Somewhere

A middle-aged man was diligently doing his paperwork, which appeared to be limitless, reaching from one side to another side of the table in stacks where he was working on. This man was Roko, one of the owners of the top, Dark Hearts Assassin Guild. The room was peaceful and windows were open as fresh air lightly brushed his long-combed hair now and then. If one viewed from outside the windows, they would see a figure working hard.

Suddenly, the scene of him working hard became nearer and nearer, so near that one could hear him scribbling on the paper.

“Welcome back, brother.” Roko called out suddenly without looking up from his work. A silence ensued for a while, prompting Roko to stop his scribbling and stare at the empty space on his left between him and the windows.

Haah* A quiet sighing can be heard before the empty space between Roko and the window looked distorted in different colors before revealing a figure, dressed all in black. The most noticeable thing was a badge of a black heart, pierced by 5 swords, placed in the middle of his chest.

“Why are you the only one who can see through my perfect ‘Camouflage’ and ‘Mana Concealment’ skills used together.” The tall figure drew back his hood that was covering even his eyes before, to reveal a face similar to Roko but a little more aged. His expression was showing exasperation at his brother for always seeing through him when he tries to sneak up to surprise him. He used to surprise him a lot before but it has stopped working on him somehow later.

“I don’t know. I just feel like some eyes are staring at me and you were always the one who used to appear before me after I used to call out. Why would I think that it would be anyone else.” Roko answered with an indifferent expression because he is used to explaining it again and again after his brother’s every failed surprise in the past.

“Yea, yea, the same explanation. Why are you even hiding it from me?” Hoko asked lying on a sofa across his brother’s desk.

“I’m not hiding anything….” Roko deadpanned. His brother never believed his explanation, saying no way that his perfect skills would give him away like that. “Most importantly Brother, you sure took your sweet time recovering. It has been a month since I heard from you.” Roko inquired to his brother who was lazing around on the sofa.

“This time, I got hurt pretty bad. The request was to assassinate a Count of the Divine Kingdom. Assassinating one of the higher nobility sure was hard.” Hoko explained in a nonchalant way, remaining laid down on the sofa.

“You got hurt that much?” Roko was surprised, He was wondering where was his brother fooling around in the past month, he never would have imagined his brother took a month to recover. It meant he was hurt pretty badly. He has no memory of his brother needing any more than 4-5 days of recovering after assassinating his targets.

Seeing Roko all surprised, Hoko sat up but he was still not looking towards his brother. “It was a Tier 4 defensive item. The reflection types. When I was going to stab him for a quick kill, I saw the item activating, I could only divert my knife which slashed his arm instead, that damage got reflected towards me.”

Roko's eyes widened in realization. A reflection, Tier 4 magic item which means if his brother actually went for the kill without seeing the item’s magic activation, his brother would have been the one winding up dead there.

Magic items have 5 Tiers. Tier1-5. Tier 5 is considered a national treasure and Tier 4 was the highest an individual will carry, now he can understand his brother’s plight. He was also thankful inside that his brother came back alive to him.

“So, about the message, you sent back then. I would like to rest for today so, can you arrange the meeting as soon as possible after that?” Roko was pulled out of his gratitude-filled stupor by Hoko’s request. He was actually amazed. His brother who almost died wants to go to another dangerous mission as soon as possible. “No.6!” But he nodded in acceptance after a while. This was his brother after all and so, he called his attendant. The guy named No.6 appeared before him but he bowed towards Hoko first and then bowed to Roko.

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“as you can see…” directing his eyes towards Hoko which the attendant understood and nodded. “…do inform our client that we would be visiting him day after tomorrow in the town he is staying in.” The attendant No.6 nodded and disappeared again.

After the work matter was done, the two brothers discussed the elder brother’s journey and shared some laughs.

Forest Grenria

In a clearing within a dense forest, there were hundreds of bandits dancing and cheering. They were celebrating their successive robbery. An air of merrymaking was in the air. They all were enjoying their time in front of a cave. The cave’s mouth was guarded by a few robust-looking bandits.

If one looked inside this cave, they can see the path widening as they see further, the cave was a naturally made hollow hill from inside. A perfect place for bandits to store their looted goods.

But, at this moment, inside the cave, rather than making merry, something else was going on…..

“Tell me your excuse now, Vienah. Why didn’t you follow my orders back then?” A leopard eared girl was currently stomping on a black-haired human girl below.

“Cough*…Cough*….I- I just attacked that carriage first………. because I saw it trying to escape when we launched our attack.” The girl answered between coughs and heavy breaths. She has taken quite a beating already.

Stomping down on the girl’s stomach* “……And I will ask again. Did I order you to attack it?” The girl shrieked a little in pain from her stomping. She knew she would get punished for acting on her own when their leader was this prideful but nevertheless, she doesn’t have to like this pain. After coughing for some time again, she decided to remain silent.

“Ah, staying silent now. It wasn’t the first time you disobeyed me. You challenged my decision more than once. Do you want to become the leader when I’m still around? Do you want to boss me around, huh?” She made a squashing movement with her foot on that girl’s stomach as she said those words in a cold tone. The girl grimaced in pain.

“You remember, don’t you? I can barely stand you humans. I, Lissie, have always hated you all but I still tolerated you as my subordinates. And you actually dare to disobey me.” The leopard eared woman named Lissie was pissed. The three wolf-eared men present in the room beside them can feel the tension as well. “N-No, p-please…for-forgive…..me.” The girl getting squashed at the foot can barely talk but one could see in her eyes that she was terrified. She was continuously trying to grasp Lissie’s feet but she can’t really reach her.

“Forgive?... Certainly, I will forgive……..but after some punishment.” Lissie showed a wicked smile as she said the last line. The girl at her feet grew more panicked as she saw that smile.

Lissie removed her foot from above that girl’s stomach and then walked up to a seat a little higher ground situated in the middle of that cave. She sat down, putting one leg over another. She went there to actually enjoy the show that was going to start now.

“Clay and your brothers…” She addressed the three wolf kin standing a little away from her. Their ears perked upon being called. “…To reward your loyalty and good work for all these years. I give you this reward.” “Boss, you mean…” They swallowed their saliva looking at Vienah. Lissie smile grew wider. “Yes, I give her to you. Make her your woman. But, do share her fairly between you all.” She recited those lines like she was having the time of her life and those three wolf kin “AWOOH~ “howled in excitement.

The one called Clay jumped on the girl Vienah as she struggled to shout ‘NO’ as loud as she could but no one came hearing her calls as the wolfkin who turned into a wolf of desire tore her clothes off.

“Wha-..? Who are you?” Lissie was enjoying the scene unfolding before her when one of the wolfkins gave a surprised yelp. Following his sight, what she saw was a young boy in a brown cloak covering even his eyes. He was just standing there eerily giving Lissie a very unpleasant feeling.

“H-Help…save…me” The girl Vienah, with her almost all of her clothes torn up, pleaded for help immediately after seeing this mysterious figure. Clay has stopped forcing himself upon her after noticing this mysterious figure as well.

Lissie sneered at this scene. “Well, well, aren’t you quite a Hero here. Coming to save a ‘Damsel in Distress’. But do you think, you can save her?” She uttered those words in a mocking tone. The figure didn’t move for a while but it slowly moved into a fighting stance which showed his intention.

“And why would I save her? For me, A bandit is a bandit.” Out of nowhere, two swords appeared in his hand and he emitted a thick bloodlust that gave off a feeling that they have done something very wrong to him somewhere in the past.

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Author: If you can't remember, Roko and Hoko's first appearances please go back a few chapter and this leopard eared girl also made one appearance in the chapter 'The Decree'.