Volume 4, Chapter 49 – The Final Assassination

The heavy rain, mixed with thunder, continued for three full days. It wasn’t until the day the army was to set out that Count Pescia used the Tower of Pescia to suppress the water-laden dark clouds. But the ground was still wet and muddy. With every step forward, splashing mud would cling to shoes and armor. An unshakeable sense of gloom, together with the moonless night, shrouded everyone’s heart.

“Hah…”

Looking down from the mountainside at the army snaking its way forward like a long serpent, Edith, who had taken back control of the body from Yisi, let out a long breath.

“It’s finally time.”

After searching through the army for a while, she quickly found the luxurious carriage at the front of the procession. The northern expedition army was generally divided into three parts. First was the vanguard reconnaissance unit, composed of wyvern knights and regular scouts, who would patrol back and forth a few kilometers ahead of the main force to scout for potential dangers.

Then came the main force of twenty thousand men and the supply unit, which would set out the next morning. The various cities within the Pescia territory would provide supplies for the army along the way, so the supply unit could depart a little later.

But that was for later. For her—for Loiswell—everything would end today.

Hetty should be in the carriage behind my father.

At first, she had been furious about this, but now she only felt displeasure. Had she gotten used to it, or was it because her end was near, so she saw everything with a sense of detachment?

I can’t hold on for much longer.

Even without taking this suicidal action, she wouldn’t be able to wait for long. Perhaps not even half a year was left.

If asked whether she feared death, Edith would answer with a definite yes. No one is not afraid of death. The so-called fearlessness of death is merely a gimmick. The reason people say that is only because for them, there are things more noble and more inseparable than life. Of course, if she were to say this in public, it would surely make everyone’s jaws drop. That count’s eldest daughter, Loiswell, is also afraid of death. But that was the truth. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have become so cruel and sadistic because of the Fallen Mark.

Gripping Gungnir in her hand, Edith quietly waited for the right moment. What she had to do was to jump from the cliff’s ledge as Hetty passed by. As long as she used [Shadow Fang], which could transform her into countless bats, at the right time, she wouldn’t fall to her death.

“In the end, it has to end in such a boring way. The life of Loiswell is nothing more than this.”

There was nothing in her past worth talking about. Although Edith didn’t dislike it, she didn’t particularly like it either.

The image of Yisi suddenly appeared in her mind.

If there was one thing she, who had lived a life of getting everything she wanted, had never obtained, Yisi would be one of them. However, using Yisi as an example might not be appropriate. At first, she didn’t have many thoughts about Yisi, thinking that whether she had her or not, it was fine as long as her existence didn’t tarnish her own reputation.

Although that was what Edith told herself, Yisi always managed to disturb her heart at critical moments.

The first time was in the garden of Termi City at night. Then it was when she was brought out of the Pescia mansion. And finally, it was that abandoned garden. Even though she had deliberately found a place where she wouldn’t be disturbed, Yisi had found her, as if she had smelled the scent of loneliness.

Legend has it that champagne-flavored blood means you’ve found your destined partner. Although Edith had always dismissed this legend as nonsense, she had come to accept it to some extent in her heart. Of course, the word “partner” should be replaced with “friend.” It should be said, a companion who could understand her thoughts and feelings.

It was a pity that at this final moment, the one who unsettled her was not here. If she could say some words of encouragement, she would pretend that nothing had happened, but in reality, she would be quite motivated.

Just like the gift of thanks in the shade of that tree, pressing cheeks together was indeed a way of expressing gratitude among the blood clan, but she hadn’t emphasized that this etiquette was only used for a loved one, or at least a very close relative. At that time, she had only said “an important person” and had pretended it was a common thing.

Not being direct would only cause confusion. Edith understood this, but she couldn’t bring herself to say “thank you” frankly to Yisi. It wasn’t that she didn’t know how to say thank you, but that the object was limited to Yisi.

“…Will you mock me thoroughly at my grave? But death means the end of everything. It will have nothing to do with me by then.”

