An Assassin's Adventure: The Great Conjunction

Chapter 48: Breach

*Knock* *Knock*

The inn's cracked wooden door shuddered as Hit battered his fist against it, clearly sounding his presence to the life forms within. Wood chippings littered the floor as they escaped crevices on the ancient structure, and a few silvery ornaments jangled from their hangings on the entryway to the unassuming Hermes Familia headquarters. Hit breathed a sigh of relief as the door maintained its structural integrity and waited for someone to greet him. 'A stealthy approach is pointless here... I need to make direct contact.' Unfortunately, the information that Hit sought out was very likely only found within Asfi Al Andromeda's mind and could not simply be liberated under the cover of darkness; unless one possessed the ability to read minds with the use of Ki, of course.

*Scuffle* *Bang* *Patter*

"W-Who could that be!?"

"It is certainly not Lord Hermes..."

"Shush, you two! Just pack it all up!"

Sounds of commotion and hasty footsteps erupted from within as several people raced around, fulfilling unknown tasks and whispering harshly to one another. Hit narrowed his eyes as the swaying of documents and slamming of books also joined the uproar, before all signs of life ceased...

.

..

...

Hit tapped a foot, waiting for the individuals, who were obviously within, to welcome him; however, the three people that he had been tracking were now frozen in place, as if they were attempting to remain as silent as possible. 'Are they ignoring me...?'

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

Hit banged his fist more forcefully this time, using the unfortunate door to unload his growing annoyance, and finally managed to elicit a response. A slow series of footsteps approached his location and halted directly in front of the door, as if the individual was hesitating to open it.

*Swish*

Abruptly, an ovular metallic decoration on the door swivelled to the side to reveal that it was, in fact, a peephole! A convex crystalline orb glittered momentarily, before it became obstructed by a large yellow eye. Upon meeting Hit's glower, the orb widened in recognition, blinked, and vanished. Jarring jangling sounds then assaulted Hit's ears as someone hastened to unlock the entryway, and creaked it open slightly to reveal themselves.

"H-Hello... How can I help ya...?" Hit could now see that his peeper was a female chienthrope: an energetic-looking woman with fluffy black hair and drooped ears. She wore a short leather jacket; thin black undershirt; and medium leather boots. Combined with a pair of small leather shorts, her clothing left much of her dark skin exposed. A red woollen scarf was tightly wrapped around her neck, appearing as a crimson flame as it wafted in the cool breeze that now blustered into the inn. The woman cast a shaky grin at Hit, highlighting numerous dark freckles; however, her ruffled russet tail betrayed her underlying nervousness. She gulped as Hit stood silently for a moment and continued to hold the door open mid-way, her other hand twitching behind her back.

After a brief scan of the chienthrope, Hit decided to get right to the point, in a rather rude manner. "I seek a business meeting with Andromeda. Lead me to her."

The chienthrope balked and nearly fell over as she processed Hit's order: to meet their Familia's captain of all things! Thankfully, she managed to catch herself and straightened up once more, shaky grin now becoming more erratic. "Um... S-She's kinda busy right now... If you want to enlist our services, I can sort out a contract." The woman's brows furrowed at the impolite intruder as her sunny persona dimmed. "...Or maybe I can direct you elsewhere?"