v1c3 - 3
“…Ah… Aaaah……”
All that escaped Hasmin’s lips now were sobs, no longer forming words.
It was almost miraculous—astounding—that she could still make a sound while alive. It’s well-known that human tenacity can sometimes defy reason or common sense, but there are limits. Hasmin’s survival was practically in the realm of miracles. After all, her frail body was pierced brutally by multiple spears. One had even passed through, its tip protruding from her abdomen.
Even after all those, she couldn’t die. Even if death would’ve been easier, she couldn’t let go.
“…Aaaah…… Ah… Ah…”
Hasmin clutched a tiny, tiny bundle of cloth.
It was hard to believe a human could be inside it—so small—
“…Ah…… Ah… Ah… Ah…”
A baby, carefully wrapped in the cloth.
The tiny life form Hasmin had nurtured within her for ten months, born through the pain of labor.
But it—already.
“…Ah…… Ah……”
Did Hasmin not realize by now?
Or did she realize but couldn’t accept it?
The baby had died before its mother.
Of course. Infants die from the slightest things. Given Hasmin’s critical condition, the child couldn’t possibly have been unharmed.
……
Hasmin walked slowly, holding her dead child as if pleading for salvation.
As if saying, “At least save this one,” she extended the already-cold baby toward Toru, who stood frozen in shock.
Her lips, which should’ve lacked the strength to form words, trembled.
“…Ple… ase…”
There just looking at the sight—Hasmin’s strength gave out.
Or perhaps she should’ve died long ago, and some fluke had kept her barely alive—like a lingering afterimage.
And so, now only two corpses remained.
No. Even those remains would eventually rot and vanish.
That was the end.
Her desperate act. The value of the miracle.
Everything returned to nothing, erased.
Just...that.
A commonplace event, happening somewhere in this world at any moment like this.
Live. Die.Live. Die.
A meaningless cycle, nothing more.
Merely living leaves nothing behind.
Having no meaning for having been born into this forsaken world.
And that's why—
After a long sigh—Toru continued.
“When bandits attacked the traveling merchants who came to our village, it was as good as declaring enmity against us. They weren’t family, but...they were our collaborators. To prevent it from happening again, we needed to make an example.”
The saboteur village wasn’t aligned with any nation.
They sold their skills to those who sought them—that was their way.
Thus, the saboteur village never let those who harmed them or their allies go unpunished. They crushed them mercilessly with full force. That was both a means to protect the Acura village and a way to advertise their skills and strength.
“The whole village went after them—bandits or whatever—who attacked Hasmin and the others. We found them, wiped them out. Killed every last one and strung their bodies along the road.”
“Vengeance. Taken?”
“Yeah.”
Toru nodded, his expression weary.
The vengeance was indeed taken. He didn’t know who directly killed Hasmin or her child, but they surely faced retribution. Toru had joined the extermination, though only as a lookout.
“But… Hasmin and her child didn’t come back. The fact that Hasmin’s life ended without leaving anything behind, meaningless—that couldn’t be undone.”
……
Chaika blinked, her eyes wide with shock.
Toru continued, a self-mocking edge to his voice.
“That’s why I wanted to change the world itself.”
“…The world?”
“I wanted to leave proof I’d lived. To achieve something with all my strength and leave it behind. To live a life that—burned my soul to ashes.”
Rather than seeking peace—hiding claws and fangs, vanishing without meaning.
He’d rather die leaving his mark in a chaotic world.
That’s what he thought.
“I’m a saboteur, after all. I didn’t know any other way. So I trained desperately. Truly—”
Training that literally danced with death.
Looking back, it was as if he’d been possessed—
“And I waited for my first battle. Things ordinary knights or warriors couldn’t do, I could. I didn’t need honor or glory. I just wanted—the feeling that I had changed the world.”
He’d believed he was born into the saboteur village for that purpose…
That’s what he told himself, pushing through the training.
But—
“The war ended.”
……
“Fighting became a bad thing.”
The skills he’d honed as a saboteur—his only means to change the world—were now forbidden. Worse, saboteurs were branded as “threats to peace” and hunted by those in power.
