Night of Chaos (2)
Night of Chaos (2)
Two hours ago, the slums on the outskirts of Iter, where all the poor of the Archesium Empire gathered.
Even there, in the filthiest place known as [Underground Sewer Zone 4].
There, the Grey Wild Dogs were gathered—those who had grown up without status, origin, or parents, and who had been delivering raw information from the streets of Archesium while receiving one gold coin a month from a mysterious noble-nim.
"Leader... do we really have to take this job?"
No. 11 Wild Dog asked the Leader, who was silently staring at the mission order with a terrified expression.
That wasn't all.
"Even if the nobles who gave us promised gold coins for even minor information, and sometimes even food, this is just asking us to throw our lives away, isn't it?"
"That's right. I naturally had the thought of repaying the excessive grace we've received, but this is just too much."
"To attack the Imperial Palace where the absolute ruler of Archesium resides? I absolutely cannot do this."
Including No. 14, No. 5, and No. 7, a total of about 30 Wild Dogs were showing their intention that they absolutely could not carry out the order that had come down from the mysterious noble-nim.
However, the Leader thought differently.
"Didn't they say they'd even give us money to hire experts from the Black Mud? We just have to pretend to attack and then run away. The target, Idelon? Even if we can't kill this guy, as long as we return alive, we can receive a whopping 100 gold coins."
"But...."
"With 100 gold coins, we can get out of this sewer-like place that's worse than the shadows and start something like a mercenary group. And if we start a mercenary group, we'll be able to earn more money than we could ever compare to until now."
The Grey Wild Dogs were a crude group formed by losers rejected by the world.
But paradoxically, they were just losers.
Because they weren't failures, they were always looking for a chance to challenge, and a very good opportunity had arisen this time.
An opportunity like no other that could change their lives entirely if they just succeeded.
That was why the Leader wanted to carry out this mission no matter what, and seeing him like that, the thirty Wild Dogs eventually aligned their opinions.
"Haa... if the Leader says that much, I guess we have no choice."
"Geez, but to think that petty criminals who always cleaned up the same trash would receive a mission to attack the Imperial Palace and kill royalty... in a different sense, it really feels like we've made it."
Seeing the Wild Dogs who decided to share his will, the Leader nodded as if moved and left the sewer first.
Towards the 3rd Gate of Iter, where the branch of the Black Mud, the strongest assassin group active on the continent, was located.
At the end of a narrow and humid alley outside the 3rd Gate.
When I opened the door to the [Blind Crow], a shabby pub in the back alley that didn't even have a proper sign, air mixed with the smell of musty mold and sweat rushed in.
The Leader swallowed hard and walked past the noisy hall to the most secluded corner.
There, a man wearing a worn leather coat was sitting askew at a table, fiddling with a dagger.
He was the branch manager of the Black Mud, the strongest assassin group in Archesium Iter.
"Here is the request and the down payment."
The Leader took out the parchment and a heavy leather pouch from his bosom with somewhat nervous hands and placed them on the table.
The branch manager habitually stuck his dagger into the table and unfolded the parchment.
A smile spread across his lips as if he were enjoying reading through the request.
"As long as it's not a crazy request to assassinate the Emperor, dealing with one prince who rolled in is nothing to us."
Without even opening the pouch on the table, the branch manager took out ten gold coins and put them in his own pocket.
"Down payment confirmed."
At his single indifferent gesture, the men who had been quietly sipping drinks in every corner of the pub stood up as if by promise.
A total of twelve.
They hadn't specifically drawn weapons or made a sound, but as soon as they started moving, the Leader stepped back involuntarily due to the pressure that felt like his throat was being constricted.
A thick aura and killing intent that were hard to even describe in detail, overwhelming just by standing face to face.
"Let's go, we're going to throw a party at the Imperial Palace tonight."
With the branch manager's short command, the twelve assassins slipped out of the pub without a sound.
Only then did the Leader, who had caught his breath, wipe the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and hurriedly followed them.
Jjaeng-geurang-!
With the sound of glass shattering, arrowheads flew in from the deep darkness and stuck deep into the carpet and the corner of the desk.
I reflexively ducked and hid under the desk.
'An attack?'
Along with the instinctive question, my gaze was already directed at the sword placed on one side of the desk.
It was the sword of the master craftsman Marte, a gift from Belletria a few days ago, telling me to keep learning swordsmanship.
