Chapter 318.

I was currently in a guardhouse . Well, perhaps it was a prison cell . Whatever the case, the point was that I was locked up . Locked up and working out . Push ups, plank, pull ups, etc .

[Your strength increases by 0 . 1]

[Your vitality increases by 0 . 1]

[Your stamina increases by 0 . 1]

As the above alerts showed, the exercise was going pretty well . I experienced an increase of 0 . 6 points in just 36 hours . I couldn’t have experienced such a rapid increase on Earth .

“…”

I looked at the veins protruding out of my forearm . At this rate, I believed I would be able to regain my original abilities in a couple of months .

KWANG—!

Suddenly the door burst open .

I lifted my head and looked at the door .

Tap, tap . I heard heavy footsteps approaching . Clang . I heard the sound of metal clanging against metal .

A person in a robe stood in front of my cell .

“Are you the F-rank sharpshooter Kim Hajin?”

A clear voice flowed into my ears . It was a beautiful voice, one that no one would ever forget once they heard it .

“I am,” I answered .

A woman wearing a hooded robe gave a small smile .

“Is it true that you broke into the library to read books?”

The woman looked at me and asked, and only then did I realize her name and her status . Observation and Reading had activated a little late .

[Airun – Knight Commander]

“…Yes . ”

“So does that mean you can read?”

Was the illiteracy rate in this world high? Airun gave a broad smile when I answered that I could read .

“Great, that’s good to hear . ”

She took out a copperplate and a card from inside her robe .

“I understand that only those who are competent can enter the Lorenzio Secret Service . Statistics prove that the soldiers in the Secret Service are usually a rank or two better than soldiers in other squads,” Airun said and threw the copperplate and the card into my cell .

“I heard it’s only been three months since you joined the army . ”

I examined the copperplate . Short sentences were written on it .

[1:30 AM, March 8th, a stable near the eastern gate of Lorenzio]

[I need an sharpshooter to guide me through the Rotio Mountains]

[He needs to be able to read this copperplate]

I thought the last sentence was a bit odd but decided to move on to the card for now . The card had the words [Supply Card] written across it in black .

“Can you read that copperplate?”

“…Pardon? Ah, Yes . I can . 1:30 AM, March 8th . ”

When I read what was written on the copperplate, Airun smiled and continued .

“Alright . Now, listen up . I’d like to hire you on a secret mission . Surely you’re aware that as an F-rank soldier, your career in the army can end at any moment now that you’re in jail . ”

I listened to her carefully since I didn’t know anything about the situation I was currently in .

“However, if you come back alive from this mission, I’ll guarantee you a spot in the army, not just as an ordinary soldier but as a commissioned officer . …Oh, and you’ll be released immediately if you accept my offer . ”

It turns out she was asking for my help .

“Mm… . ”

I was wondering whether I should accept her offer or not, when all of a sudden several sentences popped up before my eyes .

[New Event]

[Summary – Airun has chosen you as Harin’s bodyguard . ]

[Difficulty – High]

[Goal – Escort ‘Harin’ safely to the ‘Republic of Leores’ in the south . ]

[Reward – A piece of equipment that you lost . ]

“I’ll do it . ”

I immediately nodded my head .

“Good . You’ll change into regular clothes and depart tomorrow . You’ll be able to get all the equipment you need from the armory with that card . ”

Airun smiled and turned around . Her movements were very graceful .

As she walked down the hallway towards the exit, the guard approached me and opened the cell door .

“You’re being released, F-rank Sharpshooter Kim Hajin . You’ll have to fill out a short form before leaving . ”

**

KOOOONG—!

The guardhouse door closed shut . Airun let out a sigh as she watched the iron door close . As always, it was too heavy and bulky for her taste . A simple magic processing would’ve been enough to solve the issue, but whoever constructed it had not bothered in the slightest .

“…So this is where you are . ”

Suddenly, an annoyed voice caught Airun’s attention . Startled, Airun turned her gaze to where the voice had come from .

There, her subordinate ‘Draven’ was waiting for her .

“Draven . ”

“Commander, are you up to something again?”

“…That’s no way to speak to your superior . ”

Airun put on a solemn expression, but Draven was persistent . Now even more serious than before, he blocked Airun’s way .

Left with no other option, Airun spoke with a sigh, “An old frenemy of mine has asked me to lend her a sharpshooter”

“An old frenemy…?”

“Yes,” Airun smiled bitterly and continued, “I’m sure you know her as well . ”

“…?!”

