Number 14 immediately ran forward.
He reached Claire within a second, held her chin and raised it up to view the wound on her throat.
'Two slashes…! This one handed dagger style!'
A weird sense of foreboding felt his mind.
"What were you doing when the attack happened?"
"I was trying to sleep, master."
'Seeing that the blood flowed and stained her throat horizontally, it seems to be the truth…'
"How did you survive?"
"The moment I felt something cold on my neck, I activated my stealth skill, disappearing completely from all senses of the attacker. But he was extremely skilled and still managed to deal superficial wounds. Luckily, suddenly disappearing from his senses seemed to have startled him, and I avoided getting fatally injured. That's all, master."
Claire said as she kneeled down.
Number 14 stayed silent for a few minutes, thinking, before he asked Claire to go back and stay alert for the rest of the night.
Immediately afterwards, he opened a communication device asking some people who had gone out on the previous mission to be on guard around the location.
This time, he took out another small device and send a signal.
Immediately the old voice of Number 1 was heard from the other side.
"What happened now?"
"This hideout's location has been compromised."
"What? Now how did this happen?"
"Don't know. Someone tried to assassinate the slave."
Number 1's voice immediately turned serious.
"In broad daylight? Did you catch the assassin?"
"No, but it's the Eastern Duke again."
"And how did you know that?"
"The single dagger double slash on the throat."
"..!"
"…"
"The Duke is getting out of hand! I don't know how he did this but I sure intend to find out!"
"Are you planning to take action?"
"I'll send the purple squad to the Eastern Duchy immediately."
"Purple squad? Those crazy murderers? They just kill people wantonly!"
"Yes, but they do that discreetly, and they get proper information from people."
"You'll aim for the duke?"
"No. We'll keep an eye on him and try to approach people close to him to find something. Anyway, try to pack things up. You'll have to change places after the meeting tonight."
"Hmm…"
"Alright, I have work to do, And try to manage your place will you? How come assassins come in and almost kill such an important asset?"
"Yes."
Sighing with audible loudness, Number 14 walked back up the stairs.
What he didn't know was that the entire conversation was being seen by Claire, who had just pretended to leave, and stayed there using stealth.
And all this while, she wasn't alone. Ray had been sharing her senses, hearing the entire conversation, while trying to control his laughter.
Receiving another mental message, Claire slightly nodded and walked back to her room. This group always worked at night. At least that's what Number 14 had told Claire, and as such she lay down her bed.
'Master asked me to sleep. He will give me another task during the meeting tonight mentioned by Number 1.'
Closing her eyes, she dozed off to sleep.
************************
Ray was sitting on his bed, grinning.
He hadn't fought the entire East in his last life in vain.
The 'one dagger double slash' was an assassination skill that was specifically used by the assassins directly under Duke Hadwyn.
These assassins rarely moved, and practically no one knew about them. After all, the assassins under nobles were meant to be secret in the first place.
Ray had transmitted the memory of the slash to Claire and asked her to pretend that she was attacked, and that was exactly what she did.
Actually he was trying to find out if the group had knowledge about this secret assassination method.
If they did, it would mean that their people probably had infiltrated higher echelons in almost every higher noble house. If not, he planned to release small clues that linked the technique to the duke, urging them to launch an investigation into the duchy.
But they had done him one better, and unleashed a murderous purple gang or whatever into Hadwyn's territory.
Just as he was thinking his next move, he heard a knock on his door and a male voice of a butler sounded from the outside.
"Your highness, the East Duke has contacted the palace's communication device and would like to talk to you."
'Well, that was quick.'
"Tell him to wait, I'll be there shortly."
"Will do, your highness."
Holding back his urge to smile, Ray got up and walked out of his room.
*******************************
A few hours ago…
'Dray Hadwyn' was reading through a list his subordinate had given him in the morning.
He had a lot of people hypnotized under him, and therefore used them to keep tabs on outsiders coming into his territory, and gather up to date information on various things.
Usually he would be busy hyp..er…blessing newborns, but much to his regret he had to close off his mansion for the week.
'After all, that brat would come here today…'
He had initially wanted to hypnotize the prince when he had visited him after his birth, but he feared getting caught. After all, controlling the prince didn't really help him survive longer, but rather brought him to danger.
In fact, he had prepared the best of the best, most generous things to welcome the prince, showing his overflowing kindness he was famous for.
'Also, it's my son's marriage ceremony…'
While he was silently going through the list, he suddenly felt his whole body tingle, as if there was a weird unpleasant itch.
'Why is my intuition skill detecting incoming danger?'
