The Deadly Assassin Robin novel Chapter 1366

Right before leaving Light Keep, Varryn secretly confided in Robin about Hacyon.

For years, the Seaborns had carried the duty of restoring the Lightborn Sect to help the people of the Netheris Domain. But Hacyon had no idea about any of it.

When she was just three, she was forcibly taken away by the Ninth Syndicate.

They claimed she was accepted as a closed-door disciple. But in truth, she was held captive by the Dark Syndicate.

Since that age, she'd been locked inside the Soulforge Tower, forced to follow the beliefs and teachings of the Dark Syndicate.

That intensified brainwashing went on for ten years.

After being brainwashed for ten years, the Dark Syndicate had become everything to her.

She had been deeply influenced and looked up to the High Pontiff with unwavering respect.

The High Pontiff constantly preached that the syndicate was above all else.

The Dark Syndicate held control over the Netheris Domain.

Only a strong and united syndicate could guarantee Netheris' place at the top.

That way, the people of Netheris would willingly train hard, suffer poverty and sickness, and go hungry in hopes of being reborn as someone important.

Under the rule of the Dark Syndicate, citizens gave everything they had without complaint.

They would die for the nation without thinking twice.

Even more, they would sacrifice their youth and entire lives for the sake of the syndicate's future.

And once they grew old, they would hand over their children to continue the cycle.

One generation after another, people continued to serve the syndicate without asking for anything in return.

Decades later, the people of Netheris Domain, exhausted and confused, found themselves in awe of the Dark Syndicate's rise to power.

The Dark Syndicate's long-held strategy of keeping the people uninformed and strengthening their faith had quickly made them the dominant force in the Netheris Domain. In time, the domain had built a powerful structure.

The leaders of the Dark Syndicate grew increasingly wealthy, while the common folk became more humble, accepting their struggles.

Generations of people in Netheris lived with constant self-blame, feeling they hadn't worked hard enough or repented enough.

Even on their deathbeds, they urged their families to endure hardship, avoid comfort, and believe that only by suffering could they achieve greatness in their next life.

They were convinced that their current poverty and suffering were the results of insufficient effort or repentance in past lives.

Hacyon spent ten years locked away in the Soulforge Tower, absorbing teachings day after day.

She saw the growth of Netheris Domain under the Dark Syndicate's guidance and came to regard the High Pontiff as a god in her heart.

With unwavering faith, she rejected, even despised, the principles of the Lightborn Sect, which emphasized freedom by birth and the people's power.

She also held resentment toward the Seaborns for once supporting the Lightborn Sect.

Deep down, she blamed Varryn for making her work harder than others.

While others from more privileged backgrounds had become bishops years ago, she had to struggle ten times more to become a priestess in the Ninth Syndicate.

She blamed Varryn for all the injustices she suffered.

Whenever she returned to Mount Zhisall, she wanted to take her younger brother away, fearing he would be ruined by staying with Varryn.

After speaking to Robin, Varryn made it clear that Robin shouldn't reveal his identity to Hacyon.

After ten years of intense indoctrination, Hacyon was firmly committed to the Dark Syndicate's beliefs. Those teachings had deeply rooted in her mind.

...

The first light of day filtered into the Light Keep on Mount Zhisall.

They traveled in silence, passing through three allied kingdoms and five castles before reaching the outskirts of Mount Netheris.

They stopped at Mount Netheris Castle and rested at a waystation to replenish their supplies.

Tomorrow was the annual Martial Arts Tournament held on July 15th.

Promising youths from each syndicate across Netheris were arriving one after another.

Even the headquarters of the Dark Syndicate, led by the High Pontiff, had sent a powerful young talent ranked as a Warlord.

Rumors swirled that he was expected to become the next High Priest.

The Martial Arts Tournament at Mount Netheris had been held for 30 years.

Each year, an unexpected challenger would often take the spotlight.

It was one of the few chances where the younger generation could rise quickly through the ranks.

...

Late at night, Robin sat alone in his room, going over the strange incidents that took place in Draconia two decades ago.

Little by little, many mysteries began to clear.

As he pieced everything together, the truth became clearer.

"Show yourself," Robin said coldly, eyes fixed on the window.

Hacyon stepped inside, her gaze sharp, her presence intense.

"Why are you trying to get close to my father?" she demanded. "What are you after?

"I suspect you're a remnant of the Lightborn Sect!"