Episode 36.12 (1/2)

Nirfut thought of running into the opposite direction for a moment, but he steeled himself and held his ground instead. Doing that would only expose his presence to Jinga.

He crouched down on the spot, took his wand and cast <Concealment> on himself. Very swiftly. The recitation spell was so low in volume it's like a curtain swaying breeze. A skill he's honed to perfection.

Then he held his breath and waited for Jinga to pass. He could just escape after Jinga went in Prado's room.

Yet Jinga wouldn't go past him. He's slowly and carefully closing in as if he knows someone is lurking.

Nirfut's eyes remained closed. There are times where <Concealment> would wear thin when his eyes met someone else's. This is something he found out from years of experience. He also found that making even the slightest movement would thin the <Concealment>.

His heart is beating like crazy. Nirfut never knew his heart was so noisy until this moment.

But, it's all right.

No one has ever found Nirfut when he crouched down, cast his eyes down and had advanced level <Concealment> on like this.

Or so it should be.

”<Deploy>.”

Nirfut knows that's the spell to activate <Shield of Wolkan>.

(Goddammit!)

As he cursed in his head, Nirfut leaped out forward. He threw a poisonous needle straight at Jinga who had set up his shield as he drew near. A small but sharp metal sound echoed, the needle had been blocked by the shield.

Nirfut tried running past Jinga's side, Jinga slashed his sword at him. He failed to perform an evasive maneuver and got the top of his right shoulder gouged out.

However, he kept running frantically without slowing down. Fortunately, Jinga didn't try to chase him or throw his sword.

Nirfut went to hide under the shadow outside, used <Concealment> and drank a red potion to stop the bleeding. A little blood spilled out, nothing he could do about that.

His sweat ran down profusely.

That was a close one. But he did it. Prado can't be saved anymore. Now he's just gotta bury the evidence.

He buried the poison and needle under a tree in the garden. Even if it gets discovered, they have no way to prove its owner.

He sneaked around the guesthouse's back, and climbed to the second floor, in through a window.

As he was thinking that they would likely put the guests under a strict watch soon, Hyubert came back.

And now there's nothing to worry about. They just have to feign ignorance now. Doesn't matter how suspicious they are, Goncourt can't just accuse Boldrin envoys as criminals. And as there are many other family members staying tonight, pining down the culprit should be impossible.

Yet, nothing happened.

The main building should be in chaos since the family head had just been murdered, and all the guests should be checked, yet none of that transpired.

(Weird.)

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(Every single thing has been weird this time.)

(And how smoothly that council proceeded.)

(That was not by Prado's hands.)

(It didn't match Kanner's style either.)

(Just who's been taking helm of Goncourt Family?)

The eerie night lapsed, and dawn came.

Boldrin people were told not to leave their rooms since the next head of Goncourt was going to pay them a visit.

As told, Norma really came visiting Nirfut's and Hyubert's room. Along with Jinga and Kanner. And many soldiers behind them.

Jinga is glaring hard observing Nirfut's face closely.

Nirfut felt like his heart almost stopped working.

”This man here.”

”I see. Attendant-dono. Your name?”

”M-ma'am. I am called Nirfut.”

The alarm inside Nirfut's head rang abuzz loudly despite him feigning composure outwardly.

(How'd they know?)

(Could Jinga really remember me?)