Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided
Chapter 109. Assassin Mage of Russha

In front of Zetius, Friederich stared at him, unblinking. His jaw dropped, leaving his mouth wide open.

His black hair was covered by the hood of a cloak, which draped loosely over his broad shoulders. The cloak was dark brown, cascading down and partially concealing his white royal arc coat. He completed his outfit with black leather boots and solid heels.

“How... how are you alive?” Friederich stammered, pulling him to the side. He glanced over at the dubious group of men who soon disappeared into the estate. The double gates then swung shut behind them.

“Why are you here? Where is Aurelia? Is she with Celestius Vivian now?” Zetius asked, his brows furrowing into a deep frown.

Friederich tilted his head in confusion before shifting into a grimace of exasperation.

“I lost her.”

Now it was Zetius’s turn to gasp. “What do you mean?! You lost her? What happened to our mission?” He raised his voice louder than intended.

His friend didn’t answer. Instead, he frowned and leaned close against the fence and motioned for Zetius to follow.

“We’ll talk later. That’s why I’m here, Zetius,” Friederich said, placing his back against the double door. His elven ear twitched as he listened to the ruckus on the other side.

Zetius followed, pressing his ear to the metal surface.

“Ahh!” A muffled groan seeped through the fence, followed by several heavy thuds.

The double door creaked open slightly, revealing a feisty lady with a two-tone bob — half black, half white. Her dark cloak fluttered bizarrely around her shoulders, despite the still air.

Zetius peeked through the gap and saw two guards lying on the ground, knocked out cold by her venomous charm.

“Ohhh, hello~ handsome! I’m Ziyue,” she whispered sassily. Her eyes leered at Zetius’s face, then travelled downward. Her purple eyes were undeniably inviting.

“Zetius. Ni~nice to meet you, too,” he replied sheepishly.

Turning to Friederich, she asked, “This your new friend?” Her eyes narrowed in scepticism.

“Old friend of mine. I can vouch for his loyalty,” Friederich responded promptly before slipping through the gap. Zetius followed close behind.

Still not entirely convinced, she motioned for them to stay low. “Trusted allies are hard to come by these days. I’m keeping a close eye on you, Zetius,” she said with a grin.

Zetius broke eye contact with her and gazed beyond. He noticed a pin on her left collarbone — a sun-like face with a nose and mouth but no eyes. It jogged his memory.

“She must be one of them,” he analysed, recalling the elite assassin mages of Russha.

The dark grey building loomed ahead, its design simplistic but sharp, dominated by angular squares and rectangles. At a glance, it had three storeys with over twenty rooms per floor.

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“Help me with this, Zetius,” Friederich urged. Together, they dragged the unconscious guards inside the rubbish room near the gate, hiding the bodies from any potential patrols.

Within moments, Ziyue glided to the side of the building and pressed her back against the wall near a window. After cautiously poking her head around and confirming there were no guards, she waved them over.

The men joined her shortly.

“Tien Long is loaded, no doubt about that,” Ziyue commented, eyeing the estate’s interior adorned with expensive furniture and ancient relics for decoration.

“Tien? Don’t tell me he’s The Master Tien, the owner of Cintia and May,” Zetius muttered, sweeping his gaze around.

“It’s the dark elf in blue we saw earlier,” Friederich said matter-of-factly.

Ziyue nodded twice. “Friederich, you take the left wing. I’ll take the right with this handsome fella here — pincer search, alright?”

Zetius was about to object, but quickly realised he was probably the weakest among the three. He nodded silently.

“Good boy. I like you already,” she said cheerfully.

Rolling his blue eyes, Friederich groaned. “Ugh... whatever. Let’s get this over with.”

With nimble steps, Friederich crouched low and traced the wall towards the left wing, while Ziyue and Zetius moved to the right.

As they rounded the corner, the soft tune of a guard whistling echoed nearby. Ziyue raised her hand, signalling Zetius to stop.

“Oops!” he gasped as he bumped into her. Instead of being annoyed, she let out a soft giggle, finding him adorable.

“Hey, watch this,” Ziyue said, before sneaking forward with inhuman agility like a phantom of the night.

Outside the entrance, two patrol guards chatted excitedly, comparing whose wife was the better cook. Unbeknownst to them, a shadow crept behind.

Ziyue flicked a pebble to their right.

The sudden sound drew their attention.

“What was that?” one muttered, stepping away.

In a flash, Ziyue wrapped her arm around the nearest guard, muffling his scream. With a swift chokehold, the man struggled briefly before falling unconscious.

The remaining guard scratched his head. “Maybe it’s the wind—”

Thud!

Ziyue dropped the body, drawing the other guard’s gaze. But she was already behind him, her fist slamming into his throat.

He gagged, unable to scream. His eyes widened in shock.

Continuing the motion, Ziyue spun and swept her leg under him. The guard’s head smacked the concrete, his eyes rolling back.

“Woah... she’s the real deal,” Zetius whispered as he dragged the bodies behind the shrubs.

Peeking through the door gap, Ziyue whispered, “Path’s clear.”

Following closely behind, Zetius slipped through the doorway, leading into a grand corridor.

As they moved from door to door, Ziyue pressed her ear to each wall, checking for signs of life. Zetius tiptoed, trying to muffle the noise of his boots, while noting that hers made no sound at all — a type of arc boots, perhaps?

Eventually, they located the main office and next to it, the conference room. Faint voices leaked through the chamber walls, but the conversation was inaudible.

“Zetius, I can’t make out what they’re saying. Try the main office. I’ll circle around and check the windows,” Ziyue instructed quietly.

“Got it,” Zetius replied, about to turn when she clasped his shoulder gently.

“I can trust you’ll be safe, right?”

He froze momentarily at the question. “Yes~yes, I’ll be fine.”

She smiled before slipping away. Her agility was unreal — within seconds, she was gone.

Now alone, Zetius hurried to the large oak door with its intricate gold frame. He twisted the doorknob, no use. It was locked.

“Excuse me? Are you lost?”

An abrupt voice startled him from behind, sending a jolt to his body. Reflexively, he turned to see a maid in apron and headpiece.

Zetius froze, eyes wide. His mind raced, searching desperately for a quick solution.