Chapter 8: Assassination
Roughly one hour after the strategy meeting, the five members of the reconnaissance team—including Rio and Gilbert—had successfully infiltrated the territory capital of Greille. Or rather, more aptly put, they had donned traveler outfits and walked straight through the gate.
“It was easier to get in than I expected...” Rio muttered in surprise, looking around at the street immediately past the gate.
There had been some armed laymen standing watch at the gate, but they merely asked them a few questions before letting them through. The city had been stolen by the enemy, so it wouldn’t have been strange for the gates to be closed to all outsiders. It was rather anticlimactic.
“The gatekeepers weren’t wearing the military uniforms of the duke’s army. The city is most definitely being occupied. Although rather sloppily...”
“They looked like complete laymen to me. The abilities of the enemy cannot be much better,” Duke Gregory’s private soldiers said to Rio.
Out of the five of them, Rio was the youngest, but he also had the highest status. Duke Gregory considered him an enemy, but his subordinates had to treat him with respect.
Being able to walk in freely means the residents can walk out freely, right? Everyone’s walking around so normally, it’s hard to believe the city’s been occupied...
It was almost like they had no intention of protecting the city they had captured. Even if the Saint could control the beast of the land, wasn’t this a little too defenseless of them? It was almost like they were being lured in, giving Rio an eerie impression. At any rate—
“It may be obvious, but that’s Duke Gregory’s consulate, right?” Rio asked, pointing at the imposing fortress standing at the back of the city. It was the largest building in the city, and it appeared to be built very sturdily.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Aishia, can you check out the building first?
Got it.
At Rio’s order, Aishia began moving alone in her spirit form. At the same time...
“If things continue like this, the plan should be easy to execute.”
“Yeah.”
Two of Duke Gregory’s soldiers whispered between each other.
“How eerie...” Gilbert mumbled.
“What is?” Rio had been standing next to him, so he had overheard his mumbling.
“Nothing. It just feels like they’re asking us to sneak in.”
“Do you think it’s a trap?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t matter. We’re not on some shopping errand, so we can’t turn around either way. We can only fulfill our duty.”
“Right.” Gilbert had a similar opinion to Rio, but knowing it was a trap didn’t mean they could cease their infiltration.
“Okay, we’ll be moving separately from here. When the city bell rings twice, gather in the square at the end of this street. Sir Amakawa, please investigate the consulate in the noble district. We will go around the market and question the residents.”
“Understood. Until then.”
Rio split up from the other four. He headed towards a quiet alleyway to take to the skies and fly into the noble district.
“Let’s go accomplish our mission as well.”
Once Rio was completely out of sight, the four remaining men headed for the busy square.
◇ ◇ ◇
Rio rose to the skies from the alleyway and flew straight towards the consulate. It took less than a minute for him to reach the noble district, where the streets were deserted.
With all the residents banished, this place is completely bare.
Duke Gregory’s vassals who originally lived in the noble district had been banished from the city, so there was naturally no sign of anyone around.
But I didn’t think there wouldn’t be a single guard...
Rio checked the houses and streets of the noble district one by one, but there wasn’t a soul to be seen. The gate connecting the noble and commoner districts was closed, but there was nothing stopping them from infiltrating on foot.
It’s really as though they’re inviting us in. Is it possible the Saint has left the city already?
The lack of a single guard was what made things truly suspicious. With things like this, it was more reasonable to assume they had deserted the city after capturing it.
Aishia, have you entered the building?
Rio made contact with Aishia, who had begun investigating in her spirit form already.
Yeah.
A reply came immediately.
There’s no one on this side of town. What about you?
I haven’t finished checking every room yet, but there’s barely anyone here.
Barely...meaning there were some?
There was a family of five locked in a room guarded by two people. I think they might be the hostages, but I didn’t see the Saint.
It seemed like the consulate was mostly deserted as well, but it was unlikely the Saint had left if the hostages were still being guarded.
The hostage is probably Duke Gregory’s son... And if there are so few people in the building, I can probably sneak inside as well. I’ll be there soon.
