"Ho-hoo, it seems we have a suspect," I smirked mischievously, "we should always start by looking for those who benefit from it the most."
"Uh, Krito?" Katrina appeared in the crystal, "Did you forget someone?"
"Hm?"
"Another heir?"
"Oh," besides Hilda and Freya, there was one more person who could claim the regent's position, "Seli, remember there was an attempt on your mother's life?"
"Yes, the word got out eventually."
"Reines, ask Freya where Helen lives, and you should head there soon. I have a very bad feeling about this."
"Okay, but..." Reines pondered, "will you be able to contact us if we head to the edge of the continent?"
"I'm afraid not," Kourone's voice echoed in the minds of everyone present. The crystal amplified her telepathy, "only as long as you stay close to magical ley lines. I fear I won't be able to reach you at the edge of Nordrune."
"So, we'll have to act blindly, but we'll definitely return for the trial."
"Well then, let's call it a day for now," the crystals of Reines and Katrina faded away.
"Hmm, it seems we finally have some suspects, although proving their involvement will be difficult," I looked around at those present, "by the way, you wanted to tell us about the assassins before we were interrupted."
"Are you interested in our guild?"
"I'm curious how a guild of assassins ended up serving the royal family. It hasn't happened in any other country."
"It seems you misunderstood us. We serve Leran, not the royal family," Serzen cast a playful glance at Seleria.
"Isn't it the same thing?" Miriam shrugged, "you swear allegiance to the king and protect him from conspirators."
"We swear to safeguard the welfare of the state, and as long as the king serves that purpose, we protect him," the assassin placed his glass on the table and clasped his hands before his face, "but if his actions threaten the safety of the state and its people, we have the exclusive right to execute him."
"What?" Miriam looked at me, and for me, it was no less shocking. However, Seleria remained as composed as ever, "but then you'll become traitors!"
"Exactly, that's where the difficulties arise. What if a tyrant is in power, leading the people towards destruction deliberately? What will happen in your countries?"
"Well, probably discontented nobles will gather and stage a coup."
"And if many nobles are content with the situation because they prosper from it themselves?"
"Then the people themselves will rise up and overthrow the ruler."
"And all of this will result in thousands of victims. The struggle won't stop there since they'll have to decide who will rule next."
"Such is the nature of the world."
"And not everyone liked that. It was the first time Leran encountered such a situation during the elemental wars. The civil wars subsided, and three major powers emerged, settling into a fragile truce. All that remained was to establish the borders between the countries. However, Leran suffered the least during the war, and besides, the fourth summoner died, making negotiations seem less necessary. The noble house that had seized power in Leran planned to provoke the other countries during the negotiations and incite them to continue the conflict. The best assassins were hired to kill all the envoys."
"The envoy from Leran was one of the ancestors of the current royal family," Seleria mumbled to herself, "at that time, the ancient House of Eileran suffered greatly from internal strife and was relegated to minor envoys."
"Yes, however, the representatives from Verania and Nordrune were relatives of the ruling family. For this mission, the king gathered the best assassins in Leran, but they refused to take the contract. It was a dirty time, and dozens of top mercenaries were killed to hide their involvement in the murders. Understandably, after such a crime, no one involved would be left alive. The negotiations were successful, and the ruler of Leran wanted to take out his anger on those who betrayed him. That's when they decided they had to get rid of a ruler who was pushing the country toward war."
"But if at that time they were considered traitors only to the king, then after his removal, wouldn't they become traitors to all of Leran?"
"Yes. They needed to eliminate the ruler in a way that no one would find out who did it," the master assassin raised the edge of his cloak, "and that's when one of them suggested a similar solution. Among that group of assassins was one special girl, not much was known about her, but she possessed magic, though she tried not to use it. All the assassins bought identical black cloaks with clasps in the shape of two daggers, and she cast intricate spells on them."
The assassins simultaneously pulled up their hoods, and it seemed to me that a shadow smoothly descended over their faces.
"The spell conceals the appearance of those under the cloak and gradually erases the assassin's face from the memory of witnesses."
I strained my memory and tried to recall the face of the person sitting in front of me, but nothing came to mind. Short black hair was the only thing I could remember.
"Well, it would be nice if you could at least remember my name, but most people perceive us as faceless black cloaks," the person said.
"Heh, quite convenient. If no one knows who committed the murder, then there's no one to blame," I remarked.
"Exactly, that's how our founders managed to eliminate the nobles who dreamed of starting a new war."
"But didn't impunity ever bother you?" I asked.
