NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 22: Reaper Card.
"First is a virtual room. This is a card that is enchanted with dark and wind magic. Could you fill it with mana and put it on your head?"
I did as I was told and was immediately brought to a white room. "Whoa, this is a medieval or Renaissance age fantasy, and they already have a VR room?" I pondered at the white room as Edwal coughed beside me. He too had the card on his head.
"Like this, a pair of cards could talk to each other. You will talk to your operator here, you know, about commissions, plans, prizes, etc."
"I see."
"During missions, you can also wear your clips on your ear, and we can talk to each other in almost real-time."
"Whoa! Awesome." I put the clips on my ear. It was a bit uncomfortable, but I can manage.
"So, let us begin. Here is your mission. I want you to go into the slums and then search for the slave trader. Unfortunately, since you killed every last one from before, I lost any lead for it."
"Eh, that was my fault? Sorry then."
"Nah, this is just a practice mission. I didn't expect you to find anything. I just want to give you a tour of how we operate. By the way, we also have missions on County Shadowstep."
"Alright."
"Off you go."
With that, I put the card back into my pocket, and my vision returned to the inn room we rented at the Pavilion Tavern. I put my hood back on and went outside with Edwal in tow. With the clips in our ears, Edwal talked to me. I retraced my steps through the slums like the day before. The slums were empty tonight. There were no burglars or bandits in sight.
"Nobody here."
"Same."
As I glanced through the surroundings, I finally found someone. However, when we locked eyes, the person immediately turned around and sped up. Somehow by instinct, I chased after him. Mana sight shows that he is a normal human. When he turned into a corner, he immediately ran. Weirdly, any people he passed through ran along with him.
"Ahh! The assassins are here," the man screamed as he ran.
"R666, what are you doing?" Edwal asked through the clips.
"I don't know. I saw a suspicious person, he ran when I met him. So, I chased him."
"Stop the chase. You are making a ruckus. We do not do that. Our work must remain unnoticed."
"Alright." However, before that, I put a mana marker on him. A mana marker is a simple harmless spell that sticks into their clothes. This will help me trace him later. I stopped chasing him, activated my stealth, and went in a different direction. However, I was curious about why these goons fled on sight, and thus, I returned stealthily to the same spot and followed the marker I put before.
"Why the hell are those assassins following us? Who is he chasing?" The men questioned each other.
"I don't know! I only pickpocketed some random merchant! I swear!"
"I only had a brawl this morning!"
"Small stature and black figure from head to toe. That was the assassin who killed Boss Larry. He must have been searching for the remnants of his business. He didn't look for small fry like us idiots. Why did you run anyway?"
"I-I-I don't know. I just felt fear when I looked into his eye."
I immediately cast illusions on the five men who were discussing with each other. This should distort the image they had of me to that of a male with blue eyes. I also added some canines, horns, and other demonic features to make him scary.
"Greetings, human. You are correct that I did not look for you. Now, I heard the mage slave trader I killed yesterday had some friends. Do you perhaps know anything about it?" I approached and asked them calmly. However, they wet their pants as soon as they looked at me. They then fell on their butts and seemed paralyzed.
"I-I don't know anything!"
"I won't kill you if you are innocent. However, I can't go back empty-handed either."
"I don't know anything. I just know that the boss had family outside of the capital. He worked for Duke Luca."
"I see. Stay back, R666," Edwal called me from behind. I almost jumped back startled.
"Okay," I replied and did as he told.
"Who is this 'family' you mentioned?"
"We don't know."
"I see. Thank you for your information. I think we are done with the capital today. I hope you have a nice day. Stay safe, gentlemen."
"Freaking Reapers. I knew it! Larry must have pissed a lot of people for Reapers to come here!" the hooligans cleaned up their shirts as they fled while cursing.
"They seemed to know a lot about us."
"That doesn't mean we should not keep secrets, R666. By the way, our organization was rather famous. However, no one knew us as well as ourselves. It was like everyone knew about Elidranthia, but none actually knew where Eli lived. And that is important."
"I see."
"Well, I will submit what I found to the guild. You may go home."
"Will I get points for that?"
"Depends. You might even get a deduction if you pissed the wrong people."
"Alright. See you soon. I need to be back home now. I don't want Alicia to catch me going out in the night," I said as I pictured Alicia's wrath. She started to scare me lately.
"You have weird priorities. I wonder if I made the right call recruiting you because you killed seven people competently."
