"Come to think of it, that mask."
Why did he insist on wearing a clown mask? Helmut became curious about the face hidden beneath it. He reached for Pacho's mask.
"What are you doing!"
Pacho exclaimed in horror, showing the biggest reaction Helmut had seen from him so far. However, Pacho had no way to resist. Helmut cut the strap holding the mask in place with the tip of his sword. The mask came off easily.
"Hmm?"
The face revealed was white and smooth, without a single scar or blemish. It wasn't the hideously ugly appearance he had braced himself for. Instead... the features were too bland and blurry. The eyes were as small as buttonholes, the nose was flat, and the lips were thin and long. The face was so uniformly flat that it was bizarre for a human face.
"What's this?"
Helmut, momentarily unsettled, covered his face with the mask again. Somehow, continuing to look at it made him feel uneasy, like looking at a sticky egg.
"Better with it on."
Pacho's body trembled. Being ridiculed by a handsome guy made it even more of a blow. That a young kid could inflict such humiliation on him! But right now, that young kid held his life in his hands. Helmut looked down at him and continued his questioning.
"How big is the Hawk Eye group?"
"A small elite force. I don't know the total number. Maybe a dozen or so."
"How many in Hawk Eye have skills comparable to yours?"
"Including me, there are five within Hawk Eye."
"That's quite a few. That'll be troublesome."
Helmut wasn't planning on attacking them with a sword right away, but the thought crossed his mind, causing him to frown. Pacho continued.
"That means I've confirmed five. I don't know the exact number. We don't contact each other except when on a mission. We just follow orders from above."
"Above?"
"The leader of Hawk Eye. I referred to him as Talon."
"So, you don't know his real name."
It seemed like he would be able to hear some story, but this assassin's answers were all vague. He didn't know much. No wonder, someone who's trying to save his own skin by talking so freely probably wouldn't be trusted with much information by his group. This made it difficult for Helmut to find a reason to torture him.
"What's the relationship between Black Hawk and Hawk Eye?"
"Hawk Eye acts as the executioner within Black Hawk."
"Where are Black Hawk's bases? Where do the leaders congregate?"
"I don't know that. I received my orders separately and got information about you from a Black Hawk branch."
"How do you communicate with them?"
"If I go to a designated place, someone comes."
"Do they have contact with your superiors?"
"They would have contact, but they probably don't know where they are either. They would use magical means."
"So, you're of no use. You have nothing to tell me."
Helmut pressed his sword against Pacho's throat. His expression was cold. The information provided was vague, and it was unclear whether he had told the truth. He might just be pretending to divulge information.
No matter what happened to the Seed of Darkness, this guy needed to be killed right now. The decision was leaning heavily in that direction. Pacho, sensing that his reprieve had ended, became desperate.
"If you let me go, I can end this mission with my authority!"
Helmut pointed out kindly.
"As I said, how can I believe your words?"
The bleeding from his hand had stopped, likely because he had applied pressure. Leaving him like this wouldn't result in death from blood loss. He would die right now.
"Fine, your friend. I'll tell you about him! That guy is..."
"I'm not interested."
What does it matter what happened to Asuka? Helmut raised his sword. It would be over with one strike. But then, suddenly, a voice stopped him from behind.
"Wait."
A deep resonance. It was a voice that couldn't be ignored, not shouted but spoken, and it was close. Helmut's spine chilled.
"Wait, boy. Stop for a moment."
Tension rose. A murderous intent flickered in Helmut's eyes.
'This assassin had less presence than him.'
That meant this new arrival was even more skilled than Pacho. Helmut turned around. About 30 paces away. It was close.
The newly arrived, hooded figure wasn't large, but the threatening and intense aura emanating from him naturally put Helmut on alert.
"Talon... sir."
Hearing the name slip out with a groan from Pacho, Helmut's eyes widened. He felt as if cold water had been dumped over him.
"The leader of Hawk Eye?"
"I had a bad feeling, so I came myself. It's come to this, then."
His words were polite and gentle, a tone that seemed out of place for someone associated with a group like Hawk Eye.
'He's strong.'
Helmut had to admit it. The aura emanating from him was formidable, and his posture betrayed no weaknesses. Just by looking, Helmut couldn't find any openings, which meant the man was strong enough to hide them. After expending a significant amount of his vis in rescuing Dino and subduing Pacho, Helmut wasn't in perfect condition to engage in a fight with such a formidable opponent.
Winning wasn't impossible, but he couldn't guarantee victory. If they fought with all their might... the outcome was uncertain. Helmut realized that this man was the strongest individual he had encountered since leaving the Forest of Parha.
"Return my subordinate to me. There will be a price to pay."
The opponent spoke leisurely, indicating no immediate intention to fight. Recognizing this, Helmut responded.
"This guy talks too much and thinks more about his own well-being than the organization's. He's of no use alive."
The academy taught that such individuals shouldn't be kept close. However, Talon countered softly.
