A Dog's Resolve
He wasn't the final boss for nothing. I glared, unleashing a torrent of pure, unadulterated bloodlust. I didn't exactly know how one went about "unleashing bloodlust," but I simply glared at the black-robed assailants with a single mindset: I'm going to slaughter every last one of you.
Fortunately, the bloodlust seemed to work, as the attackers faltered. "Hmm." If I left it to Jin's instincts again, everything would probably work itself out. His senses are incredibly sharp, after all.
First, I gripped the hilt tightly to ensure I wouldn't drop it. Squeeze. Strength flooded my fist. I was ready to spring forward at any second.
There were fifteen attackers in total. On our side, we had eight knights. I couldn't gauge the attackers' strength yet, but they certainly weren't common bandits. Even in a fantasy world, what kind of bandit wears matching black robes to stage an ambush? If I had to guess their reason for wearing them...
To conceal their identities. Which meant someone had sent them to assassinate Franche Decartes.
A question mark popped up in my head. Why? Is there really a reason to assassinate Franche Decartes? Attending this party meant we were still in the prologue, before the main story had even begun. Nothing major had happened yet.
I briefly wondered if Eden and Line had sent them because they viewed Franche as a nuisance, but I quickly dismissed the thought. What did they have to lose that would drive them to hire assassins? If they wanted her gone, they would have kicked her out of the family long ago. In any case, Eden and Line weren't behind this attack. Though I have no idea who is.
I just needed to slaughter them all and leave one alive to interrogate. I shouted to the knights, "I'll handle this! Guard the Lady!"
Their response was immediate.
"How dare you order us around?"
"Arrogant bastard!"
Was this really the time to bicker over hierarchy? The enemy was right in front of us.
"I am the First Prince of the fallen Barenberg Kingdom," I said, my voice carrying a heavy, commanding resonance. "Though I stand here as a slave, I will offer you a piece of advice as someone who once ruled as a powerhouse."
The knights flinched at my solemn tone. "Understand that this is not the time for petty pride."
Gulp. Thanks to my heightened senses, I could hear them swallowing hard. The air grew heavy. It was a swallow born of tension and fear.
"I know you do not respect the Lady. But if you possess even a shred of chivalry, you won't surrender or flee here. Your pride wouldn't allow it."
The knights grimaced, shouting back in anger.
"What do you know to lecture us?!"
"You seem to have forgotten your place as a slave!"
"Do you honestly think we would run from mere rabble like them?!"
Good. By giving them a common target of resentment, I had united them. Now they wouldn't abandon Franche or stand idly by. "Then I leave her in your hands."
I stomped my foot hard against the ground.
Crack!
Dust and dirt exploded outward, billowing into the air.
What the hell? The acceleration was so explosive it startled even me.
Perhaps because my previously unstable body had finally synchronized, a torrent of power surged through me—so immense I could barely control it. So this was the power of a Sword Master? Truly magnificent...
Before I knew it, I was standing right in front of the assassins. The eyes of the nearest assassin widened behind his mask. "Huh...?"
Standing still felt awkward, so I swung my sword.
Slash!
The blade tore through the air before he could even register the movement. It wasn't a simple cut. I had sliced the man clean in half...
Blood sprayed and entrails spilled into the air. I instantly leaped backward to avoid getting drenched in the gore. "..."
An ordinary person would have panicked or retched at such a gruesome sight, but my mind remained absolutely tranquil. This, too, was likely the influence of Jin's personality blending with mine. Not that I should be analyzing this right now. My mind was as still as a glassy lake.
On the other hand, the assassins who witnessed my strike fell into utter chaos.
"M-Madman! He cut him in half with a single swing!"
"No one said anything about a monster like this being here!"
Judging by their panic, they didn't seem to be highly trained professionals from an actual assassination guild. There are specialized assassin guilds in this world, but... Well, that was a matter for later. I could get the details from these guys.
"If you want to end up like your friend, keep fighting," I said. "Otherwise, spit out who sent you, and I might just let you live."
The assassins exchanged uneasy glances. However, the Decartes knights had absolutely no intention of waiting.
"Regret targeting the Decartes Ducal family for the rest of your miserable lives!"
"Leave a minimum guard! Charge!"
The knights rushed forward with their swords drawn. Only two knights remained by Franche's carriage. Ah, those idiots. I told them to protect Franche. They just wouldn't listen, those absolute lunatics. What if the enemy targeted Franche while they were distracted?
Do these Decartes knights have rocks for brains? Maybe my sudden intervention had provoked them. Their pride was sky-high, after all. To let a slave handle attackers who dared ambush a ducal carriage must have been a massive blow to their egos.
Well, at least they had the sense to leave two guards behind. The riled-up knights closed the distance to the assassins.
"Arrogant pests, we'll teach you a lesson!"
"To dare attack a carriage of House Decartes—you must have lost your minds!"
Clang!
