Isekai Assassin: Volume 1

by Grayson Sinclair

  I smirked as I picked up my wine glass and took a sip. It was slightly bitter, but I enjoyed the bitterness and savored the complex flavors as they swirled around my tongue.

  She was right. This is an excellent vintage. But I didn’t come here to drink wine.

  I turned back to the conversation as the small talk about the annual taxation rates possibly increasing again next year ended, and one of the men brought up the late Lieutenant Ildan.

  “Any news about the lieutenant?” Rat asked.

  “None. Though I wasn’t holding my breath. But that’s not what’s troubling. Three murders occurred in the Pleasure District at a bar. The bodies were dumped in an alleyway—one an informant for the guard. Three men were brutally slain.

  “Which makes four men in less than a week. One being a high-ranking member of the guard who was killed in his home not too far from here actually.”

  One of the other men snorted. “Haven’t seen the like in ages. You’d almost think the Jackal was back.”

  “No, he’s currently locked up safe and sound in prison. I made sure of that myself. But the kills were too similar for me to think it’s the work of separate people. I think one person is doing this.”

  I paused over my wine and smirked.

  Not bad, putting that together. Smart guards are always a headache, though.

  I was about to take another drink when my eyes watered, and a fierce headache pulsed through my skull. My grip loosened on my glass. It nearly crashed to the ground, but I readjusted quickly and saved the drink from spilling.

  As soon as the fit came over me, it passed, leaving me confused and tired.

  I’ve been running all over the place the past couple of days, but this is a rather severe bout of exhaustion.

  With a promise to get a good night’s rest as soon as the job was done, I finished my wine. The waiter brought out my food sometime later, a pasta type dish that held steaming chicken and some tangy brown sauce smothered over it.

  The spices wafted toward me hinted at chilies and cleared my sinuses, so whatever it was, was spicy.

  Might as well have a good meal while I’m eavesdropping.

  Captain Mays lowered his voice as the waiter returned with their food and more wine, but as soon as the man departed. They continued their conversation.

  “What are the guards going to do about this new killer in town?”

  “I’ve spoken with the count at length about this issue,” Mays said through bites of food. “And we’ve already sent word to the thorn. We’ve asked for a specialist to be brought in and deal with the situation.”

  “Are we sure that’s the wisest course of action?” Rat asked. “After what it took to rid the city of them in the first place, is it wise to invite them back?”

  There was a long pause before Captain Mays spoke again.

  “I honestly can’t deny that it’s a risk, but at least it’s a calculated one, where we can control the outcome to some degree rather than letting a complete unknown rampage through the city unchecked.”

  “A fair point,” Rat said, laughter in his voice. “And if this is what our esteemed leader wishes, then I will back him implicitly.”

  “Long as our businesses stay profitable,” a graveled voice said with a chuckle before his voice quieted considerably. “The most recent shipment will certainly help improve the city’s coffers.”

  “Not to mention our own,” Rat replied.

  “I still think that was a mistake on Malcolm’s part, but that’s not for me to decide. Though I trust you’re keeping the items secure, Ramsey?”

  Ramsey, Rat, laughed softly. “Of course. My villa is secure. My house guards are the best money can buy. The Silver Shields company no less. It’s as safe as if it were in the count’s personal vault. Have no fear.”

  Your Eavesdropping skill has increased by 1! [Eavesdropping: 2 (Novice)] +25 Exp!

  Well, isn’t that interesting. That shipment can only be the Thanatos that was confiscated. But I don’t have time to deal with it now. But it’s good to know where it’s being held.

  I can certainly use that information to my advantage in the future.

  Only amateurs or those with nothing to fear spoke about such matters out in the open, and though they assumed they were free of prying ears, that was a grave oversight on their part.

  The information they just gave me was invaluable. And they treated it like dinner conversation.

  They should really be more careful about what they speak about in public.

  Too used to the status quo. I grinned over my glass of wine. Well, I’m about to disrupt that.

  The three continued to talk over dinner, and I happened to learn a few more things, but nothing more than gossip about who was sleeping with who and the location of a noble’s gambling ring that Graveled voice, Jorgen, owed a tidy sum to.

  Apparently, Jorgen was trying to convince Captain Mays to raid the location and arrest the gambling leader to avoid paying his fines.

  “I can’t promise anything, Jorgen, but I’ll see what I can do to help you out.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” he replied, a wicked smirk in his voice.

  After that, they finished the bottle of wine, paid for their meal, and left. I gave them a minute or so head start, marking the direction they headed towards before I followed after them.

  Once they reached the gate that led out of the Noble District, Ramsey and Jorgen bid Captain Mays a farewell and went their separate ways, leaving him alone.

  He turned like he was heading back to the Legal District, which meant he would likely go back to work. Captain Mays walked back through the street, heading back to the guardhouse. Inside would be a nightmare to infiltrate, and I’d much rather kill him in his home rather than trying to sneak inside one of the most heavily guarded buildings in Vohra.

  As he went inside, I hopped back into the alley I’d been in before and quickly changed back into my armor and donned my cloak. If I was going to kill him, I needed to know his patterns and his habits. But I couldn’t learn anything from outside the building, and I wasn’t about to risk entering just yet.

