CHAPTER 39: CH:39 OF ASSASSINS AND AFTERNOON CAKE

Meanwhile, deep within the shadows of the towering trees just beyond the Exonory training grounds, the masked elf stood still—completely cloaked in invisibility, blending with the breeze and bark. Not a leaf rustled from his presence.

His crimson eyes locked onto Dila, watching her sitting on the bench, still grumbling under her breath as a the maid and the Priestess fussed over her knees. She looked annoyed... and yet strangely at peace.

From a small side pouch, the masked elf retrieved a circular magic mirror—smooth as silver glass. With a flick of his thumb across the runes engraved at the edge, the orb shimmered, recording the scene like a live stream.

A soft voice carried into the linked mirror.

"My lord." the assassin whispered.

"This is your daughter... as you ordered, I’ve confirmed her condition. She is healthy. Laughing. A little bruised, but not harmed. She... she seems happy."

On the other end of the connection, deep within the luminous halls of Eldor’s royal palace, King Albedo stood alone in his chamber—eyes fixed on the glowing oracle orb hovering before him.

There she was. His daughter.

The light of the screen cast a glow over his face, and for a moment, the cold, war-hardened expression faltered.

His hand reached out, trembling slightly, as he gently touched the edge of the projection.

"My daughter..." he whispered.

A pause.

A deep breath.

"...It’s been so long, my baby girl..."

His hand lingered on the orb, as if he could touch her through it. But then—the assassin’s voice returned:

"It appears the Exonory Kingdom is... poorly defended. Security is laughable. I was able to reach her shadow in under a minute. My lord... shall I retrieve her? This time, I won’t hesitate and i think she may have been... cast under a spell to believe that she will stay in this kingdom."

King Albedo’s face darkened. The warmth vanished like a candle snuffed by wind.

"No. Not yet." he growled. "If what you say is true, then this is the doing of King Harvey. That bastard... that traitor."

His voice shook with rage.

"If he refuses to return my daughter willingly—"

He slammed his fist onto the enchanted stone table beside him. The table didn’t shatter... but the impact sent magical ripples crawling through its surface. The entire room quaked as if nature itself responded to his wrath.

"Then this... means war."

The assassin remained silent. Even in the tree’s shadow, he felt the echo of the earthquake that had traveled through the distant realms of magic.

Albedo snarled low, like a beast.

"She must have been kidnapped. Unwillingly held... I have no doubt the so-called ’Berserker Knight’ from Exonory is part of this. Harvey is manipulating her. Using her!"

He clenched both fists.

"If he does not surrender her... I will burn his kingdom to ash."

The masked elf lowered his voice, gaze flickering between Dila in the distance and the raging face of King Albedo projected through the mirror.

"...My lord," he began carefully, "isn’t this the same mouth that once told me ’peace is our first path, before blood’?"

And he said again. "I know i break your law for that but my lord please reconsider" he said calmly with striking look.

For a moment, silence.

Then King Albedo’s eyes narrowed, glowing with fury. His voice dropped into a growl.

"Nonsense. That was when I still had patience." He raised both hands in front of the orb—fingers curling slowly, ominously, like claws squeezing the life out of something invisible.

"I’ve waited years for her. Watched in silence. Trusted fate. But now... I could crush that entire kingdom like a dry leaf in my palm."

He tightened his grip mid-air, as though simulating the Exonory Kingdom’s very destruction.

Crack.

A glass goblet on his table shattered from the magical pressure.

The masked man tensed but kept his voice even.

"...But, my lord—"

"Do you want to get punched again?" Albedo snapped without hesitation.

The assassin stiffened, recalling the last time he’d been too honest.

He sighed in defeat. "No, my lord. Absolutely not."

"Good," Albedo muttered.

The tension crackled in the air like an unsheathed blade. And with that, the masked man gave one last nod, his crimson eyes dimming.

Then—fwip—he vanished into the tree’s shadows, like mist melting into the trees.

Then.

Dila’s long elven ears twitched—just once—but sharply.

Inside her mind, she narrowed her eyes.

"Do you feel that...?"

☆ Yes, master. A faint ominous aura. Just by that tree over there... ☆ Nari whispered, her voice unusually serious.

Dila’s lips curled into a smug grin as she sipped the last of her juice.

"Looks like someone can’t wait to be pulverized into dust."

☆ M-Master... here we go again... ☆ Nari sighed like a tired nanny.

Nearby, Sarios glanced sideways, blinking at the smug little princess with a wooden sword-sized ego.

