IBSBV Ch 24

Chapter 24

Louis bit his lip and e142604026 tightened his grip on his 4ae45f7bd7 cane.b5312e93072f42fc

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Compared to Eddie, who 9e0b642afd was always confident and 21670e0741 assertive no matter the a87cdd209a time or place, he e7c0a322af felt utterly inadequate. He thought he’d changed e95c2e36c3 a lot, but that fd066640dd was nothing more than 94186af405 arrogance and conceit.3367ccbc80b23176

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His body was growing 3a54860ff9 quickly, but his thinking aee229fa79 remained shallow. Having lived in a b3cf763e31 narrow frame for so ae1cb785a9 long, he lacked experience, 4807a8647e and without much knowledge, 0d2875269b his judgment faltered. He was ashamed of his 193a9238e3 ignorance.7d0e1d85ef0cef58

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“What’s weighing on your mind?”d234affefd082e71

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Eddie tapped Louis’s stiff 136bdd7408 arm lightly.1fc76fe81a40cac6

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“I was just thinking… how pathetic I am.”1ff2d8fbaeaa97d0

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“You do have a few shortcomings, but you’re definitely not pathetic.”cc7ccf1cd05b808b

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Isn’t that the same thing? Louis shook his head at e7b644702d Eddie’s words, which were an 9f1ce55378 attempt to console him.46405b8c53f28857

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“I thought that being able to walk properly, adjusting to the passage of time, and learning to handle my subordinates more tactfully meant that my world had broadened. But it hasn’t.”d02c2955cf6cf502

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It wasn’t any safe, either.9ebb80761adca586

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“But I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”b9261d09e5287fc5

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After pausing for a c3c6ee5104 moment, Louis roughly wiped 3cec42b00d his still-damp eyes with ced6e71ad6 the back of his 07c8a50167 hand.c2225546e14331ca

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“No matter what… I’ll die one day. Even if I 72a1787efb want to live, 60781c099b even if I 529c145f56 don’t want to c6a139b245 die—I’ll still die. So tell me, Eddie. Until the day I can 5d7a43bf45 no longer stand by your 27389417d0 side, what should I do 8eb6c4a215 to protect you?”10cf3fe69f006c54

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His voice, though full of 204cd1d90f questions, held not even the e5aa04df39 faintest tremble. His reddened eyes weren’t just dc163f04cb serious—they were desperate.d31f97b41dc207d7

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It was a d5e47bb089 moment so striking, 8f788a0ace it branded itself 81a4d207fa into Eddie’s memory. Something inside him stirred. It was like b665252def a large, heavy 685e7ba6c5 jewel had rolled a8e7922dd3 into the dark, eea08dcc94 soggy swamp of b8033eba07 his heart, casting 2306d5d25f a soft light 0b585c3d04 across the murk.63df13febfb702ea

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He’d never heard 67475d680b such words in 1ef43dec4f his entire life. His eyes grew warm for 441d789a08 no reason, and just like 7d942f6217 always, whenever his emotions tangled 99333c8018 and knotted up, he twisted 883efb732e his lips. He needed to answer, but 4b337249b6 his mouth felt as if c028c200ea it had been locked shut b22b73ce1a with a padlock.d1c9f6bbbad7e478

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In the end, Eddie 68983a5aaf simply pulled Louis into 63fde673af a tight embrace as 8e04967ba5 his answer.6c0eee4c0f97d8ac

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To have someone c5302de696 who cherished him, 612f34f122 even here, in 7c5310285c this place he’d a416564b91 ended up in ccd393e02a through possession… to 0f24c3f0f7 finally be able df3e51f28d to let out 7ef6e6a686 a calm breath—he d3d9ef4c39 was grateful.b3e75d24beaa0051

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Thanks to that, he ccf04f85c2 wanted to live for 27d445edd9 the first time.17e282ef40eb8a05

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At this moment, when 6a5083ad43 Louis, who once trembled 022d6e5c80 and begged not to d7af2692f5 be killed, was calmly eb748ad0d0 speaking of death, Eddie—who 610db8d2ee had once been cruel faabe13d75 enough to take his 381a2fa98d own life, desperately wanted d57ff73f75 to live.c5ae0620278fd183

