Chapter 9 Like Father, Like Son (1/2)

A man was standing alone in the cold. Though, he did not seem to be waiting for him or anything else. He was just standing there. He was a young blond. His hair was long enough that his fringe overlapped his golden-framed glasses. One look and even an idiot would be able to tell that he was not a fighter. In fact, he looked extreme refined and gentle. When he heard the sound of footsteps coming from an alley before him, he lifted his head. At first, he was stunned but then smiled in relief. Before he could lift his hand to greet Joshua, he was pinned to the wall on his neck and his hand.

”My, my Chris. I didn't expect to see you here.”

Joshua got into a power stance and lifted Chris with just his right arm. He removed his spear from his back and displayed a threatening move by stabbing the spear into the snow. With an innocent grin, he greeted Chris. ”How are you? Have you been well?”

”Gack! Ack!”

”Oops. I'm sorry. Where are my manners? Let me get you comfortable first.”

Joshua lightened the grip on his throat.

”Cough… Cousin, what are you doing?”

Chris' face was back to normal after blood returned to his face. Even though he was just strangled, he did not appear to be afraid of Joshua. ”There's no need for such treatment. It's been a while.”

”Cousin? Such a word means nothing to me. Count yourself lucky that we are related. Otherwise, I would have killed you before you could even blink,” said Joshua who remained stoic.

”You do know what your father did.”

The man that Joshua had just lifted up with only one arm was the son of his uncle, Chris la Radcliffe.

It was lucky as well. Joshua had initially thought it was a trap.

”Even so, we have had a good relationship.” Chris tried to reason with Joshua. ”Good enough that you'd only strangle me instead of detaching my head.”

Joshua scoffed at the statement. What he said was true. When Joshua and Chris were younger, both of them shared happy memories playing in the snow together. Instead of a cousin, Joshua once thought of him as a younger brother.

Even so, Joshua did not let him off. His steel-like hand was still gripping his neck, like a python ready to snap it off.

”I don't care about our relationship, cousin or not. The moment your father made his move to claim the count's title, I've taken it as an all-out declaration of war on me.”

Joshua did not sugarcoat his words.

Being lazy as always, Joshua had not asked why Chris was there standing in the snow. Hence, without wasting any time, he nudged Chris and asked, ”What luck, just when I'm about to attack the mansion, I bump into you! Now, tell me how many guards there are in my mansion and who is supporting your father. You have ten seconds before you'll start appreciating your life.”

Joshua's tightened the grip on his young cousin and counted, ”Ten.”

Chris pupils contracted immediately when he saw the glare in Joshua's eyes. He was not joking. There was not the slightest doubt in his eyes about what he said. He was prepared to kill. Panicking, Chris started sweating. If he did not tell Joshua what he wanted to hear, he would be killed mercilessly.

”There's no need to count. There are twenty four guards in the mansion. Fifteen are Lower Silver tier, six Intermediate Silver tier, and three Upper Silver tier.”

Without flinching, Chris reported all he knew about the security details of the mansion. Even though he appeared cool and calm, he was literally sweating like a pig. ”I have no information about those supporting him. But, I am sure about one. Oh! I must have you know that I'm against my father's action to fight for the count's title. I am here because I snuck out!”

Chris started to panic and quickly finished his sentence before Joshua could interject. ”My brother, you'd see how I responded when I saw you in the alley. I was happy to see you alive and well! You'll know that I'm not with them! I'm with you!”

”…True.”

When the reaper was holding your neck, there was no reason to tell a lie. Joshua calmed down. His murderous aura around him subsided yet he did not relax his hands on Chris' neck. ”Even so, I'd use you as a hostage to move around. Blame your father if you're hurt.”

”Wait! This scheme of taking the count's title was not my father's doing. He is but a chess piece. That's why the people who are playing this game of chess would never consider my life as important!”