The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Old Man Who Refused to Learn His Lesson

The following night, Ares found himself growing tired of the academy.

It wasn’t that the academy was unpleasant.

Which was why, after finishing his duties for the day, Ares decided to visit one of the organization’s nearby investigation sites.

The place was an abandoned mansion located deep within the outskirts of the territory. Its windows were broken, its walls were covered in vines, and the old wooden doors creaked whenever the wind passed through them. From the outside, it looked like the perfect place for thieves, bandits, or other troublesome people to hide.

Inside, however, five members of the Eclipse Order were already at work.

Several bodies lay scattered across the floor.

The members paid them little attention as they examined documents, searched through cabinets, and inspected the remains of the mansion. Among them was a young man with short, straight dark-blue hair, quietly reading through a bundle of papers while the others searched the surrounding rooms.

Killing had become something ordinary for these people.

At their age, most children would still be horrified by the sight of a corpse.

These people had already crossed that line long ago.

As for me...

Ares stood silently behind them, watching.

I’m already twenty-eight mentally, and I was a top assassin back on Earth. Compared to what I’ve seen before, this is hardly anything worth reacting to.

Well, technically, I started training when I was nineteen.

He paused.

Not that the distinction really matters anymore.

The five members continued their investigation without realizing that someone had appeared behind them.

None of them noticed his presence.

None of them sensed his approach.

And none of them realized that the person standing behind them was the very existence they revered above everyone else.

Ares looked over their shoulders for a moment.

Then he spoke.

"So, what are you doing?"

The five members froze.

The atmosphere inside the mansion changed instantly.

They turned around.

The moment their eyes landed on the familiar Eclipse attire, their expressions went blank with shock.

A second later, all five dropped to their knees.

"THE GREAT ECLIPSE!"

Their voices nearly echoed throughout the entire mansion.

"We sincerely apologize!"

"We failed to recognize your presence!"

"Please forgive our negligence!"

Ares stared at them for a moment.

They’re way too serious.

He sighed internally.

The five immediately fell silent.

"What are you investigating here?"

The member with the dark-blue hair lowered his head before answering.

"We were ordered by Lady Celeste to investigate this location. We discovered traces suggesting that the people who occupied this mansion were connected to a larger network, but we have not yet determined the extent of their involvement."

"I see."

Ares extended his hand.

"Give me the report."

The young man immediately placed the documents into his hand.

Ares glanced through them.

His eyes moved across the pages.

Then he stopped.

Hmm.

This is similar to what I found on those thugs the other day.

So the investigation teams are already beginning to uncover the same trail.

Interesting.

He closed the report.

"You don’t need to investigate this any further."

The five members looked up.

"I have already handled the matter."

There was a brief silence.

"Understood."

The response came immediately.

"Return to headquarters and report everything you have found."

"Yes, Great Eclipse!"

Ares turned his attention toward the rest of the mansion.

"Is that everything?"

The members exchanged glances.

One of them quickly stepped forward and presented a small chest.

"We also recovered these."

The chest was opened.

Inside were several gold coins, valuable ornaments, sealed documents, and other items that had clearly been collected by the people who once occupied the mansion.

Ares glanced at them.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, Great Eclipse."

"Take everything back to headquarters."

"Understood."

Ares nodded once.

"Good work."

Just two words.

Yet the five members looked as though they had just been granted the greatest honor imaginable.

Their eyes widened.

Their faces lit up.

"Thank you, Great Eclipse!"

Ares disappeared from the mansion without another word.

For several seconds, none of them moved.

Then the young man with the dark-blue hair finally spoke.

"As expected of the Great Eclipse..."

He looked around the room.

"We didn’t even sense him."

"Not even for a moment."

"He appeared directly behind us."

Another member placed a hand over his chest.

"And he praised us."

The others immediately turned toward him.

"Yes."

"Good work."

He repeated the words with an expression of complete admiration.

"Those words alone..."

He seemed genuinely overwhelmed.

The young man with the dark-blue hair nodded solemnly.

"I understand now why everyone at headquarters speaks of him that way."

Another member looked toward the empty space where Ares had been standing.

"To think that the Great Eclipse personally came here."

"Today was worth every moment."

The five members stood there in silence for a while, completely forgetting that they had been surrounded by corpses only moments earlier.

