72 Fake or Replica (2/2)
”Right.” Connor could not help but cringe at her desk, piled with the disorderliness of her drunken revelry. ”I suppose I should take my leave.”
”Yes, Connor.” The Mistress of Shadows happily answers. ”In the meantime, you are free to steal, do whatever you want. Just don't get caught red-handed. After all, bribing the guards is quite a troublesome chore in everyone's part and one more thing… no murder, or at least, make it look like an accident. We don't need any more heat coming from the authorities, and it's bad for business.”
”I know,” Connor stated as he turns his back to leave the office.
”Oh, and by the way.” The Mistress of Shadows halts the young man momentarily as the latter faces the former. ”When you leave, kindly call Grim to enter.”
Connor merely nods in acknowledgment as he finally left the area.
In a short while, Grim enters the office as he was instructed to.
”You called, mistress?” The Assassin WatchGuard spoke with the utmost respect to her.
”Yes, Grim.” The Mistress of Shadows nods in response. ”Remember our mutual friend, the one who provided us with the location of Arundil?”
”Of course, mistress.” Grim answers with a nod. ”I'll never forget that wretched, greedy face of his when he approached us in person two months ago.”
”It appears the weapon that our dear Connor has retrieved is fake.” The woman said, her tone now devoid of the laid-back nature that she has displayed earlier.
”A fake, huh,” Grim said with a frown. ”Damn, I can only imagine the frustration that the boy is feeling right now, with his two months as a farmer being a total waste of his time.”
”I agree, poor Connor.” The Mistress of Shadows replies with a sad look. ”I think it's about time that our dear client gets the payment that he deserves, don't you think?”
Realizing the true meaning of her statement, Grim nods without hesitation. ”Of course, mistress.”
”Good.” The Mistress answers with a favorable tone. ”That is all Grim, you may take your leave.”
Grim bows his head down in respect as he immediately left the office to perform the task that was delegated to him in person.
With the woman finally all alone in her office, a sinister smirk graces forth on her beautiful face as she thought.
'Anyone crossing with the Guild of Shadows shall never get to see the light of the sun ever again.'
***
”A replica?”
Going back eleven days earlier in the farmlands of Chadena in the aftermath of the fire, Isamu and Bren had their mouth agape as the former uttered the last statement in question.
”Yes,” Krothu smirks, baring his tusks for them to witness. He then faces Bren with a stern expression as he said. ”As much as I want to include you in our conversation, what we are going to discuss here is sensitive information about the guild. Leave us for a moment, Bren.”
”Oh, of course, I understand Baron Krothu, sir.” The old farmer said as he bowed his head down respectfully and left the two Warriors in their conversation.
”So, what's this about?” Isamu gazes at the orc in question, now with both of them the only ones present. ”And why is a Godly weapon, even though if it's a mere replica, doing inside your manor in the first place? That item is more trouble than its worth, costing us a single field out of the entire farm.”
”Like I said, Malic's orders,” Krothu answers him calmly. ”The thief would have been successful though, that is if he stole the item a month ago.”
”What do you mean?” Isamu tilted his head in genuine confusion.
”Haha, you see, Malic also told me and only me about your Paragon friend,” Krothu smirks, causing Isamu to widen his eyes in surprise at what the orc has told.
”So, you know, huh,” Isamu said with his arms crossed.
”Of course. Malic and I trust each other with our very lives.” Krothu responds with pride in his every tone.
”And what does Gray have to do with any of this?” Isamu asks.
”The Godly blade of legends, Arundil, is a weapon that can only be wielded in its full potential by a Paragon,” Krothu imparts to the cat-folk about the sword's details. ”With your friend's status being revealed, Malic has taken the necessary steps and secretly instructed me to transfer the real weapon to a safer location, leaving only a replica in place at my manor. Only the senior members of the guild possess the knowledge of the blade being in my manor. Malic and I as well did not disclose to our fellow senior warriors regarding the true weapon's location, them thinking that it's still in my manor.”
”And why didn't you tell them about the true weapon's location then? What's with all the secrecy?” Isamu frowns as he did not like where this conversation is headed.
Krothu simply took a deep breath as he responds with a pure grimace.
”Malic and I suspect that we have a traitor among the senior ranks.”