Free Web NovelChapter 346: Chapter 346 The Existence Behind the Warden - Part 1
"The handwriting is so twisted... must have been written with the left hand," Aiden judged, "It speaks volumes of mediocrity, but does qualify as a work of a psycho."
"The murder announcement is already out; he should make his move soon," Susan said.
"You’ve confirmed he’s in Silvertown, yet your organization has not found him? You are an intelligence agency, aren’t you?" Aiden asked.
"I guess they might have pinpointed his location, but the organization wouldn’t inform me," Susan answered, "The reason should be self-explanatory."
Aiden nodded in agreement.
One of the conditions Susan agreed to with Smiling Libra was that if she survived, she would leave the organization. From the perspective of Smiling Libra, if Susan learned Joey Lawson’s whereabouts, she would likely contact him privately, tell him the truth, and divert the deadly threat from herself.
Thus, naturally, they wouldn’t have had any reason to share the information with Susan—As far as they were concerned, Susan needed only to wait for her inevitable end.
"It’s going to be tough to complete this mission without being able to monitor his activities," Aiden mused.
In this estate, providing 24-hour protection for Susan wasn’t realistic. Having him take Susan’s place, disguised as Sophie Carter, and then allowing Sophie to leave safely was an option, but it was far too risky for Aiden himself, and not being a professional double, there was an ongoing risk of blowing his cover.
The best course of action would be to locate the stalker before he made his move, and take the initiative to strike first.
"If I could eavesdrop in the hidden room, I might find out something," Susan whispered, "Besides a secret passage leading outside, there’s a telegraph setup there. Mr. Mark... I mean, the butler, uses it to receive and send reports to the organization, but I doubt it’s feasible; the locks on that room—"
"I may have a way," Aiden cut in upon hearing this, already forming an idea, "Do you know the general location of that room within the mansion?"
Susan hesitated, then nodded.
Aiden thought to himself that it was enough.
He knew a witch very skilled in infiltration and intelligence gathering. Before he obtained the Wordless Code, that person could come and go freely even in his prison. Considering the lock on the secret room in the house, it likely wasn’t more secure than his prison.
Perhaps he could also enlist her help to deal with the male witch, significantly improving their chances of success.
If Sophie could provide information on The Hand of Oblivion, sharing such information with her should suffice to gain her enthusiastic help.
The only issue was whether she could make it in time—but that was something he’d have to ask first to know.
"I’ll stand guard for you tonight, and if I can find out where Joey Lawson is hiding, I’ll try to deal with him first," Aiden offered a plan, "If he acts tonight... maybe I can bring an early end to this affair."
"That sounds really reliable; my thanks in advance," Susan smiled, "The assassin... er, sir?"
With Aiden still appearing as the maid, Susan obviously couldn’t be sure of his real gender.
"Other than this bedroom, where else in the house can’t the butler monitor from that room?" Aiden inquired. freeweɓnøvel.com
"The kitchen and dining room on the first floor, the second floor, and the rooftop," Susan replied.
"Then I’ll go to the rooftop to keep watch for now," Aiden decided, looking for a quiet place to make contact.
"That would be much appreciated," Susan said, bowing her head, "But there’s no rush at the moment, you haven’t finished your tea."
"Alright," Aiden acknowledged, realizing she had more to say.
"To be honest, I’m somewhat surprised..." Susan began.
"Hmm?"
"Considering hiring someone to save me, it’s surprising that Sophie didn’t choose to trade with the warden of Rose Iron Prison," Susan spoke up, "I wonder how much you know about that person, Mr. Assassin?"
Unsure whether she was probing or simply making conversation, Aiden gave an equivocal response: "I’ve done my investigation."
"I heard that Meiruki, the Mother of Assassins, is also confined in Rose Iron Prison. Is that true or false?" Susan continued to inquire.
"You want to dig out information from me?" Aiden asked back, "As an informant, you’re a bit too dedicated."
"I just want to mention, if you need information on the warden of Rose Iron Prison, just keep me alive, and I could tell you all about it," Susan said calmly, "You would be interested, right?"
Aiden saw Susan’s agenda; she wasn’t sure if the assassin before her would go to great lengths to save her life. She was securing a fallback by making her own offers.
If it were true that Meiruki was imprisoned in Rose Iron Prison and this so-called second-generation Filthblood Reaper planned to rescue her, they would indeed be interested in Aiden Galahad’s information.
Susan’s approach was understandable; it likely mirrored techniques she’d learned from Smiling Libra and was indicative of their usual modus operandi.
Aiden’s theory was confirmed; these intelligence organizations could leak his information to anyone preparing to harm him at any time.
Luckily, the second-generation Filthblood Reaper’s identity was entirely fabricated, and Aiden had recently come into the formal sights of Smiling Libra.
The advice of the Witches’ Congregation was sound; he needed to keep enough distance from Smiling Libra.
"I’m certainly interested. Miss Carter went into prison not just for refuge but to investigate that warden as well," Aiden said, "I have discovered that the warden is also involved in matters of authority."
"That’s one reason; Sophie herself is quite interested in that man..." Susan said slowly, "She said he’s like a superhero, very powerful, and also an official—it seems like he’d be a rather fine catch." freēwebnovel.com
"I see..." Aiden picked up his teacup and brought it to his lips. It appeared that the pop star’s remarks weren’t entirely false.
Then he listened as Susan continued: "Sophie didn’t choose to make a deal with that man, and perhaps that was the wiser choice. I think that man... might be very dangerous, more dangerous than the stalker!"
Aiden’s hand jerked involuntarily, almost causing him to spill his tea, but he maintained his composure, "Why do you say that?"
"Just a conclusion drawn from an analysis of the intelligence. The organization believes that behind him there might be a colossal force, unimaginable... or perhaps ’existent’," Susan murmured cryptically, "If you’d like to know more, we can have a good talk after all this is over."
After a brief silence, Aiden smiled and nodded at Susan: "I don’t dislike extra pay."
Smiling Libra had indeed noticed... an entity supporting him from behind. If he didn’t find a way to conceal this, they might very well keep digging deeper.
