Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 522: Silent Steps

Asher could be seen tearing through the air as he shot forward, his destination the territory up ahead, and within minutes he caught up to the carriage he had sighted earlier, staring down from above in silence as he observed them move with steady progress.

Asher didn’t need to think much to understand that the person within the carriage was from a noble house, after all, Knights surrounded the carriage on every side as they all rode on their Enduron horses, their polished armor reflecting the light while their disciplined formation made it unmistakably clear that whoever traveled within was someone of importance and status.

Asher couldn’t help but think of novel cliches, because if this were a novel, the carriage would inevitably be attacked either by bandits or by assassins, and then the main character would swoop in and save the day with dramatic timing, rescuing whoever was within the carriage before exchanging grateful words, then they would become friends or allies, and eventually they would help the main character enter the territory since the main character certainly either didn’t have money or an identity card, a convenient chain of events that always seemed to favor coincidence and fate far too much.

Asher shook his head at the thought, there was no need to delay or entertain such pointless fantasies, the territory was already in sight and growing larger with each passing second, and with that he blurred forward once more as he accelerated through the air, the wind howling past him while the landscape beneath him shrank into insignificance.

A few minutes later, Asher arrived at the territory, but he didn’t cross into the city through the sky as one might expect, instead he descended and landed a fair distance away, choosing caution over unnecessary attention.

This was an unknown territory, and he had to be careful at the moment, but at the same time he understood that this was the territory of a noble, meaning security would naturally be tighter and any suspicious behavior could easily draw unwanted scrutiny.

With a thought, he stopped controlling the light photons as he disabled his invisibility skill, allowing his figure to gradually reappear as though condensing from thin air into something tangible and real.

Asher bent the light photons again, but this time he carefully controlled the light particles around his face with delicate precision, subtly distorting their reflection and refraction, so that whenever anyone looked at him, they would see the face of an above-average handsome person with forgettable features that would not linger in memory.

Although this wasn’t true shape-shifting like Finch’s and Lior’s abilities, Asher could create an illusion-type disguise, and it was basically the same principle he used to achieve invisibility through photon manipulation and illusion creation, only now applied in a far subtler and more refined manner that altered perception rather than existence.

He had decided to enter the city in disguise, and as for why, Asher himself didn’t really know, although commoners didn’t know his face and only the nobles did, there was still no harm in entering cautiously under another appearance, because unnecessary recognition often led to unnecessary complications.

With that, he stepped into the open as he walked with a calm expression on his face, his posture relaxed and unhurried as though he were nothing more than another passing traveler.

Ahead of him was a long line, people entering from one gate fitted into the huge high wall, while another group of people exited through another gate at the far end. Asher didn’t speak to anyone, he simply joined the line without a word, and he could feel a few people glancing his way just because of his attire, but after staring for a few seconds they all lost interest, after all, adventurers and mercenaries weren’t exactly rare anywhere and strange clothing was practically a norm among their kind.

Asher had his Omni Perception extend to its maximum radius as he wanted to gather information about his current location, the invisible waves of awareness spreading outward like a silent tide. Asher wasn’t dumb enough to think this was the Blackstone Village that the mission permit scroll had spoken about, this place was clearly a territory governed by a noble, not some struggling village that was barely getting by on scraps and small trade, and the difference in infrastructure alone was enough to prove that fact.

Although he could make his identity known and get things done swiftly, Asher didn’t like the unnecessary attention that followed such actions, it was better to get things done his own way, quietly and efficiently, hence the reason he wanted to gather information from commoners, adventurers, and mercenaries who were talking amongst themselves as they stood in line.

But none of them even talked about the territory at all, as each of them discussed completely unrelated topics, from gambling losses to monster hunts and petty disputes, leaving him with nothing useful to extract.

Asher simply shook his head, his eyes shifting to a Knight who was standing on the high wall, gazing down at everyone from above as though he stood above everything itself, his presence heavy and imposing. ’Firmstar Life Rank,’ Asher thought as he came to a conclusion through the pressure the Knight was emitting to keep everyone in check, a silent warning that discouraged trouble before it could even begin.

Soon, it was Asher’s turn, and he walked forward, arriving before a soldier who asked for any means of identity, stating that if he didn’t have one, he would have to pay a silver coin to enter the city. Asher didn’t speak, he simply took out the mission permit scroll and showed it to the guard, who only glanced at it briefly before nodding and allowing Asher to enter without further questioning.

Students of the Star Academy usually gained respect wherever they went, as they were all future powerhouses and talents with big potential, and the guard wasn’t surprised or concerned, since this wasn’t the first time someone from the Star Academy was entering their territory.

After all, anyone from anywhere could post a mission, and for all the guard knew, Asher could be on something as trivial as helping a farmer cut weeds and grass, hardly worth overthinking.

Asher’s purple eyes took in the territory as he walked in silence, his steps light and soundless against the stone path, ’Since I couldn’t gain any information, I have to find somewhere to gain it,’ Asher thought to himself, and where else would be better to gather information if not a pub where adventurers and mercenaries drank endlessly, loosening their tongues with every mug of ale, because although such places were chaotic and noisy, Asher didn’t particularly mind chaos if it served a purpose.

Although it was still early in the morning and barely 9 a.m., Asher knew that to those drunkards, 9 a.m. was already considered late, because many of them never truly slept and simply continued drinking from the previous night into the next day without distinction.

"Wooo... big bro, your steps are silent, are you by chance an assassin?" a childish voice came from the side, causing Asher’s head to turn slightly, his purple eyes shifting to the kid who was just barely reaching his knees. Asher had sensed the child earlier through his perception, but he couldn’t exactly be cautious against a mere child, especially one who radiated nothing but innocence.

’Whose child is this, and how can he run around asking someone if they were an assassin?’ Asher couldn’t help but muse to himself, finding the question both absurd and oddly amusing.

Asher lowered himself as he spoke, "I’m not an assassin, my awakened ability is called Silent Steps, it allows me to walk in silence," he replied calmly as he gently patted the child’s head.

"Big bro is an awakened... wooo!!" the child replied as he stared at Asher in fascination and excitement, but before Asher could say anything else, the child’s mother hurried over, her expression tense and wary, she simply glanced at Asher before grabbing her child and running away in fear.

After all, to her Asher was an unknown awakened while she was nothing more than a normal person, and for all she cared, Asher might as well be someone dangerous, unpredictable, or even a child predator, because fear often overpowered logic when it came to protecting one’s child.