The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Those Who Walked Beneath the Eclipse

Mara looked down at the mysterious paper still resting in the Count’s hand, her expression remaining tense as the silence of the bedroom slowly returned after the strangers had disappeared.

The Count unfolded it carefully, and the moment his eyes fell upon the seal, his expression hardened.

"...The crest of House Velmorne."

He stared at it for several seconds before letting out a quiet breath.

"As I expected."

Mara immediately understood.

"Count Velmorne?"

"He was the one who sent them."

The realization settled heavily over the room. The Count lowered the paper slightly, his thoughts turning toward the seven strangers who had appeared in their bedroom without warning.

"More importantly, who were those people? Eclipse... I’ve never heard of an organization by that name before, yet every one of them possessed strength far beyond what their appearance suggested. Even those assassins from the Assassination Guild, who were supposedly among their best, were completely overwhelmed."

His eyes narrowed as he remembered the figure carrying the coffin.

"That man was especially strange, and the woman with the scythe was no different too. They looked far too young to possess that kind of power, yet none of them seemed to be fighting at their limit."

Mara remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"Whatever they are, they saved our lives."

The Count nodded slowly.

"Yes. If they hadn’t appeared, neither of us would have survived tonight."

His expression became more serious as another thought came to him.

"We need to warn the children, especially Ares. If Velmorne was willing to send the Assassination Guild after us, then we cannot assume the capital is safe for him either. Once an order is given, those people won’t hesitate to pursue their target wherever they are."

Mara’s gaze hardened.

"Then we need to make sure the children and Ares knows."

The Count looked again at the crest in his hand, his grip tightening around the paper.

"I still don’t understand it. We never did anything to Velmorne that would justify this."

Before either of them could say more, hurried footsteps sounded outside the room.

The door opened, and one of the surviving guards rushed inside, his face pale as he immediately bowed.

"My lord!"

The Count turned toward him.

"What happened?"

The guard looked around the room, only now noticing the bodies scattered across the floor and the damage left behind by the battle.

"I came to make sure you and Lady Mara were unharmed, but..."

His eyes widened.

"What happened here?"

"The Assassination Guild attacked the estate," the Count replied calmly. "What of the other guards and knights?"

The guard lowered his head, his expression becoming grim.

"Some survived, my lord, but they’re in critical condition. The others... were killed during the attack."

The Count fell silent, his eyes drifting toward the broken window where the mysterious figures had vanished.

Inside the main headquarters of the Eclipse Order, Vanessa and Nao stood before Vhan and Vince, their heads lowered respectfully as they delivered their report.

"You returned earlier than I expected," Vhan remarked, looking between the two of them. "Were the elite assassins really that easy to deal with?"

Vanessa raised her head with a faint smile.

"Although they called themselves elite assassins, I won’t deny that they were capable. Each of them possessed considerable combat experience, and their special abilities made them more troublesome than ordinary assassins. Even the Harbingers had to take them seriously."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"However, they were still unable to anticipate our movements, and once we revealed ourselves, the outcome was decided."

Vhan nodded.

"I see. Good work."

"Thank you," Vanessa and Nao replied together.

Vhan’s expression then became more serious.

"From this point onward, have the Harbingers investigate Count Velmorne’s movements. I want to know who he’s contacting, what he’s planning, and whether he’s preparing another attempt against the D’Averon family."

He leaned back slightly in his chair.

"If anything suspicious is discovered, you have permission to deal with him."

Vanessa’s smile returned.

"Understood."

Nao lowered his head.

"We’ll handle it."

Vhan gave a final nod.

"Good. That concludes the report."

Vince glanced toward Vhan after Vanessa and Nao had left the room, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Everything seems to have gone according to plan. There is little doubt about the outcome; even the Ten Reapers would have been more than enough to overwhelm those elite assassins."

Vhan leaned back in his chair.

"I agree. Their reputation may have earned them confidence, but confidence means little when the opponent has already seen through your every move."

Vince then picked up another report from the table.

"I also received a report from the capital. Aurora and the others have been making considerable progress, and Starlight has become even more successful than we anticipated."

"Good," Vhan replied. "I’m certain Master will be pleased with their progress."

Vince smiled.

"Everything is moving exactly as planned."

Vhan’s eyes settled on the Eclipse insignia displayed behind them.

"Because the Eclipse does not need to stand beneath the light to change the world."

Vince continued, his voice calm but filled with conviction.

"We remain unseen, moving beyond the reach of those who believe they control everything, until the moment the darkness beneath their feet becomes the only thing they can see."

Vhan and Vince looked at each other, their smiles becoming slightly more pronounced.

"The world may never know our names..."

The officers throughout the room lowered their heads.

"...but the Eclipse will always be watching."

A few days later, I received a report from the main headquarters concerning the incident involving my family.

Apparently, everything had been taken care of without any serious consequences, although I was still curious about what exactly happened that night. My father and mother were safe, so there was no reason for me to involve myself any further.

Besides, even if something more serious had happened, there were the Seven Crowns, the Four Black Roses, and my two hands to handle the matter.

With them watching over things, I could leave it to the Eclipse Order and continue focusing on what I was doing in the capital.

For the time being, I had been studying the ancient records concerning the monsters that had appeared throughout history, particularly those powerful enough to threaten entire cities or even bring a kingdom to ruin. There were countless creatures recorded in those old texts, some of which had been forgotten for centuries, while others were described only through vague accounts left behind by survivors.

I wasn’t particularly interested in the legends themselves. I wanted to know which of those monsters could still exist somewhere in this world.

The deeper I went into the records, the more interesting they became. A few entries caught my attention because their strength was said to be comparable to that of high-ranking demons.

One particular record mentioned a creature that had appeared centuries ago and destroyed an entire fortified city within a single night. Its name had been lost over time, leaving only a description of its abilities and the devastation it had caused.

I turned the page slowly.

"Interesting..."

If something like that still existed somewhere, I wanted to know where it was before it had the chance to become a problem.

I continued reading, unaware that one of the ancient records would soon lead me toward something far more dangerous than I had expected.

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