SSS-Ranked Trash Hero: I Was Scammed Into Being Summoned-Chapter 94: The Assassin’s Dilemma

Lena stared at the piece of paper resting on the dark wood of her desk. She was absolutely certain it hadn’t been there when she first sat down. She had cleared that specific spot just a moment ago, yet now, a letter sat right in the center as if it had been there all along.

The suddenness of it was more than just strange; it was genuinely unsettling. It made her skin crawl to think that someone or something had been standing right next to her without her knowing.

She leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. How were they managing to deliver these messages so perfectly? It didn’t make any sense.

She started wondering if Hollow Seal was employing some kind of elite stealth specialist from a higher realm. But even if that were true, it didn’t fully explain the situation.

Lena wasn’t some amateur who could be easily fooled. Even if her senses had dulled because of the Hiroshi possession, she was still a Peak Ascendent rank demon.

At her level, she should have felt a shift in the room’s temperature or the slight movement of air as someone moved past her.

Instead, there had been nothing but absolute silence.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized this might not be about keeping the message confidential. It felt like a statement.

By placing the letter right under her nose without being detected, Hollow Seal was sending a clear signal: they could reach her whenever they wanted.

It was a silent way of saying they could kill her, or anyone else, anywhere and at any time. It was a warning meant to ensure she never even considered the idea of betrayal.

Lena knew exactly why they were using these intimidation tactics. She had been tasked with killing the prince a long time ago, and so far, she hadn’t been successful.

These "ghost" deliveries were likely a reminder that her employers were losing patience and that she shouldn’t get any wrong ideas about her position.

Of course, there was always the chance she was overthinking the whole thing. Maybe it wasn’t a calculated threat at all, but just the result of some overpowered teleportation skill she didn’t understand yet.

She sighed, trying to shake off the heavy, uneasy feeling in her chest. Regardless of the reason, the letter was there, and it demanded her attention. She reached out, picked up the envelope, and tore it open.

"Lena,

The time has come. The Prince will be attending the royal conference next week. This is the great opportunity we have been waiting for to finish the task.

Our plans are already in motion. We have assigned a team of assassins to infiltrate the event. They will strike when the moment is right. You must stay with the Prince at all times during the conference. Under no circumstances are you to leave his side or allow him to move to a secure location.

When the assassination begins, you are expected to assist our agents. Make sure no one interferes with the hit and ensure the Prince does not escape. We have been patient with your lack of progress so far, but that patience has reached its limit. This is your chance to prove your loyalty.

Consider this a final notification. There will be no further warnings. If you fail to help with the assassination, or if the Prince survives this conference, you will be treated as a traitor.

Do your job without any failure this time. We may not get this opportunity again.

— The Hollow Seal"

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Lena stared at the words for some time. She let the paper fall onto the desk and slumped back into her chair. The weight of the situation felt heavy and depressing even.

Now she needs to play a dangerous double game. On the outside, she was a loyal servant of the Hollow Seal, their high-ranking assassin. But inside, she had a completely different goal. She didn’t want to kill Caelum. She wanted to make him the Demon King.

It seemed like a crazy dream now. As she sat in the silence of her room, she looked for a spark of hope and found none. Caelum was the Prince, but his terrible standing placed him far away from being the demon King.

He was not strong enough, and he lacked the connection needed to seize power in a place as corrupt as the capital.

The political landscape was a nest of vipers, and the Hollow Seal was just one of many groups that wanted him out of the picture.

How was she supposed to protect him from a team of professional assassins while pretending to help them?

She found herself thinking about Caelum again. He was still a complete mystery to her, someone she couldn’t quite understand no matter how hard she tried.

At times, just being near him sent a chill down her spine, like there was something dangerous hidden beneath the surface. Other times, though, he seemed almost harmless, even ordinary, which only made him harder to figure out.

If he was truly meant to become the Demon King, then a lot had to go right for him. He would have to survive the upcoming conference, win over the powerful high lords, and somehow grow strong enough to face the enemies within his own bloodline, people who would likely stop at nothing to bring him down.

When she looked at the situation as it really was, without hope clouding her judgment, she couldn’t see any clear path to victory.

She was just one demon, standing alone against an entire organization that operated like shadows, silent, unseen, and impossible to catch.

If she chose to step in and help him, she knew the truth deep down: she probably wouldn’t survive. And in the end, she might just die right beside him.

The task in front of her didn’t just feel difficult, it felt completely impossible, like trying to stop a storm with bare hands.

That night, she didn’t sleep at all. She sat by the window for hours, staring out into the darkness as the moon slowly crossed the sky.

Time passed quietly, but her mind refused to rest. She kept trying to think of a plan, anything that might give them even the smallest chance.

Maybe she could mislead the assassins, send them in the wrong direction. Maybe she could hide the Prince somewhere no one would think to look.

But every idea she came up with fell apart the moment she looked at it too closely.

The Hollow Seal had already made their move. The assassins were likely already nearby, watching, waiting for the right moment.

And every time she tried to convince herself there might be a gap in their plan, her thoughts went back to that letter, the one that had appeared on her desk without warning.

The days that followed passed in a haze. A full week went by, but it barely felt real. Lena spoke very little during that time, especially around Caelum.

Whenever he was near, she found it difficult to even start a conversation with him. Just seeing him reminded her of how hopeless her situation was, turning even the simplest words into something heavy and uncomfortable.

Because of that, she chose to keep her distance instead.

Seven days later, the morning of their departure finally came.

The air was cold, biting enough to sting the skin, and a thick layer of mist covered the ground. It clung to everything, turning the world gray and unclear, as if even the land itself didn’t want to reveal what lay ahead.

Outside the manor, a large black carriage stood ready, its surface dark and polished. The horses shifted restlessly, stamping their hooves against the ground, their breath rising in soft white clouds in the cold air.

Caelum stepped out onto the porch a moment later.

He looked more tired than she had ever seen him, like he hadn’t slept much either.

He was dressed in formal clothes, the kind expected of a prince, but somehow they didn’t seem to fit him.

He glanced at Lena and gave her a small, tired smile.

"Are you ready, Lena?" he asked gently. "It’s a long road to the capital."

She forced herself to nod.

"I’m ready, your Highness." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

But that was a lie. She wasn’t ready, not in the slightest.

And yet, it didn’t matter.

Moments later, they climbed into the carriage. The door shut with a dull, final sound, and soon after, the wheels began to turn.

As the carriage rolled forward, Lena felt a quiet sense of finality settle over her. There was no turning back now. Whatever was waiting for them ahead, they were already on the path toward it.

The manor slowly disappeared behind them, swallowed by the thick morning fog.

Over the next few days, they would be traveling straight toward danger.

A question lingered in her mind, one she couldn’t escape.

Would this be the last week of his life?

Or somehow, against all odds, would she find a way to change everything, to turn this hopeless situation into the beginning of something new, something that may change everything and help her clear this damn dungoun.

For now, there was nothing she could do but sit in silence, watch the road ahead, and wait.

And sooner or later, the ghosts would come.