Despite his persuasive arguments, Rachel didn’t want to join them in the bathhouse. Whether it was the description of Beet with a small towel on top of a tiny coffin or the promise of a meeting with a cute wolf girl, all proved to be ineffective against her desire not to miss any more classes. In the end, she chose to return to the Alchemist’s Guild with brisk steps.

What a nerd. Ethan opened the wooden door and returned to their private pool area, finding everyone chatting in leisure on the lounge chairs. Well, not everyone. He gestured at the sleeping beauty while looking at Hayley. ‘’Any idea when will he wake up?’’

‘’In an hour or so?’’

‘’Sounds good,’’ he said and turned to walk toward the poolside, bending to grab his half-empty glass. ‘’Something came up but we can wait till he’s awake. After that, I’ll leave with Todd and Adrian. Although you guys can hang out here as much as you want.’’

‘’Something came up?’’ Liam repeated, raising an eyebrow. ‘’Anything we can help?’’

‘’Not this time. Thanks, anyway,’’ he said, lifting his glass with a smile. ‘’Ah, I have to leave again but I’ll come back shortly. See you guys in a bit.’’

Without waiting for an answer, Ethan [Blink]ed to the edge of the bathhouse’s roof and sat on the short stone wall. In spite of its considerable width, the building was only two stories high, making it one of the shortest structures in the capital. However, while the view was nothing spectacular from the roof, the lively atmosphere of the wide street was all the more obvious. There was an exuberant but distant ambiance. The seemingly good-natured chaos down there was so close yet so far away.

Placing his glass on the stone, Ethan called a wine bottle from his ring along with an empty glass and filled this one as well, passing it to the empty space next to him.

An elegant hand appeared around the glass and gently grasped it, its fingertips brushing against his. A wrist, an arm, a shoulder. The rest of the body made an appearance rapidly, revealing Vivian who was also sitting on the stone wall while facing a different side with a frown. ‘’So, it wasn’t [Void Mute] how you’d noticed me. Advancing [Mana Sense] to rank-3 at tier-4 is even more ludicrous. Unless you’re a manaborn as well?’’

‘’Don’t speculate too much. I can tell that it’s you from a mile away.’’

‘’How?’’

‘’You’re sitting on this bathhouse's roof for an hour. It’s clear that you don’t know how to use it,’’ he said, sipping from his drink as Vivian’s frown deepened. ‘’There, I said it. You smell awful.’’

Contrary to her annoyed expression, her eyes were gleaming with amusement, but she still didn’t hold back when punching Ethan’s shoulder. ‘’I have an artifact to conceal any smell around me, you idiot.’’

Ethan also had an artifact. Not for the smells though. For the shadows. Letting him know about the shadow of any living being in his domain, was perhaps the shadow crown’s best ability. When he paid attention, he was able to discern small things. Like the subtle movement of the fifth ambusher’s shadow in Marah. The one who had hidden her position from him and even concealed her mana perfectly, yet still died with a stab on the head that came from a [Fabric Tear].

In the case of Vivian, she had many small dot shape shadows as she was actively illuminating her shadow while concealing herself. But it was impossible to get rid of it completely because where there was light, there was always shadow. These unnoticeable shadow dots were likely not an issue against others, but thanks to his shadow crown, Ethan was able to pinpoint this anomaly easily.

Not only that, but he was also able to tell how deep others’ comprehension of the shadow element was, or so he guessed. Adrian’s shadow felt a bit denser than the others for example, almost like more alive. He’d witnessed a few more people like this but had no idea about their abilities. Although he had some ideas, there was still much to experiment with about the mysterious crown.

‘’This is the last time we see each other, isn’t it?’’ Ethan asked after a short silence. ‘’Since you don’t dare to show yourself, you probably don’t have any explanations I’d accept.’’

‘’Do I have to explain myself?’’

‘’Yes.’’

Vivian turned her head to look at the street over her shoulder. ‘’You promised to introduce me to those people who might help me.’’

‘’I promised Vivian who I had trusted.’’

She bit her lip and paused before finishing her drink in a few gulps. Placing the glass on the stone fence, she climbed on it and turned her back to him. ‘’Goodbye, Ethan.’’

Ethan frowned. ‘’Did you come here to ask for help? Are you saying this is what it was all about? You couldn’t control your urges?’’

Vivian didn’t say anything and vanished from sight, leaving dot-shaped shadows behind which only he could sense.

‘’If you don’t have any excuses,’’ he said in haste as the shadows indicated that she jumped down and added slowly when they stopped in midair, ‘’Just tell me what happened honestly, and, I don’t know, fucking apologize?’’

After a slight delay, the shadow dots made two more stops in the air before reaching the ground and mixed into the crowd, leaving Ethan grimacing on the roof. He stayed there for a few more minutes as he thought about whether he did the right thing or not. All she needed to say was, I couldn’t help it and wanted to save the best stuff for myself, but I regret it. Then, Ethan would be pissed off but still forgive her eventually. What had just happened only confused him more.

