The Hero’s Desperate Cram and an Unexpected Encounter

I, the Hero, was on the cusp of my very first boss battle!

However, things were looking grim.

Indeed, things were dire! What? You ask why I was reading a book at such a critical moment?

It was the classic last-minute cram, a desperate prayer to Buddha. Surely, anyone who had ever attended school could relate to this predicament.

Yet… what on earth was this Assassin’s Manual even trying to convey? It was utterly incomprehensible! The characters were so poorly scrawled…

As I flipped through the pages of the book that the Driver had conned me into buying, I was left utterly dumbfounded.

What was I to do? I had already reached the village’s back entrance. A short walk straight ahead would lead me directly to the Village Chief’s house, which also served as the villagers’ detention area.

Calm down, I told myself, entering a state of self-hypnosis. ‘I am an assassin. I am an assassin. I possess no emotion. My mission now is to eliminate the bandit leader, Demonflame!’

Wait… what did Demonflame even look like? It seemed I had forgotten to ask Naya.

Oh, that’s right! Naya had mentioned that the one dressed differently from the others would be them!

A sudden Thump! I had been too engrossed in my thoughts. What had I crashed into? I rubbed the small bump forming on my head, then gazed at the horse-drawn carriage before me, both familiar and strangely out of place.

What was this carriage doing here? Had it driven all the way to the Village Chief’s doorstep? Was it a delivery service? Fortunately, the horse pulling it was remarkably brave and remained unperturbed, or I would have been exposed before even making my move.

I tucked away my book and moved to an alleyway beside the Village Chief’s house. Cautiously, I peered through a first-floor window.

Inside, most of the villagers were present, each bound tightly. Naya had been correct; it was indeed a detention center.

As for the bandits… I counted them. One, two, three… only ten. Perhaps there were more upstairs on the second floor, but their numbers certainly didn’t seem overwhelming.

Yet, their weaponry was truly alarming. Every single one of them was outfitted with a complete set of gear: light armor, short swords, and crossbows. This was going to be incredibly tricky. Facing a boss was one thing, but having elite minions constantly harassing me was another.

Crimson Aironi, I told you it wouldn’t be as easy as you imagined… While the planning and intricate details were meticulously thought out, the weakest link was me. It seemed unlikely I could both protect the villagers and take down the boss simultaneously.

With a resounding CRASH!, the Village Chief’s front door suddenly burst open!

I immediately craned my neck out, scanning the street.

A person tumbled out from within! They appeared to be in considerable pain.

“You old geezer! Where’s the money? Is this all you have?” A figure wearing a black hat emerged, effortlessly hoisting the fallen person up with one hand. They spoke with a vicious snarl.

Three more individuals burst out from behind them. I hadn’t seen them during my earlier peek, suggesting they must have descended from the upper floor.

“This is all there is…” Upon closer inspection, the person being threatened was none other than the Village Chief!

“Hah? Only five thousand gold a year? Is your village’s income truly that paltry? Even a hunter wouldn’t earn so little in an entire year!”

Damn, five thousand gold! That was almost five years’ worth of my rent… Cough, cough, what was I thinking about at a time like this?

But surely, the Village Chief… given his supposed income, it truly shouldn’t be this meager.

“These are all my life savings…”

“All of it?”

“What a joke!”

“Boss, let’s bleed him a little!”

Boss? Could it be… was he the leader?

Indeed, apart from that individual with the black hat, no one else shared such a distinct appearance! There was no doubt about it: this was the leader!

However, their true strength remained unknown. If I charged in recklessly, I would most likely be annihilated.

The Boss drew a short sword and pressed it against the Village Chief’s throat. “There must be more! Tell me, now!”

The Village Chief cast a quick glance into the house.

Village Chief, now was not the time for parsimony. His life was at stake!

“I…”

Just then, the Village Chief’s gaze flickered, catching sight of me concealed in the alleyway.

Gah! I quickly pulled my head further back. ‘Please, Village Chief, I wasn’t secretly calling you stingy! Whatever you do, don’t sell me out now! I wasn’t ready for battle yet!’

“What are you staring at?! Speak!”

‘Don’t you dare mention I’m here… I’m trying to save you all, don’t complicate things for me!’

“The Blacksmith’s shop! I know the Blacksmith’s house still has more! Right, Blacksmith!” the Village Chief yelled into the house.

