Chương 92: Chapter 2.29: Before I Kill You, Mister Bond

"I wasn't sent at you. I was sent to your side," replied Sirrana with calm confidence. Favius sniffed dismissively.

"Sirrana, you are obviously an assassin, so what is going on?"

"Ah, that," laughed Sirrana, and Favius felt heat rising up from his stomach. But Brutus intervened.

"Favius, give her some credit. She's a highly regarded specialist whom Aelia trusts."

"Exactly," replied the woman, whose face was now directly facing them, but still rotating.

"I was sent because you impressed your grandmother. Whatever you told her at the party..." She shrugged with both shoulders.

"It worked." Then she added in a much softer tone, "She really does care about her clan and descendants." Favius narrowed his eyebrows.

"Alright, but if you were sent here with good intentions, why didn't you tell Brutus? I assume—" He gestured to his side.

"—he gave you a bunch of hints that you were supposed to talk." She grinned as Brutus snorted.

"He did indeed, but..." Her eyes flicked to the ground deep beneath her and she shuddered before sighing.

"I've always been good at skulking in the dark, ambushing, and breaking things. Thought it might be fun to try the more social side of spycraft." She grinned in a self-deprecating manner.

"It seems like I underestimated what it takes to be a Nominatoris." Brutus snorted.

"That's the understatement of the cycle. After all, Marcus—" Sirrana sniffed, dismissing him.

"Yes, yes, he's a charismatic cultivator. He doesn't count." Brutus laughed.

"Oh, there's no need for a charismatic cultivator here, woman. Your behavior, how you hold yourself and speak, screamed elite military from the moment I saw you. You've clearly never known anything else." Sirrana sighed as she continued to rotate.

"Yes." She groaned. Favius coughed, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"So, Sirrana, we are talking about how you are an elite military operator. But..." He drawled while Sirrana studied him intensely.

"Didn't you just..." He rotated his hand.

"... reveal a bunch of classified military intelligence?" Her laugh was as sharp as it was bitter. She looked at Brutus.

"I did not reveal anything your Protector didn't already know, Young Master." Favius looked to the side and only had to see Brutus's grin to confirm his suspicions.

"Indeed, this was a test to determine if she was finally gonna be honest." Favius narrowed his eyes.

"How did you know what happened, Brutus?" Again Sirrana chuckled sharply.

"You still don't get who your Protector truly is, do you?" Favius raised an eyebrow at her and Sirrana sighed.

"Ovinius Kestrelo was the sworn brother of General Ahanophagus, the man the Iron Phoenix trusted above all others. Never mind that many officers who rose to prominence in Celita owe him personal favors. His association with the dictator makes any request from him an order in all but name." Favius turned his head and assessed Brutus anew. The Magnicultor just sat there, smiling serenely, deliberately avoiding Favius's eyes. God damn it.

I knew he was important, especially after everyone reacted to him at the party, but this. He snorted before sighing.

"All right, Sirrana. But still. Assuming my grandmother sent you with good intentions, you were playing games, abusing any potential trust." Sirrana interrupted him by clearing her throat.

"Young Master, nothing I did wasn't cleared with your grandmother. She considered my, as you put it, games part of her testing your personal security." Favius assessed her through narrowed eyes. Maybe she's just making excuses, but the impression I got from Aelia... He couldn't help but smile as he remembered her mischievous grin. Yeah, she would totally tell someone to go ahead with this kind of mission, especially as the risks objectively weren't that high. But. Favius just shrugged.

"Well, it seems that your mission failed or succeeded, however you want to look at it. Our security was obviously sufficient." He leered down at her.

"Otherwise I would be hanging over that abyss instead of you." Brutus cleared his throat. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Well, the real question is one of loyalty, isn't it, Favius?" Favius nodded along and cold fingers grasped his guts. Why is it always like this? But in the end, Brutus lowered his head.

"It's your choice, Dominus." Favius looked at Brutus.

"Dominus, is it? In that case, Ovinius Kestrelo, tell me, what are my options?" Brutus lifted up fingers one by one.

"You could take her into your service in earnest, send her back and ask Aelia for a replacement, or..." The man's grin grew vicious.

"... it could be that she simply suffers an unfortunate hiking accident while we all are here in the mountains. You know how it is." He gestured with a new dagger towards the rope.

"People get too close to ledges, they slip, and there's a chasm beneath them. Truly, such tragedies are much more common than most people assume." Favius swallowed, his throat all of a sudden very dry. That. That sounds nasty. Favius studied Sirrana's stoic expression, which was now only partially visible. The effect was somewhat lessened by the rotation only allowing him to see two thirds of her face. But suddenly a smug smile spread over the assassin's face.

"Well, Young Master, if you would permit me." She looked at Brutus.

"Ovinius Kestrelo, please be so kind as to get my satchel." Brutus smirked.

"What, is there some sort of grenade in there as well? After all, you already had one of them between your legs." She snorted.

"Oh, please. I would never place something like that between my legs. It was at my hips." Brutus shook his head.

"Still reckless."

"Only if you're too weak to control it." She glared at Brutus, and Favius cleared his throat.

"Can we get back on topic, please?" Both adults let out a sigh and looked first at each other, then at Favius. Finally, Brutus got up and got her satchel.

