The Soldier Shouted Save

Chapter 22

It wasn’t a request as a fellow warrior but as a resident of the Gerard Continent.

As Hyerin looked down at the gold coin in my hand with a wary expression, someone’s voice interrupted.

“Warrior, is this what you asked for?”

It was Eris, calling out to the palace warrior Jang Jin-woo.

“This way.”

Taking advantage of Jang Jin-woo’s distraction, we slipped out of the church. Hyerin hurried to catch up with me, her steps quick.

“…You said it was a request. What exactly do you mean by that?”

“There’s going to be a fight. All I need is for you to cast one spell when I give the signal.”

At the mention of combat and magic, Hyerin frowned.

“How do you even know that I’m a mage?”

“That’s not important. What matters is whether you’re going to take the request or not.”

I held the gold coin out in front of her again.

“One gold coin as an advance. When the request is done, I’ll give you two more. Will you accept?”

Hyerin, who had been glaring at me, snatched the gold coin and replied.

“Alright. I’ll take the request.”

Wasn’t she the one who said she didn’t trust the people of the Gerard Continent?

Despite her words of acceptance, her face was full of distrust.

“How do I contact you afterward?”

“I’ll find you when I think it’s urgent.”

I gave a reassuring smile as if I was relieved by her answer.

“You’ve been a huge help. Since you’re not used to our currency, let me give you a few warnings.”

As Hyerin crossed her arms with a disinterested expression, I quickly listed off things to be cautious of.

Don’t exchange gold with street vendors.

The difference between inns with good and bad security.

Places where you mustn’t sleep on the streets, and how to distinguish between travelers and bandits.

But Hyerin raised her hand, stopping me mid-sentence.

“Why exactly are you telling me all this?”

“I just want you to have a good impression and cast your spell properly. Nothing more. If the request fails, my sister dies.”

“…What?”

“If what I’m saying bothers you, we’ll just stick to meeting when the time comes.”

I turned away from Hyerin, heading toward the inn.

Then, she stopped me, her voice sharp.

“…Are you stupid?”

“What do you mean?”

“You seriously believed me when I said I’d show up at the right time?”

“Isn’t that what mages are capable of?”

“Did I cast a tracking spell on you? Did I do anything? You said your sister could die, so why are you being so careless with this request?”

Was she unable to contain her rising anger?

Hyerin’s face had turned red, her eyes brimming with tears as she continued.

“Don’t get tricked by people like me. It’s frustrating.”

Her tone was as if she were talking to herself, as though she had been deceived over and over by the people of the Gerard Continent.

―Clatter.

Hyerin threw the gold coin at my feet as if she didn’t care about such a thing and turned her back.

I stifled a laugh and picked up the coin, speaking quietly.

“Even if you leave, I’d appreciate it if you took this coin with you.”

“…Why?”

“So I can face my sister proudly. I can tell her I did everything I could to save you.”

Hyerin let out a disbelieving chuckle, as if she couldn’t believe her ears. I forced the gold coin into her hand.

At that, Hyerin grew so furious that she looked up at the sky and cursed, “Shit!”

“Take this instead of your bullshit! I’m only giving it because I feel sorry for your sister.”

She handed me a slightly larger piece of parchment.

“If you tear this while shouting ‘Situs,’ I’ll come to help right away… As for the gold, give it to me or don’t after it’s all over…”

Seeing her return the coin again, I was sure of one thing.

A naive person from another world.

No matter what advice I gave, Hyerin would probably live her whole life being swindled by the people of the Gerard Continent.

‘At least that’s one thing taken care of.’

Satisfied with explaining the exact nature of the request, I turned away from Hyerin as she walked off into the distance.

Now, it was time to think about the rest.

I returned to the church and repeated the words I had said to Eris in the previous life.

“If I conduct the test, I’ll be able to conceal your sister’s true potential. I’ll come to the inn as soon as I’m ready.”

If Eris helped, Croa’s life could change.

As an apprentice priestess, rather than the saintess, Croa could live under the church’s protection.

