The small girl was holding the hand of her unconscious brother. Even her brother still stayed still. She knew that her brother was getting better, his breath no longer deep and hurried, his face no longer pale. Her brother was like having his peaceful dream.
With her small hands, she held it tighter, “Big Brother, I won’t say goodbye, I’ll just leave for a while, and we’ll meet again very soon. So, when we meet again, I wish to see you stand and smile again, pick and raise me up on your shoulder. Do not sleep too long, this city is so beautiful, go out and enjoy its delicacies a bit. I’ll leave with Aunt Flo for now. I wish we can meet again, Big Brother.”
***
Somewhere within the City of Milena, there was a famous five-floored restaurant where the rich, the noble and aristocracy have their meals, whether they were locals or just visiting this city. Its name is the Golden Duck Pavilion.
On the third floor, there was a group of black-clothed men gathered around a medium size round table. It was the same group that made a scene at the front of Silver Swan Inn yesterday. And the leader was still there.
“Milord, our source said that the target is already leaving the city wall. Shall we proceed with pursuing it?”
“With whom she left?”
“Report Milord, she left with three women, one of them brought a baby.”
“A baby? Who are they, and what about her protector?”
“Report Milord, they are seemed just commoner, but from their bearing, they don’t seem just commoner, but we can make sure there is a high probability that they are native of this kingdom, we find nothing significant about them yet, they just arrived in this city yesterday morning, and left again this morning.
They paid their lodging fee, so it doesn’t seem they have any connection with that Grand Mage who is the manager of the inn. And about her protector, we didn’t witness he left the inn, nor we witness anything suspicious bring him leaving the inn, we may think sure that he is still inside the inn, and …”
“Okay, I get it. With a deadly poison in his body, he will not survive, even a Grand Mage cannot save him. Besides, he just another insignificant pawn, if not his effort & brain has made them left Aelfwine, I would not be considering using a precious poison on him. Even we may not make any assumption on this mission, it’s not like we capable of infiltrating that pension. Now our primary aim already left the city.”
The man was silent for a moment while tapping his fingers on the table’s surface.
“Milord, we already send some agents to tail them.”
“I knew you would, but this mission perhaps the strangest mission that we ever meet. It should be a simple clean-up job, but for months we let our target slipped away many times. It was not like us.
The crucial variable already being taken care of, the protector. At first, I have doubted he would be trouble for us, but the facts clearly stated the opposite. Now, there is another variable, not only a single soul. And yet, we have no data on this variable.
If those women were no one famous, that everything will be smooth. But if they have some background, we may face some unnecessary trouble that could affect this mission.”
“Milord, do you want us to dig more about them?”
“In any other mission, I probably said yes. But we are running out of time. If we do not return by next month, it will be equal as we give up our heads to stay where they used to be.”
“Then, what is your instruction, Milord?”
“Continue to tail them, report everything, leaving nothing unreported, I want everything. Calculate their likely destinations, routes, and habits. Plan the right place and time to attack with the fastest blitz raid we capable of. Call for help to all our nearest ‘cavalry’, but make sure their movement left no ripple. You know what to do, and we only have around three days window period, don’t fail it!”
“Yes, Milord!”
Meanwhile, just two floors above. A middle-aged man around forty and a beautiful woman around thirty were having a traditional chess game while having their tea time.
A soft knock was heard, and they stopped paying attention to the chessboard.
“Come in.” The man said.
A beautiful lady courtesan entering. Yes, the restaurant provided its guests with courtesan services, but they only a companion for singing, dancing, drinking, and meal, they are not companions for bed and any other sexual activities.
The lady bowed respectfully to the two.
“Sir and Lady, this Little Valarie bring the news to you.”
The man and woman nodded their head. And the lady courtesan who called herself Little Valarie informed everything within the black-clothed man’s conversation.
The man was angry, “To think they dare to plan something the Madam and Young Master, they seem too tired to live!”
“Husband, don’t get excited too much, remember you are no longer young. Well, it is their bad luck after making trouble at Silver Swan’s gate they come to our place. I’ll relay a message to old man Kornel. He would know how to deal with this issue. We are not afraid to make our hand dirty, but it’s not good to not invite that old demon in this kind of situation. His temper is far worse than yours.”
“Right…, right…, eh… whose temper you said bad?”
But the woman already disappeared from the room.
Inside the small hut within Silver Swan Inn, an old man was pouring a cup of tea to his quest.
“What’s make Lady Gyda come to my humble hut?” The old man was grinning, almost smiling widely.
The woman shook her head, “Old Man Kornel, those men were going to pursue Madam and Young Master. They wish to eliminate the small girl that you saved yesterday.”
“Eh…! They truly dare!”
Arunametta 