Ranni's casual remark, "I helped it die a little," froze the air around the lakeshore for three full seconds.
Even Tarnished stared blankly for a good while.
"...You did what?"
Ranni calmly slipped the Fingerslayer Blade back into her sleeve, her long, silvery lashes lowered. Her tone suggested she was discussing what to have for dinner. "The Three Fingers. Leyndell Underground. I stabbed it. It died. Is there a problem?"
"Not really..." Tarnished scratched his head. "It's just a little sudden."
"Sudden?" Ranni gave him a sidelong glance. "Our expedition to the Land of Shadow is imminent. How can we march with our rear unsecured? The Frenzied Flame Faction has been running wild lately. Did they think I was blind? If they dared touch one of mine, they should have been prepared to pay the price. I merely considered the bigger picture and eliminated all potential threats."
She paused, then added, "It certainly wasn't because they ambushed you, or because they injured you, and definitely not because you acquired that ugly brand. It was purely a strategic necessity. Understand?"
Ashmi poked half a head out of Tarnished's chest and muttered, "But the Three Fingers had been down in Leyndell Underground for ages. Why didn't you kill it before..."
Ranni's cold gaze swept over.
With a little "eep," Ashmi ducked back inside.
Lansseax ranted furiously to herself. Eliminating threats? This is blatant favoritism! Of all the times to kill it, you stabbed their boss right after the Frenzied Flame went after Tarnished, and you're saying it wasn't for him? This Moon Goddess must have at least five thousand years of practice saying the opposite of what she feels!
But the dragon woman dared not say a word aloud. After all, this was someone who could single-handedly kill the Three Fingers with