Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

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I closed my mouth and looked at him. He was more formidable than I had thought. While he might not have been wrong about the Vanguard Swordsman’s name being empty, his swordsmanship was highly refined. But then again, perhaps it’s because the people I’ve sparred with so far are just that—people.

My experience dueling with Cleaglove, the strongest knight, had proven invaluable in real battles. Regardless of whom I faced, my movements were slower than the lady’s sword, but my swordsmanship was just as sophisticated.

As I gazed calmly, he quietly raised his sword. Our swords gleamed sharply, intertwining in the air.

Thunk!

“Argh…”

My sword, swung from bottom to top, grazed past his thigh. The thigh was a relatively vulnerable area.

The region was used for mobility, which made it vulnerable, and it wasn’t often targeted for attacks, making it similar to an empty spot under protective armor. But apart from its defensive capabilities, that area was indeed vulnerable. It housed the femoral artery, and a cut through it could lead to fatal bleeding.

“Damn it… This is where it ends for me too.”

Blood was streaming from his thigh where my sword had cut through. If left unchecked, he would die from excessive bleeding in no time. The man seemed to know this, as he roughly discarded the helmet he had been wearing.

Thud!

The helmet rolled on the ground, and the face that emerged from it belonged to a middle-aged man. It was only natural, as the status of a Vanguard Swordsman was determined by their swordsmanship skills.

“I’ve lost. I thought I wouldn’t be pushed around by force, but I guess I’m not behind in swordsmanship either.”

His hands, which had clashed numerous times with my absurdly heavy two-handed sword, were trembling. I threw a question at him as he was nearing death.

“The thieves rampaging under Cleagrove… Are they all from Sari?”

If that was the case, it confirmed that Count Sari had intentionally released his soldiers. However, the man just laughed.

“I still understand the concept of honor.”

“…Does someone who knows honor raid villages, enslave the townspeople, and commit massacres?”

If he understood the concept of honor, could he have done such things as burning down villages, enslaving innocent people, and committing slaughter? He shook his head at my words.

“That’s not something I did. Whether you believe it or not is up to you… But your way of thinking is quite unique. The village my subordinates attacked was likely where the peasants gathered.”

Peasants were almost equivalent to commoners. That’s why most of the nobles and even the lower-ranked commoners wouldn’t care if a few of them died. His words were implicitly expressing the perception here.

Considering my understanding of honor, I should be at least above a commoner, so him talking about killing peasants was what puzzled me. It was a harsh reality. If I hadn’t left when I was young and grown up here, who would I be now?

“Perhaps you truly embody what a knight should be.”

His voice was gradually losing strength. Looking at the amount of blood he had shed from his thigh, it seemed like he might go into shock soon. He seemed to know that too and let out a disappointed smile.contemporary romance

“While I know I’m shameless… Can I ask you for one thing?”

“What is it?”

He fumbled with his hand for a moment, then struggled to lift the sword he had laid on the ground.

“If… it’s possible… Could you give this sword and ring to my son? Also… if you check that building over there, there should be a box. If there are a few gold coins, it’s okay. Please give them to my family…”

His eyes were surprisingly calm, for someone on the brink of death. I could have ignored it, but granting a dying man’s request wasn’t that difficult. Despite being a thief, his swordsmanship skill was worthy of respect.

“Alright.”

When I accepted the sword and ring, he bowed his head as if to thank me.

“My son’s name is Raleigh. He doesn’t have a surname… He’s a commoner… But if you mention the apple tree house in the outer village, anyone will know who Raleigh is…”

Then, after hesitating for a moment, he spoke quietly.

“I wonder who sent us.”

“…”

“I can’t give you a direct answer to that. Consider it both a repayment for fulfilling my request and my final trace of honor. Heh…”

And so, the man died. Watching his last moments, I ordered the soldiers to bury him. Of course, I carefully removed his armor and took it. Even though it wouldn’t fit me, I couldn’t use it myself, but elite Vanguard Armor was quite valuable.

After burning all the thieves’ bodies and even the hideout, I decided to return to the city.

“So it seems… You’ve been through a lot. Good job on your achievement.”

Her response to my report of a village’s disappearance and the defeat of the bandits was mixed with a tinge of regret. But that might have been because the taxes from the deceased peasants weren’t coming in.

No one cared about the vanished village. It was located in the corner of the Count’s territory, and most of the villagers were peasants. If I hadn’t left and grown up as a peasant myself, I might have been wiped out by bandits by now.

“Thank you. By the way, I have one more report.”

Her turquoise eyes turned to me.

“Is it something important?”

“Yes. Although it was something the bandits mentioned, it seemed to be a very serious matter, so I thought I should report it.”

At my words, she looked at me with interest. The way she looked at me seemed to say that if I was mentioning something so serious, it must be something of great importance.

“Tell me.”

“While it’s based on what the bandits said… It seems like Count Sari might be involved in these recent bandit attacks.”

“Do you have any concrete evidence?”

“I don’t have any… but…”

There was no concrete evidence. I only had the stories from the bandits and the final words of the last swordsman. At that, she narrowed her eyes.

“I had some expectations. But without evidence, it’s hard to accuse Count Sari directly. Testimonies alone may not be enough to hold him accountable.”

If I had known that, I should have captured at least one ordinary thief and beaten the truth out of them. However, in the struggle among nobles, the testimony of a commoner is rarely accepted. Testimony only holds weight among people of the same class.

Anyway, after finishing the report, I lowered my head to rest. It was a signal that I was leaving the office. However…

“Come to think of it, Kyle.”

At her words, I raised my head again.

“Yes, milady.”

“You can finally carry out your main mission.”

Main mission?

“When you say ‘main mission’…?”

She smiled as I asked.

“It’s a mission to protect. As you’re heading to Count Sari’s territory, make sure you’re prepared.”

tl/n: The perception Count Sari’s elite swordsman was talking about has to do with the fact that peasants do not pay taxes hence ain’t under the protection of nobles.

done.co