Chapter 13: The Day the Assassins' Guild Fell

Under the perpetually gray skies of Aquila, sweat trickled down a small face. Hands still gripped a weapon, eyes sharp and full of zeal. Despite being considered a prodigy in physical ability and combat prowess, Lyne never allowed herself to stop training.

-Lyne, that's enough training for today. Go and rest.

A woman stood on the porch, draped in a luxurious countess's gown, a red double bow pinned in the center of her chest accentuating her mature charm. Her long red hair made her easily recognizable from a distance - Marina Rose.

-Yes, mother.

Lyne stopped immediately. Marina rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the sky filled with gray clouds, looking as if a heavy rain was about to fall.

-Lyne, for what reason do you train?

-I train to become stronger, and to be worthy of the position I will inherit in the future.

A flicker of unexpected sadness crossed Marina's eyes, but she replied in a gentle voice.

-Alright, you are intelligent, but too rigid.

Her slender hands gestured lightly, calling Lyne closer.

-Come here, let me check if there's anything wrong with your body.

-Yes, mother.

Lyne stepped closer, holding out her hand. Seeing the hands that had become calloused and rough from holding weapons for so long, Marina's eyes filled with pity and sorrow, her voice tinged with reproach:

-Lyne, you should still rest a little. At least wait until the rain stops before you continue practicing.

-Yes, mother.

A stream of red mana flowed from Marina's hand into Lyne's body. Although she felt a warmth, she couldn't understand why there was a feeling of something being blocked inside her. A moment later, the process ended. Marina closed her eyes and sighed.

-It's just muscle strain, a little rest and you'll be fine.

-Thank you, mother.

Lyne's hands were no longer rough; they had returned to the softness befitting a girl her age. Lyne looked at her mother with questioning eyes, but Marina had already turned and entered the secret chamber.

-Mother, why did you heal my hands?

As Lyne wondered, she suddenly shivered. She quickly turned around but saw nothing. The rain had begun to fall, heavy drops that made the already deserted Morgan district even more desolate. But that shiver didn't come from the familiar street.

-Is it a hallucination? Perhaps mother is right, I should rest a little...

Lyne walked into the house, completely unaware that a man with eyes as deep as an abyss was standing behind the rain, hidden behind the houses. He was staring at her, a smile not concealing his craving...

Lyne's first mission was to gather information about the Hunters' Guild. At that time, Lyne was still very young. While patrolling the alleys, she came across a purple-haired girl wandering with a haggard look. The girl looked as if she hadn't eaten in days.

"It's not related to the mission, but whatever."

-Hey kid, take this money and buy some food, but don't let anyone see.

-Ah... you're such a kind and beautiful big sister, thank you.

She handed the child a little money. The little girl smiled in gratitude, then quickly left as Lyne had told her to.

"Alright, back to the main task."

Lyne then disguised herself as an adventurer and joined the Hunters' Guild. In this world, people her age were already considered adults. The registration procedure was not too difficult; she just needed to fill in some basic information to be approved.

"There's quite a lot of bounty information here..."

The Hunters' Guild functioned similarly to the Adventurers' Guild in other places. But after King Ashborn was overthrown, all activities of the Adventurers' Guild here were suspended indefinitely. The Hunters' Guild rose to replace it, but the difference was that this was a place where bounties were placed on the heads of dangerous individuals, and anyone could take on a mission.

<A delegation from the Blood Wolves is on its way to the Hunters' Guild to discuss an alliance to hunt down members of the Blood Cult who have been acting suspiciously recently. Take advantage of the situation to find clues about the founder of the Hunters' Guild.>

Lyne's eyes were as cold as ice. She knew what she had to do. One night, taking advantage of her privilege to move freely, she met with a spy planted within the Hunters' Guild to get information on their activities.

"The guard schedule has almost no breaks..."

Lyne had to frown. There was no other way; she chose the moment when security was thinnest to break into the information room.

-Who's there?

"I've been discovered. Their security is too tight."

-Who are you? - Thwack!

