The Righteous Player(s)

Chapter 9: What’s Your Goal? Bro

Klaus thought he was watching Annan, keeping this uncontrollable factor under his nose.

However, wasn’t Annan watching Klaus closely too?

The two could stay peacefully now, not because Annan was so strong that Klaus didn’t want to be his enemy, nor was it that Klaus had any kindness towards him.

It was all because Klaus mistakenly thought that Annan had stolen his ritual “The Tongue in the Mirror” and got a temporary ability to reflect damage.

He didn’t dare to be Annan’s enemy in this state.

Although he also knew how to resolve this ritual, he did not dare to enter the room in front of Annan, at least for now.

After all, it would take time to destroy the ritual. When Annan first saw him, the first reaction was to make him retreat. If Annan were pushed to the edge and saw that he wanted to open the door, Annan would stab him directly.

Worse still, Klaus didn’t dare to fight back. Annan would shut his mouth and open his arms. Kalus would have slashed on himself without reservation.

Annan could attack him, and he couldn’t attack Annan.

That would be unfair.

So Klaus thought for a while and let it go.

This decision came from the heart.

At least while Annan was staring at him, he had given up all the thoughts of entering the door and ruining the ritual.

But if the two of them separated, Klaus would go to the room where the ritual was and try to ruin the ritual – Klaus believed that Annan must also know about this.

As a matter of fact, as soon as Klaus opened the room door, he would immediately realize that he was fooled.

Annan didn’t steal the ritual and didn’t get the temporary ability to redirect back attacks.

Previously, he was acting and bluffing.

It was like a hero who was inferior in lane suddenly activated a movement ability, coming over without warning and started to exchange blows. Klaus’s first reaction would not be to retaliate but to be concerned, “Is the opposite jungler coming? [1]”

So, Kalus made a prompt decision – he did even make a move but turned away directly and fled without hesitation.

Naturally, Annan couldn’t hide it for long.

But whether Annan stole the ritual or destroyed the ritual, he would not want Klaus to act separately from him. It was precisely because Klaus knew Annan’s needs and that Annan was a smart person. He didn’t even prompt. He directly put forward the suggestion of “Should we go up together?”

This was a kind signal from the guard captain to Annan.

After all, his primary mission was not to kill “Guard John” but to kill the Old Wizard Benjamin and Don Juan.

John shouldn’t have been his enemy. Of course, if it was convenient and John got in the way, Klaus didn’t mind killing him.

Anyway, except for the talents that the Third Prince fancy, everyone on this ship shouldn’t survive. It was more about who would die first or later.

But even the guard captain put up an act. It was indeed a kind signal. At least, he fully expressed to Annan, “I have no intention of being your enemy for the time being.”

Annan did see it.

He even noticed more clues.

It appeared to Klaus that the only way for Annan to survive was to gain excellent credit in the next action to gain the Third Prince’s favor and become a hired thug at his level.

In this case, Klaus would naturally transform the “goodwill” he had previously shown into reality.

Otherwise, if Klaus could kill Annan with just one sentence, he would naturally retaliate against the man who pierced his tongue through a curse. He would want Annan to endure the sharp pain similar to what he had.

The guard captain’s subtle thoughts also fell in Annan’s eyes.

Annan’s mouth raised slightly, “Hmph...”

“How do we act in a while?”

Stopped in front of the deck’s stairs, Annan opened his mouth and asked softly, “Please don’t tell me I need to pay attention to your eye signal before I act?”

“Of course not,” Klaus walking in front, shook his head and explained carefully, “I have already arranged what should be arranged. I don’t have anything against you, but no one should know the details of the plan. This is to prevent information leak.”

“The dinner party should have started now. All you have to do is stay with Don Juan, chat with him, and distract him. Or you can make an excuse and take him away. After all, Don Juan also knows the old wizard’s secret. He may be aware that something is wrong.”