As far as they were concerned, this investigation had already become one of the greatest days of their lives.

Meanwhile, Ares was already several streets away.

He had completely forgotten about them.

Honestly, I probably shouldn’t visit like that too often.

Otherwise, they’ll start making a bigger fuss every time I appear.

He paused.

...Though I suppose it’s not entirely unpleasant.

With that thought, Ares continued walking through the darkness, already wondering whether there was anything interesting waiting for him back at the academy.

A few days later, I found myself walking through the capital with nothing in particular to do.

The academy had become rather predictable lately. Attend classes, listen to instructors explain things I already understood, endure the occasional training session, and then return to the dormitory. There was nothing particularly interesting happening, at least not enough to keep me occupied.

So I decided to take a walk through the capital.

The streets were crowded as usual. Nobles passed by in carriages surrounded by attendants, adventurers moved through the streets with weapons strapped to their backs, and merchants, craftsmen, travelers, and ordinary citizens filled the spaces between them. The capital was always like this. There was no shortage of people, and with that many people gathered in one place, there was always something happening somewhere.

I walked casually through the crowd with my hands behind my back, taking in the surroundings without paying too much attention to any particular person.

Then I noticed him.

Between two tall buildings, in a narrow space that most people would have simply ignored, a familiar figure stood quietly.

Neil.

One of the Ten Reapers.

He wasn’t doing anything suspicious. At least, not from the perspective of an ordinary person. He simply stood there, partially hidden from the main street, waiting.

I changed my direction and walked toward him.

The moment I entered the narrow passage.

"What is it, Neil?"

He immediately turned toward me.

"Master."

His voice was calm, but there was a hint of surprise in it. He bowed his head respectfully before continuing.

"I apologize for disturbing you while you are in the capital."

"There’s no need for that. If you’re here, then I assume there’s a reason."

Neil’s expression became serious.

"There is. I’ve brought an important report from the main headquarters."

I stopped walking.

Something about his tone made it clear that this wasn’t an ordinary report.

"What is it?"

"It concerns your parents."

My expression changed before I could stop it.

"My parents?"

"Yes."

Neil lowered his voice.

"The headquarters has confirmed that Count Velmorne has taken action against them again."

I narrowed my eyes.

That man.

So he still hadn’t learned his lesson.

"What did he do?"

"He contacted the Assassination Guild."

My expression hardened.

Neil continued without hesitation.

"According to the information gathered by our intelligence network, Count Velmorne hired one of the guild’s top assassins and issued an order to eliminate both of your parents."

For a moment, I said nothing.

So that’s how far he was willing to go.

Apparently, being humiliated once wasn’t enough for him.

"Who was assigned to the matter?"

"The elite members have already begun monitoring the estate. Nao and Vanessa are directly responsible for handling the situation."

I nodded slowly.

Nao and Vanessa.

Both of them were more than capable of dealing with an assassination attempt, especially one coming from an organization whose movements we had already begun studying.

"Make sure they handle this properly."

My voice remained calm.

"They know the consequences if they fail, right?"

"Yes, Master."

Neil lowered his head.

"Good."

I turned away from him.

"Then let them proceed."

"Understood."

I took a few steps before hearing the faint sound of movement behind me.

When I glanced back, Neil was already gone.

I continued walking through the capital, my hands still behind my back as the noise of the city gradually swallowed the brief encounter.

That man really doesn’t seem to understand his lesson.

I had already made it clear where he stood, yet he still decided to involve my parents.

Perhaps he genuinely believed that because after some time without getting interfering with his affairs, he could continue doing whatever he wanted.

Well, I suppose it wasn’t my problem anymore.

Nao and Vanessa should be able to handle it without difficulty.

Still...

The Assassination Guild.

Their reputation was built on completing every assignment they accepted, and some of their assassins were reportedly strong enough to infiltrate even heavily guarded locations.

I couldn’t blame them for accepting the order.

From their perspective, it was simply another contract.

They were following someone else’s orders.

But if anything happened to my parents because of that contract...

That would be a different matter entirely.

For now, there was no reason for me to interfere.

After all, I had already given my orders.

And if Nao and Vanessa were doing their jobs properly, the assassin sent by the guild would never even realize that the target they had been ordered to kill was protected by something far more dangerous than a few guards.

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