𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 || 𝕂𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕠 𝔸𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕠

6. Doubt Comes In

Kanari stared blankly down at the blueprint before her. The rough pencil lines and shaky lettering formed the layout of a second treasure hoarder camp. Traps and hidden mechanisms swirled before her eyes, almost mocking her.

It had been a little over two weeks since Kanari was appointed royal advisor. Though it was still nerve-racking at times, she was slowly getting used to the king's presence. In fact, that was the easiest thing to deal with at meetings, where there was never a shortage of annoying people trying to impress the king.

Kanari was only half-listening as the rest of the counselors discussed plans of attack. This base was even harder to crack than the last one. Most of the entrances and exits were unreliable or one-way, and it was filled with potentially fatal traps. It also held a large portion of stolen goods, though, so it was the perfect target.

So far, the only thing they'd been able to agree on was that this was not the work of mere rogues. It became increasingly obvious with each report that the treasure hoarders had outside help. The only question left was from who. The council of generals and war advisors spent the last hour poring over strategies that would ensure a victorious infiltration. After the last attack's success, the robberies had lessened, but only for a short period of time. Soon, the bandits began striking more and more, increasing the severity of the situation by tenfold. This was no longer a mere band of rogues stealing from a couple of merchants. This was a nationwide crisis. Each attack seemed to be part of a much bigger play. One that waited like a snake in the shadows, preparing for the perfect moment to strike.

The king sat silently as his advisors bickered on. His mouth was set in a grim line as he pondered the layout intently. All the plans so far had major flaws, and the ones that were rid of such flaws were incredibly risky.

"What if—" he tapped the map with a pen "—we came through here."

He began explaining the plan he'd thought of, waving his jet black fountain pen around, occasionally stabbing points on the blueprint. His counselors hung onto every word as he wove an elaborate scheme in their heads. As he finished, he glanced to his right. Kanari was staring at the sketch with a slight frown. Her lips were pressed together so hard they turned white.

"Is there a problem, Kanari?" He asked, mirroring her frown.

The advisor shook her head slowly, her eyes never leaving the blueprint.

"I believe that is the best possible plan, given our forces." She whispered the last part, but Ayato heard her nonetheless. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment, trying to decipher the meaning behind her words. Finally, he pushed his confusion away and decided that he would ask her about it later.

Kanari released the breath she didn't realize she was holding as the king looked away. What she'd told him wasn't a lie, exactly. Given their forces this was the best plan, but deep down she knew that there was a better one that could be executed if she was on the team. As the people in the room pondered the countless minuscule details, her eyes traced a seemingly empty hallway on the map. The informant said that the corridor was free of traps, the lie detectors had even confirmed this, but Kanari couldn't stop the doubt from invading her mind. Surely there were some bits of information that wasn't told to all the members? The worst part was how crucial it was in the king's plan.

Voices droned on, filling the room with monotonous noise that Kanari had no choice but to care for. It was her new duty, after all. As the meeting dragged on throughout the morning, she occasionally put in her opinion, or shut down someone's idea, her voice getting increasingly exasperated with each dumb suggestion. Honestly, she had to applaud the king for putting up with these people for all these years.