The Non-Human Society

Chapter One Hundred and Forty - Vim - To Gift A Weapon

      She was being watched.

A part of me wanted to step away now. Right here, to go and grab whoever was targeting Renn... but there was something wrong.

It was a woman. Not a man.

"Pram will be so happy. I can't wait to tell her," Lamp said excitedly.

Brandy translated for her, since Lamp was more so talking to Renn than Brandy.

"I'm sure she will be. Did you meet her?" Renn asked.

Lamp shook her head as Brandy translated again, and I noticed the figure appear in the new alleyway we were walking past.

What the hell.

I looked away from the cloaked woman, and back to the three women in front of me. Renn was walking in the center, with Brandy and Lamp on either side. Listening to Brandy translate willingly was... something I probably would have enjoyed. If not for noticing that stalker again.

This was the second time I had seen them. Yet something told me it was not the second time they've been following her.

I would have expected them following myself or Brandy... or maybe even Lamp, an obvious foreigner to this land... but Renn?

Why Renn? Why not Brandy, one of the few higher ups of one of the greatest companies in Lumen?

And why did it take this long for me to notice?

We rounded a corner... and I waited until we crossed the street, and passed another dozen buildings before checking again.

One alley was empty. The next had junk, and someone rummaging through it... Then the third proved it.

The cloaked woman hurried between the alleyways, as to get ahead of us.

Was it possibly someone from the embassy? I had seen them for the first time when Renn and I had gone to that restaurant, after the visit to the cemetery... but that didn't mean they couldn't be a member of the Eastern Embassy.

Someone might have heard about the girls after all. Or seen them.

Hopefully that was all it was. Just someone from the embassy keeping tabs on the one who was supposed to be in charge of the eastern girls.

Yet...

"Still, I'm glad that everything is going well so far," Renn said.

Brandy nodded as she repeated her words for Lamp, who nodded quickly and reached over to take Renn's hand. "So far!" Lamp said as she drew closer to Renn.

Watching Renn, I noticed the way her hat shifted a little. I knew if I was able to see Renn's face I'd likely see a huge smile, and probably a blushing face.

Maybe I should worry for other reasons.

Renn was beautiful. And that was not just something I begrudgingly admitted. Even in a massive city like this, where the beautiful moved to in droves to find a better life amongst the capitalist riches, Renn was unique. Pretty enough to draw eyes, while also even-natured enough to make anyone who got a chance to talk to her swoon. Man or woman, it seemed.

Which was better? A spy from the Embassy, or some kind of weird pervert who Renn had ensorcelled with but a smile?

"Vim?"

I blinked and looked away from the empty alleyway we were walking past. The three women were looking back at me, staring at me.

"Hm?" What had I missed?

"What do you think?" Renn asked.

"Think what?" I asked back.

"About the Embassy," Brandy said. She sounded... off put. She was also staring at me with the most concern. Lamp and Renn didn't look that bothered, but Brandy did.