Curse Return: Swordsmith Start

Chapter 214 Assassin, Deal

66

"You don't need to be so scared, I didn't do anything to you."

"Scared... I'm not scared. What makes you think I'm scared?"

""

"odor..

"7

Ignoring Subaru's bluff, Elsa smiled and narrowed her eyes.

Smell? Subaru tilted his head in thought, while she twitched her straight nose slightly.

"When people are afraid, they emit a scent of fear. You are afraid right now... and you're also angry. It's all directed at me."

As it stands, he's still just a boy who likes to wear his heart on his sleeve.

Elsa seemed to enjoy revealing the other person's inner thoughts, looking up at Subaru.

The latter responded to the warm smile with silence, while taking a deep breath to calm his heart, which was pounding like an alarm bell.

Faced with Subaru's silence, Elsa's pupils narrowed even more, like a snake's.

Although the boy was too intimidated by that gaze to move, he refused to look away cowardly.

"Subaru, so this is where you are. It's been quite a search... Oh dear, I'm so sorry, did I spoil your fun?"

Just when he felt he couldn't hold on any longer, a sudden voice made them both turn around at the same time.

Subaru was also shocked when he saw who it was.

That fellow villager named Yue Ren? Idiot, why did he follow us? Run! This woman is a ruthless killer.

As the other person walked towards him step by step, Natsuki Subaru wanted to shout at them, but he was afraid that the assassin beside him would suddenly attack and kill him, so his voice got stuck in his throat and he couldn't say it.

Calm down, what should I do now? Think quickly...

"Beautiful lady, did my companion cause you any trouble?"

Upon approaching the two, Yue Ren bowed slightly in greeting.

"Hehehe, no, it was just a chance encounter between me and this young man."

"Oh, that's wonderful. Oh no, it's a real shame. May I ask your name and age, Miss? Would you be willing to tour the city with me? By the way, my name is Kawasaki Etsuto."

"5

""

'

""

Seeing the young man's "I'm going to pick up girls" expression, the two people opposite him were speechless and stunned.

Natsuki Subaru felt like his brain had gone blank.

Hey bro, do you know what you're saying? This is a ruthless killer. She is indeed very beautiful, but you don't need to be in such a hurry to go and die.

He was here thinking about how to help her get rid of her, but now it suddenly seems like it's all pointless.

"Hehehe, what a sweet-talking young man, he's even made my heart flutter."

Elsa's captivating smile, if you ignore the fact that the other person is an assassin, is truly beautiful.

"That...

'

The Yue man rubbed his hands together with a smile, looking exactly like a follower.

"It's a pity, I have important things to do, so I have to apologize. But I can tell you my name, Elsa. As for my age, that's a secret."

The black-haired youth, after experiencing a series of changes in expression, finally settled on a look of disappointment.

"I see. That's a real shame, but knowing Miss Elsa's name makes this meeting worthwhile."

""

"Hehehe... Well then, Brother Yue, I look forward to our next meeting."

"It would be my pleasure. Then I wish Miss Elsa all the best."

Elsa left with an annoying smile, flipped her black coat, and disappeared into the darkness of the alley.

Just as the words say, she disappeared, watching Elsa leave, and Subaru leaned wearily against the wall.

I never expected to run into her again. Was she wandering around this area before we went to the stolen goods warehouse?

His unexpected encounter with the final villain, Elsa, nearly broke his heart.

At the same time... turning his head to look at this guy who suddenly appeared with a "foolish" look, Subaru was furious.

"Hey you, what are you doing here? Do you even know what just happened?!"

"Why did this happen...? Didn't I say before that I'm new to this city and don't know anyone? But since I have a fellow townsman like you, I thought I'd come along and see for myself."

"Isn't this perfect timing? I helped you out of that predicament and you're not even thanking me?"

"Well, thank you so much. Do you know that woman...?"

""

"He's really strong. That aura... he must have killed a lot of people."

Seeing Yue Ren staring intently in the direction the woman had gone, his expression shifting from anger to shock.

"6

"...You know that?"

