Chapter 49 - The Third Move

After Wesley left the courtyard, he was in an oddly good mood. In fact, the earlier frustration he had felt from not being able to recall what it was he felt last night, as well as the slight regret he felt from not being able to kill the Kader Family head, were all but gone.

Wesley was not an openly abrasive person. There were many people who annoyed or angered him, but he would much rather smile and walk away from an argument than take part in it. However, his relationship with Roman had started oddly and progressed oddly.

From the first time Wesley ran into Roman under the tree, until now, the amount of words the two had exchanged didn’t even reach a hundred. Yet, Wesley felt like he understood Roman well.

A young master, who had always had everything he ever wanted and was always praised and put on a pedestal, now realized he wasn’t as great as those around him had made him out to be. Yet, he still felt that he was special and above all others, so he flaunted his strength everywhere.

However, Wesley discovered his greatest insecurity by chance. Why would Wesley care about the feelings of such a person? Furthermore, Wesley discovered that annoying this little brat actually improved his mood tremendously. Who in their right mind wouldn’t enjoy annoying someone like that?

Wesley's mood was so good for the remainder of the day that he even sparred a few times with Eltier without much complaining. This caused Eltier to wonder if perhaps Wesley was about to die. Wesley even went ahead and gave Eltier some pointers on how to improve his swordsmanship, causing Eltier to be even more suspicious of Wesley's behavior.

After the regular class was over and the first years were gone, Wesley and Kellan started their sparring session. This had been their pattern for almost a year, and their bodies were long accustomed to the restrictions of the armor, causing their clashes to be far more intense than in the past.

As for how they were fighting, if anyone saw them, they would be unable to guess what sword style they practiced. Wesley and Kellan simply clashed without relying on their respective techniques and without evading each other—just a pure, straightforward clash.

However, the most prominent feature of their sparring was how underhanded and sly each of them was. The prototype of the proud and honorable swordsman, who helps his opponent up when he falls or hands him his sword when the other is disarmed, was nowhere to be seen. Wesley and Kellan held no such ideas in their minds. They both relied on any conceivable method to gain an advantage.

After almost three hours of sparring, the voice of the second elder reached the ears of both Wesley and Kellan.

"Good. That is enough for today."

"Yes, Elder," they both replied.

Wesley and Kellan were both dripping with sweat, and their faces showed their fatigue, but their eyes seemed to burn with a fierce light. To them, these sparring sessions were comparable to a life-and-death struggle, and although they both knew they wouldn’t die, neither of them wanted to be beaten.

The second elder simply stared at these two youths, who seemed to be brimming with fighting intent, and nodded his head in satisfaction.

"You two have grown nicely in this last year. It is almost time for the end-of-year examination. The two of you will naturally fail and attend my class another year. Any complaints?"

Wesley and Kellan looked at each other for a moment, then turned to the second elder and just stared at him without saying anything. If this choice had been given to Wesley a year ago, he would have taken it without a thought. But now, he would choose to stay here without hesitation.

The second elder simply nodded his head in satisfaction. His question was for complaints, and since they didn’t speak, they naturally had no complaints. He spoke once again:

"Good. Now, for the rankings competition. The two of you are not in the second-year swordsmanship class, so you're not required to attend."

"Yes, Elder."

"Good. You may leave."

"Yes, Elder."

Wesley and Kellan immediately left the classroom. They bid each other farewell and went their own ways.

Wesley immediately left the academy and headed toward his manor.

-- --- ---- ----- ---- --- --

That night, Wesley was sitting in his study, holding a book, while Neal was sitting across from him. Wesley's face was as tranquil as can be, but Neal's face had a very clear frown, as he seemed to be worried about something.

Wesley spoke without even looking up from his book:

"Are you sure about these reports, Neal?"

"Yes. I received a few different reports from different agents indicating the same things. The Blume family head has indeed gone to the Kader Family Manor and seems intent on staying there."

If the Blume Family head had decided to take cover in the Kader Family Manor, then not only would it become exceedingly difficult to assassinate her, but it also meant that at least some other party was involved.

Both Wesley and Kellan knew the implications of this. If the four families suspect that someone is out to get them, they would be on guard. This wasn’t too much of a problem with the Blume Family; however, the Kader Family was not so simple.

"When did she go to the Kader Family Manor?"

"Early this morning."

"Hmm. If she left before she received news of Silus' death, then it is bad news for us. And if she left as a result of the assassination, although things will be harder, it is still safe."

"There is no way she would have heard about Silus' death by then. I received an official notice by noon. Assuming she is slightly more influential than I, she must've received it a little earlier."

"Then it is what we feared. The two remaining heads suspect something."

Wesley had already put away his book and clasped his hands together as he stared at Neal. Perhaps the two remaining heads wouldn't be able to connect the Black Family to the assassinations directly, but at this point, anything was possible.

"I think so as well. I'll prepare the contingency plan."

Wesley thought for a while and then spoke once again:

"You do that. In the meantime, see if you can arrange a small residence for me in the third district. Make sure it is inconspicuous."

"A small residence? Why do you need such a thing?"

"I need something closer to the Kader Manor. It is too cumbersome to travel back and forth from here, all the way to the third."

"I see your point. I'll get it done."

"Good. And make sure it can't be traced back to you."

"I know."

Neal immediately turned around and used his Earth Merge to leave the study. As Wesley sat there, he couldn’t help but frown at how complicated things had gotten.

If killing the Kader Family head had been an easy matter, he would have done it long ago. However, it was not that simple. According to Neal, the four families each had their own specialty when they served under the Black Family.

The Ranes Family were in charge of the city's military. They managed the guards and the walls of the city and served as its defenders in case of an emergency. This was the reason why there were so many guards in the Ranes Manor when Wesley went there.

The Wayle Family were the bureaucrats. They managed most of the city's affairs and kept it running through policies, laws, and governance. Although they didn’t have as much tangible power as the Ranes Family, they still held a lot of influence in the city.

The Blume Family were the historians. They were charged with keeping, analyzing and recording information. They held neither tangible power nor great influence, however, the Black Family were spies, so their information collection was indispensable, making them one of the four families.

As for the Kader Family. They were the jailers; they were charged with detention of captives, interrogation and coercion. They were, to say the least, the dark hand of the Black Family. They, just like the Blume Family, held no power or influence, but they were still feared. They simply just stood there, neither getting involved in politics or seeking power, but they were still feared. They were as ruthless as they are calculating.

Neal was unable to get any information regarding the Kader Family. They hardly ever wander out of their Manor, and they don't get involved in any conflicts. Wesley knew just how thorough and proficient Neal was at information collection, so being unable to find anything important shows just how terrifying they are.

If it were up to Wesley, he would completely avoid such people, since he would most likely have to pay an exorbitant price for their heads, but the die has been cast. It wouldn’t take long before the four families realize the Black Family orchestrated the assassinations, and if they didn’t, then it wouldn’t be long before they still came after the Black Family like before.

Worst case scenario, Wesley would need to charge into the Kader Manor and kill the two heads. If he is not killed in the process, then he'll need to leave the City and take refuge in the Ject Kingdom. Although his father wouldn’t care much if he died, he still won't let others kill him lest he loses too much respect.

And if the worst comes to worst, Neal's contingency plan might do the trick, but at too high of a price.