Assassination Thwarted (2)
Act 1, Scene 3 - The Ambush
They’re here.
That was my first thought as I hastily packed my gear and slipped out of the classroom. Just as we’d arranged beforehand, Panzy was also planning to head straight for the commercial district the moment class ended.
-Cain. Just as you said. Suspicious. People here.
[Good. Thanks. Keep watching the situation.]
I’d been sending Silph into the forest at regular intervals to scout. Fortunately, the assassins had exhausted their holy power climbing the cliffs and were currently resting to recover their strength. That was exactly the opening I’d been waiting for.
In the original game those assassins could still move freely even without holy power, forcing the player to borrow the strength of Dainsleif. But I had the advantage of foreknowledge, so I could choose to strike first. Of course, that meant twisting the story a little, which still made me uneasy.
“Panzy. You arrived first?”
“Mm. I’m simply faster, that’s all.”
She was already loosening up her muscles at the entrance to the commercial district. My superior stamina meant I should have been the faster one, but the fact that she took such pride in her own speed told me everything I needed to know about her personality.
I shrugged as if it didn’t matter, flashed her a smile, and walked ahead. With Silph scouting in real time, there was zero chance we’d lose track of their location. Panzy followed, fidgeting with the pommel of her sword. She looked a little tense. We’d sparred plenty of times, but this would be her first real battle. No matter how strong she was, she was still only seventeen. By this world’s standards she was old enough, but mentally she still had some growing to do.
For a second I wondered if I’d been wrong to drag her into this, but it was as if she’d read my mind. She looked straight at me, eyes blazing with determination.
“This is a situation I’ll have to face eventually. Avoiding it now won’t stop me from running into it later.”
“Better to get hit first and get it over with, huh? That’s a good attitude. It’s exactly why I like you.”
“Y-you like me?! Wait, that’s—”
Panzy jumped like she’d been burned and started mumbling while gripping her sword hilt. I had no idea what her reaction meant, so I just tilted my head in confusion.
We reached the forest soon after. We decided to wait until sunset, passing the time with small talk.
“How are the A-class lessons?”
“There are arrogant ones, diligent ones, and clever ones. None of them are easy to handle.”
Panzy let out a deep sigh. She joked that being the top student carried more weight than she’d expected. It made sense. In the later parts of the game there were opportunities to advance to A-class, but the difficulty spiked and there were so many complications that some guides recommended clearing the game without ever promoting out of D-class. Since I was actually in D-class, nodding along too sympathetically might look suspicious, so I just gave a vague nod.
After enough idle chatter, darkness finally settled over the forest.
“Let’s move.”
I raised my arm carefully, signaling Panzy. Even though she’d steeled her resolve, she couldn’t hide her nerves. She nodded with a stiff expression.
As we neared the forest entrance we checked for any observers, then slipped inside.
“How do you know their exact location?”
“Go a little farther, turn right at the unusually large tree, then turn right again at the tree with the scar on its trunk.”
When I casually recited the directions, Panzy’s eyes widened even further. It was all Silph’s information, of course. I didn’t know jack shit about the terrain. But I couldn’t exactly tell her an invisible spirit was guiding us.
“Trade secret.”
“I never realized you had such talent as a scout. Truly, everyone has their uses.”
“…You’re not insulting me, are you?”
When I gave her a dubious look, she chuckled softly and tapped my shoulder. Yeah, if a joke like that could ease the tension, all the better. I clicked my tongue and continued pushing silently through the undergrowth.
-Cain. About a hundred steps. Ahead. People there.
[Got it. Thanks.]
At Silph’s message I quietly raised my hand again, signaling Panzy to stop.
“They’re about a hundred steps ahead.”
“…This might be a weird time to ask, but… I can really trust you, right?”
Honestly, she had almost no reason to believe me. She was only here because I’d asked. So what could I show her to earn that trust? I, who had absolutely nothing to offer, racked my brain for a way to prove myself.
[Kasa, come out for a second.]
Just a brief glimpse should be enough to spark her interest. The moment I thought that, Kasa appeared, creating a tiny flame. She must have been sleeping near my neck; she scrambled onto the back of my hand and produced a light about the size of a candle flame. The summoning circle engraved on my skin glowed red.
I lifted my hand so only Panzy could see. Her jaw dropped and she clapped a hand over her mouth, too stunned to speak. I grinned and whispered.
“I’ll show you my trade secret. It might be hard to believe at first, but just follow me.”
“…I’ll decide after I see how things go.”
She gave a small smile and nodded. Once we’d reached an understanding, we moved forward again, minimizing every sound as we approached the spot Silph had indicated. These guys must have been pretty bold; I could already see firelight flickering in the distance. When Panzy shot me a startled glance, I met her eyes and simply nodded.
[What’s their status?]
-One on watch. The other three. Asleep.
“Four targets. Three are sleeping, one is on guard.”
“…Then we’ll need to split their attention.”
Panzy made the call instantly and waited for my input. Splitting their focus wasn’t a bad idea. I didn’t know how skilled they were, so caution was necessary, but I also knew their holy power was depleted and their stamina hadn’t fully recovered.
