Chapter 33, Assassin

Translator: Lizz

 

At night, when most of the town had fallen into a deep sleep, they quietly made their way toward the fortress.

From the bridge connected to the rear gate of the fortress, they infiltrated one after another.

Along the way, they split into two groups, with some heading in a different direction.

As they were guided forward, they discovered a servant’s entrance.

“-So there was another entrance here. We didn’t have to force our way through the other one.”

“There was no choice. We have no information about this fortress. Besides, the town side has too good a view, so it’s not suitable for reconnaissance. However, on the way back, if we exit through here and use a boat, we can bypass the checkpoints of the Duke’s territory.”

As they whispered among themselves, the door to the entrance suddenly opened.

It was a veiled priest – Calogero.

 

Calogero was on his way back from the church.

Although not frequently, he would visit the town’s church and converse with the High Priest.

Today was one of those days.

Sensing the presence of people, Calogero frownede.

The assassin, who had been completely off guard, was startled by the appearance of another person and failed to conceal their presence.

“-Who’s there?”

Calogero called out, raising the lantern in his hand.

In that instant, the assassin moved.

Swinging a concealed weapon toward Calogero’s throat—

 

-Thud!

 

Something collided with the concealed weapon, glimmering.

“…[Barrier], huh?”

The assassin clicked their tongue in frustration.

Barrier was the form of sacred magic that Calogero excelled at the most. After all, since childhood, he had always experienced danger, and naturally became proficient in it. He could cast a barrier instantly, almost as if by sheer instinct.

In fact, it was thanks to this Barrier spell that he had escaped the clutches of the Chief Justice and avoided drowning in the river.

 

The assassin glared at him, and Calogero glared back at them.

For a moment, Calogero thought it was Edward. Had he finally come to eliminate the nuisance standing in his way? But the circumstances were slightly different, and he realized it wasn’t Edward.

There were only two people with a reason to kill him. One was Edward. The other was…

“…Was this an order from the Chief Justice? So, he still hasn’t been punished.”

The assassins flinched slightly but said nothing, instead swinging their concealed weapons.

Another figure unleashed fire magic.

Calogero’s Barrier effortlessly blocked both attacks, sending dazzling light flashing through the air.

“Don’t use fire magic! It’s too conspicuous!”

“We’re going to kill them all anyway. If people gather, it just saves us the trouble of hunting them down one by one.”

One of them hissed at the man who had used fire magic, reprimanding him in a hushed voice. But the scolded man only grinned cruelly.

Calogero looked at the assassin in disbelief.

“…Are you serious? The Lord of this castle is a young noblewoman appointed by the Duke’s household. If you harm her, it will undoubtedly lead to war.”

At Calogero’s remark, the fire magic-wielding assassin sneered.

“Hah! That’s for our client to worry about. We’re just here to kill you, eliminate anyone who gets in the way, and take out anyone who looks like they have money.”

Calogero was beyond anger – he was exasperated. However, it seemed that only this particular assassin held such a reckless mindset. He could sense disgust from the others.

“…If you surrender quietly, we’ll let the others go. How about it?”

Another assassin spoke, but Calogero scoffed at the offer.

“No. My role here is to buy time.”

Gina would surely notice. Despite her helpless and cute appearance, she was highly active, often riding out at dawn in her equestrian attire.

If she sensed something was amiss, she would prioritize Sylvia’s safety and retreat from the fortress.

After all, it was Calogero who had inadvertently led the assassins into the fortress. He had to make his distraction as loud and prolonged as possible.

As he continued to fend off the enemy’s attacks with his Barrier, he silently prayed that Edward wouldn’t abandon Sylvia and Gina to save himself.

 

However, Calogero did not possess an abundance of magic power. As a priest, he listened to the confessions of servants, guided them toward atonement, and purified them. By the end of the day, his magical energy was already nearing its limit. Using Barrier, which consumed a great deal of magic, only made matters worse.

Calogero’s Barrier would not last until dawn.

Dodging and evading, he was growing more and more cornered by the assassins.

He prayed to God that Gina had managed to escape with Sylvia, and as he steeled himself for what was to come-

A dark shadow deflected the weapon aimed at Calogero.

” “?!?” ”

Everyone turned in shock to look at the figure.

“Calogero! Head to Sir Edward!”

The dark shadow was Gina.

Gina was holding two short swords and dressed in riding attire.

Calogero shouted in shock.

“Gina!? It’s dangerous! Hurry to Lady Sylvia and take her to a safe place! Leave this to me!”

“I can’t do that! Sir Edward is with Lady Sylvia! You should go to Sir Edward and ensure your own safety!”

That was precisely what terrified Calogero.

Gina trusted Edward completely, but Calogero was too worried about Sylvia’s safety to feel at ease.

He wanted to go check on Sylvia, but he couldn’t just leave Gina behind.

“I have my Barrier!”

“Then keep it up!”

With that, Gina swung her short swords.