Episode 71. The Black Zone of the White City (4)
An explosive spell that could blow up a city? And that too in the heart? I’ve never heard anything like that, not even from my mother.
As far as Rubin knows, Amret will die sometime soon. A quiet death.
According to Amret, the defensive magic entangled with the heart should be activated at the same time as death. However, I have not heard of Philimond being blown away by a large explosion.
‘Whether it’s true or not, it’s not an impossible story.’
The elves might not have agreed, but it was different for the archmage of the court. For an archmage with connections to the imperial family, the magic design wouldn’t have been that difficult. Depending on political interests, it would have been possible to fully comply with Amret’s demands.
“Anyway, thanks to that, I survived. I told my brother about it. What do you think happened after that? My brother eliminated my other brothers one by one, but he left me alone. That’s how Hamlet came to be emperor, and I was banished here.”
The Emperor would not have wanted to leave a bomb in his palace that could blow up the city at any time.
The heart that was once removed became Amlet’s insurance. Telmah, who inherited the throne from Hamlet, was also unable to do anything about his uncle.
Only then did Rubin understand why the space where Amret resided was so bleak. He was alive and reigning as the mayor of this city, but on the other hand, he was practically imprisoned.
“I need to get some fresh air.”
Amret stood up. He stepped onto one of the slabs that formed the floor. Soon, the slab rose about a foot from the ground. It was a slab with magic built into it to help him move, despite his poor health.
“Follow me.”
Ding ding ding. Amret went out of the building and Rubin followed.
The slab headed towards the edge of the tower’s peak. A dizzying height. Thanks to some magic, the wind did not blow.
Even though the darkness of night had descended, the city, painted entirely in white, was clearly visible.
“Can you see it?”
The place Amret pointed to was the black area. When viewed from the top of the tower, it looked like a hole in a piece of paper.
“When I first came to the market of Philimond, I brought a clown from the palace. He was a guy who fit my and Hamlet’s humor codes perfectly. I think my brother was very sorry that I took him away.”
It wasn’t a story about the black zone. But Amret’s finger was still pointing to the black zone.
“There’s a guy named Yorick. He’s over there.”
“Are you a criminal?”
“On the contrary. He is the ruler of the Black Zone. He is the one I put in place when Telmah tried to create the Black Zone.”
Amret chuckled. Rubin instinctively realized that the reason the mayor was sending him to the black zone was because of Yorick’s life.
“Ever since he was in the palace, Yorick had a talent for acting. That was the line he said the most deliciously back then.”
‘Even if you believe you know what you will be like today, no one knows what you will be like tomorrow.’
Amret continued.
“It’s been decades since that Yorick last recited those words. It’s time to remind him of them again.”
“Do you mean kill me?”
Amret’s eyes turned to Rubin. His face looked like it had been scolded by an elegant gentleman. Amret’s laughter continued to echo through the night air.
“I thought you were joking, but it looks like you’re serious.”
“The Assassin Swordsman doesn’t talk nonsense.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s true. Those boring rules. Rules. Laws… Well, you did get good grades in the Assassination Club, didn’t you?”
It seemed that he knew that Rubin had won the ‘first selection’ and ‘second selection’. Even though he was practically imprisoned, his information power seemed to reach even within the Imperial Department.
“No matter how great you are, you can’t kill Yorick right now. If you could kill Yorick, I would have sent soldiers myself.”
It wasn’t unreasonable to say that, since I didn’t know Rubin’s true state. But if it wasn’t to kill him, why did he tell me to go into the black zone?
At that moment, a sealed envelope came out from Amret’s arms.
“Your job is to deliver my letter. To the Assassin’s Blade members within the Black Zone.”
An assassin who resided within the Black Zone. Rubin knew who he was talking about. He was a vassal whose reputation he knew well, even though he had never met him in person.
The man known as ‘Killian’. He was a man with skills as good as his short name. He was someone that someone like Amret could trust and leave to him.
‘Now I understand. Why did you come looking for me?’
An assassin within the Black Zone is not an easy target. No matter how Killian is doing within the Black Zone, one thing is certain.
It is necessary to have a dark room to enter his residence.
The camouflage annex within the Black Zone is not ordinary. Like the massive storage room in the basement of the Roinen Mansion, the camouflage annex within the Black Zone is also designed to be accessible only to those with a dark side.
‘Because it was an important base and warehouse.’
The vassals who worked around Philimond had to go through the camouflaged annex in the Black Zone to receive new weapons or communicate with each assassination family.
The Black Zone was an area that was off-limits, so instead their Roinecrow would come and go, providing them with weapons, travel expenses, and new information.
And that was also the mission that Rubin had been assigned before his return. It was still being handled by an old assassin named Killian, but ten years later, Rubin’s first mission location was the camouflage annex in the Black Zone.
“Can I consider this as something unrelated to the imperial edict?”
Rubin pointed out calmly. It couldn’t be otherwise. I don’t know why Amret and Yorick had a falling out, but if the Imperial Order were to get involved in solving the problem, it would be a burden to everyone.
“Can you do it?”
If the reason you were asked to enter the black zone was to meet Killian, then it was a good thing.
Meeting Killian and getting a suitable weapon. More specifically, getting a weapon that could be useful in Capotini. That was the real reason I wanted to enter the Black Zone.
‘It has to be different than before the regression.’
From now on, things that don’t match the memories from before the regression will happen. So, you absolutely must not miss the certain future.
