Chapter 1
Deliverer.
The name given to those who convey everything in the world.
Objects, living beings, or even concepts – there is nothing a Deliverer cannot deliver.
Given a justifiable cause, they will deliver justice, peace, or even violence and conflict.
Starting from an origin that brought salvation to a world on the brink of destruction long ago, the name Deliverer now reigns as the law of the modern era.
Today, the act of delivery by Deliverers is recognized as a law that permeates the world.
A common characteristic of these Deliverers is that they:
Ride horses as swift as lightning.
Boast transcendent physical abilities that make even the recoil of that speed seem trivial.
And possess special abilities that go beyond their already extraordinary physical capabilities.
***
2.
271… 272…
The rhythm of the creature's heartbeat vibrates against my thigh from beyond the saddle.
273.
Soon, it will reach its maximum possible beat.
The speed created by that explosive pulse is enough to leave afterimages.
A realm made possible because it is a horse harboring six artificially modified hearts.
I continued onward for quite some time, maintaining unwavering control over the creature from atop the saddle.
As if having received prior notice, a gate stood wide open ahead.
Passing through that gate with the thunderous sound of hooves, I was met with the familiar scorn that followed.
"Damn noisy! What's the occasion today?"
"Tell me about it, this is already the second Deliverer bastard today."
The conversation between the two guards watching the gate.
They probably think their voices won't reach me, buried beneath the booming hoof sounds,
But I, who can discern even a single raindrop in a downpour, could never miss that.
Well, even if they knew I could hear them, their scorn wouldn't cease.
I've become so desensitized to scorn. It's so familiar now that it could stand alongside the word "daily life."
This is also the current reality for Deliverers active in this era.
Unlike before, Deliverers are not treated favorably these days.
Perhaps the accumulated dissatisfaction with Deliverers from long ago is finally beginning to erupt around this time.
Even the laws of individual nations are met with distrust if any loopholes are seen, so how much more distrust would there be towards Deliverers, who reign as the common law of the world?
Nevertheless, the reason the world distrusts but cannot deny Deliverers as law is not because Deliverers delivered salvation to the world, but because of the martial power that made it possible.
***
I bought two pieces of information necessary for the request from a verified merchant.
One was the exact destination for carrying out the request, and the other was the dangerous elements scattered throughout that destination.
In return, I had to give up 20% of my profit from this request, but such expenditures are not at all regrettable.
Information is a precious asset in any industry, but in this line of work, the presence or absence of that information can be a matter of life and death.
So, the information I obtained was:
The destination is a massive fortified mansion.
And a mercenary group is stationed within that mansion.
The number of mercenaries is roughly 40 to 45.
The name of that mercenary is 'Enclaim,' a name I've vaguely heard before.
It's a force group that includes a small number of superhumans and whose primary business is resolving and instigating disputes – a textbook mercenary group of the modern era.
In other words, this request might be quite tricky for me, operating as an individual.
Having arrived near the destination, I left the horse, which was emitting hazy steam all over its body, behind and headed towards the mansion in front.
Everyone inside the mansion would have already noticed due to the thunderous hoof sounds.
I never intended to infiltrate secretly in the first place.
What I'm transporting now is not something that needs to be delivered covertly.
Layers upon layers of reinforced steel doors, towering stone walls that completely obscure the interior.
They've built a real fortress, as grand as the magnitude of their sins.
Drawing the sword I carried on my back, I slowly prepared to breach.
The sword is nothing special, just a mass-produced item worth 70,000 Runes.
There's no way I'd possess something luxurious, so I inevitably have to consider cost-effectiveness for weapons that will become consumables, right?
Actually, even this is painfully extravagant. It's a weapon I've used for quite a while, but I have a feeling it will meet its end in this mission.
As I reached within touching distance of the main gate, a rustling sound from all directions inside struck my five senses.
A heavy pulling sound from the distant front, two medium-sized ballistae.
The taut strings' whining sound, seven crossbows loaded.
Footsteps and breathing, four above and seven below on the left.
About two on the right are shaking nets.
Only thirteen at the main gate, huh?
Having roughly visualized the initial situation in my mind for about two seconds, I then kicked out at the steel door.
Thwack!
One of the door panels flew straight into the depths of the garden, bent in half.
Clang!
"Ugh!"
Simultaneously, the moment I entered, I deflected the bolts flying straight at me to the right, turning the net team on the right into a honeycomb.
Then, four people jumped down from the upper left. In close combat, ranged attacks won't be coming.
Slicing straight through the armpit of the first one who rushed at me—
Skerng—!
"Aaargh!"
I knocked the hand axe he dropped with the flat of my blade, hitting the one behind him.
The remaining two had their necks cleanly severed by horizontal upward slashes.
As the two fell, a heavy metallic sound echoed from the distance.
Whoosh—!
A large bolt flew in with a heavy gust of wind, but I read its trajectory and avoided it with a simple step back.
At the same time, I deflected three bolts fired from the front.
Afterward, I lunged towards the seven who were awkwardly emerging on the left, confronting me.
It was a bonus that another large bolt flew into the spot where I had just been.
"Uh uh…!"
