The Sword and The Shadow

Don't Want to be an Assassin

"Sir," Xeno said, kneeling, "Even though you gave me a chance that I haven't repaid you for, I've only had one goal after joining the bureau, and that was to kill Geoffrey. That's why I privately struck up a deal with His Highness Alissanda. I was given a chance for revenge today."

Leguna looked at him without a word. It was betrayal all over again. Both Alissanda and Xeno had betrayed him, Alissanda for the throne, and Xeno for vengeance.

"Sir, please let me make a final atonement to you." He stood up and handed a transport talisman to Leguna. "After my revenge, I can no longer live on in the empire. So, I secretly purchased a small house in a hidden area in the south. There's quite a lot of rations and water stored there. Even after the Tide of Death, I doubt the house was touched because of how far hidden away it is. If you don't mind, take Lady Annelotte and the rest there first. You can always plan where to go later."

"How can I trust you right now?!" He kicked Xeno to the ground and the talisman flew off.

But Annelotte gave Leguna a look of frustration and immediately used Magus's Hands to pick up the talisman.

"If he didn't really want to help you, there would be no need for him to come here," she explained at the sight of Leguna's confusion, "In fact, if he hadn't shown up, we would've fallen for it even easier."

"Miss Annie is correct," a dark voice joined in, "The head of the bureau? Hehe… If not for Moonshadow and such a careful assistant as Miss Annelotte, you would've long died."

"Sir, go, now!" Xeno's expression paled immediately. He recognized the voice to be the most terrifying assassin belonging to the imperial family, Soulslay. Alissanda had allowed Xeno to see him once. The way he saw it, Soulslay indeed wouldn't be able to take Leguna on in a fight, but his scheming and plotting were far superior.

"Can you really afford to?" Soulslay suddenly appeared beside Innilis and Eirinn. Xeno was right. While Soulslay couldn't indeed rival Leguna in might, he knew well that as long as one of those three women were subdued, Leguna would be as good as his. And apart from Annelotte, the other two were all too easy to deal with.

However, Soulslay underestimated Annelotte's reaction. The moment Soulslay spoke, she had initiated Glacial Domain, lowering the surrounding temperature only slightly to be able to detect Soulslay's position. Right before he struck, she froze him within a wall of ice.

He tried to break free of it, but Annelotte immediately used a knockout spell fleshed out with all sorts of spellmutations on him. Soulslay felt his vision darken before his head began to spin. He almost vomited.

"Let's go!" Leguna knew that Soulslay was only the first of many to come. The bulk of those who were going to persecute them weren't there yet, so the only choice was to run.

Annelotte nodded. She pulled Innilis along while Leguna dragged Eirinn with him as they left Melindor Plaza under the cover of night.

"Aren't you a quick runner?" Soulslay managed to recover with great difficulty and dodged Xeno's surprise attack from behind as he eyes were growing out of the back of his head.

Xeno didn't think Soulslay would actually be able to avoid it. He lost balance and was given a harsh kick and sent rolling on the ground.

"Forget about chasing them down." Xeno struggled to fight back, but before he could get up, Soulslay's foot stomped on his head.

"To be honest, while you're a little weak, you're rather smart. You rode the wind and switched to the right side at the right time. What I don't understand is why you'd be foolish enough to betray your new master at the last moment?"

"I have no master. Neither Alissanda nor the empire is my master," Xeno grumbled under the pressure of the foot, "If I am to have a master, it would only be Sir Leguna. The reason I betrayed him was to avenge my sister."

"Foolish loyalty, huh?" Soulslay pushed down harder.

"No… I only… want to… repay his kindness! Gaah!"

Xeno tried to retaliate with his dagger, only to have his right hand slashed off by Soulslay. The mysterious assassin wore a really wide black cloak and nobody could see the kind of weapon he held.

"Kindness? That's something assassins shouldn't have." He smirked.

"Assassin?" Xeno drew a cold breath from the pain. "From the very beginning… all I wanted was… to live a good life… with my sister… as a normal person! I don't want to lose my feelings! I don't want to become an assassin! I only want to be a normal brother living with his sister! Sis… Alaine…"

"Very well. I can grant half of your wish, at least." Soulslay raised his foot and slashed, causing Xneo's head to roll. "Now, you've finally reunited with your sister, not as people, but as ghosts."

In an old church outside Melindor, Alaine felt a sudden panic attack. She went to a corner of the church and shrivelled up, her tears beginning to fall. A few days ago when Annelotte was declared missing, Xeno had come looking for her and gave her a dimensional pocket filled with all sorts of living necessities and told her to wait for him in that church.

"If I'm not here five days later, then go to the northern province with these goods alone." Even though she had repeatedly asked him why he was doing all that, he left without saying anything else.

It was the fourth day she had been waiting. Even though there was still one more day, she felt terrified somehow. While she didn't know what was happening in Melindor, she trusted him nevertheless.

"It's okay… there's one more day… He'll definitely come," she mumbled to herself.

However, she had a premonition that he would never come looking for her ever again.

……

A few minutes later, the emptied plaza was surrounded by troops. Alissanda was the one leading all of them.

"Your Highness, the mission is completed," Soulslay said, kneeling.

"Alright." He looked at Xeno's dagger with a hint of grief in his eyes.

"Your Highness, Leguna is still on the run. Caution is advised," he said at the sight of Alissanda zoning out.

He looked at the assassin with frustration and humphed coldly. "I know. I don't need your reminder."

When he finished, he took out a magic tool that looked like a compass and zoned out again.

"Your Highness…" There was another person trying to hurry him along, but his reminder didn't earn the frustration of Alissanda.

I'm sorry… Sacrifice yourself one more time… for the sake of the empire… He pressed a button on the top of the compass.

A beam of magic shot out from it, streaking through the skies like a shooting star. It was a guide pointer that would fall at a certain location in Melindor.

"Follow that light! Go!" Alissanda pointed at the point where the 'shooting star' fell.

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