The ship left the Divine Order's island.
That island was engulfed in fla.
The priests watched the island with blank faces before forcing themselves to leave.
Every mber of our group understood how they felt; the temple that had been their ho was burning.
When I arrived at the port, the squad and the elder Tuji brother protected twelve priests as we boarded the captured ship.
The remaining rcenaries on the ship had fired arrows, but they gave up in the end.
Afterwards, the remaining rcenary ships also left one by one.
Since all the rcenaries who had landed were dead, and the island was burning, they must have thought it was over now.
Only our squad remained on deck, watching the island.
Since Viscount Landan's ship was hiding at the rocky island to the northwest, we stayed on guard.
"They'll target us late at night or at dawn in a few days. So you may rest, but don't take off your armor."
"Then I'll get a bit of sleep."
"Sleep well. I'll be keeping watch."
The others also headed for the cabin.
I wasn't the only one with a heavy heart.
Donnie and the squad felt the sa.
We were just more used to it than before.
Alone, I faced the sea, letting the ocean wind wash over .
When the Divine Order's island had beco just a tiny burning dot, the western sea and sky also blazed red.
As the sun slipped below the sea and night slowly deepened, a pitch-black ship slid out of the rocky island to the west, ghost-like.
With all their lights off and darkness shrouding them, their movents were easy to miss.
They'd shadow us in the darkness, then approach in about three days.
Viscount Landan would see this as the perfect ti to strike.
No witnesses, no reinforcents, nowhere to run—right in the middle of the sea.
To Syren's faction, too, the Divine Order was a target for elimination.
That's why they waited for
to destroy it, and even ca in person to confirm it.
All that was left was to kill us.
Did Viscount Landan really co himself?
Since he was known to be ticulous, I was sure he did.
He'd want to see our deaths with his own eyes.
The smarter soone is, the harder they shake off suspicion.
But once even those strong suspicions are dispelled, they turn into absolute conviction.
In that case, it's better to set up a perfect opportunity.
Those who have always succeeded grow overconfident in their own judgnt and experiences.
Viscount Landan was such a man.
So I decided to change our plan.
Instead of just waiting for them, I'd draw them in.
Depending on the situation, I'd use a different move—making it so they'd have to play my "move".
It was the perfect opportunity. So they would surely co.
Tonight.
///
In the pitch-dark night, we landed at an island.
It was the sa small uninhabited island where we had dropped off the sailors on the way to the Divine Order.
We dropped anchor fairly close to the island, then brought everyone to shore, carrying barrels and wild boar as well—might as well have a little celebration.
After explaining the situation to the waiting sailors, we made a huge bonfire on the sandy beach.
We roasted the whole wild boar over it.
"Captain, please don't go back to the ship for any reason."
"Yes, but... are we really safe here?"
"They won't worry about the island."
It was a wide open spot, making assassination difficult.
With everything exposed, their specialties wouldn't work well here, and it was a great place for them to observe us from afar.
So, to the enemy, there would be no better opportunity than tonight.
While sailing, it would be hard to sneak onto our ship.
That's why we left the ship empty and ca here.
"I'll pour you a drink."
"All right."
Tuji ladled alcohol straight from the barrel into my cup.
I downed the first glass quickly, then poured one for Tuji too.
"Hack! Why is this so strong?!"
Allen took a sip of the liquor and made a fuss.
Sailors' liquor was infamous for its strength.
At 70 percent, it would be the first ti Dran ever saw anything like it.
The captured ship had been the continent's top rcenary Corps's, so there was plenty of booze and rations in its hold.
Also, since it was a southern Beltern-style ship, Tuji and his brother were familiar with it.
Anyway, everyone gathered around the bonfire, drinking the strong liquor.
We laughed, joked, and chatted about whatever ca to mind, just having fun as simply as possible.
Before we knew it, the priests gathered in one corner and fell asleep.
Allen and the Tuji brothers held out till the end but eventually passed out as well.
