Rare Swords Are Only Good Until You Lose Them

TIPSY PELICAN TAVERN VOLUME 3

AUGUST

Copyright © 2022 by AUGUST

All rights reserved.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author.

Cover & Illustrations by AUGUST

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Contents

1. Five Days at the Angelmore Trade Fair (Arc 6)

2. Day One

3. Day Two

4. Day Three

5. Day Four

6. Day Five

7. Mayhem

8. Elections are Never Fair (Arc 7)

9. Incredible Reflexes

10. Lemonleaf and Assembly

11. Rules, Speeches, and Tavern Songs

12. A Story of Midnight

13. Words and Bindings

14. A Demon

15. Favor

16. Lightning Bolt

17. Rare Swords Are Only Good Until You Lose Them (Arc 8)

18. Shards

19. The First Decree

20. Secrets and Peppers

21. The Giant Petrel Tavern

22. Way Worse

23. Petal and Spice

24. Confessions Said and Unsaid

25. Night Window

26. The Angelmore Clinic

27. In Danger

28. Plans

29. The Crooked Arrow Inn

30. Reveal

31. Unequal

32. Packing for Rain

33. Ten Words

34. Vulnerabilities

35. Balance

36. Best Tactic

37. Be

Epilogue: A Visit in the Depths

Afterword

Tipsy Pelican Tavern Series Suggested Reading Order

Chapter 1

Five Days at the Angelmore Trade Fair (Arc 6)

What makes a great tavern?

Is it tasty ales? Beautiful barmaids? A talented musician? A lively group of regulars? Or is it the old, wisened tavern keeper who carries a well of stories that never runs dry? His demeanor is firm but welcoming and his cheeks turn rose-pink following the first sip of each night. Perhaps he wears an eye patch or carries some other battle wound that will never be discussed—except on the quietest of nights, when the moon is full, the candles are low, with a bottle of the "good stuff" on the counter, and only the most loyal of patrons in attendance.

Like most questions, the answer changes depending on who you ask. But it can also depend on when you ask.

If you were to ask me what made a great tavern when I first arrived in Meritas, when the Tipsy Pelican Tavern had just opened and not long after my gates had closed, my first inclination would have been the "beautiful barmaids."

If you asked me a century ago, the answer would have been entirely different. Back in those younger but older days, I'd take a half-disheveled alcoholic with an eye patch and a good story over a young pretty maiden any night of the week.

But if you were to ask me now, having been a full-fledged tavern keeper for over a year, then once again, my answer would be different.

I'd like to think that this answer is fortified by experience and wisdom.

But first, you must consider why a person comes to a tavern.

Is it to get a drink?

To have a hot meal?

To dance to lively music? (Something the Tipsy Pelican Tavern still sadly lacks.)

To hear a story?

I believe these things certainly matter, but it's also more. Stay with me here—I believe the answer to what makes a great tavern has to do with hope.

Yes, I said hope. Which, I know, sounds a little ridiculous. But just think about it...

It is the end of the day. The same day as the one before for most common men and women. Same job, same routine, same struggles. But once the sun sets, a great tavern can provide something more. At the end of each day, a great tavern holds the promise of something special, something eventful, something outside the bounds of normal experience.

Ales loosen the inhibitions and that certainly helps things along. But any tavern can serve ales, and many serve wonderful ales. However, for a tavern to be truly great, you need a spark that lights the fire. You need that special element which makes the night a true event to be remembered and discussed and lionized, so that the night itself becomes a story that can be shared time and time again. And unlike other stories, the tavern goers were there for this one. They are part of the legend.

It doesn't happen every night. That’s not possible, or the extraordinary would become part of the routine. But it happens just enough of the time.

Do you see where the hope comes in now?

A great tavern is one that makes the tavern goer look forward to the night because there’s a chance, a pretty good chance, it’ll be a night to be remembered.

But what is that spark that lights the fire of the night? What is the thing that takes your bland, commonplace evening and makes it into an occasion?

I think it is a person. A very special type of person. It has nothing to do with what they do at the tavern. They could be the tavern keeper, the staff, or one of the regulars. They just have to be there, because a great tavern relies on that person to be the fire which burns away the mundane and ignites the revelry.

But that's just my opinion on the matter.

I could be wrong. Maybe you think a great tavern is one that serves meatloaf, I don't know.

In any case, I bring this up because, hearing this story thus far, I realize there is one fixture of the Tipsy Pelican Tavern that hasn't been properly delved into.

The fixture I refer to, is of course, Elsa.

That's not for a lack of trying, by the way.

Actually, who am I kidding? It probably is for a lack of trying. I didn't open the Tipsy Pelican Tavern to ask a bunch of personal questions and get all deep into people's life histories, alright? Good Celeru, wouldn't that be the tiresome task? I know bartenders are supposed to lend an ear to sob stories, but here at the Tipsy Pelican Tavern we don't encourage literal buzz-kills. This is more of a place to forgive and forget than to excavate and examine. In any case, Elsa isn't the sort of gal to spew her guts out to compassionate ears. She has shorter patience for blabbermouths than I do.

Just the other day, Gawen, one of our patrons, came by after getting turned down for the fifth time by Miss Dorren, the young pretty manager of the bakery down the road. He found Elsa by the bar and began sharing his heartbroken feelings.

After about ten minutes of nonstop sorrowful dribble, Elsa turned to him and said, "Are you going to drink like a man, or are you going to keep crying like a little boy?"

Fifteen minutes later (and several brandies in), Gawen and Elsa were linking arms and doing a dance on the bar top.

Afterward, and just before Gawen fully dove into the deep end of the night, Elsa laid down some advice. "Women can smell desperation like a dog can smell cat dung."

"I'm not desperate! I just love her."

"Did I say something different?" Elsa snapped. "Listen up, here's what you do. Make yourself present around her, but stop trying so hard. Enjoy all the other things in your life, and I mean truly enjoy them, don't fake it. Succeed in that, and she'll take notice."

Gawen nodded eagerly. "Yes... yes I shall make myself a better man!"

"Close enough," Elsa said, then she called over to me. "Stop scribbling in your ledgers, Heru. The night's tabs can wait. We're thirsty people over here!"

"Yes..." I said like a rat caught in a beam of lantern light. "The night's tabs, that’s what I was doing. Not taking notes or anything. Two brandies coming right up!"

In the end, Elsa's advice didn't win Miss Dorren's heart. Charm informed me the bakery manager's attentions had already been taken by another man. But surprisingly, Gawen started putting more effort into the other areas of his life, and not long after, he had himself a string of dates. The lucky bastard. Coming in here with a new girl every time. Just because he was a little more confident and grew out his beard. There are plenty of good men without beards, you know! And a beard was an easy thing to grow for a man his age, wasn't it? Unfair to compare to someone who was only just exiting their teenage years!

I'm getting off track. We were talking about Elsa, weren't we?

If one were to describe her, they would probably start with the most blatantly obvious thing.

They would tell you she was beautiful.

Heart-wrenchingly, gut-twistingly, throat-dryingly so.

They'd tell you that if you were a red-blooded young man, of say about nineteen years old, and you caught her looking at you, you'd sometimes find your heart thumping and your mind blanker than a southern sky.

Then, after a good long detailed explanation of her beauty, because people tended to dwell on such things, they'd tell you about what she was like. And if the person doing the explaining was one of our regulars, you'd probably never get them to shut up.

They'd tell you that she was "one of the boys." That she could out drink you and your friend and your friend's friend. Combined. They'd tell you she was a riot. That when she laughed at a good joke, she never covered her face as polite young ladies are expected to do. She'd lean back and howl, pounding the table with her fist. They'd tell you she was open to any subject, and if she disagreed with your opinion, she'd give you a full account and thrive off the debate.

They'd also warn you to never get on her bad side. Especially when she had a couple dozen drinks. She could fly into a mad rage at the drop of a hat, with the strength of three grown men and the anger of a demon. And on that topic, they'd tell you about all the tables split and windows broken because one of her fists sent someone through them. Usually deservingly so. Usually.

But after all that explaining, even if it was from one of our regulars, you'd find a big hole in your knowledge about Elsa. Where was she from? Where was her family? Why was she in Meritas? What did she do before working at the Tipsy Pelican Tavern?

Elsa never talked about her past. She never described her family or friends. She never told anyone where she was from, though I knew it to be Belliganna, the great island nation across the Primordial Sea. And because she didn't do these things, I knew best not to ask. We all knew it was best not to ask. And those who didn't know better only got a knowing smile as a reply before a shot of brandy or a mug of ale was shoved into their hands.

But that's not to say one didn't know her. In many ways, the patrons knew her better than anyone else.

She was open, unabashed, unfiltered. Combined with her beauty, a personality like that makes falling head-first into love an easy thing for a young man. I know this because I'd seen it time and time again among the lads that came to the tavern.

She never welcomed the romantic attention. She treated everyone with that same intense yet paradoxically carefree energy. The kind that can sweep you away like an ocean current—one moment you're having a quiet drink after a hard day of having your confidence crushed by an ungrateful supervisor or a noble or a pretty bakery manager, and in the next you're whooping at the top of your lungs with a pitcher of ale in your belly.

It was generally the tall and handsome lads (with full beards) that didn't take it well when she turned them down. They'd ask her out several times, and when that didn't work, they'd confess their undying love and devotion. Sometimes they'd come to me teary-eyed and ask where they went wrong. As if I had a clue about such matters. Afterward, they'd not show up for several weeks or months. Then one night, they'd find themselves at the Tipsy Pelican Tavern again. Perhaps after a bad day at work or another failing romance elsewhere, or maybe they had just been passing through the neighborhood.

Elsa would sweep them up like shipwrecked sailors in a sea storm. After that, they'd be regulars and friends again. She never faulted them for leaving. And when they came back, she'd pretend they’d never gone.

In that way, I think Elsa understood what a tavern was and what it meant. Perhaps she understood it even better than me.

Eventually, the young men who had failed in their romantic attempts began to ward off newcomers with any bright ideas, especially after the incident with Mideon Greengrass, son of Southbank Ward's previous superintendent. They held off the suitors and created a protective barrier around her.

I'm not sure if anyone knew why Elsa avoided romance. She was a few years past twenty, in the prime of her life. For a while, there were a few rumors that she perhaps preferred her own kind—that is to say, extremely attractive women. But that didn't seem to be the case either as it was quite apparent she treated Cassia, Charm, Anna, and the few stunning beauties that passed through the tavern now and then the same way she treated anyone else.

I always figured she just wasn't in a rush to get involved with anyone. She seemed to enjoy her life, why complicate it with romance?

Thus I was surprised when I heard she had found a boyfriend. My interest in the subject was purely out of curiosity. Pure. Innocent. Curiosity. Nothing else. It was a mystery after all, and the human mind is naturally drawn to mystery, isn't it? I wondered why she had a change of heart, or if it was something special about this new man that had changed her. She denied any rumors when our regulars asked, but I had seen the hints of it a few times. On certain days, she would dress nicer, comb her unruly auburn hair, and spend more time outside of the tavern.

I wanted to ask her about it. Again, just to satiate my own curiosity. But I didn't want Charm overhearing, or else I was sure to hear an endless amount of sly remarks about jealousy or some other ridiculous thing.

Luckily, the Angelmore Trade Fair was coming up at the end of the month, and we were to attend with a stall representing the tavern. The fair was five days long, and Elsa was supposed to join me on each day while Charm managed the tavern.

I was determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, and I promised myself not to get upset if he had a beard.

Chapter 2

Day One

"We've got pumpkin beers!"

"Hey-ho." The gong sounded.

"We've got honeydew beers!"

"Hey-ho." The gong sounded.

I turned to Charm. "You're too quiet. You need to speak louder when you say 'hey-ho.' All I hear right now is the gong."

It was the first day of the Angelmore Trade Fair. We had just finished setting up in the tent provided to us by the organizers, and there were still a few minutes before the fair opened at noon. Elsa had gotten sick just the day before, curse my rotten luck, and Charm had agreed to help me out for the first day.

Charm hit the gong. "Hey-ho!"

"No, you say 'hey-ho', then you hit the gong!"

"Hey-ho!" Charm exclaimed with a placid expression. Then she waited for a full five seconds before she hit the gong.

"You're doing this to me on purpose, aren't you?"

Before Charm could retort, a voice shrieked from the tent beside our own. "What in Celeru's holy name is this ruckus!?"

A tall, lanky man wearing colorful summoning robes pulled back the flap of the neighboring tent and marched over to us. A dark scowl lined his face, which was in sharp contrast to his bright robes.

"See Charm? I told you the chanting would work. It's brought us our first customer."

Charm nodded dutifully without comment.

"Chanting?" the man repeated in disgust. "This is a trade fair of the highest class! Not some hooligan's gathering! There will be no chanting!"

"But then how are we supposed to advertise our stock?" I said.

"Quietly, like any other gentleman!" The man peeked across our tent with discerning eyes. The tent was large with plenty of room. "You've got quite the stall here. What stock are you selling exactly?"

"Ales, sir," I said. "We're brewers from the Sword and Shield House. If you have any complaints-"

"Your banner clearly says the Tipsy Pelican Tavern!" the man said, pointing behind me.

I was watching Charm. There was no emotion on her face, but her eyes were ever so slightly hardening on the man, which was not a good sign.

"I cannot believe this," the man said with a sneer. "What's a tavern doing here? This is one of the best locations in the whole fair!"

"It is?"

"How did you get such a spot?"

"This is the one we were assigned..." I said, feeling a little uncertain now.

"No, I'm afraid there's been some mistake. The food and beverage quarter is at the far corner of the fair. Only merchant and mage guilds are to have access to the central square. Even we, the Guild of Divine Clairvoyance, could only secure a single day at the fair."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" I said, feeling my chest tighten.

We had spent the entire morning setting up our tent and installing a long plank of smoothed timber as our countertop. I'd assumed we had the spot for the whole five days of the fair. But the man, who was not only a fortuneteller but a guild representative, was likely right. Our tent was smack dab in the center of Angelmore Ward's main square. We even had a perfect view of the Duke's castle not far in the distance. It made no sense for us to hold such a key spot in a trade fair where merchant companies and guilds had a hundred or a thousand times our budget.

"Ignore this insect, Master," Charm said. "He has no hold over our fates."

"I-i-insect!?" the man stuttered, shooting Charm a glare that slapped against a pair of eyes made of solid stone.

He watched her for a moment as if trying to force her to break eye contact. He failed. But he grinned anyway and turned around, looking over the fair. He raised a hand and called out to a young man in green and red who was jogging across the square. The young man's colors marked him as a fair coordinator, and he changed course, running over to us.

The coordinator looked tired and overworked. Heavy bags sagged beneath his eyes, and he panted as if he'd been sprinting.

"H-ow can I help you, sir?" he said to the fortuneteller.

"These people are in the wrong place. This is not the food and beverage quarter, yet they are selling ales."

The young man frowned and checked his parchment board. "This is Stall Five in the central square, correct?"

I nodded.

"I suppose that is correct," the fortuneteller said. "Stall Four is mine."

"It says here this stall is reserved by the Tipsy Pelican Tavern for the full five days of the fair." He looked up at me. "Are you from the Tipsy Pelican Tavern?"

I nodded.

"There must be some kind of mistake!" The fortuneteller snatched away the parchment board and scanned it intently. "This can't be right!"

"Sir, I need that back."

"I demand to see a manager!"

"I am a manager."

"Then your head organizer, Musthave!"

"Sir, Lord Musthave is very busy today. Unless it is an urgent matter, no one is to bother him."

"This is urgent!"

"Sir, I do not see how this stall impedes your own."

"They are selling ales! Just being next to them devalues my guild. I am sorry, but they must be moved. We are one of the top fortuneteller guilds of Meritas, and we cannot be placed beside a couple of common ale sellers."

I was pretty sure there were only three fortuneteller guilds in total, which was already two too many in my estimation. But I didn't say anything.

The young coordinator sighed and gestured for his schedule from the fortuneteller, who hesitantly handed it over. After flipping through the pages, the coordinator said, "I suppose I can move you to the F & B quarter."

"Move me?"

"Well, yes sir. The Tipsy Pelican Tavern has already paid in full for all five days. It says here your organization has yet to pay, which means I can downgrade you and charge you a smaller fee."

"I will not be moved!"

"Sir, I'm very sorry, but there's nothing else I can do." Another vendor was calling him now from across the square. "I apologize, but I must be going. If another spot opens, I'll let you know so that you may move."

"It is not I who needs moving!" the fortuneteller called after him.

But the coordinator hadn’t heard. He was already back across the square to deal with another issue.

The fortuneteller turned back and glared at us. "I have a hard time believing some nameless tavern could afford the full fee of five days at such a prime location."

He did not wait for a reply and spun around, stalking back to his tent.

I turned to Charm. "How much did we pay for our spot?"

"Five silvers a day."

"Gods, that's a lot! Why did we get the most expensive one?"

Charm shrugged. "It was the only option that they gave Charm."

"We better make our money's worth. Strange though. A few shimmers shouldn't be that much for a guild. Sounds like they can't even afford a single day. Maybe the organizers wanted a beverage vendor in the center of the square to mix things up."

"Does Master wish to practice the chant again?"

I nodded. "We best get it right. But uh... maybe don't use the gong for now."

The last thing I wanted was to get into a feud with a guild or some other powerful organization. Ideally, I would not be here at all. The trade fair did not cater to my usual customers, but my options were limited and I needed the revenue.

The tavern was doing well enough, although our traffic had slipped slightly as Galston seldom came by anymore and Cassia only worked on the rare night now. The Duke had commissioned the two heroes to help hunt down the remainder of Ashbane's operations in the city. But even without the two celebrities making appearances, the tavern's nightly revenue was still surprisingly good. We now had a nice crowd of regulars that stopped by most nights of the week.

The real problem was that I owed a heavy debt to Anna and her master, the potionmaker, Jermandaz. I had sustained severe injuries during the events that were now known as the Battle of Duke's Port. What most people didn't realize was that Brauzer and his mercenaries had kidnapped Deni to lure the Greenfin (me) away from his ambush on Lord Mackeries, the Commander of the City Watch.

Right after Leise and I left to save Deni, Anna had anticipated that someone was likely to get beaten to within an inch of death (also me) and had roused her master, Jermandaz, to help her make a potion of greater healing.

Such potions usually could take anywhere from a week to a month to make depending on the ingredients used, but spurred on by Anna's begging, the potion master had spent considerable resources to create the potion within a single night.

Typically a potion of greater healing was worth seven to nine gold brilliances. But since this recipe had been so rushed, Jermandaz had used three times the usual ingredients to produce the final product. Thus she was charging Anna a whopping twenty-five gold brilliances, a cost that Anna had passed onto me since I was the one who supposedly took the life-saving potion.

Jermandaz had been told the potion was for a friend fighting Brauzer's men. No one besides Anna knew the potion had been for me, and I wanted to keep it that way. It was already bad enough that Anna knew my identity as the Greenfin.

However, the worst part about all of this was that I barely even used the potion.

I had faced off against Brauzer and gotten my ass kicked. (Though he didn't know it, the old guy had broken a two-century-long perfect record.) In the end, Galston and Cassia arrived in time before he could finish me. Then Charm had used her superior healing magic, which, compared to the potion, was far easier on the body and the wallet.

But I couldn't reveal Charm's powers to Anna. That secret was far greater than the Greenfin's. So for appearance's sake, I had to pretend the potion had healed me.

I couldn't even sell the darn thing to recover some of my losses. There were only a handful of potionmakers capable of concocting a potion of greater healing in Meritas. That made them rare things to buy or sell, and it meant they always sprang a rumor.

For instance, it was rumored that Superintendent Valentall had spent eight gold brilliances when he purchased a potion of greater healing from Jermandaz. He had bought one for Lieutenant Leise after her first encounter with Ashbane's men, who had left her for dead. This move had been quite the talk in Southbank since few Superintendents would spend so much coin on an injured ward guard.

I couldn't afford such talk about my potion. Most people didn't know I possessed the thing, and the few who did, assumed I had drunk it.

But that still left the debt unpaid.

Twenty-five gold brilliances of debt.

It'd normally take me a year to cover such a cost, and that was assuming business was good each month. For that amount of money, I could hire a highly experienced full-time guardsman. The only option left was to generate some extra income if I was to have any hope of paying off the sum in the foreseeable future.

I began by joining every market I could find in Southbank's vicinity. But the sales were small, nothing that put any significant dent in my debt. The one market I could count on for sales was the Summerfest, but that was still two seasons away.

Then one morning, Elsa mentioned the upcoming Angelmore Trade Fair to me. Unlike the other markets, this one catered to merchants, traders, and nobles. The fair was organized once every three years, and it gathered people from across Visseria. The price to get in as a vendor was steep, but it also meant we could charge premium prices and earn high margins.

Or at least that was my hope. But an hour after the fair had opened, we hadn’t received a single customer. Besides the chanting, we had even brought out the gong again to no avail.

Finely dressed visitors passed by us on the square, some giving us strange looks as they walked by.

"Maybe we should give it a rest," I said with a heavy sigh. My throat was already starting to ache. "This doesn't seem to be working."

The square had become busy with people. Even the fortuneteller's tent had a long curving line. It was one of the few times I had ever seen nobles wait in line for anything. Each had a servant with them, and most were young men and women. It seemed this was where the young people gathered while the parents visited other stalls for business.

Unlike our own, the fortuneteller's tent had its flaps pulled down to create an enclosed space. Even so, it was still right next to our tent, and we could hear him speaking to each customer that went through. Very quickly, we picked up a pattern.

"I sense great misfortune in your future!" the voice said ominously for the fifth time since the market opened.

Charm didn't show it on her face, but I could tell she was getting annoyed.

"Look upon this farseer's orb. The red color signifies an ill-fated path ahead of you..." the fortuneteller's voice continued. "Take this talisman and keep it on you at all times to ward off bad luck. It is a powerful artifact made by our guild from the rare stone only found in the depths of the Primordial Sea. Oh yes, you may have heard of this rare stone, for it appears in many legends. We usually do not hand these treasures over to those outside our guild, but for this special occasion, I will part with it for only twenty silver shimmers."

This was almost always met with the sound of an eager affirmative and the jangling of coins.

"Charm wonders if this con artist has a shred of real farsight."

"Who knows?" I said. "At least he's got excellent business sense. Twenty silver shims a pop? I'm starting to think we're in the wrong enterprise." I looked over at our price board that was leaned up against a tent post on the counter. Our ales were listed in chalk, each selling for two coppers. I'd consider it a huge success if I could earn twenty shimmers by the end of the next day.

Just then, a man in an expensive-looking wool jacket stopped in front of the counter. He wore no family emblem, which most of the other nobles appeared to be wearing today, so I figured him for a merchant. He was sweating profusely beneath the thick jacket.

Although it was the beginning of the year and we had suffered several strangely cold days, the weather had returned to a warm Meritan winter.

"Pour me your coldest ale, will you?" the merchant said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Our absolute coldest ale coming right up!" I immediately filled a mug of Frozen Pumpkin Ale for him.

"Excellent," he said, licking his lips as I handed him the drink. "How much do I owe you?"

"That'd be two coppers, sir."

The man looked at me. "Two coppers?"

"Ah yes sir, that is the price..." I said uneasily. Had he noticed that it was double what we charged at our tavern? Still, I didn't think it was too high of a price for this fair's crowd.

He set down the two coins and the mug of ale along with it. "Thank you."

With that, he turned and left.

"Uh... what just happened?" I asked Charm dumbly.

Charm shook her head, unsure as well.

"I sense great misfortune in your future!"

"Gods, does he ever change his line?" It felt like we were getting cursed each time.

"You're charging too little," said a new voice I didn't recognize.

I turned and saw a man with a wooden box tied to his back standing to the right of our tent counter. He was leaning against a board post, watching the street. He was tall and handsome, with a tanned complexion and sleek blond hair which fell past his ears and a carefully trimmed beard. Smile lines tinged the corners of his eyes, making him seem a little older than I had first thought, perhaps thirty years of age. I didn't place him for a noble or a merchant.

"Pardon me?" I said.

He smiled at me and pointed at my chalkboard. "You're charging too little for your ales. The people here have never seen prices so low, so they distrust it. That's why no one is buying."

Was that true? Charm and I looked at each other. She arched an eyebrow.

I turned back to him. "What prices does the good sir recommend?"

"Oh... I'd say at least five times what you're selling it at now."

"No! Ten coppers?"

"Oh yes, that's what they expect."

"But that's too much..." I said, feeling a shaky grin on my face. "If I did that, I'd... I'd make a killing."

"Why are there suddenly strange gold coins in Master's eyes?"

The young man chuckled. "Might I purchase a mug at your current price before you raise them?"

