The Hero's Forsaken Princess
Chapter 96: The Assassination Team

Chapter 96: The Assassination Team

After meeting the king, Alaric summoned the members of the 5th Battalion Army in Stormholt Manor. He planned to discuss with them the mission. He would consult them whether they were willing to join him or not.

"You can take a rest first. I have a meeting with my knights," Alaric said, escorting Eve to their bedroom.

"Oh, I’m fine. I want to cook dinner for everyone. Your knights are coming here." Eve stopped on her track.

"I’ll ask Marie and Claire to help me in the kitchen!" she added.

Alaric held her shoulders, observing her.

’She was unusually quiet when we left the palace. I wonder if King Solomon had said something to upset her and make her sad.’ Alaric marveled to himself.

"Aren’t you tired from the journey?" He asked her worriedly.

Eve masked her emotions with a smile. "No. Not tired at all. I want to cook food for your knights."

Alaric could see the eagerness in her eyes. He could only sigh in defeat.

"Okay. Do as you want. But first, you have to tell me why you look so down and dispirited earlier." Alaric cupped her face.

"It’s because of my father. I asked him about my mother. I feel like he was still hiding a lot of things from me. I also believed that my mother didn’t die from illness. However, I can’t remember anything." Eve willingly opened up to Alaric, sharing her thoughts with him.

Alaric caressed her cheeks as he nodded. "I understand. Don’t worry. I will help you investigate your mother’s death. So don’t be sad. I’m here to seek answers with you."

Eve smiled faintly. She truly appreciated Alaric for offering her some help.

"Thanks, Alaric. You can go and prepare for your meeting. I’ll proceed to the kitchen."

Eve was back to her usual self. She was also looking forward to meeting the other members of the 5th Battalion. Aside from that, Gideon would be joining them for dinner tonight.

The husband and wife got separated in the meantime. Eve busied herself in the kitchen while Alaric went to the front yard of the manor to wait for his knights.

After half an hour, the members of the 5th Battalion were gathered in front of the Stormholt Manor, including the two knight commanders– Caleb and Sera. They formed four rows, lining up to face their young general.

"Thank you for responding to my urgent summons. I know you were supposed to beguarding the fortress tonight. However, I have an importantannouncement to make, and this matter is urgent," Alaric said in his opening speech.

The knights looked at him curiously, wondering what announcement he would make. Everyone was quiet, listening to him attentively.

"I received an important mission to protect our kingdom. I’m gonna need to form a team with eight members only. King Solomon gave me the freedom to choose those people. I already have people in mind. However, I’m here to consult everyone if you are willing to join me," Alaric said in a serious tone, darting his gaze among his knights.

"However, I would like you to know that this is a perilous mission. Our task involves great risk and potential harm. I can’t even guarantee your safety. And we might die," he added, informing everyone.

"Our mission is to assassinate the tyrant ruler of Kingdom Zephyra," he declared to them.

The knights expressed their thoughts about his announcement.

"We are always here to serve you and accompany you, General!"

"We want to join you, general! Please choose me!"

"We will make ourselves useful."

"We are not afraid to die with you!"

Alaric was satisfied to hear the responses of these brave warriors. They had been through thick and thin on the battlefield. He trusted their capabilities and their loyalties to him.

"I forgot to mention... One month from now, we will set on a journey to Kingdom Zephyra to implement the mission. That means we only have one month to prepare. Furthermore, I’m also bringing my wife with me on this journey."

Everyone was taken aback when they heard Alaric’s last remarks. They couldn’t understand why their young general decided to bring his wife despite the great risk of this mission.

Meanwhile, Alaric observed his knights, assessing their reactions. He tried to check who would feel unhappy with his decision.

’Will they try to oppose me and think that bringing my wife will hold us back and be a burden to the team?’

Just as he expected, some of the knights spoke up, expressing their concerns. Sera also showed the same sentiments as others.

Only a few knights had understood Alaric’s decision.

’Because our general thinks of the worst-case scenario, he wants to be with his wife. No one knows if they can stay alive after the mission.’

Randolf suddenly kneeled and spoke up. "My Lord, please allow me to join the team! I will make sure to protect Princess Eve throughout our entire journey! I will lay down my life for her!"

Unlike the others, Randolf didn’t oppose the idea of bringing Eve. After spending time with her, he knew how worried the princess was about being separated from her husband. It was one of her wishes to stay and fight alongside him.

He also believed that Eve wouldn’t be a burden. Her medical skills and knowledge would be useful to the team. Besides, for the past few weeks, Professor Deon had been training Princess Eve in self-defense and combat.

"General! I want to join the team!" Miles, the youngest knight, also expressed his desire to be part of the team. "Though I am the youngest here, I’m the most agile. Shadow operation is my expertise! I also wish to travel with Princess Eve."

"Me too! Please choose me, General," Dillon, Miles’s brother chimed in. "I’m the best archer of the 5th Battalion. I believe I can contribute more to the team."

"Hey, you are wrong, Bro. General Alaric is the best archer!" Michael reprimanded Dillon. Then he kneeled in front of Alaric. "If you want to bring my two brothers, please choose me as well, General. They are the only family I have. I want to be with them on this perilous mission!"

Alaric turned to Caleb, his Knight Commander. He also wanted to hear his opinion about this. "What do you say about this?"

Caleb smirked at his general and said, "I’ll support you in whatever things you want to do. If you are the sword of this battalion, I am your shield, General. Please make use of me."

Alaric couldn’t help but smile upon hearing Caleb’s words. The two of them made a pact that they would fight together until death. No one between them must abandon his comrade.

Alaric darted his gaze back and forth between Caleb and Sera. Between his two knight commanders, he would be more at ease if Caleb would join the team.

"I made up my mind. I will now announce who will join me in this mission."

Alaric approached Caleb and Sera, holding their shoulders.

"Sera, you have to stay here to command the rest of the 5th battalion in my absence. Caleb, you are joining me in this mission."

Everyone was surprised that Alaric didn’t choose Sera. In terms of combat skills, she was stronger than Caleb. She always fought alongside Alaric.

However, the knights didn’t realize the strong bond between Caleb and Alaric. They never showed it to everyone, but the two were always looking out for each other, even on the battlefield. The trust between the two men was incomparable to the bonds shared by others.

"As for the other members, I chose... Randolf, Miles, Dillon, and Michael."

Alaric chose them not only because of their skills but because of their willingness to protect and serve Princess Eve. He needed more people who wanted to protect his wife.

Besides, he thought Eve would be happy to travel with them since they’d been bonding with her for the past few weeks.

"Thank you, General!" Randolf and others felt grateful to be chosen.

"Now, we only have two vacant spots left." Alaric paused for a moment, thinking about what he needed to increase the probability of the success of their mission.

’Miles has excellent speed and agility as the small and young warrior. He can escape efficiently. Dillon is known for his marksmanship. Randolf’s close-quarters combat will also be in handy for the team.’

’Michael is a good scout. He can easily find an escape route. What I need right now is someone who is good at disguise and deception so that we can easily blend in the crowd. Aside from that, I need someone who is good at lockpicking and trap disarmament.’

After thinking about it, Alaric glanced at his knights once more. He spotted two people possessing the skills in his mind.

"Lambert, I choose you. The team needs your lockpicking and trap disarmament skills to infiltrate and avoid security measures in the castle."

"It’s my honor to be part of this team, General," Lambert replied.

"Franco, you are good in disguise and being a spy. You are the last member I’m choosing."

With that, the eight-member team– Alaric, Caleb, Randolf, Miles, Dillon, Michael, Lambert, and Franco- was formed.