For three days, Shin and Laverna lived in the city of Valdorne. Officially, they were on a reconnaissance mission, but the truth behind their presence was far more grim. The Imperial Crown had issued a direct order: eliminate Mayor Edmund and his family.
In those three days, they kept to the shadows, tracking Edmund's movements and monitoring his private meetings. They expected to uncover proof of betrayal, of secret dealings and uprisings.
What they found instead was a man trying to protect his people. Edmund spoke of reclaiming autonomy, of lifting the burden of oppressive taxes, and creating a city that could thrive independently.
There was no hint of treason, only the stubborn hope of a leader who loved his home.
But it wasn't only the mayor's speeches that gave them pause. All throughout Valdorne, spirits lingered—gentle ones, radiant in the twilight, their forms resembling departed loved ones watching silently over the living.
They stood atop rooftops, sat beside children playing in the streets, and whispered among the trees. Ordinary people couldn't see them. But Shin and Laverna, as Kitsune, could.
It was both haunting and beautiful. These spirits bore no signs of unrest. They glowed with peace, guardians of the city's heart. None hovered around the mayor with malice. If anything, the spirits near his home seemed protective, like family.
Shin leaned against the windowsill of their given room by Mayor Edmund and his family in their estate, eyes following the flicker of a spirit cradling a sleeping child from afar. Laverna sat nearby, sharpening the jamadhars she hadn't used since their last true mission.
Silence sat between them, broken only by the metallic scrape of whetstone.
"He's not guilty," Shin muttered, voice low. "You see it too."
Laverna nodded without looking up. "The spirits wouldn't protect someone who meant harm. And his actions... he's fighting for his people, not against the Crown."
Shin turned from the window, his crimson fox-like eyes narrowing. "This feels too much like what happened to my family. The Crown sent blades to silence them, just like they're sending us now. Edmund's no traitor, Laverna. Killing him... It's the same as what those monsters did to my parents."
Laverna paused, her whetstone stilling against the blade. Her eyes softened, carrying the weight of her own past.
"I know, Shin. I see it too. Back in the Lichtenstein household, I was nothing but a tool—forced to serve, to obey, to watch as they crushed anyone who dared defy them. Edmund's fighting for his people, like I wished someone had fought for me. Killing him would make us no better than the ones who kept me in chains."
Shin's jaw tightened, his voice bitter. "Then why are we even here? Why are we still following their orders? I want to save him, Laverna. I want to warn Edmund, get him and his family out of Valdorne before the Crown suspects anything. But if we're caught..." He trailed off, fists clenching. "I don't know how to do this without losing everything."
Laverna set the blade down and stood, crossing to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch steady but gentle. "Shin, listen to me. You're not alone in this. Not anymore. I am your student, but I'm also your partner. Whatever you decide, I'm with you. We'll find a way to protect Edmund without the Crown knowing. We'll be smarter than they are, because we have to be."
Shin looked at her, the turmoil in his eyes softening slightly. "You really think we can pull this off? Defy the Crown and not end up with blades at our throats?"
Laverna's lips curved into a faint, determined smile. "I survived the Lichtensteins. I learned how to slip through cracks they never saw. We can do this, Shin. For Edmund, for his family... and for the part of you that still carries your parents' memory. We'll do it together."
But the weight of their orders bore down like a blade at their throats. They wanted to speak to Edmund, to warn him, even ally with him—but eyes were everywhere. They had felt them since the first day. Someone was watching. Maybe multiple someones.
They couldn't afford a single misstep.
Now, caught between loyalty and truth, Shin and Laverna knew the next move could define their future—and possibly seal the fate of an innocent man.
As he watched outside the window, Shin listened to a conversation between the gossiping gardeners nearby.
One of them moved closer and started. "They say Mayor Edmund's planning something big. Imports doubled, soldiers stationed at the manor every night."
"Aye," another chimed in, "and I heard from a caravaner that he met with envoys from across the border. Not Crown-approved."
Laverna leaned toward Shin. "Sounds like there's weight to the King's words. But why let us hear all this so easily?"
"Because he wants us to believe it," Shin said quietly. "Or someone else wants to fan the flames."
That night, they slept in shifts, trusting no one.
By the next morning, they started their morning jog, taking it easy on the jogging but more on patrolling the town for any shady figures lurking in the shadows.
"Keep your eyes open," Shin murmured. "We're not the only ones hunting here."
As they entered, the tension of the city was palpable. Guards with unfamiliar armor patrolled in groups of four, and the people's gazes were cautious, paranoid. Despite the peacefulness in the town, it was a town on the brink.
Inside a quiet alley, Laverna spoke in a low voice. "Whatever the Crown suspects... It's already in motion."
Shin looked up at the towering manor in the distance, its spires piercing the gray clouds. "Then we don't have much time."
In the dim light of the alleyway, a faint glow caught their attention. A spirit, taking the form of a little girl with braided hair, hovered just above the cobblestones. Her translucent eyes met theirs, urgent and pleading.
She raised a small hand, pointing downward, toward the ground beneath their feet, as if urging them to go under the city. Before Shin or Laverna could speak, the spirit vanished, leaving only a chill in the air.
Laverna's brow furrowed. "Under the city... tunnels, maybe? A way to move unseen?"
Shin nodded, his mind racing. "If the spirits are guiding us, it's a sign. We need to find out what's down there. It could be our chance to get Edmund out."
But unknown to them, their hesitation had already cost them time. King Tristan, growing impatient with their lack of progress, had dispatched another team of assassins to Valdorne.
There were no ordinary humans, but cold, efficient killers who cared nothing for spirits or morality. Their orders were clear: eliminate Mayor Edmund and his family, no delays, no questions.