The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Kaiden clenched his jaw, his gaze boring into the map.

"What the hell..."

Throughout the journey, he had kept a close eye on it, anticipating the moment Zephyrion would lead them off their path and his farce would be exposed.

Yet, that moment never came.

In fact, the entire journey had gone smoothly because of Zephyrion. He had followed the path to a tee and chosen their camps with precision.

It had been so seamless that they hadn’t even encountered a single mutated beast or wandering bandit. It was ridiculous.

Even worse, his flawless leadership had the others, Fiona included, following his every word like obedient little puppies. Kaiden’s grip tightened around the map. He couldn’t allow that.

What none of them realized was that Zephyrion’s actions hadn’t only unsettled Kaiden, but also their Silversteel instructor, Kona.

The man stood with a deep frown on his face, his gaze fixed on Zephyrion.

He had observed him throughout the entire journey, and at times, it had felt less like watching a trainee and more like observing a seasoned veteran moving through the wild.

’So the rumors aren’t wrong...’

Their young lord was truly an anomaly.

A moment later, Kaiden stepped forward, straightening slightly as he scanned their surroundings with the map in hand.

"Hmm... according to the map, the village should be right here. But I don’t see—"

"Quiet."

"...what?"

Kaiden’s brows knit as his gaze snapped to Zephyrion, who was now surveying the forest with narrowed eyes.

"We’re being watched."

Kona’s eyes narrowed subtly.

’He noticed?’

But while that realization stirred him, Kaiden, Fiona, and the others only looked at Zephyrion with confusion.

"Watched? By who? I don’t see—"

"We’re from Calderalth," Zephyrion called out, his gaze narrowing as he swept the forest. "We’ve been sent to assist the village."

A moment of silence followed, the air growing taut. Just as it seemed nothing would happen, a voice echoed from behind a tree.

"We’re stepping out. Don’t attack."

"...the hell?"

Kaiden’s eyes widened as multiple warriors clad in black armor emerged from the forest. Some stepped out from behind trees, others dropped from branches, while a few revealed themselves from within dense shrubs.

How the hell didn’t he notice them? It wasn’t just him, even Fiona and the other two trainees stared in shock, mouths slightly open. They had been so close, yet none of them had noticed a thing.

While the others remained fixated on the warriors in bafflement, Zephyrion stood completely unfazed.

’Black Iron knights.’

Among Calderalth’s forces, the Black Iron knights stood at the lowest tier. They were typically base warriors assigned to villages, towns, and cities under Calderalth’s domain, tasked with maintaining order and protecting the people.

’If they’re here, then...’

Although Calderalth oversaw the settlements under its rule, it was still rare to see Black iron knights actively guarding a village. According to the reports, this one barely housed a thousand people.

If Blackiron knights were stationed here, then the village held some level of importance to Calderalth.

"I’m Huno, Blackiron knights. Sorry for watching you, we needed to be sure you weren’t a threat."

A broad man stepped forward and dipped his head slightly. A thick black beard covered most of his face, and polished black armor encased his body, leaving only his head exposed.

A jagged scar ran down his chin, and his eyes carried the hardened look of a seasoned veteran.

"It’s fine."

Huno nodded, his gaze moving over each of them with careful scrutiny before settling back on Zephyrion, a slight frown forming on his face.

Zephyrion caught the faint flicker of shock that passed through his eyes. He wasn’t surprised. Despite their armor and weapons, they still looked like nothing more than teenagers.

’He’s also gone.’

Though he could still sense Kona’s presence, the Silversteel had vanished from sight, making it clear that everything from this point rested on them.

"...you’re the reinforcements from the house?" The Blackiron asked, his gaze laced with skepticism.

"Yes."

"...this is all of you?"

"Yes."

"...what?"

Huno’s frown deepened, and Zephyrion didn’t miss the hesitant glances exchanged among the Blackiron knights. After a brief moment, they seemed to reach a silent agreement and gave a small nod.

"...alright. Follow me. I’ll take you to the village."

Zephyrion and the others followed the knights through a concealed underground passage beneath an unusually large tree.

From there, they were guided through a network of interconnected caves within the mountain, eventually emerging at its base minutes later.

Just ahead, standing before the large gates of a walled village, were several aged men and women.

’The village head.’

Zephyrion’s gaze settled on the man standing at the forefront of the group.

He was large and broad, his features hardened by years of experience. His black hair was cut short, and a faint pressure seemed to seep from him.

It wasn’t overwhelming, but it carried the unmistakable edge of someone who had spent years brushing against battle and danger.

The man frowned slightly as they approached.

"I am Omar Tome, head of this Pulsegrove village. The men and women behind me are the elders."

’Pulsegrove village.’

Zephyrion glanced at Kaiden, then gave a small gesture toward the man.

Kaiden frowned briefly, then his eyes widened as understanding dawned on him.

He straightened at once and stepped forward with a confident posture, his tone steady.

"I am Kaiden Calderalth. My team and I have been sent by the house to assist in your village’s protection. If you could just—"

"Sent? You?"

The man’s gaze sharpened as it swept across them, scrutinizing each of their faces before his brows drew together.

"...pardon me, but you all look very young. What knight line are you from?"

Kaiden cleared his throat.

"...we haven’t joined one yet. We’re trainees from the third tier—"

"Trainees?" Omar’s eyes widened slightly. "...then what are you doing here?"

Kaiden’s brows knit, caught slightly off guard. Usually, the mere mention of the Calderalth name was enough to command respect from those who heard it, yet the dissatisfaction in this man’s tone was unmistakable.