Chapter 197 – Assassination attempt…?

The girl went out of Madam Irene’s private room to call the visitor into the special private room while the male security guard accompanying her out, went to instruct the other security personnel in the building.

“This man. You know him?” Asked the female guard staying with Madam Irene in the room.

“Sort of.” Answered Madam Irene. “We’ve met once, a few months ago, before I hired you. I did not find anything suspicious about him back then but…”

“But?” Asked the female guard.

“He seemed easy to figure out. A boy that you can see through at the first glance. But a lot later some interesting facts about him came out that made me wonder how could I misjudged him this much.”

“What facts?”

“For the start, the person’s face registered in the adventurers guild under the name that he introduced himself with did not match the face of the person that came here.”

“He introduced himself as another person? Well, that happens sometimes. People just don’t want to be known by their real names when they visit a brothel. It could be that he just picked a name on the spot. Hardly a  reason to investigate him.” Said the guard.

“Yeah. I also thought so. But my friend, the one I told you about before, she met him here that time and seemed to take a liking to him. I tend to be protective of my friends so I decided to investigate him just a bit. What I found was strange considering he could meet my friend again in the future. So I dug deeper until I found out who that guy really was.” Explained Madam Irene

“And? What did you find?” Asked the guard woman.

“Well, it turned out he was long since presumed dead.” Said Irene.

“Now that is interesting. If he was considered dead and took someone else's name, is he on the run? Criminal.”

“Better. Noble. Noble that for some reason pretended to be dead.” Said Madam Irene, opening one of the drawers in her table and taking out a paper file.

“Wait. Noble? Wouldn’t you have a problem because of the thing you asked that girl to do?” Asked the guard woman, coming closer to the table and looking at the files that Madam Irene showed.

“Not likely. Not after his message.” Said Madam Irene with a cold gaze pointing to the slightly opened pouch that still lay on the table where it first appeared out of nowhere.

“You mean his words about him knowing the whereabouts of your friend Sam?”

“No. The money count. No one except me and Sam knew how much I lent her. Also, no one knew about Sam and him meeting here. Two pieces of information that no one should have known came out in the same message. So either what he said is true and he really is their friend, or some information was dragged out of my friend or her teammates by force. The last thing I heard about Sam was that their hideout was raided. I haven't received any news from them since. And this person has some information about my friend. If they are his captures, I will find out what he’s playing at and find my friends' whereabouts.”

“I see. So either he really knows them and you have a pleasant friendly chat or he has something to do with their attackers.” Said the guard. “The risks are too great. I think you should let us deal with him until we are sure of his intentions and stay away from him until then.”

“No. I must seek the truth myself. If he was after them when he came here last time…” Said Madam Irene clenching her fists. “I might have been the one to cause the disaster that harmed my friends by introducing them…”

“All the more reason to just let us rough him up until he spills everything and then dispose of the body. I don’t want you to risk meeting with him in person.”

“We can’t lose civility. There is something else about him besides him being noble that keeps bothering me.”

“What’s that?” Asked the female guard.

“I can’t stop thinking that it may not be that he chose the name randomly. But just made a blunder to use the same fake name twice.”

“You think he and the guy that registered in the adventurers guild with this name are one and the same person? That’s not possible. These are the files from the adventurers guild record right? Both of them are registered there it seems. The same person can never register twice. That’s impossible. Their protection is too good. How did you get your hands on these files anyway? These are classified documents that are supposed to be a well-protected secret of the guild.”

“There are men in this world that would sell out their mother for the attention of a gorgeous woman. Unfortunately, there are such men in almost every organization. I just happen to know a lot of these men working in all kinds of organizations.” Said Madam Irene smirking.

“I see.” Said the woman nodding.

“I know it’s not possible to register twice in the adventurers guild, but… There's this one minor thing I noticed that others may have never been bothered by because they never made any connections between these two people. But after he introduced himself with the other guy's name, I studied the record about them thoroughly.”

“This Tamer guy, Noah Lewenred… No one knows who he is and where he came from. Until that day of registration in the Greenville Town’s adventurers guild, he simply did not exist. As if the name was fake. This Noble boy, though, was considered dead a few days prior to the second man's appearance. They should have never met. What is also interesting about them is that once the Tamer disappeared as if he simply ceased to exist, the Noble soon reappeared, his death soon presumed as a mistake.” Said Madam Irene.

“Sounds far-fetched. As I said you can’t register in the guild twice.” Said the guard woman. “If he had the need to pretend dead it’s understandable why he picked a random name to introduce himself with. The fact that he only changed his last name actually speaks of the fact that he really chose it on the fly. Maybe he crossed paths with the real person with that name at some point. After all, they should have been both in town at that moment, right?” Added the guard woman.

“As for this Tamer that, according to this record tamed the Great Alpha Wolf, the reason no one heard of him although he is this strong is that he’s most likely a Merc just like me.” Explained the guard woman.

