Chapter 17: Meeting

"Much better…" Shu commented.

The two were currently walking through the rain. This time, the young samurai could be seen with a large black parasol. He was finally safe from the relentless downpour. A satisfied Rin traveled beside him.

"How are you going to solve this?" She questioned. The sleepy man shrugged.

"...Meet the city chancellor, sleep until night, find the creepy crawler." He answered bluntly.

The snow demon thought for a second. There was a moment of silence as she pondered over his words. Not finding anything wrong with the answer, she nodded.

"Mnnn." She wasn't the smartest tool in the shed.

Time passed as the duo made their way to the other side of the city. Away from all of the clutter and activity, a large mansion could be seen. It resided at the top of the hilly incline and allowed a view of the skyline.

A large garden separated the path from the front of the manor. It was covered with rose bushes that were drenched from rain. There was a tall gate even further ahead. Two guards waited in front of the gates with spears in hand. When they saw the two fighters in dark clothes, they grew nervous.

"Halt! Don't move any further! State your intentions!" One of them ordered.

Rin dug into her obi and pulled out the insignia of a crescent moon. It was one of Silent Night's well known logos. Upon seeing the item, both soldiers let out a sigh of relief.

"Knights of the Golden Circle? You must be here for the request then. Please enter. The chancellor is expecting your arrival."

The gate quickly opened once his words finished. Shu immediately noticed the lack of soldiers as they walked through the courtyard. A maid with green hair could be seen waiting on the steps.

"Esteemed guests, please follow me to the waiting room." She announced.

Without further ado, they followed her inside. It was silent as she led them through the manor. A nice cozy room eventually presented itself to the duo. The maid poured two cups of coffee and set it down before them.

"Please wait here. The chancellor will arrive shortly." She spoke before leaving.

Shu reached for his cup. He was quite parched. Before he could even grab it, Rin snatched his wrist. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in confusion. The dark ronin shook her head as if telling him not to drink it.

"...Don't make yourself vulnerable to poison tactics. You're an assassin now. A blade of Silent Night. A killer for the Golden Circle." Her quiet voice resounded.

The young samurai could understand her worries. Silent Night was the most deadly battalion of the lot. It would see the most bloodshed, next to Phoenix Talon. One was for eliminating targets, while the other was focused on war and battlefields. Many people would have motives to attack the Golden Circle. It was safer to be aware.

"...I understand." Shu responded. Rin hummed before staring off into space. A few minutes passed and the lazy swordsman frowned.

'Why is she still holding my wrist?' He thought.

"...Rin." He called out.

The snow demon came back to reality. She turned to him with a blank face. Shu gently tugged his hand to remind her. Realization dawned on her face.

"Oh."

That was all she said, and she didn't let go. Her eyes darted from his face to his hand multiple times. She couldn't help but gulp. It seemed like she was considering taking a bite. Shu was slowly learning what her 'I'm gonna bite you' face looked like. Now was one of those moments.

"Don't do it." He warned.

Rin only smirked. She then raised his hand toward her little mouth. The sleepy man yanked back his arm. A tug of war was already underway. Just like that, a small scuffle had begun. They'd end up on the ground and start wrestling if this continued.

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Before things could get heated, the sound of footsteps resounded in the distance. The two quickly returned to their original positions. Shu had a look of annoyance on his face, while the petite beauty was stoic as usual.

"I hope you both haven't been waiting for too long." An aged voice sounded.

A tall, lean man with grey hair entered the room. He had quite a bit of hair on his chin. It wasn't really a beard, but more of a goatee. The man was dressed in a grey coat with white dress pants. This guy could definitely fight if he had to.

"...Not that long, Chancellor Mason." Shu responded.

His distorted voice caught the man by surprise. Courtesy of the mana breather. The chancellor wasn't expecting his guests to be so…dangerous.

Mason sat opposite to them and poured himself some coffee. He immediately noticed their untouched cups but said nothing. Once he was done, he focused on the guests before him.

"Thank you for coming such a long way. I apologize for my son's absence. He's been ill for the last few weeks. Is it safe to assume that Silent Night will handle my request?" He spoke. The snow demon shifted in her seat.

"Our duty is to rid Valsir of external problems. We will assist." Rin declared. Her voice was monotone.

"I appreciate it. Regarding payment, I know that Silent Night is a bit different from the norm. Luckily for me, I have some classified information and files to share!" Mason exclaimed.

"...Can we get a hint of what you're offering?" Shu followed up. The chancellor smiled.

"Let's just say that it concerns the religious human kingdom of Laria, and its ruler, Ky the Warrior King."

"Hmm…That is acceptable."

"Great. Shall we move on to the debriefing then?" Mason asked. Shu and Rin nodded in sync.

The chancellor's expression became solemn. His relaxed demeanor had disappeared. A battle hardened fighter was in its place. It was time to get down to business.

"My citizens have been disappearing from their homes every night. It's always past midnight when the commotion begins. By the time we get there, we're too late. Blood is the only evidence left behind. Soldiers are hidden all over the city, and they've failed to notice anything."

"...When did this start happening?" Shu asked.

"Three weeks ago, and I couldn't find the source. If this keeps up, the rest of my people will abandon this city! I'm the only Gold fighter in Lokni. The rest are barely silver and below. It would be safer for them to migrate to a town with better protection. I beseech your aid." The chancellor finished.

"I see…" The young samurai muttered.

Shu thought for a while before standing up. He grabbed his sheathed katana and prepared to leave. Rin also rose to her feet. Chancellor Mason understood their actions and stood up as well.

"Just a heads up. Whatever this thing is, it can either move really fast or hide really well. Do you have an estimate of when this will be over?" He asked. The snow demon looked at Shu to see what his answer would be.

"...A week at the maximum. A day minimum. If I get lucky, it will be over before tomorrow." The swordsman answered. It was time to go.

As the two made their way down the hall, they noticed a sickly young man doing the same. The hair had fallen off his head, and he could barely walk. A group of maids were helping him move.

"Young master Deckard, you shouldn't be moving around! Come, let us bring you back to your room." A maid spoke. The sickly man sighed.

"It's fine. I just needed some air." He said.

When the two fighters passed the man, they frowned. A rotten stench wafted from his body. Deckard's skin was decomposing. He reeked of death and decay.

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