Chapter 18-  Earl Sandro (Revised)

Chapter 18- Earl Sandro

Dave walked down a narrow street, devoid of people, constantly monitoring their movements. Dave was now convinced that he was being pursued, and he sensed a significant amount of murderous intent from his pursuers. He couldn't believe that despite his status, someone was still targeting him. 'Do they have a death wish?'

He was confident that a single slash would be enough to take down these assassins since his Sword Dragon Technique was already at level 8. 

Though he didn't know the actual strength of this technique, he believed it could easily eliminate a Peak-tier Emperor with a single slash. Under this technique, he acquired numerous strong skills.

Draco, on the other hand, didn't comprehend the situation, nonchalantly munching on cotton candy that Dave had bought for him.

As Dave strolled down the narrow street, he abruptly stopped and turned to the people tailing him, saying, "Come out."

The assassins were taken aback, thinking they were concealed effectively, yet he still detected them. With evident disdain on their faces, they abandoned their stealth.

They thought Dave was vulnerable, for he was only a Peak-tier Grandmaster, and his father was away on a special mission. They presumed he'd be unguarded. 

They had received information that the guardian was currently outside the empire, embarking on a mission. Their employer had tasked them with this operation, and although they were initially apprehensive, he had promised them substantial rewards in exchange for success.

One of the assassins mocked, "Well, it's an achievement to kill the rising champion today."

The assassins all chuckled at Dave's apparent vulnerability, but in Dave's mind, they were nothing more than ants. 

Pretending to be scared, he intended to extract more information about the person who had hired them.

"W-who are you? Who sent you here? Do you not know that my father is the guardian?" Dave feigned fear, attempting to gather details.

Dave's performance was convincing, and his pursuers were unaware that he was merely pretending.

"As you're on the brink of death, we might as well reveal who commissioned your assassination."

The assassins laughed at his act and revealed their purpose, "We were hired to kill you. As for our employer, it's Earl Sandro, and we don't know why."

"Earl Sandro?"

Dave pondered the name for a moment, but before he could react, the assassins swiftly closed the distance and materialized behind him. Unbeknownst to them, their movements seemed sluggish compared to his.

"Die!"

Sharp daggers appeared in their hands, and they were about to pierce his neck, but it felt as if time had stopped.

As they moved closer to Dave, sure of their success, Dave commented, "Amateurs. What kind of assassin reveals their employer?"

Dave laughed in disdain, not expecting the assassins to be so foolish as to reveal their employer.

Dave drew his sword from his storage space, a King-level item gifted by his father, one he'd received when he was 12, along with the Sword Dragon Technique.

Holding the sword horizontally, he unsheathed only a tenth of it from the hilt and sheathed it once more. "Sword Dragon Technique," 

Dave intoned, leaving the assassins bewildered by his use of the technique. They had heard what technique he'd invoked but hadn't perceived his movements.

Unbeknownst to the assassins, their heads were rolling on the ground, their faces etched with fear before they could even scream. A 15-year-old boy had beheaded them.

"So strong!"

The power of this technique astounded Dave, as he'd never employed it against a real enemy, only practicing with his father. His sword promptly crumbled into dust. 

"Looks like I need to get a stronger sword."

Turning to Draco, he said, "Draco, it's time for your meal today." With excitement, Draco opened his mouth, and a black hole emerged, absorbing the assassins' remains until nothing was left.

Dave knew Draco had this ability, allowing him to consume entities much larger than his own body. While he couldn't confirm whether Draco was a dragon or a Taotie, he found him incredibly cute.

As he gazed at the moon, Dave mused, "Earl Sandro, I'll have to teach you a lesson."

And then he vanished.

Not everyone with a high ranking in the Empire was formidable; some had ascended through their intelligence. 

Earl Sandro belonged to the latter category, gaining his title through his merits. He was only a Mid-tier Grandmaster and was currently 40 years old. Living a solitary life, he had no family.

Sandro ruled a small territory granted to him by the emperor.

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Sandro sat in a chair while a man in black reported to him. The man said, "We lost contact with no.16 and no.18. They've never failed a mission before, and if they've completed it, they should already be here."

Sandro's response was laced with anger, "What? You dare call yourselves assassins, and you can't even finish off a mere boy?"

The man retorted, "Hmph, Sandro, you seem to have forgotten that I could kill you right here. You should be thankful we don't harm our employer but know your place."

Sandro fell silent, and the man explained, "We will send a more formidable assassin this time, though it will be challenging. He is likely to be more cautious now, and the worst-case scenario is that his father learns about the assassination attempt on his son."

"We're not sure why no.16 and no.18 failed, but I suspect the guardian still has a protector for his son."

"They were personally trained by me, even though they are among the weakest assassins in my organization."

After that, the man disappeared, and Sandro couldn't perceive his movements. 

Anxious and filled with dread, Sandro ordered his guards to bolster the defenses in his residence, unaware that Dave had already infiltrated his castle.

Dave tends to hold grudges, and once he's targeted, he makes sure those responsible suffer the consequences of their actions. 

He didn't know why he had a grudge against Earl Sandro, but he remembered seeing him at a party when he was younger.