On a moonless, pitch-black night, Yuria walked through a forest path where she couldn't see an inch ahead.
Her attire was different from her usual attire. She wore black hot pants that barely covered half her thighs and a leather blouse. Her long, cyan-colored hair was tied up to keep it out of her way.
This was her preferred outfit for assassinations light and easy to move in. It was also the standard uniform for the AM Unit.
For the record, these weren't ordinary clothes. They were genuine Hunter gear that Sung Yujin had brought from the real world, boasting durability far superior to most steel armor.
"..."
Slightly behind Yuria stood a woman dressed in similar attire.
This beauty with short black hair was slightly taller and more muscular than Yuria, her face and body marked with small scars.
On her back, she carried a greatsword that even a grown man would struggle to wield.
Cheysi.
Once a gladiatorial slave in a dueling arena, she now served as a maid within the AM Unit.
-Head Maid.
Amanda's voice crackled through the wireless communicator embedded in Yuria's ear.
"What's the matter?" Yuria asked, her voice utterly devoid of emotion.
-The Senif Merchant Guild is preparing to depart.
"Now?" Yuria asked, surprised.
Upper Rank guilds rarely travel at night. Monsters are far more active after dark, making them vulnerable to attacks.
"Hmm. Do you think they sensed us? If so, the Senif Merchant Guild is truly remarkable."
"That's impossible," Yuria stated firmly.
Only six people knew about the AM Unit's ambush plan: the three of us on-site and Sung Yujin and two others back at the mansion.
If the information had leaked, betrayal was the only explanation. But no one had any reason to betray us. The target was merely a mid-sized merchant guild.
"...Since Slawed is nearby, they must be pushing themselves to reach it."
Slawed City was relatively close. If they started running now, they could arrive by morning.
"Hmm, it's close by. They probably want to get back and rest quickly. I understand. If I were them, I'd choose to endure a little hardship to return to the city sooner and sleep in the safety and comfort of my own home rather than rough it outside."
Yuria tuned out Amanda's chatter. Amanda was quite talkative, and anyone who tried to listen attentively to her would only end up wasting their time. Most of what she said was meaningless anyway.
"Head Maid, our plan has fallen apart. What do we do now?" Cheysi asked in a curt tone. The original plan had been to ambush the Sniff Merchant Guild while they camped on the road and slaughter them all. Yuria had refrained from acting alone to give Cheysi and Amanda a chance to gain experience.
This mission was also a kind of practical exercise.
"Since the situation has changed, we'll need to adjust our plan accordingly," Yuria replied.
Without the slightest hint of panic, Yuria calmly pulled a map from the pocket of her leather blouse.
This was an exceptionally detailed map, rare in this world. It had been created using aerial footage captured by drones, making its precision unparalleled.
"Cheysi, you'll hold position at C-Point."
"One of the routes to Slawed City, I see. Are you planning an all-out battle?"
"We can't retreat now and disappoint the Master. Are you afraid, Cheysi?"
Cheysi frowned.
"There are two things I hate being called: weak and cowardly. If you entrust this to me, I'll wipe them out myself."
"That's impossible. With your current skills, you're more likely to die."
"..."
Cheysi felt a surge of anger and nearly retorted, but she clamped her mouth shut. If anyone else had spoken to her like that, she might have cursed them out, but Yuria's power was beyond her comprehension.
Yuria stared intently at Cheysi. Under her gaze, Cheysi broke into a cold sweat and averted her eyes. To Cheysi, Yuria was an unfathomable monster.
"...Understood. I'll await orders at C-Point."
Cheysi began walking toward C-Point. As she watched Cheysi's retreating figure, Yuria vanished as if melting into the shadows.
Amanda lay prone on a mat spread high up the mountain, her silenced M24 Sniper Rifle positioned before her. The suppressor was no ordinary device; it was enchanted with Silence Magic, completely eliminating any sound.
"Hmm~"
Amanda peered through her scope, humming to herself. She watched the Senif Merchant Guild bustling with preparations to depart for Slawed City.
There were five carriages in total, escorted by 24 mercenaries from the B-Rank Mercenary Guild "Bronze Monkey." Including Guild Master Senif and his staff, the caravan comprised a massive trading expedition of 57 people.
Through the scope, Amanda spotted Holp, the Guild Master of the Sniff Merchant Guild. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, a man so obese he likely weighed well over 150 kilograms.
"Ugh, he's hideous. I bet he's small down there too."
Sweat streamed down Holp's face as if he were exerting himself immensely, though he was merely standing still. His repulsive appearance made Amanda's stomach churn.
"Ah, this is such a drag."
Amanda had originally been a mercenary, not a slave. She had caught Yuria's eye and become a maid by chance.
She was content with her life as a maid. As a female mercenary, especially a beautiful one, she had faced constant dangers. It was common for male comrades to attempt something, and she often suffered unfair treatment simply for being a woman.
Sung Yujin's sexual harassment? It was nothing compared to what she had endured from mercenaries. Besides, Sung Yujin's appearance was quite decent compared to the mercenaries, who rarely bathed.
"Should I just kill him?"
With a slight pull of her index finger on the trigger, Holp would be on his way to the afterlife.
Amanda felt an overwhelming urge to kill Holp and return to the mansion as quickly as possible.
"Haa... If it weren't for this mission, I'd be having a round of sex with Master right now and then taking a sweet nap..."
Amanda had recently become completely obsessed with having sex with Sung Yujin. In this world devoid of other pleasures, sex with him was like the lifeblood of her existence. After just one session, she felt so euphoric that nothing else mattered.
Amanda wasn't the only maid who craved this. All the others felt the same. Their Master, Sung Yujin, might not excel at everything, but when it came to sex, he was undeniably exceptional.
