It happened a month before.

An expensive rug was spread on the floor, and affixed on the walls were metal armours, swords, and shields. On the other side, huge paintings and various decorations coloured the room.
Dozens of money bags wouldn’t have been nearly enough to buy all of that.

The one who owned all of that sat on a chair, as to look down at people from its highness.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Said him sitting beyond an arranged table.

"Knight Merck Zeit, at your service."

Introduced himself the man.

"You are welcome, future viscount."

"Don’t address me like that, General Frida."

Merck looked at the man who leaned his back on the throne.

"Why not? You will become one eventually. Anyway, I have a favour to ask you."

"What might it be?"

Frida got on his feet and approached the knight.

"Mard, the former general, asked His Majesty to make Raiz Tamer join the army again."

He p.r.o.nounced the word "former" with a lot of emphasis.

"Really?!"

""His monster army frightened other countries and acted as a repellent. Dismissing it was a foolish move", he said."

Frida looked annoyed.

It was quite stupid, indeed.

Merck shared the same opinion as Mard.

The man in front of him didn’t have any combat experience.
As the son of an influential n.o.ble, he became a royal knight without stepping into a real battlefield even once.
As the name suggests, a royal knight was the last line of defence of the capital.
It should have been the most important role, filled with the strongest warriors.
But a capital was the last place to attack in war.

Usually, the strongest were called to help the front lines.
Thanks to that, the royal knights became ridiculous shadows of real knights. It was a brigade filled with utterly incompetent people…

Yes, "incompetent" was the only word to define the man who stood in front of Merck.

"Our glorious army doesn’t need any tamer! Also, what knight would rely on filthy monsters?!"

If it wasn’t for him, this country would have been conquered long ago.

Thought Merck, but since he was standing in front of his momentary boss, he let the conversation move on.

"You are a keen observer, General."

He lied to meet his expectations.
Never going against a superior was the key of success and longevity.

"I knew you could understand me! I couldn’t expect less from viscount Zeit’s son!"

Merck’s eyebrow twitched imperceptibly, and the man in front of him, who was oblivious to that reaction, kept talking.

"I want you to join the knight sent by Mald and prevent Raiz to join the army again!"

"Yes, sir!"

I hate this. I don’t want to hinder a friend’s duty and Raiz’s return…

Thinking that, he started to understand the feeling of betraying a friend.

Still, work is work.

◆

"That’s it, Meowster. I acquired this information from a cat sith who lives in the capital, so it can’t be wrong."

Cat siths barely had any combat ability. They were speaking cats, after all.
Still, even though they looked like useless creatures, they hid an amazing ability.
They could share their consciousness among themselves.
They could get in touch and exchange information with each other even at a great distance.
Raiz tried to ask Cat Sith how it works, but he replied that it was the keystone of their trading business, so he couldn’t just explain that.

"I see. Seems like the army is falling apart."

A political strife right after a war? What a bunch of idiots.

"Also, the men that Arachne has caught are spies from the neighbour kingdom. They had to keep an eye on you, Meowster."

"They were scouts? Not a.s.sa.s.sins?"

"Purrecisely."

Raiz let out a deep sigh.
While scratching the cat’s chin with his fingers, he started to think about his next move.

"Let’s take care of those shady troublemakers first."

"Purr…? Are you serious?"

Cat sith smiled at Raiz while purring.

"Yes. It’s been a while since I mobilized the shadow unit."

The time for his counterattack had come.