“Nozomi, why did you let that young man go? And why did you make me say those things to him? We can’t really sell any demi-humans to him. We may have fooled him for now, but what about in three days? It doesn’t solve anything.”
“Hahaha! Roland, it seems you haven’t understood Sister Nozomi’s intention yet.” A robust and cheerful voice rang out as another demi-human approached.
This was a demi-human of the ‘Bear’ race, with a large body and strong muscles.
“Wait a minute! Shan, are you saying…” Roland, suddenly enlightened, his eyes lit up.
“Exactly, big sister obviously wants to turn the tables and teach that arrogant guy a lesson!”
As the triumphant voice echoed, a third demi-human emerged from the shadows. She clenched her fists, and although not as muscular as the bear one, she was still robust and agile – a female ‘Tiger’ Jiu.
Following Jiu was the last one, hissing softly, wearing glasses, and looking scholarly, suggesting he played a ‘tank’ role. His green scales and slender tongue marked him as a member of the ‘Snake-race’.
These four demi-humans were clearly the leadership of the revolutionary army, discussing the plan with Roland.
“I’ve already sent someone to check, and that young man was telling the truth. The deed to the mansion is real. He’s probably some rich noble’s son from outside, and a wealthy one at that.”
The scholarly snake young man, adjusting his glasses, was the first to report. After hearing his words, Jiu, the female Tiger, let out a scoff.
“Hmph, what does it matter if he’s rich? These Country’s nobles are all the same fools. Buying an old mansion for such a high price, they don’t even realize how much they’re overpaying.”
“Being foolish is good for us. The stupider he is, the more advantageous it is for our next plan,” the Bear man named Shan agreed.
“Wait! Hold on a second, are you planning to… take action against him?”
Roland finally found an opportunity to interject, followed by Nozomi, the Fox lady, who spoke:
“Roland, we can’t always trouble you by hiding here. We’ve been dormant for too long, and it’s time to take action. Our original plan was to target a corrupt official in Sealed City soon, but now it seems… we have a better target.”
“Right, right, hiding any longer and my body will start to rust. I need to kill a few corrupt officials to cure my sickness. But if Sister Nozomi thinks that noble young man is a better target, then let’s start with him as an appetizer!” Jiu theatrically clenched her fists together.
“I agree. Also, there’s another point: the fake revolutionary army impersonating us has been too prominent lately. They’re going too far, targeting civilians. The more silent we are, the more rampant they become, quickly tarnishing our reputation.”
“According to my recent investigations, many humans who were willing to support us have turned against us because of this. Even many of our brethren who are still in the dark are starting to doubt us. This can’t go on. We need to make a big move, then declare our intentions to the world, to regain the image of the revolutionary army!”
The Snake man’s voice grew more passionate as he spoke, highlighting his emphasis on the importance of ‘image.’
“Alright, since everyone agrees on this plan, the next step is to figure out how to implement it. When he comes back, do we just… take him out right here?”
Shan was the first to suggest a straightforward approach. Jiu, who shared his direct nature, also seemed quite satisfied with this idea.
Unfortunately, Leng, the Snake man, shook his head in disagreement: “No, we can’t act here. It’s too dangerous. If the Dragon Gate Army traces it back to us, our hideout will be directly exposed.”
“If we’re going to take action, it has to be in his house. Moreover, by doing so, we’ll be hitting the fake revolutionary army in the face. It also sends a message to the public that the true revolutionary army, even if we rob or kill, only targets the houses of the nobles and corrupt officials, never harming civilians!”
“Yes, Leng is right. I was thinking the same. First, we pretend to sell one of our own to that young man. Then, our comrade inside can gather information on the layout and security of the young noble’s mansion. Later, under the cover of night, we strike from both inside and out. This not only enhances our reputation but also greatly boosts our financial resources.”
Leng and Nozomi, both in the decision-making echelon, agreed on this strategy. Seeing their consensus, Shan and Jiu no longer suggested their ideas. The plan to target Renji was thus almost finalized, except for one crucial step: deciding who to ‘sell’ to Renji.
As the other three hesitated, Leng was the first to speak up.
“I think Ashe is the most suitable.”
“What! No way! We can’t let Ashe go! She’s still so young! She, she can’t handle it! It’s too much responsibility for her!”
Watching Jiu vehemently oppose him, Leng remained unfazed. Adjusting his glasses, he stated firmly, “I think Ashe is suitable for three reasons. First, she hasn’t been seen by that young man, fitting Roland’s description of a new batch of goods, so it won’t arouse the human’s suspicion”
“Second, although Ashe is one of the younger members among us, she is already of age. We have to admit that the Cat race, among all demi-human races, have the strongest sensory perception and agility. No one can perform better as an inside agent than Ashe.”
“Third, and I hate to say this, but… you all should know how popular Cat race are among the Dragon Nation’s nobility, right? That young man clearly wants to buy many demi-humans, but at most, we can only deliver one without risking exposure. Since we can’t satisfy him in quantity, we must do so in quality. And honestly, Ashe is the highest quality we have.”
Silence followed. 𝘪𝘦.𝘤𝑜
Still silence….
No one spoke after Leng’s words, because they all knew that Ashe was indeed the most suitable choice. However, because of her suitability, the treatment she might receive would also be the most cruel.
The Cat-race are popular among human nobles because their ‘demi-human’ characteristics are less pronounced. They don’t have the abundant fur or other beast-like features common to other demi-human races. Apart from cat ears and tails, Cat-people are almost indistinguishable from humans, and Ashe is a prime example.
Renji’s image, as they perceived it, was no different from that of a badly behaved, morally corrupt young nobleman, a type they had seen all too often. That’s why they were acutely aware of the disgusting, vile, and even cruel acts these nobles could inflict on such a ‘prime’ slave. This could be inferred from the fact that the Cat-race were nearly extinct, their population on the brink of disappearance.
Even though Ashe would only be temporarily sold to Renji, pretending to be a slave, to effectively play the role of an inside agent and coordinate with the external forces, she would still have to obey Renji. She would even need to genuinely please Renji to gain his trust, facilitating the success of their subsequent actions.
“It’s okay, everyone,” a voice interjected, trying to reassure the group.
Breaking the silence among the demi-humans was a voice trying to sound strong, yet still tinged with youthful innocence. The voice belonged to a petite girl emerging from the back of the warehouse. She was not tall, around one meter fifty-six, with black hair, black ears, and a black tail. Black cats are considered a bad omen in the Cat tribe, which is probably why her parents named her Ashe – hoping the snow-white name could dilute the bad luck associated with her features.
Following the black cat girl were several younger demi-humans, clearly reluctant to let her go.
” Sister Ashe, please don’t go… don’t!”
“Woah… We don’t want to leave Sister Ashe, woahhhh…”
“You can’t sell Sister Ashe to the bad people! We, we won’t allow it!”
These demi-human children, surrounding the petite girl, clung to her, with some of the boys even running in front of Ashe, arms outstretched to protect her. Ashe, being the smallest among the adult demi-humans and just recently come of age, often took on the responsibility of caring for the children in the revolutionary army.
“Be good, stop making a fuss and go back.”
“Don’t worry. Your Sister isn’t being sold to a bad person; I’m going to defeat the bad person. Don’t you believe in your Big sister?”
“Right! And guess what? Once your Big Sister defeats that bad guy, we won’t have to go hungry anymore! We’ll have lots of money and can buy lots of food! Everyone will be able to eat meat every day!”
Ashe squatted down to soothe the children blocking her way. Hearing her words, especially the promise of no more hunger and meat to eat, made many of the young demi-humans’ mouths water.
They were all in their growing stages, yet their daily meals were meager – just a little potato porridge. Sometimes, when times were tough, the revolutionary army had to prioritize adult demi-humans with fighting abilities for food distribution, leaving these little ones to go hungry.
“Then Sister Ashe, do your best! You must come back. promise, pinky swear!”
“Yes, pinky swear!”
After seeing the children obediently retreat, the black cat girl finally had a chance to turn her attention back to the adults in the meeting.
Noticing their looks of sympathy and reluctance directed at her, Ashe smiled lightly and shook her head.
“I’ve heard everything from the back. I’ll take on this mission.”
“Ashe…”
Jiu was the first to break, rushing over to hug the black cat girl. Shan sighed heavily, turning away, unable to bear watching.
Emotions were important, but Leng stepped forward, gesturing for Jiu to let go. His cold serpentine eyes met Ashe’s as he spoke earnestly:
“Ashe, this operation is crucial for us. It’s pivotal to our future, so… you must understand what I mean. For our future, some necessary sacrifices are inevitable. You must be mentally prepared. Our future is in your hands now.”
“Yes, don’t worry, brother Leng, and everyone else.”
The black cat girl nodded emphatically, her gaze sweeping over all the members of the revolutionary army present, the demi-humans forced to wear collars, and the recently seen emaciated children. Ashe clenched her hand hidden in her sleeve, solemnly promising:
“I will do it.”
“I will seize the future for us all!”
….
….
The next day, at Renji’s mansion, his pager rang before dawn. When Renji answered, a familiar voice came through.
“Mr. Renji, the new merchandise you requested was prepared urgently last night. However, due to the tight timeframe, I couldn’t find as many slaves that meet your requirements, so there’s only one this time.”
“Don’t worry, though the quantity is small, the quality is assured because she is a… Cat girl!”
Roland, calling Renji, sounded casual, but in reality, he was extremely nervous. The members of the demi-human revolutionary army around him also felt a heavy weight in their hearts.
The most critical part of their plan hinged on Renji accepting this slave. Without an inside agent, they couldn’t ascertain Renji’s specifics, and the risk of their operation would increase significantly.
After a brief silence on the other end of the line, Renji’s voice came through, carrying a frivolous tone laced with mockery.
“Ah, Roland.”
“How did you know my favorite type is a cat-girl~?”
———-
Well, this chapter counts as 2 chapters XD? NO….
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