Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 414 Your Wish
Ethan hadn't been idle these past few days either. He searched the Simpler family library thoroughly but found no clues related to the unknown substance inside the Skinner's body. However, he was quite certain that the manor must be hiding some unknown secrets.

Dark's mind-reading ability failed against Grand Duke Ash, and the same thing happened in the shelter. During the confrontation, Dark was completely unable to read the minds of those council members. Therefore, Ethan guessed that the secrets hidden by the Simpler family, and even the disappearance of the Silver Emperor and other founders, were related to the Holy City mentioned by the elders.

Its influence on this world has been much longer than that. Long before the birth of the First Era, one of the observers, in the guise of the God of Truth, made contact with the other rightful gods. The war that broke out between humans and the Old Gods was very likely orchestrated by the God of Truth.

If the god of truth also came here, what was its reason for contacting the Simpler family?
"You are really laid-back."

A male voice came from the darkness, coming from behind a pillar in the room. One could easily imagine that the voice belonged to a cold and unapproachable person.

"Didn't you notice that this house is surrounded? It seems that your tricks have been seen through by those jackals."

"Thanks for reminding me, Zoffy."

That night, most of the "pets" who were freed fled the capital, but the master assassin Zoffy stayed behind. He spent the whole day adjusting his mood, and Ethan tacitly stopped mentioning his experience in front of the Third Princess.

Now Zoffy had ample reason to take revenge on the entire Silver Empire. A raging fire burned in his heart, and if Ethan hadn't stopped him, Zoffy might have stormed into the palace that very night to assassinate Henry VI.

Of course, such reckless behavior would only lead to his death. Ethan increasingly realized that the battle between the Demon King and the Hero was nothing more than a reality show carefully planned by the nobles of the Silver Grey Empire. Titles such as "The Strongest Man in the Empire" and "The Assassin Master Who Comes and Goes Without a Trace" were just released to add hype to the reality show.

For those who knew the rules of the game, no one took Lance, the "strongest man in the empire," seriously.

Indeed, it was true; Grand Duke Ash sent only four elite assassins, and they almost killed Lance.

"Heh, what a pleasant surprise."

The library door was pushed open, and several figures entered the room at the same time, blocking all of their escape routes. Zoffy immediately drew his dagger, ready to fight.

All the intruders were dressed in the same clothes, concealing their faces behind black masks.

"Lord Ethan, why are you here alone so late, meeting with this former imperial fugitive? He should be in the palace being led by a rope by the Third Princess."

This provocation clearly angered Zoffy, and in an instant, three daggers shot towards the intruder's throat. However, such an obvious attack was easily neutralized.

The skinners scrutinized the two people in the room, thus providing solid evidence for their suspicions, which almost proved that Grand Duke and Duchess Esch had been controlled by the sorcery of these two outsiders.

Tonight is the perfect day to get started.

While they were talking, another group of skinners had already set their sights on the white-haired woman named Winter. After several days of observation, they had confirmed the two women's class.

A mage who has mastered some strange spells, perhaps related to ancient magic.

A frail physique has always been the greatest weakness of mages, so they can only ever hide behind knights or swordsmen to fight alongside them. Being surrounded by a room full of assassins in an encounter like this is the worst possible situation for a mage.

They already have the upper hand, so there's no need to rush into an attack. They might be able to extract more information from this outsider, or at the very least, enjoy the pleasure of toying with their prey.

"I have commissioned the master assassin to investigate some secrets about the Simpler family."

Ethan answered the Skinner's question truthfully, "As for why I am here... even Grand Duke Ash has no objection."

He had obtained Grand Duke Ash's permission before coming and received a token from him that allowed him to explore the manor freely. However, the manor may still contain many hidden areas known only to Grand Duke Ash.

Ethan considered himself to be a helpful and kind citizen.

Young Master Fabius wished for a witch to visit their home. Although this request was somewhat difficult to fulfill, Ethan tried his best to satisfy Young Master Fabius's last wish. He not only invited a legitimate witch to the Simpler family's manor.

Clearly, they were pleased with this; Grand Duke Esh was all smiles every day, and the people of the capital praised the Simpler family for becoming much more amiable lately.

"Would you like to make a wish too?"

Ethan inquired, as a novice "evil god" he was still adjusting to his new identity. Based on his observations of his friends like Old Man Bar, he learned that fulfilling human desires was a compulsory course for every evil god. In fact, long before the First Age, the Old Gods established their connection with humanity in this way.

Although these intruders were not his followers, that did not prevent him from doing his best to satisfy them.

"Make a wish?"

The skinners exchanged bewildered glances. They couldn't understand why this mage remained completely calm despite being surrounded. People in the capital should know their methods and what would happen to those who fell into their hands, yet Ethan spoke eloquently in front of them, as if he weren't the one being surrounded.

"That's why you've come."

Ethan coaxed, “I can give you a chance to make a wish—what do you think I am? I sincerely suggest you think carefully before you answer.”

Isn't the answer obvious?

The skinners sneered, "Colluding with traitors and using witchcraft to control the imperial nobility, you are guilty of the most heinous crimes—"

His voice stopped abruptly.

In an instant, the entire library fell into a deathly silence.

The stench of blood filled the mansion. Zoffy's eyes widened, and he instinctively turned to Ethan, adopting a wary posture. Only after several seconds did he lower the dagger.

The instant those bodies were severed at the waist, Zoffy's instincts as a master assassin outpaced his thinking, but even several seconds later, he still didn't know when or how Ethan had made his move.

Everyone fell silent.

These well-trained and formidable enemies, who had once given Lance a hard time, were now being cut into pieces as easily as fruit in a market.

