The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 238: Chapter 234 — Rune Puzzle

"Wait."

Nedra, who had just been approaching them, came to a stop.

"How do I know this isn’t some scheme between you two?" Vaelor asked. "What if she gives you an easier puzzle?"

"Oi, Ocren." Nedra narrowed her eyes. "You calling me a bloody cheat?"

"Yes."

"You little—"

"That’s enough."

Zephyrion cut her off before she could continue. Nedra turned toward him, and to everyone’s surprise, simply huffed, flicked her hair over her shoulder, and stepped back.

"He’s right," Zephyrion said. "There’s no way to prove it’s fair."

Vaelor simply nodded, as though it were the obvious conclusion.

"Then how exactly is this supposed to be fair?" Tobias frowned. "There isn’t a neutral party here."

Though Zephyrion had suggested Nedra oversee the game, in truth, he had expected this exact objection.

He turned his gaze to Vaelor.

"Then what do you suggest?"

Vaelor fell silent, his eyes narrowing in thought. A moment later, a smile spread across his face.

"We each make our own puzzle. The other solves it."

Nedra and the others narrowed their eyes. Such a thing was hardly ever done. Normally, a single party would oversee the game and prepare generalized puzzles.

If each side created their own instead, they would naturally make them as difficult as possible to prevent the other from solving them. In such cases, matches were known to drag on for hours, with neither side able to decipher the other’s puzzle.

Nedra stepped forward.

"That’s—"

"I’m fine with that."

"What are you doing?" Nedra frowned. "That could drag on for hours. Neither of you might even solve the other’s puzzle."

"It won’t."

Zephyrion calmly met her eyes, and Nedra flinched. A jolt ran through her body, making her thighs tense involuntarily.

"Tch. Your funeral."

"Haha! Don’t worry, Nedra!" Draven barked with laughter. "My brother knows exactly what he’s doing! Go on, wipe that smug look off his face!"

"Silence!" Vaelor thundered.

Draven puffed out his chest, flexing his arms.

"Make me."

"That’s enough."

Draven met Zephyrion’s stare, laughed sheepishly, and raised both hands before backing away. Seeing this, Vaelor clicked his tongue.

"Can we start now?"

Zephyrion nodded.

"Best of three."

Both formed thin metal plates. While Zephyrion immediately began inscribing, Vaelor raised a metal dome around himself, sealing himself from every prying eye.

A grin spread across his face as he began carving the runes.

’This is even better than my earlier plan. It’ll show everyone who’s truly better.’

Vaelor had been utterly devastated after his loss at the Proving, where Zephyrion had copied his and the other city lords’ descendants’ arts.

Zephyrion’s comprehension speed and capacity had seemed so insurmountable that it bordered on the impossible. However, after days of wallowing in defeat, his father had told him one thing.

"Zephyrion... that child is frightening, but no one should be that frightening. It isn’t possible, and someone of your intelligence should know that. A relic. An elixir. Something made what he did possible, we just don’t know what. Get back on your feet, my son. This isn’t the end. You still have the academy ahead of you. Whatever he relied on, he won’t have it there. And when that day comes... you’ll show the world who the real genius is."

Those words had pulled him back to his feet and driven him to train harder than ever before. Now, it was finally time to prove it to the world.

’Me. I’m the real genius.’

His hands blurred as he engraved one of the most complex rune puzzles he had ever encountered. The first time his father had given it to him, it had taken him an entire hour to decipher.

A moment later, the dome melted away.

Zephyrion was already done, sitting there silently as he looked at him.

"Alright," Nedra said. "Exchange them at the same time. First one to decipher the other’s puzzle wins the round."

Both plates floated toward one another and settled before them.

"Now!"

The moment Nedra gave the word, Vaelor smiled and reached for the plate. He had barely laid eyes on the puzzle when a voice echoed through the hall.

"Done."

A bright light flared from the plate before Zephyrion, forming the words:

I am the genius.

"Yeah." Tobias nodded. "Looks accurate to me."

"W-winner... Lord Zephyrion." Nedra announced, her eyes wide.

Vaelor’s eyes trembled.

"W-what? H-how is that even possible?! It wasn’t even a second!"

"Yes."

"Yes? What do you mean, ’yes’?! That’s impossible!"

"It happened." Zephyrion said flatly. "You wanted to make our own puzzles. Don’t blame me if that’s the best you can do."

"You..."

Vaelor ground his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.

"Listen." Nedra folded her arms. "I watched the whole thing. It was fair."

She looked toward the Ocren and Donvaire cadets. "Right?"

"Ah... we didn’t see anything..."

Lasner swallowed beneath Vaelor’s glare. Vaelor turned to Lucien for support, but the latter merely shook his head, his expression dark.

Vaelor’s face twisted, but he said nothing.

"That settles it." Nedra nodded. "First round goes to Lord Zephyrion. Round two."

Vaelor immediately raised a thicker dome around himself. Then he added another layer, making absolutely sure no one could see inside.

’Fucking bastard.’

To dare insult his comprehension skills.

’I’ll show him.’

His hands blurred as he inscribed an even more complex puzzle than before. This one had taken him an astonishing three hours to decipher. He had no idea how Zephyrion solved the first one so fast, but this time, it won’t be possible!

A moment later, the dome peeled away.

Zephyrion still sat there calmly, already finished.

’Let’s see how you deal with this.’

The two exchanged plates, Vaelor’s cold eyes never leaving Zephyrion.

The hall fell silent.

"Now!" Nedra called.

The next moment froze Vaelor’s heart.

Zephyrion picked up the plate, his eyes seeming to flicker through countless calculations. Two seconds. That was all it took before the rune ignited to life, forming the words:

I am the best.

Vaelor’s eyes shook.

"H-how..."

"...Winner, Lord Zephyrion." Nedra announced. "Best two out of three."

"Shit... the young lord lost?"

"He didn’t even take a round."

"Ouch... and he looked so confident."

"So... what’s he going to do now?"

Whispers rippled through the hall, accompanied by sidelong glances. Beside Vaelor, Lucien’s eyes had darkened completely. He hadn’t expected this outcome. None of them had.

Yet Vaelor didn’t seem to care, staring blankly at the glowing words, as though unable to process what he was seeing.

"I-I... lost?"

"You did." Zephyrion nodded once. "Now, the foo—"

A cadet suddenly burst into the hall.

He flinched as every eye snapped toward him, yet he hurried straight to Horus and whispered something into his ear. Horus’ eyes widened, and without wasting a moment, he rushed to Zephyrion’s side and leaned in to whisper the same words.

Though his voice was low, the hall had become so silent that every soul heard them.

The next moment, every eye widened.