Chapter 567

Chapter 567

As the new day dawned upon a sleepless night, Binesi muttered a curse directed at every spy and politician in the Empire.

Protecting the foundling during the trip was stressful enough, but while hed known the Citadel would be rife with danger and intrigue, hed grossly underestimated how difficult this assignment would be. Since their arrival last night, hed personally seen off seven attempted intrusions into the foundlings manor, and spotted dozens more would-be intruders who thought better than to test his defences. As if that werent enough, he even had to bear the shame of letting three sneaky bastards slip by, where they were subsequently caught by the foundlings Sentinel guards.

Binesi wouldve almost preferred if the intruders had gotten through all the foundlings defences and roughed him up a bit. At least then he wouldnt have to put up with smug Sentinels making snide comments about lacklustre Army training...

The worst part was, most of the intruders were benign in nature, or as harmless as one could get when dealing with rumour-mongers and mischief-makers. Everyone and their mothers wanted to meet with the foundling, but Binesi politely advised him to limit his meetings to allies regarding matters of the utmost importance. Shockingly enough, the boy agreed without argument, and he spent a good hour before dinner and two after writing polite refusals for invitations to various social events, but so many of those poncy nobles and presumptuous merchants refused to take no for an answer. For some asinine reason, these idiots believed that if their agents could sneak past the foundlings armed guards in the middle of the night and rouse him from his sleep, then hed somehow be more amenable to attending their damned galas, luncheons, tea sessions, and whatnot. This wasnt to say last nights intruders all had benevolent intentions, but it irked Binesi to know that despite intercepting all manner of cutthroats, burglars, saboteurs, and spies from getting to the foundling, an urchin courier had somehow avoided his patrolling guards, slipped over the outer wall, and gotten far enough into the manor to almost slip a letter under the foundlings door.

Binesi wasnt buying the Sentinels excuses either, claiming they spotted the courier in advance and only acted after he made his intentions known. A load of horse shit is what that was. None of them saw the sneaksy little bastard until he threw the letter and was halfway up the wall again, off to deliver the rest of his parcels to various other clients. Disgraceful is what it was, a complete and utter loss of face for them all.

Were it up to him, Binesi would have kept the entire convoy camped out on the plains and the foundling confined to his yurt, but decorum demanded Colonel General Nian Zu and Marshal Yuzhen take up residence with their host, Centrals Marshal Yo Jeung-Hun. Bad enough to bring the foundling into a bustling city environment, where assassins might be hiding behind every unfamiliar corner, but high and mighty Falling Rain couldnt possibly sleep in a secured soldiers billet. No, he had to have his own bleeding manor, one right on the edge of the bleeding park, next to the bleeding pond, and backed on to a bleeding busy street with pedestrians a plenty. Were he not the brother of Centrals Marshal, Binesi would have choked the life out of the foundlings Uncle Yo for picking this death trap of a manor for them to stay in.

A more paranoid man might even suspect this Shi-Woo wanted Falling Rain dead, but the foundling was certain this couldnt possibly be the case. Hardly reassuring, but Binesis job was to keep the foundling alive, not identify everyone who might harbour ill-intent. A good thing too, else hed have to confess to his growing urge to throttle the foundling until he turned blue in the face. Not because Binesi wanted to kill him, but because it might turn him into a drooling nitwit and finally convince the Bekhai that Falling Rain was not capable of making sound decisions.

A fact the foundling proved himself several hours later, when Binesis much needed slumber was interrupted by a subordinate reporting that Falling Rain had requested they put together an armed escort for a mid-morning shopping trip. Snarling in unrestrained fury, he grabbed his spear, stormed out the room, and stomped his way across the courtyard. Or at least he tried to, until an all-white fur-ball barrelled right into his path, forcing him to stumble aside to avoid flattening it. The dumb rabbit didnt even have the good sense to keep on hopping by, and instead stopped in place to paw at the stone path in utter ignorance of its close brush with death, flopping its ears from one side to the other while tilting its head this way and that. Strange, the foundling usually kept his rabbits out from underfoot, but today theyd all been left outside to their own devices, hopping, flopping, and generally ruining the lovely little courtyard garden. Resisting the urge to boot the idiot creature over the closest wall, Binesi muttered obscenities under his breath and gingerly picked his way through the rabbit-filled courtyard until he arrived at the manors dining room.

