Kazien's request to recruit the assassins truly shocked them to the core. Silence descended upon the ruined corridor; even Elisa, Alvin, and Allen stared at Kazien in disbelief.
"Kazien, why on the world are you recruiting them?" Elisa asked, her voice rising, unable to comprehend her nephew's train of thought.
Kazien turned calmly. "I see no evil intent from them! Neither my eyes nor the necklace Alvin wears reacted to these assassins!"
"Your eyes?" Elisa frowned.
"That is correct, Aunt Elisa." Kazien answered, pointing to his own eyes. "My eyes can clearly see if someone harbors ill intent toward me or those near me."
Kazien walked slowly toward the assassins, who remained on guard.
"If they intended me harm, they would be shrouded in a black aura over their entire bodies! But, I see no black aura enveloping the bodies of any of these remaining assassins."
Elisa sighed deeply, trying to process all this information. Her curiosity about her nephew's new abilities peaked, but she realized the current situation wasn't entirely safe yet.
"There is still much I want to ask you!" Elisa stated firmly, staring sharply at her nephew. "For now, just deal with them!"
Kazien nodded in understanding of his aunt's order, then dispelled his magic sword. The dark mana cloaking his hand faded. With a calm stride, he walked casually past the assassins who were watching him with confusion and tension.
"Just say it, who paid you to kill me? Do I have to kill and turn you into undead like this first?"
Kazien directed his palm toward the bisected corpse of the assassin, the victim of the earlier reckless attack. Instantly, a dark purple magic circle appeared beneath the body, rotating slowly and radiating the energy of death. Slowly but surely, the severed body parts moved on their own, pulled by an invisible force until they rejoined without a seam.
In a state of shock, the assassins continued to watch what Kazien was doing. However, that shock turned into horror when the dead assassin suddenly jerked and opened his eyes. He stood upright again.
"H-H-He came back to life?" stammered one of the assassins.
Alvin widened his eyes as he watched Kazien raise the dead. His heart pounded.
He's really using necromancy! Alvin thought anxiously. So, the book he burned back then really was about that forbidden magic, huh? No wonder he wouldn't let me learn it.
As if knowing what those around him were thinking, Kazien said flatly, "He has not come back to life. What you see right now is an undead. He will only move if I order him! His body right now is just an empty shell!"
Kazien reached out, removing the mask worn by the undead assassin, revealing the pale face of a man aged between 38 and 44 with a scratch on his face.
"What is your name?" Kazien commanded.
The voice that came from the corpse's mouth sounded hoarse and stiff. "My name is Borris, Master!"
"Very well, Borris, I will ask you directly! Do you know who ordered you to kill me?"
"I don't know, Master! I only followed the orders of Zeto, our leader!"
"Is he here?" Kazien asked again.
Borris's stiff hand rose, pointing straight at the assassin Kazien had held at sword-point earlier. Spontaneously, Kazien stared sharply at the leader of the assassins.
"If you don't say it, I will kill you all and then turn you into undead like Borris!" Kazien threatened coldly.
As the leader, Zeto was in a difficult position. He didn't want to endanger all his remaining members. But on the other hand, as a hitman, he held a code of ethics not to leak the client's identity.
What should I do? Should I reveal the identity of the client who hired us?
Zeto thought for a moment, weighing the lives of his subordinates. But he recalled the crazy offer the young noble had made, the offer to become the Altavis family's army.
"Before I say it, I want to ensure something first!" exclaimed Zeto, trying to push away all his fear.
"What do you want to ensure? Just ask me directly!"
"Is your offer to join as the Altavis family's army still valid?"
Kazien sighed. "Didn't I offer it to you first myself? Of course, that offer is still valid!"
"Is our family also allowed to stay and settle there forever?" Zeto asked again, his voice implying deep concern for the fate of those they supported.
Once again, Kazien sighed at the question Zeto had just asked him.
"What kind of ridiculous question are you asking me? Isn't that already a necessity for you?" Kazien asserted.
Zeto felt a little relieved after hearing the answer. However, he still didn't fully trust their safety guarantee.
"Do you swear to protect our families?"
And for the third time, Kazien sighed deeply. "Previously, the griffon pack asked me to guarantee the safety of their race. Now it's your turn?"
"Of course, my family and I will swear to guarantee the safety and security of your families!" Kazien declared.
Hearing those words, Elisa could no longer ignore her curiosity. She interrupted, "Kazien, what do you mean by the griffon pack you mentioned?"
Kazien turned to his aunt. "I have recruited more than 40 griffons. And under Brother Davin's command, they are currently our family's aerial combat force!"
That terrifying fact shocked everyone in the room. Even Zeto was astounded by the young man's ability to recruit a pack of wild monsters known to be ferocious. He still couldn't believe what Kazien had just said.
As proof, Kazien took out a handful of large brown griffon feathers he had previously collected with Alvin from his dimensional storage space.
"This is the proof! I picked up all their feathers that had fallen and scattered on the ground!"
The vast number of griffon feathers shimmered under the light, making them gasp and swallow hard.
Just how great is the power held by the Altavis territory? Zeto thought in horror. With the addition of those griffons, it's certain their combat power has become even stronger.