Chapter 281 – Dark Truths

Chapter 281 – Dark Truths

 

Kai stilled, the papers filled with names in his hand. He strained his ears and channeled Body Augmentation to make out the sounds moving closer. There were two sets of footsteps, one heavy one light, thumping up the stairs—their words too low to make out through the walls.

Dammit.

His sister stood in front of the left desk with a journal in hand. Unless her intel failed again, one of them must be Herry Rickson, the shady informant and owner of this house. Who was the other one? Hallowed Intuition’s whispers soared despite the wards stifling its prediction.

Even before his skill warned him, facing an unknown foe inside a building engraved with deadly arrays was a bad idea. There was no window in the cluttered study and no way to run without being discovered.

Kai stored the sheets in his ring and dashed toward the door. Splitting his mind in six, he used Mana Engraving to redraw the lines that disabled the trigger. Any amateur enchanter could spot the tampering if they examined the runes. He couldn’t imagine Herry manually disabling the trap each time he entered the study.

He must have installed an automatic switch among the enchantments.

“We must hide,” he grabbed Kea’s hand.

Whoever was coming probably wouldn’t treat two intruders hiding in their hideout kindly. It was also possible he had triggered some warning, and the owners were coming to get them.

No, they’re walking too slowly.

There were too many unknowns hanging around this affair. Despite the simple satisfaction of a fight, his instincts were telling him it could end badly. He hadn’t survived the Sanctuary without a healthy dose of caution.

Kea stared at the door without moving. “We can get some answers.”

“There are two of them. And we have no idea how strong the second person is.” Kai whispered as loud as he dared. “C’mon, we’ll get better answers by listening. There is always time to jump out once we know our enemy.”

Steps thudded in the boards outside the study, the time to take cover rapidly running out.

“—about your excuses,” a gruff voice rumbled. “We gave you the chance and resources to handle the problem, and you managed to fuck it up. Now those nuisances will run around spreading more rumors—”

Kea clenched her hand around the knife on her belt. His heart skipped a beat, he was about to take out his sword and wing it when his sister turned toward him with a curt nod.

Thank the spirits.

A silent question in her eyes: where to hide?

Piles of papers and journals cluttered the desks, closets and floor. Scanning the space, Kai headed toward a cabinet filled with yellowed volumes that had been pushed against a shelf, leaving a dusty gap behind. It had been also filled with notebooks, scrolls and empty ink bottles.

There was no time to clear the space. Kai pulled out a pile of papers, counting on the general chaos to hide their passage. He swiped his hand forward to store everything else in his spatial ring. Crouching beneath a shelf, he squeezed into the cranny and covered his mouth to muffle his coughs from the dust. His body had remained more wiry than bulky from his stay in the Sanctuary.

Kea watched him, stunned—she was the only person in his family who had yet to learn about the ring. With his only free limb, Kai pulled her inside as the door swung open, rustling the loose sheets of paper. They huddled in a tangle of limbs, cloaked by a veil of Shadow and Kea’s camouflage skill.

“—not necessarily bad,” an oily voice whined. “Mind the wire on the door. No one will believe a bunch of mongrel thrillseekers.”

From how Kea tensed beside him, Kai guessed that must be Herry.

“The consequences are irrelevant. You’ve failed us,” the deeper tone scoffed.

“It’s just a little hitch. How was I supposed to know another group of adventurers would come looking for them? It was your wards that failed!” Herry’s tone contained a sudden edge.

“I’m tired of your excuses, the wards worked perfectly. There isn’t any seeker who can break them in this town. You must have ruined the engraving when you set them up.”

It was really them… What’s going on in this town?

Kea gritted her teeth beside him. Stuck in the dark cranny and unable to turn toward her, Kai twisted his arm to hold her hand, praying she wouldn’t reveal their place. He was also angry at people sulking about how they failed to kill them, but he was more pressed to unravel the wider plot.

Are they kidnapping people? What are they doing with them?

From what he grasped from the conversation, these people had access to a considerable amount of power. Anyone capable of inscribing the inky runes buried in the tower probably had the means to directly kill his sister’s team. They only failed because they wanted to make it seem like an accident in the mist.

“Oh, please!” Herry’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Your group would have been caught years ago without my help.”

“Pha!” The gruff laugh was followed by the low thud of a fist meeting flesh. A body crashed among the papers with a groan. “Don’t overestimate your value. You’re a drop in the river, puny and replaceable. Just like this moldy town. You have no idea of what’s at play.”

“You! You can’t treat me like this!” Herry’s indignation quickly crumbled into a sob with the shuffle of paper and steps. “Wait! I’m sorry. I must have made a mistake. It won’t happen again!”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“You’re pathetic,” the thug sneered. “Do I have to remind you what the praetor does to people who become a liability?”

“There is no need to disturb him with this.”

“Oh, he already knows anything that happens in this town,” the man cruelly chuckled. “Perhaps I should report that we have a problem…”

“No—” Herry gulped. “No, sir. Please. I’ll handle it. Those bumpkins were lucky to escape. They were getting close to my affairs, but they know nothing about you. Just give me more time. I’ll solve this hiccup.”

“Don’t bother,” the thug scoffed. “We don’t need you to draw more attention. I’ll handle them. You focus on finding more candidates.”

Sounds of crumpled paper changing hands followed a taut silence. “But— but that’s too many,” Herry squealed. “There is no way to get this many without the garrison realizing what’s happening. I—”

“Let us worry about the Republic and do your job. The praetor wants to be done here before the winter is over. He’s not as patient as me with those who disappoint him.”

“I’ll— I’ll find a way to get them. And when will I receive…”

“You’ll get your due when the job is done.”

“Of course, but I could use—”

The gruff man wasn’t interested in hearing him out. “I’ll send you word the usual way when the issue you caused is solved.”

“Thank you.” With an obsequious tone, Herry accompanied the other man down the corridor and stairs.

They’re gone.

Kai exhaled, unsure of when he had last breathed, and almost choking on the dust. The situation was worse than his worst-case scenarios. The more he learned, the more tangled the plot became.

Why can’t the Republic look after their own backyard?

Squeezed beside him, Kea let out an angry pant. Before they could think of crawling out of the hideout, Herry strode back into the study and slammed the door shut.

“Fucking asshole! Who does he think he is? Just a lowly grunt. I can hire a dozen like him. If they’re as powerful as they say, they wouldn’t hide like rats, letting all…” His mutters grew too low to make out, covered by the crumple of paper and pound of books getting moved.