Chapter 240: Intertwining Intentions 1

​Returning to her room via teleportation, Liliana had regained some measure of her composure. In fact, she felt as if the things she had seen in that shack might have all been a dream. However, the faint grime on her fingertips told her otherwise—it had been very real.

​"The issue is where this recent surge in mana originated from..."

​Mana did not occur spontaneously. She had assumed her own magical capacity was simply growing naturally, but reflecting on the contents of that notebook, it seemed more likely that it was being 'artificially increased.'

​If that were the case, the mana steadily accumulating within her now must have originally belonged to someone else.

​And that wasn't the only question.

​It was unclear why that researcher was attempting to create a human with such a vast quantity of mana. She understood they were cooperating with a plan for someone they worshipped, but the real problem was what that 'Master' was actually plotting.

​"Given the location, someone from the House of Clark must be involved."

​Unfortunately, she had never heard mention of a relative well-versed in sorcery. Since Abram’s name had been brought up, she could guess that these events weren't from the distant past. The situation changed significantly depending on whether the research took place during her late father’s childhood or after he reached adulthood.

​"Whether Father was involved or simply caught up in it... I cannot be certain."

​However, given that they intended to use a child born between Abram and Belinda as a test subject, the plan was clearly long-term. They must have been confident they could see it through until Liliana reached maturity.

​"Unless they developed some art for eternal youth and longevity, it would be difficult."

​In that case, was the 'Master' the researcher worshipped actually Abram?

​That seemed like the most likely possibility, but the issue was that she had never heard of a sorcerer with such skill and ability existing. Perhaps the butler, Philip, knew something, but asking him would only invite suspicion. She didn't think he would give her a straight answer anyway.

​Finding no leads, Liliana closed her eyes in exhaustion. There was no use brooding. She needed to search for other journals summarizing the research results, but for now, she moved her weary body sluggishly. After purifying herself with magic and changing into her nightgown, she slipped immediately into bed.

​Before she could think any further, her consciousness sank into the darkness.

​◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

​Upon entering the royal capital, Obsidian headed to Tenrek’s hideout with him. The original plan was to go straight to Liliana, but they currently had the 'Northern Immigrants' they’d rescued and the mercenary leader involved in the human trafficking with them. Regardless of the immigrants, Obsidian had no intention of leaving the mercenary leader’s fate solely to Tenrek.

​Above all, the man was a vital witness. Obsidian was bringing back a 'gift' for Liliana from the neighboring country, and the more souvenirs, the better.

​Obsidian sat silently beside Tenrek, who was relaxed in the driver's seat. Eventually, the group arrived at a warehouse district on the outskirts of the capital. Obsidian knew Tenrek’s hideout. Reaching the place in his memory, Tenrek wordlessly drove the carriage into a particularly dark corner of the district where the light didn't reach. He hopped down, opened the warehouse doors, and pulled the carriage inside. The mercenary leader, who had woken up along the way, remained blindfolded and gagged by Obsidian’s hand. He likely had no idea where he was based on sound alone.

​Tenrek’s hideout was behind the warehouse. One couldn't tell from the outside, but there was a hidden passage, ensuring they wouldn't be seen. Obsidian always thought it was a hideout perfectly suited for a man called 'The Rat,' though he never said it aloud.

​Even after shoving the immigrants and the mercenary leader into the hideout, Obsidian showed no sign of leaving. Finally, Tenrek turned back to him.

​"Hey, Death Worm."

​"Stop calling me that," Obsidian complained with a scowl, but Tenrek ignored him completely. He spoke with a serious expression, tension bleeding into his voice.

​"I appreciate the help, but back off from this one."

​"Are you telling me not to get involved?" Obsidian narrowed his eyes. All emotion drained from his gaze, leaving only a cold, ruthless light. A faint, terrifyingly pure bloodlust leaked out. Most men of the underworld would have trembled under that stare, but Tenrek only tightened his grip on his hands for a second.

​"Exactly."

​"I don't owe you any favors that would make me listen to that request."

​Obsidian let out a sharp, mocking grin. Tenrek didn't answer. He stared quietly at Obsidian. After a silence where they seemed to be gauging each other's intentions, Tenrek, seemingly overwhelmed by the silent pressure radiating from Obsidian, reluctantly spoke.

​"You’re currently a noble’s pet, aren't you?"