"Of course!" I said, quickly filling a mug. "If you're right, I'll put your name on a keg back at the tavern."

He took the mug and set down two coppers. "I might take you up on that. The name is Ress Copperdale," he said with a grin and took a sip. Then he took another and another. "My, what a wonderful ale!"

"Thank you, sir!" I said eagerly. My mind was already racing with calculations. Four mugs of ale sold at ten coppers each was a silver shimmer. Twenty mugs would cover the fair's fee for the day. To earn a full brilliance, it would take a hundred and sixty mugs. That sounded like a lot, but at the Summerfest I could clear a hundred and sixty mugs in a couple of hours. However, I still wasn't sure about the trade fair. Nobles and wealthy merchants tended to drink wines and Elven brandies.

"Quick," I said to Charm. "Let's redraw the prices on the sign."

Charm nodded and went to work on the price board.

Ress was staring at our cloth banner that was hung from the tent. "The Tipsy Pelican Tavern is it? I believe I've heard of you."

"Oh?" I said. "How did you come across our name?"

"Hmm… where was it?" the young man muttered to himself, tapping his forehead. "Ah yes, winner of last year's Summerfest Brewmaster's Cup, wasn't it? No wonder your ales are so refreshing."

"Thank you, sir!"

"Don't mention it. In fact, do you mind if I purchase another?" he asked while raising his already empty mug.

"Right away, sir! Thank you for your business!"

Ress stood in the shade of the tent's covering and took a large gulp of his drink, sighing satisfactorily. "I am remiss to say that I've not visited your tavern. But now that I've tasted your ales, it's on my list of things to do. Right after I land a job, that is."

"Ah, is that what brings you to the trades fair? Seems like a good place to conduct business."

"One would think so. But perhaps not for my business. I'm a musician. I hope to secure a patron, and there aren't many events where one can rub shoulders with the noble class. This is one of the few. In fact..." he paused, looking around and eying the line in front of the fortuneteller's tent. "Would you mind terribly if I played a song or two here? Young lords and ladies are often the ones that convince their parents to sponsor me."

"Please do! You'll help us draw customers."

"Wonderful," he said. "Then we can put my pricing theory to the test. I do hope it works out."

He set down his box, undid the clasps on the top, and opened one side, revealing a beautiful white harp.

I quickly took a stool we had set up behind the counter and put it out for him.

"Thank you," he said, smiling and sitting down to play.

He strung a few strings on the harp, testing his instrument. Then he began.

I'm no music expert, and I have a general distaste for bards. But I knew he played beautifully. It was an energetic and fun melody, perfect for a warm winter afternoon. He hummed a little as he played, as if it was only for his own enjoyment, without a worry about the performance. But for some reason, that only made it better.

Charm watched him with a flat gaze, but her skirt swished a little to his tune.

By the time he had finished the song, a small crowd had gathered. They clapped, and some of them went up to him to chat. Others came by our stall and ordered a drink.

The first man ordered "an ale." I poured him the Frozen Pumpkin Ale, topping off the mug with the perfect amount of foam.

"How much?" he said, apparently not having seen the newly updated sign.

I trembled a little as I said, "T-ten coppers."

"Sorry? I didn't catch that."

"Ah..." I was so nervous with all the delicious greed coursing through my heart.

"The price is ten coppers, sir," Charm said with the confidence of a queen.

He took a sip and nodded with a slight smile. He set a silver shimmer on the counter. "I'll have a few more later."

Then he walked off with his ale.

I looked at Charm in shock. She lifted a hand, formed a fist, and pointed her thumb to the sky. Then she looked at me with the corner of her lip curled and the eyes of a predator.

I grinned back like a wolf in the same pack.

We were off to the races. We never received quite the line the fortuneteller had, but we sold our product a lot faster. Ress played another song, and a small line gathered that never fully emptied as we served our ales.

Within an hour, we had sold twenty-six ales, which was already a tidy profit for the day. It was still a long way off from what I owed Jermandaz. But still, it was incredible. No wonder the Grand Taphouse, which nobles and the upper classes had frequented, charged ten coppers or more. It was because they could.

Things slowed down slightly at around two in the afternoon as this was when nobles often took tea. Ress was invited to join a couple of the young noble ladies who had stuck around after he’d started playing, and he waved us a goodbye and promised to visit the tavern sometime. Then Charm left to buy us lunch outside the fair while I manned the counter.

She came back quickly with a couple of sandwiches, and we switched off eating in the back of the tent. Our tent was a large square that could be divided into rooms with flaps hung from wooden poles. The fair supplied the tents, but it was up to the vendor to divide up their space. We kept our tent simple. A single flap separated the front counter area from the back where we stored all our kegs.

After finishing my meal, I stepped out to join Charm at the counter. She was speaking with a customer who was holding a mug that looked barely touched.

"Charm apologizes for the improperly cooled ale," she said to the customer, taking back his mug. Then she turned to me. "Could Master collect another keg? These appear to have warmed in the sun, and the ales are not as cold as they should be."

That was strange because our kegs were not directly in the sun. The tent had an outstretched canopy that covered the counter area. But I nodded and quickly went back to grab another one.

Once through the flap, I picked up the nearest keg and immediately noticed something was wrong.

On each of my kegs and barrels I used to store my ales, I had a steel plate where a cold rune drew heat away from the liquid. This is what kept the ales cool. When the rune was active, the steel plate would be warm to the touch.

This one wasn't.

I flipped over the keg and checked on the rune I had etched into the steel. The rune's symbol for heat collection was intact, but a small scratch had broken the rune circle.

The other kegs all had the same issue. Each had been scratched. Someone had tampered with all of them.

I quickly went back outside, bowing to the customer.

"I'm so sorry, sir, but we seem to have a problem with our runes. Not to worry, we will get another delivery of very cold ales later in the afternoon if you'd still like to try them. In the meantime, please let me refund your purchase."

The guy took it well enough and accepted his money back. Luckily, there was no one else behind him. We wiped away our price sign and replaced it with one stating we were taking a break and would be back soon. Then we headed into the storage area to examine the broken runes.

"I can script these again quickly enough," I said. "But it's going to take time for them to cool down again."

"The perpetrator must have tampered with them while Charm was buying lunch."

She was right. She likely would have noticed. I didn't. The fair was loud with people, and with my Gate of Perception closed, I'd not sensed a thing while standing at the counter. But I also hadn't expected someone to tamper with my ales. I felt a strong heat rising in my body. It was only when I looked at Charm that my temper cooled. She looked even angrier than I did. Which is to say her face was a blank mask. But I could see a dark fury in her eyes. And that was a dangerous thing.

"Okay Charm, it's just a little prank, ha-ha. No need to go overboard, I mean we don't even know who did this..."

But of course, there was only one suspect.

"Charm will have a conversation with the fortuneteller."

"Just a conversation, though, right?"

"The type of conversation a lion has with a kitten with a weak heart."

"I don't know why I feel offended by that comment. But let's fix these runes first before you do that."

Charm nodded.

I pulled out a sculpting knife from the small toolbox I’d brought with me for the fair and redrew the runes, imprinting my aura into it, initiating and finalizing the binding.

Charm then added a rune I didn’t recognize right beside mine. She did it with a brush and ink.

"What's that for?" I asked.

"It will speed up the cooling process. Remove it after ten minutes."

"Wait... is this a rune that boosts other runes?"

Charm nodded.

"Isn't that super rare? You didn't tell me you could do that!"

"Charm can do many things that Master is unaware of."

This prickled me more than usual. Runes were in fact my specialty, though you'd never know it listening to the myths and legends about the Stormblood. Stories and songs tended to always focus on spell magic and weapon mastery. Rune-making just wasn't flashy enough for your average bard. But I enjoyed rune-making almost as much as I enjoyed brewing ales.

So instead of quipping back, I swallowed my pride and said, "Teach it to me."

Charm peered over at me and arched an eyebrow.

I sighed. "Oh alright, never mind."

With that, Charm left our tent and got into the fortuneteller's line. Standing there, she looked like any of the other young ladies waiting. But I almost felt bad for the fortuneteller. With Charm involved, there was only one possible outcome. Complete annihilation.

Within ten minutes, the kegs had cooled enough that they could be served. One of them even started frosting, and I had to hastily wipe off Charm's ink rune with a wet rag to prevent the effect from going further. But first, I burned the rune's symbols to memory. Knowing how to write the rune wouldn't be enough to learn it. Still, it was something I planned on researching further if given the chance.

Once the newly cooled kegs were ready, I rewrote the chalkboard sign and returned to serving the ales. The flow of customers had slowed after we'd taken our break, but I was still in good spirits. Even with the sabotage, we'd already made a considerable profit for the day.

About fifteen minutes later, I heard a ‘conversation’ from the tent beside mine.

"Hey, aren't you the girl from the alehouse next door?"

"Charm senses great misfortune in the insect's future."

"T-hat's my li-"

"Look upon this farseer's orb. The red color signifies an ill-fated path ahead of the insect. The City Watch will soon discover the insect is providing false readings to nobles by manually altering the color of the insect's reading orb through magical means."

"But I'm not instructing it to be red now! How is this possible? Glow green! Glow green!"

The red light had grown so bright, it shined through the layers of the two tents. Someone whimpered.

"Charm foresees great turmoil. After a lengthy public trial and disbandment of the insect's guild, the insect will be sentenced to serve a prison sentence at Mandrol Down. But before the insect reaches the prison, he will die a terrible death, suffocating on a talisman made of cheap pebbles that bear no similarities to Primordial Rock."

"Gods! Are you a true clairvoyant!?"

"The only way for the insect to avoid misery and destruction is for him to repent for his grave misdeeds to the Tipsy Pelican Tavern."

"Forgive this insect for his wrong-doings! I should never have disrupted your runes!"

"But even repentance will not be enough, for the insect has been cursed. Repentance will only prevent the suffocation. It will not prevent the sudden destruction of the insect's home and business."

"This is a new development!"

"With each second the insect wastes, his future grows ever bleaker. After his name is ruined, he shall be doomed to never find love nor friendship for the rest of his days."

"Have you no mercy!?"

"Worst yet, his visits to the latrine shall turn drier than the Kasharan Desert."

"I shall purchase every barrel I tampered with! Is that acceptable to the True Prophet Reborn!?"

The red glow from the neighboring tent suddenly turned green.

Chapter 3

Day Two

I had hoped to find Elsa ready to join me when I came downstairs the following day, but the main hall and barroom were empty. Once again, I felt some disappointment, and this time Charm wouldn’t be free to help me as she would be busy with her own tavern duties.

For a moment, I thought perhaps Elsa had simply slept in. She had never been an early riser. The girl seemed to drink and frolic all night and into the early hours of every morning. But in all fairness, that was also the norm for anyone who worked in a tavern.

Elsa had been in bed the whole day before, and her door was still closed shut when I came back up the stairs. I knocked gently, but there was no reply. Not wanting to wake her, I headed downstairs again and left a note on the dining table for Charm to check on her later in the day.

The morning was still a cold blue, and the tavern had a quiet and calm quality that felt rare and precious. I headed into the rune-cooled storage room and hauled out a big standing sign from the very back. It was a tall, heavy sign that hung a carved plaque of the Tipsy Pelican holding an ale. I had commissioned a wood maker to craft the sign when the tavern first opened. In the end, I found it got in the way of the stone walking steps, and I replaced it with signs above the tavern's two entrances, which is how the stand found its way into the back of the storage room. But it would be perfect for the fair. There was plenty of space in front of our oversized tent, and the big sign would be a better attention-catcher than our cloth banner.

I turned the sign onto its side, lifting its trunk that was a rounded chunk of wood with four stone blocks inlaid at the bottom. Each stone block had carved runes that would bind to similar stones. I had set them there so that wind wouldn't blow the sign down and so I could easily remove the sign if I ever wanted to move it.

The Angelmore Trade Fair's main square appeared to use a similar basalt stone as the Cobblestone Road in front of the tavern, so they wouldn't need to be reconfigured. However, the original magic in the runes had run their course a long time ago.

I ran my fingers over each rune and reactivated them with my aura so they'd snap to the ground once the sign was set down. Then I threw the sign over my shoulder and hauled it out the door, making my way around the tavern.

Anna and Karolin had allowed me to borrow the Oakdigger's family donkey, an old and calm animal called Strawberry, for the duration of the fair. Angelmore Ward was fairly far from Southbank by foot, and I had a lot of stock to carry. (That was especially true today as I intended to bring double the ale volume.) But before I borrowed the animal, the sisters forced me to promise and triple promise that I wouldn't work the poor beast to death.

I didn't have anywhere to keep Strawberry, and Karolin still needed the animal for her own pumpkin business, so after unloading her pumpkins, she dropped him off each morning at the tavern. Then in the evening, I took him back to Karolin's stall in Keeper's Garden Ward.

I was up early today, but Karolin woke at the crack of dawn, and she didn’t bother waiting for me. So I found Strawberry and the wagon parked beside the tavern without the young pumpkin farmer. However, standing there petting the old beast was another figure.

It was Cassia.

She wore a sleeveless brown and white dress with shoulders that were hidden by her long golden hair. She turned and smiled warmly at me when she noticed me approaching.

"Good morning, Arch-don," Cassia said. "Elsa asked me to help you today. She's still feeling under the weather." This last part of the sentence came with a worried wrinkle in her brow.

"Not busy crime-fighting with Galston today?" I said as I set the sign into the back of the wagon.

"I asked for the day off," she said with a slightly timid smile as if she felt a little guilty to be shirking work.

I grinned. Cassia's purity drove me a little crazy at times, but she was almost as good a moneymaker as Elsa.

"Are you alright, Arch-don?" Cassia asked, looking worried again. "I feel like I can see gold coins in your eyes."

"You're imagining things. Let's get to work."

Cassia's awakened strength made moving the barrels and kegs from the storage room a quick and easy task. Even Strawberry seemed a bit more energetic with Cassia around and kept turning to her for pets at every opportunity. I felt an unexpected pang of jealousy at this, and I told myself it wouldn't last. Old Strawberry and I shared a mutual camaraderie, and I had shared many secrets with him while we trekked back to Karolin's the previous day.

"Erm... Arch-don..." Cassia said as she set down the fifth barrel she'd carried out of the tavern. "Will it be too much for Strawberry to carry so much weight? Perhaps we should make two trips… or four?"

"Ah, don't worry about it," I said and knelt at the back of the wagon and scratched in a symbol with my sculpting knife. As I inscribed the rune into the wagon's fender, a small column of blue light followed my tool's motions. I finished with a circle and pressed my finger to the symbol, channeling my halos into it. The rune glowed briefly, then the bed of the wagon lifted a few inches off the ground.

I grinned happily and hopped on the wagon to push back the loaded barrels and make room for more.

"A-rch-don..."

"Mm-hm?"

"I-s this the l-l-levitation rune of the Dragon Monarch?"

"Yep."

"The rune that the Mage Guild of Adentris has been trying to learn and master... for the past millennium... to rebuild the ancient skycastle of Dragon's Reach?"

"Yep."

There was a long silence after this, so I turned around and found Cassia unmoving with her mouth slightly parted.

"Don't just stand there," I said, pointing at the barrels at her feet. "There's still more to load!"

"Y-yes, of course." She turned and picked up the first barrel, but her expression still seemed distracted and disturbed.

"Look," I said as she set the barrel down on the end of the wagon. "Floating cities are overrated. Lots of accidents and long wailing screams. Made sense for dragons, but there aren't a lot of those left, are there? Much better the rune is put to useful tasks like shuttling ales and keeping troublesome sisters off my back. Now finish loading those barrels, and let's get going. I plan to sell out today."

* * *

Southbank was near the very bottom of the city, and so we had to take a long winding road through Keepers Garden and Lumitra Ward before finally arriving in Angelmore, which was at the heart of Meritas.

There was in fact a major bridge being built that would cross over the Central Canal and lead directly from Southbank to Lumitra Ward. The thing had been in the planning for ages, but in the past month, work had finally begun on the project under Superintendent Valentall's supervision. There was a lot of speculation that this would bring new business prospects to Southbank as it connected directly to Elven Pass, the busiest road in Meritas. I myself was quite excited for the bridge, as it would make a faster trip for several of my regulars coming from across the city.

But there were still several months of work left on the bridge, and so Cassia and I took the long way around.

As we walked with Strawberry and the wagon, Cassia filled me in on her work for the Duke of Meritas. Ashbane's syndicate had all but disappeared. A ship of mercenaries escaped the city on the night Galston defeated Brauzer. All that Cassia and Galston had rooted up thus far were local gangs that were once united under Ashbane's leadership.

"Seems he gave up pretty easily," I said.

"There is some rumor among the gangs that Ashbane will return," Cassia said. "Others are not as certain."

"Maybe he's feeling awkward about getting his butt so thoroughly kicked."

"Galston thinks we haven't seen the end of it," Cassia said, slightly furrowing her brows. "If what Brauzer said to you is true, then there might be several more Radiants in the syndicate."

"What? That he was 'a mere foot soldier' in Ashbane's operation? I don't believe it."

"It still may be possible Ashbane's operation contains members with high awakenings."

"The Duke better put the call out for some heroes then."

Cassia nodded. "His Grace has done so. But with no immediate threat, most heroes of that caliber have not given answer. For now, we hope to hear word that the Guildmaster of the Meritan Adventurer's Guild will return. He has been gone for several months. He is a Perceiver, and with his presence perhaps we can rest easier…"

Cassia told me a bit more about how things were going at the guild and her duties at the church. I kind of tuned out the rest, with my thoughts returning to methods to maximize profits for the day. The debt weighed heavily on me, but if things went well, it was possible I could come out of the five-day fair with enough to cover the debt and then some.

We reached the fairgrounds shortly thereafter. Upon showing my vendor registration and getting through the guards, we made our way to the square.

At first, I got confused as I couldn't seem to find my tent. Then I noticed two tents side by side that were filled with stacks of shiny blue wood. The tent on the right had a sign outside of it that read Broadtrunk Brothers & Co. - Rare Wood Traders.

The tent on the left not only had stacks of the shiny blue wood within the tent but there were also stacks in front that blocked its long wooden counter. Above the wooden stacks hung a cloth banner with a pelican on it.

It was my tent.

"Hey!" I exclaimed just as three big burly men came out, having just deposited another stack of blue wood within my tent.

I raced over and they paused, looking at me with three nearly indistinguishable faces. They were each at least a full head taller and two heads wider than me, but amongst themselves, they differed by only a few inches.

"This is my stall," I said, pointing. "I don't mind you using the space while we were away, but now we're here and we need to make preparations for opening!"

"I don't see you using it," the biggest brother said. He stepped closer, blocking half my view of the sky.

Before I could retort, the next brother stepped up, casting another shadow over me. "We've carried these planks across the Primordial Sea. They must be kept safe and out of the sun."

The third brother stepped in now. My face was in full darkness under these hulking figures. "A tavern doesn't need this much space."

He must have seen the banner, and it was true enough, most of my tent's space went unused the day before. But this was ridiculous.

"Gentlemen," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "I registered and paid for this tent. I don't even have a space to set up my ale taps."

"We've only got one day in the fair," the first Broadtrunk brother said. "And we aim to make it count."

"I'm sorry, was that supposed to be an adequate explanation!?"

As if some unheard agreement had passed between them, the three brothers turned away at the same time and walked back to their tent.

I watched them go in complete shock. Then I looked around for an administrator.

To my luck, I found the same fair coordinator from the day before jogging across the square. He looked even more tired than the previous day. I called him over and saw his face noticeably droop as he spotted me. But he made his way over, albeit at a sluggish pace. I quickly explained the situation when he arrived, and he readily agreed with my position. Who wouldn't?

I watched as the coordinator went to the wood trader tent and spoke with the three brothers, asking them to remove their planks. Three big men suddenly had him cornered on all sides. This appeared to be a signature move. Blot out the sky and intimidate. I could tell it was bad news just by watching the young lad's body language from afar. He shook as he spoke, and the conversation ended with him bowing profusely.

"I'm sorry," he said when he came back to me. "They say they need the space and will move it later when they have time."

"When they have time!? At the end of the day, they mean! What am I supposed to do?"

"I'm sorry, but they aren't budging."

"Then tell a manager!"

"I am a manager."

"Tell the organizer Musthave!"

"Lord Musthave is very busy and is not to be disturbed."

"Then bring the guards and force them to remove their stuff!"

"I'm very sorry. The fair is opening in less than thirty minutes. We can't afford a scene."

"But what am I to do?" I could feel my hopes and dreams crumbling before my eyes.

"There's still some space inside your tent, and they said they will move their wares once they've sold some of their stock. I'm sure you can make do until then. Once again, I'm very sorry, but I must be going. It is a very busy day. We're expecting an even greater turnout today."

I watched in disbelief as the coordinator jogged away. I looked over at the brothers, who were completely ignoring my existence.

Cassia had caught up by now with Strawberry and the wagon. She was wearing the expression of pure compassion and empathy.

"Oh dear," she said and looked over at the three wood traders. "They must really need the space."

"Ca-ssi-aaa...." I massaged my temples, but what I really wanted to do was pull my hair out. "That is not what is going on…" I pointed at all the blue planks surrounding us. "They. Are. Clearly. Taking advantage of us!"

Cassia looked at me with her bright blue eyes and a look of confusion that could only belong to the purest of souls. "But where else can they put everything?"

I don't know what supernatural power Cassia had over me, but I was ready to break into tears.

"Surely it won't be so bad," Cassia continued with an encouraging tone. "They left us enough of a gap that we can use for the counter. We only need a small area to serve our ales. I'll stand in front to serve the guests. Come now, let's get set up, shall we? There's not much time before the fair opens."

I let out a long heavy sigh. She was right about that last part. There was no time to argue. We moved Strawberry off the square and around the back, unloaded all the barrels, then wiped down the counter and made do the best we could with the space we had. I finished putting the first three kegs on the counter just as the fair's opening bell rang.

The only thing left in the wagon was the big Tipsy Pelican Tavern sign. I'd brought it especially to attract customers, but now we had nowhere to put the darn thing with all the stacks of wood outside the tent. But Cassia had gone back and grabbed it, carrying the sign out to the front of the tent.

I almost stopped her, but then held back, hoping it might help her realize our predicament.

It didn't. Of course, it didn't.

I watched as she tried to find a spot to set down the sign. The only space large enough was the gap that we'd need to use for our line. Further out was the walking that would block people's paths. So she swayed back and forth, looking around uncertainly.

Then she spotted something and smiled brightly. She took three big steps away from our tent and slapped down the big Tipsy Pelican sign right in front of the wood trader's tent. Right in front of their entrance.

Cassia turned and waved at me cheerfully. "I found an empty spot!"

"Gods, Cassia... you placed it right in front of-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because the three brothers came out screaming.

"YOU CAN'T PUT YOUR SIGN THERE!"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?"

"THIS IS OUR TENT!"

Cassia turned to the men with bright blue eyes and that look of confusion that could only belong to the purest of souls. "But I thought you said you wanted to share."

"Share?" the first brother repeated with an expression that suggested he'd never heard of the word before.

"Who said anything about sharing!?" the second brother shouted. "No one is sharing!"

"Of course, we are," Cassia said without sarcasm or cunning. She gave them a smile that could thaw a necromancer's heart. "We must help each other, right?"

"No, we don't!" said the third brother. "You're not putting your sign here!"

Then the three men moved forward, cornering Cassia with their overwhelming mass as they had done to the coordinator and me.

It had as much of an effect as an old cat telling a puppy it didn't want to be friends. Cassia practically beamed at them.

"Don't worry," the templar said cheerfully. "I chose this spot because it's out of the way from your logs. I promise it won't cause you any trouble."

"N-n-not in the way!?" the big guy was stuttering now. "I'm telling you it's in the way!"

"Come now," Cassia said in a voice that came off more lovely than stern. "As Celeru says, an act of kindness costs nothing and its reward is bountiful."

The three brothers stared at her with mouths hung open and throbbing veins on their temples readying to burst.

My mouth was hung open as well, but for an entirely different reason. I looked upon this unfolding scene with the morbid fascination of a former victim who was now greatly benefiting from the perpetrator.

"W-e'll move the logs! But first, get this sign out of here!" The biggest brother didn't wait for Cassia to respond. He grasped onto the pole and pulled. But the runes I'd set on the bottom of the sign had automatically attached to the ground once they had set the sign down. Unlike mortar, that was one benefit of using runes, you could quickly attach and detach them... if you knew magic.

The biggest brother strained himself, heaving the sign with all his might. It didn't budge one bit.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, it must be stuck…" Cassia said, appearing to realize the cause of the issue.

"Remove it, now!"

"Are you certain? You aren't using this spot, and we don't mind sharing our spaces."

"Aren't using this spot!? This is the entrance to our shop!"

