Chapter 92 - The Three Assassins Complete the Mission
Chloe Evenhart:
We walked through the mansion after the battle with the soldiers who had rushed towards the sounds of Nathan's fight. Some of the staff fled outside, and we let them go, knowing the maids and soldiers had surrounded the farm as a precaution, ensuring no one could escape. There would be a trial to assess the crimes of each one. Although we had eliminated the corrupt noble and his soldiers, there were still consequences to deal with for his subordinates.
Kinue and I made our way to the center of the mansion.
"It's all… destroyed," she remarked, her voice filled with surprise.
I paused to take in our surroundings, seeing the chaos that had unfolded. Cracked walls, a partially collapsed ceiling, and a massive crater in the floor— all results of the devastating battle.
"Now I understand why Mom and Aunt Katie tell him not to use that element unless necessary… it's too destructive," I agreed.
We came across two corpses, likely those of the criminal mages, both in deplorable states.
"What are we going to do? With all this destruction, there's no way to hide or disguise what happened here," Kinue asked, worried.
"The official story will likely be that the noble was killed by wanted criminals who had taken refuge in his mansion, and we had to intervene, should the kingdom question it. My mother will probably divide his lands among the local people and cover the costs to keep the peasants employed and the place running," I explained.
We approached the crater and slid down to the edge of the hole.
Peeking down, I saw Nathan putting his mask back on as he examined a broken sword.
"The sword disintegrated…" he grumbled, turning to us.
Kinue and I jumped down into the crater.
What we saw was even more shocking. The place was in ruins, but there were many corpses of victims scattered around.
"What was happening here?" I asked, trying to grasp the magnitude of the horror.
"They used this place to torture innocent people. I also found a stash of drugs and money. This place was a sort of depot for some criminals. They stored contraband and probably even slaves here, all protected by the noble's influence. Fitzroy was probably getting a cut of whatever he was hiding," Nathan explained.
I walked over to a charred corpse, likely that of the third mage.
"And the fourth mage? I heard there were four dangerous mages," I asked while surveying the scene.
"Scattered all over the place," he replied, pointing to a severed arm in one corner, a head thrown further away, and even a tongue and eyes strewn across the floor.
What remained of a human torso, mutilated and limbless, hung suspended, entangled in wires that held it tightly, while blood dripped slowly onto the floor.
Kinue began to walk around, examining the remains of the battle.
"Nice work," I complimented my cousin.
"I'll be asking for a raise, little duchess," he joked, as we continued with our mission.
Sifu:
We were deep in the forest, far from the mansion. With me were Lady Katherine, Lady Margaery, Lady Adrihna, and Martha. As their test progressed without many issues, we sent the soldiers to the area, and some maids remained hidden in the forest, surrounding the place.
"I'm a bit nervous..." Lady Adrihna murmured.
Lady Katherine sighed.
"So am I," she admitted.
"Calm down, both of you. Don't start wanting to rush over there again. Let them finish their test," Lady Margaery said firmly.
"Do you think they might be in danger?" Adrihna asked me.
"Who? From what I see, it's their enemies who are in danger. Those three have been trained as Legacies, and they're excellent mages. To harm them, the enemy would need to be incredibly powerful."
"Like four highly dangerous rogue mages?" Adrihna added, raising an eyebrow.
I couldn't continue the conversation after her remark. We were all well aware of their capabilities, and there was no real reason to worry. An assassin's duty is to handle the target, no matter the difficulty or disadvantage.
"I trust my nephew," Lady Margaery interjected. "He has the hardest task, but as someone destined to be the military leader of this duchy, I need him to be the best from the very start."
The young master was tasked with handling the main target and those four criminal mages, while Lady Kinue and Lady Chloe dealt with the soldiers and other mages.
Any soldier, even if not a mercenary, who chose to misuse their power within the duchy was condemned to death.
If it were up to Lady Margaery, I think she'd cleanse all problematic nobles from the duchy...
"I'm not sure if I should allow a prince and princess to carry out this kind of task..." Adrihna muttered.
"Technically, all three of them are princes and princesses," Lady Margaery corrected.
We heard a rustling sound in the bushes, and a monstrous tree moved, advancing toward us.
"It's us," a voice called.
The plant golem stopped moving, recognizing the three young masters approaching.
"Children!" Lady Katherine rushed to greet them.
We moved closer as they removed their masks. Martha approached, checking the bloodstains on their clothes.
"We're fine," Princess Chloe reassured her.
Lady Margaery approached the three, maintaining her queenly demeanor, and the two women stepped back.
"A noble child grows up in a protected environment. Gradually, they are introduced to the world's violence by their parents, so they can grow resilient and strong-minded. But in our family, we do the opposite," she began, looking at the three of them with a stern yet caring gaze.
She continued, "From an early age, we accustom our children to death, blood, and darkness. We believe that you can only truly love someone when you understand how easily they can be lost. Remember this, children: we are assassins to eliminate evil, not to become it. Our blade always points at the neck of those who harm the innocent."
The three listened intently.
"Congratulations on officially becoming assassins," she said, pulling them into a hug. "I'm proud of how far you've come."
After Lady Margaery's words, we approached the three as well.
"Perhaps... it isn't so bad to let them grow up in this environment after all..." Adrihna murmured quietly to herself.
Martha and Lady Katherine continued inspecting them for any injuries.
"You did... surprisingly well for a mission of this level," I said to the young masters.
"Thank you, master!" Kinue said with a respectful bow.
I scratched my chin.
"But, judging by the noise… I assume the stealth tactic failed," I remarked.
Both girls turned their gaze toward Nathan.
"It wasn't my fault. The four mages started blowing things up, so I had to react..." Nathan tried to explain.
"No problem," I said. "But I want to know which one of you took out the most people stealthily. Let's see who the winner is."
"It was me!" Kinue declared.
"No, it was me! After I got into the mansion, I took down way more," Chloe countered.
"Actually, I had to deal with a lot of guards before I even reached the noble's chamber," Nathan added.
The three of them kept arguing, and a smile appeared on Martha's face. The young assassins had completed their mission.