something?

Hm

?”

“

Aw

, come on!”

Unable to take any more, Leon bolted out of the wagon, and Karen burst into laughter as she watched him go. Though called a Hero, Leon had only recently come of age. He was closer to a boy than a man. His innocent reactions were thoroughly entertaining for Karen, who’d seen far more of the world.

Arnold, finally catching on, scratched the back of his head and said, “

Ah

... I suppose I overstepped.”

“

Haha

! It’s fine. I’ll probably be out and about at night anyway.”

It wouldn’t have been hard to request another room, but Karen didn’t bother. She did have some things planned for the nighttime, but more importantly, she saw this as an opportunity.

Heroes always had powerful allies at their side. Naturally, being the first didn’t guarantee she’d be with him forever. This was her chance to prove her strength and value.

I’m gonna show him that he can’t go without me.

Karen was, for the first time, acting for someone else. She was thinking not as a feared assassin but as a trustworthy ally.

Light and shadow coexisted in all places, and the Fortress City of Valkas was no exception. There were things a Hero, symbol of light, could not do and roles that only someone from the shadows could fulfill.

The scenery outside Valkas’ gates was distinctly different from Blaine’s, but to Karen, what she saw was completely different.

Found it.

There were sights only those who lived in the dark could perceive. Karen’s eyes gleamed coldly as she locked onto her target.

***

“

Phew

, what kind of assassin acts like that...”

When Leon grumbled after escaping Karen’s teasing, El-Cid replied with a sour tone.

—But honestly, you running away when she was flirting like that? That’s kinda sad.

“Flirting? What’s that supposed to mean?”

—Did you grow up in a monastery, or something...?

Leon tilted his head, not understanding the implication, and El-Cid felt an imaginary weight pressing on his nonexistent chest.

In a way, it was fitting for a Hero. There were villains who ensnared people with lust. Being resistant to that wasn’t a bad thing, but from El-Cid’s point of view, dealing with such an innocent kid was its own challenge.

Arnold had approached at some point, clearing his throat.

“

Ahem

, Mr. Leon. I seem to have overstepped. I’m truly sorry.”

“

Ah

, not at all. You were simply trying to be kind.”

“Even so,

haha

...”

It was an awkward topic for them both. Leon changed the subject in an attempt to move on.

“Come to think of it, Mr. Arnold, what was inside the cargo we recovered? It didn’t seem like ordinary goods.”

“Well... that is actually confidential...” Arnold gave a wry smile, but eventually leaned in to whisper, “... But I suppose it’s only fair to share with those who risked their lives to retrieve it. Please keep this to yourselves.”

“Of course.”

“What was inside those boxes... was morion.”

“Morion...?”

“A rather rare gemstone. These were first-grade, with no impurities—worth nearly a thousand gold coins each. They were specifically requested by the lord of Rubena, the next city on our route.”

No wonder his face had gone pale when they were stolen. The lord of Rubena held the rank of Count—a high-ranking noble. If the Storm Caravan fell into his bad graces, it wouldn’t be long before the entire company faced retribution.

Realizing the weight of the situation, Leon nodded and said, “So you simply couldn’t afford to lose them.”

“Exactly. You really did save my life.”

Arnold wiped the cold sweat from his brow, clearly recalling the panic. He thanked Leon again and again before heading off toward another wagon, promising to repay them properly.

By now, the caravan had entered the city proper.

“Karen?”

When Leon returned to their wagon, she was nowhere in sight. All that remained was a note scribbled with “I’ll be back,” confirming she’d gone off on her own.

She’d mentioned having something to look into and clearly had wasted no time. And not long after, visitors came looking for Leon.

“

Hm

? You’re alone?”

Led by Gustav, the mercenaries had come to find him. Leon shrugged and nodded.

“Yeah, looks like Karen’s gone off somewhere.”

“I see...”

At that, the mercenaries’ expressions split between two reactions: relief and disappointment. It was a strange contrast of emotions—until their next words made it all clear.

“Why don’t you join us at the tavern?”

For mercenaries, drinking was one of the few pleasures in a brutal life. It let them briefly forget the clang of steel and the splatter of blood.

Naturally, inviting someone to such an occasion also had a bigger meaning. Mercenaries didn’t share a bar with people they didn’t trust, nor would they raise a glass with someone they wouldn’t expose their back to.

To drink together was to say, “I trust you.” Leon understood that much about their customs and nodded without hesitation.

“The kid’s coming with us, everyone!”

Gustav raised his voice with a laugh, and the rest of the mercenaries eagerly surrounded Leon.

“Hey, you’ve got more guts than I thought!”

“Don’t go blacking out after just three bottles like last time!”

“Whoever pukes first pays for everything!”

It was a kind of camaraderie Leon wasn’t used to. People slapping his back, throwing arms around his shoulders—at the Academy, he’d always focused on training alone. His only real friend, Chloe, was a girl. Lyon was... complicated.

This isn’t so bad, actually.

He’d grown used to quiet, perhaps too much so. However, in this moment, he couldn’t completely hide the smile forming on his lips.

The tavern wasn’t far. After dropping off their belongings, they headed to The Song of the Mountain Goat located just beside their lodging. A five-story building, its size alone spoke to its popularity.

“Anna! Long time no see!” Gustav burst through the doors and shouted.

The woman counting coins at the counter shot back without missing a beat, “How many times do I have to tell you not to yell when you walk in?! You’re going to make me deaf, you half-ogre!”

“

Pfft

, if I came in quietly, you’d be asking if I got hurt. I’d rather get scolded than make you worry!”

“Shut up!”

She smacked his back, but it wasn’t going to do much to a still fully armored Gustav. Soon she clapped her hands together and turned to the rest of them.

“Welcome. How many in your party?”

“Fourteen! And the five of us will sit together at one table!” Gustav answered.

“I wasn’t asking

you

!”

Clearly, what seemed like a typical banter of a long-time husband and wife was long-established. Some regulars were already laughing over their drinks as if the show had just begun.

Anna called over a few staff and led them to a set of tables on the fifth floor, which was typically the most expensive section. Leon’s face betrayed his surprise, and Anna shot him a smile.

“First time at our place, right? Consider this room a little welcome gift. Be sure to come again.”

“

Oh

, thank you.”

“You’re already B-rank at that age? That’s impressive. Maybe that big grizzly oaf could learn a thing or two.”

“Who’re you calling a grizzly?!”

Another petty squabble broke out. The Steel Claw mercs paid it no mind, busy placing their orders. Only Leon found the noisy atmosphere a little overwhelming and quietly sipped from his water.

Then, his eyes wandered toward the window and looked out into the city of Valkas.

Beyond the towering city walls, the sun was sinking. The whole city blazed in twilight hues—it was beautiful.

I wonder where Karen is right now...

For some reason, his gaze drifted toward the edge of town. Not the busy, well-lit main streets—but the empty, shadowed outskirts.

Maybe it was just bias, a hunch born of familiarity, but Leon couldn’t help but feel certain.

Karen was out

there

, moving through the dark.