Classroom of the Elite: Amnesia Haven

Arc 3 - 2: Stealth

A/N: Man, I'm pondering why I tried to do a Psychological, Smart, Cunning MC when I practically don't have the brain capacity.

Anyway, I'll just sleep.

***

I let out a small sigh.

Examining the dagger in my right hand, I saw that its quality was still flawless. I had left the worn armor in the building where Honami's crew waited, while Yuki stayed a few tens of meters away from my position to observe my performance.

At a building which seemed to be the remains of a small two-story house; was a group of goblins, as expected. I had found ten now. Since I can't see the inside because the building parts obstruct them, there might be more than ten. My task was to kill them all with them couldn't process anything in the whole assassination.

As I'd said before, the other members of Manabu's team had opposition to me tagging along on the infiltration expedition to New City. Manabu was aware of that, and with that in mind, he presented me with the option to refuse to join the expedition if I didn't want to follow his condition.

Of course, I accept it. It's not the kind of opportunity that comes often. Besides, the condition is easy.

On a sneak-into-New City expedition, the skill of stealth would go without saying be crucial. Yuki, and Ikuto, who had been a thief before converting to a mage, were the members deployed into New City at first. Normally, an individual of my rank would never be appointed with them, but Manabu was insistent on giving me the chance in it. Therefore, by following a simple condition, I'd be permitted to go with them into the New City.

I began my move. Considering that I always work in groups, and often fight enemies head-on rather than by surprise, this could be used as a good opportunity to test myself.

I circled the building. It was remarkably intact. Even most of the glass was still there, though its exterior had been infested with plants.

The second floor had a terrace. There was only one door to enter the building, and it was from the front. I discovered five goblins on the first floor and two outside. There were two more whom I didn't recognize from the second floor which had a mostly airless floor, replaced by a small hallway-like passage with a railing on one side. I spotted four on the terrace, armed with crossbows. That made a total of twelve goblins.

That goblin dozing on the first floor... He's probably the leader. The demeanor of the goblins surrounding him led me to that assumption. He was surrounded by the four goblins in a fairly narrow space. I've formulated my plan at that moment.

I can cancel this stealth assassination if it is impossible to carry out unnoticed. There are a number of cases where stealth is just not possible. In fact, this would be extremely difficult to do without them alerting each other of my presence. It might be impossible. I'm pretty sure this plan depends more on my luck.

I took a quick glance at Yuki. She was walking just a few meters away from me. When our gazes met, I nodded. She wrinkled her forehead. She seemed to realize that this was going to be difficult. Nonetheless, she leaves me. I'm guessing she knew my skills and that I'd make it out alive even if I failed.

I went to the back of the building. The plants on the wall weren't sturdy enough for me to use as a substitute for a ladder. The wall was too flat either. That meant I had to climb it. Rapidly. Fortunately, its height wasn't impossible for me to pull off the maneuver.

I decided to do just that. The goblins on the terrace and in the immediate vicinity wouldn't detect my existence if I positioned myself at a certain angle.

I quickly cleared my path before assuming the starting position from the back. Not wasting much more time, I sprinted as fast as I could while not making much noise. The instant my feet pressed against the wall, I shifted to using my hands as well to propel me to the edge of the roof. Dangling with only my hands as support, I pulled my entire body relying on them alone. Once I was on the roof, I kept my body position as low as possible.

As I was about to advance, I stopped and looked up to my rear. I sensed something. ...What is it? Unfortunately, I hadn't caught sight of whatever it was.

I refocused on my task while keeping in mind to be wary of the mysterious sensation.

The marksmen weren't facing each other. They were completely fixed on the outer perimeter of the building.

From whatever point I dropped myself onto the terrace, one of the two goblins inside would at least see me. If I targeted the four crossbows first, both of them are going to notice me instead, and possibly warn the group below after that. Slaying the two of them became the priority. I'll only have to watch out for the crossbow wielders turning around while I carry out that.

Now—

I descended to one corner of the terrace, where there was a single crossbow goblin standing. The one goblin inside, up on the second floor, would notice me very soon. Before that occurred, I barehandedly knocked the back of the crossbow goblin's neck for an instant kill.

I laid its body against the wall.

By the time the goblin inside started to turn his eyes in my direction, I had pulled out my dagger and hurled it at him. It slid straight into his neck and the wall behind him, only making a slight sound. Before the goblin in front of him registered that, I drew my rapier all the while entering the room and plunging the tip of the blade into his artery. I carefully set the goblin down flat on the floor thereafter.

The smell of his blood would reach the first floor before long, I'm sure, so I ran quietly to the terrace after that. I performed the same barehanded maneuver to the crossbow wielder just across my first kill, slicing the remaining two by the nape in quick succession. As they fell with a thud, I sheathed my rapier and took both crossbows in both hands. The two goblins outside were visible below. I one-shot them down without delay.

I didn't throw the crossbows immediately. With a turn, a run, and a jump to the first floor, I tossed them to the two goblins on the back. I retracted my rapier as I went and felled the two goblins by the door in one go. My foot squarely stepped on the sleeping goblin's face. I then cut down the two at the rear before I thrust it at the sleeping goblin on the forehead. ...Well, that was smooth.

There was no scream. No notice. Still, this stealthy maneuver was best done by more than one person.

Yuki made her way inside after a while. She stared at the goblin corpses around us with obvious disturbance. "...You're quick."

"It's a failure, though."

"No, your Sneaking and Stealth already exceeds mine. I can kind of understand why you want more, though," She sighed. "Talent sure is scary..."

"Let's go to Honami's group."

"Yeah... Let's."