The Smiling Death

The group stepped out of the village chief’s house and returned to the quiet streets of Eriye Village.

The gentle evening breeze carried countless cherry blossom petals through the air, painting the peaceful village in shades of pink and gold beneath the setting sun.

Amon stretched his arms above his head before looking around with an appreciative smile.

"Let’s take a look around the village. It’s a really beautiful place, after all."

Aisha glanced up at the rows of cherry blossom trees lining both sides of the road.

"We have plenty of trees like these back home. Our city is filled with them, so this place reminds me of home."

The evening had already settled over the village, making the scenery even more tranquil.

Eliana smiled softly as she admired the blossoms swaying in the wind.

"Cherry blossom trees are actually quite rare in the Elven Kingdom. I’ve only seen them once before."

Marcus folded his arms while thoughtfully observing the surrounding landscape.

"Hmm... I think I should plant trees like these in the courtyard of my estate."

"That’s actually a great idea," Amon said with an approving nod.

Then a mischievous smile spread across his face.

"Oh, Marcus... after this semester ends, how about taking me to your duchy?"

Marcus immediately frowned.

"And why exactly would I do that?"

Amon grinned.

"Come on. All of you will be returning home for the break, while I’ll probably end up bored."

He looked at the others before suddenly snapping his fingers.

"I’ve got it! How about all of us spend our summer vacation at Marcus’s estate? Just for a week."

Seraphina’s eyes brightened slightly.

"That actually sounds like a nice idea."

Eliana nodded in agreement.

"I’d love to go as well."

She paused for a moment before adding,

"Although... I’m not sure whether my father would allow it. Still, I think it would be fun."

Aisha crossed her arms and looked away.

"I don’t really care either way."

After a brief pause, she quietly added,

"...But if all of you are going, then I might come too."

Her voice remained deliberately indifferent, though everyone could tell she wasn’t being entirely honest.

Marcus stared at the four of them in disbelief.

"Hey! That’s my home!"

"You people don’t have the right to make plans without asking me first!"

His protest fell on deaf ears.

The others had already begun discussing what they would do during the vacation, completely ignoring the rightful owner of the estate.

Marcus could only sigh helplessly.

Not a single person paid any attention to his complaints.

Just like that, the group’s plans for a summer vacation, despite still being several months away, they had already begun to take shape.

---

Somewhere far from Eriye Village...

A lone figure dressed in a black robe dashed through the dense forest with astonishing speed.

His movements were swift and silent, weaving effortlessly between towering trees as though he had memorized every inch of the woodland.

The hood covering his head concealed his face completely, allowing only darkness to be seen beneath it.

After several minutes, the forest finally began to thin.

Soon, the man emerged onto a wide road leading to a small town known as Mirellim.

Unlike the peaceful farming villages scattered across the kingdom, Mirellim was a prosperous trading town.

Stone buildings rose two and three stories high, while merchants loudly advertised their goods from both sides of the busy streets.

Travelers, adventurers, and merchants filled the roads, creating a lively atmosphere.

The hooded man slowed his pace.

Without drawing any attention to himself, he blended into the crowd and calmly walked through the town.

After taking several turns, he entered a narrow alley hidden between two buildings.

The noisy streets immediately became quiet.

At the end of the alley stood another man, patiently waiting.

He leaned against the wall with his arms folded.

When he noticed the hooded figure approaching, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"So... you finally came."

The hooded man stopped before him. "Yes. I had no choice. You don’t share anything to communicate with you directly. Anyways, did you really find anything this time?"

The other man nodded.

"Yes."

A confident smile spread across his face.

"You really are fortunate... or perhaps simply stubborn."

He paused briefly before delivering the news.

"Amon Vale... has returned."

Silence filled the alley.

The hooded man’s body froze.

His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white beneath the sleeves of his robe.

"...What?"

His voice trembled ever so slightly.

"You really mean it? Amon Vale... He’s alive...? And he’s back?"

"Yes."

The man nodded without hesitation.

"To be honest, I never expected him to return from that place."

He crossed his arms.

"It was a good thing you never canceled your commission."

The hooded man took a deep breath before asking,

"Where did you find him?"

The man smiled faintly.

"A year ago, you hired us to gather any information related to Amon Vale and locate his whereabouts."

"So even after everyone assumed he was dead, I continued assigning a few of my men to quietly keep an eye on the matter."

He shrugged.

"Just in case. Also our organization gathers information from every corner of the kingdom."

"My agents stationed in Elarith City constantly collect rumors, observe unusual incidents, and monitor notable individuals."

A trace of pride appeared on his face.

"After all...We are the Whisper Company. We have to keep our people in important cities of kingdom. To keep track of interesting informations."

"A few days ago, one of my men who were traveling through whispering woods forest witnessed a young man fighting a rank four monster there."

"The fighting style...The shadow abilities and even his appearance...They all perfectly matched the information we had on Amon Vale."

"Naturally, we didn’t rely on a single report. I ordered another investigation. Since he live in academy most of the time it was hard to check his moments. So it took more time than necessary to confirm his identity. But my men confirmed his identity as he left the academy and explore elarith city few times."

He looked directly at the hooded man.

"There is no doubt. It is truly Amon Vale."

The hooded man remained silent for several seconds.

Then he began laughing.

At first, it was merely a chuckle.

Soon, it grew louder.

"Hahaha...Hahahaha!"

A huge leather pouch suddenly appeared in his right hand.

It was filled to the brim with heavy gold coins.

Without hesitation, he tossed it toward the man.

The man caught it effortlessly before weighing it in his hand.

A satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Excellent work, Jamil. I will send you more money later."

The hooded man’s laughter slowly faded.

His voice became cold.

"For an entire year...I suffered believing that bastard had died after getting lost in that isalnd, before I could kill him myself."

His clenched fists trembled with hatred.

"But now, he’s back."

A cruel smile slowly formed beneath the shadow of his hood.

"And this time...I’ll kill him with my own hands. I’ll make sure he suffers the most painful death imaginable."

Jamil merely chuckled.

"As expected."

He casually tucked the heavy pouch into his storage artifact.

"Our business is concluded, then."

He turned around.

"Oh, one more thing."

He glanced back over his shoulder.

"My men have continued monitoring Amon. He left academy for what appears a mission from academy. They followed him all the way to a village called Eriye. I figured that information might be useful to you."

He smiled.

"Consider it a small bonus for an old friend."

The hooded man gave a silent nod.

Jamil waved his hand casually.

"Until next time."

The air around him distorted slightly.

In the next instant he vanished without leaving behind the slightest trace.

Only the hooded man remained standing alone in the silent alley.

His head slowly lowered.

A chilling killing intent seeped from his body.

"...Amon Vale. This time... You won’t escape me."