"What are we going to be doing?” Aizen asked.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡwAQHMHluEd 維尼
Murdia, the woman in charge of the servants, looked at them critically. “Hm. What can you do?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAw6tCtzBt 維尼
“We can chop things,” Aizen said.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡfUlWZATtFS 維尼
“As well as clean horse stalls and the horses,” Akun said, although Aizen gave him a scowl. Akun noticed that Aizen scowled quite often. If he did it any more often, it might ruin his face permanently.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gcj3gHvi4 維尼
“We can run errands. I’m a fast runner.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56h47ORO0F 維尼
“Or we can clean things.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQtTFmU4D3 維尼
Murdia raised her eyebrows and looked at Luda, who shrugged. “You said you needed help,” he said.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1VLmR0D39B 維尼
“Not boys. They’ll probably cause a bigger mess.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡtC7sKrxCKa 維尼
“Just let them try.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjyis83aJt 維尼
She glared at Aizen and Akun. “You can help the cleaning staff. You are to make sure the entire mansion is cleaned and not a single layer of dust is found in any corner. Everything is to look presentable at all times.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKa5A0Ucxw 維尼
“Great.” Akun moved from side to side with a grin. “Where do we start?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡSaaHKqtupS 維尼
She eyed their clothing. “First, you’re not going to clean anything of the mansion before you get out of those rags and burn them.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡU56u0yFdBT 維尼
Murdia walked off and left them with Luda. “She is like that with everyone, lads. I have to get back to work. I’ll see you two at supper.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxrn2oWdMg 維尼
“The clothes aren’t that bad, are they?” Akun looked down on himself.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4R8YN5nDgP 維尼
“Just go,” Aizen said.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcpemDauYA 維尼
Aizen peered around the corner to make sure no one was near. They were in the shed just three hours after beginning their roles as the cleaning boys. Satisfied that they were still alone, he faced Akun.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡKGFS5nDXO2 維尼
“Did you find anything?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZktHYBy8s 維尼
“No one strikes me as a spy. They’re all lowly paid servants. I thought they knew better than to pay servants such a low income. It gives them more reason to accept bribes,” Akun said. “Although their magic user makes my leg twitch.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuRyr27n9V 維尼
“That old fart can’t even cast a proper light spell,” Aizen snapped out.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgOiJSfZA9 維尼
“Oh? Are you jealous that someone can use magic and you can’t?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iwJnRC47u 維尼
“I don’t need magic. You shouldn’t have magic,” Aizen said. “Magic users attract one another’s attention, which is one reason for why you shouldn’t be my partner on errands.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZD8D1OFqC 維尼
“Oh, don’t you worry,” Akun said quietly. “I hide my presence very carefully. He may sense me, but he has no idea what it is he is looking for. Besides, I won’t be a human all the time to let him get a good grip on me. I’m going back to being a rat at night to do some actual sniffing around.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡVF5id0qtZc 維尼
Aizen rolled his eyes. “Anything else?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMaUzm719Z 維尼
“What, didn’t you hear anything?” Akun said. This caused Aizen to glare at him.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡiurBIZ7gxj 維尼
“Don’t forget that this is my errand, and you’re just helping me. So don’t you go and start acting all bossy. I was stuck cleaning the room for a guest that’s arriving tomorrow.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7AaQOVqXq 維尼
Akun nodded. “The guest is Leal, the Duke’s son. He’s a cousin.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8DNHLlnTt 維尼
“Leal? Duke?” Aizen frowned in puzzlement. “That sounds familiar.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3E7Jv5kcPF 維尼
“You might have heard of him.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8w7USjT43 維尼
“Maybe.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmO9tAWLnW 維尼
“It probably doesn’t matter. The thing is that I haven’t seen a single one of the nobles yet.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85q7Vld9K9 維尼
“You’ll see them soon. Keep looking around.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4eB1oZJRi 維尼
Akun shrugged. “That’s what I plan to do. Oh, and look out for the servant named Murdia. Something’s suspicious about her.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi2Iw7kqfZ 維尼
“We’ll see.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjKBWXGVb3 維尼
