Chapter 22 The Power of Logical Inferencing
"What is hiding behind that mask of his?"
This is the probably most important question for all Night Raid members.
Bulat is currently leading the team, as the assassins are currently retreating quickly in the middle of the night.
Viewing the dark paths in front of him, the armed warrior lets out a small sigh to himself, "Such a shame – this is not the correct time or place to challenge him into a fight."
Following the muscular man, the bosomy blonde is carrying an unconscious boy on her shoulders. Her expression exemplifies that sense of complacency and satisfaction.
"Hey, Sheele, do you think this is a good idea? I don't think it is safe to just show them our headquarters, and I think we should just kill them on the spot." The pink-haired girl is following closely behind the two towering teammates in front of her. Irritation and a small degree of worry are shown through her voices.
"… Hmm?" The girl with glasses looks at her companion. She seems a bit confused.
"Never mind."
Sheele turns to look at the unconscious boy in front of her, and then switches her view onto the masked man, and returns to the now-disturbed Mine, "Oh, them. I think they look quite decent."
"…"
A green-haired boy is following the group of girls in front of him. He seems quite indifferent about the current situation, as his eyes are constantly crawling up and down onto the ladies ahead of him.
"Lubbock! One more stare and you are dead!"
Not even wanting to turn back to her companions, Mine's experience and sniper instincts suddenly sensed the creepy glances from her back.
A few meters behind Lubbock, the crimson-eyed girl is moving in a steady pace. Each step of her movement seems to be filled with assurance. Following the group with no sound, Akame's job is to watch out for stalking enemies.
And of course, to watch this masked stranger.
"He was staring at me for a long time at the warehouse," Her mind is overflowing with confusion, "but he did not take the initiative to yield a surprise attack."
"What does he mean when he said I am not his enemy?" Stretching her senses out into the environment, she can feel that the black-robed man is a few meters behind her. He is following the group orderly without a glimpse of fear or hesitation.
"Have I met him before?" She attempts to search through her memories, but nothing particular is presented, "Why do I perceive something unique on this person?"
"…" Deciding to preserve her thoughts for now, Akame shifts her focus back to the environment around her group.
Eventually, questions will be answered.
Right?
…
And they are here.
…
"Headquarters." Hei looks at the building in front of him, the shape of which seems to be quite unorthodox. The so-called headquarters can be described as a mixture of polyhedrons. A dome on top and a shape similar to a rectangular-cylinder on the bottom. The large lake and the old stones are greeting any of its visitor with a beauty of nature and history.
"Operated environment about one thousand square kilometers, approximated rectangular surface rather obvious to foreign intruders, it is quite interesting for it to be unnoticed throughout the ages." Hei is carefully familiarizing himself with his predicament.
Noticing the Night Raid headquarters in the distance, he is already calculating his next evil plan for the total destruction of the group of young assassins, just like his suicidal plan for the revolutionary soldiers in the Elder Basin.
That was a joke.
Before the sun comes out from the edge of the sky, the group of assassins have arrived at their hideout.
…
"The normal consumption for assassins should be used to predict their further actions."
Hei slowly examines the room to which he was taken.
"Rest is mandatory before consulting with my future predicament."
…
"Damn it! Why do I have to watch those two men when I can appreciate the curves of women's body?"
Frustrating to his limits, Lubbock was tasked to keep an eye on Hei and Tatsumi.
"Hey, you do talk, right? Say something!" Looking at the unconscious Tatsumi on the bed, Lubbock turns to the Black Reaper. It seems like frustration does make people brave.
"You are Night Raid."
The deep voice comes out behind that pale mask again, the atmosphere suddenly drops a few degrees.
"Well," Lubbock quickly frames his face into an evil smile, "both of you have seen our faces, which can constitute to you being a threat to us. That means, we can kill you right now."
…
"Such ineptitude of the common masses."
Rotating his body to fully face Lubbock, Hei slowly reveals all of his mask in front of the green-haired boy.
"In the first instance, if you possess any desire to eliminate me as a threat, then you would have done so without revealing your hideout location. There are three potential reasons for you to bring us here. One, you require information. This is the most flawed reason, as you have come to fulfill one of your own assignments in the house of the nobles, so obtaining captives who serve as the playthings of wicked noblemen can only be perceived as something out of your original action plan. Two, you require an aspect on your next assassination. This reason can be ignored through the study of human morality. Assassination groups who consume skilled men as one-time commodities exist, and they view humans as resources. This is plausible, but your motive of the last assassination has sold you out. Your target is a duke, which can possibly possess two things you desire – material resources or political influence. You have not taken any physical possessions from the case; therefore, you were there for the elimination of political influence. The family has encountered many political scandals, but the empire still protects their loyal subjects, which constitutes that your actions are essentially against the empire. Observing the location and the structures of your headquarters, the engineering and the building of this place has been done with a solid foundation of wealth and influence. Holding on to that thought, the identities of your pathetic assassination group can be determined easily – you are part of the revolutionary army."
Completely overseeing the cold sweat and look of absolute desperation on Lubbock's face, Hei continues with his reckless denunciation of Lubbock's threat.
"This suggests my third assumption. You need recruitments, and we are your potential subjects."
…
…
…
CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.
"Absolutely perfect, Black Reaper" a middle-aged woman gradually appears into the room, a cigarette is currently burning on her mouth, "or shall I say, the Empire's Most Wanted?"