Chapter 142 - Showdown

Chapter 142

Red Sands Desert, Principality of Rebirth

City of Rebirth, Adventurer Guild Hall

Dominique whistled softly as she unlocked her office. The crystal tablet inlaid into the wall glew faintly for a second, before flashing green, and she smiled as she heard the click of the door unlocking, as well as the fainter, but still noticeable, sound of more arcane measures standing down.

Being promoted as an official representative of the adventurers guild had its privileges. Not to mention being assigned to a dungeon town's government!

She swung the door open…and froze.

Because she knew exactly in what state she had left her office. And the packet sitting in the middle of her desk hadn't been there.

She slowly set down her bag, and tapped the so called 'interface' the guild had inlaid into her right forearm.

The crystal implants chimed as a security team began mobilizing. In case something went wrong, she'd have reinforcements within the minute.

She made her way to her desk, and sat down behind it as she studied the packet.

It was supremely unassuming. Just some packaging paper with twine to bind it together. But it couldn't be there. The office had been locked the entire time, and festooned with alarms.

Dominique studied it for a few seconds, then sighed. If someone whished her dead, there would have been far simpler methods. Which meant that someone wanted to pass something onto her. Discreetly.

She slowly opened the package, and her eyebrows rose as she saw the map.

It depicted the town's outskirts, namely the new warehousing areas, built by the merchant combines after 'generous' assistance with the town's infrastructure.

She grabbed the map, and licked her lips as she saw what was stacked underneath it. She might be from the kingdom, and thus not really familiar with any form of technology, but she'd seen photographs before, mainly made by mages, but still. And those were of quite frankly astounding quality.

She took the first one in the pile. It showed a warehouse, although given how nondescript it looked, she could understand why her correspondent would attach a map.

She frowned as she went through the pictures. A specific door. The interior of the warehouse. Were those…the mercenaries Allya had hired? Then there was their commander, in front of an assembly of people. A fair amount of them didn't look like soldiers. Actually, some of them had bracelets and tattoos reminiscent of the new slave controlling devices made in Sunrise.

Her frown deepened. What the hell was the meaning of-

She almost ripped the photograph apart as she recognized the group on the next photo.

Raika. Alyssa. Fernand. Thomas.

The members of Alexandra's party. Those who had vanished. And here they were, wearing slave brands.

Power cracked around her like a whip as she lost control of her emotions. Among the other things that had come with her promotions had been some serious tutoring in magic, plus some…enhancements. That, combined with the absurd amount of essence gained from the slaughter of the Republic's army -she had been on her way to the command center, if only as an observer, and gotten hit with the full force-, had made her quite a bit more powerful.

She gestured and the photographs were arranged in a neat pile, floating by her side. And then she summoned a flicker of power and moved her desk out of the way, before stalking out into the hallways, straight towards Starvak's chambers.

Adventurers and attendants alike scrambled out of her way as she passed by them, anyone with a remote lick of sense almost physically feeling her hatred as she stormed through the halls.

Heads were going to roll.

*****

Allya sighed as she settled at the breakfast table, smiling back at Pyn as the elf was already demolishing her plate of…she wasn't actually sure what it had been before the elf had pretty much reduced it to a pulp. Definitely had vegetables of some kind in it.

She'd slept much better than she had in weeks. She was still worried about what Crystal was going to do, but the dungeon had demonstrated an immense amount of trust yesterday, and made it quite clear that she valued her advice. Which was immensely reassuring. She couldn't quite shake the feeling the dungeon core had done it specifically to make her at ease, but even then it was much appreciated.

Allya almost jumped as someone banged on the door.

"Yes?" She grated out. The guards had learned a long time ago that disturbing her and her girlfriend during breakfast was a very bad idea. Pyn was the exact opposite of a morning person, and Allya was starting to come around to her girlfriend's opinion. Especially when said girlfriend was in her bed. It became a lot harder to argue for getting up and about early then.

The door swung open, and Valker stepped in, slamming his fist against his breastplate in salute.