Even though she thought this, she felt a tightness in her chest.

If it weren’t for the crisis of her soul, if the two of them didn’t share a body, would she still be standing here?

A question that shook her to the core appeared in her mind.

Not fearing death is because there is something more important than life. But if death would make her discard that something…

Edith shook her head.

Rеаⅾ оո KаtReаԁіոɡСafе

“No. I am here to pursue my will, my dignity. It’s not because my soul is about to shatter that I have no choice but to stand here.”

A believer without faith is just an empty shell. For her, the dignity of Loiswell was the same. It was because she held onto this dignity that she had eliminated those who coveted her position because she was a Fallen, that she disdained to lie, that she was not stingy with her praise for those around her, and that she would never compromise even in a difficult situation, becoming the revered count’s eldest daughter. If she were to abandon this dignity that she would not let others covet, then there would be nothing left of her life.

This was the reason she was standing here. If she abandoned the things that made up her past life, Loiswell would truly disappear from the world.

If Hetty didn’t have the ability to parasitize other people’s bodies, she would have already reclaimed her position as the count’s eldest daughter. But just as there are no take-backs in chess, there are not so many “ifs” in reality.

Finally, the army marched to the foot of the cliff where Edith was.

Edith took a deep breath.

“Well then, let’s begin.”

Facing the pitch-black night where she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face, Edith jumped from the cliff’s ledge. The piercing cold wind whistled past her earlobes, and she subconsciously narrowed her eyes, letting her body fall freely.

In less than a second, the rear of the army noticed that something was falling.

However, by the time they rubbed their eyes to get a better look, Edith had already transformed into countless black bats and scattered.

The target was the carriage behind Count Pescia.

[Shadow Fang]

Reappearing on the roof of the carriage, before any of the soldiers could react, Edith enhanced Gungnir with [Pierce] magic and thrust it down into the roof. Below was the position of Hetty, which she had observed through the bats.

Like piercing through thin paper, the roof shattered on impact. If Hetty hadn’t had time to prepare, this blow would have pierced through her skull.

She had almost died from the same assassination method herself.

There was no sensation of piercing flesh in her hand.

She dodged it.

“Tch.”

With the crisp sound of the spear piercing through the carriage roof, the surrounding soldiers immediately noticed Edith’s presence.

“Enemy attack, enemy attack!”

“Protect the young lady!”

The five soldiers surrounding the carriage nocked ¹ fit (an arrow) to the bowstring ready for shooting. their arrows.

Staying on the roof will make me a living target.

She had to deal with the five soldiers guarding the carriage, but in the time it took to do so, more and more soldiers would swarm over. If she were surrounded, or if she encountered a captain-level officer, the assassination would be a failure.

A faint sound of wind came from the back of her neck.

It wasn’t the natural flow of air, but the sound of a sharp weapon cutting through it.

“You have already failed. It’s time to meet your death.”

Samael’s hoarse voice sounded in her ear.

“The one who should die is you.”

Rеаd οn ΚatRеаԁіոɡCαfe

Although Edith had long guessed that Samael would be accompanying them, she hadn’t expected him to be right near the carriage. The reason her first strike had missed must have been because Samael had pulled Hetty away at the critical moment.

As for why he had saved her, the reason was simple. Hetty still had seeds in the mansion. If Samael had let her die a second time, even the most slow-witted person would suspect that he had a special ability. Hetty would likely realize his betrayal and then use the slave contract to make him commit suicide.

There could be no hesitation when facing Samael.

Ignoring the slight stinging pain from the back of her neck, Edith used the final magic that belonged only to purebloods.

“—[Curse of Envy].”

A special magic passed down from the time of the first blood clan queen, which could only be used by purebloods, and only by the most outstanding among them. It allowed the user to burst forth with extraordinary power for a short time and possess overwhelmingly new magic.