Immediately he went through the list in his hand, trying to detect if anything unexpected or big was happening within his territory.
After around two hours he read through the entire list but didn't find anything suspicious.
'That could only mean the problem is coming from outside.'
At that time he suddenly got up and strode towards his personal chamber while calling out several servants.
'It could only be that brat. He's coming today and now I sense incoming danger? I don't know what he's planning but if I don't let him approach me, he won't be able to harm me!'
Satisfied with his conclusion, he shouted to his servants that had gathered behind him.
"Cancel all preparations. The prince won't be coming anymore! Postpone the marriage; I'll inform the bride's family!"
'After all, that entire family is under my mind control too…'
Without asking any further question, as if in a daze, the servants nodded and left in various directions.
Now entering his chamber he contacted the palace.
He could contact the prince personally, but since he had invited him officially, not canceling it officially would mean disrespect.
'And that's bad for my image.'
Immediately, a servant appeared on the communication device's screen and asked him to wait for some time.
'Already making the Duke wait for him. Who does that brat think he is? The emperor?'
However the moment Ray appeared on the screen, his face was the complete opposite of his mind.
His lips streaked in a smile that was filled with sadness and disappointment.
"Your highness, as much as it saddens me, it seems like there is a disease brewing among the children in one of the cities, and the parents are requesting me for help. I cannot possibly refuse them. Therefore I had to forcibly cancel my only son's engagement. That being the case, I think there would be no point in you to come here. I know your time is extremely precious after all…"
He could see the prince's face contort in disappointment.
"You sure you don't want me to help? I could bring healers from the palace?"
"No, no your highness, no need to go to such lengths of trouble for this old man."
"Nonsense! I am the prince of the empire, how come I won't help the people when they are in trouble?"
Hadwyn now really knew that Ray was planning something; otherwise he wouldn't have wanted to come here so adamantly.
"And you see I've already spent a lot of my personal savings preparing for my travel East… and I do not know how to buy anything…"
Hadwyn tried his best not to break his smile.
'What the fuck is this brat speaking about? Spending on travels? He would literally just hop a few magic circles? Can't buy anything? His so called personal savings could buy two dukes!'
Meanwhile Ray had a knowing gaze cast at the duke.
'He must want some sort of compensation. I really want to refuse him but I can't let him come here. I can't let this brat's plan succeed!'
"I am extremely sorry your highness, as such I would like to compensate you for your losses, but this old man really doesn't have anything of value. Please feel free to express what you want and I would try my best to comply!"
He stopped to see the expression the prince was making, but was surprised to see a kind smile on his face.
'That smile! It's trouble! That's the smile I make in public!'
"Oh no, dear duke, you really didn't need to give me any compensation…but it would be disrespectful to reject your goodwill…"
"…"
"But you really don't have anything I want…"
Hadwyn didn't know what the prince was doing, but he didn't like it one bit.
"However I do not like to be overbearing, and am quite generous…"
The old man's lips started twitching.
"Hmm…. So what did you do about your son's wedding?"
"..? I decided to postpone it to a later date… preferably after your coronation!"
"Well then, I have my request. I am giving you two options, choose whichever one you want."
"First, I heard your son was a genius in magic control, so send him to the palace for a few days, and I would like to spar and exchange pointers with him…"
"…"
"Or second, come over with your son and his new bride and conduct their marriage in the palace's events hall!"
"May I ask why the prince would like to conduct the marriage in the empire?"
Ray gave him an obvious smile.
"You see, I'll be the emperor then. And you are by far the most well known and reputed Duke in the empire. As such, what do you think will happen if I selflessly open the royal family's events hall for your son's wedding?"
"..!"
"Yes! Of course I am trying to gain a better standing in the people's eyes!"
Hadwyn narrowed his eyes and went into deep thought.
'He… doesn't seem to be lying…'
"Your highness, that decision is completely up to my son after all; could I give you a reply later after speaking with him?"
"Sure, sure ask whom you want. Just remember, as you said previously… my time is extremely expensive."
Saying so, the prince cut off the communication.
'That brat!!! I want to smash that smug, handsome, perfect, heavenly… why the hell am I complimenting him?'
'Well whatever, at least I avoided the incoming dang-'
Suddenly he realized something.
'Wait… why the hell am I still sensing incoming danger…'
'Wait a minute… don't tell me it wasn't the prince at all?'
Suddenly he felt like tearing out his hair in frustration.
'No fuck you! You scammed me!'
Meanwhile, in the palace, Ray was laughing and complimenting himself at the great show he had put up.