A knife flew straight into the guard's forehead. The other two immediately drew their swords. Lyne quickly attacked first.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

She swung her sword, creating three sharp slashes aimed at the man opposite her. He managed to parry, but his eyes widened in shock.

-THIS SWORD STYLE... IT'S FROM THE BLOOD WOLVES!!

He roared in anger.

-YOU BASTARDS PRETENDED TO COOPERATE IN GOOD FAITH, AND NOW WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE? KILLING OUR PEOPLE???

-Cooperation? We just want to see your information.

-YOU DAMN BASTARDS! GUM, GO INFORM THE OTHERS!

One man left, the other stayed to fight her. Lyne, though struggling a bit, quickly defeated him and entered the document office.

"No information about the founder... Strange, there's information on the leaders all over Braum, but absolutely nothing about the founder."

She quickly took the useful documents and left. After that event, tensions between the Hunters and the Blood Wolves escalated. One side accused the other of taking advantage of a vulnerability to attack, while the other accused their counterpart of framing them and killing their envoy. Although there was no war, both sides continuously sought out the Morgan Guild for evidence, manipulated by the Assassins' Guild hiding in the shadows.

-Lyne, this mission was a great success. Although we didn't get information on the founder, you broke their alliance and made them drag each other down. Let's celebrate our future leader!

-Hooray!!

Amid the cheers, Lyne stood there, receiving the praise of everyone. Except for her mother, Mrs. Marina. She was not happy at all.

Lyne looked towards her mother, the person whose approval she craved the most, but only received silence. Even so, Lyne still managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of worry in her mother's eyes. After the ceremony ended, the two had a private conversation.

-Lyne, when you're done, go up to the house and rest. I'll take care of things down here.

-Yes, mother.

Marina's complex expression left Lyne troubled.

"Why isn't mother happy?"

When she went upstairs, she again sensed a tall figure in the thick fog in front of her house.

-Who's there?

Lyne immediately ran outside, but only saw the thick fog enveloping the surroundings.

-Lyne, what's wrong with you?

-I feel like someone is watching our house!

Mrs. Marina frowned, her eyes clearly showing worry, but her voice tried to remain calm.

-I see, come inside and let me check on you. You should limit your movements outside of this Morgan territory. In about four months, you should leave this place.

-Why? Am I not the hope of the guild? Where do you want me to go, mother?

-I understand, but your recent actions have been very dangerous.

Lyne couldn't understand her mother's decision. Perhaps she still didn't trust her enough. She replied hesitantly.

-Yes, I understand your good intentions, mother. However, if the guild needs me, Lyne will act.

-Lyne, be careful anyway...

After that, missions outside were restricted for Lyne. The members of the guild began to grow dissatisfied, including Erpert Graystone. Rumors spread that Marina was trying to hold back her own daughter for fear of her power being shaken. Lyne paid no mind to those words, but she still didn't understand why her mother was doing this.

One day, Erpert Graystone met Lyne in secret.

-Lyne, I have a mission for you. One of our members has gone missing on a mission related to the Raven Lord, a subordinate of the Lady of Shadows. We need you to go there and investigate...

-But...

-I understand, but this is a good opportunity to prove to your mother that you are strong enough to take over her position.

With the determination to prove herself, Lyne secretly accepted the mission. She had no idea that this was the first step into a pre-arranged series of tragedies.

Her journey to the city of Grava was not smooth. She got lost in a strange forest, a place that seemed to follow no rules.

Day 16: "How can this be... I've clearly been walking straight in one direction, why can't I find a way out after walking for so long?" Lyne stood among identical trees, feeling as if the forest was moving on its own, trapping her.

Day 59: "Lyne...." -Mother's voice... perhaps it's just a hallucination... Lyne sat huddled by a dying fire. A cold wind blew past, carrying a familiar whisper, extinguishing the flame. She suddenly felt a gaze fixed on her from the darkness. -Who's there! No one... just the eerie silence of a seemingly endless forest...

