Chapter 13 : Escort Mission (2)

A girl, confidently addressing us with a sword on her back.

She seemed completely unaware that I was a noble from the Mulick family.

It was only natural.

I was currently moving under the Tristan banner, not my family’s, and even if a noble family is famous, it’s not common for people to memorize the faces of all their children.

Most commoners wouldn’t know, and even among nobles, the chances of recognition were slim.

‘Especially since I’m wearing an instructor’s uniform.’

All new instructors joining Tristan’s Hero Academy wear a standardized uniform.

Since all instructors wear the same uniform, at a glance, we just look like ordinary instructors.

It wasn’t unreasonable that this girl, likely a commoner, didn’t recognize us.

“This person is from the great Mulick family…”

“That’s right. What brings you here?”

I cut off Ray, who was about to formally introduce me, and stepped forward.

Ray stared at me for a moment, but I simply gave her a quick wink in response.

‘Doesn’t this seem fun?’

That was the signal I intended to send, but judging by the sharp look Ray gave me, it seemed like the message didn’t land properly.

In any case, Ray’s attempt to mention the ‘ Mulick family’ was cut off, and the green-haired girl, who only heard my words, smiled brightly.

“Wow, this is great! I actually needed exactly two people. The other new instructors either have companions or have already left… Would you be interested in joining us for a guard mission with the Rietvel Trading Company? The mission goes straight to Tristan, where you’re headed. We’ll pay you according to the average commission rate in Saxe!”

The girl cut straight to the point from the start.

A caravan escort mission.

This was a common short-term contract when the Warp Gate was malfunctioning, typically handled by mercenaries or city guards.

But the fact that she was requesting this from new instructors…

“Are there no mercenaries around?”

“No. We arrived a bit late, and they were all hired. Even the city’s guards are tied up with public service contracts.”

“So, there really is no one left. But is it allowed for people without qualifications to take on such escort missions?”

“Yes! As long as it’s not a high-risk area, non-heroes can take short-term contracts. Besides you, there are about ten more instructors from Tristan’s Academy joining us.”

“I see.”

I quickly calculated in my head.

We didn’t have a carriage and would have to walk anyway, and if we accompanied them to Tristan, we’d get paid for the escort mission.

And, naturally, as long as I was guarding them, nothing could pose a real threat.

In fact, there was no need to even think about it.

I sensed Ray subtly shaking her head beside me, but my interest in the escort mission had already piqued, and I nodded without hesitation.

“Alright. Let’s go together to Tristan.”

“Yay!!”

The girl’s face lit up even more at my response.

She quickly approached, grabbing my hand as she introduced herself.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Kaela from the Rietvel Trading Company. We’ll be in charge of the left side of the caravan’s formation, and I’ll be overseeing the defense in that direction! I’m counting on you.”

Was she really in need of more people?

Seeing Kaela’s enthusiastic reaction made me feel like I’d made the right decision.

I slowly introduced us to her.

Of course, I used a false name.

“I’m Edwin, a new instructor assigned to Tristan’s Hero Academy. And this here…”

I almost introduced Ray as my butler but caught myself.

Since I wasn’t planning on revealing I was a noble just yet, introducing her as my butler wouldn’t be appropriate.

I quickly came up with a suitable title.

“She’s a dear friend of mine. Although she’s not a new instructor, her knowledge will be invaluable during the escort mission.”

I flinched.

Ray trembled again at my introduction.

Does she really dislike the “friend” setup that much?

However, Kaela, upon hearing my explanation, wore a perplexed expression.

“Um… I’m sorry, but if you’re not a hero, you won’t be able to join the mission…”

“Is it not allowed even if I can take on more than one role?”

“Yes. Since we’re a rather large trading company, we can’t accept unverified individuals…”

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

I thought it would be a fun experience for a change, but it was disappointing.

Still, I couldn’t just leave Ray behind and move on my own.

I was about to express my regret to Kaela and turn away when suddenly—

“It’s alright.”

Ray stepped forward, saying her usual “it’s alright” as she approached us.

Then she pulled out a dagger from within her robes.

“Though I’m not a graduate of the academy, I am a hero born with the fate of an <Assassin>. With this, I should be able to join.”

“?”

I stared at her, dumbfounded.

Ray, you’re a hero?

Kaela led us toward the location of the Rietvel Trading Company.

Meanwhile, Ray and I whispered and bickered behind her.

