CHAPTER 64: A FAMILY REUNION

The silent streets of Astrum Aeternum blew a frigid wind, one that carried the scent of death. Although criminal activity was a normal occurrence in the city's lower class districts, many of the nobles and upper-class were not privy to such things unless they were plastered in the morning papers. For a gruesome massacre to occur so close to many of their homes would surely send a shock throughout the entire empire.

Detective Lawrence was now dealing with such an incident, one that would surely spread like wildfire the moment the press got a hold of it in the morning. He frowned deeply, taking puffs from his pipe as he kneeled next to one of the corpses. It was of a man donning an assassin's cloak, holding a longsword. The victim in question was only a meter or so away from the main street.

Lawrence peered underneath the man's cloak and cast his gaze on the victim's face. He immediately recognized the bloodied eyes, bursting from their sockets. He shook his head, "just like the rest..."

A man wearing a trench coat stood behind him. "So they all died in the same manner?"

"Indeed. And I believe I know the culprit." The detective stood up and patted his clothes. Guardians and Inquisition knights alike secured the surrounding perimeter.

The man in a trench coat crossed his arms. "Who do you think is behind this attack?"

Lawrence took another puff from his pipe and began to whisper. "The Lysange family." The officer's eyes widened the moment he heard him.

"Are... Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Dwayne, I have been in this job for a while now. This method of killing... It's very familiar to me."

The officer in a trench coat, Dwayne, furrowed his brows. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

"There are no insignias denoting a faction, so I cannot speak on the identity of the assassins who perished today, but their attacker.... This method of killing is his signature move. I am sure you have heard of him. The 'Angel of Repose'."

Dwayne's head flinched back. "N-no..." He then looked at the scattered corpses in the alleyway; the smell of death danced slowly in the murky air...

Lawrence nodded. "Yes. He is the only one to employ the element of space into his attacks in such a... Cruel manner..." He began to point at the victim's head. "Look here, Dwayne. Do you see how their eyes are bleeding? The way he kills his opponents is by teleporting every ounce of fluid inside their brains elsewhere. As a result, the brain tissue quickly loses its structural integrity and collapses. At the same time, the pressure inside the skull would build, causing intracranial hemorrhage. That is why they are all bleeding from their eyes so horrifically... The reason I know all of this is that I have dealt with a similar case prior to this one involving him; at that time, the victim was a well-known drug lord."

"..." Dwayne stood there speechless. He had heard of the 'Angel of Repose', a high level assassin said to have capabilities on par with many Stage 9 Celestials. What makes him so horrifying, however, was that his way of combat could never be easily predicted. So even if he was to face another stage 9 Celestial in direct combat, the chances of his opponent winning are much lower, unless the person in question knows who they are being attacked by and are prepared.

Although Dwayne had heard of this man and his monstrous capabilities, this was the first case he had ever dealt with that mentioned him by name. What makes it even more jarring was that the Angel of Repose usually only dealt with higher-level opponents. His track record boasts of over 50 assassinations in the span of 25 years, all of which were successful. Of them, around 35 were Stage 7 or higher powerhouses, all with significant backing from either the Church or the Noble faction. The other 15 of his targets were monstrous Stage 9 Celestials with a perfected dimensionality.

It confused him. Why would this legendary assassin go out of his way to deal with a platoon of spies from who knows where? The leader of their group wasn't even stage 6... Then he remembered something. He shifted his attention back to Lawrence, who was smoking his pipe while analyzing the crime scene.

"Lawrence, you mentioned the Lysange family... What do they have to do with this?..."

The detective exhaled the smoke in his lungs. "A senior of mine had analyzed the Angel of Repose's headcount. More than half of them were in connection to the Lysange Family. I can't say for certain that they hired him for this job, however..."

"However...?"

He readjusted himself. "A few days ago, a noble lady from the Lysange family visited the Valencourt house... The visit was undisclosed to the public. The chief commission was the one who knew and told me."

Dwayne furrowed his brows. "So what? Noble ladies like to visit other families all the time. There could have been some mysticism gathering or something."

Lawrence sighed. "That noble lady was Elizabeth Lysange, the so called 'Witch of Calamity'..."

"What!?" He immediately shut himself up, noticing the numerous gazes of the other Guardians and Inquisition officers. He began to whisper to his friend. "Are you trying to say that these people were spies from some other family, trying to understand the Valencourt family's relationship to the witch?"

