Chapter 52
On the night the imperial banquet was in full swing.
Leon and Renoa slipped out of the imperial palace before anyone else.
After the banquet ended, the front of the palace would turn into chaos with all the nobles trying to get to their carriages.
They had achieved their initial goal.
There was nothing to gain by staying any longer.
Renoa turned on her heel without hesitation.
The Edelheid delegation's carriage raced across the capital's night streets and, not long after, stopped in front of a three-story building.
It was the finest inn in the capital, reserved by House Edelheid during their stay.
To prepare for any possible attackers, two soldiers stood at the entrance. An anti-intrusion barrier was active throughout the inn.
“You all worked hard today. Rest up, and let's depart early tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, milady.”
With the knights' and servants' sendoff behind her, Renoa headed for the deluxe suite on the top floor.
At the end of the corridor.
Two doors stood side by side.
Leon stood before the guard room adjoining Renoa's bedroom.
“Have a pleasant night. If anything happens, scream right away. The more of a fuss you make, the better.”
“Sure….”
Having no energy left to even argue, Renoa gave a brief reply and went into the room.
With the maids' help, she removed her jewelry, took off her dress, and wiped away her makeup.
In light indoor clothes, she sat down on the soft bed.
“Phew….”
Only after all those cumbersome things were finally gone did she feel like she could breathe at last.
She was physically and mentally exhausted after greeting dozens of nobles one by one.
In effect, today was Renoa's debutante ball. No matter who she was, she couldn't help but be more tense than usual.
When she stayed at the villa, at least she only had to dress minimally.
As expected, going to formal functions wasn't always a pleasant thing.
“Then, young lady. I'll be waiting in the corner. If you need anything in the middle of the night, just call on me…….”
“No need.”
Renoa cut her off cleanly.
“You're just going to get in the way, so get out.”
“What? But I have to stay by your side in case something happens….”
“I said get out because I don't need you. Can't you understand what I'm saying?”
It was a sharp order to leave.
The maid hesitated for a moment, but in the end lowered her head.
“Then… I'll wait outside. Please ring the bell if you need anything.”
After the maid left, the door closed.
Normally, at least one maid would remain, but Renoa didn't trust anyone.
Especially not when she was defenseless in bed. At the very least, only someone like Vivi could be trusted.
But Vivi had also worked hard preparing for this banquet. It would be fine to let her rest well for a day.
Renoa lay down on the bed.
It wasn't as good as the bed in the family estate, but since this was supposedly the capital's finest inn, it wasn't uncomfortable for sleeping.
Exhausted from the day and having not slept properly lately, Renoa fell asleep in an instant.
***
In the deep pre-dawn silence, only Renoa's even breathing could be heard as she slept soundly.
The tightly shut window opened softly and without a sound.
Taking advantage of the opening, a chill night breeze drifted in, and with it, an unwelcome guest wrapped in pitch-black darkness slipped into the room.
As if the target had been decided from the start, the intruder's killing intent moved without hesitation toward the bed in the middle of the room.
The target was the defenseless young lady of House Edelheid, fast asleep.
The assailant quietly closed the distance, took a thick rope from within his clothes, and pulled it taut with both hands.
And just as he moved to loop it around Renoa's sleeping neck.
“That's far enough.”
A sword stopped right in front of his throat.
Only then did the intruder realize there was someone standing behind him. Leon, who had been in the next room, was already there.
“Who the hell are you.”
A chill blade pressed lightly against the assailant's nape.
A silent threat that if he showed even the slightest suspicious movement, his throat would be cut on the spot.
“How….”
Panic seeped into the assailant's voice.
It had been a perfect infiltration, leaving not even the faintest trace of his presence.
He had approached without even the sound of footsteps, erasing his breathing as well, yet not only had he been detected, he had even given away his back.
He had only recently removed the bracelet. He should still be having trouble controlling mana.
He was a fighter who easily outclassed the reports they'd heard.
A chill ran down his spine. He couldn't move recklessly. The icy killing intent traveled along the blade and conveyed itself in full.
-rustle.
As if the tightly coiled killing intent had reached Renoa too, she stirred and half sat up.
In Renoa's hazy dark-green eyes, the black figure looming up to her chin and Leon, his sword at that man's neck, were both reflected at once.
“……Leon?”
“An assassin.”
At those words, Renoa's foggy mind snapped awake. Having grasped the situation at once, her eyes turned sharp.
“Who hired you?”
“I'm finding out now.”
Veins stood out on Leon's wrist as he tightened his grip on the assailant's throat.
A hair's-breadth from disaster.
Just as it seemed the cornered rat might open its mouth.
-Whizz!
With a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air, two arrows hurtled toward Renoa from the darkness.
-Crash!
The window shattered loudly just as the arrows were about to pierce Renoa.
Leon’s figure blurred and vanished. In the next instant, he had moved in front of her and swung his sword.
-Clang!
Sparks flew in the darkness as the arrows were driven into the wall.
It was a flawless defense, but in that split second when Leon's gaze shifted to Renoa.
The assailant twisted his body. The blade scraped his neck and blood splattered, but he didn't care about a wound like that.
He quickly slipped out of Leon's restraint and fled through the window. In an instant, he vanished into the night mist.
By the time Leon reached the window, all that remained before his eyes was the edge of a curtain fluttering in the wind.
“Excuse me for a moment! What was that noise just now?”
The door flew open and the knights, hearing the commotion, rushed in. Beyond them, the servants craned their necks to peek inside.
“An intruder. They attacked, targeting the young lady.”
“An intruder?”
The knights drew their swords in unison. They surrounded Renoa as if guarding her.
