On the highest peak of the Silent Echoes Castle... there was a tower that stood at the eastern wing of the castle. This tower was detached from the main castle, but at the same time, it was connected to it by a single overheard tunnel structure.
This tower was the highest point in the whole castle estate as well as the entire silent echoes city.
There was no other structure or building that was allowed to reach or exceed the height of this tower.
In the silent echoes city, this tower was familiarly known as the Spindle because of its long winding structure that resembled the spindle of a spinning wheel.
The only resident of the spindle was the master of the Silent Echoes Castle Estate, as well as the lord of the city... Dame Eunice Valerian.
Dame Eunice Valerian was the sole occupant of the Spindle, and it is from here that she oversaw the whole city.
At the very top of the Spindle that seemed like it could pierce the sky, there was an open-air platform that resembled an observation platform. On this platform, there was a garden filled with exotic plants and valuable natural treasures.
Each of the plants in this garden was an absolute treasure in the universe and they were all very rare, so much so that it was difficult to find them anywhere else. But in this garden, there was more than a single piece of rare exotic plants and natural treasures.
This garden was the personal garden of Dame Eunice Valerian.
Apart from serving as her garden, the top of the Spindle tower also served as the place through which Dame Eunice oversaw her territory.
As the highest point in the entire city, anybody who stood at the top of the Spindle tower would be able to see everything that happened in the entire city.
Even from the city below, it was known that the lord of the city had her eyes on the entire city. If one were to look at the top of the Spindle, they would be able to see the shadow of a person at the top looking down at them from above.
Whenever anybody saw this shadow, they would know that Dame Eunice was watching the city and nobody would dare to cause trouble.
Right now, there was a shadow that could be seen on the top of the Spindle. Seeing this shadow, all the underground gangs and dishonest merchants went into hiding. As for the common people, they were relaxed because they knew that their lord was looking over them.
Right now, at the top of the Spindle tower, a slim and slender woman was standing still in the middle of a beautiful garden.
This woman had hair full of golden locks that shone brightly under the glow of the sun.
Wearing a long pink robe that fluttered loosely in the cool wind, thus exposing her white inner garments, this woman stood gracefully in the wind. With her lush locks of golden hair that blew freely in the air following the movement of the wind, the woman's cold but beautiful face was lit with a rosy glow.
This woman was the heir of the Valerian noble family and lord of the Silent Echoes city, Dame Eunice Valerian, who was also hailed as the most talented prodigy in the past hundred years in the Ndlovu Empire.
She was also Trapp's biological mother.
Trapp and his mother Eunice did not bear much of a resemblance to each other.
In contrast to Trapp's wild and roguish looks with his flaming red hair and seductive black eyes, Eunice looked more graceful with her golden hair and amber eyes.
Between the two of them, the only resemblance they shared was in the shape of their face and the slight contours in the corner of their eyes. Apart from that, nobody would ever believe that Trapp and Eunice were actually mother and son.
This was one of the reasons why nobody ever doubted Eunice's identity as Trapp's mother and instead truly believed that she doted on Trapp simply because he was the son of her nanny.
As Eunice Valerian stood at the edge of her garden overlooking her city, there seemed to be something on her mind. This was evident from the slight frown that was on the edge of her lips.
While Dame Eunice was caught in her thoughts, she suddenly sensed some movement coming from behind her.
Turning around, Dame Eunice immediately saw two figures making their way through the garden.
These two figures were her son Trapp and his butler Della.
Seeing Trapp, a glint flashes through Dame Eunice's eyes, and a meaningful expression briefly appeared on her face before quickly disappearing.
That expression on Dame Eunice's face was almost like a joyful smile, one that you would have after seeing a loved one.
This expression had only appeared for an instant before it disappeared completely and Dame Eunice's face returned to looking as cold and pallid as it had before.
Trapp who had been teasing Della at this point just happened to turn to face his mother just as her face returned to looking cold and he happened to catch the shadow of that fleeting smile.
Thinking that he was hallucinating, Trapp shook his head for a moment before looking at his mother once again.
