I Will Hold Your Hand Gently

Chapter 57: Interrogate Hunter!

Cielle sat alone in her room with all the lights on. She stared around, confused. She couldn't understand why any of the staff would have lit the room for her. Everyone in the mansion was a former assassin from the organization Silence. Not a single member would willingly help someone with Spheral blood running through their veins. Cielle knew that much.

The former head of Silence was no saint, but he wasn't a devil either. He gave orphans a chance to survive in this dog-eat-dog world. He never stooped so low as to engage in human trafficking, murder the helpless, or deal in drugs. Aside from missions that might blur the lines of human morality, the former head of Silence was not an unreasonable man.

So, when he was murdered at the hands of Zwei, all of them—the assassins of Silence—mourned his death. Zwei didn't need to explain why he did what he did; they already had their suspicions.

It was because of the Spheral House.

No one knew exactly what the Spheral House had done to their former leader, but after returning from that place, he was never the same.

So, it couldn't be any of the staff here that suddenly decided to be kind to her, the one who has the Spheral Blood running through her veins. It can't be them; therefore, it must be those few new staff who were just hired. However, even then, those newly hired never set foot here as they were directed to never come here in the first place by the staff members. If a new person did come here, willing, ignoring their higher-ups, then it could mean a few things.

As Cielle ponders this, her thoughts are suddenly interrupted when the door to her room is opened without a knock to the door. She turned her attention to the door and saw someone standing there.

******

Peter arrived at Zwei's office with Hunter following behind him. He knocked on the door and announced their arrival. 

"Enter," said Zwei from behind the door.

Peter twists the knob and opens the door. Inside was Zwei sitting at his desk, Jerold standing on his right side with Viola beside him, and Oliver standing on the left. Peter gave Zwei and them a bow before leaving the room. He closes the door behind Hunter, leaving him alone with them. Hunter gave Zwei a bow and asked, "You've requested my presence?"

Zwei did not speak. The one who spoke was Oliver.

"We did," he replied, "We have a few questions for you that we believe you could answer."

Oliver gestured to the sofa in front of Zwei's desk, "Please, take a seat."

Despite a strange chill crawling up his spine, Hunter's danger instincts as a B-Class Esper remained oddly still. With a measured breath, he lowered himself onto the sofa. Viola approached with a graceful nod, offering tea. Hunter accepted with a slight nod of thanks. As she poured, Jerold settled opposite him, eyes sharp as a hawk.

"Have you ever heard of Count GreyHound?" Jerold asked bluntly.

Hunter's hand, reaching for the teacup, froze mid-air. The name struck a nerve deep within him. He quickly withdrew his hand and fixed Jerold with a guarded stare. Jerold's lips curled into a small, inscrutable smile.

"I can't say that I have," Hunter replied carefully.

Jerold inclined his head slowly, a knowing glint in his eyes, "Is that so? Not even when I say this, Mr. Ghoststitch?"

In an instant, Hunter sprang up, hand slamming down on the hilt of his sword. His glare sharpened, razor-thin and fierce. 

"How do you know that name...?"

"Who wouldn't know an infamous mercenary who kills for hire?" Jerold shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't that hard, and a lot less so when the name was practically carved into Count GreyHound's corpse. Wouldn't you say, Mr. Ghoststitch?"