If I had the choice to go back, I would still do exactly what I did then.
Part 1: Entering the Mansion
The preparations went more smoothly than I thought.
As for going around and asking questions, as a cute, well-behaved, and likable boy, I easily struck up conversations with other students at the academy to ask about Prime Minister Darius's party. Under the guise of "passion for architecture," I learned quite a bit about that mansion.
First of all, it seems that "all"—I must repeat, "all"—the maids there are children. Specifically, no one is over 13 years old. Someone should have found that strange, but from what I heard, the nobles here see it as normal. It seems this place truly has no such thing as a "minimum age."
Thinking about it makes me want to go give that old king in the Silver Palace a beating and force him to rewrite all the laws.
Urg… Why is my list of enemies getting longer and more dangerous?
I'm not sure why Darius brought Tristina to his room last night; perhaps he was overconfident because this has been happening for years? But based on what Henry said, the guards there yesterday weren't that numerous. Only one person appeared, even though the good Prime Minister clearly has a small army of his own.
There were definitely more guards patrolling. Not just around the mansion walls or inside the rooms. Even the alleys were being watched.
That's the bad news. As for the good news, while asking around, I happened to meet a nice professor who claimed to be a very dedicated architect. He, somehow, had the complete blueprints for the Prime Minister's mansion. Lucky. But, I still had my doubts, so I had to rent a house with a good view to observe from afar and verify.
That's why I'm now sitting at the window of a four-story house, with a nice, cool view. But because the rent was high, no one had leased it, and the owner hadn't bothered with repairs or maintenance for years. As a result, every time I shifted, I heard a creak as if the window frame was about to collapse.
That's about where I am. Now, looking at where I need to break in tonight.
Darius's residence is divided into two buildings: one for the master and one for the servants. It seems the Prime Minister doesn't like servants going where he doesn't want them to be. That gives me a hypothesis: the place where Tristina is being held is definitely somewhere in the master's building.
With what I'd been told, I already had a rough sketch of the master's building's first floor. Since not many people go up to the second and third floors, I had to use my deductions based on the number of windows and the placement of the pillars. After that, I compared it with the blueprints the professor gave me.
It matched quite a bit. So he was telling the truth.
So, holding my monocular telescope, I began to take notes and mark the locations where I felt Tristina might be held.
It seems all the rooms on the ground floor were unfeasible—too many people walking around, too many windows. I eliminated them all.
On the second floor, the doors seemed to be wide open. Maids occasionally went to clean, so I could guess it wasn't the place I should be looking. However, there was one room I saw people entering and exiting very frequently, so I marked a red X on it on my hypothetical blueprint.
That must be the beloved Prime Minister's bedroom. It matched what Henry said.
Most of the windows on the third floor of the mansion had their curtains drawn, so I couldn't see anything. I wasn't even sure if anyone went up to clean. However, I could see a group of people on the balcony in that area starting to repair something, it looked like they were replacing a pane of glass. I guessed that must be where Henry broke in. And because strangers were in that area, I deduced that Darius wouldn't be foolish enough to imprison someone as important as Tristina there.
But come to think of it, didn't Henry say he only encountered one person during the entire break-in yesterday? He must hide his evil deeds even from his servants and keep only a few trusted lackeys.
So, I came up with another hypothesis: perhaps only that person—someone Darius trusts completely—is guarding Tristina, or perhaps even many other girls. That's a formidable opponent, according to Henry's account, but it's better to fight one than an entire army.
And to keep such a mysterious person, along with important captives, from being easily seen, there's only one place: The basement.
That's a place no one can see from the outside. A place no one just stumbles upon, where only a few people can enter, and above all, it's isolated from the outside world, soundproof. And, most importantly, it's not easy to observe from the outside.
Fortunately, according to the blueprints, we can break in from the basement more easily than from the window. And if a fight breaks out, we'd only have to face one enemy(?)
However, that's not necessarily good news. Because from what Ken said, an Advanced-rank swordsman can easily defeat 5 Intermediate-rank swordsmen in a group, not even factoring in experience or equipment. And the scary part is, if the enemy is a Saint-rank, they can easily defeat 10 Advanced-rank swordsmen or more. That means one Saint-rank swordsman could single-handedly wipe out 5 Intermediate-rank knight squads.
