While Eric was experimenting with his new power, James was working in his private study, accompanied by a cup of hot tea and some sweets. Sebastian was busy fetching documents for his master.
"The two adventurer siblings, Rudy and Emilia, have left after receiving their payment from Young Master Eric," Sebastian informed James as he poured a fresh cup of hot tea.
"I see… I still can't believe that foolish son of mine actually sold all his items…" sighed James, as he sat down in his chair.
"Indeed, my lord. It seems Young Master Eric has changed a bit."
"Just a bit, though."
"Oh, right. My lord, I just received word that Young Master Eric suddenly wants to go out and take a carriage and three of our knights." James clicked his tongue upon hearing that.
"Let him be. I think he's stressed and wants some entertainment. He's also on winter break right now."
Sebastian stood up and said, "I heard that news too, my lord. It turns out what those two adventurers said was true, about the attack by demonic cultists at The Great Amber Bridge…"
"Yeah, I heard it." James replied. "Thank goodness we hired competent adventurers to escort Eric, otherwise…"
They both fell silent for a moment before James continued. "Even though he's no longer the main heir, he's still my son." Sebastian nodded understandingly. "Young Master Lucas's faction has been dreaming of that for a long time, my lord."
"I'm aware, Sebastian." The man with the braided hair sighed once more. "Now we just need to find a fiancée for Lucas, and also…" He paused, then continued. "I hope there are no more unpleasant surprises in the Ostheno family…"
Sebastian nodded and silently assisted the head of the Ostheno family.
***
The carriage Eric was riding in stopped, and the horses pulling it panicked, snorting nervously. The knight driving the carriage immediately drew his sword and shouted, "Ambush!"
Meanwhile, the knight riding behind the carriage also dismounted to prepare for battle when he saw a mob of people wearing face coverings blocking the road.
"Kill the boy! Make sure he's dead!"
"Easy money, baby!"
The carriage was surrounded, but that didn't mean the knights couldn't defend it. Although the mob outnumbered them, they were no match for the knights especially those under James Ostheno's command.
"Ghkk...Urghh!!!"
Eric gurgled blood in his mouth, while the knight sitting across from him panicked. "Y-Young Master! Please, drink this! At least it should be enough to stop your bleeding!"
He quickly handed Eric a medium-sized green potion. "I'll pull out the arrow, please bear the pain!" But it was Eric himself who forcibly yanked the arrow from his neck.
Eric spat out the remaining blood. Then he drank the potion, while at the same time placing his palm against his neck and wordlessly activating Idle Transfiguration. Eric tossed the empty potion aside, coughing.
"Goddamn it, ahem! ahem!" cursed Eric, rubbing his neck. The knight before him widened his eyes. The potion was an Intermediate Healing Potion. It was only meant to heal certain injuries and stop bleeding, not fully restore someone with a fatal injury like a pierced neck wound.
"Y-Young Master! Are you okay!?" Eric looked at the panicked knight. "Fine, fine. You'd better help your fellow knights, there are rats I need to hunt." He kicked the carriage door and dashed out, ignoring the shouts of the knight trying to persuade him.
Everyone fighting around the carriage was stunned by Eric's appearance, and the attackers grinned when they saw he was still unharmed.
"There he is! Kill him!"
"Protect the Young Master!"
The situation grew even more chaotic, and Eric jumped and ran through the alleyways. "Two arrows were fired from the left and right, which means there are two archers…" he whispered to himself.
Strengthening himself, Eric nimbly climbed onto the roof and looked around. There were two people standing some distance apart, and they were startled when they saw Eric.
"H-how are you still alive!?" said one of the archers, his face covered. He fired a volley of arrows, but Eric dodged them skillfully and in the blink of an eye was already in front of the archer.
He slapped the archer's hand with his palm, knocking the bow out of his grasp, then kicked the archer in the stomach. Falling backward, the archer didn't give up. He drew a dagger from his waist. But suddenly, his hand swelled up and then exploded, sending blood and flesh flying everywhere. He fell and rolling around in pain.
