Chapter 50: Ambush
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LOCATION: TERUM VILLAGE, NORTHEAST OF STELLARUS EMPIRE
After chatting with the old lady as he paid for the materials he needed, he left the stall and returned to the inn where he was staying.
"Hey, young man! You sure bought a lot of stuff there!"
The young man looked at the person who just called him out and it turns out it's the owner of the inn he stays.
"Ah, yes. I'll stay here for the night and by tomorrow morning, I'll leave the village and go to the Capital city."
The innkeeper; "Oh, I see. You also mentioned that yesterday when you just got here. Just be careful on your journey then."
The young man scratch his head to hide his flustered expression and smiled; "Yeah, thank you for that, Ms. Innkeeper."
After that, the young man left and went upstairs to go at his designated room.
As he went inside, he put all of the stuff he bought to the side and went over to his bed as he sighed in relief and closed his eyes for a moment.
After some minutes had passed, he opened his eyes and then…
"Gyaah!"
The young man got startled as he looked at the system interface that appeared in front of him and from there, a person's silhouette can be seen in the system interface.
He sighed as he held his forehead and as much as he wanted to shout but the young man isn't that stupid to be disrespectful to his boss.
"Sir Red, would all due respect, I just got here a couple of days ago before I manage to find this village after you just deported me here and landed me in a middle of nowhere?!"
The young was identified as Arico, a senior agent from the Slayers Department from the Main House System Realm.
Arico was known for being a notorious and cold-blooded executioner who executes criminal world-hoppers and agents for violating any worldline laws that could affect the realms.
The perfect example was the case of Kira, Red's former assistant.
She conspires with one of the members from the Higher Council to harm Eclipse, one of the successor candidates. That's why Red took an action by contacting the Slayers Department and requesting assistance from them.
Although the Slayers Department had the right to execute criminals on the stop but touching one of the Higher Councils could lead to such a huge chaos. They could only investigate this matter secretly with discretion.
There was no evidence that one member of the Higher Council was caught for conspiring but in Kira's case, there are a lot of evidence on her part that not only she tried to harm Eclipse but also tried to erase his existence completely.
Threatening the lives of the successor candidates is a heavy crime because they were not just candidates, but they were the chosen candidates by the Main God. Before, there were a total of 9 successor candidates, including Eclipse.
However, because of unexpected circumstances, the remaining successor candidates were reduced to only 2 people and that includes Eclipse.
Arico was given a special mission from Red, together with the permission from the Leader of the Slayers Department and that is to act as a bodyguard and protector of Eclipse and was immediately deported to the worldline where the Platinum world-hopper was right now.
"Of course, I know, and you already gave me a heads-up about the situation and his background from this worldline. Who would have thought that his first life was in this world and his role was a minor villain."
'I need to get in touch with Eclipse as soon as possible. So, might as well leave this place early in the morning then.'
Arico nodded as he remembered what the Leader said to him.
« ... "The reports about that anomaly from Red is connected to Eclipse. For some unknown reason, this ominous anomaly has been following Eclipse from worldlines after worldlines and we didn't know the reason for it.
I know there is a reason as to why Red kept this information for a long time, but it seems like he needs some help and only we can do this since the agents from the Slayers Department has special abilities to detect unwanted anomalies. Your mission is to protect Eclipse at any cost. Do you understand?" ….. »
Of course, Arico would protect him with the best of his abilities….
After all, he is his best friend….
"I'll rest for today. It will be better for me to leave this place early in the morning or much better later at midnight. I need to reunite with Eclipse as soon as possible."
"Yes sir. As you wish."
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Eclipse looked at the woman who fainted after he cast a spell to her, and he leaned on the carriage as he looked out through the window.
'It's for the best. It will be dangerous if she knew too much. Meeting the High Elder of Sympherux and knowing that old man is my grandfather which is the previous Patriarch of Chevalier household. If words got out about this, there would be chaos everywhere and I don't want to be entangled with in.'
Just thinking about the future troubles that he would encounter if ever this got out in the public, Eclipse shivers just by thinking about it.
'Not only that, considering his reputation as the illegitimate son of the current Marquis, opinions about him within the noble society could be twisted and knowing how those rotten nobles would think…. Haist! Never mind!'
And besides, Eclipse doesn't care about those trivial matters anymore. He is no longer the Ezekiel Zephyr Chevalier who was obsessed and craving for the acknowledgement of the people around him.
'I don't need to lower myself with these humans. They don't deserve it and besides, he is one of the successor candidates and I took pride on that. At least from there, they acknowledge my existence and my hard work, unlike these pesky humans here in this worldline.'
*CREAK!
His thoughts were cut off because of the sudden halt of the carriage and he almost bumped into the still unconscious woman and when he regain his composure, Eclipse's expression darkened.
'An ambush? But no one knows about that I got out from the manor and this carriage is just an ordinary one prepared by that old man. No, wait. Is that old man messing up with me?'
Eclipse wasn't sure if this ambush were the works of that old man but if he think further, it has a slight chance that he would do this but for what he observed, the old man wouldn't be this reckless if he just wanted to test him or something.
'Is it from the Marchioness? But that old hag is still under house arrest for an indefinite period of time. No one would dare in that manor would associate with someone like her, a child predator.'
Since the current Marquis is nowhere to be found and no one knows where he went, the First Young Master is the temporary head of the household since he is the heir apparent.
Also, that kid isn't the type of person who would disobey his father's words even though the current Marquis wasn't there and even if the Marchioness is his mother, Altron wouldn't dare to free that woman.
'Not only that, the First Young Master still feel guilty about me, the victim.'
If this matter were the works of the Marchioness, then…
"It seems like there are still rats that lingers within the manor. Should I do some clean up from here?"
He mumbled under his breath as he felt the presence of those unwanted guest that ambushes them.
"Third Young Master and Lady Clandestine! Are both of you alright?!"
Eclipse forgot about the coachman who was with them, and he take a looked at the still unconscious woman and it seems like her body took a great toll after he cast her the spell that makes her didn't awaken from this chaos.
'It's been so long that this body hasn't exercised for a bit. Might as well take this chance then.'
He didn't answer back but instead, he opened the carriage door and walked out from the inside that made the coachman startled because of Eclipse's action.
"Third Young Master, please go inside and let me handle this!"
Eclipse thought; 'Hmmm…. judging by the coachman's expression, it seems that it wasn't the old man's doing then but who knows.'
"Take Lady Clandestine with you and leave this place. Do as I say and never turned back."
The coachman hesitated but from one look at the Third Young Master's cold cyan-colored eyes, the coachman didn't have a choice but to comply with the order.
"Yes, as you ordered."
After that, the coachman went down on the front carriage and went inside to lift up the unconscious woman in a bridal style and immediately run from the other side and never looked back, as per order.
'Please be safe, Third Young Master!'
When the silhouette of the two of them disappeared within Eclipse's line of sight, he took a deep breath and looked at his front with a blank gaze.
"Are you guys not going to come out yet or what?"
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