Baskets of Water

Renard woke at noon the next day. Sunlight streamed through the castle windows, painting the floor gold.

"Creak." The door opened, and Selina walked in, looking utterly exhausted. The first thing she saw was Renard awake. Her face filled with astonishment, then delight. "Young Master, you're awake!"

"Shh! Shh! Shh!" Renard hurriedly gestured for her to be quiet. He accidentally tugged at his wound and couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.

Selina hurried over to soothe him. "Don't move, Young Master. The apothecary said you need to rest properly. Your injuries aren't too serious, but the arrow was poisoned. The poison has already entered your bloodstream, and it'll take a long time to flush it out completely."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. "Which bastard dared to attack you, Young Master? If we catch him, we'll hang him in the square!"

Renard felt a warmth in his heart. "That man really is a bastard."

Outside the door, Ben heard him and felt tears well up inside. There were three words he desperately wanted to say: "Screw your mother."

Of course, he could curse silently, but he'd never dare say it aloud.

After a while, Selina emerged, her eyes red-rimmed. She turned to the nine lackeys by the door and said, "Young Master wants you to go in."

At that, the lackeys swarmed inside, putting on a dazzling display of loyal-dog behavior.

"Young Master! It's all my fault for failing to protect you!" "Young Master, blame me! I let my guard down and gave the assassin an opening." "..."

Hearing the wailing from inside, tears welled up in Selina's eyes again. She quietly closed the door and headed toward the end of the corridor.

"All of you, shut up!" Renard clutched his chest, furious. "I'm not dead yet. What are you crying for?"

The lackeys immediately fell silent and crowded around him. Tommy said ingratiatingly, "As expected of you, Young Master. You were so badly wounded, yet you recovered in just one night."

"Get lost." Renard couldn't be bothered to waste words. He got straight to the point. "How did the old man react?"

"Furious as thunder." "Livid with rage." "R-rage... with a regal face?"

"Get lost, you idiots!" Renard thumped Fern on the head. "Did he ask about the assassin?"

"Of course." Raleigh nodded. "We were all called in and questioned."

"What did you tell him?" Renard looked at them expectantly.

"Three words." Ben held up three fingers. "I don't know."

Tommy also grinned and raised three fingers. "No idea."

"What did the old man look like when he heard those three words?" Renard asked.

Everyone shuddered at once, looking utterly terrified.

Renard understood. He rubbed his hands together. "Well done. Let's see how that bastard Gilbert dies this time."

The others exchanged glances. Tommy, the lackey, awkwardly tucked the blanket around him. "Young Master, your plan may have fallen through. Young Master Gilbert left Saint Brieuc Fortress for the capital the day before yesterday."

"What?" Renard's face filled with astonishment. Only then did he react. "He ran away?"

"Uh... yes." Everyone nodded awkwardly.

"So I took that hit for nothing?" Renard's eye twitched.

"I don't know!" "No idea!"

Renard's expression darkened. After a long while, he sighed. "I really underestimated him. I suspect going back to the capital was just an excuse. What he really wanted was to kill me."

Renard's guess was right. Gilbert really had intended to kill him.

When Gilbert said goodbye to his father the day before yesterday and set off for the capital, he was actually leading men to intercept and kill Renard.

Of course, he hadn't lied completely. Whether the ambush succeeded or failed, he still had to go to the capital. If the assassination succeeded, he would avoid suspicion; if it failed, he would flee.

But Gilbert hadn't anticipated that someone would send word ahead, leaving him with nothing to show for it—and saddling him with a huge black mark.

"Let him go, then. At least we haven't reached the point of mutual destruction." Renard sighed wearily.

He hadn't expected to deal with Gilbert through these schemes. After all, Gilbert was Hamilton's son. Even if he committed some terrible crime, the most he'd get was a scolding. There was no way they'd actually kill him.

Besides, this assassination attempt had been a charade Renard staged himself. There was no direct evidence pointing to Gilbert. At most, Baron Hamilton would grow suspicious and take precautions in secret.

Even so, his next plan had fallen through, and all his preparations had gone to waste.

It hadn't been entirely pointless, of course. Their contest had only just begun. Gilbert's departure might be a temporary retreat, as he gathered strength for his next deadly strike.

But Renard wasn't about to stand still, either. If Gilbert was biding his time, then Renard had to seize the opportunity to build up his own strength.

He dismissed his subordinates and began reviewing what he'd gained the day before.

"Host attributes: Strength: 10, Agility: 10, Intelligence: 6, Charisma: 6, Potential: 3, Unallocated Skill Points: 5."

"Host's Strength skills: Iron Bones: 4, Strong Attack: 3, Precision: 3."

"Host's Agility skills: Riding Skill: 0, Martial Arts: 5, Control: 4."

"Host's Intelligence skills: Battle Qi Usage: 0, Eidetic Memory: 5, Tactical Command: 0."

"Host's Charisma skills: Leadership: 2, Bravery: 2, Near Death: 2."

He had completed three Goblin-hunting missions, two of them with more than the required number of kills. The rewards included two random attribute points, one of which he had put into Agility and the other into Intelligence.

With Gilbert gone, Renard's hunger for strength had greatly diminished. His obsessive-compulsive tendencies suddenly kicked in, so he put all three Potential points into Intelligence. Then he spent all his Skill Points on Eidetic Memory, while his Agility skill point went into Control.

"Host attributes: Strength: 10, Agility: 10, Intelligence: 9, Charisma: 6, Potential: 0, Unallocated Skill Points: 0."

"Host's Strength skills: Iron Bones: 4, Strong Attack: 3, Precision: 3."

"Host's Agility skills: Riding Skill: 0, Martial Arts: 5, Control: 5."

"Host's Intelligence skills: Battle Qi Usage: 0, Eidetic Memory: 9, Tactical Command: 0."

"Host's Charisma skills: Leadership: 2, Bravery: 2, Near Death: 2."

Renard's attributes were now much higher than they had been at the start, but his strength hadn't increased noticeably.

That was only natural. If his combat ability could undergo a qualitative leap in just a few days, he'd have to suspect the system had some sinister motive.

After assigning his attribute points, Renard was just about to close the interface when the system's notification suddenly rang out, sending him into a frenzy of delight.