New Life

It was full moon. It glows brightly and yet, the light struggled to penetrate the dense canopy of the forest. Shadows clung to the trees, an eerie ambience that sent shivers down the spine had been cast on the path ahead. The air was heavy and despite this being deep in the forest, it was simply way too quiet. There was no other sound other than the occasional rustling of the leaves as the wind blows against them.

Amidst the oppressive silence, a skilled assassin lay concealed amongst the tree, blending seamlessly with his surrounding. Cloaked in a garment as dark as the night itself, his trained eyes surveyed the scene with unwavering focus. When he saw the slight movement in the bush nearby, his eyes narrowed with a cold glint and he made his move.

The air parted with a sharp hiss as the knife was guided by a hand so nimble, so deft, that it seemed to possess an otherworldly grace, as if dancing to a secret rhythm known only to the shadow. The dagger’s target was the neck of an unsuspecting bull-headed person. The bull only managed to sense the danger when the dagger was close to his neck. But the moment the sharp edge touched its target, it was met with a strong force that repelled the blade.

The one who wielded the dagger felt this and clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction. He slightly twisted his body and kicked his body away from the bull before he muttered a string of incantation. Almost immediately, a strong gust of winds blew, shaking the leaves off the trees. This acts as a smoke screen for the young man. With the bull’s vision hindered from the fluttering leaves, he rushed to the shadow once more in hiding.

By now, the bull-headed person is aware of the assassin. He held his weapon in a defensive stance as he looked around him. But no matter how he looked, his eyes were unable to catch a glimpse of the assassin.

The assassin on the other hand, continued to stare at his target with unwavering determination. Usually, at this time, the target of assassination would usually grow panicked. After all, nothing is more fearful than knowing the danger is close, but not knowing when it will strike. But the bull in front of him didn’t show any distress at all.

Then, he saw the bull’s mouth move, as if chanting something. Not long after, he felt the surrounding air started to heat up. A frown formed on his face, suddenly feeling that he wouldn’t be able to hide for long. Sure enough, the grass around the bull person sparked up into flames.

When the bull finally moved, the trails of flames also moved. But it didn’t try to go too far from his original spot. Instead, it took a few steps, then raised one of his hooves high. Then he slammed it down to the ground. As soon as he did, flames charged forward, rushing towards the foliages before him.

It was unknown if it was pure luck or innate instinct of a beast, but the direction he aimed at coincidentally is where the assassin was hidden. This forced the assassin to move away, revealing his position.

At that moment, both parties began to rely on their instinct. The bull headed man, driven by its primal nature, was able to sense the presence of its shadowy foe. Due to flames that was being cast before, the surrounding area started to brighten up as the forest caught fire.

The assassin was undeterred by the sudden turn of event and relied on their years of experience. He adapted swiftly and his lips moved as he chanted another spell. First, he conjured winds on his left hand, then lightning. This made the bull’s eyes widened in shock.

“You bastard! You’re able to merge the elements?!”

Unfortunately, the assassin didn’t respond. Instead, he swung his left hand in a quick motion. But instead of aiming it to his enemy, he aimed it towards the sky instead.

This action confused his opponent. The bull simply looked at the sky and blinked its eyes several time before letting out a laugh. “It looks like you overestimated your ability, Assassin!”

Just as he finished talking, a loud rumbling sound was heard and droplet of rains fell one by one. It didn’t take long before the weather changed from the calm of the night into torrents of heavy rain. The downpour extinguished the once-raging fires, its relentless streams washing away the flames and creating a veil of mist that shrouded the air with an ethereal haze. Sensing the opportunity, the assassin utilized the cover of the mist and rain to conceal their presence, their form blending seamlessly with the shadows.

As the rain continues to intensifies, more and more of the burning trees got extinguished. Without the flames, the forest returned to darkness and realization dawned upon the bull. He knew now that the advantage he had just gotten earlier is gone and he is once again reduced to a prey. A growl of frustration escaped his lips as he is forced to confront the assassin on an unequal ground. The bull moved forward, stepping cautiously on the rain-soaked ground. He tried as best as he could to not make a sound, eyes narrowed in an unwavering resolve as he is determined to turn the tides in his favour and hunt down the hidden assassin.

