Chapter 164: Shadows in the Dark Night

The Adventurers’ Guild was a combination of a request counter and a tavern, always serving as a gathering place for adventurers. It was a convenient place for finding companions, gathering information, or simply pretending to be active adventurers.

With a creak, the door opened, and a man walked in. Normally, adventurers would glance at who had entered and lose interest, but this man drew everyone’s attention.

He was the recently rising adventurer, Samurai Mask. Among adventurers, many had a strong desire to stand out and wore flashy outfits, but even from their perspective, he was an eccentric individual.

It would have been fine if he were just an attention-seeker. However, Samurai Mask took on dangerous requests that no one else would, refused any rewards beyond the official payment, and never deceived clients with requests to retrieve stolen goods. In this way, he quickly gained the trust of the townspeople and the resentment of his fellow adventurers.

Some veterans who muttered about a portion of the cargo being the adventurer’s share had resented and confronted Samurai Mask, but he had defeated them all.

He was honorable, courageous, and strong. He carried a sword that adventurers admired, displayed prominently at his waist. He seemed like a hero straight out of a storybook.

There was an incident in the past that demonstrated his character.

In a tavern, Samurai Mask’s path was blocked by a man. The man was none other than Ricardo, the Baron’s retainer and a holder of the title of Hero. He didn’t harbor ill intentions towards Samurai Mask, but in the tight confines of the tavern, collisions like this were common.

Who would yield the way, or would it lead to a brawl? The onlookers were curious, but the two “mad dogs” acknowledged each other with a nod.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

They both moved to the side, allowing each other to pass. The crowd was left somewhat disappointed.

A few days later, another adventurer asked Samurai Mask why he had yielded the way. 

“Did you think you were inferior to him, even though you’re not a hero?”

Samurai Mask replied.

“Yielding the way or not yielding the way, is that what defines a man’s worth for you? There should be other moments when a man needs to draw his sword.”

This story further enhanced Samurai Mask’s reputation while also making him a source of avoidance for those around him.

Ricardo was asked the same question, but he simply replied, “It’s too much trouble.” He didn’t have any companions either. 

Living to show off was what adventurers believed in, so the existence of heroes and people like Samurai Mask seemed to deny their own existence, which made them uncomfortable.

The guild staff, with a greasy smile on his face, approached Samurai Mask as he neared the counter and asked if there was any request. For the guild employees, what mattered most was how efficiently requests were completed, and Samurai Mask had not left a bad impression. Whether he was a hero or a weirdo, that didn’t matter.

Samurai Mask had been a valuable asset, continuously handling difficult or low-paying requests that others avoided, the so-called “burned” requests. Thanks to him, they could avoid the guild master’s complaints at the end of the month, and their scalps were saved from irritation.

“Hey, Samurai-san! You’ve got a client.”

“They specifically requested me?”

Being specifically chosen for a request was an honor and a sign of trust, which meant a lot to adventurers. Samurai Mask was pleased with the growing recognition.

“It’s on the third floor, Room 2.”

“Thank you.”

The Adventurers’ Guild also served as an accommodation facility, with shared rooms on the second floor and private rooms on the third. The third floor was often used for confidential discussions with clients.

Samurai Mask ascended the creaky staircase and knocked on the door of Room 2.

“It’s Samurai Mask.”

As he introduced himself, the door was unlocked from the inside, and a middle-aged man invited him into the room.

The man’s cheeks were sunken, and signs of suffering were evident. Strangely, his left eye was half-closed and twitching.

Samurai Mask felt like he had seen this man somewhere before but couldn’t recall where.

“I am Dennis, a merchant who operates within the Osterreich Baron’s domain.”

“Why did you come all the way from the neighboring domain?”

Upon hearing Dennis’s introduction, Samurai Mask widened his eyes. Even though Dennis said “next door,” it wasn’t a distance to be taken lightly. It would take a full day by carriage or half a day on horseback.

“…I’ve had all my requests within the domain rejected, both by the lord and the adventurers. I heard rumors that Samurai Mask-sama would accept any dangerous request, so I came with hope,” 

“I am no god, there are things I can do and things I cannot. But first, let’s hear what you have to say,” Samurai Mask replied.

