Chapter 100: The Assassin of Chinarus (7)

'They all must die.'

He sensed the wind. Since the information had reached the devil's followers, they would know it was Kallin.

Not a single one must be allowed to escape.

Due to their well-trained nature, the wind's restraint didn't last long. It was but a moment. But that brief moment was all Kallin and Phiri needed.

Three, three. A total of six daggers flew in quick succession.

The first aimed at the traitors of Haisen, the second at the devil's followers.

However, his left arm tingled.

'Wound still... not healed.'

Despite being a steel man, the injury from the bishop had not yet healed. Recovery was slow.

This caused a slight wobble in his balance, but since he was throwing with his right arm, it wasn't a major issue.

Five out of the six daggers hit their marks.

Necks and the back of heads. Five of the devil's followers met their end without any resistance.

Then, using the brief opening Kallin created, Phiri and Hepate each cut down two more.

The situation was resolved so quickly that even Phiri was slightly surprised.

'I didn't think we could get out of this so easily.'

They had conserved their strength for the future, but the first pursuers were the enemy's elite.

Considering the numbers, it wouldn't be an easy fight.

But the mystery changed the game.

In battles between experts, even the slightest difference can determine victory or defeat, and the wind was a fatal move.

If they had known and prepared in advance, they might have resisted, but they never imagined Kallin's involvement.

He had already confirmed that today was his day off. Through the commander, he knew he wasn't part of the operation.

"..."

The fight ended in an instant. Kallin stood beside Phiri. There were no words between them.

Only Hepate didn't understand the situation.

He knew there were traitors in Haisen. He had immediately drawn his sword at the sudden support.

But the person who appeared now was a mystery.

"What is this?"

There was no answer. The woman's silence suggested she was a comrade.

He had heard the retreat order.

Was she a loyal subordinate?

Hepate thought it was possible. There were intelligence agents who disobeyed orders for their superiors.

Or maybe she was just a fool. The woman beside her was quite pretty.

There were also fools among intelligence agents.

"The imperial agents are approaching."

At Kallin's words, Hepate frowned. It was a bad omen. Or was it a good one in the current situation?

"Wait a little longer, and the devil's followers will retreat. They'll be here soon. Go ahead. I've cleared the way."

Phiri nodded with a stern face.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

As Phiri and Hepate started running again, Kallin quickly retrieved the daggers.

He needed to buy time by striking and retreating, but his current supply was insufficient.

Immediately after retrieving them, he stepped on the tent of a fruit stand and leaped back onto the roof of a building.

Again, he observed the battlefield through the wind.

In the brief moment he was distracted, the devil's followers had approached to within striking distance.

There were more than twenty. Despite breaking through the encirclement and dealing with quite a few, many remained.

Behind them, more than forty imperial agents were approaching.

There might be devil's followers among them, but at this point, it wouldn't be a major issue.

He needed to draw their attention away from Phiri.

'Let's play a bit.'

Phiri and Hepate no longer held back their strength. They sensed the critical moment.

They moved through the imperial capital at incredible speed.

The encirclement Kallin had pre-emptively broken through was now proving its worth.

Kallin, in the midst of this, kept an eye on those who were closest. He threw daggers and then put some distance between them.

"Shit!"

The devil's followers, angry at Kallin's unexpected involvement, cursed.

It was already difficult to chase, and now they were being harassed like mosquitoes.

After a few minutes, with the imperial intelligence agency getting closer, the devil's followers decided to give up.

If they continued to waste time, they would be surrounded by the imperial intelligence agency. The devil's followers began to withdraw.

'This should be enough.'

Phiri and Hepate had reached a position where it would be difficult for the imperial intelligence agency to catch them.

Despite the twists and turns, the mission was a success. Kallin also hid his body and slipped away.

The rest was up to Phiri. They wouldn't head to the original escape location.

The commander might have set a trap there.

Therefore, they had multiple plans. They could head straight to Haisen or return to the branch tomorrow.

Since not all of them were devil's followers, even if they disobeyed orders, the commander couldn't do much.

'Which path will Phiri choose?'

Kallin, pondering, headed for the palace. This night chase didn't take long.

From leaving the princess's room to now, it had been about an hour. Returning wouldn't take more than an hour and a half.

It was an appropriate amount of time to discuss the arranged marriage that could determine their lives.

* * *

"The pursuit seems to have been shaken off. Where do you plan to go now?"

"I'm still thinking. The original plan was scrapped."

"Because of the traitor inside?"

"Yes. We can either run to Haisen or return to the branch tomorrow when the situation stabilizes."

At Phiri's words, Hepate sighed.

"Neither option seems safe."

"There are pros and cons to both."

"Both have only cons, don't they? Either being chased outside or taking risks inside."

"That's just you being too negative. I don't think I'll die either way."

"Being positive is good."

"Well, better than being negative like someone I know."

