No great
And whenever one built a faction or sought to amass wealth, it was inevitable that one would offend many people.
Compared to that, the trouble the Farell Family currently faced was merely a minor inconvenience — something Leilin would encounter sooner or later even if he left the family.
Not to mention, the noble status was still rather useful. At the very least, it allowed Leilin to move freely through any human settlement on the continent, and he was reluctant to give it up.
Given the pace of his growth, the Farell Family would one day be unable to satisfy his needs, so the family's interests had to be expanded.
The more one consumed, the less remained for others. Leilin had long foreseen that the Bodi Archipelago — and its many natural harbors — held by the Lewis Family would become a stumbling block to his family's rise.
"If that's the case, then let's remove it!"
Even without this incident, the Farell Family would eventually come into conflict with Marquis Lewis. With that resolve settled, Leilin's eyes were already filled with icy cold.
"Of course, compared to the wealthy and powerful Marquis, the current Farell Family is far from prepared. So even if we emerge victorious this time, we must keep a low profile. Ideally... hm?"
Leilin's eyes snapped wide open. "That energy fluctuation... Chip!"
[Ding! Task established. Scanning initiated. Suspicious individuals detected approaching. High-energy accumulation alert! Target assessed as carrying high-yield explosives!]
On the Chip's display, the carriage seemed to dissolve into a phantom overlay, revealing streets and figures composed of countless lines. Several pedestrians skulking closer had been flagged by the Chip.
"Assassins? Jacob..."
Leilin's voice reached Jacob, who was driving the carriage up ahead, and the man's face froze for a moment.
"Don't stop! But don't show any confusion or panic either. Change course!"
Leilin's instructions continued to pour into Jacob's ears, yet seemed unheard by anyone else.
Jacob's hand hesitated on the reins. He had already taken this for a Wizard's peculiar ability, but the experienced coachman immediately understood that his young master had detected something.
Crack! The crisp sound of a whip rang out, and the carriage, which had been moving forward, suddenly veered onto another fork in the road.
"They're still following? Heh... Are they the type who won't stop until they get what they want?"
Leilin watched the assassins' movements on the Chip's display, a cold smile forming on his face.
"Jacob, follow the route I specified!"
Regardless of everything, as the young lord of Farell Port, Leilin could not allow the port's prosperity to suffer. If word spread that the noble heir had been attacked amid the port's bustling streets, it would be a devastating blow to the port's reputation. Many timid merchants would rather take a longer detour than stop there for supplies. So even though Leilin had already detected the assassins, he could not engage them in the market district.
Jacob clearly understood this as well, and held firm to the route Leilin had instructed.
Under Leilin's direction, the carriage slipped through like an eel and soon exited the market, reaching a narrow country road outside. The assassins likewise accelerated, closing in from all sides.
"Ready, Jacob? Once we start, you break through and send a signal to summon the patrol guard!"
Leilin sounded utterly composed.
"But what about the young master's safety?!" Jacob's face still showed hesitation.
"That's not a problem. Don't forget — I'm a Wizard. And I'm stronger than you!" Leilin said bluntly.
As if recalling his several defeats at Leilin's hands, Jacob flushed: "Understood, young master!"
At that moment, several dark figures, clearly flustered with rage, lunged directly toward them.
It was obvious. They had just realized they'd been played by Leilin at the port! Their fury was so great that they abandoned subtlety and hurled their killing weapons outright.
"Goblin alchemical bombs?"
Seeing several dark spheres hurtling toward the carriage, Leilin shook his head with mild indifference.
Had he been attacked with such devastating contraband back at the port, even if he himself emerged unscathed, Jacob would certainly have been injured or killed — to say nothing of any bystanders caught in the blast.
But out here in the open country, with clear sightlines and Leilin's prior warning, even Jacob could dodge them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The dark spheres struck the carriage, followed by thunderous explosions and billowing flames that quickly swallowed it whole.
The violent blasts shattered the carriage into pieces, sending fragments flying outward in every direction.
But before that happened, two dark figures had already leapt clear.
