13 The Man with the Sedge Ha (1/2)
Mina continued to eye Tarou who was now grooming himself vigorously while waiting for her reply. Her eyes narrowed as she trailed every movement of the mouse's paw.
Crouching low on the ground with her butt up in the air, she was waiting for the perfect moment.
In her peripheral vision, she saw the trees swayed as a light wind swept through the forest but her focus remained on Tarou.
Five...
Four...
Three...
Two...
One...
As she was about to pounce, an irresistible smell wafted through the air, diverting her attention.
Meanwhile, the man with the sedge hat and the bandit chief stood opposite each other. With his legs apart and his body leaning forward, the mysterious man looked at home among the giant sequoias surrounding the area.
Looking at the bandit chief on the eye, the mysterious man broke the almost deafening silence.
”It will be easier to fight on our side. Your enemies will be our enemies.”
”I'm honored that a mighty general of Artha takes an interest in the affairs of a deposed noble,” the bandit chief replied in a wry voice.
Maintaining a firm tone, the general replied, ”The matters of a comrade never escape my notice.”
”As they say, in the desert, no man meets a friend.”
”We have a common enemy, a more dangerous one within the walls of the empire.”
The bandit chief replied with a twisted smile on his lips, ”The emperor's concerns are no business of mine. He continued in a frosty tone, ”I will not swear fealty to the emperor.”
The general nodded his head slowly. He looked at the bandit chief before speaking, ”Of all the kingdoms in the empire, Houri is the greatest threat.”
The bandit chief fixed his gaze at the skies streaked with a pale orange hue. Emphasizing each word, the general continued, ”The King of Houri is a ruthless man.”
”To forge an alliance, he promised a married sister to the King of Dinhi.”
At the mention of Dinhi, the bandit chief tilted his head towards the general with an unreadable expression on his face, waiting for the man to continue.
”Sent off a bastard sibling to cover deceit.”
”And now, he wants his sister dead, pinning the murder to a certain rebel.”
The bandit chief stood still. His face turned very furious as his jaw clenched. The general took a step to the side and paused slightly.Paying no heed to the bandit chief, he expressed his views in a reverent tone.
”The man is indeed a wise rule. He would annihilate a threat and gain an ally without sacrificing any member of the royal household.”
The bandit chief gripped his arm behind his back as he looked into the cold eyes of the man before him. He opened and closed his mouth without making a sound.
Watching the man in front of him, the general tilted his chin upward and looked the bandit chief in the eye.
”My offer stands.”
As the words left the general's lips, the first rays of sunlight bathed the forest.
The early morning hours were quiet except for the rustling of the trees. A few moments later, a soft and soothing sound vibrated, breaking the almost deafening silence.