“I’m too big, so I don’t think sneaking in together would work very well…”
Rashak thought to himself.
‘What on earth is this woman?’
The boss of an entire organization had just offered to join her on a mission.
It wasn’t as though he were the kind of boss who sat back with his hands behind his back while his subordinates did all the work. He’d participated in countless missions himself.
Even so, most people would feel touched or grateful when Rashak offered to accompany them.
Even the usually cold and composed intelligence unit leader hadn’t been able to hide her anticipation, immediately saying, “I won’t disappoint you.”
And yet this woman was rejecting his offer?
‘Does she not trust my abilities?’
It was the first time in his life that Rashak had ever entertained such a suspicion, but he forced himself to remain calm as he replied.
“…This isn’t my first time infiltrating somewhere, either. I experienced all sorts of things under the previous boss.”
“I’m sorry to ask, but what sort of things… Did you experience it?”
“I’ve infiltrated other cities and gone undercover. I’ve also worked alongside assassination units on numerous occasions.”
What was this? Somehow, I felt like I was the one being interviewed.
“I won’t hold you back. In fact, going with me would be the safest option for you.”
“But you’re just so… big…”
“Are you saying I’ll get us caught because I can’t control my own body properly?”
Rashak asked, his displeasure unmistakable.
“I see you’ve gotten awfully comfortable with me.”
Hiel’s eyes widened considerably.
“Th-That’s not true! I’m not comfortable with you at all! I’m extremely uncomfortable!”
But that was somehow even more irritating to hear.
They’d been living together for several days, yet she was still uncomfortable around him. He couldn’t help wondering whether she’d come up with some other strange idea on her own.
It had been the same when she’d said she wanted to meet his older brother.
She’d refused every offer of money or anything else, yet the first person she’d ever shown an interest in was his brother.
He couldn’t begin to describe how much it troubled him to wonder what on earth was going on inside that head of hers.
And when his thoughts reached that point, Rashak couldn’t suppress a hollow laugh.
Even if she was a talent he couldn’t afford to lose, why was he paying so much attention to a single secretary?
‘This isn’t like me at all.’
Rashak shook his head, dispelling his distracting thoughts.
Then he refocused on what needed to be done.
He needed evidence that Marquis Direan was planning to harm Evan.
As Hiel herself had said, the claim that Marquis Direan was behind everything was still only a theory.
They couldn’t completely rule out the possibility of an all-out battle against the Blood Ravens, but if they could identify the mastermind, they could wrap things up much more quickly.
They would only need to deal with Marquis Direan.
The woman standing before him had not only identified Marquis Direan as a suspect but had also expressed a desire to take responsibility for the matter herself.
Judging from the experience she’d described… the likelihood of failure was low.
No, she might even be able to infiltrate and leave more quietly than anyone in his assassination unit.
However, he didn’t need her permission to accompany her.
Rashak was the organization’s boss, and Hiel was his subordinate.
“You’re going with me, no matter what. You don’t have the right to refuse.”
At his firm declaration, she flinched slightly before lowering her gaze and nodding.
It was a sign that she would obey his decision.
Her face was as intimidated as a small animal standing before a beast.
She looked like someone who couldn’t even bring herself to kill a single bug… No, she genuinely was too timid to do such a thing.
However, considering the abilities she’d demonstrated so far, the task wasn’t entirely beyond her.
Her astonishing running speed.
Her presence was so faint that anyone other than Rashak and Fidel would have difficulty detecting her.
And she was skilled at climbing walls, too.
Wasn’t infiltration the combination of all three abilities?
‘And if it’s true that she used to sneak in and out of the Imperial Knights’ headquarters…’
The woman before him would be far too valuable to waste on a secretary’s position.
Of course, that was assuming her claims were true.
‘Shall I put her to the test?’
Rashak uncrossed his arms and spoke in a slightly gentler voice.
“Other than that, I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”
Hiel slowly raised her head and met his gaze.
Her expression seemed to ask what he meant.
“I’ll follow your instructions on everything, from the infiltration route to the path we take after entering. Everything else, too.”
“……”
“In other words, you can use me as little more than your bodyguard.”
At that, her green eyes grew thoughtful.
Rashak watched Hiel’s fingers fiddling with the hem of her skirt. It was a habitual gesture she made whenever she was deep in thought.
And how much time passed?
“Understood.”
She raised her head with a determined expression.
There was no fear in her eyes. She seemed genuinely confident that she could do exactly what she’d claimed and remain perfectly hidden.
That look sparked an intense curiosity in Rashak.
She must have realized he was testing her, given how clever she was, yet she still looked that confident.
‘Just how does she plan to do it?’
Thinking that she might be the most unusual person he’d ever met, Rashak smiled faintly.
“Good. Then let’s see what you can do.”
The infiltration was scheduled for two days later.
That was precisely how long the intelligence unit needed to investigate the layout of Marquis Direan’s estate and the patrol routes of its guards.
In fact, during that time, Rashak had been surprised by something else. He’d thought Hiel might recklessly declare, Forget all that. Let’s go right now.
