Intentions

Kali and her companions blend in the busy street of Millano Capital. Luna is hiding under the cloak of Ingrid while the fox hides inside the hood of Kali.

"There's a lot of humans." The fox dissed like humans are bitter medicine to swallow.

"Yes and every second another human being is born."

He flinched at her words before asking a question.

"Tsk. There's too many."

". . ."

"Are you a good human?"

"No. I am not even sure I am one." She answered honestly.

Kali is doubtful of her existence. Originally cordless and with no record she can find about a human surviving without a code. To humans, the code is like their second brain that can't be removed and irreplaceable.

Also even if she looks very human minus the code, the term 'good' doesn't sit well with her. Everything she had done was for her own purpose and benefits.

"You saved the wolf."

When the wolf was gone, after she returned from the venture she didn't think about it much and just thought that the wolf might have gone back to where it was from.

One time during her walk she saw a blood stained wall, but decided it was none of her concern she then ignored it. Only the second time around, she decided to think about it. The wall was newly painted.

'There's a rat.' She concluded.

That rat is hiding meticulously in Alexanders' home. His identity, how much does he know and who is his master, Kali was determined to know. His existence endangers her new identity, and who knows he might be involved in the disappearance of Kaleena and might lead to the white masked men.

"I have my reasons." Kali said after reminiscing her purpose for saving the wolf.

"Master, We've arrived." Ana presented a run down looking house in the slumps.

"Is this the best you could get?" Kali tried looking at it positively but the only positive thing she could think of is she is positive that it will collapse anytime.

"The Captain said this is the best he can get for short notice around the young master's . . . . resources."

Three days before, Kali gave Vico instruction to look for a house she will use while staying in the capital. Somewhere hidden and can serve as her base.

"He hates me." Kali summarizes her feelings while looking at the disaster house she will be residing in.

Nobody denied her words.

"So he really does hate me." Kali looked at Ana and Ingrid but they didn't meet her eyes.

'They hate me too?'

"Humans hate other humans."

"I- I like Master!!" Luna choked in his own words.

Kali gave the sisters a blank look before she entered the worn out house.

The insides are not different from the outside. It was full of waste, smelly and moldy.

"Eiiiik, Humans live in this filthy house?"

"If they want to get sick, yes." Kali covered her nose.

The smell is like piles of dirty wet rugs left unattended and molds cover most of the corners.

"Ana, go buy cleaning materials. Ingrid and I will throw everything useless."

She opened the windows to let out the foul smell.

*BAM

The window fell outside and made a loud shattering sound.

"Let's just throw everything out."

Ana and Ingrid bow politely and start their tasks.

"You two, she looked at the fox and wolf. . . "

'Useless.'

"Stay inside. Don't go out. If somebody takes you, I swear on my life, I'll pretend I don't know you even if I see you in an auction house again. " The beasts stared at Kali with shaking eyes.

"Do you understand?" The little beasts nodded at her.

Kali threw out all the unsalvageable things. Broken tables, chairs, wet rugs, moldy curtains and unidentified broken things. When Ana returned they started sweeping the floors and cleaning the walls. The second floor is in much worse condition. There are a total of five small bedrooms and all are unstable and have creaking floors. She sent Ana and Ingrid to the store again to buy materials for repair and some things needed.

'The repair will cost more than the house itself.' Kali thought as she looked at her inventory and saw the remains of her money.

'I need more money.' She looked around the house. They finished cleaning the first floor. It's not flawlessly clean but it's 10x better and liveable than this morning.

"Looks ugly." Fox complained.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who didn't help."

"You. .You said I just stay inside."

"because you wouldn't be any help."

"I can help!!"

"Yes yes, Let's go eat."

Ana and Ingrid set up the table and put simple soup and bread for dinner.

"What are you doing? Set your plates and eat." Kali looked at Ana and Ingrid who were standing at the sides like servants.

"Yes, Ana and Ingrid, Let's eat." Luna wagged his tail energetically.

"We can--"

"Haaaaaaaa. . ." Kali released a long sigh. She had enough dealing with you beast children now she had to repeat herself with adults.

"Yes Master." Ingrid was more sensible than the stiff Ana. Soon Ana followed and they ate in silence.

"We will move tomorrow." Kali said after dinner. She pulled out and set up her sleeping bag in one corner.

"I will take the first shift." Ana said to Ingrid and nodded.

"There is no need to watch. Nobody knows we are here." Kali didn't spare them a glance as she spread her blanket.

The little creatures ran towards the soft blanket and placed themselves respectively.

Kali crumpled her face but she placed herself in resignation on one side of the cushion while the beasts were curled on the other side.

Meanwhile, back in the South, at Alexander's Territory.

Theo and Gio finish their reports on the preparations for the upcoming venture while Konrad listens as he finishes his work papers. They all went silent and glanced at the window.

*Knock knock

There was a faint knock sound by the office window.

"Enter."

A wiggling shadow entered by the gap in the window and smoke arises and forms a human shape.

"My Lord. I am sorry to disrupt your evening. I came to report. " A masked man appeared kneeling down.

The shadow handed an envelope with a detailed report. Konrad gives a signal and begins his report.

"A total of 26 bodies were discovered scattered between the Palaces of Amara, Oval and Crystal. The manners of death are mostly stab in the heart or throat, A quick and precise way of instant kill using a longsword or at least half a meter shortsword. There are some that were killed by a knife, and one was mutilated beyond recognition."

"26?" Gio muttered while he listened to the report.

"These bodies, what exact place were they found?"

"Five bodies were found inside the rooms. One was isolated from the other four and the mutilated body was together with the three. The rest were found on the roofs, gardens and/or hanging by trees."

"Their identity?"

"The dead bodies were identified to be belonging to different guilds. We discovered that not long ago a 'safe passage' to the imperial palace before the debutante ball was sold in the black society. "

"The killer?"

"No solid proof yet."

The count dismissed the shadow before he openly sighed.

'I only killed three'

Konrad remembers the time Kali confessed she killed three of these people and left their bodies inside the rooms.

'I was blinded by my anger.' Konrad thought in silence.

It was hard for Konrad to face Kali after the confession. Leisurely having tea the next morning she had taken three human lives easily and labelled it as unimportant.

"Father." Theo called and when Konrad gave him his attention he continued to speak.

"Kali, didn't kill the rest." His tone is stern and confident.

"She cannot use a sword." Gio added

Everyone knows Kali can't use regular or short swords. The trembling of her right arm is too severe when she uses it too much but according to Vico's report her spear is drawn in battle and her arms had no signs of shaking.

"Aside from the mutilated body. There are four bodies killed by a knife. She confessed to killing three."

"She had no merit in not adding one more kill." Konrad said it but his tone is looking for affirmation.

"Besides, her way of killing might be brutal but it's quick. . . unless she develops some kind of. . ." Konrad continued but stopped half way.

The room was filled with silence.

"Instead of guessing what happened that night, we could've just asked her. . . why didn't we ask her?" Theo's remarks were spot on.

After that day, not one of them tried to talk to Kali. They ignore her under the pretense of a 'busy' schedule when the truth is they are disappointed and reluctant at her attitude. Her morals are blurry and her standing in life is unclear. Is she really some ruthless and unfeeling person?

Theo was confused at that time and Gio who had past experience of Kali's ruthlessness, judged her the quickest and labelled her dangerous while Konrad detached himself away, he purposely hit her ego the last time they talked.

When the truth is . . . Kali is eccentric but no less different. . .

"The people I killed are the same people that will sell me for 100,000 gold as a whole or 1,000 gold as a part. Why can't I kill them?"

'She killed to stay alive. . . just like the others.'