The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 184: Chapter 181 — Crowd

Not long after his meeting with Kilo, another knock came from the door.

”...What?”

”I-it’s Tobias, m-my lord. I-I made breakfast. It’s not great, but—”

”I’m not interested.”

A moment of silence passed beyond the door before Tobias’ hesitant voice came.

”I-I know that, but you still have to eat, so—”

”Did you not hear me?”

Zephyrion’s words came out cold.

He knew this would affect the ward negatively. Seeing his master in trouble and being unable to help was reopening an old wound. Yet he had no time to babysit someone simply because they felt helpless. He needed time to think.

This... this was far too important.

But the acknowledgment and departing footsteps he expected never came. Instead, Tobias spoke again.

”My lord... I’m not leaving here if you don’t come have breakfast.”

Zephyrion frowned. He was about to speak when Tobias continued in a quieter voice.

”...It’s not really for you anyway... my lord...”

Zephyrion instinctively turned toward Lumi. She was still buried underneath her blanket from last night. He could tell she was awake. The Lumi he knew would be hopping around the room, pestering him nonstop. Yet she seemed like a lifeless husk of herself.

It should not be like this.

Zephyrion had seldom felt a greater urge to kill. His fingers slowly curled into a fist.

Then he nodded.

”...Okay.”

He spent several minutes trying to get Lumi out of bed before eventually deciding to sling her over his shoulder. She barely resisted, simply letting it happen.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. He could see the usually talkative Tobias wanting to say something. The ward would open his mouth, hesitate, then quietly close it again.

Lumi was in an even worse state. She sat motionless, staring into her bowl of soup with unfocused eyes, making no attempt to eat.

It was an odd sight for Zephyrion. This was the same girl who always beamed while chewing on beef jerky during long journeys.

Zephyrion had tried multiple ways to get her to eat, but to no avail. After several attempts, he eventually gave up.

Not long after breakfast, a messenger arrived at the mansion. Even as the middle-aged man delivered the news, the coldness in Zephyrion’s eyes remained.

He and Lumi had been summoned to Calderalth’s throne room.

The throne room was reserved for receiving important guests and overseeing matters concerning the house as a whole. Any meeting called there was never trivial.

Zephyrion quietly returned to his room. He stood by the window in silence while Lumi’s soft breathing filled the space behind him. His mind continued to turn.

After a seemingly long moment, he exhaled.

After informing Lumi of their summons, the two set out toward Calderalth’s throne room. His mansion was located on the western side of the mountain, while the throne room stood to the east.

The entrance to the building was marked by a grand flight of stairs. As they approached, faint chanting drifted into Zephyrion’s ears. The closer they got, the louder it became.

By the time they reached the top, the source was impossible to miss. Below, thousands of people filled the surrounding forests.

Zephyrion listened to their collective shouts.

”Release the prisoner! The Iron Father is absolute! Relea—”

Zephyrion exhaled slowly, feeling his blood churn. This was the Sarakhels’ power. The people. With faith as their tool, the people were little more than slaves beneath them. The High Priest had merely paid a visit last night, yet thousands had already gathered to protest against Calderalth.

It had been known, but this was undeniable proof.

They were not joking.

The crowd didn’t seem to affect Lumi much. At least, not like yesterday. Zephyrion glanced at her once before turning away and continuing forward.

Many maids and guards threw glances his way as he passed. He ignored them all and walked toward the grand double doors. The announcer immediately straightened.

”Prime Zephyrion Calderalth and Lumi Calderalth have arrived.”

Zephyrion stepped inside with his back straight and eyes cold. He swept the room in a single glance.

Seated on one side were the Three Great Lines. Ingrid. Garaxe. Tenius. Garrick stood slightly apart from them, casually leaning against a distant wall.

Kastor was absent.

Seated on the opposite side was Koran.

Standing behind him were two large men clad in pure dark robes. Their eyes were barely open, revealing faint glints of silver beneath their brows. Both were completely hairless, and the hilts of swords protruded directly from their hearts.

It was unclear how they were still alive.

Zephyrion’s gaze lingered on them. They were not the priests from yesterday.

The Heartbound.

The Heartbound were more monsters than men. Trained to such an extent that every trace of emotion had been stripped away. Their sole purpose was to serve as the church’s blade. The fact they had been brought here could only mean one thing.

A show of force.

Zephyrion felt his blood churn. It took effort to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to kill them. Every single one of them. Koran. The executioners. The Sarakhels.

He wanted their heads.

A sudden pressure tightened around his arm. Zephyrion glanced down, and saw that Lumi’s grip had tightened. His thoughts immediately cooled.

The crowd outside hadn’t stirred her, neither had the long, silent night. Yet now... She was trembling again. Zephyrion turned toward Koran.

’Because of him.’

He circulated his blood, gradually settling his pounding heart.

Rule Three.

Emotions cloud judgment.

He had already made his choice. He couldn’t afford to let emotions lead him astray now. Zephyrion reached the grand steps and offered a calm nod.

Koran frowned, clearly displeased by the absence of a proper bow. Across the room, Garrick grinned and threw him a wink.

”Thank you for coming.” Ingrid stepped forward, giving Zephyrion a slight nod before turning to Lumi. ”And you as well.”

Zephyrion focused on her. Calm expression, rigid shoulders, blinking slightly more than necessary. On the surface, she appeared composed, but there was tension beneath it. What did that mean?

She had helped him last night, but was she truly on his side? This was an opportunity unlike any other to bury him. She would fail if she tried. Still, only a fool would ignore the possibility entirely.

”Now that we’re all here, I’ll begin this meeting.” Ingrid continued. ”High Priest Koran came here to—”

”Let’s save ourselves this useless theatrics.”

Koran scoffed, throwing a cold look at Lumi before turning it toward Zephyrion.

”As you can see from the crowd outside, the people want justice. You’re harboring a criminal. It’s really that simple. Hand her over and stop wasting everyone’s time.”