Assassin's Chronicle - Chapter 228

Chapter 228
Even though the feast at the manor of the city lord did not have enough preparation, there was still a lot of people present . The merchants were not as politically powerful as the nobles, but they were just as rich, if not more so . The cooks they brought were some of the best, and even the maids seemed more sophisticated . Urter knew that he wasn’t used to situations like this, so he invited some peddlers to lighten up the mood . It was a rare opportunity to sit down with the famous general Miorich for dinner, and for the merchants it was a great honor . All the merchants were trying to please Miorich as much as possible, hoping for some future benefits .


Halfway through the feast, Blavi and Riska arrived in the city as well . Riska asked Anfey about what had happened, and after learning everything that had taken place, Blavi wanted to go find the marquis and end the conflict once and for all . Blavi had matured a lot since they first left Sacred City, but he was still quick to anger . Back in the city, he was the only one that dared to speak against Zeda .
While everyone was enjoying the feast, Urter was very busy . He was walking around and making sure everything was running smoothly . When all the guests had returned to their chambers, Urter was too tired to do anything else . He was very happy, however, because this proved that everything he had done so far was right .
Anfey, like Urter, was tired as well . He began meditating after only a few hours of sleep . For some other people, this might have been overworking, but he enjoyed the process . Meditating had became part of his life . An artist may spend hours in front of a canvas, and a mathematician may spend months over a single equation . People may think they were overworking themselves, but for them it was enjoyment .
Anfey meditated until almost midnight when he heard commotion outside . He frowned and walked to the door . The door next to his opened as well, and Miorich walked out slowly . What was surprising was that when Miorich walked, he was limping slightly .
"What happened?" Anfey asked in shock . A master swordsman like Miorich was almost always healthy . The only thing that could affect him was aging .
"It’s alright," Miorich said, shaking his head . "Don’t worry about me . " He had been meditating the entire night, trying to find the way into the Sacred State . It was his life goal to be able to leave behind mundane things like the squabbles between the merchants . However, he could not find the Sacred State, and his body was sore because of the prolonged meditation .
Before Anfey could say anything else, the noise outside got louder . The two men glanced at each other and headed outside .
The courtyard in front of the mansion was filled with people . Most of the people there were members of Miorich’s guards . Some of the guards looked terrified, some looked bewildered, some looked enraged . Most of them were arguing about something .
"What happened?" Miorich asked . His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to calm the crowd .
"There’s Anfey!" someone in the crowd suddenly called loudly . An old man in a yellow robe appeared . The muscle on his face was twitching due to rage, and he was pointing at Anfey with shaking fingers . There was a wound on his neck . The bandage was ripped off, and blood was seeping through the cut .
"You are such a vile man," the old man said through clenched teeth . "Vile!" He wanted to lunge at Anfey, but was stopped by two swordsmasters behind him .
"Who is this?" Anfey asked, frowning .
"What are you doing here, Marquis Djoser?" Miorich asked .
"What am I doing here? Ask him!" the marquis spat angrily .
"I am asking you," Miorich said calmly . He was a soldier, but he wasn’t unfamiliar with politics . If he had looked at Anfey at that moment, he would put him into a disadvantageous position . Other people may be fooled by the marquis’s words, but not Miorich .


The marquis grew angrier . Miorich had clearly picked a side in this conflict, and did not care if he was a marquis or not . He hadn’t lost his mind, however, and knew that he was no match for Miorich . He turned his gaze to Anfey and shook his head . "I told Sneferu to go invite the general to a feast yesterday . Did I mean harm? Did I? I invited him because I respected him . What did I do to prompt you to murder my men?"

Anfey stared at the old man, but did not say anything .
"Come on, come kill me . If you are brave enough to kill my soldiers, you should be brave enough to kill me right now," the Marquis said with a hoarse voice . "If you can’t tolerate me, sure, kill me . Be my guest . But answer my question . Why kill so many innocent men?"
Miorich’s guards cleared a path for a group of swordsmen . They carried a dozen litters bearing dead bodies and set them down in front of Miorich and Anfey . The first body was Sneferu . He was half naked, his bare chest filled with scars .
What killed him was a large slash across his chest and abdomen . His entire chest was slashed open, and the wound was blackened . The other bodies all had similar injuries . All the wounds were blackened as if done with fire .
"Look at him," the marquis said, crouching down next to Sneferu . "Look at him . Do you see his scars? He risked his life for the empire, but what did he get in the end? He didn’t die on the battlefield in glory . It was because of me…" the marquis’s voice broke, and he shook his head . The swordsmaster next to him whispered something into the marquis’s ear .
"How can you do this?" the marquis pushed the swordsmaster aside and asked loudly .


Anfey was still standing there quietly . Now was not the time to speak . He had to find a flaw in the marquis’s story before saying anything .
Miorich’s guards looked at Anfey . Their eyes were hostile . They knew why they were in Violet City . It was no longer a secret that Anfey had a feud with the marquis, and Anfey was the only person who could cause wounds like those . Urter was telling the merchants about the strange sword Anfey wielded, and it was no longer a secret .
The guards didn’t care if Anfey had a feud with the marquis . In fact, they would even help him . That was why Miorich led them to Violet City in the first place, but Anfey should not have touched Sneferu . The man had been their friend and companion until only a month ago . Having him killed by his supposed ally was too much for the guards to take .
"This is all my fault," the marquis said, shaking his head . "I should have never asked Sneferu to join my guards . I wanted to help him, but I killed him . " The Marquis pounded the ground with his fist, leaving bloody smears on the dirt . The swordsmaster next to him had to restrain him .
"You have to give us an answer!" one of the marquis’s men demanded .
"Yes, an answer!" the other men called . Even a few of Miorich’s guards joined in .
It was easy to rile up people’s emotions . It was very hard to control a crowd . Anfey looked like a lone rock in the middle of the sea as the crowd surged and closed in on him .
With a flash of light, Suzanna appeared next to him . Christian, Riska, Blavi, and Niya all appeared as well . Even Hui Wei was standing behind them, clutching something in his hand . Hagan was distributing his potions .
"Be quiet!" Miorich called, his booming voice echoing in the night . The crowd stopped and stared at the general .
"You say these men were killed by Anfey," Miorich said . "Do you have any proof?"
"Prove? Sneferu is the proof . These men are the proof . I am the proof," the marquis called . He pointed to the wound on his neck and cried, "I saw him with my own eyes!"
"I was with him all night last night," Miorich said calmly . "He couldn’t have done this . "
The marquis laughed . "General Miorich," he said, "I know why you are providing an alibi for him . He is Lord Saul’s student, is he not? Lord Saul is your old friend . Compared to the court mage, which is a retired soldier? I am not surprised by your decision!"
Miorich’s guards froze, then turned to look at the general . They had all trusted Miorich, but nothing was absolute, and their trust in Miorich had just been shaken .
Anfey walked up and said calmly, "Don’t worry . Let me take care of this . "