"Oh..." Cassia said, only now noticing the opening into the wood trader's tent, realizing her mistake, which would be a big one in her virtuous mind. "I'm so sorry, I didn't notice!"

"Move it now!"

"Ah... okay um... let me just go check in with my manager..." Cassia said with some real worry. She didn't want to block their entrance, but she couldn't just remove my runes without asking me first. The act of breaking another mage's runes without their permission had the equivalent rudeness of going to your neighbor's house and taking a dump on their dining room table. And these runes in question belonged to the legendary and honored Stormblood, the Hero of Our Time. Cassia would definitely want to get permission first.

She glanced over at our tent, searching for me. "Arch-don?"

But she found nothing. Not a trace. I had slipped deep into the shadows of the canopy, like a viper beneath tall grass, erasing my presence completely.

Cassia took a couple of steps over to search for me, but the biggest of the brothers grabbed her arm. "No! You aren't going anywhere until you remove this sign!"

"You there, what do you think you're doing?" said a voice in the rolling accent of the noble class.

A young nobleman had noticed the commotion and was now looking upon the altercation with some interest. He was dressed from head to toe in flamboyant finery. He stood before Cassia and the wood traders with the pompous arrogance certain kinds of the upper classes exhibit when they're before commoners. His chest was pumped out and his shoulders squared back as if he expected everyone to drop to their knees and kiss his feet at any moment. His cheeks were pudgy and smooth like they'd never seen a drop of sweat. His body language and his facial expression seemed to suggest he was ready to come to someone's rescue. Or more like he was holding himself in the way he thought a knight would when saving a princess from a burning castle. It was probably something he saw someone wearing makeup do in a theater play. On any other occasion, this highly-punchable noble was the last person in the great Abyss you'd want interfering in your business. But on this occasion, he was a gift handed down from the heavens to be cherished and cuddled.

The big wood trader immediately dropped Cassia's hand. "N-nothing, my lord… I'm only asking the lady to remove her sign from the entrance of my shop."

"Asking?" the noble said with a tone that suggested he thought himself infinitely clever. "Do you tend to ask women to do things by grabbing their wrists?"

A small crowd was starting to gather and watch the drama. It was not a chance to be missed. I dropped out of the shadows, moving toward them, and began taking ale orders.

The brother who’d grabbed Cassia looked around, paling at the sudden attention. "No sir, of course not."

No one would look good arguing against Cassia, least of all this lot. It was like a battle between the One Emperor and Celeru himself. All it took was a single look at the opposing sides for assumptions to be made. The rare wood traders were big burly men with faces that had been contorted by sea air and lifelong scowls. Meanwhile, Cassia's benevolent innocence covered her face almost as much as our sign covered the entrance to the wood trader's tent.

The first brother was getting leers from the crowd now. "How can he pick on such a noble young woman like that?"

"No! I'm not the bad guy. She put her sign in front of my shop! She's stealing my business!"

His words had the full effect of throwing feathers at plate armor.

"If she truly did such a thing, then it is doubtless an accident!" said the nobleman.

"That's right!" said a well-dressed woman from the crowd. "That pretty young lady wouldn't knowingly do something like that to harm you. Why don't you help her move it out of the way if you call yourself a man?"

"It can't be moved!"

"If it can't be moved, then why are you complaining!? You big ruffian!"

If this were a battlefield, it would be a massacre to the last soldier.

"Wait a minute, I recognize her!" someone called out from the back of the crowd. "I saw her at the castle a month ago meeting with the Duke. She's Cassia Hightower, hero of the Battle of Duke's Port!"

The crowd erupted with people huddling closer and jumping up to get a better look.

"Is that true!? Are you Cassia Hightower?" asked a young woman at the front.

"Ah well... yes..." Cassia said, unable to tell a lie.

The crowd pushed forward, bunching around her. I spotted the first nobleman looking sour now that his limelight had evaporated. Others were staring daggers into the three brothers, and the daggers hit deep because all life seemed to drain from them.

It was time to deal the finishing blow.

I made my way to the front of the crowd, holding out my hands.

"Please, don't blame these men, for it is my fault! These brothers had asked if we could share our space for the day." I gestured to my tent, which was obviously stacked with their blue wood. "Cassia and I readily agreed, as it is always wise to help a neighbor. But since there was no more space in front of our own tent, I asked Cassia to find a spot for our sign. She accidentally placed it in front of their entryway, and the brothers rushed to remove it, but the sign must have become entirely unmovable for them to have caused such a scene!"

I bowed to the three brothers. "I am so sorry for the inconvenience." Then I turned back to the crowd. "Perhaps Cassia Hightower can move the sign with her heroic strength now that she's been given the chance, but if not, I hope to count on the help of the crowd so that we can get this-" At that moment I slapped on the pole of the sign as if only to gesture to it, but it wobbled off its feet.

I looked over and blinked with plenty of surprise on my face. Then, with one hand, I lifted the sign up as if it were light as a broom. There was a deadly silence in the crowd. I looked over at the three brothers and gave them my best impression of a confused Cassia. "I don't understand... why did you..."

The crowd finished the question for me in an explosion of voices and proceeded to hurl a torrent of insults at the three brothers.

Cassia was looking really worried now. She rose her hands. "Everyone, please. This is all a misunderstanding. I'm sure the brothers didn't mean any harm."

This only made the crowd angrier at the brothers and love Cassia more.

"You're too kind!"

"They were trying to take advantage of your kind heart, girl!"

"Report them to the authorities!"

"The hero is right!" I said, letting my voice boom over the crowd. "We must learn from her example! Let us forget and forgive! Let me be the first to apologize for taking up so much of your time, ladies and gentlemen…" I turned to Cassia. "How about we offer a discount on our ales. Twenty percent? Does that sound agreeable to you?"

At this, Cassia gave me a look to suggest that she had figured out my ruse. But she nodded and turned to the crowd. "Please support the Tipsy Pelican Tavern and let us drink and be merry!" Then she bowed.

"I will buy the first ale!"

"No, let me buy, five rounds for my group!"

"Wait!" I held out a hand to quiet the crowd. "As a gesture of goodwill and friendship, I shall offer the first order to our neighbors! What say you, Broadtrunk Brothers?"

The brothers looked at me and responded exactly as I had expected.

"We will buy a round for everyone!"

* * *

Sometime later, after we had sold out of our ales, and the brothers had come and removed all their rare woods, and the drunken customers had shaken Cassia's hand and waved goodbye, Cassia frowned at me and crossed her arms.

"You're terrible sometimes, Arch-don."

Terrible was a very strong word for Cassia, and she was obviously drunk. The crowd had bought her ale after ale. Her eyes were hooded and her cheeks had turned warm.

"Only sometimes?" I said, wiping down the counter as Cassia sat on a stool.

"That person in the crowd who said he recognized me at the castle. That was you, wasn't it?"

"You have a fine ear," I said. "I thought I did a good job masking my voice."

"And then you removed the runes to make those poor brothers look bad."

"Guilty as charged."

"They were a little mean in the beginning, though."

"They were awful," I said.

"But then you let them buy ales for everyone..." she slipped sideways now, and I caught her just before she nose-dived into the floor.

"Alright, you drunk nun. Looks like you've had one too many. Come on, you can watch Strawberry while I load the wagon."

I shifted her to my back, and she put her arms around me as I lifted her up.

"You know… they came and apologized afterward," she said into my neck as I carried her. "Then they thanked me... the crowd forgave them… goodness were they rowdy… and the brothers sold a bunch of their hardwood. Isn't that great?"

"I guess..." I said as I carried her out of the tent, still feeling a little annoyed at the wood traders.

"You're a good person, Arch-don."

"What?! That's your conclusion? What happened to me being terrible?"

"You knew they'd buy the ales for the crowd, and they'd be forgiven and rewarded for doing the right thin..." I felt her slump a little against my back.

"No, Cassia! No, I did not! It was all for my own profit. Hello? Not this again! Let me defend my honor before you pass out! It was for profit, I tell you! For profit!"

But it was too late. She had passed out.

I carried her to the wagon and laid her down. She slept like a child without a care in the world. It was just like the time she had collapsed from exhaustion after fighting High Templar Darren Tamblion. I could give no defense, and once again, I felt as if I had somehow been defeated.

Chapter 4

Day Three

There was no one waiting for me by Strawberry's wagon on the morning of the third day. Elsa was still sick, Charm had to watch the tavern, and Cassia was busy again with Galston and the Duke's affairs.

I arrived at the fairgrounds extra early figuring it'd take longer to set things up by myself and led Strawberry to my tent to begin unloading my ales. As I did, I cautiously glanced over at the neighboring stall to see what kind of trouble I could expect today. A pattern had emerged, and I had no doubt it would continue. However, I did not find burly men or a powerful guild at my neighboring tent this time. Instead, an elderly couple was setting pots of colorful plants onto shelves. They saw me watching, and both smiled, giving me a friendly wave.

I smiled and waved back, breathing a sigh of relief, and returned to unloading my wagon. It seemed I finally had some friendly neighbors.

"Yoo-hoo! Archeruuuu~!"

My body went rigid with a keg mid-raise, a tingle of frigid apprehension shooting down my spine. The pattern had not ended, it had merely diverged.

"Hellooo? What are you doing squatting there like a frozen duck? Aren't you going to greet the one whom you owe your life to?"

I turned slowly and looked upon the bully of the third day.

"Slavemaster Anna… you've arrived."

"Slavemaster?" Anna said. She was wearing a short cloak over what looked to be a black dress. She smiled at me with lidded eyes. "I hardly think that's fair. Is that what you call your stunning savior, your beautiful benefactor?"

"What title would you prefer?" I said, mentally preparing myself for Anna's reply. She was only a potion master's apprentice, but like Charm, she had awakened the Eleventh Gate of Verbal Jousting.

"Hmm…" Anna put a finger to her lip. "A title that shows me the proper grace and respect… how about… loan shark?"

The mental preparation hadn't helped one bit. "How about the Dark Lord Reborn!?"

"My my, Archeru, that's no way to speak to a friend who's here to help you in your time of desperate, desperate, incredibly desperate need."

"That was at least two desperates too many! And I'm doing just fine, thank you very much."

"Are you certain? I don't mind lending a hand. I have the day off, anyway."

"Wait a minute, how did you get in the fair?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you don't have a vendor pass. Don't tell me you paid for a visitor pass."

"Oh, the young lad at the gate was very kind. I just explained that I was here to help one of the stalls."

I squinted suspiciously at her. Somehow she'd talked her way past the guards. That was no small feat considering the trades fair organizers were far more stringent than a typical market.

"Thanks for coming," I said. "But there's not much to it. I really don't need any help."

"Ah, okay then," Anna said. "I guess I'll spend the day with Deni then."

I nodded. "How's the kid been? Haven't seen him around lately."

At this, she softened a little. "He's well, still not quite back to his usual self, but getting there. We planned to visit you tomorrow at the tavern, but it seems like you'll be here at the fair."

"Right, well, catch you next time then."

"Very well, guess I'll be going then. Whew, it's getting warm isn't it?" She slipped off her cloak, revealing a dress with a neckline deeper than a nobleman's wallet and curves that would make a warrior monk blush. It looked exactly like a dress Elsa often wore (I was quickly becoming an expert on dresses), and it was just as stunning on Anna.

It took every ounce of the Stormblood's will for me to keep my jaw off the ground and to pull my eyes off of her.

"It's really too bad," she said as if musing to herself. "I was just thinking it could be fun playing a barmaid for a day, carrying a platter of ales around and advertising the tavern all across the fair… oh well, maybe another time."

"W-ait."

"Hmm? Did you say something, Archeru?" She turned back with an expression that didn't even try to mask the fox's cunning in her eyes.

I hesitated for a long moment, thinking it over. Going around and attracting customers was in fact an excellent idea, and it would definitely increase my sales. That's why I suddenly agreed to have Anna around for the day. That was the only reason. The only one.

Her smile told me she knew better.

"H-ow have you discovered my weaknesses so easily?" I said. "Are you some type of master tactician?"

"If the battlefield is a man's heart, then indeed I am." As if to get a closer look at me, she slowly leaned over the counter. In that dress. I was pretty sure this was the equivalent of a cavalry charge. "I can read a man's eyes like no one else. Yours are like two shining coins..."

"I've already heard that joke."

"...Lit by the embers of awkward adolescent lust."

"Leave me alone! I'm an adult! A strong manly adult!"

Anna held up a hand and chuckled at this, her own eyes lit up by surprised delight. "Oh, sometimes you do catch me off guard." She straightened and smiled at me. "Shall we fill some tankards for me to carry around?"

"Let me fix the mugs first," I said while trying to get my heart rate under control. "Otherwise the ales will warm too quickly while you're running around."

I headed into the back of the tent, wondering how this woman always seemed to get her way. But her idea of advertising the ales around the fair really was a good one. The only problem was keeping the ales cold.

I took out my sculpting knife and five brass ingots from my toolbox. Then I began scratching a rune into the first one. Once I had it done, I flipped the ingot over and scratched in a second rune.

"What are you doing?"

I looked up to see that Anna had followed me in.

I hesitated a moment, but it didn't really matter at this point. She already knew my identity as the Greenfin and would have heard about me using magic at the Battle of Duke's Port. So I answered, "I'm adding runes to the mugs, so they stay cool."

She hovered over me, inspecting my work, and it was extremely distracting. "Aren't you going to explain to me how it works?"

"I wasn't planning on it, and will you please stop leaning over like that?"

She crouched down beside me and gave me a fond but expectant smile.

I sighed. "What do you already know about runes?"

"They connect things."

"Anything else?"

"Not really. Master Jermandaz uses them for some advanced potions, but I'm not at the level to learn them yet."

"Runes are essentially bindings. They bind things together."

"Bindings that bind things together, you don't say?"

I gave her a dead-eyed look and showed her the first rune I'd carved in the brass ingot. "This is a heat rune, also known as a cooling rune. It conducts nearby heat. In this case we're going to put it in the mug so it draws away heat from the ale and into the ingot."

"What's the second one for?"

"We don't want the ingot rolling around while the customer is drinking, so we need the additional rune to bind itself to the bottom of the mug. To do this, we'll need to use sibling runes. These are runes that bind themselves to each other."

"If I understand you correctly, you'll also need to put a rune in the bottom of the mug so that the ingot binds to it."

"Correct."

"Isn't that more work? Can't you just use one rune that binds to wood on the ingot?"

"You could, if you knew the Birch Rune, that is to say, the rune that binds to this specific type of wood. Then it would be more efficient. But such a specialized rune is extremely rare. And I don't know the Birch Rune."

That wasn't true. I knew it just fine. I just preferred not to use rare runes out in the open. These runes I was making now would be in people's mugs, and they'd be more likely to ask about them than a rune hidden on the bottom of a sign.

I'd have to claim I hired a mage like Cassia to make them for me, which would be easy enough to accept for common runes. But the knowledge of rare and specialized runes belonged only to archmages and runemasters. The Stormblood happened to be both of those things, but Arch Gustkin, Cassia Hightower, and even the Greenfin weren't either of them.

"Hmm... it seems a lot more useful than I realized," Anna said. "So why isn't rune usage more common?"

"Firstly," I said as I kept working on the ingots and mugs. "Runes are relatively difficult to perform for anyone without the Gate of Spirit open. Aside from fueling the rune with your halos, you must use your pillar to connect the binding. The pillar binding is what most people have trouble with. Then there's the problem of learning the rune in the first place. Even if you manage to find the right symbol, it can take years of practice and experimentation to learn how to make the proper binding."

"Sounds quite complicated. What is a pillar?"

"It's another word for mind aura, just as halos are what we call body aura. It's because the light refraction from mind aura often looks like a pillar of light."

"I've heard of mind aura... there are three total auras, correct? Mind, body, and heart."

"Correct," I said.

It wasn't correct. There was a fourth one. But it was so rare that if you even only heard about it, it separated you from the herd as a mage.

The fourth aura came from the soul. There was no colloquial term for it in Vissish. But the elves called it shuin. Loosely translated, it means "white light.”

"Do runes have to be carved like you are doing now?"

"No. You can draw them directly with your pillar, but they will lose their form pretty quickly."

"How quickly?"

"That depends on the practitioner's abilities."

"You?"

"Maybe a few minutes," I lied. "Most often runes are carved or written with ink. This gives the rune a physical form and so the rune can last as long as the form is there or until the pillar or halos run out. I'm carving these since I don't want ink in our ales, nor would the ink last long in the ale."

I knew what she would ask next, so I said, "How long the pillar and halos last depend on the rune-maker and how much aura they put in. Pillars naturally last several times longer than halos. My pillar is fine, but my halos are weak, and these runes will probably last until the end of the day."

"And what should I do if I wanted to disrupt your rune?" Anna said mischievously.

"Funny you should ask that. Our neighbor took a disliking to us on the first day of the fair and tampered with my cooling runes."

"He did?"

I nodded. "He broke the physical inscription. If he was a decent mage, he could have also done it by severing the runes with aura. Those are the two ways."

However, if a rune was made with shuin, then it would be immune to magical tampering. Halos and even pillars could be broken just as bodies and minds could. But souls cannot be destroyed. Not to my knowledge in any case. That being said, a rune made with shuin would still disperse if the physical inscription was disrupted or if the rune-maker died.

"What happened after he tampered with your runes?"

"We remade them. Then Charm had a talk with the guy."

"Oh dear, that poor man," Anna said. "But I think I have a good grasp on rune-making now. Am I right in guessing that Galston uses sibling runes for his throwing rings?"

"What makes you say that?" I said.

"From what Cassia told me about the fight at the shipyard, he throws the rings and draws them back into his hand, right? I didn't understand when she first described it. But based on what you explained, he must use a sibling rune on his hand and one on his rings."

"Basically, yes. But it's probably more complex than that. He seems to use some kind of modifier as those rings defy gravity when they move."

"A modifier?"

I blinked and realized I had given too much away. That was far more complex information about rune-making than what I should be aware of.

"I'm guessing I mean. I actually don't know too much about it. But theoretically, runes can be combined using the right symbols to create unique effects."

"Hmmm?" Anna peered at me with a smile and eyes full of suspicion.

"Let's get moving," I said, changing the subject. "These mugs are ready, and the fair's opening soon."

I dropped the four ingots into the inscribed mugs, and they clicked into place. Then we carried them out to the counter, filled them with ale, and placed them on a platter.

Anna lifted the platter over her shoulder and put her other hand on her waist. "Well, do I look like a Tipsy Pelican Tavern barmaid?"

I nodded. I had to admit, she really did. I couldn't tell you what it was. All she did was lift a platter. Maybe it was the dress.

"Be back soon," she said. "Don't miss me too much."

She left before I could retort. Okay, that's a lie. Actually, I had plenty of time to retort, but nothing witty came to mind, so I just stood there like an idiot with my mouth half-open.

She winked and smiled at me with that knowing fox-like smile again and was off.

* * *

Anna delivered on her promise. The tent was nonstop busy for two hours straight. She came by now and then to refill the mugs, but she discovered it worked just as well to run around with empty mugs and tell people to head to the tavern if they wanted the fast-selling ale.

Then, at two o'clock in the afternoon, there was a lull in the square. Again it was tea time, and people seemed to disappear into the neighboring restaurants and teahouses.

My new neighbor, the old man, was perched on his counter and smiling at me. "Getting warm today, isn't it?" he said.

"Sure is," I said. "Would you like an ale? On the house for being such a good neighbor."

"Why, I don’t know what I've done to deserve it, but that's mighty kind of you." He glanced back nervously to make sure his wife wasn't paying attention—she was in the back of the tent rearranging several pots. Then he whispered, "I'd love one."

I poured two mugs of ale and passed him one, keeping the other for myself.

"Thank you, sir," he said and took one more glance back at his wife. Noting the coast was clear, he chugged the whole thing in one swoop and slapped the mug down with a satisfied sigh. "Fantastic!"

I laughed and poured him another.

Somehow, the old guy got me talking about my experience at the fair thus far. I told him the stories about the fortuneteller and the rare wood brothers. He paled a little at the first one and laughed at the ending of the second.

"Golly," he said. "I'd hate for such a thing to happen to us. We're not used to the big city, but we've always wanted to attend the Angelmore Trade Fair. We came up from Millsend, little town a dozen leagues north. Wife and I saved up for two whole months to get this spot. Almost didn't make it. They squeezed us in at the last moment and said we were lucky. Big guild was supposed to take it but pulled out at the last moment. Organizers said this is the best location in the whole fair."

"It is," I said. "That's why you have to be careful. You never know what kind of psycho is going to turn up in your tent making demands."

At that very moment, someone bellowed from within the old man's tent. "Goldflower root for sixteen silvers? This is an outrage! I will pay three shims at most. Don't think you can rip off us potion makers just because we rely on your roots!"

The old man and I craned our necks to find his wife talking to none other than a psycho making demands. She wore an alluring dress, and her name was Loan Shark Anna.

"But my lady," said the elderly woman. "These are of the highest quality. They are also the more pungent variety, better suited for perfumes than potion-making."

Anna scoffed. "Perfumes? No, I'll buy these off you and put them to proper use, but I won't pay sixteen silvers!"

"But ma'am we can't lower our prices... we must make up for the cost of the fair..."

The old man turned and looked at me with a fear no doubt compounded by my stories. At first, I wondered if he knew she was associated with me, but there was no need to wonder. Anna was still holding a platter of my mugs. Mugs that looked exactly like the one he was holding.

I hopped over my counter and rushed to Anna. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"I'm making a neighborly purchase," she said without taking her shark-like eyes off the old woman. "Isn't that right? Aren't we all neighbors here? Shouldn't you do the neighborly thing and give us a discount?"

"Hello? Miss Dark Lord Reborn? Please don't drag me into this. No good neighbor would do what you're doing now."

Only now did she look at me. "I'm not going to let these apothecaries charge whatever they want. They're one of the main reasons life-saving potions are so expensive."

"They're just trying to make a living," I said. "It's a trade fair, all the prices here are higher than normal, and they've got to make up the cost for the fair. Look at them, they're just a small family business. Do you really think they're trying to rip you off?"

Anna looked at the panic-stricken old couple and sighed. "I guess... No, of course, you're right." She took another deep breath, her shoulder sagging. "I'm sorry, Archeru, I got a little worked up there."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

Anna nodded and bowed to the old couple. "Please accept my apologies. I'm sorry for having caused you trouble."

"Oh, no, it's alright," the old man said, still looking a little shaky.

"Say..." I said. My eyes had snagged on a glass case of glowing golden dust. "Is that the well-refined Sweet Water Yeast?"

"Yes sir," the old man said.

“The yeast that will enrich any bread, enhance any ale?”

“That is what they say…”

"Price?”

"Ah… well... we sell it in a large batch... it's twenty-two silver shimmers…"

I slowly turned to him with cold, golden eyes, and I was certain they shined now, but not with the embers of awkward adolescent lust. No, this lust was far greater than that. Far more powerful. This was the lust of a brewmaster.

"Aren't we all neighbors here?"

Chapter 5

Day Four

I blame Anna for what happened the previous day. She was the one who started it after all. I nearly haggled the price of the Sweet Water Yeast to something I could afford, but Anna managed to drag me away before I could close the deal.

After I cooled down, we went back and apologized, but the old couple didn't look at me with friendly eyes again. I felt bad enough to buy the Sweet Water Yeast at their original asking price, which was a painful hit to my purse. But it did little good. The moment the fair ended for the day, the old couple packed up like a beach town before a tsunami without even a wave of goodbye.

Today, their spot was taken by a high-end tailor. The guy turned away every time I happened to glance in his direction. He was avoiding eye contact with me, and I think he had the right idea. If there's one thing I've learned at a trade fair, it's that it's best not to get involved with your neighbors.

But, as I was soon to learn, neighbors aren't the only people you have to watch out for.

I was in the middle of pouring an ale for a furniture vendor from across the street when it happened. The fair was busier than ever, and I had plenty of repeat customers from the previous days. But I was completely on my own this time. No one had waited for me at the wagon or showed up at the fair, and Elsa was still sick. (Apparently, she had something bad, but Charm was undescriptive when I asked her about Elsa's condition.) I could barely keep up with the orders.

"I'd like to purchase your business."

I looked up with a mug still under the tap and stared up at a young woman, whom I then realized had been standing there for several minutes. Her bright, energetic eyes had been darting all around the tent but now focused on me. Her hands were rested on her waist, and her legs were parted wider than her shoulders. She was dressed in a young nobleman's attire—a dark blue velvet jacket over matching trousers and a silk shirt with the fluffy cuffs hanging out past her jacket sleeves. Despite the male fashion of her clothes, her hair was styled in the latest feminine trends, falling in perfectly brushed platinum waves past her shoulders.

