CH71: The House always wins...

***

[Notice: House of Death High Priority Contract Completed.]

[Notice: Calculating Rewards...]

[Target(s): 1. Quara Duemin 2. Lars Charmin]

Details: House of Death High Priority contract.

Type: Elimination

Special Requirements: Veil death in mystery

{Reward Calculation}

Innocents killed: None.

[Notice: Condition to receive Queen's favour reached.]

*Queen's Favour*

-Stealth-

No. Of Witnesses: 0

No. Of Disruptions: 0

Surveillance:

[Notice: Stealth Points = 0]

-Aggression-

No. of innocents harmed: 0

[Notice: Aggression Points = 0]

Rating: Stealth Point = 0

Aggression Point = 0

Rating = Shadow Assassin!

Queen's Favour = (5 + 10) = 15 Mischief Points + 100% Exp.

[Contract Evaluation]

Target Killed: (50 + 100) = 150 Exp

Difficulty: A (+ 80%Exp)

Queen's Favour Bonus: + 100%Exp.

Final Multiplier = ( 80%Exp + 100%Exp)

= + 180%Exp

Exp Earned = 150Exp + 180%Exp

= 420 Exp

The Interface message confirmed that my targets had been dealt with.

But I had to say, the Mischief Point rewards of the contract were quite... Pitiful.

It was already bad enough that the amount of Exp I earned from each contract was low to begin with, but now the MP reward was only ten percent of the already small Exp?

That's almost the same as telling me not to rely too much on the Vault of Knowledge. That's quite unfair considering all the effort I went through to open the damned thing!

It took me a while to calm down.

Once I did, I realised I had no reason to complain.

I was already told that Mischief Points could only be gotten with each promotion of my Assassin Tier. The fact that Queen Hel gave me a way to earn them, no matter how small, was a big favour in itself.

After all, I couldn't forget, the Vault of Knowledge was the blessing of the Patriarch of the House of Loki, Loki himself, and not Queen Hel.

Thinking about it from that perspective, I realised Hel must have made some significant moves, or even sacrificed something, for my sake.

So, I had no right to complain. I just had to suck it up and make the most of whatever I had at my disposal.

It wasn't the first nor was it going to be the last time I'd have to work with limit resources.

'Open Status'

{Status.}

[Leo Xander.]

Race: Prime Human

Title: World Challenger, The Fool

Alias: Agent Zero, Cub of Lionheart.

Age: 18

Life Path (Primary): Assassin.

Tier: Tier II (Hired Killer)

Promotion Exp: 730/15000 ➡️ 1150/15000

---

[Attributes-]

(Physical)

Physique: 50

Dexterity: 45

Mind: 50

Attribute Points: 18

(Blessing)

Love Partners: 1

Lover: Navia

Charm: 60/100

Mischief Points: 10,500 MP ➡️ 10,515 MP

---

[Blessings]

(Passive)

-Bind of Love

-The Queen's Favour.

-Poison Master

(Incarnation)

-Fen (Instrument of Destruction)

-Gandr (Supreme-grade World Serpent)

-Grif (Eagle-Griffon Beast)

(Active)

-Mask of Loki (Equipped.)

-Joker's Trump Card (Assigned).

-Vault of Knowledge.

[Knowledge], [Blessing], [Weapons], [Customization & Design]

{[Knowledge] – , , , }

[Combat] : (Tyrant's Close Quarter Combat Technique +Valhalla Will Manual + Firearms + Gunfighting) = The Fool's Tyrannical Combat Tempering Manual

[Life]: Survival Knowledge, Enchanting/Circles/Runes, Botany, Herbology/Apothecary, Biology, Psychology, Riding/Driving/Flying, Interrogation/Counter-Interrogation, Extreme Parkour, Theft.

[Energy]: Sharp Senses, Penetration, Mental Communication, Telekinesis, Hypnosis, Concealment

[Physical]: Quick Reflex, Stealth & Assassination, Combat Proficiency, Precision, Accuracy.

{[Weapon]- , , , }

[Primary]: Colt .357 Magnum Python Revolver, Combat Master .9mm Pistol

[Secondary]: Wristblade, Throwing Knife, Garrotte, Baton

[Tools]: Night & Thermal Vision Glasses (Mask add-on), Binoculars, Terrain Scanner

[Misc.]: 9mm Magazines, 9mm Bullet Box, .357 Cartridges, .357 bullet box, Gun maintenance toolkit, Various gun parts replacements etc.

Looking at my status, I realised the recent changes to -i.e. nerfing of- my Interface and blessing was more significant than I realised.

The Attribute Points (A.P) and Mischief Points (M.P )I had became all that more precious. I couldn't spend them willy-nilly.

Aside from that though, nothing much changed with my status.

Alright, this is where I tell you how I killed my targets without going to the mansion.

It was simple really.

When I followed the maid the first time to the Nature's Gift, I overheard the Evenwood nephew mention her 'regular' order was ready. And the order turned out to be Scent purple bamboo shaving incense.

That's a mouthful.

Anyway, I realised after my cold bath that was the key to solving my conundrum.

You see, Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense was mostly used as a cure for insomnia.

Insomnia wasn't all that uncommon here in Arun so Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense was readily available at any self-respecting herb shop.

Lighting the Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense in a room ensured the person(s) sleeping in the room would sleep like a baby if they wanted to.

Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense's effect was quite gentle. It promoted sleep rather than force it like a typical sedative. One could resist its effect if they wanted to in most cases.

However, there was a problem with the Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense. It should never be used beyond three consecutive days or it would become addictive.

The user won't be able to sleep comfortably without smelling the incense.

This brings me to the maid.

The Evenwood nephew's mention of regular purchase, along with the maid's daily excursion, led me to deduce that Lady Duemin had fallen into Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense addiction, likely due to insomnia from the House of Death's constant threat to her life.

Perhaps the Lady found it difficult to sleep, and so she and/or her caretakers decided to use the Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense. Addiction to the incense was a small price to pay compared to the Lady losing her mind from lack of sleep.

After all, Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense had no particular harmful health impact aside making the user reliant on it for a good sleep.

This meant she used the incense in a secluded room over a significant period of time, and likely with someone watching over her.

If Lars Charmin was as close with her as suggested by the House's Intel jacket, then he was the only one the Lady would allow to be in the same room with her in a vulnerable state.

Meaning I would have both targets in the same room over an extended period of time.

This allowed me to make use of the compound poison technique.

Thanks to the [Poison Master] knowledge I gained from Jormungandr's blessing, I knew for a fact that there were many herbs which had a similar scent to the Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense when lit. Aside from feeling the effects, it would be difficult to tell the scents apart except for a herbalist VERY experienced with the herbs.

Amongst them, there was one herb in particular, Ashbloom, whose smoke mixes with that of the Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense to create a very unique poison.

Ashbloom wasn't poisonous. Instead, it was a popular stabiliser used in preparing many of the Herbal Concoctions on the market. However, very few if any were aware that this generally used medicinal herb could become poisonous.

If the smoke of the Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense and Ashbloom meets in a human's body continuously for five hours in the presence of limited air flow, the human's heart would slow down gradually till it eventually stops.

According to the Poison Master knowledge this was closer to a world Law than a chemical reaction. Fortunately for most, the condition for the reaction to take place was quite stringent.

Unfortunately for Lady Duemin and Lars Chenin, their sleeping arrangement met the condition.

Here is the sequence of event as I planned it:

I arrived early in the morning at the shop the previous day to purchase the store's Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense. I also bought a mature Scent Purple Bamboo stalk, a mature Ashbloom, and other herbs to obscure my objective.

I made my way into the alleyway where I compounded my own Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving plus Ashbloom incense which I made to look the same as the store's incense. Between my Poison Master blessing and my Herbology skills, it was quite easy to do.

Then, I repackaged everything exactly as they had done at the store.

After which, I headed into the pub to pass time.

Later that evening when the maid was about to leave the store, I created a scenario where she would bump into me and her purchase would spill on the floor.

Using the improved expertise I now had after purchasing and training according to the [Theft] knowledge I got from the {Vault of Knowledge}, I was able to swap my Incense for the store's without her realising.

Later that night, Lars Charmin and Lady Duemin must have retired into the bedroom for the night. Lars would of course lock the door and windows to prevent an assassin slipping in while they slept as well as to ensure the Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense spread to cover the room by creating a low airflow area.

He would then proceed to light the Scented Purple Bamboo Shaving Incense before slipping into bed with Lady Duemin.

Five hours later, the effects of the compound poison would set in and, without the sleeping couple feeling anything amiss, their heartrate would slow down until it came to a complete stop.

Their vital organs, especially their brains would starve of oxygen and they would pass away quietly in their sleep.

The next morning, a maid would come to call to them. After not getting a response, the door will be broken down, ushering a new gust of fresh air which would breakdown and disperse the poison, thus leaving behind no evidence.

A doctor would examine the couple and deduce that they died of heart failure. Perhaps if an autopsy is done, the result would be 'natural causes' since no toxins would be found in their system nor in the room.

The only thing that would point to an assassination would be the Card which arrived the night before address specifically to Lady Duemin or Lars Charmin.

A card which on one side read, 'The Fool's Death Card' and on the other the most important message.

'The House always wins...'

Yeah, cringy, I know. But I felt I need to do that much to discretely announce the House of Death was behind the targets' deaths.

The popular saying of my previous life came in handy.

I'm sure many people, most especially Blood Coffin, would wonder how Lars Charmin and Lady Duemin lost their lives.

They'd probably wonder if the House has an Agent who can kill without being present... Or something along that line.

Sure, they might suspect poison, but that also leaves question of how and where the poison was administered to both targets.

Charmin's exposure could be explained but what about Lady Duemin. The only person to ever come in direct contact with her was exclusively Charmin. Plus, everything she touched or used was rigorously tested beforehand.

If by chance the House was indeed able to turn anyone from Blood Coffin, it would still raise the House's profile, confirming there really was no one it couldn't get to.

Whether the how I killed the two was revealed or not, the important result was already obtained.

The House proved its supremacy by killing someone under Blood coffin's nose, and the organisation didn't even know how it was done.

It would drop people's confidence in the organisation significantly while raising the House's profile.

Whether my execution of the contract met the 'mysterious' death requested or not maybe questionable, what was certain was that the House got what it wanted irrespectively so it had no reason not to give me the full reward.

Anyway, with the high priority contract taken care of, I could turn my attention to my side contracts.

(To be continued...)

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