The World After Leaving the Hero’s Party

Chapter 12: Midnight Visitor (2)

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In the kingdom, the Queen’s position was paramount.

She supported the Hero in defeating the Demon King, governed the entire kingdom, and watched over her people, maintaining peace and stability. Her role safeguarded the nation, emphasizing her greatness and importance.

If such a figure were to be assassinated, the kingdom would descend into chaos.

This was precisely the scenario presented in the “Pale Moon” event. If the Queen were assassinated, chaos would engulf the kingdom, resulting in increased crime, more frequent battles in dungeons and on plains, and diminished security.

Entire villages could be destroyed, overtaken by monsters, bandits, opportunists seeking power, or even cultists. Some were destroyed, while others were subjugated.

Of course, there were opportunities for personal gain amid the turmoil. You’d encounter more foes, netting more experience points and items. Access to previously restricted areas could even yield better loot.

But all of that was irrelevant to me. If this were before the main storyline, it might matter. But in Adventure Mode, which follows the main story, there were always better items and hunting grounds available.

So, I made my way through the corridors of Palace.

Since I had official authorization, none of the traps lining the hallways were triggered. Occasionally, I passed members of the White Lily Knights or palace maids, who simply offered a nod of greeting.

With the help of a thief’s trap-detection skill, I traversed corridors so tense they made the hairs on my neck prickle until I reached a door of antique elegance. This was the Queen’s bedchamber.

Naturally, elite knights of the White Lily Order were stationed outside her door.

“Sage, what brings you here at this late hour?”

“Her Majesty has already retired to her quarters. Unless it’s an urgent report…”

They were here.

My detection skill, which could sense killing intent, heightened my alertness, and I drew my staff from my belt.

“Sage?!”

“What in the world?!”

The knights of the White Lily Order looked on in shock, drawing their own weapons—their pure white swords and shields—when they saw me draw mine.

I couldn’t help a smirk as they gripped those pristine weapons.

It reminded me of a female knight who had wielded them in the past.

Crash!

There was little time to indulge in nostalgia. The window shattered, and figures cloaked in black tumbled onto the corridor floor.

Vwooom!

As the intruders appeared, the magical traps in the hall began to activate. But one of the cloaked figures raised his hand, and the traps were suddenly deactivated.

“What in the world?!”

“L-Lukal’s magic?!”

It was nothing remarkable.

Though trap-canceling spells weren’t extremely common, they did appear in the main storyline and dungeons. But to these knights, it was probably unfamiliar.

“This shouldn’t take long.”

As the intruders unsheathed their weapons, I turned to the White Lily Knights.

“Get inside and protect Her Majesty. Don’t come out until I call you.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

It was a bit unfortunate to lose their support while facing three assassins alone, but it didn’t matter.

After all, this was just a matter of buying time.

There was no way the soldiers wouldn’t respond to this commotion, and the spell-canceling magic wouldn’t last indefinitely. Once the traps reactivated, dealing with these intruders would be a breeze.

A protective shield from my staff enveloped me, its translucent blue glow shimmering. The eyes beneath the assassins’ hoods glinted as they took in my defenses.

“So, you’re the Sage.”

This event was one where you only needed to hold out until the time limit.

And in this game…

“Kill him.”

…no class was better suited for endurance than the Sage.

So I could say it with confidence.

“Go ahead and try.”

After a few rounds of skirmishes, they changed their strategy.

I’d been blocking their entry to the Queen’s chambers with ranged magic, so they shifted to a direct approach, hammering at my shield until it broke.

Without fear, they moved in close, pounding away at the shield.

Though it was a foolish tactic, I couldn’t blame them.

From their perspective, this was a timed battle.

Even if they managed to take me down, they’d still need to eliminate the elite White Lily Knights within before reinforcements arrived.

Their attacks were aggressive, underhanded, and full of openings.

Vwoosh!

One assassin’s strike aimed at my shield met empty air.

His eyes widened in surprise, and I seized the moment, swinging my staff at his head with a warrior’s Bash skill.

Crack!

The blow was so strong it nearly broke my staff.

Lucky shot! Got a critical hit!

The assassin, struck squarely on the head, was out cold.

Another assassin tried to slip past me and enter the room, and I threw my broken staff at him.

Throwing Dagger skill, typically used by assassins.

Though it wasn’t a dagger but a broken staff, the sharp end would work just as well.

“Guh!”

The jagged staff lodged itself in his thigh. Grimacing in pain, he stopped to clutch his leg, giving me time to retreat and chant a spell.

“Urrgh?!”

It was Shadow Bind, a novice shaman skill that immobilizes a target by anchoring their shadow, restricting their movement.

“Damn you…!”

“Haha! Do you even realize that using Shadow Bind means you can’t move from your spot either?!”

He was right.

Normally, Shadow Bind is used only when there’s a reliable ally nearby.

The leader of the assassins laughed, taunting me, but I chuckled in response.

“Why do you think I used it?”

He faltered, realization dawning. When he turned to look behind him—

Thwack!

The massive axe of a towering general cleaved into his chest.

“Sage! Are you alright? I came as soon as I got your message… sorry I’m late.”

“No need to apologize, General Leoden. You actually arrived quite quickly.”

“You held out well! We’ll handle the rest!”

General Leoden’s knights seized the assassin immobilized by the Shadow Bind spell.

“Damn it!”

One of the assassins raised a vial of poison to his lips, intending to end his life.

However—

“…How…?”

I’d already cured him of poison, though the detoxification spell wasn’t yet at full potency, so he still looked a bit worse for wear.

But that didn’t really matter.

He’d feel even worse soon enough.

“Well done, Sage.”

“It was nothing. By the way…”

I glanced down at the leader’s hand, noticing a silver bracelet with an empty slot for a gemstone.

Removing the bracelet from his wrist, I examined it.

“What are you doing?”

“Collecting spoils.”

One of the reasons for preventing the Queen’s assassination was to obtain this item.

General Leoden eyed the bracelet in my hand with a reluctant frown.

“This is necessary for uncovering the identity of the assassins’ backers. I’d like to request permission for an investigation…”

“Of course.”

Not that much would come from an investigation.

But if regulations required it, I couldn’t refuse. I placed the bracelet into his hand, and shortly after, the door opened.

Emerging from within was one of the White Lily Knights, and behind them, looking pale, the Queen herself, dressed in a hastily donned robe and holding a sword.

“What… what happened here?”

“An assassination attempt, Your Majesty.”

“…Who’s oblivious enough not to know that…”

“I also asked you not to come out until I called you.”

Just as I finished speaking, the body of the assassin I’d taken down earlier twitched.

And then—

Slash!