Chapter 186 - Capturing Igor

"Eli.. I don't want to put you in danger." Leon shook his head and replied to Eli in a gentle tone. 

He understood what Eli wanted to do. But now that the tracking knight had deeper connections to the enemy, Leon would never dare to be careless and expose that 'Elise' was actually alive. 

"But-" Eli actually wanted to retaliate, but she froze after seeing the determination in Leon's eyes. That one seemingly gentle look was speaking a thousand words. However, her face still showed intense unwillingness over the matter.

Just as she was about to reply to express her unwillingness of the matter, she heard his patient voice saying, "I don't want you to be hurt, so I'm sorry for not giving in to your request." 

Leon knew that Eli had a mind of her own. Most of the time, her words and opinions would be heard and followed clearly. But he knew well that in this situation, he had to be firm in his decision. 

He reached out to cup Eli's slender hand, bringing it towards his heart while looking at her in an earnest manner. Eli could clearly see Leon's intention in his eyes, it was full of care and worry. 

"I know you want justice for Elise but would you stay here and entrust this matter into my hands? Little Han needs you too..." Leon continued to coax her, his voice sounded like a gentle wave in the ocean causing her heart to sway. 

Eli couldn't resist anymore as Leon mentioned Little Han. Coupled with his irresistible coaxing, she could only nod with a heart beating so fast. 

The hands that had been held by Leon as if it was the greatest treasure he had in his life felt like they were on fire. The fire rapidly crept into her face as she felt like it was already burning of embarrassment and self consciousness. 

She desperately needed something to calm the raging fire, she wanted to pull her hands off and cover her face as she could imagine how red it would be, but Leon's hand was firmly holding hers.

Out of options, she bent her head to and placed it on top of Leon's broad shoulders, hiding her face that was obviously blushing. 

Leon on the other hand felt his body go stiff upon feeling Eli's head lean on his shoulders. From his point of view he could actually visualize Eli as a little turtle desperate to come back in her shell after being startled. 

He tried not to let out the chuckle that was threatening to come out of his mouth. He could only tell in his heart how Little Han was able to inherit her mother's cuteness.

Of course, Leon would never let this rare moment go. In a very natural way, he stretched out his arms and enveloped Eli into his embrace. 

Eli's heart jumped in shock as she felt Leon pull her closer to his body but she didn't reject his actions. Leon's embrace was warm yet contrastingly it was the breeze she exactly needed to calm the fire she was feeling. 

She leaned closer and let her body relax as she breathed the faint scent of baby powder into his body. 

The night was not young, so Leon had to reluctantly let go of her and remind her to rest. As soon as their bodies left in each other's presence a faint urge of longing sprang in the depths of their hearts. 



Leon spent the day coordinating with the rest of the blades to set up everything for Igor's capture. They carefully laid out everything, from the people that surrounded Igor to the traps and spell arrays that had to be installed in the rundown inn they secretly invaded.

The past two days, Igor would only stay in his room and lovingly stare at a certain artifact he had carefully stowed on his space pouch. He would only go out with his meals and stay inside the inn all day long. 

During this time, he was visited by his two 'brothers' once.

Even so, by observing and eavesdropping in their conversation, Leon was able to discover the identities of four of Igor's 'brothers'. 

Visam and Hasta were installed in the Vesala estate as knights. They perfectly blended as one of the ordained knights under the Vesala household, so much that even Leon, who had some interaction with the knights of the Vesalas, was driven into shock.

Das and Orel, posed as the exclusive coach men for the Duke and the Empress, respectively. This fact was what made Leon's party uneasy; this discovery proved that the enemy was closer to them than they had imagined.

Although this information had clearly shaken Leon's side, the matter motivated them to settle the target as soon as possible. Besides, if they let the other brothers know of Igor's stay in the area, the situation would be more chaotic. 

What they plan to do is to capture Igor and remove the traces swiftly and effectively. 

Now that they know that he had companions who could investigate the aftermath of his capture, should it be successful, they must also confuse the enemies by misleading them with traces strategically left behind. 

Never would they point it on any member of the blades nor on Leon's forces. Their plan is to make it look like Igor left on his own accord and mysteriously disappeared. That was why they spent the past two days setting up arrays and people into the inn. 

The time of the operation came.

Surrounded by the cold and harsh gale of the winter, a lone mysterious figure stood on top of the rooftop of a certain building in the Capital's outskirts.

Under the faint moonlight, the figure had fine silver hair and a slender yet ripped body. This was Leon in his typical disguised persona. 

Although he was standing on top of the roof in the winter cold, he was actually floating a few inches above the bed of snow laying on top of the roof. In this way, his footprints couldn't be found.

With his sharp eyes, he coldly observed the run down inn that was only a few meters away from him. Like an eagle locking up into his prey, he watched as Igor reclusively entered the inn without noticing the trap he was just about to step into.

Leon didn't move even after seeing Igor step inside the inn, he still had to wait for the signal to be released before officially starting the operation.

After a few minutes, the innkeeper went out and placed two empty bottles of wine in the door post without letting out a hint of being unusual. Leon's eyes saw his action and immediately raised his hands as a sign.

The operation to capture the tracking knight has begun!

As soon as he released the signal, several black figures appeared surrounding the rundown inn. As if they have rehearsed, these men soon performed a series of hand seals covertly. 

As they did this, the rundown inn glowed with a faint pink light, but only Leon's party could see everything that was happening in the target building.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Igor was still oblivious that had already fallen into a trap.

He was still sitting idly as he was about to take out his most treasured item on his space pouch. However, just when the faint glowing pink light dimmed outside, he suddenly catched a whiff that he was most familiar with. 

The scent he loved the most, Arabella, his mistress's scent.

His eyes went dark as he realized that he was on the outskirts. Why would his mistress go near this dangerous area? Without delaying a single second, he took all of his items and followed his mistress's scent. 

Filled with worry and a sense of panic, he opened the window and jumped out of it without an drop of hesitation. He ran into the direction of the scent which was coincidentally the place where Leon had set for him to be captured.

The array that they installed was an elaborate illusion spell that would trigger the target's deepest desire and keep him under control. In Igor's case the illusion triggered his desire towards his mistress, Arabella.

Using this, he was completely taken under control, acting according to the caster's wishes. 

True enough, Igor didn't even notice that on every roof he jumped into, there was a roaming blade keeping an eye on him. However, under the spell, his brain would ignore everything and would only focus on following Arabella's scent. 

Very smoothly, he was slowly approaching the forest where Leon's entrapment spell was set up. This entrapment spell was the same powerful spell he and Olivier used during the attack on the Silver Dew Forest.

Getting deeper into the woods Igor's mind was just filled with anxiety as he was wondering why his mistress would appear in this dangerous woods.

Soon, he saw a delicate figure with luscious purple hair, wearing a flowy satin princess nightgown standing barefoot in the middle of the forest filled with the winter snow. 

Igor's heart immediately panicked, why would the mistress appear in this manner in the middle of the woods? His mistress was weak in body and couldn't stand this much exposure to the winter!

Why would she suddenly come here without even wearing the bare minimum protection in the harsh cold?

This time, his mind immediately jolted, this isn't my mistress!

It was as if his eyes suddenly became clear and his perception with the surroundings shuttered.

He stopped just a few meters away form the spell entrapment and turned around with a cold glint in his eyes. 

"Show yourselves!"

His sinister growl rang in the middle of the forest, like an angry lion extremely provoked in his own territory.