In the dark alley, stood Kahn as he was trying to comprehend exactly what happened. He hadn't even detected that he was poisoned through the wine he was drinking until the system notified him that he was poisoned..
And to top it.. The Poison was an extremely lethal one. If not for his Grandmaster rank Poison Immunity he got after absorbing the body of the legendary Somir during hunting days in the forest.. Kahn would be either dead or on the verge of it in just a few hours already.
But thanks to that ability, all he felt was losing control over his nerves and balance of his body when he was riding inside the carriage. The poison itself was so potent that even his grandmaster rank immunity took some time to completely process and detoxify his body. Or else, he would've died a painful and pitiful death.
And because of his Eidetic memory, he could remember each of the encounters with other people he had. Mainly when he shook hands with them, when he ate something or when he drank the wine.
Alcohol wasn't his preference so he stuck with wine only. And he had drunk only 3 glasses of wine. He received the notification from the system when he was on the 3rd glass.
"So they took time on deciding how best to poison me without raising suspicion. And only decided on the wine because it was the only beverage I drank throughout the banquet." recounted and summarized Kahn.
Since whoever wanted him dead couldn't just put such a highly lethal poison in food made for the nobles which could lead to a disaster itself and only wanted him dead.. They had to find a sure-shot method that would only get to him and him alone.
"Who could it be?" he thought for a while, trying to decide the most possible culprit.
The nobles had no problems with him before he attended the banquet and beat the heck out of their children.. The security wouldn't dare to do it as it would jeopardize the Magistrate's reputation.. That would bring doom for whoever planned this assassination.
Naturally, no Noble would bring poison to a party that was meant to make themselves able to communicate with other nobles. Even if they had any prior qualms, they would settle it somewhere else.
As for the magistrate himself.. He was only curious about his strength. And commander Straze didn't appear to be someone who'd go for a silent assassination.. Rather he'd kill his opponent with bare hands instead. He looked to have that much pride as a warrior.
Now that left only one person and his only clue.. The servant who brought him the wine.
Kahn quickly activated his Hive Mind ability and linked his mind and vision to Ronin, the Rogue subordinate he had left inside the shadow of that servant.
Kahn had stopped by only after few kilometers away from the magistrate's mansion because this ability had the restriction of working only in the 5 kilometers proximity of Kahn.
Through Ronin's eyes.. He saw the servant cleaning up the dishes along with others and then leave the mansion hurriedly.
While all his subordinates had shadow merge that helped them merge with Kahn's shadow.. Only Ronin had the skills to mix with someone else's shadow as he was created by mixing an Assassin & Thief class corpses when he was created by Kahn when he hunted the Groundhog adventurer team members as part of his contract. So he used Ronin as his tracking device.
Kahn donned his black cloak and followed the servant as he watched him enter a dark alley that was nothing but a desolate area.
The servant knocked on a door of a small rundown house.
CREAK..
The door opened and a black-masked individual let the servant in the house.
"I did it. I finished the job." spoke the servant.
"Are you sure? Did you see him drink the poison with your own eyes?" asked the masked man.
"Yes. You have no idea how dangerous it was. I was surrounded by all those nobles and guards. Thankfully nobody else asked me for a glass of wine. Only this guy was drinking the wine among all the men while the rest were drinking alcohol. So I thought it was the best way to do it by spiking the wine." spoke the servant.
The black-masked figure took out his mask and finally revealed his face.
A demonkin with a long black beard and braided hair.
Kahn who was watching and hearing all of this through Ronin found his facial hair style a bit similar.
"So, when do I get the money you promised?" asked the servent.
"That's the neat part.. You don't."
The bearded demonkin quickly took out a dagger from his back and stabbed the servant in his neck before the man could even react.
Thud!
The body of the servant fell on the ground as he started choking on his blood and slowly lost his life on the spot.
"Idiot. Did he really think like we'd leave a clue behind? Hahaha" laughed the demonkin as he wiped off the blood from the dagger.
"Shame.. You're still alive." spoke a grim and deathly figure from behind the demonkin's back.
Before the demonkin could even turn his head back, a dagger was placed on his throat.
"Who sent you?" asked the figure under the black cloak..
"Who are you?!" asked the bearded demonkin in a ghastly voice as he was nearly scared to death after this sudden emergence of this hooded person.
"I'm the one asking questions! Who sent you? And who ordered you mix the poison in the banquet?" spoke the grim person.
The demonkin turned and tried to stab the hooded man in the stomach, but just then.. A spray of acid was thrown at that hand that held the dagger.
"Arghh! My hand!!" roared the man as his hand started to melt away and his bones were put on a display among that mangled flesh.
"Answer! Or the next stream goes in your head!" ordered the hooded figure and revealed his face..
"You!.. Impossible! This guy said he saw you drink the poison."
It was none other than Kahn..
He pointed his hand towards the head of this demonkin as if he was to release the acid again..
"No! Wait.. It was the Sigurd family's first young master.. Stragabor Sigurd!" shouted the demonkin who felt like he'd lose his life if he tried to keep his client's identity a secret.
"I see." spoke Kahn solemnly and released another spray of Poison Acid and melted the demonkin in front of him.. The man didn't even get a chance to scream before his head and face was melted away.
"Till now.. It was only because of the contract that involved me killing people related to him.. I had no actual enmity with him. But this is crossing the line. Those who try to kill me.." spoke Kahn and put the entire house on fire with fireball skill and walked out..
"Should prepare for their deaths instead."
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Author : Daily two chapters starting from today.