Planning What's Next

I looked at Tia, contemplating the next step.

"There's something on my mind."

Tia looked at me and asked, "What is it, sir?"

"Why aren't Elena coming with us in the car, is there a reason for that?"

She said in a serious tone.

"Five days ago... a Class A gate appeared one kilometer away from the mansion. Chaos reigned, both internally and externally. The monsters that came out of it caused great damage. Your sister was on the front lines, leading the response."

I opened my eyes slowly, trying to take in what had just been said.

Gates are a rift between us and the demon world, in other words a part of the demon world coming into our world, but having an A-ranked one is no small thing and the fact that it's so close is what's shocking.

No wonder the palace was on edge...

Then she continued.

"The situation was brought under control only two days ago. Most of the family doesn't know the details, but the damage was greater than reported."

I nodded slowly.

"So... that explains a lot. It also means that the meeting in two days will be the first real chance for everyone to sit down after what happened."

"And that makes it even more dangerous... everyone will be wary, and every word said there could be used against you."

Tia looked at me with a serious expression and said

"So tell me about the assassins?"

"The attack will be on my way to the elders' meeting. They will attack me on the way."

I paused for a moment, thinking about what to say

"I need one of them alive. If we kill them all, there won't be anyone left to expose the real plan."

Tia looked at the ground and then whispered

"So we let one breathe... dangerous, but possible, well, in that case we'll need special equipment."

"You will be released tomorrow, and you will be assigned as a servant. This gives you the freedom to move around next to me. From there... we set the stage."

Dan gently runs his fingers through his hair, feeling a bit anxious as he looks at Tia, who is imprisoned behind bars.

"I think there are two of them, and I'm pretty sure each of them is a rank.

Tia narrows her eyes, "Only two? If that's the case... maybe we can pull it off. I'm not saying it's easy, but the odds are better than I thought."

"The real danger is not their number... it's that one of the elders of the family sent them. Someone wants me dead, and they have the power and influence to cover their tracks."

Tia speaks in a softer tone as she moves closer to the bars.

"If we want to find the mastermind... we need to take someone alive."

Dan looks at her seriously, "That's why I came to you. You're the only one I can trust. But alone... we won't be able to control the situation, even if we know when they're going to attack."

Pause for a moment and then continue

"we need an ally. A third person. Someone to fight with us, Tia... do you know Someone we could count on to join us in the fight??"

Tia paused for a second and then let out a sigh. "There's someone, but I don't think you'll like them."

"I'm not looking for someone to love... I'm looking for someone to keep me alive."

Tia looked at me and then said, "Kyle."

"He was one of the family knights... strong, loyal, and quiet. But he was... ostracized. Because, at one point in his life, he swore allegiance to your elder brother, before it was revealed that the brother had betrayed the family and joined the demons. From that day on, Kyle was an outcast. He was No longer a knight, and he was in the shadows, followed by suspicion wherever he went."

She didn't say anything for a few seconds, and then she added in a more serious tone:

"But he never betrayed anyone, and he was never proven to have conspired against the family. The problem was that he was seen as a traitor because of his past loyalties."

"And you trust him?" I asked in a way that was meant to be direct.

Tia looked me straight in the eye and said:

"Kyle saved my life once. If I didn't trust him, I wouldn't have mentioned his name."

I looked at Tia for a few seconds, then sighed and said:

"Well, we're going to need him. I don't think we have a better option."

She raised her eyebrow slightly, as if she hadn't expected me to agree so quickly.

I moved closer to the bars and lowered my voice:

"I need you to tell me right now... where can we find him?

She looked at me, then said:

"In the eastern neighborhood, there's an old inn called the Raven's Tail. It's a place that only criminals and exiles go... Kyle works there as a bouncer, and no one dares to approach him."

I repeated the name in my mind: Raven's Tail...

"We'll go there tomorrow, after you're free."

She looked at me for a long time, then said with a quiet, slightly bitter smile:

"Do you really want to trust an outcast and a maid who's in prison?"

I replied with a faint smile:

"I'm dead anyway, Tia. The only choice is to put my trust in those who risked their lives for me, whether they're outcasts... or not."