Mohan pushed open the door, revealing... nobody.
Instead, a massive stairway descending downwards appeared, leading towards a timber, wooden door. Occasional candles that look to be lit by mana adorned the stone walls in a smooth pattern.
'I've psyched myself all for this?!'
Mohan clicked his tongue.
This location was almost unintentionally discovered by the former 'him.' The previous 'him' was scolded by his mother, the Queen, according to his hazy memory. Depressed and glum, he ran sobbing to his room. Coincidentally he happened to come across his father's quarters door slightly opened.
"…our Majesty, we have located them."
"..es- YES! Quickly tell this King where."
"…Around the Guild.."
His memory isn't as clear, and he couldn't make out their figures, but he could discern just a few words. The younger 'him' was confused about what they could have meant and had no idea what precious information he held in his hand at that time.
Mohan swallowed quietly and grinned. He had no idea what he could have gotten himself into if he had been caught, now that he thought about it. Not at all, thankfully.
It's possible that this site is a ruse or a trap. But he decided to give it a shot. He could just be wrong, and the King really did manage to find them, but knowing 'them,' their hideout couldn't be uncovered that effortlessly.
But he had one thing in this life that he lacked in his last.
He has knowledge of the Imperial Exterminators.
In this life, no one knew of them yet as they had yet to rise to fame. This is a golden opportunity that only he had.
Mohan blinked, realizing that he had spaced out again.
"Tsk! Why am I idling around here like a fucking coward.." Mohan mumbled under his breath. He then sauntered down the flight of stairs.
His boots made an apparent sound that reverberated across the area. Sweat was streaming down his back; whether it was from nervousness or the heat in the room, he didn't know anymore.
Eventually, he made it to the door.
As he opened the door, it made a slight creaking sound. He swung the door open, revealing... a pitch-black area.
Mohan could feel his veins popping on his forehead.
"Show yourself. Have you had enough playing with me around here?" Mohan spoke as if holding back his anger at the seemingly unusual empty area.
There was stillness, and a gust of wind blew by his face.
Then, out of nowhere, a figure dressed in a black robe appeared in front of him. The hood shadowed their face, and Mohan couldn't tell whether this person was a female or male.
"…What brings you here?" The figure spoke in a monotonous voice.
He couldn't discern what gender they were by their voice, either.
Mohan was aware that this individual was a subordinate of that 'person,' but he couldn't recall who they were. Trying to remember who this individual was was pointless because all it did was give him a headache.
Mohan opened his mouth
"I'd like to meet with your leader."
Then all of a sudden, the figure in front of him began to blur. A chilly blade brushed the surface of his hood above his neck with immense killing intent.
His body shivered from the almost solid murderous intent directed at him. It felt like an angel of death had come to take away his soul.
"How dare a man as lowly as you request to meet with him?" A cold, freezing voice resounded near his ear.
Mohan clenched his teeth. He felt slowly boiling rage boil in his gut. In a situation where he had to act docile and vulnerable to any action, it was as though he had been smacked in the face. It made him feel ashamed and insulted.
"Heh, wouldn't you offer your visitor tea and a chair to sit down on in this situation?" Mohan laughed lightly as he looked back at the figure, his eyes curved. "I knocked on the door but received no response. Shouldn't you at the very least show some respect for your guest?"
A deafening silence was met, then came a terrifyingly low voice.
"How did a person like yourself learn about us? Well.. dead men tell no tales." The figure muttered under their breath.
Mohan instantly felt the killing intent become stronger. His neck was suddenly wrapped in a sense of exposure and vulnerability.
Mohan intuitively dodged.
Slash!
The sword appeared to cut across space and time. The blade made a terrifyingly clean sound as if it were slicing through a building, but all it scored was thin air.
If he hadn't ducked, his head would have been severed at that moment.
The figure paused suddenly and muttered something under their breath.
His masked rage began to boil. Using his increasing momentum, he leaned slightly, took advantage of the other's pause, and kicked the figure's knee.
Bam!
Before they could do anything, the figure fell to the ground. Taking advantage of the person's lack of mobility, Mohan quickly pulled the figure's arm and twisted it behind their back.
