"..."
"I do not know if these words would fit a man of the Iphelleta House, but his talent for the blade was nonexistent. The strike he displayed was a perfect example of a novice."
The woman smirked upon hearing the man's report.
"Well what did you expect? He is the famous Master Lazy Blade."
As she spoke to herself, the man tilted his head as he asked a question.
"Then are the rumors true? That he has never swung a sword?"
"Yes. It is true."
"Huh."
The man, an assassin hired by the woman, sighed in disbelief.
Anyone in the Iphelleta House could become successful by wielding a sword.
In that family, he was born a third child, and did nothing.
And when he finally changed his mind at the age of 18, he threw away the sword realising it had little effect.
How useless.
How pathetic that child is.
"It didn't seem like he has a weak body either. How shameless."
The man stood up while clicking his tongue.
His mission here was complete.
Mission one, deliver the poison for the soup.
Mission two, stalk the third son.
Those were the missions he was tasked with.
"Then, I shall take my leave."
"Yes. Well done. Do send my regards to Father."
"He has been complaining about not being able to see you more often."
"Alright, I'll visit soon."
As the woman waved her hand, the hooded man disappeared, as if melting away into the floor.
The woman laughed while gazing up at the moon.
"I was worried for nothing, silly me."
Orelly smirked.
The flames of jealousy in her heart seemed to have calmed down a little.
---
In a corridor of the Iphelleta mansion.
After leaving Lady Orelly's room, the hooded man sneaked through the corridor in order to avoid being detected by the Master of the house.
He then turned his head, feeling an intense bloodlust behind him.
'...What was that?'
He was one of the top three within the organisation.
Even the mansion's master, Count Stein could not avoid being detected by him.
"..."
If Lady Orelly was correct, he should still be in his office, in the middle of all the paperwork that needed attending to.
The hooded man called upon all of his mana within to detect life in the mansion.
As expected, Stein was still in the office.
Since his presence was settled there, this bloodlust crawling on his back could not be his.
"Who is it?"
The man turned and asked.
There was no answer.
"Am I mistaken? No, it can't be."
As a veteran in this line of work, there is no way he would mistake such intent.
The hooded man lowered his stance and increased his guard.
Tension filled the air in the dark corridor.
The hooded man, on the edge of his nerves, frowned in frustration.
This stabbing sensation of bloodlust was getting closer.