Chapter 49: Chapter 49

Dani had no choice but to grit his teeth and suppress his anger. The problem didn't end there, though.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to fully heal it."

"W-what do you mean?"

At the priest's words, Dani's eyes shook uncontrollably. He had called the priest to heal Gino's arm, but now he was saying it couldn't be fully restored?

"With treatment, he can recover to a level where it won't affect his daily life. However, he won't be able to wield a sword on the battlefield."

"...!"

Dani nearly collapsed on the spot. What use was a knight who couldn't fight on the battlefield?

What was even more infuriating was that Dani had already signed a lifelong contract with Gino. A lifelong contract was just that—a commitment for life.

In exchange for the knight's loyalty, even if he became disabled on the battlefield or retired due to old age, it was the lord's duty to care for him until the end.

"L-Lord, I have sworn my loyalty to you."

"I know, so shut your mouth!"

Dani snapped at Gino, feeling his blood boil.

Gino was someone who had already been expelled from the knight order for various incidents, such as dueling and killing a fellow knight with whom he had a bad relationship or assaulting a maid while drunk. The only reason Dani had taken him in was because of his skill, but now, without even getting a chance to properly utilize him, he had become a burden, wasting money.

'It would've been better if you'd died instead of becoming crippled!'

Dani glared at Gino, unable to say the words out loud. Sensing Dani's gaze, Gino quickly averted his eyes and fell silent.

After all, as long as he stayed quiet, he knew his future was secure under the lifelong contract. Grinding his teeth, Dani thought of the real source of his misery.

'It's all because of him!'

Clenching his fist, Dani recalled Sylas. There was no way he could let things end with him being humiliated like this.

Fortunately, he had the perfect pawn to use in this situation. Dani turned to a nearby servant and gave an order.

"Call Max, the warehouse keeper."

***

A short while later, a middle-aged servant entered Dani's room. The man, who had a limp in one leg, otherwise had an ordinary appearance.

"You called for me, young master."

"Yes, Max. I should've sought you out as soon as I returned home, but I was too busy."

"Oh, no need to say such things. I'm grateful you even remembered me."

Max rubbed his hands together, bowing low. When Dani called for Max, it was usually because he had a task for him. If it were merely work, Max might have felt displeased, but the extra money that usually accompanied it was always worth it.

"I have a task for you."

"Anything you say, sir."

Just as he expected. Max smiled and stepped closer, anticipating the usual situation. Was Dani asking for a discreet escape route so he could visit the brothel in the estate? Or perhaps he needed Max to subtly smuggle some items out of the warehouse?

"Your previous job was an assassin, correct?"

"Y-Yes, sir."

Max flinched at the mention of his former occupation. It had been a long time since he had washed his hands of that life, but the skills he learned back then still made him confident in handling shady affairs. It was thanks to those skills that he had been able to earn extra money while cleaning up Dani's messes.

"Why do you ask all of a sudden...?"

"I need you to use those skills on that illegitimate son."

"Y-Young master!"

Max recoiled, collapsing to his knees. Was Dani really asking him to kill a favored illegitimate son of an earl? No matter how bold he was, this was too much!

"P-Please, I can't do that. Have mercy, young master."

"Why is an assassin so cowardly?"

"Even assassins fear nobles!"

Commoners often have a singular image of assassins: eyes glinting in the dark, moving like ghosts, cold-blooded and ruthless. They imagine them slipping past guards, swiftly dispatching loyal knights, and slitting the target's throat before vanishing into the shadows. But to Max, it was a laughable misconception.

'Damn it, do they think assassins are superhuman? If that were possible, they'd be vampires or some kind of demon.'

In reality, assassinations were messier and far louder. The first challenge was approaching the target undetected. Even if one managed to get close, killing the target without being seen was nearly impossible.

Therefore, most assassinations involved finding a way to kill the target and then escaping as fast as possible before getting caught.

'And who in their right mind would target a noble? Unless they've got a death wish.'

Targeting nobles was an immense risk. If one assassination succeeded, it set a precedent that any noble could be targeted, potentially endangering the entire noble class.

So, when an assassination against a noble occurred, all the surrounding territories would unite to hunt down the assassin or their organization, leaving no trace behind. In the process, even innocent bystanders often suffered, but no assassin ever made it out alive.

Thus, the typical clients and targets of assassins were wealthy merchants or mercenary leaders, not nobles. The only exception was assassinations driven by personal vendettas.

"In any case, I can't do it. Just kill me instead."

"Quiet. Who said anything about an assassination? Listen to me until the end."

"W-What? If it's not an assassination, then what...?"

Dani coldly smiled as he looked at the bewildered Max.

"It's simple. All you have to do is torment that illegitimate son a bit. Specifically, make sure he can't sleep."

"Prevent him from sleeping?"

"Pretend to be a ghost if you must. Or make loud noises, or make him think he's being targeted by a real assassin."

"Ah!"

Max finally understood and slapped his knee. In short, he needed to drive Sylas into a state of paranoia. That plan carried much less risk. All he had to do was make some noise at night and flee before being spotted.

"But what if I get caught and am mistaken for a real assassin?"

"You worry too much. Are you armed with any weapons? Besides, how long have you worked in this estate? And I'll vouch for you myself, so what's there to worry about?"

"Well, when you put it that way..."

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention your payment. Here's your advance."

A pouch full of coins dropped in front of Max. His eyes widened at the sight of the shiny gold coins inside.

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