"You want to... destroy the Lautes?"
Leonard narrowed his eyes even more after I told him what I wanted.
"Do you even understand what you’re saying?"
"Yes."
He leaned back in a relaxed manner, kept his eyes on , and spoke in an... authoritative tone.
"Then we will report what you have learned to the kingdom, Aiden. The solution is that quick and simple."
I didn’t react, but continued in my usual tone as I straightened slightly in my armchair.
"I want this to be confidential."
"And I think that if it’s confidential, whatever plan you have... it’s going to fall apart in our hands."
His eyes flickered briefly to his wife, then back to .
"The Lautes are not normal people, Aiden. There is a reason why they have co this far, why they have never been found, despite being a family that betrayed the Elves. You haven’t seen it because you are twenty years old, and I don’t think you know... but the man we call Rian Laute is a man who has shown that he can single-handedly take down every pillar family leader in Cevilian. And because he is an elf, he grows stronger with age."
I knew the incident he was talking about.
Twenty-three years ago, the Lautes had been discovered, even if it wasn’t their main mansion, and they used it as a second headquarters for their operations.
All of the pillar family leaders of that ti had gone to that location, the goal was to put an end to the Laute Family, just like I want to do now.
But Rian Laute was waiting for them at that second headquarters with his legs crossed. With him was his seventeen-year-old son, the father of Alysia and Adrian.
Rian defeated the four pillar family leaders on his own, while his son defeated Leonard’s father by himself.
They killed the Laehera family leader of that ti as an ’example’ and then... they just left like nothing had happened.
But things are different now.
"Not only are the current pillar family leaders much stronger than they were then, but Ethil Laute is no longer alive. In short, Rian Laute is on his own, and no, he is not stronger than before. On the contrary... he is weak. He’s been battling an illness for nearly three years."
But Leonard didn’t seem satisfied.
"Look, Aiden. I don’t trust you, you can tell by my deanor. I don’t care if you’re a war hero or how important you are in the kingdom. I find what you’re saying illogical, no matter how much ’secret’ information you have, so we’re going to report it to the kingdom."
I took my cane in my hands and narrowed my eyes slightly.
"The mont you do, you will relive what happened twenty-three years ago."
Leonard paused, his face blank for a brief mont.
"Even the Lautes cannot respond to a covert attack if it is carried out by the entire kingdom."
"That’s the problem, Leonard. If we inform the kingdom, it won’t be a covert attack. Why do you think the Lautes haven’t been found so far? Yes, they may be really skilled at it... but the real reason they can do it is because there are people in the upper circles of the kingdom who are leaking information for them."
He was silent for a mont, then he sighed deeply... and slowly stood up.
"Then we will only inform Prince Lucas and the family leaders of the pillars, and no one else."
He turned away, heading for the exit of the room as if he had no intention of speaking to further.
"Leonard Quie."
He slowed his steps. He turned his head slightly so that he could only look at with his left eye. His expression... looked more serious than ever.
But I didn’t step back. On the contrary, I maintained eye contact. And Leonard... couldn’t help hesitating slightly.
"You may say I’m acting emotionally, but... Saligia killed my girlfriend."
I stood up too, taking care to tap my cane loudly on the floor.
"The Lautes are a family that communicates frequently with Saligia. They are also not afraid to use each other. Laute Manor... will simply be the first of many blows I will strike against Saligia. That’s my goal, so I want to do it without excessive support."
I walked slowly in front of him, never breaking eye contact.
"I want to send them a ssage, to make them fear ’’, and I’m sure I can do it. I just... need your support, that’s all."
Finally, when I was right in front of him, I paused. I closed my eyes and put down my cane. I bowed my head, got down on my knees, and rested my forehead on the floor.
Honor, pride, the image of an unknown and mysterious person I had in the eyes of the people in front of ...
I didn’t care about any of it.
