Chapter 251
Chapter 251
Evangeline Crepot.
She got this name pretty quickly.
Before then, everyone just called her No. 27, just like any other assassin.
She must’ve been a kid when it happened. She remembered being taken into the mountain ranges around the continent and being raised with the assassins from a young age.
She killed someone when she was only seven years old. It was the only way to keep living—because if she didn’t kill, she’d die.
Of a hundred kids, she was one of the few fortunate enough to survive to the age of eight. She was proud to have lived through those terrible days of killing.
When she was twelve, she killed everyone in a whole village. It was her first mission as an assassin. Adults and children alike were slaughtered, and their flesh... was burned so completely that not even ashes remained.
By that time, she was strangely at ease with the idea of killing.
At the age of eighteen, she stabbed her birth parents in the neck. She didn’t learn their names until later—she thought she was an orphan to begin with, which prevented anyone from using her family against her.
When she was twenty-one, she finally got the great last name Crepot for her and her alone. As a bonus, she even received the name Evangeline instead of No. 27.
She felt good. It felt like all of her hard work had paid off. It made her feel alive.
And then she disappeared for four years. During that time, he taught Evangeline various skills, such as scamming.
He is the King of Darkness.
Darkness of Crepot was the best con artist at that time. She learned all of the secrets reserved exclusively for the Crepots.
She'd done it all, and now she was out in the world with a bit of self-control.
She only has one job to do: assist Gallahad du Lancelot from the shadows, where no one would see her.
Even she, a slaughter puppet, felt unhappy at first about being assigned a mission to support someone rather than kill them.
Still, she didn't question it. She didn’t let herself think about it, so she never questioned anything.
Evangeline spent some time working with Galahad du Lancelot.
“How long are you gonna stare at me like that?”
Evangeline’s eyes popped open.
She had given up, but…
“Evangeline, I'm talking about you.”
“How…”
Hearing her name come from his lips brought a shocked expression to Evangeline’s face.
She was very good at hiding. She’d concealed herself on the roof about thirty feet away from in a way that would make it impossible for anyone to notice except Galahad.
Evangeline dropped to the ground with a hard expression.
Galahad noticed her there and said something that was completely unexpected:
“You were actually there?”
Evangeline gave him a confused look..
“I just said it out loud, I can’t believe that you’re really there. I think I have to apologize.”
“My… My name…?” she blankly muttered.
Gallahad grinned at her.
“I was curious when I heard your name, but I never thought that you’d be such a pretty woman.”
“...!”
Until then, Evangeline thought that he wasn’t aware and didn’t notice her. But then she realized that he already knew that she was there.
It was easy to figure out where he got her information. Perhaps that man told him; that meant that Galahad was an important part of the man’s plan.
Since seeing Evangeline for the first time, Gallahad acted like a child.
“Would you like to come down and get this?”
“Isn’t it hard to stay like that all day?”
“Does your pretty face get messed up all night? Lack of sleep is the worst thing for beauty, right?”
She never answered. That didn’t stop Gallahad, even though Evangeline didn't say a word. If someone else saw him, he would look like a crazy person talking to himself all the time.
This went on for another year.
At some point, Evangeline told him what was in her heart. Never before had she opened up to someone else instead of keeping her thoughts to herself, much less speak up because she felt an intense emotion.
A new wind started to blow in Evangeline's blood soaked life.
But then he died before the wind could even shake the dying plants.
He was murdered.
She could still see Gallahad’s body being pierced by that bright red spear.
“Joshua… Sanders…”
She was angry.
But other feelings took over. When she made another eye contact with Joshua again, Evangeline passed out from fear for the first time in her life. Her last thoughts as her consciousness faded were that Joshua looked like someone she knew.
Though she didn’t like admitting it, this feeling of dread… Evangeline felt that he stood on a height that could never be surmounted.
That's all.
---
Joshua had lost his mind. Two people, a man and a woman, stopped him.
Cain was, of course, on one side, clinging to Joshua with a stone-hard grip.
“No! Don’t hurt her!”
Joshua silently narrowed his eyes at the woman obstructing his way.
She wore a black robe that covered her whole body, but her womanly curves showed through nonetheless. Her skin was the color of chocolate, and her ears stood proud. She had a face so pretty that it made one wonder if the goddess of beauty would have a face like that.
