The General

Right now, all the influential people in Goblinia have gathered in the throne hall. The royal family, the ministers, the army commanders, the three generals who fought with Vik's grandfather, the adviser and Saito's group. When it comes to Goblinia, there are no nobles who rule a part of land or anything. It's just the ministers who take care of the administrations. The King rules the ministers and the ministers manages the people. That's how it always has been.

"Bring him in." Rukkendi said in a cold manner. The door of to the throne hall opened. Two royal guard soldiers dragged a beaten-to-a-pitiful-level guy with six more soldiers escorting them.

They made him kneel before their king and pulled his hair from behind in order to make him face the king.

"So? Who sent you?" Rukkendi asked while supporting his head with one hand as he looked at the last surviving ??ssassin with killing intent. The ??ssassin couldn't even open his mouth. That huge pressure. It was a Lord Knight! Was he sent to ??ssassinate a fu??k??n?? Lord Knight!? It only then came down to him after a bit that no wonder that much of his co-workers died so fast. Fighting a single Lord Knight is equal to fighting a army of ten freaking thousand!

He looked to his right. There were three more Hobgoblins that were suppressing their power, but he can tell that they are not weak. There was even a goddamn Necromancer! What the fu??k is a human Necromancer doing here! And a dark elf ??ssassin! The fu??k's wrong with this setting!? And there is also a human swordsman. This is one messed up hall. If he doesn't tell them, then he dies. But if he tells them, he also dies. But if he tries to escape, he miserably dies. No matter what he choose, he still dies.

"I asked who the FUCK SENT YOU!" Rukkendi raised his voice. His voice echoed throughout the palace. It was very loud. He was very angry. This incident made them look weak. Hundreds of ??ssassins infiltrated their land and killed a lot of soldiers as well as people. If they were to let it pass then they shall be damned.

"I... I..." the ??ssassin shuttered. The ??ssassin was one of the mountain fox Beastmen. These guys are agile, very suitable for being ??ssassins. Rukkendi was tapping his finger on the throne. He was starting to lose his patience.

"Gor." Rukkendi called. One of the commanders clad in iron armor stood up from his seat and walked towards the ??ssassin. He stopped when he reached the back of the ??ssassin. Gor was one of the trusted commanders of Rukkendi. The soldiers that were stationed in the square during that sudden attack were his men. His brothers. His soldiers who fought with their lives for Goblinia.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The ??ssassin screamed in pain, it was excruciating. That heavy iron boot crushed his bones to pieces. He couldn't handle the extreme sensation. His bones crushed. His tears gushed out like a river.

"My Majesty asked you a question." Gor looked at the ??ssassin with cold eyes. His anger has reached the level of him wanting to slaughter a whole village.

"It... It... It was Raizon.... The royalty... Who posted.. The req-*chough*-est." The ??ssassin said with much difficulty, he even coughed up blood.

Rukkendi stopped tapping his finger on the throne. He looked at the ??ssassin with cold and sharp eyes. His pupils became red. His anger reflected on his eyes.

He ??ssassin almost pissed himself after that single look. That look. It gave him goosebumps.

"Respected generals of Goblinia, prepare our armies, I want all our men ready for march within three days, we are going to war." Rukkendi said with a cold tone. The three generals stood up and saluted at the same time. (By salute, they hit their left ??h??st with their right fist, like knights.)

"As you command, your Majesty." All three of them said at the same time.

"If I may, your Majesty, may I interrogate the criminal?" Saito stood up and interrupted. Everyone looked at him. Herjar smiled.

'Looks like he caught up, show me something interesting.' Herjar thought.

Saito didn't rebutt but just looked at Rukkendi with a smile. Rukkendi understood that Saito found something. He must have found something! Or else he wouldn't have interrupted them.

"Proceed." Rukkendi said. He wants to see what he's gonna do.

"Release him." Saito said. The royal guards looked at each other and then looked at their king.

Everyone were stunned for a second. Release him? Then what? Give him a farewell party and escort him out of the country? What the hell is he planning to do? Was the thought of everyone.

"Do as he says." Rukkendi ordered. This is getting interesting, is what he thought.

The royal guards released the chains holding the ??ssassin and stepped back, but didn't leave.

Saito walked towards the ??ssassin and stood before him. He looked down at the ??ssassin. The ??ssassin didn't dare to lift his head. He didn't know what kind of guy this human is, but his appearance screamed danger.

"Nirashi, heal him." Saito said. His katana glowed white and it came out from his waist. His katana took appearance of a fox women. They were all shocked to see this, except his friends of course.

"Yes master." Nirashi said and pointed her palm towards the ??ssassin. She chanted. Same process. Same light coming out of her palm. Same healing.

The ??ssassin could feel his leg again. His eyes teared. All his pain vanished. He looked at Nirashi. A fox beastwomen! And a beautiful one at that!

