Chapter 13 : Chapter 13
Chapter 13. Assassin
Aurora and the unicorn were both escorted away. Considering her identity, she would most likely be assigned a temporary residence within the Inner Court. As for the unicorn, it would be sent to the training grounds to meet its brothers in the mortal world.
Fia watched as the crowd on the second floor gradually dispersed.
Most of them were heading to the upcoming Central Council meeting to discuss matters regarding the hero. However, based on the established setting and what the original Fia knew about them, it was highly likely they would merely argue about the hero’s adventure route and equipment allocation, each trying to secure advantages for the forces behind them.
After all, the demonic tide had not yet erupted. The apocalypse existed only within prophecy.
Only profit stood directly before their eyes.
“You succeeded?”
It was Lorinna’s voice.
She seemed accustomed to being ignored—or perhaps she simply did not care. With light, cheerful steps, she walked over to Fia.
“Perhaps. You seem rather happy?”
Fia looked at her with some confusion.
Logically speaking, as a Candidate Saintess who had always displayed such devotion, Lorinna should have at least shown some doubt or concern upon seeing the unexpected outcome of the summoning ceremony. Even though she had not stopped Fia from interfering with the ritual and had personally handed over the key, the result had clearly diverged from everyone’s expectations.
So why did she seem so delighted?
Could it be that she had long been dissatisfied with the Church and intended to walk the path of corruption before destroying the entire world?
That was not written in the setting.
“Heh. I simply got hold of your weakness~”
Lorinna smiled, revealing her sharp little canine teeth.
“That so-called hero is completely ordinary, isn’t she? Disrupting the ceremony is an unforgivable sin.”
Her brown eyes fixed on Fia, trying to find fear or pleading in the Saintess’s expression.
But to her disappointment, the beautiful face before her showed nothing but calm—and a hint of helplessness.
“So what do you plan to do, Candidate Saintess?” Fia asked calmly. “Are you going to report me? Then, as my accomplice, you would be thrown into the tribunal as well. We would both suffer torture under interrogation and die miserably together.”
Fia sighed.
As expected, a fool was still a fool. She did not even know how to threaten someone properly. If Lorinna truly intended to hold leverage over her, she should have acted the very day the fragment was exchanged. Now that everything had already happened, revealing it would only lead to mutual destruction.
Fia stepped forward, approaching Lorinna, who was beginning to retreat.
Leaning close to her ear, she whispered softly.
“Your fragment will be returned to you personally later tonight. Now, could you leave for a while? You are getting in the way.”
She said she would come find me tonight!
Lorinna seemed to think of something. She bit her lip, glared at Fia, and hurried away without even responding to the girls who had come looking for her to play around.
【Morality -1】
Even the system seemed too lazy to comment on that.
Fia had no interest in exploring the inner thoughts of a teenage girl. Right now, a matter of life and death awaited her.
According to the information transmitted by Arius within the crowd, no assassins or other high-level professionals had yet been detected.
Did that mean those hidden figures lurking in the shadows would only act once the hero began exploring the Inner Court?
No.
That would not happen.
The hero’s change would not affect their plans. In order to create a breach in the Church’s power structure at this critical moment, they were bound to act.
Their scheme had not been prepared overnight. The cost they had already sunk into it was enormous. They needed this opportunity more urgently than anyone.
Therefore, Fia concluded that they would strike today—no matter the cost.
Even if it required staking even greater resources, these wolves driven by profit would greedily extend their tongues to lick honey from the edge of a blade.
The exact timing would be...
***
Brian folded up the now-useless map of the Inner Court and crouched atop a large tree, maintaining a stealth state.
Today was an important day. Influential figures had gathered together, waiting for a new instrument of profit to answer the summoning.
Naturally, the Church’s defenses were far stronger than usual.
Brian could sense at least four powerful presences not inferior to his own. But thanks to the special equipment prepared by that person, he had successfully reached his position unharmed.
No one would pay attention to a diligent cook who had worked for three years suddenly requesting leave one week before a major event.
Just as no one cared if a few gate guards arrived half an hour late.
Three years.
He had infiltrated this place for three entire years.
He had almost forgotten the taste of the liquor back in his homeland.
If any of his colleagues knew that a high-level professional like him—someone respected wherever he went—had spent three years hiding in a kitchen and stealing food, they would laugh so hard they would not be able to eat for two days.
But Brian was patient.
Patience was an excellent quality.
And it was certainly worthy of the irresistible reward his employer had promised.
“A change of plans. After you succeed, leave the Church immediately and silence the hostage.”
The new order arrived last night.
Brian knew why.
The useless map in his hands was proof.
By the time everything was over, the person who would be physically silenced would not only be the hostage he kidnapped—but also himself, the pawn who had lost his value.
But Brian had no intention of remaining a pawn.
He believed he could be a lone wolf.
Even if wounded, he could still bite the hypocritical chess players manipulating the board.
He clearly understood the value of his target.
And now, that value also includes his own life.
Although the route had changed, from his vantage point high above, he still located his target.
The Saintess of the Church.
Beautiful. Dignified.
Those words had been repeated so many times they had long since lost meaning.
Brian had no interest in reenacting the romantic nonsense imagined by wandering bards—a thief encountering a saintess under the moonlight. Nor would he pick up a flower and hold it between his teeth in an attempt to win the girl’s heart.
Instead, he employed the techniques of a stealth operative and rapidly approached.
His plan was simple.
Deliver a clean strike to the Saintess’s neck.
Then escape before the Church could react, taking her far away to the thieves’ headquarters.
At that point, the roles between him and his employer would be reversed.
Perhaps he might even enjoy a taste of the Saintess’s beauty.
His hand was about to touch that delicate skin.
Brian had already mapped out his escape route.
Just a moment more,
?
The graceful figure dispersed like mist.
Fia activated Stealth and sprinted rapidly along the path, hoping to widen the distance between herself and the assassin.
That perception array recommended by the ritual adjutant had turned out to be extremely useful. When the construction team had been modifying the building layout, the array had conveniently been embedded inside the walls.
That was why she had detected the assassin’s approach and activated her ability in time.
The assassin reacted quickly.
The moment his attack failed, he immediately followed the traces and began pursuing her.
Low-level stealth was still far too easy to track.
Hearing the wind rushing closer behind her, Fia cast the lowest-tier offensive Divine Magic—Light Bullet.
However, the target was not the assassin.
It was the wall ahead of her.
Panicking and running blindly?
Brian thought so.
In the next moment, his objective would be achieved. The lofty Saintess of the clergy had resorted to stealth. That had been unexpected, but the difference in strength was enough to make up for it.
SWISH
Suddenly, a great sword shining with holy light appeared from the side and struck the figure in midair.
Even though Brian adjusted his posture in time to avoid the fatal point, the tremendous force that followed hit him like a badminton shuttle being smashed.
His body slammed toward the wall.
At that moment, Fia leaped forward as well.