Even the sailors, who could drink a lot, laughed and drank for an hour before falling asleep one after another.
Everyone was too drunk to wake up no matter what kind of commotion happened.
Only the squad and I sat around the fire, chatting about this and that, and kept drinking.
We were completely visible on this dark island—only this island was lit up amid total darkness.
Their target was
and the squad. So us being the only ones awake made for the best target.
And since we were drunk too, it couldn't get any better for them.
"Hahaha! Drink!"
"Hey, the at's burning! Turn it!"
"You drunk? You're rambling again!"
"Who's drunk! Elder brother, want to bet on who'll pass out first?"
"How much you want to bet?"
"One gold coin!"
"What kind of coward bets a single coin! Ten coins!"
"Fine by ! Pour another!"
"Aren't you drinking too much?"
"What's the problem! We're in the middle of the sea!"
The squad kept drinking and shouting.
Through all the commotion, the sailors and priests slept soundly—maybe they were just pretending.
I think we drank for about another hour.
The sixth and youngest in the squad passed out right where they sat, and the others began to nod off.
While I was dozing off as well...
"Captain!"
"Mm? What is it, what's wrong?"
"I think there's a fire on the ship!"
"There's nobody on the ship! Why would there be a fire?"
"Look!"
Everyone in the squad looked at the ship.
Out in the darkness of the ocean, a shadowy ship was just visible. A red dot sparkled near the cabin.
"Everyone up! We've got to put out the fire!"
"Get up! Quickly!"
All the squad got up, but the sailors, priests, Allen, and the Tuji brothers didn't.
They were so drunk they were totally out. The sixth and youngest squad mbers, too.
"I can't wake them!"
"Youngest! Wake up!"
We shook them, but they wouldn't stir.
I quickly pulled myself together and put on my helt.
"Leave them, put out the fire first!"
"Yes! Hurry! Go!"
The squad staggered and stumbled as they ran.
Three of them fell over themselves, so even landed in the water as they rushed.
If the sailors and priests saw us, they'd have laughed at how pathetic we looked.
Anyway, including myself, only seven boarded the landing craft.
We rowed hard toward the ship. Once we approached, the flas were smaller than expected—not likely to spread over the whole ship.
"Hurry up and board!"
"Don't push!"
"Where's the fire coming from?"
"Aft of the cargo hold!"
"Get on and put it out first!"
The squad shouted as they clambered up the rope ladders.
Soon, they bucketed up seawater and started dousing the fire, while I headed for the deck door.
* * *
A landing craft clung tightly to the ship's starboard stern, invisible from the island.
The n on board held their breath and listened.
Thud, thud, thud, thud—
"Cough! Where's the fire?!"
"The cargo hold!"
"Hurry and put it out!"
Thud, thud, thud, thud—
Ssshhhhh—
"What? There's no real fire."
"Soone lit a brazier."
"Sniff. The sll is weird though."
Step, step. Step, step.
"Is it out? What are you all staring at?"
"Wait. Sothing's wrong."
"What?"
"Kuhek!"
"Elder brother!"
"Don't breathe the smoke!"
"Get out! Everyone out now!"
Thud, thud, thud, thud—
Thump—
"Second elder brother is down!"
"It's deadly poison! Don't breathe!"
"Get out, quick!"
"Don't co in... urgh."
"This can't be..."
Thud—thump, thump, thump—
Thud—collapse.
Armored, heavy bodies dropped one after another with a chain of thuds.
There was even a sound of crawling and thrashing. Seven in all.
The shouts and screams from the ship fell silent.
Only a thin trail of smoke seeped out through the gap in the cabin window.
No further sound was heard.
Those on the landing craft didn't move an inch.
They listened to the stillness inside the ship, waiting until even the tiniest sound of tal scratching the floor stopped.
Black clothes, black blades—faces barely visible.
Eleven in all.
When soone gestured, the man clinging to the ship scaled a rope that had been set at the cabin window.