  I had a few hours to kill until he got done for the day, so I figured it would be the best time to scout the route he’d walk home. I assumed he lived in the Noble District. He was high born. The plumage in his helm signified that, so that meant I could guess the route he’d take on the way home.

  Likely the same one he took when he went to lunch today. If he were smart, he’d vary his route, but I’m betting he doesn’t have that much foresight.

  Whether he did or didn’t, I’d still scout out several routes he was likely to take.

  It took a few hours, but really there was only one route he could take to get home unless he fancied walking nearly an hour out of his way to head to the only other gate to the Noble District, which was on the opposite side near the north gate of Vohra City.

  But because there were only two options, and only one that was viable, it meant I knew the exact route he’d take home.

  I walked the street, getting a feel for the buildings around it as I got close to the guardhouse. My eyelids grew heavy and ached. I rubbed them, fighting a wave of exhaustion that settled over me.

  Getting to sleep in the new house hadn’t been easy, but I shouldn’t have been this tired. I’d gone days with only an hour's sleep before and hadn’t been this exhausted.

  Maybe I’m more worn out than I thought?

  I shook off the fatigue and got back to mapping out the route.

  There were a number of good places on the route from the guardhouse to the Noble District. Several small alleyways were dark and empty. Only useful as shortcuts between streets. And because it was the Legal District, it meant that there were very few people out and about. Most were working.

  Depending on what time he leaves the guardhouse, I can probably ambush him in one of the alleys.

  It was a bit sudden for my tastes, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the plan. I
t was quick, and if I timed it right, I could kill him and be away before anyone even noticed. I had multiple escape routes, and at night, I’d be nearly invisible.

  A lesson I learned the hard way was that, even with all my planning and preparations, sometimes, a target walked headfirst into their death without either of us having planned for it.

  Alone in a dark alley would offer a great location to end his life. And I wouldn’t pass it up.

  Having decided on my course of action, I returned to my previous vantage point and went back to keeping watch.

  Even more hours passed while I waited for him to leave, as late afternoon turned to early evening and then dusk. When the light of the sun started fading, most of the lawyers and court officials left for the day, heading back home, but Mays wasn’t among them.

  Another hour passed, and night was upon us when Captain Mays called it a day and came out of his office to head home.

  As darkness fell across the city, a lamplighter came around to the black iron lamp posts and lit them, bringing the cobblestone alight with dancing flames. All across the Business District, lights lit up in windows and rooms, bringing some light to the darkened and shadowed road.

  Bathed in shadow, I slipped from my hiding place and headed for the side alley I picked for my ideal spot.

  It was between two brick buildings, and the lampposts next to it were angled, so not much of the light cast into it. Even Aurella was hidden from my perch. I crouched low and waited.

  I’d timed the steps and had already witnessed Captain Mays’s walking speed, so I could decently time how long it’d take him to reach the alley.

  Eight minutes. That was my estimate.

  Six minutes into my waiting and my head began pounding, worse than it’d been all day. My eyes dropped as a heavy wave of exhaustion crept up on me. I brushed my hair back and found myself clammy, my forehead beaded with sweat.

  Shit.

  This isn’t exhaustion. It’s way worse than that.

  Poison.

  But how? I’d checked my wine and my food before I ate at the restaurant and at Christoff’s. And I’d actually been feeling off since this morning because of the lack of sleep which had disguised the symptoms.

  If it wasn’t the food, then what?

  I wiped my brow and pulled my hand back. A tuft of white bandage stood out next to my dark leather.

  The windowsill.

  But I’d checked the needles and found nothing on them. Even if they had been poisoned, the rain should’ve washed them clean years ago.

  Regardless, I had to abort the job. I couldn’t fight like this. There was simply no way I could assassinate Mays while I was at half strength.

  Need to get to Angela’s to see if she has a remedy or antidote.

  My legs trembled, and I stumbled forward. Vertigo caused my eyes to swim, and I leaned against the brick to catch my breath. I tried to focus and leave the alley.

  I made it to the entrance before another wave floored me, and I couldn’t keep my body upright anymore. I stumbled to the ground as the night sky swam with thousands of spiraling lights overhead.

  Loud footsteps thudded across the stone, and I groaned as I tried to stand up.

  Early. My timing was off. Not good. Not─my head grew heavy, and I couldn’t think straight. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  The footsteps stopped just in front of me. “Are you alright, citizen?” the voice asked.

  It was the voice of Captain Mays.

  My target.

  “Here, let me help you─” he paused. His face came into view. He knelt, his hands going to my cloak, pushing it aside to reveal my leather armor and arsenal of weapons.

  There was nothing I could say in my defense. It was clear what my exact profession was when someone saw the array of knives across my chest and waist.

  “Well, well, well. What have we here?” he asked, lifting me by my collar.

  His face was inches from mine. His fetid, wine laced breath rolled over me and added to the headache stabbing through my skull.

  Get up! Get up! I willed my body to respond to me, and I clenched my fist tight.

  Through the haze in my head, I tried to focus, focus on a single thought.

  A single action.

  “A dead man,” I said.

