System vs Rebirth

Chapter 1428: Assassination

”I, Count Kraenz, am willing to fight alongside Marquis Ardagan.”

The decision had been made. The proposal was quite clear and enticing. Of course, if they abandoned Marquis Ardagan simply because of the crown, they might end up fighting Noel instead. Most likely, their fate would be similar to the current royal family.

That was why, if Noel led them, they would be more willing to hold back a little. At the very least, they still gained a lot without provoking Noel.

Several lords suddenly stood up.

”I, Baron Rasrain, am willing to fight alongside Marquis Ardagan.”

”Me too. I, Count Relroy, am willing to fight alongside Marquis Ardagan.”

The people were pumped up, which was definitely a good thing. However, it was something some people couldn’t afford to have.

All of a sudden, a man from one of the lords suddenly leaped toward Tristan while pulling out his sword.

”!!!” Tristan and the other lords couldn’t help but widen their eyes. The people from other lords also wanted to make the move, thinking this was something serious. There was no discussion that would lead to killing Tristan. So, they had to help.

If Tristan owed them a favor, it would have been great. That was why some of them leaped forward, moving before their lords commanded them.

However, all of them realized that they were actually one step too late. At this rate, the enemy would have reached Tristan before they could protect him.

Unfortunately for the attackers, Tristan had properly prepared for this kind of attack. And it wasn’t Rui who made her move. It was Sandra.

Sandra took out a rune card from underneath her skirt and put it in front of them.

”!!!” The attacker didn’t know what she was trying to do, so he struck her, planning to take both Sandra and Tristan down in a single strike.

To everyone’s surprise, a barrier suddenly formed in front of the card and blocked the attack completely without any sign of a crack.

People gasped, wondering what had just happened. Who actually erect such a powerful barrier?

Not all lords were strong. But those who had spiritual energy in their bodies could see the flow of the energy coming from the card Sandra took out earlier. It wasn’t weird for them to think this card was the culprit.

But what kind of card could produce this kind of barrier?

Instead of answering them right away, Sandra actually showed the answer to the first question to everyone by taking out another card and tossing it toward the swordsman.

”!!!” The swordsman panicked and tried to get away, but the card flew faster than him and formed a spherical barrier that completely isolated the swordsman.

They never thought the already shocking scene would have become even more shocking the further they got.

At the same time, the few retainers that wanted to protect Tristan didn’t know what to do now.

”What are you doing? Is this what you all have been planning so far?” Tristan shouted in anger. ”Do you think that just because I’m the disciple of Noel Ardagan, I’m an easy target?”

They soon snapped out of their shock. That was right. What happened earlier was precisely an assassination. Who did it? Who was this man? Whose retainer was he?

Rui immediately stepped forward as though she was trying to protect Tristan.

Rose said with a face filled with worries. ”I believe we should evacuate first. This place is not safe anymore.”

”This...” The lords were panicking. If Noel knew that Tristan was almost assassinated on this ship when he was discussing such an important matter, he would be so furious that it wouldn’t be weird if the alliance between them broke off.

While it was true that Noel needed them to fight against the demons, they put that matter into their second or even third priority. Their first priority was profit.

Noel had been giving them a lot of things, from rune technology that benefited the city to transportation, like trains. He even wanted to auction this airship for them, but they repaid him by assassinating his student.

No teacher could remain calm after such a humiliation. That was why the assassination had just become the biggest crisis they faced in their lives. If it were to be investigated, everyone would turn a blind eye if Noel decided to erase that entire family from this world.

As if trying to calm everyone down, Dylan asked, ”Are those the rumored Rune Cards?”

Tristan furrowed his eyebrows before saying, ”I don’t think this is the time for that. Even if I say it right now, for what reason? I don’t plan to reveal any more information to someone who is possibly aiming for the Ardagan family.”

”Hey. Are you... This might be just a misunderstanding.” Dylan tried to stop Tristan, but Rui escorted them away for their safety without giving them a chance to explain.

Who did it? Who dared to assassinate Tristan? Everyone couldn’t help but move their gaze toward the place where the assassin came from, but no lord was close enough for such a thing.

”...” Dylan scratched the back of his head. ”Jeez... I have never thought that the situation would turn like this. We’re screwed this time. While it’s true that my brother-in-law is scary, that disciple of his is also quite terrifying.”

Dylan glanced back and said, ”That assassin looked like a spirit master... And he couldn’t stand a chance.

”You guys just provoked the first Rune Meister in history, you know?” Dylan pinched the bridge of his nose.

”Rune Meister...?” One noble couldn’t help but mutter, not knowing what it meant.

”That was what my brother-in-law once said. He was the one who created the rune cards, but most of the production was handled by his disciples.

”From the looks of it, it could activate an intermediate rune. So, that barrier from earlier must be the Spiritual Barrier Rune. More importantly, unlike the Rune Body that required you to have spiritual energy in your body as a foundation, Rune Cards could be used even by normal people.

”Just imagine a few normal people entering your territory with Rune Cards in their possessions, it would have been a disaster.”

When they heard that example, they were horrified. The destruction would be at a scale they couldn’t imagine.

Dylan sighed. ”Now you understand why I choose to accommodate him and send the invitation to all of you here, right?

”With this incident, we’re all screwed. Let alone the central, we better focus on dealing with the assassin first. Who dares to actually assassinate the disciple of my brother-in-law? If I can’t catch him, I’m afraid I can’t explain it to my brother-in-law...”

Those last few words turned the atmosphere heavy, as all of them were suspecting each other.