When I was standing guard at the entrance to the balcony, Mastema, having finished serving, draped herself over me from above.
She was heavy. My head wobbled unless I supported it with my neck.
“Work’s done.”
“I see. Good job.”
“Yeah, praise me properly.”
“Alright, alright.”
As I patted her head, Mastema looked content.
Is she a cat?
“By the way, have you noticed?”
“Of course I have. Who do you think I am?”
“Hmm. Well, you are the one who defeated me.”
Mastema was referring to the assassins who had infiltrated. As far as I could tell, there were four of them. Apparently, Mastema could smell blood on people like that, and that’s how she identified them. She said most people looked the same to her since she didn’t bother remembering them.
Whether they had swapped places with someone on the guest list or used some other method to get in, this place is just a restaurant and hotel. There’s no way to stop a determined assassin, and we hadn’t planned for such a scenario in the first place.
That’s why I was standing guard here today. As a security guard. For someone to try infiltrating a place where I was standing, they must be pretty confident.
“You take the left. I’ll take the right.”
“Got it.”
“Don’t kill them. And don’t use too much force. You’ll wreck the place.”
“How hard should I hit them?”
“A tap with your pinky should do. Don’t use the amount of force you used on me. You’ll end up painting the walls with blood.”
“Hmm. Humans are fragile, aren’t they?”
With that, Mastema disappeared, and the weight lifted off me.
I should get going too.
The assassins’ target must be those two royals. Without any guards, they’re an easy reach for any assassin. Being on a balcony, there’s nothing to block the way. They might think it’s a bonus game.
I don’t know how they found out that the princess and the royal lady were coming, but maybe they didn’t know I would be here.
In the adventurer business, you often end up facing assassins. This happens frequently when guarding nobles and merchants. With enough experience, many adventurers are hired as exclusive bodyguards.
Assassins specialize solely in killing people, so even a renowned adventurer can sometimes be caught off guard and killed. However, we adventurers constantly battle beings far stronger than humans. As an adventurer, I’m now at the pinnacle of my profession.
I tensed all my muscles. If I didn’t hurry, Mastema might take action, and they could escape.
Well then, it’s hunting time.
I descended to the first floor and moved towards the target assassins.
There were two assassins, a man and a woman, dressed in ordinary party attire. They were drinking and chatting, but their eyes were always on the two upstairs.
I concealed my presence and skillfully avoided the guests as I approached the two assassins.
When I got close enough to reach them with a big step, they noticed me. The male guest placed his drink on the table and reached for his back.
Too slow.
I closed the distance and stood before the male guest. He feigned surprise, but it was obviously fake. A normal person would be more shocked.
“Something wrong?”
“You’re obvious. You should hide it better.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. What could a security guard want from me?”
I punched him in the gut, and he crumpled to the floor. A knife fell from his hand onto the ground.
At the same time, a commotion arose behind me. Mastema, no doubt.
The female guest lunged towards the princess. But I grabbed her ankle and slammed her to the ground. She tried to break her fall but couldn’t move with me holding her ankle.
A hidden blade coated in poison emerged from her shoe, but I was ready for that, so it wasn’t a threat. She flipped onto her back and pulled a dagger from her cleavage, throwing it at the princess. I considered deflecting it, but Arnella quickly raised a tray and blocked it.
Not bad. The princess embraced her.
I understand how to handle women. But I can’t treat assassins like women. I lifted her by her ankle and kicked her in the chest.
She bounced and then passed out.
The male guest tried to crawl away but found Mastema standing in front of him.
Mastema stepped on his head and made a peace sign with two fingers.
I clapped my hands loudly, drawing the attention of the stunned guests.
Some guests, especially the more spirited adventurers, were ready to jump into the fray. I had to quickly calm things down to prevent trouble.
Nia was already in a combat stance. Weapons were banned, but high-level adventurers didn’t need them; their bodies were weapons enough.
“Everyone. Sorry for the disturbance. There were intruders, but they’ve been dealt with. Please, continue to enjoy the party. Your safety is guaranteed by me, Sky Knight Ahavain!”
With my declaration, the atmosphere relaxed. Reputation comes in handy at times like this.
The title of Sky Knight isn’t just for show.
Maybe I should be called the Celestial Demon Knight since I also defeated demons after angels. No, that doesn’t sound right.
Outside the restaurant, at a distant location, we handed the assassins over to the royal guards assigned to the princess. They still gave me stern looks, but they did thank me.
Keep up the good work.
After that, the party continued in a friendly atmosphere.
It started with greetings from Kasugal, followed by magic tricks, and even a small fire accident with the curtains. The royal lady made a surprise appearance and sang beautifully.
For some reason, my two slaves ended up on stage, performing a dance. They wore half-pants under their skirts to prevent any accidental exposure. Their dance was sharp and drew the most applause. Some guests even threw money onto the stage.
They were not only cute but also skilled at presenting themselves attractively.
After their dance, the applause was loud and heartfelt.
We then had some time for casual conversation.
In the VIP room, Kasugal, the princess, the royal lady, and I sat together. I left the serving to the two slaves who had finished their performance. They poured tea into our cups. It was high-quality tea from the Empire, best enjoyed without sugar but with a slice of tart fruit.
The chefs were left to clean up the kitchen.
Kasugal seemed nervous. He felt he owed something to the princess. He shouldn’t worry.
As the master of fire, he could conquer a country alone if he wanted.
