A Background Character’s Path to Power Chapter 280: The Spider at the Center of the Web

"You’ve fully recovered, my lord." Sir Avir said in disbelief. "What a miracle."

Baron Nusayel nodded. "Right, it’s a miracle."

But I could tell that he suspected sothing else.

Thankfully, I had already discussed it with Lady Nisha. They would probably suspect her, and she would tell the ’truth’. She would say that she received the paynt from their son() in the past, so there would be no need to feel indebted.

Of course, they wouldn’t believe it fully.

"Thank you as well, young man." Baron then looked at . "I’ve heard everything, and what you did for us. The Keep and I will be forever grateful for your help. I promise I will definitely settle this debt."

I chuckled and waved my hand. "No worries, the debt can wait. I’m just glad that you were able to recover quickly."

The baron studied my face for a mont, as if trying to read sothing deeper in my expression. "You’re too humble, lad. What you’ve done goes far beyond simple duty or friendship."

I simply maintained the faint smile.

"I heard you are planning to stay till spring here?" He then asked.

"That’s right, I wanted to learn more about my path from Sir Avir here." I gestured to the old man. "And I just started today. I think a month should be enough to learn the basics."

Sir Avir joined the conversation with a confident nod. "It should be more than enough. At your learning speed, you will surely complete the training and create a solid foundation."

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Most apprentices take at least a dozen weeks to grasp what you absorbed in a single day. Your comprehension is quite remarkable, my boy."

The baron raised an eyebrow. "Already showing promise, I see. That’s good to hear."

"He has the natural instincts for the job," Sir Avir continued. "He asks the right questions and doesn’t repeat the sa mistakes twice. With proper guidance, he’ll surely develop into a great healer."

Although he was sohow right, I sohow felt a bit ashad. Because I already absorbed most of the knowledge thanks to my phantom twin reading the books he gave . Well, mostly the diary. It felt really like cheating, but since it was my ability, I reasoned it wasn’t that bad.

The phantom gave the words, the raw information, but it was still up to to process and understand it.

"Sir Avir is an excellent teacher." I didn’t forget to give him the credit. "I’m fortunate enough to have this opportunity."

"Mmm," the baron humd. "Having you in these... uncertain tis... will be beneficial for all of us. But..."

His expression grew more serious, making wonder whether he would tell about the ’hidden matters’.

"There’s sothing else I need to discuss with you. Sothing that might affect your stay here."

Oh, is he just gonna talk about the assassination or tell the other things too? Well... In fact, the assassination is supposed to be more secretive intel. But I already know about it thanks to Narrative Glimpse.

I nodded, keeping my facade.

Old man Avir, understanding the situation, quietly took his leave after telling the baron to take a few days of rest.

Then, he finally told everything I needed to know. About the gathering thingy at the capital, the succession ceremony. But he didn’t explicitly tell about the assassins; instead, he told there’s going to be danger, and the keep might get swept in it.

"So, if you want to leave, I’ll understand completely," the baron said.

"..." I listened silently as he told to prioritize my own safety.

"You’re right, it seems pretty dangerous, but wouldn’t it be better to have an extra healer around?"

Baron stared at deeply.

"...You’re willing to stay? Even after knowing the serious risk involved?"

"I’ve already committed to learning from Sir Avir till spring," I replied. "Besides, after everything happened so far, I can’t bear to leave just yet."

He was quiet for a mont, then nodded decisively. "Very well. But I want you to understand, if things beco too dangerous, your life cos first. No heroics."

"Of course, I treasure my life as well." I nodded. But...

...If only he knew what I planned to do.

_____ ___ _

Orlan Kingdom, Capital City.

In an opulent chamber high within the royal palace, a handso figure bent over an expansive map of the kingdom spread across an ornate table.

His movents were precise as he placed marks on three distinct territories - Viremont, Lutharie, and Fenvar. The Hollowlands, besides them, had been circled multiple tis with red ink, clearly marking it as the focal point of whatever sche was taking shape.

He straightened, a faint smile playing on his lips as he surveyed his work. "The plan is ready to comnce. All that remains is placing the final piece into position."

His gaze shifted to his right, where a sleek black catlike monster perched on the windowsill, thodically grooming its paw. The creature t his eyes for a brief mont before returning to its task with complete indifference.

The handso figure’s smile deepened. "So, it’s already begun."

His gaze lingered on a lone, delicate figurine at the Luthaire territory, overlooked and underestimated. Yet in his mind, it was the one piece he couldn’t afford to lose.

He then turned toward a particular direction, his expression growing more contemplative as he spoke in a low murmur.

"Forgive , Father, but the ti has co for your reign to end."

______ ___ _

Ashenfang Mountains.

Deep within a secluded cave, several hooded figures sat in a circle around a crackling fire. The fla cast dancing shadows across their concealed faces, creating an atmosphere of secrecy and nace.

The only sounds were the occasional pop of burning wood and the loud howl of wind outside the cave entrance.

The soft crunch of footsteps on gravel broke the quiet.

A figure approached the cave entrance, dressed in what appeared to be a royal guard’s armors.

All eyes turned toward the newcor, but none of them reacted as they have been expecting his arrival.

The newcor stepped into the circle of firelight and spoke in a clear but urgent voice.

"The target will move in two days. We need to complete the mission before then."

One of the figures spoke up.

"Is the timing accurate?"

"Yes. They’ll depart at dawn on the third day."

"Then, let’s discuss the plan..."

"All of our families’ life depends on this..."