"Is this the place?"
Looking down from the mountain, the squad leader stared intently at the dimly lit village. His eyes glinted behind his disguise and face covering as he asked coldly.
"That's right. This is the Lute Village our employers mentioned. Sweep through the whole place and find the blueprints for those Magic Automatons, along with the mage who designed them. Those are our employers' absolute orders."
"Still, do we really need this many people?"
The squad leader glanced at the force around him. Every one of them was a level-fifty advanced-class fighter, apart from himself and five other high-ranking fighters above level seventy. Seventy-six people in all-enough to conquer a small town. Yet their target was a little village without even a single high-ranking adventurer to protect it. This was a complete waste of their strength.
"Don't overthink it. Just finish the job. How could small fry like us possibly fathom what those big shots are thinking?" A burly man beside him wiped his broadsword with his clothes as he spoke.
Another squad leader spoke in a low voice. "Besides, once this job is done, our employers will pay us a fortune so we can flee abroad and lie low. Our target this time is the Fifth Hero's territory, after all. The moment we accepted this job, we committed ourselves to a fight to the death with him. Everyone should know exactly what'll happen if we're found out. Leave no evidence."
"Then let's begin. Leave no one alive!"
Sinister smiles spread across their faces. Their blades were already drawn, glinting with a piercing chill beneath the hazy moonlight. With light, quick steps, they raced toward Lute Village, brushing past branches and leaves that rustled softly in their wake.
In Lute Village, shrouded in darkness, a drunk staggered out of the tavern. Swaying his drink-addled head, he squinted at the dark shapes in the distance and tilted his head in confusion. "Huh... what's that?"
Swish-
A cold gleam flashed past. The headless body fell to the ground with a thud, splattering crimson blood everywhere. The drunk's head rolled across the ground, its eyes staring blankly ahead. His face still wore the same drunken bewilderment it had before his death, as though he were wondering what had happened.
Countless dark figures stormed into the peaceful, pleasant village, shattering its tranquility. Before long, fires sprang up everywhere. The clash of weapons, wailing, and agonized screams echoed throughout the village. All of Lute Village was plunged into a terrible crisis.
Inside Paracelsus's Magecraft workshop at the Mine base.
"I've finished examining her. She has bruises and injuries in several places, some malnutrition, and an unstable mental state caused by excessive fright and distress. Speaking of which, did you do anything strange to her?" Paracelsus emerged with Raphael after completing her examination. He handed the information sheet to Gin Ichimaru and stared at him suspiciously.
To be honest, Paracelsus could not stand the man before him, who so often wore a false smile. His dislike even bordered on outright hostility and loathing.
Perhaps they were simply incompatible. He could never tell how much of what this man said was true and how much was false. Everything about him reeked of deceit, something Paracelsus, who held loyalty as his creed, found unbearable. Had they not both been Servants summoned by the same Master, Paracelsus would long since have given in to the urge to eliminate him.
Moreover, the demi-human girl Gin Ichimaru had brought back seemed to harbor a sickeningly fervent admiration for him. Paracelsus was convinced that Gin Ichimaru had manipulated her somehow, using honeyed words to deceive the girl and exploit her innocent feelings.
If that was the case, Paracelsus felt obligated to stop an innocent girl from being reduced to someone else's plaything.
"You mustn't slander Lord Gin Ichimaru like that! I chose to follow him of my own free will. Even if you're his companion, you shouldn't say such things!" Hearing Paracelsus's words, Raphael immediately stepped forward to defend him.
Her stubborn, earnest gaze and fierce bearing made her look just like a mother beast protecting her young. Paracelsus shook his head helplessly, at a loss for words.
Perhaps he had seen a reflection of his former self in Raphael. At that thought, Paracelsus's heart grew heavy. He reached out and gently stroked her little head, speaking kindly. "All right. I was wrong to say that. To make amends, if you ever need help, you can come to me. I'll do everything within my power to help you."
Raphael said nothing. She bowed slightly to Paracelsus, then returned to Gin Ichimaru's side.
Unbothered by Paracelsus's hostility, Gin Ichimaru curled his lips into a smile and chuckled. "Well, well. We aren't even from the same world, are we? I don't know why you're so hostile toward me, but since we'll be companions from now on, I think it's worth trying to get along."
Paracelsus gave a soft snort and glanced at Gin Ichimaru. "There's no need. I think things are fine as they are."
"What a shame. I'd hoped we could get along..."
Woooo-
An urgent alarm suddenly sounded, cutting Gin Ichimaru off. Paracelsus's brows drew together slightly as he brought up a projected surveillance feed:
Flames and smoke now rose into the sky above the once-peaceful Lute Village. A mysterious group dressed in black had forced its way inside, raising their blades to slaughter the unarmed villagers. Some of the able-bodied villagers grabbed nearby pitchforks, hoes, and other farming tools to fight back, but they could only delay their deaths. Within barely a dozen seconds, the black-clad killers cut them down, leaving their bodies discarded.
"A bandit attack?" Watching the images transmitted by his familiar, Paracelsus looked thoughtful. Something about this felt wrong.
Matching clothes and practiced killing techniques-nothing about them looked like a disorderly band of thieves. Rather than looting, they seemed to be searching for something. A premeditated attack?
"Send fifty artificial spirits to deal with them. Leave some alive so we can interrogate them about who sent them," Paracelsus said.
Gin Ichimaru stroked Raphael's head. "Wouldn't it be better to leave all of them alive? If you don't mind, let me handle these people. Raphael needs opponents for actual combat practice, and they're just right."
She was only fourteen or fifteen, and she already had to fight and kill?
Shouldn't a girl her age be snuggling in her parents' arms, playing with her friends, and cherishing those beautiful memories?
Making her do this... wasn't it far too cruel?
Although Paracelsus wanted to dissuade him, he glanced at Raphael, who was quietly enjoying Gin Ichimaru's hand on her head, her little face alight with excitement. With a soft sigh, Paracelsus said, "I'll send thirty artificial spirits to assist you. Try to take them alive."