Chapter 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?”

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“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.