Chapter 157: Safety Measures
"In two weeks, huh?"
Two weeks ago, Leomaris’s father, Godfrey Runerth, had visited concerning his influence in the underworld. Though he appeared pleased with Leomaris at the time, he didn’t leave without demanding something from him.
What he demanded was a meeting, arranged by Leomaris, between his younger brother, Caelus Sentinel, and the notorious sovereign known as the Jester of the End.
Meeting Caelus should have been easy enough. All he had to do was put on a mask and meet the man. But considering the heritage of his extended family, he became paranoid.
The Sentinel family were soldiers, a few branching into knighthood, and he had every reason to be wary, some were even within the Secret Detective Organisation. They were a family of justice, and that was one more reason why Godfrey had adopted the surname Runerth.
That a member of such a family would be interested in meeting a notorious criminal wasn’t pleasant in any shape or form.
"So, are you saying you won’t be going, Young Master?"
In the living room, Leomaris and Hazel sat in silence, the sheet still in Leomaris’s hand as he weighed his options.
"That’s out of the question, Hazel. Father didn’t ask whether I could make this meeting happen. He commanded me to."
He shrugged. "I take it he believed that, as long as I’m the leader of Mercy of Death, all my subordinates would simply obey my commands."
Done answering Hazel’s question, he knew that well enough. And yet he couldn’t help turning her words over in his mind for a moment.
"But, Hazel, I think it would be best if I didn’t go with you this time."
Hazel’s expression collapsed, and she looked utterly broken. She tried to speak, but the words felt heavy in her throat, even so, she forced them out after a few attempts.
"It’s my job, isn’t it?"
Leomaris clocked the brokenness within Hazel immediately. His mind had been on pressing matters, he hadn’t even looked at her when he spoke, but her tone was a dead giveaway. He hurried to reassure her.
He patted her on the head with a soft smile, as he always did.
"Don’t be sad. Come on. We don’t know why this invitation was sent. It could be something important, or one of Father’s twisted schemes. Either way, we can’t afford to take blind chances."
None of those words affected Hazel in the slightest. Wherever her brokenness came from, it clearly went beyond Leomaris’s refusal.
"You may be my butler, but before anything else, you’re like a little sister to me. I can’t watch you die or fall into traps meant for me."
He let out a sigh. "And besides, the Secret Detectives don’t kill right away. They arrest people, torture them for information, and only then finish the job. If Uncle Caelus turns out to be one of them, you’re the only person I can trust to save me. It would be foolish for both of us to walk into this blindly."
Her expression softened, and soon enough she smiled.
"Okay, young master. I will be there to save you if anything goes wrong."
Leomaris patted her on the head once more. This time she enjoyed it, as she mostly did.
The meeting would take place at the Seniors’ Jade Hall. A hall used for balls, banquets, and highly decorated parties involving high nobles and respectable aristocrats who would normally not be seen in public. It had a rare reputation of no one refusing an invitation. Not ever.
’That’s unlikely, but I believe if someone ever did, they were not invited again... or were probably silenced.’
His hands were tied by his father’s command, obviously, but even without that, refusing would have been hard all the same.
’At least two weeks gives me enough time to think things through... I just hope I don’t meet him there. Zero Order.’
The Sovereign of the Crimson Order, Zero Order, was bound to come for his head, and he knew it. He didn’t know what the man looked like himself, but Zero Order knew him as the Apostle of Death and had probably put together that he led Mercy of Death as well.
He’d be going as the Jester of the End, sure, but after killing three of his First Orders, he doubted Zero Order would be particularly chuffed about anyone tied to the Apostle of Death’s faction.
He let out a sigh.
That left him two organisations to worry about: the Secret Detectives and the Crimson Order. Assuming his uncle Caelus didn’t belong to a different one entirely.
His attention shifted to Hazel. He wasn’t keen on bringing her along, the situation was too unpredictable for that, but going alone wasn’t on the cards either. That would be dangerous.
After skimming through his memories, he realised he had to choose from the Laughing End. Raine and Charlotte had come to mind first, both had played their part in putting down the three First Orders, but they belonged to their own organisations.
Raine was the leader of the Souls of Cinder. Charlotte was a one-woman army, the Woman in Veil, an iconic figure whose actions had started a Revolutionary War.
Neither organisation could be associated with the Laughing End without something lucrative on the table, and worse, they all fought for completely different things.
He’d already made up his mind on one specific member, and he intended to kill two birds with one stone while he was at it.
With his attention on Hazel, he spoke:
"What did you say about the noble lady who forced herself on you to recruit? Did you say her fighting skills are on par with yours?"
Hazel motioned positively.
"She is a mage and highly proficient in martial arts, with considerable experience. She can utilize anything within her surroundings as a weapon. She was even capable of blocking a bullet with a pen."
Those words settled well with Leomaris. Someone that strong would come in handy if things went pear-shaped, and as highly ranked nobles like himself, they were perfect for the Seniors’ Jade Hall.
Hazel continued. "But I’m afraid she still isn’t telling me anything about herself. She says you’re the only person she will confide in."
"It doesn’t matter. Tell her to come meet me. Her assignment to prove herself will be different from the others."
"Are you sure, young master?"
Leomaris responded with a nod.
"If she is an enemy with bad intentions, I will leave her to die if things do not go well with Uncle Caelus. But if she is not, she would be a useful asset."
