episode_0025

Thud! Thud! Thud!

I was riding a horse, dashing through the dark earth road that had descended into darkness. Though the horse was brown, it appeared black in the deep night. Yet, its form was discernible, thanks to the faint light of the crescent moon. The horse, having run for quite some time, was panting heavily, exhaling steam from its boiling heat, yet the breeze atop the saddle was rather refreshing.

On the roadside, cherry blossom trees were in full bloom, their white petals fluttering gently in the wind. It was unmistakably spring, vivid even in the darkness of the night. Riding alongside me on a white horse was Astia, constantly urging her horse forward without rest.

“Hyah! Hyah!” she continued to spur the horse, dressed not in her usual bright attire but in a dark garb more fitting for assassins. A black muffler wrapped around her long neck billowed in the wind, and her hair, temporarily dyed black with a concoction, was adorned with a flamboyant flame-patterned mask suitable for a masquerade ball.

The sword at her waist, looking rather expensive, was borrowed from an assassin who had attempted to kill Duke Felios a few days prior. However, considering the owner was now deceased, it would be more appropriate to say she had seized it rather than borrowed it, as there seemed to be no intention of returning it.

I urged my horse on relentlessly, almost competing with Astia, sometimes leading, sometimes trailing. In doing so, thoughts of Marquis Bart surfaced naturally. It had been over a month since our encounter, yet his piercing gaze lingered vividly in my mind.

In truth, I knew very little about him. He was the adoptive father of Saint Elaine and the master of Bart Manor, a man who met a tragic end one day. That was all I knew about him. It was entirely unexpected to come across documents about the Marquis among the secret files in Lord Gerund’s library. It was solely due to that incident that I learned the untold story of the Marquis, something I had never encountered in any novel.

Thick stacks of documents, enough to fill two or three hefty books, detailed the specific scale of the viscount’s operations and the extent of his wealth, as well as his exceptional prowess. Under the Marquis’s name, numerous maneuvers aimed at swallowing up the upper echelons over many years were meticulously recorded. The fact that such data was mixed in with recent documents was in itself a testament to the viscount’s capabilities. The first maneuver, carried out more than twenty years ago, was an act that plunged the intact upper echelons into crisis. Therefore, Viscount Bart. He had safeguarded the upper echelons from Shurain’s grasp for over twenty years. Just that alone made it easy to discern how cautious, meticulous, and outstanding the viscount was. Bart, the viscount. If I could make him my ally, he would be of great help to me in the future. His financial power, coupled with Bart’s upper echelon’s vast distribution network across the continent, was undeniably tempting. For me, who must become emperor to survive, he was an essential person. That was why I sent the information under the name of Duke Gerund. It was a kind of groundwork to make the viscount my ally. With his outstanding abilities and the enmity between him and Shurain, it wouldn’t be difficult to establish a cooperative relationship. Moreover, since he was Elaine’s father, there was absolutely no concern about betrayal. Lost in thought, I suddenly found myself at my destination. “Hey there!” Astia’s clear voice pierced through the night air, cutting through the noisy clatter of hooves. Not far away, a carriage surrounded by assassins stood. As the distance closed in, the staggering figures, those wielding, swinging, or shooting, became distinctly visible. Three of Felios Marquis’s knights had already become corpses. Only one remained, desperately guarding the marquis and casting spells. But now, it seemed that mana no longer flowed into the blades. Their jerky movements and labored breathing made it seem entirely unsurprising if they were to collapse at any moment. The marquis’s magic, standing behind the carriage, was also failing to hit its mark.

At first glance, the well-trained assassins were swift, effectively utilizing their numerical advantage. They continuously circled the carriage, swiftly throwing daggers, shooting small wrist-mounted crossbows, or suddenly approaching to wield their swords. It was a wheeling maneuver. Despite their overwhelming numerical superiority and skill, they attacked cautiously, conserving their strength. I urged my running horse forward. While the distance closed rapidly, ultimately, the knight guarding the nobleman fell to the ground, driving a knife into the earth and kneeling forward.

