Red’s heart skipped a beat. “… So there really was someone else?”
Domeron nodded with a serious expression. “I had my doubts at first too, but if you have spent enough time dealing with their methods, you will understand the Empire is always very thorough.”
Red frowned. “How did you find this out?”
The youth was aware that Domeron had a very wide network of contacts within the town, whom he paid in exchange for sensitive information. That being said, these weren’t professional spies, so Red found it hard to believe they would be able to locate this imperial agent that had gone undetected for the last six years.
The swordsman hesitated. “… This time around, it wasn’t me.”
Red suddenly thought of a possibility. “Was it Gustav?”
Domeron nodded. “I can’t imagine anyone else in the town who would be capable of acquiring this kind of info, but the source as of now remains anonymous. The information was just contained in a letter.”
“Why would Gustav lose the opportunity to claim credit for such a discovery?” Red was skeptical.
The swordsman shrugged. “Perhaps because the agent is another merchant under him.”
“Wouldn’t that implicate him even more?”
“Not necessarily.” Domeron shook his head. “Gustav might have known about this imperial agent for far longer than it may seem, and probably only decided to tell us about it because this spy is planning something that could implicate him. If he attaches his name to this discovery, it might sour his relationship with his imperial contacts, which was likely the reason as to why he hid this agent’s identity in the first place. Not to mention, now he can use someone else’s sword to eliminate this loose end.”
Red frowned. “The Empire will definitely still suspect him.”
“They will, but it’s not like they can approach us and ask where this information came from.” Domeron said. “Either way, this is a sensible theory, but it’s all just conjecture at the end of the day. Perhaps there’s a third party we do not know about that found out about this, but in any case, this is not of much consequence at the moment.”
Red still felt that this information could be relevant eventually, but he had to agree with the man.
“Who else knows about it?” he asked.
“The Baron and Hector.” Domeron said. “Well, technically, the Baron was the one that received the letter, and he immediately informed Hector about it and no one else, or so he claims.”
Red frowned. “Do we have any reason to doubt him?”
“Ah, of course not.” The swordsman shook his head. “If we can’t trust the Baron, then we might as well just flee the town.”
Although Domeron said this, Red could still feel he was hiding something.
Before he could ask what that was, though, the man continued. “Anyway, I bet you’re wondering why I’m telling you this.”
Red hesitated. “… You want me to kill this agent?”
“Yes.” Domeron nodded. “As soon as possible.”
“How soon?”
“Before the sun is up, preferably.”
Red frowned. “You want me to assassinate an imperial agent with just a few hours of preparation?”
Domeron smiled. “Hector is the one who gave the order.”
“Why doesn’t he go do it himself if it’s so important?”
“Because he’s being watched.”
There was a silence after these words as Red waited for Domeron to laugh and tell him that this was all a joke. This didn’t happen, though.
“Who is watching him?”
“He doesn’t know.” Domeron shook his head. “But he’s sure he’s being watched over the last few weeks, and if he can’t find out where his stalker is, then it’s probably someone strong.”
Red pondered to himself. “I have felt no presences around the sect.”
The swordsman smiled with a troubled expression. “We are well aware, but I do not think Hector is lying. In which case, what does that tell you?”
Red frowned. “Either they can completely hide from my powers or they are aware of my detection range and are keeping their distance. In either case, they probably know about my powers.”
Domeron nodded. “Can you imagine from where this information about your power might have leaked?”
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The youth closed his eyes in thought. “The only ones plainly aware of my powers outside of our sect is that woman from the Crystal Sky Sect, and…” Red opened his eyes with a frown. “Reinhart.”
The man had disappeared for six years already, but Red didn’t think he was dead. The possibility he had leaked information about the youth’s powers was very real.
“There’s no reason to believe that woman would have revealed that about you, and in any case, the Crystal Sky Sect does not often rely on subterfuge when acting.” Domeron said. “Reinhart, on the other hand… He has always been a huge concern.”
“If Hector is being watched, wouldn’t this stalker also be paying attention to me?” Red asked. “How would I find the opportunity to act?”
“Hector doesn’t know who is watching him, but he knows he’s being watched.” Domeron explained. “If that person stopped watching him, he would definitely warn you.”
The youth remained skeptical. “This still seems very risky.”
“It is, but we need to get rid of this imperial agent as soon as possible.”
“Why?” Red was confused.
“Because they are still looking into what happened at the trial.”
This gave Red pause. After all this time, the imperials still hadn’t given up on discovering what happened at the trial.