I put strength into the hand that touched the floor, raised my body, and grabbed the hilt in one breath.
As the slightly sticky texture of the leather touched my palm, my rapidly beating heart calmed down a little.
And in that short moment, four thugs stepped on the shattered balcony window frame and rushed into the room.
They were in the typical attire of assassins, covered from head to toe with black masks and cloth.
'1 vs 4? Damn it.'
I bit my lip hard and put strength into the hand holding the sword.
'Should I strike first?'
I quickly calculated the fight in my head, gauging the room's structure and distance.
But my feet remained firmly stuck to the floor and wouldn't easily move.
'No, if they didn't run away even after the surprise attack failed and showed themselves openly, doesn't that mean they're that confident in a head-on fight?'
While I hesitated, thinking I might get hit by their obvious pincer attack if I closed the distance rashly, the leading assassin pointed at me.
"That's the target."
A short, dry voice.
As soon as those words fell, the four assassins kicked off the carpet and rushed toward me.
Seeing the blue blades flying in, filling my vision, I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them.
'Screw it. I'll just fight!'
Since I was going to stand here and die anyway, I had to squeeze out even the non-existent mana and swing my sword at least once.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
But it was the very moment I was about to raise Marte's sword.
Seureung-.
A short friction sound rang out in the air.
At the same time, a flash mixed with deep purple and navy blue flashed exactly four times before my eyes, cutting through the air.
It was a fleeting moment, so fast that I couldn't even hear anything being cut.
And.
Tuk, degururu.
The four assassins who were jumping at me like crazy lost their strength in the air as if by promise and collapsed.
As their bodies slammed into the floor, four cleanly severed heads rolled on the carpet and stopped near my feet.
"......."
I looked down at the scene unfolding before my eyes with dazed eyes.
The disgusting smell of blood began to fill the room.
I shifted my gaze and looked straight ahead.
In the middle of the four headless corpses, I saw the back of Ruamel, who was standing with a curved sword that was slightly bent like a crescent moon.
She was indifferently wiping the blood from the blade of the curved sword with a cloth she had taken from her bosom.
The aura that had filled the room, which was murderous in a different sense, slowly seeped into her sword and was tucked away.
It was the same appearance as when she had been quietly pouring tea and chatting with me just a few minutes ago.
"......."
I slowly lowered the sword I had raised in high tension.
'Ah, right. That person... was a high-level aura user.'
I had forgotten for a brief moment that she was a powerhouse with an absolute, undeniable background—the Emperor's only close friend and a swordsman who had received teachings from her.
Jjeop....
I smacked my lips awkwardly and shoved the Marte's sword I had drawn back into its scabbard.
Cheolkeok.
The sound of the sword finding its place in the silence rang out particularly loudly.
I awkwardly scratched my cheek and tried to ignore the situation from just a moment ago.
'Ugh, so embarrassing.'
"Are you alright?"
Ruamel, who had tucked the curved sword back into her waist inside her maid outfit, asked.
"The Imperial Palace, and even the Emperor's quarters are right next door, yet they reached this far... it seems the guards will need some mental training for a while."
"Y-yeah, that's true. More than that, to be able to sneak in while avoiding the eyes of the Imperial Knights, they must be experts. That's amazing."
At my sincere compliment, Ruamel shrugged her shoulders lightly.
"Well, from the moment the assassins revealed themselves first, they couldn't win against a knight, let alone an aura user, in any way."
"I see."
As expected, I should try to learn how to use aura, even if it means annoying Belletria a little.
If Ruamel hadn't been here, my arms, legs, and head would have been separated by now.
I trembled slightly, glanced at the corpses that were finally turning cold, and put on my jacket.
At that sight, Ruamel tilted her head.
"It seems dangerous outside... where are you going?"
"Uh... to the safest place?"
"The safest place...?"
"Yes, I have to go to Empress Belletria's side. Is there any place safer than that in this world?"
Judging by the attitude of the assassin earlier, the mysterious assassin group seemed to have broken in targeting me.
If so, I had to get to the Emperor's side as soon as possible before I was in danger of my life from multiple experts who might be strong enough to make even Ruamel struggle.
And Ruamel, who realized my intention, nodded a couple of times and drew her curved sword again.
"Let's go quickly. I will escort you."
"Good."
We rushed out of the room and set out to find Belletria, who must be slaughtering the intruders somewhere in the Imperial Palace.