Evan slowly nodded, staring at the three men in front of him who were still clutching their broken hands.
"Good. For now, change your appearances until not a single neighbor or City Guard can recognize your faces. We’ll meet again in a few days," Evan said in a flat voice.
After recording the names of the three men: Tom, Luke, and Peter.
Evan turned around, preparing to leave.
"One more thing." Evan glanced back slightly, giving them a look that made their throats tighten. "Don’t you ever dare follow me. Use that money properly. If I hear even the slightest leak about me coming from your mouths... you know exactly how your comrades died tonight."
Tom, Luke, and Peter quickly nodded with pale faces. As long as the gold coins in their hands were real, fear and greed would keep their mouths firmly shut.
All they could do was watch Evan’s silhouette slowly disappear into the darkness as he ventured deeper into Velmora City.
Over the next few days, Evan moved like an efficient shadow. Using some of the gold coins he had obtained from scamming the Cheep Family, he rented and then purchased a fairly spacious two-story house in a densely populated residential area. A noisy and crowded place was actually the perfect hiding spot because none of the neighbors cared too much about other people’s business.
But Evan didn’t stop there. He also purchased an old orphanage in the middle of the city that was already on the verge of bankruptcy. With a little grease money paid to the local officials, he successfully registered a new, spotless citizen identity.
Meanwhile, the uproar surrounding the massacre of more than a dozen thugs and beggars in a dark alley several days ago had become the hottest topic throughout every corner of Velmora. The name Rick Grimes had risen once again, haunting the memories of officials and high-ranking City Guards.
On the second floor of his new house, Evan stood beside an open wooden window, staring at the clear daytime sky. Thin wisps of steam rose from the cup of tea in his hand.
"I’m absolutely certain..." Evan muttered coldly, a cynical smile curling across his lips. "...Yohan hasn’t been able to sleep peacefully these past few days after hearing the name Rick Grimes echoing once again."
Evan’s eyes hardened as he recalled the past. "You were able to sleep on a soft mattress after betraying me and nearly leaving me to rot in a prison cell. Fortunately for me, I was never foolish enough to trust anyone one hundred percent back then. You only knew my alias as Rick Grimes. You never knew that my real face was Evan."
According to the information parchment he had purchased from the black market, Yohan Zex had now washed his hands of the criminal world. The traitorous man had married a wealthy woman, purchased a low noble title in Velmora, and owned several profitable businesses, such as plantations and a restaurant chain, while also becoming an official trading partner of the Velmora Family Merchant Guild.
"You sacrificed my life just to buy yourself peace and that fake noble title, Yohan," Evan whispered.
His memories drifted back to the past. When Evan first arrived in this city under the alias Rick Grimes, he had nearly been caught during his first theft. Yohan, who was also a street criminal at the time, helped him and offered him a partnership.
At first, their business went smoothly. Yohan often dreamed of retiring, having a beautiful wife, and living among the upper class.
But once the name Rick Grimes became the most wanted criminal with a staggering bounty on his head, Yohan chose a shortcut. He leaked Evan’s hiding place and lured him into a City Guard trap in exchange for a pardon and gold coins from the Velmora Family.
Evan managed to escape with his body drenched in blood, crawling out of the city before being forced to change his identity to Evan John, the great alchemist, in order to deceive wealthy noble families such as the Cheep Family.
"Life really is never easy," Evan remarked as he took a sip of his tea. "You obtained your noble title by sacrificing your own partner... So I’ll take everything from you in my own way."
Suddenly, the air inside the room became unbearably cold. The sweet fragrance of lavender flowers mixed with the faint scent of dried blood, creeping into his senses.
Evan felt a pair of soft yet cold arms slowly wrap around his neck from behind. Abnormal warmth and a dense magical aura pressed against his shoulders, giving him an all-too-familiar sense of discomfort.
Evan froze. As soon as he turned his face slightly, Anna’s beautiful features were already only a centimeter from his cheek. The woman’s crimson eyes gleamed with insane obsession.