“They've already fled. I can't even sense their presence nearby.”
“You lost the intruder?”
“There wasn't just one. It was a coordinated attack, clearly not the work of amateurs. If we chase them, they might go after the young lady somewhere else.”
“Hmm….”
Because the intruder had gotten away, the knights cast uncomfortable looks at Leon.
Leon paid them no mind and checked on Renoa's condition.
“Are you all right?”
“I'm fine.”
Though Renoa spoke calmly, Leon noticed both of her tightly clasped hands were trembling slightly.
She was only trying not to show it, but she seemed quite shaken.
‘Well, she almost died, after all.’
Not screaming even once, and even trying not to show it, was impressive enough.
“We should move rooms first. Young lady, I'll escort you to a safer place.”
Leon extended a hand. Renoa looked at it for a moment, then gently placed her hand in his.
They moved to the room right next door. Renoa sat down on the bed.
“Could you bring some warm water?”
“Understood.”
A maid quickly brought steaming water and handed it to Renoa.
Renoa drank the water and soothed her startled body. As warmth spread through her, her mind and body finally seemed to settle.
Vivi, who had been resting in another room, rushed over in her nightclothes.
“What happened?”
“Unidentified assassins infiltrated the inn, targeting the young lady. They're skilled at concealing their presence, and they even effortlessly broke through the barrier set around the inn. They don't seem like ordinary people.”
“So they were trying to assassinate the young lady. Did you find out who they were?”
Leon shook his head.
“Young lady, do you have any idea who it might be?”
“Well….”
Renoa slowly continued, feeling the warmth of the cup in her hand.
“Once you step into politics, targeting another house is commonplace. Especially if it's a ducal house, there'd be far more enemies.”
“So you're saying we can't narrow it down.”
“If that's not it….”
“Is there something else?”
“People who dislike my very existence.”
One thing immediately came to mind.
“People from the main house….”
Retainers, or direct relatives.
Either was possible.
“But if it were someone from the main house, it seems it would be much easier for them to target you within the family estate instead of coming all the way out here.”
“If something happens within the family, there'd be room to suspect them, but outside the ducal territory the number of suspects becomes countless.”
“I see….”
Leon fell into deep thought.
Who would dare target the ducal house's representative, and in the middle of the capital at that? They had no fear at all.
He racked his brain, but it was something Leon would never understand no matter how long he thought about it.
Although assassins were already closing in on the black mage Renoa, it was still far too early.
For now, he had no clue.
“They're not ordinary bold fools. To think they'd dare try to kill the young lady.”
“About that part, they did target the young lady, but killing her may not have been the objective.”
“What do you mean?”
When Leon put forward that ridiculous guess, Renoa frowned.
This was a matter where she might never wake up again and could have slipped into eternal sleep, yet he was saying murder might not have been the goal.
“He used a rope and tried to strangle the young lady.”
“And?”
“If simple assassination were the goal, there'd be no need for such a cumbersome method.”
“……Because all you have to do is stab the heart with a sword.”
Leon nodded.
“There was also an archer among them. Judging by their skill, they could have sniped from afar. There was no reason to choose a dangerous method like strangulation after infiltrating successfully. If she had screamed even once, the knights on standby would have come in.”
“Then? They were just pretending?”
“His malice was real. He intended to harm the young lady. It's just that the purpose behind it may have been something else.”
“…….”
Everyone put their heads together and tried to figure out what that purpose might be, but as expected, nothing came to mind.
There simply wasn't enough information.
“Young lady, it's late. I think it'd be best to think about the details after dawn and get some rest for now.”
“Lord Leon, what do you think about changing inns?”
“It would be hard to find a proper inn at this hour, and even elsewhere it wouldn't be safe. We also can't rule out the possibility of being attacked while moving.”
“Then this place is better after all.”
Leon nodded.
“Young lady, though it may be uncomfortable, I'll stay in the room, so please sleep without worry.”
“……All right.”
***
Cutting through the dawn air of the capital, three shadows raced swiftly over the rooftops.
Wrapped head to toe in black robes, they were the assailants who had just attacked Renoa.
As they leaped across the rooftops, the man with a shallow cut on his neck clicked his tongue harshly.
“Damn it. I never thought we'd be discovered. Wasn't he just a slave?”
“He's the slave who defeated that Kalven knight commander. We knew from the start he wasn't someone to take lightly.”
“Who'd be stupid enough to believe that outright? Of course I thought it was just bragging to inflate his standing.”
But it wasn't bragging.
As far as stealth went, he was unquestionably outstanding in the organization. Assassinating people without anyone noticing was his specialty. He could count on one hand the times he'd ever been detected.
This time too, he had successfully infiltrated by effortlessly bypassing the detection magic cast around Edelheid.
But in the end, the operation failed.
Because he was caught by a mere slave.
If not for his companion's help, he would have been captured on the spot.
“Don't worry too much. That person said not getting caught was the top priority, too.”
“Tch.”
The man clicked his tongue in annoyance.
The fact that he'd been done in by a slave scratched his pride badly. That level of consolation did nothing to ease his anger.
After vaulting over buildings and scaling the imperial palace's outer wall, the place they ultimately reached was the balcony of a certain detached palace.
As if by prior agreement, they all dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
Where their gazes fell.
Beyond the luxurious desk, the man who had been strolling through the banquet hall just moments ago was engrossed in reading with his legs crossed.
Silver hair that seemed to shine even in the dark, and blue eyes so clear they were almost transparent.
“So, how did it go? Was the task I assigned handled well?”
Prince Aither received the assassins.