"Sigh..."
I heaved a sigh of relief, my blurry gaze dropping onto the corpse of the mage impaled by the poison blade.
Witnessing the volumes of blood piling up underneath them, I unconsciously brought my hands to my mouth, the realization of the slaughter I had indulged in crushing down on me.
In just a day, I found myself a killer of not one... or even two but twelve humans.
Whether I was justified or not didn't matter.
It also didn't feel regret either, just a mixture of relief and slight discomfort.
I knew a day would come when I would have to kill and yet I didn't expect it to be so early.
"I'm glad though, at least she's safe."
Raising my sights, I stared deeply into the watery eyes of Alice, who, jumping over the corpse, crashed into me.
Her embrace painful but warm earned a smile from me.
I was happy no harm had befallen her, happy I had been able to protect her, and glad I was finally allowed to rest.
"Hey Alice..."
Patting her head, I began to whisper.
At first she snuggled against my shirt, using the fabric to wipe her eyes before looking up at me with reddened eyes.
She was afraid... she wasn't the only one, but I wanted to assure her. For now, we were safe.
I had killed all of the assassins and with their mage dead, the spell that whisked us away would dissipate.
"Rita will be here soon."
She nodded and continued clinging to me.
For me, I felt each passing second stretch for eternity as I tried my best to stay awake so I could mutter out my last words.
"Also... tell Abel I have a unique skill."
She seemed baffled at my sudden revelation but she didn't question and nodded along.
Having revealed my card before it could be used against me, I found my vision growing more blurry and my senses less focused.
In time I no longer felt anything and eventually, I drifted away, my consciousness swallowed by eternal darkness.
[Martial Prowess: 0%]
[Martial Efficiency: 2.5]
--------
A refreshing breeze ran across my body as I woke up to the sight of a pure white ceiling.
Struggling to keep my eyelids open, I took in a whiff of detergent and also chemicals usually found in the hospital.
"I'm still alive!" I couldn't help but comment before sitting upright to scan my surroundings.
Machines monitoring my life activities were stationed behind my bed while to my right was the fluttering silk of the curtain.
As they occasionally unraveled, I took sight of the cityscape only to conclude I was in fact not in a hospital.
Just one of the rooms in the Bladeheart mansion, which was probably being used as a recovery room for me.
Sighing more times than I wanted to count, I glanced at my body and found it to be covered in bandages.
Feeling a bit discomfort, I tried to remove them only to wince as I found my body more sensitive to the pain than usual.
Believing going on would do more harm than good, I tried moving my arms about to get rid of the numbness I was feeling all over my body.
Just then Rita moved into the room, her expression masked by an icy cold demeanor.
"Welcome back, young master!" she greeted.
"How long have I been asleep?"
I ignored the formalities and went straight to the point.
Before answering my question, she moved to the window to fix the curtains before positioning herself beside my bed.
"For three days."
"Damn!" I cursed inwardly while keeping a calm exterior on the outside.
"There go three days wasted."
Thinking so, I tried removing my drip to train for the days I had missed but Rita was faster.
Having anticipated my action, she grabbed my wrist and slowly pushed it down.
"You, Master, your injuries are not yet healed. I advise you lay down and rest for a few days."
"How many do you consider a few?" I shot back, only for her to respond without hesitation.
"A week should be fine."
"But then?"
"You, Master Alex, your sister accounted for what happened. How you dispatched the assassins and saved her. You have done enough so rest up and leave the rest to your older siblings."
Rita was right. After all I had been through, I really did deserve the break, but I wasn't going to risk my father's inheritance for that.
Uncle Kain had decided to play dirty but that old man wasn't the only one who knew how to play in the sand.
I might not be as cunning or experienced as that old fox but I knew how to throw dirt or two.
"Rita, just get me my sword." I commanded, but my maid paid me no heed...
"Damn~ you really have grown balls of steel since I last saw you."
...and before I could even argue again I was interrupted by a voice I never would have thought I would hear by now.
---------
BOOM!!!!
In Kain's office, a large office table was carved in half as Kain slammed his heavy fist down, bending the legs of his desk.
Anger burnt on his face as his vicious expression fell on the cloaked woman seated before him.
Floating before the woman was a large transparent mirror that revealed the happenings and aftermath of his plans.
To say it was a failure would be an understatement — it was a complete loss. And had it been anyone else he might have been able to understand, but for the weakest of the Bladeheart to be the obstacle that ruined his plan, that was like a joke of the world and yet it wasn't one.
It was reality, one that taunted him repeatedly as he watched the boy of not even eleven breeze through his forces and slaughter them.
"How? How?" he shouted, his clenched fist trembling with anger and confusion.
"The boy hid his strength." The cloaked woman suggested, casually dismissing the mirror.
Kain, unconvinced but willing to accept the explanation for now, gritted his teeth, his blue eyes gleaming with rage.
"Klaus... my dear brother, even in death, you conspire against me."
Muttering like a madman, he stood up from his chair and faced the window, trying to use the cityscape to calm his nerves.
"Orchid... contact Azazel. Tell him, I have reconsidered his offer."
Obstacles were a hindrance to cross over, so he would bring in someone who breaks through said obstacles, even if he must lose one he considered to be his most precious.