"Perhaps that's what led to the collapse of the first group of assassins. Those hidden under the cloak remembered only the same assassins, and we had to control our actions ourselves. After the unknown group of killers eliminated the king, no one dared to claim the throne, and in the end, the power passed into the hands of the assembly of nobles. On one hand, it was good, but on the other hand, each one was thinking about their own interests, and in reality, no one was governing the country. That's when our founders took a desperate step; they offered one of the nobles to become the new ruler."
"The one who revived the House of Eileran and became the first king of the new dynasty," Seleria spoke quietly from the edge of the table.
"In fact, he put an end to the war along with the leaders of two countries, and the people treated him well, but he was not the wealthiest representative of the nobility and didn't have much authority in the council. That's when the assassins offered him their help. The guild appeared at the council and pledged to support the new king."
"But nothing stopped you from killing him if you didn't like him, right?"
"To avoid that, we revealed ourselves to the king. An assassin's face can only be remembered if they remove the cloak."
"Since then, the assassins take an oath of loyalty to the people of Leran when a new heir is announced," Seleria smirked behind her mask.
"Only the members of the royal family recognize us in person, so if the guild ever betrays Leran, the king can execute us. But at the same time, we can eliminate him too."
"And if your desire to eliminate each other ever becomes mutual?"
A silence hung over the table...
"I hope it never comes to that, but even then, only the royal family or the guild of assassins will suffer. It won't lead to a full-scale revolution."
"It's an intriguing system of governance, but what guarantees that the assassins won't recruit the most incorrigible villains?"
The master assassin frowned in displeasure.
"The fact that we only recruit the best and only if their moral principles come first. We even managed to push through a proposal in the Academy to open a department for assassins, and our cloaks were used as a model for them. If we raise the youth from childhood to understand that a small amount of bloodshed can stop major wars, then one day they'll understand our goals themselves."
"Hmm... There's just one thing that bothers me," I looked at the three assassins in front of me, "if all of you have these cloaks, then the number of assassins must be quite limited, right?"
"That's true," the assassin chuckled.
"And how many of you are there?"
"Do you think how many people are needed for us to be feared throughout the entire continent?"
"That's the most amusing part!" the thief sitting next to me gleefully rubbed his hands. "Can you guess?"
"You should be enough to be feared, but not too many to lose control of the entire guild. Maybe around a hundred people," I suggested.
"That's too many," Seleria grumbled wearily.
"Unfortunately, the strength of that assassin wasn't enough to enchant so many cloaks. So we only have twenty-four of them," the speaker said.
"Um... isn't that a bit few?" I questioned.
"Let me remind you that no one knows our faces and can't distinguish one of us from another. Well, except for Frida, who stands out a little from the rest," the assassin glanced at the female assassin's forms.
"Tch, you can't resist making cheeky remarks," Frida playfully retorted.
"Also, we strive to recruit only those who can handle dangerous missions alone. So, no one can tell exactly how many of us there are," the assassin explained.
"But your services don't come cheap, and you always fulfill your contracts. It's unlikely that anyone would dare to defy you. Those who attempted these assassinations must have been very confident," I said.
"Or wealthy enough to hire an entire army. Even if they got rid of the king, they would still have to deal with us," added another.
"That's why I needed his help," Seleria pointed to the leader of the thieves, "remember my request?"
"Of course, though it seemed strange to me at first, I did everything," the thief handed a small list to Seleria, "these are the ones who started preparing first. But it will take a few more days to find out who initiated it."
"What is this?" I looked at the list, which contained the names of prominent trading houses in Leran, most of which were part of the council.
"Long before the assassination attempt, someone began buying imperial gold on the black market and equipping smuggling caravans to trade with the Empire," the thief explained.
"Ah, so dealing with merchants wasn't their only purpose in the port?" I asked.
"Yes, rumors about it reached me too," the head of the thieves responded on behalf of the princess, "so, after coordinating our actions, we started gathering information about it."
"It doesn't make sense to buy a foreign currency from a country with broken diplomatic relations unless there's a significant rapprochement with that country," I pondered.
"Exactly, someone knew that there would soon be an opportunity to trade with the Empire and prepared in advance," Seleria confirmed.
"Unfortunately, by the time we realized it, many families were already involved, and now it's hard to say who started it," the head of the thieves explained.
"And did you fulfill my request?" Seleria exchanged glances with the master thief.
"Yes, we tried to deliver that batch precisely to the dealers who were the first to create a fuss about buying imperial coins," the thief confirmed.
"Excellent, now we just need to find them," Seleria said.
"What's wrong with these coins?" I inquired.