“Yes!” a voice echoed from within.

Phew, thankfully, I was safe.

Huh?! Wait, what? The Blacksmith wasn’t dead either?

The Boss retracted their short sword, then roared, “Why couldn’t you have just told me honestly? Lead the way, now!”

“Ah… bring the Blacksmith along… he knows the precise location, which will make it easier to find,” the Village Chief said, panting heavily.

“Bring him out! Now!” The Boss shoved the Village Chief back into the house.

The Village Chief gave a theatrical cough, then winked subtly in my direction.

This was… the Village Chief was trying to tell me—[I’ll distract this bandit; you go inside and rescue the villagers first!] ‘How did I know that?!’

Alright! No problem at all! Village Chief, go forth with confidence! Distracting this formidable one would make the few remaining inside utterly negligible!

“Hurry up!” the Boss commanded.

Before long, the Blacksmith emerged, following the Village Chief.

The Village Chief coughed twice more.

Understood! Leave it to me! ‘What on earth did the Village Chief say this time?!’

Hehe, alright, let’s go! If I quickly follow the Village Chief, and the Boss takes a few others with them, I won’t feel so intimidated.

“Hey! Bodyguard! Stop sleeping! What did I hire you for? Get down from that carriage!”

Huh? A bodyguard, what the heck?

Suddenly, the curtain of the carriage’s rear compartment was flung open, and a burly, bearded man clambered out from within.

Someone was in that carriage?!

This was not good… Let me clarify my position: I was hidden at the Village Chief’s window, nestled within the narrow alleyway just to the right of his front door. The rear entrance of the carriage was situated directly opposite this alley, perpendicular to it.

This meant that the moment that bodyguard dismounted and turned their head to the right, they would have a clear, unobstructed view of me!

Damn it all! Terrified, I instantly curled into a ball, squatting motionless as cold sweat poured down my back. ‘Weak, helpless, and utterly foolish…’

“Coming…” The burly man stepped down from the carriage and immediately turned left. “So, I finally get something to do?”

Lucky! How incredibly fortunate! ‘StarCraft players have no peripheral vision!’ Bah, what was I even thinking about StarCraft?

“You watch this place carefully for me! Don’t let a single soul escape before I get my hands on the money! Understand?”

“Understood.”

The rhythmic patter of their footsteps brought me a significant sense of relief. But… where had this bodyguard suddenly appeared from? Judging by their massive build, they ought to be incredibly formidable…

Once more, I cautiously poked my head out.

That back… I seemed to have seen it somewhere before…

“Heh, these fools, really. To treat me with such disdain. I am, after all, a man known as ‘The Dismembering Fiend’.” He stretched languidly, letting out a wide yawn.

It was the Driver! The very same one who ran an illegal taxi service and swindled people out of their money!

Hiring this imbecile as a bodyguard? Impressive. He looked utterly feeble, no matter how I assessed him. Forget his physique; his equipment consisted of common cloth garments and a small cleaver tucked into his waistband. He was practically cannon fodder. How on earth had they managed to find such a prime specimen of weakness? He was even more of a pushover than the bandits currently inside the house.

Wait, how many were still inside? I peeked again. “One, two, three…”

“Seven.”

“Exactly! Seven. Such a small number. Taking them down one by one with my sword will be no issue at all.”

“Hmm.”

“By the way, does this house have a back door?” I inquired.

“Yes, just a left turn, then a right, and you’re there.”

“Ah! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. That’ll be forty gold.”

Wait a minute. Wasn’t I here all by myself? Who exactly was I talking to?

I whipped my head around, and gasped. Wow! What a luxuriant beard!

“Mmph…” Just as I was about to let out a scream, his large hand clamped over my mouth. His strength was immense!

“Don’t scream now, uncle isn’t a bad guy, you know,” the Driver said, a sly smirk spreading across his face. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re trying to save these people, aren’t you? It’s quite simple, really. Give me forty gold, and I’ll pretend to be knocked unconscious by you. Professional acting, I assure you: foaming at the mouth, eyes wide open in death. If you want it even more realistic, for an extra ten gold, I can perform falling into a pool of blood. I’ve even got the ketchup prepared; it’s right in the car, ready at a moment’s notice.”

What was going on? Why was he making it sound so tempting, like a shopping spree?