Chapter 33
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Liu Bei and Cao Cao (6)
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While Klappen, beaten to a pulp and passed out, dreamed an idiotic dream of "Our family is an assassination dynasty... heh heh...",
ordinary assassins far too mundane to be captured by that paradoxical label of "assassination dynasty."
And so, people who could quietly slit throats from the shadows without resorting to heretical acts like issatsu were prowling the night streets.
They weren't powerhouses like Klappen who could wield sword ki, but assassination was like a crab claw snapping at vulnerabilities—targeting the weak and whiny to begin with.
Putting their specialized fields to use, they set about assassinating key figures.
"Heh heh, this poison could drop an elephant."
One considerate assassin sprayed pre-prepared poison into the air, granting a peaceful death in sleep.
"Explosion... is... art...!"
BOOM!
Another put on a fireworks show in the heart of the city, aping Middle Eastern traditions and shouting "Allahu Akbar."
In that paradise of lunatics unleashing their unique martial arts to the fullest,
there was even a pure shadow assassin, faithful to the operation name, lurking solitarily with just a single dagger.
His target: Baron Allen.
Not a high rank by title, but the man had earned enmity for mass-producing anti-upper-noble rhetoric thanks to his wide connections.
Having scouted the place countless times already—even disguising himself as a milk deliveryman during the day—he slipped over the manor wall with ease.
Tap, tap—
With footsteps so nimble they needed no exclamation points, he infiltrated the residence effortlessly.
Making his way leisurely through the silent house, broken only by a servant's snores,
he calmly retrieved the emergency key buried in the fireplace ashes and headed straight for the bedroom.
Slip.
Basking in the faint moonlight filtering romantically through the window, he plunged the dagger into the bed.
A clean death without so much as a scream...
"...?"
Something felt off about the handfeel.
He hurriedly lifted the blanket to peer inside.
Under the covers,
there was
no one.
.
.
.
Similar scenes played out across the capital.
In rooms overflowing with poison.
In manors blown apart by bombs.
Until dawn broke, not a single soul was lost.
Instead, a few assassins got themselves arrested for violating conduct rules while hunting their targets.
The grand Dagger Night, which started with such fanfare,
ended in a feeble, pathetic whimper.
"From the Holy Kingdom's perspective, it would've served their national interest better to let the disturbances in our empire slide."
The empire's sky, still a clear blue untouched by yellow tints.
As the emperor stroked his beard and spoke, a clear laugh rippled softly.
"Surprisingly, I don't care much for the Holy Kingdom either."
At the words of the monstrous Saintess, Roselin,
the emperor's eyes gleamed.
"Even in this private space, is it truly fine for a Saintess to speak so freely?"
"Of course. How could a mere nation dictate the Goddess's will?"
Bold words, but as if to prove them, Roselin summoned a dazzling radiant glow from her hand.
A sign of sharing the Goddess's power—and of harboring deep faith in her heart.
The emperor burst into hearty laughter.
"Haha! If I were the Pope, you'd give me indigestion."
"Why say such harsh things?"
In the midst of their conversation, the emperor suddenly looked up and gazed straight ahead.
They were in a masked ballroom.
Even at this late hour, the corners of mouths lifted in lively chatter and drink among the revelers.
It was only natural.
No one could afford to show fatigue here.
No matter how much the upper and lower houses hounded the emperor, no one in the empire dared ignore an invitation stamped with his seal.
If there were?
They'd be dangling by the neck to an assassin at home right now.
And it would likely be ruled a natural death.
.
.
.
After seeing off the voluptuous woman in the chicken mask, Roselin,
"We've secured some of the ferocious beasts, Your Majesty,"
the duck-masked attendant reported cautiously as he approached.
The emperor nodded.
Sipping his drink without a flicker of expression, he gathered his thoughts.
He'd known they'd bare their fangs eventually, but not this soon.
It wasn't like the Berthus he knew.
Where had that iron-blooded meticulousness from the battlefield gone? Leaking info even to key figures in a potential enemy nation like the Holy Kingdom?
Well...
At least one part of his plan would be flawless.
No matter how hard they squeezed the captured assassins, no tails would emerge.
His schemes were always like that.
"Which means they might've been waiting for my counterstrike."
From the Northern Grand Duke who openly voiced his disdain for the current emperor, plenty of his political foes remained in the empire.
This could be a deliberate gap, feigning the role of an "oppressed loyalist."
That's why he'd dangled the masked ball as bait rather than issuing a direct warning.
Of course, like trying to cover the sky with a palm,
he couldn't just ignore the already-attempted assassinations without rumors flying.
Eh.
Berthus Duke would handle that himself, most likely.
Even so, for now,
just for now, the empire couldn't afford cracks.
With those thoughts, the emperor took another sip.
A bitter taste lingered on his tongue.
After getting home quietly with the Esthea shield on,
the next day after plotting to screw over Berthus Duke—who'd granted a favor yet dealt mortal offense.
I gripped my secret weapon, the Lee Dae-ho signed bat, and stepped out.
To make it big as an author,
I had to crank out today's chapter, even with death staring me down.
Of course,
- Ugyagyeok—!
I clutched tight the extra scale I'd wheedled out of Nureongi with some sweet-talking.
Planning to summon her with "Baby Nureongi-mong, help me~" whenever future troubles cropped up.
...But is this right?