“Since when?”

“From the very moment I met you, Edgar.”

“No, why is a hero acting as a butler?”

“May I take that statement as an insult to my profession?”

“It’s a misunderstanding. It just felt a bit odd. I’ve never heard of a butler who is a hero.”

“My duties also include guarding you, Edgar. The head of the family hoped you would be safe.”

“…Ah.”

I realized once more that I had held a bias against my father.

How many times did he scold me before my return, but in reality, he had various measures in place to protect me?

How much thought had he put into hiring a hero as my butler for protection?

It was a moment that highlighted his blunt yet considerate nature.

Moreover—

“Ray, do you perhaps have a way to hide your aura?”

“…How did you know that?”

“I just had a feeling.”

I now understood why I hadn’t noticed her aura before.

The <Assassins> often possess a unique fate called <Concealment>, which allows them to hide their presence.

This is usually limited to masking their aura or presence, but sometimes <Hidden Traces> or <Cunning Concealment>, higher-level fates, are held by assassins.

These fates provide special abilities that can hide even ‘the aura of a strong person,’ like Ray.

That was why I hadn’t realized Ray was a hero.

Now it’s definitely clear…

Of course, that fate isn’t without its weaknesses.

If one were to attack or reveal their aura, it would be immediately detected.

Even if an assassin were to attack me with such fates, my speed to detect and react would be far superior at that moment.

For <Assassins> to thrive, quite a few strict conditions must be in place.

Ray, you’re quite strong.

From the moment she pulled out the dagger, her aura was immediately perceptible.

The level of her power was considerable.

While she wasn’t quite at the level of Akina Crowflin, whom I saw during the instructor exam, she certainly exhibited far greater prowess than Kaela, who was leading us.

Ray seemed to have mastered at least the second or possibly the third crossroads of <Assassin>.

“Anyway, this is the last time. If you do something like this again, I will stop you.”

“Why not? Aren’t even the royal family members allowed to indulge in such amusements sometimes?”

“Edgar, you are not of royal blood.”

“Ray, you can be a bit too cold sometimes.”

Thus, we bantered back and forth as we moved along.

Not even ten minutes later, Kaela raised her hand high to signal.

“This way!”

Just as she had mentioned earlier, a rather large caravan was preparing to set off. And standing beside them, like guardians, were several heroes. Each one wielded their own weapon, exuding an intense aura.

Kaela led us to a group on the left side of the gathering and introduced us.

“Everyone, please greet our new arrivals! This is Mr. Edwin and Ms. Ray. Over here, we have Mr. Paul, Ms. Anna, and Ms. Selena! Except for Ray, they are all new instructors for Tristan Academy! Since we’re short on time, let’s keep the introductions brief!”

Kaela rattled off the introductions quickly before stepping away, possibly to attend to something at the center of the caravan. Naturally, that left the five of us standing together.

I took a moment to observe them.

Thanks to Kaela’s helpful hand gestures, I quickly identified who was who.

The man with a small scar over his left eye and a sneer plastered on his face was Paul.

The woman with a face full of freckles standing close beside him was Anna.

And then—

The woman quietly polishing her sword with a calm demeanor, unaffected by the surrounding atmosphere, was Selena.

The first two seemed rather unimpressive in terms of skill, but Selena exuded a strong aura. She was likely someone who had performed well in the instructor exam.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Edwin, newly appointed as an instructor at Tristan Academy…”

Just as I was about to introduce myself, following Kaela’s instructions for a brief greeting—

Paul, as if to prove the saying that appearances are revealing, sneered and interrupted me.

“You talk too much. Can’t you just keep quiet?”

“…I only said one word.”

Since he spoke informally, I responded in kind.

My retort made Paul’s face contort in irritation.

“Don’t get smart with me! I said there’s no need for greetings. You look too weak to even hold a sword properly.”

“I’m pretty sure I can wield one better than you. That’s not a guess; it’s a fact.”

“You little…!!”

Paul, furious, seemed about to lash out when Anna grabbed him, holding him back.

“Haha. Paul, don’t get so worked up. He’s still a fellow instructor, after all.”

She laughed and chimed in with a placating tone.

…It figures they’d get along so well.

I was grateful they hadn’t recognized me as a noble, but this was far from the situation I had hoped for.

How on earth had someone with this kind of attitude passed the instructor exam?

It seemed Tristan Academy was in dire need of a significant overhaul.