"Where Did You Pick Up That Cat, Beneo?"
"Where'd you pick that up? Beneo."
At her comrade Juris's question, Beneo glanced briefly at the cat in her hand.
She'd gone to check after one of the detection spells she'd set up around the raided building went off, and found this cat clutched in her grip now. At first, she'd assumed it was some pet that had slipped away from a noble or wealthy merchant.
Until the second detection spell triggered.
No mana I can sense. Body heat and pulse feel normal enough. But it's not a familiar, either.
Beneo couldn't figure out what the hell this thing was at all.
"Beneo."
"Don't worry about it."
Even as Juris pressed again, Beneo just shook her head, keeping the details to herself. No way was she gonna tell her comrade—Juris would lose her shit and charge in without a second thought, screaming for blood.
Thankfully, Beneo got the reaction she wanted; Juris lost interest in the cat.
"So why're you here? You takin' out the last two spots too?"
Beneo shook her head as she watched life flicker back into those indifferent eyes.
"Plan's unchanged. Head back and rest till morning."
"...No more kills? I could handle the others' shares if you want."
"Unnecessary."
"...Fine."
With Beneo's firm answer, the spark in Juris's eyes died again. She gave the limp, seemingly dead cat a blank stare for a moment, then brushed past Beneo, melting silently into the shadows of the deep alley like she'd never been there.
Left alone—no, with the cat still in hand—Beneo stared hard at its back, deep in thought as it breathed but lay perfectly still like a corpse.
Should I kill it?
Right then, the cat's tail stiffened straight up... then slowly drooped back down.
Definitely not a normal cat.
Just for that split second, the moment she'd decided to kill it, the thing's body had gone rigid. Animals were more sensitive than humans, sure, but that reaction was way too unnatural for a regular beast. No thrashing, just a brief freeze—like it was gauging her, forcing itself to calm down.
Finding the owner won't be hard if it has one.
This wasn't some stray mutt; it was a rare luxury breed. Sketch its looks, ask around, and she'd have the owner in half a day, tops.
Even if she killed it, she'd do it after. It wasn't normal, and it'd seen both her and Juris's faces—death was already sealed. Just a temporary stay of execution.
Bzzz. Bzzt.
A short vibration from her pocket. This was the nineteenth one.
Including the one from Juris who hadn't signaled before leaving, that made twenty targets total.
Some groups, some individuals—but from this moment, they were all linked by one unbreakable chain.
Death.
With the rest finishing their tasks, it was her turn to move. But first, she had to deal with this nuisance in her hand.
Bazelan – The Castle.
A thick shadow bloomed beneath the towering walls.
Crunch.
A faint sound, barely audible unless you were listening hard—the grass sprouting under the shadow crushed under Beneo's boot.
She'd vaulted the impossibly high walls—walls no sane attacker would even dream of challenging—in just two leaps.
Normally, she'd flash ID at the gate like anyone else, but detouring to stash this unexpected catch meant hopping the wall unplanned.
Left hand clamped around the cat's neck, ready to snap it at the slightest twitch—
Chirp chirp~
"......"
A bird's trill from a tree just outside the shadow. Beneo had already clocked every soldier's presence nearby; this caught her off guard.
She didn't show it, of course. As she debated drawing the sword at her hip—
"Did you steal it?"
A woman from her memory dropped down from the tree. Orange hair, adventurer. Dispatched by the guild to guard the protectee.
Giena, was it?
Beneo didn't forget faces easily, especially not stronger opponents'.
Giena approached, a small bird with blue feathers perched on her shoulder, and asked again.
"I asked if you stole it."
"...No."
"Then?"
"......"
Beneo wasn't the type to answer politely. But she was flexible enough for the situation—which was why she could lead a group.
After a moment to collect her thoughts, she spoke.
"Caught it nosing in while I was handling threats to the protectee."
"......"
Giena's blank stare at the cat sharpened the instant Beneo finished.
Gauging her reaction, Beneo turned the question back.
"You know its owner?"
Giena nodded without hesitation.
"Saw it two days ago at the merchants' guild. Black Line branch chief. Some cat named Nyaho keeps."
"I see."
The second Giena answered, Beneo tightened her grip to snap the neck in one go—
"Hand it over to me."
"......"
Beneo slowly eased off. No winning against this one. Plus, Giena wasn't just guarding the protectee—she harbored feelings for him too. Beneo trusted she wouldn't let harm come to him, and extended the cat.
Giena took the limp, neck-gripped, motionless cat.
"Seems you have business left. You're free to go."
"...Right."
Beneo backed off a few steps, then leaped up the wall in bounds, vanishing over the top in seconds.
After she left.
Giena grabbed the cat by the scruff, turning its face to hers. The blue-green odd eyes were fading to dullness.
Staring into those draining pupils, Giena spoke in a voice cold enough to chill the air.
"If you wanna live, explain properly to the one you're going back to."
"......!!"
The cat's eyes widened for an instant, then shifted to normal blue.
Nyaaang.
As if it'd never been silent, the cat let out a soft mew.
"Hope Smith-sama's pleased."
