The morning sun slowly rose above the city.
Julian Arkwright woke up earlier than usual.
He looked around his house.
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Julian walked through the house, checking the other rooms, but he quickly realized that someone was missing.
Celixsa Thornhart, his girlfriend, wasn't home.
Julian already knew why.
Celixsa had a teaching job at Louf Magnian Academy, so she usually left early whenever she had classes.
Julian sighed.
He walked to the bathroom, washed his face, and returned to the kitchen.
For breakfast, he simply took a piece of bread.
He sat down and ate quietly.
After finishing his breakfast, Julian leaned back in his chair.
"Huhh..."
He stared at the ceiling.
"I am bored too much."
A few seconds passed.
"I think I should go to the Assassin Club."
Julian stood up.
He locked his house and began walking toward the Assassin Club.
Assassin Club
The Assassin Club was already active when Julian arrived.
Assassins of different ranks were moving around the building.
Some were discussing missions.
Others were drinking at the bar.
Julian entered without paying much attention to anyone.
Then—
"Sir Julian!"
A young assassin suddenly approached him.
Julian stopped.
He looked at the boy.
The boy's name was Neulo Benler, a Junior Thief Rank Assassin.
Julian stared at him for several seconds.
"Huhh... this guy."
Julian already knew something about Neulo.
Neulo was basically a toy of OS Alters.
OS Alters was an Assassin group consisting of 21 members.
Among them were:
5 Dark Shade Rank Assassins
9 Hydro Hunger Rank Assassins
7 Hidden Shadow Rank Assassins
Neulo was constantly being pushed around by them.
Neulo looked frightened.
"Sir Julian, please save me!"
Julian raised an eyebrow.
"Save you?"
"Lady Cathy and Sir Esver Goundmon are trying to find me!"
Neulo hurriedly continued.
"They want me to wear a female dress and entertain them! Please protect me from them!"
He looked around nervously.
"Even the Hidden Shadow members of OS Alters are trying to find me!"
Neulo grabbed his hands together.
"Please, Sir Julian! Help me!"
Julian's expression became irritated.
"What did you think I am?"
Neulo blinked.
"Eh?"
"Your bodyguard?"
Julian crossed his arms.
"I already protected you seven times."
His eyes became colder.
"Leave me alone."
Neulo immediately stepped back.
"Or I'll kill you here."
Neulo became pale.
"Sorry, Sir!"
He quickly lowered his head.
After a moment, Neulo sighed.
"Huhh..."
Julian glanced at him.
Neulo muttered,
"If my friend Zavinies were here, they wouldn't bully me..."
His expression became sad.
"But sadly..."
"My friend is dead."
Neulo looked down.
"Zavinies..."
"I miss you, my dear friend."
Julian's eyes suddenly narrowed.
"Hey."
Neulo looked up.
"What did you say?"
"You said..."
"Big Brother Zavinies is your friend?"
Neulo froze.
"What?"
Julian stepped closer.
"Big Brother Zavinies."
"What did you just say?"
Neulo became nervous.
Julian stared directly at him.
"Huhh..."
"How dare you question me?"
Neulo immediately became frightened.
Julian then took a breath and calmed himself.
"Listen."
"I'll ask you some questions."
"You answer them properly."
"And don't throw my questions back at me."
Neulo nodded rapidly.
"Okay."
At the Assassin Club Bar
Julian sat at the bar with Neulo.
He rested his arm against the table.
"Huhh..."
"You said OS Alters are trying to find you."
Julian looked at Neulo.
"I haven't seen them."
Neulo answered,
"Their Hydro Hunger members come looking for me."
"But whenever they see me with you, Sir Julian..."
"They leave."
Julian nodded slightly.
"However..."
His expression became serious.
"You know Zavinies."
"Tell me how you know him."
Neulo immediately answered.
"Zavinies is my friend."
"Me and Zavinies used to do missions together."
"He always told me that I was his best friend."
Neulo smiled.
"Zavinies was my best companion."
"He liked spending time with me."
"He also loved dancing with girls."
Julian's expression instantly changed.
"You are lying."
Neulo froze.
"Eh?"
"Zavinies never told me about his friends."
Julian's voice became colder.
"And I never saw Zavinies dancing with girls."
He leaned forward.
"Zavinies wasn't that kind of person."
Julian's eyes narrowed.
"Even when Zavinies protected me..."
"He was always alone."
"I've collected a lot of information about him."
"I know I don't have much information about Zavinies."
"But I know enough."
"His clients told me that Zavinies never behaved badly."
"He never intentionally harmed innocent people."
"And I've never heard anything about him dancing with girls."
Julian looked directly into Neulo's eyes.
His anger was becoming obvious.
"Why are you telling me lies?"
Neulo's body trembled.
"You aren't Zavinies's friend."
"I already understand that."
Julian stood up.
"You just want to stay close to me so you can protect yourself."
Neulo swallowed nervously.
Julian continued,
"I came here today because I wanted to know who told you that I knew Zavinies."
He placed his hand on the table.
"So now..."
"Tell me everything."
Neulo immediately became terrified.
"Okay! Okay!"
He raised his hands.
"It was Logan Pangio!"
"And his group!"
"Their group is called Hougens!"
Julian's eyes narrowed.
