Law of Space and Time
Chapter 15: Deal

Much to Erwin's surprise, not only was the middle-aged man by the name of Renjay not making any effort to conceal himself, he was even blatantly waving up at the tower where Erwin was standing to draw his attention.

Meanwhile, guards inside the court were completely oblivious to the fact that a pair of assassins had appeared in the courtyard outside. It was as if Renjay and his disciple were like the snowflakes falling from the sky, drifting down out of the heavens without attracting any suspicion.

"Didn't you cripple one of his arms?" Erwin asked as he turned to Onean for confirmation.

"Unless he used some type of secret technique that I don't know about, that arm of his is definitely crippled," Onean replied with a wary expression. Her attention was focused entirely on the two people in the courtyard, so she didn't even turn toward Erwin as she spoke.

"In that case, why is he here and standing out in the open? Does he have a death wish?" Erwin asked with a puzzled expression.

"I don't know," Onean said with a shake of her head.

Right as Erwin and Renjay were looking at each other from afar, Theresa had already led a group of guards to surround him and Stinkbag.

"I'm not here to kill anyone today," Renjay said with a reassuring smile, even as Theresa glowered at him with open hostility. "I have something to discuss with him."

He pointed up at Erwin as he spoke, and Erwin was also watching him from afar.

"Let's go and see what he's up to this time," Erwin said. The fact that Renjay was presenting himself so openly and blatantly indicated that his objective for this visit wasn't to assassinate Erwin.

Hence, the two of them rose up into the air before descending from above. As soon as Erwin landed on the ground, Onean and Theresa immediately positioned themselves in front of him with wary expressions. However, Erwin patted the two women on the shoulder before emerging from behind them, then carefully examined the vastly renowned assassin that had been tasked with taking his life. However, he was disappointed to discover that Renjay was a very mundane-looking middle-aged man. Aside from the fact that his sideburns seemed too grey for someone of his age, there was nothing remarkable about him at all.

In contrast, Renjay was very impressed by Erwin's courage.

"I'm assuming you haven't come here so blatantly to try and kill me," Erwin said with an indifferent expression.

"You're correct. I've attempted to kill you on multiple occasions, but you've survived each attempt. It seems like you aren't meant to die yet," Renjay said with a smile.

"You're not going to have another try today?" Erwin asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"No. I'm here to challenge her today," Renjay said as he cast his gaze toward Onean. "She really gave me a hard time during our last battle, and I've been feeling very frustrated ever since then. To think that someone so young could be so powerful. The younger generation is truly fearsome."

This came as quite a surprise to Erwin. Never did he think that Renjay would be here to issue a challenge to Onean.

"I'd have to get through her in order to get to you anyway, so why don't I just directly challenge her?" This was quite a logical statement from Renjay.

"I see. So what you're saying is that if I don't accept your challenge today, then you're still going to come after me in the future, is that right?" Erwin asked as a cold smile appeared on his face. "In that case, why should I agree? Why don't I just kill you right here?"

As soon as Erwin's voice trailed off, all of the guards immediately prepared for battle, and many more guards were flocking to the scene from all directions, surrounding Renjay and Stinkbag in a watertight encirclement.

"I've already come here, do you think I fear for my own life?" Renjay countered with a stoic expression. "If you want to kill us, then just order your subordinates to hack us to death. My disciple and I won't retaliate at all."

Erwin took a glance at Renjay, then cast his gaze toward the little girl beside him. He wasn't surprised to hear that Renjay didn't have any regard for his own life, but he was quite taken aback to see that there was also no fear at all in the little girl's fierce eyes. Furthermore, what was even more intriguing to him was that the little girl reminded him of Christine.

"What exactly is it that you want? Surely you didn't come all this way here and take such a massive risk just to issue a challenge," Erwin said with tightly furrowed brows.

"You're a smart man. I'm sure you want to hear what I have to say before deciding what to do with me, right?" Renjay said as he began to rise up into the air. "Come, I'll tell you the reason for my visit today."

Erwin stood still on the spot with a steely expression for a brief moment, then rose up into the air in pursuit of Renjay. Onean immediately followed along behind him, unwilling to let him stray far away from her.

Theresa wanted to stop Erwin, but by the time she realized what was happening, Erwin was already nowhere to be seen, and she could only stamp her foot in frustration. However, seeing as Onean was with him, she knew that his safety was ensured. Thus, with nothing else to do, she cast a cold gaze toward Stinkbag. Just as she recalled, the little girl bore a resemblance to Duke Silon.

Why do I feel like Christine also looks a little like Duke Silon? I can't help but feel like I've seen her somewhere before. Could it be... The mystery was thickening by the second in Theresa's mind.

Meanwhile, up in the snowy sky above, Erwin cast his gaze toward Renjay as he said, "If you have something to say, then say it, no one will be able to hear you up here."

"You really are a brave man, following me up here on your own. Are you not afraid that I would take this opportunity to try and kill you?" Renjay asked.

"If you think you have what it takes, then go ahead," Onean said in a cold voice as she arrived by Erwin's side.

"Not only are you a brave man, you're also an extremely lucky young man to have so many beautiful women around you," Renjay sighed.

"Last time, I already told the girl beside you that I have no desire to kill you. I was forced into this by someone else."

"I don't care about all that. All I know is that you almost took my life on several occasions," Erwin said in a cold voice. sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NʘvᴇlFirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Renjay nodded in response with an apologetic expression, then sighed, "If it isn't for this disciple of mine, I wouldn't have to stoop to this."

