TtOW! - Chapter 41: Treachery

Cassius was resting in his base of operations when there was a rhythmic knock on the door.  He quickly put away the mugs and organized the chairs, then stood up straight as he opened the door.

A hooded and cloaked figure walked inside the building.  They reached into their pocket and pulled out a small, metal insignia.  Cassius did the same and both insignia flashed lightly.

The figure nodded and then spoke.

“Is everything ready?”

Cassius nodded.

“We’re on schedule and ready to begin anytime.”

“No complications?”

Cassius glanced away.

“Well…”

“What is it?”

Cassius sighed.

“Some wandering knight has been hanging around town.  Just a rookie level, around the mid twenties, but I didn’t want any potential complications.  I’ve been trying to get rid of her but she’s proven remarkably capable.”

The figure stared at Cassius from under their hood.

“You’ve handled a knight before, what’s the matter?”

Cassius rubbed his chin.

“She’s managed to take down every monster I’ve sent her after.  The dangerous ones you’re not supposed to take on solo.  I have no idea how she’s pulling it off.”

“Will it be a problem?”

Cassius shook his head.

“I don’t think so, she doesn’t have any idea what’s going on here and doesn’t seem to care either way.  She’s clearly not from around here and not part of any Imperial Order from what I can tell.”

The figure stared for a moment more.

“Where is she now?”

“Out hunting an Ursanus several levels higher than herself.”

The figure nodded.

“That should be fine, then.”

They reached into their cloak and pulled out a spherical package, wrapped in clothes.  They handed it to Cassius.

“Remember, as close to the keep as you can get.  The comitatenses may be gone but even limitanei can hold for a long time with the right fortifications.”

Cassius nodded as he took the package.

“I know.  I’ll see to it.”

“And the wandering knight?”

“I’ll have Spurius and the others wait for her on the road.  Even if they don’t stop her, that should be enough to keep her occupied while I set things up.”

The figure nodded.

“Make sure of it, Cassius.  I don’t need to remind you what’s at stake here.”

Cassius’s eyes narrowed.

“It’s worth more to me than even to you, so don’t worry.  I’ll make this happen.”

The figure nodded and turned to leave.  They paused right before they reached the door.

“By the way, have you heard from Sabucia?  We’ve been waiting on her latest report.”

Cassius rubbed his chin.

“Sabucia, huh?  Haven’t heard from her in a bit.”

“Unfortunate.  Well, no matter, we’re ready to begin in any case.”

And with that, they left the building.  Cassius stared at the package in his hand and grinned.

Finally.

His ticket out of this dump.

“Spurius?”

The big man grunted and walked out of the side room, crossing his arms.

“Go and prepare a welcome for our little wandering knight on the road.”

Spurius nodded.

“It’s about bloody time.”

Cassius took his package to a private room in the back as Spurius gathered his thugs.  Well, with all that happened, Cassius was fairly certain the knight could handle Spurius and his goons, provided the Ursanus didn’t kill her first.  An Ursanus wasn't a duel a knight should take at an even level, much less a level deficit, but at this point Cassius just couldn’t see this strange knight vanishing that conveniently.

But it wouldn’t matter.

Spurius just needed to distract her for a bit, buy some time.

And then?

Cassius grinned.

This province would belong to him.

***

Rattingtale rubbed his paws as he observed the traitorous man-thing from the rafters.

This was it.

The man-thing was planning to betray the boss-queen.

As expected, really.  The Great-High King of all the land expected this from the moment they met the man-thing.  Man-things could not be trusted and this one least of all.  The boss-queen was a fool for interacting with the treacherous man-thing, in his not so humble opinion.

As she was for trusting him, of all people, to report the treachery.  It was all too easy.  Sure, she had commanded him to keep watch and report to her, but she didn’t specify that he had to do so right this second!  He didn’t have way to contact her from here, in any case.  So all he had to do was delay the report to the ‘regularly scheduled time’, and the man-things would handle her for him!  The wretched spider-thing too!  And then this man-thing was planning something big even if that failed!

The other rats stared at Rattingtale as he chittered, their eyes narrowing.

But then Rattingtale quieted down and rubbed his whiskers.

Still, he needed to think this through.  The Great-High King of all the land cannot act hastily, after all.

He thought of the man-things preparing to ambush the boss-queen, how he had watched them laze about and struggle to lift a keg.

