Free Web NovelChapter 172: Night Call [ 1 ]
Her blue eyes dilated into a soft haze, more tranquil than they ever were when she looked Leomaris in the eyes, and she flashed him a gentle smile.
"Take care of yourself, young master. If you ever call for me, I will come to you immediately."
They left Hazel in a soft yet shattered manner, almost as though being incapable of aiding Leomaris on his mission was something she couldn’t live with.
Leomaris didn’t like it either, but precautions had to be taken.
A summons to the Seniors’ Jade Hall was not something to be taken lightly. Anything could occur, and the very last thing he wanted was to lose Hazel in the process.
Not only was she the only person he trusted to deliver him should things go sideways, he also couldn’t bear the prospect of her being caught up in a vicious assault directed at him. He’d grown too fond of her to permit such a thing.
That was why he’d settled on Erloice. She was a considerable asset, and if her financial resources and devotion could be utilised, assuming she wasn’t a traitor, all the better. She was loaded and presumably a high-ranked noble. But compared to Hazel, he’d far rather watch Erloice choke on her own blood and die.
Her last words still lingered in his mind, despite already being on his way to the hall.
He couldn’t place his finger on it, but something in the atmosphere was giving him the creeps. It wasn’t the familiar sensation of being surveilled, he was well-acquainted with that, but this was something altogether different. A chilling sensation seemed to permeate the air, potent enough to raise goosebumps on his skin.
’Am I being paranoid? I must be... there’s no one in sight, and this driver was sent by Caelus, so I doubt anything is wrong. Oh, wait...’
Erloice turned in Leomaris’s direction. She had her Laughing End mask on, and yet Leomaris could sense the trepidation emanating from her as she spoke. They were in this together.
"I think we are being followed, sir. That isn’t the right word... or perhaps it is, being followed spiritually."
Leomaris motioned affirmatively. He didn’t know exactly what it could be, but if he were to wager on something, it would be the possibility that Caelus was maintaining surveillance over their carriage, ensuring they arrived unscathed.
"You don’t need to worry. We’ll be fine."
Bold claim, but his bravado had to hold. He was being summoned because everyone regarded him as a formidable Philosopher, the Jester of the End, Sovereign of the Laughing End, and a distinguished member of the Mercy of Death.
They weren’t mistaken by the farthest margin, only that he wasn’t a Philosopher. In actuality, he’d just attained the rank of Sorcerer, two ranks below it.
Even Erloice was under the impression he was a Philosopher, and surrendering to paranoia wasn’t going to benefit him in the slightest. One more reason to miss Hazel’s companionship.
"If you say so, sir. We are only a few minutes away from the hall, and I don’t think this is the safest place to be attacked either... an attack this close would be enough to make the hall an enemy of them."
Leomaris wore a relaxed expression beneath his mask.
Erloice carried herself with a quiet authority. It was obvious she never intended it; it was merely a habit ingrained into her nature, yet it somehow left Leomaris feeling more like a servant than a host.
Every word she spoke sounded less like reassurance from a servant and more like a master indulging a subordinate. It was a peculiar feeling, having his authority challenged in such an indirect way.
Before long, the carriage passed through the gates of the Seniors’ Jade Hall estate. Beyond the entrance stretched a broad expanse of immaculately maintained lawn, its rich green surface trimmed to perfection. Servants stood at regular intervals along the paved road, bowing as each carriage rolled past, lending the place the air of a royal residence rather than a private gathering.
The carriage eventually came to a stop.
Two servants approached at once and opened the doors on either side. Leomaris stepped down onto the pavement, straightening his suit as he did.
He wore a black patterned suit tailored from the finest velvet he had touched in a while, not since the celebration at the academy held in Alicia Silverbird’s villa. Everything about his appearance spoke of inherited wealth and old family prestige.
The suit, however, was only part of the effort.
He had exchanged his usual attire for gloves and removed the red ribbon that normally bound his golden hair.
Caelus Sentinel was Leomaris Runerth’s uncle. Any detail that might connect him to Leomaris had to remain intact, apart from the unmistakable gold of his hair. With the Laughing End’s mask concealing the rest of his features, there was little else to worry about.
A moment later, Erloice joined him.
She was dressed in a suit of her own, her long lavender hair gathered neatly into a ponytail. It was almost unbelievable. Her hair normally reached her waist, yet tied back as it was, one could hardly tell it was so long at all.
Women truly were remarkable.
Leomaris lifted his gaze towards the building.
Its architecture bore a distinctly Georgian influence, though his attention lingered on the staircase rising before him. It stretched for roughly twenty metres, with four servants positioned at evenly spaced intervals along its length.
Erloice explained.
"Those are the checkpoints. The first three will make sure nobody brings weapons inside. The last one verifies identities. Though I’m not entirely sure how they’ll handle the mask..."
A faint smile touched Leomaris’s lips beneath it.
He highly doubted Caelus would summon him only to demand he reveal his identity so openly. The mask’s presence had surely been considered from the beginning.
"I don’t imagine that’ll be a problem," he said. "Just follow me."
Just like that, with the elegance and confidence of organization that should be feared, they began making the stairs. The first servant, the first checkpoint, met their remarkable presence with a recommendable spirit.