Okay. I’ll finish checking the rest of the rooms first. Wait on the roof for me.
All right.
Thus, Rio descended for the consulate. He landed on the roof and waited for less than a minute.
“Haruto.”
Aishia appeared less than a minute later.
“Did you find her?”
“No. There’s no one in the building other than the hostages and their guards.”
“I see...” Rio tapped a hand over his mouth, pondering what to do. Eventually, he came to a decision. “Then let’s cast an illusion over the guards and question them.”
“Okay. I’ll cast it in my spirit form.”
“Please.”
Once the two agreed to a plan, they entered the building. Aishia led the way through the corridors in her material form, pausing at the corner before their destination. There, she returned to her spirit form.
Those two are the guards?
Yes.
They switched to communicating with each other telepathically.
The two guards in the corridor didn’t seem to be expecting any infiltrators, as they were chatting to each other casually while lounging on the chairs they had brought outside of the room. It was clear they were relaxed.
I’m going to cast the illusion. Ready?
Whenever you are.
I’ll call you over once I’m done.
With that, Aishia set off to commence the plan. Several seconds later, she materialized behind the two seated guards without any warning.
“Hmm...?”
She touched the two of them on the backs of their heads. The two guards soon had blank looks on their faces.
“Haruto, the illusion worked,” Aishia called down the corridor.
“Thanks.”
“They believe you’re one of their allies that just returned from patrol.”
“I see. Then... There’s something I’d like to ask you,” Rio said to the two guards.
“Oh, you’re back already?”
“What’s up?”
As Aishia said, the two believed Rio was one of their allies that had just returned. The two of them had been looking downwards, but they lifted their faces at the sound of Rio’s voice.
Rio hesitated over what kind of tone he should use when addressing them, but he decided to go with a casual approach as allies. “Err, where did Saint Erica go again?”
“Saint Erica went out to observe the city.”
“She went out to the city? Whereabouts?”
“I don’t know that much. Probably the old commoner district.”
“Right... So when will she be back?”
“Don’t know that either. She said she’d be back by evening.”
“I see...”
He had thought it was more likely for her to be inside the consulate, but it seemed his visit was for nothing.
“Who are the hostages inside?”
Since he was here already, he decided to gather some extra information.
“The family of the noble governing this city. I believe his name was Greg-something...”
“Duke Gregory.”
“That’s it.”
So it’s his son after all...
For a brief moment, he considered saving them right away. But if he did that, the guards would notice their disappearance as soon as the illusion wore off. His mobility would be lowered if he rescued the hostages now, preventing him from investigating properly.
“Did Saint Erica say what to do with the hostages?”
If they weren’t in danger of being killed, he wouldn’t have to save them immediately. With that in mind, Rio asked after the treatment of the hostages.
“The army of this kingdom could attack us, so we’re leaving them alive for a while.”
“I see...”
In which case, there was no need to rescue them immediately.
“I have another question. It’s about the others that came with us...”
The lack of security was also bothering him, so Rio decided to question them more about the forces on their side and gather information.
◇ ◇ ◇
Accompanied by seven of her companions, Erica was visiting the residential area of the commoner district roughly ten minutes earlier.
The purpose of her visit was to heal the sick and injured. She gathered people who had broken bones, bad backs, or other injuries, and treated them all for free. A long line extended from the vacant house she had turned into a temporary clinic.
“Ooh...”
Presently, inside the house, a man who had broken his leg after falling from the rooftop he had been working on was gazing at the divine light glowing from the end of the Divine Arms.
“That should do it. Can you stand?” Erica asked.
“Yes...” The man first stood up by putting his weight on his uninjured leg, then slowly lowered his previously broken leg and carefully put more weight on it.
“Wha...?!” The pain he had feared was nowhere to be found.
“I-It doesn’t hurt! The pain is gone!”
The man stomped with the leg once, then twice. He then began walking around the room in joy.
“Oh, that’s wonderful, dear!” a woman who appeared to be his wife exclaimed, hitting him on the back.
“Y-Yeah. But that hurts. You’ll break my back next.”
The woman slapped his back harder. “Don’t be silly!”
