Glenn slowly raised the hand that held the sword, lifting Lady Sophia’s entire body off the ground with it.

  “Let go of my mother!” Laville cried, rushing at Glenn, striking and biting at him in a frenzy.

  Watching the noblewoman dangling in midair yet refusing to release her grip, Glenn deliberately glanced at Lord Charnis. The man’s body trembled; his lips quivered, as if silently mouthing, Don’t...

  But Glenn had no intention of stopping. With a sudden flick of his wrist, he wrenched the sword free and struck Sophia’s abdomen with the hilt.

  “No!” Charnis’s anguished roar tore through the air.

  Sophia gave a muffled groan of pain as she was sent flying backward, only to be caught by Baber and several guards. She hung limply in their arms, unconscious—no matter how frantically Charnis called, she did not stir.

  “Fetch the finest healing potion at once!” Charnis barked toward the maids, his voice trembling with urgency.

  They scurried away in panic.

  “Father! Help me!”

  The desperate cry yanked Charnis’s mind back to the present. His son was still trapped in that terrifying commoner’s grasp.

  Glenn’s hand was clamped around Laville’s throat, lifting him like a rag doll.

  “No—please! Don’t!”

  The proud noble was gone; Charnis was now only a father consumed by fear and pleading. Inwardly he screamed, I knew it! I knew it! Those creatures from Bayerk are monsters! Why did I ever take the risk?

  The armed guards exchanged uneasy glances, none daring to move.

  Laville’s face had turned a dark shade of purple; each breath rasped in his throat as his eyes began to roll back. Just when it seemed he would lose consciousness, Glenn abruptly released him, letting the boy collapse to the ground, coughing violently.

  Charnis exhaled a shuddering breath of relief and instinctively stepped forward—only to be halted by Glenn’s cold voice.

  “I wouldn’t move if I were you. His life,” he said evenly, “is still in my hands.”

  No one doubted his words.

  “What... what do you want?” Charnis stammered. “I admit I was wrong—please, don’t hurt my only son.”

  The arrogance of nobility had long since drained from him.

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  Watching this display, Lord Clore’s eyes flickered briefly with contempt before he masked it again.

  Charnis noticed nothing; even if he had, he wouldn’t have cared. No one could understand what this son meant to him. If Laville died, his bloodline might end entirely.

  “Can you take him down?” Clore murmured under his breath, his words meant for no one’s ears but his own.

  A disembodied voice echoed in his mind.

  “I cannot see through him. But... he knows I’m here.”

  Clore’s pupils contracted. “He noticed you? Impossible—you’re the finest shadow assassin in the underworld!”

  “I can’t tell how, but he’s guarding against me.”

  Silence fell again.

  “I’m a reasonable man,” Glenn said at last. “You brought me here, ruined my business for the day. You’ll compensate me for the loss.”

  “Yes! Of course!” Charnis nodded rapidly. “How much do you want?”

  “Hmm...” Glenn thought for a moment. “Ten gold coins.”

  Every noble present froze in disbelief.

  He makes that much in a day?

  Charnis swallowed his outrage, forcing a tight smile. “Very well... Ten gold coins.”

  “Ah, that’s the spirit! I do love dealing with straightforward noblemen.” Glenn clapped lightly, a humorless smile on his lips.

  Charnis’s expression twitched. “Then... you’ll release my son now, won’t you? A man of honor keeps his word.”

  Glenn glanced down at the trembling boy beside him. “I never said I’d let him go after payment.”

  “You can’t do this!” Charnis’s voice cracked as madness crept into it. His eyes were bloodshot, his body trembling. If not for Baber’s restraint, he would have hurled himself at Glenn in desperation.

  “Calm down, my noble lord,” Glenn said coolly. “Think of all those commoners you’ve crushed beneath your heel. How do you suppose they felt? Does this make you understand them better?”

  He remained composed, unmoved by the noble’s hysteria. To raise a son like Laville, his parents could hardly be much better.

  “You—!” Charnis trembled all over, then turned rage into pleading. “What will it take to make you release him?”

  Glenn didn’t answer. His gaze shifted to the maid returning with a small glass vial filled with pale green liquid.

  He watched with faint curiosity as the maid poured the shimmering contents into Sophia’s mouth.

  In truth, she wasn’t seriously hurt—Glenn had only used a precise burst of force to knock her unconscious. He hadn’t bothered to mention that. He wanted to see what this so-called healing potion could do.

  The final drop slid down her throat, and a heartbeat later, Sophia’s eyes fluttered open.

  Impressive. Instant recovery... though I can’t yet judge the full extent of its effect, Glenn mused.

  Blinking in confusion, Sophia looked around. When her gaze landed on Glenn, her face drained of color. She trembled, memories crashing back.

  Then, spotting Laville at Glenn’s feet, she screamed and lurched forward—only for Charnis to grab her arm.

  “What are you doing? Laville’s in danger! Let me go!” she cried, struggling in his hold.

  With no choice, Charnis hastily explained the situation until she finally froze.

  “Please!” she implored, tears brimming in her eyes. “Let my son go! Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you!”

  The maids watching from afar wiped at their eyes—partly out of fear, partly from sympathy.

  Only Lord Clore remained expressionless, his disdain for the Charnis family deepening.

  “That potion,” Glenn said casually, pointing to the empty vial. “Give me a hundred of those.”

  The room fell into stunned silence. Several people nearly lost their balance.

  A hundred bottles? Does he think it’s wine? Clore fumed inwardly.

  “I... I only have five,” Charnis stammered. “They’ve been passed down for generations, and one’s already used. There are only four left.”

  Glenn studied his face, then nodded. “Fine. Four will do.”

  Charnis hesitated, then turned to a maid. “Fetch all the healing potions we have.”

  The maid sniffled, shot Glenn a furious glare, and hurried off once more.