Chapter 11
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Episode 4 - Assassin [1]
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An improvised podium was set up.
There was a man with black hair and dark eyes, a scar crossing his lips at the corner.
He wore a black suit with a sword hanging from his waist. His physique was muscular, quite tall, and with a firm posture.
He exuded an intimidating atmosphere, but his smile with narrowed eyes disrupted that mood, giving him a strange, almost hypocritical air.
"I've gathered you all to share some news."
There were at least a hundred people gathered in front of the podium.
It would be far fewer if Mystra were to be resurrected.
"Everyone knows my name, right?"
The crowd nodded in unison.
"Balmung."
That was the name of this guy.
Balmung nodded after hearing his name repeated by several people.
I stayed silent and observed him.
"We have good news. One of them is that the village is about to be completed. We need water and food supplies, but several groups have already set out. We'll resolve that issue soon."
Most people barely had water or food, obtained on their own or with help from others. Some probably drank from dirty puddles or hunted wild rats.
"Another great piece of news is that a Rift was found yesterday. We haven't decided who will go yet, but I received word that a group has already been assigned."
It was the moment for Yuri to step forward.
And as I expected.
Yuri climbed onto the podium and stood next to Balmung. Her expression was serious, but her eyes searched for me for a second.
"She is the leader of the group that will depart in an hour. I also received news that yesterday, along with her companions, they cleared a Rift."
'Applause! Applause!'
The people clapped enthusiastically, some even cheering her name.
At that moment, Seth, who was by my side, murmured,
"There's something off about that guy."
"I think the same."
There wasn't much more to say.
Balmung was one of the characters who caused conflicts for Seth in the original story.
Not only was he strong, but he also had a habit of delivering the final blow to monsters to steal the experience percentage others deserved.
''By now, he must have a considerably high level.''
I never specified his exact level, but it was probably close to Seth's, either slightly above or below.
That was why he was almost as strong as him.
"Furthermore, I've decided to participate in the Rift raid. The group will consist of five people, making it the strongest among all."
The people let out a collective gasp of joy.
In a situation where their lives were in the hands of others, they felt more than relieved.
Fools.
''Relying on others is a death sentence.''
Never entrust your life to someone thinking you'll survive.
"Now, a few words from Miss Yuri."
Balmung stepped back a few paces.
Then Yuri looked at the crowd. Her gaze shifted to me for a moment, and that irritated me a little.
"Yesterday, along with my… companions, we managed to clear a Rift. There were no injuries. Now, in an hour, we'll head to the second Rift, which is far from here."
The second Rift was an underground labyrinth full of traps.
It was so vast that Seth took a week to clear it completely.
"If you're wondering how many Rifts there are… we don't have that information. I'm sorry about that."
The people didn't protest.
They just nodded, accepting what was said.
The second scenario had only started a few days ago, and very few had taken action.
''The third Rift will be found in a week.''
There was no need to search for it on my own yet.
'Applause!'
At that moment, Balmung stepped forward with a smile on his face.
Yuri returned to her initial position, and he spoke:
"As you already know, we're going to clear the Rift. If we don't return today, it might take us longer, but don't worry."
He let out a long sigh, as if trying to ease the tension.
"Anyway, while we're on the raid, I'll organize a monster-hunting group. This forest is still dangerous, and it's better to clear it little by little."
"Also, on the way to the Rift, we'll try to clear as much as possible."
The people cheered joyfully.
Many of them were so young that it was hard to believe they had such difficult pasts.
---
After a few minutes, I entered one of the cabins.
Inside were Balmung and Yuri. Upon seeing Seth, Clarisse, and me, Balmung smiled.
"Oh, the members of Yuri's group."
Seth nodded.
"Yes. So… the plans?"
Balmung gestured for us to sit.
Seth shook his head.
"Fine. This is what we know."
Although I already knew everything about this Rift, I listened anyway.
"The Rift is a labyrinth. Miss Yuri told me the one you cleared was different, so this one might be too."
Seth sighed.
He was probably recalling Jerry's words.
'Not all Rifts will be the same.'
"So… you're not going to tell me your names?"
Noticing he didn't know who we were, Balmung asked.
"Seth Dorian."
"Zeth Dover."
"Clarisse Ravenswood."
Balmung smiled again.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Yuri told me a bit about you, but she said it was better to meet you in person."
Yuri hates talking behind people's backs, whether it's a conversation about praise or murder.
"Very well, we'll depart in half an hour. I'll go with you, as I mentioned before, to finish the job much faster."
I could see a satisfied smile on his face. Balmung seemed pleased.
"Then, Yuri, I'll leave the rest to you."
Yuri simply nodded, without saying a word.