Looking at our forces, we have one Advanced-rank Sword God Style swordsman who was just heavily injured and is recovering; one Advanced-rank Water God Style / Intermediate-rank North God Style swordsman who may or may not even be willing to fight; and finally, a Beginner-rank Water God and North God Style swordsman with no Battle Aura. What a dream team to run to our deaths.
Maybe I should write a will?
That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I immediately discarded it. My only asset in this world is a pile of debt. Although I'd love to leave this entire financial burden on Pilemon's head, if I don't make it out in one piece today, all my debts will disappear with their owner.
Perhaps I'm the only debtor willing to fight to protect his lender? If I get out of this, I'm demanding Tristina and Henry erase my debt.
"Still observing?"
Ken's voice suddenly rang out.
I jumped and spun my head around, almost throwing a Fireball at his face. Ah no, if it's Ken, he'd probably block it. But I have no intention of burning down a house, especially not now.
"I brought what you needed. A few of the mineral ores you described. And four bottles of Milbotts wine."
Ken placed several glass vials containing different colored liquids on the table by the window where I was sitting. These were the things I had indeed asked him to find. I didn't expect him to be so fast. He even brought me a set of tools, crude but enough to do what I wanted.
"I did as you said, bought each item from a different alchemist shop to attract less attention." Ken walked to the wooden wall and leaned against it, his eyes still fixed on me.
With what I'm about to do, caution is for the best. Thank you, Mr. White, for the valuable advice.
"Good. But why so little?" I didn't pay much attention to Ken, glancing at the vials. "The rest-"
"Is downstairs," Ken cut me off quickly. He smirked, a calculating smile. "I don't think you plan on carrying a pile of bat guano around, do you? The less you move, the better."
"That's good, then."
I sighed and jumped off the window sill, landing with a *thud* on the wooden floor. Compared to the stone-tiled floor in the academy dorm, this place looked really dilapidated. But what can you do? I intentionally rented a cheap house with a suitable view, not a place to live in long-term.
Besides, I need a lot of money for something much more important...
First, let's finish the last step of the plan.
Let's see… First, I need to distill the wine…
"Atur." As I started to light the oil lamp to prepare the first step, Ken spoke up again. "Do you know how dangerous what you're about to do is?"
"Don't worry, it won't explode."
"You know what I'm asking." Ken didn't seem to want to hear my nonsense and got straight to the point. "If you are discovered, your father will not save you."
"I'm well aware of that. If you're scared, you can leave. I can handle the rest."
"I have no intention of abandoning you."
I placed the red mineral ore on the table and turned to look at Ken. The bald knight's face was as calm as ever; I really couldn't use 'Reading' on this guy at all.
"What do you really want, Ken?"
He seemed surprised by my question; his right eyebrow twitched slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"..."
Ah, whatever.
"Nothing."
I decided not to pursue or question it. Just focus on the task at hand. I have less than eight hours until go-time.
Time passed. All the necessary chess pieces were put in place.
And here I am, in the dampest, darkest, and smelliest place in the city: the sewer system of the Ars Royal Capital, wearing a black, ninja-like outfit and holding my lantern to guide the group, which includes me, Henry, and Ken.
Down here, I noticed the sewers are quite sturdily and rationally designed. The waste flows smoothly; it seems they are regularly maintained. The paths on either side are damp, but since the whole place is paved with stone, moving around isn't too difficult. I was worried I'd be slipping and falling, but it turns out my biggest problem is just the smell.
When we started, I threw up no less than three times. But after a while, I got used to it and could move on.
"We're here."
I said, as we arrived in front of a large sewer grate. This is the spot right under Darius's mansion. In other words, this is where we'll enter: the copper pipe filled with the waste of that perverted old man's family. Thinking about it, I felt a little nauseous again but thankfully managed to hold it back.
"Now what, Atur?"
Henry finally spoke up. It was the first thing he'd said since we started. I had told Henry to maintain maximum silence, only needing him to speak once every thirty seconds instead of his usual constant chatter. But today he was quite quiet, fully trusting me and following behind with steely determination in his eyes. Even his breathing was silent. Though I kind of miss the non-stop rambling Henry. But this isn't bad, at least until the mission is over.
"Now, we wait."
I said, looking up at the dark, moonless sky through a sewer opening.
My plan wasn't just to break in from this filthy sewer. This is actually step two.
