"I still don't know the layout off the mansion..."

Mars looked around the endless corridors and finely swallowed his pride and asked directions for Reimund's office and soon found it with the help off some helpful servants and knocked on the door

"come in"

Mars opened the door and was. .h.i.t by the smell of old paper as he stepped into Reimund's study, 2 off the walls was lined with bookshelf and the last wall had a big window that let in the evening sun, Reimund himself was sitting behind a desk and was filling out some doc.u.ments when Mars walked in

"oh Mars, what do you need?"

Mars took out the emblem and laid it on the table were Reimund picked it up and inspected it with a deep frown on his face before he looked up and asked Mars

"where did you find this?"

"I picked it up form a a.s.sa.s.sin that tried to kill me just now"

"that's... I see..."

Reimund leaned back in his chair and ma.s.saged his temples for some time before he gave Mars a serious look

"it's better if you stay in the mansion for awhile"

"why?"

Reimund gave a sigh and picked up the emblem and played around with it for awhile before he spoke with a heavy tone

"i'm a new n.o.ble so I don't know the details but it's said that the 1st prince p.i.s.sed off some people with this exact same emblem right before he died"

"so that means they even kill royalty... that's perfect"

Mars gave a wide smile which made Reimund's frown deeper before he asked

"why is that perfect, didn't you hear what I just said?"

Mars showed a toothy grin as he picked up the emblem again

"well that means there's a giant bounty on anyone that has one off theses right?"

Reimund gave a sigh and after a long time he spoke again

"they are called the 8 heads, if you find a outpost in my town you are free to burn it to the ground"

"will do"

Mars gave Reimund a wave and walked out off his office and closed the door after him and turned to Victoria and asked with a ferocious grin on his face while he clutched the hilt of his sword

"what do you say we go hunting?"

Victoria's eyes lit up as she started purring while her horns flashed

"hunting... fun... let's go"

"yeah but let's bring one more person..."

"who...?"

Mars gave a smile and walked up the stairs to the 3rd floor and knocked on Hanna's door

"who is it?"

"it's me, and Victoria"

"...please come in"

Mars opened the door and walked into Hanna's room where he saw Hanna and Jean, Hanna had her long yellow hair braided and wore a pajamas while Jean wore he usual maid dress and frowned slightly when she saw Mars

"hey Hanna, your up for some extra training?"

Hanna's face paled slightly, she was still sore from the mornings running and feared what kind off training this demonic half dragon had for her

"don't worry you don't have to run"

Hanna gave a sigh and after a little while she gave a nod

"in that case i'm ready for training"

"good then change into some combat capable clothes and meet me at the front gate... bring Jean too"

"okay...see you there"

Mars walked back out off the room and vent downstairs and out to the gate and sat down to wait and a few minutes late Hanna and Jean showed up, Hanna was clad in a mage like robe and carried a staff with a small gem on the tip while Jean had her dagger on the outside off her skirt

"so what kind off training is this?"

Mars gave a smile and gave Hanna his left arm while slightly bowing

"it's my honor to escort you young lady"

Hanna showed a puzzled expression but still took Mars's arm as they both walked into the night town

"...what kind off training is th---"

"how are you with blood?"

Mars cut off Hanna that had asked him again

"well... bad?"

"hmm... in that case it's image training tonight"

"image training?"

"yes image training"

"okay...?"

the group off 4 walked into the night and soon Mars felt a cool gaze and gave a slight smile while he gave a glance at Jean and mentally rated her performance

'2 outta 5 stars... she has noticed the gaze but doesn't know where it is... plus it shows on her face'

the night was quiet, besides the noise that sometimes came form inns and pubs it was dead quiet on the street

'there here...'

Mars suddenly stopped and looked at Jean

"whatever you do, don't touch the blades"

Jean showed a confused expression but soon began to look around before she suddenly showed a hint off panic and grabbed Hanna's hand and tried to run away with her

"young lady this way, quickly!"

"what are you doing Jean?"

Hanna was confused but still sensed the unease Jean gave off and became slightly nervous and began took look around which made Mars give a sigh before he explained

"today's training is image training, basically i'm going to get you used too seeing blood"

"blood? what do you mean Mar---"

"young lady watch out!"

Jean suddenly pulled Hanna extra hard and freed her from Mars's grasp

*CLANG*

"eh...?"

Hanna looked back and saw a dagger was laying on the street where she had just been standing

"what is...?"

Hanna paled slightly while Mars drew his sword with a sigh

"it's too early to go pale..."

Jean suddenly flared up when she realized they were surround

"you a.s.shole! if the young lady gets as much as a bruise I will carve you a new one!"

Mars gave a relaxed smile and looked out into the darkness while he raised his left hand with a light frown on his face while he circulated his mana

"let's see... it was like this?"

soon a ball off darkness appeared like it was condensed by pure darkness, it was the size of an apple and floated above his hand before he lightly grasped it in his hand as his ears peaked slightly and kneeled down and whispered something to Victoria

"okay..."

Victoria turned into a shadow and disappeared form where she stood

"well then, COME ON WE DON'T HAVE ALL NIGHT!"

as if provoked by Mars's yell figures clad in black cloths carrying daggers stepped out of the darkness, this time there was 12 in total and they all had cold eyes that carried thick killing intent when they looked at Mars

"I don't suppose you want to surrender?"

the a.s.sa.s.sins remained silent as they closed the encirclement and drew closer to the 3 people

"well didn't think so"

Mars brought up his sword and summoned 2 fire spears which hovered over his shoulders while a cape made off fire appeared behind his back as he kicked off the ground and momentarily disappeared from mortal eyes before he reappeared silently like a reaper outside off the encirclement and slashed the first a.s.sa.s.sin in half by the waist while the 2 fire spears pierced through the back off the head off another 2 a.s.sa.s.sins

"that's 3!"

the group off a.s.sa.s.sins was instantly spit up as the remaining 3 on Mars's side charged at him while the other 6 attacked Jean and Hanna where one off them had his neck cut off by Jeans swift dagger as her face and dress was splattered in blood

"young lady, just stay behind me!"

on the other side Mars was sitting on the drained husk of a a.s.sa.s.sin while the other was plastered on the wall held up with his darkness glue and struggling as Mars gave a yawn and watched the show as he yelled to Hanna

"Hanna, Jean isn't going to hold up if you drag her down"

Hanna shook slightly, she was clutching her staff so hard her hands had turned pale like her face before she pulled herself together slightly and yelled out to Mars

"i-i can't, Mars help!"

Mars gave a sigh but didn't stand up from his 'seat' as he watched Jean take down another a.s.sa.s.sin bringing the total she was facing down to 4

"young lady you can do it, I believe in you!"

"b-but!"

Mars gave another sigh

'looks like she frozen... sorry about this'

"then are you going to let them go?"

"n-no Mars you can take them down!"

"i'm not talking about them... are you going to let them go, the ones that did 'that' to you?"

"...no"

Mars gave a slight smile as some resistance finally showed on Hanna's face

"THEN FIGHT FOR f.u.c.k SAKE!"

Hanna closed her eyes and a few seconds later small amount off electricity began to jump around in her hair in form off small bolts off lightning while the gem at the tip off her staff lit up sightly before she opened her eye and yelled

"chain lightning!"

*BANG*

with a thunderclap a lightning bolt shot out off her staff and hit a a.s.sa.s.sin and roasted him thoroughly before it shot out off him and hit another that suddenly gave off smoke and fell to the ground dead

"...well done"

Mars appeared behind the last 2 a.s.sa.s.sins and relieved them off their heads with a slash off his pure white bone sword