  I grabbed my knife at my waist and brought it up and across Mays’s face.

  His skin split from his chin to his forehead, and he howled in pain, and blood arced in a heavy spurt away from us to rain crimson across the brick alley wall and stone walkway.

  Mays backed away, a bloody grimace building on his face as ruby-red life covered half of it. He clutched at his ruined face and reached for the sword at his hip.

  I fought down the pain and dizziness, the bone-weary exhaustion that gripped me, and stumbled to my feet.

  Though it took every ounce of strength I had left. I raised my bloody dagger and pointed it at Captain Mays.

  If I’m doing this now. I’m going to give it my all. I have no other choice.

  “I’m staring at a dead man.”

  Chapter 18- To the Death

  I’d been poisoned before, even done it to myself in small doses to get a feel for it and how it affected me. Strictly controlled doses were a lot different than whatever pumped through my veins at the moment.

  It didn’t seem like the type of poison that was meant to kill, but instead debilitate and inhibit. Both of which were in full swing.

  I had no idea what kind of poison it was. And that had been my undoing. It wasn’t something that I was familiar with, something that existed on Xenai, but not on Earth.

  I’d checked the needle and decided it wasn’t poisoned based on my knowledge of poisons from Earth, but I wasn’t there anymore, and I’d discounted anything outside of my expertise.

  This world hadn’t offered me a serious challenge yet, and because of that, I’d grown complacent, confident in my abilities.

  I chuckled, despite the situation. “Arrogance.”

  That was my flaw.

  The dagger in my hand shook as I pointed it at Captain Mays, and I tried to keep my movements steady.

  He snarled at me, blood dripping down his polished plate mail. “Who the hell are you?”

  I didn’t have the strength to speak anymore. I needed every last drop to fight. My best option would have been to run, but Mays was blocking one of the exits, and I knew even if I disengaged from the fight, I wouldn’t get far with him nipping at my heels.

  There was only one choice. I’d backed myself into a corner without realizing it. I’d have to fight. It would be a deathmatch; one of us was walking out, one of us was going to die.

  And I refused to let it be me.

  With all my strength, I pushed off and thrust my dagger toward Mays. I angled my knife toward the gap in between his gorget and helmet, where a sliver of his throat was exposed.

  My knife wasn’t good enough to puncture through his heavy steel plate, so I didn’t even try.

  Mays’s eyes widened at my speed, and he reacted on instinct. He backpaddled and brought his sword to bear.

  Steel clashed as our weapons met. His silver and golden one-handed sword easily held against my inferior quality blade. He batted it aside with ease and stepped toward me.

  Mays shot his right leg out in a push kick and caught me in the chest. The air exploded from my lungs, and a sharp crack radiated from my ribs as I doubled over. I fell to the ground as a world of pain crashed into me.

  His plated boot had fractured a rib, maybe two.

  “Die, you son of a bitch!” he shouted and raised his blade to bring it down on my head.

  I pushed back on my heels and tucked into a back roll and came up on the balls of my feet as his sword swung through empty air and clanged loudly against the stone street.

  My ribs screamed in pain at my actions, but it was just pain. I needed pain.

  The sharp, clinical burn of fire rushing across my chest helped cut through the fogginess and exhaustion as it pai
red with the pulse of battle in my veins.

  Those two things were what kept me standing. Without them, I was liable to collapse even more so with the damage to my ribs.

  As I came up from my roll, I grabbed a throwing knife and flung it out. It sailed end over end, and Mays reacted. He flinched as it came toward him.

  His sword was out of place, and he tried to bring it up in time, but he was too slow. My knife sunk into his armor, right over his heart. It was shallow, only a quarter of an inch, but it gave me what I wanted twofold.

  It distracted Mays and let me close the distance I’d created by dodging his execution.

  Enraged, he tugged the knife from his armor and chunked it at me. His throw was sloppy, and it went wide before skittering off the brick and skipped to lay still like a piece of discarded trash.

  I reached Mays, and he swung at me. His steel whistled as it bit through the air, arcing toward me. I brought my knife up and angled it to deflect the captain's attack.

  Our two blades sang metallic as they met once again. I angled his strike down and away from me. His sword struck stone once more as his plated fist swung at me.

  I stepped back and slashed at him with my knife, catching him in the leather of his palm and scoring a minor gash along his hand.

  He hissed and pulled away, blood dripping down to the pavestones. “You’re skilled. I’ll give you that.” His remaining clear eye lit up, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. “You’re the killer who took out Gordon and Charles, aren’t you?”

  Mays spat again as more blood ran down his face. “Have to be. No one else in the city could stand against me as you have. Poisoned too.

  “Looks like silent night. Nasty little poison. Sticks to anything and is fuckin’ hard to get rid of. Who’d you piss off besides the count and me? Must have lots of enemies.”

  Likes to hear himself talk, huh? Shouldn’t speak during a fight, it lowers your reaction time. If your brain’s focused on completing a sentence, it’s not fully concentrating on your opponent.

  He stared at me, his brows furrowed.

  “Not gonna talk? Fuck you, then. I’ll talk to your corpse as I haul your mangled carcass around town.”