PROLOGUE (Part 3)
Adaptation and Attachment
Once the practical examination came to an end, the examinees gradually dispersed across the training grounds.
Some celebrated.
Some complained.
Others quietly discussed the results among themselves.
I slipped away to the side, pretending to casually observe the surroundings while actually monitoring everyone's movements.
...
Then—
A familiar presence.
"...Ara."
Before I could even turn—
She was already behind me.
Again.
To everyone else...
It probably looked as though she had teleported.
...
And once again...
I pretended to be surprised.
Honestly...
She has a strange talent for throwing my train of thought off balance at the worst possible moments.
She leaned in until her face was only a short distance from mine.
Her moonlit eyes stared directly into mine.
A faint smile rested on her lips.
"Why were you holding back?"
Her voice carried the same mysterious tone as before.
With just enough flirtation to make her intentions impossible to read.
...
The moment she asked that...
Every instinct inside me sharpened.
My guard rose immediately.
The first time...
I could convince myself I had simply been careless.
The second time...
Perhaps it was coincidence.
But every single time?
...
How is she reading me?
Should I deal with her first?
...
The problem is...
I can't read her at all.
Silence her for a while?
...
No.
I still don't know her true strength.
Force her to reveal her cards?
That would likely expose mine as well.
...
As one possibility after another accumulated inside my mind...
I realized something.
I'm getting distracted.
...
Sigh...
For now...
Observation is the better option.
By the time I finished organizing my thoughts—
She was gone.
...
This time...
I hadn't even seen how she disappeared.
Interesting.
Just then, another familiar figure approached.
Draeven.
He casually placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You're more skilled than I thought."
I lowered my head respectfully.
"I'm honored to receive your praise, Draeven-sama."
"May I ask permission to make one request?"
"Hmph."
"Don't get ahead of yourself."
He folded his arms.
"But..."
"Since you've impressed me..."
"I'll give you the chance."
Perfect.
"If you don't mind..."
"I would like to apply for the position of your official servant."
For the first time since we'd met...
Draeven actually paused to think.
...
Silence.
...
"Hmm..."
"You've got a good head."
"And you're capable enough."
"I suppose you'll do."
He nodded to himself.
"Meet me at the academy entrance after everything is finished."
...
Until now...
Everything has gone according to plan.
Now comes the important part.
After completing the attendance confirmation and registration procedures...
I headed toward the place Draeven had designated.
He was already waiting.
"Ah."
"You came."
"I've been waiting."
I bowed.
"I'm honored, Draeven-sama."
He glanced around the crowded academy grounds.
"Hm."
"Too many people."
"And too much noise."
"Let's go to my residence."
"As my aide..."
"You should learn the way there as well."
...
Heh.
Just as I'd expected.
He conducts these kinds of arrangements somewhere no witnesses are present.
Then, afterward...
He simply uses forged seals on his side.
Ordinary commoners aren't permitted to know the official seals of noble houses.
Meaning...
Most victims would never realize the documents were fake.
...
Honestly...
He should account for the possibility that someone might know better.
Still...
His carelessness makes my job much easier.
So perhaps...
I should be grateful.
-------------------------------
After seating himself inside his luxurious wagon, he gestured toward me.
"Get in."
"Ah..."
"Thank you."
The wagon began moving.
Silence filled the carriage.
Throughout the journey...
Draeven kept glancing at me while lazily resting his head against one hand.
Eventually, he broke the silence.
"You know..."
"The value of this wagon alone could buy four houses for commoners."
His tone was filled with pride.
I smiled politely.
"Oh..."
"Then it's truly my pleasure to have the opportunity to ride in such an expensive wagon."
His satisfied expression made the answer worthwhile.
A little praise cost me nothing.
Before long...
We arrived at his estate.
The moment I stepped down from the wagon—
I froze.
...
Father.
He was there.
For just an instant...
My emotions almost surfaced.
I clenched my fists.
Forced myself back under control.
...
That never happened in my previous life.
Even now...
I could choose to ignore everything.
Walk away.
Pretend none of this concerned me.
Yet...
I simply couldn't.
...
Well...
Every decision carries a price.
As we walked toward the mansion, I quietly observed the surroundings.
The estate stood proudly at the center of an enormous property.
Calling it a yard would be an insult.
It was practically an entire park.
A long stone path stretched from the entrance gate to the mansion itself.
Elegant statues lined both sides of the road.
Magical lamps illuminated the gardens despite the approaching evening.
Luxury.
Excess.
Status.
Everything here existed to remind visitors of the gap between nobles and commoners.
I silently memorized every detail.
Every entrance.
Every exit.
Every guard position.
Every possible escape route.
