Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 375: Scapegoats

Asher rose to his feet with a quiet sigh, and without uttering a single word, he walked toward the entrance of the tent.

”Where are you going?” Finch asked from his bed. He lay sprawled out with relaxed ease, as though he were lounging at home rather than on a mission. But Asher, with one glance, could tell the boy’s muscles were tense beneath the facade, coiled and ready for action at any moment.

”To get our mission back,” Asher replied, not turning around. He stepped outside, his purple eyes meeting a wall of darkness, darkness that instantly receded before the effortless sweep of his Omni Perception. The shadows peeled away, allowing him to see as clearly as though day still lingered. Without hesitation, his gaze shifted toward the tents to the side, and he strode in their direction.

His purple eyes drifted toward a large tree nearby, where Clara perched on a branch, maintaining a vigilant night watch. In another direction stood Aiden, pacing quietly. Samuel and Daniel remained inside their tent. Asher didn’t need to ask which tent belonged to Norman; his Omni Perception made every structure transparent, revealing everyone within with precise clarity.

”May I come in?” Asher called out, his voice threading through the fabric of the tent.

The flap opened almost instantly. ”Of course, Tenth Sun,” Norman said, bowing his head respectfully as he stepped aside to allow Asher entry.

Asher walked in and moved toward a chair positioned near the corner. Sitting down, he turned his gaze upon Norman, who patiently awaited the reason for his visit.

”Is there anything I might assist you with, Tenth Sun?” Norman asked.

”There is, actually,” Asher answered, his tone flat yet firm. ”I’d like my mission back.”

Confusion clouded Norman’s face. He clearly did not understand.

”My teammates and I accepted this mission despite our identities as nobles,” Asher continued calmly. ”We aren’t babies to be pampered, nor eggs to be held with trembling care in fear we might crack.” His tone sharpened ever so slightly. ”Throughout the entire day, we did nothing but sit on our horses. We didn’t move. We didn’t contribute. We simply watched Clara, Samuel, and Daniel handle every threat that appeared.”

He paused, allowing the words and their implications to settle.

”I understand your fear, Norman,” Asher continued. ”I understand why you’re acting this way. I’m sure our families would come after you if anything happened to us, perhaps even destroy you. But I refuse to let that fear prevent us from fulfilling our missions. If we accepted this task, then we will carry it out.”

Silence filled the tent. Norman stood still, uncertain how to respond. Could he challenge the Tenth Sun? Of course not. His heart pounded as he contemplated the weight of Asher’s expectations.

Finally, he spoke. ”I understand, Tenth Sun. From tomorrow onward, I will integrate the three of you into mission duties.”

Asher shook his head. ”For this mission alone, refer to us by our names. Not by our titles.”

”Bu—” Norman tried to speak, but Asher cut him off with calm decisiveness.

”Yes, I know. The rules of respect, the proper decorum, and all of that. But like I said, it’s only for this mission. Meaning the moment we arrive at the frontier, you may refer to us by our titles again.”

Norman exhaled heavily. The instruction weighed on him, but he eventually nodded.

”Good,” Asher said, rising from the chair. ”We will begin our mission duties immediately.”

Norman frowned. ”But... there are no duties at the moment.”

”I’m referring to the night watch,” Asher replied simply, leaving no room for debate.

Norman fell silent, unable to argue.

Without another word, Asher turned toward the exit. As he stepped outside, he felt Clara’s gaze on him. His purple eyes flicked toward her, and the moment their gazes met, she quickly looked away. Asher could still sense her lingering fear, the fear of having once attacked a Wargrave, but he dismissed it as a trivial concern.

Returning to the tent he shared with William and Finch, he spoke calmly. ”Get up. We’re on night duty.”

Both William and Finch froze in surprise.

”Did Norman finally grow a spine and assign us duties?” Finch asked while swinging his legs off the bed. Even he knew the true reason Norman had excluded them earlier.

William’s black eyes shifted to Asher before he answered. ”Norman didn’t grow a spine. Asher clearly created this arrangement... it seems we’re going to be handling mission duties from now on.”

Finch nodded. ”Well, at least we finally get to move around and blow off some steam.”

The three stepped out into the darkness together. Clara and Aiden retreated into their tents as Asher, William, and Finch took over the night watch.

Asher was the first to take position. With graceful ease, he perched high on a tree branch, leaning back against the bark with one leg crossed over the other. He didn’t look like someone performing an important night duty, he looked relaxed, almost lazy. But looks were deceiving.

Despite his casual posture, his Omni Perception extended outward in every direction, covering a full hundred meter radius. Anything attempting to sneak past his senses would find it nearly impossible.

His eyes drifted toward Finch, who relied solely on his hearing for the night watch. The boy had no suitable abilities for detection in the dark, unless he had secretly learned techniques Asher was unaware of.

William, however, possessed a different set of skills. Having copied Ryaen’s bone manipulation ability, he quietly spread small bone fragments across the forest floor. Asher wasn’t entirely sure what their purpose was, but he assumed William had a plan.

A couple of hours passed quietly, then, suddenly, Asher’s eyes snapped open, twelve hidden presences had just entered the range of his Omni Perception.

’It seems we have our first batch of scapegoats for the night,’ he mused. He remained motionless, a playful expression tugging at the corner of his lips, curious to see what they intended to do.

But before the group of intruders could advance too far, the ground beneath them erupted. Bone spikes shot upward with ruthless accuracy, impaling each figure in an instant. Wet, grotesque sounds filled the forest as the spikes tore through flesh without mercy.

’There goes the fun,’ Asher sighed internally, shifting his gaze toward William, who had eliminated the bandits before they could even attempt an any true approach.

’Is he sensing vibrations through the bones he scattered?’ Asher wondered briefly. But ultimately, he dismissed the thought. He closed his eyes once again, settling into cultivation as though nothing had happened.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: Thanks for the love and support.