A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night Chapter 70: The mysterious client

One week passed in a blur.

The Moonstone Shipyard was now buzzing with activity—hired craftsn toiled away, reinforcing hulls, expanding passenger cabins, and repainting the vessels with a fresh coat of navy and gold. Though progress was steady, it would still take weeks before the ships were seaworthy again.

anwhile, the Queendom had gone into a state of lockdown. Borders were closed. Soldiers patrolled roads, docks, and city gates as adventurers from all across the world poured in, drawn by one singular event—the ergence of the Tower of Zurin.

The tower had appeared like a ghost, rising from the island of Crescent Wharf, which itself rested in the middle of Lake Eldreich. The lake, nestled deep within the Forest of Eldreich’s valley, was surrounded by the Mountains of Eldreich—a place nad after Archmage Eldreich, one of the greatest mages the Queendom had ever seen. At the heart of it all, piercing the very clouds, stood the imposing tower.

While it erged five days ago, its entrance had remained sealed. Until today.

Kael stood at the foot of the mountain pass, eyes locked onto the distant spire of the tower. The air felt thick with anticipation as adventurers, rcenaries, and various groups of hopefuls gathered along the shores of Lake Eldreich. There was an obvious buzz of excitent in the air.

The tower, an imposing structure, rose high into the clouds, its spires and intricate design a testant to the ancient craftsmanship and powerful enchantnts woven into its very stones. Its sheer size left no doubt as to its purpose: it was a place of both mystery and legend.

Kael’s gaze remained fixed on the tower, his thoughts sharp and calculating.

"It looks quite intimidating even far far away," Seraphina murmured beside him, tucking a stray silver strand behind her ear.

"That’s what people say about dragons too," Laura quipped, her arms crossed. "But, we can ta them too. The sa goes for the tower."

With them were a handful of Tier-6 royal knights led by Captain Cain—a Tier-7 warrior, personally sent by Amanda for security. Publicly, their orders were to safeguard everyone, but secretly, their priority was to protect Laura and then Seraphina, only then, its Kael.

Is it out of love? Not really.

It’s just the order Amanda ca up, based on what she thinks from weakest to strongest.

But none knows her real thoughts. So, they could only have their own theories like Laura is her most precious sister, it might be because Seraphina is a healer, or maybe, the relationship between Amanda and her husband is not good. Cain couldn’t help but worry about the order he was given. Nevertheless, he was committed to bringing everyone safely.

The air buzzed with tension. Kael was here not just for the tower but also to et the mysterious client who claid to have information on his sister’s whereabouts. According to the letter, he was told to et the client in the valley. Well, he was in the valley.

Considering how the stranger knows his secret, Kael was confident that the stranger would look for him. With royal knights around, he had enough attention from passersby. And he waited.

Eventually, soone found him as he expected.

A woman, clad in a dark green travel cloak, erged from the crowd of adventurers and strode toward him.

"Lord Moonstone."

He stiffened as soone called him out.

She knew his na but he didn’t recognize her. Moreover, the person called him instead of greeting his wives. He understood that mont it was this stranger he was waiting for.

The woman stopped a few paces away, tilting her head slightly as if evaluating him. "You’re late," she said simply.

Kael narrowed his eyes. "And you are?"

"Soone who works for the one who hired you." Her tone was calm, unbothered by his wariness. "My boss passed a ssage to you. He would like you to join our group for the tower expedition."

Kael’s lips twitched into a dry smirk. "Not interested."

The woman blinked, caught off guard by the imdiate rejection. "You’re refusing before even hearing the terms?"

"If your boss wants to speak with , they can et directly," he said. "If not, I don’t see the point."

A mont of silence. Then, she gave a small nod.

"Fair enough," she conceded. "Follow . Alone."

Laura scoffed. "Like hell he’s going anywhere alone with you."

Seraphina crossed her arms. "You could be leading him into a trap."

The woman didn’t flinch at their suspicion, and neither did she care about the bunch of royal knights. "One of you can co along. But only one."

Kael glanced at both won. Laura was already tensing to argue her case, but before she could, he spoke, "Seraphina cos with . She was there when I received the quest from my client. It’s only fair that she deserves to et the client, too."

Laura’s expression dropped instantly, but she said nothing.