Day 241: Lyne realized her hair hadn't grown at all... her body also no longer felt any development... time here seemed to have stopped. -Where... am I, really...

Day 410: "I can't believe I've been lost here for over a year... there's no way in, and no way out..." -What... is happening... The initial determination had been replaced by a simmering fear. She continued to move, not to find a way out, but just to escape the terrifying silence of this place.

Day XXX: It's unknown how much time had passed, but Lyne finally made it back to Aquila. But when she returned, Morgan was engulfed in flames. The members of the guild were being slaughtered by the Faith Guild, the Blood Wolves, and mercenaries from the Hunters' Guild.

"What is happening...?"

Clang!

In the distance, Reyna White, a friend of her mother's, was blocking an attack with a shield spell.

Slice! Agh! - Lyne quickly took down the mercenary, rescuing Reyna.

-Aunt Reyna, are you okay?

-You are... Lyne!!

-What happened??

-The guild's information has been leaked. A traitor has pushed us to our deaths. Now, we are being purged by three of the four major guilds of Aquila.

-Who is the traitor?

Reyna hesitated, unable to answer. Just then, another group of mercenaries rushed in.

-There are two over there, surround them! The bounty belongs to whoever finishes them!

-Bounty!!

-Shit, we're surrounded!

-Ha, both of you are quite the masterpieces. If you surrender and serve us, you might be spared. Right, brothers?

-Hehehe...

They looked at the two with lustful eyes.

-In your dreams...

Before Reyna could finish, a fireball flew straight into the group of soldiers.

-The Silver Masks?

An army of the Silver Mask Guild appeared, led by a tall man, familiar yet strange.

-I am the Head Measurer. The Silver Mask Guild is not accustomed to seeing the strong bully the weak. Now, let's clean up the purgers and rescue the remaining members of the Assassins' Guild.

With that, he signaled his entire army to charge forward. The purge quickly retreated. In the end, the survivors were gathered to hear the verdict for the traitor...

-The most forbidden act in any organization is betrayal. Now, that person must be executed in front of everyone.

A group of people dragged a woman in. Lyne's eyes widened, while Reyna squeezed hers shut. The person dragged in was Marina. After more than a year, she looked haggard and desolate.

-I heard this traitor has a daughter who has been missing. Now she has accidentally returned, proving her innocence. But to be sure, let the little girl execute her own mother. Who agrees?

-What the hell... - Before Reyna could scream, a barrage of voices rang out.

-I AGREE!!

-LET THE GIRL PROVE HER INNOCENCE!!!

Lyne was quickly pulled up, and the Head Measurer handed her a knife. At this moment, Marina saw Lyne, and her eyes froze...

-Now, kill her...

Her legs trembling, Lyne was forced to advance.

-KILL HER, LYNE, SHE IS THE TRAITOR!!!

"It's only been a year...?"

Lyne's hands trembled uncontrollably, but she was still forced to grip the knife tightly.

-SHE TRIED TO STUNT YOUR GROWTH!!!

Reyna shouted helplessly amidst the crowd, but no one heard.

"Mother, why are you sitting here..."

Lyne was now in front of her mother.

"Why are you crying, mother...?"

"Now, stab her in the neck so she dies a very painful death...~" - The Head Measurer whispered in her ear, but no one realized he was smiling.

"No... mother..."

The blade... was slowly... approaching Marina Rose's throat.

"Stop... mother, say something..."

Reyna closed her eyes and turned away...

"Please... just say this is a nightmare... I'm still in the forest..."

Marina closed her eyes, accepting...

"No... mother... please... this isn't real..."

Blood trickled out... soaking the knife...

Stab...

The feeling of the cold blade piercing through flesh. The warm blood gushed out, staining the soft hands that she herself had preserved for her. Through her soulless and desperate eyes, Lyne watched her mother's body gradually go limp. Behind her, the Head Measurer's smile grew wider and wider, mingling with the crazed cheers of the crowd drowning in fear and rage. Lyne's legs gave way. Trembling, she looked at her hands, now drenched in her mother's blood...