Allen instantly killed the first attacker and, just from that single exchange, immediately judged their strength.
They were just an ordinary beginner-level swordsman.
How ordinary? Even Eris had already reached the beginner level.
And that barrage of arrows from the sky—what a mess. Completely disorganized, almost like a joke. As for the one that happened to shoot through the window, Allen felt it clearly.
It was just a coincidence. The arrow had been launched in a high arc and wasn't fired by any skilled archer. It couldn't even compare to a single strand of Rorz's hair. It only found its way into the window thanks to a lucky angle amid the rain and wind.
And since it wasn't very fast, Allen, using only his holy-level Ryūōgi (Flow Secret Technique), had already crushed it in his palm!
Even if none of them had moved, the arrows wouldn't have hit anyone. It was only Eris suddenly waking up that caused this unexpected twist.
It was, all things considered, a rather "reasonable" kidnapping attempt.
After all, outside of Roa City, with few attendants around, what better chance could there be to act?
If Philip's butler had even half a brain, this would be the best time to make a move.
Philip, as the city lord of Roa, traveled with four noble carriages. Who knows how many people in town had seen it?
Who would ever suspect him?
The target, of course, wasn't Philip himself. There was no benefit in kidnapping or killing him.
So, who was the real target?
The red-haired girl inside the earth fortress!
But the question remained…
Why was Philip so calm?
"Damn it! Philip knew from the start that his butler was shady! There was a hidden thread in the original story! Damn—those kidnappers may be weak, but are you not afraid this dangerous act could spiral out of control?! What about Ghislaine? Is she still waiting somewhere, like in the original story, to make a dramatic entrance with her Kō no Tachi (Light Sword) only after a life-threatening crisis?"
"How could Ghislaine agree to such a dangerous plan??"
"No—wait! With her muscle-for-brains, she probably can't even do basic math. It's likely Philip just gave her a simple order, like: 'Let the children grow through adversity. Step in when you sense real danger.'"
"But if a Sword King who can use Kō no Tachi only senses danger at that point, doesn't that mean everyone else is already dead?!"
"And the original first-person novel didn't even highlight this hidden thread! Damn it! I knew Philip and Sauros couldn't be as one-dimensional as the book made them seem. These two have been entrenched in politics for years. How could they have been portrayed so simplistically during the kidnapping incident?!"
Allen had already pieced everything together during his earlier mental overload. He glared through the window at Philip.
The carriage across from his had at some point pulled away. Philip now looked at Allen with furrowed brows, a conflicted expression on his face—but there was unmistakable admiration in his eyes.
Up to this point, except for that harmless arrow, everything had gone exactly as he expected.
Philip had, of course, calculated for the arrows. He just didn't expect both Allen and Eris to move. According to his plan, those weak kidnappers shooting from the side of the forest would have only hit the floorboards, even if their arrows made it into the carriage.
He had also tried several times to get everyone to sleep along the way.
Unfortunately, Allen's long-eared companion didn't seem sleepy at all.
That was unexpected.
But it didn't matter. With Allen's holy-level swordsmanship, even if all the arrows hit, they wouldn't be injured.
That was Philip's strategy.
Just then!
In the rain, as their eyes met, a haze of smoke began to rise.
When Allen saw it clearly, his previously furious expression instantly froze.
[Mission Evaluation — Strength: Complete. Whether it was your mastery of Ryūōgi (Flow Secret Technique) against the arrows or the lightning-fast swing within your Iwa no Ryōiki (Stone Domain), your sword was so fast it was invisible. This convinced Philip of your exceptional talent.]
[He has the eye for talent. After all, the person swinging a sword beside him daily is the only Sword King of the Kenjinsatsu Ryū (Sword God Style), ranked fourth—Ghislaine.]
[Mission Reward: Participation Score – 5 points.]
[New Mission Activated — Philip's Intent and the Hidden Players.]
[Thanks to your knowledge of the original plot, you instantly realized this was no ordinary assassination attempt.]
[The original kidnapping event was secretly merged into your strength evaluation, catching you completely off guard!]
[Why was it possible for such a fake kidnapping to become real under the very nose of Philip, the city lord of Roa? How did it even reach the point where they were truly taken out of the city?]
[Because it was all under his control.]
[His butler, Thomas, was disloyal. You think Philip didn't know? A city lord's high-ranking butler is never a man without a backer. Philip simply lacked a justified excuse to pull out this "nail."]
[Rudeus's arrival and suggestion of a fake kidnapping gave him that opportunity.]
[In the original plot, he achieved three goals:]
[1. Push Rudeus into unpredictable situations and test his ability.]
[2. Strengthen the bond between the magical prodigy Rudeus and Eris, helping him successfully become her tutor and establishing a foundation for future recruitment into the Boreas house.]
[3. Remove the "nail" placed by Darius that had infiltrated his inner circle.]
[Three birds with one stone. A seasoned politician indeed.]
[And now, after the butterfly effect, you have become the candidate instead of Rudeus. After all, you're a naturally gifted, blood-related son. How could you possibly be inferior to Rudeus? Would Philip let such a golden opportunity slip away?]
[As long as Ghislaine was guarding from the shadows, regardless of your capability to handle the current situation, success was guaranteed.]
[The question is...]
[Is Ghislaine really watching from the shadows?]
[Are tonight's attackers really just the weak kidnappers Philip expected?]
[Mission Objective: Find Ghislaine and help her handle the unexpected changes you've brought.]
[Of course, before that...]
[Ensure your own safety.]
[Mission Start!]
[Reward: Mission Participation Score – 10 points.]
Allen's stunned gaze met the charging silhouettes.
He dismissed the system screen, raised his eyes, and drew his blade.
Slash!
Twenty strikes at extreme speed cut through the carriage window. The window frame was cleanly sliced by the sharp blade and dropped to the ground—
Just like the oncoming "kidnappers."
Heads rolled to the ground, hot blood splashing into the rainy forest.
And at that moment, a startled cry came from the cat-eared maid behind them.
Allen didn't even need to turn to know that a hooded kidnapper had already climbed in through the back window—his Ryūōgi (Flow Secret Technique) had sensed it clearly.
The Mukōon no Tachi (Silent Blade)...
Was already poised to strike.
(End of Chapter)
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