The assassin naturally wouldn’t give him that chance. Now that he’s at the advantage, he knew he has to do this cleanly. Utilizing the cover of the mist, he skilfully approached the bull from behind. His movement was deft and fluid, each steps calculated as he positioned himself within striking range. His muscle tensed, ready to execute a swift and lethal move. Rested firmly in his hand is a small dagger which he carefully selected for this kind of moment. His gaze focused on the neck which is one of the most vulnerable spot.

In one fluid motion, the assassin jumped, unleashing his attack. His blade sliced through the mist and the blade’s aim were precise and true. Just as the blade connected with its target, a voice suddenly pierced through the mist, echoing with an air of authority and power.

“Halt! That is enough!”

Almost immediately after, the assassin’s movement staggered and he felt a compelling force surged through his body. It started from his chest and he was rendered immobile. He fell down unceremoniously on the ground and an audible curse could be heard escaping from his lips.

The bull turned to the direction of the voice, lowered his weapon and knelt down on the ground with one knee. “Greeting, Your Highness the Third Prince.”

From the darkness, two people joined the scene. The first figure was adorned in a regal attire. His clothings reflects his noble lineage with a finely tailored tunic made from rich, luxurious fabrics. It was only unfortunate that this outfit was dampened by the heavy rain so it couldn’t show its full splendour.

The other figure on the other hand, was covered in dark cloak, standing beside the noble person. “What do you think, Your Highness? This young man was the best we’ve trained in the past decade. And his age is just right to enter Astral Academy in three months,” the cloaked person said.

“Well, he was able to fight against the Tauran and he seemed to be able to adapt well with the changing situation. Theodore is taking too much attention so I need him to be out of the ‘competition’. Unfortunately he’s always well guarded when he’s outside so the only way for us to have a chance is in the academy,” the prince’s tone shows a satisfaction. “Bring him in and tell him what his task is.”

“Of course, I’ll tell him to clean up and bring him to the private parlour where we can discuss more,” the cloaked man replied with a glee.

After that, he gestured for the Tauran to carry the assassin away. As the Tauran walked past him while carrying the assassin on its shoulder, he could see the assassin was glaring at him angrily.

“Didn’t you say you’d set me free if I pass this test?!” the assassin asked.

“I’ve never made such a promise, Silas. I only said that if you pass this test, you can leave this place. And that is because you’ll be doing a very ‘important’ task.”

“You—”

“Clean yourself up. When you are at the presence of the Third Prince later, make sure you behave yourself, Silas. Or else…” a sly smirk formed on the cloaked man’s face as he snapped his finger.

Instantly, the assassin named Silas felt a sharp pain stabbing through his heart and it went all the way until they reached a building. Only then did the pain stop. By then, Silas’s face was already pale from the pain.

Next, he was thrown into the pool by the Tauran that he had fought before. “You did well earlier. You made a huge progress after that one time where you first went against me seven years ago. It’s like you’ve been blessed by Goddess Pyraeus and has been reborn!” the Tauran said with a big laugh.

“Well, you’re the most fun kid I’ve ever met. But it looks like tonight will be where we say goodbye. I hope you will have a smooth journey in front of you. Once you’ve finished cleaning up, be sure to go straight to the parlour. Don’t have any other idea or you’ll suffer from the contract,” the Tauran added before finally leaving Silas alone.

Finally alone, Silas could finally relax slightly. In his heart, he couldn’t help cursing the cloaked man from earlier. “It’s been seven years, huh?” Silas muttered as he splashed his face with water. ‘I still can’t believe it. I guess in a way, that fucking bull-head wasn’t wrong. Maybe this Goddess Pyraeus did bless me or else, how am I to explain the fact that I got reborn in this new world…’

When he first arrived in this world, Silas struggled to accept the new world. After all, everything that only exists in fantasy had somehow became his new reality. But what made him utterly dissatisfied was the fact that he had once again, forced to be an assassin. He did try to escape before but he never expected this world to be so distasteful to actually have a slave contract. It was unfortunate that the body he occupied had already contracted long before he arrived.

Throughout the year though, he learned a lot of things. From new combat skills to learning magic. He also learned that the slave contract can be undone only when the master of the contract willingly release the slave. If the master died, the slave will also die.

“How annoying… Even if I grow strong enough, my life and death are still at the hand of someone else,” he grumbled.

