Maru, the "King of Assassins," was a name that carried heavy weight across all the Celtic kingdoms. Generally, if an assassin becomes famous, they are usually close to meeting their end. But Maru was an exception. This veteran Black mercenary wasn't just alive; he seemed to be getting younger with every year.
There was only one reason for this: the man was incredibly, terrifyingly good at his job. The title "King of Assassins" wasn't self-proclaimed; it was a moniker given to him by others. As the saying goes, names can be wrong, but nicknames are usually spot-on.
The veteran had thrived in his deadly trade for so many years thanks to his unparalleled skill in stealth and concealment! Put it this way: at night, as long as he didn't grin and flash his bright white teeth, you could stand right in front of him and still not see the man.
For an assassin, being a good fighter is never the most important thing. After all, how tough can you be? If you get surrounded, you'll just be hacked to pieces. But Maru was different; in the dark, no one could spot him. Because of this, his reputation had grown immensely over the years, and he lived a very comfortable life.
It was this success that gave Maru the audacity to take on his current assignment.
You have to remember, Kai was no small-time target. A decade ago, at just eighteen, Kai had already become a Champion Knight. Back then, everyone predicted the young man was destined for greatness. After Kai returned from his ten-year journey around the world, his reputation only grew louder. Many knights had challenged him, hoping to use Kai's name to achieve instant fame.
None of those challengers lasted more than three minutes against Kai. As a result, his title as the foremost knight in the Celtic kingdoms was becoming undisputed.
The average assassin wouldn't dare take on a hardened professional like that. Assassins kill for money; who wants to pay to commit suicide?
Furthermore, Kai was a member of the Camelot Royal Family. The assassination business is, by its nature, illegal, so they treated high-profile royal targets with extreme caution. If things went wrong, all the Celtic kingdoms would hunt them down relentlessly. No kingdom could tolerate an assassin who killed royalty—it was a direct challenge to the entire ruling class.
Only Maru, the King of Assassins, had the guts for this job, because Maru had faith in himself! He believed he could kill Kai and handle the fallout afterward!
It was this insane self-confidence that allowed Maru to accept King Odin's contract. Odin's request was absolutely maniacal: he wanted to eliminate not only Kai but also King Uther's only son, Arthur. He was essentially trying to wipe out the Camelot line of succession! Arthur was the first in line to the throne, and although Camelot had never officially named a second in line, Kai was the obvious choice due to his capability and character. If something happened to Arthur, Kai was the most likely successor.
Many people understood this, but King Odin planned to take out both heirs in one swoop! With no credible heir to rally behind, the entire Kingdom of Camelot would be thrown into turmoil.
This was a ruthless and politically dangerous move, one that royal families universally cracked down on and condemned. After all, no king wants to constantly worry about someone trying to wipe out their family tree.
So, this assignment was extraordinary from the start; success would shake the kingdoms, and Maru would find himself being hunted by every kingdom around. Without his profound self-confidence, Maru never would have accepted the job.
...
In the current war, Kai had been actively commanding from the front lines, so his headquarters was set up in the border fortress of Castle Catterley. This castle was originally built for war between Camelot and King Snedrid's kingdom. However, after King Uther ascended the throne, he dedicated himself to maintaining peace with Snedrid's kingdom. After many years of effort, the two kingdoms finally achieved a peace treaty, and the wartime fortress was largely abandoned, becoming a small border town.
No one expected that today, thanks to Arthur's momentary impulsiveness, this small border town, which had finally found a peaceful existence, would become a fortress of war again.
Because the castle was originally designed for war, it was incredibly difficult to attack and easy to defend. With Kai and his army now stationed there, the small fortress was even more heavily fortified. There was a sentry post practically every few steps, and patrolling soldiers marched almost non-stop, day and night. Add in various hidden lookouts, and calling it "impregnable" would not be an exaggeration.
To Maru, the King of Assassins, this meant nothing. His livelihood depended on infiltration and assassination; standard guards were merely an obstacle.
He hid at the base of the wall, waiting for the timing of the shift change among the guards above. At the same time, he memorized the frequency of the moving patrols. He needed to strike during a moment when everyone's attention lapsed.
He hunkered down at the base of the wall like a stone that didn't breathe. Even as the soldiers marched back and forth overhead, not a single one noticed him.
Around three or four in the morning, Maru suddenly opened his eyes.
It was time.
Maru, who had been hidden in the shadow of the wall, suddenly shot up onto the structure. Yes, shot up. He pushed off the wall with his feet a few times, using the friction between his shoes and the stone to propel himself four meters high. Where a normal person would fall back down, Maru used his bare hands to grip the wall! He moved like a gecko.
His fingers locked tightly into the narrow gaps between the stone blocks. Using just those tiny anchor points, Maru scaled the wall as easily as walking on flat ground.
At this exact moment, the shift change on the wall was happening. It was the deepest part of the night, when human alertness is at its lowest. The soldiers on watch were already exhausted, and with the shift change underway, their minds were focused on their warm beds, not the periphery.
Seizing this opportunity, Maru silently sped across the top of the wall. His speed was not only fast, but he made no sound. The unfocused soldiers had no chance of realizing someone had just zipped past right under their noses.
Once inside the castle, Maru followed King Odin's intelligence and rushed toward Kai's location.
Although he encountered several patrols along the way, Maru used his masterful stealth techniques to evade them without incident. Soon, Maru reached the highest level of the castle: Kai's temporary quarters!