"Hah...Hah."
How was this body so weak?! His body was under a lot of strain right now because of his movements. His muscles ached, and he couldn't catch his breath. Mohan was certain that this was the outcome of a lifetime of not exercising. How inconvenient.
Returning his attention to the current situation, he pressed down on his knee with all his strength on the struggling figure beneath him.
"You're not going anywhere that easily. Heh, look at you now when you were just all talk a few seconds ago. How embarrassing."
The struggling figure beneath him paused.
"What a glib tongue you have. Unfortunately, it's all futile."
"Futile? What are you-" Mohan stared at the figure underneath him when the space around him began to distort abruptly.
The room was immediately filled with the faint whiffs of cigarettes and liquor. Both of their figures were pierced by many dark gazes.
Mohan felt his back prick. He widened his eyes in astonishment as he looked around the room.
There were tables, round tables with many people seated around them. The tables were cluttered with cigarette butts and ashes, with the occasional deck of cards stacked on top of each other. The smoke from the tobacco turned the crowd's faces into a hazy blur, leaving only their powerful shapes apparent. A bar with a server in a suit was located far to the right, and intermittent clinks of alcohol glasses could be heard.
Many different people gathered here, but they all had one thing in common.
They glanced at Mohan and the figure with the piercingly wild eyes and mirth. Mohan pictured himself as a white sheep who had come across a pack of wolves.
Mohan awoke from his stupor to find the person beneath him had vanished. He looked behind him to find that same person dusting their clothes, and their head lowered in silence.
Then suddenly, boisterous laughter could be heard. People pointing fingers at the person next to him in amusement, and men beating their burly arms on the table to hold their laugh and mirth.
"How amusing! How amusing! The high and mighty protector of ours, Colahn was beaten to the ground by a stranger! Applauses everyone applause!"
Clap clap!
The strange cackling came from a man with downturned horns on his head. He had shaggy red hair that hung down to his waist and an unusual golden slit in his crimson, fiery eyes. Sharp fangs appeared as he smirked.
The man in red licked his teeth and flashed a cold, playful glint in his eyes when Mohan locked eyes with him. It felt as if this man was a monstrous predator, patiently circling his small prey as he entertained himself.
"My, may I have the honour of knowing your name, darling?" The man leaned forward on the table, his leisurely stance and body indicating his interest in Mohan.
"…It's Moh- Molan. It's Molan." Mohan faltered. In the entire country, there was only one Mohan. Even if they were corrupt or evil, royal names are blessed, and revealing his name outright would expose him, which was a dumb thing to do in front of them, considering his past life.
"Hm, I see Molan does have a nice ring to it. Well, Molan, what brings you here? Or rather… how'd you know of this place?" The red-haired man's smile darkened almost instantly. He spoke with a frigid tone that was devoid of any warmth like before.
"How rude. Shouldn't one make an effort to introduce oneself before starting a conversation? You see, I don't like talking to people whose names I don't know of." Mohan's tone mocked him as he raised an eyebrow.
"You bastard! How dare you talk to our lord like that! Please, Lord Rhaegal! Give me permission to strike down that shady fucker who hides his face like a damn-"
"Rhaegal. My name is Rhaegal." Rhaegal beamed, utterly ignoring the person who spoke up. "Interestingly, you're absolutely right. It is my mistake for not having introduced myself first…Well, Molan, let's sit down shall we? You must've been uncomfortable from your fight with our friend Colahn-."
"Lord Rhaegal! Please allow me to punish that bastard who has no shame and dared to humiliate yo-"
BAM!
CRASH!
Rhaegal lowered his arm, disregarding the person who had been smashed into the wall just now and was a bloody mess.
The room descended into utter silence that even a pin drop could be heard. The crowd took a deep breath and mumbled beneath their breath,
"That hot-blooded idiot-" A blonde man sitting around a table smacked his forehead.
"I told him several times not to interrupt the Lord..."
"He deserved it! Why did the Master even accept that guy?" A blue-eyed teen sitting next to him chipped in.