Not for long though. He had more serious and urgent issues to deal with.

With a last look at the busy street, he shook his head and returned to the pool area with a [Blink], finding everyone back in the pool. His expression grew solemn for a moment before he dashed toward the pool with a few [Umbral Shift] and made a cannonball jump, sending his clothes to his ring and yelling at the same time, ‘’Kowabunga!’’

None were able to avoid the splashing water, save for the lucky girls separated by a [Mana Sense] blocking wall.

‘’Whoa! Did you get a movement skill?’’ Liam asked, lifting his brows. ‘’Is it any good?’’

‘’Good?’’ Ethan said with a sneer as he brushed his hair backward with his hands. ‘’Didn’t you see how cool it was?’’

Liam nodded. ‘’Fair. I love that shadow image you left behind. Would be much cooler with flames though.’’

‘’Leaving behind a flame silhouette as you run? Are you trying to confuse people that you’re on fire?’’ Fraeya piped in. ‘’A shape from a chilling mist would be a lot better.’’

‘’Oh? You are an expert now?’’ Liam said, rolling his eyes at the wall. ‘’You didn’t even see the skill!’’

They hung out for another hour while chatting about light topics. Ethan had countless questions about the higher realms but he didn’t want to interrogate the guy after inviting them to chill and relax. He’d already learned all the essential things and decided to leave the rest for the future.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

Once Todd had woken up, he gave his goodbyes to the others and asked them not to leave early for Mighty Domains as he wanted to meet with them again a week later. After getting confirmation, Ethan left with Beet, Adrian, and Todd, but only after booking a massage session for the others–getting a full service for Carl– and paying the bills. This whole luxurious event cost him only 6 gold and 8 silver coins, likely a hefty sum for the others but practically nothing for him.

Once outside, he explained to others what Rachel had told him under the [Void Mute], sobering up the drowsy Todd. Since it was closer than the hotel, they decided to go to Jeff's place, Ballsy Bowling, and discuss the operation.

Without taking no for an answer, Jeff gave them a bowling lane - as its approach area had the best seats - and left after placing their orders on the table.

‘’So, do you remember Pierce Holding?’’ Ethan asked Adrian after covering them with his skill.

Adrian nodded. ‘’You want it fast and quiet.’’

‘’And excellent coordination. Ideally, Count Alexander shouldn’t be alerted until he was the last one alive.’’

‘’That’s not gonna be easy,’’ Adrian said, frowning. ‘’How many tier-6s do they have again?’’

‘’Intelligence report says, 2 tier-7s, 10 tier-6s, 45 tier-5s, and more than hundred tier-4s. Minus the 5 tier-5s I've killed recently. Which is more or less what Todd had guessed.’’

‘’Alexander and his steward are the tier-7s, right?’’

‘’No. His steward and the captain of the guards who had recently advanced,’’ Ethan replied, sipping from his beer. ‘’Alexander is also a peak tier-7, but apparently, he was never a fighter. And he is way too old.’’

‘’T-That should still be more powerful than tier-6s, right?’’ Todd spoke for the first time, looking between them in disbelief.

‘’That’s why, other than the 5 tier-6s and 5 tier-5s, I also plan to hire 3 tier-7 assassins,’’ he said to Todd and turned to Adrian. ‘’All of them should be hand-picked to counter their elements and specialties. Unique abilities like tracking, concealment, illusions, or communication are essential.’’

‘’I’ll look into it,’’ Adrian said with a nod but still frowned. ‘’But even if we find the best ones, that team isn’t going to cut it for the fast and quiet, boss.’’

‘’That’s where Rachel’s new skill [Detain Effect] comes in.’’

Todd’s eyes lit up. ‘’You wanna poison them?’’

‘’No. Low-level poisons are useless. Not to mention there are myriad ways to detect and counter them,’’ he said with a smile and took out a small liquid tube from his ring. ‘’We’ll use something else. You should be familiar with it, Todd.’’

‘’S-Seriously?’’

Ethan chuckled. ‘’It’s tasteless and colorless. And even if they notice that they have been drugged, there is nothing they can do about it. When Dale sold this to me, he warned me that even the high-tier cultivators don’t take more than 3 drops. He said that overuse distances the user from logic and reality, and dulls the senses. While they still sober up rather quickly, it becomes impossible to discern what’s going on in that short period of time.’’

‘’It’s perfect!’’ Todd exclaimed.

‘’We’re gonna need an inside man,’’ Adrian pointed out.

Ethan shook his head. ‘’We’re gonna need insiders who watch the other insiders from the corner and help if they need it. Drugging that small army shouldn’t be too hard but the food of Count’s family is a different matter altogether. We also need to keep that steward away. Since their big party is coming up he should be on full alert, but that is also a good way to distract him.’’

‘’We can use Count’s kids to lure him out,’’ Todd offered excitedly. ‘’They always do something in the city that require his attention.’’