“Oww! Jeez, I said that hurts...” the man chuckled in spite of his words.
“Go on, thank the Saint properly.”
“Right. Thank you, Saint Erica!”
Erica turned to the man with a fake smile. “I’m glad to be of help.”
“Are you sure you don’t want payment?” the man asked worriedly.
“As I said earlier, I don’t need it. I may take a few bronze coins as payment next time, but my objective today is to get to know the residents of this city. That is why it’s free.”
“I see. You’ve truly been a great help.”
“The new lord of the territory is amazing, isn’t she? I heard it normally costs a gold coin to receive magic healing.”
“Yes, we were just despairing over how we’d survive until his leg healed.”
There was no such thing as insurance in this world, so if anything happened to the breadwinner of a family, they were normally left without a means of sustenance.
“I’ve treated many people since this morning, but it seems there are many families struggling to make a living. I’m thinking of giving the residents an allowance in the near future, so please use that to pad your finances,” Erica informed them.
“Hmm? Are you giving us something?”
“Yes. It will either be in the form of cash, or of something of high value you can sell yourselves.”
“Why are we receiving something like that from you, the new lord?” While they had paid taxes many times in the past, they had never received any money from the lord before. The couple tilted their heads in confusion.
“It’s my present to everyone, to celebrate my induction as the new ruler of this city. Think of it as part of the taxes you have paid until now being returned to you.”
“Are you sure...?”
“Yes. I will discuss the details on a later day. I have to heal the next person now, so please leave.”
“Right...” The couple made to leave the house, still bewildered. But just before they went out the front door, they exchanged glances with each other and turned back to wave happily.
“Thank you, Saint Erica!” they said.
Erica smiled cheerfully as she saw the couple off.
“Next person waiting, please,” she called out the door. Just as the next patient was about to enter, a man ran inside, panting.
“Help! It’s an emergency!”
He wasn’t one of the subordinates Erica brought along from their homeland, so he was probably a resident of the city.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nobles have gathered in the square! They’re saying to bring the Saint!”
“So they’ve come,” Erica muttered, smirking to herself. She then turned to the man. “Let’s go. Show me the way quickly.”
With that, she hurried towards the scene of the commotion, bringing her subordinates as guards. Some residents followed them curiously, making the residential area bustle with activity. There was a man who watched it all happen from the shadows.
That’s the Saint?
It was Gilbert, the assassin hired by Duke Gregory. He had never seen her face before, but the woman who ran past matched the description he was given.
I thought she’d be in the consulate, but she was unexpectedly close by. How fortunate for Duke Gregory.
Blending in with the curious onlookers, he followed after Erica.
◇ ◇ ◇
The square where the commotion was occurring was a few minutes away from Erica’s temporary clinic.
Duke Gregory’s three subordinates had taken a young mother and her daughter hostage. A crowd of residents from the city were watching on from afar. Eventually, the crowd in the square split to reveal the Saint.
“Hey...”
The attention of the three men was drawn towards Erica. When Erica saw the captured parent and child, she covered her mouth in horror.
“Oh, the inhumanity...”
“So you’re the Saint!” one of Duke Gregory’s men shouted.
“Yes, that is what everyone calls me. I beg of you, please release that family,” Erica called out to the three men.
“Hmph. Listen, all of you! This woman is no saint! She’s a witch!” the man yelled loudly for the square to hear. But there was no credibility to the words of a man who had taken a powerless mother and child hostage. To the onlookers, it was clear which side was the villain they should be glaring at.
However, for the men who had taken the family hostage, the antipathy of the civilians was inconsequential. As long as the Saint was killed, the people could be silenced later.
“The kingdom won’t stay silent at the capture of this historical city. The army is marching towards the city right now, and they will seize back this city upon our order! You have invoked Duke Gregory’s rage. He laments the inaction of you foolish citizens—for your failure to take back this city, you will be shown no mercy!”
Duke Gregory’s subordinate denounced Erica while threatening the residents in the square. The expressions of the residents stiffened.
