I shouted loudly, "Who's there?"
Crack
I heard the sound of branches snapping in two different locations. There are at least three assassins. I can't win I screamed and bolted in the opposite direction, hoping to alert others. "Aaaaah!!!"
Five assassins emerged from behind, hot on my heels.
One of the assassins slipped as if he'd stepped on a banana peel, crashing to the ground. The one who seemed to be their leader cursed, "Damn it! Can't you do anything right?"
Another assassin was closing in on me but tripped over a cat that leaped out of nowhere, tumbling hard.
"Kyaooong!!!"
"Ah! Damn this crazy cat!" The cat screeched in pain, but the distance between me and the assassins widened. I dashed as fast as I could, desperate to escape the park. "Now that I think about it, the park is completely empty. They must have used some trick to clear it out!"
———
Jazlyn was in high spirits after Zeon successfully passed the silver badge test, so she decided to treat SS to dinner, bringing both the gold and silver badges with her. "Hohoho-You all worked hard today. In recognition of your efforts, I'm granting you the honor of dining with me."
The gold and silver badges bowed deeply, their voices unified in response, "Thank you!!"
They enjoyed a lavish buffet, and as they left, Jazlyn said, "I've eaten quite a lot. Let's take a walk. It's been a while since we visited the park."
Nobody dared reject her suggestion. Once Jazlyn expressed her desire to go to the park, it was already settled. As they neared the park, Jazlyn's mood shifted. She frowned. "Let's go somewhere else."
Calere, one of her subordinates, spoke up, "My lady, there's something odd."
Jazlyn glanced at him. "What is it?"
"There's a weak barrier around the park. It's not harmful but gives off a subtle feeling of unease to deter people from entering."
Jazlyn turned to Paris, her trusted aide.
"Paris, do you sense it too?"
"Now that Calere mentioned it, yes. There's definitely a barrier here."
Jazlyn's expression darkened. "In my city, no less. Whoever did this is up to no good. Let's go in and deal with them. Prepare for battle."
"Yes!" the silver badges responded, drawing their weapons
Paris and Calere took the lead, with Jazlyn following. "Calere, scout ahead," she commanded.
"Yes, my lady. I hear faint noises over there. I'll guide you."
They advanced through the park, determined to catch whoever had set up the barrier. With Calere's keen night vision, he spotted figures in the distance.
"My lady, five people are chasing someone. What should we do?"
"Capture them all. If they resist, kill them."
"Understood."
I kept screaming as I raced toward the park's entrance, "Aaaaah! Someone, help me!"
Behind me, the assassins were growing increasingly frustrated.
"Damn it! Why haven't we caught him yet?!"
"Is it just one of those unlucky days?!"
"Argh! A bug just flew into both my eyes! Ahh!!!"
One of them collapsed, clutching his face in agony. His bad luck bought me a little more time. From a distance, I saw a group of people approaching with weapons drawn.
'Whose side are they on?'
I glanced back the assassins didn't seem to know either.
"Help! Assassins are after mel" I shouted, sprinting toward the group.
The woman leading them, carrying a massive sword, and a man wielding a mace, charged straight at me at lightning speed.
"Ah! Ah!"
I froze, terrified that they would strike me.
But as they drew closer, I recognized them.
"Lord Calere! Paris! I'm Zeon, a Silver Badge!"
"Run to Lady Jazlyn, now!" Paris shouted.
I didn't hesitate and dashed toward Jazlyn, gasping as I stopped in front of her and bowed low. "Huff... Huff... I greet the beautiful Lady Jazlyn!
"We'll talk later," Jazlyn said, raising her fan. "Advance!"
Jazlyn and her silver badges charged toward the assassins. I quickly drew my weapon and joined them, ready for vengeance ahead, Calere swung his greatsword, cleaving an assassin in two, while Paris's mace crushed another's skull. The remaining three hesitated. With a swift throw, Calere's sword sliced through one man's leg. Another assassin hurled a bomb-like device, but Gopi, a magician, stretched out his wand and shouted, "Freeze!"
