Chapter 46
Ch.46 Take This Sword!
“Do they possess a long, venerable, and praiseworthy history of glory?”
Though he had already almost certainly confirmed that the Bandage Face knew the true identity of the mastermind behind his assassination, Luo Nan still asked this final question for caution.
In the Osoke Empire, especially in the capital city of Opalia, entities that could legitimately claim a long and glorious heritage were limited: besides the House of Austrein, there were only the Four Dukes and the Twelve Marquises, with a few Counts barely qualifying.
Regarding the assassination attempt on Luo Nan, anyone with a brain would realize only a major noble could orchestrate such an act. Borderland minor nobles—or even title-only nobles without land—lacked both the capability and the courage to assassinate Luo Nan.
After all, Luo Nan von Medillion was the eldest legitimate son of the current Duke Medillion, renowned as the ‘Iron-Hearted Duke’.
The fury of the Medillion family—if provoked—could be borne by only the other three Dukes and a select few Marquises. Any lesser noble caught in the crossfire would see their entire lineage and crest erased from history.
Thus, Luo Nan was certain the assassin came from the faction hostile to Medillion.
“…”
Upon hearing Luo Nan’s question, Anya was momentarily stunned.
What did he mean by a long, venerable, and praiseworthy history of glory?
From her understanding, Abyssal followers were creatures hunted and despised across the entire continent!
And Osoke Empire treated the followers of the Abyssal Lords as terrorist organizations to be eradicated—how could the Crow Mask possibly describe them as having praiseworthy glory?
“Long”? That might be acceptable—cults composed of Abyssal followers had histories older than the Osoke Empire itself.
But praiseworthy? Glory?
The girl racked her brain and could not conceive how a cult organization could ever be associated with those words.
No—wait!
Anya suddenly grasped a crucial insight. Her exposed golden eyes sharpened instantly.
Could it be… the opposite side’s Crow Mask was himself an Abyssal follower?
Only those within the cult would consider being universally reviled as something worthy of pride and glory.
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. She had heard that followers of Abyssal deities often suffered mental distortions—even their perception of reality diverged wildly from ordinary people’s!
Anya scrutinized the Crow Mask across from her with her beautiful golden eyes, searching desperately for any sign of weakness.
“If he’s truly an Abyssal follower, am I walking into a trap? When I give the ‘no’ answer, will he immediately leap up and kill me to silence me?”
“No—I can’t wait passively to die. I must seize control!”
With this thought, Anya slowly clenched her right hand around the weapon at her waist—a longsword she had rented temporarily from a weapons shop to conceal her identity. The daily rental fee was three Surs, and the deposit cost her twenty Surs!
“Never thought I’d actually have to use it… I wonder if damage caused during combat will become grounds for deducting part of my deposit.”
“Whatever. My safety matters more than a few Surs. Besides, though I didn’t sense any supernatural traits on the Crow Mask, Abyssal followers wield strange powers—I must proceed with extreme caution… yes, I must subdue him without injury.”
“If I subdue him without injury, I won’t need to buy recovery potion. Compared to hesitating to fully use a rented weapon and getting wounded, this is far more economical!”
With this decision, the girl’s aura shifted. Though outwardly unchanged, if she wished, her body could explode into lightning-fast assault at any instant.
Luo Nan noticed the Bandage Face didn’t answer, but instead changed posture, his entire demeanor instantly turning sharp and aggressive—as if preparing to attack.
“What’s this idiot doing? Regretting the deal? Or planning to double-cross me?”
Luo Nan lowered his head slightly, his mind racing through possible reasons for the sudden shift—and planning countermeasures for every scenario.
“The worst-case scenario: he intends to betray me. Everything he said was deception. Under the condition that I cannot reveal my identity, this fight is unavoidable.”
“A slightly better possibility: he regrets the deal. No matter the reason—loyalty rekindled or otherwise—an initial clash and probing are inevitable.”
“The final possibility: he’s specifically hunting anyone who gathers intel on my assassination. Either way, I’ll still have to fight.”
“It seems this battle tonight is unavoidable.”
Luo Nan mentally reviewed his available equipment: “First, my Thousand-Scale Radiant Shimmer Robe—I did not activate it earlier in the Whisper Market to calm Zhixia Cangya, meaning it remains my ultimate survival foundation.”
“As offensive weaponry… judging from my perception, his strength appears to be First-Tier Peak, yet seemingly stronger than the Abyssal follower I fought previously. Coupled with potential supplementary weapons, his threat level is even higher.”
“Close-combat weapons would be ineffective. Not only am I unsure if I can match his speed or close the distance, but I’ve never trained in wielding melee weapons. Even if I pulled out the high-end close-range weapons I carry, I couldn’t unleash their full power—instead, I’d likely end up at a disadvantage.”
“So… I must resort to using that, right? If I use it, I might achieve complete surprise—and if he’s unprepared, a one-hit kill may be possible.”
“I’ll use it!”
Thought made, Luo Nan casually reached into his chest, retrieving from his spatial magic device the item he intended to use. His muscles tensed, his entire body coiled like a spring, ready to strike.
But Luo Nan did not initiate the attack—because he still couldn’t be 100% certain the hostility was genuine, and because he genuinely preferred not to draw blades against someone who posed a threat to him.
He was a spoiled brat—heaviest weapon was his money power, not supernatural ability.
Luo Nan prepared to make one final confirmation: “Bandage Face, have you decided on your answer to the third question?”
He intended to observe the Bandage Face’s direct reaction to his question, allowing him to determine his next move. Regardless of the answer—or lack thereof—he would obtain a sufficiently credible conclusion warranting action.
Seeing the Crow Mask ask again, Anya realized the moment of reckoning had arrived. The Abyssal follower across from her seemed to sense something too—his right hand slid into his cloak, possibly reaching for some cursed artifact of the Evil God.
In an instant, the girl’s mind raced faster than lightning. Concepts that had once confused her, paths that had once blocked her—all cleared in a flash.
Currently, she held the initiative. Her answer—no matter its form—would be the first shot breaking the fragile balance between them.
“Whether you’re pulling out something sinister or playing tricks, since you’ve handed me the initiative—I’ll take it without hesitation!”
Anya’s will moved, her body followed. The rented longsword in her hand immediately emitted a deafening hum, flashing like lightning as it stabbed straight toward the Crow Mask across from her.
“My answer is… TAKE THIS SWORD!”
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