Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 202

Chapter 202: The shadow of the king
Leier remained still, adjusting her breath as she scanned the ground below. The patrol moved lazily, their torches flickering weakly in the cold night air, casting faint shadows across the alleys and streets. With most of the city’s soldiers sent north to fight Stahl’s forces, the remaining patrols were overworked, exhausted, and careless. Still, they silently thanked their ancestors that they were here and not bleeding out on some battlefield.

Leier pressed her back against the gelid stone, feeling the faint hum of the Inverno Owl’s tattoo beneath her skin. Time was running out. The power would soon fade away, leaving her completely visible. With a deep breath, Leier sprinted across the stone battlements, her movements fluid and soundless, like a shadow slipping through the night as she moved towards the flickering torches.

When she reached the the patrol’s location, she stopped, crouching again behind the parapet, reigning her breath and beating heart. Below her, the three guards strolled carelessly, their voices drifting up to her.

“Did you hear about Simil?” one guard muttered, his voice a mix of fear and relief. “Got sent to the North.”

“Probably dead already” – another replied with a bitter chuckle – “”Should have listened to the ancestors, never messed with that cursed land.”

“But didn’t Simil leave behind a wife and kid?” The third guard’s voice choed with a vile joking tone-. “A widow now… And that kid could use a new father, right? We should pay them a visit.”

Leier’s grip on her short sword tightened, her knuckles turning white as fury burned within her. Their laughter echoed carelessly, cutting through the stillness of the night. Despite the burning anger, Leier forced herself to remain calm and focused. Nothing could stand between her and the mission.

Visualizing their positions from their voices, Leier shifted her weight and jumped from the wall. She landed softly behind them, her feet making no sound against the cold ground as if the night itself had welcomed her.

The guards were still laughing, their disgusting conversation continuing, oblivious to the god of death behind them. Leier’s eyes narrowed. She unsheathed her short sword in one smooth motion, its edge gleaming under the moonlight.

The third guard, the one who had made the vile comments about the widow and her child, stood closest to her, his back turned. The others were walking a few steps ahead. Leier moved like a shadow, closing the distance between her and her target. Her free hand clamped over the guard’s mouth just as he tried to react, his eyes going wide with fear.

“You are lucky I don’t have time to make you suffer,” she whispered coldly into his ear. The blade of her short sword slid effortlessly between his ribs, piercing his heart in one clean strike. His body stiffened, his muffled gasp barely audible before he slumped in her arms.

She eased him gently to the ground, the soft thud of his body masked by the snow covering the ground.

“Hey, where did you say she lived again? We should head over now…” One of the other guards spoke, glancing back. His eyes landed on his fallen comrade and the growing pool of blood beneath him. “What are you doing down there?”

He stepped closer, prodding the body with his boot. His brow furrowed as he saw the blood on his boots. Dead. “Hey, help me lift h-”

Before he could finish his sentence, he turned to call for help, only to find his other comrade already crumpled on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. He reached for his sword.

But Leier was already there.

“Too late,” she whispered, her blade flashing through the moonlight, slicing cleanly through his throat. The guard had no time to react. His head tumbled to the cold ground with a dull thud, his body swaying for a moment before collapsing beside his comrades.

Under the pale moonlight, the blood colored the pristine snow, like ink across the white board.

“I should deal with this first.” – Leier muttered, looking at the three corpses.

The effects of the Tribal Tattoo were fading fast. She only had seconds left. Leier wiped the blood from her blade in one smooth, practiced motion as her eyes scanned the street for any movement. But the city remained asleep, unaware of the doom creeping ever closer. The houses stood dark, their windows tightly shuttered against the cold, and the only sound was the faint rustling of wind through the narrow alleyways.

Leier knelt beside the bodies, dragging them into the shadows of a nearby alley. She didn’t have much time left before the invisibility wore off, but she couldn’t leave the bodies in plain sight. It might be hours before another patrol passed by, given how lax the city’s defenses were, but she couldn’t afford any risks.

Once the bodies were hidden, she pressed herself against the wall of a nearby building, her breath visible in the night air. The Inverno Owl’s tattoo faded completely, and her figure became visible once again. But it no longer mattered. She had completed the hardest part, getting inside undetected.

“I need to get some rest.” – Leier muttered, sliding to the ground.

The ability took a heavy toll on her body. She could feel her mana circuits almost exploding and her muscles ripping apart. It was only after half an hour that she could finally stand up, confident enough to finish her mission. Luckily, no other patrol came her way and nobody noticed the missing one.

Leier’s eyes flicked toward the city’s gatehouse, just a short distance away from her location. The thick wooden log barring the gate stood in her way, but the two dozing guards near the gatehouse were her only remaining obstacles. A faint smile played on Leier’s lips as she adjusted her hood, concealing her short sword beneath her long sleeves. She approached the guards with slow steps.

“Excuse me… can you help me?” Leier called out softly, her voice trembling as she feigned desperation.

The guards moved, rubbing their eyes as they blinked at her in confusion.

“Yes? What do you need, girl?” one of them asked, still groggy.

“My mother is very sick. I need to get a herb that only grows outside the city,” Leier said, her voice wavering as if she were on the verge of tears. “Please, I have to get out.”

The guards exchanged a glance, looking at the strange figure before them, her face obscured by the hood. “Girl, go back home. The king’s orders are clear, no one leaves the city until the northern battle is over. It’s dangerous out there for someone like you.”

Leier’s hands trembled, but she stepped closer, her voice softer. “Please… she won’t make it till morning.”

“I said no!” The guard barked, reaching out to push her away. But before he could react, Leier’s blade found his heart. His eyes widened in shock as the life drained from him.

“Sorry,” Leier muttered quietly, turning her attention to the second guard. He barely had time to comprehend what had happened before she silenced him with the same lethal efficiency and strike.

She wiped her blade clean, glancing at the heavy log barring the gate. “It would have been easier if you had just let me through,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head. “Maybe you’d still be alive.”