Just before entering...
One of the guards stepped forward.
"Stop."
"Show me your rank card and your citizen identification."
...
Damn.
I hadn't considered this.
If they inspected my citizen card...
They would discover Father's identity as well.
If that happened...
There's a chance my entire plan would collapse.
...
"Wait..."
The guard narrowed his eyes.
"You look familiar..."
...
For the briefest moment...
My body stiffened.
Even so...
Years of experience kept my breathing steady.
Remaining calm is one thing.
Finding a solution...
is another.
...
Think.
Think.
Think.
Think...
My mind desperately searched for an answer.
Then—
"He's my guest."
Draeven spoke with visible irritation.
The guard immediately straightened his posture.
"My apologies, young master."
He lowered his weapon without another word.
...
I quietly continued walking.
Keeping my face lowered.
-------------------------------
This...
was the reason I had to come here personally.
The other two parts of the operation were comparatively simple.
Those could be entrusted to my clones without worrying too much about security.
This one couldn't.
There was one piece of information I absolutely needed.
Who was responsible for exchanging information and goods between the Draeven family... and House Valemont?
The noble who had accepted Father's money.
Finding that connection was one of today's primary objectives.
"Sit here."
"I'm coming back shortly."
Draeven pointed toward a sofa before leaving the room.
Most likely...
He was preparing the contract.
The moment the door closed behind him, silence filled the room.
I remained seated for several seconds.
Watching.
Listening.
...
No footsteps.
No servants.
No guards.
Only the faint magical sensors hidden throughout the mansion.
I quietly activated my concealment skill.
My mana wrapped around me like a second skin.
Standing up without making a sound, I slipped into the hallway.
If I were the head of this household...
Father's office would most likely be...
there.
The largest room on the second floor.
Closest to the central staircase.
Easy to access.
Easy to defend.
I silently moved through the corridors.
Avoiding maids.
Passing butlers.
Timing my movements around patrolling guards.
At one point...
A maid cleaning decorative lamps on the wall almost discovered me.
For a brief second...
Our distance narrowed to only a few steps.
Fortunately...
She continued working without noticing my presence.
That was close.
Eventually...
I arrived at the room I had been searching for.
The head of the household's office.
Without hesitation, I began searching.
Documents.
Financial records.
Letters.
Business agreements.
Anything connected to the dealings I intended to expose.
Several shelves contained ordinary paperwork.
Nothing particularly useful.
Then...
A locked drawer built into one corner of the bookshelf caught my attention.
...
Locked.
Normally.
For me...
Not really.
Using one of my skills, the lock quietly clicked open.
Inside...
Exactly what I'd hoped for.
Records.
Correspondence.
Private documents.
I quickly began scanning through them.
Then—
Footsteps.
Approaching.
...
Draeven.
He's coming back already.
Tch.
That was faster than I expected.
As an assassin...
That's honestly embarrassing.
Still...
Thankfully...
I can teleport to any place I've previously visited or can clearly perceive.
Without wasting another second—
I activated the spell.
The scenery distorted.
A moment later...
I was back inside the guest room.
Sitting exactly where I'd been before.
As though I had never left.
The door opened.
Draeven walked inside carrying several documents.
A contract.
...
Stamped.
With a forged family seal.
He casually handed it to me.
"Your turn."
Without showing any reaction, I stamped my side as well.
Satisfied, he sat down on the sofa.
Now...
We wait.
If my prediction is correct...
His father should return soon.
Not long afterward...
The grand front doors of the mansion opened.
A dignified man entered.
He wore the refined attire of a noble gentleman.
Every maid and butler immediately lowered their heads.
"Welcome home, Master."
The atmosphere throughout the mansion shifted instantly.
Authority had arrived.
Hearing the voices outside, Draeven stood up.
"Father has returned."
Moments later...
The door opened.
His father entered the room.
Draeven greeted him respectfully.
The man took a seat beside his son.
They naturally began discussing his newly acquired servant.
Namely...
Me.
Ironically...
They spoke as though I wasn't even sitting there.
Though...
Introducing a new servant to the head of the household made perfect sense.
After all...
Someone has to clean up Draeven's future messes.
...
Actually...
This timing couldn't be better.
"Alaric."
"How did you obtain this servant?"
"Can he be trusted?"
His father's deep voice filled the room.
"Yes, Father."
"Don't worry."
"I've personally witnessed his abilities."
The older noble slowly shifted his gaze toward me.
"You."
"Come here."
"Yes, sir."
"What is it?"
He leaned forward slightly.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"If you were going to betray me..."
"How would you do it?"
...
Oh.
Didn't expect that question.
Still...
This is an excellent opportunity.
