"Lady Yoko, why exactly are you working here?"
"It is quite simple, really," she replied. "The food is magnificent, and the sake is of the highest quality. I refrained from serving any since we were preparing for a formal apology, but you shall have your fill at the banquet."
"You were lured in by the cuisine?"
"That is not all. There are many in this village who do not fear me. Some are even more powerful than I."
"Truly? Someone ranks above you, Lady Yoko?"
"I am merely the Acting Village Head. It is only logical that the Village Head himself stands above me."
"..."
"I serve here to be useful to him. Do not forget that."
"I... I understand."
"And while I shouldn't need to say this, I will not tolerate any harm coming to the Village Head. See to it that you avoid any suspicious behavior."
"Of course. I have no intention of making an enemy of you, Lady Yoko. However..."
"Speak."
"Would it be an issue if we, too, wished to enter his service?"
"Hmm? Why the sudden change of heart? I thought your people preferred to be hired as independent contractors rather than subordinates."
"Our circumstances have changed to the point where we can no longer afford such pride."
"Has it truly become that dire?"
"Compared to the era you remember, yes. Requests for our services have dropped off sharply over the last few years."
"And so you turn to the Village Head?"
Yoko fell into a thoughtful silence. I knew what she was thinking. I didn't expect a favorable response. We were the Silver Fox Race; our reputation preceded us, and it was far from clean. If we served him as a clan, the Village Head would have to shoulder that infamy. He might even be accused of being the mastermind behind our previous deeds. Yet, if I didn't even make the request, my people would eventually face extinction.
"Kon," she said finally. "There is no benefit for the Village Head in hiring you. On the contrary, it would likely bring him nothing but trouble. This is not a conversation he needs to have."
"..."
"However, I was indebted to the Kon of two generations past. It is a debt I can never truly repay. Therefore, I cannot simply ignore a plea that carries the weight of your clan’s survival."
"Then..."
"The final decision rests with the Village Head. I shall remain neutral. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes. Thank you. I will prove our worth to him."
I looked over at Lord Seiten. Ever since the meal had ended, he had been sitting there with both hands clamped firmly over his ears. Was he trying to shield himself from hearing dangerous information? So this was the fabled Hear-No-Evil Pose of the Monkey tribe. It was certainly educational.
A short while later, Yoko left to fetch the Village Head. In the meantime, I organized the guard rotation. Only Lord Seiten and I would remain in the room. I instructed the other guards to wait in the room Yoko had provided, though I cautioned them against complacency. They were to remain vigilant, ready to move at a moment's notice or repel a surprise attack. I stationed three within the mansion—hidden in the corridors, as they were not to enter the room—and five outside to secure an escape route.
"If anything happens to me, Kitsu, you take command."
"Understood," she replied firmly.
I had expected to wait longer, but Yoko returned almost immediately. Perhaps the Village Head had been nearby.
My first impression of the man was that he seemed... entirely ordinary. It was hard to believe he stood above Lady Yoko. Yet, her demeanor toward him was that of a devoted servant. That alone signaled he was someone to be reckoned with. Perhaps he was a master strategist?
Lord Seiten and I offered our greetings, and the formal apology was concluded. The Village Head didn't seem interested in escalating the conflict. Perhaps Yoko had already smoothed things over. I was grateful for that.
With his business finished, Lord Seiten prepared to head to Lady Niz's shop. I assigned the three internal guards and the five external ones to escort him, placing the group under Buchi's command until we reconvened.
"Lady Kon, perhaps I should go instead?" Kitsu whispered.
Logic dictated that if the guards were being split, Kitsu should lead the other half. However, the clan's future was about to be decided in this room. Unless we demonstrated absolute resolve, we would never be accepted. If necessary, I was prepared to die bearing the burden of our race's sins. If I made such a sacrifice, Yoko might take pity on the survivors. Kitsu was the only one capable of leading the clan and negotiating with Yoko in my absence.
"I'm counting on you," I told her.
I turned my attention back to the Village Head, but I could tell he was on his guard. Diving straight into my request would be a mistake. I decided to ease into the conversation.
