Slash 5 had been monitoring the city and, more importantly, Countess Lyria's castle, for over two weeks. He waited with the patience of a seasoned predator, carefully observing every movement. As a veteran assassin, he understood that there was no room for carelessness in his line of work. One mistake could cost everything—his mission, reputation, and life.

Being a Silver-ranked assassin, he was far more cautious than the inexperienced rookies who often stumbled into the profession. He wouldn’t have survived long enough to attain his current rank if he hadn't been cautious. In the cutthroat world of assassination, only the strongest and most meticulous individuals managed to endure. Experience taught him that the older and stronger one became, the more one appreciated the value of caution.

Finally, after three long weeks of surveillance, the target made his move. Edric, a promising young member of the Windwalker family, left the castle. He was accompanied by a small but well-equipped entourage: one Great Knight, two ordinary knights, and ten elite guards.

Slash 5 observed the group from the shadows, his sharp eyes analyzing every detail. "They must be aware that the Darkwinds have placed a bounty on Edric’s head," he thought, his mind working rapidly. "But judging by this lineup, they clearly don’t anticipate that the Darkwinds would hire someone of my caliber—a Silver assassin."

Yet, something about the situation felt off. He frowned, narrowing his eyes at the scene below. "Why would they send three additional Silver Knights to the castle for protection, only to allow Edric to leave with such minimal security? It doesn’t add up."

Suspicious, he pulled out another spell crystal. Breaking it in his hand, he activated an energy detection spell. A faint glow spread across the landscape as his senses expanded, searching for hidden threats. His findings confirmed his initial observations—there were no Silver Knights hiding among Edric’s guards. The young man himself was unremarkable, devoid of any internal energy. While talented, Edric had not yet become a knight.

Slash 5 scrutinized Edric’s face, posture, and clothing. He compared them to the descriptions he had memorized during his preparations. After a long, careful look, he nodded to himself. There was no mistake. This was Edric Windwalker.

"They’re using him as bait to trap me," Slash 5 concluded grimly.

His experience and intuition told him that this was no ordinary escort. Allowing Edric to leave the castle with only a Great Knight as his primary protector—especially when four Silver Knights were stationed inside—was highly suspicious. The most likely scenario was that the Silver Knights were lying in wait, ready to ambush him the moment he made his move.

"But how are they hiding themselves from my detection?" Slash 5 muttered under his breath. He examined the group once more, his sharp gaze scanning every shadow and movement. Yet, no matter how carefully he looked, he found no sign of anyone following Edric and his entourage.

The group left the city, traveling in carriages toward Marquis Windwalker’s castle. As he watched them disappear into the distance, Slash 5’s mind raced.

"What should I do?" he wondered.

The carriages moved at a moderate pace—not fast, but not slow enough to allow for much hesitation. If he waited for them to set up camp for the night, it would be too late; they would reach Marquis Windwalker’s castle within ten hours. Once inside, assassinating Edric would be nearly impossible. The marquis’s castle was a fortress, heavily guarded and well-defended.

"I have to decide soon," Slash 5 thought, his brow furrowing in concentration.

The more he considered the situation, the more uneasy he became. "Where are those Silver Knights? Where are they planning to ambush me?"

Suddenly, a chilling thought crossed his mind. "Could they be hiding inside the carriages from the very beginning?"

He recalled how Edric’s group had only boarded the carriages after leaving the city. If the Silver Knights were concealed inside, it would explain their apparent absence. The moment Slash 5 attacked, they would spring out and surround him.

He had already used his detection spell crystal; without it, he couldn’t confirm the presence—or absence—of any hidden threats.

"If that’s the case, attacking now would be suicide," he realized. Even with his skills and experience, fighting four Silver Knights head-on was a risk he couldn’t afford to take.

For the first time in years, a sliver of doubt crept into his mind. As he continued to observe Edric’s entourage, he weighed his options carefully. Should he abandon the mission or take a gamble that could end in disaster?

The clock was ticking, and Slash 5 knew he had only a few hours left to make his choice.

"It isn’t worth the risk!" Slash 5 finally concluded, his mind made up. While he had initially accepted the task, the circumstances had drastically changed. According to the information provided by the Darkwind family, there were not supposed to be four Silver Knights protecting the target. If he canceled the mission now, the Darkwinds would have no grounds for complaint, as their intel had proven false.

"It just leaves a bad taste in the mouth to let the target go like this," he muttered under his breath, frustration evident in his tone. With a final glance toward Edric’s entourage disappearing into the distance, Slash 5 turned on his heel and began the journey back to his base.

Years of experience had taught him to trust his instincts. That finely honed sixth sense—the one that had kept him alive for over a century—was now screaming that something was off. This mission wasn’t worth the risk, and he knew it. Once he returned, he would report the unexpected developments to the Darkwind family, including the presence of the four Silver Knights. If they still wanted Edric dead, they would have to renegotiate the price and perhaps even hire additional Silver-ranked assassins to assist.

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"This trip was such a waste," Slash 5 sighed, shaking his head. Aborting the mission would come with its own set of costs. Not only would he have to return the advance payment, but he would also need to pay a penalty of a few gold coins to the Windslash Group for any reputational damage caused by the failure.

Still, he consoled himself with the knowledge that gold could be regained, but life could not. Over the decades, his caution had been his greatest asset. If not for his unrelenting prudence, he would never have survived this long as a top-tier assassin. Wealth, skill, and reputation meant nothing if you weren’t alive to enjoy them.

