Horace's thoughts were sliding down the dangerous path of "how to poach people efficiently." He had even gone over details such as "should I first use the Great Runes to quietly plant a suggestion of 'shifted loyalty,' or simply ask Marika to pull some strings?"
Just then, a thunderous voice suddenly boomed beside his ear, startling him so badly that he nearly spilled the wine in his hand.
"Asei!"
Godfrey had come up beside him at some point, bringing a powerful waft of alcohol and a warrior's searing presence.
His great round eyes narrowed slightly. Their usual unalloyed good cheer was gone, replaced by a beast's wariness and confusion.
"What's wrong, big brother?" Horace quickly adjusted his expression to one of concern.
"Had too much to drink? Want to get some rest?"
"It's not the wine!" Godfrey shook his head hard, as though trying to shake off some discomfort.
"I keep feeling... something, or someone, has set their sights on me. Hiss... it's strange. Like someone's behind my back, drooling over me, figuring out how to take some treasure off my hands."
Horace's heart missed the slightest beat.
Wasn't his brother's intuition a little too accurate? He really had only been "figuring things out" in his head just now. He hadn't said a word, and he'd kept his gaze well under control!
Could a top warrior like Godfrey have developed his "beast's instincts" enough to sense other people's "ill intent" toward him?
He forced himself to remain composed and put his professional skills as an "external brain" to work, quickly asking for details in an attempt to steer Godfrey's attention away from "someone wants to steal my things," which was far too close to the truth. "What exactly does it feel like? When did it start? Does it point to