"That's what happened, Lord Cudell.
"We questioned it, and it told us it came from the Andmar Hills. It was a messenger for some newly risen warlord there, sent to the Baronies of Shadow to recruit the local gnoll clans and bring them under that warlord's rule. But the gnolls here fought dirty and beat it up.
"If we hadn't attacked them today, this poor bastard would probably have been that clan's breakfast tomorrow morning."
Ashina spun a smooth tale as she recounted the whole story of how they'd captured the gnoll messenger. The tribune, his blood-red wings folded, lowered his head and glanced at the scrawny gnoll, who was tied up tightly and covered in bruises.
The gnoll seemed to feel Cudell's cold gaze beneath his helmet. He shivered and didn't dare move, then lowered his head in fear.
"No! It didn't tell the truth."
Cudell examined the gnoll carefully, even reaching out to hold it by the neck and inspect its fur. Then he spoke coldly to Ashina and Pomegranate, who had escorted the prisoner over.
"The spots on this fellow's fur aren't the pattern found on Transian gnolls. I saw similar spots more than a hundred years ago.
"It came from the Dark Mountains!
"To be precise, from the gnolls' holy land—the Mossy Valley beside the Eternal Rift!"
"Huh? It dared to lie to us!"
Ashina whipped out her pistol and pressed it against the scrawny gnoll's head. She cursed at it.
"You heartless bastard! I even gave you half my dinner, and you still lied to us?"
"Gah! Didn't lie! Didn't lie, powerful vampire!"
With the cold barrel pressed to its forehead, the talking gnoll trembled from head to toe.
Its gray-green eyes, far more "lively" than those of other gnolls, darted back and forth as