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She opened her eyes and traced the sound to its source. What she saw had her eyes widen in surprise. She saw the man who was about to assault her holding a short blade in his hand. The blade was currently stabbed in his shoulder as blood dripped from the wound. Confusion filled her eyes as she couldn't fathom the reason he would do so. She was clearly at a disadvantage earlier, totally at his mercy. He could've taken this chance to deal with her however he liked. She couldn't comprehend why he would harm himself instead of just venting it out. She suddenly remembered him talking about not being who she thought he was. Maybe it was not all false. As her confused and somewhat relieved eyes observed him, Anom took a deep breath before pulling out the blade from his shoulder. Blood spluttered out, some of it falling on the girl's smooth cheek. The cut was not very deep but the pain was sharp enough for him to abandon the urges raging within him, giving him enough time to regain control
His stupefied expression amused Della, making her chuckle. It felt good to know that he cared about her opinion… Well, not like she didn't already know it.Wrapping her arms over his neck, she continued slowly, "You don't have to act so surprised. It was not your fault in the first place. Just that things happened in such a way that it was bound to happen.""What do you mean?" Anom asked. He was unable to trust his own judgment as he couldn't be sure whether the conclusion he would reach would not be affected by his unstable state. Therefore, he needed her help to analyze and overcome his problems.Della didn't keep him waiting and explained, "As I have already seen your memories, I can say with certainty that your soul changed the moment you touched the World Stone. No, it can't be said to have changed, just that its original nature was broken free, and it's not being suppressed anymore.""The emotional changes that you experienced only started happening during the period you stayed i
Anom lowered his head, resting it on the goddess' soft peaks while digesting the bunch of information she had thrown out.Taking a whiff of the divine fragrance, Anom lifted his head slightly and asked, "Did they also get affected due to my presence?"After clearing all of his doubts, the only worrying thing left was whether his soul could affect those around him or not. Even if it's unintentional, he doesn't want to keep creating deviations everywhere he goes."No, you silly thief." Della hugged his head and comforted him. "Those two are special cases. You don't have to worry about affecting anybody else. Besides, it won't be long before you gain some basic control over your soul and then you won't have to worry about something or someone affecting you either."After Della finished clearing up his doubts, they both talked for a while more as Della explained a bit more about the situation with Loreana before Anom got ready to leave."Are you sure about this though?" He suddenly asked.
Two shadows fluttered through the desolate alleys before stopping in front of an intersection. "Get ready. We will reach there after passing through this block." Anom turned to look at the assassin-girl who was carrying the blonde girl on her back. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry her?" "No need." The purple-haired girl replied in her usual cold tone. Sweat covered her forehead, but she still gritted her teeth while tightening her hold on the blonde. "There's no way I would put my friend in the hands of a pervert like you." "..." "That extra comment was unnecessary," Anom muttered as he crossed the empty alley. After deciding to leave, they waited till nightfall before leaving the Giro Gang's base. The blonde girl was still unconscious, so they had to carry her with them. Anom had asked the assassin-girl to let him be the one to carry the weight but was straightforwardly refused. Carrying the blonde on her back, the assassin-girl was having a hard time following him. The
"So?" Anom said, leaning back against the plush cushion, his gaze fixed on the two women who appeared nervous, particularly the blonde woman. The purple-haired assassin girl seemed poised for action, her hands raised as if ready to strike at any moment. "What do you want to know?" The blonde woman finally took a calming breath and asked, subtly signaling her friend to relax. "I understand that all you want is to leave," Anom said, his tone relaxed. "And believe me, even if you were to leave right now, I wouldn't stop you." The assassin girl was momentarily taken aback before blurting out, "Really?!" Anom shrugged. "Nah, just kidding. I want to know everything that can help me before I allow both of you to leave." "You...!" The assassin girl seemed on the verge of losing her temper and engaging in a fight. Thankfully, her companion swiftly restrained her. "You're not toying with us, are you, Mr. Anom?" The blonde woman asked, her voice tinged with skepticism. "Don't worry. I mere
'Lance... Sounds like a name, perhaps a family name?' Anom pondered as he closely scrutinized the token. He also appreciated the usefulness of the language skills Della had taught him."Lance? Is it one of the prominent families in the capital?"No one replied, and the girls, especially the blonde, appeared visibly nervous."Alright, enough fooling around. Here, take it back." Anom dismissed the tension, tossing the token back to the blonde girl with a wave of his hand."Ah!" Both girls screamed, scrambling to their feet in an attempt to catch the token.Once the token was securely back in her possession, the blonde girl appeared visibly relieved, as if her soul had returned to her body. She suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her.'I must have been cursed to end up in this city of all places,' she thought, feeling a mix of frustration and bewilderment. She couldn't help but wonder why Anom had returned the token so quickly if he in
"So you're saying that almost every faction has a feud with the Sorneo family, not just your group?" Anom appeared suspicious, struggling to comprehend how a single family could provoke the ire of numerous powerful forces in the capital and still manage to survive. The blonde continued, clarifying, "It's not a personal matter... It's more like an ongoing situation where each faction is vying for an advantage." Anom pressed further, "Can I assume that multiple factions are involved in this mess?" "Almost all of them," the girls affirmed, causing Anom to fall silent for a moment, contemplating the magnitude of the situation. "In that case, if you're so certain, why not directly accuse them before the Royal Family?" Anom found this aspect particularly perplexing. Although the collective strength of all the institutions and families might not match that of the royal authority, they still held some influence due to their integration into the kingdom's system. Some factions even held pos
The girls were not thrilled with Anom's analysis of their standing in their respective forces, but they couldn't deny the truth of his words. It was further evident from their clandestine investigation mission undertaken without anyone's permission."What else do you want to know?" the blonde girl asked, ready to provide more information.Anom pondered for a moment before posing his next question. "How did that officer come to know about the Sorneo family members embezzling something?""He was responsible for monitoring the incoming and outgoing logistics at one of the gathering points inside the capital. The stock he claimed to have been tampered with was under his watch. It should have happened then," the purple-haired assassin-girl responded surprisingly.Anom nodded, though he had his reservations about this explanation. "If that was the case, he could have reported the problem right then and there," he thought to himself but chose not to share it wit