Chapter 49: End of mission

After killing the last of them, I walked back to the hotel.

I may have promised him I wouldn’t kill him... but who cares?

Some escaped, but they were just ordinary people. The city’s security would deal with them later.

The sound of my footsteps echoed through the streets, my boots leaving bloody prints on the dark pavement.

"Maybe the others are already done on their side," I muttered.

I reached one of the streets and saw the familiar hotel from afar.

It didn’t take long to reach it and enter. After a few steps, I arrived at the hall where we had been sitting just hours ago.

When I entered, I found Officer Dwan and the hotel owner sitting at the table, talking—until their gazes fell on me.

Their eyes widened, their mouths opening in silence. I walked toward them, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"I thought I’d find you guys asleep."

Dwan stammered before replying,"H-how could I sleep when you were doing all the work?"

"And... are you okay?"

I spread my hands wide, blood staining the floor."How do I look?"

"In terrible shape,"the hotel owner replied, who seemed to be a friend of the officer.

I smiled at him and returned my attention to Dwan."Listen, I’m way too lazy to write a report, so I’ll just talk, and you can write it later."

Dwan nodded with a strange expression... perhaps fear.

"In short, I wiped out most of the southern gang. Maybe one or two Rank 1s are left, along with some ordinary people... you can deal with them later."

I added some other information, like the building’s location, the possibility of innocent people still being there, and a few other details.

Dwan listened in silence. In the end, he opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again before opening it once more. He repeated this several times until it became annoying.

"Just spit it out."

Dwan raised his finger and pointed at me."You... did you wipe out an entire gang by yourself?"

I shrugged indifferently."Yeah."

I stood up and looked at the hotel owner."Show me the best room here. It’d better have a bathtub. I want to soak in hot water."

The man nodded, awe clear on his face."Please, follow me."

I glanced at the frozen Dwan one last time."You’d better start cleaning now before the citizens see that scene... it’s a bit... unpleasant to look at."

.....

The rest of the night passed quietly. After taking a bath and changing my clothes, I went to sleep.

The others returned about an hour later.

In the morning, the hotel owner prepared a large breakfast table for us, with everyone seated around it.

But unlike the usual atmosphere... this time it was grim.

A strange silence filled the table as they stared at their plates with hollow eyes, not touching the food.

Of course, this didn’t apply to everyone. Kyle ate his breakfast calmly, as usual.

Even Garon and Ivan acted normally, while the princess ate her breakfast with her usual composure.

I looked at them while chewing my share of bacon, then glanced at my empty plate, and then at Elliot’s plate beside me. It was still untouched.

I slowly reached out, pulled it toward me without him noticing, placed it in front of me, and started eating. I felt the princess’s burning gaze—apparently my noble manners didn’t please her—but in the end, she didn’t comment.

Instead, she looked at them one by one and spoke:"You need to get used to this. This won’t be the last time we do this kind of work."

Their bodies trembled slightly at her words.

Garon snorted as he brought his fork to his mouth."A bunch of spoiled kids."

Ellen turned her stern face toward me."And you—next time you take a step like that, at least tell us so we know what to expect."She looked genuinely angry.

What? I saved you half the work, and instead of thanks, I get scolded by an iron princess.

I smiled widely at her."Yes, Your Highness."

She sighed and looked away from me."I contacted the academy and informed them that we completed the mission, so we have no more work here. I also booked train tickets departing at one in the afternoon, so we’ll be leaving in a few hours."

Wow, what a strict woman... leaving immediately after completing the mission.

Well, I would’ve objected if the place were nice, but this city is a bit... depressing.

A few hours passed in the blink of an eye, and there we were at the train station, preparing to board and leave.

Dwan stood before us in a deep bow; his hat pressed to his chest."Thank you very much. Karthen’s situation will improve thanks to you."

I rolled my eyes."If you’re really grateful, make sure to praise us properly in your report to the Axis... maybe we’ll get a bonus."

Dwan nodded."I’ll make sure of it—especially you, Sir Caius."

I turned and boarded the train, leaving one last comment behind."And maybe you should find a solution for the homeless children."

I headed to my seat, indifferent to the others’ looks.

They could take their time with their drama.

I sat in my assigned seat by the window... maybe it wasn’t really mine, but it was now.

I leaned my head back, staring at the clear glass. After a while, everyone boarded, and the doors closed.

Slowly, the train began to accelerate.

A few more hours passed, and the train stopped at our station.

Before those towering walls and the massive gate.

The sun had already painted the sky with its colors, signaling the approach of sunset.

I headed toward the Axis gate, my heart beating faster than usual.

Not because I missed this place or anything—I was just very excited.

Why? Of course, the reward.

A small smile crept onto my lips as I passed through the outer guards.

"Finally, I’ll break through this rank."