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Allen swiftly killed the first attacker and immediately judged the opponent's strength.
This was just an ordinary beginner-level swordsman.
How ordinary?
Even Eris had already reached the beginner level.
As for the rain of arrows that had fallen from the sky earlier, there were also significant issues. It was a chaotic mess, almost like a joke. As for the arrow that happened to shoot into the window, Allen could clearly sense it.
It was just a coincidence. The arrow had been shot high into the air in a parabolic arc, not the work of a skilled archer. It wasn't even close to Rudeus's level. It was just lucky that the wind and rain had guided it into the window.
And because the arrow's speed wasn't fast, Allen's Saint-level Flow Sense was enough to "crush" it in his palm!
Even if no one had moved, the arrow wouldn't have hit anyone. It was only because Eris had suddenly woken up that this accident occurred.
A very "reasonable" kidnapping plan.
After all, outside of Roa, without a few servants around, could there be a better opportunity to strike?
If Philip's butler had any brains, he would have arranged the attack here.
After all, the mayor of Roa was traveling with four noble carriages. Who knows how many people in the city had seen them?
Who would suspect him?
The target, of course, wasn't Philip himself. Kidnapping or killing him would bring no benefit.
So who was the target?
The target was the red-haired girl inside the Earth Fortress!
But the question was...
Why was Philip so calm?
'Damn it! Philip knew from the start that his butler was problematic! There's a hidden plotline in the original story! Damn it, even though the kidnappers are weak, how can you be so reckless? Aren't you afraid things will spiral out of control?! Where's Ghyslaine? Is she still waiting somewhere, like in the original story, for a real life-and-death crisis to appear before she steps in with her Light Sword to save the day?'
'There's no way Ghyslaine would agree to such a dangerous plan!!'
'No! With her muscle-brain, she can't even do basic math. Philip probably just gave her a simple task, like needing the children to grow, and to only step in when she senses real danger or something like that.'
'But when a Sword King who can use the Light Sword senses danger, doesn't that mean, in the eyes of normal people, that they're already on the brink of death?!'
'The original novel didn't point out this hidden plotline! First-person novels are the worst!! I always knew Philip and Sauros weren't as one-dimensional as they were written in the book. These two have been navigating the world of power for years. How could they be as shallow as they were portrayed in the kidnapping incident in the novel!!'
Allen had already figured out what was happening during his earlier mental overload. His eyes widened in fury as he glared at Philip through the window.
The carriage opposite had quietly distanced itself at some point. Philip was now frowning at Allen, his expression seemingly conflicted, but the admiration in his eyes was unmistakable.
At least so far, aside from that harmless arrow, everything was going according to his plan.
And of course, he had calculated the arrow. He just hadn't expected Eris and Allen to move. According to his plan, the arrows shot by those low-level bandits from the side of the forest would, even if they entered the carriage through the window, only embed themselves in the floor.
And along the way, he had repeatedly urged everyone to sleep.
Unfortunately, he hadn't expected the long-eared girl beside Allen to be so wide awake.
This was an unforeseen variable.
But it didn't matter. With Allen's Saint-level swordsmanship, even if all the arrows had shot inside, they wouldn't have been harmed.
This was Philip's scheme.
Just then!
Amidst the rain, as their gazes locked, a cloud of dust appeared.
When Allen saw it clearly, his angry expression instantly froze.
[Mission Assessment—Strength, Completed. Whether it was the extreme release of Flow Sense in handling the arrow or the almost invisible speed of your sword swings under the Rock Domain just now, this scene confirmed to Philip that you possess exceptional talent.]
[He has the eye to judge people, after all. The one who usually wields a sword beside him is—Ghyslaine, the only Sword King of the Sword God Style, ranked fourth in strength.]
[Mission Reward: Participation Score: 5 points.]
[Immediate Mission Activated—Philip's Intentions and the Layers of People Behind the Scenes.]
[Through your understanding of the original plot, you instantly realized that this assassination attempt was suspicious.]
[The kidnapping incident from the original plot has unexpectedly mixed into your strength assessment, catching you off guard!]
[Why could the kidnapping incident from the original plot pass off as real under the watchful eyes of Philip, the mayor of Roa? And how did it progress smoothly to the point of actually abducting the two out of Roa?]
[Because it was all under his control.]
[His butler—Thomas's disloyalty—how could he not know? As the butler of a high-ranking noble like the mayor of Roa, Thomas couldn't possibly be without backing. Philip was just waiting for a reasonable opportunity to remove this 'thorn.']
[Rudeus's arrival and the proposal of a fake kidnapping provided him with that opportunity.]
[In the original plot, through this incident, he could achieve three goals.]
[First, throw Rudeus into the chaos to test his abilities.]
[Second, strengthen the bond between Rudeus, the magic genius, and Eris, allowing Rudeus to successfully become a tutor and creating a stage for him to 'integrate' into the Boreas family, laying the groundwork for future recruitment.]
[Third, remove the 'thorn' planted by Darius in his inner circle.]
[Killing three birds with one stone—this is the mark of a seasoned politician.]
[But with the flutter of a butterfly's wings, the candidate for assessment has become you. After all, how could a blood-related son with exceptional talent be inferior to Rudeus? And how could Philip let go of this opportunity to kill three birds with one stone?]
[As long as Ghyslaine is nearby to oversee things, no matter whether your strength can handle the current situation, it would naturally be foolproof.]
[But the question is...]
[Is Ghyslaine really nearby overseeing things?]
[Are the variables tonight only the weak bandits Philip anticipated?]
[Mission Objective: Find Ghyslaine and help her resolve the additional variables you've brought.]
[Of course, before that...]
[You need to ensure your own safety.]
[Mission, Begin!]
[Reward: Mission Participation Score, 10 points.]
In his stunned eyes, figures were already rushing toward Allen.
The latter dismissed the system interface, raised his eyelids, and drew his sword.
A sword swing!
The extreme speed of the Twenty Slashes passed through the carriage window. The window frame was cleanly sliced by the sharp blade and fell to the ground.
Just like the "bandits" charging toward him.
Heads rolled to the ground, hot blood splashing onto the rain-soaked earth.
Just then, a cry of surprise came from the catgirl behind him.
Allen didn't need to turn around to know that a hooded bandit in a raincoat had climbed in through the back window. This couldn't escape his "Flow Sense."
The Soundless Sword...
Was already ready to strike.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 162 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 40 power stones I will publish the next chapter.