Chương 14: Rachel Hustler

To be honest, even though I had mentally prepared myself for this, I was still startled. Those skills of hers weren't just for show; she truly moved without making a sound. I swallowed hard and spoke.

"You saw me at the banquet. I am Asher of the Griffin family." The voice behind me spoke again, the cold blade at my throat preventing me from turning my head to look at her.

"How does someone like you know that name? Where did you hear it?"

"I know a lot more than just your name, Rachel Hustler."

"If you know who I am and still dared to call me out here, aren't you afraid you'll end up a nameless corpse?"

"I figured you'd want to uncover the truth to eliminate any future threats, and that's enough to make you listen to me." I paused for a moment to gauge the reaction of the person behind me, then continued.

"Could you take the knife away so we can talk properly? I'm quite weak. Even if I ran, I couldn't escape your pursuit." After a few seconds of silence, the pressure on my throat vanished. I breathed a small sigh of relief and turned around. Standing there was a figure clad in a black cloak that seemed to bleed into the night, their face completely masked. If I hadn't seen her silhouette while she was masquerading as the Princess, I wouldn't have been able to tell if this person was male or female just by looking.

"How did you know it was me and not the Princess? When exactly have you met her?" Even Rachel's voice was hoarse and low for a girl; she had likely trained it to ensure her gender couldn't be guessed by sound alone. Naturally, I had no intention of revealing my trump card, so I countered with a question of my own.

"And you? Why were you so willing to let the Princess steal your position as a Hero candidate?" A silver glint flashed from beneath her cloak.

"Don't dodge my question," she threatened.

"What is your ultimate goal, Asher Griffin?" I shrugged.

"If I said I'm just someone who feels indignant about injustice and deceit, would you believe me?"

"You think I'm being treated unjustly?" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"This isn't about how you feel. It's just that, from my perspective, a Hero represents justice, glory, and trust. It shouldn't be a liar who steals credit from others." A long silence followed. Finally, Rachel spoke again.

"What do you gain from this? Are you working for the Prince? I recall the Griffin family being neutral." I let out a short laugh.

"Who do you think I am? I'm just a lowly attendant within the family. Like I said, I do this for my own convictions. I serve no one." Rachel shook her head.

"You'll regret this soon enough. In the world of power and fame, conviction is the cheapest currency there is."

"At least I want to fight for it once," I replied.

"And you, you know you have talent. Why won't you step into the light yourself? Do you owe the Royal House a debt of gratitude?" I heard a laugh that was both mocking and contemptuous. Not gratitude, then. Could it be the opposite?

"Don't tell me... they have some kind of leverage over you? Did they poison you, or are they holding someone important to you hostage?" The dark figure before me suddenly lunged at a speed I couldn't react to. I was slammed to the ground, a dagger pressed firmly against my throat once more.

"You think I won't dare to kill you, Asher Griffin?" I looked into the only part of her face that remained visible, her deep blue eyes. They were the same color as Princess Claire Cassandra's. But right now, they were burning red with resentment, and something else... helplessness. To live your entire life in the shadows, only to have your one chance at self-affirmation stolen by those in power, it must be an unbearable feeling.

"I can help you," I said.

"You can't do anything."

"I can do a lot more than you think." Rachel's eyes dropped. She let out a long sigh and stood up, moving off me. Under the dim moonlight, she pulled down the black mask and pushed back the hood that had been concealing her head. She was a strikingly beautiful girl. Even the fiery red hair, hacked short and uneven like a man's, couldn't hide the soft features of a young woman. I was fairly certain she couldn't be older than twenty. Rachel Hustler looked at me and flashed a cold smile.

"Most people who see my true face end up dead at my hands." I scrambled up from the ground, unsure whether to take that as an ill-timed joke or a genuine threat.

"I've seen the eyes of many men about to die. They were all bastards. But yours aren't like theirs. You're stubborn, but shrewd. I don't sense any deceit in them."

"... Does that mean I've escaped death for now?" Rachel didn't answer. She sat down on the stone ledge of the fountain, gazing silently up at the moon.

"I don't believe in the gods. No matter how many times I prayed, they never answered. Perhaps they only listen to the prayers of those with wealth and power. And yet, I was chosen by the Goddess anyway. Isn't that ridiculous?" I sat down beside her.

"Perhaps it's because your strength is so great that it had to be you."

"You have a silver tongue, Asher Griffin." Rachel laughed, and this time, it sounded much more sincere.

"They ignore my prayers, yet expect me to fight in their name? Even the gods are greedy." I asked, "If I told you that my meeting you and offering help was the gods' response, would you believe me?" Rachel turned to look at me, her eyes narrowing.

"Then prove it by saving my younger sister. If you can do that, I'll take back my position as a Hero candidate."