Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: The Capital Incident
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Raul didn't call for me again until we reached the palace in the Duchy of Caliburn.
It seemed he was being considerate, trying not to put his friend in a difficult position.
After confirming that the third prince had entered the palace, I left the Duchy of Caliburn.
And just like that, the special six-month mission came to an end.
'Ugh! I shouldn't have taken it.'
The location marked on the secret map was incredibly far away.
I would have to travel all the way to the territory of the Ties Family just to find the entrance.
In the demanding life of a guild assassin, I would never have the time to visit.
"I'll go someday. No idea when, though."
Even if it was in the northwestern corner of the continent, I'd probably get a chance to go at least once in my life.
Meeting a fairy wouldn't necessarily be a good thing, so there was no need to dwell on it.
'I've more or less established the Heaven-Severing Demonic Chain Sword...'
I hadn't been able to train much while serving as a covert escort.
But that didn't mean I had gained nothing.
The third form, the Heaven-Severing Demonic Moon, was almost complete.
It was time to set my next goal.
To do that, I needed a variety of experiences and insights.
"If I want to build up my achievements, I'd better hurry back."
After all, I had to reach Special-Grade before I could even dream of aiming for Transcendence-Grade.
* * *
I cut through the heart of the Vertos Empire, intending to head straight for Black Scale Island.
Even with the aid of magic, pushing my horse relentlessly, I had only made it to the imperial capital after two months.
That was just how vast the territory of the Vertos Empire was.
From here, it would take at least another month of riding to barely reach the Ruberic Fief, where a Black Spot was located.
The imperial capital, Troven.
'This place develops so fast. It's changed too much.'
During my time as the Young Lord of Riverune, I had often visited Troven.
As the most prosperous city on the continent, it had plenty of entertainment to offer.
Nearly twenty years had passed, so the city was quite different from my memories.
In particular, the sight of boys holding bundles of paper and shouting as they ran around was entirely new to me.
"Extra! Extra! You won't regret reading this news!"
An extra was a special edition newspaper printed outside the regular publication schedule.
Several men in fedoras bought the papers and began to read.
Following their lead, I approached one of the boys and handed him a silver coin.
"Oh! Are you buying one?"
"Sell a lot. The rest is a tip."
"Thank you!"
The grimy boy grinned, showing his teeth, and skipped away.
The coin was worth what he would earn from selling five newspapers.
I quickly began to read the paper.
As soon as I turned to the next page, an unsettling headline caught my eye.
'Failed Assassination Attempt. Who is Responsible?'
The article reported an assassination attempt on Marquis Pennant.
The Pennants were a powerful feudal family that held sway over the eastern part of the empire, one of the nation's key power blocs.
There were only a few organizations capable of such a bold act.
Though it was all just rumors, I had a gut feeling our family was behind it.
'It's on my way, so I should stop by the Central Branch and check things out.'
The guild's Imperial Central Branch was located in the capital, Troven.
I immediately found the branch, went through the verification process, and entered.
As expected, the inside was in an uproar.
"Is this information confirmed?"
"Yes, sir. The Capital Guard is searching every corner of Troven. We cannot determine Bluebird's location."
"We need to pull back our agents before we attract unnecessary suspicion. Move it!"
"Yes, sir!"
The ones rushing about were all intelligence agents.
There wasn't a single assassin in sight.
Given the gravity of the situation, it seemed they had all been dispatched on a special mission.
I stopped a passing agent and asked a question.
"What's with all the commotion? Is it about that incident in the papers?"
"Yes! For details, please check the intelligence reports!"
But he simply gave me a troubled look and hurried off somewhere.
Shrugging, I headed to the intelligence room and began looking through the guild's internal documents.
To avoid any potential trouble, I only reviewed the files accessible to a 1st-Grade agent.
Fortunately, among them was the information I needed.
'Codename Bluebird. On the run after failed assassination. Requesting support. Hmm...'
After deciphering the code, I couldn't help but swallow hard.
Codename Bluebird.
That name meant Kairam's second daughter, Wendy.
*Thud!*
Just as I finished decoding the message.
A loud noise came from outside, and the bustling hall suddenly fell silent.
I peeked my head out of the intelligence room.
My eyes fell on a man wearing a white mask that covered only half of his face.
After sweeping his piercing gaze over the agents, he spoke in a chilling voice.
"I've heard the gist of it, but what was the exact cause of this incident?"
"B-Branch Chief..."
"If it was enough to interrupt my vacation, there had better be a damn good reason. Report."
"Yes, sir!"
The man in the half-mask was the chief of the Imperial Central Branch.
'Raider of the Half-Moon, Codename Faceless.'
I recognized him instantly.
Within the guild, Faceless was the only one who wore such a mask.
Rumor had it that a curse had blown away half his face, but that was just hearsay.
The number of people who had seen the right side of his face could be counted on one hand.