​For a moment, Obsidian didn't grasp the meaning. But then his eyes widened, and he stared at Tenrek in genuine shock. For a brief second, the look on his face wasn't that of the strongest assassin, but of a boy his age.

​"......Hah?"

​Obsidian looked at Tenrek as if the man were a rare, bizarre creature. Feeling uncomfortable under the gaze, Tenrek pursed his lips and spoke bitterly.

​"You didn't deny it before. That you're being used by some noble brat... You know how it is. In our line of work, we want as few ties to the nobility as possible."

​'Unlike the Clan,' he added with a sarcastic curl of his lip. However, Obsidian didn't react. He finally regained his composure, looked down, and let out a deep, exasperated sigh. He scratched his head roughly and looked back up. The shock and anger were gone—there was no emotion at all. Even the dangerous air from a moment ago had vanished.

​"I see where you got confused, but I have no intention of being anyone's pet."

​"What? You’re not being used?"

​"Do I look like that kind of guy to you?"

​Tenrek fell silent. He knew well enough that Obsidian wasn't the type to follow others' orders blindly.

​But in this world, there were exceptions to everything. With a bitter tone, Tenrek muttered through a sigh.

​"I didn't think so either... but you've been ignoring messages from the Clan, haven't you? It’s not a stretch to think you defected to that noble."

​And it wasn't just for a few months. It had been years since Obsidian started ignoring the summons from the Calamity Clan. He only answered the ones that were absolutely impossible to ignore, and even then, only with the bare minimum. It was natural for people to assume he had traded one master for another.

​Despite understanding the logic, Obsidian had no intention of agreeing. He gave a thin smile and shrugged.

​"I don't care what you lot think, but I didn't defect. Nothing’s changed. I just found someone more interesting than the Clan. If I'm gonna watch, I might as well enjoy the view from the front row."

​"Interesting?"

​"Yeah. You know me—I don't bite unless the story’s good."

​Tenrek was speechless. He stared at the boy in front of him for a long time before furrows appeared between his brows. He spoke cautiously.

​"A noble? Interesting?"

​In Tenrek's mind—and not just his, but for most in the underworld—there was no place less interesting than high society. Everyone dressed up in gaudy clothes, gorged themselves on feasts every night, and lived in luxury off taxes squeezed from the commoners. The men talked of nothing but money, hunting, and women, while the women obsessed over romance, music, court literature, jewels, and dresses. They were good for a payday, but no one in their right mind wanted to join them.

​Despite that, Obsidian called them 'interesting.'

​For Tenrek, who knew Obsidian as a man who always kept his distance from the Clan to enjoy his freedom, he and noble society were polar opposites. He couldn't believe Obsidian would use that word.

​Obsidian tilted his head slightly, looking at the stunned Tenrek with a hint of pity. The gesture was childish, but inside was a cold-blooded assassin.

​"The nobility isn't interesting. The person I found interesting is the only one like that I've ever met, or ever will."

​"Who is it?"

​"Not telling."

​It seemed Tenrek knew Obsidian was involved with a noble, but didn't know the specific name. He probably didn't even know their gender or age.

​Obsidian had no intention of mentioning Liliana. With a faint, dark smile, he said, "Let’s get started. You’re gonna interrogate that mercenary leader, right?"

​Tenrek let out a resigned sigh and nodded. "Yeah. I’ll make him spit out the employer. And where they were planning to ship the cargo."

​They were both men of the underworld. Their interrogation wouldn't be the lukewarm variety used by the Royal Knights. Most likely, the captured man would soon be weeping and begging for death.

​"I’m going to beat it into him that there are things in this world far worse than dying," Tenrek whispered. Obsidian glanced at his profile and gave a silent shrug.

​He hadn't had the chance to see it before, but Tenrek seemed quite protective of his kin. Since the man always kept his distance and never made friends, Obsidian had assumed he simply wasn't interested in people. It seemed he had to revise that opinion.

​"Just make sure you drag out every bit of info first," Obsidian told him just in case. Tenrek, his dangerous edge returning for a moment, nodded slightly.

​"I know."

​"Good."

​Obsidian's goal was to get the necessary information. Whatever happened after was of no concern to him. If Tenrek or Petter—the one who had been captured—wanted revenge, he wasn't going to stop them.

​The two stood before the room where they had taken the mercenary leader. Blocked by thick walls and a heavy door, no sound leaked out. Just as they were about to enter, Tenrek turned back to Obsidian. The agonizing hatred that had been on his face earlier had faded.

