Levin focused intently on the senator, discerning several faint magical auras surrounding him. Clearly, Senator Harrington had cast numerous protective spells for his speech, a perfectly reasonable precaution.
However, Levin felt no anxiety; the more elaborate Harrington's defenses, the more plausible it would appear if he were to fail. After all, he was intent on sabotaging this assassination attempt, and the stronger his opponent, the more delighted he would be.
Given that Harrington was an intermediate-level mage, he could easily cast many protective spells himself, especially during a public address. Levin meticulously surveyed the theater, noting that guards were stationed at every entrance, verifying identities and searching for dangerous items.
Having left the three magical scrolls behind, Levin passed through security with ease. In fact, it seemed that even if he had brought them, it wouldn't have mattered much, as the guards primarily inspected for bows and bladed weapons; prohibited items like magical scrolls were generally overlooked.
Besides Harrington's self-cast defenses, there appeared to be no other means to counter the advanced Shadow Killer scroll. This posed a concern for Levin, who began to worry about the target's potential fragility. What method could he devise to discreetly warn Harrington?
Lost in thought during the speech, Levin dismissed several plans that might expose him. Eventually, the address concluded, and Harrington bowed in gratitude to the applauding audience.
Oh? Is he exiting now? Levin refocused his attention and noticed a detail he had overlooked: a figure emerged from backstage, surveying the area before escorting Harrington out.
Clearly, Harrington had his own personal bodyguard in addition to the Guards, which was quite normal. This guard likely wasn't high-level—most probably intermediate—and may not even surpass Harrington's own capabilities, serving primarily as a close-combat expert for protection against ambushes.
As the audience began to disperse, Levin maneuvered toward the theater's backstage. The guards, recognizing him as a suspicious individual, quickly intervened.
"Apologies, but the area ahead is the senator's private lounge; entry for the audience is currently prohibited."
Not wishing to trouble his colleagues, Levin decided to circumvent the issue and departed.
Finding a secluded corner, he glanced around, ensuring he was alone.
**Activate [Mythical Trickery (Agility)]!**
With a quick series of leaps, Levin scaled the theater's exterior and reached a second-floor window.
"This scene is ripe for a phrase like 'All is illusion, all is permitted,'" he mused as he clambered onto the windowsill.
He reached out to check the lock, only to find it secured. With no choice, he jumped to the adjacent window, which, fortuitously, was unlocked.
Climbing through, Levin looked around; the room appeared to be a storage area on the second floor, filled with cleaning supplies and stage props. He nudged the door open slightly, peering out to observe that the second floor was devoid of guards. It seemed the bulk of security was concentrated at the various entrances on the first floor, and most attendees had already exited, allowing Levin to slip in unnoticed.
Since the second floor was unguarded, Levin boldly emerged from the storage room and strode toward the backstage area.
Estimating his position, he deduced he was directly above the senator's lounge, where Harrington and his bodyguard were likely resting.
Levin took out a piece of paper and scribbled a warning about the advanced Shadow Killer, contemplating whether to drop it through the floor or find a way to deliver it directly to the lounge when he overheard a commotion below.
"Once more!? You need to rein it in!" That was unmistakably Harrington's voice.
"Sir, I work hard for you; I merely request a little… what's the harm? You won't miss it," came a voice Levin did not recognize, likely Harrington's bodyguard. The latter part of the statement was whispered, leaving Levin unable to catch it.
Ah, it seems the master and servant have a financial dispute—overdue wages, perhaps? Levin pressed his ear against the floor, intrigued.
"I'll tell you! This is the last one! Use it sparingly! I have my own needs!"
"Understood, sir, I promise."
After their hushed exchange, they appeared to reach a consensus, and the argument subsided. The creaking of a door indicated Harrington and his guard were exiting the room.
Levin quickly repositioned himself to catch a glimpse below, seeing Harrington and his bodyguard make their way toward the main entrance.
As an intermediate-level mage, Harrington's power was formidable, yet Levin remained uncertain about the bodyguard's level. He tossed a chaotic probe toward the guard.
"Hmm?" The bodyguard seemed to sense something, halting in his tracks and looking up toward Levin.
Startled, Levin swiftly concealed himself behind a wooden wall.
"What's the matter?" Harrington inquired, furrowing his brow at his guard's sudden pause.
"I believe someone on the second floor was watching me," the guard replied, a hint of confusion in his tone. He turned to the guards stationed at the door, "Please check the second floor for any intruders."
