5 Reunion I

A few hours earlier.

'Honestly, what the hell was with that revolting smell? Did that guy pee over himself or what?'

Now they were getting late just because of him. Malazan tried to calm his irkness by tiring to take stock of the inn. Due to Martin needing a bath, they had to stop at this place dimly lit place that provided booze and a spot for conversation for the adventurers.

Malazan failed to understand why the people here made so much unintelligent noise. Maybe they thought of it as their duty to irritate the hell out of people who preferred the whispers of silence. Oops, he was getting poetic again.

And he knew enough to know that getting poetic spelled no good. It didn't take him long to find that he was...bored, extremely so at that. Waiting for Martin to clean himself of that smell was a task that he'd rather not take joy in.

"Young Lord, would you prefer something?"

Malazan turned around to see the bartender looking at him. The man was in his late forties, would probably look less if he hadn't grown a beard.

"Say, mister, how much do you know about Baron Monward's mother?" Asked Malazan with the best curious expression he could possibly muster. He thought he would say it was pretty good if he was the one evaluating it.

As expected, seeing his innocently curious expression, the bartender fell for it.

"Only that they had some arguments before, which led to Baron's mother moving into her family's house. It is also said that she has..." the bartender looked around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"...a horrendous face and voice. They also say she is a pervert who has corrupted the dreams of many men, both young and old. Rumor has it that it's one of the reasons why Baron Monward told her to leave ten years ago, " said the bartender with a voice low enough that no one other than Malazan could hear.

After finding assessing the information he had received from the Assassination Guild, Malazan found out that the bartender's information coincided with his.

Although the information provided by the Assassination Guild was said to be always trustworthy, but that wasn't enough to obstruct Malazan from supplementing the information he received, to make sure of it's authenticity.

He wouldn't be able to remain two steps ahead of others if he didn't have this cautiousness ingrained deep in the marrow of his bones. Experience had taught him enough to know that it was a deeply valuable habit.

Noticing the look the bartender was giving him, Malazan took the cue and placed a gold coin on the table.

☯☯☯☯

Thirty minutes went by, and Martin appeared in front of Malazan.

Smelling the fresh fragrance lingering in the air, Malazan nodded his head in approval.

Seeing his reacting, Martin felt both embarrassed and smug at the same time.

"Good to see that you've not wasted my time," said Malazan.

"Umh, I am sorry," Martin replied with his head held low.

"Don't be. Now let us be off, " said Malazan as he stood up and adjusted his robes.

"Where to?" This was Martin's third time asking this question, and he expected no answer this time as well.

"To Baron Monward's palace," answered Malazan.

"Ugh, when are you going to tell—wait, what?"

— And he was proved wrong.

He honestly wasn't expecting an answer.

"Did you not hear me? Well, let me say it again; We are going to Baron Monward's house," Malazan articulated succinctly.

"But why are we going there?" asked Martin with confusion written all over his face.

Being a village boy, people of nobility were like myths to him. People whose words and actions affected the whole kingdom, and they were wealthy enough to buy tens of villages like his.

So the concept of going to the resident of a noble both scared and excited him.

"You'll find that out soon," Malazan replied vaguely as he made his way towards the inn exit door.

'Ugh, and what was I expecting,' Martin smiled bitterly at himself.

☯☯☯☯ [Currently]

Seeing that they have left, he sighed and said: "Maybe I overdid it a little."

Exaggeration was sometimes a mistake no actor could avoid, and he was no exception. He had heard the Baron's mother was a pervert who molested men, irrespective of their status age.

Trying to avoid appearing suspicious, he had gone ahead and done the unforgivable — And touched a man's butt.

It was too much, even for him. That hard and rigid feeling that come along with a bout of disgust after squeezing the man's ass made him want to do nothing but bang his head into a wall.

He swore to never do something like that ever again, even if it was a necesary sacrifice in order to accomplish his objectives. He would just look for other ways to achieve them; the world never lacked alternatives. What it lacked was people with motivation

And this wasn't the only thing that vexed him. The disguise he was wearing right now also exasperated him to no bounds. A face so ugly that made one doubt the aesthetic sense of the one who created her.

Martin was frightened when he heard that they were going to infiltrate a noble's house, even more so when he put on the disguise. But only a few honey-coated words were required to acquire his approval of participation in his plan.

Anyway, it was now time he tackled the next challenge; and that was to fool that stubborn baron. This was the first step in his plan of taking revenge for his eldest brother. He awaited the day where he would shake all the seven continents and take the lives of those who ordered the expedition against his brother.

Even the heavens shall tremble in the face of his revenge, to say nothing of the common people.

Trying to accomplish that with mere brute strength would not spell a good ending, as what happened with his brother was the proof of that.

Plotting and increasing his strength is exactly what he needed to do. Unlike his brother who only sought power, he wanted more — A lot more.

'This is only the beginning.'

☯☯☯☯

His name was Alzin Shuziel Monward, though those of nobility called him 'Monward'. He was by nature a man prone to anger, often barely able to control it and quick to erupt, but at this moment, Monward was trying very hard to control his impatience.

'She will enter at any moment now,' thought Monward.

And as expected.

"How are you, my son? Your. Mother. Has. Missed You."

— She came.