Chapter 88: Fireworks Show
Outside the tower, the crowd was loud and excited, eagerly waiting for the celebration to begin. But inside the clock tower, it was very quiet. The heavy iron door blocked most of the outside noise, and only a few muffled shouts could be heard now and then.
Evelia’s footsteps made no sound, and with the red cloak over her shoulders, she moved even more silently. She climbed the tower step by step, searching through the darkness for her target.
She checked every corner inside the tower but still couldn’t find the person she was looking for.
People are always flexible, and Evelia was no different. Her hunting area wasn’t limited to the clock tower. It included the whole square. If the target wasn’t in the tower, she would head out to the square. But it would be much harder to do this kind of job in a crowded place. If even one person saw her, that person would become an extra target.
Evelia’s eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. She didn’t overlook a single spot, not even the sides of the railings.
The lower level of the clock tower was so dark you couldn’t see your own hand. There were candles and glass lamps on the walls, but it looked like someone had put them out on purpose.
The top level was a little brighter, thanks to the soft moonlight coming through the window near the big clock. It wasn’t very bright, but it was still much better than the darkness below.
Most people are naturally drawn to light, but Evelia only found it harsh and blinding.
She looked toward the light but stayed hidden in the shadows. The faint glow lit up the side of her face, so she quickly shifted to avoid it. She didn’t want her shadow or face to be seen.
She was like a rat in the sewer, scared of being seen by others.
Click.
Suddenly, a sharp sound broke the silence of the tower.
As soon as it happened, Evelia turned her head.
Just two floors above her, she heard the sound of metal hitting something.
Click.
The sound was getting closer to the top. It seemed like someone else was trying to reach the top before her.
“……”
Evelia silently picked up her pace. A curved dagger appeared from her alchemy mark, and she gripped it tightly in her hand.
Click, click, click.
Evelia could tell, it was footsteps.
The sound came from someone wearing armor.
Was her target wearing armor? There was no such detail in the mission report.
As she moved faster, Evelia quickly reviewed the information about her target in her mind. The heavy, clunky footsteps made it sound like this person was strong and weighed a lot. If that was true, she would need to change her attack strategy. After all, she had expected to deal with someone weak, someone who would only try to run away.
But if the person could fight, then she had to act quickly. Because she had another appointment. She still had to go to the ballroom with Armand. She needed to finish this fast.
Click, click, click.
For some reason, Evelia suddenly felt a strong pressure.
In this quiet darkness, even Evelia was holding her breath. But this person walked confidently, letting their footsteps echo loudly in the air with every step.
Zzz—
Then she heard something being dragged, something hard, like a long sword scraping against the floor.
Evelia was now sure, this person had strong fighting skills.
But… was this person the target? Or someone else?
If the target was an information broker, and one who had become a threat to the second prince, that meant he had powerful connections and important secrets. Evelia knew the second prince liked hearing about other people’s stories. So, if he were dealing with someone like this, he would usually try to squeeze out every last piece of value before doing anything else.
But this time, the order Evelia received was not “capture alive,” it was “eliminate.” That meant the target had found out something far too dangerous to be allowed to live.
If that person were allowed to live, they might reveal the secrets of the “House of Nightingales.” So no matter what, Evelia could not fail this time.
And if someone like that had hired a bodyguard, things would be even more troublesome.
Evelia thought, since the second prince gave her this job, that must mean no other Nightingales were assigned to it.
So, whoever was making those footsteps must be an enemy, not a friend.
Evelia sped up, climbing the stairs two or three steps at a time. Even though she didn’t like walking into the light that could show her silhouette, she had no choice but to follow the sound.
But when she reached the top, no one was there.
The footsteps had stopped at the top level. The sound of the heavy armor and the dragging metal had also ended, or rather completely vanished.
Evelia looked around and finally focused on the place where the light touched.
To her side was the window of the clock tower. Soft moonlight came through the glass, forcing Evelia to take two steps back.
Her left foot had already stepped into the light, but her right foot stayed behind, unwilling to move forward.
“THE COUNTDOWN TO THE FESTIVAL IS STARTING—!!!”
It was really loud outside. The windows didn’t block sound as well as the stone walls on the lower floors, so Evelia could hear the people shouting in the square below.
The crowd was cheering as someone holding a torch walked toward the carefully arranged fireworks. Evelia’s thoughts were suddenly pulled away.
She remembered what Armand had said, ‘You can go watch the firework show in the square.’
‘...Is Mr. Armand watching the fireworks right now too?’ The thought popped into her mind.
Even though losing focus during a mission was dangerous, Evelia couldn’t help but wonder where Armand was at that moment.
‘Ahh… I need to finish the mission quickly. I have to hurry back. I still have an appointment…’
Thinking that, Evelia snapped back to her senses. She stepped forward and listened as people below shouted the countdown.
“3—2—1—!!!!”
The moment the word “one” faded, the whole crowd began to cheer for the festival. Fireworks shot into the sky, and in that moment, Evelia instinctively turned around.
She had sensed someone behind her.
Boom!!!
A firework exploded in the sky. The most beautiful one burst right beside Evelia, its bright light shining on her deep red cloak, and also lighting up the darkness behind her.
In the dazzling flash, she saw a shadow hiding in the dark. The light revealed their form at the last moment.
That tall figure now stood face-to-face with her. They were wearing black armor, mostly hidden under a black cloak.
In their hands was a huge, completely black greatsword. It looked simple and rough, just a heavy block of iron, with no patterns or decorations.
The firework faded. Darkness returned. The shadowy figure disappeared again into the blackness. But Evelia knew they were still there, even if she couldn’t see them.
Whoosh—
The second round of fireworks went up. Evelia gripped her curved blade tightly.
Boom!!!
As the firework exploded again beside her, Evelia raised her blade and charged forward. The shadow did the same, gripping the greatsword with both hands and getting into position.
Boom!!! Clang!!
As the third firework burst in the sky, the sound of metal hitting metal rang out, mixing with the explosion of fireworks.
The celebration… had finally begun.