Once you'd tasted a proper session with him, it was nearly impossible to break free from the allure of his touch.
"The Head Maid must be so lucky. She gets to have sex with Master almost every day..."
"Amanda."
"H-huh?!"
Amanda, startled by the sudden voice behind her, whipped her head around. Yuria stood there, her face expressionless.
"H-Head Maid! When did you get here?!"
"Just now."
"...I've told you before, can't you make some noise when you approach? Every time you appear silently like this, I think you're a ghost and nearly jump out of my skin."
"I haven't been deliberately hiding my presence. More importantly, Amanda, you talk to yourself too much. Try to cut it down."
"What else am I supposed to do when I'm alone in a place like this? I talk to myself out of boredom~."
"..."
Yuria sighed softly as she looked at Amanda and moved closer. She knelt down beside Amanda, one knee on the ground. From within her shadow, a sniper rifle identical to Amanda's materialized and landed in her hand.
"Oh? You're going to snipe the Head Maid too? I thought Cheysi and the Head Maid would fight head-on while I provided cover?"
"The situation has changed."
Yuria remained seated as she raised her rifle and peered through the scope.
"We'll postpone Cheysi's assassination practice. Today's mission is to quickly end things by sniping Amanda and then return to the mansion."
"Hmm. I don't mind either way. Should we kill the pig first?"
"No. Eliminate the mercenaries first, and we'll kill the target last."
"To instill fear? Can't we just kill the pig and leave?"
"This is a warning to Slawed. The Senif Merchant Guild must be annihilated here."
"If the Head Maid says so, then so be it. Who should we kill first?"
"You take out the mercenaries in the back. I'll handle the ones in front."
"Got it. Let's fire simultaneously. Three... two... one!"
Breki, leader of the B-Rank Mercenary Group "Bronze Monkey," was in a foul mood.
According to their original schedule, they should have been camping for the night and heading to Slawed at dawn. But Holp, their employer and Guild Master of the Senif Merchant Guild, had insisted on pushing ahead.
A bad feeling? If he'd at least come up with a plausible excuse, I wouldn't be this angry. That pig. Who doesn't know he just wants to get there faster and relax?
As a mercenary who prioritized safety, Breki deeply resented Holp's decision.
Damn it. If it weren't for the money, I'd really...
Breki was grumbling inwardly when something pierced through the head of the mercenary beside him. Instinctively, Breki whirled around and sprinted toward the carriage Holp was riding in, shouting:
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The group moved with practiced efficiency.
The horses pulling the carriages halted, and the Upper Rank employees converged around the carriages. The mercenaries drew their weapons and advanced.
Another projectile flew from the shadows, claiming another mercenary's life. Blood and brain matter splattered onto the ground. The relentless assault continued.
The mercenary at the rear of the ascending group was also dying. Breki, staring at the corpse, noticed a small object had pierced the man's skull.
"They're coming from the one o'clock direction! Everyone, take cover behind the carriage! Damn it! What kind of magic is this?!"
The mercenaries scrambled to obey Breki's shout.
"...!"
Breki drew his sword and deflected a bullet hurtling toward him.
He was a mercenary who had recently reached the high-grade Aura Expert Cultivation Realm a skill level far too advanced for leading a mere B-Rank Mercenary Group.
I can roughly sense where they're coming from! The mana of whoever's targeting us can't be infinite. If we just hold out...
He sensed another bullet approaching. Breki immediately swung his sword to deflect it, but the next bullet pierced his shoulder, rendering his sword arm useless.
"T-two shots in a row?!"
The next bullet flew relentlessly. By the time Breki sensed it, it was already too late. His legs were no match for the speed of the bullet.
The bullet pierced Breki's head.
The enemy's attacks alternated between pauses and renewed assaults. At some point, counterattacks began raining down from the opposite side.
Inside the carriage, Holp trembled violently, his thumb pressed against his mouth. He could hear the screams of his subordinates and the thuds of bodies collapsing to the floor.
Soon, all sound ceased.
"W-what is this?! What's happening?!"
Clutching his head with both hands, Holp was gripped by an overwhelming terror he had never experienced before. His body shook, and cold sweat streamed down his face. The thought that he, too, would die here like the others kept flashing through his mind.
Thud, thud.
Someone was approaching.
Holp jerked his head up. It had to be an attacker. He fumbled at his waist with his thick, stubby arms, drawing a decorative dagger that was more for show than combat. His hand trembled violently as he gripped the hilt.
Click!
The carriage door swung open.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Holp screamed, charging forward with the dagger, only to have both legs severed. He collapsed to the floor.
The dagger slipped from his grasp, vanishing into the shadows as if swallowed by a swamp.
Holp gritted his teeth and lifted his head.
Two women stood before him.
One was a woman with short black hair, wielding a massive greatsword. Beside her stood a woman with pale blue-silver hair, so breathtakingly beautiful that even fear momentarily faded in her presence.
"Y-you! Who are you?! Assassins sent by whom?!"
Holp roared defiantly, his short arms scrabbling against the ground like a turtle's as he desperately tried to crawl away from the women, as if embodying the primal instinct to survive.
Yuria stared intently at Cheysi, who sighed under her gaze.
"Can't we just kill him cleanly?"
"No. He must die cruelly, even if no one else does. It's the only way the other Upper Rank guilds will understand the message."
"If you're going to do it, do it yourself... sigh."
Cheysi swung her greatsword, severing Holp's arms.
"Aaaah! My arms!"
Holp, who had been writhing like a worm, suddenly steeled himself, as if accepting his impending death. He turned to Yuria and asked, "You bitches... could it be? Did Lord Tebura send you?"