The Hunted Regressor: My Heretic Saint System-Chapter 113: Grow Some Balls

"You... you dare threaten House Wolf?"

Rollo stammered, trying to regain his footing.

"We are the protectors of this stratum! Our decree is—"

"Your decree is garbage."

Ignotus interrupted once more.

"And stop acting like you don’t know who I am."

"..."

"..."

Oh, judging by their silence, the siblings actually didn’t.

Did they know anything about the rumors about him?

Did that mean they didn’t even watch the Trial?

Were these two that damned lazy?

No way that was true, right?

Besides, weren’t the identities of nobles taught to them growing up? At least the important ones? He knew that firsthand.

Though it was hard to remember for most who interacted with Ignotus, he was from THE House Plant.

They, too, were a vassal House of Death, their roots old and deep in the Third Stratum.

’...this shows how arrogant these two are.’

Scoffing, Ignotus continued to press them:

"Anyways, this is your last chance. Confess clearly... we all know who’s behind Lykos’s assassination attempts."

"..."

"..."

"..."

There was a long, tense silence.

The siblings exchanged a look, one of slight fear, but also a stubborn, ingrained arrogance and obvious annoyance.

"We... we don’t know anything about your assassins! Not that time in the forest, nor the Trial."

They weren’t going to be direct, not yet.

"Nor the one in the hall!"

They were too used to the "noble game" to fold in the first round...

"Nobody said anything about a ’hall.’"

Or so they thought.

"Really?"

Ignotus sighed, the ’rage’ evaporating from his face instantly, making him look bored.

"I expected better than such a slip-up."

Both Rollo’s and Tala’s eyes widened, realizing their mistake too late.

Indeed, without them realizing, Ignotus had pushed them to admit a hidden truth!

Quickly, the two looked at each other, communicating with their eyes, trying to find a way out of this trap they unknowingly landed themselves in.

After a few long moments and some snickers from Ignotus’s people, Rollo gestured at the guest quarters to the side.

"Lykos... he’s our brother; it’s only natural we’ve heard of it. He’s family. Now, why don’t you come and rest? I’m sure the journey to here has been long."

While Lykos and Ulv looked stunned at the siblings’ defeat, Ignotus happily hummed.

’So they want us to stay here until they figure out a way to safely and quietly kill us off, huh?’

He read them like one would a book.

"Thank you for the warm invite. I accept. How about you, Boss?"

Though a little ticked off by being called that in such a serious confrontation, Lykos slowly nodded, accepting their invitation as well:

"Make sure my men are treated well."

Scoffing at his words, Tala stared him down, fully tearing down her weak mask:

"Did anyone tell you that we never considered you a brother?"

Angered beyond his limit, Ulv was finally about to put an end to their constant disrespect, but once more, Ignotus interrupted:

"Did your mother tell you that she should’ve kept her legs shut?"

The two siblings glared death at Ignotus, Rollo especially, his rage increased by the obvious and barely hidden chuckles around them... Fortunately, he didn’t hear Eris’s.

"...Once I get the go-ahead, I’ll kill you first."

Ignotus merely grinned.

"Oh, trust me, I’ll be waiting."

Lykos glanced at Ignotus, elbowing him slightly.

"That’s my mother too, you know."

"Ah, friendly fire, my fault."

Ignotus gestured for them to move.

"Now come on, I don’t want to spend the entire day standing by the gate."

Lykos and Ulv went forth beside the siblings, but just as Ignotus and the rest were about to follow, they were stopped by the guards.

"No weapons allowed in the manor!"

Ignotus raised both his hands, revealing that he had nothing. But unlike the siblings, the guards seemed to have watched the Trial and knew about his ability to ’recall’ his sword, so he eventually just gave it to them.

"It won’t matter in the end, but sure."

Following him and his ominous words, the guards and the mercenaries complied... well, with the exception of Grom.

"I won’t give you shit! You don’t look like you can carry my axe anyway, fool."

The offended guard glared at him.

"Then stay here and starve."

Grom mockingly stared him down.

"But what if I need to piss?"

The guard chuckled, puffing his chest out.

"Then take out your little wee thing and do it right here; it’s not the first time we’ve had dogs piss at our gates."

Interrupting their pissing match, Felix put his hand around the snickering guard’s shoulders, perhaps learning a thing or two from his Lord.

"But if you mistake Grom’s ’little wee thing’ for a weapon, what then? I’m sure you’re a stranger to such a size."

And he only made it worse!

"Ahahahahahhahaha!"

Grom laughed out loud, his Lord joining him.

Defeated in their "pissing match," the guards kept scoffing and glaring.

They didn’t do anything more, unknowingly prolonging their lives and prompting Ignotus to subtly yank and throw them the axe.

"Heh! Spoon, Egg, did anyone tell you that I like you?"

Felix joined them in laughter while entering the premises.

"No, Lord, but I’m glad to know!"

Grom followed, his large hand clapping Felix’s back.

"I’ve yet to see this ’like’ you speak of."

Ignotus chuckled at his remark.

"You must be blind then."

By the time they approached the noble group, Rollo seemed to have found his arrogance again. He didn’t look at Ignotus; he knew better than to try him again, so he targeted the easiest link in the chain, someone that he surprisingly knew of.

"Oh, would you look at that? I know you."

His eyes had landed on Felix.

"From a disgraced butler of a Great House to... whatever this is. You’ve certainly moved up in the realm, haven’t you? Following a lunatic into a grave."

Felix’s shoulders hunched in a flinch, only for them to straighten in the next second.

His eyes land on Ignotus’s genuinely annoyed gaze.

That alone brought him all the protection he needed to calm...

A sight seldom seen on his Lord.

"The thigh he grabbed onto was a rotten one... is that what you think? Hm? Oh, and don’t worry about graves; we’ve dug two on the very day we began our little journey. They’re already filled with a few, but I think there’s still space for two more."

Those ending words had many of those listening shiver, even his own people.

"Still, even if your thoughts have some truth to them, he’s a trending poet now. Isn’t that what’s expected of people like him?!" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Ignotus yelled while getting close.

"He’s got balls! You should try growing some! Or maybe that’s something only men of Calamity have these days."

Rollo scoffed while quickly glancing at his guards.

"Just shut up and follow."

The gates slammed shut behind them, and the group entered deeper into the wolves’ den... a prey casually walking into its hunter’s mouth... a very, very dangerous prey.

"House Calamity..."

Ignotus muttered to himself, a small grin on his face.

"I like the sound of that more and more."