“Can we kill him?”

  “It depends,” Qorbin said.

  They were sitting at the bar of the Rusty Dagger, one of the seediest, most rundown taverns Levi had ever stepped foot in. The tavern was completely empty; the bartender had initially attempted striking up a conversation before seeing the expressions on their faces and deciding that he was needed somewhere in the back. Two glasses of something strong rested on the countertop before the two, both completely untouched. The anti-eavesdropping dice lay in between the glasses, casting a magical obscurement field over them.

  “Why?” Levi asked. His voice was measured, which contrasted against the magic swirling violently beneath his skin. He had to make a conscious effort to keep it restrained for the sake of the tavern’s structural integrity. “I don’t imagine it’d be that difficult. Would you say he’s more powerful than Hawke?”

  “Not necessarily,” Qorbin said. “However, the primary issue is where he’s located. The Royal Sentinels headquarters is situated within palace grounds. Every square meter is densely packed with enchantments: detection wards, anti-teleportation spatial locks, monitoring trap matrixes. The internal defenses are powered by a direct connection to a magical leyline underneath. Not to mention the dozens of Royal Sentinels and hundreds of guards patrolling the premises. It would be suicide for any sane adventurer to attempt breaking in and assassinating someone within, much less succeed.”

  Levi was silent for a moment as he mulled over Qorbin’s words. Then he glanced over at him.

  “You could pull it off, though. Couldn’t you?”

  Qorbin was silent for a moment.

  Then, he nodded.

  “I could,” he said quietly. “That’s in part why the Sentinels hate me so much – they know that if I ever decide to go rogue one day, there’s a good chance I’ll be able to assassinate the king himself and they won’t be able to do a single damn thing to stop me.”

  Levi nodded. “I thought as much. Then… Can we kill Montague?”

  Qorbin looked at him for a long moment, his gaze piercing into him as though trying to look into his soul itself. “As I said,” he finally said, “it depends.”

  “Depends on what?”

  “On how powerful you are,” Qorbin said. “I’ve respected your desire not to share your secrets up until now. I don’t think I can force you to talk even if I wanted to. But your locked System, the magic you displayed in the fights against the Elder Wyvern and Hawke, the way you were able to heal Emma’s soul… Though the System governs all magical phenomena, death is one of the few boundaries it does not cross. Can not cross. There is not a single skill in all of recorded history capable of doing what you did. I’ve known this entire time that you were stronger than you seemed, but now, I really need to know how strong exactly.”

  “That’s rather difficult to quantify, you know.”

  “Can you beat me?”

  Levi blinked. “What?”

  “If we were to fight right now, do you think you’d lose against me?” Qorbin asked bluntly.

  Levi was silent for a moment as he considered the question. Qorbin probably had as much experience as Levi did, perhaps even more, and as an assassin, he did counter Levi a fair bit. Especially since Levi’s current body was far weaker than he was used to. However…

  “I don’t think so,” Levi said. “It might be close, but I think I’d win.”

  Qorbin nodded. He didn’t seem offended or skeptical of the answer; indeed, he appeared to fully take Levi at his word, which said something about his trust in him. “I see. In that case…” He pressed his lips together, a clinical quality entering his gaze as he weighed the probabilities. “Yes. We can kill him. But it’ll be impossible for us to avoid detection afterward.”

  “Ah…”

  “Yeah. It’s one thing to slap around two lackey Royal Sentinels. It’s an entirely different matter to infiltrate palace grounds – due to the king’s proximity, that will be seen as high treason against the crown. The entire country will be after our heads.”

  “Hmm,” Levi exhaled. “Irritating.”

  Back in the Restricted Sanctum, Levi had decided against spending life on the run again. This new life was meant to be different. An adventure. To be honest, Levi still didn’t really know what that meant. He’d just been going along with the flow for now, seeing where life took him, but…

  Could that even be called an adventure? Going on quests, exploring this new world, helping solve whatever problems he came across…

  By definition, he figured it probably qualified. Hell, he was officially an adventurer. But he couldn’t help but feel like something was still missing. Perhaps he’d made a miscalculation somewhere, or a lapse in judgement.

  If it could be called an adventure, then he couldn’t say he was very fond of it as it was now.

  The opposite, in fact.

  Of course, that wasn’t to say he was entirely unwilling to go scorched earth if necessary. He’d prefer not to, but if it came down to it, he would. However, he still wanted to leave it as a last resort option if possible.

  So for now, he just sighed. “I suppose it’ll be better to wait until Montague leaves Luxanne at some point before making a move.”

  “More or less. It’ll be fine if we attack him anywhere other than palace grounds; it’s the political ramifications there that are the issue.”

  Levi nodded, accepting it for now. “What about going through the legal avenues? Can we do anything there?”

  “Aww, that’s cute. Since when have the laws of the land ever applied to the rich and powerful? Especially when dear Montague himself is an officer of the Royal Sentinels, the very group who’s supposed to enforce said laws?”

