10 Popcorn Part 1 (1/2)
That whatRiley had found...
They were pieces of ripped paper which had been put together.
Ian looked dumbfounded at the paper, and spoke,
”Young master.”
”Yeah?”
Riley answered seriously.
”...Why are you presenting me used toilet paper?”
”What?”
Riley held tightly onto the paper as his eyebrows furrowed for a moment.
His aggrieved face looked as if there was a misunderstanding.
”No, that's not it!”
'Who does he think I am?'
In order to clear the misunderstanding, Riley sent a sharp glare as he stretched his clenched fist forward.
As Riley moved his chin about, Ian put his hand forward with his lips shriveled.
Riley opened his hand and its contents fell onto Ian's.
”Check it.”
Ian, who had been examining the paper observantly, carefully opened it.
Thankfully, no brown stains could be found on it.
”Phew.”
”...”
As Ian made a sigh of relief, Riley's eyes squinted once more.
”Hm?”
Ian's eyes looked closely at the paper, and found something.
There were some words written on the paper.
But what's this?
The handwriting was quite familiar to Ian.
”This handwriting...?”
”Can you tell?”
As the paper was ripped, there was no way to figure out everything that was written on the original, but it did contain a certain 'ingredient'.
'No, impossible.'
This familiar handwriting...
Coupled with the ingredient which was most likely put into the soup recently.
Only one person came into mind from taking these two facts into account.
***
If you were to grab any bystander, and ask who was the strongest combatant in the Iphelleta House, nine out of ten people would say it was the master of the house, Count Stein.
”I've got to admit, you're a sly rat.”
”...”
Surprisingly, a lone hooded man could last against him for quite a long time.
Naturally, it was Tes.
He was the chief of all the invading hooded men.
Whenever Stein's mana blade was discharged, he would dodge it by a hair's breadth and simply harass him back from a distance.
'As expected of my son-in-law.'
If this were a close-quarters combat situation, Tes would most definitely lose.
'There's no way I can beat my son-in-law.'
It was obvious who the winner was in terms of skill, but Tes's objective was not Stein's head.
Were he seriously trying to take Stein's life, he would much rather ambush him or poison his food rather than brazenly fight him out in the open... Taking such a differing approach was the assassin's way, and much more effective.
His objective now was simply to buy time. While his subordinates retrieved their comrade's corpse located somewhere in the mansion, he would keep the strongest swordsman, Count Stein, at bay.
'We've got the dagger. Now we just wait for them to retrieve the body.'
Tes spun his wrist around to ease the ache as he created distance from Stein's powerful lunge.
If things were according to his expectations, he just had to withstand this for another two minutes and he would win objectively.
”...Tsk.”
Stein clicked his tongue at the hooded man's agile evasive maneuvers.
He figured out what his opponent was aiming for.
”Are you trying to buy time?”
”...”
Tes did not reply.
As he hadn't changed his voice, he might be found out if he were to reply.
As the master of the Tes Trade Guild, he had seen him once when he was younger.
His daughter's wedding had been their second meeting.
Although he had only seen him twice in his life, Stein would most likely remember his voice.
He had to be careful because he was still his father-in-law.
Right now he wasn't acting as the master of the Tes Trade Guild, but as the chief of the Assassin Guild.
”It seems I've been underestimated.”
The situation didn't seem like it was getting any better.
Stein's sword simply could not touch his opponent.
Stein spoke with his brows furrowed, as if irritated.
”I can tell that you lack the skills to kill me. A pathetic man who is skilled only in fleeing.”
Therefore, Stein changed his mind.
His objective went from the man's capture, to his death.
'Shit.'
Tes felt cold sweat dripping from his face as he realised the situation had suddenly changed for the worse, and put all his nerves on high alert.
A moment of carelessness would be the end of him.
'One bad move and I might actually die now.'
'Although it won't be long, let's buy some more time.'