Domeron continued. “This was all tipped off to us through that anonymous letter. They mentioned that the merchant was hiring people to look into the forest, including the tunnels from where the native monsters reappeared seven years ago. This was apparently one of this agent’s chief concerns and pretty much confirms to us that the imperials probably did not get their hands on the inheritance as we once suspected.”
Red hesitated. “… Have they made any progress in linking anything to our sect?”
“Impossible to say, but our names, amidst a few others in town, were mentioned. It’s likely they would consider every single individual in this place a suspect until they found out who was a part of that inheritance trial.”
The youth frowned. “Killing them won’t stop their investigation.”
“No, but it will inhibit their efforts.” Domeron said. “Suffice it to say, that is the best we can afford right now.”
Red sighed. “That covers the why, but it still doesn’t cover the how. I might not have a strong cultivator watching my movements, but that doesn’t mean I can kill an imperial agent unnoticed without preparation.”
Domeron snorted. “That’s nonsense. I trained you perfectly over these past six years and have seen your growth with my own two eyes. No one below the Lesser Ring Realm can survive when you strike from the shadows.”
The swordsman had apparently more confidence in Red than Red had in himself, but he wouldn’t complain.
“The issue is not if I can do it, it is if I can do it unnoticed.” the youth said. “The imperial might have something that can warn him or protect him against those kinds of assassination attempts.”
Red still remembered back in the trial when that Imperial Knight managed to discover Narcha's and Eiwin’s approach with the help of a talisman. The youth was stealthy, but he couldn’t hide from magic.
Domeron obviously knew what he was referring to. “These life-saving talismans that can activate on their own are useful, but at the most basic level, they have a fatal flaw. They only activate once they detect killing intent.”
Red frowned. “What do you mean?”
Domeron smiled. “It’s simple. Human emotions can alter certain aspects of the surrounding Spiritual Energy as you know, and the stronger this emotion is, the more widespread this transformation is. These talismans can detect the smallest changes in this property of Spiritual Energy and activate on their own once a certain criterion is fulfilled. However, if this change in property does not happen, then the talisman will obviously not activate.”
Red raised his eyebrows. “So you want me to kill him without mustering any killing intent or change in emotion?”
“Yes.” Domeron nodded. “Can you do it?”
Red hesitated, but in the end he nodded. “I think I can.”
If this really worked as Domeron explained, then the youth had the perfect plan.
“Great. Then go and kill him.” The swordsman waved him off.”
Red frowned. “Aren’t you going to tell me where he is?”
Domeron smiled. “I’ll give you a hint. It’s the place where you committed your first crime in this town.”
Red knew the exact location he was referring to.
…
Although Red didn’t have the time to come up with a proper plan, he was still going to equip himself properly before diving into this endeavor. He took a few pills and talismans with himself, which he hoped he wouldn’t need to use.
Then, armed with his trusted sword and with his pitch black uniform, he sneaked off into the night of the town streets. This time around, though, Red stuck to the shadows.
He crossed dark alleys, scaled buildings, avoided patrols, everything done with an expertise he had acquired over the last six years, and no one seemed to notice his passage. This wasn’t the first assassination mission Hector and Domeron sent him on, which was why Red didn’t feel very apprehensive.
Of course, this was by far his most important and difficult mission. Most of his previous assignments involved killing criminals or idiots that acted against their sect too much. Red had done all that with flying colors, but this was the first time he was given a mission with such gravitas.
If he failed here, the consequences could be dire. Which was why he would not leave anything to chance.
He approached the building Domeron mentioned. It was the merchant’s store from which Red had stolen a False Parting Sea Pill from seven years ago, after he had barely arrived in town.
The youth scouted it from across the streets on top of another building. With his crimson sense, he detected the presence of seven people inside the store, all awaken by the looks of it. He couldn’t tell which one was his target using only his powers, though, so he moved around to the roof of a different building.
Red still distinctively remembered there was a window on the back of the store, which he used to escape next time. Sure enough, as he examined the building from a different side, he was greeted by a closed window from which bright white light was coming from.
Inside, a middle-aged, well-dressed man sat, seemingly writing something at his desk. Red compared the description with what he heard from Domeron, and he was able to confirm this was his target. There was no one else inside the room, so the youth didn’t need to worry about someone interfering.
Now, however, came the important part.
Red sat down cross-legged on the rooftop and began to meditate with the technique Eiwin had taught him. His awareness over his own body expanded, and the youth reached out for the mist inhabiting his body, his constant companion.
The youth heard a faint voice speak inside his mind.
“What… do you want?”