A sense of power she had never felt before filled her body. Every cell in her body was brimming with excitement. The soaring fighting spirit almost made her forget that she was in the midst of an army of ten thousand. Edith could even hear the pounding of her own heart, beating with fervent excitement.

And looking at Edith from a third-person perspective, she had already shed the characteristic white hair of the Pescia family line, transforming into a race with long pink hair, cherry-colored eyes, and wings growing directly from her back.

A magic that transcended purebloods, evolving to a state above them in a short time.

This was the power of [Curse of Envy].

Turning her head at the last moment, the short blade that was previously too fast to capture was now easy to track. The long spear couldn’t be brought back in time at this distance, so Edith chose to evade.

Bending down to dodge the sneak attack from behind her neck, she simultaneously swept her spear behind her, forcing Samael to be unable to pursue.

Every movement didn’t require deep thought. It was as if they had been carved into her mind. With just a slight thought, her body had already reacted. The sound of soldiers drawing their weapons, the sound of arrows cutting through the air, the flow of the wind, and the beating of the soldiers’ hearts—everything became exceptionally clear.

Edith could even take the opportunity to digest the knowledge that had suddenly appeared in her mind, achieving explosive growth in a short time.

Forcing back Samael, the arrows shot by the five soldiers followed closely behind. If it had been the previous Edith, she would have had almost no other strategy but to dodge the arrows. But now was different. Edith immediately retracted her sweeping spear and aimed the tip at the place where the arrows were coming from.

Then, at the moment the arrows were about to graze past the spear, a layer of red light suddenly burst forth from the tip of Gungnir, like an opening umbrella, blocking all the arrows that threatened her.

But the soldiers’ attack would not end there.

A total of five wyvern knights dived down from the sky, preparing to knock the stationary Edith off the carriage roof. And with the new information in her mind, Edith reached out to the five attacking wyvern knights, a purple mark appearing in her pink eyes.

[Monster Control]

As if pulled by invisible strings, the five dragons that were originally flying towards Edith completely ignored their knights’ control, turned around, and dived in the opposite direction, crashing into and routing a large group of soldiers who were preparing to swarm up and surround her.

Then, Edith felt as if she had been covered by something, as if a thin veil had been draped over her.

Her intuition told her that this was mind control from Hetty.

This is how she controlled my body before.

But it wouldn’t work now.

From Edith’s perspective, her body was covered in a light purple net, and these nets were gradually tightening. At the same time, there were some threads tied to the net that were almost too thin to see. The ends of all the threads were gathered in the hands of Hetty, who had already jumped off the carriage.

“Hmph.”

With a cold snort, Edith completely ignored the tightening net and directly cut the connection between it and Hetty with Gungnir. Then, as if she had received a huge blow, Hetty’s entire body jolted, her eyes full of shock.

“You… what on earth did you do?!”

Without wasting any more words on Hetty, Edith poured magic into Gungnir, preparing to activate its auto-hit effect, but Gungnir did not respond.

Rеαⅾ οո ΚatRеaԁiոɡСafe

The evolution effect of [Curse of Envy] must have affected it. The reason the spear had just transformed into an open umbrella shape was proof.

If I can’t activate the auto-hit effect, then the only thing left is close combat.

Pouring strength into her calves, Edith shot towards Hetty like a cannonball.

The Curse of Envy had a time limit, and it could only be used once in a lifetime. She couldn’t get carried away just because she had become too powerful.

Edith could even feel her blood rapidly draining away.

“Your opponent is me.”

Once again, Samael blocked her path.

“Get out of the way!”

Gungnir swung from the upper left to the lower right. Samael habitually raised his two short blades to block, but the swing of the spear was just a feint. Edith instead thrust at his abdomen.

It easily pierced into Samael’s abdomen.

Like throwing away trash, Edith swung the spear horizontally, flinging Samael from the tip of her spear to the side.

This didn’t mean that Edith was stronger than Samael after using [Curse of Envy], only that Samael was not suited for open combat, and Edith’s leap in strength was so great that he hadn’t had time to adapt.