I cant tell if youre daft or suicidal, you bleeding bastard of a Bekhai, Binesi began, barging into the closed room without knocking, only to have his rant cut short by a muffled grunt as the swinging doors thudded against an unseen Sentinel. Stupid place to stand since your enemies werent going to knock before coming in, so he shot a contemptuous glare at the idiot guard for disrupting his rant.

Only for his next words to die in his throat as he found the Sword King glaring back.

The next second passed in excruciating lethargy as Binesi respectfully lowered his eyes before Ryo Dae Jung, the youngest Colonel General in all the Empire, only to immediately look up again to make sure he wasnt imagining things. Mother in Heaven, why was the Sword King standing here, in the dining room of Falling Rains borrowed manor? Tearing his eyes away from Dae Jungs gaze, Binesi surveyed the room and tried to make sense of this madness, while also double checking to see if hed missed anyone else of importance, like say, the bloody fucking Emperor Himself or something.

In front of the Sword King was an unfamiliar young woman, whose face he couldnt see. Since he didnt dare lean forward to inspect her, he instead moved his gaze down the table, where it landed upon Du Min Gyu, whose expression was laced with sympathy as he politely stared into his cup. Beside him, Sarnai sipped her tea to hide her smile, taking some small measure of satisfaction from his plight but too polite to turn her twinkling eyes upon him and bear witness to his grievous loss of face. The same could not be said of the foundling beside her, who grinned and winked while hunched over his half-full plate, all the while shoveling food into his mouth like a man with a quota and a mind to reach it. The darling half-goat twins and the Imperial Consort were next in line, all three enjoying their meals with the same high-spirited delight and paying him no mind whatsoever as they quietly whispered and giggled at the wildcats and bears pressed together in the corner behind them. Then came the she-tiger Alsantset, who was still addled with Insight and liable to gnaw through her chopsticks if left unattended, which was why her husband, Fiery Eyes Charok, kept such a close watch while pointedly turning his back on Binesi.

So Sarnai and the other Bekhai knew how to behave, they just didnt care to teach the foundling...

Last but not least, sitting two seats away from Charok and two seats away from the stranger, was the sole reason for the rooms cramped seating arrangements, the half-cat Song and her weasel-bear pet, the one she almost died to acquire. Better if shed stayed in camp then, for even though the snarling weasel-bear bore a bright yellow ribbon tied in a neat little bow around its neck, this did nothing to take away from the fact that it was a nasty tempered beast that drooled everywhere and snapped at everyone who wasnt Song. Even where Binesi stood, well out of arms length from both beast and girl, was too close for comfort, and not just because the beasts bared fangs, Honed claws, and guttural growls made for an unsettling atmosphere. Perhaps it was the beasts unrestrained anger, or perhaps it was the unsavory smell, but whatever the reason, Song and the weasel-bear sat alone, and neither one seemed to mind.

At least this explained why the rabbits were outside, the wildcats and bears were all huddled in the corner, and the Sword King was standing...

All this passed in the blink of an eye, or at least thats how it felt to Binesi, but then Du Min Gyu, the sole sympathetic bystander to Binesis dire plight, Sent, Might I suggest you apologize to Colonel General Ryo before he takes offense, Major?

You might think so, but thats not how the Legate sees things. Another shrug, followed by another sip of tea, and it astounded Binesi to see that Rains nonchalance was entirely genuine despite rising tensions. Even Binesi would have to treat Dain with respect should it come to blows, but Rain took Bekhai Martial superiority for granted. Imperial Nobles all tout about unity, alliance, and partnership, but only insofar as it serves them. I dont know if youve noticed, but the only Eastern soldiers Ive seen on the front lines were the ones assigned to guard me. Casually pouring himself another cup of tea, he added, Same goes for Divinities. If Guan Suo, Gang Shu, and the Abbot hadnt come along with me, then thered be no banquet for the heroes of Sinuji. Doubt thered even be a funeral pyre.

Did it ever occur to you, Ryo Dae Jung began, resting a hand on his daughters shoulder to rein her in, That there was no Imperial Divinity stationed in Sinuji because you brought three with you? Contrary to what you might believe, Divinities do not grow on the side of the street like cabbages.

Sure, but I have never, in my entire life, seen a street-side cabbage. Pretending not to notice the twins giggling at his disrespectful remark, the foundling shrugged and said, Just saying.

Enough, boy. Fed up with the foundlings insolence, Du Min Gyu finally spoke up. Regardless of your suspicions, the course is set. When you first received your invitation to the banquet, you told us the Legate ordered you to mend your tarnished reputation, so that is what you must do.

