Chapter 90………………………
“Seriously, who would come all the way out to the middle of the mountains?”
One of the men climbing up the narrow path grumbled under his breath. Scars on their arms, legs, and faces bore witness to the rough lives they had lived.
“This client of ours is a real weirdo. I envy the guys stationed at the foot of the mountain. This is nothing but a damn wild-goose chase.”
“Well, as long as they pay us, it doesn’t matter. But still, I don’t get why they’re being so uptight.”
“The women looked pretty decent, too. Can’t believe they went through all that trouble to catch them, only to just kill them. Tch.”
Of course, it wasn’t really their problem what their employer wanted. After all, weren’t they part of a mercenary guild infamous for doing anything as long as the price was right?
“By the way… aren’t they a bit late?”
“Oh? Finally, something interesting might be happening.”
“If that’s the case, I want to claim the blonde one for myself.”
“What are you talking about? Stuff like this should be split fair and square.”
Exchanging filthy jokes, the men made their way up the mountain trail until they finally arrived at a basin. A wide, clear lakeside and a barn-like hut standing beside it painted a picturesque scene.
“Huh? What the hell, where’d they go?”
The men who should have been guarding the front of the hut were nowhere to be seen. The newcomers tilted their heads in confusion.
“Maybe they went to take care of something.”
“Even so, at least one of them should’ve stayed behind.”
“Unbelievable. So careless.”
Chattering idly, the group approached the hut and stared at the tightly shut door. One of them casually pulled it open.
“What the—?!”
As soon as the door opened, they were greeted by the sight of two men tied tightly to the central pillar, unconscious, with cloths gagging their mouths. Torn scraps of fabric—likely ripped from dresses—were scattered all around.
Realizing the situation, the men shouted in alarm.
“The women escaped!”
“Find them! Now!”
“Be careful!”
Noah, gripping a tree on the slope, looked up at Mirian, who stood above him. A rope was tied around his waist and connected to hers.
Thanks to that rope, every time Mirian slipped, she was saved from falling.
“A-are you all right?”
Luckily, Mirian was keeping up much better than expected. Noah deliberately chose the safest, most gentle spots to step on, and she would follow right behind him.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
Answering calmly, Noah stepped again onto the leaves beneath him. They made some noise, but the rocks were slick, likely still damp from the recent rain.
They had already descended quite a bit. After moving a little farther, it would be best to look for a proper path. Already, the sound of heavy breaths was drawing closer behind them.
“I-I don’t mean to be rude, but you’re really, um, skilled at this!”
Mirian, naturally cheerful, kept chattering away. Noah thought about telling her to save her breath but let it slide. The forced brightness in her face told him she was doing it to keep her spirits up.
“Hmm?”
“Even just keeping up with Lady Cordelia is exhausting for me!”
“It just sort of turned out this way.”
Noah chuckled faintly, recalling his time as an apprentice. He’d climbed plenty of mountains back then while following his master. Perhaps because of all that hardship, even in Cordelia’s body, he could still manage fairly well.
If he’d been in his original body, he could’ve carried Mirian on his back and still moved faster. But there was no helping it. He glanced down at his palms, roughened from clutching tree bark.
Back when he first became an apprentice, his hands had been this soft.
His master had been reluctant to take on a disciple. He was better at sculpture than painting, hated troublesome work, and was famous for being eccentric. Noah later came to understand why the man’s fame hadn’t attracted any apprentices.
One of his master’s incurable habits was his wanderlust. When his uncle insisted on having soldiers accompany him whenever he traveled, his master had scoffed.
“Soldiers? Ridiculous! If they can keep up, let them try.”
Indeed, his monstrous stamina left even Noah exhausted, and soldiers burdened with weapons had no chance.
In the end, Tyrein recalled the soldiers, and for those three years, Noah, despite his hardships, enjoyed a kind of sweet freedom. Moving about without anyone watching was a new experience.
“I guess… everything ends up being useful someday.”
“Pardon? What was that?”
“Just talking to myself. Let’s push on a bit more.”
After descending further, Noah and Mirian finally came upon a proper path. While Mirian openly sighed in relief, Noah quickly cut the rope linking them and scanned the surroundings sharply.
“Let’s pick up the pace.”
“Yes!”
They matched strides and ran down the path. They couldn’t afford the luxury of walking—being chased left no such option. The hem of Mirian’s dress, barely covering her knees, was in tatters.
She’d said it was a cherished gown.
But climbing the mountains in such a voluminous skirt had been impossible, so tearing it had been inevitable.