"Nothing special, they just have a few distinctive scratches that will help us find them. That's how we'll figure out who started it all. And if I'm not mistaken, this person is involved in the assassination attempt," Seleria explained.
"So, are we just going to storm in and search their place?" I asked.
"No, that's pointless. If we make a mistake, they'll find out immediately and hide the evidence. We have to act secretly, and perhaps it's best to start with the main suspect," Seleria replied.
Seleria pointed to the Oregol family name, apparently the surname of the second most influential person in Leran, the leader of the nobility.
"Do you think it will be easy to break into the treasury of such a person?" I asked.
"Ho-ho," the master thief smirked cunningly at the princess, "I believe that the great thief of Leran with fiery eyes won't have trouble infiltrating the treasury of this family again."
A sly smile flickered on the thief's face. Apparently, the princess didn't cover her face for no reason, and they knew her here under a completely different guise.
"So, will the famous thief share with us how he managed to break into the treasury of the richest family in Leran?" I playfully teased Seleria with a little white lie.
"It was nothing special. The treasury was located in the middle of the desert, and there Voren kept not only his treasures but also what he dearly loved - a harem of hundreds of slaves, most of whom he held by force. They helped me. When there were very few guards left in the palace, they drugged them with a sleeping potion I prepared. After that, all I had to do was sneak into the vault. It took a lot of time to deal with the traps, but everything went smoothly. I only needed one particular gem, and the rest was taken by the captives as a reward. If my memory serves me right, they founded their community on the northern border of Leran and hired a decent army to protect themselves from possible retaliation," Seleria explained.
"Unfortunately, the second time won't be as easy," the master thief sighed heavily, "now he keeps the main wealth in the capital, in his mansion. There, the security is not only personal but also includes the city guard. We need to act very delicately."
"We'll have to prepare. Find out the guard's locations, track their movements. I think we should start in three days," Seleria planned.
"Are you not rushing too much?" the master thief questioned.
"We don't have much time, so we'll have to take the risk. It would be nice to obtain the mansion's plans as well," Seleria said.
"I'll try to do that, but I can't guarantee anything. The Oregols are skilled at covering their tracks when necessary. Besides, Voren redesigned the lower floors after the robbery; there could be anything down there," the master thief warned.
"Hmm, fine. And will you help me get inside?" Seleria looked at her guild members, "Miriam, you take a higher position on the tower and cover us if the guards get too close."
"Hey, I won't kill anyone!" Miriam protested.
"Don't worry, you won't have to. Rizel, your strength might come in handy for disarming traps. Krito, come with me, just in case," Seleria assigned roles.
"Mmm, I'm not very good at stealth operations," Krito hesitated.
"I can help you with that," the master assassin pulled out a small box from under the table, although I didn't remember seeing it there before, "with this, it will be easier for you to infiltrate."
Inside the box were two gloves with silvery shields concealing sharp blades.
"Daggers? I would also prefer to avoid casualties," Krito remarked.
"Look lower, a paralyzing poison will assist you. One jab, and the opponent will be out for a couple of hours," the master assassin explained.
I raised the daggers, and indeed, there was a small vial with a transparent liquid under them, but beneath it was something even more intriguing. A black cloak with a delicate silver trim and a clasp in the form of two daggers. It looked like a regular assassin's cloak from the Academy, but it radiated a powerful magic.
"Is this what I think it is?" I glanced suspiciously at the smirking master assassin.
"Master, are you not rushing too much!?" the female assassin tapped the table impatiently.
"I understand it's risky, but our guild lacks people. Currently, we have only sixteen assassins, and three of them were injured in the last attempt on the king's life. If unrest breaks out, our help will be needed, and I would like the guild to be at full strength," the master explained.
"But you can't make such decisions on your own. Even the guild leader should consult with the other members," the female assassin argued.
"But an Assassin can pass on their cloak to another person if they find them worthy," the master countered.
"So, is this your old cloak? It smells like deceit!" the female assassin scowled.
"It's not just that," the assassin sitting at the edge interjected, sniffing lightly at the cloak, "I've heard of your adventures, but to still have... this."
Now, I also noticed a faint swampy odor coming from the cloak. However, as these catacombs were connected to the city's sewer system, I initially didn't realize that the smell came from the cloak.
"Thank you for your trust, but I have no intention of joining the assassin's guild," I tried to return the box, but the guild leader stopped my hand.
"Don't dismiss it so quickly. Such an offer rarely comes. Keep it for now; you can always return it through our mutual acquaintance," the guild leader suggested.
The assassins smoothly stood up from the table, leaving the box with the precious artifact in my possession.