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The scent of blood scattered all around as if the god of death had passed by.

Brian Kendrick, a knight of Velias, couldn’t believe what he was witnessing right in front of his eyes.

Every split second, screams of knights echoed, accompanied by the gruesome sight of crimson blood raining mercilessly from the sky.

Could this really be the work of an eleven-year-old boy?

As the boy gazed upon the corpses of knights, his eyes soon met Brian’s, who felt his legs weaken and collapsed.

Cyan Vert, the youngest son of Duke Willius Vert, the guardian of the continent.

Just a year ago, he was scorned as the incompetent heir of his lineage.

However, within the past year, he had grown to be the most prominent figure within the territory, gaining recognition from the Duke and even earning the title of the guardian of the princess and the one who returned alive against the demonic dragon.

His reputation soared so rapidly that it made one wonder whose story they were telling.

But…

‘Has he learned assassination techniques from the knights?’

Even if they were esteemed senior knights, it was unlikely they would employ such cruel swordsmanship.

Gripping a small sword no larger than a lady’s hairbrush, he first severed both hands holding weapons, then immobilized both legs, and finally, like a finale, decapitated his opponent without flinching, astonishing those who witnessed it.

Cyan, who committed such brutal acts without hesitation, calmly approached the valley and wiped his face.

His demeanor seemed so natural, as if such actions were commonplace.

“These days, do knights also engage in thuggery?”

Cyan asked indifferently, but Brian couldn’t respond. Despite wanting to say something, all that escaped his trembling lips were feeble groans.

Having finished his ablutions, Cyan walked over, met Brian’s eyes as he knelt, and uttered, “Speak.”

It was a command that stimulated the senses like a whisper from a ghost, implying to divulge everything without resistance.

Before him was no longer a young boy.

According to the heart, he’s nothing but a merciless executor of death, capable of sending anyone to the pit of hell at any time.

Brian, filled with terror, began to spill everything as if possessed.

“I, I received orders from Lady Margaret herself! ‘Assassinate Cyan, the young master, on his journey to the Royal Academy.’ It was a secret directive given to me and six other knights!”

“The reason?”

“W-Well, I’m not sure of the details, but there are rumors! Before Young Master Cranz headed to the Academy, he earnestly asked Lady Margaret for something! Perhaps she accepted his plea and issued this task. It’s just speculation among us!”

Cyan chuckled incredulously.

“No wonder he ran off like scared rabbits…”

The questioning continued.

“So, if you succeeded in killing me, what were your plans for the aftermath?”

“We were just… supposed to come back, report the situation, then say that we were attacked by thieves and you died. After that, we were promised our reward and it would be over…”

“Reward?”

Cyan listened to the story and smirked.

“You’re all just low-ranking, right? Just newly appointed knights from the training ranks…”

“W-Well, yes, but…”

“Shall I tell you something? If you had returned, it would have been straight to the gallows for you.”

“…!”

“If you, who failed in your duty to protect me, claimed ‘Cyan was attacked by thieves and died,’ do you think they would have just let it go? They would have demanded punishment for the failure of the mission.”

Brian’s eyes were flickering intensely.

“And offering rewards to mere low-ranking knights? Even if they did offer, do you think that woman would have let go of the ones who dared to kill the Duke’s heir?”

“B-But she promised to guarantee our safety…”

Cyan sighed with a pitying look.

“Well, what did you know about the Lady anyway? Not much. You were just expendable pawns to her. Ignorant, disposable pawns.”

In fact, upon a moment’s reflection, it was a fact easily understood.

A sudden assassination mission given to seven low-ranking knights.

It might have seemed suspicious, but they were knights of the territory, bound to obey whatever they were told.

In short, it was just bad luck.

They were simply thrown into the pit of death without any say in the matter.

Brian, realizing the truth, trembled with indescribable emotions.

“Am I… also to be killed?”

He asked cautiously, with a hint of resignation,.

“Why do you think that?”

“I have nothing more to say. There’s no longer any reason to keep me alive.”

Silent, Cyan stared through him as if piercing him with his gaze.

“Aren’t you resentful?”

“It was us who tried to kill you first. Do we have the right to resent?”

Cyan spoke with an enigmatic smile.

“There’s a difference between being worthless and not worth keeping alive.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m not that kind of person.”

To Brian, it was an incomprehensible statement.

“Besides, there’s still something you need to do for me.”

“W-What do you mean?”

Cyan nodded towards the carriage, parked alongside the scattered bodies, despite some blood splatter, the carriage and horses were in perfect condition.

“You drive carriages well.”

***

[What are you thinking?]

“What am I thinking? I can’t walk all the way there on foot.”