As for step one, in the 8 hours before I got here, with the miscellaneous things I had Ken prepare, I made something pretty fun called an 'explosive', specifically, the legendary black gunpowder. It's true, this stuff isn't rare in this world. I'd heard the dwarves have been using it to mine ore for a long time by mixing bat guano with sulfur and various other things.
Humans, besides using it for mining, also sometimes use it for fireworks and even to create handheld explosive devices, which are especially popular among adventurers and, notably, followers of the North God Style. That must be why Ken smirked when he saw my list of materials. He definitely knew my entire plan from that moment.
At this point, 'everyone' probably thinks, "Oh, he has gunpowder, he's going to make guns and go 'boom boom'," right?
When I was 3 (in this life), I had the idea of making guns, cannons, and the like, as isekai protagonists do, but it's really not that simple in this world.
The reason is the existence of magic. And more importantly: Battle Aura.
Based on what's been recorded and what Ken has demonstrated, Battle Aura can block bullets, if my calculations are correct, unless we jump straight to modern firearms. Manufacturing guns is also not as easy as anime and manga portray; it requires metallurgical techniques and a certain industrial scale. Just a single Sengoku-era matchlock rifle was the result of over 200 years of continuous improvement. Not to mention the uncertain consequences of creating a new weapon, which I can't predict. Like, starting a wave of endless wars just to have my name recorded as the creator of the weapon that killed the most people. So, I just gave up that idea.
As for what I'm doing with black powder right now, you've probably guessed. It's to blow up a house.
Not Darius's mansion, unfortunately. Getting within 50 meters of that place from the outside would get me discovered. That's why, besides the first house I used for observation this afternoon, I also anonymously rented another house as close to Darius's as possible. I calculated and used just enough explosive to cause a blast that would only shatter the upper half of that house. There was no furniture inside to be thrown out, and no one would be wandering around that area in the middle of the night except for patrol guards, so the damage to innocent people should be almost zero. If I'm really unlucky, I swear I'll support that guard's entire family for life (anonymously, of course).
As for how to make the bomb explode? I'm using the crudest timer humanity has ever created: a pulley balance. Just connect two ends of a pulley with two things of different weights, like a 50-kilo bucket of water and a 10-kilo bag of gunpowder? Then, just let the bucket of water gradually drain until it's under 10 kilos, the bag of gunpowder will be brought close to the small flame I prepared, and...
*BOOM!*
The plan begins.
"Let's go."
I gave the signal and headed into the sewer with a smile.
But first, let me finish throwing up.
Just as expected, the explosion I caused drew all the attention outside. We went inside and reached the master's bathing room. Based on the map I'd sketched and what Henry told me, I had predicted where we needed to go.
"That's the way to the basement." I said, nodding towards the two guards standing by an old-looking wooden door.
The reason was simple enough. You don't just put guards outside a room marked as a spice storage for no reason, especially right after a break-in yesterday and an explosion outside. There must be something important inside. Like a collection of kidnapped young girls?
"Let me handle this."
As planned, Ken was the one to make the move. He looked so different in his black outfit instead of his usual bulky armor. But with that expressionless face, I thought everything would be fine.
And just like that, Ken simply walked up, threw something to cause a distraction, and then gave each guard a clean punch under the chin.
I had specifically told him not to kill, and he did just that. If he'd been allowed to use a weapon, who knows.
Everything was done. We touched the door... it was locked? No problem. I used fire magic to melt the lock. It took more mana than just throwing a fireball, but this was no time to save resources.
Behind the door was a small corridor, leading to a dark room. I didn't dare turn on the light for fear of being discovered. However, after being in the dark for so long, the group's eyes had adjusted and we could see the general outline. This seems to be a storage room, looks like a place for various herbs like ginger, rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano, all mixed together, creating a rather pleasant aroma.
Come to think of it, hiding a cellar under here to keep people is pretty convenient; the scent of the herbs would mask any smell from the holding cells.
Though I hate to admit it, this old Prime Minister is smarter than I thought.
At the end of the room, it didn't take long, based on the blueprint, for me to push aside some sacks, revealing a trapdoor opening to a secret passage.
The three of us looked at each other. Nothing was said, but we all knew this was the place we were looking for.
I began to channel mana into the lantern and moved to Ken's side, who had already drawn his sword, ready for battle.