He nodded. "Yes, it's highly probable that this attack was done on purpose. You were probably wondering why the Angel of Repose would act against these lower-level opponents, right? I say it's to send a message. Anyone who decides to investigate the Valencourt family's relationship with Elizabeth Lysange and her supporters would be met with clear and swift action... After all, this group of spies, who else would they be headed to other than the Valencourt house, which is nearby?"

"But would this not obviously place a target on the Valencourt family and amplify the suspicions of the church? The Duvalier Family, Marcia Family and the Blanc families all have large grudges against the Lysange family... These actions will just draw the Valencourt family in even more heat..."

Lawrence stroked his mustache. "You are correct. However, that could be what they want..."

"What... What do you mean?.."

He shrugged, "no clue.... But it seems a lot of changes will be occurring soon.... This empire is slowly festering from the inside... I wouldn't be surprised if a war breaks out... Make sure to take your family away from the capital, Dwayne."

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The man bit his lips. "If only Rudwell was still here..."

The harsh and icy wind blew past them, for it knew naught of what was to come. The sirens blared throughout the night as more and more officers approached the haunting scene. Both Lawrence and Dwayne knew that they would not be given the opportunity to sleep well tonight.

...

Calling the situation awkward would have been an understatement. Hermes was currently walking through the halls of the Valencourt house toward the room assigned to him, his guide being a regular maid. He tried his best to ignore the glares she was giving him, but the mood only became even more sour the further they moved along the now darkened hall.

He adjusted his glasses and tried to put on a smile. "Miss, I apologize for holding you hostage back there... I had no choice, and I was never going to harm you."

The maid continued to guide him to his room. "Hmph."

'Sigh... Out of all the maids, why did it have to be her... Did Eleanor do this on purpose?..'

He shook his head and decided it was best to just keep to himself. Even after parting ways with Eleanor, Hermes couldn't stop replaying his actions in his mind.

One would have to be pretty dishonest to say they weren't reckless. He had decided to trespass on the private property of one of the 13 noble families without even considering what kind of security they had implemented.

He was fairly lucky. If Jack Doyle was Stage 4 or higher, he would have been decimated before he had even the chance to enter the mansion. But such risks were not new to him. Ever since his transmigration, he had constantly gambled with the grim reaper.

'I used to be way more level-headed... I changed so much without even realizing it...' Even prior to entering Elizabeth's trial, Hermes has had a few anomalous experiences that made him question his own psyche. From having fun battling against Ming Xue, to the emotions he felt when hearing the Guardian Regiment's mantra.

But even though these experiences felt alien to him, they still at the same time felt original; that they belonged to him. At first, he questioned whether some kind of Dream Parasite was implanting thoughts into him without him realizing it, but the Cosmic Force readers he had used all gave negative results. His current actions may be new to him, but he could not deny that they were his and his alone.

He sighed to himself. 'I guess I need to embrace who I am.... Maybe I have always been like this, but never acted on it due to my environment being different.' He found that explanation to be highly improbable, but it was the only one he could currently cling to. The trial's completion was the only thing he needed to think about. After it concludes, he could think about visiting a therapist if it continued to bother him.

Suddenly, the maid stopped right in front of a door. She tried to bow courteously. "This is your room. Inside, you will find a communication device that you can use to call us for any accommodations."

Without giving Hermes any time to ask her questions or reply, she turned around and left, leaving him frozen in his tracks. He smiled and shook his head.

Hermes entered the room and flicked on the light switch. Immediately, the visage of beautiful ornaments and decorated walls invaded his irises. At the center was a king-sized bed laden with silky smooth pillows and a mattress that felt heavenly to the touch. He smiled to himself. "It sure is nice being rich..."

With a quick scan of the room, he easily found the restroom and shower, and happily made use of them. Wasting no time, he promptly changed clothes and sank into the bed, instantly overwhelmed by drowsiness. It had been an extremely long day, one that would be difficult to even summarize.

But even with his exhaustion, sleep was no easy feat. His mind was consumed with anxiety. At first, he had assumed that saving Elizabeth would be a somewhat straightforward task, but now.... He wasn't so sure. As a measly stage 1, infiltrating a single mansion was enough to almost kill him. Who knows how armed the place Elizabeth was being held at was? And he still had no idea where she even was.