"Are you questioning the Master's intentions?! You have a death wish huh?!" A burly man yelled.
"No! That's not what I meant! Stop- What are you doing?!"
"Then what else?!" The burly man got up and smacked him in the face.
The blonde stood up with a sigh as if used to all this. He walked over to the man on the rubbled ground, passed out, and carried him to the infirmary on his shoulder.
"Even so, who is that guy? Is he a recruit?" The blue-eyed teen rubbed his black eye in exasperation.
"No. I don't think so. Otherwise, why would he fight Colahn? He's a well-known keeper of our Master, after all. They're all stronger than that." The burly man gazed at Mohan deeply, his eyes glinting a chilly light. "If push comes to shove, we'll kill him. He might even be an intruder, and we haven't even started our first mission yet."
"Yes, Uncle Morin. It's almost about time." The teen said in a dull voice. His eyes were blank and cold.
Morin gave the adolescent an odd look. "Kids these days..." He muttered as he gulped down his beer.
The teen blinked and stared at Morin. "Huh, what did you say just now?"
"Shut up!"
"Y-Yes!" The teen peeped.
The burly man humphed and looked back to Mohan, his thoughts unknown.
"Well, Molan, shall we get going?" Rhaegal smiled and led the way.
Rhaegal's demeanor made it clear that there were no options for escape. The previously bustling audience fell silent and gazed at Mohan and Rhaegal with glee as though a wonderful show was about to begin.
Rhaegal took Mohan out of the room, up a stairwell that led to a long, straight corridor. He opened a hidden door that led him somewhere else. With antiques on occasional stands and simple paintings on the walls, this environment appeared to be very different from the place he was in. The sunlight streamed in through the windows, creating a calm atmosphere in the corridors. This gave him a sense of serenity, and he couldn't help but relax.
Mohan assumed he was in a region of the area where other people didn't have access. He wondered how such a place was hidden. Maybe the place he was in previously was part of the Mercenary Guild? He looked around the area curiously.
Mohan didn't know he almost guessed the truth.
After a few minutes of a long silent walk, Rhagael gave Mohan a light smile as he came to a halt in front of a door, which he opened and took Mohan inside.
Mohan walked inside and heard the door click. He turned around and spotted Rhaegal smiling as usual, but Mohan knew it was an unfriendly smile.
A stranger with unknown origins and motives, just happened to be searching for the Imperial Exterminator's leader in the Imperial Exterminator's stronghold. Especially when they weren't even well-known to the public. How could anyone not be wary of him? If it had been him, he would have hacked the stranger's head off without giving him a chance to speak.
And Mohan knew he wasn't going to be let off that easily.
"Take a seat." Rhaegal sat down on the two-person sofa.
The place appeared to be a study. Large bookshelves were arranged in a clean manner on the wall. In front of the bookcases was a wooden desk, which looked tidy and simple, with an ink and quill.
Then there was a little glass table in the middle of the room with a simple flower vase between two oak sofas with soft cushions, making the room appear satisfying and pleasant.
Mohan slumped back on the cushion, slightly leaning on the sofa. His whole demeanor seemed relaxed, as if oblivious to what was about to happen.
Rhaegal tilted a corner of his lips. "Would you like tea? Milk? Or would you prefer an Earl Gray?"
"Stop with the act. I would love to indulge in your little play going on but I admit that it's pretty awkward."
"Hmm.. A glib tongue like he said." In deep thought, the red-haired man stroked his chin as he peered at Mohan. He then made a sudden snapping motion with his fingers.
Four women in maid outfits appeared in an orderly manner out of nowhere.
"Prepare us tea. Then excuse yourselves out." Rhaegal ordered.
The four women stepped up to the table, bowing slightly as they did so. They all had scaly, colorful tails when they got closer to them, each one distinct from the others.
'What. The. Fuck.' Mohan screamed in his head, bewildered by this scene. Despite the fact that his face was hidden by his hood, he retained an icy and unearthly appearance, with just soft, delicate red lips visible.
