Joseph and others walked out to the street as they were denied entry into the palace. It was expected as no one would let in some strangers into a private function. It was Niko who insisted that his ploy would work.
"What should we do now?" Kyther asked as he eyed on the sweet shop at a distance. He licked when he saw juicy sweets on the portrayal.
"We will separate again and try to find some information on those masked assassins," Joseph said and Tyler agreed with him.
"Fine," Kyther said and walked to the sweet shop. "I will meet you here if I find something."
"We will all meet here in an hour. We will have to meet the governor as well." Joseph took a street to the right and walked away. Tyler took the one to the left and was gone in a flash.
Joseph went to a weapon store, not because he wanted to gather some information, but he liked weapons. "Whoa!" As soon as he entered, his eyes glittered with the weapons around him.
Swords, pikes, shields, war-hammers, etc. were all displayed in sequence. A cunning-looking man with a fox-like face and protruded front teeth came to him. "What would you like, sir? We have best quality weapons."
Joseph looked at the swords. Those shining blades of iron were one of his loves of life.
"Ah, you have a great choice, sir," The man said when he picked up a scimitar.
He could see his reflection in the blade. "This one looks good."
"It suits your personality well, sir," The man rubbed his hands with a smile and said.
Joseph took his stance and swung the scimitar vertically in up to down motion, then he turned the blade and slashed the air in a horizontal motion. "It looks good, but…" He said as he kept the scimitar back.
"But? Did you not like it? I can show you better ones," The man said.
"I will take one, but I want to know something."
"What is it, sir?" The man was all ears.
"Have you heard about 'The order of assassins'?" asked Joseph. "I have heard they have gotten quite influential again. Is it true?" He could observe the uneasiness appearing on his face after he asked the question.
"Uhh… I do not know about them. I have never heard this name before." The man said while he sweated from his forehead. "Do you want me to show some swords now?"
"Actually…" Joseph scratched his head with an awkward smile. "… I forgot to bring the money. I will come to you again sometime." He noticed the face of the man turning dirty for a split second but somehow maintaining his fake smile again so that his customers do not get a bad impression.
Joseph understood it was the same here as well. It was difficult to make them talk. He tried to get some information from other places too, but it was of no use. He faced the same level of disappointment.
Meanwhile, Kyther argued with the sweet shop owner about the price of the sweets. He thought they were too expensive, but the owner insisted they were the right price.
"Oye, twenty bronze coins for a dozen is too expensive," Kyther argued.
"No, it is not," replied the shop owner. "If you do not want to buy them, go away. I have other customers too."
"What did you say?" Kyther felt angry. He was getting deprived of the juicy sweets because of its price. If the shop owner was a warrior, he would have challenged him to a duel and had won the sweets, but things were not in his favour.
He suddenly saw some rapid movements of the soldiers. "What is happening?" He muttered as he saw the soldiers closing the city entrance. He even noticed a group of soldiers separating and going into different directions.
Meanwhile, Tyler stopped at a bar and took a corner seat. The place was similar to the inn in Karma town. It was filled with filthy old men and female caretakers. He observed the people around him.
"Come here, sit on my lap," A drunken old man said to a female caretaker. She ignored him and walked away.
Just at the moment, someone entered the bar and took a seat near him. They wore a hood that covered half their face. "What would you like?" A waitress asked them.
"Beer," They replied. As soon as they spoke, the surrounding people realized they were a woman.
"Oye, she sounds like a woman," The old man said with a dirty smile. His drunken companions took their seats beside her.
"Hey, would you let us take a look at your face?" A man said while he drank the booze.
"Hey, at least talk to us," Another one of them said and groped her. She pushed his hand away, pulled out a dagger, and pointed it to his face.
"If you do not want to get rid of your life, get lost," She said.
"Wow." Tyler was impressed.
"What did you say?" The old man got furious and his goons surrounded her table. The bartender tried to calm down the situation as it affected his business, but the old man refused to listen. The bartender ran outside to call for help.
"She needs to learn her lesson," One of them said and grabbed her arm with the dagger and twisted it, forcing her to drop the dagger.
"Ah!" She winced.
At the very moment, he felt someone's hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, would you mind leaving the lady alone? She is with me." It was Tyler.
"What?" They turned to him in surprise. "She is with… you?"
"Yes," Tyler responded before they all grouped up in front of him. The lady was surprised as well at this.
"Then we will teach you a lesson before her." The drunk old man signaled a man to attack him.
Tyler evaded the man's punch and knocked him out with a roundhouse kick to his head. "I do not want to do the same to you all, so just leave."
