-Richard-sama, as I told you yesterday, my master is really busy, she will see you just asking for you to wait a moment as she is already on her way here, as she left here it was just five am she said while bowing do you wish for something to eat or drink?
-Alright Kyou-chan, we shall wait I replied looking to the girls for me a coffee with 2 cubes of sugar is enough, Dawn and Akira wish something?
-I just want a cup of water replied Dawn.
-I want a cup of milk! I just had one at home dear! said Akira, with a shy face on her.
-I understand, I shall be back soon Kyou bowed again, going out to do what was asked from her.
Ten minutes later we had what we asked on our hands, and even after that twenty minutes passed until the noble nekomimi arrived, with great style she entered the room, dressing a stunned green dress, filled with emeralds; she sat on her place and asked us to follow suit, her voice was slightly angry, what made me even more pissed at this situation, however I decided to keep my mood on an acceptable level, that was when she asked:
-Richard; I just accepted placing you inside my really tight schedule because of our personal history together, but even so I hope you have a really good motive to need to see me so suddenly to make all this chaos worth it -Oh it is indeed worthy L via - I replied with a serious tone on my voice I just wanted to know one thing how did you get to the information about the nekomimi resistance leader?
-W What do you mean Richard? asked a surprised L via.
-I just wanted to know how you knew that the target was actually the leader as you didn t deal those details with me, but with Leandro s father did you actually knew that the actually managed to complete the mission, but were murdered by the real leader some days later?
-I was aware that they had completed the mission with success as the old Capuleto had reported to me I didn t know there was another leader! she replied completely shocked with the revelation.
-Do you want me to believe that you; the biggest representative of the nekomimi race, whom everyone reports to regarding the subjects pertinent to your kin; didn t know there was another leader? I asked in an almost mocking tone.
-How! replied L via, turning red with anger Richard, I don t know where do you intend on taking this subject to, but I can assure you there has never been, there is or there will be another leader that isn t the one killed on the operation -So I added without giving her time to think how do you explain the murdering of both father and son, worse how do you explain the fact Leandro became insane for killing the wrong person, leaving behind a video totally out of his mind, asking me to find the one that was responsible for this?
-What do you mean? Leandro left a video? I cannot understand! I gave precisely all the information to his father! When they were over, I checked the body and it matched what was told me! she replied exasperated.
-So you are effectively stating you failed on your investigations? I said getting ready to deliver the final blow doing so that the life of two members of a noble family were murdered you know very well that is a treason crime punishable with death sentence, correct? I never imagined that you would fall down to the level of an extremist Oliveira -B B But I am not a traitor! she said shaking on her seat there must be a very bad misunderstanding! I would never side with barbaric extremists! You know very well I never go to the extremists hideout myself, as they could kidnap me and as a ransom try to threaten the King but the person that gave me the information is someone I place extreme trust upon! He never let me down I doubt he would be so severely mistaken -I understand I said while pondering for a bit then I want to talk to the person right now, tell him to come here, however do not reveal I shall talk to him.
-B But Richard; how will I make him come here right now? she replied stuttering.
-I don t care- I said while I pointed to her find that person right now in the name of Your Highness or I shall jail you as traitor to the kingdom, Oliveira L via.
L via then broke a cold sweat, she had huge eyes that stared at me as if she didn t believe what she just heard, after a couple of moments she took out her cellphone on her shaking paws and dialed a number on it, after some moments a person answered it, that was when she said:
-Jack, come here at this exact instant, I need to talk to you right now no, this is more important don t argue with me and just come! Our lives depend on this for Saint Meow! We might need to change our plans thirty minutes? she then looked at me, to which I just nodded alright thirty minutes is tolerable, I shall be waiting, see you soon.
-He shall be here in thirty minutes Richard, I kindly ask you to wait she said while turning off the cellphone, then she looked at Kyou that was immobile on the back of the room, together with Akira and Dawn Kyou, go to the front door to greet him, and warn us once he is here.
-Most certainly my master! replied Kyou bowing, leaving to do what she was ordered afterwards.
Thirty long minutes passed, Both Dawn and Akira rarely moved, terrorized with the intimidating noble; she also wouldn t say a word, just staring me with a look that was a mixture of anger and comprehension at the same time, Kyou s voice was heard saying Jack arrived, L via then ordered her to conduct him directly to the room; as soon as she gave out that order, Dawn looked at me and said:
-Rick; forgive me, but I need to go to the bathroom - she said while she kept her legs locked tight.
-Leave through the east door and head towards the end of the corridor, the last door to your left, that is the slave bathroom, you cannot miss it said the noble.
-Oh thank you great noble! she said heading straight to the shown place.
Moments after having left the premises, Kyou entered followed by a male nekomimi on his thirties, white skin showing an unshaved beard and dull black hair, the fur on his ears were brown as well as the paws and tail ones, he wasn t very tall, what gave him a certain fragile air around him; he headed then directly to L via s side and apparently didn t notice me there, saying to her afterwards:
-I am here most honorable noble lady, how can this humble servant help you? bowing in sequence.
