60 CH59: The Fall Guy Job 

***

CH59: The Fall Guy Job

It's been a while.

A while since I've had some many ways to carryout a mission that I was spoilt for choices and didn't know which option to take.

Today was the day I would assassinate the fall-guy for Anastasia's kidnapping and I couldn't decide which method to use.

The decision I made with the Beast Egg Zora gave me unlocked all my blessings.

The {Vault of Knowledge} was really worth waiting for.

The Vault was essentially an Interface shop I could buy knowledge and some items related to my Blessings.

There were so many things within it that I didn't know what NOT to get. Everything was attractive.

New methods were unlocked to me that would make my job easier.

Eventually, I made the difficult decision of putting the Vault aside for now.

'Don't make decisions when you are angry or happy.'

This is a creed I learnt in my previous life and lived by till today.

A calm and clear head was needed when making important decisions.

My Mischief Points were limited and so I had to pick and choose the right knowledge and items for myself based on my limited budget.

In order to do this, I decided to complete this contract first to give myself time to cool my head. Plus, I didn't want to reveal more information about myself before the House of Death Initiation coming up.

Since I'm wearing {Loki's Mask}, I made up my mind to become an enigma, even within the organisation.

My hits will be shrouded in mystery and wonder... for the most parts anyways.

And so, to prepare for initiation, I decided to leave another work of art in my resume.

A dark art of death.

*

It's been two weeks since mine and Anastasia's kidnapping.

It's a weekend and the much awaited House of Death initiation was in two days time.

I could've killed my target anytime, but I delayed till this time because I felt it would have the biggest impact.

Well, there was also the little detail that I stalked the target from afar for a bit in order to learn more about him.

The usual really. His routine... his likes... dislikes and whatnot.

I must say, this guy ticks me off the wrong way.

The man spent his last few days as a Bachelor going from one brothel and high-end escort service to another.

Some things about Humanity will never change no matter what world or timeline you are in. Prostitution is one of such things.

Perhaps because Arun is a fantasy-like world filled with mysterious powers and opportunities, I never consider the possibility of people selling themselves for money.

In retrospect, perhaps I should have considered it especially since it was such a world.

A world where power was the yardstick... where a powerful few win and lord over the greater weak and losers.

In such a world, I should've considered a situation where these weak and losers would be driven far enough into desperation that they'd sell themselves for money and connections.

Interestingly, Prostitution was legal in Arun.

It's disdained, but legal nonetheless.

My target was an avid user of prostitutes.

Oh yeah, that reminds me, I haven't introduced him yet.

*

My target's name is Anrod Larson. He was a handsome man in his late thirties.

Anrod liked women... far more than was healthy and had difficulty leaving it in his pants. He hardly ever spends his night alone according to the Intel I was given.

If he was not sleeping with prostitutes as mentioned before, he was harassing young naive females in his Guild.

Apparently, he has used and dumped many upcoming naive young girls who joined his Guild.

As a handsome man and a 'powerful' Knight-rank, he was seen as a great catch within his C-rank Guild which had its Guildmaster, a Noble-rank, as the only person stronger than him.

For this reason, many young girls fell to his charms, probably based on delusions of rising from a chick to a swan overnight, and ended being used by him for a couple of nights before he got bored of them and through them away.

Very few women who caught his eyes could escape his grasps.

Well, the fact that he knew his limits might also be part of it. He never openly fancied women of greater status or were related to someone of greater status than himself.

The only exception to this was... Anastasia.

For some reason, this guy had the delusion that he could make Anastasia fall in love with him.

The gall of this waste of human matter.

Expectedly, Anastasia turned him down, ruthlessly, after he tried to use a public gathering to corner Anna into going out with him. The event ended in a public humiliation for him as Anna put him in his place.

She told him he revolted her so much that she would rather eat faeces for a year than imagine a world were they were together.

Keyword there was Imagine.

She didn't even want to imagine it, talk less of it possibly happening.

