Chapter 46: King

Perseus POV

"So what kind of test do you want me to do?"

"To prove yourself worthy of our cause," she answered, Yyou must demonstrate your ability to overcome an adversary who has caused you suffering on your journey."

"And who might this adversary be?"

"Who else but the king of the southern empire?"

"...and how will a 13-year-old go past some of the best security personnel in the world and successfully kill and get away with it?"

"I'll give you an opening, for both entry and getaway, however, the rest is up to you, if you can successfully avenge your people, no one will be able to doubt your place."

"I get that, but isn't that too big of an assignment?"

"It is, but getting rid of him is something we're planning to do anyways, his being killed would cause a lot of instability for us to go collect what we want...besides, you killed a subordinate of mine, I'm not going to make it easy."

"He would have kept constantly coming after my head otherwise."

"Understandable, but your test also extends to your fairy friend, so this is a test for 2."

"Fine...I'll do it, but if you fail to leave an opening, I'll consider myself having an automatic pass."

"...Sure." she shrugged

*****

As I surveyed the castle before me, I could see patrols of guards moving along the perimeter, their watchful eyes scanning the area for any signs of intruders. Lind and her subordinates will be leaving me alone as they'll be handling other matters that go into this assassination attempt.

The security was tight, tighter than I had anticipated, and I knew that I would need to proceed with caution if I hoped to evade detection. I am not built for stealth missions. I arrived in a dark corner close to the courtyard, I had to run across there to get to the king's main residence.

I knew that I would need to time my movements carefully if I hoped to avoid detection. The patrol was tight, with guards stationed at every corner and nook of the courtyard. There was barely any opening for me to slip through unnoticed, and I would need to rely on my agility.

Ducking behind a crumbling stone wall, I waited for a group of guards to pass by before darting across an open courtyard. My heart pounded in my chest, but I was somewhat relieved once I saw the guards disappearing and being pulled into the shadows, I spotted several hooded figures behind them, Lind's subordinates.

Some moved with blinding speed, striking with deadly accuracy at the guard's throats before disappearing back into the shadows. There's the regular neck snapping and all that, but the worst part is that it was incredibly quiet and efficient.

The guards stood no chance against their onslaught, caught off guard by the suddenness of the attack. They fought valiantly, but it was clear that they were outmatched by their mysterious assailants.

I could only watch in amazement as the shadowy figures made quick work of the guards, their movements a blur of motion as they systematically eliminated their targets. It was clear that they were beyond highly trained and skilled in the art of combat...just where did they hire these guys...I don't think I can beat any of them without the sword.

*****

As I sprinted through the corridors of the castle, I saw that the opening was already laid out, guards lay strewn across the floor, unconscious or dead...and if Lind's advice was right, guards are required to report every 15 minutes...I have 15 minutes to do this thing before they're checked on and reinforcement arrives. 

I then dashed around to find the king's bedroom, but the so-called door that Lind said was the king's room turned out not to be real, so I spent like 10 minutes to find the king's room. I can see Lind's subordinates, they all stayed still...it seems that this was a part of their test.

After a while, I found a door that was still guarded by 2 still mages, which I assumed to be the room, but I had no time to waste...since my sword could switch to any weapon I wanted...and since I had to avoid using magic as there are magic detection devices nearby...it was my best option.

My eyes glowed gold and I turned it into a bow, I took a nearby spear and shot it quickly at the mages before sharing in at max speed with a sword. The mages detected the spear flying at them, but they were so focused on it that Elpis managed to flash them causing temporary blindness, giving me enough time to cut their necks before they could ring an alarm.

I pushed open the door and it seemed that I'd caught the king in quite a bad time with his concubines, I rolled in a few smoke bombs filled with anesthetic herbs and closed the doors.

[A: They should be affected right now, go in, so that you can escape with enough time.]

I came back to see the king lying naked on the bed surrounded by other beautiful women, but I didn't focus too much...I would love to make his death as painful as possible...but revenge is revenge. So I stabbed him in his chest and after a few seconds, Elpis confirmed his death.

But right at that moment, an alarm rang...it seems that his life signature was connected to some alarm system...this is just nice.

Without hesitation, I ran to the closest window and leaped through it, the shards of glass cutting my skin and feeling the rush of cold air against my skin, increasing the stings, as I plummeted towards the ground below. For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still as I hurtled through the air, my senses heightened to the chaos unfolding around me.

But then, with a jolt, I landed on the soft grass below, the impact sending a jolt of pain shooting through my limbs. Ignoring the ache, I pushed myself to my feet and broke into a sprint, my only thought to put as much distance between myself and the castle as possible.