Raven sat at his table, studying his surroundings while turning his attention to the waitress, who continued smiling and waiting for his reply.
Raven could see through her facade, but he didn't let it show on his face, maintaining the same expression he'd worn since arriving at the table.
Raven and the lady locked eyes with each other, both anticipating their next move. The silence between them grew thick until Raven spoke.
"Miss, can we drop the pretense?"
The lady watched Raven silently, putting on a confused expression, but Raven did not react to her.
Seeing that Raven gave no reaction to her feigned confusion, she dropped the act and replied.
"I suppose you're right, Sir Raven."
Raven didn't respond to her acknowledgment—he had predicted this. He'd known they were aware of his identity, which explained their coordinated effort to capture a single person.
Raven met her beautiful eyes and said, "Miss, do you truly believe that all of you together can handle me?"
She smiled at his respond without lowering her guard, her gaze still locked on Raven. "I'm enough for you. As for these people, they'll block your exits so you can't escape."
Raven turned his head toward the exit and saw people had already surrounded the entrance. A thought flashed through his mind: Do I look like a pushover?
Raven ignored the people at the exit, turned back to the lady, and rose from his seat. "Let's find out."
As Raven rose to face her, she threw her plate aside, drew her knife, and infused it with shadow elements before taking her combat stance, ready to strike.
Raven observed all of this. A sword materialized in his right hand and a knife in his left, yet he took no stance—simply stood waiting for her attack.
Both Raven and the lady fell into tense silence. Neither attacked, so Raven realized she wouldn't make the first move. He decided to strike first.
Raven drew a breath, then exhaled.
BAM
In an instant, Raven vanished from his spot and appeared before her, striking toward her neck. She watched with wide eyes but had no time to react or block.
Raven's sword was about to sever her head when the inn door burst open and someone shouted to Raven:
"Raven, enough."
Raven shifted his eyes toward the door and saw an old friend—someone he'd known for years and whose nature he understood well. Raven stopped his sword mere centimeters from her neck.
Raven dismissed both sword and knife, turning his gaze to his friend. He studied him from head to toe.
"You could have arrived earlier, Lord Jarek."
The lady stared at Raven in shock. She had never imagined he could reach her so quickly. She would have died if not for Lord Jarek's intervention. She sighed in relief and thanked Lord Jarek wholeheartedly from within, though she didn't show it outwardly.
She regarded Jarek as her savior. However, Jarek had been watching the entire scene from the beginning, confident she would be able to handle Raven. But to his surprise, she couldn't even react to his first strike and nearly lost her life.
Jarek observed Raven from a distance and thought, Did I underestimate him too much?
Raven returned to his seat and waited for Jarek to approach. Seeing this, Jarek signaled to the lady, who bowed and withdrew. Jarek stepped forward and sat across from Raven. He looked around and saw everyone still standing, then waved his hand.
"Everyone sit down. There's nothing to worry about. He's my old friend."
After that, everyone returned to their seats, and Jarek turned to Raven, noticing him watching everyone with predatory eyes. Raven didn't respond or react to Jarek's statement.
A few moments later, Raven also turned to Jarek, studying his handsome face as Jarek asked, "Why did you show yourself here?"
"Hmm, I came here on a shadow mission."
Jarek smiled at his answer—he had expected this and knew that Aeren would send his shadow to eliminate either him or Nil. But Jarek had anticipated this and knew he would send Raven. However, Raven had protagonist energy—how could a protagonist bow to a third-rate villain or any villain? All protagonists were created to oppose the world, show them what's right, and demonstrate that their perspective creates a better place.
"You should have come for me directly. Why did you come here?"
Raven looked confused by Jarek's statement, showing his puzzlement openly. As they stared at each other, the lady returned with food and set it on the table.
"Have a good meal," she said with a smile, staring at Jarek.
Raven noticed this and didn't interfere with their staring contest, instead examining the food. There was nothing he liked.
Raven turned to the lady and ordered, "Can you get me fruit beer to drink and some dry food to eat?"
She turned to him with disgust and said coldly, "Go make it yourself."
Raven felt confused by her reaction and thought, I let her live and this is the reaction I get? I should have killed her.
Raven dismissed these thoughts, ignored all the food, and addressed Jarek. "What do you mean by 'coming to you'?"
Jarek ate his food without acknowledging their conversation, letting them do whatever they wanted. But after hearing Raven's question, Jarek composed himself and explained.
"You were given orders to kill me or kill Nil, right? If you had come for me directly, I would have let you spar with me."
Jarek laid out his reasoning clearly. Raven listened, then threw his head back and laughed heartily. "HAHAHAHAHAHA, man. You're absolutely hilarious."
The laughter caught Jarek off guard. His carefully constructed assumptions suddenly seemed foolish. Did I completely misread the situation, or is this all an act?
Watching Raven's unrestrained amusement, Jarek's composure faltered. He shifted uncomfortably and managed to ask, "If not for that, then why are you here?"
Raven stopped laughing, then remembered he was on a mission and had to kill someone today—night was already approaching. Raven didn't know what would happen if he failed to eliminate one person per day.
He had to do it. "I came to find criminals to kill. Do you know anyone who has offended our royal family or anyone who has done something harmful to the royal family and the surrounding cities?"
Jarek was puzzled by Raven's statement, shocked that he had been so wrong about Aeren.
His understanding of Aeren became even more mysterious. But Jarek showed no surprise outwardly to Raven.
"Why do you want criminals?"
Jarek had calculated everything but wasn't fully aware of the situation. So he asked Raven to understand better and think it through.
Raven fell silent, studying Jarek for a while before speaking truthfully. "I was ordered to kill one person per day."
Jarek was startled by his reply and blurted out without thinking: "What?"
His mind raced as the implications hit him. So Aeren knows he lacks the power to eliminate me or Nil directly. Instead, he's targeting innocent people daily? What a twisted strategy. He could have gone after my close associates or allies, but he's choosing random territorial citizens.
Jarek paused, examining his own feelings. Does this disturb me? Do I care about these people's lives? The honest answer was no—he felt nothing for them.
But does Aeren expect this to weaken my territory and destabilize my control? Absolutely.
The realization struck him: Aeren wasn't launching a direct assault because he intended to erase the foundation first.
Jarek considered all possibilities, reached his conclusion, and began to laugh. "HAHAHAHA, Aeren."
Jarek's gaze lingered on Raven as he mused, It would have been wiser for Aeren to choose someone less… independent. Protagonists don't follow anyone's orders. They do what the world wants from them.
Jarek concluded his thoughts and spoke again. "What will you do? I've already cleaned all the criminals from this territory."
Raven studied Jarek, who was smiling and expecting something from him, then lifted his head toward the ceiling.
"So I'll have to kill people around this place," Raven whispered to himself.