Evolution of the Ruined Heir

Capítulo 378: Spy Ghost

Malakai released a deep sigh as he rose from his seat.

‘As expected.’

He had known from the start that questioning Mamush wouldn’t yield much. The Sixth Pulse had already been here before him, after all.

‘But he confirmed my assumption.’

Earlier, when Malakai had mentioned the Sixth Pulse visiting, it had been nothing more than speculation. But Mamush’s reaction, his momentary hesitation, his choice of words, had confirmed it.

‘He’s hiding something.’

The district head had denied everything until the end, but Malakai wasn’t fooled by the sudden “emergency” that had cut their conversation short. Mamush had clearly signaled his assistant to intervene.

‘Let’s hope he can find out more,’ Malakai thought, referring to Valentine.

“I greet the Ninth Vein,” a voice called from the doorway.

A guard entered, kneeling respectfully. “I’ve been instructed to guide you, Ninth Vein. I’ll lead you to your quarters.”

Malakai gave a curt nod and followed the man out of the office.

…

‘Be calm, be calm. You can’t get caught!’

Valentine pressed himself flat against the corner as two guards strode past him, their boots echoing down the corridor.

‘Phew.’ He wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead before he froze.

‘Damn! I did it again!’

It had barely been a few minutes since he’d followed Mamush, leaving Malakai behind, and he’d already made almost no progress.

His nerves were getting the better of him again. Despite being a ghost that was utterly invisible and intangible, Valentine still hadn’t adjusted to that fact.

Instinct took over whenever guards appeared, and he would hide as though they could still see him.

‘I have to stop this!’ he scolded himself, and glanced determinedly toward the retreating figure of the district head down the hall.

A moment later, he zipped forward, doubling his speed.

When another pair of guards approached, he clenched his fists and resisted the urge to duck out of sight. As they passed, he exhaled in relief.

‘There’s nothing to fear!’

He continued shadowing the district head up a flight of stairs until Mamush entered a private room. Valentine hovered quietly in one corner, observing the scene unfold.

Mamush removed his coat and poured himself a drink.

“How was he?”

The question came from a beautiful woman seated near the window, elegantly dressed in a flowing gown, her hands busy knitting.

“Honey, that kid…” Mamush downed the drink in one gulp, “…the Ninth Vein. He’s insane! To think he actually tricked me… me, honey. Can you believe that!?”

The woman paused, her needles stilling midair. She turned to him with a sharp, probing gaze.

“What happened?”

She knew her husband well. Rising from nothing to become the District Head of the Vein District in the center part of the west was no small feat.

It spoke of ruthless cunning and unmatched adaptability. For someone, a fourteen-year-old no less, to outmaneuver him was almost unthinkable.

“He knew everything, honey,” Mamush muttered, rubbing his temples. “I have no idea how, but he did.”

“Could it be the Sixth Pulse?”

“No.” Mamush shook his head and slumped beside her, sighing. “No, it can’t be her. That would go against her plans.”

“So he figured it out on his own…”

“Now you understand what I meant. He’s insane.”

Silence fell between them for a moment as his wife’s expression turned thoughtful.

“But he has no proof, right? You denied everything?”

“Of course,” Mamush replied grimly. “If word spreads that I’m somehow the target, it’ll be disastrous. My position’s already a battlefield. There are dozens waiting for the slightest excuse to replace me.”

He clenched his fist. “They wouldn’t hesitate to twist this situation against me.”

“So what now? Should we inform the Sixth Pulse?”

“…I’m not sure.” He took another long sip of his drink.

“She’s already using this situation as leverage to turn me into her puppet. But if she sees no more use for me, she could easily replace me.”

His wife’s expression hardened, and she began to ponder. Mamush watched her with hope in his eyes.

Despite what most assumed, she was one of the key reasons he’d made it this far. Her ability to offer wise counsel was needed more now than ever.

“Where is he now? Did he leave?”

“No… I-I invited him to dinner.”

“Good.”

Mamush blinked. “What do you mean?”

“We’ll make it a family dinner,” she said calmly, setting her knitting aside. “Invite the children.”

“…Are you sure?”

“I am. Everyone wants something, especially a fourteen-year-old. We just have to figure out what.”

…

“Inform my companions of my location.”

“As you wish, Ninth Vein.”

As the guard departed, Malakai closed the door behind him and glanced around the room.

It was large, too large to be a room for simply sleeping. It screamed of luxury, with golden furniture and silky sheets.

Malakai settled himself on the chair and waited.

‘I hope he doesn’t take long.’

He could still feel Valentine’s presence. As it turned out, the distance at which he could move away from him had increased.

‘Could be because of my advancement,’ Malakai determined.

Luckily, he didn’t have to wait too long. Valentine phased through the door with a panicked look. He glanced back as though he was being followed.

“What happened?”

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that he was safe.

“Phew. I wasn’t followed.”

“How could you possibly be followed? You’re invisible.”

Valentine threw him a dirty look.

“You couldn’t let me have this one, huh.”

“Just tell me what you discovered.”

“Has anyone ever told you you’re very rude?”

“Plenty. Now, what did you discover?”

Valentine could only shake his head with a sigh. All his efforts to put a bit of respect into this boy were proving futile.

“Anyways…”

Malakai listened carefully as Valentine began to recount everything.

‘I see.’

He had been right about one thing. The Sixth Pulse knew about everything and had molded the situation in her favor.

“I swear,” Valentine said, “that Sixth Pulse sure is a scary woman. You should stay far away from her.”

“It’s too late for that.”

He could understand Valentine’s grievance. Five of her subordinate people had gone missing, yet she hadn’t even batted an eye and used the situation for her gain.

‘I won’t be surprised if she was the one responsible for all this.’

If she was, making claims could only be bad for him. He needed concrete proof.