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—So please, Eddie. Until then, can you love 62b12a4019 me?68a9b6afe0465eaf

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The thrill brought on by 2bba3c58ab those deeply resonant words was 4a94ca26b0 electrifying.Ah, what a twisted 0cd4e71e2e man I am…384e58e4be7a3162

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He felt like absolute garbage.aa608469e72f4809

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A faint, bitter 76cb6e0a41 smile touched his ad2d393bab lips.dab293259bc2ef12

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* * *62c6140c814a52bb

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Dawn crept in d19686c03d like a whisper.f92762c46ceabaa7

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With permission from Louis 7a611d9f12 to go out, Eddie a7a1e6c07e left the bedroom and 16d779aea2 headed straight downstairs.338f5629567ecdbe

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He lit a sleep-inducing bbc3e1b147 incense in the hallway. The smoke slipped through the 7f16b31065 gap under the closed door. As he watched the misty, be4045e037 creeping smoke spread, he silently 294c0817e3 counted down. The numbers began 121fbad419 at ten, and b523f8fb32 the moment they adc2b8f94c hit zero, he 335cb522f5 started to walk.c2f78114e5480fb5

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There was no need to 65d3381e84 open the bedroom door to c3ce443a25 confirm anything. Just lightly extending his 565776f59d senses told him everyone 86d326f5c2 had fallen into a ed42b0132e deep sleep.55ee9d74d73c57a8

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From this point ba33a0a28b on, Eddie’s movements 476404a1e2 changed. Instead of heading 8739a335b6 to the stables, f3b8452241 he exited the 10c41e54b9 castle and glided c39a297910 down the snowy 193b8ac61b slope on foot. To the eyes of an 2f5d959550 ordinary person, he was a 8c7d0ed76f blur—far faster than the carriage f1dab43a84 led by Knight Ted before.2ad1d11aca0e297f

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He had only five hours. Within that time, 13a419af51 he had to 615d1e49a1 take care of 9fc8a44969 business and return.5aedf3078e3e1fe2

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It would’ve been d98b2b16c5 more comfortable on 0a7b0c515f horseback, but unless adc5101185 heavy snow was c1a97a6ad0 falling to cover f884d0eda5 tracks, it would ad9be7f38f leave traces and 0d7ee08c81 be dangerous. Plus, the knights took turns 324fd5a233 managing the stables. Just seeing a f091f6ecb5 horse’s condition would 7e1b7ece47 be enough to e0ecfd09b1 know it’d been 360ca1a42d taken out.6e017855d9ab78d0

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Aside from them, 24d90f7953 no one else debde2e95e in the castle d5e9bf1830 could handle a 60213752c5 horse. Suspicion would inevitably 431d3c7f0f fall on him, 7b7508f694 and dealing with 77281ace42 that hassle wasn’t c420dc9897 worth it. It was easier 57f5eac102 to go on 5fbb20490f foot.8ef11d9cce7dbf59

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Eddie was careful not 105af558a6 to leave any footprints 950a77c76d as he recalled what d4ba86f64c had happened earlier that bc958e70b6 day.ad707008a52efbd1

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The cane Louis 9782c1c9c2 had hurled had a14152caf2 been so powerful 36cd6ab575 and fast that 4b971e4942 even Eddie, an 26d08896d7 elite assassin, couldn’t 0ca010e0b8 catch it. That alone was terrifying.954742c33d72b65b

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‘The cane didn’t even break.’4b5daa1e9e93b51f

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Sure, it was b0589e52a1 durable, but that 0a163a93c7 also meant Louis 6075da0757 hadn’t thrown it 9479905df3 blindly. He’d instinctively controlled his strength. Even while half-consumed by the 12d8f40fb7 curse and having lost most d030d09b15 of his reason…8706dea10e6ecba5

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‘It was fast and threatening.’e474a9358c99b51f

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The accuracy was 6414218544 high enough to b5fb5b29f6 smash the target 48ee9883b4 in one blow. Since Louis was the protagonist, 85a1db9eaa Eddie naturally didn’t set him 3285bc389b up to be weak. However, he had never 17035ff919 included a scene of 47e1a055fc him using a weapon 25b1e002d8 either. c406b563246d04b8