The others approached him together. A right arm hook, a scissor kick, and a knee to the nose were enough to retire them to the floor. Only the old man remained now whose fear was visible on his face.
"Hey, do not come closer." He picked up the dagger the woman had dropped and tried to make her a hostage, but he did not know what was coming for him.
The lady kicked on his nuts, grabbed the back of his head and banged his head to the table thrice, each time harder than the previous one. The old man bled from his nose and passed out.
Her hood had come off for an instance before she abruptly put it back, Tyler felt something he had never felt before after getting a glimpse of her. Something moved in his heart without him realizing.
Big deer-like eyes, sharp nose, small mouth, oval face and red hair was a combo he was weak against. The fringes of her hair kissed her both cheeks and added to her grace.
"Thank you for helping me," She said. "But I would have dealt with them by myself. You need not have to interfere."
"Your welcome. I was just being nice, but I guess you do not like nice people." Tyler shrugged her off which irked her for some reason. Suddenly, the bartender entered with a bunch of scary-looking people.
"There they are!" The bartender pointed to the passed out old men.
The lady sneaked out of the bar, but she left her dagger behind which Tyler picked up and followed her.
"Someone already knocked them out," One of the men said.
"Ah, it must be…" The bartender searched for Tyler around, but he was gone. Even the woman was gone. "They are gone, I guess."
Tyler followed the lady outside the bar. He wanted to stop her, but she moved too fast for him to approach her. "Hey, stop!" She turned at his words.
"Why are you following me? Are you also one of those perverts?" She said.
"What?" Her words irritated him. "I am not following you because I want to." He showed her the dagger. "You had forgot this."
"Oh." She took it back normally, but her attitude changed again. "But do not think you have done something I should be grateful about. I know your kind. You are just one of those womanizer types."
"Just what is your problem?" Tyler was even more irritated now.
"Do you have something to say, huh?" The lady too was in a mood to go one on one with him.
Suddenly, she sensed someone behind her. Tyler saw a long-haired man in a white suit standing behind her.
"Did you think you could escape, princess?" He said, and the woman jumped back to maintain a distance from him.
"Princess?" Tyler was confused. Why was he calling her 'princess'?
"Who are you? I do not know you," She said. "Do not block my way."
"Aww. Why don't you show your face if I am mistaken?" He said as a bunch of soldiers surround them. "Come on. What happened? Uncover your face."
Tyler was looking at her feeling reluctant to show her face. She, however, uncovered her face.
"Why would you run away and make me lose my prestige?" He said.
"I know why you are marrying me. It is just to gain some political benefits. I do not like you!" She shouted. The people gathered around them and murmured among themselves.
"Oye, she is the governor's daughter. What is happening here?"
"Wasn't her wedding today?"
Tyler listened to their murmurs and realized she was the governor's daughter. "Wait, she is the governor's daughter?"
"Come on, do not be childish. Come with me, the guests are here and your father is waiting for you," The man said to her.
"No!" She looked around and her eyes fell on Tyler. "Besides…" She reached to him and grabbed his arm. "… he is the one I like. I will not go to that luxurious cage. I will go with him."
At this, the groom, the people around, and Tyler - all were shocked.
"What the hell are you talking about? Do I even know you?" Tyler said and tried to shake her hands off.
"Play along with me or you will lose your head now," She said.
"You…" Tyler was angry at her, but he could do nothing. He looked at the man and the dirty look he gave him.
"Who are you?" The man asked him furiously.
"I am Tyler," He answered.
"Are you a commoner?"
"Not really." Tyler did not know what to answer. He did not even belong to their country.
"I have never seen you. How do you know my fiance?"
"Uhh…" Tyler was out of ideas now. He looked at the princess for some clue.
"He is a better warrior than you," She said in between, ignoring the question. "He is so strong he would kick your asses in no time."
"Oye, oye, what the hell are you saying?" Tyler was in trouble now. He looked at the man and tried to explain. "It is not true. She is exaggerating stuff. Do not take her seriously."
The man suddenly pulled out his sword. "I, Jordan Adamos, challenge you for a duel. Right here, right now."
"Adamos?" It sounded familiar to Tyler.
"Do you really think you can win?" The princess laughed to mock Jordan. "He will kick your ass in public."
"You are foul-mouthed for a princess, Rebecca, but I will show you I am better than him," Jordan said and glared at Tyler. "If you are an honourable person, you will accept the duel."
Tyler could sense the killing intent coming from him.