"Thank... You." The ??ssassin said while choking on his tears. He thought he would he killed. But now, it didn't seem that way.

"Who said you are gonna be free?" Saito's words were like cold water doused on his happiness. Saito walked around him in circle while smiling. His smile was cold and sharp.

"Did you think I was gonna let you go? Why did you think I healed you? To send you off? I can't have you passing out in pain right?" Saito stopped before his face and lifted it. He let his face go and started going around him again.

"My brother Herjar, may I ask, what do you know about the fox beastmen?" Saito asked while walking.

Herjar smiled. "Fox beastmen, they are agile, good at ambushing, love non struggle and have no love for unnecessary fights.

Unlike other beastkin, they live in mountains or hills or in forests, they love loving close to nature." Herjar said. Whatever Saito was gonna do, it should be interesting to watch.

"Ho? Have no love for unnecessary fights? Looks like we caught a coyote instead of a fox, hahaha." Saito laughed. They were in no mood to laugh, but they still couldn't hold the tease, they all lightly laughed.

"Say Herjar, do you know where they all live?" Saito asked. He was still going around the ??ssassin.

"If my memory serves right, there are should be six tribes and each of them live in different places, one of them is near though." Herjar said. He could sort of guess what he's gonna do, but he still need to wait for Saito to say it to confirm.

"Then if you find a fox beastmen, they should be from one of these tribes right?" Saito asked, without stopping his little walk. His foot steps resounded throughout the hall since no one was making any sound.

"Hehehe, that's exactly right, fox women are said to be real beauties so a lot of slave traders tend to capture them for their beauty so their men protect them within their tribes." Herjar said. So his guess was right, this ought to be very interesting.

Saito stopped in front of his face again. Saito crouched. He looked at the ??ssassin face to face. Saito's smile gave him chills.

"Your name?" Saito asked.

"Eh?"

"I asked for your name." Saito asked. The ??ssassin felt weird. So he decided to give him a fake name.

"Teumes...." The ??ssassin said timidly.

Saito sighed. He stood up and turned around. He took one step forward and then threw a forceful kick towards the ??ssassin's face. The ??ssassin was sent flying.

The ??ssassin coughed blood. That one kick was equal to half the strength Gor used. It broke his teeth. He spit blood.

"I asked "your name", not a random shit you come up with." Saito said coldly.

"Hiiiiiii!" The ??ssassin shivered. It was very cold. That tone of his. It was like the sound of the reaper.

"Cato... Vulpes." The ??ssassin said. Saito smiled again.

"So the previous one was a fake eh?" Saito asked.

Eh?

Everyone were shocked. So he really didn't know whether his name was real or fake?

"You gave me your name so easily, so it made me doubt you, now that kick made you spill the beans." Saito said while circling the ??ssassin again.

"What.... Are you..... Going to do now?" The ??ssassin asked while looking at Saito with sharp eyes.

He turned towards the king. "I'm sure his Majesty would grant me my request." Saito said with smiling. Rukkendi could see the meaning on his eyes. Saito was onto something.

"Sure, let's put the war on hold and do as commander Saito just said." Rukkendi smiled as well. The commanders and generals also followed and smiled.

"No.... No..... NO! PLEASE DON'T HURT THEM! I'LL DO ANYTHING! PLEASE DON'T HURT MY FAMILY!" The ??ssassin cried and begged Saito as he held his leg.

Saito smiled. The fish caught the hook. He pushed him aside.

"Guards, take him to the dungeon and don't let him kill himself." Saito said.

"Yes commander!" The royal guards saluted and dragged the ??ssassin.

"NOOOOOOOO! PLEASE! LET ME GO! DON'T HURT THEM! PLEASEEEEEEEE!" The ??ssassin's voice faded into the distance. They finally left. The hall was silent again.

"So? Are you really going to do everything you just said?" Rukkendi asked with doubt.

"Of course not, that's a pain in the ??ss." Saito shrugged his shoulders. Saito's plan was just to scare him, not do everything he just told.

"Then? Why say all that?" One of the commander asked. This was puzzling to them. They never heard of an interrogation method like this.

"This is called "psychological torture", threaten him till his mind cracks, hit his soft spots and then he will sit out the truth without us even asking." Saito said while looking at the hall door. He turned around and faced Rukkendi.

"Your Majesty, have a few thousand men march around near his cell for a few days, he should be able to hear the sound of marching, he will eventually come to us." Saito said with a confident smile.

"Why go that far for a single ??ssassin? Can't we just beat the truth out of him?" This time, it was one of the three generals. They were also curious about this question.

"Simple, no matter what kind of method you use, he will spit lies after lies and lead you all in the wrong direction, even now you almost went to war with Raizon, so instead of beating the truth out of him, make him spit it out himself." Saito said with a cold smile.

"You are cruel, you know?" Herjar said while smiling.

"Cruelty? It's my speciality." Saito replied with his cold smile and sharp eyes.