Samael’s obstruction did not give Hetty enough time to escape. When the distance between Edith and Hetty was less than ten meters, the former decisively raised Gungnir.

At this distance, even without activating the auto-hit effect, she was confident she could pierce through Hetty’s skull.

As if sensing something was wrong, Hetty turned her head to look at the closely pursuing Edith. Upon seeing that she had already made a throwing motion, an uncontrollable fear and terror welled up in her eyes, which was exactly the expression Edith most wanted to see.

“How is this possible!”

Hetty shouted, her voice full of disbelief. Edith took this opportunity, forcibly suppressed her trembling right hand from overexertion, and suddenly threw Gungnir.

“This is my dignity, my pride, the anger born from everything that makes up Loiswell—go repent in hell!”

The long spear, shining with a red light, drew a perfect straight line, heading straight for Hetty.

Seven meters.

Five meters.

One meter.

Right in front of her.

The expected scene of her head being pierced did not appear.

It wasn’t that Hetty had dodged in time, but that Count Pescia had fiercely swung his sword from the side, deflecting Gungnir’s trajectory.

This action was not without damage. After piercing through Hetty’s left shoulder, because of the Count’s slash from the side, the tip of Gungnir slid down from her shoulder, creating a huge wound on her body.

Such an injury would not be instantly fatal.

Anxiety rose in Edith’s heart. Subconsciously, she prepared to rush forward to pursue, but an unbearable sharp pain came from her back.

The intense pain made Edith’s exquisite features contort. She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming and barely managed to turn her head.

Reаⅾ oո KаtRеadinɡСafе

—The recovered Samael had counter-attacked.

The pain came from her wings being severed at the roots.

And then.

Thwack, thwack.

Several sounds of a sharp object piercing flesh.

Arrows had pierced through Edith’s exposed back.

An ordinary person would have collapsed from such an attack, but Edith did not stop. Step by step, enduring the pain and weakness that flooded her entire body, she struggled towards Hetty.

The effects of [Curse of Envy] receded like a tide.

Everything in front of her began to distort, like a scene underwater. Her feet felt as if they were shackled with iron, and every cell in her mind was groaning, wanting to rest, wanting to just fall down.

But this was the last chance. If she fell here, there would be nothing left.

It was impossible to give up now.

This was her final pride.

Gritting her teeth so hard that they made a frightening grinding sound, Edith walked step by step to Gungnir, bent down, and prepared to pick it up.

And it was at this moment that several more arrows pierced into her back. The powerful inertia made her already overwhelmed body even more broken. Finally, when the last arrow shot into the exposed root of her wing, with a thud, she collapsed.

Her blurred vision could finally see nothing. The surrounding soldiers seemed to be shouting loudly, but the sound was as faint as if it were coming from beyond the heavens. Her body gradually lost its warmth, pain flooded her nerves from all directions, and her throat made an unbearable wheezing sound like a leaking bellows.

I must look quite ugly now. Edith had this premonition. To be seen in such an ugly state before dying was a disgrace to the name of Loiswell Edith Pescia.

Then, a sour feeling welled up in her eyes and nose. An indescribable sadness and fear that she hadn’t felt in a long time flooded her heart. And then, the uncontrollable convulsions of her body finally made her long-strained spirit completely collapse, and tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes.

I don’t want to die yet.

There are still so many things I haven’t experienced.

I don’t want to die just like this.

No matter how mature ² mature? bleh she acted, the girl lying here was still only fourteen years old.

Just like a normal girl, she also had joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, and she also feared death.

But even with such a strong hope, nothing could be changed. It was already irreversible.

An intense fear enveloped her heart. If her body could, she would have been crying her eyes out by now. But the truth was, she couldn’t even wail. Her spirit was gradually dissipating, and her consciousness could fall into darkness at any moment.

Images of the past flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

So this is how I die.

However.

“—I’m a little late, but I’m glad I made it.”

Abruptly, the sound of someone’s relieved voice appeared in her mind.