Chapter 21: That Shapeshifter, Stalking

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From the vantage point of a golden eagle, the two assassins appeared to be inching along the ground like small worms, fleeing through the city in slow motion.

Yoka could see the shapes of similar shadowy figures waiting for the injured mercenaries at the edge of the city.

It would take them some time to get to their rendezvous point, so she decided to make a detour to Magistrate Haku’s residence first.

The young mistress had ordered her to get rid of the culprit behind the bakeneko rumours and remove the traitors at Lord Nabeshima’s side.

She learned the name of the culprit by meeting (and threatening) the gardener who raised the “bakeneko” cats that morning, but didn’t have the time to kill him yet.

It wasn’t difficult to find Ryūzōji Masamune’s manor in Saga City or to strangle him to death while he slept and make it look like a suicide.

She also killed his brother, who had also been appointed a magistrate and lived next door, before turning back into a golden eagle form to catch up with the assassins.

At the edge of the pine forest outside the city, the men who received the two assassins were stumped.

‘Why are you so badly injured?’

‘What happened?’

The assassin who dislocated his hand swore. ‘The target knew we were coming, so we ended up walking right into a trap.’

The other assassin quickly bandaged his bleeding shoulder with the help of two other mercenaries. ‘Your intel really didn’t reveal that someone figured out the meaning behind the “bakeneko” corpses?’

‘No,’ a bearded man replied. ‘There was only widespread panic and fear among the people about who would die next.’

‘Even the young daimyo of Karatsu who came here to sightsee stayed holed up in her inn and didn’t appear on the streets all day,’ a lanky, boyish-looking lad added.

The two assassins exchanged solemn glances. ‘Our target was supposed to be that person,’ the bandaged assassin said gravely. ‘Terazawa Rin, the young daimyo of Karatsu.’

A stunned silence lapsed.

[Read the full story at novelconbini.com!]