But having Eris come to the inn alone was dangerous.

“If someone from the church comes to the inn, the heretics might take drastic action.”

“…You’re right. But I can’t bring anyone from the church until the preparations are finished.”

Meaning that if Eris wasn’t alone, it might reveal that Croa was the saintess.

I nodded in understanding, and Eris gave me a bright smile.

“Don’t worry. You and I can handle this, right?”

It seemed like Eris was remembering the time we had fought together against the necromancer, but this time was different.

‘Every time I healed, I felt like I was going to throw up.’

A body that couldn’t fully accept divine power.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get everything ready as quickly as possible.”

Unaware of my condition, Eris flashed me a confident smile and headed into the church.

‘It looks like I’ll have to deal with this alone.’

I turned and walked away.

―Step, step.

The road back to the inn.

I ignored the sound of footsteps trailing behind me.

‘Not yet. I can’t raise any suspicions.’

As long as I didn’t stir things up, I could delay their actions.

Pretending not to notice the people tailing me, I pushed open the inn door.

“Welcome… Oh, it’s you?”

Blan, who had been ready to greet a guest, smiled awkwardly when he saw me.

I glanced around at the bustling inn and asked him,

“Have any mercenaries in black robes come by?”

Blan nodded firmly.

“They came by a little while ago. I sent them upstairs. Why?”

I noticed the men, pretending to be guests, sitting with their drinks and watching me.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“I think I know those mercenaries. Black Wolf Company, or maybe it was Blue Wolf Company…?”

“Hahaha! You really don’t know the world for someone who was once an imperial soldier! Those kinds of mercenaries are in every city, aren’t they?”

“…True enough. Anyway, if you need help, let me know. I’ll help with serving or whatever.”

Casually, without a hint of suspicion.

As if everything were normal.

I arranged for Croa and Rian to rest and volunteered to work in their place.

“Could you take this upstairs?”

“Sure, I just knock and leave it at the door, right?”

For over thirty minutes, I helped around the inn, watching the movements of the mercenaries.

Then, she arrived.

“Oh my, a priestess? What brings you here?”

Eris, the priestess of Freya’s Church, had entered, drawing the attention of everyone around.

“I’m here to see someone I know. May I go in?”

Blan shot me a glance, his expression mixed with concern, as Eris smiled.

“Of course! Feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

Reluctantly rising from the counter, I escorted Eris upstairs.

“This way.”

Leading her naturally, I opened the door to the room at the end of the hallway.

“…”

Inside were my siblings, their faces tense as they waited.

Once I closed the door, Eris changed her expression and took hold of Croa’s arms.

“Sister, has your brother told you?”

“…Yes. He said I have the saintess’s divine power…”

“To keep it hidden, we need to expel all the divine power from your body and induce magical exhaustion.”

“…How do I do that?”

Croa asked with a worried expression.

“Just think of someone you love, someone who’s been kind to you—your mom, dad, family, lover, anyone. It doesn’t matter.”

Eris smiled softly as she guided Croa’s hands into a prayer position.

“Pray for that person’s happiness. Can you do that?”

Croa nodded, clasped her hands, and closed her eyes.

―Flash!

A golden light filled the room.

But from the center of that golden light, a corrupt black aura began to seep out.

“…Allen, why is this happening?”

The pure blessing Eris bestowed immediately turned to corruption as it entered my body.

Grimacing from the nausea, I glanced at the open window and muttered.

“…This light will spill out of the window. We should draw the curtains.”

“Allen! That’s not the point! Why is something like that coming out of your body…?”

In this life.

The path to survival for me and Croa—the course of the wagon headed toward our salvation—had gone astray.

‘Again.’

I turned away from my siblings, gripping a dagger tightly in my hand.

―Thud!

The dagger pierced my throat.

―You have died by your own attack. [Confirm]

―You have been restored from the last save. [Confirm]

.

.

As the darkened vision cleared,

a familiar voice reached my ears.

“Why did you stop mid-sentence? You clearly said ‘save,’ didn’t you?”

In front of the church.

