Chapter 27: A House Painted in Blood
Seraphis leaned against the wooden desk in the Assassin’s Guild, arms crossed as she listened to the Guildmaster’s latest task. His expression was unreadable, but his tone carried a weight that meant this job wasn’t like the others.
“The target is Count Roderic Veltz,” the Guildmaster said, sliding a sealed document toward her. “He’s been squeezing the town dry for years—extortion, kidnappings, torture. The people live in fear.”
Seraphis scanned the parchment. Noble-born. Ruthless. Feared.
A typical snake in noble clothing.
“But there’s more,” the Guildmaster continued. “His extended family—just as corrupt—operates under the radar, running illegal businesses and backing his crimes. If you just kill the count, the rest will take over. We need them all gone.”
She tilted her head. “You’re telling me to slaughter an entire noble family?”
The Guildmaster smirked. “Not exactly. You’re going to make it look like they did it themselves.”
Seraphis’s fingers tightened on the paper. A slow smile spread beneath her mask.
The Plan: A Game of Betrayal
To succeed, she needed:
- A way to gather the family at the Count’s estate.
- A believable reason for them to turn on each other.
- A means to slaughter them all without anyone suspecting an outside hand.
The first part was easy. Greedy nobles were predictable.
The second part? She would craft a perfect illusion of betrayal.
The third? That was where the real fun began.
The Setup: Inviting the Wolves to the Slaughter
She infiltrated the town, gathering whispers and rumors. The Count’s greedy cousins and backstabbing nephews had always wanted a larger share of the land.
So she forged letters, each carrying the Count’s seal.
Each letter contained a simple, but deadly lie:
"I am tired of sharing my wealth. The others are scheming against us. We must strike first before they do."
She sent different versions to each faction, ensuring they all believed the others were plotting against them.
Then, she delivered the final piece:
"Come to the estate in two days. We will discuss how to eliminate our rivals."
The pieces were set.
The Gathering: A Feast of Deception
The Count’s grand estate was a towering fortress, its halls adorned with lavish tapestries and golden chandeliers.
The nobles arrived one by one, suspicion already brewing in their eyes.
The Count, unaware of the forged letters, welcomed them with open arms, thinking he was assembling a secret meeting to divide the land further.
But beneath the surface, paranoia festered.
Seraphis watched from the shadows, hidden behind the high beams of the grand dining hall.
The family sat at the long table, drinking wine poured by trembling servants.
The first argument broke out.
A cousin accused a nephew of plotting behind the Count’s back.
Another relative spoke too quickly, confirming suspicions that hadn’t even existed before.
The tension was palpable, the air thick with mistrust.
And then—
The first dagger was drawn.
The Bloodbath Begins
A noble lunged across the table, blade flashing.
The Count roared in fury, grabbing his own sword. The dining hall erupted into chaos—chairs overturned, goblets shattered, screams filled the air.
Seraphis moved like a wraith, slipping through the darkness, whispering words where needed, igniting the fire further.
A noble tried to flee—she subtly tripped him onto another’s blade.
A servant tried to cry for help—her knife silenced him before a sound could escape.
Blood splattered across the fine carpets. The mighty noble house tore itself apart.
And Seraphis?
She simply watched.
When only a few remained, injured and breathing heavily, she descended from the rafters, her black-clad form an omen of death.
The survivors barely had time to register her presence before she finished them off with precise, lethal strikes.
The Aftermath: A Perfect Crime
When the town guards arrived the next morning, they found the estate painted in blood, bodies strewn across the dining hall.
It looked exactly as planned—a noble family, consumed by greed and paranoia, had destroyed itself from within.
There were no survivors, no witnesses, and no trace of an assassin.
And Seraphis?
She was already back in the shadows, moving toward her next mission.
What do you think?
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