Giena tucked the cat against her chest and stroked the head of the bird on her shoulder.
"You head back too."
Chirp chirp.
The little bird nodded slightly and flapped off.
Giena climbed back to the tree branch with the cat in arms, as if nothing had happened.
Silence settled over the spot where they'd stood.
*
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Sitting in the mansion study, Nyaho drummed her fingers on the desk, eyes fixed on the firmly shut door.
"......"
An hour since cutting the link with Riri.
In that time, to secure her safety, Nyaho had sent all her clan guards outside and dismissed the servants too.
She was the only one left in the sprawling mansion now.
So the elders weren't just talking shit.
She recalled the old folks droning on: the clan's greatest poison was curiosity itself.
Back then, in one ear and out the other. Only now did she realize it was hard-earned advice, not empty warnings.
......
Nyaho kept a calm facade, but inside? Total chaos.
What she'd witnessed through Riri's eyes was that serious.
Depthless movements. Speech and mannerisms of seasoned killers.
But the real kicker: their status. Casually hopping the walls and strolling in meant they were cleared for the castle interior.
Everyone inside now was Viscount's second daughter's soldiers and knights, plus Count's retainers.
No way a Viscount would borrow from the Count if he had heavies like that. And it wasn't one—multiple groups, at least two.
Ardella Filoria.
Kingdom's top sword, the "Winter Blade," great lord.
Only her could command such talent, Nyaho figured.
And that was the problem.
If—just if—those were Filoria House people, worst case, she'd die here tonight.
Titles like "one of the Continent's Five Great Trading Firms" or "direct blood of the Black Cat Clan chief" meant jack shit to them.
Filoria lands sold monster byproducts like phantom horse parts, iron ore, rare minerals—nothing common. Everyone scrambled for more whenever possible.
A merchant who prized gold above all couldn't ignore that territory.
No traces left, no proof anyway.
If she'd gone in person instead of borrowing Riri's body, her head would've rolled right there. She was sure of it.
What'll they ask...?
Maybe no questions—just slit her throat quietly.
She'd cleared the place to avoid needless deaths, but as time dragged, regret crept in: should've made a bigger scene, drawn attention.
The psychological pressure was crushing.
"Clearing the area was smart."
"......?!"
Nyaho's head snapped up at the flat voice by her ear.
A blonde woman stood there, having casually opened the study door. Beneo.
Beneo shut the door, leaned back against it, and eyed Nyaho.
"You saw?"
"......"
Nyaho swallowed and nodded instead of answering.
"Good."
Beneo stared intently at the visibly tense Nyaho.
"Speak."
Nyaho swallowed again and opened her mouth carefully.
"First off. I went there 'cause I noticed more rats skulking around the merchants' guild lately—wanted to find out why."
Beneo's glare screamed keep talking.
"I swear on my life, I won't breathe a word of what I saw to anyone."
"Swears aren't absolute. Anyone desperate enough for death will talk."
Nyaho's fur stood on end at Beneo's final words.
Desperate enough for death.
She caught the implication: they'd put someone in a corner bad enough to beg for it.
As Nyaho froze in that realization, Beneo's hand drifted to her sword hilt.
"Spare me!!"
Even with her sharp mind, Nyaho couldn't scheme an out—she just bowed her head.
First time her own life hung by a thread; now she knew what a blank mind felt like.
"If there's even a chance I'll spill, I'll bite my tongue first!! Pl-please, spare me!!"
"......"
Beneo lowered her hand from the sword, eyeing Nyaho bowed over the desk.
Truth was, she'd never planned to kill her from the start.
Anyone else? Dead without question. But killing this one would mess up tomorrow's plan.
Her status was verified too—easy to track if she hid. Plus, she'd hole up starting tonight; run, and she'd drop dead on the spot.
Disposal could wait till after tomorrow's op, report to the lord, and let her decide...
"Tomorrow."
"...Yes?"
Nyaho lifted her head from the desk to look at her.
"Thin out guards around the merchants' guild as much as possible."
"Got it!"
Instinct told her the immediate death threat was gone; her brain kicked into gear.
No dumb questions to probe intent—just nod vigorously, posture low.
"Let suspects in, respond to any commotion as late as possible."
"Will do. Yes. Absolutely."
It'd tarnish the guild's rep, but who cared next to her neck?
For a merchant, the biggest stake was always their own life. Weigh the whole guild against hers? Hers tipped the scale every time.
Watching Nyaho's compliance, Beneo peeled off the door.
Nyaho tensed—but the worst didn't happen.
Beneo turned and slipped out the study door quietly, no warnings, same as she'd entered.
That silence made Nyaho's hackles rise again.
"Huuuuh......"
Only long after Beneo left did Nyaho exhale deeply, slumping from the chair to the floor like melting wax.
Tension gone, sweat soaked her back, ass, cleavage—sticky and gross, face twisting.
At least her indirect kills kept her from pissing herself—a small mercy.
After sitting frozen on the floor forever, calming body and mind, Nyaho finally rose.
First thing she did?
"Where'd I stash the snacks......"
Replenish sugar for her brain.