Seraphina, on the other hand, nodded without hesitation. "Alright."

The woman turned and walked toward the dense thickets of the forest, not looking back to check if they followed.

Kael and Seraphina followed her.

Staring at their backs, Captain Cain spoke. "Your Highness, do you want us to follow them in secret?"

Laura shook her head, a frown of displeasure creeping to her face. "No, it’s alright."

anwhile, Kael and Seraphina followed the stranger deep into the forest.

The deeper they ventured into the forest, the quieter it beca. The sounds of distant adventurers faded behind them, replaced by the occasional rustling of leaves and the soft crunch of dirt underfoot.

The woman led them through winding paths, past gnarled trees covered in luminescent moss. Eventually, they reached what seed like a small wooden treehouse perched on thick, intertwining roots.

Kael frowned. "This is where we were eting? In the middle of nowhere?"

The woman stepped forward, gesturing toward the entrance. "Inside."

Kael didn’t move imdiately. He scanned the surroundings, his instincts on high alert. From what he could tell, there was no one inside. No other guards, no lingering mana presence.

It seed too... simple.

Still, he gave Seraphina a slight nod before stepping through the doorway.

And the mont they entered—

The room expanded.

What had once been a simple treehouse stretched and unfolded into a grand hall. The wooden walls seed to shift and widen, forming polished floors, tall bookshelves, and chandeliers that hovered without chains. It was no longer a hut in the woods—it was a mansion.

"Space manipulation." Kael thought, observing his surroundings.

Kael’s expression remained unreadable, but Seraphina inhaled sharply beside him. "This is no ordinary treehouse. They managed to construct an entire new dinsion inside," she muttered.

Kael thought, inwardly shaking his head. "No, if it was a pocket dinsion, there would be a slight disruption of mana the mont we entered. I didn’t sense anything earlier. It wasn’t re space manipulation either. It’s highly possible that the house itself was sothing akin to an artifact. Anyway, this isn’t important. Where is that client? Even after entering this place, I cannot sense any other presence either."

It was at that mont that the woman stopped walking and turned around to face.

"Welco," She greeted. But her voice isn’t feminine. It sounded masculine this ti.

Kael’s eyes stayed locked on the woman standing before them—except that she was no longer a woman.

Before their eyes, her figure warped and shifted. Her delicate fra broadened, her limbs stretched, and her once-soft features hardened into a sharp, masculine face. When the transformation settled, a man now stood in her place.

The man was dressed in robes that glimred faintly with magical wards, his age indeterminate—he could have been anywhere from his mid-thirties to his mid-fifties. He radiated a level of power, one that imdiately marked him as soone with an imposing presence but not to the extent that could pressurize him into doing sothing against his will.

A simple thought ca to Kael’s head. "A Supre Being."

Kael took a slow step forward. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice calm, but with an edge of suspicion.

"I suppose introductions are in order," the stranger said, voice now deeper, carrying a trace of amusent. "My na is Gabriel. And I am the one who called you here." He then gestured toward a nearby set of lavish chairs arranged neatly around a mahogany table.

"Please, sit."

Kael hesitated for only a mont before sitting down. Seraphina, sensing his unease, stayed close, her eyes darting around the room, taking in every detail as though she were ready to spring into action at any mont.

Gabriel pulled out a glass jar of wine from a cabinet, along with three crystal goblets. He poured with practiced ease, filling each glass with a deep crimson liquid.

Kael didn’t touch his.

Neither did Seraphina.

Gabriel, unfazed, swirled his own drink lazily before taking a sip. Then, he exhaled with a satisfied hum. "Humans indeed make good wines," he remarked, setting the glass down. "You should try so."

Kael ignored the comnt. His voice was steady as he asked, "How do you know about my sister’s true identity?"

Gabriel chuckled. "Straight to business. I respect that." He leaned back, his expression unreadable. "But the how doesn’t matter, does it? What I know—that’s what’s important."

Kael said nothing, waiting.

Gabriel’s smile widened. "For example," he continued, "I know that you were born with the potential to beco a demigod."

Seraphina’s breath hitched slightly. She couldn’t help but glance at her husband.

Kael’s eyes narrowed, but his expression remained carefully neutral.