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I'm sorry that I'm a little late. Usually, I write most of the story the day before I post it and finish it on the day I post it. But other times I just write it that same day when I'm feeling lazy. And that's what I was planning yesterday but things came up and I had no time to finish it on that same day. So I'm posting it today.
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Going back in time a little.
Pov. Shiranui's water clone
"Here's the nurse's office, there should be an extra pair of gym clothes," said Shiranui's water clone.
"Thank you," said the Hero, as he walked inside to change.
When he was inside Shida's phone rang "sorry I have to take this" she said leaving to get some privacy.
"So what have you been up to, Shiranui? And why have you not contacted the village for almost a year? Asked Ririko.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I answered.
"Okay then let me ask you this, have you betrayed your country?" Asked the princess.
"Sigh, no I haven't but due to a series of events, I can not talk too much about it right now. Let's meet after the tour and I'll go into more details then but make sure not to report this to anyone."
"Fine with me," said Ririko.
"Okay, then but where will we meet you?" Asked the princess.
"The principal's office," I said.
After the hero got changed and Shida came back the tour continued and finished without any more incidents. After finishing up the clone headed to the principal's office and waited, shortly after the princess, her bodyguard, Celia, and Ririko showed up.
"So what is going on here and why are we meeting up in front of the principal?" Said Ririko as she pointed at Shiranui.
"Because she is also working with us," I answered.
"Us, do you mean that all the Taimanin that have gone missing are with you?" Asked the princess.
"Yes and no, all of the ones that have gone missing in this city are working with me."
"So Rinko, Yukikaze, Sakura, and Asagi are safe?" Asked Ririko.
"Yes"
"That's good, the whole village has been worried about all of you. So will you tell us what's really going on and what happened to the previous principle that was working with the demons?"
"Qin Shi dealt with them, didn't he?" Asked the princess.
"Yes, in fact from what I heard they were the first people he dealt with when he arrived in this city."
"That's good but that still doesn't explain what you are doing with him or why you have not sent any news of yourself or the others."
"Well for starters I'm no longer part of the village, I work for Qin now."
"What!?" Shouted Ririko.
"What exactly happened for you to make that decision?" Asked the princess.
"As you know I was missing for almost a year and for the first month, I was captured by Nomad due to getting betrayed. After being rescued by Qin Shi and his force's I learned of my daughter having been captured as well. So I made a deal with Qin. Save my daughter and he will have me and he accepted the deal."
"Okay so why didn't she come back or inform us about your situation after he saved her?"
"Because then his enemies would have been informed of his movement."
"What do you mean exactly?"
"There are spies both in the village and the country's higher ups."
"Impossible!" Shouted Ririko.
"No it's not, but I do admit it's difficult to believe. Unfortunately, he has shown me irrefutable proof that multiple groups are spying on us so he would not allow us to contact the village until he completed his plan, for obvious reasons."
"I already had some ideas that some people working in the government were working for the demons but I had no idea that the Taimanin was compromised as well. That explains why he would not allow you to send news as well as whenever we try to see what's going on in this city the people we send disappear. So what is Qin planning that is so important?" Asked the princess.
"Well I'll let him explain if he decides to include you but the hero and his childhood friend won't be included. I would also appreciate it if you wouldn't tell them anything."
"Doesn't he need all the help he can get? And even if the hero has a troublesome personality he has quite a bit of strength."
"You'll understand why he doesn't want them to join after listening to this," said Shiraishi, speaking for the first time since they came in.
She pulled out her cellphone and played a record.
"What's taking you so long to answer you sow!" Shouted a deep voice.
"Sorry master please punish me next time we meet," said an emotionless voice that belonged to Shido
Surprising everyone in the room but Shiranui and Shiraishi.
"I intend to, so has the plan already started?"
"It seems we have some problems."
"What kind of problems?" Asked the voice with a hint of anger now in it.
"The principle that you said would be here isn't and I don't know how to proceed."
"What!? What is that idiot doing? We have been planning this for a very long time. Probably off playing with his collection. Doesn't matter, ask one of the sluts there to get in contact with him. You better not fail me or you will be used as a breeding sow for the rest of your life."
"Yes master."
After the short recording finished it left them all stunned. They all thought they were finally ahead of their enemy only to find out they were dancing in the palm of their hands the whole time.
"As you can see it would be best to keep this meeting to ourselves," said Shiraishi.
"She has already made contact with the staff she thinks is still hypnotized and they are playing along. We have also traced the signal back to the source and have sent a team to investigate it," she continued to say.
"But how, we have investigated her already and she came back clean," said the princess.
"I can understand then not finding out but how did she hide that she was a traitor from me," said Ririko.
"Because it's most likely she doesn't even know she was a traitor. It's highly likely that she is also hypnotized and is being forced to do this without realizing it," I said.
"Okay then we will not tell them anything but I would like to talk to Qin as soon as possible," said the princess.
"I will inform him right away but it may take some time since he is very busy at the moment. Oh and before I forget we have captured all the Taimanin forces that have accompanied you. Since we can't allow them to contact the village."
As soon as I said that everyone got ready to fight.
"And what are you planning to do to us," said the princess bodyguard.
"Nothing, after all if you disappeared the hero and Shaida would be alerted and that means the people behind her would be alerted. But we will have people watching you to make sure you're safe."
"You mean so they can make sure we don't do anything we shouldn't do right," said the princess.
"That too but they will protect you if you need it, now then I must go now. I make sure master gets your message princess but please be patient, he tends to do as he pleases so it may take a while to meet you. It was good to see you again Ririko until next time," I said before dissolving the clone back into water.