The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

87. Annual Event (2)

“Then, let’s begin the briefing.”

The full-scale demon-slaying operation would begin the next day.

In the early afternoon, the Esperriend children gathered in front of the instructors.

The instructors scrutinized us, including me, and operated the panel. A gigantic map that filled the entire wall was projected.

“This is the map of Esperriend that you see before your eyes. And here, the red marked area is where the demons reside, namely the location of the demon’s lair.”

The map of Esperriend was divided into four sections. The instructor pointed to the leftmost region.

“This area on the far left, connected to the Millennium Valley, has already been cleared of demons. So, you will be dispatched to the remaining three areas. You are free to choose which area to go to, but it’s also your responsibility to complete the assigned task.”

The panel was operated again, and a different image appeared. It was a brief profile of the demon, including its appearance and weaknesses.

“As I mentioned before, this year, the number of ‘Meloi Boar’ demons, a type of demon, has surged explosively. I think there’s no need to worry about being attacked, but if you’re heading to the southern region, be extra cautious.”

Apart from the profiles of the north and east, the instructor’s explanation about the region’s characteristics and ecosystem continued.

Although it was a place I had visited during my training, I still listened attentively to the instructor’s explanation, pretending to be interested. I had to do so, as I could feel the gaze of those around me.

After the instructor finished explaining, a brief moment of silence ensued, and Camil tapped my shoulder.

“Where are you going, Sion?”

“I don’t know…”

In reality, I had already decided where to go, but I hesitated for a moment, responding naturally.

“I’m going to the north.”

“The north? You mean the rocky mountain? The instructors told us not to go there. They said people die there every year.”

“They said not to go, but they didn’t say it was impossible.”

“What?”

Camil looked genuinely curious. The others had chosen to go to the relatively easier and flatter south.

Only Johan Esperand had chosen to go to the east. He wanted to gain practical experience, and the east was a better place for that. The east was also a place where the people of Esperand often went for a stroll.

The rocky mountain, full of dangers, was a place where accidents often occurred.

And it was a natural barrier that blocked the way to Esperand’s north.

People avoided this place, but I had to take the risk and go.

The person I was looking for, the one I had to meet, was right there.

“You really think you can go up there?”

Instead of answering, I shrugged my shoulders. Camil looked puzzled, but this was something I couldn’t share with others.

***

Although most of Esperand’s territory consisted of dark forests and mountains, it was not entirely surrounded by mountains.

The east and south of the mansion were known as the Dark Forest, where cedars grew densely. The Hunter Association had also attacked this place in the past.

On the other hand, the west was not suitable for entry due to its terrain. A massive canyon, similar to the Grand Canyon, existed, making it a natural fortress for defenders but a daunting challenge for invaders.

And the north… was practically a no-man’s land.

The rocky mountain was filled with all sorts of ferocious beasts, making it a place where passage was virtually impossible.

The strange magical reactions unique to high-altitude regions only added to the danger, making the north a region that both Esperand and the Hunter Association had given up on.

“Wow…”

The rocky mountain in the north was awe-inspiring, even overwhelming.

Its size was enormous, and its rugged shape seemed to reject human entry. It felt like nature itself was warning people away.

Even when I lived in Esperand, I would feel a strange sensation whenever I looked north.

The untamed north, untouched by human hands, was a beast paradise.

As beasts grew stronger and larger with age, the north was filled with creatures that even the Hunter Association couldn’t easily handle.

“Can I do this?”

I carefully reached out to touch the cliff.

I put on the climbing gear I had prepared in advance and began to ascend the vertical cliff face.

Until now, there were no obstacles, no beasts to hinder me.

If there were any beasts living on the cliff, they would be like harpies, but even those birds couldn’t nest on such a steep cliff face.

The instructors had warned us about accidents, not about the beasts. It was clear that climbing the cliff was more difficult than dealing with beasts.

The air was thin, the natural mana flow was strange, and the terrain was treacherous.

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It was a place where I realized why the Hunter Association and Esperand didn’t mention this region.

Pashak-! Crack!

I had to spend hours clinging to the cliff. If I hadn’t started in the morning, I would have had to spend the night on the cliff.

I managed to climb up the steep cliff, and a tent came into view before my eyes. At first glance, it seemed like a base camp.

I cautiously, no, stumbled towards it. A man came out of the tent, as if he had sensed my presence.

“Are you Shion Esperanza? Is that right?”

I nodded lightly in response to the man’s greeting.

Although it was our first face-to-face encounter, the Shion in my memories had met this man before.

“David hyung-nim.”

“Wow, you even remember my name. You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

The man, David Esperanza, smiled warmly as he approached me.