“You can do it.”
Rubin deliberately displayed confidence. Like an eleven-year-old child. Like a son of a siren.
Amret smiled brightly for the first time. The haphazardly attached flesh on his face twisted grotesquely.
“What a wonderful guy. Let’s go back inside.”
Amret stroked Rubin’s head with a trembling hand. It was an unpleasant touch, but Rubin bowed his head quietly in respect.
Back to the dark reception room.
“Okay, let’s look at this.”
There were three pieces of paper. They were the wrapping paper for the candy Amret had eaten. Looking closely, there was something written on the paper. It seemed to be a mark that only Amret could read.
Amret folded each of the three pieces of paper several times and held them up in front of Rubin.
“These have to do with the lottery in the black zone. The number I pick here determines the next person to be put on death row.”
“yes?”
When Rubin asked again, Amret smiled pleasantly.
“Are you surprised? Did you really think they were going to choose by lottery?”
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Rubin had been on a mission in the Black Zone before returning. He knew full well that the lottery in the Black Zone had nothing to do with luck. Everything was simply a matter of Mayor Philimond’s mind, Rubin had known from the beginning.
The criminal’s dream that he would never be caught unless he was chosen in the lottery was literally an illusion.
Rubin continued to pretend not to know.
“Now, on these three pieces of paper, I have selected the death row inmates. These are the bad guys who, if not killed this week, must be killed next week. The first one is… … .”
Amret told Rubin about three candidates for death row.
The first was ‘Death that won the hearts of the citizens’. Iza was the son of a noble family in Philimond and ran away. Since he was such a noble family, killing Iza would make all the citizens of Philimond happy.
The second was ‘a death that prevented revenge on Amret himself’. Killing Iza would reduce the threat Amret would face in the future.
The third was a ‘death that would reassure the Emperor’. He was a man the Emperor didn’t care much about now, but in his opinion, he could become a thorn in the Emperor’s side in the future. Killing him would put Telmah’s mind at ease.
“Who do you think I should kill this week?”
Rubin paused. He pretended to think hard. No matter what he said, nothing would change. Rubin knew who was getting picked this week.
The death row inmate wanted by Amret.
‘Killian.’
Amret will instruct Killian to kill the ruler of the Black Zone, and then he will be dealt with through a draw. Amret’s intention was to eliminate both Yorick and Killian at the same time.
‘But Killian didn’t die as Amret wished.’
There is no need for Rubin to get involved. The future has already been decided. No matter what Rubin says now, the future will not change. This is just Amret’s prank.
With this conviction, Rubin looked straight at Amret and answered. The most assassin-like, child-like answer.
“I think I should pick ‘Death that will reassure the Emperor.’”
“Oh. Why?”
“If the ruler of the Black Zone is assassinated, the palace will soon realize it. His Majesty the Emperor will want to reorganize Philimond. At that time, I think it would be good to prepare a gift to give to His Majesty.”
“It’s just a gift… . Right, right. Telmah will be quite satisfied if we kill this guy this time.”
Amret’s hand stroked Rubin’s.
“I think so too, Rubin. I guess I’ll have to pick this guy this week.”
The three pieces of paper floating in the air were crumpled together and thrown towards the fireplace. The paper bundles engulfed in flames quickly burned as if they had never existed before.
“I guess I should go now.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Tomorrow, you can get a black zone pass. I’ll give you two, including the one from… Roynenser, who I have to take care of.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“Discipline is discipline.”
The two got up from their chairs side by side. Amret staggered over to the sofa and sank into it, and Rubin, watching, bowed and paid his respects.
Amret waved his hand to tell him to leave. As Rubin turned around to leave,
“Oh, I almost forgot. You know that an imperial nobleman came to this city yesterday, right? The Magical House Witherspoon.”
“… … !”
Rubin turned slowly. A faint smile appeared on Amret’s face, who was burying herself in the sofa and warming herself by the fireplace fire.
“During the day, the daughter of that family came up here and played for a while. She was a very cute and talkative child.”
“You seem to have a close relationship with the Witherspoon family.”
“Because if you’re an imperial noble, you’ll always have to face the royal family first. And that family is, well, a bit special.”
Amret’s fingers tapped the area near his heart again.
“I guess it’s a connection to my heart.”
A snickering laugh. I understood what he meant. The court wizard who had cast a defensive spell on Amret’s removed heart was probably a member of the Witherspoon family.
“The talkative child also told me stories about the ship he came on. He made a friend named Luden of the Poinen family… and he taught him magic himself.”
“… … .”
“An assassin with magic? How interesting.”
Amret waved his hand again, meaning that he really wanted to get out. Rubin ducked and left the room.
The chill of Amret’s last words did not fade. There was a warning hidden between the lines. No assassin had ever set foot in the magical world before.
Rubin didn’t have much of an ambition for magic either, but Amret couldn’t understand that.
Do you still only know Amret?
How long will this fact be known only to Amret?
As Rubin stepped outside, the building’s door slid shut. He turned his head to look, and saw the sleeping Granbird glaring at Rubin with sharp eyes.
“… … .”
Rubin walked calmly and climbed up to the bottom of the stairs where the railing had been formed.
Kukukukukung.
The stone steps attached to the top floor moved one by one, winding down the entire tower. Rubin shook off his unease as he looked at the ground that was slowly approaching.
‘Amret will die soon anyway.’