The public humiliation obviously tanked Anrod's reputation and he was reported to have sworn revenge in private corners.

This made him the perfect fall guy for the true mastermind of the kidnapping.

Once the contract to kidnap Anastasia was traced back to him, people would conclude that this was the revenge he swore to get and no one would be the wiser.

*

Anyway, Navia informed me the clients were a couple whose child Anrod reportedly abused and killed.

As the story went, the couple lived at the bottom of society and barely managed to make ends meet. Fortunately, their child grew up to have a C-Class Pangea.

Their daughter was scouted while in advanced school to join Anrod's Guild. The Advanced School couldn't compare to the likes of the Hunter Academy. A C-Class Guild like Anrod's CloudCry was the best Guild the school had contact with.

The Guild offered to give the young lass the best training they could offer as well as give her parents a better paying job, far higher than what they were doing at the time.

The latter offer was the dealmaker and the girl, Thordis, accepted their offer.

Everything was great for four years before Thordis caught the eyes of Anrod.

He approached her, promising her sweet things, however, a girl from the bottom dregs of society knew an offer too good to be true, probably was. It was unlikely that a nobody like her would truly catch the fancy of a playboy like the Guild's Vice-master. Plus, she already had a fiancé who she loved.

Unfortunately, Anrod didn't take the rejection very well.

He used his connections within the Guild to drug the young lady at a Guild party. He had his way with her throughout the night while the girl was drugged, before kicking her out the next morning.

The girl had been a virgin until that night.

The event led her to spiral down a period of depression.

She knew she was a nobody and it was unlikely reporting to the police would get her justice. So, she took some drastic steps.

She broke off her engagement to her lover and confronted Anrod. She decided to make the most of the situation and get a pay off from him which would be enough for her and her parents to leave Landrose and start a new life elsewhere.

Unfortunately, things didn't go so well.

The girl's body was found in a gutter in the city the next morning.

However, Thordis had been prepared for this. She left a letter explaining everything that transpired to her parents.

Not too long after her body was found, someone from the CloudCry Guild came to them with a some of money. It was to be for their 'acceptance' of the incident and their retirement.

In other words, after killing their daughter, this scumbag sent someone to give her parents the payoff Thordis asked for in the first place.

The parents collected the money and left Landrose City.

Unbeknownst to Anrod, they didn't spend the money. Instead, they kept it while they looked for ways to get 'justice' for their daughter.

Like Thordis, her parents didn't believe bringing the matter to the police would make a difference. It was the words of two aged, lowly, 2-ring Novices against those of an influential 5-ring, Knight in his prime.

Their search proved abortive as no one wanted to help them.

It was then news reached them that Anrod would be marrying the only daughter of a wealthy man in the city.

It was a political marriage. Anrod would get the wealth and influence he desired while the bride's father would get controlling stake in the CloudCry Guild.

Thordis' parents couldn't accept the man who killed their daughter marrying and enjoying a good life. So, they took the only option they could find.

They approached the House of Death.

And they paid with the payoff money from Anrod himself.

*

To be honest, as pitiful as the situation was, I only took the contract because I wanted to kill Anrod.

I had asked Navia if there was a contract out on him.

I could kill him like I wanted while also earning some profit on the side.

One stone, multiple birds.

If not for that, I may not have even read the contract details.

While the money was indeed significant for the old couple and they could live out the rest of their days if they live frugally, it wasn't much for this contract.

Not only was the target a Knight-ranker, he was also a Vice Guildmaster and related to an influential person. The effort needed to get to him and kill me was significant... and frankly the amount the parents paid was paltry.

If it weren't for me, I doubt anyone worth their salt would've taken the contract.

Oh well, it just goes to show that when it's time to die, death finds a way of getting to you.

*

I changed into Alex Fury, the Fool, and followed Anrod the entire week to understand him.

[A.N: Leo Xander: {Loki's Mask} Activate!

