Chapter LXI - Dice (part 2)

"After becoming one, I was able to use my magic freely. I had a master there, she was a Green ranked adventurer. She was very good at archery, so she taught me. Not only that, she was also a lightning magician."

"And that's how you were so good with bows… and with lightning magic."

I nodded at her story, and Valey grinned at my compliment. She too seemed quite proud of herself, and I'm glad as well.

"Where is your master now?"

Cony asked, but Valey puts on a sad face.

"She... retired."

"Oh? Why?"

Most adventurers are quite proud of their job. They even do the work until they are very old. Once they reach a certain age, they will be kicked out from the Office. Unless they are elves, of course.

"She lost a leg during a certain mission, and now she couldn't walk without a stick. But even after that, she still trained me. I trained with her for two years, until I stopped."

"Why'd you stop?"

Cony asked, making Valey look up to face her.

"Because she couldn't continue."

Valey explains how her teacher is going to get married. She was happy for her. But her teacher wants to stop the training, so that she can continue her life.

I understood Valey's teacher's reasoning. Taking care of two babies is difficult.

"Oh... So, she is happy now?"

"Pretty much. She lives in a village far west. I haven't been able to reach out to her yet. It has already been a year since my last meeting with her."

Valey kept on telling stories about her teacher, and I slowly felt tired.

"Oh, if you want to sleep, go ahead. We can go to sleep as well."

"Sure… Today's mission was quite tiresome."

.

The guards at the Hilva's Main Manor were alerted by one of the daughters of the family, that there could be a chance an assassin will come to the house and assassinate a guest they are trying to protect.

The guard, Mastiff, nodded when young Valey asked him to double the guards and stay alerted. But when he saw the guests coming over were two young girls, he snuffed his nose.

"What the hell? It was just two girls."

He thought the person young Valey was trying to protect was some important powerful boys. It was also the age were young Valey would have a boyfriend.

But instead, it was just simple girls. And from the looks of it, it doesn't look like they were nobles.

Who would assassinate young simple girls, huh?

A few hours after the sun fell passed. Mastiff is guarding the front gate with three other guards, while another four is on the lookout on all sides of the manor.

"Say, Mastiff."

A guard on his right, Heirell, called him.

"Did the young missy say anything about the assassin?"

"Well, she said that there is a chance that an assassin will come. That means there is also a chance where there is no assassin at all!"

"Haha, that's true. Plus, this place is in the high-nobles area. It's not like anyone can just casually come in."

"True that. That's why I'm just acting like I'm following her orders."

"And if an assassin really came?"

"Exactly how dangerous an assassin would be if they are only hunting young commoner girls??"

The guard, Heirell, laughed at Mastiff's joke.

Suddenly, a man in black robes walked casually towards the front gate. Neither Mastiff nor Heirell felt the man's presence, not until he showed himself at the gate.

Mastiff and Heirell immediately called the other two guards at the front gate and grabbed their weapons. Then, the four guards ran to the gate and spoke to the mysterious person.

"Who are you!? What do you want!?"

Mastiff, as the captain of the guards, shouted at the mysterious hooded man. But the hooded man simply lifted his right arm and threw an item in the air. Mastiff and the others watched as the item landed back to the hooded man's right palm. 

The hooded man looked at the item, and let out an annoyed growl.

"Aww maaan, a one."

Mastiff looked closer to the item on the man's hand. It was a dice… and it rolled one.

The man placed his dice in his pocket, and turned back to the guards.

This time, the unidentified man is facing them.

.

We cleaned up the floor from our messy activities. I cleaned up the pile of cards, while Cony and Valey picked up the glasses from the floor. After cleaning up, we headed to our beds.

It's really weird how she was able to get two more beds inside her room from just a few hours of preparation. And the fact that her room actually fits two more beds just wows me. 

Nobles, huh...?

Just as we were about to sleep, Valey peeked her head out. Her bed was on the most left, while Cony is in the middle. I get the most right bed, since it's facing the wall.

"Hey, Rize..."