  “That’s fair. Even so, though; tampering with the results of the Ascension Trials is one thing; I assume he just paid off members of the Adventurer’s Guild to arrange a kangaroo court finding her guilty in absentia. However, even before that, he’d hired you to assassinate me – if that information ever got released to the public, would it be enough to meaningfully affect anything?”

  “It may drag down his reputation a bit, but…” Qorbin shrugged. “Quite frankly, most people would probably just thank him behind closed doors for the act of public service.”

  “I see. I’d figured that was the case.”

  This country really was corrupt beyond measure, if even an assassination attempt would be brushed off and even thanked by the higher-ups.

  This total disregard of life… Levi let out a deep breath. His magic pulsed, and one of the glasses on the wall let out a crack. Qorbin tensed up slightly at the sound, watching Levi carefully.

  Out of all the tasks Death had given him, Levi had never been sent to overthrow a country before.

  Perhaps there was a first time for everything.

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  That was for later, though. For now, they couldn’t do anything but wait. It rankled Levi, infuriated him, but patience and timing was essential.

  Speaking of…

  “Did you find out what they did to Professor Merriweather?”

  As they’d made their way over to the taverns, Qorbin had conjured a crow formed from murky midnight swirls of magic. The magical crow had flown off to inquire Qorbin’s contacts exactly what had happened. It had been an intricate piece of magic; Levi assumed Qorbin had used the same skill to summon the reinforcements back in the village of Farband.

  Qorbin nodded. “Nothing too bad, fortunately. They tossed him into a holding cell for a few days and hit him with a hefty fine, but he’s already been released.”

  Levi nodded. “That’s good.”

  The answer wouldn’t have changed his overall plans by much, but it would’ve certainly changed the level of suffering a certain someone, or someones, experienced.

  “We’ll get her out, don’t worry,” Qorbin said. “I initially only took her as my apprentice on a whim, but I have to say, she grew on me. She may have complained about my training, but she never once actually backed down or slacked off. And when we were investigating the Hollow cultist… I don’t know what you and Syto were doing, but she dismantled an entire criminal organization and personally talked to the mayor afterward to ensure the victims would receive adequate care. All for no reward of her own. The girl’s got a good heart, far better than my own. It’s a rarity to see in adventurers these days.”

  Levi nodded. “Indeed. It’s why I partnered up with her. But… I believe that same heart is also why she surrendered to the Royal Sentinels’ custody.”

  His mind flashed back to the look on Liliya’s face when she’d agreed to go with the Sentinels. She’d looked resigned, but there had been a hint of determination in her gaze. If this had happened when Levi had first met her, he would’ve likely assumed she’d only gone with them for the sake of duty and obligation. But now, knowing her as he did…

  Levi had a feeling she’d mostly surrendered herself to protect him and Qorbin from danger. Even if she had to seal her own fate in the process.

  It was why he hadn’t overly objected or attempted to do anything when they’d taken her away. He’d been tempted, but… After she displayed such a selfless, albeit perhaps misguided, strength of heart, he didn’t think he had the right to trample on her decision like that.

  “Yeah. It’s a pity that she wasn’t willing to break away from her family’s control, but…” Qorbin sighed. “Honestly, I would’ve been more surprised if she had. She’s a noble through and through, for better or worse. The very force that drives her to excel is unfortunately the same one that binds her to her duties. I’ve seen many such cases happen throughout my career – makes me glad I’m not entangled in the whole mess.”

  Levi frowned, turning to him. “Aren’t you a noble?”

  “Goddess, no,” Qorbin snorted. “I’d probably have tossed myself off a bridge if I was.”

  “But… Liliya called you Lord Ravenbane when we first met, didn’t she?”

  “I was granted the title of Lordship due to my status as a high-tier adventurer,” Qorbin said, looking like he found the very idea distasteful. “But nah, I don’t have a single drop of noble blood in me. Didn’t even attend the Institute; I was a self-taught adventurer.”

  “Huh. I see, that’s fascinating,” Levi said before shaking his head. “But sorry, that’s not important right now… At any rate, that makes sense. Even from the very beginning, the only reason why she’d pushed herself so hard to solo the Ascension Trials wasn’t to break free of her father’s control but rather to prove her worth as an adventurer before she was forced to marry Montague.”

  Qorbin seemed to age several years at that. “That was her logic? Shit, that’s…”

  Levi nodded grimly. “I know. I should’ve talked to her about it sooner, tried to change her mind. I thought I had more time, but… Clearly not.”

  “Hindsight is always an [Inspect]. It’s okay, this won’t be the end. I’ve always hated Montague, but he just made it personal for me – and judging by the look on your face, I’m guessing he’s been on your list for a while now.”

  Levi belatedly realized just how much fury he was leaking out. He schooled his expression, tempering it slightly. “Just a bit.”

  “There you have it. It might take some time, but we’ll solve this clusterfuck.” With that, Qorbin finally reached out and grabbed the glass of alcohol, chugging it down in a single gulp. He set it down with a clink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “This place serves good stuff. When we’re all back together, I’ll have to properly take you and Liliya here sometime.”