Meanwhile, the carriages carrying the fake Edric continued moving steadily for three to four hours before finally stopping in an open space near a watchtower. The group disembarked, setting up tents and preparing to rest for a few hours.

Unbeknownst to them, three Silver Knights lay in wait, hidden in strategic positions around the campsite. They were prepared to spring into action the moment the assassin struck. After all, there could be no better opportunity to lure him out. The fake Edric, who was helping set up the tents, was deliberately left less guarded than usual to make the bait even more enticing. For an assassin of Slash 5’s caliber, this situation was practically irresistible—killing Edric and escaping before anyone could react would have been child’s play.

But the Silver Knights waited in vain.

Hour after hour passed with no sign of an attacker. Even as the group settled into their tents for the night, their vigil yielded nothing. By morning, it became clear that their elaborate trap had failed.

The group had no choice but to pack up their belongings and return to Countess Lyria’s territory. Over the last 24 hours, countless opportunities had presented themselves for a Silver-ranked assassin to strike, but none had been taken. This left the Silver Knights speculating on why the assassin had failed to act.

Theories abounded.

The first Silver Knight proposed that there had never been an assassin in the first place. "Perhaps the rumors were just that—rumors," he suggested.

The second Knight disagreed. "No, it’s more likely that the assassin suspected something was amiss. He must have aborted the mission after sensing the trap."

The third Knight had a different theory. "It’s possible the assassin saw this opportunity but decided to wait for an even better one."

Upon their return to the castle, the three Silver Knights reported their findings to the Countess. After much deliberation, they collectively decided that maintaining the current level of protection indefinitely was impractical. It was simply not feasible for all four Silver Knights to remain stationed in the castle on the mere chance of an assassination attempt.

Two of the Knights departed for Marquis Windwalker’s castle, leaving only one behind as a precautionary measure. The Countess, though skeptical, agreed to this arrangement for now.

As for Slash 5, he was already far away, making his way back to his hideout. He was confident in his decision to withdraw from the mission. His sixth sense had never failed him before, and he trusted that it wouldn’t fail him now.

In the dangerous world of assassins, sometimes the smartest move was to walk away.

...

Valdrin glared at the woman standing before him, his face contorted with barely restrained anger.

"I paid you 100,000 silver, yet you canceled the assassination without even trying?" he spat, his voice trembling with fury. It took every ounce of his self-control not to hurl a string of curses at her.

The woman, a composed and unflinching middleman between the Windslash Group and the Darkwind family, met his gaze with a calm demeanor. "Your honor's information was incomplete," she said coolly. "There were four Silver Knights guarding the target. One Silver assassin is insufficient to guarantee success against such a heavily guarded individual."

Valdrin clenched his fists, his temper flaring. "It’s about the money, isn’t it? You want more? Fine! Here!" He pulled out a signed promissory note, slamming it onto the table. "Take this. Give it to any bank licensed by the Darkwind family, and you’ll be able to withdraw 500,000 silver. Now send as many assassins as needed. I don’t care what it takes—failure is not an option this time!"

His desperation was palpable. Spending a fortune equivalent to the annual budget of many small noble families to eliminate a single 15-year-old boy didn’t faze him in the slightest.

But the woman remained unfazed by his outburst. She picked up the note and glanced at it before sliding it back across the table. "We only accept cash," she said flatly. "Additionally, the operation will cost 3,000,000 silver."

"Three million?!" Valdrin bellowed, his voice echoing in the room. "Do you have any idea how much money that is? Our entire army consumes that amount in a year!" He was livid, convinced the Windslash Group was exploiting his situation.

The woman maintained her composure, though her tone grew firmer, carrying an edge of warning. "Master Valdrin, four Silver Knights are guarding the target. Our Silver assassins will have to put their lives on the line to ensure success. Does your honor truly understand the value of Silver-ranked professionals? We’re asking for three million because of the risks involved. Last time, you withheld critical information from us, nearly costing us one of our top assassins. We are being generous by not holding that against you."

Her words carried a subtle but unmistakable threat, and Valdrin knew better than to push too hard.

"Fine," he said through gritted teeth, his fury giving way to reluctant acceptance. "I’ll pay it—in cash. But this time, I want his head. No excuses!"

The woman’s stern expression softened into a smile, a professional mask that betrayed no true emotion. "Excellent. However," she said smoothly, "gathering the six Silver assassins required for this operation will take time. We will need at least three months to coordinate the plan. Rest assured, though, we guarantee the target’s elimination before the year is out."

Valdrin’s frustration bubbled over. "Why does it take so long?" he snapped. "I don’t have time for this! My brother Kaelith is consolidating power. The sooner we strike, the better. Every delay strengthens his position!"

The woman’s tone remained calm, but her words left no room for negotiation. "As I mentioned, six Silver assassins are not sitting idly in one location. Our branches across the country will need to coordinate and mobilize them. Six assassins of that caliber represent an enormous investment of resources and planning. This level of precision takes time, Master Valdrin."

He could only sigh, defeated. The Windslash Group’s reputation was as vast as its reach, with branches spread across the entire country. Their assassins were famed for their precision and efficiency. Unlike many others, they were known for their clean jobs, eliminating only the target without unnecessary collateral damage. Valdrin knew he couldn’t afford to alienate such a powerful organization, not when the stakes were this high.

After finalizing the time and location for transferring the staggering sum of three million silver, Valdrin and the woman parted ways.