Chapter 41 - The Illegal Contract

"It's quite simple," The woman spoke up as she rested her chin on her cupped hands, "We sign a contract that is between just the two of us. Nobody else should ever be informed about this contract. I would have a condition that you'll need to fulfill and in return, you can rent out a room that is cheaper than what you would normally have to pay."

"What's the condition that I'll need to fulfill?" Hecathe crossed his legs as he questioned in all seriousness.

The woman chuckled as she reassured, "It won't be too difficult for you."

Hecathe frowned slightly but said nothing as he waited for the woman to complete her sentence.

"I'm sure you have heard about the guilds around here?"

Hecathe nodded his head as a response.

"You just have to join a certain guild and become a spy for me there."

Hecathe frowned as he questioned, "Why would you want to spy on a guild?"

"You've got me wrong" The woman chuckled as she shook her head, "It's not the guild that interests me, it's someone from the guild."

"So you want to spy on a man?"

"A woman actually."

"..."

"She won't be meeting you straightaway. In fact, it would be a bit hard to come across her even after joining the guild but if you perform well and rise in ranks, it would become easier for you to meet her."

"Why?"

"Eh?"

"Why do you want to spy on her?"

"Is the reason important?"

"Of course, it is," Hecathe sighed as he added, "If you have ill intentions that I do not agree with, I would naturally be declining your current offer. I'm not such an idle man. If there is something you want me to do, I at least need to be aware of your end goal."

The woman's eyes narrowed down on the man as she looked at him for a minute as if she were trying to read his mind, "Young man, you are sharp."

"I know."

The woman chuckled as she broke the awkward staring competition, "I quite like people like you but... They can sometimes be a pain in the butt."

Hecathe smirked as he heard this but said nothing as he simply waited for her to answer his question.

"The reason is a bit complicated but you can rest assured that I mean her no harm. It's just because I'm a bit curious about what she has been doing lately."

Hecathe chuckled dryly as his fingers impatiently tapped on the table, "If you are acquainted then why don't you simply ask her about it."

"I can't. She would never tell me," The woman replied with a sigh, "You are the only way I can find information on her."

Hecathe didn't look to be too pleased as he stood up from his seat, "Then since you aren't willing to say anything, I would be taking my leave. I have to go before all the other apartments close their doors for me."

Hecathe didn't wait for the woman to respond as he lightly bowed and turned around to leave.

"Alphius!" The woman suddenly exclaimed from behind and the name sent a shiver down Hecathe's back as he stopped in his tracks almost immediately.

"I suspect that she's working for Alphius nowadays," The woman continued with a worried tone and Hecathe sighed in relief.

"So you just want to confirm this?" Hecathe calmly questioned as he turned around once again and faced the woman.

The woman nodded as she responded, "That's right. She has been working on something with Alphius so I want to know what that is."

"Why?" Hecathe questioned, "Why do you want to know? So that you can report them?"

The woman gulped as she immediately shook her head, "I would never do that. Reporting her is the last thing I would do."

"Then why?" Hecathe pushed the chair back and took a seat again as he questioned.

"It's a personal matter. You don't need to concern yourself with it."

Hecathe chuckled dryly as he heard this, "Didn't I already tell you? I'm not working with you unless you give me a solid reason why I should be working with you. Half-information is going to get you nowhere."

The woman also chuckled but there was no joy in her tone as she retorted, "But that's not possible. You also haven't been exactly open with me. I have no idea what your real identity is nor did you tell me what your purpose or goal was when you came to this city. In comparison, you're more suspicious than me. I wonder what would happen if I report you...?"

Hecathe's eyes twitched as he felt a little awkward when he questioned, "Are you trying to threaten me? Don't you see the cloak? There is a real emblem on it and you still dare to threaten me?"

"It might be real but it might also be stolen. As long as your innocent, you shouldn't be worried about me reporting, should you?" The woman's face looked dangerously evil as she smiled.

Hecathe took a sharp breath in and his hand clenched into a fist as he realized that this woman was certainly talented in switching behaviors.

The woman chuckled as she added, "You don't give me information about yourself so I don't give you information either. This can be considered as a trust between two parties. You don't know my secret and I don't know yours so neither of us has anything to lose."

"Then let me ask you a question. Whether I sign the agreement or not completely depends on this question," Hecathe looked at her as he waited for her to respond.

The woman nodded her head, "What is it?"

"Was it Alphius who killed Orgon?"

"Eh?" The woman looked to be confused as she heard a question that she would have never actually imagined she would be hearing.

Hecathe clicked his tongue as he rephrased the question and asked the woman again, "Do you believe that it was Alphius who killed Orgon?"