True that saboteurs were versed in many things. But their full potential shone on the battlefield—and only there could they change the world. A sword can cut potatoes or radishes, but it unleashes its true power in battle such for cooking, a kitchen knife is better.
A sword can’t fulfill its purpose without a battlefield.
And Toru had forged himself into such a blade. Reforging now was impossible. He hadn’t trained so half-heartedly.
“I—”
“Toru.”
As if struck by a sudden thought, Chaika called his name.
“—Hm?”
……
Chaika reached out, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“Hasmin-san. Had meaning.”
“—What?”
“Toru remembers. Toru struggles. Always.”
……
That was…
(Hasmin said it too—)
“The people I meet will remember me.”
Yes. Unforgettable.
So vividly—
“It’s sad. But.”
Chaika slid her hand from Toru’s shoulder to his back, then wrapped both arms around him, clinging tightly with her petite body.
“W-Wait… What are you…!?”
“So surely. Toru. Helped. Me—because of it.”
Chaika’s hand rubbed his back soothingly.
His back which was still scarred from the Unicorn’s attack, not fully healed.
“…What?”
It hadn’t crossed his mind.
But—thinking about it now.
“Me…?”
When they first met in the mountains.
Toru could’ve abandoned Chaika and fled. At least, he wouldn’t have taken a wound shielding her. It was a split-second act—but why had he done it?
Saboteurs valued rationality above all.
Sometimes to the point of being called cold or cruel—
For a saboteur to risk themselves for another, there had to be a reason.
But what reason did Toru have back then to shield a stranger, a girl he’d just met, with his body? If he’d prioritized rationality, he should’ve used the clumsy girl as a decoy and escaped.
Why didn’t he choose that?
Why couldn't he chose that?
“I—”
Hasmin and Chaika were nothing alike and finding common ground between them was near impossible.
And yet… even so...even by slightest...
“For Hasmin-san—thanks.”
Chaika said, still holding Toru tightly.
Her right hand gently stroked his back gently—the scars.
……
Toru was speechless.
Chaika’s reasoning was forced, concocting a cause from the result. Even without Hasmin, Toru might’ve saved Chaika for other reasons. Hasmin’s tragedy wasn’t the sole basis for his choices.
But even if it wasn’t everything...Hasmin’s impact on Toru’s character was infact undeniable.
“That’s how life connects.”
Giving life.
Saving life.
If both meant connecting life, then perhaps this too—
“—By the way.”
A cold chilling voice interrupted suddenly.
“I’d like to vehemently question what exactly this act entails.”
“—!?”
Toru hurriedly pushed Chaika away.
Well, Toru had just been standing there, letting it happen, but to the person entering from behind, it looked like he and Chaika were embracing and in an act.
“No, wait, you are misund—!?”
Toru spun toward the voice.
There stood Akari, expressionless, holding a pestle.
She’d likely been using it to grind materials for mixing. Some suspiciously hazardous-looking powder clung to its tip.
“Nii-sama.” With a gesture sharp enough to make a sound, Akari pointed the pestle at Toru. “If you have an explanation, I’ll hear it.”
“Uh—well. It’s not. I mean, Chaika was checking my back, the scars I mea—”
Why did he have to panic?
Toru stammered excuses, unsure himself.
“If she’s checking your back, she could just stand behind you.”
“Don’t start preaching logic now!?”
Toru shouted.
By the way, Chaika seemed clueless about what was being scrutinized, blinking and tilting her head as she watched Toru and Akari. To her, she’d only been touching Toru’s scars and nothing more than that.
“Honestly, Nii-sama, you’re hopeless. Just when I thought you were finally motivated to work… now you’re making shameless moves on our client.”
Akari said, shrugging with a sigh, though her near-expressionless face made the gesture seem utterly insincere.
“You’re talking like I’m always hitting on someone, huh?”
Toru growled.
“Oh you don't?”
“I don't!” Toru said, glaring at Akari. “Anyway, I didn’t do anything just now. Chaika just—happened to, you know, check my back scars. Nothing shady about it. You can see that, right?”