They went their separate ways, with Akun entering the cool shadows of the house to rub away a stubborn stain in the hall. Then he slowly made his way to the stairs. It was amazing how much dirt could gather in a mansion.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAzEpzHAeT 維尼
“Are you a new servant?” He looked up and saw a young woman at the top of the stairs. One look at her told him that she was the daughter of the lord and lady.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSa3QlUEEk 維尼
He bowed. “I am, my lady.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡXY5aRMMHx7 維尼
“Welcome,” she said and walked down. “I’d love to stop and talk, but I need to be elsewhere.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡWT3GCyxeOj 維尼
“Of course,” Akun replied and bowed again, and stayed with his back horizontal until she was out of sight. He cocked his head and twitched his nose and sniffed. Arala Vanson, the daughter of Lord and Lady Vanson. Now for the rest of the family to appear, he thought with false cheerfulness. If they’re all as absentminded as her, they wouldn’t know if we told them that there was a spy in the household.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡB25kHuB51n 維尼
He made sure to note down all the exits he found and observed the servants that he passed. He even managed to strike up a conversation with another boy who helped with the cleaning of the mansion.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡWyHOPCMrxo 維尼
“You don’t want to cross her,” he said when Akun asked about Murdia.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOt4aB8CRa 維尼
“Why? Is she that mean?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKYzjROJJ5 維尼
“Just don’t. She is such a sneaky woman. Before you know it, you will be dismissed from the household. We’ve always suspected that she is the one who reports false accusations if she doesn’t like us. She has total control over the servants,” the boy said and sloshed more water on the marble floor of the great hall.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHVgmDSF4z 維尼
Akun knelt down with his own cloth. “That sounds scary. Why do people put up with her?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡvJbYJf4Mao 維尼
“We don’t,” he said. “We do little things that tick her off, but we have to be careful. Everyone hates her. She's always going on about how the Guards aren’t doing their duty and about how they are not actually catching the criminals ‘n all.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJJoItu0eG 維尼
Akun narrowed his eyes in disagreement. “I see the Enzla Guards working whenever they're on the streets,” he said. “They are certainly doing their best to catch the criminals. Didn’t you hear of the kidnapper they managed to find after a few weeks? They also found all the little ones the kidnapper stole.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡBU43AvTfz7 維尼
“Yes! I’ve been following that too,” the boy said with a grin.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡbscWzXa60y 維尼
They continued to talk of crime even as Akun thought that Murdia was starting to sound like a very unlikable person.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TYniCvaFJ 維尼
Meanwhile, Aizen was on the second floor walking along the corridor. He tried the knob of every door. Most were locked. For the ones that weren’t, he was able to enter and had the excuse of cleaning the room while he looked for any clues.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1xuecKE1yI 維尼
“Why do they need so many rooms? Only two on this floor looked used. The rest are just filling up space to be rat nests.” He shook his head and left the room.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8wrY5F5T1 維尼
And almost collided with Murdia.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJXM8aESlx 維尼
“Watch it, boy, or I’ll have you spanked,” she scolded.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡtlYIQzU6n0 維尼
“Just cleaning,” Aizen said meekly.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡI392fyMLD5 維尼
“Then you better hurry and get on with it, not stand around day dreaming,” she snapped out and went down the stairs.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFszoVhS5I 維尼
Well, wasn’t she in a hurry. He followed.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtnRguZeMu 維尼
She was going into the kitchen, but he continued to follow her for another minute. She abruptly turned into another corridor so quickly that Aizen has to run to see where she went next. He caught sight of her apron and ran after her.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtZea3mrDT 維尼
He could hear the chirping of birds and could see sunlight streaming out of open windows to the inner courtyard. He stayed hidden in the shadows and pressed himself flat against the wall.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡejrF5gRBac 維尼
Murdia had a rolled up piece of paper in one hand and a pigeon in the other. The paper was a pale orange, different from the ones he found all over the mansion. There was also something about the seal and string that bothered him. Aizen left after he saw her release the bird.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKHebmAUwm 維尼
