Tycoon May: Chapter 36

Chapter 36

“I still can’t believe you know Doug.”  Chug took another drink of water before he dumped the rest of his cup over his head.  The two of them were watching the last rays of sunset disappear over the horizon on a rooftop garden across the street from the inn Grant would be staying at for the night.  After sparring for a gratuitous amount of time, the two of them were drenched in sweat.  Both Chug and Grant were nearly evenly matched, as long as Grant didn’t use any of his spells that enhanced his speed.  Even then, that only gave him enough of an edge to gain an advantage if he caught Chug off guard.  Practicing for the Dao of the Uchigatana was important, and Chug was a great sparring partner to bring out his best, despite not being a Wielder.  It had been a great reminder for Grant that sometimes even a Vassal could be dangerous, if he wasn’t careful.  “I haven’t spoken to my brother in years—I didn’t even know if he was still alive—and then you show up and tell me you just saw him.”

“Well, I didn’t just see him.  It’s been a little while since he and I talked near the border with District April.”  Grant rolled his sore wrist, where Chug had walloped him when he had been a tick too slow.  “He was the first nice person I met when I got to District May.”

“Still, what are the odds?  My brother and I split ways shortly after getting promoted to Vassal together, and I’ve been trying to find out if he’s okay for years.”  Chug wiped away the water dripping into his eyes.  “The threads of fate tie us all in knots, don’t they?”

“You have no idea.”  Grant idly tapped the hilt of his Uchigatana, the weapon that had changed his life forever.  “Anyway, now that you know me better, do you feel like telling me what that ambush was all about?”

“The more I’ve thought about it, the more it all felt like one big setup.”  Chug leaned forward, crossing his arms as he put his weight on the edge of the wall running around the perimeter of the rooftop.  “I think those guards were encouraged to come after me, just so those other guys could get a shot at me.”

“And who were those other guys?”  While Grant suspected House Saturday assassins, he couldn’t be sure.  After all, he had fought a clown knight in full plate armor once.  Anything was possible.  “Why would they want to kill you?”

“You probably aren’t going to believe me.”  Chug looked over at Grant to gauge his reaction as he spoke.  “Tycoon May doesn’t care about the citizens of his District.  He only cares about money, his mother, and himself, in that order.  I worked as one of his guards, and I saw what they are really like.  When I realized what kind of people they are, I tried to leave.  They’ve been after me ever since, to make sure I don’t tell anyone the truth.”

Grant couldn’t help it.  He burst out laughing, clutching at his ribs.  Chug straightened up, looking offended, and turned to storm off.  “Oh, oh Chug!”  Another fit of laughter hit, but Grant managed to grab the Vassal before he could leave.  “No, you don’t understand.  I’ve been tracking Tycoon May for weeks, trying to fight him and take his power because of that exact reason.”

“What?”  Chug pulled himself free, with a distrustful look on his face.  “It’s not nice to make fun of people, Grant.”

“I’m being serious.”  Grant pulled out a piece of jerky, breaking it in half.  “It’s even worse than you think.”  He handed half to Chug, and took a bite of the piece he kept for himself.  Chug watched him with wide eyes as he chewed it up and swallowed.  “They have lied to everyone about monster meat being poisonous, so House Thursday can control food distribution.  If you control the food, you control the people.”

“That’s… that’s crazy!”  Chug looked at the meat in his hand, sniffing it before taking a tentative bite.  “But, after what I’ve seen them do, I believe it.”

“I have an idea.”  Grant motioned with his thumb to the inn across the street.  “Why don’t you join my group and I?  It’s not a big group, but we’re all competent and strong.  We’re headed to Forteresse Mere as soon as we can get access to Tier Four badges.  Once we get in, Tycoon May is going to have to answer for what he’s done.”

Chug took another bite, slowly chewing his food as he thought.  “No.”  Before Grant could argue, Chug held up a finger to stop him.  “Listen, I worked at Forteresse Mere.  It’s going to take more than a Tier Four badge to get you into the keep.  You can get into the city easily enough, but the castle is the best House Thursday has to offer.  It doesn’t matter how strong your group is, they aren’t getting in.”

“Oh, really?”  It was hard for Grant to take Chug seriously, considering what he had been through already.  The Vassal was certainly underestimating his abilities.  A simple castle wasn’t going to stop him.  “I think I can get into a stupid building.”

Chug held up a hand and started counting things off on his fingers.  “Well, to get past the first wall, you’ll need to counter the moat, spell formations, the trained monsters, the two companies of guards, lower the drawbridge, disable the poison fountains, unlock the gate, raise the portcullis, close the murderholes, disarm the automatic ballistae, cross the lava pits, and then answer the three riddles correctly to open the gate that gives you access to the courtyard in front of the second wall.  That’s when things get hard.”

Grant swallowed, appreciating the fact that maybe it wasn’t Chug who was underestimating the situation. “Okay, I’m starting to see your point.  What do you suggest?  I’m open to recommendations.”

“In the morning, I’m going to start recruiting.  I’m not the only former guard on the run from Tycoon May and his mom.”  Chug popped the last bit of jerky into his mouth, chewing it slowly.  “And with what you just showed me, I think I’ll be able to convince a lot of people to help.  Once we have a big group who knows the defenses, we can punch straight through and get you to Tycoon May in no time.”

“How long do you think this will take?”  Grant knew he was running short on time.  He couldn’t afford to wait for weeks on end while Chug recruited an army.  “I’ve got to move fast.”

“Don’t you worry.  Messengers can handle most people.  I’ll just need to visit the more stubborn ones in person.  We’ll meet you at Forteresse Mere in less than ten days, as long as everything goes to plan.”  Chug held out a hand for Grant to shake.  “You just make sure to get a Tier Four badge by then, otherwise we won’t be able to get into the city.”

“Oh, that’s the easy part.”  Grant patted the ridiculously heavy pouch hanging from his belt.  “I’ll have that in no time.”