Splintering wood echoed across the bustling courtyard.
Brak tore the lid off the newly delivered shipping crate, his eyes going wide.
"Chief," the young warrior breathed, practically vibrating with excitement.
Nestled inside rested a kite shield, forged from layered steel and trimmed in polished brass.
Flawless elven craftsmanship, paid for entirely by Queen Sylva’s royal treasury.
"Pick it up," Kane ordered, leaning casually against a stack of weapon racks.
Brak hoisted the shield onto his arm.
It fit him perfectly.
"I can stop a charging bull with this thing."
"Try not to test that theory today," Kane laughed.
"Caelindra, how does our new budget look?"
Sitting at a makeshift desk in the morning sun, the secretary adjusted her glasses.
"Unrestricted access is a very dangerous phrase, Lord Kane. We have fully equipped every single Bloodfang fighter with top-tier gear. The local merchants are tripping over themselves to supply our estate."
’We are finally operating like a real state military,’ Kane smiled internally.
’No more fighting for scraps.’
Although his weapons did more than enough, it’s always good to have legit accessories.
Lyssel approached from the manor steps.
Her gown clung tightly to her curves, offering a tantalizing view of her cleavage as she leaned over Caelindra’s inventory table.
"Spending the Queen’s gold looks very good on you," Lyssel murmured, locking her pale blue eyes onto his.
"I prefer investing it," Kane corrected, closing the distance between them.
"What did your shipyard contacts say about General Raymond?"
Walking her fingers playfully up his chest, Lyssel leaned in close.
"The smugglers confirmed the route. Raymond’s northern supply camp sits right against the river. My father’s associates drop untaxed liquor there every Tuesday. We can slip you right past the perimeter guards if you ride quietly with the cargo wagons."
’She loves playing the underworld queen,’ Kane noted, catching her wrist and pressing his thumb against her pulse.
"You owe me a private celebration when I return," Kane whispered, letting his gaze drop to her lips.
"Bring me a good prize, and I might owe you quite a bit more," Lyssel promised, stepping back with a wicked smirk.
Night air bit at Kane’s exposed face as the smuggling wagon rolled to a slow halt near the tree line.
The northern river rushed quietly nearby.
Dropping from the canopy above, Kessa landed silently right beside him.
Her fitted leather combat gear acted like a second skin.
"Eyes up here, barbarian," Kessa teased, her tail flicking as she caught his lingering stare.
"Just admiring the tactical advantages of your outfit," Kane grinned, drawing a simple iron shortsword instead of his glowing axe.
Tonight required stealth, not a crimson beacon.
"Stay low," Kessa instructed, her playful demeanor instantly vanishing into professional focus.
"I will clear the path."
Shadows swallowed the beastwoman completely as she darted forward.
Kane followed a dozen paces behind, matching her silent footfalls.
Two Menual perimeter guards stood near a wooden palisade, quietly sharing a flask.
Kessa struck like lightning.
A complete blur of motion, she tackled the first guard, her sharp claws slicing cleanly through his vocal cords before he could even register the threat.
Spinning gracefully, she caught the second guard’s spear thrust, burying her fangs deep into his exposed neck.
Blood pooled silently onto the grass.
Looking back over her shoulder, Kessa licked a stray drop of blood from her thumb.
’Beautiful and lethal,’ Kane thought.
Stepping over the twitching bodies, Kane pointed toward the large, well-lit command tent situated in the center of the camp.
Kessa nodded, melting away to secure the escape route while he handled the primary target.
Slipping through the canvas flap, Kane stepped onto a fine woven rug.
General Raymond sat at a cluttered wooden desk, pouring himself a cup of imported wine.
He looked like a man who felt perfectly safe behind his fortified walls.
"I specifically ordered no interruptions," Raymond snapped, not bothering to look up from his ledger.
"I don’t work for your quartermaster," Kane replied conversationally.
Raymond froze.
Realizing a stranger stood inside his personal quarters, the general reached frantically for the broadsword resting on his table.
He was too slow.
Crossing the rug in two long strides, Kane grabbed the man’s extended wrist and twisted sharply.
Bone cracked loudly, echoing off the canvas walls.
"GAH!"
Before the scream could properly leave Raymond’s throat, Kane drove his shortsword directly through the general’s neck, pinning him brutally to the wooden floorboards.
Stab.
Raymond thrashed wildly, his boots kicking the desk and sending wine spilling across scattered parchment.
Kneeling beside the dying officer, Kane watched the arrogant light fade from his eyes.
’Queen Sylva asked for no survivors,’ Kane mused, pulling the signet ring free from the man’s twitching finger.
’I always aim to please royalty.’
Wiping the gold ring clean on Raymond’s uniform, Kane turned his attention toward the ruined desk.
Curiosity got the better of him.
Shuffling through the spilled wine, he picked up a stack of tightly rolled blueprints.
Spreading them open, his brow furrowed.
These were not supply manifests or troop movements.
Detailed schematics displayed massive ship hulls.
Complex engineering diagrams showed repurposed siege engines mounted directly onto floating wooden platforms.
’Morvak is not just relying on his land cavalry,’ Kane realized, a cold wave of genuine respect washing over him.
’The Chancellor is secretly building a naval fleet.’
Rolling the stolen intelligence up, Kane tucked the parchment safely into his belt.
[Quest Complete: The Queen’s Favor]
[Target Eliminated: General Raymond]
[New Intelligence Unlocked: Morvak’s Armada]
Stepping back out into the night air, Kane found Kessa waiting near the perimeter fence.
Three more dead guards lay neatly arranged near her foot.
"Finished?" she asked, stretching her arms above her head like a highly satisfied cat.
"Finished," Kane confirmed, holding up the bloody signet ring.
"But we found a much bigger problem hiding on his desk."
"Are we going to need more swords?" she wondered, falling into step beside him as they headed back toward the smuggling wagons.
"No," Kane smiled, patting the stolen blueprints.
"We are going to need ships."