Terra Nova Online: Rise of The Strongest Player

Chapter 225: The Boogeyman

“So you’re telling me. The interrogation of Lin Mu girl yielded no results in the end, and she’s practically threatening to expose the dead Royal Counselor as a pervert?” Julien asked, clutching his head as he could not believe that he had such an incompetent Royal Guard department working under him, that they could not even properly intimidate a small child.

“What do we do now sire? She’s due to fight tomorrow, so we can’t abruptly detain her either-” The Royal Guard Chief Marcus said, as he bowed his head in shame.

“What do we do? Of course we give her what she wants…. What else can we do? I’ve had enough embarrassment for one day Marcus, if the news breaks out amongst the noble circle that the dead Royal Counselor was a sexual predator. It will not be good for anyone’s image.

She wants to save the Mu Clan or whatever right? Just understand her requirements and send the Virex Corps to complete that mission for her, but secure her silence regarding this matter in return.

Don’t cause me any more embarrassment-” Julien said, breathing fumes out of his nose as Marcus bowed and quickly left the room.

With this instruction by Julien, it seemed like in the end, because of a number of factors such as lack of clear evidence and the high-stakes social setting, Lin Mu and Leo were about to get away with a major crime, with all the blame of the event being pinned on Ben Faulkner, who wasn’t even there, while the Night Guild was to pick collateral damage.

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( Ben Faulkner’s POV )

Ben sat in a local bar during the afternoon, sipping a beer as he pondered about Leo’s safety within the castle walls.

The royal palace was not a safe place for assassin’s like them, and Ben felt nervous about having Leo near the scheming man Julien Evanus, however, there was nothing he could do to prevent it and hence he tried to patiently wait for his disciples return.

He had noticed some unrest unfolding within the castle the previous night but was unsure of its cause. However, he just hoped that it had nothing to do with Leo and that he was safe.

As he mulled over these thoughts, a peculiar conversation caught his attention.

Two strangers at the bar were discussing a recent incident that took place within the castle, where they mentioned how the legendary assassin Ben Faulkner had apparently struck again, this time having murdered the Royal Counselor.

Hearing this, Ben felt goosebumps run down his spine, as he felt perplexed and alarmed by the origin of this rumor, especially since he knew he hadn’t done anything at all.

Continuing to listen intently, Ben paid full attention to the words coming out of their mouth as the strangers continued their animated discussion, their voices a mix of awe and fear.

“They say he came out of retirement, just like that. After all these years, the Kingslayer returns,” one murmured, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“The way they found the counselor… It was brutal. Stabbed multiple times, no mercy. Only Ben Faulkner could execute something so precise yet so ruthless,” the other added, glancing around as if the mere mention of the name could summon the man himself.

Ben’s grip tightened on his beer glass. The legend of the Kingslayer had grown in the years since he had disappeared.

Once a feared assassin who had successfully eliminated the crown prince within the fortified walls of the palace and escaped undetected, his name had become synonymous with the impossible.

But now, it seemed his legacy was being used to cover up another crime he had no part in.

“Retirement? Faulkner?” the first stranger scoffed. “A man like that never truly retires. I heard he’s been lurking in the shadows, watching and waiting for the right moment to remind the world of his skills.”

“And what a reminder,” the second agreed. “The palace hasn’t been penetrated like this since… well, since Faulkner himself last struck. It’s no wonder everyone’s so shaken. They thought he was just a ghost story, a myth to scare the new guards.”

Ben swallowed, feeling the weight of his past and the power of his reputation. They were turning him into a myth, a boogeyman resurrected to bear the blame for new atrocities.

“Everyone knows, Faulkner runs the Night Guild, he’s the reason that that damned Assassin Alliance exists.

But I heard rumors that the Emperor has now dispatched the Virex Corps in retaliation….. although they don’t know where Faulkner is, I’ve heard that they’re planning to hit an assassin base” The first person said, as Ben felt his left eye flutter at this remark.

While he could accept being called the Boogeyman, he could not accept his reputation being associated with the stupid Night Guild or the stupid assassin alliance.

However, the more important question for him now was not that of his name being tarnished, but to verify whether or not Leo was the source of these rumors.

“My stupid disciple, please tell me you haven’t murdered the Royal Counselor, have you?” Ben muttered to himself, as he automatically assumed the worst and wondered if Leo could actually pull it off?

Of all the assassin’s Ben had seen in his life, Leo was undoubtedly the most promising talent he had ever seen, and although he wasn’t the strongest assassin yet, needing much more practical experience and skill polishing, he had the potential to someday surpass even Ben himself and become the greatest assassin to have ever been born.

‘I hope you come back out of that damned palace safely tomorrow, or else this Boogeyman will actually need to infiltrate those damned walls again….’ Ben thought in his head, as he was prepared to actually become the monster that everyone assumed him to be, for the sake of his beloved student.

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