“Mercenary guild and Adventurers guild don’s share info on their members. Many Mercs have been doing side jobs for Adventurers Guild when they are down on money or some other reason. The dude could have gambled his last pay and came to earn a bit with monster hunting. Used a fake name and was gone when his Company moved away. It happens all the time.”

“Yes. Only he is not just a Tamer. He is THAT Tamer.” Said Irene.

“That Tamer?” Asked the guard woman not understanding taking another look at the file.

“The Poison Slime Tamer. The one everyone is searching for all over the place. Even if he was a Mercenary as you say he would be found already. There’s no way all those people searching him did not check the Mercenary Guild.” Answered Madam Irene.

“You think this noble boy and that Tamer are the same person? I see. That’s why you bothered to let your girl offer him that poisoned wine. But I still think you are overthinking it.”

“Well. Once he drinks the wine we will know for sure.” Said Madam Irene. “And if I do overthink. There will be no threat from him. After he drinks a few gulps he’ll be paralyzed until morning.” Said Madam Irene with a sigh.

“If poison fails and he tries something he’ll try to cut off my exit through the door. So instead I’ll jump for the hidden pass. He would not expect that. This will buy me a few extra seconds until your guys get inside. Col is going to put a few people in the hidden pass for that. I’ll also explain to him that the room is soundproof and you will not hear anything from the outside. But I have my distress call magic ring that I always keep on me. All I need is to send a spec of magic into it to call you all for help.” Said Madam Irene, pointing at a ring on her hand.

“Anyways, where the hell is Felicia? She should have been back after guiding him to that room. “Col should have been back too.” Said Madam Irene, annoyed.

The female guard’s eyebrows creased as she glanced at the door. She walked to the door and opened it just slightly peeking through a small opening into the hall. She observed the outside for a few seconds before her eyes went wide. She immediately closed the door and locked it.

“Activate the ring!” Said the woman.

“What’s going on?” Asked Madam Irene as she sent a speck of magic into one of the rings on her fingers.

“It’s quiet.” Said a female guard.

“What do you mean?” Asked Madam Irene, creasing her eyebrows, not understanding the meaning of her words.

“It’s literally quiet. There is no sound in the building. We usually can hear music coming from the entertainment hall on the first floor from outside this room. But there is no sound of music now. Something’s not right.” Said the female guard unsheathing the pair of knives she had on her belt. “You activated the ring?”

“Yes.” Said Irene.

They both stood in silence gazing at the door as Madam Irene opened another drawer in her table and took out her knife as well.

“No one’s coming. Shit.” Said a female guard a dozen seconds later.

“We are under attack?” Asked Irene with worry in her voice.

“Don’t see any other reason my team would not react to the ring's distress call by now.”

“You think guards were taken out? How is that possible? There’s a full house of clients. There should have been a commotion. Where are all the girls? Where are all the people that loiter in the entertainment hall downstairs?”

“I will go check. Stay here.” Said a female guard walking to the door. “Lock the door behind me. Don’t open it to anyone besides me.” She added opening the lock and peeking into the hall.

Once she found no presence nearby she slipped out of the door and immediately heard the lock of the door click shut behind her.

Madam Irene stepped away from the door, gripping her knife tightly in her hands, sweat streaming down her back.

A minute passed, then another, and yet another one however no one came back.

Irene stood in the middle of the room, her hands shaking from fear, more severely with every new minute that passed in deathly silence. No sound was heard in the building other than her labored breathing.

The wait was excruciating, the silence pressed on her more than the fear of being attacked, yet no matter how long she waited, no one came for her.

Almost twenty minutes after the female guard left the room, Madam Irene finally could not take it anymore and slowly walked toward the door. Turning the lock open with trembling hands, she opened the door and gazed into the silent building behind it while tightly gripping her knife in front of herself.

Just as the female guard said before, no sound came from the entertainment hall below or anywhere else in the building. The squeak of the wooden floor under her own feet was the only sound that echoed from the walls as she stepped out of the room and slowly crept through the halls.

Slowly, step by step, Irene walked through the building turning toward the balcony over the entertainment hall on the first floor, nervously looking around.

She waited to be attacked at every moment but even though she reached the balcony she still did not meet anyone. No workers, no security, not even an enemy seemed to be present. As she was just a few steps away from the balustrade of the balcony she finally heard a sound other than her labored breath. It was faint but she heard it well someone was moving something just below the balcony.

Slowing even more she peeked over the top rail of the balustrade and her eyes went wide in shock.

The room below her was full of people. The girls and guests were there. Only they all lay unmoving, seeming to be unconscious. There was only one single figure moving through the entertainment hall full of unconscious people. A figure dressed in all black with a face fully covered, safe for the eyes, was holding one of the unconscious girls under the armpits and dragging her somewhere through the hall.

“Oh. You decided to come out?” Suddenly said the female voice from behind the black face cover as the figure raised her head up to look at Madam Irene before letting go of the body she was holding, letting the unconscious girl slowly slide to the ground. “This is no good. Why don’t you stay over there until we finish here.”

Madam Irene stepped back from the balcony on shaking legs when she heard a second voice from her side.