White mana engulfed the bomb mid-air, freezing it solid before it shattered on the ground. Calere, enraged, stormed toward the bomber.
"You dare throw a bomb at my lady?! I'll tear you apart!"
Calere grabbed the assassin by the shoulders and ripped him in two.
The last assassin tried to flee, bounding up a tree like a squirrel. But Joen, a master archer, nocked an arrow infused with mana, its tip glowing red.
Whoosh!
The arrow shot through the air, trailing a red line, and pierced the fleeing man's backside.
'Aaaaah! Kyaaaaaa!"
He tumbled to the ground, howling in pain.
Jazlyn smiled, satisfied. "Bring them in."
Calere and Paris retrieved the bodies while the silver badges, including myself, dealt with the rest of the assassins. I went to check on the one shot by Joen's arrow, only to find he was already dead.
I dragged the body over, and soon all five assassins lay lifeless before Jazlyn.
She clicked her tongue. "Tak tsk. So, no information, then? Calere, check if any committed suicide."
"Yes, my lady."
Calere inspected the corpses. "Three were killed by us. Two bit down on poison capsules hidden in their teeth."
Jazlyn nodded. "Just as I thought. They're well-trained assassins. Search their bodies for any identifying marks."
We stripped the assassins and searched for clues. After a few moments, Gopi called out,
"There's a tattoo of a coiled white snake on this one's abdomen!"
Soon, others found the same mark.
"This is the mark of Hyodoksa, an assassination group", Jazlyn explained. "They are affiliated with Black Mud, a vast intelligence network."
Admiration filled me. Jazlyn's knowledge and calm in such situations were truly impressive.
Calere then asked, "My lady, should we summon Black Mud and demand an explanation?"
"It's pointless", Jazlyn replied. "Black Mud has many subordinate organizations. When a mission fails, they sever ties immediately. Hyodoksa has already been abandoned"
She turned to me. "Zeon, explain everything clearly. Understood?"
"Yes, my lady!"
"Who would want to assassinate you?"
I thought of the people I'd encountered-gangsters, Durin, and even the Demon Kingdom. But explaining the Demon Kingdom's motives would be tricky.
"I've killed or captured a lot of thugs on my way here! Oh, and there's Durin!"
"Black Mud only accepts jobs from VIPs. Common thugs couldn't hire them. So Durin?"
"Yes."
"Durin is the son of Count Drales and the grandson of Marquis Kerwin. It's possible his family sought revenge on his behalf. What's your grudge with Durin?"
"I stepped on his genitals dozens of times and ruptured them! He took time off after that incident. I think he's holding a grudge against me for it!"
Jazlyn looked around for opinions.
Calere spoke up, "My lady, I don't fully understand why someone would seek revenge over that"
Paris disagreed, shaking his head. "For a man, his genitals are everything. I would've sought revenge too."
Jazlyn nodded. "If that's how men think, then Durin's family is the most likely suspect. But without solid evidence, we can't accuse them."
After a brief thought, Jazlyn made a decision. "Ill send a letter to Count Drales proposing a reconciliation between Durin and Zeon. This will protect you, and they won't be able to harass you anymore."
"Thank you so much!"
I bent at a 90-degree angle, deeply grateful for her wisdom in resolving the situation so swiftly, but a lingering worry remained. How would Black Mud respond in the future? Not wanting to bother Jazlyn directly, I asked Paris.
"Paris, could you ask Lady Jazlyn if I may pose another question?"
Paris relayed my request. Jazlyn responded,
"Go ahead."
"Do you think Black Mud will send more assassins after me?"
Jazlyn pondered for a moment, "It won't be easy for them. They lost five assassins today, which is a significant blow. It's likely they'll conclude the contract due to Durin's failure to properly inform them about you. However, your difficulty as a target has increased. If they come after you again, it'll be at a much higher cost."
I felt relieved hearing her words. But as my mind eased, I suddenly remembered Aris and Jenny waiting for me at home.