The reason I climbed up the steep cliff was to meet this man. I had been prepared to search the entire rock mountain, but I got lucky this time.

Perhaps, just like how people think, he might have set up a base camp here, thinking it would be easier to descend later. But that was beyond my knowledge.

“But, since you’ve come all the way here… are you planning to head north? Why bother when there are easier routes?”

“Uh…”

I couldn’t say that I came to meet hyung-nim. I wasn’t the Shion that David remembered.

“What are you doing today, hyung-nim?”

“I have an appointment, so I’m meeting someone.”

“Is it the person you mentioned last time? Hmm…”

“No, it’s not that person. Don’t worry about it.”

The Shion in my memories had been quite close to David, but I wasn’t that person. In the worst-case scenario, I might have to take David down here.

People who died here wouldn’t even have their bodies recovered. The recovery process itself was difficult, so people could only mourn from afar.

I had prepared for the worst by bringing a lot of weapons that could be of help. It took me a bit longer to climb up, but it was necessary considering who my opponent was.

“Well, I thought I came alone, but… it’s good that you’re here. What’s with all the weapons on your back? Are you going to war or something?”

Of course, David would think that I brought weapons to defeat monsters, but this was a perfect disguise.

“How’s the monster hunting going?”

“It’s about half done. The rest is the problem.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Just take a look at this.”

As we walked towards the camp with David, he suddenly pulled out a map. It was a crude drawing done by hand, showing the landscape of the northern rock mountain on a single sheet of paper.

“This is the area I’ve been checking, and you know that this used to be where the harpies lived, right?”

I nodded. I had seen it in the setting documents.

“The harpies that lived in this area shouldn’t be awake yet. They should be hibernating now.”

“But they’re awake, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. The ones that should be sleeping are awake now. It seems like a queen-like figure has awakened, but we can’t find it no matter how hard we look.”

David clapped his hands together, expressing his frustration.

“And the problem is, these guys are too smart. If they think they can’t win, they just don’t fight. They flee if they think they’ll lose.”

Intelligent monsters like harpies avoided fights they couldn’t win.

On the northernmost part of the map, where humans couldn’t reach, a red circle was drawn. There was likely a harpy nest there. David pointed to the red circle with his finger.

“But we can’t just charge into the nest, and we can’t just sit here waiting either. We can’t gather more people either, so it’s a tough spot.”

“…….”

Although the Nilvania Mountains are twice as high, the place marked on the map has a different meaning, making it an extraordinary realm. Therefore, we cannot destroy Happy’s nest.

Like the northern wall, which has been contaminated by the dark magic and is undergoing a magical transformation, the rocky mountains of northern Esperand have also undergone significant magical transformation.

If we were to challenge it with our bare bodies, we would be defeated before even encountering the dark magic, and would end up vomiting blood and collapsing. That’s true for me, and it’s the same for David Esperand, who is standing here.

At that moment, David seemed to have thought of something and lifted his head.

“That’s right, you changed your path to become a knight, didn’t you? Camille told me you have good eyesight too.”

“That’s why I came here, to help you, David hyung.”

“You’ve grown up so much, you’ve really grown up.”

As he patted me on the back, my entire body trembled.

Just like our teacher, Sa Gam, David Esperand could also defeat the dark magic with his bare fists if he put his mind to it.

As we chatted, we suddenly arrived at the base camp. When David set up the tent, I brought up the prepared topic.

“I heard that you’ve gone quite far this time.”

For a moment, David’s actions froze. It was a very brief change, but I had [Clairvoyance].

However, David didn’t show any signs of surprise and simply responded.

“… Ah, that’s just how it is.”

“It looks like things didn’t go well, did they?”

“How did you know?”

How did I know?

It’s because David still had the mark of an unfinished assassination mission.

Perhaps David, like other assassins, had abandoned his mission halfway and returned to Esperand.

“It’s not just about the mission, but what’s more important is the family business. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the faces of our other family members.”

“It seems like you’re saying that, but you’re also quite disappointed.”

“What… it’s just how it is. I let it slip, and in the end, I have to start all over again.”

David Esperand had to let go of his target at the most critical moment. He had lost the target he had grasped right in front of him.

One puzzle piece that was missing from the original story was here. It was a secret that hadn’t been revealed in the setting collection.

Then, it’s worth a try. Even if I don’t use the worst possible method to defeat David, I might be able to resolve the situation peacefully.

In front of David, who was taking a deep breath, I hesitated for a moment. I pretended to hesitate with all my might. And then, I looked at David with a determined expression.

“… Is that mission really necessary?”