Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: The Staff of Wisdom
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After leaving Troven, I headed straight east.
There was no need to return to the Central Branch.
My role was already over, and I had also achieved my initial objective.
Because of this, Faceless and Wendy now owed me a great debt.
I didn't know when it would be, but at some point, they would have no choice but to move as I wished.
'Ugh! My precious bonus...'
The visit to Salon Mascal had been quite a costly one.
Hadn't I ordered expensive liquor only to have a few sips?
In any case, I'd made arrangements for the future, so I had to consider it a profitable venture.
I stopped by the Firend Territory, east of the capital, and purchased a horse.
Then, I rode straight for the Empire's Eastern Branch.
The journey to my destination would likely take a full month.
"Ugh! Finally made it!"
Entering the branch, I let out a cheer with a look of sheer delight.
As luck would have it, the local chapter's safe house was in the middle of relocating, so I couldn't get any support.
Having to handle everything on my own, I unintentionally had to sleep outdoors as a matter of course.
Just like during the covert protection mission.
The agents passing by gave me strange looks, but no one said anything outright.
After all, you could count the number of people in the Eastern Branch with a higher rank than me on one hand.
They just glanced over, probably thinking their superior had lost his mind.
'What are these bastards? Now that I think about it, that's pretty rude. To someone who just got back from a tough job…'
*Thud!*
As I glared and started to get up, someone popped out and suddenly slung an arm over my shoulder.
A movement so stealthy and agile it was impossible to detect.
In the Empire's Eastern Branch, there was only one person who could do this to me.
"Well, well! Look who it is! Isn't it the runaway agent, back after a year and three months!"
"Let go and talk, will you? Two guys like this could give people the wrong idea."
"Ah, my apologies. I was just so glad to see you. Shall we go in for a cup of tea?"
"Ah, yes, yes."
The man who released me and started walking away with long strides was Branch Manager Dusk.
Although I belonged to the Empire's Eastern Branch, I had only ever gone on a single mission.
Of course, that mission was the major assassination of the governor in the Pellard Autonomous Region.
In any case, from Dusk's perspective, I might not have been a very welcome sight.
But the branch manager seemed to have no interest in any unpleasant incidents.
*Thump!*
As soon as we entered his office, he placed a directive on the table.
"Seriously, a mission right after I arrive? No way. Not doing it. Just give me the bonus I never got. I'm going to rest for a while."
"This is a really good request. It's not even an assassination."
"That just makes me want to do it even less."
Just how much did I suffer while escorting Raoul?
It was far easier just to snuff out a life.
And the rewards were better, too.
Though I vehemently refused, Dusk just smiled meaningfully.
Seeing that smile, a sense of unease began to bubble up inside me.
"But, you see, this request comes with a special bonus."
"Huh? A special what?"
"Ah, I'm saying they're giving you a bigger payout. The client added a premium."
Honestly, I couldn't help but be tempted.
I hadn't had any income for over a year.
Moreover, the long-term escort mission was a form of disciplinary action, so I hadn't received a single coin from the family.
As a result, for a 1st-class assassin, I was dirt poor.
"How much is it?"
"It's written right there. See for yourself."
Dusk jutted his chin toward the mission directive on the table.
After glancing at the document, I couldn't help but nod.
It was too large a sum to refuse.
A gasp of admiration escaped my lips on its own.
"I was born for this mission. What do you need me to do?"
"It's all written in the directive, so what are you asking?"
"This thing is just a long-winded list of weird information anyway. Ever heard of a three-line summary?"
"Hey, you're quite the complainer. This request is a retrieval."
"Hoh."
I had experienced countless assassinations and even taken on a protection mission.
But to be given a retrieval right after returning...
It was a rather refreshing type of request.
Seeing my interest, Dusk immediately continued his explanation.
"The request came from the Kraus Theocracy, but I'll skip the background since you won't listen anyway."
"An excellent choice, sir."
"The details are simple. You are to retrieve a holy relic called the Staff of Wisdom. Which, of course, means stealing it."
"From where?"
"The office of the governor of the Everdeen Autonomous Region."
"..."
For a moment, I nearly kicked the branch manager right in his face.
* * *
After moving to the Eastern Branch's safe house in the Veltia Autonomous Region, I began my preliminary work for the mission.
My first order of business was to bring out my identity as Keros, the Slayer of Daysol.
Usually, all the necessary information came down with the mission directive.
But I always conducted my own investigations to increase the reliability of the intelligence.
This was because, just as Wendy had been in danger in Troven, the Assassination Guild's information was sometimes inaccurate.