The man noticed their fear and continued. “However, the benevolent duke has decided to give you all a chance! If you do not wish to be charged with treason, kill that woman immediately! Then you will all be pardoned!”
“...”
The gazes of the residents were drawn to Erica. Everyone looked nervous. The people that had accompanied Erica here from their homeland surrounded her to protect her.
“Am I really...a witch?” Erica said to the quiet square, her words seemingly directed to no one.
“That’s right! You’re a witch! That’s why you must die! Kill her!” Duke Gregory’s men demanded.
“...”
But no one leaped into action. They were afraid of the army, but they were similarly opposed to the idea of dirtying their own hands—either that, or this was a revolt.
What a farce... Gilbert thought, having watched the chain of events take place. He was currently located in the crowd behind Erica, prepared to assassinate her at any moment. In the current situation, it shouldn’t be a difficult task.
As for why he had to go along with such a bothersome plan, Duke Gregory had promised rewards to whoever was able to complete the job, which the three men were all vying for. If Gilbert ignored their plans and killed Erica here, he could face some troublesome accusations later.
The plan was for someone else to hit Erica first so that Gilbert could blend in with the chaos and assassinate her. But the scene he was being made to watch was rather frustrating.
I assume this is their attempt to demonstrate the discord between the Saint and the people, but I don’t see why they would make such an ugly show of themselves.
Humans were foul creatures. That was why Gilbert made a living of assassination, and after taking the lives of countless people, he could affirm that it was the truth. Nothing changed just because his target was a disciple of the Six Wise Gods. He had volunteered for the role of Satsuki’s instructor out of the faint hope that heroes were special existences, but that Satsuki was just another human. She would eventually end up in the same place as the others, he had thought in disappointment.
Hurry up and show your true selves already, Gilbert thought, glaring around at the crowd coldly. If they didn’t want to be trampled by the army, they had to murder Erica. That was what they were all thinking, yet no one moved. They were ashamed at the thought of dirtying their own hands. That was the mood that hung over the square, until...
“There’s no need for everyone to dirty their hands!” Erica yelled to the crowd. She then turned to the three subordinates. “If I die, will you release that family?”
“Yeah.”
“If I die, will the people of this city be spared from the army outside?”
“Yeah, they will! What, are you considering suicide? If you really want what’s best for these fools, kill yourself!” the men taunted, believing she was incapable of doing so.
However...
“Very well.”
Erica immediately materialized her bishop’s staff, grabbing it with both hands. She then lifted it high enough to aim the end at her chest and pierced it through her heart without any hesitation.
“Wha—!”
“What in the world...?!”
Duke Gregory’s three subordinates and the crowd of onlookers were all speechless. Even Gilbert had forgotten his mission and was merely watching on in shock.
“Hehe,” Erica giggled, gazing up at the sky with her hands grasped around the staff. She almost looked like a sculpture giving prayer to the gods.
“S-Saint Erica!” The escorts that had accompanied her from the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica rushed over to her in a panic.
“Ohh, what a tragedy...!”
“Help! Does anyone know healing magic?!”
“Someone, please! Please save the Saint!”
They truly believed Erica was dying. Their confusion was no act—to them, it was as though the world were ending.
But there was someone who was laughing in joy, having witnessed everything up close.
“Ha... Ha ha ha! Wonderful! What a masterpiece!”
It was Gilbert. He had always believed that humans were their ugliest when they were killed unfairly. But what about now?
How beautiful...! Has there ever been a more beautiful death than this? She is no witch! Yes, she is a saint! A true Saint!
She had taken her own life without hesitation, for the sake of some commoners who didn’t even know her. She died gripping her staff in prayer, as though she believed in the beauty of mankind.
Gilbert grasped his own hands in prayer, holding his head up towards the skies.
Oh, Six Wise Gods! I give you my sincerest thanks for letting me witness this moment. I was wrong! I believed humans to be ugly creatures. That is why I dedicated my life to assassination. But humans are beautiful! She has taught me this! If she isn’t a Saint, then who in this world is?!
He then walked over to Erica, who was still on her knees, and beckoned Duke Gregory’s three subordinates over. “Now, come and confirm for yourself! She is most certainly dead!”
