Chapter 70
The artifact that allows one to view the memory of the deceased.
Commonly referred to as the Memory Artifact.
Its appearance resembled that of a bracelet.
The moment mana was infused into the artifact—
Woooong!
Blue mana surged from the trembling artifact, directing itself toward the assassin’s head.
Wriggle!
As the mana entered the head, the assassin’s corpse twitched.
Soon, a small hologram appeared in front of the bracelet.
It looked much like a tiny television.
The time allowed for utilizing this artifact was brief.
The most effective way to use the bracelet in my hand—
“Viscount.”
—was to narrow down the memory search using keywords.
The moment I spoke the keyword—
A scene began to play within the screen, as though I were watching a movie on a smartphone.
A pitch-black space.
From within the small screen, voices began to flow.
“An assignment.”
“The client?”
“Viscount Remington.”
“What’s the objective?”
“At the Seltarion Marquisate, kill these two individuals in the annex.”
A masked figure in black handed over a sketched montage. It was clearly Erciel and Seron.
“Seltarion Marquisate? Breaking through their security is practically impossible.”
“Normally, yes. But there’s an insider aiding us. They’ll inform us of the security gaps.”
“The personnel?”
“You, ten mid-level, and twenty low-level assassins will be deployed.”
“Children. Killing them won’t be difficult, but isn’t there an advanced escort knight guarding the annex? It won’t be possible to overcome them with this many people.”
“They’ve left for Helena. They won’t return for some time. Currently, the annex is guarded mostly by lower- to mid-tier Expert knights.”
“In that case.”
“Do not tarnish the reputation of the Black Shadow. Failure is—”
“Not an option.”
As the playback ended, the smile on my lips widened.
“I’ve found it.”
The Black Shadow.
A rather infamous organization in the underworld.
Their primary work involved assassinations, with a reputation for a remarkably high success rate within the industry.
“So that’s why they only sent one high-ranking assassin.”
Erciel and Seron.
To them, these two seemed like insignificant children.
They must have assumed that, with the insider’s help, the security could easily be breached.
Had they intended to assassinate me—
At least one top-tier assassin and ten or more high-tier assassins would have been deployed.
That level of manpower would have been necessary to overcome the advanced Expert knights guarding me.
Crunch!
Soon, the bracelet on my arm began to crack—
Crash!
With a sound like shattering glass, its fragments fell to the ground.
The time allotted for viewing memories had expired.
The Marquis, silently watching the broken bracelet, finally spoke.
“Viscount Remington. It was him.”
“Yes. It seems certain now.”
“By the way, that artifact… Is it capable of viewing memories from long ago?”
At Remton’s question, I shook my head.
It wasn’t that convenient of an artifact.
“Memories can be accessed only up to a month before the time of death. Additionally, finding specific memories requires mentioning a related keyword, and the artifact can only recognize one keyword.”
I continued to explain the limitations.
It could only display the most recent memory tied to the keyword.
The artifact couldn’t be reused on the same corpse, as the memory playback caused the brain to dissolve.
After my explanation, the Marquis nodded.
“So, it has its limitations.”
“Yes.”
“The Black Shadow, huh… I’ll begin searching for them.”
“There’s no need for that. I already know their whereabouts.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I’ve heard about it before.”
As though understanding something, Remton nodded.
Knowledge of the underworld was something a scoundrel would naturally possess.
“Where is it?”
“Pelpran. Their base is the Sarime Tavern in that city.”
“Pelpran. That’s not far.”
Pelpran.
It was a city that could be reached in three days on horseback.
“If we sweep through their base, we’ll find evidence. No matter how meticulous they are, they’ll undoubtedly have a ledger detailing their assignments.”
A ledger containing such information could be extremely useful later—for blackmail, ensuring no backstabbing occurred, or other purposes.
Organizations like these would almost certainly maintain records listing their clients, the targets, and the fees.
Unfortunately, the assassins hadn’t mentioned the name of the insider, so dealing with Baron Hemington would take a bit more time.
But that was fine.
Just having Viscount Remington’s name on the ledger would suffice.
Once the ledger with his name was found—
I’d capture him and ensure Baron Hemington was taken down alongside him.
A delightful session of interrogation would ensure Hemington’s name was revealed.
“I’ll send the Storm Unit.”
The Storm Unit.
An elite group of knights composed solely of mid-level Experts or higher, all trained in the Storm Sword technique.
The name carried dual meanings.
It represented their mastery of the Storm Sword, but also symbolized the way they left nothing in their wake after a mission.
With their skills, wiping out the assassins’ revealed base wouldn’t be difficult.
“Once the ledger is found, do you plan to strike Prinus immediately?”
“Not quite. A direct assault would likely occur after the succession ceremony.”
It wasn’t hard to understand why the Marquis had made such a decision. He likely intended to bolster the power of the next successor.
When a war breaks out, the resulting unity among its members often strengthens their bonds.
Given that Viscount Remington posed no real threat, victory was practically assured.
The victorious successor would quickly consolidate power upon their return.
This was likely the vision Remton had in mind.
Regrettably, a broken apple could never be pieced back together.
I nodded at the Marquis.
“Understood.”
“Alright. Good work. Go and rest. I’ll call you again once we have evidence.”
“Yes.”
After the conversation ended, one of the knight orders at the Marquisate quietly left the territory.
***
When I entered the annex, the neatly organized interior caught my eye.
If one had walked in unaware, they wouldn’t even know assassins had infiltrated.
Soon, Erciel and Seron approached me.