"What?" I said, looking at her dumbly. Then I felt the ale overflowing in my hand and jumped back, flipping off the tap.

I swept off the foam and turned toward the customer who'd ordered it, lifting the mug to him, "Sorry about-"

But there was no one there. The furniture vendor was quickly making his way back across the square while giving a fearful backward glance.

"I said I'm buying your business," said the young woman with the platinum hair and blue jacket. She took the mug from my hand and rested it on the counter. Her eyes were locked with mine and crackled with energy.

"Uh... I'm pretty sure you said you'd like to purchase it. Buying would suggest that I've agreed-"

"If you heard me the first time, why ask me? Good grief!"

Those were her words, but she didn't look upset. If anything, she looked excited. It reminded me of certain war-loving soldiers eager for the battle to begin.

"I wasn't sure if I heard correctly," I said.

"You heard me. Now, what's your answer?" she said with the bravado of a pirate king.

"I'm afraid I must decline."

"You haven't even heard my offer!"

"Then why did you ask for an answer?" I held myself back from adding a Good grief!

"Because this would be all the simpler if you accepted. But do not worry, I'll let you name your price!"

"I'm sorry, but my business is not for sale," I was getting impatient now. Even though I'd already lost a customer, there was still a long line behind her. "I really must serve the next customers-"

"Didn't you hear me?" she said. "I said I'm letting you name your price! Name anything. Anything at all. The sky is the limit."

"If I named the sky, I doubt you'd be able to pay up."

"True, true," she nodded. "That'd be a coffer or two more than my budget. But! It'd give us a starting point."

"A starting point?" Then I regretted asking. I saw two people at the end of the line turn away and walk off. I was surprised the people behind her weren't heckling her to move on out of the way.

She tapped the counter with her index finger. "A starting point for the bargain of course!" Her eyes were practically glowing now. It nearly looked like she was casting the Spell of Seeing.

"There's no bargain. My business isn't for sale," I said. I leaned sideways and held up a hand to wave over the next customer.

She followed my movement, blocking my line of sight. "But of course it is! If I really was to give you the sky, would you not give me your business?"

"Are you expecting me to take this question seriously?"

"Oh, you probably wouldn't be interested in the sky. Not being a winged creature, you wouldn't put such a thing to good use. But what about a thousand gold brilliances?"

I blinked at her. "You're offering me a thousand gold brilliances?" That was enough to buy half a city block in Southbank, or a mansion here in Angelmore Ward.

"What if I was? Wouldn't you say yes to that? You see? At a certain point, all things are for sale. Although... a thousand gold brilliances is still too steep for your little stall here. Better priced than the sky of course, but still too much. But now we're getting closer to the final price, don't you think?"

I just stared open-mouthed at her. Had we been haggling this whole time?

She put a finger to her lips as if considering her thoughts. "If I had to guess, I'd estimate your business is worth six hundred gold brilliances."

"Six hundred?" I said, still surprised. I personally did not think my business was worth anything close to that. "That's quite the number."

"It certainly is," she said, grinning widely. "But it's a fair price. After all, you must be paying quite the sum for a central position at the Angelmore Trade Fair. If you can afford that, it means your tavern is doing quite well. And if I remember correctly, you won the Brewmaster's Cup at Summerfest last year, didn't you? Arch Gustkin of the Tipsy Pelican Tavern? Oh yes, that rings a bell. So business must be good. But I'm guessing you have some debt. Ah, by the look on your face, you do. How much? Oh, not that much. Only a couple dozen brilliances or so judging by that look. Not bad for a tavern. Your ales don't cost much to produce. Perhaps only twenty iron glints a mug, I'd wager. But you're charging ten coppers. That's a hefty margin right there. That's the type of margin I like to see in my businesses. So if your entire business is worth six hundred gold brilliances, what do you say to four hundred gold brilliances for giving me the majority share? You'll still get to keep a third of the company, which will let you reap profits as we expand. We'll have the Tipsy Pelican Tavern franchised in a month. In three months, we'll have a Pelican in every ward. You can trust me on that. I'm a businessperson."

I was shocked. She had been on the mark about my debt and my costs. But she was wrong about the value of my tavern. I charged ten coppers here at the fair, but back at the tavern, my ales were a copper each. However, if Charm or Cassia were here, I'm sure they'd tell me there were gold coins in my eyes.

Still, I wasn't in it for the money, and there was no way I would give control of my tavern to someone else.

"That's a generous offer," I said. "But as I said, my business isn't for sale."

"Ah, is that so?" she said, not deterred the least bit. "Well, there are other ways to buy a business. Have you ever heard of a hostile takeover?"

Who was this woman?!

"Who am I?" she said as if she'd heard my inner thoughts. "I am Kaitlin Kherliss! Countess of Westmaple! Fifteenth in line to the Dukedom! Why do you think-", she threw a thumb over her shoulder, "-those fools back there haven't said a word about me holding up the line?"

Celeru smite my ass, this was a high-ranking noble of Meritas.

"That's right!" she said, no doubt reading my thoughts by my expression again. "But my real identity is that of a businesswoman! A proprietor of more companies than you can count. And I like your tavern. I want a piece of it. A big, juicy, delicious piece. And you're going to give it to me one way or another. But don't worry, I'm not going to kick you out once I own it. I wouldn't know how to brew these ales without you, and I know a talent when I see one. I don't even need to taste your ales to know they're good. That's the kind of businessperson I am."

She now picked up the mug she'd taken from me earlier and took a sip.

"Good grief!" she said and stared into her mug. "This ale's even better than I thought!" Then she peered back at me with a slight frown. "Very well, you drive a hard bargain. I'll give you five hundred gold brilliances for seventy percent of the company. What do you say?"

"I didn't make any bargain!"

"That's my final offer. Take it or leave it. You'll never hear a number that big again in your life. I can promise you that."

"I decline."

"I don't believe it! You're saying no to five hundred gold brilliances? What kind of madman are you?"

"Please, I must get to the others waiting in line." There were barely any left. Most had moved on.

"Not a chance. I'm not going anywhere until I buy your business. Tell you what, let's arm wrestle for it."

"What?"

"If I win, then you work for me, and I own seventy percent. If you win, I walk away."

"That might be the worst deal I've ever heard."

"Oh?" Kherliss said in surprise. "Usually men jump at any arm-wrestling deal I offer. But you appear wiser than you look. Very well. If I win, I buy seventy percent share for five hundred brilliances. If you win, I leave you alone. Deal?"

"Why should I arm wrestle you? I can just decline your offer, can't I?"

She grinned again. "Don't you want to serve your customers?" She threw a thumb over her shoulder again without looking. "That line's getting shorter by the second. Three people left now?"

This was her plan all along! And how does she know how long the line is without even looking!?

"I'm good with numbers and customer behavior," she said, reading me again.

I sighed. "Fine, I'll arm wrestle you. But you promise to leave if I win?"

"Of course," she said. "Just as you must promise to sell me your tavern if I win."

"Fine," I said. "You have a deal."

I was lying. There was no written contract here. If I lost, I sure as hell wasn't selling my tavern.

She swept back her platinum hair in a grand gesture and rolled up her right sleeve and dropped her elbow on the counter. Her legs were crouched almost in a fighting position. As I planted my elbow and took her hand in my own, I noticed the fine muscle on her arm.

"I should note," she said, catching my gaze. "Just as you won the Brewmaster's Cup at Summerfest, I won its arm-wrestling championship."

My eyes widened at that. Bran and Amberly had both competed in that tournament!

"Begin the countdown, Cecil!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, a cute young woman appeared beside us dressed in a butler's uniform. She placed her gloved hands over ours and began to countdown.

"Three... two... one... go!"

In the next instant, I discovered Kherliss hadn't been bluffing about winning the arm wrestling championship. My arm felt like it was trying to push a boulder, and I could feel every muscle of my body straining. From my fingers to my shoulder to my abdomen, I was shaking to keep my arm up. I had no doubt Kherliss had opened the Gate of Breath. It was the only explanation for her strength.

But I was the Stormblood with over two hundred years of experience.

Which is to say, I knew how to cheat.

I turned away as if struggling, then I peeked open one eye, and looked directly upon her bicep. I used the Storm Gaze. Only a little. Not giving it my full killing intent. Just enough for a short shock. The effect was instantaneous. Her bicep went limp as if the tendons had been cut. And I quickly gained the advantage, swinging my arm over hers and slapping the back of her hand onto the counter.

"What in the Abyss?" she exclaimed, pulling back her hand and massaging her bicep. Then she swung her head around and shivered. Since my gaze had been short and there had been so many people on the square, it wouldn't be immediately clear where the feeling had come from.

"Muscle spasm, huh?" I said. "Guess you should have stretched beforehand. Whew, lucky me. I thought I was done for."

She kept on massaging her arm, still looking disquieted. "Damn it, I can't believe this. I never lose. Something strange happened."

"I'm not sure what you're referring to, but if you don't mind, I still have a few customers left to serve..."

"Ah... about that," she said, straightening again. "I was lying when I said I would leave."

"What?!"

"It's not like we had a written contract on the matter," Kherliss said. "But don't worry. To balance that lie, I was speaking with complete honesty when I said I wasn't leaving until you sold me your business."

"That balances nothing! I've won! Leave me alone!"

"I made that bet assuming I would win. We'll have to make another bet now."

"Who in their right mind would bet with you after this!"

This lady was worse than the fortuneteller and the rare wood traders combined! In fact, I was starting to feel certain this was some sort of heavenly retribution for the way I treated the old herb sellers from the day before.

"Do you know who I am?" Kherliss said, crossing her arms now.

"A pain in my ass?"

"I am the Countess of Westmaple! Fifteenth in line to the dukedom! But don't let that bother you, because I am first and foremost a businessperson!"

"Don't let that bother me? The fact you keep bringing up your noble lineage is the most threatening and bothersome part!"

"Very well, since you defeated me, I will offer you six hundred brilliances! But make no mistake, this is my final offer!"

I sighed. "You've already made me a final offer, and once again, I decline. Now please give the way to my customers."

"I will agree to your terms once you agree to mine, and I will decline as long as you decline!"

"Everything alright, Master Arch?" said a voice I recognized. I looked over and saw that Lieutenant Leise had strolled up. There were two guards behind her, one of which I recognized to be corporal Jacob. He'd been with Leise at the raid on the Grand Taphouse. It'd been some time since I'd seen Leise, and her green hair had grown, falling slightly past her shoulders. She was wearing her guard armor and even carried a new blue sword. Valentall must have commissioned it for her as a reward for saving Mackeries. I had broken her old one when fighting Brauzer as the Greenfin.

“Master Arch, is it?” Kherliss said. “I like the sound of that! But I shall soon be the Master!”

"Lieutenant Leise," I said. "You've come just in time, I'd like to make a formal complaint of trespassing, oath-breaking, and disorderly conduct!"

"Is that the case?" Leise asked Kherliss in a manner which suggested she was giving the noblewoman a chance to walk away.

Kherliss brushed a hand in Leise's direction. "Shoo shoo. I'm conducting important business here."

"You're interfering with my business is what you're doing!"

"Interference, intimidation, investment! That's my business strategy!"

I turned to Leise and pointed at Kherliss. "We can count that as an admission of guilt, right?"

Leise nodded. "Please be on your way, ma'am."

Kherliss turned to Leise now. "I challenge you to an arm-wrestling duel. If you win I shall leave. But if you lose, then I shall stay."

Leise nodded and held up her hand. Kherliss grinned and clasped it.

Ka-cha.

Kherliss's face fell as she looked down and noticed the shackles Leise had slapped on her raised wrist. In one fluid motion, Leise spun her around and connected the shackle to her other wrist.

"You're under arrest for disturbing the peace. You will be taken to the nearest guardstower for a few hours to cool off."

Leise nodded to her men and they dragged Kherliss away. I thought the noblewoman would throw a fit, but instead she remained in high spirits.

"I see that for the first time in my life, I've met my match, hahaha! But this negotiation isn't over! You'll be seeing me again soon enough, Master Arch! First, I'll pay a visit to your Ward Superintendent! You hear me!? Your Ward Superintendent, Master Arch! Then we'll see how long you can hold onto your tavern! Not long! That's how long! What I mean is that your tavern will be mine!"

She kept on like that as they dragged her away, and it seemed to take forever for the guards to finally get her around a bend in the fair tents. Then she was gone.

I turned to Leise. "Please tell me someone is playing a practical joke on me. She's not a real noble, is she?"

"She's a real noble," Leise said.

"Then was it okay to arrest her?"

"Lady Kherliss is known to cause disturbances with businesses from time to time."

"Great, she has a reputation. I don't think I've ever met someone so troublesome in my life, and that's including Cassia."

"She doesn't put up a fuss with city guards out of respect for her uncle."

"Uncle?"

"Lord Mackeries."

"Oh right, I forgot that nobles are all related to each other. Good thing you showed up in the nick of time, although it seems my line has completely disintegrated. Actually, on second thought, I could have used you ten minutes earlier."

"I was escorting Superintendent Valentall."

"Is he around?"

"He's in a meeting with Lord Musthave, though I should get back soon."

"Better keep him away from the crazy lady while you're at it. If you see her penciled in on his schedule, make sure to cross it out."

"Sometimes I can't tell if you're being serious, Master Arch."

"I'm being deadly serious."

"In that case, I must decline. It would be a dereliction of my duty to edit Superintendent Valentall's schedule. However, I can warn him about her plans."

"Actually, I was joking when I said I was being deadly serious."

Leise gave me a humorless look. "This is what I meant when I said I can't tell."

"It's easy," I said. "Just always assume I'm joking, except for when I'm being serious."

"Perhaps you and Lady Kherliss deserve each other after all."

"Are you sure you won't get into trouble for arresting her?"

"I don't think I can get into any more trouble than I'm already in."

It took me a moment to realize she was referring to the fact she hadn’t revealed the Greenfin's identity to the Duke. "Really? Are you still getting crap from Remsley about that?"

Leise hesitated and nodded. I'm sure she thought I wasn't being very polite. It was because I wasn't. You weren't supposed to refer to the Duke by his name and no title. In fact, it wasn't polite to say his name at all while you were in Meritas. It’s customary to refer to dukes as "the Duke" while residing in their city. If you were in Meritas, "the Duke" meant Duke Remsley. If you were in Yestereaster, "the Duke" meant Duke Evrelon. But screw Remsley if he was still giving Leise a hard time after she helped save the city.

"Superintendent Valentall told me Lord Mackeries and the Duke had another fight recently," Leise said.

"What about?"

"Oh…" Leise said, brushing her hair back. "I guess I didn't get a chance to tell you yet. Lord Mackeries has inducted me into the City Watch. Only an honorary position. My duties still lie with Southbank Ward."

"Wow, the City Watch. Congrats," I said. "But don't let it go to your head. You're still Miss Guppy to me."

Leise's brows twitched together. "I don't like that name."

"Well… Since you did well at the Battle of Duke's Port, I suppose I can promote you to the title of Corporal Trout. But you'll need to prove yourself again if you want further promotions."

Leise squinted at me. "You're joking right now, right?"

"General Greenfin does not joke. Except for when he's being serious."

Leise tried to stifle a smile at that. Then she said, "What do I need to do to reach another promotion?"

"Open the First Gate."

The smile completely dropped. "That's easier said than done, Master Arch. Even you do not have a gate opened."

"That's a lifestyle choice, alright?" I said. But I had failed to open when I tried to awaken during my fight against Brauzer. I pushed the thought away. "It's different for you. You should at least have the Gate of Breath open, and ideally reach the Fourth Gate, the Gate of Symmetry. That will significantly improve your swordsmanship."

"Why is it different for me?"

"You're a guard. You've got things to protect. It's literally the definition of your position. If I could open the Gate of Brewing, believe you me, I would."

"The Gate of Brewing is not real, correct? This is a lame attempt at another joke?"

I pointed a shaky finger at her. "That comment has cut deeper than your sword ever will."

"I've spoken to my swordmaster back at the Guards Academy for advice on awakening, but I don't feel I'm ready."

"Normally, I'd agree," I said. "Most people try too early, and that only hurts them in the long run, especially if they succeed. But in your case, I'm pretty sure it's time."

Leise nodded, but she still looked uncertain. "I should get back and find the Superintendent. Thank you for your wisdom, Master Arch. It was nice catching up."

"Sure was. I know you're busy with everything that's been going on, but you should drop by the tavern sometime. Bring Valentall too. And hurry up and open that first gate, Corporal Trout. You'll be Sergeant Tuna in no time."

"That is a terrible incentive," Leise said, but she was smiling again. Then she did something I didn't expect. She raised her palmed hand to her temple and saluted me. "I'll do my best, General."

I nodded and saluted her back. "Dismissed!"

* * *

I sensed someone stepping into my tent behind me just as Leise disappeared into the crowds. I turned and waited to see who would emerge, my senses heightened.

The tall, slender figure that stepped through wore a masquerade mask.

"Who the hell are you?" I said.

"A fugitive in disguise." The man removed his mask, revealing the boyishly handsome face of Superintendent Valentall. The young lord wore dark, shining purple robes. His hair fell in uncombed bangs to his eyebrows.

"Superintendent…" I said. "What are you doing here?"

"I had business at the fair, and thought I'd visit the stall of one of my Southbank citizens."

"You know, the lieutenant was looking for you just now."

"Which is why I stayed hidden. Nobles get quite good at that, you know. I've hidden from several guards and governesses in my time."

"I see... can I help you with something?" I wondered if he was in the vicinity earlier and if he caught any snippet of my conversation with Leise. The fair was loud and it was unlikely, but his mask joke seemed to hold a double-layered meaning.

"No, no," Valentall said. "Just enjoying some time without my entourage. They've become quite overly protective lately. How are you enjoying the fair? Not too stuffy for you I hope."

"No, it's been great, actually. Sales through the roof."

At this Valentall smiled, and it seemed genuine. "I'm happy to hear that."

"Would you like an ale?" I said. "On the house, of course."

"Yes, why not?"

I poured him a Honeydew Lager. He took a sip and nodded. "It's as they say, an excellent lager indeed."

"Come by the tavern sometime," I said, but then catching myself. "If you'd be into that sort of thing that is. We only serve ales and a few brandies."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to sour the mood with my company. No one wants a noble or a superintendent in their tavern."

"Lord Valentall, I can assure you, my regulars would get you blind drunk and have you dancing with greasy old men before you could sour anything."

Valentall grinned at that. "Perhaps I will take you up on your invitation sometime then. I must admit, I feel a sense of pride that your tavern is in my ward. I've on more than one occasion been asked about the Tipsy Pelican Tavern, by the association of Galston the Great or because of your ales."

"Thanks," I said, a little surprised. "It's been good having you as our superintendent too."

He shook his head. "I botched it, didn't I? Cut the guard, let Ashbane's men enter. But I hope to learn from my mistakes. I must. The guards are being reenlisted. Safety and security is my key concern. I won't make the same mistake again."

"I'm sure everything'll be fine."

There was an awkward silence after that. He didn't even keep drinking the ale. Clearly, he had something on his mind.

"Was there anything else..." I began.

"Yes... one other thing... ah, how do I put this?" He scratched his head and seemed awkward and uncomfortable, and it was making me awkward and uncomfortable. I wanted to slap him on the back of the head and tell him to spit it out. Had he lathered me up with praise only to deliver some bad news that would shut down my tavern?

He took several large swallows from the mug, then set it down and looked up at me with a hard gaze. "What is your relationship with Elsa?"

"S-orry?"

"Elsa, your barmaid... well, there's been rumors. And-"

"She's just one of my staff. Wait..." I peered and pointed at him. "Are you the one she's been going on dates with?"

"Ah... then she has mentioned me."

"What are you smiling about!?"

"No... it's nothing, I just assumed she didn't want to see me anymore. But if she mentioned-"

"She didn't mention anything."

"I see... but is there really nothing between the two of you? Herwin says you are quite close..."

"What!? What's that brat been saying?"

Valentall raised an eyebrow at me. Herwin was a noble too, and customs also dictate that you don't call them "brats"... especially when they're supposedly a few years older than you. "Nothing damaging," Valentall said. "Only that you and Elsa are close. But he also said that about all your staff."

What kind of rumors was Herwin spreading!?

"Look," I said. "Nothing's going on between me and Elsa. I'm just her boss, that's all."

Valentall seemed happy to hear this answer. "I see. Well, I'm glad that's cleared up. I apologize for my impropriety. I was afraid... well... never mind that. Could I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course," I said, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.

"Could you tell her I'm sorry? I've been trying to reach her. I don't know what I did wrong and why she won't see me anymore. But... just tell her that I'm sorry and I've enjoyed our meetings. You'll do that for me, won't you?"

I sighed. But I understood. He was the superintendent. He couldn't just show up at the tavern to talk to a young lady. It'd be the talk of the ward. And despite my disdain for nobles, Valentall was alright. He'd stood up to the Duke to defend Leise when she wouldn't reveal the Greenfin's identity. And he was only asking.

"Alright, I'll put in a word for you, but no promises, alright? I never know what that damn girl is thinking any more than you do."

Valentall looked relieved. "Thank you, Master Arch, thank you." He looked around seeming a little flustered. "Well, I'd better be on my way. The lieutenant is likely starting to worry about my absence. All the best at the fair. I'll try to come by again tomorrow for another ale."

"See you tomorrow," I said and noted that Valentall did not, in fact, have a beard.

Chapter 6

Day Five

Have you ever woken and not remembered where you were, who you were, or when you were? That's how I woke on this day.

"Wakey wakey…"

My eyes slowly opened to a view of a beautiful woman with bright violet eyes smiling over me. Her lips were a soft pink, her skin was smooth and tan, and strands of dark hair fell all around us. The sight was so pleasant, so unexpected, that I didn’t immediately notice the slight pain in my cheeks as they were pinched.

"You have such a cute face when you sleep, Heru."

"El-fa…?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten my face only after a few short days. Come on now-" I felt my cheeks being pulled again. "It's time to wake up."

"Elsa!?" My eyes shot open, and my memories flooded back to me.

"In the flesh," she said with a bright smile.

I scrambled back to the wall, keeping my distance from her. "W-w-what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to wake you up. It's nearly eleven o'clock. The fair opens in an hour. We gotta get going."

"S-stay back! D-d-on't touch me!"

"What's gotten into y—I'm not sick anymore!"

"Stay back, I said! I'm too young to fall to the plague!"

A dark, dangerous expression washed over Elsa's pretty features. "You know Heru, sometimes you say the most despicable things."

"Keep your distance, leper!"

Her face twitched. "Leper, is it? If I ever did get a contagious disease, you'd be the first person I infect!" With that pronouncement, she tackled me.

What began as an arm lock quickly escalated.

"Gyahhh! Get off m—yahaha! No—tickling! Tha-yahaha—not fair—I can't—breath! Hyahyaha—elp! Someone—hyahyahyahya-elp!"

There was no rescuer. I tried to push Elsa off, but she was surprisingly strong. I took a breath and summoned my might, flipping her over, pushing her tickling hands away from my sides.

At that moment, I heard the bedroom door swing open.

"Master should wake up or else he'll be la-"

The sentence caught as if snagged by a hook. Elsa and I went rigid. I was on top of her, my hands over her own, pushed out across the bed. Our gazes slowly tracked toward the door, where we saw a nightmarish figure standing there with cold, lightless eyes.

A second of silence passed between us. It felt like eight eternities.

"Very… well," Charm said with a voice devoid of humanity. She turned, pigtails swinging, and stepped out of sight.

"What's well?!!" I called after her, but there was no vocal reply, only an ominous presence that seemed to seep through the walls, swallowing the entire tavern.

"Heru," Elsa said in an urgent tone. The humor had completely left her features. "We should make our escape while we still can."

I nodded once, and we both sprang off the bed. I threw on my trousers, socks, and boots, and within seconds, we had Strawberry's wagon loaded—we carried barrels out loaded on each shoulder, sprinting the distance between the wagon and the storage room.

As I dragged Stawberry as fast as he could go down the Cobblestone Road, I looked backward several times to see if we were being followed by a young woman wielding a kitchen knife.

Only a few blocks down did I feel the chill of the cool morning air and realize I'd not brought a jacket. I was wearing only my undershirt, but it was a small price to pay to make it out of the tavern unscathed.

"There will be hell to pay when we return," I said.

"We should move to another country," Elsa said weakly.

"Heheh, as if that would stop her from finding us."

Elsa laughed. "It's good to be back. I missed you guys."

"Glad to have you back."

As we made our way to Angelmore, I gave Elsa a rundown of everything that had happened thus far. I told her about the fortuneteller and the rare wood brothers (and left out the bit about the apothecaries), emphasizing the importance of avoiding trouble or confrontations… or fights.

