"Can you please elaborate, Nobu-san?" she asked in a disciplined manner, noticing nothing unusual. As a temple priestess, her expertise lay in other areas, not in breathing techniques.
On the other hand, Nobu, with his experience in sparring with Demon Slayers, sensed something was off right away. It felt unnatural, but he couldn't quite figure out why. He furrowed his brows, still trying to pinpoint the issue.
"I'm not sure, Seki-sama. There's something... off. The way he's breathing doesn't feel real. It's as if he's imitating it, but something is not quite right."
She frowned thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing as she considered his words. "What should we do, Nobu-san?"
"I think we should keep our distance, Seki-sama. That person is extremely dangerous and mentally unstable," he replied bluntly. He had encountered many crazy individuals before and could see that Reign had serious mental issues.
She nodded, making a mental note to avoid Reign.
However, her curiosity got the better of her. She asked, "Nobu-san, who do you think would win if you fought him? I'm just curious."
He scratched his chin, considering the question carefully. He could have also easily beaten Alfonso based on the previous battle, but he was certain that Reign was not even serious back then.
"I'd probably lose completely, Seki-sama. I might manage to dodge a few of his strikes, but that's it. He's not just powerful; he's also exceptionally skilled at predicting his opponents' movements. I hate to admit it, but his technical skills and battle IQ are off the charts. If it weren't for his crazy nature, I'd love to spar with him for some pointers."
She tilted her head, intrigued. "What if you use the element of surprise and tried to assassinate him, Nobu-san?"
Nobu sighed. His mistress was always curious about many things, but since there was still time, he decided to share his thoughts with her.
"Seki-sama, I might have a 1% chance of succeeding if I was lucky. Someone at his level has sharp senses and intuition; he would know right away if I tried to get close. Besides, from observing his movements, I believe he's an even better assassin than I am," he admitted.
"Are you sure, Nobu-san? You're a practitioner of the shadow arts. Aren't you overestimating him too much," she protested, unable to understand his reasoning.
His brow furrowed. "Even if I fought with everything I've got, it would be the same, Seki-sama. I can't see myself winning against someone with his level of skill and power."
"Is he really that strong, Nobu-san ?" she asked, still having a hard time to believed it.
"He's a monster in human form," Nobu sighed, using an analogy to described Reign.
Her time in the temple, surrounded by formidable fighters, had skewed her sense of what was truly strong.
To her, someone like Reign might not seem extraordinary, but he knew the reality of facing such a powerful and skilled opponent.
Meanwhile, the talk of everyone was lying on his bed, trying to calm himself down. If he didn't, he risked losing his composure completely. But with the way things were going, there wasn't much of his cover left anyway.
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
"Who is it?" Reign asked, his tone tinged with annoyance.
"It's me, Lucas. I'm here to deliver your winnings," Lucas's voice came through the door.
"My winnings? Oh right, I almost forgot about that," he said, his tone indifferent. Money was inconsequential to him.
"Can I come in?" Lucas asked, his tone more respectful than before.
"It's open."
Lucas hesitated before stepping inside the cabin. He remained standing near the entrance, his posture rigid and his eyes darting around nervously.
"So where's my money? Why are you just standing there?" Reign asked, his irritation clear.
Lucas swallowed hard, his nerves on edge.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick envelope, holding it out with a shaky hand. "Here it is, Mr. Reign. All the winnings you won," he said, his voice trembling slightly.
Reign took the envelope and opened it, revealing a stack of semi-metallic paper in various colors. "What are these?" Reign asked, puzzled. "What am I supposed to do with them?"
"Those are Cash Certificates approved and signed by the Railing Company," Lucas explained. "We can't use digital money here due to the lack of internet. These certificates can be exchanged for real money once we reach the city."
Reign frowned, clearly unimpressed. "What a hassle," he muttered. "But I suppose it's better than nothing." He shrugged and pocketed the certificates.
"So what else do you want to talk about?" Reign asked, fully aware that Lucas didn't come here just to deliver something so insignificant.
Lucas hesitated, clearly uncomfortable under Reign's intense gaze.
"Well," he began, "there's something else I wanted to discuss. Given the... intensity of what happened earlier, I thought it might be important to address any potential concerns or... future arrangements." He shifted nervously, waiting for a reaction.