"I can feel it. That aura... she's definitely not an ordinary person. And what 'beautiful woman' in a slum like this is someone to be trifled with? Isn't that common sense in this other world?"

'

...Damn it, what you said makes so much sense.

Subaru, a seasoned otaku, was completely unable to refute this for a moment, and at the same time realized that the young man in front of him, who was a few years older than him, possessed talents that were several levels higher than his own in some aspects.

Damn it, why can't he sense whether others are a threat or not? Or is this the same as his "death rewind" ability, and is it the other party's ability?

Could this guy also be someone with super strength? But he looks so weak and frail, he doesn't seem like it. He looks like a college student or an office worker.

"Did you really come into this world today?"

"Yes, I opened my eyes and found myself in the alley."

Isn't this similar to his situation? But I guess he hasn't experienced as many things as he has.

So what should we do now? Should we really bring him along...?

"Are you really going to follow me? What I'm doing here is very dangerous. That woman was someone we had to deal with. If you don't want to die, you'd better get out of here."

"Looks like you're a nice guy, bro. So, as my only acquaintance in this other world," I figured I should at least come along, right? Don't worry, I think I have some self-defense skills. If I really can't win, don't blame me for running away."

Yue Ren put one hand on Mao's shoulder, looking like the two brothers.

"That's really realistic, but it's a normal reaction. Since that's the case, let's do it. But let's make it clear beforehand: if you meet a silver-haired beauty with a cat later, don't get any ideas. She's the one I've got my eye on."

Subaru said this with a serious expression. He was acting with the awareness of risking his life. If he ended up getting the reward, he might turn evil.

Furthermore, the fake Satella has no memory of spending time with him, so their starting points are the same. That's fine, but the key point is that the other woman's conditions are far superior to his by every standard—she's tall and handsome...

Upon hearing this, the Yue people were stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

"I see, I see. So this is what they call 'hero saves the damsel in distress.' Is it because you're trying to seduce a beautiful girl that you risk your life? You're quite the high school student, I'm impressed."

Yue Ren couldn't help but give a thumbs up. This is what they call youthful spirit. Although it has the arrogance of "I think you need it", that kindness is the purest thing.

"Hehehe, you know a lot, so, here's the answer."

"Of course, no problem. Since it's an isekai world, there should be a lot of beautiful girls, and they don't have any history or stories with each other, so don't worry about me having any bad intentions."

"So that's it, you're not a fan of good looks but rather a fan of the story?"

Subaru felt a little more at ease.

I guess so...

""

The two chatted as they walked, and their relationship became much more harmonious. After five minutes, they arrived at a dirty and dilapidated hut.

"So, the beautiful girl you were talking about lives here? Really?"

"Of course not, this should be the thief's room. What beautiful girl would live in a place like this?"

Standing in front of what he thought was a wooden board, Subaru turned around and retorted upon hearing the sound.

The width of the dilapidated house in front of him was probably only about the size of two temporary toilets on the construction site, which made Subaru feel uneasy.

Is this her home? Could there be a mistake...?

No matter what, the thought of such a little girl living in a place makes me feel sorry for her.

No wonder she was so profit-driven and ambitious; the thought of forgiving her arose spontaneously.

"Living in a place like this, one has to shrink their small body even smaller just to survive. It seems that it's not just their way of life that's causing her personality to become so twisted. Ah, how pitiful."

"That's going too far, it's really annoying. What do you want by looking at other people's homes, bro?"

Just as I entered sympathy mode, I heard someone calling from behind.

The two turned around.

Ahead of him was Felt, a small, blonde girl staring at Subaru.

In the next ten minutes or so, Subaru successfully convinced the petite girl that the two men were not bad people, but rather customers who wanted to buy the badge she had stolen.

Unfortunately, the item she wanted to exchange was a cell phone, which she claimed to be a precious magical artifact. Although Felt agreed to the trade, she had doubts about the value of the item and decided to seek help from a third party.

And so, with a sense of helplessness, Subaru mentioned familiar place names; was it ultimately unavoidable...?

In this slum, there's a place called the "stolen goods warehouse."

Just like its name suggests, it's a place where stolen goods are stored.

