Chapter 159: Before the Operation
***
I held my umbrella, tip-toeing through the muddy street and lawn, hopping and running my way back to mansion No. 3. The mont I was through the door, I made a beeline straight for the bedroom upstairs.
I pushed the door open, and the first thing I saw was Goat Cheese perched on the windowsill, taking shelter from the rain.
It looked like it had been dozing off, but the noise from pushing the door startled it awake. It imdiately spread its wings, tilted its head, and fixed its crimson eyes on . Its beak parted slightly as it let out a hoarse screech: "Peipei—!"
"Dummy—!"
...Oh, co on.
Back in my own ho and I'm getting called a dummy by a stupid bird. I felt a flash of irritation: "You're the dummy!"
Then I imdiately cracked up at myself and let out a little "pfft."
It's just a bird, why am I even arguing with it... maybe I really am the dummy.
I walked over quickly and cracked the window open just a sliver — rain imdiately misted in, hitting my face and body. I hurried to squeeze my eyes shut and press my lips together. After a few seconds, once I figured Goat Cheese had slipped inside, I snapped the window shut again.
But the mont I opened my eyes, Goat Cheese gave a faceful of water with a shake of its feathers.
I smacked it right on the head and pouted: "Gross!"
"Caw—"
Goat Cheese fired back imdiately. It launched itself onto my shoulder and started hamring at my forehead with its beak, fast and relentless.
"Ow!"
I let out a short, startled cry and twisted my body trying to shake it off, but the harder I struggled, the tighter the claws digging into my shoulder gripped, its sharp nails biting into my skin with a searing sting.
"Knock it off... you'll tear my clothes... I an it, I'm getting mad!"
The mont I said that last line, Goat Cheese imdiately settled down... can this thing actually understand what I'm saying?
I studied it with curiosity.
Its drenched feathers shone even more brilliantly than usual. Those eyes, red as if soaked in blood, so vivid they gave an eerie feeling, stared right back at without blinking.
Are you really just a raven...
"What a strange creature."
I shook my head to myself, pulled out the chair by the bed and sat down, leaning over the desk. I reached up to the shelf above and took down a sheet of letter paper, spread it flat on the desk, grabbed the quill pen on my right, dipped it in ink, and began to write.
"To my dearest, Father and Mother..."
"I am in the royal city... all is well..."
Hmm, what should I write?
I can't ntion anything about the Gate of Truth, no point worrying them over nothing. Better to start with sothing happy.
"Here... it is very beautiful... the Academy is very interesting... and there is so much, so much good food..."
"Goat leg, very delicious... waffles, very delicious... sausages also delicious... my own Captain Grey, also delicious... everything is delicious."
...I feel like I've been talking about myself the whole ti, that's no good. I should ask how they're doing.
"Do you want to try so... in a few days... I'll find a cargo wagon... sothing that won't spoil easily... and send it to the castle..."
Winter City... I wonder how things are there right now.
When I left, Father and Count Lafayette had already started making large purchases of iron ore and leather, it was obvious what they were planning... worrying... let write and ask.
"...Father, Mother... Brother... please stay safe... if anything happens, let know... right away..."
Right, there's also the Iron Guard situation.
Victoria's dealing with those people all on her own... I can't just stand by and watch, let help her out.
Hmm... but for the army, that's quite a sizeable contract... how do I bring this up to Father... I'll play it up like they're bullying , that should do it...
The rainy-day sun hid bashfully behind a curtain of dark clouds.
In the hush of the bedroom, a girl who looked every bit the picture of grace and cleverness clutched her quill tightly, scribbling and doodling across yellowed letter paper, her rosy lips moving in a quiet mutter. A massive raven perched on her shoulder, craning its head left and right, restless as ever.
After a long while, the girl set down her pen.
She picked up the sheet of paper, now covered edge to edge in dense writing, held it up for a final look, and gave a satisfied nod, a charming smile spreading across her face.
"Hehe."
"That'll do!"
She folded the letter, tucked it into the envelope, sealed it with wax, then slipped it into the wooden tube she'd bought earlier. She tied it to Goat Cheese's right talon with a red cord, gave its head a gentle pat, raised her hand toward the window, and called out: "Go on, Goat Cheese!"
Goat Cheese stared at blankly.
After a long mont, a piercing, bizarre laugh ca from its dark beak: "Gah! Gah-ah-ah-ah!"
My eyes went wide.
...Is this bird laughing at !?
"Stop laughing, you're so dumb."
"Peipei, dummy—!"
"You're the dummy... you won't get lost, will you? Go back to the castle, okay? Give the letter to Father and Mother."
"Caw—"
"Once the rain stops, then you go, alright."
With that, I stopped paying it any more attention.
I tilted my head and thought for a mont, then walked over to the wardrobe, pulled out a black knee-length combat skirt that Father had ordered from the workshop specially for , held it up against myself, then tossed it casually onto the bed. I crouched down, slid open the drawer, and dug out the chainmail gloves infused with Moonstone, along with the silk stocking leg guards, and then picked out a pair of solid black boots... my night-ops outfit, complete.
Head-to-toe gothic black, perfect for staying hidden at night... the Pontifical Knight's cloak is out of the question, that thing is all white, practically a reflector. Might as well carry a flare.
Right, and the breastplate... should I bring it?
But it's so stiff and uncomfortable... forget it, no need for that.
Once everything was sorted, I walked to the corner of the bedroom and opened the leather trunk that had barely been touched since I arrived. I reached in and let my fingers drift lightly across the cold, curved blade.
Captain Grey... sohow I always get the feeling you're a little lonely.
Want to co along with tonight?
Boom—
A rolling crack of thunder shook through the window.
............
The sky slowly darkened.
Drifting sowhere between sleep and waking, I suddenly heard a round of heavy pounding at the front door downstairs. It jolted wide awake, I shot up from the bedside, stood there in a daze for two seconds, then sprinted downstairs.
I opened the door to find Lecter... the guy had swapped into dark leather armor, though he was still completely soaked through. Who knows where he'd been off to at noon, didn't even think to grab an umbrella... though I guess for soone like him, an umbrella would just get in the way.
"Green-haired guy, you pounded the door that hard, who were you trying to scare?"
Lecter didn't bother responding to my mildly irritated look. He took in my all-black outfit and gave a light nod: "Looks like you're ready."
"Heading out now?"
"The earlier the better, more ti to scope things out."
"Sure, let's go."
Only after stepping out the door did I realize the rain had stopped at so point without noticing.
That was a relief, honestly, a massive one... thank goodness, otherwise I'd have had to brave the rain too. I really can't afford to get rained on right now, if I end up feverish and sick again, there's a chance I'd end up like I was last night... no, don't think about it, don't think about it.
If I don't think about it, it won't happen.
"What's that on your back? It looks really heavy."
"A weapon."
"A weapon?"
"Yeah."
"What kind of weapon is that big... can I take a look?"
"No."
I shook my head.
What I had strapped to my back was, of course, Captain Grey. In the end I had taken it out of the trunk, though right now it was wrapped in black cloth and folded into 3 sections, so Lecter had no way of telling what it was.
I knew he was curious, but I didn't want him touching it.
If he found out how heavy this weapon actually was... I'd die of embarrassnt.
"Stingy..."
As I walked out through the big iron gate of the courtyard, I noticed 3 more mbers of the Sword of Kanri waiting outside, including one familiar face... the hook-nosed man.
He smiled at and said: "We're in your hands tonight, Miss Sylvia."
User Comments
0 comments from readers