Lee Hyerin was standing before me again.

“…I have a request for you.”

In this returned past, I repeated the same words, the same actions.

“Sister, has your brother told you?”

“…Yes. He said I have the saintess’s divine power…”

And once again, I reached the present, where I had already failed.

“Just think of someone you love, someone who’s been kind to you—your mom, dad, family, lover, anyone…”

Eris smiled softly as she guided Croa’s hands into a prayer position.

“Keep praying for that person’s happiness. Can you do that?”

Croa nodded and glanced at me.

As I moved toward the door, I said to Croa, “Focus on Rian.”

“…What?”

“There might be people eavesdropping outside. Eris, can we handle this with just the people here?”

I gripped my sword and motioned toward the door with my eyes. Eris nodded seriously with a firm expression.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take full responsibility for your siblings.”

“That’s reassuring. Once everything is ready, please head straight to the church.”

Switching topics, I carefully grasped the doorknob, preparing to step out. Croa, still looking anxious, cast a glance at Rian, then closed her eyes.

“Ugh, aaaagh… What… what is this?”

Golden light enveloped Rian’s body.

The sight of that light made me feel nauseous, so I quickly stepped outside.

“…”

The hallway was silent.

Since it was a lie, there was, of course, no one standing guard in the hallway.

‘Are they watching the stairs instead?’

However, there were eyes monitoring from another spot.

Several men stood near the stairs, arms crossed, pretending to chat casually.

I walked past them, casually speaking to Blan on my way out.

“I’ll be stepping out for a bit!”

Before I could even hear Blan’s reply, I made my way down the basement stairs.

The basement was a storage area for alcohol and food supplies.

There was no back door leading outside, but—

―Thud, thud.

I heard the sound of someone quietly following me down the stairs.

‘One person.’

Crouching beside the basement staircase, I saw the man cautiously peering into the dimly lit room.

“…Damn it, where did he go?”

A defenseless back.

But I didn’t draw my sword to cut his throat.

‘The guild stone. They’re sharing information about their status with that.’

The last time I killed one of the men following me, they knew something was wrong with him before they even checked the body.

‘It felt like one-way communication.’

The voice from the guild stone had only been Jang Jin-woo’s. He had asked why the man’s status was in the red but didn’t get a response.

‘But if I don’t kill him…!’

I lunged toward the unsuspecting man’s back.

Using the hood attached to his robe, I looped it around his neck and pulled tight.

“Ugh, ugh!”

Unable to withstand my weight as I hung on him like a cicada, the man collapsed to the ground.

I released my grip from his throat.

“Cough, cough!”

I grabbed a nearby bottle of alcohol and straddled him.

“Drink.”

I gripped his face with my left hand and shoved the bottle into his mouth.

“Mm, mmmph!”

Unable to swallow properly, the man gagged and spit out the liquid.

I pushed the bottle deeper into his mouth and pinched his nose shut.

“Gulp, gulp… Puh! Haa… haa…”

Only after he’d downed the entire bottle did he gasp for air, his chest heaving.

I grabbed another bottle.

“Open up.”

“W-Wait… Mmph!”

Three bottles later.

“Haaa… haaa…”

The man was now heavily intoxicated, his eyes half-closed, struggling to breathe.

I searched his robes and found a triangular-shaped stone.

‘Here it is.’

The guild stone they used to communicate.

Wrapping it in cloth, I stuffed it into my pocket and took his black robe.

‘…Now, let’s go.’

Wearing the black robe and a mask, I emerged from the basement.

“…”

“…”

The men’s eyes focused on me.

Pretending to be nonchalant, I sat down among them.

One of the men quietly muttered as he approached.

“Fix your status screen. Where’s the saintess’s brother?”

The terminology was unfamiliar to me, so I stayed silent and acted as if I hadn’t heard.

The man’s expression changed.

“…You’re not Einhel, are you?”

Unlike Jang Jin-woo, who had shown little interest in his subordinates, this man scrutinized my masked face and realized I wasn’t one of his comrades.

‘Again.’

I drew my dagger and stabbed myself in the throat.