Ethan shrugged. ‘’Maybe. First, I need you to draw me a map of his estate’s inside. The map I got from the intelligence office is barely half-assed. I need the location of the prisoners, the position of the guards, their shifts, patrol routes, secret passages, overly protected areas, hell, even the rumors among the staff. Whatever comes to your mind, I want it.’’

‘’Already done!’’ Todd said and called out a sorry-looking notebook from his pouch, passing it to him.

Ethan took it with mild amusement and turned at Adrian. ‘’I need you to go to Marah and pick out insider candidates along with a city gate guard we could bribe. Start the investigation with their captain. He seemed a bit shady to me. This is the most crucial part. Just ask around for now and wait until I come.’’

‘’Ethan, let me go with him,’’ Todd said as he grabbed his arm and released it awkwardly. ‘’I-I was watching my memories through Ani and trying to read Count’s men. I discovered a lot of things. I think we can use more than a few, but I need to talk to them personally. With the right baits, I can even turn a tier-6 guard for you.’’

‘’Alright,’’ he said after a long pause, staring at Todd with narrowed eyes. ‘’Tiers don’t matter. Just need competent people that we can have strong control over. Also, do I need to mention what happens if you fuck me again?’’

‘’You’ll kill me,’’ Todd said with certainty, looking straight into his eyes.

‘’No,’’ he denied with a cold smile and motioned to Adrian with his head. ‘’Ace would kill you before you have to worry about me.’’

‘’Even if the Count adopted you as his son and let you sleep in his lap, you’ll eventually have to use the bathroom,’’ Adrian added matter-of-factly.

Todd gulped while the napping Beet opened his right eye to look at Adrian, clearly liking the threat.

‘’Oh, looks like you'll have a third one as well,’’ Ethan said, looking at the entrance.

A robust middle-aged man with a haggard cloak stood there, gazing at the people searchingly. Despite his poor clothes and messy hair, the long scar on his forehead and the deep look in his eyes, combined with his chiseled jawline, was enough to make him look badass. When he turned to their table, his eyes lit up and he burst out laughing before dashing toward them.

Ethan stood up with a smile, just in time to let the man hug and lift him up with a big grin on his face.

‘’I knew you’d be okay, bossman! They say only the good die young. I always had a feeling that you’ll live forever.’’

‘’Put me down, old bastard. I still have time to die young but you already missed that train.’’

‘’Hey! My age is normal for my tier!’’ the man said, releasing him with an offended look. ‘’Just give me a few more years and I’ll be called a young genius, okay? Also, what the fuck? How the hell did you put a half tier between us when all I did was grind monsters?’’

‘’Chickens and dragons don’t give the same exp, you know?’’ Ethan said with a toothy smile.

The man laughed aloud once again and clapped his hands, looking at him in anticipation. ‘’Man, I missed you. Heard you were looking for me. Are we back on business?’’

‘’Sorta. I have two jobs for you if you’re interested. Have a seat, Ryan,’’ he said as he sat back, gesturing at the couch in front of him. ‘’Oh. How did you tell my tier?’’

‘’Rank-2 [Mana Sense],’’ Ryan replied, smiling proudly. ‘’I advanced it just a week ago.’’

‘’Impressive,’’ Ethan commented, nodding. ‘’I guess you were having a hard time pinpointing chickens?’’

‘’Hey now, don’t get jealous because you can’t tell my tier, bossman!’’ Ryan exclaimed before turning to Adrian. ‘’Tell him my heroic adventures, Ace!’’

‘’You did say that you cleared a dungeon with a duck theme in the Union once,’’ Adrian pointed out.

‘’Goose! Not duck, it was a goose theme! And they were terrifying bloodthirsty maniacs with berserk skills. Even when you cut their heads off, they kept attacking for a good while. Not to mention how agile they were…’’ Ryan explained, his voice getting quieter toward the end. He then glared at their expressionless faces and ordered something strong.

Ryan was one of the few who stayed at the Cut-Throat’s upper echelon despite being older than forty. For guys like these, it was usually their talent and experience from their old occupations that allowed them to not lose against game-addicted teenagers. In Ryan’s case, it was also his caution, observation skills, and versatility that put him above the curve. He was one of the best scouts there was, and that was why Ethan was glad that he accepted both of the missions without a thought.

They discussed everything for another hour -mostly Ethan and Todd sharing information- and left to do their tasks. Adrian went to the Assassin’s Guild to issue the missions while Todd and Ryan went to buy some miscellaneous items. They were going to meet up right after and travel to Marah where they would be fully busy.

Ethan wasn’t going to be idle either. He needed to buy high-quality armor and some skills if he could find anything good. He had to visit the black market for some single-use items, but more importantly to find a runemaster for the team. Then, there was the Blue Crab where he planned to buy rune contracts and see if there was any development on his last requests. Lastly, he wanted to visit a library and try to learn more about Reinhardt's history. He hoped to get these done quickly and focus on training for the next few days. There were six days until the mission, but thanks to VR, he was able to extend this to almost 20 days, giving him ample time to experiment with the mask of evanescence which was just about to cool down.