'I don't care about some guy's face. Still, the Central Branch Chief...'
Faceless had spent his trainee days with the Eastern Branch Chief, but his rise to success had been much faster.
In terms of skill, he was comparable to Dusk, but his influence within the family was far greater.
That's why he had secured a major position and settled here so early.
Honestly, the position of Imperial Central Branch Chief was more appealing to me than the man himself.
'It might be good to put him in my debt. He might side with me later on.'
The Rantzverger Family was tightly united around the Acting Head.
Kairam's competence and charisma as the family's regent were the driving force that sustained this massive organization.
However, that didn't mean the family was completely free of factions.
The direct descendants were quite capable, so some Transcendence-Grade agents were already choosing sides.
Naturally, their choices were Mitra and Wendy.
Someone like me wasn't even on their radar yet, but no one knew what the future held.
The day would come when Transcendence-Grade agents would scramble to align themselves with me.
'First, let's hear what he has to say.'
What I had gathered from the intelligence room was merely a fragment of the full picture.
As I listened closely, I heard the agent reporting to Faceless.
"The Capital Guard is currently blockading all of Troven's city gates. We've just received intelligence that the South Gate has been completely sealed."
"Did I ask you for a status update?"
"Sir?"
"I asked for the cause. The cause!"
Faced with the chief's angry question, the agent broke into a cold sweat and stammered his reply.
"W-what cause are you referring to, sir?"
"The reason Bluebird failed. She wouldn't have failed to eliminate someone like Marquis Pennant due to a lack of skill, would she?"
"Well... there was an error in the mission directive."
"An error?"
"It means she went in to perform the kill with faulty information."
"What? Have you all lost your minds? Ugh! Fine, just continue with the status update you were about to give me."
"Yes, sir!"
Faceless seemed slightly agitated.
Although he had been away from the field for quite some time, such an intense reaction felt a bit out of place.
Wasn't he a renowned assassin in his day?
'There must be a reason for this...'
I licked my lips and glanced around.
Then, my eyes landed on the rather luxurious Branch Chief's office.
Clean glass walls, antique-looking furniture, and even a statue carved from marble.
It stood in stark contrast to the very modest desks of the intelligence agents.
'He'd do that to a hideout? A place that might have to be abandoned at a moment's notice?'
I stared at the office in disbelief.
Compared to Dusk's, it was dripping with an extravagant luxury that was like night and day.
It was probably only possible because the Central Branch's budget was much larger than the Eastern Branch's.
'So that's it? For someone who seems so complex, he's surprisingly simple.'
A grin spread across my face as I looked at the office.
Then I turned my gaze to Faceless, who was giving orders to the agents.
If I played my cards right, I might be able to use this man.
Leaving the intelligence room, I approached Faceless.
"Contact the Annihilation Squad Leader. Tell him to be ready to push through the Capital Guard if necessary. You, coordinate with the Discret Guild. And you..."
The Branch Chief, who had been in the middle of giving orders, narrowed his eyes and froze.
He had spotted me, an existence that did not belong in the Imperial Central Branch.
I gave a slight shrug and bowed my head in greeting.
"Good day, Branch Chief."
"A direct descendant."
The Rantzverger Family made no distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, but it was strict in its hierarchy based on strength.
For example, Mitra and Wendy were revered, while Isabel and I were kept at a distance.
Still, a direct descendant was a direct descendant, so they wouldn't boss me around from the get-go just because my agent rank was low.
Normally, they would have put me to work immediately, regardless of which branch I belonged to.
"It seems the situation isn't very good, is it?"
"What is an agent from the Eastern Branch doing here?"
"I was on my way back from a mission in the Duchy of Caliburn, part of the Veldam Federation. I just stopped by on my way through, and it seems I've walked into quite a mess."
"Are you here to get on my nerves? Before I decide to take your head..."
"Oh, come now! How could I possibly do that to you, Branch Chief? I only mentioned it because I was wondering if I could be of any help."
My words were polite, but my actions were anything but.
I mean, what kind of 1st-Grade nobody would dare interrupt a Branch Chief?
But Faceless seemed completely unconcerned with etiquette.
It appeared he was truly desperate for help.
"What can a mere 1st-Grade agent like you possibly do?"
"Wasn't it proven during the Instructor's Trial that I'm the youngest ever to master the Demonic Wheel Kill? You can't treat me like my peers. Except for the Acting Head, of course. That demon... well, she's in a league of her own."
"..."
Lost in thought, the Branch Chief was silent for a while.
His gaze merely followed my fingertips as they flipped through a document.
His mind must have been racing.
This was a situation where he could lose not just his position, but his head as well.
"How exactly can you help me? You must have some clever plan in mind to even bring this up, right?"
The Central Branch Chief's tone had suddenly become gentle.
I flashed a sly smile and raised an eyebrow.
"Heh heh! I have a plan."