Chapter 59: Targeted Banditry and a.s.sa.s.sinations
Ivor vented out all the load in his heart that was weighing him down. He gave voice to his dreams, his aspirations, and his despair. In front of four LA students, one emotional-for-no-reason snack shop’s keeper, and a few customers.
The heir apparent to the Osan baronet had realised he had lost his senses to his emotions. He had told these guys many crucial things that weren’t privy to common folks. Like the binding contract of Royal Ren. And the kingdom-controlled ways to progress smoothly in the ranking journey.
But it was too late. Ivor had already said those things. And he couldn’t take them back. Furthermore, he had expressed his true feelings regarding his brother Isaac to the people outside his family.
Ivor started looking around himself. He was thinking about exiting this zone of weird silence that has been created by him. Everyone was looking at him with blank stares and sealed lips.
That’s when the snacks shop owner, with his moist eyes, came to him and gave him another pack of chips. ‘On the house’, he said. Ivor could only muster a stuttering thanks as a response. Probably the owner of the shop shared the same kind of brotherly bond with his sibling.
But that interaction finally broke the zone of weird silence and everyone around Ivor started returning to their tasks.
“Aah! Forgive me, Ivor, for asking something like that. I just didn’t know it was this personal.
And thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. We two feel closely quietened to you now. But it’s about time we take our leave. We have some work we need to take care of, you see.
So catch you later, maybe? Goodbye and stay alert.”
Eren grabbed Jake by his hand and dragged him from that place. Ivor, Jason, and Veronica were still stuck in their place.
Veronica didn’t seem unfazed like she knew about these details and dilemmas that Ivor had mentioned already. She was just waiting for her group to move on. But Jason on the other hand was seen thinking deeply.
“He baited you into saying those things.”
Jason finally concluded and said what he came to realize lightly.
“Haah! You are giving too much credit to that wuss. He probably wasn’t aware of what he was asking of Ivor.
It was Ivor who had lost control. You are trying to overread these things like always, Jason.”
“No. I don’t have any valid proof regarding this. But the way Eren changed his tone, his body language, and the way he looked at Ivor while asking that question subconsciously affected him to say what he was truly feeling at that time.
The guy’s no wuss. I didn’t feel any fear emanating from him. To be honest, I didn’t feel anything from him that was directed at us. Like we weren’t worth his time.
But that all changed when Ivor asked him about Matt. If you ask me, he probably knows something about the guy. Or maybe he was just fis.h.i.+ng for information from us. And he used Ivor’s curiosity on him.
In any case, Eren isn’t like Jake even when they seemed to act the same way. He has drawn a sheep’s clothing over him, alright. I just don’t know what he is underneath it.”
Jason said those words to n.o.body in particular. But Ivor understood what he was trying to say. He was played like a fiddle by Eren in that short interaction. The Osan junior couldn’t help narrowing his eyes on Eren’s departing figure.
****
“Why are we rus.h.i.+ng? Can’t we walk normally? We still have time to do things, you know!”
Jake said those while being dragged hurriedly to somewhere by Eren. He just didn’t understand why they were in a rush all of a sudden.
“Jakey, you and Ivor would be clueless. And that brat Veronica just doesn’t care enough. But Jason isn’t like any of you.
He must have figured out by now that I baited Ivor into saying those things. Had we stayed there any longer, more complications would have risen. Just trust me when I say this. But we don’t want to be seen as his friends. Especially during the trip to the academy.
It’s better for us if we stay away from those guys for a few days even during our travels together. I’ve completed my transactions. You’ve got your snacks. There’s nothing important in the city of Laurel anymore.
I don’t think we need to check out of the inn since we had a prepaid stay. Let’s go to your father and wait for the carriage fleet to start its journey.”
Jake finally understood what was happening. But he thought Eren was overreacting even if that were to be the case.
“You just met Jason today. Why are you talking like you already know about him?”
“Haha! I also have my sources, you know. I’ll tell you about these things later on. Right now let’s go meet up with your father.”
*****
More than a week later!
Eren’s carriage arrived in the city of Lionheart. The academy was going to conduct an induction ceremony for the first-year students at the grand sized city square in three days.