A chance to plant a seed of doubt.
"How could I possibly do such a thing, sir?"
I answered while deliberately showing an expression that made betrayal seem completely unimaginable.
The noble laughed.
"I'm only asking if."
"Humor me."
I lowered my head.
"Then..."
"Please forgive my rudeness."
"What if..."
"I were a spy sent by one of your trusted business partners?"
The room became quiet.
He smiled wider.
"That's surprisingly specific."
"And rather realistic."
"Shouldn't I start suspecting you instead?"
He chuckled.
Then waved his hand.
"Alright."
"Alright."
"Continue."
I bowed once more.
"Then I shall."
From there...
I described everything.
Every stage of a hypothetical assassination.
Every method.
Every opportunity.
Every weakness.
Presenting it only as the plot of a fictional story.
At the same time...
I subtly guided the conversation toward one particular business partner.
The very noble who had taken Father's money.
Without directly accusing him...
I carefully explained why such a trusted associate might eventually choose betrayal.
Money.
Opportunity.
Greed.
Fear.
Simple motives.
Believable motives.
As I continued speaking...
The older noble's expression gradually changed.
Amusement...
became surprise.
Surprise...
became caution.
When I finished...
He suddenly burst into laughter.
"Oi, oi..."
"You're quite the storyteller."
"That kind of story would make it difficult for me to sleep."
Then...
His expression became serious.
"Tell me."
"Is this your own story?"
"Or someone else's?"
I immediately shook my head.
"It's from a book called Fall of a Mice, sir."
"I wouldn't dare imagine doing something like that."
"Besides..."
"The protagonist was a professional assassin."
"I'm only fourteen."
"I'm merely about to become a student."
Silence.
Then...
He laughed once again.
"I was only joking."
"But..."
"I like your storytelling."
He stood up.
Placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Draeven."
"He's become my favorite."
"Don't treat him too harshly."
"Of course, Father."
...
The seed has been planted.
I think.
The conversation continued over tea.
Eventually...
Dinner followed.
Throughout the entire meeting...
I remained standing as a servant should.
After the meal ended...
The head of the household turned toward his son.
"You should get some sleep."
Then he looked toward one of the maids.
"Show him to his room."
"Yes, Master."
While following the maid through the corridor, I spoke quietly.
"May I borrow a handkerchief?"
She handed me one without question.
I used it to wipe my shoulder.
The exact place where the noble had casually placed his hand earlier.
A habit.
Nothing more.
The maid finally stopped before a small room.
"This will be your room."
Compared to the rest of the mansion...
It was noticeably dusty.
Not that it mattered.
I had no intention of sleeping.
Instead...
I lay on the bed pretending to sleep.
as expected...
The maid returned.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Each visit was simply to confirm whether I remained inside.
Fortunately...
From the moment I'd entered the room, I'd been continuously releasing a sleep-inducing spell.
Anyone checking on me would naturally assume I was sleeping peacefully.
Midnight arrived.
Using my detection skill...
I confirmed the mansion's occupants one by one.
Sleeping.
Sleeping.
Sleeping.
...
Everyone.
Except one.
The magician maintaining the estate's barrier.
I quietly entered Draeven's bedroom.
Without giving him the slightest chance to react...
I restrained him.
Hands.
Feet.
Mouth.
Then reinforced his unconscious state with magic.
As I approached the window...
I noticed it.
A magical barrier covering the entire estate.
Anyone entering...
or leaving...
would immediately alert the magician maintaining it.
...
So that's why my sleep magic failed earlier.
He's probably protected by another barrier of his own.
Tch.
Looks like...
I'll have to use teleportation after all.
I teleported from one familiar location to another.
Avoiding patrol routes.
Avoiding servants.
Avoiding every possible line of sight.
Eventually...
I reached the magician.
Before he realized anything...
I rendered him unconscious.
Then...
I cast a barrier identical to the one he had been maintaining.
Only...
Mine contained one small alteration.
The moment I moved beyond a certain distance...
It would automatically disappear.
A delayed alarm.
Exactly what I needed.
Escaping the estate became simple afterward.
Avoiding the guards outside...
I carried the unconscious Draeven away from the mansion.
Far.
Very far.
Until I reached an abandoned ruin nearly ten kilometers beyond the estate's borders.
I gently laid him on the cold stone floor.
Then cast another spell.
One that would keep him unconscious.
For a while longer.
Afterward...
I moved a safe distance away.
Now...
There was nothing left to do except wait.
My clones were already carrying out their assignments.
Everything had been arranged.
Every piece was in position.
The stage...
was finally set.
A faint smile formed on my face.
...
Now then.
Let the play begin.