A total of twenty-six steps. We arrived at what was supposed to be the "wine cellar." It was now clear it had been renovated to become a series of prison cells, sealed with metal doors.
It was a bit strange, but this place was cleaner than I expected. There was no foul smell as I'd imagined, and all the cells seemed to be empty. Had Darius hastily dealt with the threat?
But before I could understand what was really going on, Henry lightly touched my shoulder and stared intently at a room at the very end of the hallway.
I wouldn't have noticed anything unusual if I hadn't seen the long streak of blood leading from where we were standing to that very spot.
A chill ran down my spine, making me shiver in fear, but I quickly fought it back with a deep breath.
"Let's go."
I said. Ken and Henry followed.
Just like the door outside, I used fire magic to burn the lock. The sound of melting metal bubbling mixed with the faint moans from behind the door, creating a strange, dark harmony.
Clack.* Henry was the first to push the door open.
"!"
The image that appeared before me made me wince.
The girl lying on the floor, covered in dried blood, was motionless, without a scrap of clothing on her. Her small, once-energetic body, once burning bright, was now nothing more than a dying ember about to go out. Her hands and feet were bound so tightly they had turned purple. Her whole body was covered in bruises and shallow cuts.
The Tristina before me now was like a priceless porcelain vase, shattered to pieces.
"Tristina!" Henry had completely lost his cool. He immediately ran to his friend and shook her violently. "Are you okay!?"
Tristina didn't answer. Her eyes just flickered, her mouth made a sound that no one could understand.
"Let me."
I ran over, placing the magic lantern, which was slowly dimming as its mana source faded, to the side. After a chant and intense concentration, I began my healing.
If I used half my mana to save Henry yesterday, today I had to use almost all of it for Tristina. The wounds weren't all gone, some bruises were still there, but I didn't think I should risk using up all my mana and wasting more time here.
Twelve minutes after the explosion, we escaped, the same way we came.
Still stinks just as much as when we went in.
We finally made it out of the sewer. The plan was a success.
Now just one last step and we're out. Everyone can go home.
Tristina still hadn't woken up, but her breathing was stable. Henry had taken off his shirt and wrapped it around her, carrying her on his back. Seeing the two of them like this, I don't know why, but it reminded me of Seita and Setsuko, even though the situation isn't really related.
But come to think of it, this was all strangely easy.
I mean, we had prepared for a life-or-death battle in front of Tristina's cell with Darius's thugs. Or even to fight the Knights. I had even prepared dozens of scripts to talk my way out of it, like "we were just playing and got lost."
But everything went according to the best-case scenario, without a single fight.
Strange. It's as if the enemy *wanted* us to save Tristina—
Clang!*
As I was lost in thought, a metallic clang rang out right next to my ear.
A shiver ran through my veins; I got goosebumps from my neck down to my limbs.
A knife!?
A knife just flew by. If Ken hadn't blocked it with his sword, it would have lodged in the back of my neck.
Before I could even recover from the shock, I saw a black shadow dash straight toward Henry. Like me, he had no time to react. Before his sword was even swung, a slash aimed for his neck.
Whoosh*
"!?"
As if sensing the danger, the black shadow immediately moved its knife to block.
Another sharp *Clang!* rang out. Although it blocked the blow, the shadow was also knocked back a distance. It was Ken again. He had used the very knife that was thrown at me to return it to its sender. That was the 'Flow' technique of the Water God Style.
What's more, this all happened in less than two seconds.
Is this a battle between Advanced-rank swordsmen? I couldn't react at all!
"Get behind me."
Ken said coldly. He held his longsword in one hand, and with the other, he drew a short knife strapped to his back. The knight's eyes scanned the area where the black shadow had just disappeared.
"They're definitely not given up," Ken said firmly. "However, I'll block their path. You two should get out of here."
"But-"
Before Henry could finish, Ken cut him off.
"I can't deal with the enemy and protect others at the same time. If you want us all to live, please go."
In other words: we were a burden. But he was right. Based on what just happened, we wouldn't be any help even if we stayed.
And if the person attacking us could kill Ken, then we should run as far as possible.
"Let's go. The important thing is to get Tristina out of here."
I grabbed Henry's hand and tugged. He hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded, running with me down the stinking sewer.