The city of Lionheart was established after the academy was founded. The place that was used for students’ temporary accommodations before their induction ceremony later became known as the city of Lionheart.
The city of Lionheart’s economy was based on these students and teacher bodies. It would welcome loads of first-year students at this of the year annually. Therefore, it had all the things a student would require, no matter which academic year they were in.
Eren already had plenty of artefacts collected from Isaac’s party. Plus, Nina had given him a complete set of upper-grade F-Rank equipment that was perfectly suitable for him. He didn’t need anything else.
But Jake needed them. He had prevented his father from buying random things so he could pick them on his own. The guy was very particular about his snacks and belongings.
Eren roamed the city market with Jake. The latter bought a couple of items and stuff suitable for him. He again stocked up on snacks.
And he also bought some adult magazines covertly from a shady shop. What could a slightly chubby guy like Jake do? He had his needs! And he wasn’t aiming to get laid in the academy anytime soon like a certain fellow who was roaming with him at the time.
Eren and Jake made sure they didn’t meet up with Ivor’s group during their exploration and purchases. They would keep on changing places. And would leave their current positions immediately if they saw any group of students approaching them.
****
Eren and Jakey had been avoiding meeting with Ivor’s group during all their travels. They would always tell the carriage driver to slow or speed up their carriage at seemingly random moments to pull this off.
Eren told Jake that avoiding Jason meant avoiding the spies and any other ent.i.ties hidden in the shadows, protecting him. AND hunting him. Sullivan Jr finally shared Eren’s worries after knowing that only Ivor’s carriage carrying Jason had been getting targeted by the group of bandits en route.
Of course, the bandits would target other carriages as well. But they would all have Ivor’s carriage as their common target. Furthermore, Jake observed that both the bandits and the protectors of the carriage fleet were more powerful than usual.
The nightly a.s.sa.s.sinations started taking place on Ivor’s carriage when the indirect banditry didn’t work. But Ivor’s carriage and people inside would always stay safe. It was the other carriages running nearby that would suffer the consequences.
Till now, the carriage fleet had four student casualties as a result of these attacks and a.s.sa.s.sinations. There were a lot more injured. But everybody treated it like it was business as usual.
Attacks on carriage fleets and business caravans by the bandits were common occurrences. So n.o.body questioned anyone or found someone to blame on. But Jake had understood there was more than meets the eye when it came to Jason after witnessing the events.
Most ranked ent.i.ties, including Lin’s group, later on, a.s.sumed the targeted attacks were aimed at Ivor because of Osan Woods’ Butcher. They thought that the OWB had some score to settle with the Osan household for interfering in his work or getting his info out in the public.
Therefore, Lin’s group didn’t actively partic.i.p.ate in protecting Ivor’s carriage even when they were supposed to protect their students. What a joke? Take on the royally connected OWB for an Osan kid? Isen Osan was probably planning to kill Lin for his so-called ‘transgressions.’
Lin, therefore, had two distinct reasons not to interfere in the OWB’s work. He had already offended the guy enough. He didn’t want to risk it anymore. It was easier to handle Isen even after he lets Ivor die in the incident. Once he reaches the academy grounds that is.
But all of them didn’t know was the fact that the OWB himself was travelling with them and was running away from these attacks even before they took place. Eren was adamant about constantly changing the carriage’s position in the fleet while maintaining a safe distance from a particular carriage. The Sullivans thought the elementary potioneer was acting weirdly at first but they changed their mind as they travelled further.
Jake started trusting Eren even more than before. He had already figured out that he knew something about Jason that he hadn’t told him yet. But Jake didn’t force him. It would be better if Eren told things of his own initiative.
Eren and Jake finally breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the city of Lionheart. The academy’s protectors were enough to safeguard the citizens of their turf from any form of danger.
****
Three days later!
The induction ceremony for LA’s first-year students was going to take place today. The grand city square was packed with students and their guardians. Eren and Jake could be seen standing with Jack Sullivan at a certain corner.
The audience was looking at the elevated stage in the middle of the city square. A serious-looking man was seen standing firmly on that stage with his hands behind his back. There was a panel of people accompanying him on either side, standing a step behind him.
The man opened his mouth to speak when the city tower’s clock located right in the middle of the square produced a half-deafening bell sound, indicating that it was 10 AM…