Roan grabbed my shoulders before I could hit my head against the roof and held down against the seat. I couldn’t hear anything from outside except for the sound of the horses neighing and the coach driver who cursed slightly.
"Stay here," Roan commanded in a low voice before he opened the door and cautiously peeked outside.
He got down and walked around the carriage while I stayed inside the carriage waiting for him to return.
After checking around I heard Roan yelp and I looked out. It was a trap to lure out. I could say that Zach was quite efficient in his work.
I stepped out of the carriage and felt the sound of sothing sharp whooshing through the air aiming right to .
Just as I thought it was a few inches from , the arrow was sliced into two by Roan who stood in front of like a shield. Three more arrows sliced through and Roan gripped my hand pushing behind his back as he looked around with his sword in hand.
"Why the hell are you out here? I told you to stay inside." Roan scolded.
"I’ll be fine," I patted his shoulder and he turned his head to glare at .
"I know you’re extrely strong but for God’s sake listen to for once." He sneered.
"It must be that Snake bastard!"
I chuckled and prompted, "Roan, we went sowhere last night."
He looked at with a frown and after a few seconds he seed to have recalled what was going on.
"Why you..." He sighed.
"Get inside now, you don’t want to trap him here, right?" He said and I nodded before I got in.
Roan looked around before he turned and I noticed the sound of sothing rushing towards us.
I grabbed Roan’s arm pulling him inside before I shot a water slicer as the arrows that were close to hitting him.
Roan cursed before he slamd the door shut and shouted at the coach driver to hurry.
We almost rushed back to Ryujin mansion and Roan kept guarding despite not sensing anymore assassins.
"Everything is clear, Roan." I told him as he stopped outside looking around the mansion.
"You’re crazy," he said he stepped inside.
"Who the hell gives their own assassination contract just to lure one man?"
"I got myself sold as a slave while in Mordino, Roan. So, these things shouldn’t surprise you." I said as I patted his arm and he looked at .
"You did what?"
I chuckled, "I got Lyall to sell to the slave trader to trap our target."
"And he did?"
I shrugged my shoulders, "He follows my orders without any hesitations, Roan. He’s not like you."
Roan’s gaze turned hard, "I know... I’m not like Lyall. I can’t bend over my back just for your word. But... I won’t let your word fall, I am willing to lay my life for you as well... just like all of these people around you."
"I... may speak brashly but... I don’t an to disrespect you, I... respect you the most," he said, "I respect you as much as I respected my father and Father Marlowe... I... I apologise for not being a perfect aide for you, but I’ll... I’ll try to make sure that you won’t have any complaints in future. So... please, forgive and give another chance."
I looked at Roan who gazed straight into my eyes and I reached out and placed my hand over his shoulder.
"I didn’t bring you along to make you my servant, Roan." I said, "I never saw you as my aide to be honest"
He frowned at my words and I continued, "I have always seen you as my friend. You must have noticed that none of the other people speak to as casually as you do, no one dares defy or look in the eye. Only you do it."
I smiled, "I knew when we first t that we’d make good friends, you are one of the very few people who can look in the eye and tell off. There’s no need to be subservient to , just be as you are. I prefer you as a jerk as you are."
"Even if you talk back or tend to be an idiot, I don’t regret bringing you along, you’re the best Aide that I could have got. You’re the reason that I’m able to finish my desk work and field work on ti without any hitches. You’re an irreplaceable asset for , Roan."
Roan and I stared at each other for a long mont and he opened his mouth.
"You really don’t feel any embarrassnt for saying such corny things, do you?" He said making want to smack his head.
"Says the one who was about to cry just a minute ago."
"I wasn’t going to cry."
"You definitely were going to, and you said even more corny things than I did." I poked my finger at his chest.
"Hah?! That’s because... Well..." He averted his eyes from mine.
"Well, what?" I asked.
"I thought... you regretted having by your side..."
I laughed and ruffled his hair, "My, my! Our little Zyran can be so adorable!"
Zyran was Roan’s real na but since he had abandoned that na years ago, I guess only I and Father Marlowe who took care of him, knew of that na.
Roan’s eyes went wide but he didn’t resist ssing his hair before I patted his shoulder.
"You have earned your own place here, Roan. Don’t think that I’ll ever regret choosing you."
He nodded and I smiled, "Now, go and rest. I have to go and deal with my assassin."
He chuckled and then bowed before he walked away and I made my way towards my room.
I left the window of my balcony open as I unfastened the cloak from my shoulders and sat down on the armchair with the ga of chess in front of .
I started playing on my own until I heard the sound of sothing ruffling from outside the balcony. I didn’t react as the sounds increased and I felt soone entering my room.
I took out the rook from the ga and heard the sound of fabric flapping.
"Good evening." I spoke.
"You were waiting for ." The intruder prompted.
I smirked as I made another move in the ga, "Do you play chess?"
"I find it boring." He replied honestly, "I find pleasure in other ga."
"Like becoming soone else’s pawn just as you are now." I said as I made another move.
"I don’t have ti for chit chatting,"
"Sa goes for ," I said as I finished the ga with the next move and turned my head to look at the assassin dressed in a black outfit.
Apart from his platinum blonde hair and his sharp green eyes nothing else was visible on his body. I saw the silhouette of a crossbow at his back and gestured for him to sit down across from on the armchair.
He pulled out a dagger instead and I sighed before I used telekinesis to snap the blade of the dagger into half.
"What the-" he gasped and then looked at with wide eyes.
He took a step back and I used telekinesis again to close the windows shut before he could run away.
"Don’t even think of it, I’ve called you here for your own good."
"Called here?" He scoffed.
"So, you sent your man just to lure here?" He scowled making sigh.
"That wasn’t my man." I clarified, "it was ."
"Weren’t you scared that I could actually kill you?" He asked and I smirked.
"You’re standing here because I had asked my people to not do anything. The fact that you’re here is the proof that it’s not my life that’s in your hands but your life which is in my hands."
"So, are you going to kill ?" Zach fidgeted a little as his eyes road around the room.
"If I had to do that you’d be long dead,"
Zach seed just one step away from bolting but I knew that he wouldn’t after hearing what I had to say next.
"Zachary Erkens," I spoke up making Zach stiffen up.
His body language turned defensive as I continued speaking, "Illegitimate son of the late Count Erkens and the younger stepbrother of Count Peter Erkens. A man of exceptional talent but just because your mother was of a commoner birth you are living in shadows and doing the dirty work for your stepbrother."
Zach’s eyes glinted with malice as he took one step towards with his crossbow already in his hands and an arrow aiming at .
"How do you know all this?"
I chuckled, "I own the best and fastest growing information guild in the world, Zach. I know almost everything."
He didn’t move the crossbow as he asked, "Why did you call here?"
I tilted my head slightly as I smiled, "Because I want sothing that you have."
Zach frowned, "What?"
"And, don’t worry, I won’t take it for free, I will pay you with sothing that you have been wanting."
Zach still seed cautious as his expression shifted.
"What do you an? What do you want from ?"
"Information, and in exchange, I’ll give you your rightful position." I offered making him freeze.
"... Pardon?"
"You heard it right, Zach. You won’t have to live in shadows and do the dirty work anymore. You will get the respect that you deserve in exchange for providing with a small piece of information."
"And what if you betray ?"
I chuckled, "You’re a person with great potential and intelligence unlike your stepbrother, Zach. You know better about choosing sides. So, make a decision. Do you want to continue living in shadows and dying without any recognition or live your share of glory and get everything that you wanted?"
Zach stared at while I leaned back in my seat with my feet crossed one over the other as I observed him.
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