I was happy to have Elsa to help me out today, but of the tavern's ladies, she was the least diplomatic. Charm somehow had the upper hand no matter the situation. Cassia's natural good graces tended to luck her into the advantage. And Anna almost always managed to get exactly what she wanted out of people.

Elsa was different. She often got into altercations with the most troublesome sorts of people. In fact, now that I thought about it, bad luck seemed to follow her around.

"So keep your head down," I said after I'd finished my story. "Don't look your neighbors in the eye, and if you see a noblewoman wearing men's clothing, call the guards."

"Sorry?" Elsa said. "What was that last one?"

I explained what happened the previous day with Kherliss, how she had tried to arm-wrestle me out of my tavern.

"Dang it," Elsa said. "I can't believe I've missed out on so much fun!"

"I'm sorry, fun? Did you hear a word I said?"

"I get it, Heru. You want to keep out of trouble while we rob these trade fair fat cats of their purses."

I grinned. "Pretty much. Oh… there was one other thing… about yesterday… that happened yesterday I mean."

"What is it?"

"Ah… well… it's none of my business… but… after Leise came by… and you know… with Kherliss… they took her away… there was another visitor… you know, a person… but with a mask… and…"

"Stop being so awkward and spit it out, Heru!"

So I told her about Valentall's visit and passed on his apology with eloquence and not an ounce of discomfort.

Elsa sighed. "I think I get the gist of what you're trying to say. But I can't believe he came to you. I guess it's my fault for not replying to his letter. I've just been under the weather and wasn't in much of a condition to write a reply."

I hadn't realized her illness had been that bad. "Are you sure you should be up? I can last another day on my own."

"I'm good, Heru," Elsa said, raising an arm and slapping her fist. "It's the final day of the fair. Let's make it count."

I nodded. "Glad to hear it…. So… you two… were uh… meeting?"

Elsa chuckled. "Yeah, we went on a few dates, though we stopped seeing each other some while ago. He's pretty cute though, don't you think?"

I tried to imagine Superintendent Valentall as cute and failed. "I wouldn't know…"

"Well, you're biased. You were never one to like nobles."

"I'm not sure that's the problem. Also I like Herwin just fine."

"Herwin's a regular. Doesn't count. You have all sorts of unnatural favoritisms when it comes to regulars. You didn't like Cassia in the beginning either."

"Who says I like her now?!"

"Better keep your voice down, Heru. Gonna break the poor girl's good heart if she hears you like this."

"Whatever," I mumbled, looking out to the street. As we walked through the other pedestrians, I noticed heads turning and following our movement.

For a brief moment, I felt some alarm, but then I remembered I was walking with Elsa. The expressions were almost always the same when they saw her, and they all read the same—something along the lines of "Who is that goddess?!" Then when they looked to me, "Who is that undeserving lucky bastard? Her servant? Must be her servant."

Elsa seemed not to notice the attention, or perhaps she just ignored it or had simply gotten so used to it she no longer thought anything of it.

She walked with a vibrant energy, as if all was alright in the world, as if she looked forward to whatever the day had in store for her. I think this aspect of her made her more approachable and more magnetic–people wanted a piece of that for themselves.

The words spilled out of me before I could fully register them in my mind. "Why didn't it work out with Valentall?"

Elsa glanced at me with widened eyes. "Tie my feet and swing me sideways," she muttered in disbelief. "Heru, I think that might be the first personal question you've ever asked me!"

"W-hat? No way. I've asked you plenty of personal questions."

Elsa shook her head. "Nope, not a single one. You don't even know how old I am, do you?"

"Uh... twenty-three?"

"Twenty-four!" she said. "Speaking of which, when is your birthday?"

"Mine?"

"You say you're nineteen, but you've been saying that since I started working for you, which is over a year ago. So you must now be at least twenty."

Oops. I can't believe I hadn't thought of this earlier. I didn't know my birthday. And it was easy to forget your age after a couple of centuries.

"Ah, I was eighteen when you came. Nineteen this year... I guess I'll be twenty after the new year. I don't know my birthday, so I just update it with each new year."

Elsa peered at me suspiciously. "Pretty sure you told me nineteen when I first started working for you."

"Ah... well... I may have wanted to sound a little older with running a tavern and all."

"But Heru, we should come up with a birthday for you. I'm sure a lot of people would want to celebrate it with you."

"That's really not necessary."

"We could celebrate it with the new year."

"Seriously, not necessary, Elsa. Also how did this turn into a conversation about me?"

Elsa grinned. "That's right, you were asking me about Valentall. I suppose the reason it didn't work out is because he's not my type."

"I thought you said he was cute."

"He is, and he's very sweet, and contemplative, and not like most nobles you meet. I thought a romantic distraction would be nice. But once it started, I realized I didn't need it. You know? Sometimes, if you're lucky, what you need and want is already in front of you. Why mess with that?"

"I see..."

"Do you?"

"Not really."

Elsa laughed. "Doesn't change the fact I answered your question. That means you owe me one personal question now."

"I take my question back."

"Too late. But you can relax, I won't ask you now. I'll save it for the crucial moment."

"There's nothing relaxing about that statement," I said. But despite this, Elsa's answer did make me feel relaxed, as if a small knot in my chest had loosened.

* * *

We arrived at the fair a few minutes before it opened and had to rush to get Strawberry around the back and unload our ales.

Our sales trickled in over the first half-hour, but a solid line built up soon after. Like the day before, there were several repeat customers.

Elsa went down the lines, taking orders on parchment, making sure people would stick around. It also helped speed things along, and I didn't have to ask each person what they wanted.

In between pouring ales, I found myself watching Elsa serving and interacting with these customers. They were nothing like our regulars. These were nobles, merchants, people of commerce. It was an entirely different social class than what we were used to. These people were all closed up behind formalities and manners. But Elsa was the same as she always was. She smiled at them and joked with them with speech that was perhaps a little more formal, movements that were a little more graceful, but the effect was the same. She made the customers feel good and at ease. I wondered where she learned to do such a thing with a crowd like this.

All was going well until that certain person arrived.

It was just after one o'clock. I sensed her first. Then I caught sight of her in my peripheral vision. Standing there was a figure with her hands rested on her hips, legs parted wider than her shoulders, and a gaze ablaze that poured into my soul.

"Oh no…" I groaned as I met the shining eyes of Lady Kaitlin Kherliss.

She gave me a winning smile. "Hallo, Master Arch! I've already set an appointment to meet with your superintendent next week! I'll have the rights to your tavern in no time. But we can make matters simpler by settling them right here… oh, and who is this?"

Kherliss had turned her attention to Elsa who had come up from the back of the line with a list of orders. A line that was already starting to lose participants at the sight of Kherliss.

"Celeru... what have I done to warrant this person's presence?" I muttered and massaged a blossoming headache at my temples.

"Good grief," Kherliss said to Elsa. "Aren't you a handsome woman? I'd like to hire you, and I'll pay triple whatever he's paying."

"You must be Lady Kherliss," Elsa said, sizing her up. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, but I have to say, that's not much of an offer."

"Haha! I like her, Master Arch!" Kherliss said. "Then I raise my bid to six times his wage. What do you say?"

Elsa shook her head with a sigh. "Six times zero is still zero."

"Zero? What are you, his debt slave? I shall pay off your loan and the monthly wage of a gold brilliance a month. What say you?"

"Can I drink on the job?"

"Pardon me?"

"He lets me drink on the job. As much as I want. I like to get totally blasted."

"B-blasted? That would not-"

"Meh, I'll pass then."

"Haha! That is an odd arrangement. How about we arm wrestle for it? If you win, I will leave you alone. But if I win, you work for me without drinking while in my employment!"

Elsa smiled now and put her hands to her waist, mirroring Kherliss. "Sounds fun. But if I win, you buy everyone in the line a whole round of beers!"

She bellowed that last part of her sentence and it rang out across the square. This was met with some claps and happy hollers from the line. And just like that, Elsa had turned Kherliss's appearance into a spectacle that had a possible reward. Not only were people no longer leaving the line, it was now actually increasing in size. I didn't get it at first. What was a free ale to this lot? Half the people in this crowd could probably buy my tavern even at Kherliss's offering price. But I think that's what made it exciting to them. Because here was something to be gained that money could not easily buy. A taste of competition with a chance at success or failure. The fact the infamous Lady Kherliss could be footing the bill probably also increased the excitement.

There was still one problem, of course. If Elsa lost, I'd lose one of my staff. She was unusually strong, but Kherliss had opened the Gate of Breath.

"Elsa..." I said. "I don't think that's a good-"

"You have yourself a deal!" Kherliss said, completely ignoring me. "But I should warn you, I'm a businessperson, and I never lose!"

"Didn't you lose to Master Arch yesterday?"

"I had a muscle cramp! Good grief!" Kherliss exclaimed. "You won't be so lucky today. I've had my house staff give me a full massage and stretch before coming here. And after I arm wrestle you, I'll rematch against Master Arch for the tavern!"

My headache was expanding across my entire skull now. "Elsa… are you sure you want to do this?"

"Why not?" Elsa said.

"What if you lose?"

"It was nice working for you, Heru."

"That's it!?"

A couple of people from the line had moved closer to get a better view. In fact, a small crowd was now gathering from around the square.

Kherliss clapped her hands, and her assistant Cecil seemly appeared out of nowhere with a wooden bench. It looked identical to the ones the fair coordinators had positioned around the fair.

Cecil placed the bench between Elsa and Kherliss, and the two contestants rested their elbows on its surface, taking each other's hands into their own.

Elsa seemed to be making a low chuckle while grinning like a demon. Then Kherliss started chuckling too, her eyes shining like a cloudless night sky.

This went on for several seconds, then Kherliss turned to address her assistant. "Cecil, begin the countdow-"

"HOOYAAAAH!" Elsa wrenched Kherliss's hand down. Smashing it through the wooden bench. Sending splinters flying and Kherliss somersaulting sideways.

Elsa raised her fist into the air triumphantly. "Vvvviiictttttorrryyyy! Who's number one!?"

The crowd cheered in an uproar. Each had a free mug of ale riding on the line, and their side had won. Their shouts drowned out Cecil who was busy checking on her fallen lady and complaining she'd yet to officially commence the arm-wrestling match.

Kherliss sat up, looking a little dazed but the annoyance gathered on her face. "That's not fair! I wasn't ready…." Her sentence trailed off as she looked around, realizing the atmosphere of the crowd. She couldn't deny them the reward. Not with a noble reputation on the line.

"Very well!" she said, standing. "A round of your finest ale for the crowd."

I admonished myself for not pouring the ales earlier. I'd been on the edge of my seat, unsure who would win. But now I was scrambling to fill the demand.

"But Lady Kherliss," Cecil said. "The match hadn't started-"

"It's alright, Cecil. A deal is a deal. We did not include the countdown in our terms. The lady won fair and square." She smiled at her opponent. "Tell me your name, woman."

"The name's Elsa!"

"Last name?"

"Just Elsa."

"Well, then Elsa Just Elsa, I challenge you to a rematch!"

Elsa pushed back her bangs and laughed. She seemed to be enjoying herself. "Ha, I'm happy to oblige, but I'll have a second round for the crowd if I win!"

Once again, the crowd erupted. It was so loud that I looked up from my ale pouring to see that the people gathered around the front of our tent had doubled in size.

"You have yourself a deal!" Kherliss said grinning. There was something dangerous in her eyes. Not violent. Something more dangerous than that. Shining in those bright eyes was the competitive commerce of a trade fair.

"That's what I like to hear! Bring us a table!" Elsa called out the command as if some magical table genie would suddenly appear with the piece of furniture.

And what do you know, that's basically what happened. The furniture vendor from across the street materialized like Cecil with a large oak table. It was actually an ingenious move. This was an excellent opportunity to prove the quality of his furniture in front of the crowd. Of course, that was assuming that his tables could hold up against the might of the ladies.

Kherliss crouched low and leaned her elbow on the table with her wrist up and palm open, ready to receive Elsa.

Elsa slapped a foot on the table like she was going to climb the thing. She leaned over, peering down at Kherliss. "Ehh…? What are you doing Lady Kherliss?"

"What do you mean, what am I doing? Get down here and arm-wrestle me. It's our second match!"

"Pardon me, my lady, but I never agreed to an arm-wrestling match. I agreed to a rematch between women. But we've already done arm-wrestling as was your suggestion. It's my turn to determine the next type of match."

"Why should I have to do your match?!"

"I did yours, didn't I? If you want to go again for the third round afterward, feel free to choose that one. But it's my turn now. It's only fair, isn't that right!?"

This last question was directed to the crowd, and they responded like loyal troops to a dearly loved general. Once again, it was louder than I expected, and I noticed it wasn't just visitors in the crowd anymore. Nobles were as rowdy as commoners, but in my experience, it usually took a few drinks before they shed their pompous attitudes. But now, there were vendors and market workers gathered in the mix. Over fifty people at least. One of them was the tired young coordinator from the first two days. He had a Tipsy Pelican Tavern mug in his hand and seemed to be drinking away a month's worth of stress.

"I accept!" Kherliss said. "I am the Countess of Westmaple, fifteenth in line to the dukedom. But most of all, I am a businessperson! I fear no challenge! However, this time I suggest we raise the stakes!"

"Sounds good to me!" Elsa said. "Two rounds for the crowd if I win!"

"And I win the right to buy majority ownership of the Tipsy Pelican Tavern!" Kherliss bellowed.

"You have a deal!" Elsa said without a shred of hesitation, and the two women's hands embraced in a firm shake.

"What!?" I exclaimed over the counter. "Are you two insane?! That is not even close to a fair match or a fair bet! Elsa doesn't even have the authority to offer my tavern!"

"Silence!" both women snapped at me at the same time.

My mouth hung open in horror. They had completely forgotten the outside world. It was a battle of two souls in fierce competition for dominance. There was no getting through to them. I was completely doomed.

Kherliss saw the fear in my face and grinned wolfishly. "So let's hear it, my dear rival. Stone, cloth, knife? Riddles? Wrestling? Sword fighting? I'll even race you! Name your game!"

Elsa pushed off the table and leaned back with eyes like burning embers, a smile as wicked as a sickle, a demeanor that could only be described as gruesomely confident.

"My game is called... drinking!"

Chapter 7

Mayhem

Kherliss's smile dropped and a look of doubt crept into her features. "Drinking?"

"That's right! Heru, do the honors!"

I appeared with two armfuls of mugs and set them down in a perfect line across the table.

"W-ait a minute…" Kherliss said. "Master Arch, did you say you had some problem with the terms of our arrangement? I am happy to renegotiate."

I brought my fingers together and turned to her with the grace of an Elven High Priest. "Like the great treaty that binds the honored dukedoms of Adentris, the terms are most agreeable and fair. I have no issues whatsoever and nor should you. Mistress Elsa, please enlighten us with the terms of the game."

Kherliss pointed an accusing finger at me. "Something's not right here! Your attitude has completely changed!"

"Ready yourself, Lady Kherliss!" Elsa said. "This will be like no match you've ever faced!"

Some lads from the crowd were now helping fill the mugs with ale from my kegs.

Kherliss frowned, but she gathered herself and straightened. "So be it. I may not be much of a drinker, but I have opened the Gate of Breath! My body can withstand more than the average person! Bring it. I will defeat y-why are you still setting out mugs!?"

It was Elsa's turn to point now. "There are two dozen mugs of ale here. Whoever drinks the most, wins. Let's do this!"

The crowd cheered while Kherliss's mouth dropped open with the apprehension of her dire circumstance. But her shock did not last long. It couldn't. Her opponent had already lunged for a mug and began chugging.

Kherliss snapped into action, grabbing the nearest mug and poured its contents down her throat. I watched with some sadness that my ales were being gulped down without a care paid to their flavor. Within five seconds, Elsa had finished two.

But Kherliss was catching up. She took a couple of breaks between mouthfuls to swallow the liquid, but upon seeing Elsa's incredible speed, she rose to the challenge with the body of one who had opened the Gate of Breath.

Elsa grabbed her next mug and drank it down with big gulps like a true pelican. The most frightening part was that she didn't spill a drop. Kherliss on the other hand had amber streams of ale running from the corners of her mouth.

The crowd cheered as Elsa grabbed the final mug and knocked it down her gullet. But when I counted the mugs, I found that Elsa had actually drank fifteen of the twenty-four mugs. That was two more than she needed to!

"Damn you!" Kherliss said. Her lids were half-open. And she held her stomach. She covered her mouth as she burped.

"My lady!" Cecil said, rushing to her side. "Perhaps we should-"

"No! It's my turn now, and I choose arm-wrestling!"

Elsa's cheeks were only slightly flushed, but there was a fire lit in her eyes. "I accept! But once again, we raise the stakes! If I win, you offer free rounds until the end of the fair to anyone who wants them!"

The crowd erupted with excitement. They were already pretty lubricated, but the size of our audience had grown. It seemed like the entire square was packed with people watching the battle.

Kherliss steadied herself on the table and raised an open hand. "If I win, I get the tavern. One hundred percent ownership."

Elsa bent down across from her and clasped her hand. "Agreed!"

"The tavern!?" I exclaimed. "You can't agree to that!"

But I was in the middle of the crowd, serving ales. They'd not heard me. And even if they did, it would have stopped nothing.

"Cecil!" Kherliss barked, this time without taking her eyes off Elsa. "Begin the countdown!"

Cecil appeared over them, gripping their clasped hands in her own.

"Heheheheheh...." Kherliss was grinning and chuckling. It was a sinister chuckle. As if she was finally in the advantage and success was only moments away.

Elsa laughed in reply. "Byahahaha!"

It was a laugh I'd heard many times before. To the crowd, it might have appeared that these two women were equal in ability. But they would be wrong. The ale had made Kherliss dizzy. Her eyes struggled to stay focused. For Elsa it had the opposite effect. The ale had energized her. Put her into a state that had broken many tables and started and ended several fights. What weakened Kherliss had only made Elsa stronger.

Cecil counted, "Three… two… one!"

The moment she lifted her hands, Kherliss' entire body slumped backward, as if Cecil's hold had been the only thing keeping her up. Elsa didn't hesitate. She took Kherliss's hand and plunged it into the table with the force of a meteor. For once, the table did not break. It was a quality piece of furniture indeed.

Kherliss toppled to the ground, passed out. I don't think she had even been conscious before the count ended.

Elsa climbed onto the table and stuck a finger into the sky, arcing it across the crowd below. "VICTORRYYYY ISSS OUURRSSS!!!!"

In reply, the entire crowd seemed to jump and roar at the same moment.

After that... well, needless to say, it was total mayhem.

* * *

Our barrels ran dry before tea time even began. I had brought double the quantity from the day before, but it had not been enough. Not even close. And Kherliss had paid for all of it. Or Cecil did, at least. She handed me a pouch of heavy with coins before departing with her master over her back.

Inside the pouch were twelve gold brilliances. Along with what I made the previous days, I would have just enough to pay back Anna and Jermandaz.

I felt worried about taking so much coin from Kherliss. That only spelled further trouble, especially since she had a future appointment with Valentall. But all in all, the Angelmore Trade Fair was a resounding success for the Tipsy Pelican Tavern.

At two o'clock, there didn’t seem to be the usual lull in the square. In fact, the fair was buzzing with people. They were laughing, and perhaps walking a little unsteadily. I wished I had brought even more ale during our escape from the tavern.

But with no stock left to sell, we collected all the empty mugs, loaded up our barrels, said our goodbyes and made our way back to Southbank.

Elsa walked beside me, humming to herself. Despite her consumption during the contest, she seemed to be completely fine.

"How is it you haven't died of liver failure yet?" I said to her.

Elsa grinned at me. "Are you asking me another personal question, Heru?"

"How does that count as-"

I did not finish my sentence for I heard something in the distance. It was coming from the east, down a road we were passing. At first, I thought it was perhaps some sort of construction site. There was pounding metal and a wall collapsing. But then came the screams.

"Heru!" Elsa said. Without looking to see if I would follow, she darted down the street toward the screams.

"Great," I said and turned to Strawberry. "Don't wander off now." Then I let go of his reins and chased after Elsa.

The street was mostly empty, but it was a long city block. Elsa reached the end and disappeared around a bend. I picked up my pace. Whatever was happening up ahead didn't sound good. The screams had stopped and silence was always bad news.

I almost ran into Elsa when I turned the corner. Behind us, a two-horse carriage nearly did the same, but the driver pulled up just before running us over.

Elsa stood there, unmoving. My eyes scanned the street for threats. I ran my eyes across every inch, pushing my senses as far as they could go, but I found nothing. The threat was already gone. Only then did I relax. Only then did I register the details of the destruction already wrought.

Five men in guard's armor lay strewn across the ground. At least two were dead. One was severely injured, and two others were slowly rising to their feet. Half the wall of the leftward tenement had crumbled. Leaning against the wall was an unconscious man. His head was hung downward and he wore a noble's robes that were soaked in blood. There was a deep gash in his torso. A female guard I'd not noticed earlier rushed to him. Half her armor had fallen off, and she threw aside her broken sword when she reached him. The sword she threw was blue. The female guard was Lieutenant Leise, and the name she called out again and again was "Valentall."

Elsa moved forward toward Leise and Valentall, but the injured guard pushed to his feet and threw out a hand at her.

"Stay back!" he said. It was Corporal Joseph, and at that moment my estimation of the man had risen. This was still an active scene. They'd been ambushed and he couldn't trust anyone. I put a hand on Elsa's shoulder and nodded to him.

He recognized me and nodded back, relaxing a little. He was bleeding heavily from a deep cut in his thigh.

The two other guards immediately commandeered the horse carriage. One threw off the protesting driver, while the other pulled open the carriage doors, barking an order at whoever was inside. A young noble couple jumped out.

Sirens and guard whistles were going off now. The first guard returned to Leise's side and helped her carry Valentall's body into the carriage, while the second guard helped Corporal Joseph onto the driving bench of the carriage.

Once they had Valentall inside, Leise stepped back out to close its door and pounded the hood of the carriage, and Corporal Joseph snapped the reins. The horses lurched into motion and they rode off toward Angelmore.

She must have not wanted to increase its weight, and removing herself was faster than ordering one of her men to get off the carriage.

Leise noticed me then, standing twenty paces away with Elsa. Then she turned and ran in the carriage's wake.

Everything had happened within the span of less than a minute.

"We should go," I said to Elsa, who still hadn't moved since she'd been ordered to stay back by Corporal Joseph.

I didn't want to get caught for questioning, especially since we saw nothing, only arriving after the crime had already been committed.

"Elsa," I said again when she didn't move. Her eyes were wide, still filled with shock and terror. But then, slowly, they began to harden, and her brows knitted together.

"He's going to make it," she said.

"I think so," I said, though I wasn’t certain.

"He's one of ours," Elsa said, looking at me. "One of Southbank's. Whoever did this is going to pay."

In truth, I don't know why I answered the way I did. Maybe it was because Valentall had liked my ales. Or maybe it was because he had seemed uncomfortable and awkward when he had asked me for a favor. I don't know. But the words that came out of me were solid as stone.

"That's for damn sure."

Chapter 8

Elections are Never Fair (Arc 7)

After we got back to Southbank, Elsa went to the guardstower to wait for news about Valentall. I unloaded our empty barrels at the tavern and took Strawberry to Keeper's Garden Ward to return him to Karolin.

Checkpoints were already being set up as I headed to Keeper's Garden, and by the time I made my way back on foot, it seemed every ward and city watch guard had been called into duty.

At some of the checkpoints, there were tents set up with men and women dressed in dark purple tunics. These were Inquisitors, the dukedom's elite investigators. It was common knowledge they were permitted to use any means necessary to conduct their investigations. Their primary function was to root out foreign spies in the city. Valentall was a nephew of the duke, and apparently a beloved one at that if the Inquisitors had been called.

I watched one of them detain a young common man at the checkpoint ahead. The inquisitor was tall and made of lean muscle, and his dark purple tunic was bound across his torso with tight leather straps. Some words were exchanged between two men, and his hand flashed out, backhanding the young commoner across the face, sending him to the ground. The inquisitor jerked his head once, and the two guards behind him quickly lifted the fallen lad and carried him into the makeshift tent.

I didn't want to deal with any of that nonsense, so I entered into Water Step and stuck to the shadows. The Water Step belonged to the Water Fighting Arts, one of the Four Elemental Fighting Arts of the Jarbbari Clan, sworn enemies of the Takklan. I picked up three of the four combat styles while touring the western continent of Pruivesh many years ago. I'd hoped it would augment my fighting style, but unfortunately the Elemental Fighting Arts were limited to hand-to-hand combat and weren't very useful when wielding a weapon. That being said, Water Step is excellent for concealing movement. It matches the body to the rhythm of one's surroundings. The technique comes at the cost of some speed but makes it very difficult for an opponent to detect a strike. It's also highly effective for moving in stealth.

