"Your Highness!"
"Get to safety!"
The guards screamed desperately.
[Well, well.]
The man in the wooden mask chuckled as if he couldn't believe his movements had been discovered in such a way.
[But, even so, it won't change anything.]
Some knights even threw themselves forward, but by then the sharp wind had already reached Prince Cromhel.
Clang, clang!
Prince Cromhel gritted his teeth, trying desperately to shake off his opponent. However, with no way to predict the enemy's movements, he could only fend off two or three strikes at best.
He could no longer read the footsteps. Somehow, no traces were left behind.
'I need to do something…!'
Elric ran toward Prince Cromhel, racking his brain for a solution.
Is that guy important to you?
Yu's spiritual form hummed in Elric's mind as if amused by the situation.
Didn't you usually not care much about others unless they were close to you?
Why are you trying to help him?
Just let it be. That should be enough.
If you do, that ghost-like man will probably finish his job and quietly disappear. There's no need for you to get involved, is there?
Elric wondered why Yu was being so talkative today, but he gritted his teeth and mentally shouted back.
'Damn it! Important or not doesn't matter!'
Really?
'No matter how much of a mess I am, I'm not the type to stand by and let someone who's shown me genuine kindness get hurt!'
Hm. Kindness, huh? That's a foreign concept to me.
Still, I suppose it can be a significant motivation for humans.
Haha, humans really are amusing.
'Stop talking nonsense and help me if you're going to! If not, then get lost!'
So impatient, aren't you, Master? Learn patience—it'll bring you good fortune.
With Yu's whispered words, Elric suddenly felt his senses sharpen. No, more precisely, his awareness expanded to various areas.
Among them was the area around Prince Cromhel!
Elric realized it was an expansion of his perception through shadows.
He didn't understand the mechanics, but if he could perceive his opponent's territory through shadows, countless possibilities opened up.
"[Shoot out!]"
Elric poured mana into the seal of the Winter, and at the same time, he twisted the energy flow around Prince Cromhel to form a mana field.
Normally, it would have been impossible to do this due to physical limitations, but now he could do it with ease.
Of course, since he had to use shadows as a medium, the effect was significantly reduced.
But it was more than enough to block the incoming attack.
Rumble…!
The ground in front of Prince Cromhel shook violently before a thick wall of ice shot up.
Crash!
Boom—
The masked man's sword strike shattered the ice wall like fireworks, but it bought Cromhel enough time to retreat.
[Again…!]
The masked man let out a sigh as his attack failed once more, thanks to Elric.
For a brief moment, he wondered whether to keep chasing Cromhel or to deal with the troublesome Elric first.
But the man could no longer play to his strengths.
Swish, swish—
Chains of brutal cold burst from the icy ground, trying to bind his legs. At the same time, Herman had closed the distance and was right in front of him.
Clang, clang, clang!
Herman relentlessly unleashed his aura, slashing his sword over and over again. His attacks were so fierce that the masked man's hands and feet became confused for a moment.
No matter how skilled the assassin was, he wasn't skilled enough in swordsmanship to defeat Herman, who was considered one of the best among the Lion Duchy.
The only advantage the masked man had was his stealth technique, but with Herman fiercely pursuing him and Elric providing support, there was no chance for him to hide.
What troubled the masked man the most, however, was something else entirely.
Sizzle—
The white waves slowly rising from the ruined floor of the meeting room seemed like an unusual phenomenon at first glance.
But they carried a terrifyingly overwhelming power that could not be resisted.
It meant only one thing.
[The White Night…!]
The masked man shoved Herman away and looked up sharply.
There, standing on the steel frame of the collapsed ceiling, was Augustine, staring down at them just as he had when he first appeared.
The only difference was the look of deep dissatisfaction on his face.
"Ugh, can't even catch a single rat, and everyone's in this sorry state. Tsk!"
At that moment, everyone let out a sigh of relief.
No matter how skilled the assassin was, able to toy with even the Lions, now that the White Night had appeared, there was no way he could continue to act freely.
That's how unpredictable and unmatched the White Night was.
[....Looks like there's nothing I can do now.]
As expected, the masked man also seemed to realize there was nothing left for him to do. He sheathed his two swords with a bitter smile.
And… he suddenly bowed in the direction of Augustine.
[It's been a while, master.]
