CH 101

“The targets to be killed is the barons by the name of Kokoren on the frontier. There are probably only five of them, so you don’t have to be worried.”

Looking at the hardened expression on the leader’s face, Lucion thought that they had already expected his words.

They were the lowest baron of the aristocracy.

Still, the fact that they were noblemen would bother him, but it wasn’t strange at all, since nobles tried to assassinate each other themselves in order to kill each other.

“You’ll have to kill them before tonight is over. I will receive the report after 10 a.m.”

Lucion handed them a contact item.

“This is a temporary item, so if you can’t kill them, you have to return it.”

Contact items were expensive, but what was more difficult was the process of matching the same mana between contact items.

In order to match the wavelength with each other, he had to hold the contact items in each hand for about 2 to 3 hours and stayed still.

“The money is part of the request fee, so if you fail, you just need to return half of it.”

It would be a pity if they failed in their mission, but considering Bethel’s sight, they could have another chance next time.

As the size of the organization grew, the number of assassins would also increase.

“Then.”

Lucion got up from his seat after finishing all he had to say.

“Wait a minute.”

Then, the leader of the assassins called out to Lucion.

“Are you worried about cleaning up the mess?”

Lucion asked.

Killing a person didn’t necessarily make you an assassin.

Basically, to be a true assassin, you had to kill people, you had to deal with the traces, and you had to leave no witnesses.

“How can I kill them?”

Lucion was a little disappointed but he admitted that it was something he hadn’t told them before.

“Oh, yes. I forgot to explain how to kill them.”

Assassins were a job where they killed their targets on their employer’s behalf, so it was one-sided to follow their employer’s opinion on how to kill them.

“Please simply write ‘I am the greatest’ on the baron’s wall.”

He had to confuse them with the Hand of the Void.

Being childish was the best thing at times like this.

For a moment, the eyes of the assassin’s leader twitched.

His eyes were asking if he really had to do it that way, but Lucion didn’t say anything.

“…I see.”

The leader made a subtle expression.

But Lucion didn’t care and walked away.

The assassins, who waited until the masked man completely left the store, spoke belatedly.

“Are you really going to write like that, leader?”

“It hasn’t been long since I made a living out of this, but it’s the first time I have to say something so childish. I feel like my ego is getting crushed.”

He’d heard demands for a brutal assassination, but it was the first time he had to write something so childish.

“If we have to write it, let’s write it.”

However, the leader of the assassins put down his mind and clasped the pocket money in his hand.

“Get ready.”

* * *

After removing the corpses of the enemies who invaded Cronia, Anthony quietly entered the main mansion.

Besides Novio, he was the only one who had the key to enter the office, but he was worried that someone might have visited Novio’s office, so he decided to check it.

“…?”

Anthony stopped for a moment as he walked down the hallway without light.

He just passed a knight on patrol.

‘I hear footsteps and smell blood.’

Anthony soon realized whose footsteps it was, and he hurriedly turned on a light-emitting item to carefully illuminate the end of the hallway.

“…Young Master?”

As expected, it was Lucion.

When Lucion saw the light and turned back dazedly, Anthony hurriedly turned off the light.

“My apologies.”

“What are you doing at night, Anthony?”

Rather, he should be the one asking.

Why are you pacing the hallways without falling asleep?

At that moment, various thoughts came to Antony’s head.

But the thoughts fell apart as he approached Lucion.

There was a strong smell of blood.

“Excuse me, Young Master.”

As Anthony approached, Lucion stealthily hid his hand behind him.

“What are you doing?”

“Did you get hurt?”

Shh.

Lucion made a quiet sound.

The timing was bad.

Knowing that, Anthony nodded quietly.

“Anyway, I was just trying to take the medicine quietly.”

Lucion spoke in a grave voice.

“Show me the wound.”

Antony said in an upset tone.

Lucion held out his hand, and there was a long and deep wound in his finger.

Antony’s face soon distorted.

Who would like to be cut?

But Lucion was that different.

After being kidnapped by the Kingdom of Nevast, Lucion used to faint with foam in his mouth whenever he saw anything sharp for nearly three years.

With treatment and medication, he had gotten better now.

So everyone was surprised when Lucion said he would learn to use a sword.

“Are you okay?”

Anthony asked, pressing down his emotions.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? Doesn’t it hurt?”

“I already told you.”

“Come this way for now. I’ll treat you.”

It was strange that he suddenly get hurt, and even more so that he had to get treated.

He got caught by Anthony pretending it was a mistake on purpose.

At Anthony’s voice and expression that showed his disappointment, Lucion felt sorry.

[You’re the bad one, Lucion.]

Russell also stood by Anthony’s side this time.

* * *

“The enemy has come. The bodies were also removed without a trace.”

Without asking why or where he was injured, Anthony reported while treating Lucion’s finger.

Now that the owner of this mansion was Lucion, he had to know what was going on.

Lucion nodded calmly, saying that he knew.

“Who is it?”

Anthony laughed briefly at the voice that sounded as if asking for a casual secret.

He was suddenly reminded of Novio and Carson.

“They’re assassins who came through Stepping Stone. However, as you know, it is difficult to know who ordered it unless we grab Stepping Stone.”

Saying that they came through Stepping Stones basically meant that the assassins didn’t know their employers and employers didn’t know the assassins.

