She was standing at the counter, leaning most of her girth over it when I walked in. Her eyes were closed, and soft snoring filled the cramped shop as I pushed the door open. However, she perked up as the bell clanged.
She jolted up, wiping at the corner of her mouth to wick away a strand of drool.
“Ah, Elias. I was hoping you’d come back today. I worked all night, forgoing sleep to get it done, but I’m quite proud of the results.” She turned, waving at me to follow her. “Come on back.”
Angela disappeared behind a thick curtain, and I had no choice but to follow. I skirted around the counter, stepping over several manuals on sewing and one on the lethality of most toxins.
I smirked at the most random assortment of eclectic junk and brushed past the curtain. I entered a long hallway. Which, rather unlike the cluttered shop, was free of detritus and was rather clean and well kept.
It continued for about fifteen feet and opened into a room half again the size of the shop.
It was a workshop, but one that was designed around clothing and a few other crafting stations. Rather than the chaos of the shop front, this place was neat and orderly. Everything was pristine and in its proper place.
It was a shock to go from one extreme to the other, and my expression must have given me away.
She smiled wide at me. “Not what ya were expectin’, amiright?” Angela gestured to the front of the shop. “That’s just to keep up appearances that I’m just a crazy old woman who runs an oddities shop. That way, the guards don’t hassle me too much and don’t figure out that I don’t, in fact, run an oddities shop.”
I raised my hands, grinning. “I much prefer this room. The one out there makes me anxious.
“So, is my gear ready?”
Angela nodded. “Your armor is. I took the design to the man I told you about. Shoulda seen the way his eyes lit up when he took a gander at it. Told me to tell you that it’ll take some time to get it ready fer ya. But trust me, that look is a good thing. Once he gets his mind set on something, nothing gets in his way, and he’ll make the best damn crossbow you’ve ever seen. I have no fear of that.
“But let’s get you into your armor. I’m just dyin’ to show ya.”
She walked over to a mannequin in the center of the room. A canvas tarp covered it, but I got a peek at the leather greaves at the bottom, and from just a glance, quality shone back.
Angela pulled off the tarp and revealed my armor.
I couldn’t stop the grin that broke out on my face.
It was superb.
The base was charcoal leather, with mottled patches of black just like I’d asked. Along the chest were blackened strips of plate metal. Thin latten that was cushioned and cradled by a bed of leather. The same plate covered part of my thighs and the greaves. The rest was thick leather that seemed incredibly flexible.
In a word. It was perfect. It far surpassed even the armor I had back home. I couldn’t have been more impressed.
“It’s perfect.”
She smiled, matching my own grin. “Glad to see that ya like it. Cuz it cost a lot more than I originally told you. But don’t worry, I’ll let you pay me in installments, plus I didn’t think you’d mind me spending more on something that is designed to keep you alive.” She pointed at the metal plates. “See these here? If they get damaged, all I have to do is cut the leather surrounding them and restitch them. Won’t take no time at all to replace, and they should be able to withstand a knife strike or two, but don’t expect them to stop an arrow. Will puncture right through them.”
“Right, but I don’t plan on standing still long enough to get shot.” I rubbed my back, the phantom pain of getting shot by Marcel flaring to life. “How much do I owe you for the armor?”
Angela scratched at her chin, looking up and to the left. “Let’s call it four hundred more vahn than what you paid. I’ll give ya a discount, cuz I know you’ll be a good customer.”
I pulled out the money and tossed it to her. She caught it with a practiced hand and stowed it away.
“How soon could you make another set of this…make that two sets, one for a girl?”
Her eyes lit up, whether at the thought of the coin or the mention of a girl, I didn’t know.
“Got yerself a lover so soon?”
I chuckled. “Not hardly, but maybe someone I can trust, which is far more useful to me.”
“Good.” She nodded. “Trust is the most valuable commodity in this life. The easiest to spend and the hardest to gain. If ya found someone to trust, ya keep her close.” Her eyes flashed. “Just not too close that you get blinded.”
“Don’t worry.” I waved her off. “I don’t plan on allowing anyone to betray me ever again. It won’t happen.”
“Alright, Elias. I believe ya.” She moved to the hallway. “I’ll give ya some privacy to change. Let me know if the measurements need to be adjusted.”
She left, and I walked over to the armor, just taking it in.
Even added belts and a harness for my gear. Angela is something else. As quirky as she was, her talent could not be denied.
I donned the armor, and her throwaway comment about measurements was unfounded. It fit like a second skin. I cinched the straps tight and tested my movements. There was a slight heaviness to the armor, but that was only because the plates weighed more than I expected.
Won’t take much to get used to, though.
I threw on my emerald cloak and checked to make sure my armor was well hidden. Except for my shins, it was perfect.
As I left the room, my eyes stung, and a small wave of exhaustion came over me. I stumbled as fatigue weakened my body. I grabbed hold of the counter to keep myself from falling and waited.
It took only a moment for the vertigo and weakness to fade, leaving me with only the fading remnants of a headache.
