Lucas had been in this world for several months now, and during all this time, he hadn't encountered any fanatical religious faith. The most that existed was some local fuss around an old legend about a so-called "Heavenly Divine Kingdom."
Frankly, he considered that a blessing. The emergence of organized religion could be a real headache. Once the ignorant common folk got brainwashed by some holy nonsense, they were prone to doing crazy, irrational things and that could spiral out of control fast.
"Keep a close watch on anything related to this 'Heavenly Divine Kingdom," Lucas instructed the cat-eared girl standing beside him. He had absolutely no intention of letting any sort of religious belief take root in his territory — not now, when development was booming, and especially not near his borders. The last thing he wanted was some ideology undermining the foundation of what he was building.
"Yes, sir," Mina nodded. That kind of thing made for good intelligence work, and she could easily bundle it into her routine tasks of handling letters and surveillance.
Knock knock knock! The sound of knocking echoed through the quiet room.
"Come in," Lucas said calmly, his voice devoid of urgency. He was quite curious about the so-called assassin with the codename "Venom Fang." As for who had actually hired this killer, Lucas already had a few suspicions - he just needed this last piece of the puzzle to confirm it.
Creak.
The door to the study swung open. Chris stepped in, dragging a disheveled and defeated-looking man behind him — Venom Fang. The assassin had completely lost the simple, honest appearance he once carried. His bushy beard had been thoroughly shaved off, his hair had been cut down to a bald scalp, and both his hands and feet were shackled in iron chains. He now looked more like a convicted felon straight out of a prison on Earth than some fearsome killer.
"Kneel," Chris ordered coldly. He gave Venom Fang a swift kick behind the knees, forcing him to crash down to the floor in a humiliating kneel.
"..." Venom Fang's eyes twitched, and from the corner of his gaze, he caught a glimpse of Amelia sitting calmly nearby. His lips twitched uncontrollably. Thinking back to what had happened earlier in the day, the more he recalled, the more he felt like a complete idiot.
"You're Venom Fang, right? Came here to kill me?" Lucas asked, propping his chin lazily on one hand, his dark eyes scrutinizing the killer's pitiful appearance.
Venom Fang kept his head lowered but responded in a cold, emotionless voice. "Yes, and what of it? Now that I've been caught, do whatever you want. Torture me, execute me your choice."
"Oh? Still acting tough, are we?" Lucas raised an eyebrow. This guy's body was trembling slightly, yet he still had the nerve to talk like a hard-ass?
"Young Master, let me slice him up a thousand times," Mina hissed coldly, her blue eyes glaring murderously. "Daring to attempt an assassination on you— that crime alone deserves a thousand deaths."
She was playing along, of course. She understood Lucas wanted to use this assassin for something, otherwise, he would've already had the man hauled off to the gallows. Her threat was just part of the act — psychological pressure.
"I..." Venom Fang shivered at her words, a cold tremor crawling up his spine. But what could he say? Pleading for mercy wouldn't help. Assassinating a noble was a capital offense - begging wouldn't change that.
"I want to ask you something," Lucas said, still leaning against his hand, voice indifferent. "This drug, you used the one that knocks people unconscious, did you create it yourself?"
"I did," Venom Fang lifted his head proudly. Despite his situation, this was the one thing he was still proud of. Back then, even one of the top fifty assassins had tried to buy his recipe for two hundred gold coins, and he had refused.
As he raised his head, he took the chance to glance around the study. But with just one look, his whole body froze in shock. The beastkin girls present were beautiful enough, but what truly stunned him was the layout and decor of the room itself. Luxurious, refined, and undeniably extravagant.
Venom Fang suddenly realized something — he had been scammed. Whoever sent him here had completely underestimated the target. Just this study alone proved that the man in front of him wasn't some low-ranking noble. In fact, his wealth and power likely exceeded many of the counts Venom Fang had seen before.
"Oh?" Lucas's tone showed his interest. To be able to develop a drug with effects similar to anesthesia on your own - now that was impressive. A talent like this shouldn't go to waste.
This compound had major potential. Once it passed clinical testing, it could be put to good use. So he continued, "What's in the formula? The ingredients?"
"..." Venom Fang went silent. Asking him to give up the secret formula he had spent years perfecting? Fat chance. He figured he was going to die anyway, so why not take that secret to the grave?
"What did you do before you became an assassin?" Lucas shifted tactics. No need to rush - when it came time to squeeze the "melon," he'd just snap the guy's neck if needed.
"I was a witch doctor," Venom Fang said, a flicker of surprise flashing in his eyes. The noble in front of him felt... different. He wasn't filled with that typical arrogance or violent energy that most nobles had. He didn't shout or throw tantrums like an enraged baboon. Instead, he seemed composed and deep, almost scholarly.
"A witch doctor? And how did you end up as an assassin?" Lucas asked, genuinely curious. That transition didn't make any sense at all.
"I killed someone while treating them," Venom Fang said bitterly, grinding his teeth. The memory was still fresh. A patient on the verge of death, it was that person who had turned his life upside down.
Nobody becomes a bounty hunter or killer by choice. He had no other options. Forced into the shadows of the underworld, he survived by taking on assassination jobs. Back when he was still a practicing witch doctor, he had treated a critically ill city lord — and the man died during the treatment. The city's knights immediately arrested him, demanding that he pay with his life.
If he hadn't already developed his drug by then, he wouldn't have been able to poison a guard in the dungeon and escape. He would've been hanged long ago.
Killed someone while healing them!
Lucas understood immediately. In a world like this, where medieval medicine involved bloodletting and all kinds of barbaric "cures," it was a miracle anyone survived treatment at all.
Lucas looked at Venom Fang coldly and said, "I'm offering you an opportunity, a way out of execution. A chance to redeem yourself."
"What kind of opportunity?" Venom Fang asked, brows furrowed. Deep down, he wanted to live - who didn't?
"Work for me," Lucas said simply. His dark eyes locked onto Venom Fang as if trying to see straight through him. "Not as a killer - but as a doctor. A real one."
"Wait... what? My lord, what did you just say?" Venom Fang's expression froze. His mouth hung open in disbelief. "I thought you were going to have me kill people, not heal them...?"
"No," Lucas said, calmly tapping his fingers on the desk. "You're no good as a killer. But you might actually be a great doctor."
He continued, "I want you to keep researching that drug of yours. I want to know everything about its effects - whether it's addictive, whether overuse leads to brain damage or paralysis. Everything."
He didn't want the drug just as a weapon. There were practical applications especially in medicine. But there was also a military angle. Imagine a tranquilizer needle that could knock people out instantly — the perfect tool for stealth operations.
"What exactly are you trying to do, my lord?" Venom Fang asked, confused. In his mind, poison was made to kill. If he hadn't deliberately added toxic compounds to reduce the drug's anesthetic properties, he would've considered it too soft.
"When someone is gravely injured, this kind of drug becomes the best painkiller - not a weapon," Lucas said flatly.
"..." Venom Fang was speechless. Come to think of it... wasn't that his original purpose? He'd developed it for patients...
"Take him to the Medical Research Institute," Lucas finally ordered with a wave of his hand. This was a talent worth keeping — but he'd need to be watched closely before being fully trusted. If nothing else, he could be safely confined within the institute for now.
"Yes, sir," Chris responded respectfully, dragging Venom Fang out of the study.
Just before exiting, Venom Fang turned back and said earnestly, "City Lord, you'd better be careful. I failed this time, but more assassins will definitely be coming."
"Go," Lucas waved again. He wasn't particularly worried. Whoever the next assassin might be... would they be another hidden talent as well?
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