Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 162: Chapter 161: The Grim Reaper’s Invitation

Where there is light, there is darkness.

The Kingdom of the Holy Church is a vast and beautiful realm, yet this does not mean it is Heaven. Wherever humans gather, darkness and evil will always breed, and the Kingdom of the Holy Church is no exception.

City of Korhal.

This is a city on the frontier that, on the surface, does not share the solemnity and seriousness typically associated with border towns. Instead, its bustling and elegant architecture coupled with the rolling hills of villas gives it more the appearance of a holiday resort. Green mountains and waters, clean and tidy streets, and tall, orderly city walls make everything look incredibly opulent and splendid.

But at this moment, the murderous soldiers shattered all of that tranquillity.

“They’re here again.”

...

Seated in the tavern, a man dressed in black watched the fully armed soldiers march down the street and laughed softly as he spoke. He lifted his mug of ale and took a sip, then followed with a sneer.

“Look at them, don’t they resemble a pack of stray dogs chased off by their master?”

“What can you do? After all, I heard it was the wastrel son of the City Lord who died this time.”

The woman seated beside him shook her head, her voice conveying resignation, yet a smile also played upon her lips.

“How did he die this time?”

“I heard he accidentally fell off the balcony and down to his death.”

At this, the woman made a pointed nod as if to insinuate something deeper.

“Many witnessed it with their own eyes.”

“Yes…”

Upon hearing the woman’s reply, the man in black sneered again.

“Accidents… they’re everywhere. Our Mr. Grim Reaper really is something.”

“Keep your voice down, idiot.”

The woman mercilessly stepped on the man’s foot, altering his bizarre expression.

“Don’t you know what keeping a low profile means? That rumor, although just a rumor, is not merely a rumor! Be careful, or you might be the next one to ‘accidentally’ suffer.”

Hearing this, the man’s face immediately turned serious, and he dared not speak any further.

All of this began with the “Death Exchange” half a month ago.

In the City of Korhal, there exists the so-called “Death Exchange”—of course, this is not a gathering place for Necromancers, nor is it associated with Hell. In reality, it’s a dark haven for assassins. Assassins from various powers, or those unaffiliated, take on contracts within the Death Exchange to kill their targets. Naturally, all of this is kept secret; the contracts are placed on specially treated plaques that only the assassins are permitted to take. Of course, the Death Exchange has its strict restrictions and ranking system; assassins who complete their tasks get promoted and are then qualified to undertake more dangerous missions.

And half a month ago, something happened at the Death Exchange.

An anonymous assassin took a contract to kill the captain of the city guard force.

This wasn’t considered a big deal, so the assassins paid it no mind. However, within just a day, the Death Exchange confirmed the death of the guard captain.

Not that he was murdered on his way home, nor that he vanished in some dark corner, instead, he was drunk, slipped from the city gate, and smacked head-first onto the ground in plain view.

And then… there was no after.

No one made much of it. A minor city guard captain who was known to be a drunkard—it was common enough that stumbling over a loose brick due to intoxication, then falling to his death was considered normal.

But to everyone’s surprise, shortly after the death of the guard captain, the contract reappeared at the Death Exchange, indicating a request for confirmation.

Does this mean that the guard captain’s death wasn’t an accident but rather a murder by an assassin?

The Death Exchange, known as a notorious underground haven for assassins, certainly has its capabilities. They summoned their strongest Prophet Mage to prophecy and investigate the death of the guard captain, concluding… the guard captain indeed died accidentally.

With solid factual evidence, it was natural not to let any opportunist thief succeed, so the Death Exchange naturally cancelled the contract. They also failed to find the assassin who took the contract, assuming at the time that this petty crook was likely trying to muddle through for a payout, hence why he remained elusive. Especially after the Death Exchange withdrew the contract, the absence of the assassin’s explanation made the Exchange more convinced that it could have been sheer luck that the target of the contract died accidentally shortly after it was taken, and therefore he attempted to claim a reward.

Then, after that, strange things started to occur.

At the Death Exchange, it happened that contracts were taken and the assassination targets all died due to various accidents. These contracts also returned to the Exchange for confirmation after the deaths of the targets, but each time the Exchange’s Prophets investigated, the conclusion was… accidental death.

An accident once or twice might be seen as a coincidence, but when such “accidents” occur en masse in a short period, they’re no longer coincidental.

The people in charge of the Death Exchange were no fools; their prognosticating Advanced Mage was of Legendary Rank, yet even they couldn’t detect any sign of what was happening… How was that possible?