It was a moment of crisis. There was no one left to protect the nobleman. Swiftly, I materialized Rak. Concealed beneath the feet of Duke Felios, Rak transformed into a knight clad in rock armor, completely concealing an adult male, and handed him a shield made of stone that could fully cover him. Clang! Clang! Despite bolts from daggers and portable crossbows relentlessly flying through the darkness, nothing could reach the nobleman hidden behind the shield. However, perhaps due to the high-performance AI Golem, just maintaining the form was causing mana to rapidly deplete.

Astia and I fiercely charged forward, as if to trample the assassins. Even in a situation where the horses were being targeted from behind, the assassins, seemingly prepared for such a scenario, effortlessly scattered in all directions. Almost simultaneously, Astia and I leaped off our galloping horses and stood before the nobleman. Astia, already drawing her sword, rushed towards the enemies, while I, drawing my sword belatedly, caught the gaze of Duke Felios, who couldn’t hide his delight.

“Silver! I knew you would come again…!” He still called me Silver, unaware of my true identity. Indeed, not revealing my identity was an excellent choice. Duke Felios was truly a stubborn old man. This was already the fourth attack. By now, he should have been terrified and cornered within his estate for a while. Over the past two weeks, I had been diligently confessing the sins of Duke Shulrein to the Emperor every morning. Even the two members of the anti-empress faction quickly turned tail at the news of the assassination. What could be so busy?

Every day without fail, I continued to expose myself to danger by traveling throughout the empire. Of course, his provocative actions had indeed been of great help to me. The enraged Empress, consumed by numerous failures, was solely fixated on Duke Pellios, which is why I did my best to save him. To protect him in the worst-case scenario, I secretly attached a mark to him and consistently sent updates to Duke Shuraine, always staying ahead of assassination attempts.

“Eungong, they’re coming!”

The number of assassins surrounding us approached nearly thirty. Astia was weaving through the assassins with her sword, disrupting their formation, showcasing just how well-trained they were. Despite falling one by one, they still moved swiftly. It was the result of hiring renowned mercenaries, assassins, and adventurers alike, including two of Duke Shuraine’s knights, all gathering stronger individuals to compensate for repeated failures. However, this posed no problem at all.

“From now on, prepare the strongest magic you can use.”

“Yes!”

Surprisingly, without hesitation, as if they had always been my subordinates, the pale-faced mage readily responded. Having achieved good results twice before, it was entirely possible. The Duke had already closed his eyes, deeply immersed in his spellcasting.

As I drew mana into my sword, heading towards the assassins, when the blade touched the neck of a nearby individual, green mana surged like smoke.

“Chwak!”

At the moment the astonished eyes spattered blood and the body departed, I commanded Aqua to immediately sprinkle water. Instantly, a brief drizzle fell over a considerable area. Then, Wind stirred up a gust, thoroughly drenching the enemies’ clothes.

This was done to efficiently wet the ground and their attire while conserving mana as much as possible. The assassins remained completely oblivious, their masks, clothes, and cloaks now thoroughly soaked. What had silently permeated seemed to be perceived as nothing more than a passing rain; they seemed to have never even considered an unavoidable death. Indeed, for a moment, it appeared as if they simply dismissed it as a brief shower.

Countless stars and the crescent moon hung in the sky, yet it seemed that Astia and I were so intensely focused that we didn’t even feel a hint of unease.

Astia was suddenly engaged in combat with two knights. Despite my inability to properly use mana due to my urgent mission, I was holding my own against the two knights who possessed the most abundant mana in this place. It was astonishing. These knights were not mere mana users; they were beings of conviction, consumed by a relentless fervor for vanquishing their foes.

Naturally, when such conviction reaches its peak, mana takes on unique properties based on the knight’s nature, habits, aspirations, and traumas. Just as with sorcerers, the balance of power among knights could be a crucial factor in determining the outcome of their battles. Therefore, facing them alone while concealing mana within my sword was no ordinary feat. Moreover, lurking assassins continued to deftly seek out vulnerabilities around us. At this rate, ensuring her safety would become increasingly difficult over time.

