Chapter 22
The assassin was slowly following behind the three women.
There was no need to rush. An opportunity would surely present itself — he just had to seize it when it came.
“Kill Calliope Verdi. Or at least make her incapable of living like a normal person.”
Gilbert Roman — the girl’s uncle — was the one who had commissioned him. And the assassin hadn’t been particularly surprised when he got the request.
People killed other people for the same few reasons: to gain wealth, to obtain power, or to take revenge.
So Gilbert’s intentions weren’t unusual. Especially among nobles — they frequently issued such commissions.
It was a bit riskier since the target was a noble, but the upfront payment and success fee were equally generous. The assassin accepted the request after weighing the conditions.
And in that sense, this job had practically landed in his lap.
Assassinating a young noblewoman who had just come of age? It was practically a freebie.
Of course, being a cautious nobleman, Gilbert had offered a word of warning.
“That girl’s a mage. You may have heard — she’s supposedly quite skilled. That’s why I’m paying you so handsomely. Make sure you get it done.”
The assassin had heard the rumors about Calliope Verdi.
But he didn’t take them at face value like the public or the newspapers did.
‘Nobles always love to show off.’
Whatever achievements she had were surely exaggerated.
Still, being a meticulous and cautious man, he prepared thoroughly — even though he judged the target to be relatively easy.
That preparedness was the reason he had survived so long in the short-lived world of assassins.
He had devised several plans.
The first plan was to sneak into the count’s estate and assassinate her there.
It was a relatively safe and discreet method — his preferred style.
But unlike the detached building he had easily infiltrated, the main building was inaccessible.
Every time he tried to enter, he somehow found himself walking back outside or toward the annex again.
The only time he succeeded, soldiers mysteriously arrived as if they had been expecting him. Though he narrowly escaped unharmed, he ultimately scrapped the idea of infiltrating the estate.
His next plan was to strike when Calliope went outside.
‘Just like now.’
A perfect opportunity had arisen.
Calliope had gone out without any guards, accompanied only by two women who seemed to be servants.
So now he was tailing her, waiting for the perfect chance.
‘Wandering around shopping without a care in the world, completely unaware of how dangerous the world is…’
The sight of her idly browsing shops and spending money irritated him.
He had to soil his hands with all sorts of filth just to earn money, while that girl lived comfortably.
‘She’s nothing more than someone lucky enough to be born a rich noble.’
His deep-seated inferiority complex began to creep out from within.
‘Yeah… I’ll definitely kill her.’
The client hadn’t demanded that she be killed — disabling her would have been enough — but the assassin had decided to kill her anyway.
With bloodshot eyes, he glared at Calliope, rage boiling inside him — rage he didn’t even know who it was for.
‘This should be far enough.’
Calliope made her decision and spoke.
“We’ll disable the anti-eavesdropping magic two blocks from here.”
“Yes, milady.”
“Understood, milady.”
Calliope slightly curled her lips at the reliable responses and quietly released her magic. A soft shimmer, and the sound-blocking spell around them vanished.
From there, the three began walking casually while chatting.
As they moved farther from the flashy, bustling district, the streets grew noticeably quieter.
Before they realized it, they had wandered into a deserted alley.
Suddenly, Sylvia clapped her hands as if she’d just remembered something.
“Oh, I think we’ve gone too far!”
“We should turn back,” added Agnes.
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Calliope agreed with a nod.
Just as the three of them turned around to head back—
A masked man stood in their path. No one knew when he had appeared, but a menacing aura emanated from him.
Sylvia’s eyes widened in alarm, and she shouted:
“W-Who are you?! How dare you block my lady’s path?!”
“……”
The assailant didn’t respond. Instead, he drew a double-edged sword from his cloak.
The gleaming blade caught the afternoon sunlight, flashing ominously. It was a chilling sight — but Agnes stepped forward and scolded him:
“To think you’d attack someone in broad daylight! Shameless!”
“You’re wrong. I’m not the fearless one — your precious young lady is.”
The man mockingly spun his sword on his fingertip.
“I’ll make it quick, so don’t hold a grudge.”
“Not a chance,” Calliope replied, snapping her fingers and raising a magical barrier.
But the attacker didn’t flinch — his reaction suggested he had expected this.
‘What?’
Calliope’s eyes narrowed when she noticed a faint shimmer around the man’s blade.
“That’s sword energy,” she said.
Noticing the rising aura, Agnes adjusted her glasses.
‘So that’s why he’s so confident. A mid-level Sword Expert? No… probably just a beginner.’
As Calliope was assessing her opponent—
“Die!”
The assailant charged at her with ferocity. The distance closed in a blink, and both Sylvia and Agnes cried out in panic.
“My lady!”
“Milady!”
But Calliope didn’t even blink as the attacker bore down on her. She stared him down.
Just as the man’s blade ripped through the barrier and came down to strike—
Clang!
A loud clash of blades rang out as a black-haired man stepped in front of Calliope.
“Took you long enough. Were you planning to let yourself die?”
It was Rerazier, blocking the rushing sword. He glared at Calliope, but she simply gave him a nonchalant greeting.
“You’re late.”
Rerazier scoffed with a dry laugh.
“Your determination to use me really is something else.”
“Don’t forget, this was your job,” she retorted boldly, casually brushing her eyebrow with her middle finger.
“If you made a promise, take responsibility and see it through.”
Face twisting with frustration, Rerazier pushed the assassin away in a single blow.
The man flew backward, crashing into a stack of boxes.
But he quickly rose, eyes burning with killing intent, glaring at Rerazier.
Cracking his neck lightly, Rerazier adjusted his grip on his sword.
“See you in a bit.”
And with that, he lunged at the assassin.
The tides turned in an instant.
The assassin managed to block a few attacks, but before he knew it, they had reached a plaza.
Given the location, there were plenty of people around.
“Kyaaah!”
Someone spotted them and screamed.
The sharp sound startled the passersby, and everyone turned toward the commotion.
When they saw a masked man wielding a sword, their faces turned pale.
“Oh no, it’s a robber!”
“Someone call the guards!”
“But even if we report it now, they won’t arrive in time…”
Amid the chaos, the assassin realized how unfavorable the situation had become. He tried to flee — but it was no longer possible.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent was a Sword Master.
‘Damn it! This wasn’t part of the plan!’
When he first attacked Calliope Verdi, he’d been confident he could finish her in one strike.
He thought he was prepared. He wore armor to weaken magic attacks, used artifacts to nullify barriers, and drank expensive potions to maximize his stats and strength.
But everything fell apart because of the man who suddenly appeared.
Now, he was being completely pushed back. Every one of his attacks was blocked, while Rerazier’s strikes landed with surgical precision, leaving wounds all over his body.
‘Damn it… this bastard’s toying with me, isn’t he?’
He couldn’t be mistaken. It was exactly what he used to do to his own victims before killing them.
Never in his life had the assassin imagined he’d be on the receiving end of it.
Losing control, he shouted in fury:
“Just who the hell are you?!”
“Me?”
Rerazier gave a strange look, as if to say, How could you not know?
Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he pulled out a small vial — the one Calliope had given him.
