The Mercenary Slayer Of Holy Knights

The mercenaries market was a place where we met all kinds of characters and artefacts. I was walking between the stalls, distracting the various goods offered by the merchants, but my gaze was not attracted by anything. By dint of experience, I knew how to recognize valuable objects, and I was skillful enough to identify those who could be useful in my quest.

While I spent near a small stand, a merchant, with a strange and accentuated voice, challenged me.

"Hey, foreigner! You seem well experienced, maybe some of my products could interest you ... don't you want to take a look?" He said smiling, a mysterious smile, almost as if he already knew what I was going to say.

I was not the type to be distracted, but there was something in his voice that made me slow down. He had this particular aura of someone who did not just sell ordinary products. I observed the objects aligned on its stall, some appearing rustic, others more refined. But it was not the type of goods I was looking for. I was already in the thought of ignoring it, but something caught my attention.

My evaluation capacity was one of my most precious assets. A gift, rather than a real competence, which allowed me to discern the essence and the properties of objects. Each artifact I met instantly passed under the radar of my analysis. I could determine if the object in question had any magic value or if it was just a bunch of unnecessary scrap.

I swept away the objects one after the other. There were daggers, basic potions, some parchments without much interest. Objects that I had already seen elsewhere. Nothing that deserves to divert my attention. Then, suddenly, a black cape, with mysterious texture, captured my gaze. She was carefully folded on the counter, almost as if she was waiting for me to notice it.

I took a step forward, attracted by this piece which seemed different. Using my evaluation capacity, I immediately detects a strange, subtle but powerful aura that emanated from the cape. She was not ordinary, far from it. It was not just a piece of fabric, but a magic artefact. The evaluation gave me an answer that aroused in me a certain curiosity.

「Detected capacity: Omni-charm cape」

「Effect: improves the user's chance and strengthens the power of seduction, influences social interactions in a subtle way.」

「Properties: increases the chances of success in situations with high social tension. Can slightly influence the mood of people, making them more inclined to accept negotiations or requests.」

Price: 500 gold coins.

The cape had a singular effect, and I was intrigued. It was not common to find an artifact that affects both luck and charisma. It was not the type of object I expected to see on this market, but it reminded me of a fundamental truth: the importance of artifacts in the survival of mercenaries. It doesn't matter how powerful I was as an assassin, magic remained an inaccessible area for me.

I turned to the merchant, his smile not leaving his face. I could feel a kind of pressure, a expectation in his gaze, as if he already knew that I was interested.

"Do you like it, right?" he said, his almost provocative voice. "A rare piece. You won't find better elsewhere."

I didn't hesitate any longer. The price was reasonable, and the object seemed in perfect adequacy with my current needs. I did not have many artifacts at my disposal, and it could be useful to me in delicate situations where the words were sometimes worth more than the blade.

I stretched the gold coins in exchange for the cape, taking it in my hands with a certain satisfaction. The merchant walked away, leaving me alone with my new acquisition.

I only had a few rare artifacts to protect myself. Magic, formerly available to holy knights, was no longer within my reach. As a mercenary, my link with the magic source had been cut. Only the holy knights and the goddess Solaria themselves were still able to use the original magic of this world. But what was it for me to regret the impossible?

I couldn't go back. The magic of the saints was now forbidden to me, a painful memory of a bygone past. The blessing of the goddess Solaria, which some sought as an honor, had been removed for me a long time ago, after having failed in a mission. From now on, I had to count on my own strength and on artifacts like this to survive.

It didn't matter. I had forged another path, far from those who folded up to the authority of the saints. The artifacts were a sufficient alternative. Just like this cape. She would not replace the magic power of the knights, but she offered me an asset in an area where the others, like me, had little power.

I put it around my shoulders, and a slight thrill crossed my skin. It adapted to my figure, almost as if it had been specially designed for me. A smile appeared on my face. It didn't matter the magic that had been stolen from me. I no longer needed the blessing of the saints to move forward. Luck was now on my side, and that was enough for me.

The Omni-Charm cape rested on my shoulders, my thoughts turned to recent events. The wind whistled in my ears while I galloped tirelessly, crossing the Drakmor forest in a darkness which became more and more oppressive as the night was advancing.

I was not sure of what I felt in relation to the cape. She seemed to exert a strange influence on me, increasing a kind of inner calm that I had not known for a long time. It was as if each movement was more fluid, more natural, almost as if I became an extension of the wind itself. But there was something disconcerting in the attenuation of my presence, as if my body had become a shadow, invisibile to those who crossed me.

The cape works well. Too good. Even the mercenaries in this forest did not recognize me. I observed these idiots, these poor guys who were hiding behind trees, imitating wild beasts, hoping to catch a prey or an advantage over others. But they did not notice that an assassin missed them. It's almost laughable. These sub-men who think that invisibility lies in shadows and false disguises ... The Omni-Charm cape is much more effective than I had imagined.

I shook my head by observing a group of mercenaries. They weren't smarter than goblins. Some were hiding behind false tents, others attempted ambushes on creatures nearby, but all I saw was a gathering of unnecessary noise.

"These fools really believe that they can master the forest? Ha."

As I continued to gallop under the pale glow of the moon, the atmosphere around me changed suddenly. I found myself on a released expanse, the vegetation becoming more sparse. It was the dead area. I knew it, but nothing could really prepare for the sinister atmosphere that reigned here.

The dead zone ... I remember it now. This place is a no man's land between the Drakmor forest and the city of pleasures. Sterile terrain where the land seems condemned, as if even life itself refused to settle there. The soil is black, the vegetation is rare and sick. Air? Sticky. Saturated with invisible toxins. Difficult to breathe here without a heaviness settled in the lungs. And that smell ... There is nothing natural in there.

Goblins are starting to emerge from shadows, wandering like spectra, their silhouettes distorted by the moonlight. Their eyes shine with an evil glow, scrutinizing the darkness in search of prey. It is a dangerous environment, not only because of the creatures, but also of the stale air that has continued to poison the atmosphere.

I pushed my horse to advance faster, but the beast, which was already tired of the long crossing of the forest, slowed down. I felt his breathing becoming more irregular. I didn't pay too much attention to it at first, but after a few seconds, the horse began to collapse under me. He suddenly collapsed, his paws trembling before landing definitively on the ground.

I went down from my mount, assuring myself that the creature was not injured, but it seemed to have succumbed to the toxic air. Perhaps it was the saturated air of poison which had effect faster than I had anticipated it. I was disgusted, but I had seen worse. The horse, at least, had not suffered long.

Why didn't Barros warned me? It's not as if it was unaware of what it was. However, he described this place in general terms to me, but I had not imagined that he could have such an effect on the trip. I guess I should thank him, despite everything. It's not like he told me to go there without preparation. Maybe he just wanted to see how I would react.

I didn't tie on the horse. In a place like this, there was no question of staying for too long. I had no mount, but I didn't mind. I was used to walking, and the distance to the city of pleasures was not insurmountable.

The landscape around me seemed almost frozen, as if it belonged to another era, a world apart. The mist that rose from the earth added an aura of mystery. And there, in the distance, in darkness, I could see the spectral shapes of the goblins move. They were not immediate threats, but it was better to be careful.

I continued to move forward, keeping my senses on alert. The Omni-Charm cape still offered me a certain security, but the environment itself forced me to stay on my guard. I was only in the shadow of the forest, but this place was not more welcoming.