What greeted Trapp upon looking at his mother was a cold and rigid face that looked like it had not smiled in a long while.
This was the kind of cold and blank expression that Trapp had always seen on his mother's face ever since he could remember and even now it had not changed.
Immediately, Trapp felt a burst of resentment towards his mother Eunice and his expression became cold in almost an instant.
Standing before his mother, Trapp showed no signs of familial warmth of love towards his mother and even Eunice did not seem like she was looking at her own son.
In Trapp's heart, he was berating himself for his early behavior.
At that moment when Trapp had thought he had seen his mother smiling, something in him had been somewhat excited.
Trapp had always wanted to see his mother smile towards him before ever since he was little and it had been his greatest wish for the longest time. It wasn't until he had grown up and experienced a lot of hardships in his mother's hands that Trapp had buried this expectation deep inside his heart.
All this time Trapp had thought that he had gotten rid of this expectation in his heart but it was only now that Trapp realized that deep down there was still some part of him that still hoped to see his mother's smile.
This was why Trapp was very mad at himself.
'Idiot!' Trapp cursed himself.
'What were you expecting? There's no way this cold woman could ever smile at you. Her heart is completely frozen over which is ironic considering her powers!'
Just like that, mother and son stood opposite each other as they stared at each other silently and coldly.
At the side, Della was standing nervously in silence.
She did not dare to say anything as the current atmosphere was very tense.
Della hated this part of her job...
As Trapp's personal butler and guardian, it was her duty and responsibility to always stay by his side. this meant that no matter what he did, Della would always take his side.
At the same time, Dame Eunice was both Trapp's mother as well as her real boss. This means that Della should take Eunice's side above that of Trapp's.
But things were not really that simple.
In this kind of situation where both the mother and son did not get along with each other, the bystanders were bound to suffer if they were to get in the way. that was why Della did not dare to even move a muscle for fear that she would be dragged down by the two of them.
The silence between Trapp and his mother lasted for a long while but none of them seemed to mind at all.
It looked as if the two of them could remain like this for a very long time without feeling bothered at all.
Finally, just as Della felt like she was going to lose her mind due to the stifling atmosphere, the sounds of footsteps could be heard coming from the flight of stairs that led into the garden.
At the same time, all three people inside the garden turned towards the sound of the footsteps only to see a slightly plump middle-aged woman coming into the garden.
In the hands of the middle-aged woman, there was a small tray carrying a pot of tea and some biscuits. She was dressed in a standard maid's uniform.
Although the woman looked middle-aged, she was still elegant looking and had a grace to her steps. The few wrinkles on the woman's forehead and at the corner of her eyes gave her a calm and wise gaze.
Immediately this middle-aged woman stepped into the garden, the stifling atmosphere from before immediately disappeared and was instead replaced by an awkward silence.
Stopping at the end of the stairs leading into the garden, the middle-aged woman looked at everybody in surprise.
Seeing as everybody was standing and looking at her awkwardly, the woman chirped cheerfully.
"Well, look what we have here... if it isn't my two favorite charges? Don't tell me that the two of you have been fighting again?"
