Chapter 14

Episode 14

The Duchy of Felicity

The quiet incident managed to silence the surroundings completely.

Ssssslit!

Without even knowing how he died, the man was split in half and fell, his blood spilling profusely.

Sssssss!

Red fluids that couldn't withstand the pressure had begun to splash all over the place. Still, I calmly brushed off the dust on the branch in my hand.

If one didn't have a tooth, they had to chew with gums.

Since I didn't have a sword with me, I had to use a branch instead. That was what Thousand Horse Dok Go-jun said, and I considered him my second teacher of swordsmanship.

-Everything becomes a weapon when you hold it in your hand. Don't forget: there's no law in a fight. Weapons are an extension of physical attacks. Depending on how you think, a piece of cloth could become a rare high-class sword.

My sudden attack seemed to make the people moving in secrecy stumble, for they apparently couldn't handle the shock I had created.

Even if it was just a branch in my hand, the skill of the assassins proved to be insultingly poor compared to Hermes, who had taught me the art of killing.

That was the light Stroke of Bell.

However, when the Thousand-Force Hammer technique, invented by Thousand Horse Dokgojun, and Haris' sword technique, shared subversive, destructive power, branches would inevitably turn into a mountain. No assassin would be able to withstand the pressure, no matter how good of a team they were.

"As soon as you got the chance, you tried to raid, you dullards."

It definitely seemed that the injury made it difficult for them to scatter back into the forest.

The assassins stared at me with intense eyes, all without moving their bodies.

"Just for clarification, did Queen liness send you here?"

I asked a question, but no answer came forth. I didn't think they would answer my question anyway. Hence, I wasn't all too disappointed.

The tension had undeniably gone a little higher, considering I had only started to warm up after such a long time without combat.

"I know you've been waiting for your chance. You crawled here without knowing it was a trap."

I clicked my tongue as I swung the branch in lightly, making some of the assassins gasp and collapse at the sight.

"I wonder what she's planning to do now."

I was genuinely curious. After all, there were only three royal families.

If we were assassinated on the way to another country, the entire royal family would be shaken. It was going to be hard to handle the aftermath, even for Queen Liness.

There were only two factors to think about.

She was either confident that she would never leave a trace or planned to pin the blame on someone else. Either way, from her perspective, it was definitely worth a try. She must've done something similar in the past to shake the real power of this country.

"Hmm? Are you still here?"

They all looked confused by my question.

According to the information they received, their target was but a mere sick prince who could barely travel alone. They wouldn't have expected that I could dominate them in their own field: attacking without anyone noticing.

They wouldn't even think that I was able to find them since they had just been watching me at the campsite from a distance while waiting for their chance.

Either way, they probably didn't see this coming. What astonished them most was probably the worthless-looking branch in my hand.

It wasn't a strong, sharp sword but a thin branch that could be found anywhere in the forest. Regardless, a single Stroke of Bell could weigh down the surrounding area and instantly split my target's physique in half.

Unless they were a bunch of morons, they must've already noticed that the force wasn't from brute strength.

"Patience is the key in assassinations. Keep that in mind."

I could feel the invisible expressions of the assassins cooling down. Their faces morphed into aggression.

When I collected the unidentified pressure pressing them even though I wasn't attacking them anymore, they began to look at each other's eyes. I could read their expressions even without using the Mind-Reading technique.

They had received the wrong information. The mission could now be considered a total failure.

"Go tell her. She'll be destroyed eventually, even if she doesn't ask for it."

When I stopped and stayed still, they looked at each other and squinted at me in an attempt to understand my intentions.

Was I really trying to let them go? I was sure they were all wondering about that.

'Yeah, go ahead.'

I put the branch down and stood still. They soon realized that I wasn't kidding at all. Soon enough, the assassins turned around and began to run away.

'I was kidding, you bunch of stupid jackasses.'

[Rupture]

Poof!

In an instant, a flash of black light penetrated their bodies as if something thick had completely pierced through them. In shock, they couldn't believe what just happened despite not feeling any pressure on their physiques.

"Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk."

One of the assassins who had been penetrated began to tremble and tried to get up again. He stared at me with his bloodshot eyes.

'You said you'd let me go, you fucking bastard!'

His glare screamed those words out. Upon seeing such a sight, I instinctively spoke out.

"Did you believe my words? You stupid bastard. I just said that assassination is patience. I guess you forgot."

"This is... what assassination..."

How absurd it must've been to see the person who had been silent until now answering back, all while throwing up blood excessively. It was hard to understand him, however, for he had lost all strength in his voice.

"If no one's watching, then it's considered an assassination. That's also a long-standing quote, so keep that in mind."

