Chapter 172 - What The...? (2/2)

Hecathe didn't really want to tell the boy that he had purposefully cut his palm to collect a bit of blood so he simply lied.

”It's nothing,” Hecathe retreated his hand and unwrapped the tape and gauze as he confidently revealed the skin underneath that had already been healed.

However, this was not enough to fool Marvin.

”It healed,” Marvin pointed out and the blood on the gauze was enough to prove his guess to be true.

Hecathe chuckled awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck and defended himself, ”It healed quite fast because it was not a big injury. Just a small unfortunate cut.”

Marvin still looked to be suspicious as he heard this, but he didn't bother asking any more questions and Hecathe decided to change the topic immediately.

”By the way, why does your room smell so much?” Hecathe's face cringed up in disgust as he asked, ”Don't you clean your room?”

Marvin suddenly coughed as he heard this and although Hecathe had only asked it casually, he suddenly felt a little suspicious.

”You really don't clean your room?” Hecathe repeated the question as he raised his eyebrows.

Marvin immediately shook his head as he denied this accusation, ”That's not it!”

”Then why does your room smell like death?” Hecathe asked as he folded his arms in front of his chest.

Marvin sighed as he stood up from the floor and spoke, ”Follow me.”

The boy didn't wait for anything more and went on ahead as he headed deeper into the room.

Hecathe, on the other hand, frowned as he followed behind the boy.

The more they went inside the room, the stronger the smell got and since the lights of the place weren't really turned on, it was pretty dark, and the dark shadows were the only thing that the eyes could make out.

”Do not get surprised,” Marvin warned beforehand and didn't wait for Hecathe's response as he switched the lights on.

At first, Hecathe almost didn't manage to see it, but when he eventually did, his eyes widened in shock and confusion.

”Marvin...” Hecathe muttered in disbelief as he kept his eyes on the man that was tied to Marvin's bed, ”Why do you have a kidnapped man sleeping on your bed?”

”Hecathe, don't make me sound like a pervert,” Marvin sighed as he walked closer to the bed and spoke, ”Look closer. Don't you recognize him?”

Hecathe indeed listened to the boy and took a closer look at the man's face as he heard this.

Since his face was covered with blood, it was a bit hard to make out whether Hecathe recognized him or not, but the realization eventually hit Hecathe.

”That's... Isn't that the bastard who kicked me?!” Hecathe clicked his tongue as he shouted.

Marvin nodded his head as he confirmed that, ”That's right. He works for me. Or at least, he used to.”

This was the same man that Hecathe had met when he first came to Ocasia. This troublesome man had a huge body and would go around intimidating and bullying people which was the reason why Hecathe had somehow ended up picking a fight with this man.

”I caught him spying on me,” Marvin explained with a sigh, ”He decided to work for the three willows of spring and then I decided to make sure that he wasn't able to.”

Hecathe's eyebrows creased together as he heard this and he looked to be clearly worried as he asked, ”Isn't that dangerous? What if they find out?”

Marvin shook his head in disbelief as he spoke, ”It doesn't matter. If I let him do his job, he might reveal our plan to the three willows of spring and if I decide to call him out for being a spy, the three willows of spring might be alerted. Compared to those two options, this one is clearly the more secure one.”

”...” Hecathe was a bit speechless as he heard this. On one hand, he felt as if Marvin's words made sense while on the other hand, he felt as if the boy's approach was a bit too impulsive.

”If he goes missing, aren't they still going to be alerted?” Hecathe asked after thinking about it for a bit.

Marvin shook his head as he replied, ”No. Because according to them, he has still not gone missing.”

Hecathe's frown deepened as he heard this and he felt even more confused.

”What do you mean?” Hecathe tilted his head as he asked.

”The three willows of spring were dependent on the weekly report that he sends them and according to them, he had been sending the weekly report every week without fail,” Marvin smirked as he spoke, ”The only difference now is that he's not the one writing the weekly report anymore. It's me.”

Hecathe's eyes widened ever so slightly as he heard this and for the first time, he felt as if Marvin was a bit sharp. He had not acted on impulse. Rather, he had actually planned it all beforehand.