He tried to make himself forget these things by remembering visages of his family. He would have plenty of time to think about a solution in the morning. Hermes was holding out hope that Eleanor's father would know something.

...

A lousy sun ray entered through the window and shined on Hermes' face. He twisted his body to use the other side of the pillow. However, his mind immediately remembered the looming tasks ahead. He jolted out of the luxurious bed and went to wash his face.

After readying himself, he heard a knock on his door. "Sir, Hermes? Are you awake?"

He answered back, "yes. Ill be there shortly." He quickly looked at himself in the mirror. He was currently wearing a long sleeve white shirt paired with normal black trousers and a matching pair of oxford shoes.

Twisting the knob, Hermes entered the hallway. A maid that was different from the one from the night before bowed to him. "Dear guest, our mistress would like you to join them for breakfast."

Hermes nodded and followed behind her. Going down the stairs, which were still roughened up from last night's exchange, he approached the long table. Eleanor and Elara were sitting next to each other, enjoying the tea. Behind them stood an elderly man, fashioning a butler's attire.

With a quick bow, Hermes greeted them and promptly sat down across from them. Happily, he began to consume the food that was presented before him. Elara took a sip from her tea, trying to mimic her sister's manners. She then squinted her eyes at Hermes, who was slowly spreading cream cheese on a slice of bread.

"Sir Hermes, are you a bad guy?"

"Cough, cough!..." He almost choked. Hermes gazed at the young girl, who was giving him mean looks.

He smiled. "Yes, I am a pretty bad person." He began to sip his drink, trying to push the food down faster.

She took another sip of her tea. "I see, well you need to become a better person. What you did last night was very reckless."

Eleanor giggled. "How does it feel being scolded by someone much younger than you?"

Hermes smiled and placed his cup down. "Pretty horrible."

"Is it worse than being over seven million Sanctum in debt to us?"

"..."

The butler behind them sighed. "Young lady, must I remind you that our family is also heavily indebted at the moment?"

"..." It was now her turn to be speechless. Hermes tried to sneak a smirk, but he quickly noticed her glaring at him and went back to pretending he hadn't heard anything.

They spent the rest of the time conversing about menial topics until they had all finished their meals. Suddenly, a maid approached them.

"Young Lady, Lord Lucien has arrived."

Upon hearing this, Eleanor shifted her gaze toward Hermes and nodded in acknowledgment. He returned the nod as they all made their way toward the main entrance of the mansion. While Eleanor and Hermes wore somber expressions, Elara's eyes sparkled with anticipation. It had been quite some time since she last saw her father. Eleanor, too, missed her father, though a part of her felt undeserving of his presence.

Outside, the trio stood, awaiting his arrival, surrounded by numerous servants lining the courtyard. Hermes glanced upward, observing as an exotic hover vehicle slowly descended before them, its powerful turbines blowing air across the colossal front yard.

Stepping out of the vehicle was an elderly man dressed to the nines, adorned with a top hat and suit, and holding a dark oak cane. It was evident to Hermes that the man had lived a plentiful life; the wrinkles on his face spoke of numerous experiences.

The man smiled at the visage of his two daughters. "My beautiful princesses..."

Upon hearing his words, Elara disregarded all noble customs and rushed to him, her arms stretched open. The two embraced each other warmly. "Have you been well, Elara?"

With tears in her eyes, she nodded, smiling. "Mhm!"

He gently stroked her hair. "Good..." Then, turning his attention to his eldest daughter, he said, "My precious Eleanor..." and walked up to her.

Eleanor looked at the floor, biting her lip. "F-fath– Lord Lucien..."

He smiled warmly. "I have heard of what happened; you do not need to worry. I will not blame you for this..."

"B-but..."

He gently patted her head. "Stop it. I have made many mistakes in his past as well... All you can do is learn from them and continue growing... We will speak about this later."

She finally relented, tears in her eyes, and placed her forehead on his chest. "Father... Welcome back..."

The man's smile widened. "That's what I want to hear... Now then..." He shifted his attention to Hermes, who had begun to reminisce about his own family. "Young man, you must be Hermes Wilson, correct?"

The question jolted him from his reverie. "H-how..."

Lucien chuckled. "I have already heard of you from that lass, Elizabeth."

End of Chapter