The middle-aged woman who had just entered was Eudora, Eunice's nanny, as well as Trapp's publicly recognized mother.Eudora was the one who had taken care of Eunice ever since she was born and hidden away by her father and she had also taken care of Trapp too and helped to deliver him in secret. Now, Eudora was Eunice's most trusted and closest confidante as well as the second in command of the Silent Echoes city.There was a gentle smile on Eudora's face as well, a kind of motherly aura that came from years of taking care of Trapp and Eunice.In the Valerian family, Eudora had quite a high status that was in no way inferior to the head of the family, Giovanni Valerian. Her words and opinions carried a lot of weight and nobody dared to not take her seriously at all.As soon as Eudora showed up in the garden on top of the spindle tower, the stifling atmosphere between mother and son immediately vanished.Trapp, who had grown up under Eudora's care
Clank! Clank! Clank! Following Dame Eunice Valerian's words, silence fell around the table in the garden and, except for the sound of polished silverware hitting against fine china, no one spoke. Trapp's face was expressionless... Staring at his mother, who was sitting on the opposite side of him, Trapp did not say anything. It was as if he had not been heard her speak in the first place and he seemed quite relaxed.. but from the way he refused to eat and was instead playing with the tableware; it was obvious that Trapp was not in a good mood. Eudora and Della also remained silent. Neither of them dared to draw attention to themselves. Eudora simply ate with relish, completely ignoring what was happening at the table. She had fallen silent, which was unlike her previously bubbly personality. Seeing her like this from the corner of his eye, Trapp's lips twitched in frustration and he felt a serious headac
"The hell!""Are you serious?" Trapp loudly questioned his mother. He was surprised at what his mission for this assignment was.Looking at his mother, Trapp said incredulously, "I don't know if you've forgotten or what, but I feel I should remind you of something. I am an assassin. I take lives... I'm not in charge of protecting it. You want me to protect somebody... heh, dream on.""There's no way that is ever happening in this life.""It seems like you've got the wrong guy for the job. If that is all, ill be heading out now. I just recently finished a big job and have yet to fully relax. If you need me, you can find me buried deep in the loving bosom of some sweet and juicy barmaid."Saying those words, Trapp got ready to leave.Shifting his chair backward, Trapp called out to Della as he left, "Come along Della. Let's go have some fun."Della who was being called, had a look of reluctance on her face. She was looking at Eunice val
Trapp was dumbfounded...He could not believe the ridiculous reason why he was chosen for this mission. Sure, it was true that he was handsome and attractive, and it was easy for him to gain the affection of the opposite sex through these points.There were many instances where Trapp had been able to complete an assignment through his good looks alone.Don't let anybody else tell you differently... having good looks alone is half the key to success.At times, good looks are what you need to open doors to various opportunities in your life.Don't believe it?Why don't you ask those idols that are famous in the entire universe? What those people sell are their good looks.Not their skill, not their talent... but the sheer pleasure of looking at their beautiful faces and figures.That is the real money maker!Still, although Trapp understood this fact, he did not feel it was justified enough to send him on an assignment he
Trapp left the spindle tower, and he moodily made his way towards the main castle.Wandering aimlessly around the castle grounds. Trapp did not know where he was going, as his mind was occupied with other thoughts.Some of those thoughts were about his mother and the kind of scheme she was playing on him. But mostly Trapp was going through the information he had received about the new assignment and how he was going to accomplish it.Although Trapp did not like the sudden change in the nature of his assignment, he was still professional enough to consider every aspect of the assignment and how best he would be able to accomplish it.Trapp didn't have to leave for his assignment until later in the night when darkness fell. He still had a few hours to prepare himself. With these few hours, Trapp was going to make sure that he had prepared everything he was going to need. As for those things that he could not prepare by himself, it would be provided for him
Trapp was immediately drowned in a flood of girls, each of which had such enticing and ravishing figures. Every girl that surrounded Trapp was in the full bloom of their youth and they shot coquettish looks at Trapp while their slender hands roamed around his body."Young master Trapp, why haven't you come to see me in a long time? I've missed you.""Young master Trapp, you're a meanie! You abandoned me all alone and chased after other girls... I'm so jealous!""Young master Trapp, why don't you come to my room for some tea? I've recently learned a new song that I want to sing for you. You can listen to me sing while you relax and have a good time. How about it?"One by one, all the girls complained about Trapp neglecting them, as they mentioned how much they missed him. At the same time, they were all trying to pull Trapp towards those side entrances that each led to different rooms in the brothel.The girls all tried to compete with each other to
