Chapter 198 Serious discussion
"It's fine, after all no one is willing to open their mouth about the Hero of this village, I can't blame you for that."
"Thanks for understanding, My Lord," Tyler nodded with a smile and slightly bowed.
After that, Lord Ivan opened the notebook handed to him by his underlings and began reading its contents.
Some time later, Lord Ivan finished reading and looked at Tyler and Ryan, disappointment clear in his voice. "It appears that you two haven't managed to find the exact location of where our targets are staying in this village. I'm very disappointed."
Tyler and Ryan exchanged a quick look and lowered their heads, ashamed of failing such a seemingly small task given by their lord.
"Useless! Utterly useless! Such a small task, all you had to do was gather some useful information about our targets, yet you two failed to do so. This is unbelievable!" Suddenly, Lord Joseph's furious voice resounded, causing Tyler and Ryan to shiver in fear, feeling a strong pressure around them.
"Lord Ivan, I'm very disappointed by your people today. Not only did they waste your resources, but they have also increased our workload. They are just useless and can't even complete a small task. You should consider punishing them with death for wasting our time and effort," Lord Joseph said, turning to Lord Ivan with a mocking smile on his face.
Tyler and Ryan looked at Lord Joseph with wide-open eyes, shocked that this old man wanted them dead just because they couldn't gather enough intel. Wasn't this a clear exaggeration?
'H-He is serious about wanting us dead... What kind of madman is this old bastard?'
They exchanged another glance, their legs shaking from the murderous aura they were feeling from Lord Joseph, their expressions pale.
'As expected of Lord Joseph, he really is a hot-tempered person, as the rumors said. I hope Tyler and Ryan won't suffer too much from this, as I can't do anything to stop this madman...' Lord Ivan sighed inwardly, hesitating to step in.
Seeing Tyler and Ryan trembling in fear, feeling threatened by the murderous aura Lord Joseph was emitting, Lady Eliza put her tea cup down and turned to Lord Joseph.
"It seems that I have no choice but to step in to save Lord Ivan's face," Lady Eliza thought, observing the scene, as Lord Ivan seemed hesitant to intervene.
With a smile, she addressed Lord Joseph, "Lord Joseph, stop scaring these poor souls. Look, they're trembling from fear. If this continues, they might wet their pants and dirty the floor. Besides, I believe they are innocent in this case."
Lord Joseph quickly withdrew his murderous aura, offering an awkward smile to Lady Eliza. "Hehehe~ You're thinking too much, Lady Eliza. I was just teasing them... hehehe~"
Lord Ivan's face contorted with annoyance as he muttered to himself, 'What a convenient excuse... This old man is shameless, to say the least!'
'Thank the heavens for this beautiful lady. She's truly a goddess among mortals...' Tyler and Ryan breathed sighs of relief, viewing Lady Eliza as their savior.
Lady Eliza fixed Lord Joseph with a sharp gaze and asserted, "Lord Joseph, please! Don't make any excuses. I clearly saw you trying to harm them just now."
Lady Diana, who had been silent until now, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, I saw it too. It was evident that you were quite serious."
Lord Joseph's face darkened. He clenched his fist in frustration, his teeth grinding together. He seethed with anger towards Lady Diana for speaking out against him. 'How dare she challenge me! If Lady Eliza and Lord Ivan weren't here, she'd be cowering before me!'
However, Lord Joseph forced a strained smile and addressed Lady Eliza and Lady Diana in a tone of feigned indifference. "Y-You've clearly misunderstood my actions, Lady Eliza."
Lady Eliza raised an eyebrow at him, countering, "Oh my, Lord Joseph, are you implying my eyesight is poor? I'm truly astonished!"
'What's your excuse now, old man? Hmph! It's finally my turn to express my frustration,' Lady Eliza thought, wearing a satisfied smile.
"This is..." Lord Joseph struggled to find words after Lady Eliza's statement. He stammered, "N-No, Lady Eliza, you're misconstruing..."
"Very well, Lord Joseph. There's no need for further explanation. I understand," Lady Eliza said with a disappointed tone, leaving Lord Joseph stunned.
He was at a loss for words, feeling both embarrassed and regretful for making things difficult for Lord Ivan's subordinates. If he hadn't spoken up, this situation would never have arisen, and Lady Eliza might have viewed him differently.
'What is happening? Why won't she believe me? How can I make her understand that there's been a misunderstanding?' Lord Joseph lamented internally.
Lord Joseph glared at Tyler and Ryan, his thoughts seething, 'This is all because of these two useless idiots. I'll make sure they pay for this in the future...'
After a few seconds, Tyler and Ryan respectfully bowed to Lady Eliza and Lady Diana. Ryan expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for standing up for us, Lady Eliza and Lady Diana. We're very grateful for this."
"Indeed! Thank you very much, Lady Eliza and Lady Diana," Tyler added, smiling.
Lady Eliza returned their smiles and reassured, "It's fine. There's no need to thank us; it's just a small matter."
Lady Diana nodded in agreement, offering a gentle smile in response.
Lord Ivan cleared his throat and redirected the conversation, "Since everything has been settled, let's focus on the main reason we're here, shall we?"