However, we hadn't run for more than a minute when another shiver ran down my spine. Like a natural reflex, I turned my head to the right.
An emotionless face appeared right in front of me.
"Ah!"
I fell backward in shock, luckily dodging a slash aimed at my neck. Henry also realized the presence of the second assassin and immediately lunged, swinging his sword at supernatural speed toward the enemy. A deafening *CLANG* rang out, sparks illuminating a small area. It clearly revealed the attacker's face.
A kid!?
I stumbled back a step in shock, while Henry seemed to lose his cool and charged. He continuously unleashed a series of dangerous attacks, Advanced-rank techniques of the Sword God Style. Although they were all blocked, he still pushed the attacker back.
When it seemed the kid had decided to keep their distance, Henry spoke up, his voice weary.
"Protect Tristina." He gently lowered her from his back, his eyes never leaving the assassin. "I'll handle this one."
I said nothing, just swallowed and pulled Tristina back a few steps. Even though I didn't know if Henry could win, seeing him so serious, I didn't want to argue. Besides, I couldn't run away now. I was too weak to carry Tristina, and both ends of the sewer were blocked by enemies. Now all I could do was pray for Henry and Ken's victory. A kid like me had no place in this confrontation.
But...
Looking at her, isn't the person fighting Henry just a kid, too? Although she looks more mature than me, she's clearly only as tall as Henry, her girlish body not yet fully developed, and her strangely revealing clothes... all the black fabric covered were the most sensitive places.
Come to think of it, the assassin Ken was facing earlier was also just a kid, right? A girl dressed almost exactly like this.
It seems that besides maids, that Darius guy also raises a whole squad of loli assassins. Truly a collector loyal to his tastes.
Even so, in terms of skill, these assassins are no joke. If I hadn't been lucky, I'd be dead twice over. Especially the girl blocking our path now; to be able to fight on par, or even better than Henry, is no laughing matter.
However, what caught my attention most was the weapon of the girl blocking us. A strangely wide-bladed knife. If I compare it to the wounds Henry had yesterday, they match.
This must be the one Henry encountered.
With what was happening, every time Henry blocked, a shockwave was sent back to him, cutting into his flesh. Now I see my guess about his attacker being a Sadist crap was wrong; it's simply the way this assassin fights.
You really can't judge anything by its appearance...
And just like yesterday's confrontation, Henry was clearly at a disadvantage against this girl. Although Henry had reached the Advanced-rank, and his strength and speed enhanced by Battle Aura were somewhat higher than the assassin's, his combat experience was far inferior. Plus, he hadn't fully recovered; he was definitely losing in terms of stamina. The longer the fight dragged on, the worse it was for him.
It seems that's why she hadn't even gone all out, just conserving her strength to finish Henry. Then, turn to kill me, Tristina, or maybe even Ken.
What should I do now?
In terms of strength, if I rush in, I'll just be cut down immediately. I also can't leave Tristina alone.
Then there's only one way.
"Water Ball."
Without chanting, I summoned a water ball and shot it straight at the assassin. With this speed and power, the last time I tested it, it could punch a hole through a boulder.
And yet, after a dull *thud, the only damage I could inflict on her was a head of soaking wet hair, without leaving a single scratch.
What the hell!? I used all my remaining mana for that one shot!
Ken always said that magic is at a disadvantage against swordsmen, but I didn't expect the difference to be this huge. I could only get the enemy wet with my strongest attack!
But I did succeed in one thing: making her angry and changing her target.
"Dammit!"
Henry immediately moved, swinging his sword to block the girl's path, but the enemy's speed seemed several times faster than before. She lunged straight at me with frightening speed. Thanks to 'Reading,' I managed to dodge another fatal blow. The girl didn't seem to expect me to dodge and slipped, tumbling into the darkness.
I quickly got up and drew the short sword Ken had prepared for me. Its weight, combined with this critical situation, made me tremble.
However, like a reliable big brother, Henry quickly appeared, blocking the attacker from me and Tristina. Even though we couldn't see the assassin, we knew she would soon reappear.
"Are you okay, Atur!?"
"I'm fine..."
But Henry looked really bad. He was covered in blood, struggling to take heavy breaths. He was clearly at his limit.
"Atur. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think I can win," Henry spoke again, his voice a faint whisper, as if he had no life left. "But I can hold her off for one more minute. In that minute, take Tristina and do your best to find a way out of this sewer, okay?"