"My apologies milady, but guildmaster Starvak wishes to see you. Immediately."

Allya swallowed heavily, her good mood gone and obliterated. She exchanged a look with Pyn, and nodded.

"Of course. Tell him I'll be there in five minutes or so."

"Right away milady."

She could, at least, eat a bit. Besides, she wasn't his damned footpad, and could at least take the time to get some food down!

*****

"You wished to meet with me?" Said Allya as she stepped into the war room, Pyn and a handful of guards in tow. It was telling that the guildmaster had opted to wait her rather than her office. And the fact that he was flanked by two guild soldiers, the very, very rare private military of the guild, plus Dominique, didn't bode well.

"Yes. Apologies for the…abrupt invitation." Starvak's tone made it clear he thought nothing of the sort, and Allya bit back a harsh retort. "I wished to meet with you milady, regarding your mercenaries."

"Mercenaries? Do you mean the Void Blades?" Starvak nodded. "I thought matters pertaining to the defense of the town were rather…outside your remit, guildmaster."

"Normally, they are. But not when said mercenaries are keeping enslaved adventurers. Then it very much becomes my remit."

Allya froze.

"What?"

Her voice could have frozen a supernova, and she saw the guildmaster recoil. He'd clearly expected her to deny knowing, but not…this. Dominique however, wasn't even phased. In fact her own cold start mirrored Allya's, just ten times worst. The baroness had never seen the guild representative like this.

"We have come upon evidence that the Void Blades currently have a quartet of adventurers in their custody." Said Dominique, her voice like liquid nitrogen. "Copper ranked, to be precise. These four also vanished in an accident that saw the disappearance of an extradimensional in a suspected kidnapping. Our first reflex was to marshall our adventurers and demand their release, but I was made aware." She briefly glanced at Starvak. "That while the guild may express concerns about such thing, slavery is legal in the kingdom, and we will not launch an unprovoked attack."

Allya smiled.

"Your restraint is appreciated. But the laws of the kingdom don't matter. This is a frontier principality. My frontier principality. Outside of the Royal Charter, which does not enshrine slavery, and the will of their majesties themselves, I am beholden to no one. My word is law, period. And I forbade slavery." She nodded towards Starvak. "Show me your proof. And then we will confront our dear commander." She raised her voice. "Valker!"

"Yes milady?"

"Go fetch Anders. Tell him to start mobilizing our people." She frowned as she stopped herself from continuing. She would have told him to fetch Philia and Willard, but she knew neither would intervene in a purely internal matter like this. "Will you be accompanying us, guildmaster?"

"Yes, I will. But be warned that even my power has its limits."

Allya nodded. The guild could pressure her to do something, but they wouldn't necessarily bloody their hands. Bastards.

"Alright then. Let's summon our dear commander."

*****

"So, the baroness wishes to see us…" Muttered Assaria as she gazed at the summons. She looked up at her second in command. "Does this stink as hard to you as it does to me?"

"Yeah. Big time."

"Good to know I'm not completely paranoid." The commander hesitated, and sighed. "Mobilize our troops. Half with me, the other half to guard the auxiliaries. Just in case."

"The baroness might take offense to that."

"If it's an innocent summon, I can make amends and spin a story about thinking she wished for us to be deployed immediately. Maybe even something about getting our people out of the barracks for once in a while. But if it’s a trap…"

"It might save us."

"Yeah." Assaria sighed. "Take command of the detachment guarding the auxiliaries. And double the guard on the documents. Just in case."

The second in command nodded. Assaria was a crafty neonite, as well as a good commander, and kept…records, which some of her previous employers might object to. Employers like the Order to Restore Humanity. It was a crude insurance policy, but one she had still upheld. If they were to fall into the wrong hands however, it would sign her death warrant.

"Yes ma'am."

"Alright then. Let's find out what this is about."

*****

If Assaria had any doubts about if her reaction was overkill, the troops arraigned in front of the manor would have dispelled them. Trap indeed.