And miracle of miracles, the foundling held his tongue instead of spouting off about rebellion in front of highly ranked military officers sworn to duty and alienating would-be allies from his cause. Maybe he was learning, or maybe he kept quiet because he was still busy chewing, but either way, Binesi didnt give the foundling a chance to respond. I will send word to the Colonel General to request assistance, but we should double your Death Corps guards to start, as a show of force.

Pretty sure it wont help, the foundling interjected, earning another rap on the head from his mother for speaking while eating. It clearly wasnt working, and quite possibly was the reason Rain was so dumb in the first place, so Binesi dearly wished the famed Thorny Mountain Rose would try something different. There are only so many people we can fit inside the opera theatre and tea house. Safest thing to do is not play their games.

Lord Husband is correct. Joining the conversation for the first time, the Imperial Servant beamed prettily and added, Strutting around the Citadel under heavy guard will do nothing to improve his reputation. With all the rumours of conflict flying about, it would mean much if Lord Husband set out as he normally does, with minimal visible guards and his pets trailing behind him. Such is his way, brave and courageous while lacking all airs and pretensions, which has endeared him to the common people before.

For a moment, Binesi almost thought the Imperial Servant was baiting her Lord Husband to death, but then the foundling frowned and shook his head. Much as I hate to say it, but the pets should all stay behind. Theres no sense bringing the animals out when we know were walking into a trap, though well have to bring Ping Ping regardless. Plus, I dont know if youve noticed, but the love of the common people isnt exactly a valued commodity.

Clever girl. If Binesi told the foundling to leave the pets behind, he would have dug in his heels and fought the order tooth and nail, but by suggesting he bring them out, the Imperial Consort forced him to consider the risks himself. Back and forth they went, discussing the preparations for this trip, and with Binesis dogged determination and Zheng Luos subtle and skilful manipulations, they eventually came up with an agreeable plan with a reasonable chance of success in keeping the foundling alive.

Their meeting over, Ryo Dae Jung brought his daughter away the same way theyd come in, shrouded in Concealment and without use of the manor doors. This coincidentally spared Binesis subordinate from a month of latrine inspection duty for not informing him that the Sword King had come to visit, but he still berated his sentries for missing it regardless. Then, he immediately changed all of his plans which didnt involve the Ryo family, because he trusted them less than he trusted the foundling to act sensibly. Perhaps the Legate felt a Bekhai rebellion a small price to pay, or maybe he already had people in place to eliminate Baatar, Akanai, and the rest of the foundlings supporters, but regardless of the reason, Binesis job was to keep Falling Rain alive, and alive the foundling would stay, no matter the cost.

The first hour went well, as the foundling simply sat in the park and played with his pets and the Guardian Turtle, though it took great effort on his part to retain his dignity while doing so. It didnt help that the weasel-bear wasnt having any of it, snarling viciously every time the foundling or one of his pets looked in its direction, and almost taking off the boys hand when he refused to heed its all too obvious warnings. Song didnt help matters much by coddling the fierce creature the entire time, though Binesi wasnt certain if her actions were to calm the weasel-bear, or restrain it.

The next step was to bring the Guardian Turtle out on a stroll through the Citadel, but most streets hadnt been built with her massive bulk in mind, which made their route painfully predictable. Binesis Concealed subordinates ranged ahead to scout his route while the Death Corps guards maintained a close perimeter around the foundling, but he was still more exposed than Binesi would like. At least Sarnai was there with the foundling, a formidable warrior in her own right, as well as multiple hidden Bannermen guarding him from the shadows. The boy was as well protected as circumstances would allow, and certainly better guarded than most nobles, but one could never be too careful with the fate of the Empire hanging in the balance.

Still, as he assessed and dismissed possible threats while paying mind to their overall situation, there was a small, almost infinitesimally tiny part of Binesis mind which hoped the foundlings enemies would attack, and a handful of assassins did make it through. Not because he wished the foundling harm or wanted the Bekhai to rebel, but because the quickest way for Falling Rain to mend his reputation was to slaughter his enemies with ease, the same way hed slaughtered three Demons barehanded back in Sinuji, only this time, it would be nice if he did so in front of thousands of impartial civilian witnesses. A risky gamble to take, considering the foundling had no control over his strength, but after five days of stressful travel, two mitigated attacks, seven attempted intrusions, and an entire sleepless night, this nerve-wracking shopping trip might just well be the straw that broke Binesis back.

And there was still the opera show, the tea house, and two whole days before the banquet itself.

All in all, it was almost enough to make a proud, but tired, mountain warrior cry...

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