Cthulhu Gonfalon

There were no lights in the tavern. Only a little moonlight shone through the windows to give the place a tad of light.

This bit of light was not enough to light up the place. The waiters and owner of the tavern were not around either. The pitch-dark tavern was empty except for the three people seated at two tables in a corner.

“Alright. The two of you can talk about anything you want to talk about. I’m just here as a witness,” said the man with a tall hat. He was sitting alone by one of the tables. In a low voice that made his gender almost indiscernible, he said, “You can take me as non-existent.”

At the other table, the two people who sat facing one another did not respond to his words. They merely maintained silence.

After a while, one of them opened his mouth to speak, “Because Earl ‘Good Horse’ has determined this assassination as coming from within the merchant party, it is difficult to produce better stimulation or provocation by assassinating soldiers of the aristocratic party or lords. I feel that we can change our mission to assassinating important figures from the merchant party, or we can attack the trade caravans. As compared to the aristocratic party where all matters are dictated by the lords, the merchant party has a much weaker control over its subordinates. It’s easy for them to get angry and start fighting so long as we can incite enough provocation.”

This person was none other than the middle-aged man who had just converted from a pirate to an assassin a few years ago. He had ultimately persuaded the middleman to invite his employer over for a face-to-face discussion.

The person seated across him donned a long robe with a hood. Their entire body was covered, so it was impossible to see what they looked like, their age or their gender. After hearing what was said, this employer was silent for a moment. Then this employer, who had a very entrancing voice, said, “Are you sure it will be more effective to attack the merchant party?”

“It’s not that it’d be more effective. It’s just that given the current situation, it might only work if we attack the merchant party.”

The employer was silent for another moment, then sighed gently in that almost undetectable voice.

They did not seem very pleased.

But the middle-aged man did not say anything more in response. He stood firm in his opinion.

After a while, the employer said, “The so-called assassin is actually just a kind of merchant too, right?”

“Fair enough for you to say so. It’s just that the ‘commodity’ being sold is more unique.”

“Won’t you feel a sense of guilt towards fighting your own kind by attacking the merchant party?”

“I used to be a pirate. My main income comes from attacking merchant ships.”

The employer was silent again. After quite a long moment, they finally accepted the middle-aged man’s suggestion.

“If you feel that it’s better to do that, then let’s go ahead with that,” they said. It might or might not be because they were displeased, thus in a voice that sounded a little depressed, they said, “In short, I just need to see results.”

“Okay,” said the middle-aged man as he nodded. Then he got to his feet, turned around and left.

After he had gone far, the employer said to the middleman next to him, “Do you think this assassin’s idea is reliable?”

“I’m a middleman. I’m not responsible for making remarks of or criticizing any of your ideas and methods,” replied the middleman. He continued to speak in that low and flat voice of his that was void of any characteristics. “So I’m unable to answer your questions, Mr. Hayde.”

This employer, who was addressed as “Mr. Hayde,” sighed again. Then they too stood up and went out.

After a long time, the middleman got up and left through the back door of the tavern. But he was totally unaware that someone had a bird’s eye view of his entire trail.

Floating in the air in an invisible form, a pair of eyes was watching attentively but coldly.

That person watched him walk into an empty house and saw him leaving with a different guise. Then after seeing that he had returned to his own residence, that person made a record of the day’s events and finally smiled coldly.

“Prudent enough, but useless all the same,” he said.

“You’re very prudent too,” another voice was heard.

“When did you arrive?”

“Just…” said the latter voice. “I thought you needed help.”

“I’ve never required help before!” said the first voice, which sounded somewhat displeased.

“I know you’re capable. But it doesn’t hurt to have a little extra help,” the second voice said with a smile. “Moreover, I have consulted His Majesty and only came here after I’ve gotten his approval.”

The first voice kept silent for a while, then let out a sigh.

“How do you intend to help me?”

“My plan is to create some alibis for you,” said the second voice. “Of course, it’s to create an alibi for ‘Her Royal Highness.’ As for ‘Mr. Hayde,’ he’s such an elusive and shadowy character that no one can trace him, right?”

“I truly abhor that identity!” the first voice lamented. “I don’t mind even if it’s a prince, but why must it be a princess?”

“This is not something we can decide. Bodies that are compatible with and can blend in with ours are rare in the first place. You are already lucky enough to be able to find a human body. There was once when I had to use a gnome’s body when I descended… You’d never be able to imagine how strong its odor was! I washed myself almost ten times using various methods to the point where I scrubbed away a layer of skin, just to find the smell barely bearable.”

The first voice let out a few low laughs and said, “You never mentioned this before.”

“This is not something to be proud of…” the second voice said helplessly. “If I had been lucky enough, I would have found a dragon body. Then I’d brag about it a few hundred times without even the need for you all to ask.”

“What kind of body are you intending to use this time?”

“I haven’t found a suitable one yet,” said the second voice. “As you know, I just descended. As of now, I’ve yet to get myself together. I need to slowly look around.”

“If you really can’t find any, just used the body of a monster statue,” suggested the first voice.

“There are many problems with the body of a monster statue. The biggest problem is that its combat power cannot be fully unleashed and can only be used as a final resort. If I can, I still hope to find a human body as much as possible,” said the second voice with a sigh. “It’s quite a pity to say this, but my descendants had been such a letdown when they allowed our entire race to be exterminated, if not…”

“My descendants are not any better. Those of the purest bloodline clearly have outstanding talents in wizardry but are kept on a tight leash. They have to live in degradation by selling their beauty. To hell with the ‘princess’ indeed. It’s nothing more than being a pitiful wretch sold as an object every day for others to satisfy their lecherous desires in various perverse manners. All this just to prove that one’s family doesn’t seek to restore its state… Come to think of it, I still think the descendants of the God of Exploration are the most accomplished ones. Just counting the number of Legendary Masters, they have three. How wonderful of them to be able to propel their family land to such prosperity!”

“I still remember how we all used to be at the same position. Now, he’s already a real god, but we’re still Oracles…” said the second voice most dejectedly. “If only our descendants had been more motivated in wanting to do better, how good that would be!”

“He’s not only blessed with obliging descendants, he’s mostly lucky too. Do you remember the Eight Knights of Virtue? Do you think they have any aggressive descendants who desired any accomplishments? So long as we keep doing our best, sooner or later, we’ll have that kind of opportunity too.”

The two voices discussed for a moment then became flowing lights and flew off in two different directions.