Chapter 618: Mysterious Death
Far away from Dreadmoor Hollow, within the extravagant confines of the Dawncrest estate in Ashford City, Duke Cain Dawncrest was having a considerably less pleasant evening.
Everything on the exterior of his Manor looked as peaceful and orderly as one would expect from the residence of one of the kingdom’s most influential Dukes.
Inside, however...
Cain Dawncrest was absolutely furious.
"Ten thousand gold!"
He sat within one of the manor’s private studies, a room so extravagant that even many wealthy nobles would have considered it excessive.
Dark polished wood covered the walls; shelves filled with rare books and decorative artefacts lined one side of the chamber, while several expensive paintings depicting generations of Dawncrests hung above a roaring fireplace.
Cain leaned forward across the polished black table, his bloodshot eyes fixed upon the hooded man sitting opposite him.
"Five thousand upfront. The remaining five thousand after the job is done!"
The man didn’t respond immediately.
Most of his face was hidden beneath a dark hood, while a black cloth covered everything below his eyes. Even sitting completely still, there was something distinctly unpleasant about his presence.
Cain continued.
"I want Elion Nova dead within the week."
The assassin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"You realise who you’re asking me to kill." The assassin’s voice was surprisingly calm, despite the apparent complaint.
"I’m perfectly aware! Can you do it or not!?" Cain slammed a hand against the table.
That name alone was enough to send his anger boiling back to the surface. It reminded him of the humiliation he had suffered.
Most of all, that infuriating image resurfaced in his mind.
That damned boy standing there with that smug expression while everything Cain had prepared collapsed around him.
Even now, merely remembering it made his teeth grind together.
"I don’t care how you do it. Poison him. Ambush him. Cut his throat while he’s sleeping. I couldn’t care less." Cain’s voice lowered into a poisonous hiss. "I simply want him dead!"
The assassin remained quiet for several seconds.
"Five thousand now?"
Cain gestured toward a heavy chest resting beside the table.
"Count it yourself."
The assassin glanced toward it before standing.
"No need."
That confidence finally brought the smallest amount of satisfaction to Cain’s face.
"So you’ll do it?"
"I’ll do it."
The assassin walked toward the chest and lifted it with one hand; it vanished a moment later.
"Within the week."
Cain leaned back into his chair.
"Good."
The hooded figure headed toward the doors.
"And make sure nobody traces it back to me."
The assassin stopped briefly.
"If people could trace my work back to my clients, I wouldn’t have the reputation you hired me for."
Then he continued walking.
The doors opened and closed, and now, Cain was alone. Silence filled the enormous study.
Cain finally released a long breath before pouring himself another glass of wine.
"Damned brat..." He brought the glass toward his lips. "You should have stayed in your place."
"How unfortunate."
Cain froze.
The voice had come from behind him, and his glass remained suspended halfway to his mouth.
Very quickly, Cain’s head snapped toward the source; He was met with the sight of a beautiful, bare-chested man standing several metres away.
He had long golden hair resting over his shoulders and perfectly pale skin. And above his head floated a brilliant white halo.
Cain’s eyes widened.
"W-Who the hell are you?!"
Michael gave Cain an amused smile, and the Duke immediately rose from his chair. "How did you get in here?! Guards! GUARDS!"
The silence that followed made it clear that no one could hear him.
Michael merely watched him as Cain’s breathing grew heavier.
"Who are you?" Cain took a step backwards. "How did you get in here?"
Michael tilted his head slightly, his smile widening in amusement.
"I am the Grim Reaper. And I’ve come to take your life."
Cain’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"What—" His words were cut short as a profound feeling of loss filled his entire being.
There was no sound or any violent surge of mana. Cain’s body simply stopped, and the wine glass slipped from his fingers.
It struck the floor and shattered.
Cain remained standing for half a second longer, his face frozen in complete shock, then his knees gave way beneath him.
His body collapsed heavily onto the carpet, dead, just like that.
Michael crouched briefly beside him.
He looked down at Cain for a moment, inspecting the body for several seconds before nodding in satisfaction as he confirmed that there was no visible damage whatsoever.
To anyone examining the corpse later, it would appear as though Cain Dawncrest’s life had simply ended without reason.
"Not a trace." A faint smile appeared on his angelic face. "Just as Master requested."
Michael rose, and his body began dissolving into shimmering white particles, gradually fading from sight.
Within moments, his presence disappeared completely.
And the study became silent once more.
Cain Dawncrest remained sprawled across the expensive carpet, his lifeless eyes still wide open.
Even in death, the shock had never left his face. He never got to know how and why he was dead.
Several minutes later, the silence inside Cain Dawncrest’s study was finally broken.
A young maid approached the doors carrying a silver tray with a fresh bottle of wine and a small assortment of food.
She knocked lightly.
"Your Grace?"
No response came.
She waited a moment before knocking again.
"Your Grace?"
Still nothing.
After a brief hesitation, she slowly pushed the door open.
"Forgive me for intruding, but—"
Her voice died instantly, and the tray slipped from her hands, the glass shattering into many fragments across the floor.
The maid stared at the body lying beside the desk, her face slowly draining of colour. For several seconds, her mind seemed incapable of processing what she was seeing.
Then Cain’s lifeless, wide-open eyes registered.
Her own eyes widened.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The scream tore through the manor.
"THE DUKE!" She stumbled backwards, nearly falling over herself as she pointed into the room. "THE DUKE IS DEAD!"
Within moments, footsteps thundered through the corridors as guards, servants, and attendants rushed toward the study.
And just like that, the peaceful Dawncrest estate erupted into complete chaos.
As one would expect, news of the Duke’s death spread quickly.
By the following morning, almost every influential family in Ashford had already heard about it, and before long, the news had begun travelling far beyond the city itself.
Rumours multiplied just as quickly.
Some claimed Cain Dawncrest had suffered a sudden heart failure brought about by the stress and humiliation of the Royal Court, but how could someone so powerful die from something so mundane?
Others suspected assassination; after all, those in his Manor claimed the last person to see him alive was an assassin.
A few even whispered that his death had been divine punishment for everything that had recently come to light.
The strangest part, however, was that no one could find anything wrong with his body.
As far as the healers and investigators could determine, the Duke had simply... died.
Naturally, that only made the rumours worse.
And considering the timing, barely any time having passed since his spectacular downfall before the Royal Court, more than a few suspicious eyes immediately began searching for someone to blame.
With Ashford City situated relatively close to Haven, news of the Duke’s sudden death reached the Royal Court remarkably quickly.
From there, it would only continue spreading.
And it was now merely a matter of time before the news reached his two sons back at the academy.