"…!"
"…!"
"…!"
A completely unexpected reaction.
Elric, Prince Cromhel, Herman, and even Heize all exchanged shocked glances between Augustine and the masked man.
Augustine clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Who said I was your master?"
[Then and now, I've always considered you as such. I believe you do too, Master.]
"Not my concern. Just stop causing trouble and get lost."
For a brief moment, the masked man's gaze turned toward Elric.
[I heard you've taken on a disciple. Seems it's true. Congratulations on finally finding someone to carry on your teachings.]
"I told you—it's none of your business. Want me to rip your ears off so you can hear me properly?"
As Augustine raised his hand, the white waves surged violently. It was as if, with just a flick of his finger, they would unleash their fury.
[That won't be necessary. I understand. I'll withdraw for now.]
"Don't think of showing up again."
[If we meet again, I'll come and see you formally.]
Whoosh!
With that, the masked man disappeared without a trace.
"Damn…!"
The imperial guards and the border guard troops all let out frustrated groans, realizing they had let the assassin who dared to target the prince slip away.
But no one had the guts to defy Augustine, and so the commotion came to an end, leaving many questions unanswered.
***
The assassination attempt on Prince Cromhel caused quite a stir.
Targeting a member of the imperial family was essentially declaring war on the empire itself.
The Inspection Bureau dispatched agents directly from the capital to conduct interrogations and searches.
Meanwhile, the border guard forces, furious that such an incident had occurred on their watch, vowed to track the assassins down to the ends of the earth.
However, in all this, Heize didn't mention a word about the "Red Phantom" to Elric.
Elric was curious about why, but knowing his thoughtful sister, he trusted she had her reasons and didn't bring it up either.
'Even the Inspection Bureau doesn't dare approach Master.'
Despite hearing testimonies from witnesses that Augustine seemed to know the masked assassin, the bureau didn't attempt to confront Augustine.
It wasn't out of fear of the Nerester family, where Augustine was a senior member, or out of concern for political conflicts with the Magic Tower. Rather, they simply seemed unwilling to deal with the unpredictable presence that was the White Night.
Of course, they might still track his movements, but at least they wouldn't bother him directly.
Meanwhile, the meeting between Elric and Prince Cromhel had fizzled out on its own.
"It's a shame. I wanted to talk more with you," Prince Cromhel said, clicking his tongue in disappointment as they parted ways.
His tone was filled with sincerity, not just formality.
It made sense, as Prince Cromhel had been quite interested in Elric from the beginning.
Now, thanks to Elric's help in saving his life, Cromhel's trust in him had grown even stronger.
In fact, the prince planned to express his gratitude to Elric and the Melvinger family with a formal letter and special privileges upon his return to the imperial palace.
Elric smiled at the prince's sincere words.
"I believe we'll have more opportunities to talk next time. Let's share our friendship then."
Prince Cromhel widened his eyes, then smiled and nodded.
[That Body Strengthening Art of yours was quite impressive. I'd love to spar with you next time.]
Whoosh!
With that parting transmission, the prince left with his escort, returning to the imperial palace.
"Let's head back as well."
Soon after, Elric and his group also stepped onto the teleportation circle leading to the imperial capital.
Flash!
When the light faded, they were greeted by the waiting servants of the Nerester family.
"Walt, Hassan? What are you doing here?"
At Sean's question, the servants bowed their heads.
"The lord has summoned both Lord Sean and Lord Elric Melvinger."
"My father?"
Sean's eyes widened in surprise.
He had received an urgent recall order due to the Red Lion family's rebellion, but he hadn't expected his father to send people in such haste.
Especially since they had summoned Elric as well, who, despite being Sean's friend, was still an outsider.
Clearly, something serious was going on.
"Then I suppose this is where we part ways for now."
Herman mentioned he'd stay at a friend's house in the capital and left the group.
Though it wasn't outside the walls, a visit from the Blue Lion to a family from the Magic Tower, like the Hexagram family, could stir all kinds of rumors, so it was better to part ways here.
The Blue Hawks clicked their tongue in disappointment, but, convinced by Isabelle's assurance that they'd meet again soon, they reluctantly followed.
Watching this, Sean couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, as if he were witnessing a tearful family reunion.
But with the servants urging them on, they quickly made their way to the main house.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]