Chapter 203: The Smile Of A Murderer
Let your hard work propel you to a speed so fast that good luck has no choice but to ride with a winner.
Zane also hoped good luck was riding with him as well.
He and Hena had managed to handle the situation with their careful words but one question from the leader made Zane gamble on his luck.
The leader asked under whose order was Zane inside Horum’s house, looking for clues. At that, the gutterborn went silent for a second.
He couldn’t answer in a hurry but if he made the leader wait too long, it would be bad.
So he cleared his throat and finally said it.
"Leon’s orders of course. Who else?"
He put his luck to the test.
Zane didn’t know why the Simmers were here but the most likely reason was that Leon sent them here to confirm whether Zane Atlas was really looking for Horum or not. Or whether the Flamekeeper had the relic or not.
Also, while sending the Simmers, Zane was afraid that Leon might have told the Simmers that he was only sending their family, no other families to search Horum’s house. If that was the case, then Zane would be caught because he just said Leon sent him as well.
Therefore, Zane only hoped that Leon hadn’t said anything problematic for him.
The leader said nothing after Zane’s words as he frowned at the empty space.
Zane gulped. He was ready to take out his weapon Last Toll from his ring and fight.
Hena was prepared as well and she would love to kill as it might lessen her current bad mood.
"Why..."
The leader muttered.
He looked in the direction of Zane.
Zane didn’t flinch as for some reason it seemed that even in the darkness, the leader could see him clearly.
After all, his eyes landed straight on Zane’s face.
The leader put a finger on his chin.
Zane tensed as the leader finally opened his mouth.
"Why would he send two of us for the same task?"
Zane inwardly sighed.
His gamble worked.
But he couldn’t relax yet.
The man might be lying, testing Zane.
"Maybe he meant the quarters of the clergymen? Like you search the quarters and we will search here?"
"Hmm. That could be it. I will confirm it with him first though."
The leader took out a crystal from his inner coat’s pocket.
Zane’s palms found sweat.
Others flinched as well.
The leader should not contact Leon.
Everything would be exposed.
Zane ran his mind once more and the only thing that came out of his mouth was...
"Heh."
A scoff.
The leader stopped.
"What?"
Zane smiled.
"Yes, contact him. I would love to see him scolding you."
"Why would he do that?" The leader asked.
"Why not? He is already busy as it is. Do you think he is sitting idly? His crystal is lighting up every second with information from all around. If you called him to confirm something as meager as this, not only will you irritate him but you might also get punished for wasting his time."
The leader hesitated.
Zane didn’t miss it and continued.
"He told me to search inside Horum’s house and I am here with my friends and my girl. He told you to search his house but he might have forgotten to mention the quarter.
Because I don’t think he will give the same orders to two people. His order to you must be to search the quarters. So use your own brain and finish the task he gave you. I will do the same. Let’s both produce results."
Zane stopped talking.
Not once did his voice wavered as he talked like he was spewing the smartest words in the world.
The leader stared at the crystal in his hand and Zane wished with all his life that the man agreed to his words.
Zane watched the man closely and only when the man sighed, did the gutterborn feel relief.
"You are right." The leader said.
He kept the crystal back inside his coat and looked at Zane.
The door was open and his hand prevented anyone from closing it.
The leader looked over his shoulder, at the two men who came with him.
"He is right, gentleman. The fifth son of the Gorgoyles is so smart." said the leader.
The two men nodded.
Zane frowned.
He didn’t understand the sudden praise.
But more than the praise, Zane found something else he didn’t understand.
The leader stepped inside the house.
The two men followed him.
Now all three of them were inside Horum’s house.
The door was still open.
But the leader opened it full.
The light of the moons invaded the entry and now everyone was visible.
Hena and the others were in front of the leader and Zane was on the leader’s right side, his back resting on the wall.
"You should hurry up and leave." Zane said.
The leader nodded.
"Yes. We will leave at once. I just want to point out something."
"What?" Zane asked, turning vigilant.
"You all are wearing such nice clothes. The robes, the shoes, the shine, everything is top notch. But..."
"But?" Zane raised his brow.
The leader wrinkled his nose.
"But the mask is very ordinary. It didn’t match at all. It’s of low quality and it’s just a cloth cut up into a mask. That is not a good choice."
Zane licked his lips. "Don’t worry about the masks. Leave."
The leader nodded.
"Yes. Yes. Forget the mask. I came inside just to say thank you for clearing the confusion in our missions."
The leader extended his hand with a grin.
Zane watched the grin and slowly extended his hand as well.
But his left hand.
"You are really one smart man..."
The leader said and when his hand was inches away from Zane’s, he completed his sentence.
"Zane Atlas."
Time stopped.
Shivers ran down to Zane’s spine.
The grin of the leader turned into the smile of a murderer.
[ Extreme Murderous Inte.. ]
Zane needed no system windows to know the matter.
It was in front of him.
His soul begged him to get out of the way or do something.
Something was about to happen.
And it did happen.
The leader opened his mouth wide and from deep, Zane saw vibrant orange light coming out.
His eyes bulged and with no useless thoughts, his hand went inside his ring.
He took out the Last Toll and...
SHRILL!
Swung it in one full motion.
THUD!
Something fell on his feet.
Something rolled on his feet.
He watched it with wide eyes and that thing watched Zane with wide eyes.
It was the Leader’s head.
And depicting the kill...
TING!
The Last Toll rang for the first time.