A dark elf.
“Aisha Steropi.”
“Great… I see a great family…”
“Don't get in the way.”
Aisha abruptly rose from her slight bow.
“She might know something important.”
“I don’t care. I won't be able to forgive even you if you insist on getting in my way.”
Aisha shivered.
“Master.”
Cain took a step into the path of Joshua’s freezing glare.
“I don't know what triggered this, but you can't keep killing. It’s my job to stop you, My Master.”
Joshua's eyes looked very sad.
“Is that Cain de Harry’s life?”
“Yes, this is how I’ll live my life,” he answered without hesitation.
Joshua gave him a small smile.
“You don't give up.”
“At least I know what is right and what is wrong.”
“Today, I'll have to let go of one of my most valuable subordinates.”
Joshua laughed, but Cain shook his head.
“No.”
Joshua was puzzled.
“No matter who my Master is, I don’t care. I’ll be by your side nonetheless.”
“Why?”
Joshua made an expression of bewilderment, drawing a grin to Cain’s face.
“Isn’t that obvious? If I do that, the people’s perspective will change.”
“You…”
Cain placed his fist against his chest.
“Joshua Sanders is my first and last master. And as your servant, it is my duty to stop my master from going awry. For your sake, further killing is prohibited from this point forward.”
Joshua was quiet for a long time.
“Still…” he eventually said. “I need to kill her.”
Cain started in surprise as Joshua extended his hand toward Evangeline’s unconscious body.
“If that’s the case…”?Cain threw his sword to the ground and flung his arms wide. “Kill me as well.”
“Huh?”
“Master, this is not how a leader should act.”
A strange battle took place then: Cain stared unflinchingly at Joshua, and Joshua gave him a strange look.
“She’s the only one who knows!”
Aisha’s loud voice made both men’s heads turn.
“She knows where the Third Prince Kasselion’s body is!”
Joshua and Cain both widened their eyes.
“Only Evangeline Crepot knows the place.”
The forest instantly fell silent, just in time for a group of people to rush in.
“There!”
At first glance, it looked like there were easily more than a hundred people there. They bore beautiful dragon crests on their chests, marking them as the Royal Knights of Avalon.
---
When he saw the blond man who had just arrived at his palace, Second Prince Kaizen beamed.
“Even though we live under the same roof, it’s really hard to see my brother’s face!”
“Brother, I’m ashamed.”
Kaiser, the man with blonde hair, bowed respectfully.
“Evergrant told me about your plan to use Serciarin.”
“I’m sure that it will help Brother Kaizen in the future.”
“Stop. I asked about it but I already heard the detailed plan.”
Kaizen sat down and leaned forward. He did not ask Kaiser, his guest, to sit down.
“What I really want to know is what you really meant when you suddenly said you would stand by my side. I know you have no idea how powerful I am… but I know you have hidden goals.”
His straightforward speech reflected Prince Kaisen’s personality.
Kaiser only needed a moment to answer.
“You know already, right? There's a saying that says the enemy of an enemy is a friend.”
“Is this what you're going for?”
“Isn’t it Brother Kaizen who can’t beat your older brother with your own strength?”
Kaizen stroked his chin as the conversation went on. He was expecting that answer—all he needed was more proof. Kaizen didn't have anything to lose, and this was a bad time to keep his cards hidden.
‘I knew something was up when Evergrant told me that he would be on my side.’
Kaizen thought for a while.
‘He’s arrogant. If I beat my older brother with his help, then he’s sure to beat me as well…’
Prince Kaizen's smile got bigger and bigger as he pushed his thoughts away.
“Take it.”
Kaiser stiffened.
“Didn’t you say that you needed Serciarin?”
“You mean…”
“I can dance to your song.”
Kaiser was quiet for a moment, but he quickly bowed again.
“Thank you.”
“I’m excited for this plan. Since you and Evergrant concocted this together, I wonder what kind of plan it is—”
The huge explosion outside the palace made them go deathly still for a moment.
“What was that?”
“I’ll go out and find out, Brother.”
Just as Kaiser was about to turn around, they heard a cry.
“Fourth Prince Kaiser ben Britten, come out and surrender, immediately!”
The princes’ eyes popped open.
“This voice…”
“Joshua Sanders…!” Kaiser let out a quiet moan.