His movents were so quiet, neither sound nor trace betrayed him.
He climbed just below the sliding cabin window, fixed his body, and carefully peered inside through the crack.
After a brief glance around, he descended quietly.
As one man signaled in hand signs, the scout responded in kind.
Satisfied, the man nodded, then pointed upward.
Soon, another man threw a hook and set up a rope ladder on the deck rail, then climbed up one by one, each moving as if made of shadow.
Those who got up first began searching the ship.
After a while, they signed for everyone to co up, and the rest boarded the ship as well.
The first to board waited in formation near the hatch for one man—their leader.
As he boarded, the n led the way and headed towards the deck entrance.
Neither on deck nor inside the cabin was there the slightest sign of life.
Only the open deck hatch, leaking smoke.
The leader signaled, and all the subordinates donned another hood over their masks and drew black daggers.
The man in front peered into the cabin, then stealthily descended.
The others followed, and four remained outside; the leader also entered the cabin.
Inside, the n stood arranged in rows.
One pointed to the end of the cabin.
At the far end, which led to the cargo hold—
n in silver armor and helts lay collapsed.
One, still masked, leaned against the wall.
The n in black, daggers out, crept forward toward the fallen.
Every step they took was painstakingly careful.
But caution only went so far.
Once they confird that the fallen were dead, the leader raised a hand to relax the guard.
"Open all the windows."
The subordinates opened every cabin window. The smoke hanging in the cabin quickly dispersed.
Since the fire in the cargo hold had been put out, no more smoke was produced.
There were five fallen.
The leader knelt by the wall, closely examining the youth who slumped his head.
"Did you check the deck?"
"Yes. Checked the captain's quarters, mast, port and starboard, stern and bow. Nobody hanging on anywhere."
"Then the other two are in the cargo hold."
The leader squatted, looking over the bodies.
Watching them a mont, he rose as if convinced.
"They might still be breathing—make sure they're dead. Drag the one without a helt to the deck. I'll behead him myself."
"Yes!"
He turned and began to walk away.
His subordinates moved toward the corpses.
Just then—
"W-wait."
The leader stopped.
Everyone froze.
The leader stood motionless, staring forward.
His pupil quivered violently.
Cold sweat ran down his cheek.
In front of his frozen gaze—
A black dagger floated eerily in the air—
Edging closer as if ready to skewer his eye at any mont.
"Don't move."
"Lord!"
"Don't move!"
The leader eyed the knife as it hovered before his left eye, hand drifting to his dagger.
At that mont—
Another dagger lifted into the air and stopped right before his right eye.
"You tricked ."
That was all the leader said.
At that instant—
His n gasped involuntarily, stepping back.
The youth who had been slumped with his head down against the wall raised his head like a ghost.
They stared, holding even their breath.
The youth stared straight back.
Both eyes wide open.
* * *
I stood up slowly.
So did the squad mbers who'd been faking death beside .
At the sa ti, two Sword-Dagger—elental blades—drifted up over my shoulders, aiming at Viscount Landan.
He could not move, pinned in place by the Sword-Dagger before his eyes.
Nor could his subordinates.
"Viscount Landan. Do you know about the Emperor's bloodline?"
Viscount Landan trembled.
Even the strong can do nothing about death.
"Would you spare
if I tell you?"
"Do you even know?"
"A tattoo on the shoulder. A black tattoo."
"That's all?"
"If you spare , I'll tell you the pattern."
"When my mother's family begged for their lives, did you spare them?"
"I swear—I will, just please spare !"
Tting—
Viscount Landan deftly knocked away the two daggers before his eyes and darted to escape.
At the sa ti, his subordinates rushed us.
Just then—
The two Sword-Dagger at my shoulder streaked forward like arrows, flying toward the fleeing viscount.
Swiish—thud, thud—
A dagger pierced the back of the viscount's head.
And his neck.
Thud—
Viscount Landan collapsed forward on the spot.
This was my first step—
On the path of revenge I had begun.
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