"Shadow Pavillion?" Ning asked with a surprised face.
"Yeah, they are a group of assassins that have managed to make themselves the most sought-after killers when it comes to getting a job done," Fiona explained.
"So, you're saying he was one of them?" Ning asked.
"Very likely. Although he would just be a low-level assassin in the Pavillion, it's still concerning that someone from the pavilion came to the city," Fiona said. "It can only mean that they are here to kill someone in the city."
"Shit!" Ning shouted.
"What? Why did you shout?" Fiona asked.
"I think I have an idea why they could be here," Ning said.
Fiona's eyes widened. "You have an idea why they are here? Why?" she asked hurriedly.
Ning's voice lowered as he whispered next to Fiona. "I think they are here for princess Elizabeth," he said.
Fiona's face scrunched up as she thought. "Why would they be here for her? She shouldn't have any connection with them," she said.
"They came after her on the train while we were coming to the capital," Ning said. "Someone had paid the pavilion to assassinate her."
"What? Why am I only learning this information now?" Fiona shouted, making the police in the back jump in fear.
"You all get out!" Fiona slammed the door behind her and confronted Ning. "When were you going to tell me the princess was targetted by the pavilion before?"
"Uhh… never, I guess," Ning said. "Has the princess spoken up about it yet?"
"No," Fiona said.
"See? Why would I say anything if even the princess wants to keep it quiet," Ning said.
"You are a guard now," Fiona scolded him. "You don't do what the prince and princesses tell you to do. You do what's best for their safety."
"You take their screams, their cries, and hatred towards you for not doing what they want, but what they need," Fiona said.
Ning sighed. Fiona wasn't wrong about it. Also, it wasn't like Ning wanted to keep it a secret. He just didn't think of it as necessary and had completely put the idea out of his mind. After all, with the rings they had, it would be impossible for them to get assassinated, unless by someone of high Aether Rank.
"I guess I am in the wrong here. Sorry," Ning said.
"Whatever, we need to go back now. We need to stop tomorrow's feast if possible," she said.
"I don't think you should do that. Many of the citizens are looking forward to the feast. Even the princess herself is looking forward to it. If you simply just cancel it, you will get a lot of bad reputation from the citizens," Ning said.
"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" Fiona asked.
"Do what you would in this situation. Tell the princess, tell the guards, tell the emperor," Ning said. "As for the pavilion, don't worry about them. I will take care of it."
"You will take care of it?" Fiona looked at him with a suspicious look.
"What?" Ning asked with a chuckle.
"What are you planning to do?" she asked.
"Don't worry about it. Just go back to the palace and let them know the situation. I will come back later," Ning said and left the room.
It was still a bit past noon, so the sun was still high in the sky.
"System, give me a list of names, images, and locations of all the members of Shadow Pavilion currently in the city," Ning said.
<Understood>
Ning suddenly got information put into his mind. He sighed when he learned the number.
27
There were 27 members of the Shadow Pavilion currently in the city. "So many people to kill the princess?" he thought.
"Hmm," his eyes narrowed when he saw 2 names on the list.
From Ning's perspective, these 2 people were nobodies. However, in terms of importance, they were the most shocking names on the list for him.
After all, the 2 names belonged to 2 guards from the palace.
'The assassins have infiltrated the palace already?' he wondered. However, that couldn't be correct. Those guards had apparently been working there for many years now.
Ning fell into thought. 'Maybe they aren't part of whatever is happening?' he thought. There was no way the shadow pavilion had been planning to kill the princess for so long.
Then… "The palace employed those individuals?" Ning thought. He shook his head. Just because they were a part of the assassin organization, it didn't mean that they were bad people.
'I will have to deal with them later,' he thought and went to the other names on the list.
The first man on the list was a thin man in his late 20s, who worked as a carriage driver in the capital.
Ning made his way onto him and found him waiting for a rider.
"Sir, are you going somewhere?" the man asked Ning. Ning looked around in the commercial area to make sure no one heard him.
"Have you killed someone before?" Ning asked.
"Eh?" the man was surprised, but then started laughing. "What type of joke is this brother? You make me laugh. Haha, so are you going anywhere?"
"That was not a joke," Ning said. "Have you killed anyone before?"
The man's eyes changed as he got angry. "If you don't want to ride then stop disturbing my business, you son of a—"
He was about to push Ning away, but Ning caught his hands. In a matter of seconds, the man lost his freedom and looked at Ning.
"Have you killed anyone before?" Ning asked.
"Yes, master. " the man said.
"Good. Go confess your crimes in the police station. Give them every bit of information they ask for," Ning said.
"Understood, Master," the man said as he bowed towards Ning and rode away in his carriage.
"That went well," Ning thought. "Hopefully the rest goes just as easily as well."
Ning looked through the list and read the next name on the list as well as the location where she was.
"Dammit!" Ning thought.. "I should have asked that guy to give me a ride first."