Klaus carefully ordered, “Don’t look into the old wizard’s eyes, you got me? The young master doesn’t know which school the wizard came from. We don’t know whether he acquires the “Soul Snatch,” “Edict,” or “Prophet” school of spells. But, he is so old. His age means something…”

“For the sake of safety, don’t look at him. It’s best not to have any communication with him. But, keep up the natural expression. If you can’t do it, don’t go up.”

You can be part of us, but don’t hold us back. But whether you follow us or hold us back, you are at your own risk. Klaus pointed it out blatantly at Annan’s face.

But Annan didn’t have the slightest anger or resentment on his face.

He just showed a simple and honest smile, “No problem, I am great at acting.”

Upon hearing this, the guard captain recalled how “John” acted in the past and nodded in agreement.

“John’s” acting is indeed no problem. Those fallen to the act still didn’t realize that they were cheated. Guard Captain Klaus gave a few more orders before taking Annan to the deck.

When he went upstairs, his face gradually became serious. He tried his best to suppress the tension and excitement.

On Annan’s face, there was a slight invisible panic in addition to the honesty. His face immediately oozed subtle sweat, his lips gradually became a little pale, and his Adam’s apple was rolling up and down.

At least in terms of the two’s appearance, Annan’s acting skills had utterly defeated the guard captain.

The banquet had already begun. Even the guards on the deck were huddled in the corner, chatting in a low voice while enjoying a luxurious dinner on board.

The old wizard was eating, drinking, and chatting with Don Juan in the captain’s room. He frowned slightly when he saw the two coming from a distance.

His gaze swept across Annan, then stopped on Klaus.

The old wizard’s gaze gradually turned into puzzled and then slowly turned into doubt.

“That Klaus…”

“Young master!”

The moment the old wizard spoke, Annan suddenly said first and interrupted the old wizard’s words, “You have requested me to come in person—”

“What’s wrong, John?”

Little Don Juan immediately asked nervously, “What happened?”

What he had agreed with Annan before was, “If something goes wrong, come to him immediately.”

Don Juan naturally believed that “John” would not leave his post without authorization, so when he saw “John” leaving his room and appearing in front of him, he had a thump in his heart.

“I, I…”

Annan was a little worried with his face pale. Big beads of sweat ooze out of his face, as if panicked and didn’t know what to do–

“Stop staggering with your words. Say it!”

Klaus’s iconic rude voice sounded, “Tell the master again what you just told me!”

However, Klaus could never guess what it was.

The moment Klaus said this, Don Juan’s brows suddenly frowned, vaguely aware of something.

Because what Don Juan and John had agreed before was that if something went wrong, he would come directly to him and don’t talk to anyone.

Just after Klaus’s words ended, a well-dressed old gentleman walked over and put a barrel of wine in his hand on the table where the old wizard and young Don Juan were seated.

Judging from his clothes, he was Don Juan’s butler.

The old housekeeper skillfully opened the lid of the wine barrel and inserted the Coravin into it.

However,

At this time.

Annan raised his head suddenly. He shouted at Don Juan while running wildly toward Benjamin,

“Quickly knock over the wine barrel!

“He is going to kill Sir Benjamin!”

Don Juan, who had already felt something amiss for a long time, immediately understood everything after hearing Annan’s words.

He stretched out his hand immediately and overturned the wine barrel on the table to the ground.

The bright red wine poured on the floor was like blood. The expression on the old housekeeper’s face suddenly changed drastically, staggering and falling to the ground!

Guard Captain Klaus’s mind already went blank:

How did this fellow know my plan? No, he also knows what Benjamin’s curse binding is. No way… Klaus couldn’t understand at all why John, a wise man, would choose the stupidest, least profitable decision that would offend many people. In any case, he would die—

Why would he dare to do this? -What’s your goal?! [1] A Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) reference. In this case, you’re revealing your weakness and make yourself appear like bait to intimate the enemy.

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