After we were done eating our breakfast, I wanted to leave and noticed my father give some kind of signal towards Ichika. I went back to my room to change my clothes since I will be going out. Ichika didn't follow me this time.
She must be receiving a mission from my father. I am quite interested if I can also level up since I have all those stats, it should be possible.
Hm?
As I was changing my clothes, I noticed curtains on my windows move slightly as if someone let an uninvited draught in.
"Can't you even knock or are you enjoying looking at me while I am changing? I don't recall having anything that would catch the interest of a woman like yourself." I disinterestedly said while I continued changing my clothes and Ichika revealed herself.
[+1 Intelligence for revealing an "assassin" in your room]
"P-please don't misunderstand, young lord. It's my habit." Ichika said with an awkward tone.
---
'This is simply unbelievable...I tried to sneak here while doing my best to mask my presence. How is it possible? Although my magical artifact works the best at night, it's not like I can't sneak around in the broad daylight' Ichika thought with a helpless smile behind her mask.
---
"Young lord, can I ask a question?" She asked with a respectful tone.
"Shoot" I said while putting white gloves on and adjusting my belt.
"...How did the young lord discover me?" She asked with her confused violet eyes.
Hearing her question, I turned at her with a teasing smile.
"You hid your presence very well but you can't influence shadows, wind, and many other elements. The curtains moved slightly more than usual out of nowhere so I knew that you just came in." I said with a smile and then moved in front of Ichika.
"I see..." Ichika muttered while staring into empty space.
---
'How much is he aware of his surroundings? And wasn't that only for a little moment before the curtains returned to their usual place? ...I think that I start to understand the young lord. Although he appears to be extremely lazy and disinterested, he actually checks his surroundings all the time...If he was just talented in this aspect then it would be fine but...his lazy image is making it even scarier.' Ichika thought and opened her eyes wide when she was looking at Akashi's 6 years old face.
---
"Anyway, the Lord Phoenix ordered me to-" Ichika wanted to start reporting the content of her talk with my father but I stopped her.
"He ordered you to hire some thugs to scare me, right?" I said with a bored look in my eyes.
I took a look at my energy which was at 100 points after my little show.
[Energy: 145/145]
Nice, it seems like intelligence increased my energy by 10 points. However, I am slightly disappointed since I don't know if I was able to recover the energy thanks to my title or thanks to the breakfast...
When I looked away from the display to look at Ichika, I noticed that her eyes were wide open in surprise.
"Are you supposed to hire some innocent people taking the role of thugs or were you ordered to hire real thugs?" I asked her another question.
"...Just some innocent people..." She answered me after recovering from her shock.
I recommend you to get used to this or you will soon die of shock, Ichika.
"Alright, hire real thugs, also lend me one of your daggers. I don't have any weapon on me." I said with a smile and extended arm, waiting for her to give me her dagger.
"Young lord? Why do you want me to hire real thugs?! I am confident in keeping you alive but it's still too dangerous!" Although she said this with pleading eyes, she still gave me one of her daggers.
I unsheathe it and looked at the condition of the dagger and couldn't help but lightly nod my head.
Curved blade, 1 sharp edge, 1 sharp point. More suitable for slashing than piercing attacks.
"Good, we are going out. As for your question...I want to try something, don't you dare go against my words and if you really want to go against it, say it aloud right now." I said with a poker face.
Better than you hiring some innocent people and being a cause of their deaths.
"N-no, I will follow the young lord's orders." She said with a defeated look in her eyes.
She then disappeared and went outside to look for the thugs for hire. From what I have heard about this city, it shouldn't be that hard to find them, hehe.
Anyway, if she will dare to hire just some actors, it will be her problem, not mine. I should also hide this dagger, I can't let my mother or father see it.
I hid the dagger under my black uniform with an insignia on my shoulder in the shape of a phoenix with spread wings. That's the symbol of my house and with that, everyone should be able to recognize who I am. At least in our territory, the Capital city is extremely big and it is divided into different parts. Each part is controlled by different noble families. Our territory belongs to one of the biggest parts of the cities. I have yet to know the reason why our family is so powerful while those 2 ministers tolerate it...Or more like why the emperor tolerated it but now that there are 2 ministers at the power, they are trying to limit our family somehow. The first step was that arranged marriage. My father could decline of course, but it would unnecessarily anger them. He accepted under the condition that the marriage would take place once I am 18 years old. In those years...anything can happen, hehe.