I contacted the Valiant Guild and was able to obtain information regarding the Everdeen Autonomous Region.
Of course, the process was not exactly smooth.
After all, I, the one who eliminated Brooks, had vanished for over a year.
'Still, it was a good thing I had a solid excuse.'
It was a major incident—the assassination of the Pellard Autonomous Region's governor.
When I said I'd been hiding to avoid being tracked, Sertin had no choice but to accept it.
However, it seemed it would take a little more time to rebuild trust.
I'd probably have to help them out quite a bit after this was over.
"I'll think about that later. For now, let's focus on this."
Operating as Keros was a matter for the future.
I had currently approached the vicinity of the governor's residence in Everdeen.
However, the security was so tight that I couldn't approach recklessly.
Infiltration would be impossible without exploiting the security gap the Valiant Guild had informed me of.
I was largely responsible for this level of heightened security.
The assassination of Brooks, the Sword of Thunderclap, had heightened tensions in the four partitioned autonomous regions.
'A little more... Now.'
As a patrol group passed by, I finally rose from the bushes.
The governor's residence walls were protected not only by all sorts of warding spells but also by a wide-range magic barrier.
To break through this, ordinary methods wouldn't stand a chance.
Of course, for me, with my 4th-tier magic abilities, it was a surmountable challenge.
Though it would take a bit more time than it would for a real mage.
I pressed myself against a corner of the wall and began to disable the warding spells.
'It would be a problem if a fight broke out.'
At the time I assassinated the Sword of Thunderclap, my level was merely 5th-tier.
Now, I was approaching 3rd-tier, but facing Governor Felix of Everdeen would be exceedingly difficult.
Brooks had held his position as a courtesy for his military service, but Felix was different.
Moreover, he would surely have ample preparations against an assassination attempt.
If I were discovered, it would not be an easy fight.
Of course, I had no intention of letting that happen.
*Click!*
Just then, the warding spell deactivated, creating a hole in the magic barrier.
I quickly slipped through it and flattened myself in a drainage ditch.
*Clomp! Clomp!*
Immediately, the sound of the patrollers' footsteps reached me.
The security gap identified by the Valiant Guild was practically the eye of a needle.
'What kind of gap is this? Only I could get through.'
Had an ordinary 4th-tier assassin been deployed, they would have likely failed the mission.
Dusk had specifically assigned me because he knew that.
Once the patrollers passed, I began to move cautiously.
I had already memorized the layout of the residence's interior and the positions of the guards on duty.
Now, all I could do was pray that no unexpected situations arose.
Fortunately, the patrollers did not stray from their designated posts and diligently performed their duties.
Their thoroughness actually aided my infiltration.
'He hasn't returned to his bedroom yet.'
The lights in the governor's office were still brightly lit.
Felix was a great collector, a man so serious about it that he had a private vault installed in his office.
The governor had a habit of visiting his secret vault after work to admire his collection.
It seemed I would have to wait until he came out.
Without being discovered by the patrollers, of course.
'Wow! This is pretty high-difficulty.'
Trying to avoid the patrollers while keeping an eye on the office was giving me a headache.
If not for the Form-Shifting Invisibility Technique, I would have been discovered long ago.
But I couldn't let my guard down.
Occasionally, the patrollers would walk around creating a pale blue wave with some strange magical item.
It seemed to be an artifact imbued with detection magic.
*Clack!*
But then, the office door suddenly opened, and someone came out.
Neatly groomed white hair, large spectacles, and a navy mage's robe.
That man was Felix, the governor of Everdeen.
I remained perfectly still, waiting for him to leave.
*Click! Clack!*
After firmly locking the office door, Felix checked a few spots before moving away at a slow pace.
The patrollers, recognizing him, saluted.
"Leaving for the day, Your Excellency?"
While the governor chatted with the patrollers, I moved swiftly.
*Swoosh. Thud!*
I disabled the warding spell on the window and slipped inside, revealing the dark interior.
As befitting a renowned collector, the office was adorned with various works of art.
However, there was nothing that looked like a vault.
It was quite spacious, but still just a single room.
The places where something could be hidden were limited.
With my skills, I was sure I could find it before long.
First, I decided to cast a search spell.
There might be hidden traps in this room as well.
But it was at that very moment.
*Swish. Thump!*
The window on the opposite side opened stealthily, and wasn't that someone trying to enter the office?
Spotting the intruder, I quickly hid and drew upon my aura.
I completely erased my presence with the Form-Shifting Invisibility Technique.
'What is that?'