Dark Wings.
This was the most powerful assassin organization active in Herman's underworld. To be honest, Kriolyov had never intended to rely on these assassins. But now, it seemed he had no other choice.
"This is your mission."
Looking at the masked woman before him, Kriolyov spoke in a low voice. Standing in front of him was the leader of Dark Wings—Black Swan. Naturally, she was also the strongest assassin in Herman. Only someone like Kriolyov would even know who she truly was. For anyone else, her identity would remain a complete mystery.
"You want me to kill that Grand Inquisitor?"
Black Swan's voice was calm.
"But the Council's order was to capture him alive."
"If you can manage that, you may try."
Kriolyov shook his head.
"Whether you kill him, wound him, or capture him is up to you. No matter what, you must make them feel threatened. If you need assistance, we can provide it."
"No need. I'll go alone."
"Alone?"
Kriolyov paused at her answer. Black Swan nodded.
"Of course. The enemy's methods are unpredictable. Sending more people would only increase variables. If I go alone, even if I encounter danger, I can retreat safely."
"…Very well. Do as you see fit."
Kriolyov did not press further. In truth, he had not expected Black Swan to succeed. Yes, she was famous within Herman, but how easy did she think an Inquisitor would be to deal with? The man had killed the former Demon King and several demon generals. No matter how skilled Black Swan was, was she stronger than a demon general? Stronger than the former Demon King?
But regardless, this was the only option left to him. A full assault was proving too costly, and the First Legion's morale was steadily declining. An open spear is easy to block, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against. Since the enemy could effortlessly repel frontal attacks, he would send an assassin to strike from the shadows. Perhaps it would rattle them and create an opportunity.
As for how far Black Swan could go…
That depended on her.
Soon, when night fell once more, Black Swan silently arrived beneath the walls of Fortress Boen.
To her surprise, there were no guards on the walls. No visible soldiers. Only a few lonely torches flickered, giving the place an utterly unguarded appearance.
What was going on?
Suspicious, Black Swan heightened her vigilance. She knew the Inquisition possessed many strange and miraculous spells, so she did not follow the obvious infiltration routes. Instead, she scaled a nearby mountain peak, circled around, and approached the fortress from the side. Using a rope, she climbed the wall and slipped inside.
The walls of Fortress Boen were only three meters high. For an elite assassin like Black Swan, that posed no difficulty at all.
But the moment she stepped onto the wall, the first thing she sensed was—
A fragrance.
Yes. It smelled delicious.
What was that scent?
Curious, Black Swan carefully peeked toward the source.
And froze.
In the central square of the fortress—normally used for assembling troops and drills—a massive bonfire was blazing. Beside it stood a long dining table covered in all kinds of food. Desserts, roast chicken, even bright, beautiful fruits… Even Black Swan felt her mouth water at the sight.
The girls were gathered around the table, raising glasses, eating and chatting. They looked less like warriors on a battlefield and more like guests at a ballroom banquet.
This relaxed?
Seeing this, and thinking of the miserable state of the First Legion below, Black Swan was speechless. If Kriolyov knew that the enemies he had been racking his brain to defeat were hosting a feast up here, what would he think? Wasn't this a bit too disrespectful? The First Legion was fighting desperately below, and these girls were eating and drinking above?
If the First Legion hadn't been repeatedly beaten back by them, Black Swan might have thought they were nothing but incompetent fools.
But now…
They had proven their strength. Feasting like this was simply a display of confidence.
Still, this worked in her favor.
At least for the moment, it seemed they had not noticed her infiltration. And at gatherings like this, useful information was often revealed. Though she could not show herself, Black Swan slipped silently into the shadows of a corridor near the banquet, listening to their conversation.
"The First Legion isn't attacking anymore? What about our graduation assessment?"
"No need to worry. The Second Legion will arrive soon. And the Council seems very dissatisfied with General Kriolyov. They'll definitely launch another offensive. Then we'll have another chance to perform."
"I hope I get top marks…"
"You don't need to worry. I'm sure you'll be fine."
"But Herman's soldiers are too fragile. We barely tried and they already collapsed. I heard this country's soldiers were supposed to be fierce. I thought it would be a tough battle…"
"...…"
Listening to their discussion, Black Swan's face darkened. Fortunately, General Kriolyov was not here. Otherwise, he might have coughed up blood from sheer rage.
