The Guardians' Throne - The First Magic Swordsman

"Don't react, but I can sense presences that are similar to yours," Zaos said to Aleni, who was resting inside the wagon.

              Aleni frowned since she couldn't feel anything yet. Still, it wasn't hard to believe that Zaos magic tracking has a larger range.

"What are you trained to do when you find your target in situations like this?" Zaos asked.

"Keep chasing until I am sure that I found the target," Aleni replied.

            Zaos was sure that the individuals would keep their distance for quite a while, considering the terrain around. As if they knew that they couldn't underestimate Zaos, they were far away from each other. If Zaos and Aleni were to chase them, some of them would be able to escape and inform others where the targets are.

"Are you fine in fighting them?" Zaos asked. "... No. I will fight them, and you will look after Millie."

"... Understood," Aleni said.

            In the end, it was only obvious that Aleni wouldn't want to fight those who had been in the same situation as her. Where she couldn't do anything aside from following orders. 

              Zaos didn't throw away his greatsword, but using that one when his left arm suddenly goes numb was too risky. So, he unsheathed Guardian's Heart and then jumped from the wagon and dashed toward the assassins. They were caught off guard with Zaos's insane speed and leg strength. Every spot that he stepped on cracked due to the sheer strength of his enhancements. When they finally realized that Zaos had come for them, one of the assassins was diagonally split from head to toe.

          The four others began to retreat, but Zaos enhanced his legs once more and then increased his speed. With every single step, he was able to cover ten meters, and for the first time in their lives, the assassins learned what was being hunted instead of the hunter. Still, even with that insane speed and the fact that he fired Wind Swords at the enemies, Zaos only killed another and captured one. The other two had escaped his Radar.

Your Focus Mastery has leveled up.

"... I suppose it can't be helped," Zaos said after he clicked his tongue.

              Zaos got angry not because of what he already knew was going to happen but because he had to dirty his hands with blood again, and whenever that happens, he feels inadequate in holding Milliendra. As if that wasn't enough to sour his mood, he just learned that the more he kills, the more his focus can increase. While that was useful, it was also meant that he had to feel inadequate many more times…

"How weird… I gained that skill when I received this sword," Zaos thought. "So, does this weapon absorb the magic energy of the enemies and convert into my focus?"

              Zaos thought that his sword was sacred or something. Still, it seemed the blacksmith added some shady features… he did everything in his power to defeat the demon god, so Zaos couldn't really complain. With that in mind, what the other sword could do?

            In any case, Zaos brought the captured assassin after he buried the bodies of the others. It was quite weird, but they didn't have anything besides a simple knife and the dark cloak. Not to mention, the assassins didn't look older than twenty, and their bodies were covered in scars. Zaos saw some on Aleni's legs and arms, but it seemed that she had a lot more.

"... They must be assassins that still work for the organization," Aleni said while feeling visibly uncomfortable. "He will kill himself if you force him to reveal anything."

"Did they give you the same order?" Zaos asked.

          Aleni nodded, and Zaos sighed. Why are there so many low lives in the world? Perhaps his sword had that effect of killing all those low lives… if the assassins weren't even twenty, they must have been trained since they were kids. Aleni also didn't seem older than Zaos. All in all, only lucky assassins lived for so long… that was all that Zaos concluded that since Aleni didn't tell him anything about her history. She had no reason to do it, after all.

"What can we do about him?" Zaos asked.

"Nothing, the slavery spell can't be canceled. No one knows the secret," Aleni said. "Ameria did some research, and she learned that it only disappears when the assassin dies or the owner of the Mark dies. If you ask me, death is better than his current life."

            What a thing to say… it was the same admitting that she had wished to die countless times before she met Ameria. Still, in the end, Zaos agreed. If one can't live the life they want and is forced to do inhumane things, then perhaps…

              Zaos pulled away from the body, and then he finished the assassin with a single strike on the heart. After that, he buried him… what a thing to experience at the end of the day.

                After returning to the wagon, Zaos began to drive it again. Still, he began to wonder if Aleni wanted revenge against the organization that did that with her life. If Zaos had been raised in such an environment, he certainly would. Even without knowing that he had a previous life in another world.

              Now that the assassins will report their findings, Zaos and Aleni won't have that much free time. He had planned to settle down in the forest area south of there, but it seemed that after obtaining the documents of the research he wanted, he would have to move further West with others.

"I would say that the place where assassins will have the hardest time finding us would be the capital of this kingdom," Zaos thought. "Still, that would be a pain in the ass… we would never have true peace there, and if something happens, we will have to open our escape path with blood and steel."

            Such an image would certainly be engraved in Milliendra's memories. Even if Zaos avoided that, living a life running away from two kingdoms wasn't the life he wanted for her....