Toru pointed at Chaika.
As for Chaika, she just kept blinking and tilting her head. Come to think of it, Toru hadn’t asked her age properly...but how old was she? By her mid-teens, she should know what hugging someone of the opposite sex might imply.
That aside—
“I see. Indeed. That’s my Nii-sama.” Akari nodded, seemingly satisfied. “I’ve always been impressed by Nii-sama’s unparalleled commitment to preserving our pure bloodline.”
“That’s definitely a lie.”
“So, Chaika Trabant.”
Akari pointed the pestle at Chaika again.
“Mui?”
“Even if you’re our client, I won’t let you take Nii-sama’s virginity. If you insist, you’ll have to beat me at rock-paper-scissors.”
“Rock-paper-scissors!?—Just shut the hell up forever!”
Toru slammed his fist against the wall and roared.
The operation was set to begin at midnight.
Of course, an attack in broad daylight would be far too reckless but more than that, since Chaika used her conspicuous coffin as a container for her magical staff, even walking around in the daytime drew unwanted attention. Attracting scrutiny for no reason was all harm and no gain, so Toru and the others decided to move after the city had fallen quiet at night time.
“—Alright.”
In the affluent district, lined with tree-shaded streets.
From the roof of a relatively tall house, Toru said, glaring at the lord’s mansion.
The distance to the mansion was about a hundred meltruls in a straight line. Moving across rooftops, with his weapons and gear, Toru’s legs could cover it in just over four breaths—about fifteen seconds. Using <Iron-Blood Transformation> would cut the time further, but—since <Iron-Blood Transformation> had a time limit, it wasn’t wise to use it from the start.
“No changes inside the mansion. We stick to the plan.”
“Understood.”
Akari nodded, pulling her right hand sharply from the roof’s edge and lifting Chaika, who was hoisted up by the collar like a kitten. By the way, the coffin Chaika always carried had already been pulled up by Toru and placed at their feet.
“…Seriously, can’t we do something about this?”
Toru looked down at the coffin with exasperation.
It wasn’t like Chaika was inseparable from it, but she seemed uneasy—unsettled—if the coffin wasn’t in sight. Toru had suggested transferring just the magical staff to a less conspicuous bag, but she’d stubbornly refused.
Mages were generally unsuited for close combat, but in Chaika’s case, her small stature and this cumbersome luggage made her even less mobile. It’d be ideal if she could stay back and provide support, but for this job, Chaika had to be on-site—there were things only she could verify—so they had to bring her along.
“At least don’t bring it inside the mansion.”
“No.” Chaika flatly rejected, glaring up at Toru. “Not allowed.”
“…This is obviously making things harder.”
Muttering, Toru mentally reviewed the plan.
Their job which was ultimately to steal a certain item from the lord’s mansion. Compared to assassinating the lord or seizing the entire fortress… the difficulty was relatively low.
The only problem was… they had no clue what the “certain item” was or rather, they didn’t know how the “certain item” was stored—or even what form it took at present.
It was like grasping at clouds.
According to Chaika, it was likely some kind of material used in magic, but it could be processed and incorporated into something else, or simply locked away in a safe.
So, In short only Chaika, a mage, could confirm it on-site. Without her expertise, Toru or Akari might grab something entirely unrelated. If Lord Roberto Abarth was cautious, he might even have prepared decoys.
And so.
Toru and the others had to infiltrate the heavily guarded lord’s mansion with Chaika and her coffin in tow. It made sense that Chaika had hired them and she clearly understood her own weaknesses. On top of her clumsiness, her skills weren’t suited for thievery or close combat. Whether forcing their way in to grab the item quickly or sneaking in to take it quietly, Chaika was utterly ill-suited so she needed capable support.
“Fine, Let’s go. Akari, you’re on.”
“Got it.”
Confirming Akari’s nod—Toru kicked off the roof with his boots, coated with soft resin despite their wear, combined with the flexibility of his knees, made almost no sound. Leaping from building to building, nearly silent, Toru headed straight for the lord’s mansion.
