At this time in the capital, Leon could be seen wandering around, carefully looking for something. He went everywhere he could: shops, the shipyard, and even found himself near the academy. The reason for his roaming was simple—he was searching for someone.
Flying alongside him in the form of a small sphere was Luxion, an artificial intelligence. At the moment, Luxion was in stealth mode, so the people passing by Leon couldn't see him. At one point, Luxion broke the silence:
"May I ask what you're doing?" he said, floating closer to Leon. "You've been visiting the same places in the capital for several days now. What—or who—are you looking for?"
Leon turned his head toward him and, after a brief pause, replied:
"I'm trying to find someone—anyone—from the game or novel. I just want to see them, even for a moment. Honestly, I'd even settle for one of those 'five idiots'!" he said, continuing to glance around. However, seeing only ordinary passersby, Leon sighed heavily and added, looking at Luxion:
"You know, I'm starting to forget their faces. It's amazing how the original Leon could still remember the story and the characters even after almost ten years. Meanwhile, I'm already forgetting everything. I only remember a lot now because I wrote the entire plot and character details down on paper back then. But even that has so many gaps—there were chapters I skipped, thinking they wouldn't matter."
Luxion seemed to let out a sigh (as much as an AI could) and, with a note of irritation, said:
"And this is why you've been wandering around the capital every day?"
However, he didn't press further, simply continuing to float beside him.
---
Luck finally smiled upon Leon. His gaze caught one of those very "idiots" in the crowd—a green-haired boy. It was Jilk, arguably the most unpleasant member of the five. Even the other idiots occasionally noticed his repugnant traits.
"Great, of all people to run into, why him?" Leon muttered, watching Jilk from a distance.
Jilk, meanwhile, stood about thirty meters away, intently studying something in front of him. His face showed genuine interest.
"What's he doing over there?" Leon muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"His attention is focused on an air cycle, Master," Luxion replied. "It seems he's interested in purchasing it."
Hearing this, Leon immediately lost interest in the situation and was about to walk away when his gaze caught a glimpse of a girl. She was hiding behind a wall, casting cautious glances at Jilk. She had orange-auburn hair and green eyes. Leon recognized her instantly.
"Whoa… That's Clarissa," he said, unable to hide his surprise.
Luxion immediately asked, "Do you know her?"
"Well, you could say that. She's Jilk's future wife. Though, that bastard ends up dumping her," Leon replied, his expression darkening. "After that, she falls into depression, and eventually… loses her purity."
These words left Luxion silent. Leon, however, continued to watch her for a while longer, pondering how to prevent her emotional turmoil from casting a shadow over his own mood.
At that moment, Leon noticed movement. Jilk began walking away.
"Guess he didn't have enough money on him," Leon thought, watching Jilk's retreating figure.
But something caught his attention. Clarissa suddenly rushed toward the shop as if determined to do something important. She disappeared behind the door, and Leon, unwilling to be left in the dark, cautiously approached to observe her through the window.
Inside, she was speaking with the shopkeeper, pointing at the air cycle.
"She's buying it?" Leon said, raising an eyebrow. "Why would she do that?"
He continued watching for a while until a memory flashed in his mind.
"Oh, right! Jilk mentioned something about this! Sometimes, things he liked would show up at his doorstep the next day. And it was always from Clarissa. But he never told her about his interests directly…"
Leon shuddered at the realization.
"She's… a stalker!"
Despite this, Leon kept watching her, noticing the cheerful expression on her face.
"She seems pretty happy," he muttered.
His observations, however, were interrupted by Luxion.
"Master, someone is following you. And judging by their intent, it's anything but friendly."
Leon immediately tensed up.
"How many? And who are they? Can you identify them?" he asked, trying not to show his concern as he moved toward an alley.
"There are sixteen of them. All armed. Under their clothing, they're wearing golden tokens with the inscription 'Assassins' Guild.'"
Leon frowned.
"The Assassins' Guild… Of course," he muttered quietly, recalling the history of the organization.
The Guild was infamous for its professionalism and brutality. Their victims ranged from ordinary nobles to high-ranking officials. The kingdom had tried its best to combat them, but with little success—the assassins acted swiftly, leaving no trace. Huge rewards were offered for their capture or elimination, and information about the location of their headquarters could earn a promotion.
"I wonder who hired them?" Leon mused, stepping into the shadow of the alley. "I thought I got rid of all my enemies."
"Perhaps the forest ladies," Luxion suggested, emerging from stealth mode. "You've been interfering with their interests quite a bit."
"That explains everything," Leon agreed, pulling out a pistol and slipping into the shadows of the alley.
"They're approaching," Luxion reported, activating his combat systems.
Leon took up a favorable position, gripping his weapon tightly. He focused, preparing to confront his attackers.