The Clumsy Assassin (6.2K)

Mahiro saying that, Makoto continued eating and drinking at the banquet.

Kisara very intelligent; he can spot blind spots with just a little guidance, and he's also very proactive, as seen in the Scorpio incident.

They were able to gather so much intelligence in such a short time.

Although there might be someone helping her behind the scenes.

But that's alright, isn't it interesting to watch the vengeful ghost put on a grand revenge show?

By the time the banquet ended, the sun had already set.

Upon his notification, Kisara had returned to the office, leaving him alone in the Holy Residence. He was then led by a servant to the Seitenshi's bedroom.

It was like some kind of inviolable Sanctuary; apart from the maids who cared for her, there wasn't even a single guard outside the door.

"Long time no see, Mr. Mahiro. You're very punctual."

Inside the room, the Seitenshi, sitting on the edge of the bed, straightened his posture, placed his hands elegantly in front of his robe, and smiled gently.

Mahiro casually pulled up a chair, sat down opposite the Seitenshi, and looked at her with a strange expression.

"Long time no see? We were just saying goodbye at the banquet ten minutes ago."

No. I mean, we'll meet here.

"If that's the case, then that's indeed correct."

Apart from the first commission, the rest of the commissions were basically made in the Seitenshi's bedroom. Kisara knew about this from the beginning, which is why he did not choose to stay at the Holy Residence.

His close relationship with the Seitenshi was precisely due to events that had occurred in the past year.

At that time, the Seitenshi had just been on the throne for a year. Due to his rising prowess, he suffered several assassination attempts, but he protected him each time.

That's why his ranking rose so quickly.

As a result, the Seitenshi gained a foothold among various forces.

"Alright, instead of this pointless small talk, let's talk about why you want to keep me here. It's getting late, and I'm getting a bit hungry... Could it be that His Seitenshi intends for me to serve him in bed?"

"Mahiro is as witty as ever, even though he ate quite a bit at the banquet."

Despite being teased in a flippant manner, the Seitenshi showed no shame or anger. Instead, he covered his mouth with his hand, which was covered by a white silk glove, and laughed.

"You don't deny the possibility of him serving you in bed? Well, I understand, Your Seitenshi is already 16 years old, so I can understand your needs. But! My price is very high."

"Mr. Mahiro, what are you saying?"

The Seitenshi smiled slightly, revealing a captivatingly beautiful smile, and brushed aside his teasing words.

Although many people regard her as a 16-year-old puppet, there is no doubt that this "vase" has some merit.

"... Okay, enough joking around."

Mahiro's smile faded, and he said Mahiro, "It is indeed getting late. Let's talk about what's going on. Judging from your expression, it must be another request."

"Yes."

The Seitenshi stopped joking and nodded seriously, saying, "Mr. Mahiro, President Qi Wu, the representative of the Osaka Area, will be making an informal visit to the Tokyo Area the day after tomorrow."

"Then what?"

"Tonight, Kikunojo will be traveling by plane to another region and will not be in the Tokyo Area for some time."

"So? Are you planning to have me kill that old bastard, Tendo Kikunojo, to help you completely control the Tokyo Area, or are you planning to have me help you kill that Saitake Sougen? If it's that kind of request, then I'll accept it."

Of course, the price is also very high, ten million yen per person.

Mahiro said without any hesitation.

He would say this not only because he genuinely wanted to take on such a request, but also mainly because of the dormitory environment.

Besides being entirely white like the Seitenshi, the main reason for its size is that such a large room uses a three-pronged candlestick as its light source.

In this dimly lit environment, aside from couples secretly meeting, the only thing he could think of was assassination.

"Please don't make such a cruel joke."

The Seitenshi frowned slightly; clearly, this was even harder for her to accept than the earlier joke about serving him in bed.

"I understand that there is an irreconcilable hatred between Kikunojo Kisara, and some of the things he did behind my back were indeed outrageous, but he was also doing it for the sake of the Tokyo Area."

Furthermore, if President Qi Wu dies in the Tokyo Area, the next president, who will be the vice president of the Osaka Area, will certainly become president and will regard the Tokyo Area as an enemy; it is even possible that war will break out directly.

So, your answer is no?

"That's beyond doubt."

"All right."

Seeing the Seitenshi's unusually serious attitude, Mahiro shrugged and said, "If you refuse, then refuse."

"Please don't make jokes like that again. It's really awful, and it makes me angry too."

Having regained his composure, the Seitenshi glared at Mahiro and once again placed his hands together in front of him.

"But to be honest, Your Seitenshi, you just missed a chance to completely rule the Tokyo Area."

Should we continue this topic?

"... I won't say anything more, you go ahead and tell me."

Sensing that the Seitenshi seemed Mahiro angry, Makoto wisely shut her mouth and gestured for her to continue.

"Alright, now it's my turn to speak."

His attitude made the Seitenshi nod in satisfaction. Perhaps it was Mahiro was finally willing to listen to her honestly, so he inexplicably felt a strange joy that was hard to explain, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"My main request this time is that you accompany me during the talks, act as my bodyguard, and provide me with support."

"?"

Upon Mahiro slowly typed a question mark, "You're asking me to be your bodyguard again? I already guessed it, but I still want to say, shouldn't that old Tendo Kikunojo have assigned you a bodyguard already?"

"When meeting Saitake Sougen, I felt you needed someone more adept at navigating politics, and unfortunately, I am not that kind of person."

This time, he really didn't want to take on the guard duty.