I turned to look at her, but then she shook her head.

"Nah, nevermind. Good night."

Valey turned towards the other way and closed her eyes. Cony had also slept. Looking at her cute sleeping face is really hard for me to turn away. I held back my haste and tried to sleep, trying to remind myself that I don't have a stick between my thighs anymore.

And just when I closed my eyes, the earth shook.

BLARR!!!

The three of us quickly woke up.

"What was that?!?"

Valey ran towards the window at the end of the room and looked at the scene right outside the manor.

The gate exploded. From up here, we can see the burning flames. I can see a guard on the ground, crawling towards the manor, trying to flee. His foot was wounded, and he couldn't stand and walk.

Behind him, is the flaming gate that exploded.

"Hey, Valey. Who else is on this house?"

Valey turned to me in shock.

"Well, aside from us, only my mother is here. My father is out doing some business, my two older sisters had already married and lived somewhere else, and my older brother lived in another kingdom."

"And your older sister who isn't married?"

"She's... Not here."

I could see a slight doubt on her face when she answered. Something must have happened between her and her older sister.

"In any case, at least we can handle this without worrying."

"True. That's exactly why I suggested this."

"Because no one was home?"

Cony's turn to question.

"That's right."

"But your mother is here, Valey."

"That's..."

"And now we have to protect her!"

"Erm..."

Cony simply lets out a deep breath. She stared at the window again, where one man was standing and faced towards our direction.

He knows, and we all know as well.

"Let's kill the assassin."

Valey turned and grabbed her weapons underneath the bed. Me and Cony took out our weapons. We didn't bother to change our clothes, because the perpetrator had already entered the gate.

The man walking inside is wearing a long black robe, with a hood put on. I couldn't clearly see his face, but I think he is wearing a mask.

Then, as if called, his face slowly turns towards this window, towards me.

He is the next assassin coming after me. He is what I have been waiting for.

I grinned wickedly and followed Valey and Cony out, downstairs. We walked past Valey's mother, who seemed disoriented with her maid next to her. Valey simply explained it's one of her insane fans among the adventurers, and will simply take care of it.

Her mother had no choice but to believe it and let us leave through the front door.

We ran outside despite the shouts from the butlers and maids, telling us to stop. Valey's mother also shouted for us to stop. 

But once we opened the front door, we headed down the stairs outside and stared at the sight right in front of us.

The four guards that were guarding the front gate were blown far backwards towards the manor, and two of them are still on the ground.

"Mastiff!!"

Valey quickly ran towards the guards and tried helping them. She ran towards the guard on the right that was pulling his friend away. Besides those two, the other two guards are on the left side, on the ground and not moving.

Four other guards suddenly show up right next to me and Cony. Seeing that Valey is away, I have to do something.

These guards can't fight the assassin. Whoever wants to kill me, has surely sent a powerful one. So first, we need to protect everyone inside.

"Take those two on the ground away and evacuate the madam."

I commanded the four knights who looked confused.

"Madam's safety comes first! We will take it from here."

I took out my swords from my space ring, and two scabbards magically appeared on my hips. I unsheathed both of my swords and walked forward. Cony followed behind me shyly, and the guards looked at us confused and awed. 

Probably because we are still wearing our pajamas. I don't really sleep with pajamas, so my clothes are still much easier to move in.

The guards quickly picked up the four wounded guards and lifted them inside the manor, where they will also take Valey's mother into safety.

Valey nodded at me when she realized that I gave the command. I simply nodded back.

She is in this situation because of me. I had to take responsibility.

The three of us stood outside, in front of the horse statue and facing our opponent. The three ladies in pajamas, with their weapons sheathed and readied.

"Who the hell are you!?"

Valey shouted at our guest, but the masked guy surely didn't pay attention to her at all. He just stared at me, and I sharpened my eyes on him.

"Greetings, Madam Ritze!!"

The man bowed, with his left hand on the chest and his right hand in the air, like a showman.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dice…"

He straightened his posture.

"And tonight… I will cast your die…"