Chapter 67 Shadow Dwellers

Albaer and Alier roughed Ethan up quite a bit in the training. It was quite arduous and Ethan also got some bruises which were healed immediately afterward using a potion.

After the training was done, Ethan went back to his room to get refreshed and then headed to the dining hall at once for breakfast.

Ethan wanted to know if anything was discovered from questioning the captured assassin. And so he was keen on attending the breakfast that day.

The White Family once again gathered in the dining hall of the mansion as they sat at the table at their usual seats.

"Are you fine, brother?" Luceryc asked with a stoic face as soon as Ethan arrived.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," Ethan answered with a smile and Luce went back to eating silently.

Luceryc was a strange and unpredictable creature, sometimes he would act nicely and other times he would ignore you as if you didn't even exist. While occasionally he would get violent or even cruel.

Naenna had gotten the firsthand experience of his cruel behavior towards living beings as she had seen him doing something truly horrific at a young age, and that's why she did not like him at all. However, that's a story for another time.

The atmosphere in the dining hall was obviously very thick and tense that morning because of what had happened just the previous night.

"Dear, did you sleep well?" Aisha asked with concern as dark circles could be seen below her eyes. She definitely hadn't caught a wink of sleep through the entire night.

Ethan felt a bit guilty seeing her condition. Although he had promised to not make her worry, it was simply impossible. As a noblewoman, Aisha also wasn't so naivé but as a mother, her heart bled in worry for her children.

"Do not worry, I slept well," Ethan said calmly with a cheerful smile on his face hoping it would somewhat soothe his mother. Which in fact, did work.

"Where is Grandpa?" Ethan asked curiously, noticing that Old Gramp's seat was empty.

Albaer raised his brows helplessly as he sighed with vexation and said, "He left for the capital early in the morning."

"What? Why?" Ethan asked knitting his eyebrows in suspicion.

Everyone else except Earlene and Anicia already seem to know the deal as they all wore exasperated expressions on their faces. This made Ethan even more curious.

"After what happened yesterday, he was very angry. He's going to stir up a whole lot of fuss out there." Albaer said with a hint of approval slipping into his tone.

"But why to the capital?" Ethan asked in confusion.

"Hmph! Do those Shadow Dwellers think they can assassinate the member of a Ducal Household and simply get away with it? We also have the blood of the Royal Family coursing through our veins! This is a provocation to the Royalty of the Atrana Kingdom itself!" Albaerbabruptly exclaimed in fury.

"So is Grandpa going to ask the Royal Family to bring judgment on these… 'Shadow Dwellers?' Who even are they?" Ethan asked his doubts out loud.

Everyone else's ears also perked up as they heard the name Shadow Dwellers. They too listened curiously.

"Correct, your grandpa is going to ask the Royal Family to take action. The Shadow Dwellers is an organization that trains assassins. It operates in the black market, Kingdoms, Empires, Merchants, you name it, everyone commissions powerful assassins from them for missions. However, no one will publicly admit that they have done so."

"If that is so, then even the Atrana Kingdom must have had dealings with them. No?" Ethan asked.

"Indeed, they also operate in the Atrana Kingdom, but a dog must be kept on a leash no matter what. Some things are simply off-limits. If these limits are crossed, then the dog must be properly disciplined." Albaer said nonchalantly explaining to Ethan as he sipped his tea.

"I see…" Ethan muttered as he also took a sip of his tea.

A few seconds passed in silence as everyone ate their meal, Ethan's eyes glowed with a mysterious glimmer as he saw Alier silently having his breakfast.

"The organization in the end simply works for profit. I imagine they must have no personal vendetta against us. We should pursue the one who tipped them off. Did you find anything from interrogation?" Ethan voiced his suggestion confidently and calmly.

Albaer's eyes widened as a satisfied expression momentarily appeared on his face seeing Ethan's practical thinking before changing into a frustrated one.

"That man knows nothing other than the mission itself! He told us that the Archer who shot those arrows knows who it is. The Shadow Dwellers have admirable discipline. They keep extreme secrecy while dealing with the clients and that is why they are so influential."

"Then, do we know who that archer was?" Ethan asked with a serious face. He was eager to know who the person was that almost killed him so viciously.

"Their nickname is 'Reaper of Shadows', one of the best assassins that the Shadow Dwellers have to offer. We know nothing more about them other than that their 100% success rate of track record has been broken because of you." Albaer said.

"By the way, it was good of you to kill the girl first. She was their accomplice. The goal was to create chaos and lure you out. Then the archer would do the rest, if that failed there were those four assassins hidden in the crowd as well. You got lucky that the famed archer actually missed their mark this time." Albaer proceeded to say with a stern face.

Anicia flinched after she heard Albaer confirming Ethan's suspicions. Her gaze turned downcast as she peeked at Ethan to see his reaction. He was as calm as always.

"You should not wander off to the outside anymore. It's not safe!" Albaer wiped his mouth with the handkerchief and stated authoritatively in a serious tone to which Aisha and others wholeheartedly agreed.

Unfortunately for them, Ethan was not going to have it!

"Forgive me, but I can't do that!" Ethan opposed calmly, and stubbornly with a firm expression on his face.