A puzzled look appeared on Erwin's face upon hearing this.

Renjay explained, "This little girl here is Duke Silon's illegitimate daughter. Right before he passed away, he entrusted her to me, but not long ago, Duchess Silon sought me out and asked me to come after you, threatening to kill her if I don't take on the job. That's why I'm saying I was forced into this. Think about it: I have no vendetta against you, so what reason would I have for coming after you?"

"Oh, so you're saying Duchess Silon is not to be messed with, but you can step all over me as you please," Erwin said with a cold expression.

"I've naturally become aware that you're not to be messed with, either, which is why I've come here today to offer my life up as an apology," Renjay said with a wry smile.

"I don't care if I die, but I have a favor to ask of you before you kill me," Renjay said as he looked at Erwin with a serious expression.

"What is it?"

"If I die, I'll have to entrust my disciple to you."

"Ha! What makes you think I'm obligated to look after her?" Erwin asked with an amused expression. "How about this? I'll let you off the hook for what you did, and you and your disciple can serve me instead. Wouldn't that be a much better solution? You won't have to die, and you can continue looking after your disciple. Doesn't that sound much better?"

"That does indeed sound like a better solution, but unfortunately, Sanfesa has already predicted this possibility," Renjay said with a wry smile, and it was unclear whether he was lamenting the fact that Erwin had fallen into Sanfesa's sinister machinations, or lamenting his own ill-fortune for being targeted by a woman as vile as Sanfesa.

"How so?"

"Prior to sending me after you, Sanfesa made me take a lotus seed begonia pill. If I can't kill you in the next few months, I won't receive the antidote, and the pill will kill me."

Erwin nodded in response. Given what he had heard about Sanfesa, he wasn't surprised in the slightest that she would do something like this.

"Is there no other solution?" If possible, Erwin naturally still wanted to take a top-tier assassin like Renjay as his subordinate. "This beautiful lady here might not look it, but she's an expert when it comes to magic potions."

Erwin cast his gaze toward Onean as he spoke, only to see her shake her at him, much to his surprise. What exactly is this lotus seed begonia pill? Even Onean can't do anything about it?

Renjay was naturally aware of the reasons behind Onean's powerlessness, and a wry smile appeared on his face as he explained, "The pill is created solely from medicines rather than magic ingredients. If it were some type of magic concoction, perhaps there would be different ways to cure it, but for this type of poison, there's no way to cure it unless the antidote is administered."

"You really are an idiot. Why did you take the pill? Given your powers, surely she wouldn't have been able to force you into it," Erwin said with a perplexed expression.

"What else could I have done?" Renjay sighed. "My disciple has been following me for over 10 years. Am I supposed to just do nothing and watch Sanfesa kill her?"

"Surely you're powerful enough to protect her," Erwin said with a surprised expression.

"You're severely underestimating Sanfesa's forces. I can protect her for the short-term future, but I can't protect her for the rest of her life. You've been very cautious and careful, yet you were still almost killed by me, weren't you?"

Erwin had no response to this, and he felt both amused and also a little indignant. Even Onean couldn't help but chuckle in amusement upon hearing this.

"Besides, my disciple is not some important person like you who's constantly surrounded by powerful bodyguards. If Sanfesa makes up her mind to have her killed, her fate would be sealed."

"So you're saying that the evil hag has many more assassins like you under her command?" Erwin asked.

"I don't know how many powerful assassins Sanfesa has serving her, all I know is that she has the support of a prince behind her. With such a massive pillar of support, I feel sorry for anyone that she decides to target."

"But if you leave your disciple with me after you die, wouldn't you be feeding her to the wolves anyway? Once that evil hag sees that she's with me, she'll only be more determined to kill her, wouldn't she?"

"I've considered that before. After I die by your hands, my disciple will occasionally come after you to try and exact 'vengeance' for me. Once Sanfesa finds out what she's doing, I don't think she'll continue to go after her."

"What? So you're saying your idea of having me look after your disciple is to tolerate constant assassination attempts from her?" Erwin's eyes widened with shock as he spoke. He knew that Renjay's disciple was most likely an assassin as well. If he were to accept this arrangement, wouldn't he have to live in constant fear for his own life?

Renjay was rather amused to see this reaction from Erwin.

"I should just kill her now to make things easier for myself," Erwin snapped.

Renjay hurriedly raised his hands in a consoling gesture as he said, "Hold on, let's be civilized now. Did you see the wooden box I brought with me?"

Renjay pointed at a wooden box that was situated on the ground beside his disciple as he spoke.

"What about it?"

"Not only does that box contain a portable arcuballista, which is one of a kind, it also holds a book containing all of my expertise and insights in martial techniques."

"So what?" Erwin asked with a perplexed expression. "Can you not tell that I'm a magician?"

"It won't be useful for you, but I'm sure it'll be invaluable to your subordinates."

"You're giving me those things in exchange for your disciple's life?"

"I already told her some things, so there's no way she'll actually kill you. She'll only put on an act to placate Sanfesa."

Erwin nodded in response, accepting this deal. Not only was Renjay able to sneak up the mountain and into Fort Breeze without alerting anyone, he was also able to set up an assassination outside the Great Hansen Cathedral despite Onean's presence, so there had to be something very remarkable to be gleaned from his teachings.

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