The Messenger of Death

It didn't take long for Al to reach the reception of the guest inn. Just before he reached, he saw the familiar faces of Xiao En, the steward, and Tsukishima. Argus also looked familiar to him, but he had only seen Argus a few times.

Before they took the entrance test of the academy and also after Camron checked his affinity with the elemental pillars.

['An unusual bunch.'] Alex uttered.

Al decided to ignore them and head for the door of the inn.

Noticing that Al was heading for the door, Xiao En could guess why he was heading there. "The investigation has been called off, you don't need to head back out." She informed him.

Al was surprised to hear that the investigation had been called off. He was curious as to why it had been called off. "Why was it called off? Don't they want to find the killer anymore?" He asked.

"What's the use of wasting our time to find who we already know? Besides, I'm sure that you have already hidden the evidence in your room." Argus interjected. He spoke with a stern tone.

To Al, he sounded like he was sure that Al was the one that killed them.

['What do they know, what did they find out.'] Al thought frantically.

Despite his frantic thoughts, the rate at which his heart was beating and his facial expression didn't falter one bit. He put on a confused look.

"You know who the killer is?"

"Yes, we do," Argus answered.

"Wow, that's great. I really don't like it when my privacy is being invaded." Al smiled. "I'll be heading back to my room now." He turned and was about to be on his way back to the suite.

"Are you going to leave with giving an apology? Just because your master is Nana doesn't mean that you can escape being punished." Argus stated.

Al stopped in his tracks and turned to face Argus.

['What gave us away?'] Al thought.

['Either Gustavo snitched on us or something else gave us out.'] Alex pointed out.

['If it's that stalker that did it then for certain I will kill him.'] Xander stated.

"You seem to be sure that I was the killer," Al spoke. "Xiao En, did you tell them anything?"

"Why are you asking me that? Do I look like a snitch to you?" Xiao En who was already annoyed snapped at him.

Al ignored her and faced Argus, "What gave me away?" He asked.

"The poison that you used?" Argus replied.

"The poison that I used? How did that give me away?" He wondered.

['Anyone could have used that poison, how did they connect that to me? Wait, did I just give myself out?'] Al reasoned.

"The poison that you used is one that is unique, so unique that its creator can be discerned just from the after smell that comes out of a victim that has died from ingesting poison," Argus stated.

"Your master is an alchemist, a very good one at that. Most of her pills come with her signature or something that proves that she is the creator of such a pill. The poison that you used had her signature on it." Tsukishima revealed.

Al frowned, he couldn't believe it, and yet that was what it was. "She didn't tell me anything like that, if I had known I would have used something else," Al revealed.

"If you had used something else we might have not known who the killer is," Argus added. "I can see that this is a matter of pride to you. Am I right?" He asked Al.

"Yeah, it is a matter of pride to me. I have killed a lot of people and rarely have I been caught." Al mentioned.

"Why do you kill?" Tsukishima asked.

"Because I get something in return for the kills that I made. Money, reputation, experience, satisfaction, you name it." Al answered truthfully.

"So you are an assassin?" Xiao En asked.

Al smirked when he heard that. He was very proud of the fact that he was a killer. "Yes, I am." He responded.

"Does Nana know about this?" Argus questioned.

"Yeah, she does. And she knows more. Why do I have a feeling that she purposely gave me that poison to use even after she knew what I wanted to do…" Al thought.

"She did that because in case you get caught. Like now, if you weren't her disciple, I would be processing your punishment by now, but… you know how unconventional you master is, if I do touch you without her consent, then I might start something that none of us want." Argus explained.

"Ohh," Al exclaimed.

['So she was protecting us. I guess she figured out that we would get caught.']

['Ironically, the only reason we got caught, was because they figured out that it was her poison.'] Al thought. He felt like his pride got hit.

"Why did you kill them though? The students and the staff." Argus inquired.

"Because they annoyed me and that b*tch wanted something of mine that even Nana didn't dare to take from me."

"That's all?"

"Yes, should I need any other reason to kill people?" Al questioned.

Argus sighed. "Like master, like disciple. The two of them think alike." He whispered to himself. "We will wait for your master to return before we give a punishment to you, expect it." He added.

"Hmmm, since you still plan on punishing me, I might as well go ahead and kill the last person on my list," Al mentioned. Since what he was avoiding has already happened, why not finish the deed before Nana came back.

That was what he was thinking about.

"You have the guts to say that in my presence?" Argus was infuriated by Al's guts.

"I'm not supposed to?" Al retorted and arched his one of his eyebrow.

Argus was speechless, he couldn't remember the last time that he was disrespected by a junior.

"Do you think that I cannot discipline you because of your master?" Argus threatened.

"I don't think that you cannot, I know that you can't… but it is nothing to be ashamed of, even I, I'm afraid of my master," Al replied without any fear. He started to make his way closer to where they were.

"Besides I am not speaking to you like this because I have someone like my master to back me, I am talking to you like this because I dare to. So please do not mistake my confidence as arrogance." Al cleared out and made it known to Argus that he didn't fear him.

The steward smiled. "I am curious about your origins. I know that your talent is nothing to sneeze at. For someone like Natalia to take you in as her disciple, despite the troubles that it will cause, she still chose to take you in." The steward spoke.

"Troubles?" Al frowned.

['Natalia?'] Alex repeated. ['Is that her full name?'] He wondered.

"She hasn't told you who she really is, or her family name?" He asked.

"No, she hasn't, and I didn't care to ask," Al answered.

"Then it is not my place to say. If you are curious, ask her when she gets back to the lower plain realm… if you don't mind, can you tell me about your origins?"

"I do mind. But I can tell you this, I am an orphan." Al replied.

"Then forgive me for asking." The steward apologized.

Al nodded at him, signifying that he accepts his apology.

"That's something that I never expected, you being an assassin. The rich stuck up kid that has no respect for those that are older and stronger than he is. Did you get rich by killing people?" Xiao En asked.

"Yes,"

"Then who did you kill that was worth a purple energy crystal?"

"A dragon," Al replied with a straight.

Xiao En didn't even give a reaction to that statement, she acted like she didn't hear his reply. She didn't know a lot about the celestial realm, but she knew enough to know what kind of being dragons were. Even if he was hired to kill a dragon, the pay was going to be higher than a single purple energy crystal.

And if could really kill a dragon, he wouldn't be this weak.

['Hey mutt, let's switch.']

-Switch.

"One day you should tell me all about the people that you have killed, I also have some people in mind that needs to be killed. Or maybe when you are strong enough, I will higher you to kill them." She eyed Argus and Tsukishima when she said that.

"Young mistress, you joke a lot." Argus stated nervously.

"Who says that I'm joking?" She glared at him.

"The young mistress must have some pent up frustration, would you like to spar with me and relieve yourself a bit?" Tsukishima asked.

"Yes," Xiao En.

"Young mistress?" Alex wondered why they were calling her that.

"Oh, you don't know who I am. Since you want to keep you origins a mystery, I'll keep my identity a mystery too." Xiao En smirked.

"She's the granddaughter of the principal." Tsukishima revealed.

"You…" Xiao En flared as she glared at Tsukishima.

"No wonder she's still employed in the academy, despite her bad hospitality. Nepotism eh." Alex muttered, but it was loud enough for all of them to hear.

"Argh!" Xiao En pitched a blow at Tsukishima's head.

-Boom!!

Tsukishima used a finger to stop her blow. He did it effortlessly.

Although the punch wasn't directed at Alex, the force from her blow threw Alex several feet away from the reception.

['What the f*ck.'] Alex exclaimed.