When he finished cleaning up, he obediently made his way to the private parlour. The room was adorned with ostentatiously luxurious furnishings and there was also the scent of expensive incense lingered in the air. This is where the cloaked man and the prince await. It appears that the both of them has also cleaned up after being drenched by the rain.

“Ah, Silas. Finally here,” by now, the cloaked man has long removed the cloak, revealing his identity. Silas is very familiar with this man. After all, he is the administrator for this institution, Walter Frei. “I have yet to introduce you earlier. This is the Third Prince of Astralyn, Tristan Magnus,” he said as he gestured to the prince.

Silas stared at the prince with a hint of disdain. It wasn’t until he heard a cough did he reluctantly greeted the royal person. “I’ve seen His Highness the Third Prince,” he said as he placed a hand just above his heart and did a slight bow.

“Alright. You must be curious about your task. I’ll explain it to you simply,” Walter said with a smile. “Next month, the Astral Academy will open the registration of new students. You are at the perfect age, so you register and make sure you’ll be admitted. Once you’ve enrolled, you will find your target—”

“My brother, the Crown Prince, Theodore Magnus,” Tristan cuts off Walter’s sentence midway through. “What you need to do is to take his life before the Aetherialum Festival in half a year,” he added.

“Why half a year?” Silas asked.

“Because my royal father had planned to abdicate at the peak of the festival and let my brother ascend the throne,” the prince replied. “And I do not want that to happen.”

“Hmm…” Silas hummed.

He was really disinterested and it was apparent that the prince caught it. “It seems that you’re unwilling?”

“Whether I am willing or not, does it matter?” Silas asked back. “You can just force me with the slave contract anyway.”

“That’s right. Walter has already transferred the contract over to me so your contract master is now me.”

“As the contract master, you are able to release me from the slave contract, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then how about this… I can have your Crown Prince killed three months before the festival. In return, you set me free,” Silas said with a smile.

“Three months before the festival…” Tristan muttered. He seemed to appear very enthusiastic when he heard this.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Walter decided to join in the conversation. To him, Silas is a valuable asset. As long as he was bound with the slave contract, he can be used until the day he died.

“Then, I will delay it to the last minute. But what makes you sure that the king will choose you as the next crown prince? If I remember correctly, Astralyn Kingdom has seven princes and five princesses. The king might choose someone else and then, it’ll be too late to kill the new crown prince,” Silas explained. “So, wouldn’t it be better to have the crown prince killed early? If you weren’t chosen then you can plan your next move.”

Tristan started to ponder. What Silas had said really struck a chord within him. There was a risk of his father choosing his other brothers as the next crown prince as opposed to him. Silas could see that Tristan is leaning in favour to his suggestion. And after a while, a smile formed on his face when he heard the prince agreeing to his bargain.

“Very well. If you can make Theodore disappear three months before the festival, I will release you from the slave contract.”

“Make an oath with the honor of Veritas the Arbitrator,” Silas smiled.

“You think this prince will go against his word?” Tristan asked, eyes narrowing in a displeased manner.

“Considering you plan to even kill your own brother, you’re far from a righteous person,” Silas replied. “I do not want to take the risk.”

“… Very well. In the name of the Overgod, Veritas, I hearby make an oath. As long as Silas Ashbourne kills Theodore Magnus three months before the Aetherialum Festival, I shall release him from the binding of slave contract,” Tristan said in a solemn tone.

Only then did Silas relax. Unlike his original world there are quite a few Deities as well as False Idol in this world. But the Overgod are different. There are few in numbers and if one were to speak of their name in vain, they will be severely punished. Veritas is one of the Overgod that governs over contracts and oaths. And any contract or oath made in his name is unbreakable. As soon as one party completes their part, the contract is considered complete and the other party’s obligation will immediately be fulfilled with Veritas’s own power.

This meant that even if Tristan is unwilling to do so, Veritas will immediately set Silas free from the slave contract as long as Theodore Magnus is dead by his hand. On the other hand… he will also be forever trapped in this contract if Theodore Magnus did not die by his hand and this was the greatest gamble he was willing to risk. After all, he had long known that the cost of freedom has always been steep.

‘And once I am free… be it this third prince or this Walter… all those who forced me to be like this, I will kill them all,’  Silas thought coldly.