She gestured for her own troops to halt, and took a few more steps forward, before bowing at the baroness.

The noble simply glared coldly at her, flanked by her knight and her army at her back.

"Greetings, baroness."

"Greetings, commander." To say that the baroness' voice was cold would have been a considerable understatement. But there was fire in her tone as well. "How are you on this fine day?"

Assaria sighed.

"Milady…let us drop the bullshit, please. You summoned me, and yet you meet me with an army at your back. What is going on?"

"I could argue that you came to meet me with your own troops at your back, but I will oblige." She snapped her fingers, and Assaria's eyes widened as Starvak and Dominique passed through the ranks of Allya's soldiers, and stopped at her side. What the hell were they doing here? "I assume you recognize guildmaster Starvak and guild representative Dominique?" The commander wordlessly nodded. "Good. Then they have something to tell you."

"Commander Assaria." Spoke Starvak, his voice booming with power. It was a cheap trick, and not one that impressed the mercenary. While her current power was diminished, she had been an Orichalcum adventurer once, only one rank below the guild master. "I have come by considerable evidence that you have kidnapped and enslaved adventurers of the guild. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Assaria froze. Adventurers?

Damn it. The fucking quartet from her job for the Order. Had they managed to contact the outside world?

Of course not. If they had they'd have contacted nearby adventurers or a guard patrol, and they would have immediately gone to the warehouse. This was something else.

She toyed with the idea of denying everything, before dismissing it. Now that they were onto her, it would be trivially easy to confirm it, and as it was her best bet was probably to hammer forward to get herself and her men out of this mess. At least civilians were gathering, watching the confrontation, which meant the baroness would have trouble maneuvering around her and pulling over an encirclement.

"I have to say that captives legally acquired upon the field of battle can be enslaved, as per Asarian law."

"Not in this principality." Said Allya, and Assaria nodded.

"Indeed. But they were not taken here. They were captured in the duchy of Loctor, that authorizes such things, and inducted as…auxiliaries to my company." The guildmaster looked impassible. "Which makes this, perfectly legal."

"Perhaps." Grated out the guild master. "But bringing them here, is not."

Assaria smiled.

"Is it? Dear baroness, I remember you…discouraging slavery, but you never promulgated an edict forbidding it."

"I am a baroness of the realm, and the rule of this frontier principality. My very word is law."

The commander nodded.

"Indeed it is. But it was not promulgated before they arrived. And while that will not stay your hand…" She gazed at the guild master. "It does mean that intervening would breach the guild's vow of neutrality. After all, while keeping them here is illegal, bringing them was not, and I will endeavor to evacuate them immediately."

The guildmaster's tony expression dissolved, and he looked like he was chewing on a very bitter fruit. Allya gazed at him, and he nodded slightly.

Assaria's smile got wider.

"That is not going to happen." Said Allya with a tone that brokered no argument, and she gestured.

Her men stepped forward, and unless she was seriously mistaken, Assaria heard the sound of troops moving in behind her own. So much for preventing an encirclement.

The mercenary commander sighed, and her handed landed on her sword's pommel, summoning a shield around herself. If nothing else, she knew the baroness had assassins under her employ, and she refused to underestimate their kind, even at her level of power.

"Really, baroness? This, is how it ends? Me and my troops will fight our way out. Slaughter your men, and leave regardless."

"I would like to see it."

"You will. I-"

None of the soldiers intercepted the civilian who stepped out of the crowd, unsheathed his sword, and put the flat of his blade on the commander's shoulder, as they simply stared at him in disbelief. Even Assaria was stunned by the sheer audacity and stupidity of the move, stepping between two small armies ready to go to war with each other, and simply putting his blade on one of their leader's shoulders, somehow moving just slow enough to avoid being intercepted by her shield.

"In the name of his Divinity's Most Holy Inquisition, Assaria Novalka, you are under arrest for the kidnapping and enslavement of a novice of the temple of the God of Fire."