The old merchants of Southbank Territory often said, "There are no secrets in Emerald City. Every piece of news grows wings."
Some even grew more than one pair.
It was said that on the day of the Nightless Banquet, Prince Tales, who ruled Empty Palace in the name of the regency, had commanded troops, laid clever traps, and driven the Extreme Realm pinnacle assassin who had recently stirred up trouble throughout the city—committing countless linked massacres, uncovering the shocking old grievance of the Iris Flower, bringing about Duke Jann's downfall overnight, and throwing Emerald City into chaos—to a dead end at North Gate Bridge, where he was on the verge of capture and had nowhere left to flee.
As for the true identity of this peerless criminal and the mastermind behind him, both the officials deployed that night and the public notices posted afterward were vague. For a time, rumors ran wild:
Some said he was a surviving descendant of the "fourth mercenary company" outside the Emerald Legion, which had refused incorporation in the past and been wiped out by the Old Duke. He had returned years later to seek revenge on Emerald City and make the ungrateful Cavendish Family pay the price.
Others said he was a terrifying assassin adopted and lavishly trained from childhood by successive Dukes of Iris. He had hidden overseas, returning whenever summoned to carry out the dirty work of Empty Palace—such as "finishing" the old Duke's assassination case, silencing witnesses, and even leaving his mark on the Year of Blood.
Some claimed he was descended from the former forces of Archsea City, fiercely loyal to Viscount Sona Cavendish. After his master had died unjustly in prison, he had escaped the pursuit, lain low for years, and accumulated strength. Once the time was right, he