There is no flower with one leaf (29)
The first day of my trip, the smell I smelled in the lobby of the hotel was poison.
As soon as I realized this, a strange smell wafted in through the wide open window.
"Again?"
I smelled a smell again that I had never smelled before except on the first day.
I slowly got up and looked out the window.
Ian was alone among the sleeping knights. He was wearing a light shirt, perhaps because he had just woken up. He broke off a branch and threw It into the fire. Sparks flew out of the fire. I opened the carriage door quietly.
At that small noise, Ian raised his eyes and looked this way.
"Young Lady?"
His sharp eyes widened. He approached me hurriedly and asked in a low voice.
"Are you having trouble sleeping?"
"I think someone is going to attack us."
"... Did you use the power?"
If I hadn't lost my power, would I have been able to foresee the danger?
No, I don't see a future related to the Guardian. I would have been hit without knowing anything.
Now that I have lost my power, the only weapons I have are my memory and my keen senses.
So I kept all my senses sharp throughout the trip, and I was able to remember this smell too.
Losing my foresight can sometimes be helpful.
I nodded in response.
"Did you see the direction of the attack?"
"Over there."
It was the moment when I pointed to the direction where the smell was strongest.
Ian's eyes hardened. He turned around and swung his sword.
Crang!
Something fell to the floor with a sharp sound.
An arrow split in two. There was a sticky liquid on the tip of the arrow.
Ian's voice resonated through the quiet forest.
"Rising!"
The knights who had been fast asleep opened their eyes with a start. They got up without hesitation and drew their swords.
Beorn ran up and offered his shield to Ian.
"Is this a surprise attack?"
"They are the ones with the poisoned arrows."
"If it's a poisoned arrow, then it must be the assassination guild. Should we attack?"
"They are good at hiding. Four of you will follow me and the rest will form a defensive line."
"Yes."
Beorn gave instructions to his knights.
"Get into a defensive position centered around the carriage!"
The knights gathered in a circle around the carriage and raised their shields.
A circular defensive barrier began to form around the carriage.
"Don't come out until I open it for you."
Ian pushed me into the carriage. Arrows rained down black behind him.
"Your Highness!"
Ian stood firmly in front of the carriage door and raised his shield.
The arrows that flew with a cracking sound struck the carriage and shield.
Boom, boom!
"Ugh!"
"Ugh!"
Several knights were hit by arrows before they could form a defensive line.
Fortunately, they did not die instantly, but they were unable to move due to the paralyzing poison.
The knight who had fallen stiffly was pulled into his shield by the other knights.
"It's paralyzing poison."
Ian quickly grasped the situation and swung his sword.
He cut off the arrows that were stuck in the shield in one go and closed the carriage door.
I reached out to the open window.
"Be careful."
A calloused hand grabbed mine and pushed me through the window.
"Close the window."
Nadia quickly closed the window and drew the curtains. Ian's back remained as an afterimage through the elegant lace curtains.
"What the hell is this? An assassin! Who ordered you to kill the little Duke?"
Why did Oslo move the Assassin's Guild?
At first, I thought it was meant to eliminate Montpain, but that wasn't the case.
If that was the case, he would have used fire arrows, not paralyzing poison.
'It's not Montpain. it's me. I'm the target.'
Perhaps the plan was to kidnap me and imprison me somewhere unknown to anyone.
Oslo's pathological obsession was appalling.
Have you decided that you cannot become Emperor without my abilities? If you are so incompetent, shouldn't you give up the throne?
Before Chimi could control her anger, a third rain of arrows fell. An arrow flew past the defenses and pierced the window.
Crisp!
"Miss!"
Nadia hugged me and threw herself on the floor.
***
Ian lowered his posture and approached like a shadow.
After a while, a thin crack appeared on the neck of the one who was drawing the bowstring.
"Ugh."
The assassin, whose head had been cut off, fell down like a piece of wood. He couldn't even scream in his final moments because Ian had covered his mouth.
'Seven.'
lan moved the body to the bushes and waited for a while.
