episode_0021

Puff!

Hailoc Fellios.

He, a duke of the Mersen Empire, was now gazing at an unidentified man who had drawn a sword from the limp body.

The rain had subsided unnoticed.

As the veil of clouds receded, the murky moon revealed its chilly figure.

Below it,

the enigmatic figure that had saved him

slowly began to move away, avoiding the scattered pools of blood from the fierce battle.

Even after such intense combat, his hood remained intact.

His cloak of the same color was no different.

It didn’t seem damp for some reason.

Who could it be?

Just who is that person?

Could it be the one who ran through this rain to save him?

When the carriage, which had been running smoothly, suddenly lost balance and toppled over, he couldn’t fathom how startled he had been.

It felt like being a small animal trapped in a fallen cage.

Thrown off the chair by the gusts of wind, he couldn’t get up for quite some time.

It seemed like at least three bones were broken.

How disoriented he had been.

And how agonizing.

Only after coming to his senses and performing basic first aid with magic could he barely manage to open the door and step out.

And what he saw right after that was…

a multitude of assassins wearing masks.

The two knights who had followed the carriage on horseback had suddenly disappeared without a trace.

They must have been eliminated in advance.

All that was anticipated was death.

It wasn’t even worth pondering who had sent the assassins.

He had been relentlessly interrogating only one person, Duke Shleyn, recently, so it was undoubtedly his doing.

But no matter how much of a thorn he might have been,

he never expected something as blatant as this—

never expected such a large number of assassins to be sent.

Amidst all this, that person suddenly appeared.

The duke quickened his pace.

Unwilling, stiff posture.

But he couldn’t just let his savior go without at least learning their name to repay them, albeit belatedly.

As they drew closer, it became clearer.

Somehow, the figure seemed familiar.

And perhaps the savior…

seemed profoundly exhausted after the fierce battle.

Well.

A total of twenty highly skilled assassins.

They were undoubtedly the elite assassins of Duke Shurain.

Though individually not as skilled as seasoned knights, no one across the continent was better trained at covertly trailing a group.

Yet an unknown figure had single-handedly defeated them.

At first, how astonished they must have been.

With a flick of a finger, all five collapsed.

The duke, who had wielded magic for many years, could only doubt his own eyes.

It was the elusive “Mu Yeong Chang” magic, only read about in books.

Humans were never supposed to attain such a level.

While elves could conjure such scenes using spirits, it was known that such miracles often came with a hefty price, leaving most exhausted.

Of course, noble elves might repeatedly perform such miracles and remain unscathed.

There was no such noble being at the heart of the Mersen Empire.

Moreover, despite being assassins, they undoubtedly had trained in mana.

To simultaneously bring down these five skilled individuals was unprecedented even for someone deeply entrenched in the world of magic.

Given the chance, one would surely want to inquire about their spells and mana manipulation.

Furthermore, their astonishing movements seemed inhuman.

They moved as if sliding through raindrops.

Even when stepping into puddles, no mud splashed.

Their movements were impossible for even highly skilled knights to replicate.

Lines and curves drawn vividly in green seemed boldly contorted in the dark void, almost abstract.

At times, it felt like they were slashing through darkness.

It was like witnessing a mythical beast battling the night.

The assassins’ limbs and bodies were incessantly severed, flying through the air.

Yet, there wasn’t a single clash of blades, which was truly remarkable.

It clearly spoke of one person surpassing all the assassins.

And so, the identity of this remarkable being became unbearably intriguing.

Finally, I had to quickly approach the man who seemed exhausted and was walking slowly. “Look here.” Swish! However, the figure with a hood swiftly dodged as if there were eyes on the back of their head. Withdrawing the hand that had reached into the void, they suddenly vanished into the darkness.

***

After killing the assassins, my mana finally became replenished. It wasn’t so much a feeling of leisure as it was just manageable. Yet, I couldn’t help but be continually amazed. The physical form of Prince Eos was truly remarkable. Not only did the total amount of mana dramatically increase after just two crises, but his body’s ability to effortlessly follow whatever I envisioned was particularly pleasing. Even the way he conservatively used mana had become as natural as breathing.

The blood of the noble elf was far more impressive than I had initially thought. As I was lost in these thoughts, the duke approached me. Perhaps he felt quite grateful for having his life saved, as he tried to grab my shoulder and turn me around. It seemed like he wanted to know about my identity. But it wasn’t the right time yet. I sidestepped slightly, easily evading his hand. Duke Felios, being a distinguished mage, possessed a very upright disposition. Given his inability to tolerate injustice, it was only natural for him to harbor deep aversion towards the epitome of evil, Prince Eos.

Saving my life only once would not be enough. It seemed evident that revealing my true identity at this point would lead to an unfavorable situation. So, it was not the time to disclose it. At least three times of saving should precede that. Only after bestowing upon him an overwhelming sense of obligation and gratitude that could never be repaid, I intended to reveal who I really was.