I quickly went back home. I snuck back in. I didn't sweat today, and after I picked up my pajamas I left on the floor, I slept, only for Alicia to sneak into my room a moment later. The sun had not even risen yet! Why did she wake up so soon?
"Lady Eli!" she skipped alongside the bed as she muttered. I woke up groggily and annoyed as I looked outside the window.
"It was still dark."
"Ah, you are awake? My apologies. I just wanted to check if you slept. I just woke up too. You could go back to sleep," she said as she sat beside the bed. It was really uncomfortable. I am not a patient.
"Do you want to sleep together? You could get sick sleeping like that."
"Really? Well. If you insist…" She grinned as she climbed onto my bed and lay beside me. All the way, she continued to stare right into my eyes.
"Are you asleep?"
"No. I could not sleep with you staring at me."
" I see. My apologies, but the bed is a bit small for me to roll around. And I want to look at you anyway."
"But you are afraid."
"Not anymore. I find your eyes beautiful. Lady Eli."
"Stop joking." I pulled my blanket and turned the other way. She then hugged me from behind.
”Pardon my rudeness.”
"Your hands are long. How did you grow up so fast?" I muttered as soft flesh was padded behind my head.
"It was all thanks to Lord Eli taking care of me ever since my dad died. No, it was ever since you paid for my tuition. You are the only one left that cared for me. I don't want to see you hurt," her hug grew tighter.
"I am fine now." I lied. Actually, I did not think I was okay. I am a bonafide assassin now. This was going exactly like what happened in the novels. I could only pray that I did not cross paths with the second prince and the heroine again.
Morning came very soon and we didn't get a wink of sleep. However, unlike me who didn't sleep the entire night, Alicia seemed refreshed. She did sleep after all. The carriage ride seemed to lull me back to sleep but some bumps on the road rocked me awake. This is hell.
"Alicia. Sorry but would you please sit here." I pleaded inside the carriage. It was a little cramped, but I finally was able to lean on her to sleep.
"Gladly!" she answered as she offered her shoulder to me. I wonder if she no longer hates me. I drifted to sleep as I unconsciously fell on her lap.
Lady Eli is on my lap. What bliss. Her petite figure reminded me of a doll I asked my father a long time ago. I can pat her head, right? Those silky smooth blue hairs were pleasant to touch. Yesterday was bliss too. Does this mean she has finally opened up to me? We slept together, after all. I feel like I could hug her forever in that state. Too bad the sun came up early today. I wonder if I could extend the trip; she would only sleep until the next village.
Lady Eli woke up long before we reached our supposed rest stop. What a shame. Now that I think about it, she couldn't possibly be sleeping the entire way when she had just slept on a comfortable bed last night. However, sitting so closely like this, looking at her beautiful eyes, is not bad either.
"Sorry, but it is a little cramped. If you are not moving, I will move to the other side," she said as she moved away from my grasp.
Damnit. I will smash this carriage and build a larger one next time.
"Is that a new trend? Putting clips on your ear?" I asked Lady Eli as she jumped away, startled. She got startled easily. It was kind of cute. You should be more aware of your surroundings even if you were in your own room at the inn. A bad wolf might sneak into these poor villages after all.
"Hieek! Huh? Oh, yeah. I just got this as a present from someone. I wonder if it suits me. Well, it doesn't matter anyway, right? My hair hides it."
The clips were indeed fancy enough to be worn by noblewomen, and I have seen some of my friends use them instead of earrings due to the less pain and non-piercing attribute they had. However, are those magic tools, right? I could sense mana floating around them. How did she get them?
"Lady Eli, when we return to your mansion, how about we reproduce that pie we ate yesterday? I want to cook! Our region has the fattest pork. Ah, but you didn't like it very much. And so…" I tried to make small talk inside the inn. Talking was the only way to stave off boredom in these rest-stop villages. Usually, she would reply about how she would order some craftsmen to build this tool or make new traps or explore the northern wood. However, she was out of focus today.
"Lady Eli! Are you listening?" I raised my voice.
"Hie! You scared me, Alicia!"
"How could I scare you when I am right in front of you?"
"Sorry. I was tired today. Maybe we could sleep early? The carriage wasn't pleasant."
"Oh well, you were right on that one. Very well. I shall prepare the bed."
Lady Eli was weird today. Maybe it was true that she was simply just tired. The following day, she was back to normal. But why? She rode the same carriage and slept the same amount of time. Moreover, we slept on the same bed for almost the rest of the trips; we definitely got closer. I couldn't be a replacement for Laura. However, I will do the best I can to serve Lady Eli.