"One! Two! Three! Four! Still missing one!" Watching the four dark figures that had surrounded him, Leilin counted silently.
The Chip had detected five people. Now it was clear the fifth — apparently the leader — was still lurking in the shadows.
"Go!"
Leilin turned and shouted to Jacob. The coachman already bore several bloody gashes across his body, clearly wounded by the earlier explosion.
"The alchemical bombs were impressive enough, but they're contraband. Even with their smuggling channels, that volume should have been their limit..."
"Young master, take care!" Jacob's muscles bulged as he activated his battle qi. With a fierce roar, he gripped a headsman's sword in both hands and charged back toward the port.
"After him! Don't let him escape!"
The four surrounding assassins seemed to still be lamenting the failure of their alchemical bombs. When they saw Jacob actually abandon his master and flee, their eyes were filled with disbelief. But compared to a mere bodyguard captain, Leilin was clearly the far more valuable target. After only a moment's hesitation, they made their decision.
One dark figure slithered after Jacob like a snake, while the remaining three assassins arranged themselves in a triangle, completely surrounding Leilin.
"Heh heh... What a delicate little noble!"
One of the assassins licked the blade of his dagger, his eyes gleaming with a wolf-like green light.
"Hurry it up — this is his territory! Someone will come soon!" The earlier explosion had certainly not gone unnoticed. The three assassins closed in, their eyes locked on Leilin's heart, throat, and other vital points — clearly not intending to let him live long.
"He's a Wizard! Watch out for his spells!"
The words had barely left his mouth when several dark figures surged inward like the wind, giving Leilin no chance to speak.
Three daggers coiled toward him like the fangs of vipers, the piercing whistle of their passage making Leilin's skin prickle with pain.
"Three trained assassins!"
In the span of a heartbeat, Leilin swiftly formed a hand seal and spat out a syllable: "Ui...!!!"
Crack! First came a tremendous sound — even louder than the earlier alchemical explosions — that left all three assassins momentarily deaf. Then, a blinding white light erupted from Leilin's fingertip, forcing them to clamp their eyes shut.
Zero-level Spells — [Flash]and [Sudden Bang]! In moments like these, only zero-level spells that could be cast instantly were truly useful.
Moreover, Leilin could freely adjust and select his spells based on the situation, which was far superior to those rigid, by-the-book Wizards.
Though affected by both blindness and dizziness, the three assassins' daggers still descended toward Leilin on momentum alone.
In that instant, Leilin moved!
His hand shot out like lightning. The dagger in the center assassin's grip suddenly stalled, and then his arm went limp as if struck at a vital pressure point, hanging slack like a dead snake.
"N-No good—!"
Before the thought could even fully form in the assassin's mind, the dagger had changed hands and was now in Leilin's grip.
Bang! Bang! Two dark figures went flying backward. The assassin in the middle was not so fortunate — his arms were pinned behind his back and he was forced to his knees. The dagger that had been in his hand now pressed tight against his own throat.
The keen edge of the blade made every pore on his neck seem to stand open.
"Did you really think I was just a Wizard?" Leilin smiled coldly at him.
Wizards were notoriously reclusive, and Leilin had moved out at an early age. So apart from
"I was going to ask who sent you, but judging by the look of things, you wouldn't talk anyway..."
Leilin's voice dropped low, and to the kneeling assassin it sounded like the whisper of a demon.
Then, with a swift motion, Leilin's dagger slashed across — a throat-cut!
A torrent of blood surged from the man's throat. The assassin gasped desperately for air, but the light in his eyes gradually faded as he collapsed to the ground.
Watching Leilin dispatch a man so casually, without so much as a flicker of discomfort, the two surviving assassins exchanged glances and silently resolved to flee.
They had never known their target would be so formidable — not only possessing considerable magical ability, but also excelling in close combat. That precise battlefield awareness and merciless killing instinct were clearly not something some sheltered young noble could produce.
At this point, they half-suspected that some demon was inhabiting the young noble's body, or that he was someone else entirely in disguise.
But there was still hope!
Both assassins' eyes hardened with resolve, and they suddenly bolted.