A Blade in the Shadows

Rook's sharp eyes quickly scanned the room.

The scene before him was completely different from the aristocratic residence he had envisioned.

This place can hardly be called a decent study; at best, it's just a crude stone hut hastily cobbled together.

The gray-white stone bricks were covered with countless blueprints, densely packed with arrows and symbols that Rook couldn't quite understand.

In the center of the room stood a large wooden table, with several pieces of ore haphazardly piled on it, and several bottles containing a dark green liquid beside it.

Shien sat behind the table, the fourteen-year-old lord not even raising his head, his pen still moving across the parchment, writing something unreadable.

Ivan, half-hidden in the corner of the room like a statue, his right hand on the hilt of his sword, remained motionless, coldly staring at Rook at the door.

The only sound in the room was the nib of a pen scratching across parchment, as if deliberately keeping someone hanging.

Rook's muscles, hidden beneath his cloak, slowly tensed; this silent, unassuming demeanor instinctively aroused his vigilance.

Time passed slowly, and finally, Shien stopped writing, casually tossing the quill into the ink bottle before slowly raising his eyes.

Those icy blue eyes were devoid of emotion, yet just that one glance made Rook's heart sink slightly.

He immediately lowered his head, his back arching in a perfect curve, adopting the posture of a cautious, obedient, and loyal Knight.

"My lord," Rook's voice was hoarse, carrying the weariness of his journey, "The Earl has been concerned for your safety. This is the list of the supplies we've brought; please take a look."

As he spoke, he handed over the parchment scroll with both hands, his tone and movements impeccable.

But in Shien's eyes, a string of glaring numbers silently appeared above that seemingly humble head.

Red Grace Value: -28

Shien leaned back in his chair and smiled silently to himself.

His father had not disappointed him; the red value of -28 spoke volumes, indicating that the man before him was thoroughly hostile.

However, what Blackpine Fief lacks most right now is capable people, and a Knight at the Resonance Realm is still worth trying to win over.

Even if the opponent is a hunting dog with venomous fangs, if all else fails, throwing it into the trenches to wear down the Magic Creature is not a bad deal.

But this is on the premise that the person still has room for maneuver.

Shien didn't immediately expose Rook's hidden murderous intent. He simply leaned back in the rough wooden chair and looked at him as if he were examining a strange weapon that had just been handed to him.

"Knight Rook, you've worked hard." Shien said calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"But doesn't it feel a bit awkward to flip through account books with a hand that's used to holding a poisoned dagger all the time?"

The callus on your hand, the suppressed breathing as you entered, and the angle at which you instinctively drew your sword... these are not habits a leader escorting a grain wagon would have.

Rook's pupils contracted sharply.

He maintained his submissive demeanor on the surface, but his heart sank.

Unexpectedly, his disguise was seen through by the young lord!

Shien didn't give him a chance to explain, and changed the subject, his tone becoming calmer.

"It's not hard to guess why my father sent you here. He was simply preparing for the worst, so that if I showed any weakness or had any other thoughts, he would kill me."

But have you ever considered that once a knife like yours, hidden in the shadows, is exposed, it will lose all its value? No matter how many dirty deeds you've done for the family or how much blood you've seen, it doesn't matter.

Once your identity is exposed, the Earl's mansion will immediately act as if you never existed; you'll just be an old tool to be discarded.

At this point, Shien slowly stood up, placed his hands on the table, and leaned slightly forward to look at Rook.

"You saw it when you entered the city. Blackpine Fief is not a dilapidated fortress waiting to die, and I am not the kind of young nobleman who only hides in his study."

Stay and pledge your allegiance to me.

I've given you a legitimate identity, so you no longer need to hide under your hood and cloak, and you no longer need to worry about your master throwing you into a ditch to rot away with a single word."

Shien paused for a moment, his voice still not loud, but it carried a more imposing weight.

"When the Blood Moon Season arrives, if you achieve great merit, the Church will remember your name, and the Sacred Flame will shine upon you. The blood you shed will no longer be used to wipe the dirty hands of some earl, but to protect the Eternal Night Wall for all the people of the world."

Shien looked at him and added one last sentence, "By then, you will no longer be a blade in the shadows, you will be a hero, Holy Flame Knights standing in the light."

Rook's heart skipped a beat.

These words are incredibly accurate.

Gold and silver jewelry might not be able to sway a suicide soldier, but a respectable status and a future illuminated by the Sacred Flame are far more desirable to someone who has lived in the shadows his entire life.

The Church may not care how many people he killed for any count, but if he can hold a section of the defense and block a wave of Blood Moon Season for the Eternal Night Wall, his name will be recorded in the Sacred Flame Register, and people will even pray for him after his death.

The boy in front of me was only fourteen years old, but his words of manipulating people were more accurate than those of the old foxes in the Royal Capital.

Without pausing for a moment, Rook immediately knelt heavily on one knee.

"I am willing to serve you, my lord!" His voice was filled with suppressed excitement. "As long as you do not abandon me, Rook's life is yours from this day forward!"

But Shien just watched him coldly, his gaze fixed on the numbers above Rook's head.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths.

The scarlet [-28] on Rook's head looked like a stagnant pool.

The system won't lie to him; the fact that the values don't change shows that this person's resolve has never wavered.

Then there's no need to keep it any longer.

Shien sighed softly, a hint of regret in his voice. "What a pity."

Rook was slightly taken aback, unsure of what Shien meant, but a chill ran down his spine.

He reacted extremely quickly, his whole body springing up like a bowstring stretched to its limit. With a twist of his left shoulder, the hidden blade in his sleeve slid out smoothly, the movement so fast that it left only a blur.

But it was too late; a heavy, dark shadow pressed down directly on them.

The heavy sword in Ivan's hand made a low, guttural sound as it slashed down from above without any fancy moves.

The sword strike was swift and ruthless, with astonishing force. Rook had barely raised his hand when his right arm was severed at the shoulder.

Blood gushed out suddenly.

Before Rook could even let out a muffled groan, Ivan twisted his wrist, and the heavy blade swept across cleanly, slicing through his neck.

"Pfft."

Rook's eyes were wide open, still holding a lingering sense of shock and confusion.

Even as his body crashed heavily onto the stone ground, he still couldn't understand why his disguise, which he had kept hidden for so many years, had been exposed so quickly and so thoroughly here.

Fresh blood slowly spread along the gray-white stone bricks, creeping outwards along the cracks between them.

The room fell silent again.

Ivan shook the blood off his sword, then sheathed it and retreated into the shadows.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't utter a single unnecessary word, nor did he ask Shien why he wanted to kill the Count's messenger.