"Before I state my business, may I ask a question?"
"Hm? Go ahead."
"Are you truly Lady Yoko’s superior?"
"Well, I'm the Village Head of Village Five, and she's the Acting Village Head. In terms of hierarchy, yes."
"I see. Thank you."
I wanted to ask a few more questions to build rapport, but the Village Head had just returned to the village and likely had other pressing matters. Dragging things out would be counterproductive. I had closed the distance slightly; that would have to be enough.
"Lord Hiraku, the reason I have come here today is to make a request."
This was the moment of truth. I took one more step forward.
"The Silver Fox Race currently numbers ninety-two. Twenty-three of us can work perfectly well in human form, but if you can overlook minor issues, eighty-four of us are capable of service. I ask that you hire our entire clan."
"Hire you?"
"Yes."
"So you aren't asking to move into Village Five?"
"Our people are not well-suited to living among other races."
"But you can work. What sort of work do you have in mind?"
As members of the Silver Fox Race, the answer was obvious. "Assassination."
Silence followed. Had I spoken too softly? "Assassination," I repeated.
"No, I heard you the first time," he said.
I noticed Yoko burying her face in her hands. Had I made a mistake? The Village Head opened his mouth to give his answer.
"Well... I’m going to have to ask you to leave."
The moment those words left his lips, I acted.
I unleashed a surge of killing intent and lunged. It was a show of force, not a true attempt on his life—that would have been counterproductive and turned Yoko against us. My plan was to demonstrate our skill, then offer my life as an apology for the disrespect. Kitsu would then repeat the request. It was a desperate gamble, a threat backed by my own life, but the clan’s survival was at stake. I would do whatever it took.
Of course, as an escort, my actions would normally bring trouble to my employer, Lord Seiten. I resolved to shout that he was uninvolved before I died. I could only hope it would be enough to spare him.
Yoko noticed my move, but I was faster. Or so I thought.
Suddenly, the world didn't look the way it was supposed to. I wasn't where I intended to be. The scenery hadn't changed—I hadn't moved an inch.
Wait, had something pierced me?
A spear? When had the Village Head drawn a spear? He had been empty-handed when I entered.
Before I could process the confusion, Yoko's hand clamped onto my neck. I was pinned. It was over. The wound from the spear felt deep and agonizing.
Kitsu... I'm sorry.
This was the worst possible outcome. To die without even showing what I was capable of...
Run, Kitsu. Protect the clan. Those of us tainted by the business of assassination will die here. If you do that, perhaps Lady Yoko will show the rest of you mercy. She is harsh, but she looks after her own. Rely on her.
As Silver Foxes, we could communicate telepathically over short distances. I sent her my final instructions, but the reply I received was not what I expected.
"...Forgive me. We’ve been captured. Spiders."
Spiders?
I slowly tilted my head back to look at the ceiling. There, clinging to the rafters, were several massive spiders. I hadn't even noticed them. These weren't just common pests; they were clearly of the Demon Spider lineage. We were helpless against such creatures.
It seemed the others were being rounded up as well. Even Lord Seiten’s escorts? They were thorough. I suppose I should have expected as much from this place.
"Kon," Yoko's voice was cold. "I believe I warned you that I would not forgive any attempt on the Village Head’s life."
"I... I don't believe I've done anything yet," I managed to rasp. Technically, I hadn't even moved.
"Only because you were struck down before you could. If you continue with this nonsense, I will wipe your clan from existence."
"I understand... but I cannot back down. Please... I must beg for your help."
At the very least, I had avoided immediate execution for the whole clan. But I hadn't realized the Village Head was this powerful. Even now, he looked at me with what seemed like concern. He was a truly merciful man.
"It is fine," Yoko said. "She won't die from a wound like this."
"Actually... Lady Yoko..."
"What?"
"I think I’ve taken... quite a bit of damage... I think I’ve reached... my limit..."
I coughed up a mouthful of blood and collapsed. I couldn't even maintain my human form anymore as consciousness slipped away.