[Oh, so the great wielder of divine power chooses a carriage instead of running it secretly? Wouldn’t it be easier to move it with magic, why bother with such a person?]

“Do you want to advertise ghost carriages to everyone? Why not go around saying that the successor of Ayer has returned?”

[You’re a very merciful assassin indeed!]

Keram sneered and stuck out his tongue.

Merciful, huh…

Well, I’m not sure if this could be considered merciful.

It might seem like he’s driving a carriage for his enemy, considering all his companions came and died while he survived alone.

Honestly, wouldn’t it be reasonable to feel a sense of humiliation?

I don’t completely understand Keram’s words questioning why bother keeping him alive, but on the other hand, I don’t see the need to kill him either.

If the guy who’s inevitably going to be killed anyway could be a bit more useful, wouldn’t it be a win-win situation for both of us?

I leaned out of the carriage window on the driver’s side.

**Duk-gudu**

Glancing around and maintaining a firm grip on the reins, with a posture that suggested readiness for anything.

The carriage smoothly navigated obstacles at just the right speed, neither too fast nor too slow, despite traversing rough wilderness, exhibiting an exceptionally satisfying ride without the slightest jolt.

It’s enough that I found myself almost dozing off midway. I’ve said my piece.

“Hmm!”

Brian, turning at the unfamiliar sound, was startled when he saw me.

His sudden movement caused the reins to slip, and the carriage shook violently.

“D-Do you need something?”

“No. Focus on driving.”

“Yes…”

Brian quickly regained his composure and resumed driving.

“How old are you?”

“N-Nineteen this year.”

Nineteen.

The same age as Emily.

“You seem to handle horses and carriages quite well. How did you end up becoming a knight?”

Brian, scratching his head awkwardly, answered cautiously.

“I-I was actually just a probationary knight. I used to be a laborer doing odd jobs within the territory. With many knights from our territory being recruited elsewhere recently, I was fortunate enough to become a knight.”

“Knights being recruited from the territory? Why?”

“I’m not sure of the exact reason, but about a year ago, there was a surge in nobles across the empire, including the royal palace, hiring personal guards. The pay was good, and the treatment was decent, so many capable knights have already left.”

Had I been out of the loop because of my time on the front lines?

Well, most knights guarding the front lines belong to the Knights of Light, not the territorial knights, but this was quite surprising nonetheless.

The frequency of territorial knights being recruited as guards had increased to the point of them being called up… Something suspicious seemed to be happening.

“So you just became a knight to fill in the numbers?”

“Well… Becoming a full-fledged knight isn’t easy, and I just thought I was lucky. It wasn’t a common opportunity. Even though I became a full-fledged knight, the job remained the same…”

Yes, even from my perspective, it seems like luck was on your side.

If you weren’t wearing the uniform of a stable hand but armor instead, you would have died in that spot just the same.

As the silence persisted, the cityscape of Sapheren began to emerge at the edge of the wilderness.

“S-Sapheren is in sight, my lord!”

Sapheren, a central city of the empire. Though not massive, it was considered a fairly prosperous territory within the empire.

As we slowed down and approached the checkpoint, armed guards approached and blocked the path.

“Where are you coming from?”

“Uh, well… I…”

Brian, seated on the coachman’s seat, could only sweat profusely without uttering a word.

One might think he’s hiding a corpse behind him.

I got off the carriage and showed the guards the seal of House Vert.

“I am Cyan Vert, son of Lord Vert of Velias. I’m en route to Luwen to attend the Royal Academy.”

As the guards checked the seal, they soon began to scrutinize my attire.

The most typical way to confirm someone’s status was to inspect their attire. My well-kept, resplendent silver uniform represented my status.

“Are you… traveling alone?”

“I have one carriage driver who also serves as a guardian.”

The guards exchanged suspicious glances between me and Brian for a good three seconds.

“Very well. We’ll grant you entry.”

After the formalities, the guards cleared the way.

“I don’t mean to offer unsolicited advice, but if you have the means, it might be wise to hire a few guards while in the city. The atmosphere in the empire these days is quite grim, as you know.”

“Thank you for the advice. I’ll consider it.”

I boarded the carriage again and entered Sapheren.

As soon as we entered the city, I felt a somber atmosphere pervading the air.

Was it a sense of vigilance?

As if to confirm this, I saw numerous armed guards patrolling the streets with swords and spears.

Certainly, the Sapheren I knew from before wouldn’t have been like this.

I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that I wouldn’t just pass through this city without incident.

“Um, where should I take you, my lord?”

“To an inn. Anywhere that can accommodate the carriage and isn’t too extravagant will do.”

“Understood.”

For now, I decided to leave my belongings and explore slowly.

————