Water Step carried me uninterrupted past four checkpoints and to the steps of my tavern. By the time I returned, the night had turned fully dark. I was quite certain that many of my regulars would be waylaid, but as I stepped near the tavern, I heard the familiar sound of muffled conversation. Out of place was the lack of laughter or singing. Nonetheless, the tavern was busy as I entered through the main hall's entrance.

Groups of friends were clustered throughout the hall. Ledd, Matinue, and a couple of other stoneworkers were seated on the stools at the high tables. The roofers, Josin, Samuel, and Dirty were at their usual round table in the far left corner. Gawen had no date tonight and was sitting with a few friends at the long dining table. Fern and Candberry were seated on the plush chairs beside the roaring fireplace. Each group had mugs of ale, and a few individuals had moved on to stronger stuff.

I looked around for the builders and Herwin but didn't see them. In fact, each person in the tavern tonight either lived or worked in Southbank. They'd come for a drink after hearing the news. And what better comfort was there than the presence of friends and a strong pull from a familiar ale?

I nodded to a few of my customers as I passed them and made my way to the roofer's table. "Evening fellas, what's the latest?"

"It's terrible, just terrible," Samuel said with a sniff.

Dirty said nothing but shook his head with a grim look in his eye.

"Rumor is it was a close thing, but the healers mended his body wounds," Josin said. "But they say he hit his head hard. Hasn't opened his eyes yet. Don't know if he will. Word is healers might know his chances better tomorrow."

"Damn," I said.

"Dark business," Dirty said.

"Darker still with the Inquisitors about," Josin said.

Samuel shuddered. "Saw 'em arresting people left and right. They've been spooked ever since the Battle at Duke's Port."

"Nothing good comes outta arrestin' innocent folk," Dirty said. "Just gonna let the real culprit get away."

The two other roofers nodded at that and said nothing more.

"Elsa get back yet?"

"Came in a little while ago." Josin nodded down the hall. "She's in the barroom."

"Thanks, I'll catch you guys later."

I found her finishing a pour for Helia, then moving through the other customers, offering refills. The builders and Herwin weren't in this room either. And something was definitely off about Elsa. For one, she looked entirely sober. She didn't linger with any person and moved quickly to the next like a dutiful and efficient barmaid. Which was an even worse sign.

Maybe she liked Valentall more than she'd let on. But then again, if it were one of our regulars who was unconscious with a fate unknown, she'd be no different in her worry.

Yeniel waved at me from his huddle of friends at the bar. "Master Arch, you've heard the news, I assume?"

I nodded as I stepped behind the bar, pouring myself a mug. "Sure have."

"Whoever's done it best watch his back," said Norrel, who ran a pottery shop just down the street. "Bastard's gonna pay."

Rommelt, another Southbank shopkeeper, nodded beside him with a stony gaze. "Wish we could find the man responsible ourselves."

I was surprised by the strong emotions.

"I hadn't realized you guys liked the superintendent so much," I said.

"He's a noble," Norrel said. "But he's a Southbanker."

There was a murmur of agreement to this.

"You know," Yeniel said. "I never told anybody, but last season I didn't have enough to pay my taxes, and he said I could pay next year." Yeniel wiped at his eyes. "Not even Superintendent Greengrass did that for me. What're we gonna do now? Who's going to oversee the bridge to Lumitra? Who's going to keep the Angelmore nobles and the duke's administrators off our backs?"

Rommelt shook his head. "They'll probably seat us with some dandy who doesn't know his ass from the moon."

That was true enough. Getting a new superintendent was usually a dice roll in the gutter.

The door opened then and in walked Amberly, Dalian, and Bran.

"Izirath's holy black balls, I need a drink!" Dalian exclaimed as he saw us.

Beside him Amberly looked haggard, and even Bran didn't have his usual glow about him. Upon a closer look, I noticed Amberly had a swollen lip.

"Three ales coming right up!" Elsa said a little too brightly. Then her smile dropped quickly as she looked at Amberly. "What happened to you?"

"Nothin', I'm fine."

"He had a run-in with an inquisitor," Bran said darkly.

I was surprised by Bran's tone as he was the gentlest out of the three men and never had a harsh word to say. But tonight he looked upset and even a little angry.

"It's nothing," Amberly said calmly as they filled three empty seats at the bar. "They let me go."

"And a darn waste of time," Dalian said. "How about those drinks, Elsa?"

"Coming right up," she said, still frowning, and she came beside me by the bar to collect and fill the mugs.

"A run-in with an inquisitor?" repeated Norrel.

"Aye," Amberly said. "They stopped me, asking me where I'd been. Held me for over two hours. I got tired. Slipped up. Gave them some lip. The man questioning me gave me a jab in the mouth." Amberly chuckled at this last bit.

Bran didn't seem to find it funny. "Only a weak man hits someone who can't hit back."

"Ain't that the truth," Rommelt said.

"Saw another inquisitor do the same on the way here," I said.

Elsa slapped the first mug on the counter. "Keep that up and they'll hit the wrong person soon enough."

"Who might that be?" Yeniel said. "Half the nobles are afraid of them."

I could tell Elsa's answer in her mind was herself, but she held back. All the same, I hadn't realized the inquisitors were so feared. I knew the general consensus among commoners was that you did what they said and hoped they went away. A complaint to the local superintendent or the city magistrate tended to end in further trouble. But for nobles to be afraid of the Inquisitors meant they held significant power and that their power was increasing.

It was common knowledge that Lord Mackeries hated the Inquisition and the man who ran it, High Inquisitor Ildrian. Mackeries had asked the duke to be rid of them on several occasions. But it was also common knowledge the Inquisitors had done good work in the aftermath of the Battle of Duke's Port.

Ashbane had bought and embedded several people throughout the government of Meritas leading up to the battle, and even though Ashbane had retreated, the people he'd bought off still remained in the city. Galston and Cassia may have helped provide the muscle, but it was largely because of the Inquisitor's investigations that the traitors in the city had been rooted out. Hard for the Duke to be rid of an organization like that when they provided results, and it made it good timing for the Inquisitors to increase their standing. Though, maybe somebody should have asked what the Inquisitors were doing while Ashbane sunk his claws into Meritas.

I placed one of the mugs Elsa filled in front of Amberly. "Why did they question you?"

He shrugged and took a sip before answering. "Said I fit the description."

"It's because he's made of more rock than flesh," Dalian chuckled.

Amberly shot him an annoyed look. But it made sense. Amberly did look like the kind of guy who could put craters in walls and break blue swords in two.

Elsa set the two other mugs before Dalian and Bran. "What'd they ask you about?"

"Wanted to know if I owned a sword or any armor. Told them I had my grandad's armor from the war. They wanted to know what kind of armor it was. I told them it was plain steel. Then they wanted to know what kind of steel. Must have asked me that question several times."

"Leise's Blue Sword was cut in half," I said. "Someone strong with a good blade did that."

Amberly nodded. "Apparently, he was wearing a full set of white armor that went with his white sword. They were particular about the color. Asked me several times if my grandad's armor was white."

"White?" Yeniel said. "Isn't that one of them rare treasures?"

"White steel is made of the Kozodimon Ore," Norrel said. "Strongest metal known to man. Lieutenant Leise might as well have been holding up a stick of butter."

"I don't believe it," Rommelt said. "That stuff's worth at least twice its weight in gold. A full plate you said?"

Amberly nodded.

Dalian scowled. "And the inquisitors’ going around backhanding commoners. Makes you wonder if they know what they're doing."

"That's right!" Yeniel said. "I bet a few noble families in all of Meritas own a set of white plates and swords."

I gave Elsa a nod and she set out seven shot glasses, pouring brandy into each one. I noticed she didn't pour one for herself.

The guys each murmured their thanks and I brushed it away.

"I figured it was about time for a strong drink," I said. "And I couldn't wait for you all to finish your ales first. Now you'll have to take one with me."

This got a few grins.

"Don't see the boyo today," Dalian said, looking around for Herwin as he took up his shot glass.

"Bet his family has him locked up tight," Norrel said.

"Not a good night to be moving around," Rommelt said. "If the armored man don't get you, the Inquisitors will."

"That's no joke," Amberly said. "I'm not looking forward to walking home."

"Feel free to crash here tonight," I said. "We've got plenty of rooms upstairs."

"Thanks, Master Arch," Amberly said. "Might do that. Hate to get picked up again by some other inquisitor who doesn't know I've already been questioned."

I raised my glass now that everyone had taken theirs. "May those nosy bastards leave us alone."

We clinked our glasses, but before I could raise the brandy to my lips there was a loud and heavy knock at my door. I didn't like the sound of it. Nine times out of ten, a knock on a tavern's door was bad news and trouble.

I set down my glass and went to the door. On the other side were six men dressed in dark purple robes. I recognized the one standing at the very front. He looked down at me with cold, lifeless eyes and a frown that seemed to have been set in stone. It was the same man I'd seen backhand the lad on the way home.

He spoke without blinking. "I am Lead Inquisitor Malvek. I am here to speak with Arch Gustkin of the Tipsy Pelican Tavern on behalf of the Office of the Inquisitors. Bring him to me at once."

Chapter 9

Incredible Reflexes

“That’d be me… uh… did you want to come inside?”

He started walking forward, so I took that as a yes, and moved out of the way to let him and his men enter.

The barroom went still and silent as the Inquisitors stepped inside. Inquisitor Malvek peered across the room, and gazes dropped like flies. The people near the hallway immediately stepped out, while everyone else seemed to push back against the walls.

I had no idea why the inquisitors were here or what they wanted from me, but it was doing no favors to my business.

"Perhaps you gentlemen would like to speak somewhere more private?" I said. "I have a storage room that-"

"Did I ask to be moved?"

"Uh… no? But I was offering-"

"Silence," the inquisitor said. There was no warmth in his face or his tone, and it chilled the room.

Bran frowned and Amberly kept still, but I could see their postures tensing. However, the person I was most worried about was Elsa. Both her hands had clenched into fists, and that was never a good sign.

Once again, the lead inquisitor paused, scanning the room with those ice-like eyes as if daring anyone to intervene. When no one did, he returned his gaze to me. "It's been brought to my attention that you spoke to Lord Valentall yesterday afternoon."

"Ah yes, I did, at the trades fair."

"What was that about?"

I highly doubted Valentall wanted to share that info. So I kept it simple.

"He dropped by to say hi."

"Lord Valentall dropped by to say hi? To you?" Ice dripped into each syllable as he spoke, making each word brittle.

"He's a friendly guy."

The inquisitor glanced around again and no doubt took stock of my tavern. No doubt noting the old furniture, cracks in the brick, and lack of marble and silver.

"I think you're lying," he said at last, and it seemed to stop the breathing in the whole room.

"B-ut sir... I would never lie about such a thing."

"It's a crime to lie to an inquisitor."

"Please, you must believe me. What reason would I have to lie to you?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Many lie to the inquisitors, even when they know the consequences."

"B-ut I'm telling the truth," I said with worry bleeding into my voice. "You must believe me! You must! Superintendent Valentall really is a friendly guy!"

Eyes seemed to bulge from every corner of the room. Some confusion. Some fear. At least one pretty girl was smirking.

What would Malvek do now? Double down on his accusation of me lying? Correct himself? Explain that he wasn't suggesting Lord Valentall wasn't a friendly guy? The situation was starting to get a little awkward, and that was just the way I liked it.

Inquisitor Malvek chose none of those options, and for the first time, I saw heat in his features. Fury raged in the inquisitor's eyes, and by the subtle shift in his shoulders, I could tell what he was going to do before he did it.

"Ah! A mosquito!" I leaned back and clapped my hands together as if aiming for some bug that had flown between us. "Vile creature!"

At that same moment, Malvek drew his hand back and swung it to backhand me across the face. But I had already moved out of the way. My eyes were on the space before me, in pure mosquito-killing mode. My hands clapped just above where he had swung.

I turned to him, looking surprised. "Oh good, did you get it?"

He stared at me wide-eyed. All his men stared. The whole room stared.

Silence.

Then his hand came back around, this time for a palm-slap. The type of blow you give a man to humiliate him. It was faster this time, and I wondered if the man had opened his Gate of Breath.

"There!" I clapped my hands just below his swing.

Both our hands missed their targets. He missed because I stepped backward. I missed because my target was imaginary.

"Damn it!" I exclaimed. "Fast little critters, aren't they?"

Malvek looked at me with eyes trying to exit their sockets. It was as if years of training in interrogation and intimidation had somehow not prepared him for a situation like this. Because this was just plain uncomfortable. Uncomfortable for everyone involved. Except for the one guy who appeared obliviously intent on mosquito killing, of course.

"Sorry about that," I said. "It's been humid recently, and they've been breeding in the ceiling. Did you still have some questions to ask me?"

The silence lingered again. To my customers in the barroom, it might have looked like the tavern keeper and the inquisitor were fighting mosquitoes together.

But the inquisitors behind Malvek knew better. They looked away with a deep embarrassment. After all, what was more embarrassing than watching your superior trying and failing to slap someone who thought you were aiding in their mosquito hunting?

Then I noticed two of the inquisitors in the back actually looking up and around the ceiling and listening for the buzz of mosquitos.

Malvek's second-in-command seemed to belong to this latter group. But he looked impatient and did not lend a hand in the mosquito search. He stepped up to Malvek and said, "Sir... perhaps we should continue with the interrogation."

"Don't interrupt me!" Malvek said, letting off some of the rage that had built up.

"That's right!" I exclaimed. "We nearly got the little—there!" I pointed up at the ceiling. "Wait, never mind, just a cobweb, thought I saw-"

At that moment, the inquisitor took a step forward and swung his open palm with all his might.

The blow came fast and hard, all the muscles of his body wrenching the hand around. The speed and strength of this blow had the full power of a Breather. If it landed, it'd likely send me through the wall. But I had been waiting for it. I dug the nail of my index finger into my thumb, drawing a small trickle of blood. Then as if I had spotted something small fly by my face, I leaned backward, out of the way. At the same time, I flicked my thumb up with concentrated strength. A single droplet of blood hit the inquisitor's open palm just as it passed and missed my head.

It all happened within an instant.

"Ah-ha!" I exclaimed, pointing at his hand after it finished out its arc. "You got it! Incredible reflexes, I've never seen someone do it one-handed before!"

One of his men saw his palm and nodded. "Good work, sir."

Malvek looked as if he was going to turn and backhand that subordinate next, but his eyes had first fallen on his hand. He slowly raised it, staring down in disbelief. At the very center of his open palm was a small speck of splattered blood.

The other Inquisitors who had looked embarrassed earlier leaned over now, eyebrows raising. Gods, he really was trying to kill a mosquito!

His second-in-command was shaking his head, looking very uncomfortable about the whole thing and all the people witnessing it transpire. He looked at Malvek as if his superior had lost his mind. "Sir... perhaps we should leave."

The entire room was leaning in now, trying to get a look, and Malvek made it easy for them. He just kept his palm flat open and stared down at it in a daze as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. His face was that of a man who had lost his grip on reality. In his mind, the unexplainable had happened. Instead of striking me, he had helped me kill the mosquito.

The awkwardness of the situation continued to build until it was too much for his second-in-command. He took Malvek by the shoulders and led him out the door without another word.

I blinked at the remaining inquisitors with a look of surprise. "Are there no more questions?"

His men looked just as confused and followed after their superiors. One of them bowed to me as they left.

The tavern door swung shut, and we all just stood there, looking at the door they'd walked out of. The silence in the barroom continued on for several long moments. It was the type of silence you experience when a life epiphany hits you square in the heart or a massive explosion blows out your eardrums.

The silence was eventually broken by Dalian.

"What in Celeru's beautiful divine sweet holy ass did I just witness!?" he exclaimed at the top of his lungs. "Did that inquisitor just spend ten minutes helping you kill a flaming mosquito!?"

Even Amberly looked into his cup as if wondering if he had too much to drink. Yeniel still had his mouth hanging open.

"I thought Master Arch was going to get arrested," Rommelt said. "Then the inquisitor started slapping at the air."

"Never thought I'd see such a sight in my life," Norrel said.

It was Elsa who snorted then, bursting into laughter, slamming her hand on the counter. Bran joined her with a deep bellied laugh, wiping tears from his eyes.

"What's so funny?" Dalian said.

But Elsa was shaking her head. Trying to explain but all that could come out were snorts of laughter. Bran was no help either. This went on for a good while.

The others just stared at them like a crowd that had missed an inside joke.

"Gods, my belly hurts," Bran said after finally getting himself under control. He looked at me still smiling. "You're full of surprises, Master Arch."

I grinned and scratched my head sheepishly. Guess Bran had noticed what I'd done in addition to Elsa. But it didn't seem like he was going to say anything.

Dalian and the others still looked dumbfounded.

"Come on," Bran said. "Time for me to buy a round of brandies."

"We still have to finish our previous ones," Elsa said, and this time she poured herself a glass. But the mirth was quickly leaving her features. Soon it was replaced by anger.

After we took our shots, she wiped her mouth and said, "If those idiots are the ones doing the questioning, how are they going to find the killer?"

"You can say that again," Yeniel said.

"That's right," Dalian said. "Who loses focus on an investigation and starts fighting mosquitoes?"

Bran's mustache twitched as if he was going to break into laughter again. Even Elsa smiled briefly too.

"Lieutenant Leise will find the one responsible," Amberly said.

"Let's drink a toast to that, then," Bran said, and Elsa began refilling the glasses.

"To Lieutenant Leise's quick apprehension of the culprit!" Dalian said.

"To Superintendent Valentall's speedy recovery," Amberly said.

We clinked our glasses and downed our brandies. When I looked over at Elsa again, she had gone to another table with a pitcher of ale.

She moved quickly, filling a mug and moving on to the next. I understood her feeling. Sometimes it is best to keep busy when all you can do is wait.

Chapter 10

Lemonleaf and Assembly

I came down the stairs the next morning and found Charm sitting at the dining room table. It was covered in plates of steaming food.

My spirits brightened at the sight, for she wouldn't have prepared a feast if she was still mad at me.

"Wow, Charm," I said. "You went all out today, huh?"

There were fried eggs, bacon, sausages, fresh bread, salted fish, and a pitcher of orange juice.

Charm glanced at me with half-lidded eyes. "Charm has only just woken."

"Then…"

Charm eyed the kitchen door, and Elsa came out with a platter in each hand. She set down a fried chicken and an apple pie.

"Elsa…" I said. "Are we having a breakfast party?"

"I guess I was in the mood to cook, haha," she said. "Deni and Anna should be coming by later."

"Charm will set the table-" Charm rose, but Elsa quickly pushed her down on her seat.

"You sit back and relax. Let Big Sister Elsa do the duties for the day." She swept to the drawers and gathered placemats and utensils.

"What time did you wake up, Elsa?" I remembered her still cleaning the tables when I went to bed.

"Oh, not that long ago."

I shared a look with Charm. I was pretty certain the girl had not slept.

"You guys start eating," Elsa said after she'd set the table for us. "I've still got a couple more dishes to finish."

"There's more?"

"Be right back, start eating!"

I was hesitant as Elsa was not the best cook. But I helped myself to some toast, eggs, and chicken. It was actually pretty great. I guess she learned a thing or two while working with Charm in the past year.

"Think she's okay?" I said to Charm.

Charm spread some butter on her toast. "The breakfast was three times as large the morning after the battle when Master was bedridden."

There was a knock on the door and I went to open it, expecting Anna. But then again, Anna never knocked. Standing on the other side was a mail runner. He handed me a scroll and was off before I could thank him. I saw him go down the street and hand a similar scroll to Bernie Cheston, owner of the Lucky Bean Coffeehouse.

I inspected the scroll back at the dining room table between mouthfuls of chicken. Elsa's chicken was especially good today. The scroll was wax-sealed with the emblem of the Duke. I peeled it off and opened the scroll.

Arch Gustkin,

In light of recent events, a ward council has been called. As a business owner in the ward of Southbank, your attendance is required. Please be at the Southbank wardhall on this day, on the third hour, after noon. Failure to attend will result in a fine of three brilliances and four shimmers. Thank you for your cooperation.

-- Office of the Duke

That was it. The letter couldn't have been vaguer. Charm looked over curiously after I handed it to her. Then she passed it to Elsa who'd just come out with more plates of food.

"Think they're going to announce the new superintendent?" I said.

"Hmm... Charm wonders..." she paused. "Charm will accompany Master to this meeting."

"Who's going to watch over the tavern?" I said.

"Charm is certain Miss Elsa can manage."

"No way," Elsa said. "I'm going too."

"You guys can't both go. The tavern is supposed to open at four, that's cutting it close."

"It'll be alright, Heru," Elsa said. "Most of our regulars will be at this meeting, anyway."

I sighed. "Fine, but let's not make it a habit."

The door burst open, and I jumped. Anna entered like a hero arriving late to a battle.

"Hello, hello! Good morning!" she said cheerfully.

"Good morning," Deni said, poking his head out from behind her.

I'd not seen the kid in a while, but he looked like he was doing well. He seemed almost to have returned to his usual self after the kidnapping. Perhaps grown a little taller too.

Elsa and Anna shared their greetings and briefly discussed Valentall's attack.

Charm gave Deni a hug then helped the boy to a seat, as the four-year-old was still a little short for my tables.

Anna took her seat at the front of the dining table like a matriarch. "My my, what a royal buffet we have here today."

"Oh no!" Elsa said. "I almost forgot about the stew!"

"Elsa cooked all morning," I said after she had disappeared into the kitchen.

"Now, now," Anna said chidingly. "There's no need to be jealous if she's a little worried for the benevolent and handsome superintendent."

"What!?"

"What would you like?" Charm said to Deni.

Deni eyed the food. "Eggs, toast, and hmm… the fried chicken!"

"Charm does not recommend the fried chicken," Charm said and gathered the other items. "Would Deni like some bacon instead?"

I was still glaring at Anna, who was beaming at me, but then my ears registered Charm's comment. I snapped my head to her. "What's wrong with the fried chicken?"

At that moment, there was a sudden pang in my stomach that I'd not felt in two centuries. It made a strange gurgling noise and my hand went to it as if I'd been struck by a barbed arrow.

Elsa came back through the kitchen again with two more platters. "What's with the frightful face, Heru? Everything alright?"

"What. Is. Wrong. With. THE CHICKEN!?" I said through clenched teeth.

I was glaring at both Charm and Elsa now. My stomach gurgled louder.

"Oh no," Elsa said. "Did I not cook it long enough?"

Charm shook her head.

"Why didn't you warn me!?" I said like a man whose life force was rapidly draining.

"Charm only discovered it for herself after Master had finished an entire plate of it."

"Are you okay, Mr. Gustkin?" Deni said, looking worried.

"No, kid, I'm not okay. I've been betrayed like General Kassius Lionheart before the Battle of Greenway, poisoned by my own subordinates!"

"There's no need to be so drama-" Elsa began, but she was cut off by bubbling sounds that silenced the entire room. Her hand covered her mouth. "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Heru."

I pushed myself away from the table, taking deep breaths. This was a feeling that I only vaguely remembered. It had been so long. But I knew I had to act quickly now. Time was of the essence. The mind of the Stormblood took over like a tactician on a life or death battlefield.

The bathroom upstairs was too far, and each step would be like scaling thorned battlements. That only left the two latrines outside the tavern. But the men's latrine was all the way on the barroom side of the tavern. There was no time for indecision. Sacrifices had to be made. I pushed myself up and stumbled with as much speed I could afford, pushing out the door, heading for the women's latrine.

It was a small shed-like structure attached to the wall just around the corner outside the main hall's entrance. I fell through the latrine door and accidentally kicked over the lemonleaf pot as I entered, but I managed to drop my trousers and land just as the unthinkable happened.

What came next was unspeakable. Vile. Brutal. Each moment was so torturous that it made me actually doubt my decisions in the past year. I thought it would be fun to experience the mortal life. I knew it would be difficult at times, but I had thought myself prepared. I was wrong.

Nothing could have prepared me for this.

When I had the Gate of Life opened, my body was immune to poison. In addition, my body had become so efficient in its ability to absorb what I consumed I did not need to use the latrine for I created no waste.

It had been odd to regain my bodily functions after two hundred years. Odd and messy and strange. But it only took a short amount of time each day. It was nothing to be concerned about.

But this... this was different.

"Gyahhhh!!!" I heard myself wail helplessly as my body clenched like a wet rag.

Someone knocked on the door. "Heru, are you okay in there?"

The knocking continued when I did not respond. "Master?"

So they were both out there. I did not want them to see me in this shameful state, but a man cannot always choose the battlefield upon which he falls. My vision was blurring and life was slipping from me (straight out the bottom) by the second.

