Page 80 of I Ran Away to Evil
Keith only saw his general sweat like this for one reason and one reason alone. He ordered, “Tell me.”
“It’s no problem. Just … I need to tell the wife first, you know? I’m supposed to be watching the kits after I get off guard duty …” Quinton looked off toward his house and then back at Keith. “Of course, Yourrr Viciousness comes first! I’ll have someone send word to Lina.”
“How old are Bastian and Bastet now?” Keith remembered the twins from the last time he’d visited. Lina had shoved a fluffy Bastian at him so she could tend to Bastet clawing the couch legs. The young tigerfolk had spent the better part of thirty minutes telling Keith all about the animals he’d seen and tried to hunt that day.
“Six, but Calypso is two and quite the handful now.” Quinton chucked. “But she’s cute and can get away with murderrr.”
“How many murders?” Keith joked. The two started walking to Olen’s, and the crowds dispersed politely to let them through. “Is she hunting already?”
“Ha! She’s taken afterrr her old man and caught her first rrrabbit this week!” Quinton smiled with pride.
The general signaled someone to take over for him on guard duty, and a veteran named Puma stepped forward. Keith approved. As the saying went,No one checks for assassins quite like Puma Checks.She was renowned across the entire forest for her stealth, her deadliness, and her high Perception.
It became a saying due to her so aptly appropriate last name.
He was just about to have a word with her about keeping an eye out for his wayward princess when he heard a familiar voice call out behind him. “Keith?”
He turned around and saw Ria running up to him with a big, surprised smile on her face.
Puma, in natural guard form, attempted to stop Ria from approaching the king without proper protocol or invite … It didn’t go well for the beastwoman.
Ria had chosen Perception as her dump stat … and Puma’s entire arsenal was fueled by high-level stealth skills. Ria didn’t realize the guard was on her until Puma had a dagger drawn on the princess’s neck.
Within half a second of the knife landing, just before it touched her flesh, Ria reacted with a startled flinch, grabbing Puma’s wrist and using her momentum to throw the guard over her shoulder.
Which would have been fine, if Ria’s Strength stat wasn’t sixty-seven …
They all watched in impressed horror as Puma flew far, far away into the forest. Just before she dropped out of a sight, the guard’s armor caught the sunlight and gave off a beautiful sparkle.
“That wasamazing!” the young elf girl who was standing right behind Henrietta spoke first. She turned to General Quinton and exclaimed, “Did you just see that? She just threw Mistress Puma!TheMistress Puma … Should someone go check that she’s alive?”
Wait, was that Duke Briarthorn’s daughter?
Keith looked at the busy town, the general, and Lady Amaryllis. All of whom were interested in tagging along for his reunion with Ria.
He suddenly had a wonderful idea.
CHAPTER 51
All This Just to Go Get Someone Who’s Been Yeeted into the Woods?!
Henrietta
I looked down at my hands in shock, then up at Keith.
He took one and held it firmly. Like he was expecting I’d run off. He tried to make me feel better by saying, “It was a natural response to being startled, Ria. It will be alright.”
It didn’t work. And I was suddenly tempted to run off and find Puma and bring her back myself. “But—”
“He’s right, Princess Henrietta!” Amy nodded. “Puma is almost level forty and second to none but General Quinton here.”
Amy pointed at the tiger beastman standing close by. He had a pained expression on his face as he shaded his eyes with one hand and gazed off into the distance after Puma.
What Amy had said sunk in, and the general turned to me. “You are Princess Henrietta?”
“Yes, ah, sorry.” I gently waved with my free hand. “Nice to meet you, General Quinton … Sorry about the mess.”
I’d said sorry twice and felt twice the fool.
