The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 265: Chapter 260 — Wish

Good luck.

The words had been on the letter. However, they only deepened Zephyrion’s frown. The letter had been sent by Ingrid, yet he couldn’t think of anything that would warrant her sending something like this. Well, except...

’A warning.’

Zephyrion sat on the bed and sank into his thoughts. The past months had been brutal. He and the cadets had been put through several gruesome tests that pushed both their minds and bodies to their limits. Though Zephyrion had endured worse at the Order, far worse, he still had to admit it hadn’t exactly been a cakewalk.

Still, during that time, his... relationship with Ingrid. a word he’d only recently begun to use, had changed somewhat.

They spoke almost daily now, usually at night, with Zephyrion often telling her about his day. He had to admit, it had felt strange at first, especially since he still hadn’t understood what Ingrid wanted from him with all her odd behavior. Yet somehow, his hesitation had gradually faded, so much so that he found himself looking forward to midnight, when his rune tab rang and his sister’s familiar scoff sounded from the other side.

He liked talking to Ingrid.

It had taken him months to finally admit that to himself. Still, he wasn’t completely certain whether Ingrid felt the same. It would have been easy to assume so, though. At one point, he had even entertained the utterly absurd idea that Ingrid had come to the academy because of him.

The thought had been so ridiculous he’d almost slapped himself for having it.

Still, their relationship felt... refreshing, and while he’d never cared much for Ingrid during their childhood, lately he’d found himself hoping that what had grown between them was genuine, that there wasn’t some form of deceit hidden beneath it.

That said, despite their budding relationship, Ingrid had always maintained a firm professional boundary. She never hinted at upcoming tests or warned him about what was coming, a trait Zephyrion had gradually come to respect.

Which only made the current situation all the stranger.

This letter was clearly a warning. Given how hardheaded she’d always been, Zephyrion doubted Ingrid would ever compromise her principles just to give him a brief heads-up. In that case, there could only be one reason she had done so.

’The warning has no effect whatsoever on what’s coming.’

It meant this wasn’t one of the usual tests. It meant something bigger was coming. And given everything that had happened over the past few months, only one thing came to mind.

’War.’

The sudden crack of a voice reverberated in Zephyrion’s ears. It echoed from every direction, carrying with enough intensity that he had no doubt it could be heard throughout the entire fortress.

”Rise and shine, cadets. I’m about to make an important announcement. You have exactly three seconds to start listening. If you miss anything after that, congratulations, you’ll be confused.”

The voice was soft, yet firm. Familiar. One he had grown accustomed to hearing late at night.

Ingrid’s.

Three seconds passed in the blink of an eye before her voice echoed through the fortress once more.

”Time’s up. By the end of this announcement, I and every instructor of the Southern House will leave the fortress, and we will not return until the exercise is over. As for the exercise itself, it’s something many of you have been anticipating for months now. War. Against the other houses, to be exact. As I speak, their respective house commanders are delivering the same announcement, so don’t start thinking you’re special.”

A brief pause followed.

”From this moment onward, you will face the other houses without any help or interference from your instructors. No one is coming to save you, no matter how much you call, beg, cry, or embarrass yourselves. You are on your own, and your well-being is entirely your responsibility.

”Your goal is simple: survive and take control of the other fortresses. You are cadets of the Southern House. You carry our pride and our honor, and after everything we’ve put you through these past few months, I expect nothing less than victory. The other houses will be coming for your fortress just as you’ll be coming for theirs, so whatever time you have left, use it wisely. Or don’t. You’ll be the ones suffering for it.”

A brief silence followed.

”Now listen carefully. I will reiterate the rules of this exercise once. If you somehow misunderstand them after that, consider it your first disadvantage.”

As Ingrid began listing the rules, Zephyrion carefully slipped the letter into his pocket and shut his eyes, his mind settling into a deep calm that most would have found unsettling.

Finally, after so many months of preparation, the time for war had come.

...

The rules were simple and straightforward:

Every house would begin the exercise with an identical amount of resources. Additional resources would be periodically released throughout the exercise, with every house given an equal opportunity to acquire them. How those resources were obtained, defended, stolen, or lost was entirely up to the cadets.

Each house would be led by a single commander, designated as Prime. The Prime represented the fortress itself. Should a Prime be defeated and formally surrender, their fortress would be considered conquered, and every remaining cadet under their command would immediately fall under the authority of the conquering Prime.

Primes were free to leave their fortresses at any time. However, the moment they crossed beyond their fortress grounds, every opposing Prime would be notified. From that point onward, their location and movements would remain visible to the other Primes until they returned to their fortress.

Cadets were free to attack, defend, form alliances, betray agreements, raid resources, capture enemy cadets, and employ whatever strategies they deemed necessary, provided they remained within the established restrictions of the exercise.

Temper Points would be awarded throughout the war based on individual performance. Contributions to the house, successful completion of assigned duties, defeating or capturing enemy cadets, acquiring resources, participating in the conquest of a fortress, and other valuable actions would all contribute toward a cadet’s final score.

The exercise had no predetermined duration. It would continue until only one unconquered fortress and its Prime remained standing.

There was only one condition for victory.

Be the last house standing.

Lastly, the entirety of the exercise would be observed, not only by the academy, but by various powers throughout the Ferran Empire. Performance during the war could directly influence future apprenticeship opportunities, recruitment, and other prospects after graduation.

As such, every cadet was strongly advised to perform accordingly.

...

Zephyrion found himself replaying the last rule constantly in his head. Somehow, the thought of being watched by people across the empire didn’t sit well with him. He understood the purpose. The academy wanted to display their talents to the various powers and open opportunities for future apprenticeships. However, there was simply no way to control who was watching.

For all he knew, Frost could be watching him right now.

Zephyrion shuddered at the thought.

’There’s no way to change the situation. I just have to accept it.’

Barely a few minutes had passed since Ingrid’s announcement ended, yet the entire southern fortress had already come alive. Zephyrion had spent the past month preparing for the war, assigning every single cadet a role within the fortress. During their free time, he hadn’t hesitated to drill them repeatedly until everyone knew exactly what they were supposed to do.

Now, it had become almost second nature.

This was the result of all his efforts over the past few months. The cadets trusted him now, enough to place their lives in his hands. It was completely different from simply forcing people to follow him through power and fear.

Their war room was a medium-sized room with a single table at the center, a map of the surrounding territory sprawled across it. Calderalth Southern banners hung from the walls, and the room itself was located on the fourth floor, only revealed after Ingrid’s declaration.

Zephyrion shifted his attention to the others. Gathered around the table were his... generals. Through the academy’s countless tests, each cadet had gradually come to specialize in different aspects of Ferran warfare, and those standing around the table were the heads of their respective teams, chosen based on their Temper Points.

Kaelion and Draven were both responsible for the Vanguards, standing with their arms folded across their chests. Kaiden was responsible for the Strikers. He stood opposite Zephyrion, studying the map with a calculating glint in his eyes.

Kaiden looked... different.

Over the past month, he had changed in a way Zephyrion found increasingly strange. He’d gotten rid of his usual spiky hair, replacing it with neatly combed hair tied into a single ponytail, suspiciously similar to Zephyrion’s.

His posture had grown straighter, and he now carried himself with a constant air of cold composure, his eyes calculating and his expression arranged into what he probably thought was an unreadable mask.

It was as though Kaiden was trying to become... him.

’That’s a problem.’

After all, Zephyrion had taken an interest in Kaiden because of who he was. He didn’t need another version of himself.

One was enough.