Maybe it was time to clean the library.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡx2TjQsNbsN 維尼
“You took your time,” Akun said when Aizen joined him and Luda at their table.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUtYFAypAc 維尼
“The library was bigger than I thought it would be,” he replied and set his tray of food down. He gobbled the cheese and bread. Then drank the soup.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡlHei6JAa6H 維尼
“If I just met you, I would think that you haven’t eaten anything since dawn,” Luda said in dismay.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡv75dJf4EXs 維尼
“I haven’t,” Aizen said and plucked another piece of bread from the bowl set on the table.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfayvujP3I 維尼
Luda clucked and shook his head. “You have to eat! Anyway, you shouldn’t be dusting in the library unless it’s morning. The lord and his family go to the library often at night to do their studies. They are always in the library and don’t like to be bothered.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KaM6SPdIb 維尼
“How come they don’t just get someone to fetch their books?” Akun asked as he ate his meal at a more reasonable pace.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmMWbSEM9Y 維尼
Luda laughed as though Akun had told a joke. “Servants can barely read or write. What would be the point of sending one of us to the library to pick up a book if we cannot read the title of the book they want?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcVxrn8KD2 維尼
“Right,” Akun said and nodded.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7E6VhPtgo0 維尼
Aizen smacked Akun's head.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2n07AHp5vd 維尼
“What the—?” Akun glared at Aizen. Aizen continued to eat. His other finger was tapping on his thigh as if he was in a hurry to leave the mess hall. Akun suspected that he may have found something so he quickened his pace as well.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3aZn2k3Ns 維尼
“Is there anything else for us to do? We’re tired from our work and travel,” Aizen said to Luda.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡx53vFRNBp8 維尼
“No, go right ahead. There’s an early start tomorrow. You’ll need your rest. You know where we sleep. I’ll enjoy my meal a steady pace, unlike you lads. Always in a hurry. Pah.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZyqlAiC4n 維尼
Aizen and Akun were the only ones in the servants’ sleeping quarters.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LRWKpfiB2 維尼
Aizen began in a soft whisper. “I found out that Murdia is sending messages to someone using an Ician seal. Going by that, the blue string is probably part of the message. We don’t trade with Icians, so there is no way she could have found paper dyed orange in a market.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡnZcBa6aZMP 維尼
“That’s one of the colours from the code that Icians used.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrMdC8hgL1 維尼
“Orange,” Aizen said. “Orange is for “report”. White is for urgent, and blue for special details that might change plans.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLYiPN1lTx 維尼
“She’s our messenger,” Akun said. “I’ll look for their letters tonight.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2DtXEgCey 維尼
“At this rate, we might finish before the day after,” Aizen remarked and prepared his spot on the floor to sleep.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2USnYU7wCK 維尼
Later that night when all the servants were asleep, Akun sat up and sniffed.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡdB9Ctn58Pg 維尼
Aizen listened for any footsteps before he asked, “So how does your…thing work?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQwwDAJvGM 維尼
“I just transform. I’ve done it enough times to be used to it but it’s still easier to revert back to my original form than to turn into a human. Do you know how many bones your species has?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡueKjKm59Ju 維尼
“Forget it,” Aizen whispered.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cuIjXzgQP 維尼
“Don’t even get me started on the organs and cells—”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82iPH3z3Ie 維尼
“I won’t.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9QGaSf9Iub 維尼
Aizen made the mistake of watching Akun shift back to a mouse. Akun's head slowly collapsed in on itself and sprouted fur. His nose elongated and disappeared under whiskers. The soft clothing Akun the human had worn fell quietly to the warm blanket, with Rooster wiggling out of the shirt.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXHUDBnRwR 維尼
“Ugh!” Aizen said quietly. “At least warn me first…that’s gross.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbimVtYkKZ 維尼
Rooster looked up at Aizen blankly. “I live to gross you out.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡv20U0dfcSr 維尼
Aizen glared and fell back to his bed roll. He heard the quiet clicking of a mouse’s nails against stone. Then it was gone.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP47yprHxc 維尼
