A Pathetic Man

While Naro was performing his 'experiment,' trying to gather points through his various senses, he began to move even more chaotically in his cradle. A bigger disturbance was made, but, surprisingly, it did not attract any attention.

Mo Seris was too distracted to notice. His eyes drifted from portrait to portrait. 

The retainer behind him wondered what the assistant steward found so interesting in the portraits. However, this was just overthinking on his part. Mo Seris was not paying any attention at all to the visages of the Song ancestors. His gaze was just wandering of its own accord. 

Rather, he was continuously thinking over the Third Manager's parting words.

Have a safe trip.

What did it mean?

Was it a threat? At first, he had thought so, but as time passed, it seemed less likely.

More and more, Mo Seris was becoming certain that the words were meaningless. If anything, it was just an empty phrase meant to disturb his mind.

'Have a safe trip' was a common phrase to use before someone departed. The only reason it made such a deep impression on Mo Seris was because of the words that had been whispered to him directly before.

If you ever dream of targeting me…I will make Baruda the Manslayer look like a little child playing with dolls…

If you ever dream of targeting me.

If.

'If' was the key word. It implied that if Mo Seris was not targeting him, then there wouldn't be any trouble. And Mo Seris had not yet targeted the Third Manager.

So then, the parting phrase of the Third Manager could not have been a direct threat. 

This also made sense from a broader perspective. Neither the Third Manager's nor the Song Manor's interests aligned with attacking Mo Seris. 

The Song Manor did not want to stir up trouble with the Mo Family unnecessarily.

Song Horo likewise would not want to stir up trouble just after negotiating a deal. Otherwise, what would have been the point of making the deal in the first place?

Until the materials made their way to the Song Manor, all that had taken place was a verbal agreement and the loss of a baby. If they attacked now, then the Mo Family would no longer have an obligation to fulfill their side of the deal.

So, why give up the baby for nothing?

All these reasons allowed Mo Seris to calm down from his agitated state.

Once he was no longer agitated, his pride surged back of its own accord. His feelings towards the Third Manager oscillated in the opposite direction, and his hostility was renewed. 

Song Horo, what a good Martial Warrior! What a good Third Manager!

The manager blustered and puffed himself up, but what happened afterward? He was too scared of the Mo Family to oppose Mo Seris in the end.

All he could do was make empty threats!

The more Mo Seris thought about it, the more confident he became.

So that's how it is! What a pathetic man.

By the time Mo Seris and the retainers crossed the full length of the hallway, the assistant steward's mood had returned to normal. His perpetual sneer reappeared, and he once again exuded the aura of an immortal who looked down upon the world.

The retainer who was walking ahead stopped at the entrance door. He held it open for Mo Seris, turning his eyes away respectfully.

I nearly forgot that I was a man of the Mo Family!

Mo Seris chuckled inwardly as he passed by the retainer. He was about to walk through the doorway, when he stopped himself on the threshold. 

He turned, giving one last look behind him. Down at the other end of the empty hallway, he saw the Goldmoon officer leaving the bedroom. Mo Seris gave a faint smile.

A breeze from the outside was gently brushing against his clothes.

Then, Mo Seris turned, cradle in hand, and walked out into the Song Manor proper.