The Stupid Cannon Fodder is Stunning Today

Chapter 20: That Dreamers Often Lie

This chapter is brought to you by Red Moon by Kim Woo Seok. 

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Nine believed he was seeing a pattern here. 

They were running like hell hounds were nipping at their heel and it was the absolute worst. 

He so very wanted to turn back and take them out, but Venus had explicitly stated he could not. 

They couldn't leave evidence of ever being there, and injured or dead men did not portray the best picture of innocence. 

That, and because Nine was told last minute that the mission had actually turned into an infiltration and intelligence-gathering assignment rather than an assassination. 

He remembered the conversation in Lord Eartha's office. 

The man presented Mercury before him like some sort of half-heartedly wrapped present and said, "Please keep him safe. He has a gift in espionage." 

And so his unit had been reduced to glorified bodyguards and babysitters. 

The mission had gone well. 

So why exactly were they running?

How did they manage to fuck up such a simple and easy mission?

It all started about five hours ago...

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[Five Hours Ago]

Nine put on the common sellsword clothes of some rogue mercenary guild and noticed there were secret pockets all over the brown jacket that perfectly hid all his knives and daggers. 

For the sake of the mission, he, Belwyn, and Otto disguised themselves as hired men while Mercury pretended to be the third son of a small lord out in the country.

Their assignment was to infiltrate an illegal beast auction disguised as a charity auction for an orphanage.  

"You are to find the list of names of all those who are participating in the beast trade and report it back to me. Do not engage in combat. Cat, I'm looking at you. If you are caught, you are to immediately evacuate as soon as possible." 

Nine wanted to ask about whether or not the orphanage actually existed but was quickly shut down by Lord Eartha. 

"Do not bring back any more children. Leave them where you find them, Cat. Vesna is not the city of lost children." 

So here they were, Mercury dressed to the fives because no self-respecting third son of a county bumpkin lord would ever have the budget to afford silk and velvet. Normal cotton and wool were what they settled on, and rough leather and normal animal pelts were worn by Nine and the rest. 

"Stop itching," Nine admonished.

Mercury scowled at him and kept toying with his collar, "How could common lords bear to wear such shoddy textile? My skin is killing me." 

How he became Lord Eartha's most promising heir, Nine had no idea. 

He suddenly felt the familiar sting of the communication implant before Venus' voice appeared in his head. 

"Cat, Peacemaker, Siamese, can you hear me?"

The three of them, having heard their codenames being called, answered with a quick yes.