Last night’s reconnaissance, creating imaginary blueprint on his head had given him a rough idea of the guard placements.
Watchtowers stood at the mansion’s four corners—east, west, south, north—overlooking the grounds while periodic patrols covered the towers’ blind spots. For a noble’s mansion, it was a standard, reliable security setup.
Given the mansion’s size, there were likely at least a hundred servants, all potentially part of the security. The long war had ensured that many, to varying degrees, were trained in martial arts.
Of course, taking down everyone in the mansion was far too unrealistic and ridiculous to even think about like suicide.
Toru’s plan was to narrow down the likely storage location based on the mansion’s layout, secure a safe route to it, and then have Akari bring Chaika in.
……
His battle gear which was worn after so long.
Weapons he’d barely used.
Wearing them—Toru clearly felt his own exhilaration.
The Acura village, formed for battle, sustained for battle.
Toru, born and raised there, was born to fight, lived to fight.
The training was brutal. The trainees, some died before ever seeing combat. A sword never swung. A blade rusted and broken in its sheath. That was Toru’s deepest fear.
Humans die someday.
So he wanted to carve proof of his life into the world.
To fulfill the purpose he was born for—the purpose of living.
To die having fulfilled it, that was a human’s way of life.
And so…
“This isn’t a battlefield, though.”
Toru muttered with a self-mocking tone.
Just a theft.
But even so—
“…Whoa.”
Toru made a particularly large leap.
He pulled a small mirror from his pocket, flashing it backward.
At the same time, he twisted mid-air, releasing a thin chain from his sleeve. Tipped with a clawed weight, it sailed over the high wall surrounding the lord’s mansion, catching on one of the watchtowers—its upper section.
—Shun!
A sharp sound passed over Toru’s head.
No, that wasn’t quite right.
A band of enforced silence stretched forward, striking the watchtower directly. The sounds of the night breeze, insect chirps—all faint noises were erased by that space, and the contrast felt like a sound to Toru.
Swinging in a wide, pendulum-like arc, Toru latched onto the watchtower’s midsection.
……
He glanced up at the watchtower’s top.
There was no sign of movement from the guard presumably stationed there.
The noise from Toru’s chain had been absorbed by the magical “field” cast in a band. Needless to say, this was Chaika’s magic. According to her, it was a vacuum-based spell which was an application of The Devourer. The vacuum layer had absorbed most of the sound.
“…Good.”
Toru checked his weapons and tools, then climbed the rope.
The patrolling guards came roughly once an hour.
In other words, silencing the watchtower guard gave them an hour before discovery.
“…Yosh!”
The top of the watchtower it was so cramped that two people sitting left no room to stand. It was a place solely for monitoring the surroundings, nothing else. Without the railing, a slight bump from a colleague could send someone plummeting.
“When my brother’s business started failing—”
“I heard that story before.”
Two aging guards stood, leaning against the railing, chatting idly.
Toru timed his moment, swiftly climbing onto the watchtower—
“—Ah!?”
From behind, he quickly struck one with a blow to knock him out, then did the same to the other, who let out a short cry of surprise. It was a split-second feat.
By the way, Toru didn’t use weapons to subdue the guards which was not out of mercy or morality, but because the smell of blood could alert others to the intrusion sooner. It was actually smooth, as the skills were honed.
The two aging guards lost consciousness and slumped.
Toru lifted them, propping them up to look like they were standing, tying them to the railing and pillars with thin cords.
Most fortresses have complex layouts to deter intruders but that creates more shadows. The watchtowers’ job was to monitor these from above. Here the lord’s mansion had four watchtowers, so neutralizing one created a blind spot—roughly a quarter of the grounds. This should allow Akari to bring Chaika in. Toru’s role was to find the shortest path to the “likely storage location,” infiltrate the mansion, and—if anyone might spot him—knock them out to create more blind spots.
“—Here we go.”
Lowering the steel rope used to climb, he descended.
Toru then moved through the shadows, advancing toward the mansion stealthily.
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