Chapter 10: I Will Do It!
"W-Wh...What?"
Noah almost choked on his breath as he heard his order, wadding his eyes round in shock. Not only he but also Kirin stared at the man with a stunned, baffled gaze as he asked him, "What? What did you say, C-Chief?"
"Why do you both look jaw-dropped?" The man tossed a carefree smirk towards them, blowing out a puff of smoke. "I am just assigning him a job. This time, we got a big responsibility on our shoulders since we have been asked to kill Prince Xanthus. And I believe, if someone is capable of this task, it's only Sheoran since he has never failed an assassination before."
"B-But..." Kirin's voice husked a little as he impatiently queried back, "Isn't Prince Xanthus chosen as our crown prince?"
"Yes, you are right." The man nodded and cast a sly smirk, "That's why we have been given the duty to kill the crown prince."
Hearing their exchange of phrases, Noah's heart almost thumped faster in fear and aghast. Cold sweat ran down his spine, making his ocean eyes wadded in disbelief. His body cowered in fright as he wondered, 'W-What the fuck? This evil punk is asking me...t-to kill the c-crown prince? Is he fuckin' crazy? ? Or am I the one going insane?'
"But...w-who can possibly make such a dreadful request? Asking the crown prince to be murdered...it's about risking our country's future, Chief! This is dangerous!" As Kirin watched Noah on the verge of fainting in fear, he tried to defend him once again as he realized, the job was too risky for any assassin to execute.
In other words, it was an attempted suicide mission with no guarantee of coming back alive!
His perplexed objection aroused an irked look on that man's face as he discarded the cigar in his hand on a small ashtray. Peering a stiff gaze at him, he declaimed, "Kirin, we assassinate people for earning our livelihood. It's none of our business to worry about anything else. Besides, I have been already provided with a well-fed amount for executing this job. So, there's no turning back from now."
"But Chief--"
"And don't you think you are interfering too much in Sheoran's business?" The man snarled at him by cutting off his remark, as he wadded his dark irked eyes at him. "If I am entrusting Sheoran with this important task, why are you so against of it?"
Fretful, and powerless against his grumble, Kirin couldn't utter a word further to squabble against the Chief. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't possibly bring himself for confessing the entire chaotic situation that he has been enduring since the moment he woke up. As Kirin darted a concerned glance at Noah, his heart grew heavy with worry to find him already staring at him in seek of help.
"Sheoran, do you have any objection to the task?" The man passed a frigid glare at Noah, sounding quite stiff from his tone.
"I...I...don't think I am w-worthy of this task, C-Chief." After a brief pause, Noah uttered his disapproval with a dilemma as he was too scared to speak against him. His husky, stuttering words jumbled incoherently as he continued, wiping the sweat drops from his forehead, "I mean...such a big mission, and...someone like me...isn't worthy of that, I think so..."
Watching him stutter and shiver in fear like a mere weakling, a disappointed and suspicious look grew prominent in his eyes, as the man glared at him for a moment.
Emitting a heavy sigh, he grumbled, "Sheoran, why do I feel as if you have somewhat changed overnight? You have been always one of my strongest assassins who has never let me down. Moreover, you had never refused any of my commands past all these years, and neither did I ever see you fear a thing. But right now, are you refusing me?"
Holding a dreadful heart, Noah became more pale and petrified to hear about his growing suspicion of the man which he was fearing the most. He knew, at that moment, his hunch of doubts could put both him and Kirin in fatal danger, and he intended to avoid that situation with a clumsy smile, "N-No, I am not refusing you, Chief. I am just---"
"Sheoran," before he could complete his mutter, the man interrupted him in a cold, stiff voice with his dark gaze glued upon him. "We mustn't forget, those mysterious outsiders are the ones who first invaded us and beheaded our previous ruler. They created chaos in our peaceful country, so it's futile to trust them as a whole. Besides, I guess you aren't unaware of them rumored to be the monsters of the dark...or in other words...Werewolves..."
Hearing his mystic assertion, Noah rolled his ocean in extreme shock, almost hitching his breath for a second. "W-Werewolves?" He murmured.
"But since no one has found any concrete proof about it, we should just consider them as only floating rumors. So that's why don't you think it will be fair to eliminate such a being who is about to become our next ruler?" A cryptic small smirk sliced his slender lips, as he asked him back. "Besides, as per the instruction that I have received, you have to use this silver dagger to kill the prince."
However, frozen in aghast and dismay, Noah was finding it hard to breathe as he stayed numb for a while. His body shivered with palpitations as he wondered with a raced heart, 'W-What's wrong with everyone here? Even when they are already rumored to be the monsters, he still wants me to go for that impossible task and get killed!? Gosh, how can he be so cruel towards Sheoran who has never defied him?'
"Chief, instead of him, I would like to go and execute this task!"
Before Noah could reciprocate a word, all of a sudden, Kirin meddled amidst their conversation, as he seemed a bit impatient. Holding an intense gaze towards the man, he declaimed, "Chief, I am a proficient assassin too and I believe, I am much more confident to do this job."
"What? Are you sure?" The man frowned with a frigid glare towards him, whereas, Noah was spellbound to hear his declaration. He realized, Kirin was willing to be the scapegoat in order to save him from this deadly trap. Holding the sad yet small smile on his face while he volunteered for him, made his heart ache hard.
As he knew, Kirin was the only person in this unknown scary world on whom he could rely and who could understand his miserable condition, even if it was a little. Watching him almost prepared to jump in the hellfire for him, his inner bold instincts surged aloud as he declaimed, "No! I will be the one to do it! I have decided on that!"
Surprising both of them with his loud declaration, especially Kirin, Noah held the metal grip of that shiny silver dagger kept before him with his trembling arm and tucked it inside his leather corset belt. With his shaky, sad smile he bowed his head as he accepted his fate, "I...I will assassinate the prince."
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