Shouldn't dragons be all lofty and haughty?
Why's she just krurrang nururang playful?
But nitpicking that felt like pouring oil on her Kim Yul-friendly vibe, so I decided not to mention it.
Good is good.
"Peaceful..."
Despite my full prep,
no braindead assassins tried issatsu on me again.
The imperial capital still shone beautifully, streets brimming with bright smiles—utterly everyday.
...Was I the only one in danger? But then,
"Truth Newspaper."
"Thanks!"
Scanning the social section to bump my daily readers to number one, sure enough, some conspiracy had swept the city.
Mysterious explosion. No casualties.
Gas leak incident. One minor injury.
Eye damage from spotting illegal flyers. What even.
Anyway, beyond no deaths, simultaneous incidents that could've killed poured in.
Reviewing the details, I was dead certain these were Berthus Duke's handiwork too.
Evidence?
Hunch.
Wouldn't it be logical for the guy targeting an innocent low-profile author like me to hit others simultaneously?
"Oh my! Author-nim!"
Right on cue, our wonderful Saintess—looking extra glad, pretty, and busty today—waved.
.
.
.
"...That happened? No wonder you're carrying that odd thing."
"It's not odd—it's a spirit vessel infused with the nation's soul."
"Nation's soul?"
Roselin, predictably clueless on baseball, tilted her head—but whatever, forgiven.
The true S-rank treasure, the Ohtani signed bat, was still enshrined in the lab.
...Couldn't psych myself up to wield it.
"Berthus Duke, huh... Hmm..."
"Hunch. No hard proof."
Can't say a reptilian zapped brainwash-confession out of him, so no evidence.
"Definitely the type."
"...You believe me?"
"Of course! Who else but Author-nim, who's finally giving Liu Bei his romance arc?"
"...Hmm."
That was the reason?
Well, I did weave it in with Roselin in mind a tad.
Lightly glossed over Xu Zhu's firecracker mega-filial piety, but it spiked Dogyeom's blood pressure, shortening his life, with Big Ears about to snag the spot.
And in that, Xu Zhu's mega-rich dad.
A meet-cute with the far-too-great Mi Chuk for Gan-Son-Mi bros status.
Gan Ong was ballsy buddies.
Son Geon sniffed out the no-presence vibe.
Mi Chuk, the low-buy maestro of Liu Bei coin.
Dunno if high-elf charm ensnared him, but this beast-hearted man dumped his full fortune into Liu Bei, who only had Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
...With that lineup, kinda makes sense.
Anyway.
To dodge any "sold sister for investment" vibes that might get me killed by Roselin for real, I skyrocketed Lady Mi as main heroine.
"You can look forward to more."
"Eek!"
Watching her jiggle in joy warmed my heart.
....
....
Zhang Pan faction...
Skip it?
The next day, after Kim Yul pulled an all-nighter seriously debating swapping Lady Mi for Lady Gan into the well to alter Romance,
[Two Heroes Special – 3 Chapters Continuous]
"Kiyatho!"
Esthea snatched the promised serialization sword and let out a cheer.
Because Kim Yul's recent dual plots had both satisfied her.
Had one fallen short, she wouldn't have whined through poorly molting scales for an extra one that day.
Cao Cao was a true villain harboring inner warmth, and she loved his radical pursuit of vengeance for his father.
Liu Bei, meanwhile, flaunted pure justice without parading the atrocities of Cao Cao—the man who'd once acknowledged him.
How thrillingly romantic!
This is it!
Heart pounding, she shoved other papers aside, plopped on her bench, swung her legs, and unfurled the Truth Newspaper.
And then.
"...Why's Lu Bu showing up here? Zhang Mu betrays? No way, Zhang Mu's Cao Cao's ally, right? Hell, Yuan Shao only survived because Cao Cao helped against 'kill Yuan Shao'!"
At the shocking betrayal by Zhang Mu, Jinliu governor and Cao Cao ally,
Nureongi's horns heated up.
Esthea's anger boiled down to one thing.
"Cliffhanger here, of all places?!?"
Why Cao Cao's villain fate? Unknown.
Why Lu Bu rampaging like that? Unknown.
Why Zhang Mu acting up? Unknown.
Who's Zhen Gong? Unknown.
Why did Yanzhou folk betray? Unknown.
Why doesn't Xun Yu speak plainly? Unknown.
Liu Bei's bloodline meaning? Unknown.
Why doesn't Sun Jian use the imperial seal?
Brimming with all those questions,
"Spatium! te ipsum dilacera et mihi viam para──!"
⟨ [Space Tear] ⟩
Ruuuumble...!
Right in the city center, horns and tail bared, she chanted dragon tongue.
She usually skipped teleportation due to the nausea that always hit after—preferring to trot or flutter along.
But today's Esthea lacked the patience.
Target: her scales' location.
Not 4 straight chapters but a measly 3? She planned to drop straight onto Kim Yul's head and throttle his neck with her legs.
"Ugek!"
The space rift that had sucked her in spat her right back onto the original bench, without warning.
"What...?"
In her far-from-short life,
space travel disruptions were almost unheard of.
Exactly twice.
Once, attempting to raid an 8th-circle archmage's secret vault, blocked by potent dimensional wards.
And when she'd gotten too immersed in the Goddess's tale and tried warping to the divine realm to ask, "Wait, that's based on a true story?"