24 THE LEGENDARY SWORDSMAN OF THE EAST

"YOU DID not kill my home room teacher, did you?" That was the first thing Argent asked when she saw the man - masquerading as her teacher - standing beside her.

"Argent, you wound me," Viper said, acting as if hurt. "I told you I don't discriminately kill without contract. Though I do hurt people from time to time. But that can't be helped. Since there's just a lot of annoying people in the world. Just like these kids. I swear, if they continue to stare at you, I'll gouge their eyes out."

"Please, don't," she said. Though she really doesn't care much if Viper really did turn these students blind. But having that kind of incident right now would be too troublesome. "So, where did you put miss James?"

"Oh, the teacher? She's sleeping at a closet somewhere."

She sighed. "I hope you'd get her out from whatever closet you put her before you leave."

Viper immediately pouted. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do."

"Fine. But you have to ask me nicely first. How about you give me a kiss?"

Argent glanced at him indifferently. "Then you could just leave her wherever you left her. I'm sure someone would find her sooner or later."

She continued to walk and Viper immediately followed. She sighed again. It looked like she had no choice but to endure this guy's presence again. Even if she wanted to make him leave, she has no way to make it happen. So she would just endure his pestering until he leaves again.

"Tch. Stingy."

"What are you doing here anyway?"

"I told you I'll visit you as soon as I finished my next assignment. So, did you miss me?"

"No."

"You didn't even think twice!"

"Why should I?"

"You're so heartless," Viper said while fake-sobbing.

"Stop that. These students will think miss James suddenly became a head case," she said noticing how the students they passed by looked at them weirdly.

"You think I'm a head case?" he said, acting as if shocked.

"Aren't you?"

"No, I'm a genius," he said, like a proud peacock.

"Whatever you say."

Soon they reached the area near the small gymnasium.

"Are you going to have your class there?" Viper asked, pertaining to the small gym.

"Yes."

"What subject?"

"Swordsmanship."

"You're learning how to use a sword? Why?" he asked, as if he didn't understand why she would do so.

"Because I'm weak," Argent answered simply.

"No, you're not. You're immune to any kind of Gift. How could you be weak?"

"That won't be enough. Someone could still kill me with any kind of weapon. I need to learn how to defend myself."

"Do you mean, you have many enemies?"

"I will have. One day." When she became the richest person on this Earth.

"Then I'll just kill them for you. And since you're very special to me, I won't even charge you for it."

"Geez. How magnanimous of you," she said, sarcastically. When they reached the gym, she turned to Viper. "Leave. I don't want you disturbing me."

"No. I don't--"

Viper didn't manage to finish what he was saying because of the killing intent he suddenly felt. It was very subtle. Like some kind of warning. Then he felt a fast moving object moving in his direction from the right. He immediately took off one of his gloves and easily caught it. He opened his palm and saw a small stone. It immediatelly started to decay under his touch.

Argent was curious why Viper suddenly stopped talking. One moment he was silent, as if contemplating something. Then he suddenly raised his right arm and a small stone appeared on his palm. Before she could ask him, her sword teacher - Hattori Shingen - suddenly jumped down from a tree. It was the same tree he jumped down from when they first met. He still looked disheveled and unkempt.

She just blinked and her teacher disappear from where he was originally standing. Her eyes widened when he suddenly appeared on Viper's side, brandishing his sword that looked very much like a katana. He swung his sword towards Viper. Viper reacted fast and jumped away. But it was not fast enough. The human skin he was wearing was cut in half showing the lower half of his real face.

"Nice reflexes," Hattori said lazily. "With such a high quality human skin, you must be an assassin from Dreich Gallere. Tell me, what is an assassin doing here?"

Viper narrowed his eyes then he smiled. It looked kind of creepy because of the broken human skin. "My, my, so this is where the legendary shadow swordsman is hiding." Argent raised one of her brow when she heard that. Legendary swordsman? "Don't worry I'm not here for you. I'm here for him," Viper continued, nudging his chin on her direction. "He's my special someone."

Hattori turned to her. She shook her head. "I'm not. Though he's really not here to kill anyone. So, there's no need for the two of you to fight and gather unwanted attention."

"I supposed not," Hattori agreed and sheathed his sword. "You keep interesting company, Blackbourne." By what the boy said, he knew exactly who this assassin was. A seven year old boy, getting the attention of someone from Dreich Gallere and not being daunted by it, he's either very brave or very stupid. Or, based on Argent's expression, he probably just didn't care.

"Trust me, sir. If I could, I would wash him off of my hands."

"Argent-! Don't say that," Viper shouted, stomping his feet.

"When would I start my lesson, sir?" Argent asked Hattori instead, ignoring Viper.

"Definitely not too soon," he answered, then he started walking away.

"Hey, I have a colleague who has contract to your life. Do you mind if I tell them your whereabouts?" Viper called out to Hattori.

"I don't mind. If your colleague is not afraid of death, then he or she can have a go at me anytime," Hattori answered and continued walking.

When he's out of their sight, Argent opened the door to the gym and entered inside. Viper, of course, followed her.

"Is he your sword instructor? If he is, then you would definitely benefit from his teachings," Viper said.

"Do you know him?" she curiously asked.

"Yeah. He's kind of famous. He's from a small country in the East continent called Kano. That country was being ruled by a number of warlords each occupying a different states. One of the warlords ruling the biggest state was particulary cruel and tyranical. It was said that Hattori Shingen stormed the warlord's castle alone, killing all the warriors inside and the warlord himself. He only has a C level shadow manipulation Gift, yet he managed to do all that because of his superb swordsmanship. He earned the moniker shadow swordsman after that siege. But he also gathered a lot of enemies. That's why when he suddenly disappeared, some of those enemies paid Dreich Gallere to have him killed. I just can't believe he's actually hiding in this school, teaching even."

"Huh. Interesting." Argent didn't think that her new sword instructor would have that kind of background. "So, are you going to tell your colleagues that he's here?"

"Of course not. I'm just yanking his chain. Besides, I told you, him teaching you would benefit you. Why would I hinder that?"

"Oh, I didn't think you could actually be thoughtful."

"I know, right? I didn't think I could either. Just goes to show how special you are to me. So, you definitely should give me a reward."

Half of Viper's face was still covered by the broken human skin and he looked like a ghost from a horror movie. It was kind of funny. Argent couldn't help but laugh inside. And because he would really do her a favor by not informing his colleagues about Hattori, so she decided to give him a reward.

"Hold out your hand, the one with the glove." He did as he was told. She took a small candy from her pocket. It was given to her by one of her classmates earlier. Then she put it on his gloved hand. "There, your reward."

Viper looked down at the candy in his palm and suddenly pouted. "But I want a kiss!"

"That's all you're getting. If you don't want me to get angry, go outside and don't disturb me."

Viper continued to pout but still ate the candy. Then he suddenly leaned down and kissed her cheek. "You're definitely sweeter than this candy," he said, shamelessly before running outside the gym.

Argent just stood there rigidly for a second before letting out a deep breath. Wait until she learned to use a sword. She would definitely hack that Viper into pieces someday.