4 Nightly Guest Part 1 (2/2)
The man stood up while clicking his tongue.
His mission here was complete.
Mission one, deliver the poison for the soup.
Mission two, stalk the third son.
Those were the missions he was tasked with.
”Then, I shall take my leave.”
”Yes. Well done. Do send my regards to Father.”
”He has been complaining about not being able to see you more often.”
”Alright, I'll visit soon.”
As the woman waved her hand, the hooded man disappeared, as if melting away into the floor.
The woman laughed while gazing up at the moon.
”I was worried for nothing, silly me.”
Orelly smirked.
The flames of jealousy in her heart seemed to have calmed down a little.
***
In a corridor of the Iphelleta mansion.
After leaving Lady Orelly's room, the hooded man sneaked through the corridor in order to avoid being detected by the master of the house.
He then turned his head, feeling an intense bloodlust behind him.
'...What was that?'
He was one of the top three within the organisation.
Even the mansion's master, Count Stein could not avoid being detected by him.
”...”
If Lady Orelly was correct, he should still be in his office, in the middle of all the paperwork that needed attending to.
The hooded man called upon all of his mana within to detect life in the mansion.
As expected, Stein was still in the office.
Since his presence was settled there, this bloodlust crawling on his back could not be his.
”Who is it?”
The man turned and asked.
There was no answer.
”Am I mistaken? No, it can't be.”
As a veteran in this line of work, there was no way he would mistake such intent.
The hooded man lowered his stance and increased his guard.
Tension filled the air in the dark corridor.
The hooded man, on the edge of his nerves, frowned in frustration.
This stabbing sensation of bloodlust was getting closer.
'Who is this fool? Is he trying to call the count here too?'
With such thick killing intent filling the air, not only Stein but even the first and second sons would come running here as well.
And they would surely be cut in two.
”Oi, if you keep this up, both-”
The hooded man tried to speak, but held his breath in the next instant.
”Aaah...”
”...!”
A voice came out from the end of the corridor, breaking the silence.
”I thought a rat got inside.”
Step Step
The footsteps started to become louder.
”A nightly guest?”
”...”
”If I recall correctly, there weren't any arrangements for guests to arrive at this hour.”
There was only one reason why the hooded man held his breath with his eyes wide open.
Even though the voice and the footsteps could be heard, the presence could not be detected.
'I-Is there another like me?'
How is it possible, when it seemed mana was not being used at all?
The hooded man considered the slim chance that a great senior in his line of work was also stationed in the estate.
”It seemed like you came out of Lady Orelly's room.”
The man behind the voice showed himself.
He sounded rather calm and leisurely.
”...Y-You are?!”
The moonlight from the windows revealed the man's foot, his clothes and finally his face.
The hooded man's jaw dropped when he realised who it was, stretching the mask covering his face.
”Let's have a chat.”
It was the same man the hooded man could not understand.
'Riley?'
His eyes opened wide, unable to believe the scene that was unfolding in front of him.