Leaving the duke alone, I dashed towards the palace. There was no need to worry about him. At least for today, there wouldn’t be any further attacks. The wind enveloping my body grew slightly stronger. In an instant, my body, now as light as a feather, traversed through the darkness. With the increase in the total amount of mana, the recovery speed was incomparably faster than before, even while receiving assistance from Windt.

When I arrived at the gates of the royal palace, I had already recovered a considerable amount of mana. It wasn’t even a tenth of my full capacity, but it would be enough for tonight. I made my way to the Emperor’s chambers, intending to put an end to the Emperor’s poisoning that had persisted for several days.

Emperor Belcreed Supherator Caldevrion of the Mersen Empire.

“Ugh…”

He was currently in the midst of another nightmare, just as he was every night for years since the death of the former empress. The dreams were always vivid and consistently ominous, like premonitions. Each time, the same scenario unfolded in his dreams—a horde of monsters, neighboring kingdoms’ armies, and even elves wielding bows. Enemies from all directions would assail the palace, turning the entire empire into a sea of flames, a horrifying dream beyond compare.

“No, not this…”

In the dream, there were sharp screams, but in reality, there were only faint moans, as small as a cat’s purring. When I woke up, my whole body was drenched in sweat. Outside the window, the plump moon shone coldly, and the ceaseless rain finally subsided with a last effort, falling silent.

Thud—

Suddenly, I heard it. The cautious sound of the door closing. Someone had entered. Every nerve in my body tensed sharply. Judging by the absence of footsteps, it was undoubtedly an assassin. As relentless as the nightmares, this too was a familiar occurrence. Countless assassination attempts had occurred over the years. The emperor’s position allowed no room for complacency. Just as in moments of crisis before, the emperor closed his eyes and grasped the sword hidden beneath the blanket. It was not yet time to die. At least, not until Eos, that troublemaker, had secured a foundation to live as the next ruler. Even so, the emperor knew better than anyone else. With a weakened body like this, victory could not be guaranteed against a treacherous assassin or any other vulnerable enemy. Of course, since discontinuing the poisoned medicine recently, I felt lighter and my complexion had improved. However, I didn’t feel confident about facing a skilled assassin with such ease.

Outside, not calling for the guards was for that reason. A cornered mouse would never survive if it were to provoke a sick cat in such circumstances. Therefore, with closed eyes, a relaxed expression was maintained. Breathing rhythmically as if deeply asleep, even the sounds of each breath were released. Then, waited. Like a predator hidden in the bushes, waiting for its prey to let its guard down. There is no more careless moment than the one when success in the hunt is assured. That very moment when the target attempts to cut off their own windpipe would undoubtedly be an opportunity that would never come again. So, waited. Someone who was undoubtedly an assassin. For some reason, they laid a hand on his ankle. This was unprecedented. A typical assassin would have stealthily approached, slit the throat with a sharp blade, or pierced the heart, and swiftly made their escape. But this person simply laid a hand on the ankle and remained motionless. It was so incomprehensible that I was on the verge of going mad out of curiosity. However, the situation was ambiguous. I wanted to open my eyes so badly, but the uncertainty of being caught immediately upon doing so forced me to hesitate for a few seconds. Nevertheless, it was late at night, so there was a faint assurance that opening my eyes slightly wouldn’t get me caught. In the end, the emperor opened his eyes ever so slightly. Even if caught, he tried to make it seem as if he had just barely opened them in his sleep. Someone, whose face was concealed by a pitch-black hood, was looking down at his ankle. There was no doubt about the identity concealed in that appearance. Without a doubt, it was an assassin. The emperor tightened his grip on the hilt of the knife. Swish! Quickly drew the knife, rose to his feet, and threw the blanket. With all his might, he thrust towards the assassin’s heart, appearing somewhat startled. He compensated for his weakened strength with past experience. Thud! Success. Despite the time that had passed, the sensation was unchanged. Undoubtedly, it was the sharply honed pointed tip of the knife. It grazed between the ribs, pierced through the heart wall, shattered the scapula, and continued through the back. The assassin would be dead within seconds.

Sure, here’s the translation of the Korean webnovel passage:

Clearly, it should have been so…

In the blink of an eye,

the assassin in front of my eyes vanished as if erased.

Hurriedly getting off the bed and thoroughly inspecting every corner of the bedroom,

nowhere could I see them.

As if no one had ever entered in the first place.

The only remaining traces were

crimson droplets falling from the gleaming blade, shimmering even more under the moonlight,

and the slightly ajar bedroom door.

The emperor sank to the ground as if possessed by a ghost.

Who on earth could it have been…

The frozen expression on his face did not carry a sense of relief at being alive. Instead, it was filled with a bewildered realization of having made a grave mistake.

Clang-

Even the knife he had been clutching with sweaty hands slipped away as his strength gave out.

The scent of the forest still lingered at the tip of his nose.

It was reminiscent of being lost in a dense summer forest.

The emperor’s pupils, bathed in moonlight, were trembling.

Why on earth?

Why did the scent of his young wife fill his heart when the blade pierced through?

What suddenly came to mind in that moment was

his son’s face.