Raid
Raid
The night of the Imperial banquet was in full swing.
Irion and Renoa left the Imperial Palace one step ahead of the others.
This was because once the banquet ended, the front of the palace would become a chaotic mess of nobles trying to board their carriages.
The intended goal had been achieved.
There was nothing to gain by staying longer.
Renoa turned her steps away without any lingering regrets.
The Edelheid family's carriage sped through the night streets of the Imperial City and soon stopped in front of a three-story building.
It was a top-class inn rented out by the Edelheid family for their stay in the capital.
Two soldiers stood at the entrance to prepare for any potential attackers, and an anti-intruder barrier was active throughout the entire inn.
"Everyone worked hard today. Rest up, and we shall depart early tomorrow morning."
"I shall obey your command, Agassi."
Leaving the send-off of the knights and servants behind, Renoa headed to the special suite on the top floor.
At the end of the hallway.
Two room doors stood side by side.
Irion stood in front of the guard room attached right next to Renoa's bedroom.
"Have a peaceful night. If anything happens, scream immediately. The more fuss you make, the better."
"Right...."
Renoa, who didn't even have the energy left to bicker, gave a short reply and entered the room.
With the help of the maids, she removed her accessories, took off her dress, and wiped away her makeup.
Dressed in light indoor clothes, she sat on the edge of the plush bed.
"Huu...."
Only after all the cumbersome things were stripped away did she finally feel like she could breathe.
Her body and mind were considerably exhausted from greeting dozens of nobles one by one.
In fact, today was essentially no different from Renoa's debutante ball. No matter how composed she usually was, she couldn't help but be more nervous than usual.
When she stayed at the villa, she only had to do the bare minimum of grooming.
As expected, attending official functions like this wasn't entirely pleasant.
"Then, Agassi. I will be waiting in the corner. If there is anything you need during the night, at any time—"
"That's enough."
Renoa cut her off sharply.
"You'll only be an eyesore, so get out."
"Pardon? But I must stay by your side to prepare for any unforeseen situations—"
"I said I don't need it, so get out. Can you not hear me?"
It was a sharp order to leave.
The maid hesitated for a moment but eventually bowed her head.
"Then... I will be waiting outside. Please ring the bell if you need anything."
The maid left, and the door closed.
Usually, it was standard for at least one maid to remain, but Renoa trusted no one.
Especially when she was in a defenseless state like sleeping. At the very least, it would have to be someone like Bibi for her to trust them.
However, Bibi had also suffered a lot preparing for this banquet. It would be fine to let her rest deeply for a day.
Renoa laid her body down on the bed.
While it wasn't quite like the bed back at the family estate, as expected of the capital's finest inn, there was no discomfort in getting a good night's sleep.
Combined with today's fatigue and her recent lack of proper sleep, Renoa fell asleep in an instant.
In the early hours of the morning, when only the sound of Renoa's even breathing echoed in her deep slumber.
The firmly closed window opened smoothly without a single sound.
Through the cool night air that rushed in through the gap, an uninvited guest clad in pitch-black darkness entered the room.
As if the target had been decided from the start, the intruder's murderous intent headed toward the bed in the center of the room without hesitation.
The target was the defenseless, sleeping daughter of the Edelheid family.
The mysterious figure, who had quietly closed the distance, pulled a thick rope from their chest and pulled it taut with both hands.
And just as they approached the bed to loop it around the sleeping Renoa's neck.
"That's far enough."
A single sword stopped right in front of their throat.
It was only then that the figure realized someone was standing behind them. Irion, who had been in the next room, was already there.
"Who are you?"
The cold sensation of metal dug slightly into the intruder's nape.
It was a silent threat that he would slit their throat immediately if they showed even the slightest suspicious movement.
"How...?"
Dismay was laced in the intruder's voice.
It was a perfect infiltration that shouldn't have allowed even a hint of a presence.
They had approached while erasing not just their footsteps but even their breathing, yet not only were they discovered, but they had also given up their back.
It hadn't been long since the bracelet was removed. There should still be discomfort in handling mana.
This was a skilled individual who easily surpassed the evaluations they had heard.
A chill ran down their spine. They couldn't move recklessly. The vivid murderous intent was transmitted directly through the blade.
-Busureok.
Whether the tensely tightened killing intent reached Renoa, she sat up halfway with a rustling sound.
In Renoa's hazy, dull green eyes, the image of the black figure right under her chin and Irion pointing a sword at their neck were captured simultaneously.
"......Irion?"
"It's an assassin."
At those words, Renoa's hazy mind snapped awake. Having grasped the situation instantly, her eyes grew sharp.
"Who sent you?"
"I'm in the middle of finding out."
The veins on Irion's wrist bulged as he pressed the sword even deeper into the intruder's neck.
It was a touch-and-go situation.
Just as it seemed the cornered rat was about to open its mouth.
-Piing!
The sharp sound of something tearing through the air reached Irion's ears. Two arrows rushed toward Renoa through the thick darkness.
-Jjaenggeurang!
Just as the window shattered noisily and the arrows were about to pierce Renoa.
Irion's form blurred and vanished. In an instant, he blocked her front and swung his sword.
-Kaang!
Sparks flew in the darkness as the arrows were driven into the wall.
It was a flawless defense, but in that split second of about one second when Irion's gaze was focused on Renoa.
The intruder twisted their body. The blade grazed their neck, and blood splattered, but they didn't care about that level of damage.
They quickly escaped Irion's restraint and fled through the window. They vanished into the night mist in an instant.
When Irion reached the window a moment later, only the hem of the curtain fluttering in the wind remained before his eyes.
"Excuse us for a moment! What was that noise just now?"
The door burst open, and the knights who heard the commotion rushed in. Beyond them, the servants peeked their faces in.