"Yes, that side pocket. Yes." Brutus drew out two small bundles of hairs bound together by leather. Favius froze as he saw them. He grasped one of his own somewhat longish hairs and pulled it down in front of his eyes. Brutus swallowed in horrified silence and, without Favius having to ask, held one of the strands next to Favius.

"They are a perfect match," he murmured. Favius sat there in icy stillness. His hand shivered, yet he didn't let go of the strand of hair. Sirrana's voice was proud superiority incarnate.

"You think your security is sufficient? You think the power of your Protector is enough? I've been here less than a week and I snuck into your bedroom twice, boy. And each time I took one of those." Brutus threw his head back and laughed uproariously. The sound of his laughter echoed from the walls of the canyon, and he slapped his cheeks, his thighs. Favius glared at the man.

"This isn't funny, Brutus," he hissed. Brutus looked at him, only to erupt in laughter again.

"Oh," he gasped.

"Favius, it is very much funny. You'll come to see that in time." Favius growled, closing his fist around his stolen locks of hair. A fucking assassin entered my bedroom and Brutus is just laughing about it. Well, I mean, what else is he supposed to do? He glared at the rope. All we can really do is cut her down. But Favius took several deep breaths, letting all three of his stored doses of pneuma run through his body. And by the end, the icy clarity had replaced his terrified anger. Fucking hell.

She can do things Brutus can't. Aelia was probably right about that, but with all she has done, well, it's not like she even harmed me in any way, but... He shook his head. And she's working for my grandmother. And Aelia... He couldn't help but smile as he recalled the woman's genuine interest at him mentioning pestilential essences. She might be enthusiastic and a politician, but she's still a fellow scientist and I can respect that. I don't want her to be an enemy.

Favius tapped his fingers onto his thigh, studying the dangling Sirrana and glancing sideways at his protector. But with all my secrets, with the workshops... Favius cleared his throat.

"Well, Sirrana, I appreciate you working for my grandmother, but with the things I'm doing... You're obviously spying, and certain aspects of my activities ought to remain private." Sirrana smirked again, the smugness still radiating off her body.

"Secrets like your soap and paper business?" Favius froze and looked to the side. Brutus gave him a minuscule shake of his head as Sirrana finally rotated fully to the side, unable to see them anymore. This is certainly awkward conversation. Fucking hell, why didn't I realize we need a guideline before he hung her out there? Instead, he ground his teeth.

"Yes, things just like—" Sirrana chuckled towards the far wall of the canyon.

"Believe me, boy, your grandmother is not your enemy. Unless..." She paused.

"... unless I suffer from an unfortunate hiking accident, that is." Favius looked over at Brutus and thought about things. Well, there's one obvious option with how this world works, but...

"Brutus, can I assume she's already oathbound to Aelia in every way that matters?"

"Indeed," his bodyguard replied in an even tone. Favius's eyes again fell onto the rope where Brutus had nearly hit it with a dagger, but he sighed. Well, might as well talk out what we can get. She can always have her... The side of his mouth twitched as bile rose up.... hiking accident later.

"So, Sirrana," he said to the back of her head, "if I asked you to resolve this little conundrum, what would you propose?" Sirrana's shoulders tightened as she began to speak.

"My first and foremost loyalty is to the clan, to the Matriarch, and to my comrades," she began, but she moved her arm awkwardly before growling, "none of those are mutually exclusive with each other or..." She paused.

"... with loyalty towards you, Favius. Despite what I do, I am someone to whom loyalty and oaths matter, unlike other..." She tilted her head to the side roughly in the direction of the estate.

"... people." She spat out.

"Well, there is such a thing as an oath of service," added Brutus. Before Favius could ask, Sirrana continued.

"Indeed. The Matriarch permitted me to swear such an oath, should that become necessary, to stay by the side of the Young Master." Favius leaned his head back, studying the scarred All-Father moon above him. Well, the best case is turning her towards me and away from everyone else. But that's probably not happening. But still, considering everything I've learned about this world, everything I've done here, and everything that matters, it's all a question of compromise. So…

He nodded to himself and began raising fingers before sniffing. Well, not like she can see my gestures. He continued anyway.

"Firstly, any information you pass on to Aelia will be shared with me. I will know what you tell her."

"Yes," she sniffed.

"That is agreeable."

"Secondly..." He raised another finger and rolled his eyes.

"You will swear not to engage in espionage against me. I know my grandmother is curious, but she has her secrets and so do I." Sirrana hummed and remained silent, rotating further as she apparently considered. Finally she nodded. Favius continued.

"What I care about are honesty and transparency. Sirrana, in time you may enter my inner circle. But for now, trust is something that needs to be earned." He could feel Brutus's smile beside him. Sirrana nodded eagerly and replied.

"That seems very reasonable, Young Master." And so, while she continued rotating all the way around to face them again, with Brutus's assistance, they negotiated the exact terms of the oath. She had already turned around to face away from them again before they were all in agreement. Finally, Brutus pulled back the split pine trunk, and using some rather awkward gymnastics, both of them pulled Sirrana out from over the abyss. With sharp, precise movements of his axe, Brutus unbound the woman's splints.

She stretched her arms and massaged her elbows and her joints before smiling.

"Oh, Ovinius Kestrelo." She grinned and her hand twtiched.

"You missed the poisoned needle I keep in my hip wraps."