“...”
The three men exchanged looks with each other before approaching Erica, dragging the mother and daughter along.
“Did she really stab herself in the heart...?”
“No way...”
“Just what was she thinking?”
The men looked down at the kneeling Erica in disgust.
“People like you would never understand,” Gilbert muttered loathingly. Then, at a speed faster than anyone around them could see, he flicked his right hand out.
“Huh...?”
A strange sensation immediately overcame the three men. Their vision blurred as they suddenly felt like they were falling. One beat later, pain ran through their heads. Three thunks could be heard in unison, and the world spun dizzily.
“What?!”
The men realized their heads were rolling along the ground. They looked up at Gilbert, who was glaring down at them in disdain. His hands were empty, but they could tell he was the one who had done this to them.
Why?!
They moved their mouths, but no sound came out. In place of their dead voices, the mother and daughter who were held hostage screamed.
Gilbert turned around to the crowd and held his arms up. “She—the Saint—taught me the beauty of mankind! She sacrificed herself for the lives of strangers...” he called out, loud enough for the square to hear.
“Th-That’s right...!”
“The Saint was... Saint Erica was...!”
Those words stabbed deep into the hearts of the people who came from the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica. They clung to Erica’s kneeling body and wailed in grief over her death.
“Can you all forgive something like this?!” Gilbert yelled like a changed person.
No, perhaps he really was changed.
“I cannot forgive my own disgraceful actions! That is why I will confess to my sins! I infiltrated this city as an assassin, hired by Duke Gregory! Yes, I was on the side of these three men who came here to kill the Saint!”
Still in a fevered craze from earlier, Gilbert revealed himself as an assassin.
“However, I have realized the truth! After seeing the Saint offer her own life to protect everyone here, I have realized it! I...was wrong...! I... I cannot forgive myself...”
He continued to blame himself in shame.
“No...!” a young man clinging to Erica shouted, getting to his feet. “It’s not your fault! The true disgrace is the noble class! That’s what happened here too... The ones who killed Saint Erica are the nobles who took the people they should have protected as hostages! Isn’t that right?!”
He cried as he raised his voice, questioning every resident watching on.
“...”
No one said anything to confirm or deny him. But in their hearts, they probably agreed with the young man and Gilbert. They were all looking down in guilt.
“How can you all forgive them?! They’ve always suppressed us with their power! They threaten us into subordination! I cannot forgive that! Saint Erica came to this city to fight against such tyranny! Yet...!”
After yelling his heart out, the young man hung his head in silence.
“We have to avenge her...” someone eventually murmured.
“Yes, we must...!”
“Let’s fight! Let’s take on the army outside the city!”
The people from the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica began a call for a war of revenge. Their passionate belief in Erica seemed to transmit to the residents of the city, who began to adopt expressions of resolution.
“Yeah! Let us fight too!”
“Me too!”
“We can’t forgive what they’ve done!”
“Grab your weapons!”
Once the dam broke, the residents began blurting out their pent-up emotions.
But there was a different voice among them.
“You must not...” Erica, who should have been dead, suddenly said.
“Wha—?!”
The people closest to her stirred at the sound of her voice. The next moment, the staff in her chest vanished into thin air.
Light wrapped around her body, rapidly closing the hole in her chest. The unrealistic scene was almost divine.
Everyone was speechless. Gilbert trembled as he witnessed Erica reviving before himself, letting out a noise of joy. “O-Ooh...”
“I will be the one to fight. This is a crusade. As a hero and the Saint, I must be the one to protect everyone. That’s why...!”
Erica materialized her staff once more, holding it in her right hand. She stabbed the end into the ground and staggered to her feet. There wasn’t a soul who wasn’t moved by the sight of the weak Saint declaring to fight after a miraculous revival.
“I will fight in everyone’s place! I was given this power to do that! I summon thee, beast of the land!” Erica yelled, raising her staff high.
Several seconds later...
“WROOOOOOH!”
The roar of a destructive monster echoed throughout Duke Gregory’s territory.
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