The moon hung bright in the sky, its light dimming the stars. Ward and I stood in the moonlit courtyard, each holding a wooden sword. Mine was a little smaller, a practice sword meant for children. Luka’s father had once used it to train him, but Luka had eventually become a hunter, not a swordsman. Now she stood by the door, watching me nervously, her pale fingers interlaced over her chest as if praying for me.

Don’t worry, my princess. I won’t lose. (Not really.)

“Little Elsa,” Ward said, spreading his arms. “Don’t just stand there. Attack me whenever you like. I don’t mind a little pain.”

This guy was seriously infuriating. If getting on people’s nerves counted as a talent, Ward was an expert. I raised my sword beneath the moonlight and stamped down, crushing the dry earth underfoot. My red eyes cut a crimson line through the moonlight as I swung my wooden sword and thrust hard at Ward’s crotch. Become a eunuch, you bastard!

Clack—!

With a sharp clash, Ward easily knocked my sword aside. But he didn’t counterattack. Instead, he rested his sword on his shoulder and taunted me with a smile.

This guy… A vein popped on my forehead. You’re really full of yourself, aren’t you?!

The next instant, I circled around to his left and jabbed hard at his butt. Ward knocked my sword aside without even turning around. I wasn’t ready to give up, so I thrust three times in a row, but he easily deflected every strike.

Only then did I finally realize one thing: Ward was absurdly strong.

“I’m done.” I lowered my sword. “My hand hurts. I give up.”

“Not bad, not bad.” Ward picked up the wooden sword from the ground. “Elsa, you’re pretty impressive. Just managing not to get your sword knocked out of your hands by my first strike deserves praise! If the knights under the general have a combat strength of one, then your strength is equivalent to three knights. So keep training. You’re already stronger than most people.”

Really? Was this guy making fun of me?

“Oh, look at the time.” Ward glanced at the moon. “Sorry, I have to head back. Elsa, Luka, you should get some rest too. See you.”

With that, he handed the wooden sword to Luka, turned, and walked out of the courtyard, disappearing into the night.

“What a weird guy.”

I muttered under my breath and turned to Luka, only to find her gazing in awe at the spot where Ward had disappeared, as if he were her idol. Hey, hey, you’re a beautiful girl too! Don’t let some playboy charm you! To snap my dear bestie out of her unrealistic daydreams, I gently pinched her cheeks and mercilessly stretched them apart.

“Ow! Elsa, let go!”

I released her, and Luka’s cheeks immediately bounced back into place. Pretty elastic, huh?

“Oh, right.” I remembered what we needed to do. “Luka, your wild boars are still in my item box. Do you want me to take them out now?”

“Now? No, no. Could you help me take them to Mr. Hank’s butcher shop?”

“Sure.”

So, under cover of night, we hurried to Hank the butcher’s shop. When he saw two wild boars appear out of nowhere, he was so astonished he couldn’t speak. I had to spend a little time explaining item-box magic to him. The two boars sold for eighteen silver coins in total. Luka wanted to give me a share, but I refused. I couldn’t believe the boars Luka had risked her life to hunt were worth so little. When I thought about how I sold recovery potions to the Commercial Association for five silver coins a bottle, it was practically highway robbery.

The magic stone lamp cast a blue-green glow over the long table in the center of the military tent. Count Galaton sat opposite Catherine, commander of the Order of the Holy Knights, his fingers interlaced on the tabletop. A grave atmosphere filled the tent, and even the knights standing by the entrance were tense. Just then, Ward lifted the flap and walked in. He casually took the empty seat at the table.

“Ward, report.”

“Yes, General.” Ward pulled out a small notebook. “First, the most urgent matter. Those two girls have no experience dealing with monsters. They left the bodies where they were and ran, so they clearly didn’t take any steps to neutralize the threat. I recommend sending scouts out at dawn to find and destroy the ghoul remains. The sooner, the better.”

“Send the scouts out at dawn.”

“Yes, General.” Ward turned a page in his notebook. “Next, a report on little Elsa. She calls herself an Alchemist, but she’s also very skilled with a sword—at least better than the knights under your command. If she gave it her all, she should be able to hold her own against three knights.”

At that, Count Galaton frowned.

“Ward, have you seen her use a sword?”

“Well… I had a match with little Elsa.”

Shing—! A sword slid from its scabbard! Catherine brought it down in a vicious slash, but Ward used the bare-handed blade-catching technique, clapping his hands together around the sword’s edge.

“Do you have any idea what league you’re in?” She instantly turned into a demon. “You’re the Sword Saint, and you went up against a frail fifteen-year-old girl? One wrong move and you could’ve killed that child!”

“Catherine, let me explain…”

“There’s nothing to explain! In the name of the Holy Light, I’ll purge this evil!”

“Help!”

Watching the two of them begin a fight to the death, Count Galaton couldn’t help sighing. Now even ghouls had appeared. They were undead created from the corpses of people who had died after vampires sucked their blood.

“Ward,” he said gravely, “go investigate the Mercenary Guild tomorrow. Find out whether there have been any unusual requests lately.”

“General…” Ward turned his head while maintaining his bare-handed grip on the blade. “Are you saying…?”

“The Mercenary Guild hasn’t told us the whole truth.”

“Understood, sir.”

Early the next morning, the knights brought the Mercenary Guild receptionist and its quest ledger—the archived copy—into Count Galaton’s tent. The count picked up the stub Warren had torn from the ledger and frowned.

“Vampire extermination. A reward of two gold coins.” He tossed the parchment onto the table. “Your name is Alice, correct? You’re in charge of the Mercenary Guild in Nagu Town, and you also work the front desk.”

“Y-yes, y-yes—yes, my lord!” Alice was so nervous that her tail puffed up, and the animal ears on her head trembled nonstop. “I am indeed the guild manager.”

“In that case,” Count Galaton said, pointing at the stub of the quest notice, “why didn’t you report this?”

“W-well…” Alice’s gaze darted around. “I’m very sorry. At the time, I thought it was a fake request, so I sent someone to check it out…”

“I see.” Count Galaton continued, “Where are the two E-rank mercenaries you sent?”

At that, Alice turned pale.

“I thought… they’d taken the reward and run…”

“Isn’t the reward paid only after a job is completed?”

“Eek—!”

“Enough. I’ve heard more than enough lies.” Count Galaton slammed a hand on the table in anger. “The two mercenaries you sent were killed by a vampire. They turned into ghouls and attacked innocent people. This is the consequence of your dereliction of duty, Miss Alice.”

“I-I’m terribly sorry.” Alice prostrated herself on the floor. “Please forgive me, my lord.”

“Take her away.” Count Galaton glared at her coldly. “I give you my word as the lord of this land, Miss Alice: you will pay for what you’ve done.”

“Help! Please, have mercy on me! Have mercy…”

The knights dragged Alice away. She would be sent to the count’s domain to stand trial.