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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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It was a magic circle so immense that it dyed the vast night sky in red. Even the assassins, who had almost no knowledge of magic, could sense that this was no ordinary spell.
“Get out of the way!”
“T-The ground is freezing!”
The sky turned crimson, and the earth was covered in cold white. The assassins couldn’t even properly evade. Fire rained down upon their heads.
“H-High-tier magic…”
Sylvia, who had been watching everything from afar, couldn’t hide her shock.
Having grown up in the forest, she had never encountered a high-tier mage on the battlefield before.
“So this is the terror of war…”
Though they were High Assassins and subordinates of the Second Prince who had slaughtered Elves in the green forest, they collapsed helplessly before the unexpected barrage of high-tier magic.
“My lady, I believe we must retreat.”
Siadin approached Sylvia cautiously and whispered. But as if the nearby assassin had heard even that small voice, his eyes widened. He drew a sharp dagger.
“You must secure our retreat in emergencies! Any unauthorized movement will cost you your life!”
His voice grew louder with emotion.
“I won’t go anywhere, so don’t worry.”
Sylvia replied and turned her gaze back to the battlefield.
She wished for nothing more than the death of the Second Prince’s subordinates who had slaughtered Elves before her eyes. However, for her to survive, she had no choice but to hope for their victory. If the High Assassins and the
Second Prince’s forces were annihilated and captured, not only she but her entire tribe would be in danger.
“Mage!”
Among the Second Prince’s men was a top-tier mage. As he raised his staff and his robe fluttered, the cold white ice covering the ground melted completely.
“Guh!”
Even though he was a top-tier mage, canceling a high-tier spell placed a tremendous strain on his body.
He had overdrawn his mana to the limit, causing blood to spill from his nose and mouth as he staggered. He had entered temporary mana exhaustion.
“Evade!”
“Find the high-tier mage! Eliminate him first!”
Thanks to the top-tier mage’s sacrifice, their feet were now free to move. The High Assassins and assassins scattered.
Their eyes darted around, searching for their target. But those who appeared before them were not the Blue Tower Master and Red Tower Master, but a hundred Imperial Army soldiers and the combat unit of the Mage Tower.
“For the Philios Empire!”
With a mighty roar, the Imperial Army and Mage Tower knights charged. Behind them, mid-tier mages from the Mage Tower provided magical support.
“Lightning Arrow!”
“Ice Rain!”
Mana surged and magic took form. Sharp shards of ice rained down, and arrows of lightning pierced the air.
The Second Prince’s forces fell helplessly. They were assassins—stealthy blades lurking in the shadows to strike at their foes. In such an exposed situation, they had no chance to perform.
“W-What are the mages doing?!”
The assassins desperately sought their mages. But aside from the now mana-exhausted, elderly top-tier mage, the only ones with them were one high-tier mage and three mid-tier mages. Even though they used all their strength, the magical forces led by the Fifth Prince were too superior.
“Who the hell is the Fifth Prince? Where did he find such powerful mages?!”
As the Second Prince’s forces fell in chaos and became corpses, the High Assassins of the Edryger Kingdom used ‘Perfect Stealth’ to vanish.
“Guh!”
“Where are the High Assassins… Aaargh!”
As the Second Prince’s forces died searching for the vanished High Assassins, the assassins fell even faster now that their last hope had disappeared.
“The Second Prince’s forces are falling.”
“It doesn’t matter. We only need to kill the Fifth Prince.”
They had gathered today under the pretense of assisting the Second Prince, but their true goal was to assassinate Raymond Philios, the Fifth Prince whose name was written in the Black Book.
The Second Prince’s subordinates could all die for all they cared. The High Assassins were committed solely to achieving their objective.
A little distance from the battlefield, the High Assassins exchanged a brief conversation, then scattered again to locate the Fifth Prince.
Invisible blades began to roam the battlefield.
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“Don’t fall back! Fight! We are the proud Imperial Army of the great Philios Empire!”
Raymond was observing from a distance when the voice of the Imperial Army Commander, Cassias, reached him.
He had likely used mana to amplify his voice.
“It seems like it’s about time they arrived.”
“Will it be alright without the Tower Masters?”
Gestain, having heard Raymond’s murmuring, approached cautiously and expressed his concern.
Currently, the strongest forces at the Fifth Prince’s side were the two Tower Masters, who had reached the level of high-tier mages. But they were at the front, overwhelming the assassins.
Now that the High Assassins had vanished, those guarding Raymond were Gestain, Desia, the elite guards, and retired Royal Guard. No one knew how many High Assassins were present, so they couldn’t let their guard down.
“Commander, you worry too much.”
“Call it a strong sense of duty, Desia.”
Desia tried to continue the conversation, but she sensed an approach from the darkness and gathered mana.
“My lord!”
Gestain swiftly moved his only arm and drew his sword. A sharp mana blade flared from the weapon.
“Your Highness, stay close to me.”
Jayce, wearing a red mask, said nothing more. He stayed close beside Raymond.
“So, they’ve come.”
A cold smile spread across Raymond’s lips. Despite having High Assassins right before him, he didn’t lose his
composure.
“They’re here.”
From the shadow stripped of light, black figures surged forth. In an instant, all directions were blocked.
“Seven of them?”
Seven revealed themselves. But who knew how many more were still hidden? High Assassins were a devious lot.
Raymond silently turned his gaze to the side. Receiving his glance, Desia sent her sharpened mana out in all directions to probe.
“There are more hiding beyond the veil.”
To perfectly pierce through Perfect Stealth, one needed to be at least at the top-tier mage level. Desia, though a high-tier mage, was close to that level. She could vaguely sense how many were hiding behind the veil.
“How many… roughly?”
“Judging by the intensity of their aura, I’d say at least five more.”
