"On behalf of the coldfeathers, we deeply apologize"

Atop the balcony, all of the nobles below could see the top of Duke Gerald's head as he bowed.

He was about to give a speech but I stopped paying attention.

"Come on...."

As my entire attention was on something more important.

The transparent blue screen.

I started to lick my lips.

Waiting for the confirmation that my job was done.

And I can fully celebrate the night and get drunk as a dwarf which for some reason does not exist in this novel.

But my brows started to furrow.

After a minute or so the transparent blue screen did not show.

Huh?

Why won't it appear?

I clearly saved the Duke but.....

Hmmmm...

Something isn't right.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I heard one of the nobles shout.

"How could an assassin slip past your security!? Duke Gerald. You could've endangered us all!"

"Yeah!"

One by one nobles who were clearly unhappy that their life could've ended by Coldfeather's sloppy security started to complain.

All Duke Gerald could do was bow and apologize.

Seeing the turmoil unravel I activated

My job here wasn't over yet.

Seeing the glorious transparent blue screen won't appear.

Could only mean one thing.

The Terror hasn't given up on her mission yet.

Honestly saying her name over and over again made me cringe a little bit.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

I slowly made my way to the very back as more and more nobles converged below the balcony where Duke Gerald was standing.

As I scanned the hall, there was no way she was going to strike again.

There were at least a couple of high-ranked knights and mages guarding every single corner.

She would be quite stupid to try again.

But nevertheless, I won't let my guard down until the coveted message would appear.

I looked around to be sure and seeing that not a single person was looking at me, I slowly took the black trenchcoat and metal mask from the mark on my chest.

Donning them both, my identity was hidden again.

Slowly I reached for the handle of my gun in my mark.

Emotions poured out of my body.

All my senses were in overdrive.

I know I won't stand a chance against her but if I was able to halt her first strike.

Duke and the others would handle the rest.

So Terror,

I dare you.

Try again.

********

I could barely feel my knees due to an event that happened almost in a blink of an eye.

Where did that assassin come from?

How was he/she able to move that fast?

If....

If that man cloaked in a metal mask didn't warn us.

I gaze my eyes towards my father.

He could've died.

My heart started to race and my imagination started going wild.

A world where my dad didn't exist.

I would've gone mad.

I shook my head and fixed my composure.

What matters is that he is still breathing now.

And I need to support him.

I walked towards my dad who was currently bowing to the understandably angry nobles below.

"Forgive us,"

"It was our responsibility and duty to protect you and we have failed you"

I bowed my head with him,

He turns his eyes toward me and utters a small smile.

My father soon stopped bowing.

"And now, I'm afraid we have to cut this celebration short,"

"That assassin might still be here and we wouldn't want to endanger any of you anymore,"

"But as a token of our apology, each and every single guest here would be compensated for their trouble,"

"And we promise to give you the head of that pitiful assassin,"

Soon the angry nobles died down.

"And so each and everyone here will be investigated by our mages we urge you to comply it is for your safety,"

Hearing that the nobles looked at one another with clear distrust in their eyes.

They might not have realized it but after my father made it clear.

The assassin might be in the crowd.

Soon they started to walk away from one another.

Then my father started to speak again,

"Alright, mages check them one by one if anyone is using a disguise,"

The mages nodded their heads,

"Father, we must go inside, it is not safe here,"

"Alright, Knight Zeke, Knight Vilran, and Knight Opea, follow us inside and make sure-"

*BANG*

The entire hall shook as a loud roaring sound reverberated rendering some of the nobles temporarily deaf.

In an instant, my father shoved me to the side, the knight formed around us and the mages readied their spells towards where the sound came from.

The figure of a man could be seen among the crowd.

He was wearing a black trenchcoat as deep as the night and a metallic mask covering his face.

It was the same man that warned us about the assassin.

From his right hand was a weapon I had only seen in books.

It was a gun,

From the barrel, smoke was coming out.

But as I got a clearer look it wasn't pointed at my father, nor me nor the knights and mages.

It was aimed directly above us.

As I turn my eyes at the ceiling above.

Blood started to pour on my face.

Slowly something appeared.

A person covered in shadows that do not deflect any light slowly appears.

Revealing a grey-cloaked figure of a woman her right hand on her shoulder trying to ease the bleeding.

"FATHER!"

"ABOVE US"