Chapter 300: The plan
The sky had already begun to darken by the time Luke made his way toward the same building Ibris had brought him to earlier.
His plan was simple. First, he would gauge the Chief’s reaction to his arrival. Only then would he decide how much he could ask of the man.
Regardless of the outcome, he intended to request protection for the night. If the Chief truly was as kind and benevolent as everyone claimed, Luke would also ask for an escort when it came time for them to leave the village.
’I finally realize just how unprepared we were when we started this journey.’
A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
It was the first time he had ventured into a settlement of this size, so he couldn’t blame himself too harshly. Experience was earned, not given.
Still, this served as a lesson.
From now on, he would prepare for the worst before setting out. Every possible risk, every unforeseen complication, he would account for them all.
He didn’t want the others to feel as though they were a burden because of him. The next time they traveled together, he would make sure they never found themselves in such an uncomfortable situation again.
"Stop right there."
The guard stationed outside the Chief’s residence stepped forward, his voice firm.
Luke raised a brow.
"I am Luke. Would you inform the Chief that I wish to meet him?"
The man frowned.
"So it’s you, huh? Yes, you have permission."
With that, he pushed open the massive gates.
"Head straight and take the stairs on your left. And I hope you aren’t carrying any weapons."
"You’re welcome to check if you’d like."
Luke answered without the slightest hesitation. He wasn’t lying. Carrying weapons on his person was pointless when he could simply store them away.
The guard gave him a brief once-over before nodding.
"Go on."
Luke couldn’t hide his surprise.
A man whose name was spreading through the village as a criminal was being allowed to meet the Chief without so much as a proper search. No interrogation. No escort. No one even bothered to shadow him.
’Maybe the Chief is a far more sensible man than I gave him credit for.’
With a small shrug, Luke headed inside.
He climbed the staircase and soon arrived at another set of doors.
Two guards stood watch outside.
The one on the left looked at him.
"Are you Luke?"
Luke nodded.
"May I meet him?"
He had already prepared himself for a long wait if necessary.
Instead, the guard immediately stepped aside and pushed the door open.
"Yes. He’s inside."
Luke gave him a nod of thanks before walking in.
The unexpected cooperation caught him off guard, but it was a pleasant surprise. The sooner this matter was settled, the sooner he could return.
But then,
"Huh...?"
Luke’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The scene before him was so absurd that, even in his wildest imagination, he could never have envisioned it.
"Nice to finally meet you, Luke."
The voice came from the bearded man standing behind the Chief’s desk, one hand resting casually on the back of the chair.
Luke’s gaze shifted to the man seated before him.
Several translucent blades hovered around the older man’s neck, each one trembling with deadly intent. His face was swollen beyond recognition, bruises staining his skin a deep black and purple. Dried blood caked the trail beneath his nose, and his unfocused eyes struggled to stay open.
He looked as though he could lose consciousness at any moment.
"Ah, right."
The bearded man snapped his fingers as if remembering something trivial.
"Allow me to introduce the Chief, Agram. It’s your first time meeting him." A smile spread across his face. "A shame I ruined that elegant nose of his beforehand."
Luke’s expression turned icy.
"Who are you?"
The man let out an amused hum.
"Me?" He chuckled. "I’m the man who’s going to sit in that chair once this old fool dies."
His grin widened with naked ambition.
"The Chief of the Hunter’s Guild will be the one ruling this village from now on."
Luke wasn’t particularly surprised.
He had long suspected the Hunter’s Guild had its hands in everything happening behind the scenes.
What he hadn’t expected was for the Guild Master himself, a man who should have been one of Agram’s most trusted allies, to be the one driving the knife into his back.
"Aren’t you afraid of the consequences of what you’re doing?"
Luke’s voice remained calm, almost indifferent.
There wasn’t a trace of panic in it, despite the situation before him.
"Hmm... why should I?"
A vicious grin spread across the man’s face.
"If anything, you’re the one who should be panicking."
His smile grew even wider.
"After all, the one everyone will blame for the Chief’s death... is you."
Luke folded his arms across his chest.
"And why would anyone believe that? Because of the reputation I’ve built so far?"
The man chuckled.
"That certainly helps." He spread his hands. "But that’s not the real reason."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. His dark violet eyes gleamed with unrestrained madness.
"Do you know why a certain visitor flew into such a rage that he murdered the Chief?"
He didn’t wait for an answer.
"Because the Chief held a grudge against the former Chief and murdered his firstborn, who just so happened to be staying in the village."
His grin twisted into something almost deranged.
"And that’s not all."
"The people protecting that woman, the rest of your family, got caught up in the chaos as well."
"They’re dead too."
Luke’s pupils contracted.
His entire body stiffened as those words echoed through his mind.
A suffocating chill raced down his spine.
Just as he was about to erase the distance between them and tear the man’s life away before rushing back to his family, the bastard calmly raised a hand.
"Think carefully."
His smile never wavered.
"The moment you take even a single step, this man dies. And once that happens, no one will be able to stop me from screaaaaaaaaa..."
Thud.
Chief Agram frowned.
In the blink of an eye, the translucent blades hovering around his neck vanished.
At the same time, Gorrem, the Guild Chief, collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud, his eyes rolling back and his face turning pale.
"F-F-Father..."
The word left Gorrem’s lips in a broken stutter as he stumbled backward, his face drained of all color.
He looked as though he had just witnessed a monster.
Luke advanced one slow step at a time, his eyes colder than death itself.
The instant he activated his skill, Gorrem’s mental defenses crumbled without the slightest resistance. His concentration shattered, causing the spell maintaining the translucent blades to dissipate into nothingness.
Luke could have killed him the moment their eyes met.
He chose not to.
First, he needed answers.
And this time, he wasn’t going to just ask.
~~~~~
A/N:- Like, they chose the worst way to embrace death.
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