"I... I did not think I would be seeing Celeru so soon," I said between pained breaths. "T-ell Cassia not to weep for me."

"Is there anything we can do for you, Master?"

"Charm... I want you to know... out of everyone here in Meritas… you were always... my second favorite."

"Perhaps Charm can help Master's journey to the other side go more swiftly."

She didn't seem to like my comment, but Elsa chirped up. "Does that mean I'm your first favorite, Heru?"

"No… There is only one individual my thoughts turn to in these final moments... Let… it be known… I leave all my earthly possessions to Strawberry. I will miss that lazy-eyed animal dearly..."

"Sometimes death is a gift. Let us do as you say, Charm."

"Idle… threats," I said. "T-here is nothing you can take from me that… hasn't already been t-aken by this l-atrine."

The girls and I bantered like that for several more minutes. It would have been terribly awkward if we hadn't. I had to open the door and let them pass me several new pots of lemonleaf. The citrus-scented plant had thick, soft leaves used to clean oneself, and I went through them like a forest fire.

By the time I pulled my trousers back on, I had plucked clean four pots of lemonleaf, but its fresh smell had done little to mask the horror that had occurred there.

Both girls covered their noses when I stumbled out. My legs shook, and I had to put my hand on the latrine door to steady myself.

"You don't look so good, Heru," Elsa said.

"Master, it smells like something died in there."

"That would be the scent of my dignity."

The ladies helped me back into the tavern and up the steps. Anna went into the kitchen and made me some tomato broth. I drank slowly and had to make a few more trips to the bathroom on the second floor. But my body had already been rung dry, and I had little left to give. So the sessions weren't as bad as the first, except for the fact there were now three ladies hovering outside each time.

Back in my room, Anna, Charm, and Elsa watched over me with worried expressions. I wondered if these three beautiful women would ever see me the same again after what I'd just done.

Deni looked like he was about to lose a friend for good.

"Will Mr. Gustkin be okay?"

"Of course, honey. He'll just need to rest for a few days."

"Master has a meeting at the wardhall today. The Duke's summons."

"Oh dear," Anna said.

"I'm really sorry, Heru," Elsa said guiltily.

I stayed curled up in bed until the afternoon came, then I went to the bathroom one final time before we headed to the wardhall. I looked at myself in the mirror and found a reanimated corpse staring back at me. Sunken cheeks, colorless flesh, and bloodshot eyes.

"Mr. Gustkin looks like the Bunny Lord without his ears," Deni said when I came down the stairs.

For a moment I thought the kid had put the pieces together, then I realized he had laid a very effective insult about my appearance.

I glared at him and found admiration shining in his eyes.

* * *

Anna offered to watch the tavern, so Elsa, Charm, and I made our way to the wardhall in Amberstale, the neighborhood of Southbank that also held the banks, the guardstower, and the superintendent's office and home.

I walked between the two girls and they held me by each arm, keeping me steady.

There was a huge crowd of people waiting outside the wardhall when we arrived. Perhaps a couple hundred or more, and not all were business owners. Many, like myself, had brought their staff. People wanted to learn what had become of Valentall and to know the fate of the ward.

People were grouped together, some discussing Valentall, others making guesses about what would be announced.

Tranter, an engraver who owned a shop in Berrylane, the residential neighborhood of Southbank, noticed us as we came up to the crowd.

"By gods, Master Arch, you look terrible."

"He's had... a tough day," Elsa said.

"Yes, of course," Tranter said with a look of recognition. "You would have already heard the news from this morning."

"The news?" Elsa said.

"It's only a rumor. The healers say he won't wake, but I don't believe it. Valentall's stronger than that."

Elsa's jaw tightened, and she said nothing more.

"Master Arch," said another voice. It was Ledd. He pushed his way through the crowd and joined us. "I nearly didn't recognize you, what happened? You look awful, man."

"The news from this morning…" Tranter said, trailing off in a way that seemed to suggest he thought Yeniel should have better manners.

Ledd looked at him, still uncertain, as did I. What exactly was Tranter suggesting here?

"The superintendent was a friend of the tavern, wasn't he? Like Cassia Hightower and Galston the Gallant. Everyone knows that."

"Oh, right," Ledd said. "I'm sure I did. I'm sorry, Master Arch. There's nothing wrong with feeling down about a friend. But don't you worry. Don't you worry one bit." He gave me a firm tug on the shoulder. "I'm sure the young lord will pull through."

Wait, wait, wait, what!? This is not the look of grief, you fools! This is the look of a man who has emptied his bowels in the presence of three beautiful women! There is a clear difference! What misunderstandings are you jumping to?

But I had no energy or will to explain myself to him. So I let the comment pass. A few more of my customers came and joined us. Some of them gave me pats on my back and offered condolences that would make you think it was my brother who'd been attacked. I would have corrected them if not for the fact it would have required me to explain the true reason I looked the way I did. So I said nothing. Elsa looked too guilty to comment, and Charm seemed to be enjoying my discomfort.

Blessedly, the conversation eventually moved on from my suffering. Tranter was speaking now.

"First Superintendent Greengrass, now Lord Valentall? I say the job is cursed. Who they're announcing as the new superintendent is a madman to take on a position like that."

"Or they're just not a superstitious sort like the rest of you," said Poppy.

"Or maybe they're the ones that planned the attack..."

"What do you mean, Gannit?" Ledd asked.

Poppy shot Gannit an irritated look. "Don't mind my husband, he doesn't know what he's saying."

This was usually true about Gannit, a woodworker who always had ideas of conspiracy about nobles, but he had all of our attention now.

"Let's hear it," Matinue said. "Can't hold out on us now."

Several of the others nodded in agreement. Poppy just rolled her eyes and shook her head, while her husband cocked his head away from her.

"I'm saying what if whoever's taking the Superintendent's spot had this planned all along?" Gannit's voice had dropped into that low tone one might use when discussing secrets. "I'm saying, what if they got rid of Lord Valentall so they could take the superintendent's job for themselves?"

"Gods, I hope you're wrong, Gannit!" Tranter said.

"He is," Poppy said.

"Just think about it," Gannit said, ignoring his wife. "Only someone rich and powerful could afford that fancy white armor the culprit was wearing."

Before anyone could say anything in reply, the doors to the wardhall were opened by the duke's administrators, and we were allowed inside.

It was then I realized Charm and Elsa had disappeared from my side some time ago. I looked around and saw that each girl had groups of people surrounding them.

Charm was surrounded by women, young and old. Meanwhile, Elsa was surrounded by young men. I knew none of these boys had a chance with her. In fact, the only one who did get close was now in a coma. It was a strange thought.

"Is Master thinking jealous thoughts?"

I nearly jumped. I turned and found Charm standing behind me.

"When did you…" I looked over to where she'd been and found the group had disbanded. "Done meeting with your gossip network, then?"

"Charm has attained much information."

"Like what?"

"Master was flirting with Lieutenant Leise at the Angelmore Trades Fair."

My mouth dropped. "How could your spies know that?"

"We should head inside, Master. Charm would like to find a good seat."

The wardhall building was structured in the shape of an octagon. Benches were laid out around a stage that lifted a couple of feet off the ground. Although there were a few hundred people present, the hall could fit more than double that, so only half the benches were filled.

One man stood on the stage. He wore the duke's livery and looked to be in his sixties or seventies. He was bald and bushy-browed. His eyes were lidded, and he almost looked bored. Two attendants waited at the bottom of the stage, while others ushered the remaining business owners into the hall.

When everyone had found a seat, the old man on the stage began to speak.

"I am Orchellin, a steward of the Duke. There has been a tragedy in this ward, and Lord Valentall can no longer serve you as your superintendent. I have been instructed by the Duke himself to officiate this matter."

"Is Lord Valentall alive?!" someone called out from the crowd.

"He's alive," the steward said curtly and continued on. "However, a new superintendent must be chosen."

It was what we'd all expected, but I didn't see any noble on the stage or in the hall. I doubted they brought us all here just to give us the name of the man.

Orchellin smiled at our confusion. "The Duke has decided to allow for a unique opportunity in the ward of Southbank..."

There were some hushed murmurs of interest to this, and then some energy came into the old steward. Orchellin spread his hands out dramatically.

"Thus, I hereby formally announce Southbank's Interim Superintendent Elections!"

Chapter 11

Rules, Speeches, and Tavern Songs

The hall broke into an uproar of surprise and excitement. Orchellin rose his hand to silence the crowd.

"Allow me to explain the rules," he said. "All business owners registered within the ward of Southbank are voters and eligible to run for the Office of the Superintendent. However, if you wish to run, you must be nominated by another business owner. During the election, every business owner will be allowed one minute to speak. This time should be spent discussing the issues you wish the candidates to address, or if you have been nominated, your minute may be spent explaining why your peers should vote for you."

The steward let that settle in. The shock was palpable in the hall. The Duke was letting a commoner take the position of superintendent, A role that was traditionally hand-selected by the Duke and almost always filled by nobles and minor families. The only other ward that I'd heard had an election was Red Stone, but that was many years ago and only occurred to settle a dispute between two powerful noble families who both wanted the position.

This was entirely different. Every business owner in Southbank was eligible. The rules seemed simple, but they required business owners to coordinate with each other ahead of time. If you wanted to run, you'd need friends to nominate you and speak in your favor.

The steward continued, "Once everyone has been given a chance to speak, the vote will be held. Any candidate with more than half of the vote count wins the election. If no candidate has a majority, then the top three candidates will move to the run-off elections. The vote will be held again. If again no one has more than half the votes, then the top two contestants will move to the final round. The candidate with the most votes will have the honor of serving as Southbank's Superintendent. Thus, there will be a maximum of three rounds. The election shall commence in its entirety within a single day, each round taking place consecutively after the previous one. Candidates who make it to the next round will be given another chance to speak before the next vote."

Once again, Orchellin paused to let his words settle in. It was a lot of information. But someone quickly called out a question.

"When is all this happening?!"

Orchellin looked at the man but did not answer immediately, waiting for the hall's full attention. Then he said, "In two days."

"Two days!?" a woman exclaimed from the crowd. "That's not enough time to prepare!" There were several voices of agreement to this.

It surprised me people wanted the job. To me, running a ward just sounded like an endless amount of headaches, especially if one was a commoner without the backing and weight of a noble lineage.

Orchellin held up a hand again to quiet the audience. "There are a few things I must further clarify about this role. One, as stated earlier, this is an Interim Superintendent position. The position will last as long as Lord Valentall is unable to return to the position. When Lord Valentall does return, the Interim Superintendent shall be transitioned to Vice Superintendent, serving under Lord Valentall. For this reason, the Interim Superintendent will not have access to the Superintendent's Mansion. However, they shall still receive a percentage of each season's surplus tax revenue."

Some of the excitement in the hall died at this. A lot of people wanted to live in that multi-story rose-gardened mansion it seemed. But when would Valentall return? If the latest rumors were anything to go by, the Interim Superintendent position could be indefinite. The fact the Duke had moved so quickly to fill the position suggested Valentall's situation was grim and no noble wanted the job.

The whole thing just made me feel incredibly tired. I hoped that people in the ward wouldn't get divided into factions over the vote. I, for one, had already decided to sit the whole affair out.

"I suggest," Orchellin continued, "you make it known among your peers sooner than later if you wish to run." Then Orchellin smiled mischievously. "There is one final rule I must mention. I saved it for last, for it is the most important rule."

The hall quieted at this, and Orchellin said, "Every business owner in Southbank must vote. Those who fail to attend the election and fail to cast their vote shall have their business licenses revoked."

"Oh, just wonderful," I muttered under my breath.

Orchellin answered a few administrative questions from the crowd, then he dismissed us. But before we could rise to leave, another man stepped on the stage. I didn't recognize him. He was a large, rotund man wearing shining robes. His ink black mustache was finely trimmed and oiled. He looked like some of the wealthy merchants that had attended the Angelmore Trade Fair.

The man held out his hands to the crowd as they rose to leave the hall. "May I have your attention?" he boomed across the hall. He got it. Conversations stopped. Even people who had already made it to the aisles turned to look back at him.

"My name, is Desmond Wheelhouse! I am an experienced merchant and successful businessman. I am also the proud owner of the Giant Petrel Tavern on Cobblestone Road. You may not yet have heard of me, for I am new to this ward. But I've always known Southbank was a special place, and I believe it was divine providence that brought me to conduct my business here. I came wanting to share my wealth of experience and help this ward prosper, but I was never sure how. However, today an opportunity like none other has arisen. Thus, I, Desmond Wheelhouse, make my announcement that I shall run for the Superintendent's Office!"

At this moment, there was a shout from the audience. "He's the one that did it!"

It sounded like Gannit's voice.

"Shut up, you idiot!" came immediately after. That sounded like Poppy's voice.

Desmond Wheelhouse seemed momentarily confused by this outburst, but he pushed on. "I am new to this ward and new to you. But I look forward to meeting and befriending each of you over the coming days. It is my hope to prove to you I am the right man for the job. But I won't keep you. I'm sure you all have important matters to attend to. Thank you for your time."

Desmond had mentioned something strange during his speech. I turned to Charm to ask her about it. "What's the Grand Petrel Tavern?"

"Charm believes it is the new name for the Grand Taphouse."

I turned back and stared at Desmond. This was the guy who had bought the Grand Taphouse for coppers on the brilliance after it had been shut down for being used to store Ashbane's slaves. I'd hoped the place would remain closed, as it was the only tavern larger than my own in Southbank. Now I had a competitor. And did he really have to use a seabird in the tavern name?

"Wait!" A short woman leapt onto the stage before the crowd could disperse. It was Fern, one of my regulars and owner of a local plant shop. She practically pushed Desmond off the stage, a big droopy flower bouncing on her straw hat as she shooed him off. Then she turned and pointed at the crowd. "If you want lower taxes, less meddling in your affairs, and a superintendent that'll just leave you alone, then vote for Fern!"

Another woman stepped onto the stage. It was Margaret Tutt, owner of a popular luxury clothing store in the ward. "I'd also like to offer my nomination," Margaret said in a voice that almost made you think she was a noble. "My hope is to bring beauty and prominence to our ward. As a member of the Tutt family who have lived in Southbank for generations, I-"

She was cut off as several more people burst onto the stage. But I didn't wait to hear all their speeches. My stomach was acting up again, and I had to get to a latrine, fast. Especially in a hall with so many people, my body was telling me I couldn’t afford to wait in a line.

Charm and Elsa came with me as I left the wardhall. People were gathering in groups outside, talking about Orchellin's announcement. I went straight for the latrine.

Luckily there was no line when I entered. By the time I came back out, everyone had moved outside and stood bunched in groups talking about the developments.

I didn't see Elsa or Charm, but I did find a group of my regulars, so I joined them, interested to hear their thoughts. Most were just as surprised as I was that the Duke had opened the position up to commoners.

"What do you think it means?" Yeniel said.

"I hear Lumitra's superintendent's been doing a poor job," Matinue said. "Lotta people upset. Maybe the Duke's sending a message to the nobles. If they don't shape up, he'll let us run ourselves."

I blinked at the stoneworker. "That almost makes sense," I said.

"Almost," Matinue said. "Timing's a little off."

I nodded. He was certainly right about that.

"Who are you voting for, Master Arch?" Ledd said.

"No idea, I said. Maybe Fern. I like her platform."

He guffawed. "Ha! Good one, guess you're keeping your lips sealed. Fair enough. You'd probably swing the vote."

"Huh? Swing the vote?"

"Oh you know," Ledd said. "Everyone would think twice about your opinion. Especially if Lady Charm shared it."

"I see..."

Norrel joined us now. "Hell of a thing," he said. "Sure could use a drink right about now. Master Arch, when do you think the tavern'll open?"

"Good question," I said. "I suppose when we get back."

But it didn't look like the crowds had any intention of moving, and Charm and Elsa were wrapped up in their own groups again. I still wasn't feeling too great and would need some help running things.

"Let me go grab Charm," I said, and excused myself, making my way over to her.

She was holding court with several young and old women. Some were owners, others were the wives or daughters of business owners.

"Couldn't you run for the office, Miss Charm?" said one older lady I didn't recognize. "We'd feel so much safer if you were in charge of things."

All the women nodded in agreement.

"Charm is not an owner of the Tipsy Pelican Tavern. She has no stake in the business and thus is not eligible."

"But surely that will change soon," said Ms. Dorren.

Charm shook her head. "Master and Charm are satisfied with our current arrangement."

"Satisfied?" said Helia. "That fool boy better hurry up and marry you before he loses the chance!"

I spun on my heel and began walking in the opposite direction.

Norrel nodded to me as I came back. "Is Charm coming?"

"It's too dangerous to interrupt her right now, I'd best go grab the other one."

That wasn't any easier. Elsa was surrounded by a bunch of shiny-eyed young men. My original plan had been to grab Charm and have her grab Elsa, but both options were like marching through a pit of vipers.

Luckily, Elsa caught my eye when she saw me hovering in the distance. She smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up. I wasn't sure what it meant.

A few of my other regulars spotted me and came over to talk about Orchellin's announcement. Each man asked me who I'd consider voting for. I told them Fern because it was true.

"Better than that Desmond feller," said Gannit.

"Oh, don't go on about that again," Poppy said.

"You're being serious, Master Arch?" said Tranter. "You're really voting for Fern?"

"I don't want anyone messing in my affairs," I said. "I just want to brew my ales and run my business. I liked Valentall because he left me alone, and I hope whoever wins will do the same."

"That's true enough I suppose," Rommelt said.

A young man joined our group then. I recognized him to be Blacksmith Croft's new assistant.

"Pardon me," he said. "Just wanted to let y'all know we're all heading over to the Tipsy Pelican Tavern to continue the discussion. They're offering a free mug of ale to the voters."

"They are!?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, yes sir, Ms. Elsa just asked me and a few others to inform everyone. I've only been once before, but believe me when I say their ales are the best I've had in Meritas."

Strangely, my burning anger suddenly evaporated. "You're a good lad. Please tell the others."

* * *

"And if there's one final promise, it is that I shall ensure the ward is kept safe and Lord Valentall's assailant is brought to justice!"

It was two hours before midnight, and the speeches in the main hall were still going strong. After Elsa had led everyone to the tavern, the candidates had taken over the main hall and began to give speeches. Most of them anyway. Fern just sat by the fireplace as usual and sipped on her drink. She wore a scowl as she watched the other candidates make their impassioned appeals to the audience.

Out of the candidates gathered at the tavern, Desmond had been the best speaker by far. His words about bringing riches and prosperity to the ward had many people nodding over their drinks.

But by this hour, many of the eligible voters had gone home or to attend to their own businesses. This did not seem to deter many of the candidates. They stayed at the tavern and gave the same speech again to the nighttime crowd, which was mostly people from outside Southbank and those who didn't have businesses to run.

I guessed the candidates just wanted the practice before the election, and the audience didn't mind. They cheered and went along with it, for it was a fun diversion.

Dalian even started a drinking game, where you had to take a drink each time the contestant said the word "promise."

As I made my round through the main hall, I spotted a familiar face at the high tables near the staircase. Ress, the young musician from the Angelmore Trade Fair, was speaking to a couple of animated young ladies. He looked over and caught my eye, giving me a wave.

"Hello!" he said, raising his mug. "Your ales are excellent as always, and I cannot believe the price!"

I smiled. "Ah, well it's a different crowd here. But you're drinking for free. I still owe you from the fair."

"No, not at all, I'm happy to pay for such fine ale."

"Master Arch!" said a young woman's voice. "You should ask him to play a song!"

I looked over, recognizing the young lady. Gawen had brought her to the tavern a few times in the past couple of weeks. I looked around for Gawen and found him sitting by himself and watching us with a dark expression as he slowly sipped from a mug.

"Oh, I couldn't," Ress said politely. "I wouldn't want to intrude on the night's festivities."

But in fact, just then, there had been a lull in the speeches, and some music would be perfect to keep the energetic mood going.

"Why not?" I said. "It'd be great to have some real music in the tavern for once. Usually, we just have sing-alongs."

"If you are certain it wouldn't be a nuisance, then it would be my honor to play for you."

"No nuisance at all," I said. "But maybe don't play anything too cheerful. There's been a tragedy in the ward recently as I'm sure you've heard."

"Yes, of course," Ress said, tapping an index finger to his beard. "Hmm… I think I know just the song."

I helped him set up in the center of the main hall, setting a stool for him, and pushing the nearby tables out of the way. Ress retrieved his harp from his case, stringing a few notes, testing his instrument.

Then he sat with a patient and polite smile that was directed at no one in particular. He was waiting for the room to go quiet.

To my surprise it did. Not completely silent, there were still a few hushed murmurs in the corners of the main hall, but the volume dropped and people's attentions turned to him.

He seemed perfectly comfortable with the gazes on him. His smile widened a little, and he gave a small nod as if to say thanks. Then he began to play.

The melody was fast and complex, his fingers flew across the strings. And although I had never heard the song played on a harp before, I recognized it immediately. He played Defenders to the Walls. It was an old Adentrian song born a thousand years ago when Adentris still had borderland enemies. It was a patriotic song, but the harp gave it an almost sorrowful quality that made it perfect for this night. Better yet, Ress was even more skilled a musician than I had originally thought.

Soon, everyone was singing the lyrics and by the end of the song, I was half certain that the entire room was going to run for the superintendent's office and track down Valentall's assailant.

There was a round of applause when Ress finished. But before he could play another, the candidates resumed their speeches with a fiery passion.

Then after a few speeches, Ress played another song, and so it went. People lined up to buy him several drinks, and many of them were young women. A few boyfriends and husbands didn't seem too happy, but otherwise, everyone had a great time.

It was well past midnight before things died down a little. I took a break by some tables at the back wall and poured myself a Honeydew Lager.

Elsa came by and joined me at the table with her own mug of ale. "He's good," she said, referring to Ress who now played a slow, pretty melody.

"I was thinking about hiring him," I said. "If his fees are affordable…"

I had second thoughts just as the words left me. If Elsa started giving Ress the sort of looks the other ladies were giving him, her band of young lads would run him out of the tavern by the end of the week. Or worse.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Elsa said, grinning as if she'd heard my thoughts.

"I didn't say anything."

"You did with your eyes."

"If Charm has been teaching you the dark arts of mind-reading, I suggest you discontinue your lessons. It comes at the cost of drying your humor."

"I'm just good at reading people."

"What's your read on the musician?"

"Hmm… he's actually a hard one to see through. But he isn't my type, if that's what you're worried about."

"Too handsome and talented for you?"

Elsa smiled. "Is that jealousy I hear on your tongue, Heru? Oh, don't worry, I'll answer your question. But that's two personal questions you owe me now."

"Please just ignore me when I open my mouth. These are debts I cannot repay."

"You're kind of right, actually."

"About what?"

"He's a little too perfect. I like guys who are strong on the inside but are weak on the outside."

"You're joking."

"It quite surprised me when I realized it too."

"Valentall doesn't fit that bill."

"Why do you think it didn't work out between us?"

"Best keep your unnatural predilections to yourself, else you'll have half the men in the tavern acting like newborn kittens within the week."

"Hmm… maybe I'm phrasing it the wrong way. Maybe my type isn't really weak, it's just that he doesn't mind looking weak or foolish."

"Sounds like you really have a handle on it."

Elsa grinned. "It's a hard thing. Everyone thinks they know their type, but who you think you'll fall for isn't usually the one you do fall for. For example-" she pointed her finger at me now. "I bet you don't know your type, Heru. Not truly."

"'Course I do," I said.

"'A pretty face, long slender legs, and a big, bountiful bosom' is not truly knowing your type, Heru."

"H-h-how…"

"I think it's quite obvious at this point."

"…Dare you besmirch my honor?" I said, recovering. "My type is far more than that."

"Oh? I'd be curious to hear it."

"This will count as one personal question repaid, right?"

Elsa hesitated a moment and frowned. "Fine. But it better not be something like, 'she also needs to have a nice ass.'"

"That's enough from you! You've already taken my dignity today, I'll not have you wreak havoc on my honor too. Now tell me, when did Charm teach you the dark arts of mind-reading?"

Elsa sighed and took a sip of her ale. "You still owe me two questions."

"Alright, alright, I'll answer you!" I said.

Elsa put her face in her hands and smiled at me, waiting.

I crossed my arms and held my head high. "My type is the cold, dark beauty. The ice queen. The delicate silent type. Blizzard-born. Raven-haired. Shadow-eyed. Reserved and elegant. Her voice is never loud but ever so slightly rough. Her eyes are like frozen lakes, deep, impenetrable, and always tinged by sorrow as they glance into the distance. She'll never share her tragic past with you, no matter the support and devotion you offer her. But her heart is strong. She's a fighter, and with her at your side, you'll feel you have a partner, not a burden. But she'll never ask for your help, and when her past catches up to her, she'll sneak off to face it alone. By the time you are aware she is gone, it'll be too late. In the end, you never learn of what she was running from."