"M-my hand! Aghhkk!!!"
Eric stomped on the archer's face and picked up the dagger, then ran to his next target and leaped across the roof. The last archer scrambled to fire his arrows, and at the same moment, Eric threw the dagger dropped by the first archer. The dagger lodged deeply in the last archer's thigh.
"Arghhhh!!"
The archer fell, and Eric crouched down to look at him. Suddenly, that strange thought haunted him again.
It would be fun if I popped off this guy's legs and seeing him crawling like insect-
Eric punched the roof, leaving a fairly deep dent. "Damn it! What the hell is wrong with me...!?" He repeatedly took deep breaths, after slightly calming down, he talked to the writhing archer.
"I don't know if you're dumb or just clueless, but attacking a noble inside their own city is practically stupid and suicide y'know? Unless..." Eric paused, and yanked the dagger from the archer's thigh.
"Aghhhh!"
"Someone or some people hired you, expensively...now here's my question. Who is it?" Eric stomped hard into the archer's wounded thigh, making the poor man scream.
"Agkkhhhh!! Wa-wait! I-I'll tell you! Ple-please!"
The archer then proceeded to explain, stammering and groaning in pain, who had hired their group to attack Eric. When he finished, Eric punched the archer in the nose, breaking it and knocking him unconscious.
Now, he set off to hunt down his final target.
***
In an old building some distance away, a middle-aged man paced back and forth restlessly. He looked confused, as if waiting for someone.
"What's taking them so long!? Is it because of the knights…!?" The man was dressed in somewhat fancy clothes, and he began to bite his finger. Shortly afterward, the door of the old building opened, and he approached it.
But he was startled when three knights from Ostheno appeared, quickly surrounding him while pointing their swords at him. "Wh-what is the meaning of this!?"
Eric clapped his hands at the man's innocent act. "Splendid, splendid. If you auditioned for Hollywood, they might accept you... as an extra who dies at the beginning of the movie, though."
The middle-aged man glared at Eric. "Y-you imbecile!" Eric lunged and punched the man in the gut. The middle-aged man crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Ho-how dare you-"
"Where is it... ah, is it the one?" Eric rummaged through the man's pockets and found a piece of paper. He read the writing on the paper and smirked. "Look what we found, gentlemen. A rat attempted to kill a dragon!"
The boy is heading out into the city as usual. He's only bringing three knights this time.
The man knelt on the ground and gritted his teeth. "W-who are you calling a rat!"
Eric ignored him and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket. He had obtained the paper from the archer he had gently interrogated.
Gather your men, new job. Follow Eric Ostheno and kill him when the opportunity arises. Handsome rewards waiting for you and your men.
One by one, the knights looked at the contents of both letters, and they were shocked because the information they received was true.
Looks like they've been tailed by some people and got ambushed. Eric remembered that the previous Eric most of the time passed the slum alleyways just to flaunt his wealth to the commoners and mocked them.
"No wonder they managed to predict the route…what a joke."
Eric woke from his short thoughts after hearing the man's nonsense babbling.
"Shh, shh..." Eric clamped the man's mouth with his palm, gesturing for silence with his finger, then continued. "As much as I want to kill you... I think it would be better if this pathetic assassination plot came to light."
The man turned pale upon hearing that, he trembled uncontrollably. Eric didn't give the man a chance to defend himself or speak and continued, "You know, I personally don't see a problem with not becoming the heir to the Ostheno family..."
He crouched down in front of the man, still holding his mouth shut. "Never mind that. I'm curious to see what kind of reaction the Ostheno family will have… especially Lucas, hmmm…"
The way Eric looked at the man sent chills down the spines of the knights surrounding them. The man grew even more terrified, his breath coming in gasps.
As for Eric, he couldn't wait to go home and settle this matter.