​"I’ll tell you before I forget."

​"Hmm?"

​Obsidian looked back, wondering what it could be. Tenrek’s eyes were deadly serious. Seeing the silent urge to continue, Tenrek spoke flatly.

​"It’s about the Clan. The main house and the branch families have been at each other's throats for ages, but the head of the branch family died just yesterday. Officially, he fell from a horse, but rumor has it the main house sent an assassin."

​"Huh."

​Obsidian responded with feigned indifference. But Tenrek wasn't finished.

​"Meaning the long-standing conflict has been resolved. Now the main house... using the branch head’s death as a catalyst, has declared a purge of all traitors."

​Traitors—those who left the organization and disappeared.

​Few ever left the Calamity Clan. They raised their assassins to never even consider a life outside the organization. But there were always exceptions. As they carried out assassinations and brushed against the outside world, a rare few would think of leaving. However, the moment they showed any sign of defecting, they vanished from this world.

​That was how the Clan maintained its secrecy.

​Even after the Clan grew massive and split into main and branch families, that nature hadn't changed. Whether an assassin belonged to the main or branch house made no difference in essence.

​"By traitors, do you mean the ones who were with the branch family?"

​"That too, but they've been given a grace period."

​In other words, if they swore loyalty to the main house, their punishment would be decided after a probationary period. If they showed no signs of rebellion for several years, they would be welcomed back as formal members. However, they wouldn't be recognized as full members during that time. They would need a lot of mental fortitude to endure the cold treatment.

​Obsidian nodded, understanding the explanation, but Tenrek’s eyes narrowed as he continued.

​"However, there are those who were not given grace."

​"Oh?"

​Obsidian nodded. 'Sucks to be them,' he thought. No grace period meant assassins would be dispatched immediately. In such cases, the Clan would send their finest to ensure a swift and certain disposal.

​Tenrek looked at Obsidian with a gaze full of pity.

​"It’s you, Death Worm."

​"...Me?"

​Obsidian blinked. He didn't look surprised. If anything, he looked like he was thinking, 'Why would they do something so stupid?' Tenrek, on the other hand, looked pained.

​"I got the request too, but I don't feel like dying yet. I told them I’d let them know if I found your location, but normally that’s a job for the Clan’s own people."

​Tenrek was an information broker. He was deeply involved with the Clan, but he was a business partner, not a member. This was likely the middle ground he had struck.

​"So, I’m playing dumb. But the Clan will send a squad of elite assassins the moment they find where you are. Watch your back. You’d probably be fine on your own, but..."

​'Just a heads-up,' Tenrek said bluntly.

​It seemed that after hearing Obsidian was involved with a "noble brat," he was worried that noble might get caught in the crossfire. He didn't like nobles, but he wasn't about to watch one get slaughtered. Perhaps he thought Obsidian would feel guilty—or so Obsidian thought before shaking his head.

​Tenrek wasn't that noble a man.

​Most likely, he was doing this so that if Obsidian later found out Tenrek had the info beforehand, he wouldn't retaliate. It was self-preservation.

​Seeing the relaxed smile on Obsidian’s face, Tenrek’s brow furrowed. Under the suspicious gaze, Obsidian’s smile only grew wider.

​"Well, don't sweat it."

​Tenrek’s expression grew even more dubious at the casual tone.

​Tenrek would likely never know Obsidian’s true thoughts. If he knew his business partner was Liliana Alexandra Clark, his confusion would only deepen.

​But for Obsidian, who knew Liliana well, Tenrek's concern was completely misplaced.

​"It’s the Clan that’ll be in trouble if they lose their precious pawns."

​Obsidian knew better than anyone that Liliana wasn't someone who could be killed by a few mere assassins. Above all, she was the girl who had faced him and toyed with him. Since their first meeting, her magical prowess had increased exponentially. He could only imagine a future where assassins, deceived by her fragile appearance, were brutally countered.

​'Sending assassins after a monster like that My Lady is basically walking onto your own execution stage,' Obsidian thought, though he was wise enough not to say it.

​Seeing Obsidian fall silent with a complex expression rather than being worried or angry, Tenrek tilted his head. After a brief, wry smile, Obsidian spoke as if nothing had happened.

​"Whatever. We're wasting time. Let's get started."

​He reached for the door. Beyond it, in the dark room, the mercenary leader lay sprawled on the floor.

—-

Toc

Chapter 241