“Anthony.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“This wasn’t improvised, it was planned. But even if the assassins came in at the same time, you wouldn’t know who was on the team.”

Assassins originally acted as a team.

Even if this was planned, the team had different methods of assassination, so it was necessary not to show it.

Lucion hid how he came to know the current situation and continued to explain the situation plausibly to convince Anthony.

“Stepping Stone also thought of that, so they probably already stole the data list of the assassin. But if you grab them, it’ll all come out. The number must be empty right now, how do you fill it up? Bringing in ordinary people to make up for it would be the only way.”

Lucion smiled slightly.

Anthony, who was stitching up the wound, looked at Lucion for a moment.

Seeing him for the first time, he wondered if he was really the Lucion he knew.

“If the assassination is planned, someone must have lured Father and Brother on purpose. Well, it’s obvious who they are.”

Lucion’s eyes narrowed, and Anthony’s eyebrows narrowed as he healed the wound.

“…Do you think it’s the Kingdom of Nevast?”

Even Anthony felt like his blood was rising upside down just by bringing up the word Nevast, so Lucion must be more shocked.

“Yes. Could there be anyone else?”

But Lucion’s voice was so calm.

Anthony held his breath and looked at Lucion’s expression.

His expression was as steady as his voice.

“To be exact, they must be an Imperial citizen who joined hands with Nevast. Regardless of their reason, they dared to attack Cronia, so I’ll have to catch them, right? Isn’t that right, Anthony?”

“Of course, we have to catch them.”

Anthony gave strength to his voice.

“Then start with grabbing Stepping Stone. The field itself is narrow, so they have no choice but to confess.”

Lucion casually gave instructions.

He didn’t know what they were thinking when they attacked Cronia, but they were mistaken.

Cronia was the spear and shield of the Empire.

If they were weak enough to break when Novio and Carson were missing, they wouldn’t have been able to protect the frontier for long.

‘Well, maybe they sent an assassin to draw attention or to stir up the inside of Cronia, but it’s impossible.’

Lucion then decided to swing the power that had come to his hands.

Personally, he was curious about how powerful Cronia was.

Anthony rose from his seat.

Before he knew it, Lucion’s fingers were finely bandaged.

[Fast and clean.]

Russell, who had been watching Anthony’s treatment from beginning to end, nodded satisfied.

“I’ll move right now.”

Antony followed Lucion’s instructions without saying anything.

Lucion was the only Cronia in this mansion now.

Cronia moved to get the enemy’s throat.

* * *

Bzzt.

Lucion couldn’t bear to open his eyes at the sound of the vibration, and he reached out his hand toward the table next to the bed and struggled as if looking for something.

[It’s not there. To your right.]

Russell hurriedly entered Lucion’s room at the sound of the vibration and purposefully said the opposite.

As Lucion kept moving his hands and couldn’t find the contact item, Russell held his stomach and laughed.

―Ratta will help!

Ratta stopped staring and climbed on Lucion’s head then she jumped vigorously.

“Ugh.”

Lucion half-opened his eyes at the heavy weight.

He fed her a lot these days, so Ratta’s weight was different from when she first came here.

Ratta took the contact item and came down to bed, then she put it in front of Lucion’s face.

Lucion patted Ratta on the head and used the contact item.

<All five are killed.>

The voice on the item belonged to the leader of the assassins.

<I did not forget to say ‘I am the greatest’.>

Lucion stood up without hesitation and took out the mask he had put in the drawer and wear it.

‘Is it morning already?’

He slept so little that he felt like his head was spinning.

“Well done, I’ll contact you later.”

Lucion cut off the contact after he finished talking.

Bethel had already followed them.

Hearing the details from Bethel would be enough.

Lucion sat on a chair and leaned his head against the desk.

Since the contact item was in his hand, he was thinking of contacting everyone

First of all, Zamad, who he hadn’t heard from at all.

However, he only heard the connection sound and didn’t get a reply.

‘Then again. A near-perfect weapon isn’t made overnight.’

Lucion contacted Kran immediately.

<Yes, Hamel-nim. Wait a minute >

He heard quite a few people around Kran, as if he were ordering something.

Hearing the loud sound of stepping on the ground, Lucion waited and closed his eyes for a moment.

The sound of breathing soon became longer.

<…Hamel-nim?>

After a while, Kran’s voice leaked from Lucion’s contact item.

<Hamel-nim? Excuse me, Hamel-nim>

When Lucion didn’t say anything even after he repeated his question, Kran asked carefully.

<Hamel-nim? Are you listening?>

—Russell. Lucion doesn’t answer. Is he mad because Kran told him to wait?

Ratta, who was curled up in bed, raised her upper body half up and looked at Lucion.

[No. I think he’s sleeping.]

Russell burst out laughing.

<I made you wait too long. I’m really sorry if you’re angry. I was looking at the location of the cave where the Rats would live.>

[Lucion. Lucion? You can’t sleep now.]

Russell shook Lucion’s shoulder.

“…Ah.”

Only then did Lucion come to his senses and raised his voice.

<Sorry, I should have moved faster.>

“…What?”

<Yes?>

He heard Kran panicking.

Lucido also wondered and asked.

“What did you just say?”

<Did you… Did you sleep?>

“Sorry, I dozed off.”

When no answer came despite the apology, Lucion called out to Kran.

“Kran?”

<…I’m sorry. I will work harder for the organization from now on.>

“…?”