"Are you sure you're fine with this?" Inari asked his partner.
They were standing on a distant overlooking hilltop, which gave a sweeping view of the port. From here, they could see the entire port and its bustling denizens. Adding onto that, the power of a Perception Realm Master, then they needed no viewing aids. They could see clearly, as if they were standing there in the streets! That was why they could locate Shirley and Freon boarding a warship, as the crew began their final preparations for departure. Inari had the intent to observe Protector Avin closer, but he reined in his curiosity. Although they could skirt by peeping on Shirley and Freon, trying that against Protector Avin, a monster in human skin and a Rank 3 King, was suicidal! One could not underestimate the extent of Avin's instincts!
In fact, that was the main reason why Inari disappeared under Shirley's watch. It was not like he had any important business to attend to. Rather, he received news of Protector Avin's return to Firecast! From the simple blunder at the gates, the Conquestian figured it out and waited outside Shirley's mansion for them. Inari was the same, except he fled immediately. He was absolutely disinterested in meeting Protector Avin, and the feeling might venture as far as fear. Against a person like Protector Avin, even if they had ten of Inari, they would not be a match. Inari was an assassin and prided his safety above all else. He was not about to deliver himself to someone's chopping block.
His partner closed his eyes and said, "She made her own decision, so I won't meddle in it. Whatever happens in the future will be up to her and the heavens above."
"It's rare for you to expose an emotional side," Inari chuckled. Earning a dark glance, his partner returned to being cold and quiet. "Haha, you don't have to be so mad. I'll treat you to a good meal tonight after we're finished with our assignment. How about that?"
"Zelfon's Bar."
Inari gave an awkward laugh. "You know that's a bit too high-class for me. How about we settle for something else?"
"You think I don't know about your secret stash?"
"Alright, alright… Let's get out of here then."
"Hmph."
With that, the pair of master assassins vanished without a trace! Unfortunately, what they did not know… was that they were still underestimating Protector Avin! As expected, the man, who was watching Shirley and Freon depart, then turned to glance at the hilltop. He snorted inwardly. From the very beginning, he knew that they were being watched. Master assassin or not, a Rank 3 King was simply at a level that Inari and his partner could not fathom! The only reason that Avin did not make a move was that he could sense they had no hostile intentions. Regardless, he was determined to investigate their backgrounds thoroughly and wrap up loose ends!
***
Owen was the leader of a small group in the Alzar Kingdom. It paid very lucratively, possibly one of the highest paying jobs for a commoner. A big assignment could easily secure them months of an extravagant lifestyle! Factor in a dozen of those jobs and a frugal lifestyle, then a family could comfortably live off it for years, if not decades. Where else could one find another job like this? Yet why were there vacancies? Why was nobody signing up? The answer was simple because it was being a mercenary! In every world, reward came with risk. The higher the reward, the higher the risk. How could a free lunch exist? And becoming a mercenary was one of the most dangerous of occupations!
Mercenaries were a special force under the Alzar Kingdom's chain of command. They were not truly military soldiers, so they did not have to comply with the kingdom's rules or regulations. However, this freedom came at a cost since they were given the most dangerous and suicidal assignments of them all! Deep in enemy lines, into forbidden zones, or fighting in the vanguard… They frequently had to take assignments where the fatality rate exceeded eight parts in ten! And remember, that was an average. If a mercenary group was unlucky enough, then they would face total annihilation! Even on the small chance that someone did survive, they would find their allies dead or incapacitated. It was not an easy job!
But with every ten dead, there would be another ten to fill the void. The promise of riches was too alluring. As they say, people die for money and kill for life! That was why mercenary groups were a meat grinder. There were constantly people joining and dying. Rarely did anyone get the ending they hoped for and Owen was the same. He was the leader of this small mercenary group, having participated in six extreme high-risk operations with eight parts in ten fatality rates. Most people died after their first assignment, and ladder kept narrowing on the way up. For someone to survive six assignments was extremely, extremely impressive! Hence, Owen was called a 'lucky star' by many.
He looked around him at his fellow mercenaries. They were in the wilderness of the Quelladon Province, heading towards Pelangi Fortress. Everyone was partying crazily, drinking booze, singing songs, and dancing around the campfire. The life of a mercenary… was like a shooting star. It dazzled for one moment before fading away. On the next morning, no one would remember it at all. Owen had seen it too many times to count. If he lacked a strong driving force to continue, why would he stay and torture himself? Alas, the heavens were unforgiving.
While drowning in his melancholy, someone sat beside him and asked, "Why aren't you joining?"
Owen turned to stare at the speaker. Compared to Owen, this person was their 'unlucky star' who joined them partway in the south. He seemed young and polite with his mannerisms and appearance, but Owen shook those misconceptions out his head. Because this person… was crazy! Not only did he have absurdly high fighting potential, which Owen suspected breached the Perception Realm level, but their unlucky star mentioned being a Grand Noble! Grand Nobility was the absolute apex of nobility in the Alzar Kingdom, one step below the Royal Family! People like Owen could only look up and awe their feet, much less their full grandeur. They were unworthy of notice! And yet, this person was saying he was a Grand Noble too? He must be an idiot or crazy! Little did Owen know that this person was telling the truth… because it was Benedict!
Benedict scratched his head awkwardly and smiled. It was hard to avoid suspicion. He was dirty and unkempt, due to his long months in the wilderness. He tried his best to maintain a certain level of cleanliness, but that was limited. To make matters worse, his clothes were stained, torn, and barely fit. Through his training, his body bulked up with more robust muscles, revealing his growing strength! His fair skin was tanned darker and seemed to indicate a life of hard manual labour. Coupled with his razor-sharp aura, it was understandable that Owen had reservations towards him. He looked more like a runaway slave, than a Grand Noble!
"I was enjoying my time alone. What don't you join them instead?" Owen replied. Benedict laughed awkwardly and scratched his head, but he did not leave. Owen gave him a sidelong stare and eventually looked away. "Why are you headed to Pelangi Fortress?" he asked.
Benedict was a little surprised, since this was the first time they spoke. Still, he said, "Because I want to figure out Elizabeth's… Princess Elizabeth's intentions for becoming the Royal Army General."
"This again, huh?" Owen muttered. Since he needed a distraction, he decided to play along. "You say you're that Sir Benedict Hawken, one of the three people who helped protect and save Her Highness while she was in the Xingyuu Empire, right?"
Although the exact details were never revealed, particularly their time in the Yunyun Stronghold or the Kuthong Forest, the rest had countless witnesses. Especially the final battle where Elizabeth attacked with unstoppable momentum, overshadowed the entire battlefield, and killed the emperor! For a time, their heroic tales spread throughout the human world, and everyone heard their names. Although it might not appear like it, they were famous! The only reason they were not recognized as much as they should be was due to many factors. Benedict stayed at home in Algard, Shirley lived on a remote island, and Freon rarely socialized. That was why, despite knowing their names, their appearances remained a mystery.
"Yes, I am Sir Benedict," he answered instantly. It was himself, how could he not?
"Really?" Despite that, Owen replied sarcastically, as if looking at a fool. Ignoring the boy's darkening expression, he took a swig of alcohol and added mischievously, "You know, many people have been speculating the exact relationship between Princess Elizabeth and Sir Benedict. They spun all sorts of crazy and wild rumors like the two were childhood sweethearts that ran away or that the knight kidnapped the princess or that Benedict was a Xingyuu spy… Some minstrels even went too far and gotten imprisoned for slandering Her Highness. If you're that Sir Benedict, then tell me. What is your relationship with Her Highness?"