57. Assassination (2)

The hero's party didn't just have to fight monsters or the Demon King's army.

Even after we subjugated the Demon King, other countries would send assassins out of jealousy over the Empire's rising prestige. The hero couldn't be assassinated, of course, and killing him for real ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠might decide the continent's fate, so the main target was usually me. And yet, there were idiots who sent assassins anyway, even though it could weaken the party's strength and doom the Demon King's subjugation. And yes, there really were. Countless ones.

Some tried to boost their achievements by slipping their own healers into my spot after I died, or whatever political nonsense. The assassins who came were from a group simply called the Shadows—the most skilled killers operating across every nation on the continent. Getting taken out by them triggered the [Shadow Assassin] bad ending.

That was why I always insisted on posting a night watch in the party, no matter the situation. If everyone was exhausted and collapsed, I'd have to stay up myself. It wasn't an impossible bad ending to dodge. Later on, I got used to them and could capture and interrogate the bastards. They were mercenaries who moved for money, so the client changed every time: kingdoms, theocracy, magocracy, duchies, underground realms, maritime kingdoms. I was a target for every damn nation.

But once, the Empire sent an assassin too.

—Argh! I-I'm telling you everything! It was Asella! Emperor Asella sent me!

—Don't bullshit me. What would the Empire gain from sending an assassin after the hero's party?

—Th-the target was just one healer! During the last audience, she pretended not to know me...! Even when I brought up our old engagement or whatever, she said she'd execute me with a straight face!

I figured Asella must really, really hate my guts. Anyway, thanks to that, I learned she had connections to the Shadows. And now I understood why. Asella had nearly been assassinated by the Shadows, hired by someone. She'd learned about the organization then and, rather than punishing them, decided to use them instead.

'Even if I do nothing, Asella's got a chance of surviving, right?'

The status window showed Asella's death probability at 52% for this event—like flipping a coin and getting heads. Imperial succession intrigues happened exhaustingly often. I wondered how Asella had survived to become emperor. Ten years from now was already past all those odds, with me there on top of it. But you can't just sit still when heads means death. Might as well chuck that coin into a lake for real.

"Young master, what's wrong?"

Asella, whose wrist I'd grabbed, looked flustered.

"We need to get to an open area. Knights, stick close to Her Highness and stay alert. There's an assassin nearby."

"Yes, sir!"

The two Moonlight Palace guards currently with us sprang into action, drawing their swords and glaring fiercely.

"An assassin?"

"Explanations later. It gets dangerous once the darkness settles. Outsi—"

Whoosh!

Before I could finish, every light in the ballroom went out. Our eyes, unadjusted to the sudden drop in illumination, saw only pitch blackness, like we'd gone blind.

"Kyaaah!"

"Lights! Turn on the lights!"

"Where are the attendants?!"

The ballroom, already tense from the poisoning incident, plunged into full panic. The high-reflectivity interior, designed to amplify music, now echoed with ladies' screams and footsteps, making it hard to sense our surroundings.

"Young master!"

"Your Highness, stay with the knights."

I had Asella's arm, so I could roughly track her position. I shoved her between the two knights, who formed a solid wall.

"Young master, you too...!"

I felt Asella yank my body toward her with her other arm. In the dark, she'd grabbed my collar roughly.

"It's coming!"

The guards were sharp. One sensed the killing intent or presence in the blackness and ignited his aura, assuming a defensive stance covering all directions.

"Guh... guk!"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

But it was only for a moment. The knight closest to us went limp, his weight slumping against us. Hot liquid splashed onto Asella's dress—blood, no doubt.

"Baron!"

The surviving knight gripped his sword tighter at his comrade's death.

"Hah... hah..."

I felt Asella's hot, ragged breaths right beside me. Terror had spiked her adrenaline into overdrive—not good in a crisis. I wrapped my arm around her neck ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from behind, pulling her close.

"Hic...?!"

"Your Highness, stay calm."

She tried deep breaths to steady herself at my words, but it wasn't easy. This was the Shadows' signature method. They preferred assassinations in brightly lit places over pure darkness. Humans are most vulnerable when sudden light vanishes. The poison was their doing too, no doubt. The attendant with the champagne had been a disguised assassin. The imperial household must have tried something safer at first but fell back on their specialty.

But I'd faced them countless times. The Shadows were basically black mages and thieves. Black mages cast enhancements, and the thieves executed. Lethal poisons, darkness spells—all black magic based. Their darkness was special: light didn't pierce far, lingering like fog. First, I had to dispel it.