Trapp and the proprietress of the [Tacky House Of Pleasures] Freya went to the highest floor. It would be more accurate to call this place the attic than an actual floor.There was only one room on this floor and it belonged to Freya.Apart from the back cellar, this room was an absolutely forbidden ground in the entire brothel. nobody was allowed to set foot inside. Not even the girls of the brothel.As soon as the two of them got there, Freya dipped her slender and short fingers into her ample bosom, eliciting a seductive and tempting scene that was completely unconscious on her part.From within her buxom peaks, she retrieved a large golden key.Every move of hers was extremely alluring, and it seemed to reach the borders of being outrightly flirtatious and quietly reserved, which was enough to make men fall into passionate lust.But the thing was that Freya was not actually doing any of this on purpose, and it was just how she usually wa
It was the dead of night, and a lull of silence had fallen over the night sky. Night time in the Silence Echoes city was the most active. During the night, a lot of activities were carried out.Nocturnal creatures woke up and hunted for their prey. Secret deals that should never see the light of day were settled and forbidden desires found relief in the dark underbelly of the city.At night, the thinly veiled civility of the Silent Echoes city was completely ripped to shreds and the darkness hidden in the shadows suddenly lost all restraints, giving way to primal savagery and simple but natural brutality.It was a cat eat mouse eat snake world at night in the Silent Echoes city, much different from how it seemed during the day. Living beings lost their inhibitions, and everything became a chaotic mess of hunting and survival.But ironically, even in such a wild and chaotic environment during the night, there was also a sense of order.In this city,
Right now, Constantine was in a very mysterious state. His body was covered in lightning, and a thick pillar of lightning surged from his body and shot into the sky, looking like it wanted to sunder the heavens apart. A lightning storm was being brewed with Constantine at the center and powerful electromagnetic forces clashed with the might of the sandstorm that was formed with the combined strength of multiple dooms.Right now, Constantine really resembled those anime characters that were undergoing a power-up, and in a sense, that was exactly what Constantine was doing.Constantine was currently in a state where he was digging deep within himself in an attempt to tap into the full potential of his powers to go beyond the limit of what he was currently capable of.In other words, Constantine was trying to call onto his future powers, which he did not currently possess, in order to go beyond the limit of his current strength.This is basically what a power-up is all about. The act of
There was a short hallway from the door leading into the control room that Trapp and the others had to pass through. It didn't take long before the group was at the end of the hallway. As soon as he reached the end, Trapp stopped, and the others followed soon after. Nobody knew what was waiting for them on the other side of the hallway, so they tried to prepare themselves for the worst. Trapp exchanged looks with the assassin and he could see the serious expression on her face as her eyes went sharp with focus. Turning around, Trapp saw various signs of seriousness and focus on the faces of the others from the two squads as they prepared themselves for what would likely be an uphill battle. Wasting no time, Trapp nodded his head at the assassin, who blinked and nodded back at him. 'It is time!' This was what Trapp was trying to convey to the assassin, and she naturally understood him. Without saying anything else, both of them rapidly shot forward with a blast and crossed the thres
Trapp, along with the assassin, Phantom Trace, and the other two squads, were standing in front of the doorway leading to the control room. All of them were already well rested and had recovered a significant portion of their strength. Even the ones that were injured the most, the second squad, had managed to recover 50% of their combat power so they wouldn't be a hindrance in the next step of the plan.As everybody looked ahead, various thoughts went through each of their heads and no one took the initiative to step forward first. Finally, Trapp was the first to move. He took a few steps forward and then stopped before turning around to look at the rest.Looking each of them one by one in the eye, Trapp finally spoke up and said, "Alright then, we've already come to this point and you're all well rested. I understand that all of you have your own objective so I am not asking that we cooperate together. Just remember the plan we made and stick to them. As long as nobody tries any funn
