Timeless Assassin

Chapter 1060: An Unexpected Proposal

(A Couple Days Later, Inside The Skyshard Mansion, Leo’s Office, Leo’s POV)

On this particular afternoon, Leo found himself buried in menial paperwork, when suddenly, Shadow Number One interrupted his line of thought.

*Click*

*Step*

*Step*

Walking into the room rather carefully, Shadow Number One gave Leo a deep bow, before diving straight into the important topic of the day.

"My lord, we have been contacted by a rather unexpected individual," Shadow Number One said, as he bowed his head slightly while maintaining his composed posture, his tone careful as though weighing each word before speaking it aloud.

"He has submitted a proposal meant specifically for you, however, based on our initial assessment, it is not only dangerous, but also highly irregular, and I am uncertain whether it is something that you should even consider entertaining."

Leo’s fingers paused against the desk.

A faint crease forming between his brows.

"Unexpected individual? Who?"

Leo asked, as he dropped his pen and leaned forward slightly.

"My lord, according to our operatives stationed on Planet Yamuna, an ex employee of the universal government arrived carrying a direct proposal addressed to you....

The messenger claims to act under the authority of Lord Mauriss."

Shadow Number One said, as he opened the report in his hands and began reading.

For a brief moment, the air changed.

Leo’s eyes sharpened instantly, as the name of the Deceiver alone was enough to shift the entire tone of the room, as the casual calm that had lingered moments ago dissolved into something colder and far more attentive.

"...Go on," Leo said, as his voice lowered slightly while his posture straightened, his full attention now locked onto the report.

Shadow Number One nodded.

"My lord, the message states that Lord Mauriss has become aware of your interest in the holy water of Granada," Shadow Number One said, as his eyes briefly scanned the next section before continuing.

"And as such, he wishes to propose a barter."

Leo let out a quiet breath through his nose.

A faint, humorless smirk touching his lips.

"A barter?" Leo repeated, as he tilted his head slightly while a trace of disbelief crept into his voice, the very idea sounding almost absurd given the nature of the individual making the offer.

"What exactly does the Deceiver think I have that he wishes to trade for?"

Leo asked, as Shadow Number One continued reading.

"My lord, Lord Mauriss proposes that you travel alone to Planet Granada and meet him directly.

He invites you to play a game of your choosing against him, any game whatsoever.....

And let the outcome of that game determine the terms of your exchange."

Shadow Number One said, as Leo tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest.

*Tap*

*Tap*

"My Lord, the messenger even provided some additional clarification, so let me read that now," Shadow Number One said, as he resumed reading without pause.

"The game can be anything from chess to checkers to even rock, paper, scissors.

However, it should be something where both players have an equal chance at victory at the start.

And not something rigged in your favor."

Number One explained, as Leo nodded in understanding.

"If you win in the decided game, Lord Mauriss promises to hand over the holy water of Granada without resistance."

A brief pause followed.

"Howver, if you lose, you will be required to fulfill one request of his choosing."

Shadow Number One added, as his tone grew marginally heavier while delivering the second half of the condition.

"A request that you will not be permitted to refuse...

Those are his conditions."

Shadow Number One finished, as the room fell silent around him.

The implications were obvious.

This was a dangerous invitation, where Mauriss was inviting Leo for much more than a simple game of sport.

And although the terms said that the game had to be something where both participants had an equal shot of winning.

If the game was being played between a mortal and an immortal, were the odds ever equal to begin with?

"My Lord.

This is not written in the message.

However, the messenger who arrived to deliver it, also verbally assured that Lord Mauriss has guaranteed your safe return from Granada, regardless of the outcome of the meeting or the result of the game."

Shadow Number One said, as for a brief moment, Leo remained silent, before scoffing out loud, as a chuckle escaped his lips.

"Ha...."

"Safe return?" Leo repeated, as he leaned back fully now, his expression shifting into one of open disbelief while he bobbed his head sarcastically.

"Trusting the Deceiver’s word...would be the same as trusting a pathological liar to suddenly discover honesty."

Leo said, as he failed to suppress his laugh.

"There are many stupid things one can do in this universe..." Leo continued, as his gaze hardened slightly while the weight of the offer settled deeper into his thoughts.

"...but believing that promise might just top the list."

He concluded, as for now at least, he decided to treat this offer with the lens of extreme caution.

"I’ll need some time to think about this...."

He began, as he looked straight into number one’s eyes.

"This is not a decision we can brush past blindly, because the holy water of Granada is something I have wanted for a long time, and whether I like the source or not, this is still an opportunity to obtain it, which means it deserves to be evaluated properly."

"For now, don’t send a reply," Leo said, as he continued thinking through the proposal step by step.

"I want you to go through the wording again, line by line, and check if there is any room for manipulation hidden within the terms, because if Mauriss has structured this in a way that benefits him regardless of outcome, then we need to identify it before making any decision."

"And while you do that, I will think about the game itself," Leo said, as his focus shifted toward the core of the challenge.

"If the condition is that the game must be fair and unbiased with equal probability at the start, then we need to define what that actually means in practice, because there are many games that appear fair on the surface but can still be influenced through preparation, psychology, or execution."

"We cannot rush into this," Leo said, as he made his stance clear.

"However, if there is even a real chance to obtain the water, then I do not intend to pass on it either."

Shadow Number One bowed immediately.

"As you command, my lord," Shadow Number One said, as he turned and exited the room, leaving Leo alone to his thoughts.