He knew that this time it was Tina, the sniper in the shadows, who was about to appear, but he could take Tina down in the dark, and the Seitenshi's safety would remain assured.

In addition, the main reason is that Arcadia has already entered its final stage.

He has basically taken in most of the Cursed Children in the Tokyo Area, and is starting to take them in other areas as well. So he plans to travel to other countries and bring those children back with him.

If he accepts the commission, he'll really be tied up.

"You're right, Mr. Mahiro. Rather than a bodyguard, I might indeed need someone who can politically challenge President Qi Wu. And Kikunojo has indeed provided me with a bodyguard, but... that person's motives are impure."

In the dimly lit room, illuminated only by candlelight, the Seitenshi spoke softly.

The cool night breeze blew gently in through the window, causing the silk curtains to sway softly, and the candlelight on the three-pronged candlestick flickered in the wind, making the room light up and down.

Through the dim candlelight, he caught, for the first time, a barely perceptible hint of disgust and deep inner turmoil on the Seitenshi's fair face.

Then, she slowly stood up from the bedside, went to the windowsill, and extended her slender, snow-white fingertips to close the window. Gazing at the starry night sky, she slowly spoke:

"Mr. Mahiro, as a police officer, you should know very well that in the near future, top police officers from around the world will be assigned by their respective governments to come here to carry out assassinations and sabotage operations, all for the sake of the world's most important resource—holmium—which is abundant here."

"And this land beneath our feet, the Tokyo Area nestled beside Mount Fuji, produces holmium in a staggering fifty percent of the entire archipelago."

"... So, I don't know when I'll die from assassination. If it weren't for your existence over the past year, I might have died like Mother. And now my body is capable of bearing children, and the Holy Chamber's attendants are constantly urging me to give birth to an heir as soon as possible, so--"

"So, the person that old man arranged for you wasn't just a bodyguard, but also a partner to help you bear children and continue the bloodline of the Holy Family?" Mahiro up where he left off.

The Seitenshi pressed his hands against his flat stomach, and although he smiled, his sadness was evident.

She shook her head.

"I don't know what Kikunojo is thinking, but that person definitely has such thoughts, and I don't like them."

"Aren't you afraid that I might also have the same thoughts?"

"You wouldn't." The Seitenshi looked at him with a deep gaze. "Mr. Mahiro, I know you like to make all sorts of jokes, but you are kind, unafraid of power, and have no greed for it... Besides, if the person who bore my child were you, I might accept it."

The Seitenshi is serious.

At least that's how it appears from her perspective.

Although the words ended uncertainly, the tone was certain.

Mahiro pursed her lips slightly, her gaze calm.

At that moment, he finally understood why he was so interested in the Seitenshi.

It wasn't just because the girl had a high and mighty status; her saintly purity made him want to dye that purity with his own color.

It's also because of a sense of déjà vu.

It feels like Mayumi, or perhaps a descendant of the Ten Master Clans, the Eighteen Candidate Families, and the Hundred Families.

They both lack the right to choose their own marriage, and neither can choose their own love.

Therefore, they all compromised and, if possible, chose someone they didn't dislike to continue their bloodline.

"Alright, in that case, I accept this request."

"Really?"

"Of course, whether it's being a bodyguard or having a child with His Majesty the Seitenshi, I'll accept it all."

"As expected, even in this situation, Mr. Mahiro can still crack a joke."

A slight smile appeared on the Seitenshi's lips, and the sorrow that had just settled in his heart vanished instantly.

However, Yotsuba Mahiro shook her head and said:

"No, this time, I'm serious."

That being said, he didn't actually do anything to the Seitenshi.

Instead, they spent the night in other rooms of the Holy Residence, led by a maid.

The following day, through the introduction of the Seitenshi, he met the guards left by Tendo Kikunojo for the Seitenshi, a security force headed by Yasuwaki Takuto.

However, the process wasn't so pleasant.

As the Seitenshi himself described his disgust, this man was indeed repulsive.

His face was full of fake smiles, revealing a greedy desire that already considered the Seitenshi as his own, and a barely perceptible chilling killing intent emanating from him.

Just looking at the last bit, this guy was already dead.

Sure enough, after the Seitenshi left, as he was about to go out for breakfast, Yasuwaki Takuto and his small group ambushed him and took him to the toilet.

"Yotsuba Mahiro, right? The one who defeated Scorpio of the Zodiac? But he used underhanded tricks. If I had that kind of secret weapon, I could do it too!"

Yasuwaki Takuto scoffed and smiled disdainfully.

He then threatened:

"You remember this: His Highness Tiantong entrusted the Seitenshi to me, so you stay away from the Seitenshi, and you're not allowed to participate in the guard duty this time, or don't blame me for breaking your limbs!"

That's truly a classic way of speaking.

Moreover, this method reminded him of his school days, when a group of people who liked to play 80s games particularly enjoyed taking people to the toilet to bully them.

Just like now.

Thinking of this, Yotsuba Mahiro couldn't help but sigh:

"Isn't it good to be alive? Life is so short, why do you have to take shortcuts?"

Chapter 79 The Confused Assassin (6.2K)

There are many smart people in this world, but there are also many brainless people.

Yasuwaki Takuto clearly belongs to the latter type, an arrogant idiot who acts recklessly because he has Tendo Kikunojo backing him up.

No, calling him an idiot would be an insult to the word "idiot."

"What did you say?!"

Upon hearing this, Yasuwaki Takuto was immediately enraged and raised his fist to punch Mahiro in the face.