But from their chatter, Black Swan learned something else.
The Second Legion was about to arrive. And the Council was extremely dissatisfied with Kriolyov—possibly even planning to strip him of command.
This was intelligence even she did not possess. How did the enemy know?
And judging from how casually the girls spoke of it, it did not seem like classified information at all…
Originally, Black Swan had intended to set fire to the warehouse and throw the fortress into chaos. But—
"By the way, since we're all here at the banquet, is security okay?"
"No problem. The soldiers are guarding, and I summoned a few mud colossi for patrol. There won't be any issues."
"...…"
Hearing this, Black Swan decisively abandoned the idea. She wasn't worried about soldiers—but she had seen those mud colossi on the battlefield. They had no clear weaknesses. The only way to deal with them was to smash them to pieces. For an assassin, that was an unreasonable task.
Then suddenly, something caught her attention.
"By the way, where's Lord Duanmu?"
"He went back to his room to rest."
"So early?"
"He has other entertainment activities…"
The girls giggled mischievously.
A glint flashed in Black Swan's eyes. As a top-tier assassin, she understood perfectly what they meant. That meant Duanmu Huai was currently unguarded. The perfect opportunity.
As for locating him—perhaps that would be difficult for a novice. But for a seasoned assassin, it was not a problem. A competent commander's quarters always followed certain patterns. Otherwise, imagine if battle broke out and he was sleeping in some random corner, only to be captured before he even woke up.
Soon, Black Swan arrived at the central command building of the fortress. Based on her experience, the commander's room would be nearby. And indeed, she was correct.
"Ugh… ah… ngh…!!"
As she silently approached a window, she heard a beast-like groan from within. Her expression sharpened. She drew the poisoned dagger at her waist and carefully peered inside.
What she saw—
A massive, towering man stood inside, gripping a petite purple-haired girl in his hands. The girl—
"Ah… ahhh!!!"
She suddenly screamed.
"...…"
Black Swan steadied her breathing and slowly moved toward the window, dagger in hand.
But just as she reached it, a voice sounded behind her.
"Heehee, peeking at a time like this isn't very polite, you know?"
"!?"
Black Swan's heart turned cold. She spun and slashed with her poisoned blade—but struck nothing. In the next instant, she felt a shove from behind, sending her tumbling into the room. Her arm was twisted mid-swing—
Crack!
Her dislocated arm was flipped back and pinned against her own throat.
"The little mouse has been caught."
"Good work, Suzune."
Duanmu Huai nodded at Suzune behind Black Swan and looked at the assassin.
"So you're the assassin Kriolyov sent to kill me?"
"...…"
"Forget it. Whether you want to talk or not doesn't matter. I don't intend to kill you. Just pass a message to General Kriolyov."
Duanmu Huai showed no concern for his current appearance. He first carried the unconscious Kanami to the bed and covered her with a blanket. Then he turned back to Black Swan.
"Herman must change. And it needs his strength. Perhaps avoiding it would be easier for him. But I hope he can truly face it, instead of fleeing like a deserter at a critical moment. Facing reality may be cruel, but it is his duty. If he truly wishes to fight for Herman's future, then we hope he will stand with us."
He paused.
"Tell him this as well: in the end, this is Herman's internal matter. If, as Herman's most respected general, he refuses to confront and change this country, that is his choice. The Inquisition will no longer concern itself with these trivial matters."
With that, Duanmu Huai gestured. Suzune applied slight force—
Crack.
Black Swan's dislocated arm was reset. She flexed it and looked at Duanmu Huai.
"You're certain I'll deliver the message? General Kriolyov is not easily persuaded."
"Whether I say it is my business. Whether you deliver it is yours. Whether he listens is his."
Duanmu Huai waved a hand.
"You may leave."
"...…"
After studying him for a moment, Black Swan said nothing more. She vaulted out the window and disappeared.
"Phew… what a hassle."
Only after she left did Duanmu Huai relax. Suzune grinned and stepped closer.
"So? Suzune did great, right?"
"Of course."
Duanmu Huai chuckled and pulled Suzune into his arms.
"I'll reward you too."
he said.
(End of Chapter)