I quietly closed the door behind me, as if trying to leave the noise outside—though the real noise was inside me.
I slowly turned, looking around the room I was now entering up close for the first time.
Noble Valis's chamber was large and spacious, radiating a quiet elegance that needed no words to proclaim its luxury.
A massive bed stood in the center, covered in dark blue silk sheets. Above it rose a carefully carved wooden crown from which a translucent curtain hung like moonlit mist.
The carpet beneath looked like a piece of embroidered sky, its eastern patterns reminding me of the ancient legends once told in market squares.
The curtains swayed like the waves of a silent sea, and the carvings along the walls told noble stories in quiet relief.
I had seen this room before on the day I arrived, but standing inside it now—amid all this tension—made it feel like an entirely different place.
More alive.
And heavier.
And as usual, I didn't feel jealous.
…Well, I did.
What sane person wouldn't wish to have a room like this?!
A part of me wanted to stretch out on that bed, even if only for a single second.
But this wasn't the time for small dreams. The tension still lingered in the air like a hungry wolf.
I quickly moved to the side wall, standing beside Sirion, Cairo, and Calstier.
Together we formed a line before Noble Valis, who was seated on an elegant wooden chair with carved armrests, holding his niece Roshin in his arms.
Roshin looked pale.
Her eyes were wide, and her small hands clung to his as if she were holding on to life itself.
The noble tried to appear calm, though the worry in his eyes betrayed him. He gently placed a hand on her head and whispered softly:
"It's alright. Everything will be fine."
Though his words sounded reassuring, in the room they felt like someone trying to calm a ship moments before it collided with an iceberg.
Sirion spoke in a calm, confident tone.
"Do not worry, Noble Valis. We will protect you with everything we have."
Then he looked toward us, his gaze sharp yet carrying the quiet camaraderie of a fellow soldier.
"Isn't that right, everyone?"
We answered in unison, though our confidence varied.
"Yes… of course."
I said it too, though my voice sounded like it belonged to someone else.
Inside, I was thinking something entirely different.
If it requires my life, then I—
I had no time to think further.
Footsteps came from outside.
Slow.
Heavy.
As though whoever approached carried something dark with them.
Something inside me trembled.
Could the assassins have defeated the others already? Had everything ended so quickly?
Impossible…
Sirion whispered quietly but firmly:
"Everyone, prepare yourselves."
He drew his sword in a cold, measured motion, as if his arm had performed that action a thousand times before.
The others followed immediately.
Calstier unsheathed his sword slowly, his eyes fixed on the door as though studying his enemies before even seeing them.
Cairo, meanwhile, looked visibly tense. His eyes flickered between us and the door in clear anxiety.
I stood near the back, behind most of them.
But Noble Valis was directly behind us, still seated with Roshin in his arms, whispering something we couldn't hear.
I drew my sword as well.
My grip trembled.
My palm was sweating, and the cold metal chilled my skin more than I expected.
Fear seeped into every cell of my body like fresh blood pumping through my veins.
The footsteps drew closer.
Closer.
Clearer.
There was something unsettling about their rhythm.
They weren't hiding.
They weren't rushing.
They advanced with quiet certainty… as if they knew nothing could stop them.
Someone was behind the door.
My breathing grew louder despite my efforts.
My heart pounded as if it wanted to escape my chest and flee.
All I could hear was the trembling whisper of air sliding past our ready blades.
One second passed.
Then another.
Each moment felt like a knife sinking deeper into my chest.
Is this the enemy?
Are we about to fight?
Or is something worse waiting behind that door?
And then the door began to open.
Slowly.
Deadly slowly.
My hand nearly betrayed me, threatening to drop the sword from my trembling grip.
Sweat ran down my forehead like the first drops of rain before a storm.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs.
Sirion, standing beside me, raised his sword with steady precision.
His eye didn't blink.
He followed the movement of the door like a hunter watching an unknown prey—or perhaps prey watching the hunter.
I no longer knew which one we were.
Finally, the door opened.
And the truth was revealed.
But it was not what we imagined.
There were no blades pointed at us.
No bloodshed.
Instead, a familiar face appeared.
The employer stood at the threshold.
His face was serious as always, though he did not look as exhausted as I had expected.
Behind him stood Luxian and Tyros.
But their appearance was shocking.
Tyros looked like someone who had just fought an enraged beast—clear wounds across his face and streaks of blood staining the collar of his dark shirt.
Luxian's hand was covered in dark bruises, and his clothes were torn in several places, as if he had been fighting for hours.
Even his hair was a mess, like he had passed through a storm.
They stepped inside.
And when they moved aside, my eyes widened in shock.
Behind them, lying on the ground, were two men bound with thick rope.
Unconscious.
Their bodies covered with cuts and bruises, their faces damp with sweat and blood.
The first had brown hair and a long scar across his left eye.
The second had dark green hair, his face pale as if life itself had drained from him.
