"Please don't be impulsive, Count Odbart Adalgiso, I don’t mean to hurt you, I just came here to talk with you."

Heck, was this a way to tell people you want to talk with them? Odbart Adalgiso swallows his fear and slowly turns around. Under the threat of a dagger, he could only give way to the pressure and do what the other side wants.

In the light of the dim candlelight, he could see the other - she is sitting on his bed, her body hidden under a robe and her head covered with a hood, so he could not see her real appearance. Her shadow which is thrown by the candlelight occupying more than half of the wall behind her.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Kurotsuchi."

She stands up and straightens out her robe, then bows down for a while. 

"First of all, I’m here to express my gratitude to you Lord Odbart Adalgiso, the Count of Vilvorde."

Show your gratitude? Odbart Adalgiso notices that some lines of her gown, due to the firelight, gives off a unique flash; they form a pattern of hammer and book, an unknown insignia.

"You are an assassin?"

"Ha ha ha!" she issues a series of light laughter before straightening her body. 

"What who sent you?"

She shakes her head.

"I am not here to kill you. I was sent by my master, the king of Hezri Kingdom, Hiro-sama."

Hearing the other side reveals their identity, Odbart Adalgiso breathes a sigh of relief, she is not an assassin sent by other nobles.

"Why someone from faraway land, a king's messenger come to this border town in northern area?"

Kurotsuchi sits back on his bed, "Hezri Kingdom is actually right next to your region. But still, if you leave a bad second impression I can still kill you."

This was a hanging threat. He tries to ease the mood, "Next to us? Hyuutia and Seraph are within Dioral. Abram is Ferelden's. The southern side is Orlais forest. My demesne, Vilvorde is at the most north eastern of Dioral. Between Vilvorde and the Thedas ocean, there is Venetian city state."

"I came to this place a week ago, but I did not show myself to you. But I have seen everything you have done. If I report this to my master, he would love to have you to serve him."

He furrows his eyebrows,

"This master of yours is a king? Forgive me, I haven't heard the name..Hez..mmm.."

"It's Hezri Kingdom. It is a newly established kingdom. The whole Hyuutia, Korcari Wilds until Redcliffe are now ruled by my master, Hiro-sama."

His eyes widen in disbelief.

"I can't understand your words.."

"Albert Hyuutia and other noble families north western of Dioral had pledged fealty to my master. The whole Redcliffe also pledges their loyalty to Hiro-sama. They keep it as secret for now. We are building strength. Once we are strong enough, we shall declare our existence to the world. Parts of Ferelden, Castall and Dioral shall form this new state under Hiro-sama."

The way the girl addresses her master, a king as Hiro-sama, seems foreign to Odbart Adalgiso. Her way of talking, despite understandable, shows she is obviously not borne in this part of continent.

"Since a week ago..." Odbart Adalgiso rubs his forehead, but also "everything he had done was seen by her?" This implies that she is always following him, but he and his guards were completely unaware of her? 

"Are you already tired of talking with me?" asked Kurotsuchi while taking off her hood, "See, I do not look that awful, I will not scare you away, Count."

She is far more than ‘not that awful’, you could simply only call her beautiful.  As her hood fell, her raven black hair instantly cascades down like a waterfall; the candlelight reflected by her hair made him feel dizzy; with her aquiline nose, snow white skin and her sparkling crimson pupil. Her voluminous bob styled hair covers her nape, ears and a large bang covers most of her forehead.

In this dim light, he could not take a close look, but her well-proportioned facial features are sufficient proof of her beauty.

Step by step Odbart Adalgiso slowly goes over to her, and in the end they are sitting on the bed side by side. Not because he is attracted to her, that would be even dangerous, no, he just simply feels that the other side has no malicious intent.

"Now you can talk."

"Sure enough, you're not afraid of me." Kurotsuchi’s voice sounds a little happy.

He embarrassedly coughs twice, and then moves his butt away from her sitting position.

Hey, don’t change the atmosphere so much, just a moment ago you were still an assassin, how can you so suddenly completely change your style?

Fortunately, the other quickly restrains her emotions, "I came here to tell you that my master commands you to serve under him."

"No!" He becomes frightened, and impulsively responds. Then he is worried that if he refuses her altogether, she would be annoyed, so he adds, "It would be dangerous if Dioral king hears by defection and attack us!"

despite Roland’s denial Kurotsuchi doesn’t get angry, instead she still continues to talk with him in a calm tone.

She smiles like an innocent child and replies convincingly,

"We had built a long and tall wall along the central region of Dioral. We even block the riverside until near Florence. Vandimion family and their Venetian city state also support my master. Until we declare ourselves to the world, no one knows about your defection. My master can also help you with your research. You will find my master to be different from anyone you have even seen until now."

Her seemingly Frank words pique his interest. Who is this Hiro-sama? Odbart Adalgiso thinks.

Kurotsuchi senses that his heart has been moved, so she gives another push.

"We know Vilvorde has been constructing a long wall separating north eastern Dioral from Nicaea, the trinity church state. You have been building that wall and moat since your late father's time without a single help from the Dioral Kingdom. My master wishes to help you. He had successfully built the great wall in central Dioral after all."

Hearing the offer, Odbart Adalgiso clinches his fist and trembles in excitement. It shows how much his family had persevered because of this wall. Is the God sending him a help now?