“Young Master!”
“It’s cleaned up nicely?”
“Yes.”
“Were there any casualties?”
At my question, her expression darkened.
“…Some of the attendants…”
I see.
After the alarm magic was triggered, the assassins must have gone on a rampage, causing casualties.
Considering they hadn’t come with good intentions and were in a rush to locate their targets—
“They must have acted aggressively.”
In their urgency to find their targets, they likely resorted to threats and killings.
Judging by her expression, it seemed even the maids she was close to had been among the victims.
“The knights will ensure vengeance.”
“…The knights?”
“We’ve identified the mastermind.”
“The mastermind?”
“Viscount Remington. He commissioned the task through one of the assassin organizations. The Storm Unit has already been deployed, so it won’t take long to wipe them out.”
“The Storm Unit? Then that’s certainly reassuring.”
Erciel and Seron.
While the two of them were ultimately safe, leaving such troublesome individuals alone was out of the question.
The viscount and the baron—both of them would soon meet their end beneath the guillotine.
“Are you both alright? No injuries? How about you, Seron?”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m also… fine, thanks to the energy Erciel provided. It allowed me to handle the attackers.”
“You’ve seen the bodies. You destroyed the evidence to cover the tracks, right?”
At my words, Seron furrowed his brow, as if recalling unpleasant memories, and then nodded slightly.
“…Yes.”
“You did well.”
“Ah… But it wasn’t my decision. Erciel asked me to.”
“Really?”
At Seron’s words, Erciel nodded.
“Yes. The spirit advised me to.”
“The spirit?”
“It’s a bit… complicated to explain here.”
It seemed she had learned something.
At her words, I motioned Leonhardt and Seron to step back for a moment.
An ancient spirit.
If it had spoken, it was worth hearing what it had said.
Leaning closer, she whispered quietly into my ear.
“The spirit said there’s a sinister aura here. It’s filled with malice… It also warned that something was boiling and about to erupt.”
“Boiling?”
At my question, she nodded.
“Yes. It’s called a suppression spell. It’s a technique that suppresses people’s dispositions. The spirit warned that it might explode soon.”
I see.
That spirit must have sensed something about the Fifth Corps under Adolf’s command.
Perhaps it’s due to its nature as a spirit of light?
It seemed incredibly perceptive.
Well, light and darkness are opposites, so it makes sense.
“So, can you communicate with the spirit now?”
“Yes. It said my spirit power has grown enough to allow direct communication.”
I see.
As spirit power accumulates, the bond with the spirit deepens, so being able to communicate directly wasn’t surprising.
“Did it mention anything else?”
“It said your magic feels a bit special…”
“Well, you already knew that, didn’t you?”
She shook her head emphatically at my remark.
“The spirit said the magic you use is very similar to the magic used long ago.”
“My magic?”
“Yes.”
Long ago.
If the ancient spirit was referring to “long ago,” it could only mean the Ancient Empire era.
The ancient spirit.
Its name wasn’t “ancient” without reason.
This spirit was created during that era.
“An artificial spirit.”
A growth-type spirit artificially created by humans who possessed immense power—that was the ancient spirit.
It seemed the way I activated my magic bore traces of that era.
Could it be that the magic activation methods used by players were, in fact, similar to how magicians of the Ancient Empire cast their spells?
This was the first time I’d learned of this possibility.
Even my knowledge of the Ancient Empire was only superficial.
Information from that era could only be found occasionally in dungeons, ruins, or ancient books.
“Was erasing the evidence also something the spirit advised?”
“…Yes. It said we’d be in trouble if it were discovered.”
“Do you think it’s connected to something?”
Her eyes, brimming with curiosity, met mine as she asked the question.
Should I tell her or not?
After a brief moment of deliberation, I responded.
“I’m not entirely sure yet. But… about my second brother. I don’t have a good feeling. That’s why I told you to be cautious with your summoning.”
“…Adolf?”
“Yeah. Most people won’t know. So, don’t make it obvious. Just act as usual. I’ll handle it.”
At my words, she nodded firmly.
“Yes.”
As we quietly conversed—
A knight approached Leonhardt, relaying some information.
Moments later, my escort knight walked toward me.
“Young Master.”
“Yeah?”
“Lady Iris is on her way here.”
“Iris? Oh.”
Come to think of it, the one-month deadline she had mentioned was almost up.
She was a bit early, but, well…
With her impatient personality, how long could she have possibly waited?
“Did she arrive by carriage?”
“No, she’s coming through a gate.”
“…A teleportation gate?”
“Yes.”
How extravagant.
Using a gate to travel here would cost over ten mid-tier mana stones.
How much of a doting father do you have to be to use a gate for a trip that could be made in just a week?
It seemed he couldn’t rest easy with her traveling on the main roads.
“I see.”
I wondered what she wanted to learn this time.
As I thought about the mixed activation methods in my head—
I saw a girl approaching from a distance, accompanied by her escort knights.
It was none other than Iris.
Her violet ponytail swayed as she walked, adorned in a flowing lavender dress and embellished with countless ornaments.
Was she here to attend a marriage meeting?
As she came closer, her eyes met mine.
“It’s been a while, Lady Iris.”
At my greeting, the young girl bit her lip before speaking softly.
“…I’d like to talk for a moment.”
Her expression and tone were enough to tell she was visibly upset.
Judging by the fact that she wasn’t outright clutching her stomach, she must have thought about this confrontation at least three times over.
“Alright. Follow me.”
I motioned for her to follow as we entered the annex.
—
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