There had been something Alex kept from his family for safety reasons, and it was tied to the letter he had just read.
This had probably started last year, when he was finally stable enough to resume something resembling a "normal" life.
Alex had begun wandering around the capital, offering work to the homeless. He did this at night, wearing a mask so that he wouldn't be recognized.
He paid the homeless to start circulating a rumor and gathering information.
He created this information network for three reasons:
One was to gather intelligence to protect his family; knowing the shady dealings occurring in the city was invaluable.
Secondly, he wanted to hunt for any clue related to Dionysus. Alex believed this was the perfect time to search for information, as the organization had yet to commit any acts of terrorism and would likely be less guarded.
And third was the rumor: that any commoner who suffered a crime at the hands of a noble and received no justice could leave a letter in specific places, and their pleas would be heard.
He paid the homeless weekly. And before long, most of them in the capital were working for him.
Alex had to organize the network formally, and he called it Whispers of the Night.
After a year of operations, the network included people from all classes—from nobles to the homeless—and they had even begun selling information.
Alex didn't take any profit for now; instead, he reinvested everything back into the organization, either to help it grow or to give bonuses.
Eventually, he approached the older kids at the orphanage the same way and offered them a chance to earn coins as well.
Their job was simple: collect letters and deliver them to a certain kind alchemy shop owner by knocking on the window in a specific rhythm, only if a certain light was lit, and only after dinner.
It meant they had to sneak out on some nights, but with the money they earned, the kids could better care for themselves and the younger orphans.
Alex burned the letter and went to his office.
Inside had been a plea: Halem Redwyre had kidnapped their daughter, and justice had refused to listen. The letter also included directions to the manor where she was being held.
Alex changed his attire into something better suited for moving unobserved through the night.
He prepared his pocket watch, now fully repaired, filling it with poisons, mana potions, assassination tools, and anything else he might need.
Then he left, heading toward the location described in the letter.
After about forty-five minutes, Alex arrived.
Like most manors, it was guarded. And like most manors, the guards were complacent, believing no one would dare attack a noble.
Alex had no trouble putting them to sleep with needles coated in a somniferous poison.
He then slipped inside using a spell he had recently developed: Gentle Ascend.
It was a Water–Wind spell designed solely to allow him to climb silently to higher places.
To pass through closed doors or move downward, Alex used Water Escape.
Once inside the building, he moved as quietly as possible—which, after so much training, was nearly silent.
He had to try to use as little mana as he could, thanks to his sickness, so it was physical actions most of the time.
He passed by the maids' room and slipped a gaseous sleeping poison through the crack beneath the door, "reinforcing" their sleep.
Once everyone was unconscious, Alex headed to the master bedroom. As usual, it belonged to a nobleman. From inside, the sounds of sex echoed clearly.
Alex slipped inside with a needle coated in paralyzing poison and pushed the door open slowly.
A chubby man was thrusting violently against a woman wearing only a chain choker around her neck.
Alex didn't know if she was the girl mentioned in the letter, but he knew she was a slave.
The woman tried to contain her voice as best she could, but her body reacted involuntarily.
"Yeah, bitch! Moan! I know you like this!" the man grunted.
Alex moved closer, masked footsteps covered by the loud, wet smacking noises.
Without hesitation, he stabbed the needle into the noble's neck.
"She's not enjoying this," Alex said, voice cold with anger.
"What the fuck!" the noble shouted, trying to swing his arm, but it didn't move.
"Her body reacts against her wishes. Such is life," Alex said. He grabbed the man's head and yanked him backward, pulling him off the girl.
"What the hell did you do to me?! Guards! Intruder!" the noble screamed at the top of his lungs.
"No need to shout. Everyone's asleep. It's just the three of us," Alex replied calmly. "I made sure of it."
He approached the woman, used an acid to free her, and handed her spare clothing from his pocket watch.
"Thank you," the woman repeated over and over as she dressed.
Once she finished, Alex handed her a dagger.
"You're the one who was wronged—raped and hurt—so I'll give you the chance to reclaim the dignity that was stolen from you. And don't worry, no one will chase you for this," Alex said.
The woman stared at the dagger in silence. After a moment, she took it.
She walked toward the noble slowly, her eyes burning with fury.
"What are you doing, whore!? Get away from me! I'll kill you!" he shouted, trying to move. Alex noticed a slight twitch of the fingers—he was probably a martial artist—so he stabbed him with another needle, this one carrying both body and mana-paralyzing poisons.
With him fully immobilized, the woman would have no trouble cutting a mana-infused body.
"You took everything from me," she said softly, voice trembling with pain. "My maidenhood, my dignity, my life."
"Now I'll take back whatever I can."
She stabbed him in the stomach, again and again.
"You destroyed my life because you were too pathetic to get a woman yourself!" she screamed.
The noble's screams filled the room.
Alex didn't silence him; the suffering brought comfort to the woman—and amusement to him.
*The woman then slashed open his guts, intestines dropping out and dangling on the side, blood flowing*
She gasped, stepping back briefly.
"He's an advanced martial artist, so he won't die easily. Take this," Alex whispered, handing her a stamina tonic and a strength tonic.
She drank them, then continued.
*With renewed strength, she slashed open his chest, gouged his eyes out, cut off his tongue, cut off his groin, and ripped it off, leaving the man in a bloody mess*
Finally, she stabbed his heart several times, ending his miserable life.
Alex watched with a deadpan expression.
The woman turned to him and offered the dagger back.
"Thank you," she said.
Alex pushed her hand back.
"Keep the dagger. I know from experience that this will only bring brief gratification. Tomorrow, you'll feel empty again. When that happens, look at the dagger and take comfort in the fact that he's dead—and that he'll never touch another girl."
The woman didn't speak, but she nodded.
"Go. I'll handle the rest," Alex said.
She walked toward the door, then turned.
"There are more people in the basement—kids, teens. Please help them!"
"I will. Don't worry."
After she left, Alex went to the basement and found everyone that the girl had said, and the one the letter had described.
"You'll be alright, but you need to stay here until the royal security arrives," Alex said.
Unlike Tessara, Aurethia had a special unit of law enforcers operating directly under royal authority, but to make them move, one required solid evidence.
Alex pulled out a cheap recording artifact that captured only images and spent time documenting the illegal slaves—slavery being prohibited under royal law.
Then he left for the capital's royal guard proxy station. He placed the artifact at the door, knocked loudly, and vanished into the night.
His job was done.