The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 274: Chapter 269 — Shrink

Several hours later, Zephyrion finally ended the training, much to the cadets’ visible relief. After that, though, it was finally time to deal with their newly acquired prisoners. They had already destroyed the resource crate, ensuring that no other person could get inside.

Just to be safe, Zephyrion had also done a quick sweep of the fortress, and only after finding nothing out of place did he finally relax.

On his way back to the prisoners, Tobias approached him.

”My lord, did you find anything?”

His ward still seemed a little tense from earlier, but he wore that familiar look, one that suggested he wanted something.

”No.”

”Oh... alright. That’s good. That’s... good.”

Tobias quietly fell into step beside him, walking with his head lowered. Sensing his hesitation, and wanting to get this over with, Zephyrion decided to prod him.

”What is it?”

”Ah? N-nothing, my lord. Really, it’s nothing...”

Tobias scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.

Zephyrion simply stared.

Feeling his flat yet unwavering gaze, Tobias swallowed before hurriedly looking away. Then, after gathering himself, he spoke in a careful tone.

”It’s just... my lord... I was thinking... I want to be more useful. I want responsibilities.”

”You have responsibilities.”

He was in charge of the support group alongside Fiona, tasked with ensuring the overall well-being of the army. It was ample responsibility. However, Tobias didn’t seem the least bit satisfied.

”I know, but... it doesn’t feel like enough. I’m your ward, my lord. I should be helping you fight your enemies, not... making sure everyone’s eating and sleeping properly. I want... I want to fight too.”

Zephyrion fell silent.

It was quite a complicated matter.

After all, Tobias had a weakness for blood, an unfortunate flaw given that avoiding blood was practically impossible in war. The last thing Zephyrion needed was a soldier fainting in the middle of an important mission.

Harsh, but true.

Regardless, Zephyrion recognized that refusing Tobias now might be detrimental to the progress he had shown so far. After all the effort he had put into improving, refusing him now would essentially trivialize all of it.

Still, Tobias’ weakness was something he simply could not overlook. So, he had to give him something, but it couldn’t be anything important.

’Guardian Pillars.’

They were positioned away from the fortress while remaining concealed from the enemy through camouflage. It was unlikely Tobias would end up in any actual fights while stationed there.

But the ward didn’t have to know that.

”Alright.”

Zephyrion nodded a moment later.

”Really?”

”I’ll station you at one of the Guardian Pillars. You’ll be among the cadets assigned to guard it.”

Tobias’ eyes instantly lit up. Guardian pillars, it sounded truly important!

”Thank you, my lord! I won’t let you down!”

He bowed repeatedly, unable to hide his excitement. Zephyrion was almost blinded by how happy he looked.

’At least he’s trying.’

Though whether that alone would be enough remained to be seen.

Soon, their walk led them to a flight of stairs descending into the basement. Reaching the bottom, they found the others already waiting silently outside the door.

The mood was slightly tense.

Kaiden leaned against the wall with his arms folded, avoiding Zephyrion’s gaze the moment he arrived, his expression hard. Fiona greeted him with her usual smile. Draven answered with a broad grin and an exaggerated wink, while Nedra merely watched him in silence, her gaze carrying a hint of caution, but also noticeably more restraint than before.

Once again, they had all been reminded of Zephyrion’s frightening ability to see through things others couldn’t, and whether out of admiration, unease, or simple caution, several of them couldn’t help but grow more reserved around him. Still, that wasn’t the only source of the tension. After all, they were about to question the captured northern cadets.

Zephyrion nodded at each of them before calmly pushing the door open and stepping inside.

The room was medium-sized, easily spacious enough to hold the ten northern cadets. Each of them had their wrists and ankles bound to the wall with rune shackles, relics that prevented their users from forming any connection to the WorldPulse. As such, none of them could use their elements.

The cadets themselves were in a terrible state, their limbs twisted, faces battered and bloodied, and throats deeply bruised.

The moment Zephyrion entered, several of them stiffened in horror, while Jogo, their supposed leader, and the one who had easily taken the worst beating at Zephyrion’s hands, openly glared at him.

Jogo spat blood on the ground, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

”I can guess why you brought us here, lightning prince, but you’re wasting your time. We northerners are true Ferrans! We’d die before betraying our own!”

His voice was strained and low, courtesy of the blow he had taken to the throat. Still, his words seemed to embolden the other northerners, causing them to glare defiantly at Zephyrion as well.

As the others entered the room, Nedra scoffed.

”Damn, I really despise people who can stare reality right in the face and still refuse to use their damn neurons. You’re chained up, we’re at war, and you still think you have a choice? We could strip you naked, tie your ass up, go find a horse, and let nature take its course.”

Jogo and the other northern cadets paled. Even the southern cadets couldn’t help but shudder, casting Nedra wary glances.

However, as though immediately understanding her intentions, Kaiden nodded.

”I say we hang them over a bonfire and lower them little by little.”

The northern cadets’ eyes widened.

”No, that’s too quick. Tie them up in the courtyard and let every cadet throw whatever they can find at them!” Fiona added.

Tobias, who also caught on, quickly nodded.

”No, no. Put them under the toilets. Every single person in the fortress gets to take a nice, slimy shit on them.”

The northern cadets couldn’t help but stare at Tobias in horror. Even the southerners winced in disgust.

A moment later, Draven stepped forward.

”No! Leave them to me! I’ll crush every bone in their bodies, then grind up whatever’s left!”

The giant repeatedly slammed his fists together, the impact of flesh echoing like steel striking steel. A broad grin stretched across his face. In fact, he didn’t seem to realize that the others were merely trying to frighten the northern cadets.

Instead, he had suggested exactly what he genuinely wanted to do simply because he wanted to do it.

That unnervingly eager grin, coupled with his imposing size, instantly made the northern cadets shrink back.