Both Lady Eliza and Lady Diana agreed, "Definitely!"
Lord Joseph chimed in, "It's better to discuss the serious matter than waste time on useless things."
"Absolutely! We must set our emotions aside and focus on the mission given by His Majesty the king," Lord Ivan affirmed. He then turned to Tyler and Ryan, inquiring, "Now tell me, did you find any clues that could lead us to where our targets are currently staying in this village?"
Tyler responded promptly, "We didn't find any clues about where the targets are currently staying. However, something significant happened in the village yesterday that might lead us to their location."
Lord Ivan furrowed his brows, questioning, "Something significant? How could that be related to our targets?"
"Yesterday, Lord Turner was killed along with his personal army and his butler. Eyewitnesses claimed that it was the village's hero who accomplished this feat. He not only took down Lord Turner, a mage nearing the sixth circle, but also wiped out his entire personal army. None of them survived. It was a complete one-sided massacre," Tyler explained gravely.
The revelation shocked Lord Ivan and the others. A young man had not only taken down a mage approaching the sixth circle but had also decimated an entire army? Was this even possible?
'Not only did this person eliminate a mage nearing the sixth circle, but he also annihilated an entire personal army. This aligns perfectly with our target's profile. Moreover, the villagers are referring to him as the hero, which further confirms our suspicions,' Lord Ivan pondered deeply.
"Lord Ivan, doesn't this align perfectly with our assumptions? I believe the one who killed Lord Turner is indeed one of our targets," Lady Diana suggested to Lord Ivan, sharing her thoughts.
Lady Eliza nodded in agreement, "I share the same sentiment as Miss Diana. I think if we gather more information about the incident, we can pinpoint the target's current location within the village. What are your thoughts, Lord Joseph? Would you care to share your insights?"
"Cough!" Lord Joseph cleared his throat, agreeing with Lady Eliza, "Just as you said, if we learn more about the situation, we might indeed pinpoint their location."
"Naturally!" Lord Ivan nodded, then turned to Tyler and Ryan, inquiring, "Since you seem to be aware of the details, could you please recount precisely what happened yesterday?"
"I'm curious to know as well," Lady Eliza added with an eager look. The fact that one of their targets was involved in Lord Turner's demise piqued her curiosity even further.
Tyler and Ryan nodded in unison. Ryan began, "According to the locals, yesterday morning, Lord Turner arrived at the Monroe family's doorstep with his personal soldiers. He initially sought answers for his son's death a few days prior. However, he eventually demanded the Monroe family's surrender."
"At that moment, the village's hero arrived at the scene with his wives and the eldest daughter of the Monroe family, who also acts as the village's head due to her father's severe illness. When Lord Turner ordered his men to bring Young Lady Rose to him, it infuriated the hero, resulting in Lord Turner's demise." Ryan provided a detailed account of Lord Turner's death to Lord Ivan and his companions, sharing all the information he had.
"I see. Do you have any indication that the Monore family's daughter, Rose, has a special relationship with the hero? It doesn't quite add up for him to kill Lord Turner simply because he ordered his men to bring Rose to him. There must be a deeper connection between the hero and this Rose girl," Lady Eliza mused, sounding a bit dazed, likely drawing from her own romantic experiences.
"You're absolutely right, Lady Eliza," Tyler affirmed with a smile. "They do indeed share a special relationship. Rumor has it that Madam Layla has recognized the hero as her son-in-law. Moreover, the villagers claim to have seen the hero accompanying Madam Layla's other two daughters as well."
This revelation surprised Lady Eliza and the others. Not only did the target have multiple wives, but he was also engaged to Rose. Yet, he continued to court her two sisters? This was indeed astonishing!
"My, my, I didn't anticipate hearing something like this. It seems our target is quite intriguing and unique," Lady Eliza remarked with a smile.
'That scoundrel certainly has a way with women. I fear he might even try to steal Lady Eliza from me...' Lord Joseph thought with a grave expression.
Lady Diana noticed the seriousness in Lord Joseph's demeanor and inquired, "Lord Joseph, you seem lost in thought. Is there something on your mind?"
"Oh, it's nothing, not that important... hehe!" Lord Joseph chuckled awkwardly in response to Lady Diana.
A minute later, Lord Ivan adopted a serious tone, addressing the group, "Based on what we've learned, our targets have deep ties with the Monroe family. I have a suspicion that if we inquire with the Monroe family regarding our targets' whereabouts, they might disclose their location. What are your thoughts on this?"
"After hearing Tyler and Ryan's account, I'm quite convinced that the Monroe family possesses information about our targets' current residence. However, I have a hunch that even if we approach them, they may not readily divulge this information, considering the extent of their favor toward our targets," Lady Eliza promptly shared her perspective.
"Hmph! Why wouldn't they spill the beans? If we inform them that we've been dispatched from the capital by His Majesty the King to recruit the hero and his wives into our ranks, they'll spill the details like a parrot," Lord Joseph asserted with a touch of arrogance.
Lady Eliza couldn't help but chuckle. "Lord Joseph, it's not as straightforward as you imagine. They might simply deny any knowledge of the hero at all. What would we do then?"
"Indeed! We can't compel them to provide us with the information," Lady Diana concurred with a nod.
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