The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 377: Chapter 372 — CapeTown

”Your partner should be here any moment now.”

Zephyrion’s lips curved into a frown.

”Partner?”

”Yes.” Gonester nodded, only for his brows to furrow when he noticed Zephyrion’s confusion. A moment later, realization flashed across his face. ”Wait... I didn’t tell you? Huh. Could’ve sworn I did. Anyway, first mission. Bastion protocol. You’ll need a veteran apprentice accompanying you.”

’Of course I do.’

Zephyrion’s frown deepened, and he was already running through several excuses to get around that particular protocol when the door suddenly creaked open behind him.

”Ah! There he is.” Gonester’s face immediately brightened with an excited grin that Zephyrion found deeply suspicious. ”Little genius, meet your partner.”

Turning around, Zephyrion’s eyes narrowed at the figure standing stiffly in the doorway.

Tall and broad, with long black hair flowing down his back, a swollen face almost entirely wrapped in tight bandages, and eyes practically trembling with barely suppressed rage and humiliation, Possum stood there for several seconds before forcing himself into a bow.

”...I’m ready for the mission, Commander.”

...

Zephyrion had seriously considered leveraging his newfound importance to get rid of the partner requirement altogether, but ultimately decided against it.

The last thing he wanted was to make anyone suspicious of his true purpose for choosing the mission, especially when he wasn’t certain where the loyalties of some of the generals lay.

Still, he’d at least tried to have his partner changed, pointing out his and Possum’s rather unpleasant history, only to discover that there were apparently no other veteran apprentices available.

Eventually, Zephyrion accepted the situation, though not before giving the commander a long, deeply accusing stare.

He felt entirely scammed.

If Possum was just going to follow him on the mission anyway, then what exactly had been the point of making them fight in the first place?

’Hahaha! Look at you sulking. My protege, just admit it—the old bastard played you like a fiddle!’

”Shut up.”

Demorian’s laughter only grew louder.

Zephyrion gritted his teeth as he left the room, but not before throwing one final look at the suspiciously cheerful commander and making himself a quiet promise.

’I’m paying you back for this when I get back.’

He could tolerate a great many things, but being manipulated certainly wasn’t one of them.

It wasn’t long before he finished his preparations, and the two of them set off.

...

The journey from the bastion to Capetown was a long one, taking nearly the entire day even while riding at full speed on mutated horses. By the time night fell, they finally arrived at the town.

Like most settlements in the region, Capetown was completely enclosed by a tall, metal-reinforced wall. The town itself sat at the base of a towering waterfall, with its walls stretching around the settlement before merging directly into the cliff behind it.

To the west, a wide road extended from the grand gates toward the outside world, while vast swaths of forest surrounded nearly every other side. Within the walls, the roads were unpaved but surprisingly even and well-kept, while modest wooden buildings reinforced with metal plating lined either side, varying in size and shape depending on their purpose.

The sun had already disappeared by the time they entered, yet Capetown remained brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Zephyrion glanced toward Possum, only to find the latter already glaring at him.

Their entire journey had passed in complete silence.

Considering Possum’s current state, Zephyrion didn’t particularly mind. The man was far too unstable for him to even consider relying on, and judging by the murderous looks he’d been receiving throughout the journey, it would be a pleasant surprise if Possum didn’t try stabbing him in the back before the mission was over.

Still, for the sake of the mission, they couldn’t exactly go two weeks without speaking to each other. Zephyrion eventually decided to break the silence.

”This is my mission, so I’m taking charge. You don’t have to like me. You can hate my guts for all I care. But when it comes to the mission, you listen to me.” Zephyrion glanced toward the gates behind them. ”If you can’t do that, there’s the way back.”

Possum’s glare immediately sharpened into something murderous as he ground his teeth. He glanced toward the gates they’d just entered through, then back at Zephyrion before giving a low scoff and remaining silent.

Zephyrion was almost disappointed.

Still, he took the lack of protest as an agreement and turned away, making his way deeper into the town with Possum silently following behind him.

Eventually, Zephyrion stepped into the town’s main tavern and was immediately greeted by the sight of drunken men and women packed around tables, laughing, shouting, and generally having the time of their lives.

He could practically feel Possum’s questioning stare boring into his back, silently demanding to know what exactly they were doing here, but Zephyrion ignored him and headed straight for the bar, taking an empty seat at the counter.

The barman was a portly, grumpy-looking man with a thick beard and a face that looked like it hadn’t seen water in days. He was wiping down a cup with an equally dirty cloth when Zephyrion approached, setting it aside before fixing him with a probing look.

”What’re you having?”

Zephyrion lowered his head slightly, making sure the hood of his cloak covered enough of his face to keep him from being recognized.

”Milk.”

The barman blinked.

”...Milk?”

”Neat. No sugar,” Zephyrion added.

The man stared at him for several seconds, seemingly trying to figure out whether he was being serious, before eventually giving up and moving to fill his order.

Zephyrion used the opportunity to glance around the tavern, quietly taking everything in. Possum had already chosen a table of his own, and judging by the waitress nodding in front of him, was busy ordering a drink.

’Ahhh, ground zero. How I’ve missed this beautiful place...’ Demorian gazed around the tavern with almost painful nostalgia. ’The memories, my protege. The adventures! Ferravry as my wingman, me at the height of my glory... there wasn’t a decent tavern on this continent safe from us!’