“Where are you going? She told you to stay where you are.” Said a second figure walking up the stairs to the second floor and gazing at Irene from the distance. Madam Irene turned back and dashed back into the hall that she came from, running for her life.

“Don’t let her get away.” Shouted the first figure in black from the floor below before jumping up with enough strength to lift herself in one stride right to the balcony where Madam Irene stood moments ago, landing with her two feet on the rail of the balustrade.

“Help! Someone! Guards!” Screamed Madam Irene as she ran through the building.

“No one’s going to help you. There is no one left.” The voice came from somewhere behind, the intruders seemed to be gaining on her.

She had to find a way to escape. The main exits were blocked by the enemies but there was one hidden passage in one room. If she used it she could pass them and get to the hidden exit. She ran toward the luxury room at the end of the hall.

If only she could get there. The room was special. Soundproof and had a good door. If she got there, she would be able to stall these people until she got away through the secret passage. If only she was quick enough! If only she could outrun them. But could she? Could she reach there on her high heels when two assassins capable of taking care of her entire security team were right behind?

Almost there! Almost! Shouted the voice in her head, as Madam Irene turned the hall and saw the door to the room she was running to.

But it was not possible. She understood it clearly. There was no way she could reach there, outrunning the people with a lot higher level systems and fighter systems at that. She would not reach there.

A second passed. Then another. She held her breath waiting to be captured and any moment, right until she burst through the door, slamming it shut behind her with a heavy sigh of relief. She did it! She reached the room! Screamed the cheering voice in her head. It was easy. She cheered for just a moment until realization dawned on her.

Why was it so easy? A scared voice passed through her mind. Only then she remembered one crucial thing that she seemed to be forgetting in her panicked rush.

“Hello, Madam Irene. We finally met again.” Said a male voice from behind her back, sending shivers down her back.

That’s right! She ordered the girl to bring that suspicious man, Noah, into this very room.

Madam Irene turned to the side finally noticing two figures in the room who were here the entire time.

A man sat leisurely in the armchair with a glass of wine in his hand sipping wine with an expression of a man enjoying the wonderful taste of wine. The opened bottle on the table at his side was exactly the one Irene ordered to be served to him. It was the wine containing paralyzing toxin that should have made him immobile until morning just after a few gulps. Yet he was sitting there drinking it leisurely without a single thread of discomfort.

The second figure was of the very girl she sent to guide the man here. She was lying on the big bed without moving, seeming to be unconscious as all the other people she saw in the entertainment hall.

“I must say, you have a good taste for wine, Madam Irene, or may I call you Isabella? I personally like the sound of your real name more than your work alias. It sounds elegant and sensual. I think it suits you better than the strong-sounding Irene. I feel that Madam Irene is a strict and cold-hearted woman, but Lady Isabella is a soft and caring woman who would not leave a friend in trouble, even if it brings danger to her door in the end.” Said the man sitting in the armchair.

“So you really one of them then, those cursed bastards of the Dark Association Guild. You were one of them, Noah Lewenred, or should I call you Count McDaniels? The pompous noble title seems to be fitting a treacherous double-faced man like you. The fact that you drink that poisoned wine as if nothing…You really are the same person with that Tamer that everyone considers a hero in this town. But turns out the hero is in truth working for the same organization that attacked that unfortunate Vega Village. You killed all those people and then made yourself look like a savior. Fucking monster. Go to hell. I told you, bastards, last time, I am not joining you fuckers even if I die. So if you want to kill me, do it quick, son of a bitch. I don’t want to hear your disgusting yapping any more.”

The man gazed at her in silence as if considering something, finally nodding a few seconds later.

“So, Tessa was right. They really did come knocking at your door.” He said standing up from his seat.

Isabella stepped back holding her knife in front of herself pointing it at Noah.

He walked slowly toward her but with every step he closed on her she stepped back to keep the distance. However, when they gradually changed places with him standing at the door and her at the side of the room, Noah did not follow her further but reached to the door handle and unlocked the door, swinging it open.

Two figures in black stood behind the door watching into the room and Isabella at the furthest side. Then their gaze slid to the man holding the door open for them and saw him nod toward them as if in some unsaid conversation.

“I’ll leave you girls to your talk. I’ll be downstairs.” Said Noah as the two figures entered the room, before walking out the door and closing it behind himself, leaving Isabella alone with two assassins.

“Fuck you. Could not finish the deed yourself?” Shouted Isabella towards him just before the door closed shut.

“I am not afraid of you bastards.” Said Isabella her hands shaking so hard she barely managed to hold the knife.

“Put that thing away. This is the end. You don’t need it anymore.” Said one of the figures in a very familiar voice taking off her face cover.

“You! Bitch you betrayed me?!” Cursed Isabella seeing the face of the very head guard woman and leader of the Mercenary group that she trusted with her security.

“It’s not like that, Bell. Lower the knife and let me explain.” Added the second woman pulling her face cover off as well.

“Sam?” Asked Madam Irene in total shock seeing her friend stand in front of her.