"That's a general standard, but not for us in Hawk Eye. Our ranks are filled with those wanted or who have committed crimes, unable to show their faces or operate openly elsewhere. But everyone has their use in the right place, if handled properly. Given our manpower shortage, we can't be choosy. It's rare to find someone of his caliber."
It was an interesting argument, but Helmut's focus wasn't there. Talon asked,
"Isn't that enough to vent your anger?"
"It's not enough."
Had Pacho succeeded, Helmut would have returned to the campsite to find Asuka, Andro, and James dead. The mere thought ignited a murderous intent within him.
"If it's not enough, I'll make up for the shortfall in another way."
Talon's tone suggested a willingness to negotiate, yet he wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly. If Helmut didn't comply, Talon was ready to use force.
'I should have killed him earlier.'
Pacho, lying incapacitated, couldn't join the fight, nor did he seem useful as a hostage. Talon's gaze was indifferent. He wouldn't be overly concerned if Pacho died.
"How will you make up for it?"
"I'll compensate you. Be it money, information, or whatever you desire. Just say it."
Talon spread his hands, indicating his willingness to fulfill any request.
Helmut was conflicted.
Killing Pacho and confronting Talon here wasn't far from the campsite. If they fought loudly using vis, the instructors would soon find this place.
But the aftermath was the problem. Two instructors and one professor. Would they be of any help? Helmut roughly gauged their abilities. The academy's faculty were specialized in teaching, not necessarily in possessing extraordinary combat skills. Instructors Alan and Patricia were likely inferior to Pacho in terms of ability. Professor Dwayne was a mage, making it hard to gauge his combat capability, but generally, mages were less adept in combat than swordsmen.
'If I were taken hostage.'
It would only be a hindrance. Moreover, he couldn't use the common sword techniques of the continent against this man. To use his full strength, Helmut would need to employ Darien's swordsmanship, which posed a problem if revealed to Talon or the academy faculty.
'It's problematic since I can't use what I've learned.'
Helmut's brow furrowed. He knew the best decision, even if it went against his desires. Suppressing his killing intent, Helmut spoke as if negotiating.
"I need everything. Money and information."
Even if Talon chose to fight without paying any price, Helmut was in a position where he had to avoid conflict. But Talon didn't know that. Helmut planned to extract as much as he could.
"You're greedy. But fine, I'll give you what you want."
Talon took something out of his robe and threw it to the ground. Thud! A heavy sound—it was a money pouch. A glimpse of gold coins was visible from the slightly open mouth.
"It should be around 300,000 marks. Check it."
Was it a robe with space expansion magic? Helmut moved cautiously, touching the pouch with the tip of his sword to open it, wary of any traps. By the looks of it, the amount Talon mentioned seemed accurate. But carrying it was another matter.
"That robe. It has space expansion magic, doesn't it? Give me that too. What do you think I'll do with this money pouch?"
Taking the money and releasing an assassin who endangered his friends would be criticized. Distributing the money evenly wouldn't solve the problem.
Talon complied with the request without much fuss. He took off his hooded cloak and threw it on the ground.
"Here."
Helmut narrowed his eyes as he finally saw Talon's face.
"The campsite manager? How did you hide your energy?"
He had seemed weak before. If Helmut had attacked, it felt like he could have killed him with a neck snap. But now, Talon appeared younger and more vigorous, overflowing with energy and looking completely different. It was a curious phenomenon.
"Disguise is my specialty, so it's hard to explain. Do you want anything else?"
Talon's face was gentle, with a smile that seemed friendly. But if he were as amiable as he appeared, he wouldn't be leading Hawk Eye. His readiness to comply too easily was suspicious. Helmut pulled the cloak and money towards him. Pacho was still lying on the ground, just watching. As long as he didn't act rashly, he could save his life.
Having acquired the wealth, information was next on the list. Helmut asked,
"How will you provide the information?"
"Black Hawk deals in information trading. It won't be difficult. Inside the cloak, there's a crystal orb. It will activate with vis. Contact us through it when you need information. But you can only use it three times. Whatever information you need, even state secrets, if we have it, we'll provide it. The confidentiality of our clients is guaranteed. The term is ten years."
Helmut immediately responded upon checking the crystal orb in the cloak's pocket.
"Five times."
"You're quite greedy. 300,000 marks and a cloak with space expansion magic, plus three instances of information provision. That's a fair deal, isn't it? Of course, there will be no retaliation. From now on, Black Hawk will not accept any commissions against you. Isn't that enough?"
The negotiation failed instantly. Talon was unexpectedly firm.
'That's as far as it goes.'
It's important to know when to back down. Helmut declared,
"Alright, the deal is done."
Pacho was still behind him. Helmut glanced at him one more time. It felt somewhat unsatisfactory to just let him go. He gave Pacho one more powerful kick. Thump! Pacho groaned.
"Ugh!"
He was a swordsman capable of materializing his vis. This wouldn't kill him. Being spared here was already lucky for him. Helmut threw a deadly warning.
"Take him away. If you cross my path again, you'll die."