10
That was 25 years ago.
Nirfut a rookie assassin at the time came to Town of Mashajain, mixed among delegations of Boldrin. House of Wazrof was having a celebration, thus Boldrin sent a group of envoys to congratulate them.
A chance to get in Wazrof House main building doesn't come often. Using this opportunity, Boldrin's ruler, Cassandra ordered them to investigate the security in Wazrof's main building.
It's not like they're planning to make enemy out of House of Wazrof at all. Doesn't matter if they're allies or enemies, being prepared to infiltrate their dwelling when the situation demands it is not unusual among nobles.
The one leading knights welcoming Boldin entourage was Jinga Tauer. Of course they knew the name as they had gathered intel on Wazrof beforehand.
Nirfut's entire body reflexively cowered when Jinga's eyes were turned at him.
(I'm busted!)
He found out for sure. The fact that Nirfut's a spy, and an assassin. Nirfut could feel it.
He was so scared he spent the entire night in his lodging quivering.
And Uzu never came back.
Uzu is Nirfut's senior as well as teacher. He was the one who taught Nirfut his espionage and assassination skills.
Uzu with his ogre-like strength and devilish craftiness failed and got caught. He would took his own life if he got lucky, otherwise, hell awaits.
Of course, anyone would learn how a building is arranged and the outward layouts if they got invited to another noble house. However, naturally you are only allowed to explore within the permitted areas, if you get caught intruding a building you're not supposed to be at, you will meet a fitting retribution. And if that building houses a VIP, you could even be suspected of assassination.
The delegation's representative turned dead pale and trembled badly.
As they waited for their punishment, they were let back home easily instead.
Even Cassandra shuddered when she heard the report. She was counting the day Wazrof envoy would come to rebuke Boldrin, but that day never came. To Wazrof, the matter wasn't worth sending an envoy over.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
After that, Nirfut turned into an extreme coward. And honed a skill. A skill to make himself invisible to others.
For some reason, Cassandra took a liking on Nirfut and appointed him to an important position. Before he realized, a mere spy and assassin like Nirfut was holding the position of Cassandra's right hand man. Cassandra would always give orders to her family through Nirfut, and Boldrin family members would go to Nirfut if they need to report something to Cassandra.
Nirfut was trained in <Concealment> magic and assassination techniques through poisonous needles, he honed these two skills. He got his hands on five wands after desperately asking Cassandra and trained like a whisper-hearing madman until he managed to reliably cast the spell. He refined the techniques to infiltrate and get away without anyone noticing.
It was only recently that he finally had confidence in his skills, and free of nightmare about Jinga.
He arrived at Goncourt Mansion in Vouka, and waited for the right moment to assassinate Dopus, it was an exceedingly simple task. There were patrolling soldiers, but that was it. He didn't even need to use <Concealment> magic. He hid in the shadows waiting for the patrol to pass, flushed oil in the door hinge to silence it, quietly sneaked to the bedside, and stabbed a Flat White Snake venom-coated needle on his target. That was it.
Nirfut always carries several kinds of poison with him, but he usually chooses Flat White Snake's venom. This venom cannot instantly kill his target unlike other types, but it retains its effect for a long time coated on a needle. And most importantly, common poison like this makes it hard to trace it back.
Not sure where she got it, Cassandra made him bring the Queen Venom for this mission, but that thing is so rare, there's a risk of it getting traced back. He's not gonna take that risk. Antivenom exists for Flat White Snake's venom, but you won't make it unless you have one at the ready. And since the symptoms show up right away, it's also handy for defeating enemies along the way. He also always carries around antivenom for if he somehow got the venom administered on him by mistake. There's no other poison as convenient as this, thought Nirfut.
Now that Dopus is dead, Nirfut's job is done. He somehow found himself attending Goncourt Family Council, but he only needs to watch Prado Goncourt triumphantly chooses Gaipus as his successor now. Cassandra will be elated to hear the news for sure.
And yet that man showed up in this family council. Jinga Tauer. In the same hateful armor he had from that time. Nirfut could not even move a muscle for a while due to the extreme shock he received.
Afterward, things proceeded weirdly. The present master Prado ordered Boldrin members to leave the room. This was odd. He should have done that from the very start. Butler Kanner is the person that requires the most attention in this house, he's not someone who would make a blunder in that kind of things.
But it's a windfall. Nirfut was eager to leave this room, out of that terrifying knight's line of sight.
Yet, knight Kaldan Hoist went and made a huge mess.
He accused knight Jinga Tauer an impostor for wearing an armor with the crest of Wazrof despite not being a knight of Wazrof.
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