A tea set appeared when a woman with green hair swiped her hand across the table. The four then worked together to brew the tea in unison. Their deft hands made a blur as they added the tea powder and skillfully poured hot water onto both of their cups.
After they finished cleaning up, they bowed to Rhaegal in an orderly manner and vanished into thin air.
"…"
His focus now shifted away from the scene earlier, he looked back at Rhaegal.
"Well then, let's get started shall we?" Rhaegal's eyes were frosty and cold, but a smile remained on his face. "I'm starting to wonder, how did a person like you come to know of us? As I asked earlier, but that wouldn't have been convenient for you, am I right?"
"Yes." Mohan nodded as he sipped the tea. "I found out about you earlier, and with my current situation, I had no choice but to come here. You are the only ones who could help me."
Mohan wasn't going to make up some false story or hide the truth, and neither was lying going to help him. If they found out, he'd be killed, which wasn't worth it if the worst-case scenario happened.
"Hm, could it be that we have a rat mixed with us? This is going to be troublesome indeed." Rhaegal tapped on the table. "Well, Molan. I just want you to know one thing."
Rhaegal stood up and walked towards Mohan, leaning closer to his ear.
"…If not my Master's mercy, your head would've been blown off your neck before you could even take a step in. You're not worthy of being in his presence. You won't be an obstacle in his goals either. I could kill you anytime right now, but he ordered me not to. He is benevolent enough to let you off." He whispered in his ear callously, his ruthless tone reminding Mohan of the inner nervousness he so desperately tried to suppress.
Rhaegal beamed at Mohan. He sat back down on the sofa and crossed his legs.
"You wanted to meet with my Master, correct? Although I'm very curious about which rat decided to blabber about us to who knows who, you need the qualifications to meet with him. Would you care to tell me?"
Silence descended in the room, the cool breeze from the french window trailed in the room. Mohan felt somewhat more at ease when the current swept past him, swaying his hood.
Mohan breathed out and lifted his hand, smoke-like frost particles swirling in his palm appeared, irradiated by the sun's rays. It was a stunning sight to see. Mohan clenched his hands slightly and aimed at a flower vase before anyone could revel in the sight.
Woosh!
Smash! Crack!
The flower vase turned to ice and smashed into bits, but it wasn't the only object that was harmed. The wall behind it was transformed into an ice glacier, with the ice sliding slowly and smoothing out the rest of the wall.
The previous warm room became cold and chilly, and smoke seeped from the frozen wall, turning the room into a wintery chamber.
"And I'm going to correct a misconception. No rat or anyone for that matter told me about you. I had a dream, a dream where the Imperial Palace was ravished in flames. Nobles died one after another, and you were very well known. I can't say who I am exactly, but I need help, and you're the only ones who could do that. Help me, please." Mohan threw out his dignity and bowed slightly to Rhaegal. His hand clenched on his lap.
Mohan lifted his eyes and looked back at Rhaegal.
"…"
"Hehe, you look better when your head is down. Yep just like that, keep it down. It suits you better." Rhaegal covered his mouth in mirth, his eyes curved in amusement, completely ignoring the speech he said earlier.
Mohan's body trembled with slowly boiling rage as he dug his fingers into his palm, but he held it in.
"I'm kidding… actually nevermind. You do look better with your head down."
Mohan's teeth were clenched as faint blood ran between his fingertips. His trembling body became even more apparent.
"Hahaha! You're so amusing, I'm starting to like you." Rhaegal laughed out loud, his voice echoing in the frosty room.
"Will. You. Help. Me. Or. Not." Mohan muttered as he grinded his teeth together. His lower face, which was visible beneath his hood reddened, giving him the appearance of being about to cry.
"Well, that is up to the Master, isn't it?" Rhaegal smiled faintly, his tone suggesting.
Mohan raised his head, understanding his tone. He took a handkerchief from his pants pocket, and gracefully wiped the blood off his hands. As if his earlier rage had been a farce.
"Take me to him." Mohan asked, returning his handkerchief back into his pocket.
Rhaegal chuckled, but his crimson eyes weren't smiling at all.
"Of course, he's looking forward to meeting you as well."