Chapter 40

The birds were chirping, and the sun had risen. With a long yawn, I stretched and stood up from the bed. When I opened the door, I was greeted by Preston and Andrew. Before going to sleep, I had told the group to return to their posts but it seems Preston had a different idea.

Preston had a serious expression, and it seemed he was slightly angry and worried. I bet I could guess what was troubling him.

"What happened, Preston? Shouldn't you be heading towards your post?" I asked, taking a sip of water.

"I have concerns about our encounter with that...thing yesterday." hoho that thing? It seems I was right; he doesn't like Lucia one bit.

"That 'thing' has a name and is now a business partner of mine, so you will address her as Lucia and show some respect." It was not a request, it was an order. I couldn't afford for him to show any hatred towards Lucia and make her not trust me.

"Sorry if I offended you, Master Lucas," Preston said, but not a hint of regret was shown. I was properly amused. "But Lucia Thornheart was a traitor and, with all due respect, a monster. It wouldn't be right to work with such a person. Innocent people can and will be hurt with due time if such a person is to be your business partner."

Walking to the edge of the bed, I took a seat and took a sip before speaking. "It is natural that you have these concerns, but I ask you if there is a different side to the story. Maybe she was ordered by her higher-ups and later betrayed by them after Lady Calliope found out? Maybe she couldn't refuse and was forced?" This was all a lie; she wasn't forced. In fact, she did it because she enjoyed experimenting. But I could tell he was considering the possibility.

"I promise you this: nobody of innocence will be hurt. Only the worst of the worst will be used. After all, they aren't useful on earth, they might as well be useful in another sense."

Preston closed his eyes before he spoke once more. "Are you planning to restart her experiments in chimeras?" His voice was firm and serious, his hands gripping.

"I am, but you don't have to worry. As I stated before, it would only be the worst kind of people who will be sacrificed for the future."

Preston shook his head, his expression growing darker. "I'm not sure I can agree with this, Master Lucas. Using people as sacrifices for experimentation seems wrong, no matter who they are. It's not just about innocence versus guilt; it's about basic human decency."

I chuckled softly as I looked at Preston, "To call them people is an overstatement. We are talking about rapists, pedophiles, and murderers here. We are doing the world a favor, and at the same time, using the deaths to make something good out of their miserable lives. Now, tell me, if you saw a man having his way with an innocent woman, wouldn't you kill him right there and then? Huh, wouldn't you?"

I tapped his armor, trying to get through to him. When I saw a hint of hesitation in his eyes, I grabbed his shoulder and continued, "Both you and I know that we are doing the right thing here, so don't worry. I promise you I will do this the best way possible to make sure not a single innocent soul is hurt."

Preston bowed his head slightly, "Thank you, Master Lucas, for your reassurance. It seems my thoughts were for naught."I shot him a smile and watched as a small hint of warmth spread through his eyes. As the door closed behind him my whole facade dropped.

Turning to Andrew, I said, "He might be an issue in the future. Keep an eye on him and make sure he knows as little as possible about Lucia and our deal." Andrew nodded

Quickly getting ready, I headed towards the carriage as it was time to depart. The streets were bustling with life again, and although I didn't have enough time to fully explore the city, I hoped to have another opportunity to do so in the future

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Frost, the leader of the Silent Blades, strode down the hallway with fists clenched and an angry expression etched on his face. He muttered under his breath, "Using the Silent Blades for a mere kid? This is overkill and a waste of resources."

He reached the door to a large room, which was packed with nearly 300 men, all members of the Silent Blades. Raising his voice, Frost bellowed, "Squadron ten, rise up and meet me in my office for an assignment!"

Ten men stood up from the crowd and followed Frost to his office. Once they were all assembled, Frost spoke, "Congratulations, men. You have received the assignment of a lifetime. You get to kill a kid, ordered by the chancellor himself."

He handed them the details of the assignment with a mocking tone. "As stated in the report, you will conduct a raid on the De Clare Estate with the main focus to eliminate Lucas De Clare. However, lethal force is allowed for every other person in that estate if necessary."

One of the men spoke up, "It says here we can only attack Lucas De Clare in the estate, not out of it. Is there a reason why?"

Sighing, Frost handed Lucas De Clare's personal file to the man. "He is officially the disciple of Lady Calliope, and it is likely he will spend a huge amount of time in Silverglade. The chances of you managing a successful assassination outside of the estate are slim to none. So the main focus is for you to prepare for his return to his county."

Reading the file, one of the men muttered, "Proficient in ice magic, highly intelligent, charismatic, and very skilled in close combat with an affinity to utilize ice magic proficiently in combat. It's a shame that such a promising talent has to die, but you can rest assured, Sir Frost, he will be dealt with."