I rubbed my temples. Guess those two nights of rough sleep are catching up to me. But I can’t rest right now. I need to capitalize on my advantages now before they fade away.
There was much I had to do. I had to build the foundation that would become a new criminal underworld. But first, I had to tear down anything that would stand in the way of that.
Which meant Captain Mays and his loyal guards had to die.
Chapter 17- Captain Mays
After I left Angela’s, I went scouting. From the Pleasure District to the Residential District, to the Noble District, I counted the guards. Counted their numbers and watched their patrol routes. Most were by the book and patrolled in a clinical, precise fashion.
But some didn’t. Some lingered for far too long near the brothels or the markets. I tried hard to remember their faces, so I could later find out their names and compare them to the ledger Lieutenant Ildan so graciously left for me.
As I got closer to the Noble District, the more uniform the guards became. Which told me there was a pecking order within the ranks of the city guard. Or at least a loyalty system.
I couldn’t confirm without a doubt, but I’d have bet all my vahn that every single one of the guards that patrolled the Noble District were loyal to the count and Captain Mays.
Two guards walked past the gates to the Noble District and gave a curt nod to the gate guards.
It’s really the only thing that makes sense. Keep the loyal guards close and reward them with the best positions is a cycle of building loyalty. While it does breed some gaps of trust and resentment in the lower section of the guards, the count probably thinks the reward far exceeds the risk.
I might’ve done the same thing in his position, but I’d have also stationed loyalists in the lower guard as well. Have them report back on the comings and goings of the more disgruntled members of the watch.
But I was betting the count hadn’t thought that far ahead.
If he had, Lieutenant Ildan wouldn’t have had a book of names of the guards he thought were dirty…though they were dirty because they were working for the count while he did unscrupulous things.
Which means there’s an even greater schism in the guard than I thought.
The loyalists, the degenerates, and the honor-bound.
I smiled as I tailed after the guards I was watching. It’s a powder keg. One spark and the whole thing explodes. Violently.
All I had to do was be the match that sparked the ruination of the guard. If I could kill the guards loyal to the count, I’d destroy the loyalist faction. Then the lower end of the guards and the few who were honorable, like Lieutenant Ildan, would fight each other to establish a new order bent in their favor.
The way the count handled his business was very clever but also incredibly risky. All it took was one dedicated wrench in the works to bring everything to a screeching halt.
As I followed the guards, they inevitably led me back to the Legal District.
The stone streets were clean, freshly brushed, and without blemish. The buildings were mostly stone, but there were a few well-crafted wooden buildings and even a large, red brick building at the very end of the street.
The air was clear of the scents of the Market District. I tailed the two guards to the precinct house. It was one of the taller buildings I’d seen since coming to the city. Four stories of heavy gray stone, which gave the whole building an oppressive, weighty aura to it.
It wasn’t helped by the tall wrought iron fence that completely surrounded the perimeter. Bars on the lower windows told me that this was likely a jail on top of being a guardhouse.
I stayed away from the building, watching the comings and goings from a side alley next to what seemed to be a law office of some kind from the sign that read Halden’s Criminal Defense.
If I was going to kill Captain Mays, then I would need to know who his immediate subordinates were, who he dealt with on a daily basis, and who would be the most likely replacement for him if I killed him.
All things that would take time to learn. But I had to learn the patrol routes for the guards first. Not only would it give me an idea of how many men were in the building at any given time, but it would also help me figure out the comings and goings of the guards and give me the best chance of finding Captain Mays short of searching the entire city.
Once I found him, I could watch him, see where he went, what he did, and who he spoke to. Once I knew his routine, I could plan around it, find the best place to ambush him, and kill him.
Though I was betting, it wasn’t going to be in the building full of guards where the jail was only a few feet away. I could do it, but it would almost be infinitely easier to kill him either on his way home or in his home itself.
But that didn’t mean I could ignore the most difficult option just because I didn’t like it. Sometimes it was the best option.
Had to kill Dorset at his office rather than his home after all. He was too well guarded otherwise. But I really don’t want to go through all those guards to get to Mays if I don’t have to.
I settled against the wall with a plan in mind and waited for my target to show up.
It took around four hours for him to reveal himself.
Captain Mays had been in the building all along, but around midday, he came out with a few important looking men dressed in elegant finery. The captain was in his armor, which even next to such affluence managed to hold its own.
All three of them walked together away from the building and back to the Noble District. I stalked them like a shadow as they passed through the gate and headed deeper in.
It was a pain, but I hopped the large fence once more and kept up my tail. The one good thing was that I received another skill up.
Your Tailing skill has increased by 1! [Tailing: 7 (Novice)] +25 Exp!
They passed the manors and extravagant homes and made their way to a section of the district I hadn’t been to before.
It was like the Market District, but far more upscale. The street was pristine pavestones, and the polished buildings and well-manicured lawns next to the businesses reminded me of a painting of what heaven looked like. Though there weren’t any streets of gold, there were plenty of golden accents to the place.
Captain Mays and the others headed to the town center and toward a small wooden building with a terrace that held several dining tables and had a musician softly playing a flute.