"I... missed you so, so much, my Evan..." Anna whispered in a soft voice that caressed his ears.
"Y-you?! How could you?!" Evan’s breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening in shock.
Anna gave him a sweet yet disturbing smile. She raised her slender index finger and gently pressed it against Evan’s lips.
"Shh... I know you’re very curious about how I suddenly appeared here," Anna whispered as she lovingly caressed the line of Evan’s jaw. "Even though I can watch your every move from afar through my magic because our souls are bound together... every second still feels like hell without touching you. I want to embrace your body... hold your cheeks... and whisper how much I love you thousands of times." Get faster updates on novelping.com.
Anger exploded in Evan’s chest. He turned around and roughly shoved Anna’s chest, stepping backward into the room.
"Ha! Turns out your true nature is far more terrifying than I imagined!" Evan barked, breathing heavily. "You’re truly a crazy woman who has taken away all my freedom!"
Instead of getting angry, Anna let out a soft laugh, a cheerful and delighted giggle that seemed completely unnatural. She floated closer, pressed her body against his again, and cupped Evan’s cheeks with both hands.
"Taken away?" Anna said, her eyes sparkling. "I’m watching over you because you’re mine, Darling. I want to see every expression on your face... your happiness, your anger, even your despair. All of it looks so beautiful."
Evan’s eyes reddened with anger. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and tightly wrapped it around Anna’s slender neck!
"You crazy woman!" Evan cursed through gritted teeth. "I truly regret buying you from that slave trader that day! If I hadn’t accidentally freed you from that damn curse... I wouldn’t be living in hell like this!"
Strangely, even though Evan choked the woman’s neck so hard that his hand trembled, Anna offered no resistance. Her beautiful face instead flushed red, clearly enjoying Evan’s rough touch.
"You can’t hurt me, my Evan..." Anna whispered with an amused tone. "...because the person standing before you right now is nothing more than an illusion with a solid form that I created from a mass of magic so I could touch you."
With a casual movement, Anna’s illusion loosened Evan’s grip from her neck.
"Forgive me, Husband," Anna said as she gently stroked Evan’s head. "I can’t meet you directly with my real body yet... My enemies are hunting me, and I don’t want them to make you their target. But I promise... after I slaughter them all and tear their flesh apart... we’ll be together again."
Anna’s illusion slowly began to fade into sparkling red particles of light floating through the air.
She waved her increasingly transparent hand. "I’ll visit your dreams and illusions often..."
Before disappearing completely, Anna stared at Evan’s expression, filled with frustration, hatred, and anger. A deeply satisfied smile formed on her lips.
"I love you, Evan..." Anna’s voice whispered softly through the room before disappearing completely.
"BASTARD!"
BANG!
Evan clenched his fist and slammed it against the wooden wall of the building with all his strength! The wooden boards cracked, and fresh blood dripped from his knuckles.
"Who the hell do you think you are, huh?!" Evan shouted as he panted heavily, his chest heaving with overwhelming emotion. "You watch me every second! Are you satisfied watching me suffer and get frustrated?! You’ve made my life feel like I’m trapped in a damn cage!"
Evan clutched his head, feeling as though it were about to split apart. He took several deep breaths, desperately forcing his mind to remain rational. He walked over to the table, grabbed his now-cold cup of tea, and downed it in one gulp.
"Someday..." Evan whispered in an icy voice, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent, "...I swear I’ll find a way to kill you, Anna."
At the same time, far away atop the snow-covered mountains of the North, surrounded by the blood of her enemies, Anna suddenly clutched her chest. She felt Evan’s murderous intent stirring within their souls, and it made her let out a satisfied sigh as her insane smile grew wider.
With her power growing stronger day by day, Anna created a castle of her own there. "Keep running from me, Evan. In the end, you’ll return to me."
Once his emotions had settled, Evan turned toward his work desk in the corner of the room.