There was a brief moment of silence between Trapp and the assassin, Phantom Trace. Eventually, the assassin gritted her teeth and said to Trapp."Alright, fine, I will bite!"The assassin stared at Trapp resentfully as she said, "You really give a compelling argument, I will admit. I, too, cannot stand the thought of being used. If it is as you said, the Avalon family is just playing me, then I have to know the truth. Even if what you said is not true, it won't affect me in any way if I investigate. In any case, I have to enter the control room in order to complete my mission so it won't conflict with anything if I investigate with you.""That's good," Trapp responded in delight. He was fairly certain that he would be able to convince the assassin to join his cause and, as he expected, she really decided to follow him. Trapp was very happy with this outcome.Suddenly, the assassin looked at Trapp seriously and said, "Don't be too happy yet. I am not done speaking.""Go on," Trapp urge
The assassin, Phantom Trace, quickly shook herself mentally and removed the stray thoughts from her mind. Although she didn't know what had suddenly come over her that caused her to detect such an irrelevant detail, she was not willing to dwell on that matter anymore, so she focused on more important matters that were currently on hand.Looking at Trapp, the assassin directly said, "I admit that, based on what you said, things are a bit strange. In that case, what do you think is happening here?""Why did the Avalon family gather all of us here, and what could their true objective possibly be?"Since the assassin could not figure it out on her own, she felt it was better to directly ask Trapp and hear what his thoughts on the matter were.Trapp did not waste any time as he quickly answered, "Believe it or not, I think all of us here, that includes me, you, and those two squads are merely decoys and the scout is the one who was assigned with the mission to
The assassin, Phantom Trace, was frowning very hard. Her brows were deeply furrowed, and her expression was slightly unnatural. Listening to Trapp's analysis, she could not help the feeling of shock and surprise that overwhelmed her.Trapp's analysis was spot on and accurate to a fault. Just like he said, the second mission had greater priority over the first. As long as she completed it and retrieved the item that she was told to, she would still get paid regardless of his, she completed the assassination mission or not.This was a clause that had been added to the contract that she signed when she came under the employ of the Avalon family.Although assassins like her and Trapp mostly worked in the shady and gray area of society, there was still a need to keep accounts clear in case of any problems during the course of a mission. For example, signing contracts had now become necessary in order to prevent either party from breaching the terms of the contract. I
"What is that supposed to mean?" the assassin looked at Trapp suspiciously as she asked that question."What exactly are you insinuating?"The assassin could not understand what Trapp meant by his question. It was he was insinuating that he wasn't the cause of her recent failure up until now.Trapp's question made this whole mission seem like a conspiracy. To the assassin, Phantom Trace, Trapp was just mystifying things in order to shirk responsibility and avoid blame. She wasn't going to fall for his schemes."If you think for one second that I am going to let you off just because you want to sound profound when you are not, you've got another thing coming, mister!"Witnessing the assassin's reaction, Trapp rolled his eyes at her. Then he shook his head as he said to her."Alright calm down and stop being overly dramatic. Will you at least let me finish what I was going to say.?""Sheesh, women! Even if you are powerful and capable,
"So you are the famous ending maker... the rookie who has been making a lot of waves recently in our circle?" the assassin, Phantom Trace, said to Trapp after learning his identity. Naturally, the identity that Trapp revealed to her was his assassin monicker and not his real identity.Phantom Trace looked Trapp over from head to toe before she continued speaking, "I hear you currently have a 1000% mission completion rate and that all your targets have been successfully assassinated since you began your debut. nice track record... it's almost as impressive as mine. Your codename is a little tacky, I would say, but apart from that, you're definitely promising."The assassin, Phantom Trace, evaluated Trapp as she observed him, stating his past record since he became an assassin. From her words, it seemed like she was praising Trapp, but if one listened carefully to what she said, one would know that there was a hidden meaning underlying her every word.Although the
None of the squad members doubted Trapp's ability to defeat and kill them. They were able to feel a suppressive pressure from him that made them weak and unwilling to face him. This kind of pressure was something that people naturally exerted over those who were weaker than them.It was a subconscious fear that was exerted over other people who were weaker than oneself, forcing them to be unwilling to face you in combat. If a person could exert this kind of fear and pressure over another person, then when fighting that person, it would feel like their hands and feet were shackled by an invisible force and they wouldn't be able to display their full power in combat.There were a lot of factors that could lead to another person being able to have suppressive pressure over their opponents and it wasn't a hard fact simply based on if you were stronger than the other person or not. Things like confidence, will, and courage could also cause people to suppress others.