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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
"You'll do the work, and we'll just provide support? Is that the extent of our cooperation?" Handlers blonde lady blurted it out in surprise. While she understood Anom's desire to get rid of the Handlers, she couldn't comprehend why he wanted to involve himself in a bigger mess than the one he was currently handling. Perplexed, she decided to ask him directly.Anom responded, "It's quite easy to understand. You see, even if I were to focus solely on the low-level goons, the Handlers, their backers—the Sorneo House—are bound to get involved sooner or later. It would be more prudent for me to address the issue at its source instead of wasting time and effort for naught. Moreover, I'm not delusional enough to believe that we can conspire together and miraculously achieve a longshot victory against opponents of that caliber. No, I'll take action once I have a better understanding of the circumstances. Besides, it won't be too late to retreat if the situation in the higher echelons becomes
Anom replied, "As for me, I prefer to observe these kinds of games rather than participate." Shrugging, he added, "Of course, being in close proximity to the players sometimes puts me at odds with them.""Very well," Anom continued. "Let me provide you with an overview of my plan. Nia, you will inform your brother about our meeting. Inform him that if possible, you will remain absent for a while longer until my plan is executed."The girls nodded in agreement. They had ceased discussing their departure since they realized that Anom meant no harm. Moreover, they saw the potential benefits that could arise from this cooperation. It brought some solace to their minds that, even when their own families had turned them away, someone else supported their mission.They listened attentively as Anom provided a brief explanation of his idea. Both girls were initially bewildered by his audacity. They were inclined to refuse due to the significant risks involved. However, A
Anom didn't reply instantly. He stared at Loreana for a longer period than was considered appropriate before finally asking, "You did it again, didn't you? You should stop already.""What are you talking about?" Loreana replied, maintaining a straight face.Anom let out a sigh as he walked toward the beautiful mother, stopping in front of her. "You know, suppressing your feelings like this will hurt you more than you can imagine. Trust me, instead of relying on whatever drug you're using to numb your emotions, just share them with me.""How do you...?" Loreana was startled, never imagining that he would know about it."Well, I sensed a peculiar substance suppressing your vitality. You know, when we were hugging earlier," Anom explained, chuckling.Loreana blushed slightly, a trace of confusion flashing across her eyes."Ah, I'm referring to the time we hugged outside old Head Gamus's house."This time, she turned completely red, not e
"Now what?" Selvo suddenly realized that even his newly reached Materialization State was not helping him deal with the powerlessness he was currently feeling.When he first learned that their backer was one of the great families, Selvo was already imagining all the ways he'd enjoy himself freely in the future.But knowing his personality, his father had already warned him to stay within his limits, at least till the whole matter of swallowing the Safaira family was resolved.Although he felt vexed, Selvo knew better than to anger his father. So he decided to stop, or at least tone down, his activities.But one day, as he was roaming across the city, he came across a party of mercenaries. It was like any other party you'd found in Nulis City. Though what attracted his attention to that party was a beautiful girl—one like he had never seen before.She was so charming that Selvo had a hard time believing that he had missed the presence of someone like her in his own city. But he soon co
Knock! Knock! Knock!Anom was roused from his focus as a series of knocks were heard on the door. Closing the book that was in his hands, Anom replied using the gang leader's voice, "Enter."The door opened with a click as a stout man appeared in front of him. It was the same guy who had previously informed him about the invitation from Selvo Handler, the intermediary that the original gang leader had arranged to pass on important messages between the two forces."Leader." The man greeted Anom respectfully before speaking, "Young master Selvo has responded.""Hm." Anom nodded. He then asked, "Where and when?"The intermediary immediately replied, "He's coming here." He added, "Now."Anom was a bit surprised before he muttered, "He seems to be in a hurry.""Yes." The intermediary agreed. He then thought for a moment before adding, "I also felt the same when I went to meet him. He seemed to be in a terrible mood." An expression of fear appeared on his face as he re-counted, "The express
Anom and Kristin arrived back at the place where they had parted ways with the other two. But Nia and Crystal were not back yet. So they could only continue to wait.Kristin tried to relieve her boredom as they waited by reading the book that Anom had bought. But she soon got bored of it too."What are those two taking so long for?" Kristin furrowed her brows. "Don't tell me they encountered some trouble." Her expression turned grim as she looked at Anom and suggested, "Should we go look for them?""No need." Anom replied simply. "The list I gave them was not short; it's only natural for them to take some time." He paused before saying, "As for their safety, although not the best, your friend is still sharp enough to detect most of the dangers. That said, Crystal's not weak either. The two of them will not face much trouble, at least within the city."Kristin calmed down after hearing his words, but continued grumbling in complaint.After they had waited for almost an hour, the two gi