(Sfx: drum rolls and action music) Body shape shrinks, skin becomes darker, blonde hair turns black.

Transformation Complete: Alex Fury!!!]

I had many opportunities to kill him, but I decided to wait.

Now, it's his wedding day.

Anrod stood at the centre of the hall while I watched from somewhere close to the entrance.

Trumpets sounded as the bride entered, led by her father.

(P.S: Wedding was surprisingly similar to weddings in my previous life, minus the religious parts.)

The crowd became silent as the most important moment came.

The bride was indeed beautiful. However, her face was expressionless. She showed neither joy or sadness. I guessed the bride was forced into the marriage by her father. After all, I don't think a woman of her higher standing would want to marry a playboy like Anrod.

On the other hand, Anrod had a wide smile plastered on his face. I could tell from the lecherous glint in his eyes that he was already stripping down his soon-to-be wife of every item of clothing in his mind. He could taste the beauty, wealth and power which were about to become his.

The father led his daughter to the centre of the hall where he gave a speech. Long story short, he was happy with his daughter's groom.

Anrod also said some words. Pretty much how he was happy to marry the wealthy man's beautiful daughter and be related to him. How he was going to take care of all her needs so that she wouldn't miss the home she was coming from.

I could tell as the moment drew closer, the elation in his eyes grew more noticeable.

Finally, it was time to kiss the bride and seal the marriage.

Anrod reached out to hold his bride.

However, in that moment, his hand froze. He suddenly clenched his chest.

I suspect he was in a whole lot of pain as his heart squeezed tightly and every neuron in his body sent signals of pain to his brain. A pain so potent that he didn't even have the luxury of screaming.

He soon dropped to the floor and spasm as his body went into a seizure.

Eventually, Anrod Larson died.

I'm sure this brief two minutes before his death was the most painful he had ever experienced in his life.

The poison which killed him was specially concocted by me for him.

I made sure in addition to killing him, the poison would give him the most pain any human could experience.

The moment he kissed the bride should've been the happiest moment in his disgusting life. The euphoria... the high in the moment where he would taste the soft lips of a beautiful woman, and seal his future in higher wealth and influence.

I waited for that moment, in order to snatch it away and replace it with the most pain any human could biologically fathom receiving.

It's artistic, don't you think?

A brief moment was all it took to drag him away from his 'heaven' and plunge him to a 'hell' like no other.

I calmly left the hall after confirming his death.

I got into an onwaiting taxi carriage outside the building and made my way to a park in the city.

*

Now, I expect you are wondering how I timed the poison to take effect when Anrod was about to kiss the bride.

Well, I'd have to thank the event planner for that.

The Event planner was a perfectionist as she planned everything to the smallest detail and time.

She even had multiple rehearsals to make sure everyone involved knew what to do and how to keep to the allotted time.

So, I knew what time the groom would kiss the bride.

From there, it was a simple matter of working backwards.

I knew the groom would be in the public eye one and half hours prior to the time of the kiss. So, I had introduce the poison during his free time.

I designed my poison to act and kill two hours after it is ingested. So, I laced a wine bottle and took it to the groom as compliments of the Event centre.

It was the groom's favourite wine brand, something I found out about while stalking him. He popped open the wine bottle, even before I left, like I knew he would.

From them on, it was merely a matter of waiting.

I had Gandr enter and retrieve the wine bottle from the Groom's room before anyone was the wiser.

And that marked the death of the man named Anrod Larson.

*

By the way, I slipped a card into his pocket when I presented him the wine bottle.

The card would be my signature from now on.

It was something I knew no one else could fake as it had traces of an Energy Form foreign to Arun, Astra.

Also, the card was designed and made through a special feature in the {Vault of Knowledge}.

(To be continued...)

AUTHOR'S RAMBLING

This chapter was satisfying, right?

Please don't forget, power stones... reviews. Also share the book to people you know.

I'll see you in the next chapter.