3
“Have you heard? There have been frequent attacks on merchant caravans near the outskirts of Banan lately.”
In the chairman’s office, Chuden broached the subject.
Ricardo had a wary look on his face when he replied, “Yeah, sure.”
Reports of the uptick in caravan attacks had indeed reached Ricardo’s ample ears.
“But it’s only hearsay for now,” Ricardo continued. “Word around town says it’s more than what the usual merchant bodyguards can handle. And for one thing, all the victims have been outside merchants…so it ain’t really our problem.”
“True, it isn’t,” Chuden admitted. “However, these outside merchants are valuable customers. In a sense, their goods are meant to be ours. If they lose their wares and stop coming to Banan, they won’t be the only victims anymore.”
“Okay… So, I guess you want me to do something about these thieves or bandits or whatever.”
Ricardo had quite the colorful past, but he wasn’t fond of being burdened with grand expectations.
If a bandit gang was operating on this scale, it had to be at least fifty strong, maybe even more. Only a fool would try to take them on alone.
“If we’re up against a big group, there ain’t nothin’ I can do, no matter how strong I am. You really think I can tackle this by my lonesome?”
“Oh, you needn’t worry about that.”
Chuden flashed a knowing smile—the kind only a swindler could wear. “The city council has already recognized this as a major issue… Starting with our company, the commerce league is putting together funds to hire mercenaries. You’ll be their leader, Ricardo. Your job is to locate the bandits and eliminate them. That’s the gist of it.”
“…That ain’t gonna be a walk in the park, either. Just sayin’’”
For all his complaints, Ricardo already knew deep down that there was no escaping this.
Ever since Kararagi’s founding, merchants had been the most powerful figures in city governance. The majority of city council members were influential traders, and Chuden was one of them. If he was bringing this to Ricardo now, that meant the decision had already been made. The only thing left was for Ricardo to accept it.
“So you want a dogman like me to lead a ragtag team of mutts? What the hell were you thinkin’?”
“The talented are always given roles that allow them to best utilize their skills. That’s just natural law.”
With a smirk, Chuden spread out a map on his desk. It detailed the outskirts of Banan, with several trade routes circled in red.
“These are the surrounding trade routes and the locations of the caravan attacks. No survivors. Their cargo and even their ligers were stolen—far too thorough for your average bandits.”
“With this many attacks so close by, their base has gotta be around these parts.”
Ricardo studied the map, then marked two locations near the attack sites—a forest and a rocky ridge. If these were run-of-the-mill bandits, they’d be holed up somewhere easy to defend, and these two spots fit the bill.
The two of them studied the map and debated possible locations until—
“Excuse meee. I’ve brought the teaaa.”
Anastasia entered the room, carefully balancing a steaming pot in her arms. She set down two cups of green tea in front of Chuden and Ricardo.
“Oh, Ana, you on service duty? Why aren’t you caddying?”
“The rush died down, so they let me serve tea and take a break. So…what’s up with the map?”
Anastasia plopped down at the table with the cup of tea she had brought for herself. She blew on the hot liquid, tilting her head in curiosity.
Ricardo pointed at the map and grumbled, “See these red circles? That’s where a whole lotta folks died. And Chuden here just gave me a crazy job to deal with it.”
“You…take care of it alone, Uncle? You gonna be okay?”
“Aww, you worried about me, kid?”
Ricardo’s face twisted into a teasing grin, but Anastasia simply shook her head.
“Nah, it ain’t that. Just…sniffin’ out criminals takes brains. Are you up to it, old man?”
“No need to worry about that,” Chuden interjected smoothly. “Ricardo’s job isn’t to sniff them out. His job is to bash their heads in once they’re found. That’s his specialty.”
“Oh, then I’m not worried at all. What a relief.”
Ricardo let out a long sigh as the two of them clicked perfectly in sync. The warm gust of his breath reached Anastasia, making her scowl.
“Hey, old man!” she huffed.
Ricardo smirked and poked her nose. “This ain’t a game. Now the adults got serious stuff to discuss, so be a good little girl and go chase butterflies or somethin’.”
“Butterflies won’t bring in a single coin, so I ain’t gonna waste time chasin’ ’em. And c’mon, you could let me in on the plan. What if I get in trouble ’cause I don’t know enough?”
“The attacks are all outside the city, so why would a caddy like you be in danger?”
“Now, now,” Chuden interrupted. “I think the girl has a point. I don’t know how long this matter will take to resolve, Ricardo, so we might as well let Anastasia in on it as well.”
Unlike the reluctant Ricardo, Chuden regarded Anastasia’s curiosity with favor. His keen interest in her potential was what had drawn him to her in the first place, and in moments like this, he tended to indulge her.
If Ricardo had any say in the matter, he wouldn’t let Anastasia hear anything about the dark, bloody side of the world. His overprotectiveness was often mocked by those around him.
“Hmmm. Well, looks like life outside the city’s pretty tough.”
That was Anastasia’s candid response when Chuden repeated everything he had already discussed with Ricardo. It was the kind of answer an ignorant child might give—but then she followed up with something unexpected.
“By the way, what cargo were the victims carrying?”
“Their cargo?” Chuden raised a brow. “According to reports, the caravans were transporting all sorts of things they picked up before coming to Banan—jewels, antiques, magic stones and magic stone ores, even weapons.”
“Huh, that’s interesting.” Anastasia tilted her head slightly, murmuring, “and weird.”
Ricardo’s ears twitched. He had caught her quiet remark, but rather than engage with her train of thought, he prioritized shutting the conversation down.
“C’mon, that’s enough,” he grumbled. “Chuden, stop fillin’ this girl’s head with strange ideas.”
Anastasia pouted, clearly displeased at being dismissed. Chuden, though intrigued by her reaction, relented and ordered her to leave.
“Why?! You’re a mean old man, you know that?!”
With that dramatic protest, Anastasia stuck out her pink tongue at Ricardo, picked up her half-finished cup of tea, and exited the office.
Once the door closed behind her, Ricardo shrugged.
“You really are overprotective of Anastasia, aren’t you?” Chuden remarked, watching him carefully.
“Say whatever you like. I’m overprotective all right. Overprotective Ricardo. That’s why I won’t let anyone who’ll be a bad influence for her anywhere near this town. So I’ll do your damn job.”
Growing tired of being mocked, Ricardo bared his fangs and turned his sharp gaze back to the map. His massive frame radiated an aura of raw power, a demonic pressure seeping from his towering body.
As the mood in the room grew heavier, Chuden stiffened slightly and exhaled.
“The Hound, living up to his reputation, eh?” he muttered. “You terrify me, but every day, I’m all the more thankful you’re on my side.”
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login