At that exact moment, Balmung added:
"By the way, which one of you is the strongest? Yuri, even though she's your leader, doesn't mean she's the strongest… or does she?"
There was silence for a moment. I looked at Seth.
My stats were already far superior to his, and perhaps our levels were similar… but only perhaps.
It was then that Yuri looked at me, pointed at me, and said:
"Zeth is the strongest."
She smiled as she said it, nothing more.
Balmung stared at me for a long second.
"That's great. Knowing who's the strongest helps when cooperating in combat."
His narrowed eyes looked at me with a huge, fake smile.
I simply returned a neutral smile.
'A little annoying bastard.'
Now I realized that creating these characters had been a mistake. Seeing them from another perspective was completely different.
Before, they were useful pieces for the protagonist's growth. Now, they were obstacles.
'Should I use it too…?'
No. Impossible.
'This guy is clever.'
He also knew how to use the people around him as shields. That's why he became the leader. Manipulation. Dirty tricks. Superficial charm.
'It would've been better to get ahead…'
But I fell behind. Without realizing it, he had already trapped most of them in his web.
"Anyway, we'll leave in half an hour."
***
After leaving the cabin, Seth approached me.
"It's dangerous."
I nodded, silently.
It seems my past self had already noticed Balmung's intentions. And as expected, Seth noticed it too. His ability to detect danger and distrust others was natural to him.
"He's prepared. Unpredictable things could happen."
After saying that, he walked away.
I watched his back for a few seconds and sighed with a faint smile.
I couldn't deny that his instinct for reading people was enviable.
And as his creator… I felt proud.
***
"How cool. You all met in the sewers and worked together. That's why you're so close."
Balmung was trying to start a conversation as we walked along the path, an hour after leaving the village.
"Yeah. Things happened that way."
Yuri responded indifferently, almost curtly.
I was surprised that she was the one having a long conversation with that guy.
"Unfortunately for me, my companions died because of those giant rats when we were looking for the exit."
A lie.
Just like me, Balmung had used his companions to survive.
"That's sad… The same thing happened to Zeth."
Yuri glanced at me over her shoulder. I responded with a sad smile.
She looked away shortly after.
'This confirms it.'
It didn't matter if Yuri knew I killed the people following me. I didn't regret it.
"Ugh… that must've been painful, right, Zeth? People you barely knew, but who died because of some damn rats…"
Balmung clicked his tongue, shaking his head as if lamenting the tragedy.
'I must admit his acting is more than perfect.'
Compared to me, he knew how to maintain his innocent facade with great skill.
"And you, Seth?"
"….?"
Seth's face was hardened. He looked at Balmung without any emotion.
"They died."
"By the rats?"
"No."
"Then by the orcs?"
"No. By a giant snake."
Balmung looked at him, puzzled.
Then he looked forward again, thoughtful. For a moment, his eyes met mine. I held his gaze.
He simply smiled and kept walking.
"….!"
I frowned slightly. Without realizing it, we had already reached the Fork.
"Is this it?"
Yuri asked, her expression serious.
"That's right. The Fork that was found yesterday."
Yuri didn't hide her surprise. Since this one was different from the previous one, her expression changed.
"How about we split up? You said it's like a maze, right?"
Balmung looked at her, confused, but then smiled.
"Oh, I get your point. I agree."
He turned to us with that smile.
At that moment, I understood the meaning behind it.
"Since there are five of us, we can't go in pairs. So, one pair and one trio."
Yuri raised her hand, then pointed at me and Clarisse.
"I'll go with Zeth and Clarisse. Balmung, you can go with Seth."
Ha.
A smile formed on my face.
Yuri was brazen. She didn't even try to hide her intentions.
'You want to kill me, huh?'
I looked at Clarisse. Surely Yuri would try to convince her to help.
But you know something, Yuri…
'Telling Clarisse to help you kill me would be your biggest mistake.'
Clarisse was completely on my side. She was in love with me. And in the original story, she was a lunatic who couldn't let go of Seth.
So, without a doubt, she would tell me whatever Yuri tried.
"I agree."
I said with a smile, shaking my head.
Yuri frowned for a second but hid it.
Then Seth nodded too.
"I agree too."
Perfect.
Seth and Yuri had their own goals in mind. Though Yuri would fail, Seth would definitely succeed.
The atmosphere grew tense for a few seconds… until Balmung clapped his hands.
"Alright. Let's get moving. I'm eager to clear this Fork."
I could see Seth clench his left fist.
"Me too."
Yuri spoke next, looking at me with a smile.
"Yeah… same here."
So I didn't hesitate to return the smile.
This Fork won't be a boring one.
It'll be fun.