"So you had the courage to come after all, adventurer Alan."
My welcoming party awaited me in the training grounds of the Viscount's estate.
Father Ryan and brother Cain were there, flanked by the estate's soldiers.
As if to make sure I couldn't escape.
"Um, couldn't you have at least received me in a sitting room or something? I get that you want to deal with me, but isn't this a bit too obvious, my lord?"
"More than enough treatment for a good-for-nothing little brother."
"Cain, have you become a [Sword Saint] yet? You haven't, right? After all, I was the one who interfered, remember?"
"What did you say?"
"I'm the one who killed the dragon in Fundantal, and I'm the one who defeated Hector at the Royal Capital Martial God Festival. See? That should make it pretty clear, right?"
With that, I used [Reverse] to transform into Alisa.
"You're... Alisa!!"
"That's right."
"Don't be ridiculous! There's no way you killed a dragon, and Father's quick thinking kept you from claiming the [Book of Skills]!!"
I switched back from Alisa and gave him the answer.
"I gotta say, I never expected the First Prince to team up with you and stage such a blatant farce. But you didn't really think I'd just back down, did you?"
"Huh?"
"I had the [Book of Skills] tampered with. You don't have the [Sword Master] skill anymore, do you? Hey, how does that feel? Hey, how does that feel?"
"You... you were behind this...?! I'll kill you for sure!!"
Cain's face turned crimson with rage.
"Enough, Cain. Now then, adventurer Alan — you've stubbornly clung to life after your exile and continued to tarnish the name of our Viscount household. It's time to put an end to you. However, the Church insists on handling your punishment themselves, so there's no need for me to get my hands dirty."
When Father said that, the entire area was engulfed in darkness.
◇◇◇
Simply put, I couldn't see a thing.
Well, I could technically see — but since all that entered my eyes was black, it amounted to the same thing.
I could feel the ground beneath my feet, but even that was pitch dark.
I almost felt as though I'd been falling endlessly into a bottomless pit.
And then — the silent attacks began.
From that moment on, I was under continuous assault from shadow blades.
Aimed at the crown of my head. My neck. My heart. Other vital points.
Simultaneously, or in rapid succession.
From every direction — front, back, above, below, left, and right.
But there was no way I'd let them catch me off guard. I activated [Goddess's Shield] from [Holy Magic] and blocked everything.
The [Goddess's Shield] was a self-guarding floating shield.
Since my hands were free, I could wield weapons at will, and thanks to [Heaven's Gate] — which I'd acquired recently — I could activate multiple [Goddess's Shield]s simultaneously.
The shields continued to fend off the relentless onslaught — an attack that left no room for argument, utterly merciless.
"Kagemiri Mist, huh? To think you were one of the Church's dogs. What a disappointment."
Mist didn't respond to my taunt. Instead, the shadow attacks only intensified.
But I blocked every single one.
◇◇◇
Kagemiri Mist.
An Orichalcum-rank adventurer and assassin belonging to the Holy Miseri Church.
[Shadow Magic] was his exclusive skill — a unique ability that only he could wield. His shadow attacks, silent and without a trace, had claimed the lives of even the most seasoned fighters.
Furthermore, he personally possessed the skill [Sword Champion], making him an exceptional swordsman who surpassed even [Sword Saint]. Among public adventurers, he was known as a peerless swordsman — a one-man army.
And yet, for the first time in a long while, his holy mission had ended in failure.
When was the last time he'd made a mistake?
To wash away that humiliation, Mist — his memory still faint — had been searching for the golden-eyed boy.
As it happened, it was the same boy the Church was pursuing — the one who had been performing unauthorized healing.
At the same time, he had been gathering everything he needed to ensure his target was permanently eliminated.
Once preparations were complete, he exploited the fact that Alan was the illegitimate son of the Vermilion Viscount family and had the Viscount summon Alan out.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Skills: [Reverse], [Divine Eye], [Sword God], [Gentleman Thief], [Dark Magic], [Rock-Iron Magic], [Holy Magic], [Spacetime Magic], [Scorching Heat Magic], [Frozen Ice Magic], [Magic Hand], [Seduction], [Pain Dulling], [Complete Status Abnormality Resistance], [Fire Spirit's Protection], [Phantom Demon], [Swift Wind and Thunder], [Dark Spirit's Protection], [Bizarre Strength], [Thunder God Sword], [Strong Luck], [Clear Storm Magic], [Humility], [Heaven's Gate]
Rank: Gold (Alisa: Gold)