Black Wind 7
Liliana first sensed something was wrong on the morning two days later. She was sitting by the window in her room, reading a book. Ajulite lay sprawled at her feet. Ever since Marianne had left the estate, the black lion, who usually roamed outside, had been hanging around the house for some reason.
<Did something happen?> he asked.
“Yes, it seems something’s happened to Marianne. I’ll go check on her.”
With that brief statement, Liliana donned her robe and teleported without incantation. Left behind, Ajulite yawned, glanced at the spot where Liliana had been, and then rested his chin on his paws, drifting off to sleep.
Meanwhile, Liliana appeared near the carriage Marianne had been traveling in. The carriage had overturned, one of its wheels detached. The horses were panicking, and Marianne, who had crawled out of the carriage, appeared to have sustained minor injuries. She seemed capable of moving on her own, and Liliana felt a wave of relief. The guards and coachman accompanying Marianne were frantically trying to right the carriage.
(The carriage had been properly maintained) she thought, furrowing her brow in suspicion.
The road wasn’t in great condition—strewn with stones and uneven terrain—but Liliana was confident that the carriage had been well-maintained. She trusted the people at the estate implicitly, knowing they wouldn’t cut corners. This led her to suspect that someone at the inn where Marianne had stayed the previous night had deliberately loosened the screws securing the wheel. However, there was no sign of anyone nearby.
(Who could have...?)
The absence of any human presence in the vicinity was also troubling. Feeling a sense of unease, Liliana quickly erected a defensive barrier around the area. At that moment, a sharp metallic sound rang out. Liliana turned and spotted something glinting at her feet. Squinting, she saw it was a long, thin needle, about twice the length of an embroidery needle. It was clearly a concealed weapon.
(<Detection>)
Reacting swiftly, Liliana cast a spell to locate the enemy. To her surprise, she detected a suspicious figure in a nearby forest. It was highly likely that this person was targeting Marianne. Still cloaked in her robe, Liliana teleported into the forest. The moment she arrived, a sense of danger prickled at her skin, prompting her to reinforce her defensive barrier. Her instincts were on high alert, and she quickly teleported backward to create some distance.
"Wow, nice reflexes," said a voice.
A boy, who had charged at Liliana with a knife embedded with a spell-breaking circle, whistled in admiration despite having lost the element of surprise. Liliana quickly restored her dispelled defensive barrier and turned to face the unknown boy.
Liliana’s reflexes weren’t something she was born with. Her physical strength and athletic ability weren’t much different from those of an average noblewoman. She had improved her basic physical endurance by undergoing training with Kamakiri, and even that wasn’t enough for her; she also worked on speeding up her spellcasting. As a result, it became difficult for others to discern whether her movements were due to her physical abilities or magic. In this instance, Liliana had used teleportation to leap backward, but to an observer, it looked like she had simply jumped back.
“You’ve got sharp instincts yourself,” Liliana remarked.
“It’s my job,” the boy replied casually.
Despite his nonchalant tone, he seemed to be studying Liliana with amusement. He was also wearing a robe with the hood pulled low over his face, making it hard to see his features, but Liliana guessed he was older than her.
“Were you targeting that carriage?” Liliana asked.
“Hmm? Well, you’re half right and half wrong.”
The boy responded with a sly grin. As Liliana tilted her head in curiosity, he explained with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“At the inn where that lady in the carriage was staying, I overheard her mention that she got that pendant from her Young Lady. That pendant is a magical tool, isn’t it? I don’t know all of its functions, but it definitely has some defensive enchantments. So, I figured that lady must be someone you want to protect.”
Liliana furrowed her brow. From what the boy was saying, it seemed as though he had deliberately put Marianne in danger just to draw Liliana out.
“Did you... want to meet with me?” Liliana asked bluntly.
The boy fell silent for a moment, but then he let out a chuckle, as if amused.
“Well, yeah, I guess that’s about right. I mean, you’re Liliana Alexandra Clark, aren’t you? And that lady over there is Marianne Kennys, right? Heading to a funeral for her dead father?”
His tone was casual, as if he were making small talk, but Liliana’s caution only intensified. The Baron was in critical condition but had survived—this much had already been confirmed. However, the idea that the Baron’s family would leak the confidential information about the assassination attempt was unthinkable. This meant that the boy standing before her was likely the assassin who attacked the Baron or an accomplice. And judging by his skills, he was no ordinary opponent.