The sharp ring of clashing steel echoed through the air. I used the distraction to slip back to the carriage. Our primary objective was to protect Franche, not to teach these assassins a lesson.
Franche poked her head out of the shattered window and asked, "What on earth is happening?"
Did she not realize she was in danger? It was the same back at the black market auction. Was she incredibly naive, or just dense?
"We are under attack by unknown assailants," I replied. "Keep your head inside, My Lady. You might get cut by the shattered glass. And more arrows could fly our way, just like before."
Franche furrowed her brow. "...I can handle the glass myself, and you will block the arrows for me, won't you? So, how is the battle progressing?"
"The Duke's knights are handling the assassins. Judging by their movements, they don't seem to be professionally trained."
"...Is that so?"
"Now that your curiosity is satisfied, please get back inside."
Franche nodded and retreated back into the carriage like a squirrel ducking into its burrow. Now, let's see how things are going.
Watching the fight, it was clear the Duke's knights were the real deal. With only six of them fighting, they were completely overwhelming the fifteen assassins. But who commissioned this hit? If they hired such mediocre talent, the mastermind couldn't be a high-ranking noble. That meant it was likely a lower noble, or someone who simply held a grudge against Franche.
"Hmm." I couldn't be sure. But well, I was about to find out.
"Bring divine retribution upon those who insult the House of Decartes!"
The knights didn't have a single scratch on them. On the other hand, the heavily depleted assassins began to flee. You bastards, if you run away, I can't interrogate you!
I turned to the knight standing beside me. "Guard the Lady well."
"What? You insolent—!"
He kept shouting something, but I ignored him and dashed forward. The power of a Sword Master was truly absurd. In a single breath, I caught up to the fleeing assassins and the pursuing knights.
"Stop."
"What?"
"I am going to interrogate them now."
"Who do you think you are, ordering us around?"
"If you have a problem with it, challenge me to a duel later," I said, narrowing my eyes as I raised my sword. "I only follow my Master's orders, so don't even think about acting high and mighty in front of me."
The knights flinched and stepped back. Why did they always have to run their mouths? I turned my attention to the remaining assassins. There were only three left.
"Listen to me carefully," I said, pointing my sword at them. "Tell me who ordered this hit, and I will spare your lives."
"Do you honestly think we would talk?!"
"Just kill us!"
"To us, trust is our lifeline!"
They sure had a lot of pride for low-tier thugs. "I'm offering this because you clearly don't belong to any reputable assassin guild. Is that petty 'trust' really more valuable to you than your own lives?"
I channeled my Aura. A brilliant blue light flared, wrapping around the blade. I hadn't known how to use it, but the moment the thought crossed my mind, it manifested naturally. Perhaps it was because my body and soul had finally stabilized.
"H-He infused his sword with Aura?!"
"A Sword Master?!"
"I knew he was no ordinary slave..."
The sight of the Aura instantly shattered their remaining morale. I asked again, "Speak. Who is behind this?"
The assassins exchanged hesitant glances. The one in the middle seemed to be the leader. I pointed my sword directly at him. "If you don't answer this time, you die. Who is the mastermind?"
"Ugh..." Even behind his mask, I could tell he was gritting his teeth. I could hear them grinding. "Three... Two..."
"I-I'll speak!"
The leader finally cracked. But his subordinates immediately protested.
"Boss! Are you really going to betray our client?!"
"Even if we talk and survive this, we're dead men once we go back! We never had a choice to begin with!"
The leader stared blankly at his men. "Now that you mention it, you're right..."
What was this? Was this some kind of comedy routine? My expression turned thoroughly unimpressed. "So you have no intention of speaking?"
"None! Just kill us here!"
"Understood."
Slash!
A single strike cut through all three of them simultaneously. Perhaps because the blade was infused with Aura, their upper and lower bodies parted cleanly.
"Search their bodies," I ordered. "There might be evidence pointing to the mastermind."
"Stop ordering us around, you arrogant slave."
"We were going to do that anyway."
"Are you looking down on knights?"
Good grief. Their reactions were so predictable. Shaking my head, I began searching the bodies myself. Nothing resembling solid evidence turned up. The only things of note were a few daggers, a letter detailing the request, a pocket watch, and a map. This is useless.
I looked over at the knights. They also had sour expressions, clearly having found nothing of value. Even the leader's body yielded nothing that could identify the mastermind. Was this a dead end? Well, it makes sense. They wouldn't carry anything that could easily trace back to their employer.
Still, just in case, I walked over to the last assassin, who had fallen a bit further away from the rest. I searched his pockets. I found a single dagger, a letter, and a necklace.
"Hmm." I opened the letter first, hoping for a lead. The contents were as follows:
Franche Decartes will be attending the party hosted by Marquis Eldas.
Assassinate her.
Below that was the detailed route of her carriage. I scanned the paper to see if there was anything else. That was when a small wax seal stamped at the bottom of the letter caught my eye.
"..."
I recognized this seal.
She was hated even by the one she trusted.