“Tortured?!” Lysander exclaimed, his eyes widening at the revelation. “Like the one who was ripped to pieces?”

“Yes, he was tortured,” Humphrey responded, nodding to the noble in confirmation. “Unlike that one, Grimscar’s death was more cruel. The one in the warehouse, even though his body was turned into shreds, it seemed he died right away. That’s why I mentioned earlier that it looked like it was the work of a beast. Even though he had already died, the killer kept on slicing and stabbing him until nothing was left.”

“What about Grimscar?” the noble asked anxiously, on the edge of his seat, listening attentively.

“Let’s just say he died slowly and painfully,” the soldier muttered, his eyes staring into space as if he were witnessing the scene before him. “Grimscar was pinned to the wall upside down, while the severed heads of his men were placed around him; it’s as if they were watching a show as the b*stard tortured their boss,” he continued, still shaken from the sight. “It was diabolical. I’ve never seen anything like it in my whole life. Whoever did that knew exactly what he was doing.”

“Not only a professional killer but also a torturer,” Lysander muttered softly to himself. “Hmm… Do you think this is something personal? The killer might have a personal grudge against that b*stard.”

“I think so too,” Humphrey replied, nodding in agreement. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case. Grimscar…” he sighed wearily as if the years had suddenly caught up with him; he appeared old and exhausted, especially next to the custodian, who was only a few months older. It seemed time hadn’t been kind to him. But then again, what do you expect? He was someone who enjoyed indulging, particularly in highly addictive substances. It didn’t help that his work was often plagued with unforeseen incidents, driving his stress level to the roof. Worst of all, there were moments like this, where the pressure and anxiety crashed, overwhelming his mind and leading him down paths he didn’t want to go.

‘He seemed depressed again. Sigh. I couldn’t blame him. Seeing stuff like that could mess with your head.

But he should get used to it. He’s in an occupation that deals with some of the most vile and disturbing people; these are the individuals who hold the power—the cruel ones. Sometimes we must even be like them, or become something worse. Otherwise, we’re the ones who will be eaten alive.

If you want power and want to stay in power, you really need to be ruthless. There is simply no other way. There is no room for the timid, particularly in the world of the nobles.’

“What about Grimscar?” Lysander prodded, nudging him to continue when he noticed him growing quiet.

“Huh? Ah!” the soldier exclaimed, glancing at the noble before awkwardly smiling. “Where was I? Hmm… Ah, yes. As I was saying, I’m not really surprised if his killer was someone who has a grudge against him. With the things he had done, it would only be a matter of time before it caught up to him; and it seems it finally did.”

“Yeah, I thought so too,” Lysander agreed, nodding in acknowledgment. “Actually, I wouldn’t have agreed to work with him if he wasn’t so good at earning money. He simply had an uncanny ability to generate income.”

“Do you know he had severed the heads of women he had killed and r*ped in his room?” Humphrey asked, his gaze drifting towards the window as his mind seemed to wander again.

“I thought it was just a rumor,” the noble responded, frowning.

“No, I’ve seen it. He showed it to me. The b*stard was boasting about his sick fetish,” Humphrey stated, sighing. “What a sicko! I’m glad he’s dead,” he added before glancing back at his friend. “I think I’ve told you about this before. Remember, when I advised you to cut your partnership with him? You said to me it wasn’t our business as long as he paid his dues.”

‘Is he blaming me?’

“Yeah, I remember that. And I still stand by what I’ve said; it wasn’t our business. Why would it be?” Lysander asked, snorting at the reaction he received. “As long as he kept it to a minimum, does it even matter? What are a couple of deaths? Many people die here in this godforsaken place,” he added. When he saw that his friend didn’t seem to agree, he arched his brow. “If we didn’t have the money he paid us, do you know how many would have died?”

“Many,” the soldier replied softly, looking at the ground.

“Yes, many,” the custodian muttered, nodding in agreement. “Too many to count. You must never forget that we are living on the fringes of the kingdom. This place isn’t Emberwin or Highbury; this is Ironspire—Ironspire, where the dregs of society and the exiled are thrown,” he stated, gritting his teeth in frustration. “We are constantly being assaulted by the beast of the wilderness. If we are careless for even a moment, we will be exterminated. This is how dire our situation is.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I know.”

“Do you? I don’t think you do,” Lysander retorted, scowling at the soldier. “Because if you did, you would stop rambling to me about morality. Principles and conscience are just for the few—the naive, who haven’t seen the cruelty of life. You should know this. Both of us weren’t born into this pompous life. We grow up in hunger and death, where parents sell their children just to survive. So, don’t tell me what is just. There is no such thing as right or wrong. There is only survival,” he barked as his temper roared like a burning flame. “I will let anyone, even a child, die so that this damn place survives. This is my city. I won’t let anyone turn this place into ruin.”

“I know!” Humphrey shouted, snarling back in defiance. This was unusual; he was usually subservient to anyone higher in position than him. He had that uncanny talent—the instinct to know when to act in accordance with the situation. However, at this moment, this instinct failed him. “So shut up!”

