Suddenly hearing this news, the group was somewhat surprised, though not entirely unprepared. Barry had already felt that something was off. The second wave of swordsmen came to kill them way too quickly—the person who had gone back for reinforcements must have contacted them immediately, which meant the assassins were already nearby. But why would a group of assassins be in the area?
Barry speculated that the assassins were originally divided into two teams: one to assassinate Baron Melowe, and the other to pursue Linton and his group in the forest. Their primary target was the Melowe family, and the princess was simply collateral damage. After the failure to assassinate Linton and Gasen, the second team was likely called in for backup, which explained why they arrived so fast.
The assassin of the five-star swordsman level was truly formidable. Linton was a monster in his own right, but an ordinary person would have no chance of escaping such an assassin. Although Barry had sensed trouble earlier, hearing the news still caught him off guard.
So who had the Melowe family angered? To send a five-star-level assassin, the force behind it had to be powerful. This wasn't something a baron or even a count could pull off. This had to be an assassination ordered by at least a ducal-level power. What sort of trouble had the Melowe family gotten into?
Baron Seldes provided more details. The disappearance of the princess was a huge deal, so the entire Melowe family mobilized their soldiers to search for her. That's when the tragedy occurred. Three people had been killed: Baron Melowe himself (Linton's older brother Jorab Melowe), the baron's eldest son Todd Melowe, and his second son Gross Melowe.
Gross was only nine years old—a child. This showed that the enemy was determined to wipe out the entire family, sparing no one.
According to Baron Seldes, Jorab and Todd were found assassinated one after the other, and most of the soldiers accompanying them were also killed. Realizing the gravity of the situation, they went on high alert. However, they were still caught off guard when Gross was killed inside the Melowe family castle itself. These assassins were exceptionally strong.
This assassination also delayed the search for the princess. For the past few days, the Melowe family had been too scared to act and had taken refuge inside the castle, heavily guarded. Meanwhile, Baron Seldes, despite being targeted himself, continued searching for the princess with his forces, risking his life to find her.
Upon hearing the situation, Princess Yalan felt deeply guilty. Although she hadn't hired the assassins, Baron Melowe was attacked while searching for her, making her feel responsible. On the other hand, Raina was quite pleased. With Baron Melowe dead, she no longer had to marry him—no need for a royal decree either. Naturally, she was thrilled.
Linton and Gasen didn't show much reaction. Linton barely knew his older brother, having only met him once, and Gasen didn't care much for his uncle anyway.
Barry briefly explained their encounter to Baron Seldes, without mentioning the Fire Beast, focusing on the assassins instead. Upon learning that Linton and Gasen had also been attacked, Baron Seldes, as an elder, thanked Barry, assuming that it was Barry who had dealt with the assassins. In his mind, without Barry, both Linton and Gasen would likely have died in the forest.
Although Baron Seldes knew his future son-in-law Linton wasn't useless, he didn't consider him especially formidable either. After all, the assassins had managed to infiltrate a heavily guarded castle. Despite this, Barry felt a bit awkward receiving thanks, as he himself had been saved by Linton several times. But he didn't bother explaining further.
After the explanation, the next issue was how to handle the situation. This time, Princess Yalan spoke first: "Baron Seldes, rest assured, on behalf of the royal family, I guarantee you that we will get to the bottom of this."
Since this involved both the princess and an Imperial baron, the Empire would certainly investigate the matter. Feeling some responsibility, Princess Yalan took charge, assuring that the Empire would investigate the assassins.
"The assassins seem to have retreated," Barry said. "With their leader dead, they shouldn't be able to continue their mission for now. It should be safe for the time being, but you should still remain vigilant. Baron Seldes, you're a target too, so be cautious. The Empire is aware of the situation and will send people to investigate soon, so you don't need to delve further into it."
"Yes, Lord Barry, I understand." Barry's message was clear: this was out of their hands. These assassins were sent by a powerful force, far beyond what a baron could handle. It was best left to the Empire. Baron Seldes nodded in agreement.
"Baron Seldes," Princess Yalan added, "though I would like to stay and deal with this matter, I must return to the capital immediately. But don't worry, I will inform my father as soon as I arrive, and he'll send people here."
It made sense that Princess Yalan was eager to return. Linton had an idea why. During a previous conversation, she had mentioned wanting the horn of a Fire Beast to create a medicine to save someone important. Now that she had it, she needed to deliver it quickly, which also explained why she had supported Linton's decision to take the direct route earlier—time was of the essence.
As they spoke, the group arrived at the Melowe family castle. The family breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the princess, knowing that they were responsible for her disappearance. With the recent assassinations, no one had dared venture out to search for her, so her safe return was a huge relief.
Princess Yalan briefly explained the situation, and the family relaxed a bit upon hearing that the Empire would investigate the matter. No one paid much attention to Linton; they all assumed Barry was responsible for their safety. As for the Fire Beast, no one realized what it truly was. They noticed that Linton had brought back a strange-looking deer, but no one thought it might be the legendary beast.
When the princess mentioned that she would soon depart, the Melowe family grew anxious again. With her staying, they'd be safest, as the Empire would send troops to protect her. But they couldn't stop her from returning to the capital.
Barry had already contacted his squad, and they quickly prepared a carriage to send the princess back. Princess Yalan seemed anxious to return and quickly got ready to leave. Before departing, she reassured the Melowe family that the Empire would soon send troops to investigate.
At this point, one of the Melowe family members, who had calmed down a bit, stepped forward and addressed the princess: "Your Highness, may I ask a favor?"
"And you are...?"
"I am Lewen Melowe, Baron Melowe's uncle," the man said. He was Linton's second uncle, currently the oldest member of the Melowe family.
"Greetings, Lord Melowe. What is it you need?" the princess asked.
"With the assassination of Baron Melowe, we wish to send someone to the Empire to officially report the incident," Lewen explained. "Also, a new Melowe baron must be appointed, and according to tradition, they must go to the capital to accept the position."
"I see," the princess nodded. "So you're asking for the new Baron Melowe to accompany us to the capital?"
"Yes, it would be convenient for them to travel with you," Lewen replied.
Everyone immediately understood Lewen's intent. He was asking the princess's group to protect the new baron on the way to the capital. Lewen wasn't wrong—someone needed to report the assassination, and the new baron traditionally had to go to the capital. However, in truth, they could have sent anyone to report the incident. The real concern was the danger. With assassins infiltrating their castle, who could guarantee the safety of the new baron? Traveling with the princess's elite Maple Leaf Guard would be far safer.
However, this would also drag the princess into their troubles again. The assassins were clearly targeting the Melowe family, and asking the princess to escort the new baron would expose her to more danger. Lewen's request could potentially offend the princess.
One of the guards seemed ready to scold Lewen, but Barry stopped him. "Let the princess decide."
The guard was puzzled but stepped back. Princess Yalan thought for a moment, then asked, "Who is the new Baron Melowe?"
Everyone froze, then quickly turned their gaze to one person. The man they were looking at seemed equally confused.
"Me?" Gasen asked, pointing to himself in disbelief.
Linton was also surprised but quickly realized it made sense. Jorab, the original Baron Melowe, was dead. His sons, the next in line, had also been killed. That left Jorab's brother, Linton's second brother, who had also been assassinated. The next heir in line was his brother's eldest son—Gasen.
"Oh, congratulations, nephew! You're officially a noble now!" Linton said, patting Gasen on the shoulder with a grin.
(End of Chapter)