The Broken Halo

Simon believed he heard wrongly.

’A Winter Monkey?’

’A Winter Monkey for the Night Sovereign?’

’What the fuck?’

He looked at Vexa strangely.

“You got a mission from the Night Sovereign?” He asked with a tone that showed how much he did not believe her words.

Vexa shook her head.

“Obviously not. We got this mission through a different channel, and we were told that Winter Monkeys were important for the Night Sovereign. But we don’t know why.”

Simon blinked.

Silence descended briefly.

And the atmosphere became strange.

“Yeahhh. Sure.”

He eventually replied, and everybody knew that he didn’t believe them.

And why would he?

The Night Sovereign was an elusive figure that even some instructors have never seen before.

Vexa released a soft sigh, then she continued with the plan.

“While you’re inside the auction house and Lucien is confirmed to be inside, you’ll communicate with us through the Grave Mark and tell us when you want to assassinate him.”

“The moment you do, we’ll summon the barrier and create chaos outside. Do not begin the assassination until you hear screams and shouts outside.”

Before Simon could comment on this, Silith suddenly grinned slightly.

“I’ve always wanted to burn down part of a wealthy city.”

Noctis chuckled softly from the side.

“Try not to enjoy it too much.”

Gorr remained silent while Morrow quietly observed the array plates on the table.

Vexa shook her head at the words of her team members, then she looked at Simon.

“Anyway, that’s the plan. We’ll communicate with you through the Grave Mark… Make sure you’re careful though. This mission is not a walk in the park.”

Simon said nothing.

A few seconds later, he looked outside the hotel window, the bustling city of Gondor continued moving normally beneath the falling snow.

Simon could not help but wonder how tomorrow was going to be extremely chaotic for the city of Gondor.

The night passed quietly afterward.

The group soon focused on resting and preparing for tomorrow.

As for Simon…

He barely slept.

Not because he was nervous.

But because he was thinking.

About the mission.

About Caesar.

About Lucien.

And most importantly…

About escape routes.

If things went wrong tomorrow, he could not trust the Grey Pact completely.

He had to prepare for the possibility of betrayal.

The next morning arrived quickly.

The moment Simon stepped outside the hotel, cold wind immediately assaulted his face while snow slowly descended from the grey sky above.

The streets of Gondor were already crowded despite it being early morning.

And compared to yesterday…

The city was even more lively.

The Winter Moon Auction was today.

Vexa handed Simon a spatial ring.

“Your clothes.”

Simon took the ring and inspected its contents briefly.

Inside the ring was a completely different set of clothes from what he normally wore.

Simple black trousers.

Dark boots.

A long white coat lined with grey fur around the collar.

There were also black gloves and a silver belt.

The clothes looked expensive despite their simplicity.

Simon raised a brow slightly.

“Merchant clothes?” He asked.

“No.” Vexa replied calmly.

“A wealthy participant.”

“The auction has status restrictions. Looking poor will attract unnecessary attention.”

Simon inwardly clicked his tongue.

’I guess I’ve been dressing poor after all.’

Still…

He had to admit that the clothes suited the environment of Gondor perfectly.

After going back to their room and changing, even Simon himself looked somewhat different.

Combined with the appearance-altering earring, he no longer resembled the Simon from the academy.

He now looked more like a young noble from a wealthy territory.

The Grey Pact also changed into more appropriate clothing.

Vexa wore dark blue fur-lined clothing that made her look more like a mature mercenary leader than an assassin.

Silith wore expensive white robes decorated with silver patterns while Noctis wore simple black clothing that made him look like an ordinary servant.

As for Gorr…

Nothing could truly stop the Varkhul from looking intimidating.

The group soon left the hotel and headed toward the central district of Gondor.

The deeper they went into the city, the more exaggerated the atmosphere became.

The roads widened significantly.

Luxurious carriages moved through the streets while heavily armored guards maintained order everywhere.

Some demons even rode icy demonic beasts that released freezing mist from their mouths.

Large banners carrying silver moon symbols hung across many buildings.

The closer they got to the auction district, the denser the crowds became.

Merchants loudly advertised their goods while powerful demons casually discussed prices that could bankrupt ordinary families.

Simon even noticed several Greater Demons nervously carrying locked boxes while being escorted by guards.

And above everything else…

The auction house itself stood proudly at the center of the district.

Simon slowly raised his head and observed the gigantic structure.

The building was enormous.

Far larger than he expected.

It resembled a palace more than an auction house.

Massive black pillars surrounded the structure while glowing blue crystals illuminated the walls beautifully.

Several large arrays floated above the auction house, and Simon could immediately tell that they were defensive arrays.

And not weak ones either.

The amount of demonic energy flowing through the arrays alone was terrifying.

Hundreds of guards patrolled the surroundings constantly.

Some openly.

Some hidden.

Simon quietly observed everything.

Guard rotations.

Sniper positions.

Possible blind spots.

Emergency exits.

Possible escape routes.

The auction house was heavily fortified.

Assassinating Lucien here would not be easy.

In fact, it would be very difficult.

Yet…

A crowded environment also created opportunities.

Suddenly, the atmosphere around the auction district changed slightly.

The noise reduced.

Several guards immediately began clearing parts of the road.

Simon narrowed his eyes.

’A noble?’

Moments later, he saw it.

A luxurious black carriage slowly moved through the snowy streets while being escorted by mounted guards.

The symbol engraved on the carriage was unmistakable.

A silver snowflake surrounded by a black crown.

The symbol of House Mercer.

The moment the carriage appeared, many Frostborns lowered their heads respectfully.

Even some arrogant-looking merchants moved aside immediately.

Simon quietly stared at the carriage while his eyes gradually became colder.

Then…

The carriage door slowly opened.