“I’ll draw their attention. Panzy, you circle around and strike from behind while they’re distracted.”
“Understood.”
She nodded, then vanished into the shadows behind me. I called on Silph and Kasa.
[I’m going to intensify that campfire to draw their eyes. Using the tents would be best, right?]
-Understood.
-Got it! Cain!
The moment I gave the order, Silph and Kasa moved toward the campfire. I felt a portion of my life force drain away as I watched.
It started with a strong gust of wind. A lesser spirit’s wind wasn’t powerful, but it was more than enough to scatter embers. The instant the sparks landed on the tents, Kasa began fanning them into roaring flames. My life force dipped a little more, but it was still within acceptable limits.
“Wha… Oh no…!”
The sentry leapt up in panic and started looking for water. Of course, if water could solve this, I wouldn’t have started the fire in the first place.
[Silph.]
-Yeah.
The wind grew fiercer, eventually forcing the sentry to wake everyone.
“Everyone, wake up! The fire’s spreading to the tents!”
“Mmm… Brother…?”
“The wind suddenly carried the flames! Hurry this way—”
The half-asleep assassins stumbled out after the sentry. It was a shame they all escaped the tents, but I actually preferred this outcome. They’d made the critical mistake of rushing out without grabbing their gear.
[Let’s burn a little more of my life force and turn up the heat.]
Silph’s wind became a swirling vortex. Kasa’s flames merged with it, creating a blazing tornado. The tents were consumed in seconds. The panicked assassins stamped their feet, unsure whether to flee or try to erase their traces.
They clearly weren’t professional killers. After making that judgment, I looked toward where I expected Panzy to be. Our eyes met. I gave her a nod.
“Guhk!”
“Ambush! It’s an ambush! How did they—?!”
A sword flashed, burying itself in the back of the assassin who looked the most off-guard. The blade sliced cleanly through his right shoulder before flowing like water toward the next target. She really was the top first-year combat student; her swordplay was nearly flawless. At least until the assassins, as tough as they were, started dodging.
“Damn it…! How did they find us? Is this the heretics’ doing?”
“Shh! Watch your words, Brother!”
“…”
Correction. They were just a bunch of amateurs. Panzy stared at the three remaining assassins with a tense expression, adjusting her grip on her sword. This was the moment for the one hiding in the shadows to step in.
[Kasa. Silph.]
The spirits responded instantly to my will. A flame-wreathed gust of wind shot toward the nearest assassin. His clothes caught fire instantly. He screamed, desperately trying to beat out the flames.
“H-hot! It’s burning…!”
“Tch… We infiltrated as quietly as possible. How did they—?!”
“So… you really did enter the academy with impure intentions?”
Panzy’s eyes flashed. Now that she had confirmation, all hesitation vanished. One was down with a deep shoulder wound, another was incapacitated by fire. Two-on-two was manageable. Judging the situation the same way, Panzy moved.
Fortunately only the sentry had been carrying a weapon. He drew his sword from his side and faced her. The unarmed one scanned the area, apparently searching for me. He clasped his hands and began muttering; it looked like he was preparing a spell.
Did he think I was stupid? That I’d just stand there and let him cast?
[Silph. Cut that hand off.]
-Yeah.
Silph’s razor wind interrupted his chant and severed one of his hands. His scream echoed through the forest. Using that as her signal, Panzy charged the armed assassin. He deflected her thrust aimed at his face and attempted a counter. Panzy blocked with the flat of her blade, knocked his sword aside, and thrust again. He must have received basic assassination training; he barely managed to dodge.
The drain on my life force was making me dizzy. To seize victory as quickly as possible, I directed Silph and Kasa once more.
“Haa… haa… A hidden mage and a swordsman with skill beyond her years… Heh… I’ve been thoroughly outplayed.”
“Drop your weapon and surrender.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible.”
The sentry—the one holding the sword—muttered those words, then suddenly clasped his hands and began to pray. That gesture…?
“Panzy! Stop him!”
“It’s too late!”
Even though Panzy moved at my urgent shout, the assassin smirked and released pure white light in every direction.
[Fuck! Silph! Kasa! Prioritize protecting Panzy!]
-Yeah.
-Got it! Cain!
I never expected one of them to still have holy power left! Realizing he couldn’t face us alone, the assassin vanished the moment the light faded and our vision returned.
Shit. This complicated everything. I bit my lip as I watched Panzy run toward me. Sending Silph out again would solve the tracking issue, but if he’d used holy power to strengthen his body, finding him would be far more difficult.
. . . . .
“Hmm~”
At the forest entrance, Eve Abraham had once again come to the commercial district to hunt slimes. That creepy guy Alex hadn’t shown himself lately, which was a relief. Every time their eyes met, he gave off a disgusting aura. She’d decided long ago that she would have to punish him someday.
Coming here while the sun was up would obviously draw everyone’s attention, so she’d concluded that arriving after dark was the best choice.
“I wonder what kind of face Cain will make when I bring him this~”
What fun reaction will he show me this time~?
Humming cheerfully, Eve Abraham plucked flowers from the roadside and used them to dispatch slimes. And from within the forest, someone was watching her, hand clamped over their mouth.