I crouched down in a section of thick bushes under an oak tree. It offered ample cover and darkness so that I could watch the restaurant while being invisible.
Ah, getting a meal on your break. If only I could get a little closer.
Despite my fine emerald cloak, there was no way I could blend in enough to creep closer. I stuck out like exactly what I was, an outsider.
If I had some finer clothes, I could─well, there’s an idea.
I’d need to knock out some poor man and steal his clothing, but I’d done far worse in my line of work.
With a plan in mind, I searched the crowd for someone similar in size to me. It didn’t take long to find one.
He was just a hair or so taller than me, with a handsome, symmetrical face and thin, styled brown hair. He walked like he owned the world yet wore a rather muted set of clothing that actually fit my tastes rather well.
It was a simple golden tunic that stopped at his waist and cream-colored corduroy pants with buckled leather shoes.
My cloak would match the colors well, and I could hide my knives. It was likely the best I was going to do, and I had to act fast. I wanted to know what the others were talking about.
As the man passed by, I whistled quickly. Loud enough to get his attention but not attract the rest of the people walking about.
He stopped and turned, peering into the darkness.
“Hello, is someone─”
I launched out of the bushes and lashed out with a palm strike to his trachea. It was just a tap, not enough to deal permanent damage, but enough to turn his words to a strangled groan. His eyes bulged out of his sockets, and his hands went to his neck as he tried to catch his breath.
As he stumbled from the blow, I hooked my leg around his ankle and tripped him up, sending him careening to the brush and out of sight.
Your Hand-to-Hand skill has increased by 1! [Hand-to-Hand: 10 (Novice)] +25 Exp!
Your Stealth skill has increased by 1! [Stealth: 26 (Journeyman)] +50 Exp!
After checking to make sure the coast was clear and that I hadn’t had any witnesses to what I’d just done, I grabbed the man and threw him over my shoulders. When we were safely out of sight, I put him in a choke, and when he was unconscious, I stripped him to his underclothes.
1 Knock-out (Human): 50 Exp!
When I had his clothes, I tied him up to keep him from going anywhere. I kept the knots simple, something that anyone could undo after a time. By the time he woke up and managed to get out of the restraints, I’d be long gone.
I quickly stowed my armor in my ring and donned his clothes. They fit about as well as I expected, and once I made sure I was presentable, I strolled out of the woods and toward the restaurant.
As I passed by the terrace, I spied the captain sitting at a table with his friends, sharing a bottle of wine. They all seemed to be having an enjoyable time.
Hope you enjoy the glass of wine while you can, Captain. You won’t have many more.
Inside the resultant, I was met by a too-friendly female host who smiled wide when I walked in.
“Hello, and welcome to Lamont’s. Where would you like to be seated?”
“The terrace would be lovely,” I said, flashing a bright smile.
Your Disguise skill has increased by 1! [Disguise: 4 (Novice)] +25 Exp!
Your Charm skill has increased by 1! [Charm: 1 (Novice)] +25 Exp!
Your Charisma has increased by 1! [Charisma: 15] +100 Exp!
She smiled back even wider, a faint blush to her cheeks. “Right this way, sir.”
The host led me to the patio and sat me at a table near the target, but not right next to them, which was perfect for me.
As I sat down, she presented a menu f
rom out of nowhere. “Could I offer you a glass of wine or perhaps a spirit?”
“Wine, please.” I smiled again. “A dry red preferably.”
“Right away, sir.” She left to fetch the wine, and I leaned back in my chair, staring out at the lovely view of the greenery, but I kept my ears tuned to the table just a few feet away.
Captain Mays sighed loudly after taking a deep drink of his wine.
“Nothing beats a good vintage after such a stressful day,” he said.
“You’re right about that,” another man said. His voice was light, almost nasally, and I pictured the face of a rat as soon as I heard him speak. There was a ruffling of cloth. “To a day’s job well done.”
“And to the same shit tomorrow,” the second man replied in a thick, harsh voice.
There was a clink of glassware, and the others drank deeply.
I couldn’t risk a glance, even a minor one. If any one of them caught my eye, they would remember me, and even though the chance of them recognizing me down the line was slim to none, I wasn’t going to take that chance. Though it meant I had to focus solely on what my ears picked up.
But I was damn good at listening. It was a very underutilized skill, but one that had near-universal application.
Even for someone who wasn’t a professional killer, listening was an invaluable skill to have.
After another few moments of pointless conversation between the three, my host showed up with a bottle of what looked to be a very expensive bottle of red wine.
“You seem to be a man of excellent taste, so I brought you the best wine we have. I hope you enjoy,” she said with a natural smile on her face.
“Thank you, I certainly will.”
Flirty, but only as a means to get me to spend more money.
She had the practice down and knew exactly what to say to butter up her customers. I was betting the bottle of wine she’d procured would probably pay for two weeks’ worth of meals from The Cracked Cask.
The woman was good.
With a final comment to enjoy, she left, back to her post to repeat the cycle again and again.
Isekai Assassin: Volume 1 Page 21