"An intruder. They attacked targeting Agassi."
"An intruder?"
The knights drew their swords in unison. They surrounded Renoa as if to protect her.
"They have already fled. I can't even feel a presence nearby."
"You mean you lost the intruder?"
"There wasn't just one. It was an organized movement, not something done by amateurs. If I had chased them, they might have targeted Agassi from another location."
"Umm...."
The knights cast uncomfortable glances toward Irion at the fact that the intruder had been lost.
Irion didn't pay them any mind and checked Renoa's condition.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Renoa spoke calmly, but Irion noticed her tightly clasped hands were trembling slightly.
She was trying her best not to show it, but she seemed quite shaken.
'Well, she almost died.'
It was impressive enough that she didn't scream and was trying not to let it show.
"First, we should move rooms. Agassi, I will escort you to a safe place."
Irion held out his hand. Renoa stared at it for a moment before gently placing her hand on top of it.
They moved to the room right next door. Renoa sat on the bed.
"Could you bring some warm water?"
"Understood."
A maid quickly brought steaming water and handed it to Renoa.
Renoa soothed her startled body while drinking the water. Once the warmth spread, her mind and body seemed to stabilize a bit.
Bibi, who had been resting in another room, ran over in her pajamas.
"What on earth happened?"
"Unidentified assassins broke in targeting Agassi. They were skilled at hiding their presence and even easily deactivated the barrier placed on the inn. They don't seem like ordinary people."
"So they were trying to assassinate Agassi. Did you find out their identity?"
Irion shook his head.
"Agassi, do you have any idea who it might be?"
"Well."
Renoa slowly continued her words while feeling the warmth of the cup in her hands.
"Once you enter politics, targeting other families is a common occurrence. Especially for a Ducal family, there would be far more enemies."
"So you're saying it's impossible to narrow it down."
"If not that...."
"Is there something else?"
"People who find my very existence unpleasant."
That brought something specific to mind.
"The people of the main house...."
Vassals, or direct bloodline members.
Either was a possibility.
"But if it were the people of the main house, it seems it would be much easier to target you within the family without having to come all this way."
"If an incident occurs within the family, there's room for suspicion, but outside the Duchy, the number of suspects becomes countless."
"I see...."
Irion fell into deep thought.
Who would dare target the representative of a Ducal family, and in the middle of the Imperial City at that? How fearless.
He tried racking his brain, but it was something Irion could never figure out no matter how much he pondered.
While assassins would eventually flock to eliminate the black mage Renoa, it was still far too early for that.
There was nothing that came to mind right now.
"They aren't just your average bold bastards. To dare try and kill Agassi."
"Regarding that, while it's true they targeted Agassi, killing her might not have been the objective."
"What do you mean by that?"
Renoa frowned as Irion brought up an absurd speculation.
It was a matter where she might have entered eternal sleep without even waking up, yet he said murder might not have been the goal.
"The bastard tried to strangle Agassi using a rope."
"And?"
"If the goal was simply assassination, there's no need to do something so cumbersome."
"......Because stabbing the heart with a sword would be enough."
Irion nodded.
"There was also an archer among their group. Given their skill, sniping from a distance would have been possible. There's no reason to choose a risky method like strangulation after successfully infiltrating. If you had screamed, the waiting knights would have rushed in."
"Then? You're saying they were just pretending?"
"The hostility that fellow possessed was real. They intended to harm Agassi. It's just that the purpose might lie elsewhere."
"......"
Everyone put their heads together to wonder what that purpose could possibly be, but as expected, nothing came to mind.
Because information was severely lacking.
"Agassi, it is late. It would be best to worry about the details once day breaks and get some sleep."
"Irion-nim, what do you think about moving inns?"
"It's hard to find a suitable inn at this hour, and even if we move elsewhere, it won't necessarily be safe. We can't rule out the possibility of being attacked during the move either."
"It would be better to stay here then."
Irion nodded.
"Agassi, it might be uncomfortable, but I will remain in the room, so please sleep with peace of mind."
"......Alright."
Three shadows raced quickly across the buildings, cutting through the dawn air of the Imperial City.
Clad in black robes as if packaged in them, they were the mysterious figures who had just attacked Renoa.
While leaping across the rooftops, the man who had sustained a shallow wound on his neck clicked his tongue roughly.
"Damn it. To think we'd be discovered. Wasn't he just a slave?"
"He's the slave who defeated Knight Commander Calben. We knew from the start he wasn't an opponent to be taken lightly."
"Who's the idiot who believes that literally? Of course, I thought it was just a bluff to exaggerate their strength."
But it wasn't a bluff.
His stealth ability was undoubtedly the best in the organization. His specialty was assassinating without a trace. The times he had been detected could be counted on one hand.
This time too, he had successfully infiltrated by thwarting the detection magic set up by the Edelheids as if it were nothing.
But in the end, the operation failed.
Because he was caught by a mere slave.
If not for his comrade's help, he would have been taken prisoner then and there.
"Don't dwell on it too much. He also said that not getting caught was the top priority."
"Tteut."
The man clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
The fact that he was bested by a slave left a huge scratch on his pride. That level of consolation didn't make his resentment fade.
After jumping over buildings and scaling the outer walls of the Imperial Palace, the place they finally reached was the balcony of a certain detached palace.
As if by agreement, they all knelt on one knee on the floor and bowed their heads.
The place their gazes reached.
Beyond a luxurious desk, a man who had been walking through the banquet hall until just a moment ago was busy reading with his legs crossed.
Silver hair that seemed to emit its own light even in the darkness, and blue eyes so transparent they were almost clear.
"Well. Was the task I ordered resolved successfully?"
Prince Aether greeted the assassins.