Chapter 699: Assassins for Sale! High Bids from Grand Mages!
"An assassin caught at the Royal Maternity Hospital?"
This time, besides the two royal grand mages, an entire guard troop came along. Ten cavalry and forty infantry encircled a prison carriage, complete with magic-suppressing shackles—
Panting from the rush, they arrived at the site only to see a heap of a human cocoon lying on the ground. Mouth agape, tears streaming, with a mass of vines stuffed in it.
It’s only because Garrett had a medical background that he knew precisely where to strike. Left to those with a penchant for bizarre experiments, the assassin’s airway would have been sealed off thoroughly.
"Ah, you’re here?"
Garrett popped his head out of the medical room, greeting the mages who came to take the prisoner with a cheery smile:
"Remember to leave me a whole person, huh? I reckon the Black Crow Swamp would be interested—if possible, let’s not damage his mind too much..."
"What?"
The two mages groaned together. An assassin, huh, and you want him unharmed? Even mentally intact? That’s quite the tall order!
"Garrett, whose side are you really on? Ours or the assassin’s?""Oh come on," Garrett scratched his head, chuckling:
"It’s just that last time, to help me catch an assassin, we deployed several grand mages, so I owe them a favor. Besides, the Tower of Songs mentioned they’re short on high-level test subjects; the last assassin wasn’t quite sufficient..."
So to you, high-level assassins are just commodities to repay favors?
You stir up some trouble just to attract the Radiant Church’s assassins, then bundle them off as repayment?
Once the favors are repaid, are you planning to sell assassins too?
"But, but... this is really troublesome... whether it’s transporting, guarding, or interrogating them, it’s all quite a hassle..."
Not troublesome at all!
Not in the slightest!
On the ground, already awakened by the guards but still half-numbed and bound, Mr. Tupac Demir opened his mouth wide, silently screaming:
When did the last wave of assassins arrive?
Who was it?
Why didn’t anyone tell me which one had failed before?!
To have me tricked into working like this is a massive waste of manpower! It’s criminal!
Don’t kill me! I surrender! I’ll tell you everything!
But no one paid him any mind. He could barely feel the binding of his arms and legs, as the knights on either side adjusted ropes, tied knots, and chatted: ȒãŊɵβË𝐬
"He seems to be awake. Should we knock him out again to keep him unconscious?"
"That’s not a good idea. Garrett said to keep him unharmed, physically and mentally. What if we hurt him by doing that?"
The two murmured as they discussed. Mr. Tupac Demir lay on the carriage, despairingly awaiting his fate. Suddenly, a streak of white light shot towards him, slicing through his field of vision:
So fast!
What is that?
Is it my savior?
The sight of a familiar little bird flapping its wings and descending rapidly stirred his spirit. It turned out to be a chickadee... No, why would a chickadee be that fast?
The plump, round chickadee, entirely white, looked like a tiny ball of snow fluff in hand. Its long black tail feathers flicked playfully.
The Long-tailed Chickadee, a common forest sprite from the north. The assassin closed his eyes in resignation:
A miracle was not to happen, no one came to his rescue, including any covert support from within the kingdom’s church trying to plead on his behalf...
Suddenly, a slight tickle on his face. Mr. Tupac Demir opened his eyes again, only to see the little bird hopping on his face, stepping lightly.
...Please don’t poop on my face!
Mr. Tupac wanted to shout out. But before he could, the bird flapped its wings and let out a dry, excited screech:
"Garrett! You’re the best! Make sure to keep that assassin for us, dead or alive! Wait for us, we’re sending someone right away!"
The escorting knights, who had lifted their hammers mid-air, silently set them down.
The two court mages gaped.
The assassin relaxed his tense nerves. After all, with his skin numb and his lower body paralyzed, there wasn’t much left to tense up...
"We prefer them alive, with their minds clear. The last one was turned into a skeleton soldier," the Long-tailed Chickadee kept chattering:
"Madam Alva is in need of materials, and if he’s mentally intact, she’s willing to pay an extra thousand contribution points!"
...Just kill me now... I don’t want to fall into the hands of
magicians... God knows what a magician in need of a mentally alert test subject might do...
Mr. Tupac desperately wanted to die. But death was not an option. The two court mages, with their shattered worldviews, staggered over, directing the knights to shackle the prisoner. Watching them work, they lamented:
"So this is what Nevis’s mages are like?"
"No, rather, this is what it means to be a legendary disciple! Being targeted by high-level assassins is as routine as eating and drinking, yet still considering sending the person back!"
Garrett: "......"
Don’t put it like that, as if I’m moonlighting as a slave trader!
He extended his hand forward, palm open. The alchemical bird, a gift from Lady Viola, after delivering the message, flapped its wings and landed back on his hand. It pecked lightly, leaving a small red spot on Garrett’s palm.
Garrett quickly fed it a shard of magic crystal. Turning to resume his work, he was stopped by a waft of fragrance as Baroness Viola blocked his path:
"Garrett, you can’t continue here." The baroness’s face was stern, her skirt unfurling unintentionally, blocking him from the refugees:
"These are foreigners, and among them are hidden assassins. It’s unsafe for you. Plus, they might carry a plague. —For the queen’s safety, please leave immediately and stop treating them."
"Ah, it’s okay." Garrett waved his hand dismissively, smiling nonchalantly:
"The assassin has already been captured; there won’t be a second. If you’re worried, we can do a quick check. As for the plague..."
His gaze swept around. Elder Knox also emerged from another medical room, and they exchanged glances, simultaneously saying:
"It’s not a plague."
"It’s not contagious."
The old and the young looked at each other and smiled. Elder Knox stroked his beard, nodding with a smile:
"I’m sure of it; it’s a disease I saw a long time ago. Rest assured, it’s not contagious. Garrett, how did you diagnose it?"
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