...
As I was leaving our mansion...
"Sweetie, wait!" My mother called out to me, stopping me right in front of the doors leading to the outside of the mansion.
"Yes, mother?" I asked with a warm smile.
"Jeez, what is your father thinking...making you go outside in those clothes. You look like you are going to war." My mother muttered while massaging the bridge of her nose when she saw my clothes that looked slightly similar to a military uniform.
"Father said that I need to be a good example for our house once I am outside." I replied to her with a forced smile.
...He even said that I need to have a strict expression. thankfully, I will be able to stay in my half-asleep mode because having half-opened eyes with a boring look can from other perspectives look like I am proud and arrogant. Now, I am glad that most people usually misunderstand this fact.
"Alright, just remember to have fun and the most important thing is...BE CAREFUL!" She said with a serious expression and stuffed something in my hand.
A little sack with gold coins?
I looked at the contents of the sack and then raised my head to look at my mother who just brightly smiled back at me.
?! I couldn't help but recall the first time when I have got pocket money from my previous mother.
Heh, they have the same smile. Although two of them look so different when it comes to their appearances, they still have the same nature. I wonder if all mothers are like those two or if I am simply lucky to have such great mothers.
I couldn't help but release a genuine smile and exhale a bit of air due to nostalgia moment.
"Thank you, mother! I said with a big smile, revealing my white teeth.
She just nodded and sent me away with a slightly sad expression.
When I closed the doors behind me, I stopped walking.
...Keeping my mother safe in my previous world wasn't that hard since all I had to do was hide my identity. Here...anyone can target her due to her position.
I resumed walking towards the exit of our residence and as I was walking through our garden, my eyes became extremely cold as I was staring towards the exit.
...I must become much stronger than in my previous life. I will protect that smile even if I will have to kill thousands of innocents!
I resolutely shouted inside my mind and as I was walking the numerous strands of the grass all around me caught on fire.
When I noticed the change around me I quickly woke up and those little flames on the tips of the grass also disappeared.
...I shouldn't waste my energy like that...
[Energy: 145/145]
Hm? It didn't take any energy? Then why did it appear?
I thought and before I knew it, I was already near the gate.
"Oh! Young lord, are you going out? Please wait for a moment" One of the 2 guards said and went to unlock the gate.
He opened it for me.
"Please be careful outside!" He said with a smile and I just nodded at him.
...
Hmm...there aren't as many beggars as I thought it would be.
These were my first thoughts when I noticed the situation after a few minutes of walking around.
"Hey isn't that young lord of Phoenix house?"
"I think so but what is he doing outside all alone?"
"Look at his clothes and that look in his eyes...He really is the heir to the Phoenix house."
I immediately became an attraction like some animal in the ZOO.
I went back towards the market area which is stationed only about a minute of walk from our residence. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was exactly in front of our residence.
As I was browsing through various stalls, I noticed a one time that caught my attention.
It was earings in shape of the crescent moon with a shining silver color. It was visible that it was a good quality product.
I took it into my hands to inspect it further.
"Hello, young lord, had you perhaps took a fancy to these earnings?" The shopkeeper asked me with a big smile when he saw me stop at his stall.
"Are these earnings made from surgical stainless steel?" I raised my head and asked him with my poker face.
"Y-yes." He answered with an uncertain expression.
Doesn't he know or is it because he has never heard of the surgical stainless steel? Well, just by the weight it's very similar to it.
"How much is it?" I asked him.
"10 gold coins" He answered with a big smile.
That's quite a rip-off, I only have 5 gold coins and a few silver ones. I can try to bargain with him but I guess I will resolve it after I am done with my experiment today.
"Reserve it for me, I will come for it later." I said while putting the earings back and then turned around to leave.
"Of course, young lord!" He shouted when he saw me walking away.
"*Young lord, I have found 2 thugs who would be willing to try to kidnap you. What do you want me to do next?*" As I was walking through the streets, I heard Ichika's voice.
"*Tell them that I will go through that dark alley, it's a good location, it is a shortcut connecting the market area with the poorer areas of the city where guards rarely patrol. I will make it look like I am using it to get home faster.*" I kept on walking with my poker face as I whispered while looking towards the alley's location.
"*Alright, I will go now...please don't do anything reckless while I am away from you, young lord.*" I heard Ichika's pleading voice next to me and I simply nodded to her.