The eccentric old man who lived there was very sharp-eyed and quick-witted, and had a fair eye for judging the value of things.

Ferut's proposal was also expected.

For Felt, the loot store was not only the place where he had arranged to meet Elsa, but also a stronghold where a reliable giant grandfather could be found in case things escalated into violence.

Subaru actually wanted to try to make an exchange happen on the spot, but Felt wouldn't have any of it. With his fate set for him at dusk drawing ever closer, he had no choice but to consciously push the operation to speed things up.

Yue Ren simply followed along, watching the boy perform, but he wasn't doing nothing. He sensed that the girl named Elsa was always hanging behind them.

"They must have discovered their problems. Are they planning to be the final hunters? They're quite the experienced assassins."

"Okay, let's go, let's go right now, let's go immediately, let's go to the stolen goods warehouse quickly."

Urging Felt to hurry up, after a few brief, awkward exchanges, the three of them headed towards the stolen goods warehouse.

The buildings are close together, and sunlight has to be aimed precisely to shine into the narrow alleyways.

The dimness caused by these architectural problems unnecessarily contributed to the slum's depressing atmosphere.

The soles of my feet felt damp, and broken bottles and scraps of paper were scattered along the alleyway. The pungent smells that occasionally wafted into my nostrils aroused my disgust.

Whether it's the fake Satella or Ferut, this isn't a suitable place for a girl to walk alone.

To Subaru's slight surprise, his fellow villager had been quiet and hadn't caused any trouble along the way. Was it because he was older and therefore more mature?

Honestly, why would I want to think about a man?

Fortunately, it wasn't far, and soon a familiar wooden house came into Subaru's view.

"Dealing with the big rat?"

"Use poison."

"6

"...To deal with us, the noble dragons?"

"Can't you recite commands without adding unnecessary embellishments? Are you deliberately trying to annoy people?"

The door opened as if it had been kicked open from the inside, but Subaru, who had anticipated this, had already retreated to the back and was not injured. He roared angrily from his throat and saw a man taller than the entrance, with a familiar bald head—Lom.

He was so angry that his face turned red and his blood pressure seemed to spike.

A moment later, inside the room.

Sitting calmly at the counter, Ferut poured herself a glass of milk as if she were in her own home.

Yueren and Subaru then took their seats at the bar.

During the explanation, he took out his phone to demonstrate, and after a performance that would be quite embarrassing for modern people but quite magical for people from another world, he was met with Grandpa Rom's amazement at the camera function.

"Hmm, that's certainly frightening. If I were to appraise it, it would be worth fifteen—no, at least twenty—holy gold coins. This 'Meteor' certainly has that value."

His merchant spirit may have been stimulated; Rom's eyes shone exceptionally brightly.

The item was certified by a peculiar professional who made a living selling stolen goods and was proud of it, thus directly guaranteeing its value. Subaru proudly snorted and looked at Felt.

"How about it? My hand is pretty good. As he said, it's worth more than twenty Holy Gold Coins. I'd like to use this to barter for the badge you're wearing."

"Your face always looks like that, it really makes me angry."

Things wouldn't be interesting if things went as Subaru predicted. Felt looked unhappy, but she had to admit that this strange attitude warmed her heart because she couldn't see that commonplace but unaccustomed sense of superiority in the other person's eyes.

"Hmph, I'm glad to have the assurance that the 'Meteor' can be exchanged for money. And the price of twenty holy gold coins is beyond question. I understand your hand."

"Right!? Well then, the negotiation is successful. That concludes the matter. Let's have a drink to celebrate everyone's successful business deal!"

Subaru walked briskly toward Felt with a happy expression, reaching out to ask for the badge, but unexpectedly, Felt gently pushed his hand back from above.

"Wait a minute, why the rush?"

Life is finite, every second is precious, and I want to do my best to save time and avoid waste...

'

"Ah—enough, enough, that kind of thing isn't important, I mean."

""

Ferut narrowed her red eyes, her cold attitude suddenly striking at the heart of the matter.

"6

"Why do you want this badge, sir?"

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