Regret briefly flickered through Liliana’s mind as she considered that coming here alone might have been a mistake. But it was too late to turn back now. The best she could do was hope that Marianne’s carriage would quickly get far away from this place. As long as Marianne and her party left the vicinity, Liliana wouldn’t have to worry about them being caught up in the inevitable battle with this assassin.
Positioning herself for a possible attack, Liliana continued her questioning.
“Why would you want to meet with me? I’m just another duke’s daughter.”
“Just another duke’s daughter? Really now…”
The boy repeated Liliana’s words in a mocking tone. From beneath his hood, his jet-black eyes gleamed as they focused on her.
“I don’t think just another duke’s daughter could dispel spells, sense killing intent, or teleport as easily as you do. And then there’s your… high-level light magic.”
Liliana’s eyes widened at his insinuation. For once, she forgot to mask her expression.
Everything he said was true. However, she had used her dispelling and teleportation spells in so many places that she had no idea when he might have witnessed them. She had always made sure to conceal herself when teleporting, so the chances of being seen were slim. But more concerning was the fact that he knew about her high-level light magic. Liliana had only used that once—during the monster stampede she had been caught up in on her way back from the Fortia estate. Even then, she had made sure to stay hidden.
“Are you sure you’re not just imagining things?” she asked.
“Well, you can say that if you want. It’s not part of my job, but I’ve been curious about you,” the boy replied with a smirk.
It was clear he didn’t believe a word she said. The boy was certain that Liliana was responsible.
“Without proof, it’ll be hard to corner your opponent, even if you are an assassin,” Liliana said with a sweet smile.
The boy’s eyes lit up with delight at her words, and he shrugged.
“Yeah, you’re definitely interesting. Staying so calm even after figuring out I’m an assassin? Not something just any duke’s daughter could do. Maybe you should drop that boring title.”
“I’m flattered by the compliment, but I assure you, I’m just an ordinary lady.”
“No, you’re definitely not ordinary.”
The boy chuckled, barely containing his amusement, as he twirled the knife in his hand. In that instant, Liliana teleported, appearing at the boy’s right side.
“Oh? The last time I saw you, you only reacted to killing intent. Have you been training?”
Liliana hadn’t sensed any killing intent, but she could see a hint of aggression in the boy’s eyes, prompting her to relocate. Sure enough, the knife he threw at the spot where she had just been—and another one that flew toward his own back—ended up embedded in a tree trunk. The boy had anticipated that Liliana would predict his attack and attempt to escape behind him. However, because Liliana moved to his right side instead, she avoided the attack.
With the boy's level of skill, he could have easily thrown knives in all directions. It was clear that he was testing Liliana’s abilities.
“I don’t intend to die so easily.”
Liliana tilted her head with an innocent gesture.
“And if you value your life, I suggest you leave now.”
“I think that’s supposed to be my line,” the boy chuckled, clearly amused by Liliana’s reluctance to engage in needless killing. He slowly rose to his feet and reached inside his robe.
“You really are interesting. I’d be happy if you’d play with me. How about it?”
“My greatest joy is reading books indoors, so… playing these games of combat isn’t exactly to my liking.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” the boy said with a twisted smile. As soon as his hand emerged from his robe, a whistling sound cut through the air. Invisible threads slashed through Liliana’s defensive barrier. Enhancing her vision with magic, Liliana could see that the threads were cursed. In that case, maintaining the barrier would be pointless, and she quickly dispelled it. A shiver ran through her body. It was the first time she had felt this kind of thrill since the day she first faced a horde of monsters.
“<Bind>”
Liliana channeled the organic matter in the earth to bind and condense around the invisible weapon the boy was wielding. It was clear that the weapon was no ordinary thread. Given the materials available in this world, the only thing it could be was ultra-fine iron wire—a material that couldn’t be made with regular smithing techniques but was possible to create with magic. And if it was made of iron, then it would react with the organic matter in the ground.
“Oh.”
Liliana’s strategy worked. The boy’s weapon, which suddenly became visible, was indeed an incredibly long iron wire. The added weight slowed its movement. The boy was momentarily stunned, but he quickly regained his composure.
“That’s more like it. It wouldn’t be fun otherwise.”
