Clearly, after the Imperial Assassin's failed assassination attempt, soldiers throughout the city had launched a full-scale search for the culprit. Now, they had unexpectedly cornered the Imperial Commander himself. Cipher couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt; after all, these two were taking the fall for her actions.
However, Cipher had never explicitly claimed to be the Imperial Assassin. His Majesty the King had conjured up that notion himself. Strictly speaking, she wasn't to blame, was she?
Regardless, more and more soldiers arrived, drawn by the commotion, quickly encircling the inn's entrance. The White-Bearded Old Mage was utterly bewildered. "The assassin who tried to kill the King?!"
He glanced at the two fully armored warriors at the center of the encirclement, then turned to Cipher beside him. Wait a minute... isn't the assassin right here? What's going on with these two?
Narrowing his eyes slightly, the old mage recognized the distinctive style of the Empire's armor on the warriors. Could it be? Are these two really from the Empire?
The White-Bearded Old Mage exclaimed, "Ah...?"
As the Old Mage stood frozen in shock, the battle erupted. Earlier that afternoon, patrol soldiers had fled in terror at the mere mention of the Imperial Commander's name. But these soldiers were different. Clad in full plate armor, they were likely members of the King's personal guard—more loyal and far more formidable.
The Imperial Commander's lips twitched slightly. "I just said this morning that I had a feeling something big was about to happen. But I never imagined someone would impersonate an Imperial Assassin and attempt to assassinate His Majesty the King so soon!"
He paused, then barked, "Prepare to break through! We'll fight our way out of here!"
The Commander wielded a two-handed Great Sword crafted from fine gold. But Cipher noticed that the Adjutant carried no melee weapon. Instead, he held a massive bow.
Nearly two meters tall, the bow stood level with the Adjutant's head. Cipher observed that the Adjutant's armored boots incorporated a high-heeled design, and combined with his already impressive height, his posture perfectly aligned with the greatbow.
Before the surrounding soldiers could close in, a colossal metal arrow was nocked. The Adjutant drew the string back in a half-circle, his movements fluid and practiced.
"Get down!" the surrounding soldiers shouted.
Bang!
Even though the soldiers dove for cover instantly, the arrow was too fast. It whistled through the air, piercing the armor of two soldiers in an instant and skewering them like a pair of gourds.
Carrying the two corpses, the arrow continued its flight for nearly a hundred meters before finally embedding itself in the wall of a nearby building, forced to a halt.
"Move out!" the Division Commander ordered. The soldiers' frantic dodges had cleared a path through the center of the formation, creating an escape route. The commander and his adjutant sprinted through the gap.
"That's quite a sight," the White-Bearded Old Mage remarked to Cipher. "The Empire's Fine Gold Greatbow lives up to its reputation—its power is truly astonishing."
"Fine Gold Greatbow? What's that?" Cipher asked, intrigued.
The old mage readily explained. Fine gold was an exceptionally hard and rare metal, used to craft formidable weapons and armor. The Empire, blessed with abundant fine gold deposits and advanced forging techniques, had mastered its use, becoming a leading producer of this precious material.
The disparity between the two sides was staggering. The King of the Grand Duchy of Kandela had spared no effort in equipping his royal guard with metal armor, yet the Empire was casually using fine gold—an incredibly precious material—for their arrows.
While extravagant, the results were undeniable. The armor of Cloudsea City's soldiers offered no resistance to the fine gold arrows, shattering like paper upon impact.
It's worth noting that the adjutant drawing the bow wasn't a Ranger Class Holder; he was a Warrior.
Many might assume Warriors are solely melee fighters, lacking ranged capabilities, but this isn't the case. The term "Warrior" encompasses all soldiers trained for the battlefield, including archers.
Therefore, a truly proficient Warrior Class Holder should excel in all forms of combat—swords, shields, bows, and crossbows alike. Similarly, Rangers aren't limited to ranged archery; they are equally skilled in close-quarters combat, using curved blades, thrusting swords, and agile footwork to outmaneuver their foes.
As they spoke, the Division Commander and his Adjutant swiftly disappeared from Cipher's sight, followed by the soldiers who had been surrounding the inn. The area was suddenly deserted.
After Cipher explained the situation, the White-Bearded Old Mage belatedly realized, "So, your initial reason for visiting me wasn't to inquire about Feidric, but because you knew two Imperial soldiers were staying here?"
Cipher nodded. "However, they don't seem to know anything about the Hell Book. I have no idea what they're doing here."
"Regardless," the Old Mage said, "the presence of these Imperial soldiers in this country is undoubtedly bad news. The Empire rarely acts alone. Their presence here likely means at least one Imperial army is hidden nearby."
"Perhaps I should consider leaving this city," the old mage said. "If the Imperial army launches an attack, this place probably wouldn't last more than a few hours."
"For instance," the Old Mage said, "the Fine Gold Greatbow Ben used earlier wasn't some custom-made weapon; it's standard-issue for the Imperial army. The Empire has entire archer units trained to wield these greatbows with deadly proficiency, capable of blasting Cloudsea City's gates to smithereens and shattering its walls with a single volley."
"This city is utterly indefensible."
Cipher stared in disbelief. "Wait, I thought you'd stay..."
She had expected him to stay and continue investigating the Hell Book, fight the Imperial soldiers, and perhaps even try to seize the Divine Artifact.
But the Old Mage calmly replied, "Stay? Why? I'm not familiar with this place. I made it clear from the start that my only purpose here was to broaden my student's horizons. While the Hell Book does pique my curiosity, if the Empire gets involved—even if they're unaware of its existence now—the truth won't stay hidden for long. An old man like me can't possibly contend with an entire army."
With that, the Old Mage waved farewell to Cipher and led his student into the inn.
PS: The Imperial Adjutant's class is Warrior · Marksman (Level 10).