Baron Akno sprawled on a camp cot in the deepest part of the dead-end cave marked by the basilisk's head.
The man was breathing in anticipation. His plan was nearing completion.
The dragon hunter had sworn – his plan would work like clockwork. His words only elicited a restrained smirk from the Baron. 'In any case, I took two more for backup,' he thought smugly. 'And I'm no slouch myself. The title of capital tournament champion isn't given to nobodies... especially when the head judge is your father and the competition suddenly drops out. But that's not important now.'
Tempting visions danced in the Baron's head. He... The one considered a nobody in his father's house and thrown out onto the street at the first opportunity, expected to soon become a casualty report.
But he hadn't died in a ditch. He hadn't drunk himself to death. He had grown. And soon he would get what he deserved. The Empress. And everything that came with her: the throne, wealth, and power.
The anticipation of sweet revenge made his legs and arms tremble faintly. 'Ah, how I'll celebrate then... Father will be so "happy" to see the heads of his new bastards on pikes outside the manor windows...' I'll watch until they die, must remember to stock up on drink...' The Baron's lips stretched into a rictus resembling a grimace.
THUD.
The sound came from the outer tunnel – dull, like a falling stone. The Baron instinctively jumped up, his sword already in his hand. His heart hammered somewhere in his throat. 'Nerves... Damn nerves! Probably just a cave-in... or Lyn tripped...'
He didn't see the shadow that, pressed against the cave ceiling right above the entrance like a giant bat, lingered its gaze for a moment on his trembling back.
Saigo, who had slipped into the camp the very moment the Baron turned towards the sound, mentally noted: 'Nerves... Acting up, you say? I'll calm you down soon.'
The man dissolved into the shadows, skirting the perimeter of the cave, leaving the Baron with his trembling sword and obsessive visions of glory. The real game was just beginning, and the Baron, in his fantasies already seated on the throne, didn't even suspect he had become a pawn in someone else's game. The player, however, was moving towards his first target – silently, relentlessly, with the cold of star-metal in his soul and death on his fingertips.
Saigo froze in a crevice, merging with the shadows at the very edge of the fire pit. 'Even if he notices, it's fine.' The Baron, with his showy bravery and shaking hands, wasn't a problem. But his gaze lingered on the man's face – a blissful grin from ear to ear, eyes lost in sweet daydreams. 'Let him dream,' Saigo decided with icy cynicism. 'While he's alive.'
His calculation was simple: worst case, wait for the others and kill them all here – it was faster than rooting each one out of cave crevices individually.
Or... if they decided to go for the dragon in the next few hours. Follow them. Best case they wound it, and if not, he'd at least see the opponent in action. Either way – he was ahead. If only they'd hurry up... Time was ticking.
And lo and behold – luck favored him. Two figures approached the fire.
The first – a woman in dark, flowing robes, with a staff of blackwood topped by a shimmering crystal. By the way magic thickened around her, Saigo understood. She was a real mage. Not like that pup upstairs.
The second – a walking mountain in plate armor, with a longsword that looked like a machete in his hand, and a shield that could probably stop a battering ram. Every movement breathed lethal efficiency.
"What took so long?" The Baron jumped up from the rock, his dreamy grimace replaced by a nervous scowl.
"Apologies, sire," the magess's voice was calm as the surface of an underground lake. "There were... some complications."
"Hmm? What kind?" The Baron resembled a child whose favorite toy had been snatched away.
"The target changed its schedule. It has moved to the far cave. The one illuminated by the giant crystal."
"And what is it doing there?!" The Baron almost squealed.
"The dragonslayer swore it sleeps! I don't know why this beast can't sleep in its own lair. But a fact is a fact, we must go. Right now."
Hearing this, the Baron gripped his sword's hilt as if it were a lifeline. His face froze in a mask of feigned resolve.
"Let's go. And be vigilant." The bruiser and the magess exchanged a glance. Their eloquent look was more informative than any words: 'His quirks again.'
"I... thought I heard something, right before you arrived," the Baron muttered, looking around nervously.
"Imagination, sire," the warrior cut him off. "Mon is on watch. If anyone had passed, we'd know. He has no equal in stealth."
"Hmm... So maybe call him?.." The Baron glanced distrustfully at the walls.
"Not advisable," the mage parried softly but firmly. "We don't need extra 'guests'."
The Baron nodded, but his gaze fixed directly on the crevice where Saigo was hiding. 'Is the bastard looking right at me? No... Through me.'
"It seems..." The Baron took a step forward, his eyes wide, the whites glowing in the semi-darkness. "...these walls are watching me." He took another step. "With contempt! They're watching! Waiting for my mistake! My failure! Like they…" He stared at the ceiling, his voice cracking into a hysterical shriek. "AND HE WON'T BE THERE! AAARGH!"
He wildly swung and drove his blade into the nearest stalagmite. The stone pillar exploded in a hail of shards. The Baron stood, breathing heavily, his whole body trembling.
The mage and warrior froze. How to react to this madness? The client was strange, but the caves were clearly driving him insane faster than they had anticipated.
"Sire..." the magess began cautiously.
The Baron sharply raised his hand, gripping the hilt until his knuckles cracked.
"I... understand. Let's go."
The group, maintaining an unnatural distance from the shaking Baron, quickly disappeared into the tunnel leading to the crystal cave.
Saigo emerged from hiding only when the echo of their footsteps had faded.
He glanced over his armor, now generously dusted with stone chips.
"Damn hysteric," he muttered with puzzled annoyance, starting to brush himself off vigorously. "Had to ruin the suit too... Even if perfect camouflage requires a decent layer of dust, it shouldn't be a gift from this deranged little baron."