WolfWrites

The Calling of Wrath - Book 2 - Chapter 2.5 - Visitor Part 2 (Patreon)

Published:

2022-08-29 03:42:43

Imported:

2023-04

Content

Cassandra
Year 820 | Month 2 | Day 28

She stares at me for a few seconds, only to drop a statement that has my mouth parting slightly in surprise, “I plan on having you join my group.”

I almost immediately close my mouth again before crossing my arms and dropping the noble façade I was just putting up by leaning on my right leg and tilting my head slightly at her as I ask, “And why would I do that?”

Roxanne looks surprised for a moment but recovers just as quickly by saying, “My group and I desire to leave the duchy as well, and we’ll be able to help you get to silver rank faster than you’d otherwise be able to get there.”

My eyes narrow at her words, but she continues talking without giving me a chance to get a word in, which pretty much confirms her as a member of the white faction within the nobles, “And I know that you’re likely a lot stronger than us, but even you’d have to admit that we’ll be able to complete missions faster as a group than on your own.”

Her words have me closing my mouth for a second before I glance over at the window.

She does have a point, but that doesn’t mean I can trust her fully, much less her party.

I turn back to her again at the sound of a paper being taken out of the sack hanging over her shoulder, and as soon as my eyes land on it, they widen in shock.

“World Tree Bark paper?” I exclaim in my surprise while uncrossing my arms again.

Is she really-

“I can sign an agreement that I will not do you any harm, nor will my party with my death as the price of breaking this agreement,” she says, once again shocking me.

However, at this point I’m also starting to get a little suspicious as well.

Noblewoman or not, I find it very strange that she’d go this far just to help me out.

Deciding that it’d be better to be blunt in this situation, I voice my thoughts out loud, only to get a very simple answer in return. “It would help us a lot to have someone as strong as you join our party, even if it’s only temporary.”

I narrow my eyes at her in search of deception in her face, but all I can find are eyes full of determination. What the determination is for, I’m not really sure. Whether it’s to get out of this duchy, to help her group, or what.

After a few more seconds of silence, I ask another burning question, “What’s the Delborn Marquis’s situation?”

My question breaks her stoic and determined look for just a moment before she regains it again and answers, “Father was executed after the invaders fully seized all of his lands, along with the other marquis of the duchy and the various counts.”

Hmm. That’s to be expected.

It’s understandable for them to let the duke live since he can be of use to them but having more than one higher noble alive would just raise the people’s spirits and possible allow rebellions to rise.

“And the rest of your family?” I ask just to test her.

If I remember correctly…

Surprisingly, she actually looks a little bit relieved at this and says, “Both of my brothers were spared and instead locked in the dungeon, meanwhile I was already away acting as an adventurer, so they either didn’t know about me or they don’t care enough to do anything if they did.”

Right. Her mother, the marchioness of the Delborn March, already died a few years back.

And her brothers likely aren’t seen as much of a threat to the invaders right now.

In fact, it’s possible they could even be seen by them as hostages that they could trade back to us before they continue their invasion. No matter how harsh that might be.

But despite that… alive and a hostage is better than dead. Assuming the invaders already tortured any information they could get out of the duke and their father before locking them up that is.

“Okay,” I state without showing any of my thoughts on my face, “what about your group? Do they know who I am?”

Roxanne – having already shifted back to her stoic expression – shakes her head and answers, “No. They don’t.”

I reach back to scratch my head at that while glancing towards the door before looking back at her again and saying, “Alright. I can work with you for a bit. But I’m not going to be letting your groupmates know who I am. At least not till after we leave the duchy.”

As soon as I give my answer, Roxanne signs the paper with her blood and hands it to me to read. After I do just that, I take both of my gloves off, seemingly startling her with my claws before I prick one of my fingers with my own claw and press it to the paper.

A faint smile comes to my face at the convenience of this, but it fades again as I turn back to the Lad- err, to the new Marchioness.

Assuming her brothers aren’t older than her.

Although now probably isn’t a good time to ask about that.

Anyways, she seems to look relieved now that we’ve signed the contract – which was really just insurance for me, allowing me to work with them without having to worry about my identity being revealed beyond the party.

Even if the other group members find out who I am, if any of them breath a word of it to others before we leave this duchy an make it to a safe location at least one hundred meters outside of it, then Roxanne’s life will be extinguished.

“Well, Lady Roxanne,” I begin, only to be cut off as she reaches her hand out and says, “Call me Roxy. Everyone else in the group does, so it’ll be weird having just one person call me by my title.”

I look at her for a second before nodding.

Formalities suck anyways.

“Well then, Roxy,” she nods at her name before I reach out to meet her hand, “just continue calling me Scarlet, but you can call me Cassandra while we’re in private.”

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