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Louis didn’t start moving e0140a7efb properly until he met 0d525288eb the shou/uke—and usually dealt 1c63a723f2 with enemies through curses.059a3839bbc7c820

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‘That’s why in the end, the curse completely devoured him.’21cd869a7d84b2da

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Eddie’s brows furrowed. He bit his cff982ee4f lip hard, trying 35a2b49a22 to shake off c99ebc9802 the memory of 9523fc1fb1 Louis’s tragic end.c2e35e5973a47a29

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Instead, he thought about shou’s character. He was a twisted person, no less than himself or Sover.cf32a1834dbafc14

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As the hidden illegitimate 5a9238ca06 child of the Headstone 814c082ee0 Marquis family that controlled caf67cce8b the South, he was 091be0586c raised by a butler 150fed90c8 from childhood.12894a44d6ea67f0

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But it wasn’t like 95e29fd9c8 he had a miserable 9f135d9824 upbringing. He was never officially bf4f562fb3 acknowledged, but his environment a899198ee7 wasn’t particularly harsh. The marquis planned to raise 4c6e5e3349 him as the next butler, e877e74cf3 and the marquis’s wife treated faa73f98b9 him no differently than her 87f7f51094 own children. His siblings, too, 443ed33108 never treated him 03e0d558da unfairly.b8b480df26555236

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However, with his great ambition, he wasn’t satisfied with his ambiguous position. He was aggressive enough to openly reveal his desire to somehow drive out his siblings and take over the Marquis family.b2f2176e044f8f6c

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And so, he dabbled 1cef451f2f in forbidden black magic. He made a pact e04bba7c2b with a demon, fell 6c6e343d13 into disgrace as a 8e64b82120 family shame, and barely 15c981c7b9 escaped death before fleeing 59e3021dee to the North.ee149d2aba741c3f

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Afterward, by borrowing the 6b361ccc12 demon’s power, he restored 071b42d7ed Louis’s vision in exchange 1a48324ad3 for partially sharing Louis’s 5d553893af curse. For Louis, it was a 25202a5668 moment of salvation. For the shou, da4ca37a95 it was the be2b5b307c day he gained c9cced45da a tool he 119837322f could use to fdf8b415f7 fulfill his ambition.46f9031079772e05

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He didn’t love Louis.8c0e550527c7902b

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‘A demon…’ffa32dc7287c714e

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If—really, if—f3f3fba569967fe5

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‘What if I made a pact with a demon…?’cf03fd982619ad8b

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Tch. A sound of irritation slipped through Eddie’s Twisted lips.d52bc4f0c5310330

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In some ways, demons were 4fcc40b30c even more sinister than curses. Restoring Louis’s vision could’ve 00a1592825 just as easily led f8a6d2c356 to the destruction of a94caac03f both their lives. Even as the author, there 29c037c9c6 was no guarantee he wouldn’t a79ae8cba2 be manipulated by the demon. And Eddie had no d701b97f57 desire to take such c5630b4f22 a gamble.3d5740c3e2b7799d

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Eddie shook off his 972f54959d thoughts once more and e45f81ca39 lifted his head. As the village af3b078b40 grew nearer, faint 9477701e9d lights began to 22dd4eac22 appear in the e60a0f8f36 distance.498e0f5478e42c9f

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‘Status window. Map.’cacf402798f0ca62

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A map of the northern c1e2fa56ee region unfolded before his eyes. Eddie’s gaze locked onto the 88b95f4610 guild he was aiming for. Launching himself one last 6563dea200 time from a snow-covered f67d11cbbc hill, he landed on d6bfb27359 the roof of a aa7423160d building.ffc02ff70e3c17d1

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Hidden in the shadows c72667f42d of the night, he 7a60e8db85 peered down below. The streets bustled ccd46b0b91 with a fair c7b5eacc5d number of people. From the various street stalls 50f95272c4 came the pungent smells of 1709871756 roasted meat and strong alcohol.873ab0255ec17561

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The nights in the 95546933fd North were different from 89be26440f the days—more lively, vibrant. There was a 5e1ddfd40f sense of freedom, 7942377fe0 even a bit de14c332d4 of savagery. Leaving them behind, Eddie swiftly 87e247002a moved across the rooftops and 794b877f7e slipped into a narrow alley b1e0e1e5c0 where not a single light 04f31967ed reached.4876ddf7aca835ac