"Henry..."
Although it sounded like the last words of a dying man, Henry's eyes flashed with an intense will. He truly wanted to protect us, even though he was this battered.
And I couldn't do anything to help. With my mana depleted, I couldn't use healing magic. If I stepped into a fight between Advanced-rank swordsmen, I would just die. But what could I do? Run? Could I escape? No. I can't run. If I run, who will carry Tristina? Henry will die. I'm not even sure I can escape from a professional assassin.
A wave of regret suddenly washed over me.
Maybe I shouldn't have gone through with this plan. Maybe I should have listened to Ken and not tried to fight back.
And the price, just as he said, would be this.
Am I going to die here again? I still have a billion things I want to do!
I could feel that chill again. It seemed my death was rising from the darkness.
Dammit! No! If I give up now, I'm definitely dead!
Before I dived into this sewer, as I said, I had planned for every possible scenario. Including the scenario where the plan fails and there's no way to salvage it. And that method was to slap myself in the face to stay calm.
So, I slapped my hands against my cheeks and took a deep breath.
Then, step two: improvise!
I looked around, trying to find a way, any hope that could open a slim chance. The North God Style's philosophy taught me one thing: you can always turn the tables, and it might be with things no one would ever think of.
Anything… anything…
And then, I saw it.
An idea flashed in my mind that made me tremble, and a bright smile spread across my face, the biggest I'd had in this entire life.
When the assassin girl reappeared, I spoke softly.
"Henry. I need thirty seconds. Can you hold out?"
Henry glanced back at me. He looked like he was about to scold me or something. But perhaps seeing the determination and certainty in my words and gestures, Henry nodded.
The assassin girl lunged. I also slipped behind Henry and ran to where I needed to go.
Three seconds passed...
I ran, my heavy footsteps, from a body depleted of mana, splashing in the stagnant water of the sewer, creating dull *splat* sounds.
Five seconds passed...
A *clang* rang out. I could hear the sound of flesh being cut.
Six seconds passed...
I reached my spot and began to prepare.
Eight seconds passed...
The clash of metal continued to ring out, sparks flying like rain.
Fifteen seconds passed...
I started to pant, my head growing dizzy, but I couldn't stop. This was the last chance.
Twenty-three seconds passed...
The sound of metal gradually faded, replaced by the *shing, shing* of a knife cutting into flesh.
Twenty-six seconds passed...
Everything was ready. My vision was starting to blur. But I could clearly see the positions of both Henry and the assassin.
Twenty-eight seconds passed...
I shouted.
"HENRY!"
The eyes of Henry and the assassin girl immediately snapped towards me. My brown-haired friend instantly understood and reacted.
Thirty seconds passed...
I flipped the switch, my eyes squeezed shut.
All that remained was a world of white.
I don't know what happened after that.
All the mana I didn't even think I had was poured into that 'Exorcism Lantern,' causing me to pass out immediately after I completed my plan. I thought I would die, but apparently not. I was still alive, waking up in my own warm bed in the dormitory.
Of course, with a broken, strengthless body.
So, I succeeded?
"You're awake?"
The voice that spoke next to me was Ken's. He seemed to have been by my side the whole time I was out. The reason I knew was that he had nonchalantly prepared another mattress on the floor next to my bed.
"How long was I... unconscious...?"
"Shouldn't you be asking if Henry and Tristina are safe?" Ken raised an eyebrow.
"They're safe. If they weren't, you'd be looking at me differently... Ow..."
I tried to sit up but gave up as my head throbbed.
Ken didn't seem to care about my pain and just shrugged, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
"You were only out for two days. Not that long."
"Two days..."
It felt like I had been lying here for a whole month.
"As for Miss Tristina and Henry, they have safely left this city, just as you prepared."
"Mm." I sighed. "At least that's good news."
Before we started, I had prepared a carriage outside the city with some supplies for Henry and Tristina to leave. For the young lady Tristina, her staying in this Royal Capital was like a ticking time bomb. If it wasn't Prime Minister Darius, it would be her own Purplehorse family doing something. As for Henry, he had been spotted in the Prime Minister's house; after what happened, he had become Darius's enemy.
Initially, I had planned to leave too, but Ken insisted on stopping me. So we came to a deal: if I was discovered, I would leave.