Ethan instilled in him a fear he had never felt even when facing the Demon King.

"This was their wish, and I was just fulfilling their last wish."

Ethan said, "As criminals who colluded with traitors, how could I possibly let them go out alive and inform others?"

He thought that perhaps the skinners were too successful and forgot the risks of facing “sinners.” But things didn’t always end in victory for the nobles. When they tried to arrest a sinner, they risked being killed in return.

Ethan's actions served as a stark reminder, and he hoped the skinners would learn from this lesson and apply it to their next attempt.

Melia, who also witnessed this scene, scrambled into the shadows, covering her mouth with her hands to keep quiet.

Her little heart was pounding. Oh my god!

How can this person be so vicious?
Just minutes before, she thought she had arrived at the perfect time. At that moment, the intruders suddenly appeared and surrounded the two people in the library with overwhelming numbers. As the Demon King, she naturally stood on the opposite side of the nobles and was prepared to descend from the sky to save the two from their predicament.

However, what happened next was beyond her expectations. While she was still observing the situation, all the intruders suddenly burst apart.

The cuts were clean, and even the blood only gushed out after several seconds. The men's grinning expressions still lingered on their faces, as if they hadn't yet realized that they were dead.

This had a huge impact on Melia's outlook on life.

It turns out that fighting isn't about both sides preparing, getting into position, and finding a suitable environment to start the battle. This scene, where life and death are decided in an instant, greatly shocked her and made her realize once again that in front of these real killers, she was just a novice who hadn't even entered the door.

"Mr. Zoffy, has there been any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?"

“...Those metals seem to be related to the Henry family. I got information about the ‘Fire Seed’ from a black market intelligence dealer I know.”

"Tinder?"

"It is said to be the secret to the power of several major families in the Silver Empire. When the Silver Empire was established, Henry I distributed the 'fire' to those who made outstanding contributions, and the Simpler family was one of them."

"So, Grand Duke Ash used the 'Fire Seed' to train the Skinners as his family's assassins, and Lance also mentioned that when he fought the Skinners, they showed a strange side."

Under the influence of the "spark," each skinner seems to have been given a second personality.

Hidden within their bodies is a cold, almost mechanical side.

Unfortunately, Ethan never got to see the other side Lance described.

He thought this might be because the power of the elemental magic he possessed was far too great for these skinners who had only shared a small portion of the fire, and it had already killed them before they even entered the second stage.

The slash he just delivered was the result of him instructing the literary girl to move as gently as possible.

That at least seems to fall within the category of wind blade techniques, rather than a spatial slash that directly cleaves the entire capital into several pieces.

Recent events have also prompted Ethan to reflect on himself.

He seemed to have stacked his spell damage a bit too high, to the point that he could no longer experience the thrill of battle.

Perhaps he should pick up a sword and impersonate other extraordinary cultivators to fight?
However, at least Zoffy's investigation provided him with a new direction.

Since Grand Duke Ash was not the original owner of the "Fire Seed," and it seems that he and his ancestors had long since lost themselves in debauchery, causing them to lose the ability to develop the "Fire Seed," they have now been forced to rely on the Skinners to fight for them.

Grand Duke Esche himself was not a superhuman; he was completely unable to use the power of the fire seed. Fabius, on the other hand, was a good-for-nothing whose health had been damaged by wine and women at a young age.

"It seems we need to find a way to move into the palace."

Ethan seemed thoughtful. "Speaking of which, what kind of person is His Majesty Henry? Does he usually welcome visitors to stay at his home?"

"You are crazy!"

Zoffy blurted it out.

In his view, Ethan was a complete madman. What was even more ridiculous was that just a few days ago, this man had strongly advised him not to act rashly. In a fit of anger, he rushed into the palace to his death, which led to his subsequent investigation and made him realize his recklessness.

He was indeed blinded by the title of "Master Assassin".

As the "spark" revealed only the tip of the iceberg before him, Zoffy truly realized his own insignificance.

His tricks are useless against the person who truly inherits the "fire".

Henry VI, whom he wanted to assassinate, was the true heir to the "Fire Seed." Even without the commander of the Imperial Army and the many guards in the palace, Henry VI, with the blessing of the "Fire Seed," could easily take his life.

"Don't put it so harshly. Actually, I have acquaintances in the palace."

"An acquaintance? You?"

Zoffy's eyes were full of suspicion.

"Her Highness the Third Princess of the Empire."

Upon hearing this identity, Zoffy's face immediately stiffened, feeling as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.

However, he clearly remembered what happened that night.

That happened after they broke free from control and, under the influence of the crimson moonlight, tore open their "master's" neck. Those corpses that should have died rose from the ground again under the "witch's" manipulation. With the repair of the crimson ice layer, their fatal wounds were healed, and those people returned to their respective homes as if nothing had happened.

That naturally includes Fabius as well.

However, to this day, the Simpler family's guards and servants have not realized that Fabius is dead, and everything in the palace is as usual. Henry VI is also completely unaware of what has happened to his arrogant daughter at the Simpler family's estate.

"This should be normal."

Ethan's question brought Zoffy, who had been somewhat lost in thought, back to reality.

"What's normal?"

"Our daughter invited her friends from out of town to our home. After a pleasant conversation, her parents warmly invited them to stay for a few days."

Although Ethan had never visited the Silver Empire's palace, Queen Margaret would invite him to the palace every now and then, always in the name of her daughter, Princess Sophia.

You see, what he just said is exactly what happens in everyday life.

"I know, their house is quite big, with many guest rooms. You can sleep there when you're tired, no problem."

(End of this chapter)