Chapter 54: Ikeda

Rewen cleaned his face, wore a new set of clothes given by a servant and walked down to the living room. He saw Hase and Ryu's father sitting down on a sofa and talking with each other.

"Are you sure it's a Silver-ranked?" Ryu's father asked in a low voice.

"I'm sure." Hase answered.

"Oh? Rewen, you came." Ryu's father noticed Rewen approaching them. He had heard of his name from his nephew, Hase. He figured that 'Rewen' probably wasn't his real name but didn't care much. All he needed to know is that he is a Central Noble.

Rewen took a seat beside them. "So if I'm not pushing my bounds, who were the assassins?"

"We deduced that they were local assassins. Professionals would not be this dumb."

"Dumb? Uh, I see. But my question is, how come you are so sure that the assassin wasn't after me?" It was indeed dumb for the assassins to attack them at daylight and that too, in a crowded place.

Hearing the question, both Ryu's father and Hase looked at each other. It wasn't that this thought hadn't crossed their minds, but they simply felt that it would be too direct to ask this. Not to mention, the dart which the assassin threw was towards Ryu and not towards Rewen. "I didn't get the chance to ask this but what do you think?" Hase directly asked.

"It's not me. I personally don't have any enemies that would want to kill me. My family? Eh, maybe but trust me, no one would want to assassinate me."

Ryu's father nodded. He decided to trust him not because of this reasoning but because he had shown enough sincerity.

"It has to be a trap…" Hase muttered, lost in thoughts.

"I have had the same thoughts but…" Ryu's father didn't continue.

"But retrospectively speaking, what if I didn't happen to be there? The purpose of the assassination would have been attained. But then again, if I wasn't there you would have taken Ryu along to search for the car. Now that I think about it, maybe the assassination was indeed aimed against me. Right, I forgot to ask. Did you interrogate the assassin?"

Ryu's father shook his head. "Not yet. I'll visit the Investigation Bureau this evening. Don't worry about our household matters. Hase, take him to your shop and show him what needs to be done."

Both Hase and Rewen stood up. 

***

"The air here is quite nice." Rewen commented. 

"I don't know about the Central but it's a whole lot better than the Island." Hase chuckled.

"I have always wondered why."

"There are some theories. One says that it is due to the fact that G.C. gets released into the atmosphere."

"How? G.C. isn't an energy source."

"What if it is?"

"It would be interesting but it is a widely known fact that it isn't. Our bodies are like vessels for storing G.C."

"This is the first time I have heard this logic but it makes sense."

"Technically, it is. But what bugs is the <<Awakening>>? How can G.C. suddenly be produced?"

"Some say it sucks their life force. It is a bit dubious to believe this because since the start of the Primordial Era till the Current Era, life force is a vague concept. Some also say that the reason an <<Awakened>> happens to have a large supply of G.C. is because of the nature of G.C.."

"Even more unbelievable. Are you sure the one writing these theories isn't sitting in front of their PC and writing stories?"

Hase laughed. "We have arrived." 

Both of them came to a stop beside a small shop. Going inside, Rewen's gaze shifted from one place to another. "A potions shop? Are you an alchemist?"

"I'm not. I buy them from a merchant." Hase replied.

"Hmm… what is the overall condition of the shop?"

"Below average." Hase said without any hesitation. He didn't know what he ate that day to suddenly open up a Potions Shop. It's not that very few buy potions these days but the location of the shop is not a good location from a business standpoint.

"Why don't you shift to another place?"

Hase shook his head. "I have an emotional connection to this place." He stopped and Rewen didn't pry further.

"You have all kinds of potions, huh?" Rewen started checking out the potions. L-Healing Potion [L=Low], H-Healing Potion [H=High], Boost Potion [10%], Boost Potion [25%], White Skin Potion...

"What does this White skin Potion do?"

"It's used in disguising. It makes skin moldable."

"I see." He asked a few more questions about potions.

After patiently answering his questions, Hase came to the point. "You will get 20 gold coins per hour. Do you have any problem?"

"I don't." It was a fairly high wage. To ask for more would be inappropriate.

"Good. You will start from tomorrow."

"One last question."

"Go on." 

"Is there a Fat-Reducing Potion?"

"There isn't but if you are really dedicated, I can recommend you some meds. Remember, they are very potent. If you don't do heavy exercise after having them, your body may suffer. And by heavy exercise, I mean it. A few push-ups or sprinting won't do much. Do you still want them?"

"I want them."

"Alright. I'll send you a box by night. You don't have to pay me. Take them as a congratulations."

"By the way, aren't there less potent meds?"

"There are but they can't reduce fats in a sh…"

"They can't reduce fats in a short time, right? Why did you think that I'm planning to reduce my fat in a short time period?"

Hase smiled. He didn't say anything more. If he wanted to, he could have easily made a reasonable explanation.

***

Rewen returned to the villa and was heading towards his room when he caught sight of an ass. Wait, what?

Focusing his eyes, he saw a maid on all fours reaching out her hand under a table.

He tapped her shoulders. "Can I help?"

The maid tilted her head and saw an unfamiliar boy. "Who are you?"

"I am a guest."

"You are the new guest?"

"Yes. Let me help."

"No! I'd rather die than let you help me. You are the one who made Young Miss Reza cry." She was extremely nonchalant when she said this. Looking at her closely, Rewen exclaimed.

"Are you the Head Maid?"

"It is me. I wonder what does trash- cough, forgive my rudeness. What does Fatty wish of me to do?"

"I was just lending my helping hand. If you don't want my help, it's fine." Rewen didn't particularly mind her words. She was known to be very loyal to the eldest daughter of the Household, Reza.

"Paula, manners." A woman who just came said, standing behind Rewen. She then turned to Rewen. " I hope you don't take offense to her. She is like this."

Rewen knew who she was. He had caught a glimpse of her when he had first entered the villa. She was the mother of Ryu and Reza.

The middle-aged woman smiled. "I have heard of your circumstances. Think of this as your own home."

Rewen gave a light nod. He chatted a bit more with her before parting ways. During their conversation, she had not mentioned the incident with Reza. He could deduce that she also wasn't fond of him and was perfunctorily talking with him. After all, which parent would like someone who bullied their daughter? Because of him, she was locked up in her room for an hour.

The Head Maid, Paula gave him a cold eye before walking away.

Rewen smiled. 'Well, there's nothing I could do at this point.' He went back to his room and fell asleep. 

***

In a closed room, a man was tied to the chair. He neither struggled nor had any spirit left for him. Opposite to him sat the most important in the Rover City, the Head of the Noble House of Terio - Terio Ikeda!

"I'm asking you again, why did you attempt to assassinate my son?" His voice carried force and aggression, completely different from the friendly and warm father.

"For the fifth time, I DON'T KNOW!!" The assassin yelled with the last bit of strength available.

Ikeda had no change in expression and turned to the nearby officer. "Torture him. If something happens, I'll take responsibility."

The officer nodded and approached the assassin. 

"Wait, what are you going to do?"

The officer took out a pocket knife. "I'll just slowly peel off your skin with this knife. You think this small knife is enough to pierce your skin?" 

"Y-yes… Please believe me… I swear I'm telling the truth."

"What a surprise. I don't believe that this small knife is enough to pierce your thick skin. How about we try this?"

"No, no, no, no, no…" The man broke down in tears. "I am just a normal businessman. I don't know why I did that… please believe me. I have a wife and son at home."

The officer pretended to pay no heed to the man and proceeded to lay the man on his bare back.

"Stop. Leave him be." Ikeda suddenly said.