Chapter 22: First Mission (5)

Chapter 22: First Mission (5)

Dont kill him! Subdue him!

Even as the sword entered my abdomen, I gritted my teeth and shouted.

Denifs sword was already behind Demits neck.

Damn it. Was I a beat too late?

However, Denif swiftly displayed his agility and twisted his wrist. Instead of the blade, the flat side of the sword struck Demits head.

Thunk!

Demits neck snapped, and his face tilted to the side. But Denif didnt stop there.

After executing a forearm strike to Demits temple, Denif threw the sword aside and struck the back of Demits head with the heel of his hand.

Guh

Demit groaned and collapsed. It was certainly intended to knock him out, but

There was quite a bit of emotion behind that action.nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.

In any case, as Demit fell, the sword lodged in my abdomen was pulled out.

As I leaned over, the wound widened slightly. I placed my hand on my abdomen, grimacing.

It was the first time I had been stabbed with a blade. The pierced area throbbed with a searing pain. It felt like my head was spinning.

Think calmly. It was not an immediate life-threatening situation.

Carlyn!

Orhen grabbed hold of me, shouting in alarm. Concern was evident in her widened eyes.

But there was a more pressing issue than that now.

Im fine, just a moment.

I lightly patted Orhens hand, passing by her with her mouth agape.

Did I bleed more than I thought? My steps felt heavy.

Denif, who had been observing Demit with a determined gaze, turned his attention to me.

Why not kill him Wait, are you okay?

Slightly belatedly, Denif rushed towards me in surprise. I touched my abdomen, grimacing.

I nodded lightly and leaned on Denifs shoulder, exerting some strength.

But more importantly, theres something about this guy.

And then, I knelt beside Demits face, putting my hand over his mouth.

I had learned the basic methods of capturing prisoners in our line of work. First, the oral cavity needed to be examined.

Just as I suspected.

Something was caught on my fingertips. There was a pill inside his gums that needed to be chewed to be broken.

I took it out and handed it to Denif.

Look at this.

What is this? Wow, how did you know?

Ill explain later.

I roughly tore open Demits clothing with a dagger and forcefully placed the pill into his mouth to prevent him from committing suicide.

Contrary to the widespread misconception, biting the tongue wouldnt lead to death, but interrogation was necessary.

Afterward, I instructed Denif to tie up his hands and feet.

After dealing with it haphazardly, I felt a sudden release of tension, or perhaps the injuries were more severe than I thought, and my body lost its strength.

Are you okay?

Denif supported my collapsing back.

Im still alive.

You better be. Dont you dare die on me.

Did I lose too much blood?

Orhen ran over to me with bandages she had prepared in advance. Her eyes were wide, and her hands trembled.

Are y-you okay? W-why on earth Im sorry, its because of me

Orhen rambled, clearly not in her right mind. She seemed off earlier too, not in a good state.

Well, what should I say?

After a moment of contemplation, I simply smiled.

Were siblings.

At my casual remark, Orhens eyes widened even further. Glancing at Denif, he had the same expression.

Their faces were filled with genuine emotion directed toward me.

I pressed the bandage tightly against my abdomen with the one Orhen handed me. It needed to be wrapped around to stop the bleeding.

It was a difficult task to do alone.

Can you help me a bit?

Ye-yes!

Orhen quickly applied a hemostatic agent to the wound and placed a bandage on it. It was a scene of focused concentration.

However, as I watched that scene, a sense of discomfort pricked at my inner self, like a thorn.

All we had received were orders to assassinate. There were no instructions on what to do afterward, so it seemed appropriate to return.

The problem was that I had captured Demit alive.

Honestly, I wasnt sure if this was intended or not.

Haisen could be raising the children harshly, or it could be an unexpected turn of events.

There was no need to go through the trouble of disposing of the body. It would only draw attention.

Wild animals would take care of it.

No one came this deep into the woods. That was why these guys used it as a hideout.

The problem was whether we could move Demit while I was injured

Should I rely on Orhen for support and move, with Denif guarding Demit? Was that the best option?

As I pondered, I heard a rustling sound from the other side. It was Marhan.

Youve done well.

Seeing his rather serious expression, I could tell that there was something hidden in this mission.

Perhaps even Marhan hadnt anticipated it.

Marhan sat in front of me and inspected my wounds. He took out bandages and antiseptics to reexamine the injuries.

Marhan sighed deeply and looked around at all of us.

Im sorry for all of you. There were some flaws in the mission.

* * *

With Marhans help, we were able to descend comfortably to the carriage.

Although it was a mountainous path, Denif and Orhen supported me on either side, practically carrying me.

We had tucked Demit into the cargo compartment, and Marhan had given him some medicine, so we didnt have to worry too much.

Anyway, Marhan sincerely apologized to us.

Im sorry.

He said there was a mistake in the mission planning. Demit wasnt just a criminal.

Judging from the poison he had in his mouth, it was clear that he was a spy from another intelligence agency.

Marhan said it seemed more like an unfortunate accident than someone from our side intentionally using him.

I felt the same way.

There was no one who would specifically target us, and if that were the case, there wouldnt have been just one of them.

If information leaked from our side, they would have come to capture Marhan as well.

Anyway, since it had already happened, there was nothing we could do but accept it. It wasnt Marhans fault either.

I told Marhan that I was tired and he told us to rest.

Since Marhan played the role of a coachman, there was no one else in the carriage except us.

While Denif snored, I closed my eyes and got lost in my thoughts.

Its a job well done for now.

Even though it wasnt intentional, it was important that I had successfully completed a more challenging mission than the previous ones.

Despite my injury, I had captured a prisoner, and my evaluation would surely improve in identifying him.

Then I heard the sound of the system message being updated. I opened my eyes wide.

Come to think of it, this mission was also one of the Stratagem actions.

[You have gained Stratagem experience. You have reached Stratagem Level 2. You have acquired the trait Inexperienced but Calm Novice Assassin.]

Seeing that my level had increased and I had gained a trait, it seemed that there was an additional reward for capturing an unknown spy during the assassination mission.

Reading the description, it said that I would be able to maintain more composure during assassination missions and gain slightly increased experience from assassinations.

Not bad.

I realized how important composure was. It would surely be helpful.

And I would continue to develop my minor traits.

Lost in these thoughts, I felt someones gaze from the opposite side. It was Orhen.

When our eyes met, Orhen quickly turned her head.

She had been watching me closely since we descended from the mountain. Denif had even fallen asleep with his snoring

Her face was a mixture of apology and gratitude.

Its okay.

I-I didnt say anything.

Orhen couldnt hide her confusion and started babbling.

Seeing her surprised by her own words, it seemed like she had just blurted out something in her confusion.

Is that so? Alright then. Get some rest. Ill sleep too.

I closed my eyes. It wasnt an exaggerationI was really exhausted.

It had been a while since I had a proper sleep, and on top of that, I had been stabbed. Even without that, my eyelids felt heavy.

Thank you.

In the stillness, Orhen whispered urgently with a soft voice.

Without realizing it, the corners of my mouth curled up slightly.

1. TLN: This is, , Im not sure what to put here. It has a meaning of to attack or die with an opponent with the intention of dying together.