Lying on the wooden table was a thick, handmade leather mask made from silicone and special herbal extracts. The mask’s face had been designed in exquisite detail, with a sharp jawline, a high nose bridge, and an incredibly natural skin texture.
Although his disguise skills had declined somewhat, his natural talent as a con artist made his newly crafted mask look flawless.
His new identity was: Aiden Samuel. A handsome young orphanage caretaker who was polite, kind-hearted, and loved by the local residents.
Evan stroked the mask as a faint smile filled with careful planning appeared on his lips. "All right... the game officially begins now."
Over the next few days, Evan completely immersed himself in his new role as Aiden Samuel.
He renovated the orphanage, distributed food to the orphaned children, and greeted the neighbors with a warm, friendly smile. The residents of the neighborhood quickly grew fond of the generous "Mr. Aiden."
Of course, behind the scenes, Evan didn’t forget to gather background information on his three new subordinates, Tom, Luke, and Peter, from their family histories to the places they regularly visited.
Once his disguise was perfect, Evan sent a secret message and arranged a meeting with the three of them at a fairly welcoming mid-range restaurant.
Tom, Luke, and Peter were already sitting in a corner of the restaurant. Their appearances had changed drastically. Their hair had been cut short and dyed dark brown, their mustaches had been completely shaved off, and they wore somewhat loose common merchant clothing to hide their wrists, which were still wrapped in thick bandages.
As a handsome, well-dressed man with a friendly face approached their table, all three immediately gripped the handles of the daggers hidden beneath their robes, remaining on guard.
"Who are you?" Tom demanded in a whisper, his eyes filled with suspicion. "Where’s the Boss?"
Evan, now disguised as Aiden Samuel, gave a polite smile and sat down in the empty chair with an extremely graceful movement.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen. I apologize for the inconvenience. I forgot to introduce myself," Aiden said in a soft, educated voice. "My name is Aiden. I am Mr. Rick Grimes’ trusted confidant and personal servant, and I have been ordered to handle all of your operations starting today."
The three thugs were startled. Their eyes widened when they heard their leader’s name mentioned so casually in a public place.
"W-what?!" Peter whispered, holding his breath. "So that man... Rick—"
Before Peter could finish his sentence, Aiden’s gentle gaze suddenly became extremely sharp and threatening.
"I suggest you watch your tongue, Mr. Peter," Aiden interrupted with a friendly smile that now felt intimidating. "Don’t attract unnecessary attention if you don’t want to anger Mr. Rick. Just follow the orders. And if you doubt my identity, I can prove it in a way that might be... somewhat painful. How about it?"
Tom, Luke, and Peter all swallowed hard. The terrifying aura radiating from this man named ’Aiden’ was frightening.
"N-no need! We believe you!" Tom quickly whispered, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "So... what did the Boss order us to do?"
Aiden straightened his posture, interlocking his fingers on the table.
"Mr. Rick ordered you to find the whereabouts of a former swordsman rumored to be hiding somewhere in this city," Aiden explained calmly. "No one knows exactly where he currently lives, but he is known as the former Grand Sword Instructor of the Velmora Family, who retired long ago and went into seclusion."
Upon hearing the task, Peter immediately frowned and complained softly. "Hey... if the Boss himself doesn’t know where he is, how are we supposed to find someone like that when we’re just local thugs? Besides, even if we manage to find him... why would someone as powerful as him ever agree to work with us?"
Aiden rose from his chair, straightening his outer coat with an elegant movement. He looked at the three men from head to toe.
"That’s all the information I can give you," Aiden whispered with a mysterious smile. "Mr. Rick has placed a great deal of trust in the abilities of the three of you. So... don’t disappoint him and force him to come and deal with you himself again."
Aiden gently patted Tom on the shoulder, a gesture that made the man’s entire body tense up, before turning around and walking away.
"Excuse me, gentlemen. I still have many matters to attend to," Aiden said politely before stepping out of the restaurant, leaving the three men in deep anxiety and confusion.