[Dante's POV]
Dante Auditore was no longer just a boy sneaking through Florence's streets. He was now running with one of the greatest thieves in the city—the legendary Fox himself.
The rooftops stretched ahead, a labyrinth of terracotta tiles and wooden beams, each step a challenge. I didn't need a prompt from the System to know this was another test.
La Volpe was fast—his movements fluid, like water slipping through cracks. He barely made a sound as he leaped from one roof to another, and I knew if I lost sight of him, I'd be left behind in an instant.
I pushed forward. My legs burned, my breath came hard, but I forced myself to keep up.
Ding!
[+5 EXP – Parkour Proficiency]
The rooftops of Florence were as dangerous as they were freeing. One misstep, and I'd break something—or worse. I focused, letting my instincts guide me.
La Volpe suddenly vaulted over a gap that seemed far too wide. He landed with effortless grace, then turned, waiting. His smirk was teasing. "Coming, ragazzo?"
Damn it.
I judged the distance. It wasn't impossible, but for a seven-year-old? Suicidal.
Still, hesitation meant failure.
I took a deep breath and sprinted. At the last second, I pushed off with everything I had—
—And for a brief moment, I was weightless.
Then my fingers caught the edge of the opposite roof, but my grip slipped—
"Merda—!"
A hand shot out, grabbing my wrist.
La Volpe hauled me up with a chuckle. "Not bad. A little more faith next time, eh?"
I exhaled, shaking off the rush of near-death. "That was reckless."
His grin widened. "Welcome to the rooftops."
Ding!
[+10 EXP – Parkour Proficiency]
[Parkour Proficiency – Level 1 (30/100)]
...
Florence had grown quieter as the night stretched past midnight. The drunken revelers had long since stumbled home, and the city belonged to those who thrived in the dark—thieves, assassins, and the ever-watchful guards.
La Volpe led me through the maze of rooftops, moving effortlessly between ledges and beams as though gravity were merely a suggestion. I followed, my legs aching but my determination burning stronger. Every jump, every landing, felt smoother than before. The System notifications had stopped, but I didn't need them to tell me—I was improving.
We stopped at the edge of a tall building overlooking a gated estate. The walls were high, the entrance guarded by two men in chainmail. A nobleman's home, no doubt.
La Volpe crouched beside me, his grin sharp. "Time for the real test, ragazzo."
A notification flickered into my vision.
[New Mission: The Fox's Trial]
[Objective: Infiltrate the noble's estate and retrieve the silver dagger from his study.]
[Rewards: +100 EXP (Pickpocketing), +100 Assassin Points, ???, ???]
My stomach tightened. This wasn't just a lesson in running or stealing from distracted merchants—this was real. If I got caught, there would be no second chances.
La Volpe must have sensed my hesitation because he clapped a hand on my shoulder. "You've learned how to move unseen. Now, prove you can use it."
I nodded, swallowing my nerves. This was what I had trained for.
I took a deep breath and slipped down the side of the building, landing in the alley below. The guards at the gate stood at attention, their eyes scanning the road but not the rooftops. That was my advantage.
I moved through the shadows, sticking to the walls. Every footstep was deliberate, measured.
Then, I spotted a narrow window slightly ajar on the second floor. Perfect.
I climbed swiftly, fingers finding purchase on the cracks in the stone. My heart pounded as I reached the window, forcing it open just enough to slip inside.
The room was dark, filled with expensive furniture and the scent of parchment. I stayed low, listening. No sounds.
I crept through the corridors, avoiding the flickering torchlight. My target was the study, and I didn't have long.
Then—voices.
I pressed myself into the shadows as two figures walked past.
"…The Medici grow stronger every day," one man muttered. "If we do not act soon, we will be left with nothing."
"The Duke will not stand for it," the other replied. "But we must be careful. If that wretched Pazzi suspect our plans—"
I barely suppressed a shiver.
The Pazzi.
That name alone sent a cold weight pressing against my chest. They weren't just another noble family squabbling for power—they were the ones who would destroy my family.
Giovanni Auditore, my father.
Federico, my older brother.
Petruccio, my little brother.
I knew their fate, the same way I knew how this story was supposed to unfold. The Pazzi would accuse my father of treason, frame him as a traitor, and execute him along with my brothers.
And this conversation… was a glimpse into the very conspiracy that would set those events in motion.
I had to remember every word.
I pressed myself deeper into the shadows, forcing my breathing to slow. The men passed by without noticing me, their robes brushing against the stone floor.
"…That wretched Pazzi suspect our plans—"
"Then we must act first," the first man said, voice low. "With the Medici distracted, we can make our move before Lorenzo tightens his grip on Florence."
The second man scoffed. "You're a fool if you think the Medici won't see it coming. If we are to remove them, we need more than brute force—we need legitimacy. We need… proof."
Proof?
A pause. Then, the first man spoke again, quieter this time. "And that is precisely what we are obtaining."
I clenched my fists.
They were planning something. Something big.
The Pazzi wouldn't act openly against the Medici—not yet. But if they were gathering "proof" of something, then they were laying the groundwork for a major political move.
The same kind of move they would use against my father in a few years.
If I could find out what they were planning now, maybe… maybe I could change everything.
But first—the dagger.
I forced myself to focus. The conversation had been important, but I couldn't afford to get distracted. My mission wasn't done yet.
I crept forward, slipping into the study. The silver dagger sat atop a polished wooden desk, glinting in the moonlight.
Ding!
[New Discovery: ???]
[Synchronization Required to Unlock Memory Fragment]
I hesitated, heart pounding.
Every time I touched an object tied to the Assassin Brotherhood, the System reacted—like with the Hidden Blade blueprint. But this time, the dagger was linked to something unknown.
I reached out and wrapped my fingers around the hilt.
The second my skin made contact—
[Memory Synchronization Initiated]
—everything changed.
[Memory Fragment]
The world blurred, shifting like ink bleeding into parchment. Suddenly, I was somewhere else.
A grand hall stretched before me, torches flickering along the stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of burning wood and sweat. Men in dark robes stood in a circle, their expressions grim.
And in the center—
A man in white robes, bound in chains.
His face was shadowed, but I knew. Somehow, I knew.
An Assassin.
"…A traitor to Florence," one of the men spat. "A traitor to the Duke."
"No," the Assassin said, voice steady. "You are the traitors. You sell this city to the Templars like common merchants peddling stolen goods."
Templars.
The air turned to ice in my lungs.
The Pazzi. The Medici. The Assassins. The Templars.
Everything was connected.
The man in the robes—an Assassin of the Brotherhood—had been captured, and these noblemen… they were deciding his fate.
A different voice, deep and authoritative, spoke next. "Then let this be a warning to your Brotherhood."
A dagger.
The same dagger I was holding.
It gleamed in the firelight as a nobleman stepped forward, gripping the Assassin by the hair.
The blade flashed.
Blood splattered against the stone floor.
The memory ended.
[Synchronization Complete]
I staggered back, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. The study swam back into view, the silver dagger still clutched in my hand.
Ding!
[New Ability Unlocked: Assassin's Memory](Allows brief glimpses into past events linked to Assassin artifacts.)
I gritted my teeth. My mind was still reeling from what I had seen, but one thing was clear—this dagger had been used to execute an Assassin.
And the men responsible… were the same nobles working with the Pazzi.
This wasn't just a theft anymore.
This was proof.
Proof of the Templar influence in Florence. Proof that the Pazzi were already conspiring against the Medici.
Proof that I was running out of time to stop it.
A noise outside snapped me back to the present.
The guards were coming.
I tightened my grip on the dagger and slipped back into the shadows.
This was only the beginning.