Cuckoo sounds could be heard here and there. It was the signal for his subordinates who were assigned to eliminate the assassin.
As a similar sound came out of his mouth, four of his scattered subordinates appeared.
"Report."
"A total of thirteen, all eliminated."
Ian tilted his head.
If he adds up the numbers he removed, it's twenty. That's too few.
'That's strange.'
He knew it was Oslo's doing when he noticed the arrowheads were coated with paralyzing poison.
'Is the purpose to kidnap Millenia?'
It's twice as hard to successfully kidnap a specific person than to wipe out the entire group.
Moreover, the opponent was considered the best knight in the empire. There was no way they could succeed with only twenty men.
'Is this a diversionary operation?"
In an instant, a sinister murderous intent stabbed the back of his head. Ian's sword swung, leaving a silvery tail behind.
Chiiring!
The bullet bounced off the sword and lodged itself in a wooden pillar. It was a dagger with a sharp blue edge.
"It's an attack!"
At Beorn's shout, black-clad figures rose from the shadows of the forest.
"Kill the little Duke! You must never let him live..!"
The one who had been running while screaming rolled over.
The head, which had been separated from the torso late, rolled around on the dirt floor.
The assassins flinched at the murder that occurred in an instant. Only then did they realize the difference in skill, but it was too late.
Ian indifferently jumped over the corpse lying on the ground and slashed his sword horizontally.
In an instant, two assassins each lost a leg and screamed.
"My legs!"
"Ugh!"
The screaming stopped immediately, as Ian's sword pierced his throat.
"Don't back down! We outnumber them! If we attack all at once... Aaak!"
The one who had been shouting and encouraging the assassins collapsed in a spray of blood. A circle of bright red blood spread around the fallen body.
lan took care of four people in the blink of an eye and swung his sword, shaking off the blood.
'You're trying to attract attention by shouting. You're a bunch of insects.'
The level of the opponent was too low compared to the subordinates who focused on attacking without even making a sound.
And on top of that, he tried to attack the assassin head-on. He couldn't even sigh at his stupid choice.
He would rather believe a newly recruited soldier than an assassin.
'Then there must be a commander.'
As Ian was thinking that and trying to watch them, an arrow was shot from the forest.
'There you are.'
The corners of Ian's mouth went up. He quickly stepped out of the attack range and shot out like an arrow.
The one who fired the arrow wasn't that far away. The one who sensed Ian's presence lowered his bow and turned around.
"They say you're the best sword in the empire. I guess it wasn't a false rumor."
The bastard raised both his hands as if surrendering, but a sneer was visible on his lips outside his mask.
Ian asked calmly.
"Did the Third Prince send you?"
"Have you ever seen an assassin reveal his client? If you do that, you won't be able to do this job."
"You are not assassins."
"What do you mean?"
"He must be the Third Prince's secret soldier. It seems like you only started training recently. Your training is a mess."
The lips of the guy who had been, crooked the whole time were shut straight. Ian could feel a rather sharp energy from the guy who had lost his smile.
'That's pretty good.'
How could someone with this level of skill be detected while firing arrows? It was clear that he had lured them on purpose.
Ian raised his sword.
"If you promise to testify, I will spare your life."
The guy who had been glaring at Ian with cold eyes suddenly smiled.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Private soldiers? We're just ordinary assassins."
Even if he tortures him, he won't be able to get any testimony..
Ian, having finished his judgment, struck.
The sword that had rushed in, aiming straight for the heart, pierced the bastard's shoulder. In that brief moment, the bastard twisted his body and deflected the attack.
He grabbed the blade with his bare hand. His lips twisted grotesquely as he locked Ian in his body to prevent him from drawing the sword.
"As people live, there are times when they have to choose between two things. Just like I did a little while ago when I chose to give up my arm instead of dying."
"The will is long."
"It's not a will, it's my story. You also have to make a choice soon."
Ian's eyes narrowed slightly.
At the same time, the bastard threw something on the floor.
Boom!
A puff of white smoke rose.
Ian calmly distanced himself and instead of chasing the bastard, he immediately ran to the campsite.
Millennia was in danger.
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