I systematically dispatched the assassins blocking our path and approached her. It was then that the Duke’s voice echoed, “It’s all set!” Finally, the moment we had been waiting for had arrived. I released Rak’s manifestation. The knight clad in stone armor began to crumble into earth and rock. I then commanded Rak once more to quickly envelop us in earth for protection.

Boom! Even before the stone-armored knight had completely collapsed, earth erupted like an explosion, swiftly forming a domed defensive barrier over Astia, the Duke, and the knight of the exhausted Duke Pelios. All of this occurred faster than the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, a loud crash! The carriage behind the Duke toppled over. It was due to the powerful force exerted by the defensive barrier that had engulfed the Duke. That’s when the magic began. Flash! Roar! Crash! Before the bewildered enemies could react, a colossal bolt of lightning descended catastrophically, as if hurled by an enraged deity.

Trapped inside a dome made of earth, I couldn’t see it directly. But through the eyes of the spirits outside, I could vividly witness it. It was a spell cast by Duke Pellios, who once shook the very foundation of the Empire. The transcendent, high-voltage current that struck the ground unleashed a terrifying rumble. The deeply sunken earth seemed to scream in agony as if it were about to die. Nearby trees and assassins alike were engulfed in flames in an instant. Those lacking mana turned to ash in a moment. Even the air seemed to be turning to ash. The calamity lasted only a moment. Across a wide area, the massive electrical discharges, writhing like mad veins, had suddenly vanished without a trace. The earth, which momentarily defied gravity, crumbled back to the ground. Duke Pellios’s magic was truly remarkable. Except for the two knights, everyone soaked in the onslaught perished instantly. Even the surviving knights, barely on their knees, were as good as dead. They were charred black like sweet potatoes, emitting a faint white smoke. Though I belatedly summoned mana to shield my body, being drenched was fatally debilitating. “S-Save… me…” Astia seemed hesitant, judging by the slight tremble of the blade she couldn’t bring herself to swing. But her position and mine were slightly different. The Empress, Duke Shuraine, and the Crown Prince were absolute powerhouses in this world. And I… I was the weakest of the weak, forced to fight against such overwhelming might. Any feeble pity would only turn into a more venomous poison. I brushed past Astia. And I swung. Without a shred of hesitation. Swish— My blade didn’t waver in the slightest. “….” Astia glanced at me with slightly widened pupils, said nothing, and ultimately wiped the blood off the blade before sheathed it. “Eungoh-!!!” Duke Pellios gasped as he rushed over. He must have been out of breath from running frantically, fearing I might just leave without a word again. After all, it wasn’t strange for him to be exhausted after doing so three times.

“Your Grace, please tell me! *Gasping* I don’t have much time left, do I? But if I die without knowing your true identity, it feels like I won’t be able to close my eyes even in death. Please, enough now, please just reveal your identity.”

The duke seemed exhausted, his whole body drenched in sweat.

“If I reveal my identity, I will do anything you desire, yes?”

Yet, despite this, he was pleading with an extreme level of tact, as if consoling a crying granddaughter.

The stubbornness that was characteristic of him was nowhere to be found anymore.

The scent of ripened persimmons filled the air, signaling that the time for plucking had finally arrived.

I slowly removed my hood, and with a smile, I looked into the duke’s eyes, which were trembling as if struck by an earthquake.

“You, you are…! No, you are… How is this possible… How on earth…”

Trembling fingers pointed at my face, but the duke couldn’t even complete a single sentence. It was as if someone who had been treating a grandchild with affection suddenly realized they were someone else’s grandchild. He wore a shocked expression and even took a few steps back.

And then, I approached him, speaking firmly as if conducting an interrogation.

“You said you would do anything, right? Then swear allegiance to me, Your Grace.”