250 The Lavish Lute (2/2)
Trank nodded. ”Very well, go pick one for yourself and claim a room. I'll sure the owner will be fine with that, right, Darto?”
”Of course that's fine, anything for one of my best friends and clients.” The man with the top hat proudly pounded his belly as he pointed down the hall on the second floor. ”No one's using any rooms on the second floor. You should have the place to yourself for the next few hours till we start filling up.”
”Good, then I'll make myself at home.” Loire confidently walked toward the hall and approached a few of the serving girls at the end of the balcony. ”Hmmm, I choose… you! Come with me. And Trank, don't barge in like you always do. I haven't had this in ages, I need this.”
Both the tall and the short man waved him goodbye as they turned their attention below, letting Loire pull the gently-frowning girl toward one of the large rooms at the end of the hall.
”Ladies first,” Loire joked as he pushed the woman inside the room. He snickered as slowly closed the door behind him. Then, Loire swiped his hand over a gem embedded in the wall. ”Don't worry, no one will be able to hear you, so you can scream all you want.”
”N-no… P-please, be gentle…” stammered the girl ridden with fear.
”SLAP! Huh, what was that?!” Leaving a bright red handprint on her delicate face, Loire took one step closer for every step she took back. ”Don't worry, like I said, no one will hear you.”
”Please… PLEASE BE--”
”SLAP!” Loire's snickering soon became laughter on the verge of lunacy. ”I'll have to be quick, so I'll apologize in advance for not letting you savor the pain.”
Loire stiffened his wrist and lashed out with the back of his hand, intent on breaking the woman's jaw.
”AAAAAAHHHH!!!”
Suddenly, Loire let loose an agonizing scream. He frantically looked down to see blood pouring out from his wrist where his hand had once been.
”Shhh, that's enough.”
That voice sent chills down Loire's spine, but it wasn't as terrifying as the feeling of a cold blade pressed against his neck.
”Who-who are you?! Do you know who I am?! Do you realize what you've--”
”Assistant Loire, though we've met before, I never would've pegged you as the most perverted bastard I've ever had the displeasure of conversing with.” The calm voice came from the left side of Loire, and it was close enough for Loire to feel the invisible man's breath.
”W-what do you mean? Who are you?” questioned Loire, desperate to understand the situation.
”First.” Allowing himself to become visible, Rydel showed his calm self in all his glory before the quivering military assistant and the confused, terrified woman.
”It's you! You're one of those--”
”I said that's enough.” Rydel shut the man up by pressing the knife ever so slightly, letting Loire's cold blood trickle down his own neck. Then, the hunter nodded to the woman. ”Don't worry, you'll be fine now.”
”B-but I…”
Before she could finish speaking, Rydel's left chopped at the base of her neck, carefully knocking her out.
”Now then, back to business,” Rydel mumbled as his hardened eyes stared at the pitiful Assistant Loire. ”The last time you saw me, you called me Dirk if I'm not mistaken.”
”Y-you were… But I…”
”And since this is the last time you'll see me, I'll tell you my real name. That way you can tell the devil who claimed the reward on your filthy soul.”
”I..”
Without another word or any hesitation, Rydel's blade cut clean through Loire's throat and spine, leaving his head attached by only some remaining flesh and muscle.
As Loire dropped to the floor motionless, Rydel flicked the blood from his knife and stored it away.
Suddenly, a loud message went off inside Rydel's head. 'Everyone, be careful! They're already onto us!'