Read Novel Full Chapter 38, Edward’s Lament And The Assassins
Chapter 38, Edward’s Lament And The Assassins
Translator: Lizz
Edward was tormented by Sylvia’s voice, calling his name in tears.
The effects of Domination and Contract were no mere illusion; he could hear her no matter how far away he was.
He wanted to return immediately, to hold her and soothe her.
Driven to the brink of madness by this inner conflict, Edward still could not go back.
Calogero’s assertion was correct.
Edward had guided the assassins, luring them in.
At the time, he had thought it was the best course of action.
But things didn’t go as planned, and Gina nearly died.
To make matters worse, he had let one slip through his grasp.
The remaining assassins would tell their employer about Edward.
If that happened, he could no longer stay by Sylvia’s side…
“Lady Sylvia…”
Tormented, Edward resisted the temptation to appear before her.
“…Just you wait, I swear I’ll pay you back twice over…!”
Edward’s resentment toward those who had put him in this situation only deepened.
*
The Chief Justice received a secret letter from the Cleaner. He read it, puzzled by the absence of a direct report.
“…A failure…!?”
The Chief Justice erupted in fury.
The Cleaner likely knew that failure meant being punished by the Chief Justice, which was why they had not come in person.
In a burst of rage, he hurled the cup in his hand against the wall.
To make matters worse, the Cleaner had written a demand for additional payment.
It seemed that the subordinates of the Lord ruling that remote borderland were all highly skilled.
A girl believed to be a lady-in-waiting had taken down several of them, and when a knight arrived later, they were nearly wiped out by an opponent with strength akin to a demon.
It was unclear how many more such warriors were within the fortress, but if they were to launch an attack, they would need to send in many skilled fighters to stand a chance. The letter suggested that outright war would be the quickest solution.
The Chief Justice had no choice but to accept the Cleaner’s demands.
Starting a war on fabricated grounds was possible, but the real problem was Calogero.
Once the conflict began, it would escalate into a war between nations, and peace negotiations would also take place at the national level. If Calogero were to be found by Marquis Onofrio, even by accident, the truth behind the orchestrated war might be exposed, and the worst-case scenario would lead to his execution.
The Chief Justice took a deep breath and composed himself.
“…Let those lot start the war. Let’s gather them all, send them to attack, and once they return, execute them immediately, no hearings, no trials. That will solve everything. After all, I conduct the interrogations, pass the judgments, and approve the sentences myself. No matter how much they try to inflate the price, I won’t pay a single coin. I’ll agree to anything, knowing I won’t give them a single copper piece.”
Muttering to himself, he burst into loud laughter.
*
Jan, the sole surviving leader of the assassins, burned with vengeance. Not over money, but from the wound to his pride.
A mere girl had obstructed his mission, slaughtered several of his comrades, and then, as if that humiliation weren’t enough, a newly arrived knight had struck such fear into him that he had fled, mission unfulfilled, tail between his legs. Never before had this happened; his success rate had always been a perfect one hundred percent.
Without needing the Chief Justice’s provocation, Jan gathered everyone, stirring them up with promises of a great fortune, and made preparations to march on the neighboring fortress for a massacre.
But before they could move, an unexpected rumor reached him. The very knight responsible for his retreat had been berated by the temple priests for failing to prevent intruders within the fortress, and ultimately cast out. Jan felt half a sense of regret, half relief.
That knight was in a league of his own.
If there were knights like that everywhere, it would be unbearable, but that one was likely the fortress’s main force.
‘Is that priest an absolute fool?’, Jan couldn’t help but think.
The man could do nothing but cast small barriers, and when those failed, he had been protected by a mere girl. And yet, he had the audacity to drive out the knight who had saved him? It made no sense.
Apparently, that priest was a noble. No doubt, he carried himself with arrogance, looking down on commoners and shifting blame onto them. Even though the whole situation had only arisen because he had insisted on staying in the fortress.
Jan ordered a reduction in numbers.
Consumed by the heat of battle, he had initially tried to bring in even information specialists and rookies, but it was excessive. The larger the expedition, the greater the cost.
He cut down their numbers for various reasons but kept the core members intact.
After all, they were an assassination squad. They were unsuited for full-scale war.
Rather than haphazardly amassing a large force, he decided it would be best to stick to their original approach: targeted assassinations.
Thus, they set out, disguising themselves as traveling performers to enter the Duke’s territory.
The entry permits had been prepared by the Chief Justice. The town’s checkpoint had reportedly been closed, but there were still other routes available for entry.
Quietly, they made their way toward the fortress, gathered intelligence, confirmed that Edward was absent, and then proceeded with their plan once more.
*
Calogero suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.
Every day, he was overwhelmed by grueling work and collapsed into sleep like a lifeless heap. Yet, his nerves remained razor-sharp, always on edge.
His sleep was light, and any slight sound or disturbance roused him instantly.
Calogero understood.
“…So, it ends today.”
He sighed and changed into his priestly robes.
For some reason, he felt an urge to say farewell to Gina, but he shook his head.
“It’s better to leave nothing behind. That way, they’ll remain unaware of everything.”
Muttering to himself, he started walking toward the back gate.
Calogero slowly opened the door leading to the back gate, scanning the surroundings with a furrowed brow.
Perhaps it was just the darkness of the night, but something about the back gate seemed different.
Was his heightened awareness due to knowing that today would be his last? Or was it because assassins were lurking nearby?
Calogero hesitated, then quietly shut the door.
And then—
“—He’s here—”
“—Proceed as planned—”
He thought he heard whispers.
They were likely the voices of assassins, yet somehow, they sounded familiar.
One of them bore an unsettling resemblance to the voice of the man he despised most.