-Well L via said staring into my eyes I think we might have a really big problem on our paws, as the Montecchio noble over there reports that the Capuleto s son says we got the wrong person;
-Montecchio? replied Jack quickly while turning around towards me and bowing it is an honor to meet your distinctive person! You say we eliminated the wrong person? Forgive my unforgivable disbelief, but how can you be so sure we were wrong?
-Simple I replied taking out a disc from my pocket where I had recorded part of the death statement the son of the noble Capuleto, that together with the Oliveira and I conducted the whole investigation was killed days later, inside their own home by the actual nekomimi leader ; worse, in a recording moments before passing away, he let it crystal clear we got the wrong person -Really replied a surprised Jack can I see the recording?
-Sure I replied handing the copy to L via.
We watched then Leandro s last moments, where he looked at the cam and said we were mistaken, asking me to find the one responsible for this and to make justice, after the end of the video he commented:
-I comprehend, that was the Capuleto s son, correct? asked Jack, apparently thinking while I nodded to him are you sure this is him and not some kind of impostor?
-That is doubtless him I replied seeing he said something in that tape only him could know; checking later on a more detailed investigation on their residence where the events took place.
-You went to the Capuleto s mansion, Richard? asked an even more surprised L via how did you managed to gain access? No one can talk to the Capuleto s widow, the workers there have written permission to deny entrance to anyone -I have my methods Oliveira I replied looking at her eyes which are not relevant right now, however what was said made me find some clues as if we had gotten the wrong person.
-I understand Montecchio - said Jack while thinking a bit more wouldn t it then be the case that the fear of dying, extreme pain or something of that sort made him become like that? I mean he looks disturbed on the video, wouldn t have him turned insane?
-Not at all Jack replied L via before myself for being a female I never needed to go to the noble military academy, however I sometimes went together with both Montecchio here and Leandro on some training sessions they are trained to stand torture and much more things, not mentioning that the Capuleto himself was once hit by three bolts, one of them on his chest, staying days at the death s door, believe me if there was someone ready for death, he was the one and that is why I don t believe that hypothesis to be viable; he was however, a man of honor and hated injustice then we would have how to explain his attitude if we terminated an innocent.
-I agree with the Oliveira, Jack I replied staring harder at him Leandro might not have been a serious man when we considered his personal life, on the subjects of others well-being, on the o the other hand, he was really a responsible one, he would never accuse someone unless he was sure of what he was saying it even seems to me that you are trying to stain his memory to try to cover for one personal severe mistake would this be the case?
-N N No! Not at all your excellency! stuttered the nekomimi I am just trying to analyze all the p possibilities as if I made a mistake I don t want to make another one!
-So why would think we mistook the target? asked L via.
-I I don t know we almost spent a whole month inside the extremist organization Oliveira, as you knew already I saw the target various times near me I even talked once with the mysterious figure there was no way we would miss it - he commented and silenced to ponder for a bit unless -Unless? asked together both me and L via.
-Well, I cannot give absolute sure but we might have underestimated a lot the extremists - he replied while placing his paw on the chin the extremists are active since the end of the racial war that had its climax with the paws of fury revolt right?
-Yes we replied again.
-Since then, even with the whole nekomimi and oosarumimi races after them, never they were completely captured or disbanded don t you think it would be way too easy to end them in such a simply way with the leader of a so organized army like that?
-It really makes sense I replied.
-Then what you suggest that might have happened? asked L via.
-As I said these are hypothesis, but then he showed one finger of his paw one, the real power behind the curtains might never really get out to public, so that very few of his closer henchmen know him know he is actually the leader, using of pawns as the one we killed, to command the troops in a smaller scale; or two, the radicals noticed our intention, infiltrating themselves even inside our trusted ranks and using of that trick, making us losing trust before our superiors, destabilizing and weakening the government in such a way that a war now would get us with the guard down.
-That would explain a lot of things I commented while I thought to myself.
-Then it would mean that we are nothing more than being their puppets? asked L via.
-Unfortunately if that is true, yes my great noble explained Jack while the door opened worse, it could mean that
I then began thinking Damnation, if that is true the situation is way worse than I thought, as we would be totally vulnerable to I was interrupted, together with Jack s explanation, by the noise of the door opening and Dawn entering the room, with a very relieved face, she then looked at me and said:
-Forgive me Rick, I think I ate a little bit too much yesterday and
Dawn stopped what she was saying and inhaled the air deeply twice; then she began emitting a hoarse wheezing, I thought it was due to her being with something stuck on her throat, I went beside her to check what was going on when I noticed at that instant that the sound was really growling, I lowered myself and looked at her in the eyes, that was when she said:
-Rick, this stench - she tried to say between growling is from the murderer that attacked us at your house! RICK WATCH OUT!
Right after Dawn shouted, I had just enough time to turn around and watch a throwing knife entering inside my flesh.