Although nothing had been decided, Dennis’s face brightened slightly. Samurai Mask was more interested in the man’s face than the request itself, particularly his injured left eye. He felt like he had met this man somewhere before, and trying to recall it made him feel incredibly suffocated.

“My town was attacked by a group of orcs, and my only daughter was kidnapped. Please, I implore you to rescue my daughter!”

“When you say a group of orcs, how large are we talking?”

If it was just one or two, it might be manageable, but if it was a group, tackling them alone would be suicidal.

Dennis hesitated and remained silent. He feared that if he revealed the exact details, his request might be refused.

“Speak, Dennis. Without trust, I won’t risk my life for this.”

“…Would you please tell me you’ll accept it first?”

“I thought I said I’m not a god. If you force me to go without any preparation, I’ll refuse.”

“Please wait! I will talk. Please don’t—”

“No, I don’t think there’s any such thing as coercion…”

“Then please talk to me. I can’t entrust my life to you without a relationship of trust.”

A moment of silence. Only the sound of the chair being pulled was extremely loud.

“…It seems like you didn’t have any luck.”

“Please wait! I’ll talk to you, so please…!”

“Don’t lie. If I find out you’re lying, I’ll cancel our contract right here.”

“Yes…”

Dennis explained in a strained voice:

There were at least thirty orcs that could be confirmed. The orc that appeared to be their leader was terrifyingly massive, standing at a height of three meters.

Orcs were a much stronger and more aggressive race than humans. When such a group consisted of more than thirty of them and their leader was a monster, it couldn’t be considered just a group of monsters; it was more like facing an army.

It was understandable why the local knight order and adventurers had refused. It was the only reasonable choice. Dennis hadn’t thought highly of them as heartless people, but he had to reconsider his perception. It was the only way to see it.

That was why Dennis didn’t want to say it, and he wore an expression of anguish.

“How long do you plan to stay in this town, Dennis?”

“My family is worried. I must return immediately.”

“When was the attack?”

“It happened about a week ago.”

Samurai Mask frowned uncomfortably, but the mask was convenient in such situations, hiding his true feelings.

A week. It would have been a period of desperate seeking for Dennis, but as a third party, it was also the kind of time when you might start thinking that the daughter was long dead.

…To rush into a horde of orcs alone for the sake of someone who might be already dead? It was not a joke.

He intended to do what he could, but this was clearly beyond limits. As he was thinking about how to decline without tarnishing the name of a hero, he locked eyes with Dennis, who was gazing at him with a pleading look.

His left eye, which moved unnaturally, caught Samurai Mask’s attention again.

“Dennis, is that left eye of yours injured from the orc attack?”

“This? Actually, I used to live in this town before…”

Donald’s heart, not Samurai Mask’s, throbbed heavily.

Don’t ask, don’t pry any further. That’s not a week-old wound. It’s an old injury. His heart rang alarm bells, but his tongue remained numb.

“It’s a scar from a beating by some rough knights. After that, I moved to the baron’s domain, but even there, I suffered like this.”

Dennis cursed his fate and let out a heavy sigh.

Samurai Mask’s breath grew heavy, and he pressed a hand against his chest.

No, he couldn’t escape this. It was a sin he had to face. If he fled here, there would be no turning back.

A mission where death was almost guaranteed. So what? Then let it be.

No, that was wrong. It was fine to die, but the mission had to be a success. If the daughter was alive, he would rescue her; if she was already dead, he would annihilate the orcs and avenge her. What should he do? He didn’t know. His mind was already a mess.

“Tell me your address. I will gather my comrades later and go without fail.”

“Is that so…”

Disappointment tinged Dennis’s voice. He probably thought that Samurai Mask didn’t intend to come at all.

“Don’t rush it. I will definitely go…!”

Samurai Mask shouted with a tearful voice and stormed out of the room.

Dennis had grown accustomed to betrayal and resignation. However, Samurai Mask’s voice had the power to make him believe once more.

“Can I believe…?”

He whispered while closing his right eye. His remaining left eye didn’t emit any light; it was shrouded in darkness.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter