Into the den of tiger he goes (2)

It was Tar's first time following anyone and he lacked experience. It shouldn't have taken long for Vidi to notice him, but luckily for Tar, it was evening and the bustling market masked his suspicious footsteps.

Following Vidi about a few tens of metres away, Tar saw him enter a small inn. After thinking for a while, Tar decided to wait until sunset to enter the inn, in the case that Vidi already noticed someone following him and was hiding for an ambush.

Paying two bronze coins, Tar stayed the night there. He specifically requested for the room closest to Vidi to keep an eye on him.

Seeing Tar at the counter, the innkeeper was a bit surprised at first but he quickly regained his composure and walked Tar to his room. After he left, Tar moved his bed mattress next to the wall between his room and Vidi's room. He stuck his ear to the wall and listened for any sounds, but it was silent.

It remained silent for a long time. There were several times when Tar almost lost to his drowsiness but forced himself to stay awake by either slapping himself on the cheek or walking around in the room. Just before sunrise, he heard Vidi's door creaked. Tar slowly opened his door and he almost gasped at what he saw. Vidi was holding a curled wooden staff and on his left was another man.

Vidi was not short himself but the man next to Vidi was at least one head taller. That man was in his mid-twenties, had wide shoulders and a very scary face.

"Wren said he'll be late," the man whispered.

"Reason?"

"He's helping Ruu with the heist."

"Good. How many will be there tonight?"

"Unclear. We sent out about twenty invitations but only four or five came through. I suspect those who didn't reply are either very cautious, or…"

"Scared."

That man nodded.

Vidi sighed. "Enn, let's be on our own for now. Meet up at the barn tonight."

Enn nodded once again.

The two men left the inn and went their own separate ways. Even when they parted, they did not bat an eye at each other, treating each other like a complete stranger.

"The barn?" Tar thought. "West Frey is a dense city; there shouldn't be any barns close by."

As he walked to the innkeeper to ask for information, he heard a deep growl coming from beneath and he quickly covered his flushed face. Chuckling, the innkeeper waved his hands goodbye as Tar sprinted out of the inn.

Tar found a restaurant to eat nearby. When he was seated, the face of the chuckling innkeeper infiltrated his mind and his face turned bright red again. Shaking his head, Tar tried to shake off his embarrassment, literally. Luckily for him, he was interrupted by two men's voices and he was spared from the devilish innkeeper in his head.

"Move out of the damn way, peasants! YOUR General is here! Staff! One whole roasted chicken, a bowl of big, and I mean it, big prawns. Quickly, don't make the general wait!"

"Low profile, my friend, low profile."

Contrary to what he was saying, the general-looking man spoke in a loud voice and a drawn-out way. He pranced into the restaurant and brushed his hands over his shoulders whenever other diners were close, as if to wipe off their dirt and dust which stuck on to him.

"Sure, sure. Please sit here, General. It's a good seat."

The other man did not wear as extravagantly as the general, so he might be of lower rank than the general, and quite possibly a subordinate of the general.

The diners avoided them and their glance. All but one. An old man sneered at them and continued drinking alcohol.

A loud bang on a table was heard. The subordinate stood up and raised the old man's up.

"Old geezer… I dare to you to give me that look again. I'm just afraid you won't have any more teeth to enjoy your broccoli and cabbage."

"Don't be rude to him. He's just a bit drunk. Here." The general took out some bronze coins. "Take these. I'm buying you a drink."

The old man was indeed drunk when he sneered at them and once he was grabbed, the feeling of regret instantly hit him, making him sweat bucketloads. There was a moment when he thought he might not live through tomorrow, so the sudden change of event made him feel the relief of his life.

"N-no… How can I take them?"

"Just take them. Or are you saying my coins were not worth taking?"

"No! No! I-I didn't mean that." The old man took those coins and gave the general a few too many consecutive bows. "T-thanks, general, I mean, Mr General, for the money. I am leaving now."

As the man was desperately making his way to the exit, the general tripped him over. The general took out even more bronze coins and stuffed them into the old man's mouth.

"So you wanted more! You should've told me." The general smiled at the old man, and spoke softly, "How pathetic are you?"

The old man ran outside as if his life depended on it, and sharp cling clangs could be heard from the dropping bronze coins. Even after the old man was nowhere to be seen, no one dared to pick up those bronze coins on the floor.

There were numerous times Tar thought of standing up for the old man, but he learned his lesson from what happened five years ago and stopped himself. Tar could only clench his fist and vow to one day drive away those barbaric Tzappians.

As if nothing happened, the general went back to his seat. "If any of you Eustacians want any money, the very generous me can give you some! Hahaha!"

"General, let me get your coins back!"

"Worry not. It's too little to care, for I promise you much more if everything goes well this night."

"M-much more? Like several silver coins?"

"Hahaha! That's why you're never promoted! Look further my friend. Yes, there'll be many silver coins, and perhaps even gold coins…"

"G-g-gold coins?"

"…But you'll receive even more important things. Contribution to the Tzappian Empire. Rise in the rankings. Status most could only dream of. Military prowess to rival an entire country." The general took a sip from his cup, and grinned. "What I want is power. Irrefutable power."

The subordinate gaped at his admired general's gospel. "So that's what I'm lacking…" He thought. "The General is wise, powerful, and even knows hundreds of martial arts styles. Truly, he is one exceptional man. What would I even be doing if I weren't his subordinate?"

"So, what are we doing tonight?"

"Do you know the Barn?"

"The big public house? I hear something's going on in there."

"You've done your research. I received intel that there will be a gathering of those beggars."

"We busting them? How many men do we have?"

"Idiot… If there were more of us, the reward will need to be shared."

"M-my gold coins…"

"And I won't get promoted."

Known for his quick-wittedness and elegant but deadly swift style of martial arts, the general was nicknamed the "Sly Puma" in his platoon. He was confident in his skills and even though he was told to bring an army of men to bust the illegal gatherings, he believed that none were needed.

"We've got the element of surprise. Just follow my lead and everything will go as planned." The general gave his subordinate a smirk.

The general and his subordinate quickly finished their food and left the restaurant. Without paying.

"What if they lay traps?" When Tar thought that Vidi might be in danger, he immediately rushed outside.