Chapter 265: Coincidence

The portly corpse tumbled onto a carpet woven from foreign silk without making a sound.

The Dragon Descendant, as if trapped in a nightmare, opened his mouth wide, but not a sound escaped his throat.

The dark figure, completely concealed within a white hood, slowly raised a hand. He brought his index finger to his lips, signaling for silence.

A moment later, a young man dressed all in black entered from outside. Behind him, two tall and burly bodyguards clutched their throats, collapsing to the ground with wide eyes, unmoving.

Strangely, the dark-skinned Seymour favored white, while Carlos preferred black clothing to conceal himself at night. Ron, bundled up from head to toe with only his eyes showing, entered the room and curiously sized up the master and apprentice.

A Snake Tongue and a small piece of honeycomb appeared as Casting Materials before the naked Dragon Descendant. When Ron placed his palm on the man's head, the Dragon Descendant's pupils quickly lost focus.

"Your guest was attacked, along with his bodyguards," Ron's voice sounded like a dreamy murmur to the others, yet every word was etched into the Dragon Descendant's mind, forging a memory more real than reality. "The attackers were four skeleton assassins. They dragged the three bodies out the window and quickly disappeared into the darkness."

"You can't recall any more details, only that you vaguely remember a brand in the shape of a book page on the skeletons' third pair of ribs."

That was the most common mark of The Fourteenth Book of the Dead.

While Ron was Casting his Suggestion Magic, Sera also came in, helping Seymour and Carlos spirit the three bodies away.

Silvia was positioned farther away, specifically around Henry Robinson's Mage Tower. Her task was to turn the three corpses into Undead Creatures before destroying them and scattering the pieces in the nearby bushes.

With several Casters and a veteran Zor Assassin setting up an ordinary slave trader, it was a foregone conclusion. Not only had Carolina's Civil Servants been bribed, but even a thorough investigation would turn up nothing. All clues would point directly to the Necromancer, Henry.

For a less-than-reputable Necromancer, killing a person or two in the city for materials was a perfectly routine operation.

"But I still don't understand," Carlos said, taking off his robe after they returned to their lodgings. "Based on the intel we've gathered over the past few days, Henry's status in Carolina isn't high, but it's certainly not low. A trick of this level won't be enough to do anything to him."

"At most, Carolina will launch an investigation, and he'll just send his Phantom to deal with it, like he did at the banquet. This doesn't create a better opportunity for an assassination."

"No, of course it can," Ron said, removing his disguise. "Henry isn't a Caster from the Illusion School. Creating one Phantom to handle the questioning is his limit. But what if, under these circumstances, 'he' commits another crime?"

"Sir, you mean—"

"Tomorrow night, you and Seymour will take action. Deliver them to the usual spot for Silvia," Ron said with a smile. "When Carolina launches an investigation into Henry for murder, he certainly won't appear in person. The investigators will also just go through the motions, giving both sides an easy way out."

"But what if, while his Phantom is being questioned, the Necromancer shows no restraint and kills another person—a 'poor Zor broker'?"

"That would definitely be seen as a provocation," Quest said with a nod. "Even if he has another phantom, he'll have to appear in person to explain himself."

Flames of hope for her revenge danced in Silvia's eyes.

Killing a Caster inside their Mage Tower is extremely difficult, but if the Caster walks out on their own, it's a completely different story!

"I see! I get it now!" Carlos clenched his fists in excitement. He and Seymour were very close; in his eyes, his Zor teacher's enemy was his own. This was a duty he couldn't refuse.

"You can rest assured! The broker meets her buyer in a pitch-black alley every night. We'll pincer them, kill any witnesses, and I guarantee we won't leave a single trace!"

"This is the first I've heard of revenge being carried out on two fronts at once," Seymour laughed, gratified. "You truly are our benefactor! Don't worry. For Silvia's sake, if for no other reason, I guarantee this operation will be flawless!"

But in this world, a guarantee is not always enough to ensure a flawless outcome.

「The next night.」

A squad of patrolling soldiers marched past a dark alley, completely oblivious. Things had been unsettled in Carolina City lately; just that morning, a prostitute had reported a murder. Without specific orders, the soldiers preferred to pretend they didn't see alleys so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

The patrol was numerous, but who knew what lurked in the darkness?

After the patrol rounded the corner up ahead, two shadows—one white, one black—landed lightly inside the alley. However, the Zor broker and her client, who should have been there, were nowhere to be seen.

'Bad intel?' Carlos's heart sank. He whipped his head toward Seymour. "That informant..."

"Impossible. Our intel was cross-referenced from at least two 'exclusive' sources," the Zor Assassin's voice was ice-cold. "That bitch should definitely be here right now."

"Look around. I know you don't have Dark Vision, but this is also part of your test."

Carlos's training was solid, and he soon made a discovery at the other end of the alley. "Teacher! Look here! It's blood!"

"Drag marks?" Seymour rushed over. After a brief inspection, his heart began to pound with unease. 'Someone beat us to it?'

'Did she really have that many enemies? Or was this a deal gone wrong?' The Zor couldn't decide for a moment, but he soon made another discovery.

In a foul-smelling gutter in the corner of the alley, the corpse of a male Half-Elf had been tossed aside like trash. Beside him lay a pouch of scattered Gold Coins.

"It's the buyer!" Carlos exclaimed, leaning closer to the corpse to identify the man. "They're both dead?!"

"And it wasn't for money," Seymour said, nodding his chin toward the Gold Coins. "How strange. Who could have done this?"

"Teacher," Carlos said, a thought suddenly striking him. "Last night, didn't Sir Ron mention that Necromancers sometimes..."

"Henry?" Seymour questioned the reasoning. "He was already summoned by Carolina's Civil Servants today. His Phantom will be held for at least three days before it's released!"

"He'd choose to act tonight, and just so happens to kill the very people we were targeting?!"

BOOM!

Before Seymour could finish, a massive explosion rocked the city nearby. The two rushed out of the alley to see a bright blaze erupting from the direction of the Mage Tower.

"Teacher?"

"Silvia's still over there! We have to save her!"