His ears fell back against his head.

Yeah.

There was zero chance they could defeat the boss-queen.  Zero chance she would even be injured, if Rattingtale thought it through.  She would annihilate them, in an instant.

And then she would wonder why Rattingtale didn’t try to warn her.

Sure, this other man thing may have been planning something but Rattingtale didn’t know what it was.  And after all he had seen, he somehow couldn’t imagine this man-thing doing anything that would actually threaten the boss-queen.

He took a deep breath and then turned to the rats.

“You three, go find the boss-queen and warn-inform of the ambush, yes yes.  You two stay watch-observe this man-thing.  So commands the Great-High King of all the land, yes yes.”

The rats smiled and nodded.

“““Yes yes!”””

And with that, they scattered, heading to their tasks.  Rattingtale took another deep breath.

Well, he would keep playing the loyal subordinate for the time being.  Earn the boss-queen’s trust, make sure she would never imagine him turning on her.

It was fine, the Great-High King of all the land was also known for his inexhaustible patience.  He would not settle for a half-hearted opportunity such as this.  Only when the opportunity was at its absolute ripest would he deign to strike.

***

The three rats ran through the slums, as fast as their paws could carry them.  The wise-mighty boss-queen was counting on them, and they would not let her down.  They stirred up their mana and filled their paws with it, willing themselves to move even that much more quickly.

[You have learned the skill Dash!]

And the sacred records rewarded them for their efforts, declaring that their path was right.

As they turned into an empty alley, the lead rat’s eyes widened and he suddenly stopped, activating the new skill to dash backwards.  The other two rats stopped in surprise.

A dark shadow fell from above, landing on the ground with a crash, right where the lead rat had been about to step.

It rose up from the ground, snarling at the failed ambush.  It stood high above the rats, staring at them with wicked eyes.  It flexed claws as sharp as daggers, it adjusted its rippling muscles under the sleek fur upon its body.  Fading scars spoke to a lifetime of battle…and killing.  It let out a low rumble as it adjusted itself, its muscles held taut like the string of a bow, ready to unleash death at a moment’s notice.

The cat had returned.

The lead rat, the one who the boss-queen had personally saved, narrowed his eyes at his hated foe.  He stood upon his hind legs, rising to his full height.

“Go-run.  I will hold the monster-thing back.”

The other rats turned to him in shock.

“The boss-queen needs us, we must not be stopped-delayed.  You must go and warn-inform the boss-queen of the danger, yes yes!”

The other rats looked down at the ground.

“But…”

The lead rat leaped at his hated foe.  He activated the dash skill just as the cat was about to pounce, sinking his fangs into the cat’s hind leg.  He leapt back as the cat roared and spun around, swiping at him.

“Fly-Flee, you fool-things, yes yes!”

The other two rats glanced at each other.  They narrowed their eyes, turning back to the lead rat and nodding once.

“Yes yes!”

And then they ran off, scurrying around the cat to continue down the alleyway.  The beast turn to swipe at them but the lead rat dashed as he jumped, curling his body into a ball and slamming into the cat’s nose.  The cat cried out and took a step back.  The lead rat chittered as he rose on his hind legs once more.

“Our fight will not go-end like last time, you wretched cat-thing!  I am a chosen servant of the wise-mighty boss-queen!  Saved-preserved by her for great-glorious deeds, yes yes!  Personally raised-trained by her own hand!  I will stop-defeat you here, even if it costs me my life, yes yes!”

The cat growled at him, crouching down and adjusting its stance.  The lead rat lowered to all fours, digging into the dirt.

They leapt into the air at the same time, claws and fangs reaching for one another.

Author’s Note:

Gasp the sketchy man in the slums sending NSLICE-00P on suicidal monster hunts is betraying her!  Curse this sudden but inevitable betrayal!

The Great-High King of all the land is shaking his head at such an obvious, telegraphed plot.  His plans will be conducted with far greater subtlety and effect!

What’s that?

What exactly are his plans you ask?

Wouldn’t you like to know?  Obviously you lack vision if you cannot comprehend the great plans of His Royal Majesty Excellion Formantus Rattingtale the Third!

Anyways!

Can the lead rat hold the line for his comrades?  Will the rats warn the boss-queen in time?  Just what is the treacherous man-thing planning?  Tune in next time, to find out!