Kristin and Anom were in front of a large, two-story building.Gazing at the display cabinets visible through the glass, Anom realized that it was a bookstore."Let's enter." Kristin motioned for him to follow as she walked through the entrance of the store.A moderate crowd was gathered on the ground floor, consisting mainly of adventurers and mercenaries. Practical experience was necessary, but it was also necessary to gather enough information and know-how before going deep inside the Zeru forest. The place was dangerous as it was; it would simply be fatal for the ill-informed.Kristin seemed to know her way as she led them deeper inside the store. Walking through the rows and rows of shelves, Kristin stopped in front of one.Anom saw her taking out a book with a hard cover. Leafing through the pages, she flipped to a seemingly particular page before dog-earing it at the top."All done!" Pressing it back on the shelf, she turned and smiled. "It was good, right?" she asked. "I learn
Inside, Nia was leaning in her chair, holding a glass of water over the table. Her face was calm, but the water stain on her clothes gave her away.Trying to act calm, she asked Anom, "Are we up?"Anom nodded. "Let me tell you about our first objective before we depart.""I hope we didn't interrupt your meal." Loreana suddenly said as she started acting like the polite host she was; she clearly considered it her responsibility, one that needed special attention, considering that the two girls were an important part of their plan to alleviate their crisis."It's fine." Kristin said as Nia followed up, "We were done anyway."As they all set down, Anom began telling them about the urgent objective that was his priority:"We have to delay, or possibly cancel, the marriage. The Handler family must not be allowed to continue with their plan. Only then will I be able to put my mind at ease and leave for the capital."He looked at Nia and Kristin and asked, "You two are fine with the arrangem
When his eyes opened next, morning was already on its way.Anom looked at the sky through the window; it was gradually brightening up."It's time for action." Anom muttered before heading towards the washroom.After freshening himself up, he straightened his appearance and checked his gear before turning to walk out of the room. Following the stairs, he came down and made his way towards the exit of his quarters.Walking on the paved path that led towards the central region of the Safaira estate. No one beside him was staying in the guest area, so he didn't meet anyone on the way.Anom passed through the garden full of vibrant flowers and turned towards the hallway that led towards Loreana's chamber.He had only walked a short distance on the path when he saw a cute and lively figure walking in his direction."Ah!" Luna paused as she saw Anom appear from behind the corner. "Big Brother Anom!" Exclaiming his name, the cute little maid ran towards him with cheerful steps.Anom opened hi
Seeing Crystal's unsatisfied expression, Anom sat up before leaning over to pull her over to him.Lying down once more, he then made her lay on top of him, her soft bosom resting against his chest."You don't have to worry, Crystal. You'll understand it soon enough." There was a kind smile on his face as he assured her.As Loreana heard his words and looked at his expression, which was in total contrast to the topic, she couldn't help but marvel at how someone could even say that with a straight face.Crystal, who was on top of him, suddenly squirmed. "Anom! Something is poking me in the stomach."Hearing her words, the other two blanked for a moment before Loreana suddenly glared at Anom.Anom himself was stunned. Facing Loreana's warning glare, he smiled wryly.Speedily, he moved his hand to check around his waist before yanking something out of there.It was his sheathed blade. "It was my blade poking her, not the "sword" you were...""Alright, I got it!" Loreana hu
"He informed me about the invitation from the then-head of the Safaira family.I was apprehensive, but then I realized that it was their territory after all. They could have done something to me already if they had meant it.I followed the polite messenger to the Safaira Mansion, suppressing my nervousness.I quickly met the dignified head of the Safaira family, under whose protection I had sought refuge.That was my first meeting with Uncle Gamus. He was in his prime back then, looking every bit like what one would imagine a family head to be.But he didn't intimidate me. One because he didn't want to, and another because I had lived with people much more powerful than him.As I entered the courtyard he had summoned me to, I saw a person tied up to a tree there.It was Bolance. His expression was green and anguished, but he didn't dare to speak as Uncle Gamus gazed at him regularly.To my astonishment, Uncle Gamus apologized to me on behalf of his nephew.Without waiting for me to sa
"I had never drank in my life before that. I had only seen Uncle Benny enjoy some liquor, while Lady Faustina too liked to taste some fruity wine. But they never showed any signs of losing control of their faculties.Maybe I had too much faith in my puny strength, as I decided to take a sip. How bad could it turn out to be?Just the first sip made me want to spit it back out; the burning sensation was only making it harder for me to drink anymore. But I saw that Bolance had also calmed down when he saw me drinking. He raised his glass to show his appreciation for accompanying him. Taking small sips, instead of the large swigs like earlier, he began talking about some business plans and proposals he had prepared. I didn't understand most of what he had said. What I did understand was that it was also related to the reason why he looked so down.As I tried to make sense of how a business related topic might be connected to his broken heart, I also had another problem to deal with.Bolan