Assassins in this world were formidable, but, in the end, they were still assassins, lethal beings lurking in the shadows. Patience and ubiquitous assassination attempts were the greatest advantages of these assassins. They could wait for more than half a year for a target, constantly seeking vulnerabilities for a surefire kill. They could also use weapons imbued with curses or magical power to break through defenses, but even so, they needed to do the deed themselves.

For this reason, assassins typically employed special methods to conceal themselves, and they wouldn’t casually reveal their Star Pattern. In other words, in this world of assassination, while everyone knew an assassination had taken place, they merely didn’t know who the assassin was.

However… this assassin’s “assassination” was no longer mere assassination.

It was more akin to a proclamation from the Grim Reaper.

Initially, the Death Exchange didn’t pay much attention to this “assassin” since the individuals murdered, although of significant status, were all weak in strength. If the victims had been far more powerful, being brutally killed would not have been impossible, perhaps just a matter of wicked taste.

Yet, when an Advanced Mage from a certain family fell victim to assassination, the situation took a serious turn.

According to the investigators at the time, the Mage died suddenly when a spell they were casting spiraled out of control and backlashed. From beginning to end, there were no signs the Mage had been under mental control, and the Sanctum’s Clerics confirmed after examining the body that there was no poisoning or consumption of any spirit-altering substances.

In any other place, this might have been dismissed as an Advanced Mage’s mistake, not meriting any particular concern.

But the Death Exchange didn’t see it that way.

Because right before the death of that Advanced Mage, their assassination contract had been taken by that “Grim Reaper.”

After the death of the Advanced Mage, that “contract” was returned.

For a while, the entire high echelon of the Death Exchange was in shock.

Although assassins are generally seen to have an advantage over Mages, the truth is, the last thing an assassin wants is to confront a Mage, especially a High-Tier Mage. Mages who reached the Intermediate Level would employ a myriad of methods to store Defensive Magic for emergencies, making it impossible for stealth killings, poisonings, or even for controlled attendants to use a moment of unguardedness to strike. Once a Mage was prepared, the one who would be unlucky was most certainly the assassin.

Thus, for powerful assassins, killing a Mage was even more challenging than killing High-Tier Warriors, swordsmanship masters, or even Druids. With these professions, they at least stood a chance, but against Mages, it was mostly a gamble, betting on whether the Mage was foolish enough to be killed by an assassin.

Naturally, when an assassin has a run of bad luck… well, the outcome is self-explanatory.

But now, there was an assassin who subtly and effortlessly murdered an Advanced Mage, and more importantly, without anyone discovering how!

This immediately drew the Death Exchange’s attention, and even the three Legendary Powerhouses within the organization mobilized, staying at the contract board specifically to find this assassin.

But then a horrific scene unfolded.

Another contract silently disappeared, and following another “accidental death,” that contract reappeared at the Death Exchange. The problem was, during the entire process, none of the formidable powers had discovered anything!

This meant that the target had evaded a powerful Prophet Mage, a Legendary Assassin, and a Legendary Rogue, entering and exiting the Death Exchange as if it were uninhabited, without being detected by anyone!

Was this still human action?

As the matter fermented and the concept of an “Unseen Grim Reaper” within the Death Exchange began to circulate widely, many heard rumors and were terrified. Some even bribed an assassin in an attempt to learn the target of this “Unseen Grim Reaper” for investigation and defense. But… It was all to no avail.

“…An ‘Unseen Grim Reaper’?”

The armored Sheriff lifted his head, looking at his pale-faced subordinate.

“Wasn’t that just a very normal accident? You were with me, and we both witnessed it, right?”

“Of course, Lord Conan…”

On hearing the Sheriff’s question, his attending Knight also broke out in a cold sweat.

“As you said, we were invited to the party, and both you and I saw his… ridiculous behavior…”

The attending Knight’s expression revealed disapproval as he spoke. The City Lord’s worthless son who died had a nature of debauchery, taking pleasure in mistreating women. In fact, when they attended the City Lord’s feast, they had seen firsthand how detestable the scoundrel was. He died after being rejected by a Maid and attempted to carry her off forcibly. During this, he suddenly lost balance stepping on the slick floor, crashed into the balcony railing on the second floor, and, possibly due to the railing’s decay and breakage, fell to his death in front of everybody.

Knight Conan had seen it all, even considering intervening to prevent the fool’s ridiculous actions. Although now retired, being a former Templar, he couldn’t remain indifferent to such behavior.

Not to mention, the idiot son had such a terrible reputation in the city that almost everyone was celebrating his death; if it weren’t for consideration of the City Lord, the celebrations would likely have already spilled into the streets.

But now, the City Lord had come to him, seeking an investigation into a “Grim Reaper”?

What in the world was going on?