Draven widened his eyes . There was only one person he could think of, the sister of the man who had been executed for spreading false rumors about the prince .

Draven exclaimed in aghast, “Commander!”

“…Shh . ”

“They might think we’re working with the traitors . They-”

“It’s okay . That’s why I came here specifically . ”

Harin, the eldest daughter of the Leon Clan .

Because of her brother’s treacherous prophecy—‘Someday the prince will become the devil and destroy the world . ’—her entire family had been killed off, and she was the sole survivor .

“She’s in need of a sharpshooter to help her escape . He’s not even D-rank . I can spare her an F-rank soldier . No one would notice that he’s gone anyway . ”

Airun had already tested the F-rank sharpshooter named Kim Hajin .

The copperplate that Airun showed to Kim Hajin, only those with good eyesight could read the letters engraved on it . It was a magic item designed specifically for that purpose .

“Lending her a soldier won’t change her situation, but it could change ours-”

“Draven . ”

Airun interrupted Draven adamantly .

“It’s something I decided, and you have no right to stop me . And, I know for sure that you’re also indebted to Leon . ”

“… . ”

Drevon fell silent . It was just as the Commander said— The Duke of Leon was an ardent supporter of Arunheim’s knights . He lent support to those with talent regardless of his or her status and offered financial support so that the beneficiaries could focus on honing their sword skills .

Airun was one of Leon’s beneficiaries . Though she and Harin drifted apart because of something that happened in the past, she had yet to forget all the support she’d received from her family .

“…Fine . ”

Draven, a local aristocrat and another beneficiary of Leon, finally gave in .

“But, Commander, it’ll be fine if that soldier dies during the mission, but if by any chance he comes back alive, I’ll kill him myself . We need to keep this to ourselves . ”

“… . ”

Airun said nothing . She passed her subordinate quietly and Draven followed her in slow steps .

**

[New Event]

[Summary – Airun has chosen you as Harin’s bodyguard . ]

[Difficulty – High]

[Goal – Escort ‘Harin’ safely to the ‘Republic of Leores’ in the south . ]

[Reward – A piece of equipment that you lost . ]

I scrutinized the details of this important mission and changed into new clothes as soon as I got out of the guardhouse . I started feeling itchy again the moment I put them on .

My next destination was the armory . The guards at the armory tried to stop me at first, but stepped down when I showed them the card; as Airun had told me to do . They then gave me the necessary weapons .

“Chainmail, hunting backpack, crampons, iron crossbow, 40 bronze magic bolts . Are you all set?”

“Yes, sir . ”

I picked out the best equipment from the armory . Of course, all of them were mundane at best, but I could probably make them more useful through [Random Consolidation System] .

“Good luck . ”

“Thank you . ”

I exchanged greetings with the guards and left the armory .

I then headed to the shooting range . My mission was to begin tomorrow and I felt the need to sharpen my skills .

“It’s big . ”

The shooting range was 15 meters wide and 500 meters long . It seemed pretty well taken care of .

I stood in a lane and took out the crossbow .

Kiik—

I cocked and loaded the bolt against the bowstring and aimed at the target .

Then I fired .

Tang—!

Immediately after I shot my first bolt, I shot the second .

Tang—!

My second bolt fiercely chased after the first .

It was as if I shot them both at the same time . This ‘rapid fire’ technique was made possible by my Gift .

Koong—! Koong—!

A heavy sound rang out . The first bolt landed in the center area and the second bolt split the first bolt in half and penetrated the target .

“…”

I nodded in satisfaction . Despite the fact that my stats had decreased, the result was great . With the combination of my accuracy and Stigma, I was confident that I could dominate almost all enemies with a single shot .

“…I wonder what everyone is doing . ”

A sudden curiosity captured my attention .

There were a total of 200 Earthlings in this world .

Did they all start at the very bottom like me? Or did they start higher, more towards the middle? Or maybe some of them became aristocrats and were in a better position to see how the wind was blowing .

I took out the Book of Truth to find out the answer .

“Where is Kim Suho in this world?”

I assumed this question would take up 2 streaks, which was risky now that my physical abilities were limited . But I wanted to know where Kim Suho was no matter what .

[…Kim Suho is in the Republic of Leores to the south . ]

“Oh?”

My eyes widened .

“That’s where I’m going . ”

A small laugh escaped my lips as I thanked my luck .

**

Arunheim, March 8th of Kairos calendar, one late night at the duchy of Lorenzio .

“…Huu . ”

Short blue hair and sharp facial features . Not even dirt and bulky armor could hide the beauty that once charmed the entire kingdom .

