Chapter 15: The Attempted Assassination of the Saintess
Morning in the city of Alcus felt ordinary. The sky shone a clear blue, and the cold early air brushed softly across the stone streets.
Abel stood on the balcony of his room, wearing a pure white robe with a golden sun emblem on his chest. The sunlight breaking through the clouds reflected gently in his now-golden eyes.
Yet for some reason… his chest felt tight.
"Why… do I feel uneasy today?" he muttered.
The same sister from yesterday knocked politely.
"Saintess, the escort squad from the imperial capital has arrived. They will take you to the central temple shortly."
"That fast…?" Abel looked up at the sky through the window. "Very well. I'll prepare."
But among the soldiers who had arrived, something was wrong. A single soldier at the very back wore a black cloak—his eyes glimmered faintly red.
---
Meanwhile, far outside the fortress, in the small town of Lumen, Ren, Kyle, and Mia were walking through the market.
"So? What did Miss Milly ask you two to buy?" Ren asked.
The siblings stiffened immediately. Kyle scratched his cheek, while Mia tried to whistle—but it came out sounding like a squeezed duck. Her face turned crimson.
"Umm… actually she didn't ask us to buy anything," Kyle admitted awkwardly. "We just wanted to take you out…"
Ren froze, then slowly grinned wide. He leaned forward.
"Be honest. You two just want me to buy something for you, right?"
"N-no!"
"Yes!"
They answered at the same time, completely contradicting each other. Ren chuckled.
"Alright. Buy whatever you want, then."
"Really!?"
Ren nodded. "Go ahead. I'll pay."
The siblings lit up instantly and went to the grilled beef skewer stand. Watching them enjoy themselves, Ren couldn't help recalling something.
"I… miss my little sister," he whispered softly.
Then three teenage girls approached him. Ren sighed quietly. The girl in the middle spoke first.
"Hey, handsome~ Want to hang out with us?"
---
Ren's POV
The three girls came up to me and asked. I smiled politely.
"No thanks. I'm with friends."
The second girl stepped forward.
"Too bad… if that's the case…"
She grabbed my hand and bent down slightly since she was taller.
"I have candy. Want to come with me for a bit?"
My eyebrow twitched, but my face stayed calm. I forced a bright smile.
'I'm not a little kid!!'
"Woah! Really? I'd love to! But unfortunately, I have something to do! Sorry, sis!"
'HUEK! I feel like throwing up!'
'But Mom told me to be nice to people who mean well…'
[Master, I'm not trying to insult you, but… I feel secondhand embarrassment.]
'Me too! Damn it!'
"I see," she said, taking a candy from her pocket.
"Here, take this then!"
I grabbed it instantly like a kid spotting a treat.
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome! Girls, let's go!"
"Okay~"
"…"
They turned and left. I watched them walk away—not the girl who gave me the candy, but the one who kept quiet and kept staring at me.
[Master, that one… she has strange energy.]
'Yeah… I felt it too. But who is she?'
I shook my head and brushed it off. Once I returned to Kyle and Mia, I pulled out twenty copper coins, giving ten to each of them.
"Buy the rest yourselves. I'll pay for these," I said while handing coins to the vendor.
But right then, a system notification suddenly appeared.
Ding!
[Emergency Mission Triggered!]
Mission: Save Abel the Saintess from an assassination attempt!
Difficulty: Hard
Reward: 2000 Points | 30 Stat Points | 4000 EXP
Location: Marun Forest
I stiffened. Kyle, Mia, and even the vendor were startled, but I ignored them.
'An assassination attempt!?'
'Who's targeting Abel!?'
"Ren, what's wrong?" Kyle asked, grabbing my shoulder.
"…You two. Go home first," I said, turning to leave.
Kyle blocked me. "Hey! I asked you, what's wrong!?"
"Something happened. Go home now!"
"Something? Like wh—"
"I said GO HOME! Protect Mia. I'll be back!"
I pushed past him and sprinted toward the forest—Marun Forest. They called out behind me, but their voices faded. My heartbeat pounded like thunder.
'Noll!! Show me the exact location of the attack!'
[Yes, Master… Creating map… Done.]
A transparent blue map appeared in front of me, a red line marking the route.
[Distance: 3 kilometers. Traveling by normal running would take approximately one hour.]
I gritted my teeth. The moment I exited Lumen, I bent my knees—
Lightning exploded around me.
ZIIIZT!
BOOM!
I shot forward, leaving arcs of thunder trailing behind. Each step cracked like small bursts of thunder. My hair whipped back.
"How long if I use lightning affinity!?"
[Fastest: 4 minutes. Slowest: 10 minutes.]
"Good!"
The lightning intensified. Marun Forest was one of the main routes to the empire.
Maybe you think I'm naïve for going alone—but no. I have my own trump cards. I've trained hard these last three days. Not just sitting around. I even crafted my own sword.
The wind tore past me as I accelerated.
"Please… let me make it in time. Abel, be safe."