I took a step forward. Instinctively feeling danger, the remaining guys scattered, dashing away in an attempt to escape.

Some of them had lost their judgment and came at me. I wasn't sure what they were thinking. Obviously, the raid failed, and they had zero chance of winning in a frontal assault against me.

Their speed was definitely fast and sharp. I could give them that.

The attack was threatening enough that it felt a little different from the first time. However, all I had to do was quietly swing the branch in my hand against them.

Whoo! Whoo!

As the stubby and thin branch flashed once, a black flame with white brilliance rose along its trajectory. As the men rushed at me, they were cut in two simultaneously.

The durability was strong enough. For a human being, that was.

As they fell like chopped logs, I immediately called forth my command mana, putting one hand on the ground while holding the branch with the other.

Black magic and command magic was the most efficient way to track down, stop, and break down opponents.

That was the case at the Halls of Heroes.

Ro Aias was the best at finding me when I didn't want to attend the training. She was called Death Road in the Pesquisa Continent, a completely different world from this place. She had managed to trick people with a tearful face, blocking the retreating road of her enemy in the back. Her tracking skills proved to be excellent.

Was she too nice? It wasn't all that surprising if I considered how Daphne, the first saint, turned to violence when she started drinking.

Ro Aias used to be an eccentric black wizard who worked her whole life trying to help black wizards live with people.

I didn't even want to recall what happened to me after I was caught.

[Chase]

[Blind]

Whoo!

I saw black whips coming out of their fingertips.

It was the black magic of the first circle system, which took away the opponent's vision and worked stronger against those who were living in extreme fear. They could've easily overcome it if only they had a little more resistance.

"Kkkk!"

"Buck!"

I had already locked on when I ran into them.

Unless they traveled to the other side of the continent, there would be no way out. The magical effects soon appeared, and its intensity started to increase. Those who lost their sight began to struggle to get away from me, forgetting their original goal of silently moving through the night.

Was I enjoying this?

Now, I could see why Ro Aias looked sorry yet simultaneously happy for some reason.

In extreme fear, they struggled to escape from me. Unfortunately, I had no intention of keeping them alive once I already had them in my hand.

It was up to me whether I would kill or save them. If one wanted to kill someone, they should be prepared against the risk of their own deaths.

I put a string to the assassins that crawled away with black magic and to those that fell against the command mana.

I conjured more black-hued command mana, which I then caused to explode and spread.

[Confusion]

[Low Resistance]

[Soul Explosion]

It was all a little harsh, but I was taught by my masters how to clean a scene properly.

Don't show mercy to those who try to kill you.

Tooowooo!

Intangible, odorless, and colorless spirits scattered, spreading light waves around.

More than half of their souls burst out and disappeared immediately without any chance of rehabilitation. They had all gone silent.

The quiet forest turned into a terrible murder scene.

"That's a neat assassination."

I wondered if it was necessary to make such a big scene, to which I shook my head.

I then moved on without regret. Whatever it was, it was a successful assassination for as long as no one found out.

* * *

"Queen Majesty."

The black shadow slowly appeared in the quiet room like a mirage.

"How did it go?"

"The attempt failed."

Slap!

As soon as she finished her sentence, Shari's face, who brought the bad news, was forced to turn sideways. She had hit her so hard that her white cheek turned red, and her lips were about to burst.

"What are you going to do now?!"

It was a hysterical shout.

The calamitous temperament of Queen Liness wasn't new to those who were always around her.

"All the mana stones were designed to lose its glow when the assassins died."

"Failure... What happened?"

"I haven't figured it out yet. However, I think someone is helping him."

Slap!

Once again, Shari's cheek turned with a loud noise. Meanwhile, Queen Liness continued to throw everything around her to release her anger.

Clang!

A small flowerpot hit Shari's forehead. She gasped, staring at Shari with a venomous look.

"Huh! That's all that the Black Moon Guild can do after all!"

"..."

"How come they were all wiped out against only four old knights and three little kids? Twenty assassins being unable to handle a few knights? Pathetic!"

Although Shari was mad as the Queen shouted, she simply stood silently with her head down.

"Find out who's helping him! Show me the obstacles in my way!"

"Yes, Queen Majesty."

"Don't forget. I didn't look after your Black Moon Guild to see you fail. You need to take their lives. If you fail again this time..."

She stared at Shari with a cold gaze and continued.

"I will no longer have any more dealings with you. I will end the Black Moon Guild by using the Duke of Varietta and the power of this country."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Shari, bowed down, closed her eyes slowly, and smiled as the Queen stopped talking and poured tea into her mouth.

Her eyes were lit up by a faint blood-like glow.