The forest did not welcome Violet.
It never had.
Even before she stepped beneath the shadows of the ancient trees, the air felt heavy—thick with moss, damp soil, and a scent far too old, one that carried memories of blood.
Nyssara raised her hand.
The group stopped instantly.
No words were exchanged.
None were needed.
This was not training.
This was her first real mission.
⸻
They moved in silence—five figures flowing like shadows between massive roots and twisted trunks.
The reconnaissance unit of Hawk Hollows.
No banners.
No shining armor.
No sound beyond carefully controlled breathing.
Violet followed Nyssara's steps exactly.
Kael had drilled this into her mind.
Fail to match the leader's rhythm, and you die.
(This mission was a test personally issued by Eryx Hollowmark: the secret assassination of the noble Joshua, who controlled territory near the Kingdom of Aurelion, and the recovery of the illegal taxes he had extorted from his people, to be returned to them. It was also Violet's first official mission, carried out alongside Nyssara's reconnaissance unit.)
⸻
At midnight, near Lord Joshua's estate, Nyssara, her reconnaissance unit, and Violet took their positions and prepared.
What they did not know was that Joshua's personal guard was Leo—Arthur's subordinate.
(Leo could not overpower Arthur by force, but he was highly alert, extremely experienced, and a knight trusted deeply by Arthur.)
Seeing Violet tense, Nyssara whispered to her:
"Why did you swear the oath?
Now is the moment, my dear Violet."
Violet took a deep breath and steadied herself.
When Nyssara received confirmation that the unit had secured their positions, she nodded and whispered,
"Violet, follow me. Use Phantom."
Nyssara surged forward.
Violet nodded and activated Phantom.
All the long preparation paid off—though she could still feel the strain in her body, it was far less than expected.
The operation began.
⸻
Nyssara and Violet moved closely together, while the rest of the reconnaissance unit silently eliminated the guards outside the estate.
Nyssara gave a cold smile.
Without hesitation, she and Violet slipped behind two guards and, with flawless precision, slit their throats without a sound.
Violet was shaken—but remembering Kael's training and Nyssara's warnings, she knew she had no choice but to act.
Before entering the estate, Nyssara whispered to Violet:
"My dear Violet, from here on, we will handle things inside.
You stay outside and remain unseen.
If anyone notices you—eliminate them immediately."
Her voice was gentle, yet carried unmistakable authority.
Nyssara and the unit vanished silently into the darkness of the estate.
Left alone, Violet prayed quietly in her heart:
Please… let no one come. Let this mission succeed.
⸻
Inside the estate, Lord Joshua sat in his room, seething with rage.
"Where are those damn Hawk Hollows?!
I should have been promoted long ago!
How dare those senile, death-refusing kings treat me this way?!"
Outside, Leo stood silently, listening.
He may be a greedy old man, Leo thought, but this is Arthur's order. I have no choice but to guard him.
⸻
At that very moment, Nyssara and the reconnaissance unit observed Leo from behind a corner.
His stance, the insignia on his chest armor—it was clear this man was highly experienced in battle.
Before Nyssara could even consider changing the plan, one of the scouts hurled a small dagger with incredible speed.
"No—" Nyssara whispered, but it was already too late.
Leo caught the dagger effortlessly.
"You couldn't even kill a rabbit with something like this," he said calmly.
"Come out. I know there are more than twenty of you."
Realizing there was no other choice, Nyssara stepped forward, her voice cold.
"Not a bad Knight.
Why would someone like you stand guard here, protecting such trash?"
Leo chuckled softly.
"That's true. But someone I respect personally assigned me this task. I couldn't refuse."
He drew his sword from its sheath.
Nyssara did the same, drawing her medium-length dagger, ready for battle.
⸻
Outside the mansion, Violet waited anxiously.
Soon, fierce combat erupted inside.
Leo was truly powerful.
Out of Nyssara's twenty-man reconnaissance unit, he had already taken the lives of five.