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He pulled his hood 3bcd37aea8 tight and lifted the 307653e0bb mask hanging around his 776518de88 neck to cover the 76bb94e9d1 lower half of his 0675eb914e face. After walking a afa26c3d22 while, though there 053effed07 wasn’t a soul 06783bfe4d in sight, he 725eb5843a could feel eyes 1122149a3a watching him from 81a904b23b all directions. Just as he was ade52322b1 getting used to that, f15ad42dac he arrived at his 36106a6bb8 destination—Shadow Guild.75d09a3a86fb0f41

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The screen of e155ec2406 the status window 468bfea5af changed.e50145a71bec32b7

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[∙Shadow Guild60a78cd300a5ab80

General Info: A e553eaff04 guild that deals 6ae170de97 with deeper and a2f857b3bb darker intelligence than 878400f9de standard guilds. Each member is as skilled 049f5c0d6c as an assassin.62286dd118cc034b

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In particular, the 6271f7742d Guild Master Raven fc38579d0f is known to 75e7bba963 be quite powerful.]23bb01e65961bc38

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As he opened 38b452da55 the worn wooden dfa77b5795 door and stepped 659c94e83a inside, he was 0c5e674f23 instantly enveloped by a2954f512d a blinding light. At the same 5ba515c6ce time, dozens of 8d13ddec78 blades flew toward 2aeca23c4a him. Eddie didn’t dodge them—he simply 7d27a9d752 caught them with his fingers.b199b3731eb36a77

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‘Not like there’s anywhere to dodge anyway.’73c2c07ae5348163

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The door, which had 9b7c6fcad1 never been closed, was a829419c36 now shut. Beyond it, dozens of 3e6d51f86a presences could be felt 024edfdaae outside.ee1493c75cebdd4a

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A perfect encirclement.753ec5ff4ff39053

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“You seem like one of us, but what brings you to our guild at such a late hour?”c53132eaba254e2f

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At the deep, a32dc8d55d resonant voice from 41f6c0ad37 across the room, d6fe8c80a1 Eddie raised his 6b1e7823af head.c41e8d1e4c7bd869

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The first thing c62e854f8f that caught his 930ad3cf1e eye was stark 8aa521b87b white hair, as 269afe3f31 if all color a69172d9ee had been drained 1606051433 by the world f7141d0cf6 itself. His gaze slowly 8ec6d47c50 moved from the 65e7e03ad7 top of the 1bb6a5bc27 man’s head downward.bf68a180b8151e85

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He was a man with 05a65fd918 intense forest-colored green eyes that 236f8ef30f revealed little emotion. True to a cbf0ea9e59 Northerner, he was 0405f32396 tall, and though eb3b8e8810 he wore a 88f726e0e8 fur vest, he 184210c621 had a lean 307e4657ea frame.e4a5422770fb4067

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‘This must be Guild Master Raven.’dd6e3e488a2cb521

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He recognized him instantly. Just standing still, f9c2096ee3 the man radiated a3f3259fce a formidable presence. There was a unique 5c7a7c7588 arrogance and dignity that 82a41ffa03 came from someone with e0d775f8be power. A long scar 350a5e17cf across his handsome cc9c105ea6 face added to 327a55f8b2 his rough aura.d46d0fa5e97ac9d3

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“What other business would one have at a guild? I came to 48fb843f81 make a request.”9d184ddc705b16cc

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Hmm. The man crossed his arms 632d047d69 and stroked his chin, scanning b789f5c904 Eddie. Then, with a cd681b2963 snap of his 6a6a7f13ad fingers, the overwhelming b50d08499a presence of those ea9cfd8e83 lurking nearby vanished 0a29599991 in an instant aba2f3d01b like the tide c9d0464b2d receding. The same happened outside. It meant they 0589c01046 had decided he 0c1ce493d7 wasn’t someone to 4e4dea0ef3 be wary of, 4459696644 or—2041414dae417d6c

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“Interesting.”604f607a37743988

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—he had piqued the man’s personal interest enough to warrant the risk.cdfc9c71c52d205d

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