"Your Highness, we need light to survive."

"Light... illumination."

Asella murmured, then immediately traced a magic circle. Her trembling hands couldn't draw a perfect circle, but it was enough to cast.

—Flash!

Intense light burst from the fallen knight's sword. And in that instant, we saw the assassin's face—warped by black magic into a skull-like grimace.

—Clang!

His vicious dagger clashed with the knight's sword.

"Hng... ugh...!"

Asella squeezed her eyes shut and trembled at the sight. The spell wavered, the light dimming.

'Asella's scared of assassins?'

It surprised me a bit. Sure, the serpent dragon at the tournament—fair enough. Monsters aren't everyday sights in cities, and that was a dragon, not some common beast. But this was a human assassin. Dangerous situation or not, the Emperor Asella I'd known was arrogant, haughty, unflinching. The girl before me now... terrified to the point she couldn't properly use her specialty magic. For a moment, she seemed like any ordinary girl her age.

'No time for sentiment.'

I snatched the glowing sword Asella had enchanted. The light was fading fast.

'Magic turning the blade's surface into a light source.'

Magic was beyond me, but I understood the chemistry. I couldn't grasp mana principles, but alchemy could enhance luminescent properties.

"Guk!"

The last guard fell to the assassin with a short scrape. Next target: Asella.

"Ras!"

As she cried out, I swung the sword and chanted the spell. Sixty-four-sided polygon, just as Asella taught me.

—Flash!

A blinding glare poured out, slamming into the assassin's gut.

"Ugh."

He grunted briefly. No real damage, but blood streamed from his eyes in agony. They amp up light intake for targeting in darkness—intense light is their weakness, overloading them to the point of bleeding. Their faces and bodies were black magic gimmick puppets anyway.

"Your Highness, run!"

Gripping the flashing sword in my right hand, I grabbed Asella's with my left and bolted. The light was perfect for us now. I could see the path to the exit.

—Rustle!

The assassin, who'd paused, chased after us. The ballroom remained in chaotic darkness—no one had noticed him, let alone could help.

"Faster!"

We pushed our legs desperately. Even if my thigh muscles burst, we needed speed now.

"Hya!"

Spotting the exit route, I hurled the sword at the assassin. As his vision scrambled again, we rounded the corner. Ten meters to the door.

"Ras...!"

"Almost there!"

Our footsteps quickened, and finally—

Thud!

Asella and I burst out of the ballroom. Outside, torches dotted the area, but night made it dim all the same. Cicadas screamed in the midsummer air.

"Just a bit more!"

We didn't stop. But soon, I sensed the assassin closing in from behind.

"Tch."

—Whoosh!

Twisting, I yanked Asella by the shoulder, diving into the bushes together. His dagger's tip whistled past my ear at the same time.

"Impressive reflexes. To think you'd give me this much trouble."

The gaunt-faced assassin glared down at us.

"Assassination failed. The guards will swarm soon. You won't escape with your life."

"True. But we can still complete our mission."

Without hesitation, he swung his dagger at us. Even if captured and killed, he'd finish the job for the Shadows.

"Ras!!"

Asella clutched my collar, eyes squeezed shut. And then—

—Clink!

"Uh... hngh...!"

The assassin dropped his dagger, clutching his chest and staggering.

Asella slowly opened her eyes.

"Ras? What happened?"

"This far is enough. That was close."

I looked up at the goddess statue overhead.

"Why... ugh!"

The assassin backed away slowly. He couldn't approach further.

His whole body would roast like chicken. Agonizing pain. The Shadows' counter was simple: their black magic enhancements made them vulnerable to holy effects. Near goddess statues, low-grade holy dispels and buffs activated. I'd carried holy artifacts ever since learning of them.

"Over there!"

Clanking armor announced the knights' approach. The assassin fled in panic, pursued.

Crisis averted. My strength gave out. I flopped back into the bushes, head pillowed on the grass.

"Ras, Ras."

"Just a quick nap. I'm beat."

"What? Hold on. Hey, Ras!"

Her cries became my lullaby as I closed my eyes. Too noisy to help much.

"Hm."

I woke to a familiar sight. My room, my bed. Well, technically Moonlight Palace's, but it felt comfortable now.

"Actually, no, it doesn't."

My whole body felt heavy, crushed. Right, the assassination. Poison? I lifted my head, gaze drifting down—and froze at the bizarre scene.

Asella was asleep, hugging me tight, breathing softly.