In the next instant, the sluggish iron wire began to whip through the air like a living creature, slashing in every direction. There was no doubt that even a slight touch would result in injury. Using a defensive barrier had already been proven ineffective. To prevent the wire from reaching her, Liliana created a small-scale turbulence around herself. Simultaneously, the boy vanished from her line of sight. But by then, Liliana had stopped relying on her vision and instead began sensing the location of his magical energy.
“Behind me—<Wind Scythe>”
Liliana muttered softly, and in an instant, the boy, who had been closing in on her from behind, had to leap to dodge the slicing wind. But the spot where he was about to land suddenly disappeared.
“Whoa!”
The boy, who had been wearing a confident expression up until now, finally showed signs of panic. Twisting his body in mid-air—a move that no ordinary person could pull off—he managed to land in a different spot. He paused his attack and cautiously craned his neck to look at where he had been about to land.
“Damn, that’s a deep hole.”
The boy had thought the ground had vanished, but in reality, a deep, bottomless pit had appeared in an instant. Liliana had anticipated where he would land and used earth magic to dig the hole. As she nonchalantly ran her fingers through her hair, tousled by the turbulence she had created, she slowly turned to face the boy.
"Did you enjoy that?"
"Silent casting?"
The boy pointed at the pit and asked, but Liliana only smiled in response. That seemed to be enough for him, as he slumped his shoulders in defeat and sat down on the ground, looking up at her with a gleam of amusement in his eyes.
"Man, you really are full of surprises. You’re not just about short incantations, huh?"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"I meant it as one."
Short incantations, as the name suggests, shorten the typically lengthy process of spellcasting. When converting mana into magic using an incantation, the chant helps to make up for any lack of mana. The bigger the gap between the required and available mana, the longer the incantation tends to be. While short incantations aren’t impossible, they’re extremely rare in practice. And silent casting? That’s supposed to be downright impossible.
Liliana tilted her head slightly, observing the boy. It was hard to read what he was thinking. She watched him for a moment longer, but it seemed he had no intention of continuing his attack.
"Are we done here?"
"Well, I can tell that there’s no way I could kill you as things stand."
"Well."
The boy spoke with an innocent cheer, as if even this realization pleased him. It seemed that finding an opponent who could match his skills was a rare occurrence, and it usually bored him. But that didn’t mean Liliana was eager to engage in a meaningless battle. After a brief moment of contemplation, she spoke.
"So, you just wanted to test your own abilities?"
"Nah."
The boy shook his head. Sitting cross-legged, he rested his chin on his hand.
"I’m just in it for the fun, really. I’ve got nothing else I particularly want to do right now, so I’ve been doing assassination work because it’s entertaining. But even that’s starting to bore me."
And then, he had met Liliana. He had been initially surprised when she broke through an assassin's concealment spell. After that, wherever he went for work, he kept witnessing what could only be described as feats beyond human capability, all tied to Liliana Alexandra Clarke, the duke’s daughter.
"So, since I ended up coming to this country for work, I thought I might as well meet you in person."
And if possible, he had hoped to spar with her. The boy’s demeanor was as cheerful as ever, talking about this with the excitement of a child discussing a favorite hobby. It was clear that even if their sparring led to Liliana's death, or if he ended up losing a limb or two, he wouldn’t bat an eye. He’d just widen his eyes and say, "Oops," with no real concern. That’s the kind of lightheartedness he radiated.
"In that case, why don’t you visit my home next time?”
After a moment of hesitation, Liliana spoke. The boy, caught off guard, widened his eyes and stared back at her. Meeting his gaze calmly, Liliana offered a gentle smile.
"As long as you ensure that no one sees you, and you refrain from attacking me, you are welcome to visit."
"Huh."
The boy smirked, his eyes narrowing as if he were testing her.
"And what’s in it for me?"
If the boy didn’t find something entertaining in the offer, he wouldn’t come. Liliana wasn’t sure what might pique his interest, but there was one thing she could say for certain.
"You would have the chance to witness the inner workings of this nation—noble politics, intelligence operations with our neighboring country, and the coming power struggles that will surely tear this country apart."
"Hmm."
The boy’s reaction was less than enthusiastic, but Liliana remained unfazed. She continued to smile at him, serene and confident.
"If you’re interested, do come. I’ll be waiting."
Oh, and one more thing—Liliana added, as if she had just remembered.
"If you’re looking for a new employer to replace your previous one, I could offer you a position."
With those words, she activated her teleportation spell. As Liliana’s form began to vanish, the last thing she saw was the boy’s wide-eyed expression of surprise.
—