Chapter 279: Executing the Overthrow Plan (1)

Whoosh!

A gust of wind swept through the area, making the grass and trees sway gently.

Hovering in the sky, Nolan folded his arms behind him, gazing down at the six people and the burly man, all frozen in place.

Although their masks concealed most of their expressions, their eyes radiated pure, overwhelming fear.

"What trash," he murmured softly, shaking his head.

"What did you do to them?" a curious voice asked beside him.

He glanced over and saw Malverna.

Nolan smiled and explained, "Nothing cruel. I just trapped them in an infinite time-and-space dimension. I’ve never done it before, so I didn’t know how it would turn out. But apparently... it worked pretty well."

His words sounded casual, as if what he had done was no big deal.

Malverna, however, felt a chill run down her spine.

This guy is really scary,

she thought, silently.

Trapping someone in an infinite dimension of time and space was cruel beyond imagination.

Those trapped couldn’t escape, and time itself would twist and distort around them.

The most horrifying part: only their consciousness was imprisoned. Their bodies remained in the real world, as they appeared now.

If someone killed their bodies, the trapped consciousness would be powerless to intervene—forever lost in that infinite void.

Nolan ignored Malverna’s thoughts. His figure suddenly vanished, appearing in front of the burly man.

Pressing his right palm to the man’s forehead, he whispered, "Mind reader!"

Whoosh!

Black light erupted from his palm, engulfing the man’s entire body. At the same time, the man’s memories flashed into Nolan’s mind.

Five minutes later, Nolan withdrew his hand. The burly man’s body had turned to ashes.

Malverna appeared beside him. "So... where did they come from? Are they the same assassins as before?"

She was referring to the two assassins who had nearly killed Elina and Nolan. Well—"nearly" was actually an understatement. In fact, those two had died pointlessly, unable to even touch Nolan.

"They’re not part of any organization," Nolan explained casually. "They operate independently. Still, they sometimes cooperate with assassin groups and take missions from them. Coincidentally, the mission to kill Anna came from the same organization that sent the two assassins after Elina."

Malverna frowned. "Why would they hire independent assassins like that?"

"To avoid leaving any evidence," Nolan replied. "Because they’re independent, they aren’t fully tied to any organization. If they fail or die, those groups aren’t held responsible—and their involvement won’t be discovered by the targets who survived."

In the previous world, this method was known as

the Hand-Washing Tactic

.

When a crime or murder failed, those behind the scenes refused responsibility and tried to erase all blame.

The trick was simple: ’wash the hands’—eliminate all connections, evidence, and traces.

The same was true for the Blood Moon organization, which had served as both the mission provider and the mastermind.

With the independent group now dead, they would undoubtedly erase any trace linking themselves to it.

"I see," Malverna murmured, then asked, "So what will you do now? It would be nearly impossible to gather evidence if the Red Obsidian Trading House commissioned these murders, wouldn’t it?"

The trading house operated with extreme caution, even in an assassination like this. Malverna was certain that proving their involvement would be nearly impossible.

Nolan, as always, stayed calm.

"Do you know the saying,

’No matter how far a carcass is hidden, its smell will still give it away’?

"

Malverna blinked and shook her head.

"I don’t know the saying, but I understand. You mean that no matter how well they try to cover it up, they’ll eventually be exposed, right?"

"Bingo!" Nolan said, smiling with satisfaction. "It seems that following me all this time has sharpened your mind. Congratulations!"

The corners of Malverna’s mouth twitched, a spark of anger flickering inside her. Yet, she couldn’t argue.

The past few months following Nolan had honed her instincts, making her sharper, more cautious, and far more calculating.

The change from her former self was like night and day. Had she always been like this, her disciple would never have managed to unseat her as ruler of the demon race.

"This matter is actually very simple. Over the past few days, I haven’t remained idle. My subordinates have completed the investigation, and now it’s only a matter of time before the plan is executed," Nolan said in a calm, soothing tone.

He turned, waved his right hand, and in an instant the six men who were still frozen in place were engulfed by a black, pungent flame.

The next moment, they turned to ashes, scattered by the night wind.

"Let’s go back."

Nolan’s figure melted into the air and vanished. Malverna quickly followed.

The place fell silent again—no one would have known that a brutal massacre had occurred, lasting less than ten seconds.

...

The next day...

Aston and Alvaron arrived at the Castellan mansion. Inside the living room, Nolan and Anna were waiting.

"Welcome, Duke Austin and Marquis Valmire," Anna greeted politely.

Alvaron and Aston returned the greetings with smiles, then turned to Nolan, cupping their hands respectfully.

"I heard you called for me, Your Highness. How may I assist you?" Alvaron asked, his tone humble.

Anyone else would be surprised. Usually arrogant and authoritative, Alvaron now spoke to Nolan with utmost respect, as if addressing an emperor.

But Alvaron didn’t care. Apart from Aston and Anna, no one else was present, and he genuinely respected Nolan. The young man was deep, mysterious, and utterly unpredictable.

On top of that, Nolan had helped him locate Masha in record time, earning Alvaron’s deep gratitude.

"Sit down first," Nolan said, waving a hand.

Alvaron and Aston nodded and walked over to the sofa across from them.

The maids appeared, serving tea and biscuits.

They sipped their tea in a gesture of respect toward their hosts, Nolan and Anna.

Once the atmosphere was set, Nolan began speaking.

"I called you because I need a favor."

Their expressions stiffened, but they remained silent, listening intently.

"Last night, Anna was attacked by an assassin. Fortunately, I anticipated it, so the attempt failed. The motive is obvious—eliminating the Castellan family heir she carries," Nolan continued. Aston and Alvaron immediately understood.

Their faces paled. The culprit was clear: the Red Obsidian Trading House.

"I’m sure you already know who’s behind this," Nolan said, taking a sip of coffee. "So now is the perfect time to act..."