Perhaps Raymond’s calm demeanor had rubbed off on her. Despite informing them that over ten hostile High Assassins were surrounding them, Desia remained composed.
Was it confidence that their defenses could not be breached? As her understanding of magic grew, so did her confidence. It was good to see.
No more distractions. It was time to face the High Assassins.
“I don’t recall inviting you here.”
“I won’t waste words, Fifth Prince.”
Did that mean no further conversation was necessary? The High Assassins kicked off the ground and soared into the sky.
Half of them melted back into the darkness, while the rest, still visible, threw their daggers.
Some daggers blended into the darkness, others were infused with black mana, and a few split into multiple blades.
These were the secret assassination techniques the High Assassins prided themselves on.
“Fall back!”
Desia shouted sharply. The elite guards who had been about to charge forward quickly retreated, and a shield filled with blue mana formed in front of them.
The massive shield, glowing with a blue hue, blocked the daggers thrown by the High Assassins—but it wasn’t over yet.
Three High Assassins, hidden in the darkness, leaped over the shield. Tearing through the veil, they revealed themselves and swung their daggers at the nearby elite guards.
“Argh!”
Two elite guards collapsed. Then, in another spot, the darkness split open again, and five High Assassins appeared, throwing their concealed weapons. Two more elite guards fell from the close-range attack.
By the time the other elite guards rushed in to intercept, the High Assassins had already vanished back into the darkness.
“Spread out.”
“But, Your Highness, that’s exactly what they want.”
To minimize casualties, they needed to spread out. Raymond issued the order in a calm voice, but Gestain opposed it.
If they spread out, the elite guards would cover a wider area, which would restrict the High Assassins’ movements.
However, it would also weaken the defensive formation, leaving Raymond exposed.
“I have no intention of surviving alone.”
At Raymond’s words, Gestain bit his lip and ordered the elite guards to spread out. Once they dispersed, the High Assassins could no longer move so freely.
“Your Highness…”
“Desia, prepare the shield.”
They were coming.
A stream of blood erupted from the throat of the elite guard standing at the front. Without even managing a scream, the guard crumpled to the ground. Four black shadows leaped over his lifeless body.
“Before you stands the bloodline of the Philios Empire! How dare you raise your weapons so carelessly!”
Gestain kicked off the ground and lunged forward, swinging his mana sword glowing with a blue hue. The blade sliced through the neck of the lead High Assassin in one swift strike.
“Be careful! He’s a high-ranking knight!”
“Surround him!”
More High Assassins tore through the veil of darkness and revealed themselves. The elite guard formation had already collapsed, and five High Assassins rushed at Gestain, binding him in place.
“The rest, strike the Fifth Prince!”
The High Assassins moved swiftly. From all directions, shadowy blades aimed at Raymond’s vital points.
“Desia.”
“I know, Your Highness.”
Once again, a blue barrier unfolded, repelling all the deadly weapons filled with killing intent.
“Ranged attacks won’t work!”
“Close in! Take him down up close!”
Mana swords burst from the weapons the High Assassins drew. At the same time, Jayce, who had remained still, finally moved.
The moment he took a step, two High Assassins collapsed, spewing blood.
“W-what just happened?!”
“There’s another high-ranking knight here!”
Sensing danger, all the High Assassins tore through the darkness and showed themselves.
“There are more of them than I thought.”
Under his mask, Jayce’s face tensed. Contrary to what Desia had said, there were far more hidden High Assassins
than expected.
Six had newly revealed themselves, and excluding those fighting Gestain, there were eleven in total.
Though once skilled enough to be chosen as a Royal Guard, he was now an old man, retired from battle.
Eleven High Assassins radiating murderous intent. Jayce wasn’t sure he could protect the Fifth Prince against them.
“Lady Desia, I leave His Highness to you!”
Jayce shouted as he charged at the High Assassins. He knew that staying on the defensive wouldn’t win this fight.
He took a gamble. Alone, he managed to hold off seven of them, but the remaining four rushed toward Raymond and Desia.
Their forms, brimming with killing intent as they charged, were like something out of a nightmare. But Raymond remained calm. He raised his hand and summoned mana.
“Fire Spear!”
“Ice Blast!”
A spear of flame pierced through the darkness, and ice exploded right in front of them. Three High Assassins remained. The distance was too close to cast another high-level spell.
Desia quickly conjured ice arrows, which pierced the body of one High Assassin. One more down, but two remained, and they were close.
Desia tried to summon mana again, but a flash of light scattered the forming magic circle like a mirage.
A magic destruction scroll. They even brought that absurdly expensive single-use artifact? This was unexpected. Raymond’s lips twisted as the High Assassins pounced like wolves finding prey.
“Your Highness! Ugh!”
Desia collapsed, vomiting a handful of dark blood. Trying to cast magic again right after a cancellation had overloaded her mana pathways.
“Y-Your Highness…”
Even as she fell, Desia reached out with blood-soaked hands, trying to complete the spell.
If not for Raymond, she wouldn’t have reached this level so quickly. She feared losing him right before her eyes.
“The shield is down!”
“There’s no mana signal!”
“The Fifth Prince is alone! Attack!”
The High Assassins moved. Despite their deadly aura as they charged in, Raymond didn’t back down.
Instead, he took a step forward to face them and raised his right hand.
“You think I’m alone…”
Mana gathered in his outstretched hand. Soon, it took the shape of a sword.
“A mana sword?!”
“Wasn’t the Fifth Prince a mage?!”
The High Assassins faltered for a moment, confused. Raymond dashed forward, narrowing the distance.
“With a thousand knights by my side…”
His eyes shone sharply, and the Soul Sword he raised emitted pure white mana.
“I am never alone.”
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