The moment Simon saw this intruder, he had several guesses as to the intruder’s identity and goal.
He could start listing them out but the list would be far too long.
He had a few reasons as to why he came to the conclusion that the intruder was related to the factions and that the goal of the intruder is to see how he cures the poisoned traitors.
Firstly, only the factions would have enough reasons to implant a spy in the Iron Fangs.
Second, Simon asked himself why exactly would the factions choose to risk the life of one of their own.
No matter how powerful the factions were, a spy’s life is always in danger because he or she would be in enemy territory.
Unless the factions truly saw him as a serious threat, Simon had a hard time believing that the factions would send a spy to infiltrate the Iron Fangs for no reason at all.
And that was when it clicked for Simon.
His poison.
After failing to rid the twelve traitors of his poison, there’s no way they would not be interested in it.
They would not only be interested in his poison, but the cure to it.
And what better way to get the cure than to send a spy inside the Iron Fangs.
’And his reaction confirmed it for me.’
Simon looked at the spy from up to down with a tinge of intrigue in his eyes.
The spy was dressed with the robes of a second year initiate. He was wearing a mask that was half black and half white.
The left side of the mask was white and the right side was black.
The mask had two eye holes, and Simon could see that the spy had reptilian green eyes.
Simon’s gaze then moved to the tail and stinger behind the spy, and his eyes flickered with a strange light.
’He’s an hybrid like me... A scorpion hybrid, and his other bloodline is that of a serpent... How strange.’
Simon narrowed his eyes with a thoughtful expression behind his mask, then he tilted his head slightly and asked with a curious expression.
"Are you a slave of the Shadowgrave Clan?"
The entire room went silent, and the spy had completely wide eyes.
"How- how did you know?"
This was the first time the spy spoke, and everybody could hear the extreme shock and disbelief in his voice.
And they could all understand why he was in shock.
One might not know, but it wasn’t actually easy to identify a slave of the Shadowgrave Clan.
They were not given slave brands or collars or deformities.
It’s only when the grave mark of a slave is used on one of the official formations of the clan that one can know that a member of the clan is a slave.
Many clan members requested for this to change and for the slaves of the clan to have a slave branding so that a slave can be easily identified.
However, their request was declined by the higher ups of the clan for reasons they do not know.
This was why the spy was very surprised that Simon was able to figure out that he was a slave.
Simon crossed his legs and rested his head on his fist, his indifferent eyes staring at the spy.
"It’s simple. You’re a hybrid. And your blood is at best a common bloodline. There are initiates with common bloodlines, but hybrids are at a huge disadvantage."
He nonchalantly pointed a finger at the spy.
"And the fact that you’re a Prime Archfiend is also another reason why I guessed that you’re a slave. And from what I can sense... you just became a Prime Archfiend not too long ago."
"If I’m not wrong... about two or three days ago?"
The more Simon spoke, the more shaken the spy became.
He was trying so hard to be calm, but he could not.
Simon frightened him.
"Hmm." Simon hummed softly as he observed the spy from up to down once again.
This was going to be the first slave who is also an Initiate he would be having a conversation with, and he was a little bit intrigued and curious.
"What is your name?" He asked.
The spy looked at Simon, then he closed his eyes and answered with the calmest tone he could muster, though Simon could perceive the shaking in his voice.
"Brama."
Simon nodded. "So, Brama. Answer these two questions for me."
He paused and raised two fingers.
"Who sent you? And what was your given assignment?"
Brama looked down and gritted his teeth. A second later, he looked up and summoned up the courage to look at Simon.
"Won’t you kill me if I answer your questions? Since you know that I’m a slave, you definitely have the confidence to kill me, don’t you?"
Simon smiled behind his mask and his eyes radiated kindness as he looked at Brama.
"And why would I kill you? You’re just like me, a slave. I have no reason to kill you."
Brama was taken aback, and even Akaza was also taken aback by Simon’s words.
"You lie! You’re doing this to make me lower my guard. I’ve seen and heard of everything you’ve done ever since you came to the academy."
"You’re not known to show kindness to your enemies. Why would you suddenly be kind and compassionate toward me?"
Simon chuckled softly.
"Are you my enemy? You’re just a slave. Your masters are the ones I’m up against, not you. However..."
Simon’s gaze slowly became cold.
"But if you want to be my enemy, then I don’t mind adding you into my mountain of corpses."
Brama felt an immense chill across his body, and he could swear that he saw a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood in Simon’s eyes.
’I’m seriously going to die.’
Without hesitation, he answered Simon.
"You’re right. I was sent here to know more about the poison and to see if you can cure them. I was also sent here by the factions."