In the deep sewers beneath the intricate network of dark alleys in the Fengyue city district.
Graves leaned against a moss-covered wall, while in the shadows opposite him stood a man dressed in ordinary clothes, wearing a low-brimmed bowler hat.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s me.”
The person in the shadows replied.
The man’s appearance was very ordinary, the type you’d never find again if you threw him into a crowd.
He didn’t deliberately hide his aura, because there simply wasn’t any powerful magic fluctuation emanating from him—at best, he was just a beginner at the first-tier level.
Having confirmed the other’s identity, Graves let out a slight sigh of relief.
“Since we’ve made contact, let’s get straight to the point.” Graves lowered his gun, his tone full of resentment. “What the hell is going on with you guys? The intelligence you provided was way off.”
The man ignored his complaint, instead lowering his voice, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction and accusation.
“They are very dissatisfied with the results of your mission this time.”
“Not only did you fail to eliminate the target, you even caused such a huge commotion and attracted the attention of the holy see.”
“What on earth were you thinking? Is this the level of a night owl assassin?”
Hearing this, Graves felt like he could shoot this liaison who was talking without feeling any pain right then and there.
What could he even say?
That he was chased for several blocks by a maid wielding a dining knife?
And then was forced to sign a humiliating indenture contract?
Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn’t dare say it. Never mind the issue of face, just the punishment from the contract alone could kill him.
“There was an… unexpected complication…”
Graves braced himself and began frantically fabricating excuses.
He paused, his mind racing.
“The Kastian manor hides an extremely powerful expert!”
“That person is not only proficient in combat, but their perception is also freakishly sharp. Their strength is likely far above mine.”
“I suspect…”
Graves swallowed hard.
“I suspect it was someone from the holy see secretly coming out to stir up trouble.”
“As you know, our organization and the holy see have always been mortal enemies.”
“They must have gotten wind of something in advance. As long as they can thwart our operation, they’ll loudly proclaim their victory.”
The bowler-hatted man frowned, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
“Are you sure? I wasn’t at the manor at the time, so I couldn’t verify the situation inside. This isn’t just an excuse to cover up your failure, is it?”
Graves snapped back angrily, “I’m already hiding in this stinking sewer eating dry bread! Could it be any more real?”
The man looked at Graves’s wretched state, remained silent for a moment, and seemed to accept this explanation.
After all, to force a third-tier assassin into such a state, aside from being overwhelmingly outmatched in strength, it was indeed hard to find another reason.
“Fine, I will report this truthfully to the higher-ups.”
The man pressed down the brim of his hat, his voice muffled. “Since there’s a variable, we’ll put things on hold for now. You lay low.”
He pulled a heavy small cloth pouch from his pocket and casually tossed it to Graves.
“There will be a new plan soon… When the time comes, you just need to cooperate.”
The man turned and quickly left.
Graves picked up the cloth pouch, opened it for a look, hefted the weight of the gold coins inside, and finally felt a little better.
***
A few days later, at the Kastian manor.
“Wind blade!”
Whoosh!
A cyan wind blade shot out, accurately striking the center of the wooden target, leaving a deep gouge.
“Young Master’s magic is becoming more and more proficient. The power of this wind blade is such that even ordinary adult guards probably wouldn’t dare to take it head-on.”
A gentle voice of praise came from the side.
Leo stopped his movements and turned his head.
He saw the butler standing at the edge of the training ground, holding a steaming cup of black tea, a smile on his face.
“It’s you, Butler.”
Leo wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled proudly. “Of course! This Young Master is a genius. It’s just some basic magic; I got the hang of it with a little practice.”
Recently, Leo noticed that the butler seemed to frequent the training ground to watch.
Not only did he bring water and towels, but he also often encouraged him from the sidelines, even inquiring about his magic learning progress from time to time.
“Young Master’s learning progress is truly astonishing, taking shape so quickly.”
“Have a sip of tea and rest for a moment.”
The butler handed the teacup to Leo, a trace of emotion flickering in his eyes.
“Seeing the Young Master work so hard makes this old man’s heart glad.”
“It’s truly nostalgic.”
The butler seemed to be lamenting something, then his tone shifted.
“Is the Young Master studying so diligently now because you intend to pull yourself together, cultivate seriously, and return to the main family in the royal capital someday?”
The smile on Leo’s face gradually faded.
“Return to the main family? Forget it!”
Leo waved his hands repeatedly with extreme distaste, reverting to his usual carefree, layabout demeanor.
“The main family has so many rules—you can’t do this, you can’t touch that. How could it be as comfortable as staying here?”
“This Young Master is learning magic now purely so I won’t get bullied by street punks when I go out to have fun later.”
“Besides, learning a bit of magic makes showing off easier too.”
He raised his chin proudly. “Even if I do nothing, I have more money than I can spend. That kind of bitter, hard work like desperately cultivating? Let others do it!”
The butler carefully observed Leo’s expression, a flicker of relieved relaxation passing deep in his eyes.
“Although the motivation for cultivation is somewhat unexpected, this spirit is good.” The butler smiled gently. “Then I won’t disturb the Young Master’s practice any further.”
Having said that, the butler gave a slight bow, turned, and left the training ground.
***
Passing through the corridor, the butler was just about to head to the front hall to check today’s accounts.
At a corner, he happened to pass by Ailiya.
Neither spoke, only giving a polite, slight nod of acknowledgment before passing each other.
Right at the moment their paths diverged.
Ailiya’s originally steady pace faltered almost imperceptibly.
She twitched her nose slightly but didn’t stop walking, continuing forward.
However, her eyes, at the corner, inadvertently glanced back at the butler’s retreating figure.
Then, she withdrew her gaze and steadily walked up to the second floor.
***
In the study on the second floor.
Knock, knock, knock.
The door was knocked, and Ailiya entered holding a letter.
The envelope of this letter bore an intricate and ornate thorny crest wax seal, the material exquisite.
“Madame, an urgent letter just arrived.”
Elsa put down her quill and reached out to take the letter. Seeing the wax seal on it, her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Breaking the seal, she quickly scanned the contents of the letter.
It was a letter from the main family in the royal capital.
Ailiya stood quietly to the side, eyes downcast, not making a sound to disturb her.
A moment later, Lady Elsa let out a cold laugh and casually tossed the letter back onto the desk as if she had touched something dirty.
She rubbed her temples, a trace of unconcealed disgust and weariness flashing in her eyes.
“Ailiya.” Lady Elsa looked up, her tone regaining its usual authority.
“Go instruct Anna and the others to tidy up the best guest room on the second floor and outfit it with the configurations the main family prefers.”
“Are we expecting guests?” Ailiya asked flatly.
“It’s Leo’s cousin, the third young master from the royal capital side, Cedric. He will arrive at the manor in a few days.”
“Since someone is thinking of us, a widow and her orphaned son, we must entertain them properly, mustn’t we?”
“I understand. I will make the appropriate arrangements.”