NOVEL NEXT C7
Chapter 7: Exposure (1)
‘Assassin…!!’
Schwarz, seeing the man gripping a dagger with a masked face, charged at him without a moment’s hesitation.
“What the…!?”
Startled by the sudden attack, the man stumbled back, his eyes filled with confusion.
Emotions of bewilderment shone in the assassin’s eyes above the mask. Schwarz’s appearance—horns sprouting from his head, black scales covering half his body, and a tail emerging from his trousers—would have been terrifying to anyone unfamiliar, making the assassin’s reaction understandable.
“…”
However, as if to prove his experience, the man quickly regained his composure and fixed a cold stare on Schwarz.
Schwarz glared back with his amber eyes, sharp with determination.
One seeking to kill, the other to protect.
There was no need for words.
The man drew a second dagger from his waist, gripping one in a reverse hold, his stance precise and practiced. Even to someone inexperienced in combat, it was clear he was a formidable opponent.
‘This isn’t good…’
The opponent was a skilled assassin, whereas Schwarz, though physically strong, had never been trained in combat. He could change the tide with magic, but with Milia so close, the risk of her getting caught up was too high.
“Huup…”
Then, the man let out a low battle cry and charged. It’s said seasoned fighters can distinguish between a trained warrior and a civilian just by their stance. Noticing Schwarz’s lack of combat experience, the man swung his dagger without hesitation.
“Kh…!!”
Schwarz grunted as he blocked the relentless assault, absorbing the blows with his body.
Milia remained fast asleep, unaware of the commotion—once she fell asleep, waking her was nearly impossible.
Should he be relieved or concerned? Schwarz focused on deflecting the man’s attacks. Fortunately, mere daggers couldn’t wound his tough body.
For several tense seconds, the battle raged, until the assassin, realizing a direct approach wouldn’t work, retreated to create distance.
‘He’s planning something.’
The man pulled a small, ominous orb from a pouch at his waist, it’s dark purple glow radiating an unsettling, swamp-like aura.
As Schwarz tensed, the man crushed the orb in his mouth without hesitation. Instantly, the foul energy spread and then coalesced around him, seeping into his body.
“Hoo…”
The man let out a pained groan before lifting his head. His eyes glowed a sinister purple, locking onto Schwarz with terrifying intensity.
“…”
Slowly, the man raised his dagger, and the sheer pressure made Schwarz swallow hard.
“Fast…!?”
In an instant, the man closed the distance, swinging the dagger at a speed that made reacting nearly impossible. Schwarz barely raised his arm to block, but this time, it wasn’t enough.
“Kh…!?”
A searing pain shot through as the dagger sliced into his arm, leaving a thin trail of blood. Gritting his teeth, Schwarz backed away, his opponent now far more dangerous.
Determined, Schwarz lunged with claws extended, but the man dodged with a leap. As Schwarz ducked, the blade grazed his hair, cutting a few strands.
‘This is really dangerous.’
He needed to subdue the man without waking Milia, but it was clear he couldn’t win without magic. The best course of action was to lure the assassin to a safer spot.
‘What do I do…?’
Even as he pondered, the man charged again, cutting and slashing, leaving a series of wounds across Schwarz’s body.
‘No choice…I’ll gamble everything.’
If he was going to get hurt anyway, better to risk it all. As the dagger lunged toward him, Schwarz grabbed it with his hand.
“!?”
“Khhaa…!!”
A sickening squelch accompanied by burning pain made him clench his teeth to stifle a scream. Blood oozed from his hand, but he tightened his grip on the embedded blade.
Caught off guard, the assassin struggled to free the weapon, but Schwarz’s superior strength held it firm.
“Hup!”
Taking a deep breath, Schwarz wrapped himself around the assassin and hurled them both out the window.
-Crash!!
The glass shattered loudly, their bodies hurtling through the air before crashing to the ground.
“Guh…ouch…”
Groaning, Schwarz lifted himself, spotting the man doing the same. Blood dripped from the assassin’s nose and mouth, suggesting he’d taken the brunt of the fall.
“Damn it…Who the hell are you…?”
For the first time, the man spoke, apparently no longer needing stealth.
“What’s it to you?”
“Damn…I’ll kill you both, then.”
Schwarz didn’t bother answering further. Anyone who dared harm Milia didn’t deserve words. The man lowered his stance, gripping his dagger tightly.
Schwarz summoned his magic, and arrows of light materialized around him in response, ready to be unleashed.
Not wanting to give Schwarz any more time, the man charged again. Schwarz gestured, sending the arrows hurtling toward him.
The glowing projectiles struck the ground with loud impacts, kicking up dust, but the assassin dodged with incredible speed, closing the distance. Yet, even he couldn’t evade them all—several grazed his body, leaving wounds.
“Hup!!”
With a final leap, the man raised his dagger. Schwarz released the last of his arrows…
Whoosh!!
“Gah!?”
Suddenly, something shot through the air, piercing the assassin from behind. Warm blood splattered against Schwarz’s cheek.
“Eh…?”
In shock, Schwarz stared at the skewered man, who trembled before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
“This…could it be…?”
Examining the object that had pierced the man’s body, Schwarz felt a chill run down his spine as he looked up.
What impaled the man was a large halberd, its blade shimmering blue under the moonlight. In the entire Valentine County, only one person wielded such a weapon.
“Schwarz…right?”
Through the shattered window, a silver-haired girl stared at him.
“Ah…”
Schwarz let out a short sigh at the sight of her. It made sense—after all that commotion, it would have been strange if she hadn’t woken up.
Even though she was a deep sleeper, no one could sleep through such chaos.
“I heard something over there!”
“This way!!”
Just then, the voices of people rang out from another part of the mansion, growing louder. The guards had clearly realized something was amiss.
“Come here! Quickly!”
“Ah, got it!”
Hearing Milia’s urgent shout, Schwarz nodded and leapt toward the half-shattered window.
At that very moment, the mansion’s guards arrived on the scene, just barely too late.
“Milady! Are you all right!?”
“Y-yes! I’m fine!”
Seeing the man impaled by the halberd, the guards called out to Milia, who waved at them with a feigned calmness.
Her awkwardness was apparent, but the guards were too focused on the dead assassin to notice. They busily began tidying up the area.
“We’ll send bodyguards immediately. Please wait a moment!”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Milia nodded at the saluting guards, exhaling softly as she stepped back into the room.
“So…care to explain what happened now?”
“Well, you see…”
Facing Milia’s piercing gaze, intense as if she might devour him, Schwarz felt a tension he’d never experienced before, trailing off nervously.
Thus, the somewhat chaotic night at the Count’s estate deepened.