"You son of a…!!"
"Agh!"
Dancing a flash amidst the seven, soon their hands and feet scattered like firework sparks in the air.
Some parried my sword, but before they knew it, no one could stop my counter-surging path.
As the brief commotion ended, what followed was:
"Ugh… uwaaagh!"
"My fingers…! Where are my fingers!"
"You bastard…!"
Only screams and sharp curses.
Soon after, the presence of the next combat teams stirred from all directions.
No, it stopped midway.
Only one person strode confidently into the garden.
"You've made quite a mess, the damage isn't insignificant."
I retorted to the big guy's annoyance with my own irritation.
"Going broke trying to cover losses, you know that's an unchanging law, right?"
A vein throbbed in the big guy's temple.
"We can just bill our client for the damages."
"If you can."
"Cut the crap."
"Bullshit."
Oh, did it just rain on his temple? About five veins are throbbing now.
The big guy threw off his leather coat. Revealing a golden belt around his waist.
The belt was densely filled with large and small metal beads.
The big guy skillfully plucked dozens of metal beads from his belt and flicked his fingers, shooting them out one by one.
Their power made the cry of gunpowder seem pathetic.
Clang—!
Clang—!
Just deflecting the incoming metal beads caused explosions to resound.
Every time a metal bead was blocked by my sword, a shower of fiery sparks filled the garden.
"Block this too, huh?"
The big guy seemed to be getting excited, scattering even smaller and finer metal beads at me.
Pabababak—!
As tremendous destructive power engulfed the area, thick dust billowed up from all sides as if being vomited out.
But in fact, the previous attacks were several levels more threatening.
This is just flashy, the accuracy and power are a mess.
"The way I see it, you should have become a circus performer."
I walked out of the dust, offering sincere advice, but the big guy seemed even more enraged, taking out a massive metal bead from the back of his belt, one that didn't even fit in his hand.
"Then block this too, it's a Buster Ball."
"Oh, that's a decent corner name."
I adjusted my grip on the sword in response.
"What are you trying to do at that distance? What, are you going to put on a circus show or something?"
The big guy sneered at my stance, and laughter rippled from here and there.
"Then take a good look, see if I have any talent."
I countered with the same sneer, and the big guy retaliated by repeating my earlier words verbatim.
"What's your corner name? Idiot act?"
"No, just Garo."
With those words, I swung my sword with genuine intent for the first time today.
Then, along with a flash of light from the tip of the blade,
─── !
A deafening ringing echoed.
Having finished the strike, I had to quickly whirl the sword, which was glowing red-hot, through the air.
"Ah, I shouldn't have used that."
With those words,
Kwaang—!
Along with a fissure that was almost a straight line, half of the mansion crumbled down.
And belatedly, the big guy's head fell beside my feet.
As the commotion completely subsided, a few people revealed themselves from various places.
They had discarded their weapons and raised both hands.
"About five are still breathing, so make sure to take them."
I advised the passing mercenaries, and they didn't forget to take care of their groaning comrades.
Following that, I headed inside the half-collapsed mansion.
***
"Save me! Save me!"
He scrambled around, noisily overturning nearby furniture as he fled.
His desperate screams clearly showed his will to live.
"I've paid for my sins! But why! Why me!"
Then, cornered in a dead end, he cried out as if pleading.
"The law! Shit, we're supposed to do things according to the law!"
That's right, so this is doing things according to the law.
The act of delivery by a Deliverer in this era is itself the law.
Appropriate to what I had to deliver, I didn't show him any words or even emotions.
Like a machine, I simply and immediately thrust my fist into the right ribcage of the person cornered.
Wooduk—
Along with the sound of ribs collapsing.
"Keok…!"
The man's face turned pale.
Not stopping there, I twisted my fist, turning the broken bones into a bloody mess of his pleura—and as soon as I pulled out my fist, the man poured out onto the floor like a burst dam.
Now, I brought a chair from nearby and sat down at his head,
Taking out the request form I had carefully placed in my inner pocket and showed it in front of his face.
Seiton Magiji.
A murderer who killed a 13-year-old boy and even damaged his corpse.
Afterward, using parts of the mutilated corpse, he displayed a handwritten letter with the nature of a challenge in a public place, even mocking several official residences.
At the time of his arrest, the perpetrator was 15 years old.
According to the law of Rabensia, the sentence he received was 6 years.
After his release, Seiton wrote and published an account of his crimes, earning enormous royalties.
Deliverer Yohan, according to the request of the contractor Naseuja, will deliver that individual's harsh justice to the recipient, Seiton.
"Seiton Magiji, this is the justice you will receive."
"Hik… hik…!"
He let out a labored breath, a difficult breath that conveyed the intense pain.
Even so, he won't die easily.
Clutching the immense pain, he will die slowly,
Very slowly.
Because that is the nature of the harsh individual justice that Deliverers deliver.
"Keureuk… keureureuk…."
A moment later, a drop of blood burst from his mouth.
With a few more violent twitches…
He no longer moved.
……
…
.
With this request, I'm exactly halfway to my goal.
Just the remaining half, if I can gather that much more money.
I can finally find it.
My lost past.