Phiri's retort left Hepate with a wry smile. It wasn't entirely wrong. Negative thoughts were useless.

They hadn't known each other long, but she was quite likable. They got along well in conversation.

"But who was that person earlier?"

"Who?"

"Your lover in the organization?"

"Cut it out. Let's focus on the important things."

"The important thing is that person's ability. What we saw earlier, it couldn't be explained without a mystery. Is he going to keep helping us?"

Phiri's expression turned serious.

"He's only that much. What you saw is all there is. Duke Brussek will tell you, but be careful with your words."

"Understood."

Hepate nodded at the sudden change in atmosphere. He was the weaker one now.

"You seem popular with both the devil's followers and the empire?"

"Hmm..."

"We don't have time. Make a decision quickly."

Suddenly, Phiri sensed a familiar yet strange sensation. Someone had entered her shadow.

Hepate also noticed the odd feeling. Phiri stopped him from drawing his sword.

"It's fine."

The person was someone she knew.

"Have you arrived?"

The unexpected words left Hepate puzzled. There was a strange feeling, but no one was present.

The answer came from Phiri's shadow.

"You disobeyed orders."

It was the closest aide to Duke Brussek, who possessed the mystery of shadows.

"There were reasons."

"We can discuss that later. Since I've saved you, I'll take this one with me."

"Yes. However, I request a private meeting with Father."

The shadow was silent for a moment.

"Is it related to the act of disobedience?"

"Since when have you been watching?"

"Since the devil's followers retreated."

Phiri was puzzled. Hadn't the shadow been watching from the beginning? The shadow answered.

"There was someone else observing."

It meant by the duke's order. The shadow wasn't part of this mission from the start.

"The commander is suspicious."

"Do you mean he's working with the devil's followers?"

"Did you know?"

"The duke had his suspicions. He discovered suspicious activities while running a separate intelligence unit in the north."

One of the changes when Kallin entered this world. The original intelligence chief couldn't suspect the commander.

"Could this mission also be...?"

Phiri trailed off. Was it part of the plan to root out the commander?

Phiri suspected the shadow had been observing the commander.

Hepate looked like he had eaten something foul. The probability that his life-or-death mission was part of a larger plan seemed high.

If he was told to repay a debt, did they intend to eliminate him entirely? Hepate resolved to confront the duke.

"I don't know that much. We don't have time, so return to the branch. The duke's people are there, so you don't need to worry."

"Yes."

"I'll inform the duke separately. Wait carefully. It won't be easy."

It was a warning not to cause trouble, along with concern. The commander was the head of one of the four intelligence units under Haisen.

It was unknown how they were connected.

To completely root out the traitors, even the duke had to move cautiously.

Phiri nodded.

"I will keep that in mind."

* * *

On the way back to the palace, Kallin sensed someone approaching through the wind.

The speed was incredible.

'Who is it?'

The probability of it being an ally was almost zero. It was an enemy, whether from the imperial intelligence agency or the devil's followers.

Someone who had taken notice of Kallin in this situation was chasing him.

The situation was getting complicated. Kallin increased his speed. It was better to avoid a fight.

Especially if it was someone from the imperial intelligence agency.

The fact that they were chasing him meant they were an extraordinary individual. They had even blocked out their presence with the wind.

It was a mystery how they had tracked him from outside the range of the wind's sense. Of course, it wasn't necessarily because they were chasing him.

'If they're that strong, shouldn't they be chasing Phiri and the others?'

It wasn't dissatisfaction, but a matter of understanding. They had their own targets.

Even as Kallin increased his speed, the pursuer kept up. There wasn't a significant difference in speed.

Kallin was slightly faster, but it was difficult to shake them off. They were tracking his trail.

If they followed him to the palace, it would be a problem. He might get caught in a trap if he tried to shake them off.

'Perhaps it's better to confront them now.'

Kallin made his decision. Time was passing. Either way, it was dangerous, but the outcome would be the same.

Die in a fight or be surrounded and die. Revealing his identity was also a form of death.

It was wiser to win the fight. Kallin stopped. On the roof, under the moonlight, he waited for the pursuer.

The person who appeared was someone he knew.

"Did you worry about what to do if I kept running?"

Ante, a devil's follower. A giant nearly two meters tall.

Not an easy opponent. He was quite strong even in the game. Kallin gauged his opponent's aura.

It wasn't to the point where he couldn't sense it. It didn't mean he was overwhelmingly stronger.

They were either evenly matched or one was slightly superior.

"From the dark aura in your arm, you must be the assassin of Chinarus."

Ante smiled bitterly. Kallin drew his sword without a word. He wasn't in his best condition.

The opponent was formidable even in the game.

But he trusted his efforts. It had been a few years since the game.

It was a fight worth taking. He had no other choice.

Kallin gripped the hilt of his sword firmly.

He had promised Erendil to return quickly. He didn't intend to break that promise, so time was short.