"Umm... Milady, what exactly are you smugging about?"

Dila clicked her tongue.

"Correction. Not ’milady.’ Just Dila."

Sarios slapped his palm into his forehead like a man defeated in spirit.

"Fine. You win. I can’t argue with that anymore."

Meanwhile, Stella stood nearby, eyeing Dila nervously—the memory of this early morning sword training trauma still fresh in her soul.

She sighed—a long, slow sigh like air escaping a deflating balloon—and gave a weak smile.

"Haaaa... you’re just... too persistent. Even on the inside. It’s like you’re... farming aura or something, Dila."

Dila tilted her head proudly, smugness practically glowing off her skin. "Fufufu."

If she had a tail, it would be swishing.

If she had a nose any prouder, it would be poking holes through the sky.

Even Nari couldn’t help but mutter,

☆ Master... your ego might be developing a second health bar... ☆

☆ Master... about that ominous aura... ☆ Nari whispered again in Dila’s mind.

☆ I hate to break it to you, but... I seriously don’t think you’re strong enough to defeat that assassin masked guy. Not even in your dreams. ☆

Dila’s smug face instantly flattened into despair like a popped pancake.

"Yeah... I know..." she muttered inside.

Her ears drooped slightly.

"Honestly, I thought when I reincarnated into this world, I’d be insanely powerful—like those overpowered anime characters."

"Like... you know... One Punch Man? Or at least Demon Slayer level. If I had Hinokami Kagura powers, I’d be shouting right now—"

She flung a dramatic finger into the sky in her imagination.

"’Blaze to the fire!! HINOKAMI—KAGURAAAA!!’"

But instead, all that came out was the sound of a squirrel throwing a nut somewhere in the background.

Nari, in her frail little system voice, tried to stay professional. But failed.

☆ Pffff—ahhahaha!! Daydreaming power fantasies again?!☆

☆ You really thought reincarnation would give you flame dragon slash skills!? ☆

The two laughed together inside Dila’s head. Just a girl and her magical interface losing it together.

Meanwhile—on the outside—Dila sat there staring into space with the goofiest half-grin on her face, her juice glass still half-lifted, nose twitching in proud delusion.

Sarios narrowed his eyes, concerned.

"...Is the Princess... alright?" he asked carefully, tilting his head.

Stella, folding her arms, frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm... it might be a side effect from my healing palm spell."

Sarios blinked. "What kind of side effect?"

Stella shrugged with priestess-level innocence. "Possibly... mild mental damage? You know, just... emotional confusion? Magical hallucination? Occasional bursts of delusional monologues?"

Dila suddenly shouted from the bench, still inside her dream world,

"WATER BREATHING! FORM SEVEEEEEN!!"

A bird flew off in fear.

Sarios turned deadpan. "huh?. What?."

Stella sighed dramatically. "Next time, I’m switching to non-holy healing. This one’s too spicy."

As the morning sun climbed lazily higher, the clashing sounds of swords rang through the training grounds again.

Sarios finally decided to stop babysitting and returned to his knightly duties. With a serious breath, he drew his longsword and took his stance—black armor glinting, red cape swaying dramatically behind him.

A group of trainees watched in awe. He was like a hero straight from a legend.

...Until a loud voice broke the mood.

"Dila~! You forgot to eat your morning cake!"

It was Stella. Again.

Sarios’ eye twitched mid-swing.

Across the field, Dila was lounging like a sleepy noble, dressed in her usual elegant gown with her hat of straw tilted dramatically, one leg crossed over the other like she was royalty watching a gladiator show.

Stella plopped down beside her with a plate of cake and a smile brighter than the sun.

"You can’t skip sweets. They’re holy, you know!"

Dila lazily reached for the cake without moving her face. "Is this... the sacred cake of priestess rest days?"

"Exactly," Stella beamed, "It boosts stamina. Or at least happiness."

Meanwhile, Sarios had just cleanly decapitated a training dummy.

He exhaled. "Focus. Focus. You’re a knight. You’re a sacred guardian. You do not... get distracted... by cake-based conversations."

Then Dila shouted across the yard, "Hey Herooo~! Don’t trip over your cape this time!"

Sarios flinched mid-swing and missed his mark by a whole foot. The training dummy remained untouched, perfectly alive and well.

The trainees quietly exchanged looks. No one dared laugh. The dummy, however, looked smug.

Sarios slowly sheathed his sword and sighed.

"...I should’ve joined the monk House instead and learn meditations." he look at the sky.