―You have died by your own attack. [Confirm]

―You have been restored from the last save. [Confirm]

.

.

I repeated the cycle with precision.

“W-Wait… Mmph!”

The point where I needed to change my actions was in the basement, where I’d forced alcohol on the man tailing me.

This time, I left the guild stone out in the open and stayed hidden in the basement.

―“Hey! What happened to the guy following the saintess’s brother?”

Jang Jin-woo’s voice came through the guild stone.

―“Can’t you hear me? Why haven’t you changed your status? …Hey. Are you listening? Einhel? It’s gotta be him. Check the status screen.”

If the message “You’ve joined the ‘Imperial Palace’ guild” appeared, it’d be dangerous.

I made sure not to touch the guild stone with my bare skin as I listened closely.

―“…Drunk? He’s showing as drunk? Hey! Go down there and see what this idiot is doing!”

―Thud, thud.

Footsteps echoed down the stairs.

I quickly hid behind a stack of barrels as two men entered the basement.

“Ugh, it reeks of alcohol.”

“Hey, Einhel. Einhel! Wake up!”

As they shook his limp body, the man known as Einhel barely opened his bleary eyes.

“Where’s the saintess’s brother? Did he go outside?”

“…Ugh.”

“Damn it, don’t you know what the warriors are like? Where did he go?”

Einhel, his face flushed from the alcohol, closed his eyes again.

Empty bottles littered the floor, and Einhel himself was barely conscious.

The two men grimaced as they looked around.

“You check that side.”

His condition was abnormally drunk after downing three bottles in such a short time.

As the men searched the basement, another voice overlapped with theirs.

―“Everyone, get in position. The priestess is about to take the saintess to the church.”

At those words, the men stopped what they were doing and turned back toward the stairs.

“Damn bastard.”

They kicked the unresponsive Einhel hard before heading back upstairs.

‘…That’s done.’

I took a deep breath and removed the black robe from Einhel’s body.

Now wearing the black robe and mask, just like the others, I left the basement.

Sitting there with a scowl on his face was Jang Jin-woo, the palace warrior.

―“Before things get noisy, kill the innkeeper and the guests. Deal with the priestess and saintess when they come down the stairs.”

Speaking into the guild stone like a commander, the men around Jang Jin-woo began to pull up their hoods one by one.

Some headed toward the rooms on the second and third floors.

“Your food is ready!”

Others moved closer to Blan and the guests, who were enjoying their drinks, as if preparing for something.

“…”

I realized the men weren’t just after Croa, but also everyone in the inn.

There was only one way to stop them.

―“Hurry up and move. Change your status when you’re in position.”

I quietly approached Jang Jin-woo from behind and drew my sword from beneath my robe.

―Slash!

The white blade pierced through his robe.

“Guh, argh… ughhh.”

The sword had stabbed straight through Jang Jin-woo’s back, emerging from his chest. The inn fell silent.

“M-Monster! What is this?!”

“Ahhhhhh!”

“Everyone, get out of here!”

People screamed and scrambled to flee the inn in a panic.

Among them, I saw Eris and my siblings glance my way before rushing out with the crowd.

“…What are you idiots standing around for?!”

Jang Jin-woo, clutching the sword embedded in his chest, roared, snapping his men out of their shock. They quickly drew their weapons.

―Slash!

Blades swung toward me.

“Ugh, ughhh!”

I yanked my sword from Jang Jin-woo’s body and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strikes. One of the men shouted.

“Get the saintess! Capture her!”

Jang Jin-woo, clutching his wound, shouted orders as several men charged toward the inn’s exit.

I sprinted forward and blocked the door.

“…Who the hell are you?”

Facing me, the man squinted, confused by my masked face and black robe.

I removed my hood and spoke.

“I’m an assassin sent by your ‘Imperial Palace’ guild.”

Jang Jin-woo’s face twisted with anger.

“…Don’t screw with me, you saintess’s brother.”

I smiled and lowered my mask.

“Oh, you caught me?”

It was time to erase him from my life.

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