But she hadn’t.
She quietly waited for the intelligence unit to finish its investigation while taking care of all the work she’d originally been assigned.
And when the results finally arrived—
“Marquis Direan is a nobleman steeped in alcohol and gambling. His personal vigilance is practically nonexistent. He also has a poor relationship with his family, so they rarely interact.”
Rashak glanced at Hiel as she listened to the intelligence unit leader’s report.
Her gaze was completely focused on the woman speaking.
Her hand moved swiftly as she took notes on the key information.
“The problem is the Blood Ravens. According to our investigation, there are guards stationed at the estate. Assuming all of them belong to the Blood Ravens, we suspect they’re too young to have been the assassins who distinguished themselves in the war. However, their senses should be far sharper than those of ordinary servants.”
“Were you able to determine their exact numbers?”
“Five are stationed at the estate permanently, doubling as the marquis’s personal guards. Another fifteen patrol the grounds. Other members of the assassin group arrive in the evening to relieve them.”
“What about their patrol routes?”
“From what we’ve observed, they don’t have a precise patrol schedule or clearly divided areas. Since there haven’t been any outside intrusions for some time, the guards have grown rather complacent.”
The intelligence unit leader continued in an even tone.
“It’s true that the guards are lax and careless. However, that also means we can’t predict where or how they’ll suddenly appear.”
“And they’re assassins. They’re accustomed to death, so if they spot an intruder, they’ll attack immediately without leaving any room for negotiation.”
Rashak added a comment to the intelligence unit leader’s analysis before glancing at Hiel.
He was curious whether she’d become so terrified that she’d apologize and say she couldn’t do it, or declare that she’d leave everything to him.
But there wasn’t a hint of hesitation in Hiel’s eyes.
“So I absolutely mustn’t get caught.”
If anything, she looked completely confident.
“Are there any other precautions I should know about?”
“Ah… N-No. That’s all.”
The intelligence unit leader stumbled over her words slightly, which was unusual for her. Hiel’s bizarre confidence seemed to have surprised her, too.
Since there was no further information to share, the meeting ended there.
They returned to their respective rooms to change into clothes suitable for infiltration and gather their equipment.
Rashak finished preparing first and stepped into the courtyard in front of the headquarters.
It was late at night, so hardly any members of the organization were coming and going.
Only two people had come out to see him off: the intelligence unit leader and Fidel.
Pierce had left early again, claiming he had prior commitments. Even up until the moment he departed, he hadn’t asked, “Are you sure you’ll be all right?” That was Pierce’s own way of expressing trust.
Fidel, however, seemed to think differently.
“…I’ll wait with the assassination unit near Marquis Direan’s estate.”
Rashak had been reaching for a cigarette out of habit before stopping himself. His hand paused at Fidel’s words.
There was a strange reproach in Fidel’s subdued gaze, as if to say, Why go through all this when you could just send the assassination unit?
Rashak gave a short laugh and replied,
“I’m curious. I want to see whether she’s telling the truth.”
“We could eliminate Marquis Direan immediately instead.”
“And what if Marquis Direan isn’t actually the mastermind? Then all that effort would be wasted.”
“There is no such thing as wasted effort when it comes to serving the organization.”
“I want to find out for myself.”
Around that moment, footsteps sounded from above.
The presence was so faint that Rashak might have missed it if he hadn’t been paying attention.
It was Hiel’s.
“I want to see just how much potential our secretary really has.”
Just then, as expected, Hiel peered down from the staircase.
She was dressed entirely in black, with a mask covering her face and her hair hidden beneath her hood. After greeting the others with a nod, she cautiously approached Rashak.
“Shall we… get going?”
“You’re the leader here. Why are you looking at me for approval?”
“I-I’m going…”
Hiel glanced at him nervously before climbing into the carriage, and Rashak followed her inside.
They stopped near Marquis Direan’s estate.
However, they were far enough away that the sound of the carriage couldn’t be heard from the estate.
“Now… we’ll approach quietly.”
After getting out of the carriage, Rashak gestured for her to take the lead and followed behind her.
He felt no tension about the dangers of infiltration or the need to avoid being discovered.
He was simply looking forward to seeing how this woman would surprise him next.
But whether or not Rashak’s golden eyes remained fixed intently on her, Hiel quietly went about her business.
She approached the wall in silence, pressed her ear against it to listen for any signs of movement, and quickly climbed over without giving Rashak a chance to say anything.
When Rashak followed her over and landed beside her, she spoke.
“From here on, we’ll move quickly.”
And from that very moment—
Her footsteps became inaudible.
Even the faint sounds Rashak usually heard from her disappeared completely.
The only sounds left were the rustling of grass swaying in the wind and Rashak’s own footsteps.
It felt as though he were accompanying a ghost that was visible to the eye but otherwise made no sound.
First came admiration, followed by an intense thrill.
At the same time, Rashak made a decision.
He would never allow anyone else to take this woman away from him.
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