"Continue."
Neulo quickly explained.
"I do normal jobs for them!"
"Sometimes they tell me to find a girl!"
"I find the girl, take her to Logan, and receive a reward!"
Julian's expression darkened.
A Short While Earlier
Neulo had entered a room inside the Assassin Club.
Several members of Hougens were there.
They were spending time with several girls they had kidnapped.
Neulo approached Logan.
"Logan, sir."
"I found the girl you were looking for."
Logan looked toward him.
"Oh?"
"Good."
Neulo brought the girl forward.
"Here is the girl."
"She's healthy, don't worry."
"She's just crying because I brought her here."
The frightened girl looked around.
"Please..."
"Leave me alone."
Neulo held her hand tightly and brought her toward Logan.
Logan nodded.
"You did a very good job."
Neulo handed the girl over.
"Okay."
"Now give me my reward."
Logan smiled.
"Of course."
"I'll give you your reward."
Back to the Present
Neulo continued explaining.
"They told me about your secret..."
Julian remained silent.
Neulo continued.
"They said that you have connections with Zavinies."
"Many weak assassins try to get close to you by using Zavinies's history."
"They told me that you usually listen to them for about five minutes."
"But..."
"If someone uses Zavinies's name, they can get close to you."
"And that can increase their reputation inside the Assassin Club."
Julian slowly nodded.
"I knew it."
Neulo looked at him.
"Those weak assassins have been trying to approach me by using Zavinies's history."
Julian sighed.
"But I only listen to them for five minutes."
"Why?"
"Because I want to know more about Zavinies."
His eyes became slightly distant.
"But only a few of those assassins actually tell me the truth."
"The others just create fictional stories about him."
Julian stood.
"Okay."
"Now you will tell me where Logan and the Hougens are."
Neulo immediately nodded.
"Okay."
"I'll show you."
Hougens' Room
Julian followed Neulo through the Assassin Club.
Eventually, they reached the room where Logan and the Hougens were staying.
The door was closed.
Julian looked at it.
Nobody seemed to be opening it.
"Huhh."
He stepped forward.
BOOM!
With one powerful kick, Julian broke the door open.
Everyone inside turned toward him.
The girls immediately saw an opportunity to escape.
They ran toward the doorway.
But one of the Hougens members tried to stop them.
Before he could do anything—
BAM!
Julian kicked him aside.
The man fell to the floor.
The girls hurried away.
However, Julian noticed something.
They weren't actually free yet.
Ropes had been attached to them, and one of the large Hougens members was holding the other ends.
The girls were kidnapped.
Julian's expression became extremely cold.
He looked toward Logan.
Logan immediately recognized him.
His face changed.
"Sir Julian!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Please stop!"
Julian slowly walked forward.
"Huhh..."
"What are you saying?"
"I came here to break you."
"And you're telling me to stop?"
Logan's expression became nervous.
Julian continued,
"I already know what you guys have been doing."
"You kidnapped these girls."
"You've been treating innocent people horribly."
Julian stared at Logan.
"I didn't stop you before..."
He paused.
"...because you are my girlfriend's cousin."
Logan's expression changed.
"But now?"
Julian's eyes became cold.
"Now I won't hesitate."
"Your behavior toward poor people has been getting worse day by day."
"And kidnapping girls?"
"That's enough."
Julian looked toward the frightened girls.
Then his expression softened slightly.
"Huhh..."
"I think I should be a little kinder."
He looked at them.
"Hey."
"Do you girls want to go home?"
"Do you want to stay with your families?"
The girls immediately nodded.
"Yes!"
"Please!"
"We want to go home!"
Logan became even more frightened.
He already knew the difference between their strengths.
Logan was only a Hydro Hunger Rank Assassin.
Julian was a Dark Shade Rank Assassin.
The gap between them was enormous.
"I can't defeat him..."
Logan's body trembled.
Julian suddenly moved.
BAM!
One Hougens member was knocked aside.
Another rushed toward Julian.
Julian avoided the attack and struck back.
THUD!
Another member fell.
The room erupted into chaos.
The large assassin holding the ropes tried to fight Julian.
But even his size and strength weren't enough.
Julian moved faster than he could react.
BAM!
THUD!
CRASH!
One after another, the Hougens members were defeated.
Their resistance disappeared within moments.
Finally, Julian walked toward the girls.
He opened his blades.
With precise movements, he cut the ropes binding them.
The girls immediately stepped back.
"You are free."
"Go home."
The girls looked at Julian in disbelief.
Then they hurried out of the room.
Julian watched them leave.
Only Logan remained.
Julian slowly turned toward him.
Logan stepped backward.
"N-No..."
Julian opened his blade and raised it toward Logan.
His eyes were terrifyingly calm.
"So, Logan..."
"Are you ready for death?"
Logan's heart trembled the instant his gaze met Julian's eyes.
Those cruel, merciless eyes pierced through him like blades, stripping away every ounce of courage he had.
A shiver ran down his spine, and before he realized it, his body betrayed him—his legs quaking, his clothes dampening as fear overwhelmed him.Logan was so terrified that he even lost control, peeing himself under the weight of Julian's gaze.
For the first time, Logan understood something clearly.
He had made a terrible mistake by becoming Julian's enemy.