The fact that I'm lying here must mean everything went the way Ken wanted. Whoever saw me is now dead. My identity and involvement are still safe.
And most importantly, Tristina and Henry are probably well on their way to the north by now.
It's a shame I didn't even get to say goodbye to them.
From now on, I won't even know where they are. According to Ken, that's the safest way, and I agree. Henry also agreed and left.
By now, Tristina has probably woken up. I'm curious to know what her reaction is. Will she cry her eyes out? Or, with the strength she has been trained to have, will she accept this arrangement and fight on?
Whatever the case, I think I'll miss that young lady and that weird older brother.
I look out the window, where the autumn leaves are starting to fall. The students have begun to return to their hometowns. Only a few students remain for the winter semester. This scene is just like the first time I met those two.
The past year went by faster than I thought. And no one could have predicted it would end like this. And my mind is full of regrets.
I regret that I couldn't spend more time with my friends before it was too late.
I regret that I couldn't help Tristina reach her goal of achieving Beginner-rank Swordsman.
I regret that I couldn't reach E-rank adventurer and go on more missions with Henry.
I regret that from now on, there will be no one to eat the strange dishes I whip up on a whim.
But I don't regret what happened.
My regret now is no longer for torment, but fuel for the engine called 'motivation'.
Because I know one thing: this is not the end for us. We are still alive. One day, I will find my two friends again.
Until then, I will definitely become stronger.
And by that time, I will be the one standing between them and the enemy.
Interlude: The Young Knight's Shift
The sky had just begun to lighten. A young knight with short, shimmering silk-blue hair and metal armor was in a place no knight ever wanted to be: the city's sewer system.
Last night, there were reports of strange noises down here. Dozens of people even saw a strange light emitting from the sewer grates throughout the city. The Knight's Guild received the news and, considering the possibility of a magical beast's appearance, had requested a team to investigate.
The young knight and another of similar age were the ones assigned to check the southwest area of this sewer.
The stench here made him feel nauseous, but he remained calm.
In truth, he was not in a good mood. It was probably because of the letter he had received just as he got home. He hadn't read it, but just seeing the name made him so annoyed that he had gone straight to the Knight's Guild. But, as bad luck would have it, he was assigned a mission to go down into the sewers.
Making a bad impression right after returning to the Royal Capital would be a disgrace…
He told himself that and continued to walk, torch in hand.
"Tantris… how long are you going to be silent like this?" The blue-haired knight's partner seemed to lose his patience and spoke up, breaking the oppressive silence. "I know you're mad at me for dragging you on this mission, but don't be like that."
That's right, Tantris had been 'dragged' into the mission room by the other guy, so he had plenty of reasons to be angry.
"I'm not mad at you. I'm just a little tired," Tantris replied with a sigh.
"Because of your grandmother? Or your sister?"
"No, someone else." Tantris shook his head. "I just received a letter from my uncle."
His partner frowned.
"The uncle who didn't even bother to come to your parents' funeral?"
"Yeah." Tantris replied coldly. "That uncle."
To be honest, Tantris didn't even know why he was so annoyed with him. What happened many years ago was something no one wanted. Later, Tantris himself realized that his relative had been busy and couldn't make it. Everyone has responsibilities in life; he knew that. But when he thought about his sister, if anything happened to her, Tantris would definitely drop all his work to find her. That must be the reason he felt so irritated.
In any case, the knight thought he would return home soon to read the letter. He figured he'd rather read it himself than let his grandmother—who, by some ill fate, was also in the Royal Capital at this time—see it.
Every time she heard anything about that uncle, there was always trouble… it's better if I handle it myself.
So, he decided to check quickly and then go home.
"What… the hell?"
But unfortunately for Tantris, he was the first to find something floating in the wastewater.
A young girl's corpse, slashed nearly in half.
It was the corpse of one of the most wanted assassins in the Royal Capital: Nights Eye Crow—a notorious female assassin who had taken the lives of countless nobles, with a bounty of 300 gold coins on her head.
To make matters more complicated, the other patrol groups had found three other assassin corpses, with reputations no less than the first.
And so, what should have been good news, allowing many to sleep peacefully, now became a sense of unease. No one knew what had truly happened down in the sewers that night.
And what mysterious force was beginning to creep into this Royal Capital?