Rooster found his way to Murdia’s small chamber. As the head servant, she was allowed her own room. Must easier if she’s alone, Rooster thought. He scurried to the side of the bed and listened to Murdia’s breathing for a minute to get the rhythm. Then he searched for the documents. It was fairly easy with the room flooded with light from the moon.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jOKVLC2uL 維尼
They were beneath a floorboard behind the door. He would have never been able to pry it open if it wasn’t always used. Thanks, Murdia, he thought as he looked at the papers hidden in the small gap. Many were curled from being rolled tightly into a tube. Others were folded and unfolded countless times, showing that Murdia had seen each and every one of them more than once. He began to take them all out, but paused. If she sent a message today, she was probably expecting a reply tomorrow.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡTO7bFKdZiZ 維尼
With his keen hearing, he heard Aizen's foodsteps just outside of the room. Rooster made himself known and stared at Aizen with his beady eyes.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99e8xsYIFa 維尼
“The documents are over here. Do you have any replacements that we can use to fool her for a while?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡlekbQFqzb9 維尼
“Who do you take me for? Of course I do.” Aizen reached into his sleeve and pulled out multiple blank pieces of paper. “These are copy papers. I’ll use them.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgqiVMY3DD 維尼
Rooster went to drag the papers out to the hall where there was less of a chance to wake Murdia. The copy papers in Aizen's hands still had the faint smell of magic. It was strange, but Rooster found that he could only smell magic in his animal form.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡVnWB9KJ8SP 維尼
Aizen knelt by the papers. He examined each and every one of them quickly and used his knife to cut down the copy papers to the similar sizes of the originals. Then he placed the copy papers over them.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjnEvGGMNc 維尼
Slowly, Rooster saw text float to the surface of the copy paper. Within minutes, they had a replica for each message in their hands. Everything was then replaced the way Rooster found it.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvW3X0qK1a 維尼
“What are you doing?” Aizen asked after he eased the door closed. He looked at his right shoulder where Rooster sat.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMMHknaPx9 維尼
“It’s faster this way.” Rooster thumped his small tail against Aizen’s shoulder. “Besides, I’m not so annoyed at you anymore.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡC9JwgKwHSh 維尼
“Huh,” Aizen said with a frown. “I still don’t want to work with you after this.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡluBXUFdUud 維尼
“Such bluntness.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡWDrB6uAzpr 維尼
“Yes, and I will continue to say so! You cause me too much trouble. I never would have had to go through all this if I were doing this alone.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvd6sA4VvP 維尼
“But it wouldn’t have been done this quickly,” Rooster countered.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoldgP13HW 維尼
Aizen snorted and shook his head. They re-entered the servants’ sleeping quarters. Rooster hoped off Aizen’s shoulder and into his cot.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡmb4TsPFkcP 維尼
“Oh, ancestors above and below. Don’t shift in front of me again.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dRw5aUbIT 維尼
“I wasn’t going to.” Rooster rolled his eyes inwardly and shifted into his human form under the blankets. Aizen waited until he was sure that Rooster was done before speaking.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsGSEjbcQ4 維尼
“I’ve met a few human…shifters before.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡsTq5evy3f3 維尼
“Uh huh.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KmHHawozP 維尼
“They don’t sleep in the shape they shift into.”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kyhvEH5Et 維尼
“Do you see them being surrounded by people who would wonder why a mouse is sleeping where Akun should be?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡkIjxSDHUNI 維尼
“That’s not the point,” Aizen whispered. “They can’t hold onto the shape when they sleep. They have no control over it, so they revert back to their original form, or they shift to something else they dream up. Don’t you have that problem?”8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aTK5wBD8x 維尼
Akun scoffed quietly.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXcsEL05Fq 維尼
Aizen left the matter drop when someone stirred. He still wanted to know how Akun got that leg injury and how he became a shifter.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86rW9lHysw 維尼
Seeing as how they weren't on good terms and Aizen just told Rooster that he didn't want to ever work with him again, he was probably never going to know.8964 copyright protection524ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPaOCA0FAy 維尼
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