18 In Exile After the Killing Part 1 (2/2)

Saleen was distraught as he pulled out a face towel to mask his face before exiting the alley. He headed directly eastward, escaping Ceylon City in a hurry. Having rushed back to the ancestral house, Saleen stood outside Jason’s laboratory. He hesitated for a moment but still knocked on the door.

Ulysses slowed down as he headed back to the House of the Lord. As he entered, he sped up, and dashed into the living hall straight away. He then shouted loudly, ”Master, something has happened!”

Viscount Gugger had been speaking with Earl Sufonso when he saw Ulysses rush in with his clothing disheveled and his arm obviously hurt. Instead of reprimanding him, he asked gently, ”Ulysses, how did you get hurt?”

Ulysses knelt down immediately, but faced Earl Sufonso. ”Lord Earl, something has happened to your son. I had arrived late and was unable to protect him…”

Gugger and Sufonso were both stunned. Earl Sufonso was not much older than Gugger, and was about forty years of age. However, he looked slightly younger than Viscount Gugger.

Earl Sufonso had a pair of pitch black eyes, his irises appearing as though they were masked with a layer of mist. This was a result of him acquiring a certain level of his family’s traditional practice of the sword aura. Upon hearing that something had happened to his son, Earl Sufonso’s body instantly flared with powerful killing intent. If Ulysses had not knelt down earlier, he probably would have had to get down on his knees now anyways.

”What happened to him?” Earl Sufonso gave Ulysses a deadly stare, the mist in his eyes increasing.

”The young master was killed by a mage. I witnessed it when I went there, and also suffered a spell.” Ulysses fearfully pointed at his arm.

”Where did it happen?”

”The east entrance of square number 12.”

”Bring me there,” Earl Sufonso stood up, towering like a mountain.

”Lord…”

”What is it?”

”I know the mage who killed him.”

”What did you say?” Earl Sufonso grasped only empty air but had actually lifted Ulysses up. His black irises quickly shrunk, and stared into Ulysses’ eyes.

”Lord Earl, hear me out…”

Ulysses was unusually shocked. Earl Sufonso’s sword aura could not only overflow in vitro, but could control objects. Had he become a swordmaster? Had Ulysses chosen poorly in letting Saleen off? However, because it had already happened, he could only grit his teeth and endure it to the end. If they were seen through, he would need to shoulder the blame and avoid implicating Viscount Gugger.

He tried to narrate Saleen’s background as quickly as possible. After Earl Sufonso heard that Saleen’s teacher was a Grade 5 mage, he put Ulysses down gently, and pondered.

He was no match for a Grade 5 mage. He had not brought along that many guards this time. If a conflict were to arise, he would be on the losing end. But if he were to return to Yaoyang City to request for the great mage to write a letter, that murderer would have escaped by then. Would Gugger be willing to offend a Grade 5 mage on his accord? If Gugger would help him gather Ceylon City’s army and troops, it would be possible to kill that mage.

A scowl appeared on Gugger’s face. He was good at calculating. The moment Ulysses had said he was related to the matter, he had nearly guessed what had happened. He did not think that a mage’s apprentice could kill four swordsmen and then escape. However, as Ulysses had already let him off, he did not have to pursue the matter any further. Ulysses was doing him a favor.

He coughed, disrupting Earl Sufonso’s train of thought, and said, ”Let us not speak of this. Ulysses, go and manage the scene. Chris, bring all our people and lock the city gates. If you see Saleen, kill him straight away if he resists. Lord Earl, I will go with you to see the mage, and explain the situation to him.”

Although that was what he said, because Ulysses had taken half a day with his narration, Saleen had most likely escaped from the city by now. He had redeployed his people so they would not have to face the mage directly. He would go with the Earl to see the mage. The mage had lived in Ceylon City for three years, and since Gugger had not offended him, it was unlikely that he would lose his life.

The outcome would not have anything to do with him.

”Many thanks. Snow, bring our men and follow me.” Earl Sufonso suppressed his anger temporarily as he called out to the person who had been standing behind him all this while.

This man by the name of Snow looked pale, his eyebrows drooping. The ten fingers on both his hands were pitch black. He was thin, and was not wearing any armor. Upon hearing Earl Sufonso, he turned and vanished outside the living hall. An experienced assassin! Viscount Gugger felt a chill behind his back, as well as an inexplicable uneasiness.

In battles, there were not much use for assassins. However, during normal times, these assassins were most lethal. In a one-to-one face-off, a swordsman would be no match for an assassin, even if they were of the same grade.

Viscount Gugger nonchalantly followed beside Earl Sufonso as he weighed his gains and losses. If he helped the Earl apprehend Saleen, what benefits would he obtain?

No! The few thousand gold coins from earlier plus Ulysses’ favor would definitely reap more in the future. As long as Saleen was not an utter blockhead, he would certainly get his returns.

If he killed Saleen, Mage Jason would likely vent his anger out on him. Even if Earl Sufonso were to compensate him, he could not possibly move the magical tower over from Yaoyang City.

It was still best to go with the current course of action. Viscount Gugger heaved a sigh of relief in his heart.