Just as Noah’s thoughts grew heavy with guilt, the sight ahead made him stop in his tracks. He yanked Mirian back and hid them both behind a nearby tree. Without a word, Mirian clamped her lips shut, hiding behind him as Noah peeked out.
“…This is bad.”
Who would’ve thought guards would be stationed even here, halfway up the mountain?
At a fork in the path, six or so men loitered with weapons in hand. Though it looked like a three-way junction, one of the “paths” ended at a wall. If they wanted to descend, they had to go forward.
But there were too many of them, and that massive iron mace one man carried sent chills down Noah’s spine. Forcing a breakthrough was impossible.
Should they wait? But there was no telling when the men above would catch up. Cold sweat trickled down Noah’s temple.
He carefully moved them into the brush, pressing close to the rock wall and making as little noise as possible. If only they could keep moving down like this. But stepping into the open road ahead would surely expose them.
Images of Riness and the others flashed through his mind. Were they following properly? He trusted the priest, but whether they would arrive in time was uncertain.
“U-ugh…”
Mirian trembled, tears brimming in her eyes. Noah gently patted her shoulder. Even now, she kept her hands clamped over her mouth, which he found oddly endearing—though the situation was too dire to smile.
His eyes flicked down to the sword dangling at his hip. He might have to draw it soon.
‘Lady Cordelia, the moment we switch bodies, I’ll attempt to escape immediately. Please come quickly.’
‘Are you sure? It might be safer to wait until we arrive.’
Shaking his head, Noah had refused Tyrein’s concern before the body switch.
‘No. The sooner we escape, the better.’
Noah had requested every detail Tyrein had gathered on the culprit. Since he would be the one acting inside Cordelia’s body, he needed to know. From the moment he stepped into the scene, his own judgment would be crucial.
‘This person may be more cunning and troublesome than we thought.’
That was Noah’s instinct after reading the bizarre diary filled with strange writings.
The culprit was an artist with a severely twisted nature. Having spent years as a craftsman, Noah could imagine his state of mind.
Especially the mindset of a craftsman facing an unfinished or unsatisfactory work—
‘If it’s not good enough, I’d rather smash it with my own hands than let anyone else have it.’
So even if they caught him, there was no way he’d release the captives unharmed. He must have already given other orders.
That was why, despite the risks, Noah was determined to escape with Mirian.
But how long could they hold out?
“Damn it, how much longer do we have to wait for that guy?”
One of the guards, bored out of his mind, kicked a nearby tree. With a loud thud, the tree shook violently, sending the birds perched in its branches scattering into the sky.
The problem was, it didn’t stop there.
The birds above Noah and Mirian’s heads also took flight, and something dropped from the branches.
“Kyaaa!”
Startled, Mirian let out an involuntary scream before slapping her hands back over her mouth. An acorn rolled noisily across the ground. Noah bit his lip hard.
‘This is bad!’
“Who’s there?!”
“Stay right behind me, milady.”
Drawing the sword from his belt, Noah gripped it with both hands and pressed himself against the rock wall, shielding Mirian. Stepping onto the road now was too dangerous—they’d be surrounded from above as well.
The guards’ faces lit up with surprise, followed by crooked grins, when the women appeared. They glanced at Noah’s blade, then snickered as if it posed no threat.
“Oh my, what’s such a beautiful lady doing with a dangerous toy like that? Why don’t you put it down?”
“You’re the ones who should clear the way.”
Noah responded coolly, shifting sideways bit by bit. To the right lay a steep slope filled with trees and brush.
Should they head into the undergrowth? No—their clothes would snag, slowing them down. They’d be caught in no time.
“I’d love to grant a beauty’s request, but things aren’t that simple, you know?”
“Quite the brave little lady, aren’t you?”
One of the men stepped closer. Calmly, Noah swung his sword, forcing him to stop before crossing a certain line.
The threatening motion froze the man’s expression, and the mocking grins of the others faded slightly. Noah’s eyes gleamed coldly as he faced their drawn weapons.
“Come any closer, and I’ll cut you down.”
He had learned some self-defense from Tyrein, but he had little real sword experience. In this weaker body, he wasn’t sure he could withstand even a clash.
But giving up was not an option. Alone, perhaps. But with someone behind him to protect—especially when that someone was Lady Cordelia herself—there was no room for retreat.
Scratches on his forehead and wrists could be endured. But nothing more.
“You’d best drop the weapon while you still can!”
The nearest man drew his blade and charged. Noah waited until the man entered striking distance, then slashed.
Clang!
Blood sprayed into the air. The man screamed in agony as his wrist was cut, dropping his sword.
“Aaaagh!”
The blade spun through the air before clattering to the ground. All eyes fixed on Noah at once.
