Chapter 51: 'Steak-Out'
As soon as he departs from Loutiel, Michael heads straight back to his inn with a contemplative look on his face, his discussion with Loutiel had disturbed him far more than he'd actually let on... His original goal of obtaining some magic books had been almost been forgotten while he was speaking with the man...
It was a big shock to find out that someone knew his real identity here, he'd contemplated immediately killing the man, but that didn't really make sense at the time. Sure, that guy knew who he was, but it only really mattered if he started spreading the information... If that occurred, then Michael would kill him.
Besides that, he was still unsure on whether or not he should actually kill the Viscountess. It wasn't that he didn't want to kill Nobles, nor was it because she was female, or any other category you'd with to state. No, it was because he, Michael, was not the one to decide to kill her.
The decision had been made by Loutiel simply because she was 'bothering' him. To Michael, it seemed nonsensical to go so far... But once he flipped the genders, he realised that he was just being a hypocrite... If a male noble was stalking, sabotaging, and harassing an innocent woman just to coerce them into a relationship, Michael would have no problems whatsoever dealing with them...
So, it shouldn't be any different for the same circumstances with different genders... He was an advocate for gender equality after all, as a true man once stated,
"I'm an advocate for true gender equality, a guy who has no problem dolling out a dropkick to a female opponent!" Michael incants to himself, muttering it slightly too loudly so that to hers on the street could hear him...
He lowers his head with a pensive look and coughs into his hand, "E-excuse me!" he apologetically states before quickly leaving for his inn.
A-anyway. There was also the fact that Anais was linked with the Baleine gang, making her a corrupting influence on the city. Removing her wasn't just helping Loutiel and Michael, but also the entire city. If anything, he should be praised for his selflessness and willingness to sacrifice his time for the good of everyone... Or something like that.
Michael lets out a sigh, "Whatever, I'm not doing anything tonight so I'll try do some exercise, see if it'll increase my stats at all."
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That night :
A group of fairly armed and armoured men and women make their way through the streets of Antomiers, the few people loitering around the place immediately depart upon seeing them, entering their homes, nearby bars, or even a nearby stable just to be out from the focus of the group.
None of the guards even try to disrupt their progress as the group makes their way into the now empty marketplace. The stalls had all been packed away and folded up, while the unsold good had been taken away earlier. Despite this though, there was one person standing nearby an empty stall with crossed arms and an aggrieved look on his face.
"Lateef." the short, blonde leader of the group amiably greets.
The man frowns, "Charlie." he lets out with a huff.
"Have your 'Kids' found anything of use yet?... Marcel isn't happy with our lack of information." Charlie states as he leans his body on his staff.
Lateef shakes his head, "Not a word about this 'person' you're so worried about... Honestly, it's strange that you aren't able to deal with a single person, how many men have they killed already? Seems like you aren't doing your jobs right." he antagonizes, taking a small amount of satisfaction from the aggrieved looks the group was sending him.
"You know none of us could have anticipated this. If it were just a rogue mage we would have noticed. I would have noticed... But this is different. The enemy doesn't even appear to be a mage, aside from the strange injuries of on the bodies, it is likely that they are just using enchanted weaponry."
Lateef lets out a laugh, "Hah! So the person causing you so much trouble is just some regular guy!? Haha! You must be losing it!"
Charlie scowls, "This affects all of us Lateef, if we're under attack then we won't be able to defend against the others in the city... Do you really think those Deviants would be so kind to you?... Or your underlings?"
Lateef shrugs, "If D'argent can't ensure my safety or the safety of my goods, then perhaps it's best for me to take my business elsewhere?" he warns.
In response to his words, Charlie growls as water appears atop his staff, forming into the shape of a blade before freezing into solid ice. "You don't want to make us your enemy, Lateef, it won't end well for anyone. I can promise that." he spits, causing cold sweat to form and start to drip down Lateef's back.
"Uh-well. Thing's haven't gotten to that point yet. Deal with this 'assassin' and we'll have no problems." Lateef says before beginning to leave, "I've gathered no information, and I doubt I ever will. It's up to you to deal with this matter, after all, I'm simply unqualified as a simple merchant."
Charlie shakes his head as the merchant walks away, "Should we deal with him boss?" one of them behind him asks, but he just shakes his head.
"No. With how many men that'd been killed, we need Lateef to help us recover the gold we've lost... Now, let's stop wasting time and search for this guy. Are the decoy-patrols in position?"
"They are... Can't say how confident the guys comprising them are though. This assassin's almost become a horror story for them."
Charlie scoffs, "Well, they'll calm down once we show them the assassin's head... Let's go."
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