‘Is this the first time in this life?’

I couldn’t help the thought from appearing in my mind as I surveyed the area around me; I had done it many times in my previous life of course, but not the 18 years here.

Using a sword, that is.

‘I wonder how much I can actually do, since I never practiced.’

I moved my hand around the handle of the wooden practice sword.

The air was thick with killing intent that could explode at any time.

“...Kill him!” Orelly had been staring blankly at me, her shoulders were trembling because of my aura of bloodlust.

“I said kill him!” She bellowed.

Although she was banished from the mansion, she was still the daughter of their master--so the surrounding assassins quickly moved to follow her orders.

Their first course of action was throwing their daggers.

“Wait, sto-!”

Tes seemed to have remembered when I intercepted their Telepathy, he tried to stop his men--but it was too late.

Ten or so daggers were thrown at me.

The fight began.

The world slowed down and memories of my past life flashed through my mind, unpleasant memories.

In my past life, I had once lost loved ones to assassins.

Back when I was naive and believed that the hero who was working to save the world shouldn’t kill anything other than Monsters or Demons.

Thinking of them as people with families, rather than the heartless criminals that they were, I had shown them mercy and allowed them to go free after I had beaten them up.

Then…tragedy struck.

What came soon after was the betrayal of my good will--and the lifeless bodies of people dear to me.

‘This situation’

In the darkness…

With knives thrown at me by hooded men.

It was almost identical to the times back then, a situation that occurred because I was too soft back then.

I swore that the events of that day wouldn’t be repeated.

Moving my gaze quickly, I counted the incoming knives and their angles of approach, then I changed my position. I twisted my torso slightly, moving one shoulder diagonally.

“What is he up to?” Someone muttered.

They all focused on me.

I didn’t deflect the knives with my wooden sword, I held it pointed down at the ground.

They were shocked when every knife missed me by a hair’s breadth, some of the knives managed to leave slices in my clothing, but none penetrated my skin.

Focusing my strength into my legs and lowering my stance slightly, I kicked off. A small hole appeared in the ground where I had originally stood.

In what would have seemed instantaneously for them, I appeared in front of the assassin that was closest to me. His eyes met mine for a second as I swung my sword; his head rolled on the ground and his eyes now devoid of life.

“What? What just happened…”

Nobody had managed to notice my movements.

Their eyes showed a desire to escape, their will to fight was broken--their eyes rapidly darted around, they were looking for a way to escape.

The ability to flee whenever needed; is without a doubt one of the most important skills an assassin should have.

However, another emotion welled up in their eyes--confusion.

Their bodies couldn’t move, no matter how hard they tried; not even their fingers or toes. There was one word that could be used to describe them: Hopeless.

I continued to move, at a slower pace, allowing the feeling of fear to build in their minds.

Strolling through the hooded men, who were now frozen like statues, I mercilessly swung my wooden sword. With every slash, another head landed on the ground.

Normally, a wooden sword couldn’t cut like this--but I had coated it with Aura.

One by one, the assassins fell.

“I will not live like I did in the past” I muttered as I slaughtered, “leaving any ‘seeds’ behind will just end up in more suffering for me and my loved ones.”

This time, I will do what I want--no long driven by a naive sense of justice(lol).

“So let me…” I felt the need to get a good sleep, and to forget, “Let me live the life I want.”

Tes was staring at me with bloodshot eyes, he was obviously shocked because of my ability.

***

“Young Master! Haah…where did you run off to?”

After the storm that was Lady Orelly’s banishment, the Iphelleta mansion had gotten rowdy once more.

Riley, who was having an idle chat in Iris’ room, had suddenly disappeared.

‘Did the assassins really kidnap the Young Master? Was it to use him as a hostage?’

There was no way that he would be playing ‘hide and seek’ at this point in time.

Ian was speculating that Orelly, who was driven into a corner, had taken Riley away as some kind of scheme.

Ian shook his head, he didn’t want to consider the worst case scenario.

As he kept searching the mansion, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

“Ian!”

It was the maid, Sera.

“Sera.”

“Have you found the Young Master?” Sera asked, anticipation on her face.

“I…have not.”

A shadow appeared on Sera’s face, “Neither have I.”

“Damn it!”

It had happened even though they were both on alert.

Ian’s expression crumbled, because he had lost his Young Master, even though he had been right next to him.

Sera also couldn’t keep the guilt and helplessness off her face, she felt that she couldn’t defend Riley.

“Now is not the time to be glum.” Ian’s eyes glinted with determination.

If Riley couldn’t couldn’t be found in the mansion, then there was no other choice--they will look outside.

“Ian! Wait! What are you planning to do outside the mansion? They were assassins! They are the elite assassins who managed to make the Tes Trade Guild famous! It’s night time, and if you go without preparation…”

Sera’s rant was interrupted as Ian turned his rage-filled face towards her.

“So, are we supposed to wait with our thumbs up our asses?!” Ian roared at her.

Sera flinched, cowering away from the old man who now looked like a demon.

“...I apologize. That, was unlike me.” Ian apologized for his outburst.

“No, I understand.”

Sera had been biting her lip, angry at the fact that she couldn’t do anything, and realized something, her eyes widening.

“Wait…Ian.” She called out.

“...?” Ian looked at her with confusion.

“There was something which…bothered me in the kitchen”

“Something bothered you?”

“I overlooked it before, but, the crate filled with corn…was open. Only that box, nothing else.”

“Just the corn crate?” Ian’s eyebrows raised.

Corn?

Why corn?

“What about it?” Ian asked.

“Oh, yeah--you weren’t there.” Sera said, “It was just before his disappearance, Riley had talked about corn when in Lady Iris’ bedroom.”

“We should search there again!” Ian looked encouraged, “Maybe we could find some evidence for Young Master’s disappeara-…”

“What’s this?”

“...?!”

“...?!”

Both Ian and Sera flinched.

Behind them…stood Count Stein and his two sons.