It was a sight that froze the blood in my veins.
Syrion approached calmly, though his voice carried both curiosity and concern.
"What happened on the third floor?"
The employer answered confidently, gesturing toward the prisoners.
"As we expected… the assassins attempted to infiltrate from the third floor. When I arrived, Luxian and Tyros were already fighting these two. Fortunately, I arrived in time to assist them, and together we managed to bring them down."
He spoke as if it had been just another routine task.
But the fatigue in his eyes told a different story.
Sirion asked again:
"And Marcus, Knox, and Zairos?"
"I left them upstairs as a precaution," the employer replied. "We don't know if there are more assassins. These two may only be part of a larger group."
Something inside me shivered at that thought.
The danger might not be over.
The employer then turned to Noble Valis.
"Are you alright, Noble Valis?"
The noble lifted his head, still watching the prisoners.
"Yes… I am fine. Thank you for protecting us."
The employer gave a brief, professional smile.
"No need for thanks. It's my duty."
Then he looked back at the two prisoners.
"And now… what do you intend to do with them?"
Silence filled the room.
Noble Valis stared at the captives as though trying to see beyond their wounds.
Then he said quietly but firmly:
"I will take them with me to the capital. There, they will be imprisoned."
Shock exploded in my mind.
Prison?!
Capital?!
Two questions crashed into my thoughts at once.
There are prisons in this world?
A capital? Laws? Prisons? Schools?
This world I had assumed to be chaotic… actually had courts and prisons?
I remembered I was in a fantasy world.
But I had forgotten—or perhaps ignored—that even this world had its own order.
Still, I swallowed my questions.
This wasn't the time.
I watched Noble Valis stand, holding little Roshin, who now seemed calmer in her uncle's embrace.
I looked at them… then at our swords slowly lowering… then at the two prisoners.
The room was quiet.
But it was not safe.
The danger had retreated.
It had not disappeared.
I stood there motionless.
My heart was slowly returning to its normal rhythm, while my mind struggled to understand what had happened—and what should happen next.
I felt lost
.
Then the employer turned to Luxian and Tyros.
"You two should go and tend to your wounds. You performed excellently. It's time to rest."
They nodded silently.
Both looked utterly exhausted.
They walked toward the door with heavy steps and left the room.
I let out a quiet sigh.
I didn't know whether it was relief… or exhaustion.
I looked around at my companions.
Cairo still stood in the corner, pale-faced and wide-eyed, as though every muscle in his body remained braced for another disaster.
Calstier stood firm as stone. His expression had not changed, though his eyes gleamed with quiet calculation.
As for me… some of the tension had faded.
But something deep inside me remained uneasy.
A quiet warning that refused to disappear.
The employer approached Noble Valis and said calmly:
"We will return to our posts now. I will personally handle the assassins until tomorrow."
The noble nodded, still holding Roshin.
The employer turned and began walking toward the door.
But before he left completely, something strange caught my attention.
The brown-haired assassin…
blinked.
Did I really see that?
Or was it just a trick of exhaustion?
I tried convincing myself it was only an involuntary movement from a battered body.
But something inside me refused to believe it.
Before I could think further, I heard Sirion and Calstier leaving behind the employer.
I was about to follow them.
My feet had already begun moving.
But before stepping through the door, I glanced once more at the assassins.
And suddenly—
The brown-haired assassin opened his eye.
He was staring at Noble Valis.
His gaze burned with hatred.
Not only that—
His hand was moving behind his back, his fingers struggling as if searching for something…
or pulling at something.
He's cutting the rope!
I shouted with all my strength:
"Noble Valis is in danger!!"
Everyone turned toward me instantly.
Shock filled their faces.
No one had time to ask a question.
In the next moment, the assassin freed his hand and leapt forward with unbelievable speed.
As if the wounds covering his body were nothing but a lie.
He rushed toward Noble Valis, madness blazing in his eyes.
In his hand was a small sharp dagger he had hidden somewhere.
His target was clear:
Noble Valis's heart.
I froze.
Move!
Stop him!
Do something!
But my legs would not move.
As if the ground held me down.
As if fear had chained me.
And then Cairo's voice rang out—loud and sharp:
"Visible Shield! Activate!"
In an instant, a transparent magical barrier formed around Noble Valis.
Its glow was faint—but solid like a wall.
The assassin struck.
The dagger slammed forward with all his strength.
But it pierced nothing.
The blade shattered.
The metal exploded against the shield, fragments scattering through the air.
The assassin staggered back in shock.
But he wasn't given another second.
In a flash, the employer rushed forward from the doorway.
His hand rose—
And slammed down onto the assassin's head with unbelievable force.
One strike.
That was enough.
The assassin collapsed to the ground.
Unconscious.
Motionless.
A heavy silence filled the room.
Only then did I release a deep breath.
It felt like surfacing from drowning.
It was over.
Or at least…That's how it seemed.