Anyone would notice this mysterious yet filthy woman . This fact made ‘Harin’, the last survivor of Leon, tremble in fear even more .

“Huu… . ”

In a stable near the castle wall, she was wandering alone in fear . She managed to arrive at the duchy of Lorenzio thanks to the help of the knights . Currently, she was alone . Her only companion had left her to divert the attention of the enemy .

—Wait!

It was then she heard a man shouting .

“Hup!”

Harin hid behind a wall and covered her mouth .

—Let’s hit up another place! The night is still young .

—Great idea! Let’s go!

“…Haa . ”

She waited in the dark for Airun’s help to arrive, whilst continually being startled by the footsteps of the passersby and wild animals .

“How much longer do I have to wait…?”

Harin felt humiliated that she had to ask Airun for help, but she had no other choice . She decided that staying alive was more important than her dignity .

She had asked for a sharpshooter . To escape from Arunheim, she had to cross a rugged mountain range .

“Wait, did she…?”

But she couldn’t rule out the possibility that Airun betrayed her . She knew Airun wasn’t the type to go back on her word, but… . Harin put her hands together and prayed for Airun to remember all the good things that the Leon Clan had done for her .

It was then .

“Is that you?”

A voice captured Harin’s attention .

Startled, Harin took a step back and raised her head . She saw in the shadow of the castle wall a man hidden under his robe .

Harin gulped and looked at the man .

“…You are?”

She felt relieved, but only for a moment . The tension in the atmosphere heightened as she began to suspect the man as an assassin sent by the royal family to kill her .

“I’m the receiver of this copperplate . ”

The man showed Harin the copperplate she had given to Airun . This was the proof that the mysterious man was on her side .

But Harin still felt doubtful, for she couldn’t deny the possibility that Airun had betrayed her .

“Did Airun send you?”

“That’s right, I’m the pawn . ”

“…Pawn?”

Harin felt confused by his word choice, but nevertheless chose to believe him . This was because she knew that if Airun did actually betray her, then she wouldn’t be able to make it to Leores alive no matter what .

“…Nice to meet you . I’m Renha . ”

Harin presented an alias and reached out her hand .

“I’m Kim Hajin . ”

The man also introduced himself and took her hand .

Just like that, she shook hands with the man who would become her bodyguard .

“Kim Hajin… . ”

It was a rather strange name, which made him appear more suspicious .

“Yes, that’s me . ”

But the man nodded as if he wasn’t suspecting anything, and this made Harin feel a little more comfortable . For an assassin, he did seem too lax, after all .

Harin asked nonchalantly, “I have one horse . Do you know how to ride horses?”

“Hm? Ah, yes, yes, I can . ”

“Well then . ”

Harin nodded and pulled the horse out of the stable . She was big enough for two people .

“Let’s ride her together . …Ah, but before that,”

Harin suddenly realized that she didn’t know her bodyguard’s rank .

“Are you… . ”

But she stopped midway through her question .

If this man was a knight, it would be rude for her to ask him about his rank . And if she could actually make it out of Arunheim alive, it was better that they knew nothing about each other .

“…a sharpshooter?”

So she decided to change her question . She wanted to confirm that Airun sent her a sharpshooter .

The man nodded with a smile . “Yes, I’m a sharpshooter . ”

That was enough for Harin .

But apparently, not for her bodyguard .

He added another sentence that she would’ve been perfectly happy without .

“I’m Kim Hajin, an F-rank sharpshooter . ”

“…Pardon?”

Harin’s mind went blank .

F-rank .

Was this man talking about the F-rank that she knew? The F-rank that was synonymous with trash?

Dumbfounded, Harin looked at the man for a while before asking, “Did you say… F-rank?”

“Yes . ”

“…”

Only then did Harin finally get a good look at the man . The way he was dressed was nothing like a knight and more like a common soldier .

Coincidentally— the man even showed her his ID card .

“You can trust me . This is my identification card with my name and my rank . ”

[Secret Service Soldier, F-rank Sharpshooter Kim Hajin]

“This is just-”

Trust me? How could I trust you?

Harin stumbled in sudden dizziness . It was stress-induced anemia .

“F-rank… . ”

She grabbed her head in dizziness . Suddenly resentment overtook her .

‘Airun, how could you? I know I was asking a lot but an F-rank is just too much . He won’t even be able to survive in the mountains I have to cross… . . ’

“Why… . ”

Troubled, Harin sank to the floor of the stable .

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