After their Bonding, Mark continued to train Donny, who, now that he could feel the energy, spent a couple hours trying to trace it back to his heart. It took much more time than it took Mark, making him once again wonder at the difference in the speed of progression in this world’s ‘system’.
In the end Mark decided to spend a little longer teaching the boy Stamina Control, now that the boy Bonded with him, he decided to put a little more trust in their connection, not too much though, but he would make him much more powerful than he intended in the beginning.
If Donny could control his Stamina, it would be much easier teaching his Stealth, he could just have him follow the Stealth stamina path, and serif that was enough to teach someone in this world. If it worked, he could streamline training his subordinates in this world.
He would still teach them all the theoretics, he would not have them slack off, just because they could learn Skills with just the correct Stamina usage. That is a danger to his interests in the end. He would have none of that.
Mark still had a meeting with the lieutenant today so he had Donny go back to the Inn, and train in spreading the energy evenly throughout his muscles.
On his way to the barracks, Mark was wondering how much he should reveal to the lieutenant, and how much he could hide. He already knew the guards had devices capable of telling if someone lied, he also didn’t think his Lie skill was good enough to fool it.
That meant he had to watch what he was saying. The most difficult part of ‘not lying’ was to not make it too clean. If the device never detected anything, they would know he was doing everything in his power to not lie, but would nevertheless be suspicious of what he was saying.
If he lied in some small ways, in some personal questions, shared some information he was not sure about as if they were hundred percent true, it would tip off the device, and make them less wary of the things he said that did not activate it. Conversation was a very subtle art of compromise between the involved parties. Every conversation is nothing more but a less meaningful negotiation, with lower stakes.
He arrived at the barracks, and this time he wasn’t allowed to go in by himself, instead led by the guard to the deepest parts of the building, on the way contrary to yesterday’s hustle, there was hardly anyone in the building. More like there seemed to be only him and the guard guiding him, it was very strange. Finally they arrived before a single door, this one clearly much different from all the others, it was much bigger and visibly much sturdier than all the other ones, it even had some strange markings on them.
They didn’t look like anything more than decorations at first, but the more Mark looked at them the more disconcerted he felt, as if a predator was watching him from the dark. Mark started wondering if it was a good idea to enter that room, but the raid was too good an opportunity for him to pass up on, not only in terms of reputation he wanted in the first place, it would also be a great place to train his Skills, and possibly get some levels, even with leveling becoming harder since he gained a class.
The guard knocked on the doors announcing Mark’s arrival, after which, without waiting, he moved away and walked down another corridor.
“Come on in”
A calm, collected voice called Mark inside, it was low, barely audible, but at the same time very distinct, as if you could not miss it no matter what was happening around you.
Opening the door a very elegant room revealed itself, the floor covered with a fine blue and white carpet. Along the wall to the left stood two floor to ceiling bookshelves filled to the brim with all kinds of books. To the right a cozy fireplace with two purple upholstered armchairs with a little wooden coffee table in between.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
On one of those chairs Mark saw the Scarman from yesterday, he was sitting, with his eyes following Mark’s every move like an animal, he was grinning the whole time, if not for the scars, he would probably look like he just married the most beautiful woman on the planet.
Ignoring him, for now Mark turned toward his host.
Before him, in the center of the room stood the focal point of the room, a big wooden desk, with multiple intricate carvings of nature, animals and plants. A peaceful everyday forest. It was clearly done by a master carver.
The desk’s size could signify the enormous ego of the owner, if one didn’t see him use it. The man sitting behind the desk was even bigger than the desk, almost making it seem like it was a table for children. He was a little hunched over looking at some papers. At first Mark thought that he too was just very hairy like the smith Barry, but upon closer inspection, the man had clear animal ears and the hair all over was clearly fur. With a big bushy beard, hairy exposed arms, and
No matter how you looked at it, the man was part animal, part human, it was the first time for Mark to witness a beastman, up until now he hadn’t even heard anyone mention them in passing, and now he met one in person. He was shocked at the magical feeling, seeing a creature like this one gave him.
From what Mark could tell, the man was some part of bear, at least the ears protruding from the top of the man’s head looked like it and the man’s size augmented this feeling.
Of course his face didn’t betray anything as he moved up to the desk and took a seat like he was best friends with the lieutenant. While sitting down he made sure to sit in a way that would allow him to see both men at the same time.
“Oh, be my guest I guess. Maybe something to drink? Thressa, beer, water?”
Looking calmly at his guest, the bear of a man pointed his hand to a little round table standing next to his desk, with a couple bottles of what looked like wine, whiskey, some beer and a single crystal carafe with water.
The voice of the man behind the desk was truly not matched at all to his body. It was soft, mellow even. But with an expected deep rumbling behind it. He was the most elegant man Mark has seen in this town so far, and he would not expect that, had he seen him out on the streets.
“No need, I heard from Sergeant Sarah, that you have some more questions about the bandits’ base. No need to make it more complicated than it needs to be, ask away.”
The bear lieutenant raised his bushy eyebrow a little at this, he wanted to have this meeting in order to gauge the kind of person Mark was. So far he seemed a little rude, brash and quick in action. He was wondering whether he was really this way, or was he hiding behind a facade. No matter, if he was hiding anything he would know by the end of this meeting, and if he really was a Strangler spy…
“Very well, you can call me Lieutenant Torrento, as you said, I need some more details about the base. The lay of the land, how many cave openings there are, how many bridges, how are paths made, is there another way inside, are there more escape paths from the rift, everything.”
“Well, I already told Sergeant everything I know, as to other paths leading to and out of the ravine, there is one entrance I know of, but it is still on the mouth of the ravine. There could be some caves leading in and out of there strewn about the forest, that I wouldn’t know of. With what I have come to know of Vesthia, there is no way, there are no contingencies made in case of an attack.
There isn’t really much you could do for that, just pray I can get to her before she manages to escape.”
Torrento looked at Mark with his calm brown eyes, slowly starting to dislike the man before him. Not only was he incredibly arrogant, he was at the same time insulting him and his guard’s competence. Of course, he knew the man could just be playing a character before him. He wondered whether he truly didn’t know anything else about the hideout.
His eyes flicked toward Tony, the guard’s inquisitor, who came running to him begging to be part of the raid since he caught the wind of it. Tony was staring intently at Mark, the grin never leaving his face, noticing the subtle glance from his boss, he discreetly shook his hand. It seemed that the man truly didn’t know anything else.
“Very well, then can you tell me more about you, how can you follow their parties, what you specialize in, what are your strengths and weaknesses? I have to know if we want you to do your best during the attack I must know where to put you, no?”
Mark almost burst out laughing, it was so blatant, the guy could just as well ask him how to effectively kill him. But he knew the purpose, he was still being tested, Torrento wanted to know how he would respond, and so far for what he was going, if Mark didn’t start bragging even a little bit at this moment it would seem very out of place.
“Hah, curious, aren’t you? Very well I'll humor you this once. I am a master of subterfuge. I can get anywhere at any time. No one can stop me from infiltrating their midst. I don’t have any weaknesses, and I will not be placed anywhere by you. I will be there when you ‘attack’, and I will take care of Vesthia for you, no need to thank me afterward.”
Torrento didn’t react at all to the provocation, he just calmly looked at Tony, this time he didn’t try hiding it, even turning his head a little. Tony knew what his boss wanted.
“Well, he must be pretty good at stealth, though, no weaknesses is a lie even in his own mind.”
Saying this Tony’s grin widened even more, making him truly the most hideous thing the world ever saw.
Mark could only sigh internally, it seemed the talk would take a little longer.