Inside the room, Joshua realized the mansion was under attack. Panicking, he prepared to flee through a secret passage.
Outside, Nyssara fought Leo with everything she had.
Knowing the battle would become dangerous if it dragged on, she shouted to the remaining scouts:
"I'll handle this.
Go—finish Joshua, quickly!"
As fifteen scouts nodded and moved, Leo smiled coldly.
"As long as I'm standing, no one is killing that old fool."
He unleashed his fully mastered Assault Slash.
All fifteen scouts were shredded into flesh and blood. Blood sprayed everywhere as bodies collapsed to the ground.
⸻
Seeing this, Nyssara lost control.
Her eyes turned red. Enraged at watching her unit slaughtered, she attacked with all her strength.
Leo easily blocked her strikes and mocked her:
"You shouldn't get this angry just because a few people died, right?"
Nyssara became even more ferocious, launching rapid attacks.
But as the battle neared its end, she began to lose.
She coughed up blood, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Leo slowly approached her, preparing to finish it. As he raised his sword, Nyssara closed her eyes, accepting her fate, and whispered as if to all of Hawk Hollows:
"I'm sorry…"
⸻
At that exact moment—
Blood exploded across Nyssara's vision.
Violet had driven her dagger into Leo's neck.
"What… is this?" Leo gasped.
Behind him, Phantom deactivated, and Violet revealed herself.
"Nyssara, sister… there's no need to apologize," Violet said.
Nyssara smiled inwardly.
There is hope…
With her other dagger, Violet pierced straight through Leo's chest.
Leo staggered, blood pouring out as he collapsed to the ground.
"Looks like your luck runs out today, Knight," Nyssara said.
⸻
"Violet, my dear…
Did you finish Joshua?"
"I couldn't find him… but there was another door in his room leading to a hidden passage," Violet replied.
Nyssara's eyes widened.
"He escaped through the secret passage. He can't be far.
Go—chase him down and finish it.
I'll take care of things here."
Violet nodded and ran after Joshua.
⸻
Joshua barely managed to reach his carriage, sitting inside with the illegally collected tax money.
By sheer luck, Violet spotted him and gave chase.
Joshua noticed her and whipped his horse, forcing it to run faster.
⸻
Back at the mansion, Nyssara prepared to burn it down along with the bodies of her scouts to leave no trace. She whispered sorrowfully:
"I'm sorry I couldn't bury you on Hawk Hollows' land…"
Dying, Leo used his own blood to write "Hawk Hollows" on a small piece of paper, tied it to the leg of a yellow owl used by the Knights' network, and sent it flying.
Then, his breathing stopped.
⸻
Though gasping for air, Violet continued chasing Joshua.
Joshua looked back and cursed:
"You damn monster! Why won't you give up?!"
Suddenly, the carriage horse stumbled and crashed—like a judgment from the heavens.
Blood streamed from Joshua's head as he clutched the stolen tax money and staggered forward.
A dagger flew and pierced his leg.
Joshua collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain.
"Please… let me live. I'll give you money—here, take it… please…"
Violet removed her mask and spoke coldly.
"You saw the Zereth clan as demons and tried to hunt us all down.
Looking at someone blinded by power like you, I feel nothing at all."
"A cursed Dark Elf of the Zereth clan… you're really going to kill me…?" Joshua cried in despair.
In the blink of an eye, Violet took his head.
⸻
I did the right thing… Violet thought.
But… have I become a monster?
She gathered the tax money and returned to Nyssara.
Nyssara, using the last of her strength, approached as Violet embraced her and cried.
Behind her mask, Nyssara smiled gently, stroking Violet's head.
"You did very well."
⸻
The next day.
Arthur captured Leo's owl. Seeing the message written in blood—"Hawk Hollows"—he understood that Leo was dead.
Silently…
he was filled with murderous rage.
That same night, in the central square of Joshua's territory, his head was displayed on a stake.
Below it lay the illegally collected taxes.
A note written in red:
"Commit sin — and judgment will come."