‘Did he just lose his mind?! How dare…’

“You!” the noble growled, his eyes burning with rage. He was the type of person who wouldn’t allow anyone to challenge him, not even one of his closest companions. However, he suddenly froze; his anger fizzled out as quickly as it had begun. In one of the rarest moments, he was able to rein in his anger, driving that burning demon back to where it came from. Within the gaze of his friend, he saw pain. He knew it too well. How couldn’t he? Both of them were products of their pasts. It’s just that the products that were created were two different creatures.

The room grew silent as the two friends continued to stare at each other, neither willing to concede. It was evident, however, that there wasn’t any animosity between them like before. You could feel it in the air; the tension was quickly dissipating. It was just that both had egos to defend.

Though both were prideful men, one simply placed less importance on it than the other.

“You haven’t changed. You’re still as grumpy as ever,” Humphrey remarked, breaking the silence before bursting into laughter.

Lysander just snorted, then smirked smugly. “You also haven’t changed. You’re as sensitive as ever. I know you’ve gotten more indifferent than before—more callous, that’s good. You’re improving. You need to be more cold-hearted. It’s a necessity in the world we’re living in. Hmm…” he advised, pausing for a moment to ponder. “I think this is the result of the drugs you’re taking. It’s affecting your mind and emotions. I hope…”

“Stop it, mother,” Humphrey retorted, shaking his head as he quickly changed the topic. “As I was saying earlier, I believe the one who killed Grimscar truly harbored a grudge against him, indicating this is a personal vendetta.”

“I agree,” the custodian nodded. “If this is the case, the next thing we need to do is track down the ones who had a grudge against him. This might give us a lead to the one who did this.”

“Tsk, that would be a lot,” the soldier replied, sighing heavily just thinking about the herculean effort needed. He hated to do it, and who could blame him? They should award the murderer with a medal instead; this was a service not only to Ironsipre but to the whole of Creation. “Do we really need to find the culprit?”

“Hmm…” Lysander pondered the question for a moment before responding, “Not really. We just needed to give the appearance that we’re taking action so that the heads of Crimson Talon won’t blame us, or worse, suspect our involvement in this mess.”

“I think it’s already too late for that,” Humphrey remarked, smirking at his boss. “There are rumors on the streets suggesting you’re the one who eliminated the Crimson Talon, or the one that ordered it.”

‘Sh*t!’

“Who dared make such a lie?!” the custodian barked, his anger flaring again. “I wouldn’t just sit around and let them slander my name. I’ll make them pay!”

“I don’t know. Maybe some street urchin, prostitute, or some drunkard,” Humphrey responded, chuckling when he saw his friend’s reaction. “And it’s not really slander; they’re celebrating your name as a hero. You should be happy about it. Wouldn’t it be funny if you started executing people for admiring you?”

“You seem to be enjoying this too much,” Lysander retorted, glaring at his friend. “Do you think I don’t know what they’re doing? I’m no a fool. They’re doing this to deter us from investigating them. Not only that, they’re trying to create a schism between me and the Crimson Talon so that we are all preoccupied with dealing with each other instead of finding them,” he stated, growling like a beast, consumed by fury. “Do they think I’ll let them do that?”

“Then what are you going to do? Are you going to put out a statement that you’re not involved in this, and anyone who says otherwise will be punished severely?” Lysander asked, raising his brow. “This will not only flip the sentiments of the public against you, seriously damaging your reputation, but worse of all, wouldn’t Crimson Talon just suspect you more because of how defensive you are?”

‘He’s right. If I do that, I’ll look even more suspicious. Damn if you do, and damn if you don’t.

Ugh, sh*t, I’m trapped.

The only thing I could do was speak privately with their representative so that this wouldn’t grow out of hand. No matter the outcome, this will inevitably lead to the breakdown of our partnership.

Sigh. Well, at least we’ve gotten something from it. It’s not a total loss.’

“Damn it! This is very problematic,” Lysander exclaimed, gritting his teeth in frustration. “Tsk, this might end our partnership,” he muttered softly. As he pondered his options, he grew quiet for a while before he suddenly exhaled deeply. “Well, at least we got something out of it. We got the goods and wealth that Grimscar left behind,” he said, smirking greedily. “So that there won’t be any problem, let’s return a fifth of it. We can just tell them that this is all we found; they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. If they press, let them try to find it themselves,” he remarked, grinning widely. When he glanced at his friend, he noticed him chuckling. “Is there something funny? Why are you laughing?”

“I’m afraid to tell you this, boss, but the killer or killers were one step ahead of you. They had already stripped bare anything of value in Grimscar’s home. They were very thorough,” the soldier answered. When he saw the noble’s eyes widen in shock, he grinned widely and added, “In their warehouse, it was completely empty. There was nothing there, only dead bodies. Even in the hidden room, where their most valuable goods were stored, there was nothing. It seemed these b*stards didn’t just get their revenge, they also fattened their wallets.”

‘These vermin! How dare they mess with me!’