  They fell into a long silence, each of them occupied by their thoughts.

  Levi drank his own glass as well, though at a much more sedate pace. The alcohol was strong, burning his throat on the way down, but he focused on the sensation as his mind whirred in thought.

  Okay, yeah. It was becoming more and more clear that the original mindset he’d decided upon wasn’t working out. Perhaps if he’d been reincarnated into a world that wasn’t so corrupt, he could’ve just meandered along the path life set out for him. But that wasn’t the case here. Something had to be changed.

  Hmm. He’d have to figure this out…

  “Ah, fuck,” Qorbin said, checking the antiquated clock on the wall. “We still have to meet up with a Church representative to talk about our mission.” He sighed. “You wanna skip this meeting? I can probably handle it on my own.”

  “No, it’s fine,” Levi said. “I’m curious about the Church, anyhow.”

  Qorbin left a single platinum coin on the counter, and then they were gone.

  Ordinarily, a potential vampire attack would’ve been handled by the Church of the Goddess. However, for the sake of diplomacy, the Church had agreed to temporarily hold off from sending any of their agents. Members of the Church were rather… overeager at times in their devotion of the Goddess. Violently so. Which was why Qorbin had been dispatched instead to investigate.

  Indeed, from the way Qorbin had described it, if a Church priest or priestess had been sent out and discovered Syto, then even if they’d known that Syto was innocent, they would’ve attempted to eliminate Syto anyhow. Similarly, they wouldn’t have bothered listening to Hawke; they would’ve instantly executed him for being a Hollow cultist.

  Qorbin and Levi were supposed to meet a high-ranking Church representative and give them a debrief on what’d occurred during the mission. They were waiting for them inside the Adventurer’s Guild building: a massive building with impressive architecture located at the center of Luxanne. The interior had been filled with a bustling crowd of adventurers talking to receptionists, with the walls full of quests and mission posts. Levi hadn’t had much time to examine it all, though; Qorbin had quickly whisked him away into one of the private meeting rooms.

  Which was probably a good thing, because Levi had caught a couple of adventurers who somehow recognized him giving him dark looks. Levi did not have the patience to deal with them right now.

  They were in a relatively small room, with a large mahogany desk in the center. Qorbin, as always, was leaning against the windowsill, while Levi stood next to him.

  A knock sounded at the door before it opened and a guild messenger entered. He passed a small note to Qorbin before excusing himself and shutting the door behind him.

  Qorbin read the note, his face darkening slightly as he did so. He promptly crumpled the note up into a ball before lighting it on fire with a simple skill.

  “What’s wrong?” Levi asked.

  “I just found out who the Church was sending,” Qorbin said. He seemed to have a foreboding air to him, as if he’d just been told that he had only two months left to live. “We’re meeting up with High Priestess Anastasia.”

  Levi blinked. “Is there something wrong with her?”

  “No, not really,” Qorbin said. “She’s really nice, actually – far nicer than the average Church member. I’d even go so far as to say that she’s one of the few that are genuinely pleasant to be around. Which is especially surprising when you consider just how powerful she is; she’s one of the six High Priestesses. They don’t really classify themselves by tiers the same way adventurers do, but it’s safe to say that she’s around Mythmaker-tier. Priestesses who normally reach her level tend to be a little, ah, unfriendly, but she’s the exception to the rule.”

  “Huh, that’s good to know,” Levi said. “Then what’s the issue?”

  “Nothing, really,” Qorbin said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just that… she has this Divine skill called [Judgement] that displays the number of lives someone has taken above their head. The larger the number, the stronger she becomes when she faces them in battle.” The Grand Assassin gave a shudder. “As you might imagine, that doesn’t go down so well with my class.”

  Levi blinked before a pit opened up in his stomach. “Her skill does what? Wait, Qorbin, this might not be a good idea–”

  The door to the room opened and in stepped a woman dressed in white. She wasn’t very tall, a good head shorter than Levi, with golden blonde hair and pale, almost translucent skin. Her eyes were a vivid green, and she was dressed in a simple white summer dress, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. She looked to be perhaps a few years older than him, in her mid-twenties.

  She didn’t have much visible muscle, but Levi could sense an external power that permeated and suffused her entire body; the Goddess’s holy power, most likely. She had a bright, cheerful air to her, a certain lightness to her step.

  “Hello~!” Anastasia called, a wide smile on her face. “Is this the right room–?”

  Her eyes landed on Qorbin, and her smile turned a little uneasy; no doubt, she could see the amount of people he’d murdered as a Grand Assassin above his head.

  Then, her gaze shifted over to Levi. She seemed curious at first, until her eyes flickered upward toward the space above him.

  And she froze. Anastasia’s entire body went still. She blinked rapidly, once, twice, thrice, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  When whatever number she saw didn’t change, her eyes widened, filling with pure unadulterated shock and horror. Slowly, she lowered her gaze to stare at Levi, and she looked at him as though he was the physical manifestation of the Hollow itself.

  Ah, fuck. This might be an issue.