Reborn As Noble Chapter 1190: House of Dark Veil ( 1190 )

The two of them stood frozen, utterly stunned. Their leader—a man they revered as a master of the blade and one of the realm's most lethal assassins—was spiraling into absolute panic. His face was drained of all color, his eyes burned with raw terror, and he fumbled frantically as he scrambled onto his horse.

"Leader... what is going on?"

"What is going on? You dare ask me what is going on!" the leader roared, already mounted and glaring down at his subordinates. "The Armand forces are here, you idiots! The mission is a total disaster. Mount your horses and ride for your lives—move, now!"

Watching the scene unfold, the rest of the crew, including Vendosa and Sorana, had already begun to ride off. The two subordinates hurried to follow, spurring their horses into a desperate gallop to keep pace with their panicked commander.

As they tore through the terrain at breakneck speed, they exchanged wary glances.

"I cannot imagine what could have rattled the leader to this degree..."

"Who could say? But if he is this terrified, it is definitely something we do not want to stick around to verify."

They cast their eyes over the fleeing group, suddenly realizing several comrades were missing.

He gestured toward his partner, asking, "Didn't Bragar, Mukan, Fasnag, Rijam, and Olark link up with us barely a week ago?"

Scanning the chaotic pack from his saddle, his partner nodded. "You mean the summoner unit that joined us recently?"

"Exactly... but they are nowhere to be seen."

"Now that you point it out, you are right. But their horses were still at the stables. Besides, they are elite summoners—some of the rarest, most talented assets in our entire unit."

"What are you two jabbering about back there!?" the leader bellowed, whipping his head around to scowl at them.

"Forgive us, Leader. We were just discussing our summoner unit, Bragar and the others."

"They are all dead!!"

The two men jolted, shock widening their eyes. One of them actually lost his concentration on the trail.

"They are all dead?"

The individuals known as the pinnacle of dark magic and rift summoning... among their most formidable operatives...

These were not mere dabblers like those found in typical adventurer guilds.

They were the elite of the elite—advanced summoners capable of weaving complex magic, holding their own in melee combat, executing precise assassinations, and manifesting terrifying rift monsters... and they were dead?

Noticing the other had fallen into a stunned silence, his partner fixed his eyes on the leader and questioned, "Is that the truth, Leader!?"

"It is! And many of our other units inside have been wiped out as well! Armand arrived with their deadliest pair—Alf and Erinette! Now, cease your chattering and keep your focus if you want to survive our escape from this town!"

The leader veered abruptly, changing their course toward the dense forest trail.

"Follow me! Everyone, through here!"

The others surged behind him, desperate to keep the pace. The leader ground his teeth, his eyes locked on the darkening path ahead.

Damn it all! How did Armand get their hands on that letter?

I sent my finest unit to intercept and silence the messenger traveling to Armand. I even manipulated Rolland, convincing him that the path from Mathrias through the Human Kingdom was too hazardous for his scroll and that the courier must take the longer route through the Beastkin Nation—exactly where I laid the ambush.

And yet, here they are! Garius showed up personally, and with him, Alf—the continent's most feared assassin—and his wife, Erinette, the peerless master of dual magic swords.

Damn it. I have no doubt they have brought even more elite units to surround us.

And those knights, appearing from thin air to rescue Rolland and Sylvia... they even managed to revive Gracelle.

This is a disaster.

Idiots! I explicitly told the client to use a clean, swift kill—be it poison, a blade in the dark, or a lethal curse. But the client insisted on waiting, fueled by a desire to see her suffer.

Now, the assassination of Gracelle has failed, and Rolland and Sylvia are beyond our grasp. To top it all off, that bastard sent his only son to some hidden school we cannot even track.

We had our best summoners ready to ensure the entire Mathrias line perished in the wake of the daughter’s death, framing it as a demonic monster outbreak.

And then Armand’s forces ruined everything!

It is inconceivable. They descended in that hulking iron beast, and we had zero intelligence on it! All we knew of Armand was hearsay about those strange 'mana relay towers' they claim allow instant communication—I never believed such sorcery existed—and their bizarre defensive structures.

If Armand had not interfered today, we would have slaughtered the entire family. Lord Bardigas would have absorbed the Mathrias territory into his own without the need for a bloody war. We spent four years grinding their army down while they were distracted by their daughter's health.

We stood to gain a fortune and vast tracts of land for my House of Assassins.

But now, all is in ruins!

According to our intel, Armand possesses the most lethal investigation and counter-intelligence networks in the world. They are relentless, thorough, and efficient.

I must relay the news to headquarters. We have to fortify before we clash with Armand's finest. Alf may be the best, but if they dare invade our base, they will meet their end. Our stronghold is crawling with traps, secret passages, and defenses specifically engineered to neutralize even the greatest masters.

I know Alf and Erinette will hunt us. I expect their full House of Shadow strike team to be trailing them.

The leader’s expression twisted into a cruel, jagged grin.

If we can put Alf in the dirt within our own walls, we will claim the title of the world's most formidable assassin house. No more second rank. With our mastery of dark magic, forbidden arts, and shadow manipulation, we will claim victory.

I can hardly wait.

If they deploy anyone other than Alf, they know they stand no chance against us. They are forced to send their champion, or accept total failure.

He chuckled darkly to himself.

The time is coming, Alf! My rank may be second, but my training has been focused solely on surpassing you. It has been years since that day. I have been hungry for our rematch.

Just wait, Alf. This is the end for you and your House of Shadow.

Because my organization, the House of Dark Veil, will be the true masters of the underworld, reigning supreme from the shadows.

( End Of Chapter )