"If Halo suddenly experiences rapid growth, it's possible that other lords or factions might feel threatened and try to check its rise. But that's an issue that would happen sooner or later anyway."
And if it’s inevitable, it would be much better for it to happen while under the Empress’s protection.
"This is something I absolutely must do."
Penelope quickly finished her calculations and opened her mouth.
"I’d be truly grateful if Lady Betty could lend her support."
"As expected, Penelope, you always handle things so decisively."
Elizabeth smiled warmly, clearly pleased.
***
In the dimly lit alley of the capital’s backstreets, a man and a woman walked side by side. Their shadows stretched long under the faint, flickering light.
The two figures were none other than Daniel and Fiora.
Daniel walked with confident strides, while Fiora hesitated, her unease evident in her faltering steps.
They were heading to the Assassin's Guild.
Suddenly, Fiora came to a halt and spoke, her voice laced with doubt.
“Let’s think this over again. What if this goes wrong? If we fail, our lives will be over.”
“Do you think we’ll get another chance? At this rate, we might never reclaim Halo until the day we die! That land was handed down by our ancestors! There’s no way I’m going to sit back and watch that vile woman occupy it!”
Daniel raised his voice, his tone harsh and unwavering. His words were painfully true.
Fiora bit her lower lip in frustration as anger welled up inside her.
‘It’s all because of that crazy woman. Not only did she seduce Jake, but she also managed to win over all the retainers of the manor. Because of her, no one will even let us set foot inside the lord’s castle!’
For Fiora, the Halo lord’s castle was a place filled with memories of her childhood. She knew everyone there, from the retainers to the stewards and the staff.
When those very people turned her away with cold stares, she felt as if her blood had reversed its flow.
‘How dare someone who’s just a temporary substitute drive out the rightful heir? It’s absurd!’
Fueled by her renewed anger, Fiora resumed walking, her breath heavy and labored. Daniel followed suit, his strides growing more determined.
‘This time, we have to see it through, no matter what it takes.’
Daniel, meanwhile, was buried under an immense pile of gambling debt.
He was always on the verge of hitting the jackpot, yet he never had enough funds to place the bets that could turn his fortunes around.
He had borrowed to his limit from loan sharks and had exhausted every possible source of money, including his family and relatives.
‘Once we take back Halo, I’ll be able to pay off all my debts in no time. I’ll even have enough to build my gambling funds. Just one big win, and I’m done.’
A greedy smile crept across Daniel’s face.
He pictured himself living respectably as a lord after giving up gambling. He figured giving Fiora a position managing the estate’s finances would satisfy her enough.
At last, they stopped in front of a tavern.
“This is the place, right?” Fiora asked.
“Hans Tavern on 3rd Street. That’s what my friend told me,” Daniel replied with certainty before opening the door and stepping inside.
The tavern was bustling with patrons, loud voices and drunken laughter filling the air. Daniel and Fiora squeezed through the crowd, making their way to the bar where the bartender stood.
“What can I get for you?” the bartender asked.
“Your oldest stock,” Daniel said flatly.
The bartender stared at him meaningfully before responding.
“One gold. Head to the right and go down to the basement. Knock on the door exactly five times.”
Daniel handed over a gold coin without hesitation.
Following the bartender’s instructions, the two descended to the basement. At the door, Daniel knocked precisely five times.
The door opened silently.
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
Exchanging a glance, Daniel and Fiora stepped inside.
As they entered the dimly lit room, a low male voice emerged from the shadows.
“State the name of the target.”
No greetings or pleasantries, just straight to business.
Annoyed by the lack of decorum, Daniel frowned and spoke.
“Penelope Ash Halo.”
“That’s quite a challenging target,” the man replied immediately. “Direct assassination is impossible, but it could be arranged to have her poisoned during a banquet.”
Daniel looked incredulous.
“How can you be sure she’ll die from the poison? Isn’t there a way to send assassins directly after her?”
“The acting lord of Halo is under close watch by the imperial palace. A misstep could lead to the guild’s destruction overnight. If you’re looking for skilled assassins, I suggest you try elsewhere.”
The man’s tone was indifferent, as if he had no interest in taking the job.
Daniel scowled in frustration. This was the only assassin guild he knew of.
“Fine. What’s the cost?”
“The total is 10,000 gold. An advance of 5,000 is required.”
“W-What could possibly make it so expensive?”
“To poison her, we’d need to infiltrate either the imperial banquet hall or a noble’s estate. It’s an incredibly risky task for us. I hope you understand that such a mission is only feasible for highly skilled individuals.”
“And if she doesn’t die from the poison?”
At Daniel’s question, the man let out a quiet chuckle, as though amused by his naivety.
“Even a bear the size of a house would die from a single drop of this poison. If by some miracle she survives, she’d be left a cripple, unable to move or even think for the rest of her life.”
That was exactly what Daniel wanted to hear.
Glancing at Fiora, he saw a satisfied smile on her lips.
‘It’s even better if she doesn’t die and lives as a cripple. I’ll laugh at her misery every single day.’
Daniel pulled a pouch of coins from his pocket. He couldn’t wait to see Penelope’s downfall.
***
Early morning.
Penelope received a stack of invitations from the butler.
“It seems you’ll need to attend at least five of these, my lady. In particular, these three families are highly influential noble houses even within the capital,” the butler advised.
Penelope’s expression turned troubled.
Her stay in the capital was stretching out longer than she had anticipated.
While fostering connections with nobles and forming ties with high-ranking officials was beneficial, Penelope couldn’t shake the growing sense of unease.
Her thoughts kept drifting back to Halo Territory.
Above all, she was worried about Sane, whom she had left behind in the lord’s castle.
‘I should have brought Sane with me. He’s still so young and must feel terribly lonely.’
Children thrived best under the kind attention of adults, but at the moment, Sane was being left to his own devices.
Though they spoke every night through the communication crystal, their conversations always ended with Sane asking wistfully:
“...But, my lady, when will you come back?”
“I’m sorry, there’s more to do here than I thought. I’ll return as soon as I can. Can you wait just a little longer?”
“I’m good at waiting,” he would reply, though he couldn’t entirely hide the sadness in his voice.
‘He’s an orphaned child with no one else to rely on. The person he’s finally attached to is me.’
Penelope’s heart ached. She didn’t want the separation from Sane to stretch on any longer.
‘Maybe I should just bring Sane here. I’ll ask Ahwin about it first.’
Having made up her mind, Penelope left her bedroom.
Ahwin’s quarters weren’t far from hers.
As Penelope walked down the corridor and approached Ahwin’s door, it opened as if he had been waiting for her.
“...”
Penelope awkwardly lowered the hand she had raised to knock.
Ahwin cleared his throat and spoke first.
“What’s the occasion? You coming to see me of your own accord?”
“I wanted to consult with you about Sane.”
“If it’s about him, come in first.”
Ahwin stepped aside, allowing her to enter. Penelope glanced briefly down the corridor before stepping into his room.
She instinctively took a deep breath, captivated by the scene before her.
Ahwin’s room was stunning. A large window on one side flooded the space with golden sunlight, which poured in like liquid warmth. The pristine white curtains swayed softly in the breeze.