The guards wasted no time, hastening upstairs to investigate. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Levin had no time to ponder further; he hadn't even reviewed the results of his chaotic probe. He hurried back to the storage room, leaping out through the window from which he had entered.
After a thorough search, the guards returned empty-handed.
"Is there no one here? Was it merely an illusion…?" The bodyguard scratched his head in confusion, observing the guards' failure to find anything. "Perhaps I was just being overly sensitive; it's probably nothing serious."
Levin swiftly descended from the window, darting down two streets before stopping to examine the system panel.
**[Chaotic Probe Successfully Activated!]**
**[Target Information Acquired:]**
**[XP: Girls aged fourteen and below.]**
?
A large question mark materialized above Levin's head.
How horrifying; this life was becoming increasingly sinister.
What, then, were they discussing…?
Levin substituted the term and realized the XP of this bodyguard seemed to align perfectly. If true, these two were utterly depraved!
Politicians truly are corrupt… Levin felt a chill as he reconsidered alerting Harrington.
Wouldn't killing this man be a service to the people…?
In that moment, a murderous intent surged within Levin, but he quickly shook his head, banishing the thought.
"I'm only speculating; what if I accidentally harmed an innocent? That would be disastrous."
As he walked back, he pondered opportunities to investigate further while casually glancing at the system panel.
**[Current Mythical Tier: II (681/1000)]**
**[Current Combat Level: Mutant Fighter II (3843/6000)]**
After his battle and negotiation with Vladimir, Levin's mythical points and combat level had progressed.
His strength was steadily increasing, which greatly pleased him.
Once this assassination attempt concluded—regardless of its outcome—the mythical points earned would likely be substantial, possibly allowing him to break through to Tier III…
While he contemplated this, Levin returned to the camp, noting the peculiar looks from the guards stationed at the entrance.
"What's wrong? Is there something on my face?" Levin inquired, puzzled by their stares.
"Captain Levin, did you attend Miss Kristia's father's speech?" one guard asked cautiously.
"What? I…" Levin intended to mention that he had attended Senator Harrington's speech but suddenly realized this could be a splendid opportunity to gain mythical points.
Even the smallest mosquito is still meat.
"Yes, yes, I went to see Senator Morella's speech," Levin confessed readily, nodding in affirmation.
"Very well, Captain Levin, you may enter." The guard displayed a look of realization, permitting Levin to pass.
Why did he ask that?
Levin pondered this question; he had mentioned attending a speech before leaving, so why did they assume he was going to see Kristia's father, Senator Morella?
"Captain Levin!" After walking a few paces inside, he heard the guard call out to him again.
"Is there something else?" Levin turned, curious.
"I still support you and Captain Aili! I hope you consider it!"
?
What on earth? Support? Does he mean to support our work?
"Well… thank you," Levin replied, uncertain of how to respond, settling on a universal expression of gratitude.
"Of course, Captain! I understand!"
What on earth do you understand?
It was a bewildering day.
Before heading back to his quarters, Levin felt an impulse to check the office.
He suspected that the guard's thoughts might have been influenced by Aili and Kristia in some way.
Upon entering the office, he found Kristia alone, tearing up paper.
"What's wrong? Tearing paper for fun? Aren't you a bit old for that? Where's Aili?"
"Ah! Captain Levin!" Kristia jumped as if startled, nearly leaping from her chair.
"Why are you so nervous? I just returned from the speech. Where's Aili?" Levin repeated his inquiry.
"Captain Aili has gone on patrol… Captain Levin, did you attend the speech?" Kristia's expression mirrored that of the guard as she cautiously asked him.
"Yes, indeed, I went to see your father's speech; it was quite good," Levin upheld his principle of deception, adhering to the narrative he had shared at the entrance.
"Ah… what prompted you to suddenly attend the speech? Is your mention of planning for the future…" Kristia's face flushed as she spoke.
Why is she blushing?
Levin was utterly bewildered by their thought processes, sensing that something was unfolding in the camp that he remained oblivious to.
"I was contemplating a future where I might not be a guard, and perhaps serving as a personal bodyguard for a senator wouldn't be so bad, so I wanted to learn a bit more."
He fabricated an excuse to deflect the conversation, then excused himself, returning to his quarters.
Only Kristia remained in the room, staring at her fingers: "A senator's… personal bodyguard? Then…"