~3rd Person Perspective~

John Trumbo, a B-rank adventurer belonging to the Golden Dragon’s Claw, is a busy man.

He has risen to the rank of B adventurer at the age of 35, an age that puts him as a veteran among adventurers. He is a man who can wield a sword fluidly in battle, and can handle any request with dexterity, a successful adventurer who receives numerous requests from both the Adventurers’ Guild and the Golden Dragon’s Claw.

People also call him the [Dark Sword Dancer].

But that is not the only reason he is so valued.

“Darkness, cover me [Night Walk].” (John)

As the darkness enveloped John Trumbo’s body with the activation of his magic, his presence became fainter and fainter. He is there, but he is not there. With such a strange presence, he pulled the hood of his cloak over his eyes, opened the door to his room, and walked out the back door of the Clan House.

The main street was bathed in sunlight. People passing by. He walked along the edge of the street, aiming at the shadows that had formed there.

Passersby did not seem to pay any attention to the suspicious man wearing the hood of his cloak deeply over his eyes in the middle of summer.

Eventually, John Trumbo turns off the main street and enters a narrow street between buildings. It is a narrow, dimly lit alley where two people can barely walk side by side.

Scattered trash. The smell of urine mixed with the smell of burning. A person lying on the ground.

He reacts to this for a brief moment but does not stop walking, stopping in front of an old man in tattered clothes sitting in a corner of the street.

“Northern intelligence rendezvous.” (John)

“…10 gold coins.” (Old man)

John Trumbo tossed a small cloth bag, which he had searched through a pocket in his cloak, in front of the old man.

“Inn in the second street of Ila, in the eastern district.” (Old man)

Upon hearing these words, he turned on his heel without giving the old man a second glance. He then turned onto the main street, headed east, and entered the inn on the back street of number two.

He goes through the reception desk to the bar, orders a glass of wine from the old man at the counter, and listens while sipping his wine.

“Yesterday—profitable—” (Customer)

“—What’s the news?” (Customer)

“Where are you tomorrow–?” (Customer)

“speaking of–” (Customer)

“You see—Golden—” (Customer)

John Trumbo pulls back his hood and moves with natural ease, neither making a sound nor completely silencing his footsteps, as he leans against a pillar near the men he wants to see and listens to them.

“The Duke has access to the materials from the Golden Dragon.” (Customer)

“Are you sure?” (Customer)

“Yeah, I’ve already sent the information over there.” (Customer)

John Trumbo clicks his tongue in his hood.

It’s hard to stop the information now that it’s already been passed.

“Well?” (Customer)

“…it’s happening. Get ready.” (Customer)

“Understood.” (Customer)

After watching the men leave the bar, John Trumbo downed his wine and left the bar,  disappearing.

~John’s Perspective~

“Phew…” (John)

After relaying a series of information to his superiors to complete his mission, he grabbed his toiletries and headed for the courtyard.

The dark attribute has broadened the scope of his activities as an adventurer. He has more work, and he is even a B-ranker. But the increased work is the problem, John Trumbo thinks.

What is so sad that I have to wear a thick cloak in the middle of summer? Am I an Assassin? Is it some Creed? It’s hot and humid, I’m sweating like a pig, and it’s just the worst.

But I know that it’s important to keep my appearance hidden, just in case my true identity is discovered. It can’t be helped.

But today was the worst day of my life, I think to himself.

Even if they are trying to avoid being identified as informants, do they really need to dress like vagabonds like that? They’re overacting! They definitely didn’t even take a dip in the water. And the guy sleeping in the back alley must have been a bouncer for the informant. I can’t believe they would lie down in that urine-smelling alleyway.

Thinking of this, I,John Trumbo took off my clothes.

“Darkness, cover me [Night Walk].” (John)

Darkness enveloped me, and my presence faded.

I took off my chainmail and stripped down to my underwear, leaving myself completely naked.

“Hng!”

Naked and muscled, I strike a pose.

“Hng! Hng! Hng!”, and I change my pose, rechecking the size and position of my muscles, and when I am satisfied, I drew water from the well and pour it over my head.

All the muscles in my body seem to be in great shape today.

Then, a female clerk passed by in front of me. But she doesn’t notice the naked John Trumbo. This is the power of the Darkness Magic Night Walk.

Originally, bathing in this courtyard, which is located in the center of the Clan House and crowded with people, was forbidden. But even that rule does not apply to him. and as long as he doesn’t get caught, he’s good to go.

I scrubbed my body with a soft cloth.

I scrub myself and wipe off the odors that has permeated my skin in that back alley. And again, I threw water on me.

I’m nice and clean, I thought, pausing for a moment. A humming tune naturally begins to flow out of me.

Yes, I’ll use my favorite perfumed oil today. That will get rid of that awful smell. Thinking of this, I began to shave my beard.

Thinking of this, I start to enjoy myself more and more, and my humming gets louder and louder…

“Hng, Hng… Hng…!?”

I suddenly felt a gaze and looked up to see the faces of a boy and an animal in the third-floor window.

The boy and the beast looked at him with wrinkled brows, as if they were looking at some insect.

“I-impossible! He saw through the Darkness Magic Night Walk!?” (John)

I was astonished, grabbing on to my most important parts with both hands.

Night Walk is a magic that reduces the presence of the caster so that they are unaware of my presence.

Unless I make a loud noise or stand out, they should not be able to grasp my presence, but why!

“You idiot! Anyone would notice if you are naked, humming and dancing around like a pervert!” (Clan Member)

“Get that sad excuse off my sight!” (Clan Member)

“Shuuuuut up! You sh*t head!” (Clan Member)

“Stupid…” (Clan Member)

Complaints from the rooms facing the courtyard rained down on me.

And to top it all off, I fell to my knees when the woman, the clerk who had just passed in front of me, came back and testified, “It was hard… to pretend not to see it.”

It goes without saying that after that, my title changed from “Dark Sword Dancer” to “Dark Knife Dancer”. [T/N: LOL]