“Thanks for your help,” Raphael said to the boy without taking his eyes off the thief.Emrys simply glanced at the thief with his eyes, replying seriously, “You’re welcome.”In truth, he had no intention of really getting involved in this chaos. He already knew what was happening in the town and, of course, had heard the reason behind it.His only goal was the most important thing in all the plans he intended to carry out: the princess’s diary. He needed to get it from the thief without anyone knowing. He hadn’t expected that this man would also be here chasing the thief.So if Raphael thought Emrys was only here to help him, he was mistaken. Emrys had no idea of the true purpose behind his “rescue.”“I want to repay this debt, but I first need to catch this thief. Can you help me again?” Raphael asked, and Emrys sighed quietly.“That’s actually the plan,” Emrys said. But in truth, he had briefly considered letting Raphael fail so he could take the diary himself.Raphael smiled. “Than

Emrys didn’t have to wait long in the princess’s hall after being brought there by Leander and Raphael.He stood facing the throne, hands folded behind his back. For a moment, Raphael and Leander left him alone to attend to other matters.This gave Emrys the chance to observe the hall, and he couldn’t deny how magnificent the palace was—both inside and out.Compared to the first institution he had visited, this place was even more impressive, yet like that institution, he didn’t want to stay here for long.He felt disgust—not because of the building itself, but because of who lived here. And soon, he would have to face this person again.He was nervous, of course. He couldn’t deny that. But his desire for revenge burned even stronger, allowing him to stand tall and calm despite the mix of emotions he felt.When the hall’s doors opened, Emrys immediately looked up, breaking his deep thoughts.His fists clenched behind his back, holding back the urge to rush forward, as he saw the princ

“Until now, there’s still no news about the faceless masked one,” reported a knight, one of Commander Ventri’s remaining captains.They were moving with the army led by Commander Ventri. He rode in his carriage while others were on horseback, and those at the back were just walking.“Harder to track than a ghost when he hides,” added this captain, Alden Shu, a 6th Grade Tempest. Ventri focused on his map, drinking red wine, letting his companion speak from outside the moving carriage. “Also, with Captain Henry gone, the third squad he led will have a harder time continuing their duties.”Ventri folded the map and set it aside. “Henry’s absence isn’t the end of the world for my army. He was strong, yes, but he was careless. I warned him many times to be careful—he has enemies in every town. But he didn’t listen, and this is the consequence.”He took another sip of wine and looked seriously at Alden. “I’m going to Central Vale to check on the princess. Hopefully, she has information pre

All the assassins were now staring at Emrys after Raphael introduced him.Everyone literally stopped eating, curiosity clear on their faces and in their eyes as they tried to process what they had just heard.There was silence for a few seconds until one of them spoke up. “Are you saying that kid will also be a participant in today’s deadly tournament?” pointing at Emrys.Another assassin quickly corrected him. “It’s a tournament, not a slaughter. You shouldn’t scare the boy like that.”“Ah, sorry. Just slipped my tongue,” the first laughed, though it was clear from his glare that he was serious about intimidating even with just his expression.Emrys didn’t react; he just gave Raphael a calm nod as if silently apologizing for the assassin’s stare.Raphael guided Emrys to a seat at the far end of the table. The seat next to him was empty, as well as the one directly across, and even the seat in the center of the table.It was obvious that the princess’s seat would be the unique one amo

The door to a room opened, and Paul stood while the princess remained seated.Ventri entered, and Paul greeted him with a handshake. This was Ventri’s first visit to Central Vale since the war that killed the princess’s parents. He still felt a bit out of place due to the youth of the palace officials, including the princess herself.The commander and the princess took seats opposite each other, while Ventri’s two aides remained standing by the wall. Vincent stood beside the princess, hands clasped behind his back.“Would you like something to drink, Commander Ventri?” the princess offered, but he declined with a shake of his head.“Thank you for the offer, Your Highness. First, I would like to request permission to allow the soldiers I brought to move freely within your city,” Ventri said, taking an item from his inner coat pocket and placing a dossier on the table. “I’m sure you already know about him—the Faceless Criminal, a name spreading worldwide. I am assigned to lead six thous