"Please... trust . When I tell you my plan, you will agree with , you will realize that we alone can end the Laute Family. So... please."
A deep silence fell over the room. I didn’t continue begging, knowing it was useless to say anything more. So... I just waited... I did nothing but remain in the position I was in.
My right arm and leg were shaking like crazy from pain, but it didn’t matter.
Leonard... finally took a deep breath. He slowly turned to face fully.
"..."
The seconds continued to pass in silence.
...
"You can get up, Aiden."
I lifted my forehead off the floor, looked up at his face, slowly.
Leonard... rolled his eyes with the sa serious, cold expression.
"This plan of yours..."
Pointing a finger at lany’s desk, he slowly approached the armchair from which he had risen just a mont ago.
"Tell what it is."
*******
~beep!
~beep!
~beep!
~click!
I didn’t make a sound, I waited in silence. But it couldn’t last too long, I had to identify myself after all.
"I am Alysia. I am alive and in a safe place."
I didn’t say my last na, it would have been... disrespectful for her, anyway.
Like that, the person on the other end of the call, A-18, finally spoke.
"Tell what happened, every last detail."
The only reason they waited until now was to wait for things to calm down. So they probably did not have much information about what happened during the attack. Therefore, I told her everything that happened from the very beginning.
Every single detail.
Without telling any lies, not that I could.
And at the end...
"In short, mission failed."
A-18 was silent for a short ti. Then, she let out a deep sigh.
"Adrian Caleo... is much stronger than we thought, then."
You’re just now realizing...?
She mumbled sothing incomprehensible. Then, she was silent again for a short while as if she was thinking about sothing.
"There is one more thing I have to say."
"Hmm?"
"Aiden Tenebra knows my true identity."
"What...?"
"He also seems to have deep knowledge of the Laute Family. He recently approached and used his strength to restrict my movents and force to work for him. He is searching for Laute Manor and... his goal is to destroy it."
A-18 didn’t need to worry about . The fact that I could easily talk to her here proved that I hadn’t done anything outside our contract, that I hadn’t betrayed them.
"We’re on our way there. Your mission to infiltrate CDA is over, we cannot allow you to be compromised."
Not because I’m valuable, but because they could extract my mory and investigate it.
"Understood... but this could be a trap."
The thing he wants in the first place could be for to leave the academy, for us to go to Laute Manor. The fact that I haven’t encountered any problems so far, the fact that Adrian has been completely silent, is probably because they want to follow to the manor...
"I’m aware."
~beep!
As the call ended, I took a deep breath, let myself fall back in my seat, and closed my eyes.
But... Read exclusive chapters at .Côm
"Well done."
My eyes snapped open. Quickly trying to get into a position to protect myself, I turned to where the voice had co from, and then... I saw the figure leaning against the wall of my room.
He was quite tall, but skinny at the sa ti. He had dark green hair and... his cold brown eyes were fixed on . His lips were flat, he was looking at with an emotionless expression.
He was soone I recognized, even though we had never spoken.
"Alexander... Callidas?"
He was academically top of the academy, but also... miraculously... twenty-first in the main ranking.
But how did he get in?
How did I not know he was there?
Invisibility? Suppressed my senses?
How many... things did he hear?
And... ’well done’?
"Keep them fully inford of everything we do. Don’t betray them and you won’t trigger your contract."
I paused at his words, my eyes widening slightly as the gears suddenly clicked into place.
"You work for... Aiden...?"
Alexander closed his eyes without changing his expression much.
"Just keep doing what you’re told."
Then a dark breeze swirled around his body, his body literally vanished quite quickly.
My room fell silent again, there was no trace of him or anyone else in the darkness.
So... for the first ti, I found myself staring ahead of with a truly blank expression.
And with that, I realized sothing else.
We, no... everyone who knew him directly.
We have been grossly underestimating this Aiden Tenebra person.
I wonder...
It’s only a small possibility, but...
Can he really do it?
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