Elsa stared at me for a long moment with the smile still on her lips and something dancing in her eyes.

"You still owe me two questions."

"Why!?"

"Women like that don't exist."

"Who said your ideal woman has to exist?"

"That's my point, Heru. If you had asked teenage Elsa about her ideal man, he'd look something like the pretty boy stringing the harp over there or a boyish, rough-at-the-edges noble. But when it comes down to it, when the options are actually presented, it turns out I want neither. What you think you want, and what actually works for you are two different things."

"Speak for yourself," I said. "If my ice queen knocked on my door next week, I'd welcome her into my life with open arms."

Elsa sighed. "Sometimes you're no fun to talk to."

"How can you say something so deeply offensive to a man of my profession?"

"I have a favor to ask you," Elsa said.

"That's good timing because I have a policy to always grant favors to people who have just slighted me."

Elsa laughed, then she said, "I want you to come with me to see Lieutenant Leise tomorrow. I want to tag along with her during their investigation.

"You should probably just leave it to her."

Elsa shook her head. "Can't watch and wait on this one. It might not have worked out between us, but he is still a friend. We've got to do something."

I shrugged. I was curious about how the investigation was going as well. "Sure, I don't know how much she'll tell us though."

Elsa smiled at that. "I'm sure she'll tell us everything if you're there."

For some reason that comment made me look away. "I don't know about that," I said. "You might want to cozy up to whoever wins the election. They'll be directly responsible for the investigation as the new superintendent."

"Oh, I already know that, Heru. Why do you think I've been buying Fern and Desmond drinks all night?"

"Does Fern actually have a chance?"

Elsa shrugged. "Only if she gets some powerful supporters."

"I don't know what you're smiling about."

Elsa sighed. "How's your stomach?"

"I've already gone twice since we got back."

"Make sure to keep drinking fluids."

I held up my mug.

"Non-alcoholic fluids."

"What does it matter if it's just going to shoot through me in an hour?"

Ress came over to us now, having finished a song. "Hello, I thought I might join you two for a tantalizing conversation. What might I be interrupting?"

"We were talking about Master Arch's watery bowels."

"How exciting, but as a tavern keeper, Master Arch must have a capable stomach, I am sure." He said it as if he'd been expecting this exact conversation.

Elsa laughed at his non-reaction and I brooded. Then the two got to talking about music. It was a lively conversation that I took little part in since music was not my forte. As it went on, I wondered if Elsa really knew her type. I also made the decision then and there not to hire the well-bearded young man.

I excused myself and headed over into the barroom. My spirits raised as I saw it was filled with my regulars, and even Herwin had shown up. He was teary-eyed when I walked in.

"Oh, Master Arch," Herwin said, blowing into a handkerchief and wiping away tears. "You missed a good one."

"What was it about?" I said.

"The princess of the sea," Amberly said, smiling.

"Hmm... sounds interesting, sorry to have missed it."

"Who's telling the next one?" Gawen said.

"How about you, Master Arch?" Bran said.

"Oh, I don't know many stories."

"A tavern keeper can't not know any stories!" Dalian said. "Come on boy, let's hear one."

"All my good stories come from you, Dalian. Maybe if you weren't here, I'd have one to tell."

Dalian cackled at this. "That's true enough!"

"I have a story, if you don't mind my sharing." It was Ress. He had followed me out of the main hall. Maybe Elsa had called it an early night and gone to bed.

"Sure," I said with practiced nonchalance.

Dalian looked even less interested. "No offense, boyo, but young good-looking lads aren't usually good tale spinners. Best stick with the music, I'd say."

Dalian, you are my hero.

Ress laughed good-naturedly. "In that case, I'll share my best one so I can be certain you'll like it."

Dalian didn't seem moved by his charms. But just as Ress had followed me in, three ladies had followed Ress in, and they looked eager for Ress to perform. "We'd love to hear your tale!"

This seemed to only annoy Dalian further. "What's your story about?"

Ress smiled a knowing smile. "It is about the three cursed families of Belliganna. It is a story known only to the upper echelons of the great houses. I only learned of it after getting a Belligannian noble drunk on wine and song." Ress spoke with the perfect amount of suspense. I was certainly hooked. For one, this sounded like a story I'd never heard.

"Pheh! Sounds boring," Dalian spat.

This got a surprised look from Ress and glares of pure murder from the three ladies.

"I wouldn't mind-" Herwin began.

"I've got a story for this night," Dalian announced. "A story of the One Emperor!"

Herwin groaned. "I've already heard all your stories at least three times over. Let's hear something new for a change."

"Not this one!" Dalian said. "This is a story that has been hidden in the archives of the Grand Library of the Catagolion for centuries. I only just received it from a historian friend of mine who recently returned from Yestereaster! This is the rarest of tales that few souls alive hold the knowledge of. I had to trade one of my best stories for it, and here I am ready to tell it to you all for free. So, do you want to hear, or not?"

Dalian had pulled out his best sword to win this fight, and I had to hand it to him. Even the three ladies looked a little interested now.

"Well," Herwin said. "When you put it that way, yes of course."

Everyone seemed to agree. After all, tales about the dark lord were the one topic that never failed. Ress didn't look at all upset that he'd been usurped. If anything, he looked eager to listen to Dalian's tale.

"This is the story of the One Emperor's power! This is the story of his black armor and his matching axes!"

And to my shock, Dalian had truly stumbled on a little-known story.

Dalian grinned now, and his tone went quiet and cold.

"This is a story of midnight."

Chapter 12

A Story of Midnight

Many thousands of years ago, when dragons still roamed the skies, all of Visseria was ruled by one man, the One Emperor.

It was a time of darkness, a time of suffering. The immortal emperor possessed all, and all were subjugated to his dominion. It was an empire created to serve his singular will, and any who strayed from his will were punished or destroyed.

There were those who stood against him at first. People across all faiths, lineages, and races gathered to defy his rule. But the One Emperor's power was absolute. None could withstand his might. And soon, even the rebellions that would spring up once a century faded and all hope was lost.

Yet, even in that darkness, even in a land without hope, there were those who would resist the One Emperor.

One such person was a young fisher girl named Orphyia. One winter afternoon, the One Emperor's soldiers had confiscated her family's catch that was meant to be traded at the village market. Without the fish, the village would go hungry for a week.

Orphyia asked the soldiers, "By what right do you have to confiscate the proceeds of our labor, to cripple us with hunger?"

The soldiers replied, "By the right of the One Emperor's decree, we may take as we like in service of our lord."

"No one holds such a right over another," Orphyia is said to have responded.

For her blasphemy against the emperor, Orphyia was blinded in both eyes.

The empire had taken her eyes, but it awakened a new sight within her. She could no longer see the present, but she saw the future.

She foresaw the storm that would ravage the harvest that spring, and so the crops were harvested early that year. She foresaw the return of the empire's soldiers in the summer, and so much of the village's food and valuables were hidden before their arrival. She foresaw events far in the distance of time as well. The village would be beset by famine and disease but also warm winters and bountiful harvests. With her sight, her people evaded the afflictions and took advantage of the blessings.

For many years, the village kept her powers secret, and thus it prospered. But one day, a traitor named Syrien, jealous of Orphyia's admiration in the village, revealed her secret gift to the empire's soldiers.

Orphyia was arrested and taken to the emperor immediately, for true farsight existed only in legends and myths even then. But Orphyia refused to use her power for the One Emperor. Not when she was bribed. Not when she was tortured. Not when her village was set aflame.

She refused the One Emperor through it all. With only one thing left to take from her, the One Emperor ordered her execution.

The beheading took place in the capital square for all to see. It was meant to serve as a warning to others. But in her last moments, she offered to give the One Emperor a piece of what he desired. A reading of his fate.

The One Emperor could not resist the temptation to know the future. So he allowed her to speak.

She looked far, far into the distant future. Farther than she had ever looked before. She foretold that one day a hero would emerge who would bring judgment to the One Emperor and justice to Visseria. A hero who would far surpass the One Emperor's magic.

Orphyia's death came swiftly that day, but her words spread across the empire and it brought new hope to the people.

And to the One Emperor, it brought something that he had never felt. Fear.

The One Emperor knew he was stronger than any being in existence, for he had awakened the Eleventh Gate of Ascension, the Gate of Darkness. But still, he feared.

Thus, he devised a plan to create the instruments that would make him truly invincible.

The One Emperor traveled the continent in search of materials that could withstand his own power. He visited sky towers, the pits of volcanoes, and the deepest caves and canyons. He found many rare ores. Blue Oract, Silver Kozodimon. But none could withstand the full might of his magic, and so he knew they would not withstand the hero's.

There was only one place left the One Emperor had not searched. The Primordial Sea.

In the ocean's deepest depths, where the pressure was so great that even granite crumbled, where gigantic one-eyed sea monsters dwelled, where the water was darker than moonless midnight, the One Emperor found his prize.

There, deep within the seafloor, was a black ore that soaked up his shining halos like a sponge. His magic had no effect on the ore and his best sword cracked against it. The One Emperor had found what he was looking for, but now there was a new problem.

How does one smelt an ore that not even the One Emperor's magic can mark?

The One Emperor asked the Dragon Monarch, Lord of the Sky, for his assistance. The Dragon Monarch refused. And thus began the War of Ascendants.

The details of this war are not known to man, but it is said that the One Emperor conquered the dragons with only a small army of his awakened disciples.

Upon his victory, the One Emperor enslaved the dragons he captured, just as he enslaved the humans and the elves.

He put their breaths to the test. But even a dragon's flame could not melt the black ore. Even a dozen of them. Even a hundred.

He tested them all, and all failed. Except for the one dragon he had saved for last. An ancient dragon. A Primordial Dragon. The only of its kind. Born at the dawn of time, with a breath hotter than any of his brethren, hotter than the blazing sun, this dragon was the Dragon Monarch.

Unlike Orphyia, when threatened with the destruction of all he knew and loved, the Dragon Monarch did not refuse the One Emperor.

His fire melted the black ore, and the One Emperor called upon the greatest Elven blacksmiths to forge an armor with no equal and no weaknesses.

But he was not done. For no armor is complete without a matching weapon.

For each hand, he created a black axe that could pierce the heavens. And thus, the Midnight Armor and the Midnight Axes were forged.

When it was complete, the One Emperor donned the Midnight Armor, and with the axes in his hands, he beheaded the Dragon Monarch in a single swing.

With that death, no power in the world could alter the Midnight Armor again.

From that day, the One Emperor did not leave his armor, for only in that darkness did he feel fearless.

A thousand years later, the fated hero was born. A child of modest beginnings.

His name was Celeru.

* * *

"Huh," Herwin said once the story's telling had finished. There was the slightest hint of disbelief in that utterance that Dalian caught immediately, a scowl growing on his face.

"What?" the old builder snapped.

"So the armor was indestructible, right?" Herwin said.

"That's right," Dalian said with a rising impatience in his voice.

"And," Herwin said. "The dark lord never left it after it was forged?"

"That's right," Dalian said.

"But then Celeru defeated him."

"Best come around to your point quickly, son."

"Well…" Herwin said. "Doesn't that mean the armor was destructible after all?"

"No," Dalian said with deep irritation. "It does not mean that. Celeru defeated him without destroying the armor because the armor cannot be destroyed!"

"Then how'd Celeru beat the dark lord?" Herwin said.

"If I knew that," Dalian said, voice rising. "I wouldn't be talking with you lot, I'd be ascending the heavens myself!"

That seemed to be an acceptable answer to Herwin who nodded and took a swig from his ale.

Then someone in the audience raised a hand. It was the young lad who had brought everyone to the tavern earlier in the day.

Dalian's eye twitched. "Don't raise your hand at me, boy. If you got a problem with my story, spit it out."

"Just a question, sir. What happened to the armor?"

Dalian looked at him for a moment, then he cracked a grin. "According to the history book my friend got the story from, Celeru split the armor amongst his seven disciples after defeating the One Emperor. The seven disciples then passed it onto their own students, and on it went. Some pieces have been lost. But according to the book, King Kindelore held the breastplate, but he never wore it. A shame too, or he'd never have been arrow-struck. The book also said that Lareinti's royal line held the right gauntlet, though no one knows where it went after the city was reduced to ashes by the Demon Lord some seventeen years ago."

"And the axes?" the young lad said.

"Now that's a mystery," Dalian said with a twinkle in his eye. "In the book, it's said that Celeru passed on the armor, for they were instruments of protection. But the axes he hid, for fear they would fall into the wrong hands."

The young lad opened his mouth for another question, but Dalian cut him off. "However!" he bellowed, ending the interruption. "My buddy said there was a poem called the Fate of The Axes handwritten in the margins of the book. A poem that reveals the axes' final location!"

The small audience hushed at this, all huddling closer.

"Did your friend recount the poem to you?" said one of the listeners.

"As a matter of fact… he did."

"Then tell us!"

Dalian looked at his audience, relishing their rapt attention and looking like he might hold back. But then he grinned widely and recounted the poem.

Hail the Axes of Midnight!

One sister and one brother,

Twins in coloring and might,

Peerless, save for the other!

Steel made of the blackest night,

Forged in fires of dragon's breath

Into blades untouched by light,

With only one purpose: death.

Countless lives were lost and paid

To defeat the dark ruler.

But hope was cut by black blade,

Til' a god slayed their dueler!

Eras passed without decay,

Buried deep beneath the mud...

Dalian abruptly shut his mouth and grinned widely.

"That's it?" Herwin blurted out after a long silence. "There's no location in that poem!"

There were several vocal agreements to this. Dalian just kept on grinning.

"Wait a minute," the young lad from earlier said. "The last two lines don't rhyme like the others. That's not the full poem. Are you holding out on us, old man?"

Bran and Amberly kept on drinking as if nothing was amiss. They must have already heard the whole thing. Ress looked like a school kid listening to a beloved teacher, and I was totally invested in the story myself.

"That's because the final two lines of the poem were crossed out!" Dalian said with a giddy grin. "My buddy and I think they reveal the true location of the axes. A historian or some other scholar must have figured out the location and wrote it in the margins of the history book. But I think someone else crossed it out to prevent anyone else from knowing the axes' final resting place while they went to search for themselves!"

"When did that happen you think?" Herwin said.

"I don't know. But the historian believes the poem was written in that history book for at least a decade or two."

The young lad from the wardhall whistled. "Can you imagine getting your hands on those axes?"

Herwin nodded with shining eyes. "How much do you think those axes would be worth?"

"Worth? Ha!" Dalian guffawed. "A pair of the dark lord's axes, indestructible to might or magic. I'd wager they'd be worth all of Meritas!"

Chapter 13

Words and Bindings

The tavern was still fairly busy when I went upstairs. Elsa was right to tell me to drink water, though she was the last person I'd have expected to give that advice. My stomach had begun acting up again, and after a long uncomfortable session in the upstairs bathroom, I went to my room and crawled into bed.

There was a knock on my door just as I was drifting to sleep.

Charm entered without waiting for me to respond. She carried a lantern and set it on my table as she closed the door behind herself.

"W-hat do you want?" I said, grasping my blankets tightly. The last time I had been ill, the little terror had crawled into my bed.

"What an ungracious look to give Charm, Master's loyal servant who saved Master from a terrible cold by sharing her body that night."

"Please tell me you haven't shared that story with anyone else, especially with those words."

Charm threw back a pigtail. "Why not? Charm considers that event mostly innocent. Nothing like what Master was doing on top of Miss Elsa the other day in his bed."

"What forbidden magic are you using against me now? Rule of Ruin, Seventy-Eight, Maximize Misunderstandings?! Nothing happened between us! I pushed her arms out to stop her from tickling me!"

Charm shifted her weight, peering down at me with her flat eyes. "Ah, so that is how Master got her in his bed."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I said, but I felt something go cold in my gut.

"If Master had said, 'Please join me in my bed, dear beautiful Miss Elsa,' then nothing would have happened. No self-respecting young woman would acquiesce to Master like that. So he must have deftly teased her, just enough for Miss Elsa to forget where she was and righteously attack him in his bed."

"Must you use such a sharp tongue when making your terrifyingly accurate deductions?"

"Then Master turned the tables on her," Charm continued without missing a beat. "Who knows what might have happened next. It is a good thing the valiant hero once again arrived just in time."

"Don't tell me you're the valiant hero!"

"Of course," Charm said, flinging back her other pigtail. "Charm has also saved Miss Cassia from a similar disastrous fate. Charm hopes the arch-villain has not forgotten. If he has, Charm is happy to recount that tale."

"I-I have not forgotten. Please accept my sincerest apologies, Honored Hero. How may I repent for my sins so that you never bring such things up again?"

Charm arched a brow at me. "Master is admitting defeat so soon? Has his wit dried up so quickly today?"

"Not dried. Expelled."

"Ah, very well then," Charm said, sitting on the edge of my bed. "Since the heavens have already punished the arch-villain today, Charm will be lenient and accept three bows as repentance for Master's lecherous ways."

"Thank the Valiant Her-" I had only just begun to perform the mock bow when I felt the soul binding loosen deep within me. Adrenaline shot through my heart and I sat up straight, staring wide into Charm's eyes.

We had only been joking around, I had not thought it would affect the binding, and yet my grasp on the foreign soul within my own had weakened.

Perhaps it was because I had given up in our bout of banter earlier than usual today, and somehow that had affected my perception of our standings.

My mind cleared as I willed my soul into its former position, strengthening it around the subservient soul within me, reforming my control.

Charm said nothing as I did this. She looked away, and for a moment, I thought I saw an incredible sadness in her. Then it was gone, and her expression was placid as ever.

She rose and went to the door. I opened my mouth to say something, but none of the right words formed, and so I remained silent.

She paused a moment at the door, then she said, "Charm came to tell Master she spoke to the musician before closing."

"Um… okay…?"

"She has hired him."

"You what!?"

She turned back to me, touching one of her pigtails again as if testing its texture. "Surely Master finds it strange that he appears right after Mr. Valentall's incident."

"You think Ress did it?"

"Master doesn't?"

"Well... I checked his gates," I said. I'd checked all the guests in the past two nights with the Spell of Seeing. "Ress doesn't even have halos, Charm, let alone gates. Couldn't have been him."

"Charm checked too."

"Then why him?"

"Mr. Ress moves too smoothly. Lieutenant Leise would not have been so handily defeated to anyone below the Gate of Spirit. Thus Charm suspects an Amulet of Silence."

"How could that be the case? You can't just throw those things on and off whenever you like."

Charm nodded. "Charm admits it is a point of uncertainty."

"There's no other way to do it, Charm. If there was such an easy way to hide all your powers, I would have taken it up instead of closing my gates, believe me."

"Charm very much doubts that."

"Whatever," I said. "Doesn't change the fact that the easy method doesn't exist."

"Thus the Amulet of Silence."

"That is not an easy method! It's way too much risk and trouble just to hide an identity. That'd be like building a house to hide the fact you took a dump in the grass."

"Then what does Master suggest?"

"He's not the killer."

"Something is unusual about that man."

"Doesn't mean he owns a Kozodimon sword and Kozodimon armor and kills nobles."

Charm shrugged. "Master makes a good point. If he is not the armored assailant, then at least we have hired a talented musician."

"That's right," I said. "Wait... was that my point? That was definitely not my point!"

"Master's wisdom always astounds Charm. She is most impressed."

Despite Charm's playful words, it was delivered without humor. Charm's inflections were always flat, but there was still a rhythm in its delivery that was a window to her thoughts and mood. But there was no window now. The words were the same, but there was no hint that she was enjoying herself like she normally did when we chatted like this.

"I guess we can keep an eye on him," I said. "Can't hurt I suppose."

"A most wise strategy. Charm wishes she could have been the one to think of it."

I gave her a lidded glance. But her mask did not change, and I could not see beyond it. But I knew I had hurt her by rushing to regain my control over our bond.

Once again, I could not find the words. There were two simple ones, of course. But I couldn't bring myself to say them. Not for this. Because a part of me wasn't sorry.

"Master should rest," Charm said, breaking the silence.

She bowed once and left my room.

Chapter 14

A Demon

Lieutenant Leise had dark bags beneath bloodshot eyes. Her armor was not shined, and her greenish hair looked filthy. She had the appearance of someone who'd spent the night in a tavern brawl that lasted until morning. She sat in front of her desk with her hands clasped and her elbows rested on the table. Her manner suggested she was wrestling a troubling thought or perhaps merely doing her best to keep her head from slapping against the table in exhaustion.

Elsa and I watched her from the other side of the desk.

I leaned over, trying to catch her gaze. "Helloooo? Lieutenant? Did you hear what I said?"

"Maybe we should come back another time," Elsa said.

"I heard you just fine, Master Arch," Leise said with a voice that didn't sound quite like hers. This voice was gruffer, like she'd had a barrel of brandy before the tavern brawl had commenced. "I was weighing my options."

"And what options are those?"

"I could either answer your question and divulge the details of Superintendent Valentall's investigation, thereby putting myself at risk of a dishonorable discharge from the ward guard and the City Watch. Or I could tell you to get out."

"Pfft, the answer is obvious, isn't it?"

"Is it?" Leise said. "I think I need sleep. I'm having a hard time thinking."

"I've got the perfect solution to your quagmire," I said. "Let me do the thinking for you. I'll analyze the options, weigh their consequences, decipher the best decision, and then make the choice on your behalf. It's a great idea, isn't it? Just think about it."

Leise shifted her eyes. "Miss Elsa."

Elsa straightened in the chair beside me. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

"I might need to borrow your strength to punch him."

Elsa saluted. "Understood."

I peered at her. "Um, excuse me, Corporal Elsa? Aren't salutes to be with open palms? Why did you salute with a closed fist?"

She kept her salute and the clenched fist raised at her temple. "I don't want to waste time making a fist and give you a chance to move your nose away."

"You were going to aim for my nose!?"

"A broken nose builds character. Missing teeth just interferes with chewing."

"That was your second spot to aim for!?"

"There are only two good spots on a face, Heru."

"Please just put your fist down already. My face is tingling with anxiety."

"No can do. I must win the Lieutenant's affections so that she will divulge everything about the investigation to us. Your face will not be sacrificed in vain, I promise, Heru."

Leise sighed. It was a ragged, painful sigh. "I knew Master Arch was going to worsen my headache, I didn't think you'd do the same, Corporal Elsa."

Elsa grinned at the recognition of her imaginary recruitment into the ward guard. "I won't let you down, Lieutenant!"

"If I tell you about the investigation, will you offer your help?"

Elsa said, "Absolutely", and I said, "No." At the same time.

Leise rubbed her temples. "Is it just me or is there a world-shattering thunderstorm outside."

It was a sunny southern winter day outside.

"I will do anything I can for you, Lieutenant Leise," Elsa said. "Just tell me what you need."

"Thank you, Elsa," Leise said. "But it's Master Arch's help I'll need to solve this investigation, I think."

"Instead of help," I said. "How about I give you a few tips instead?" I held up a finger. "Tip number one: take a bath."

"Just say the word, Lieutenant Leise," Elsa said. "This fist is itching to knock loose some teeth."

"You said you'd aim for the nose!"

"That was before you declined to assist my beautiful, noble commander."

"Empty praises and groveling will get you nowhere," I whispered to Elsa. "Lieutenant Leise isn't the kind of person to fall for that sort of thing."

"Some honest flattery never hurts," Elsa whispered back. "We need that information, Heru."

Leise massaged her temples faster. "The truth is I know little. The Duke has enlisted the Inquisitors to find the White Swordsman, but they are not cooperating with me."

"Uh oh," I said. "They gave him a cool name. It's never a good idea to give a bad guy a cool name."

Leise continued on as if she'd not heard me. "Inquisitor Malvek has been placed in charge of discovering leads in Southbank. He is my liaison with High Inquisitor Ildrian who leads the overall investigation. However, Malvek has not been forthcoming with what the Inquisitors have learned."

"Malvek isn't so bad. Nice guy actually."

Leise raised her brows at me. "You've met?"

"He helped me kill a mosquito."

Elsa snorted.

Leise gave us a questioning look, and Elsa explained what had happened.

"I see," Leise said with a look of even more tiredness. "I cannot speak for Inquisitor Malvek's abilities, however High Inquisitor Ildrian has an excellent reputation. But I fear the Inquisitors have gotten too used to beating answers out of criminals. But it's not a crime lord we're chasing this time."

"Guess it's all up to you then, Lieutenant," I said.

"I will do my best, of course, but I am a ward guard, not an investigator. Perhaps that is why Malvek is unwilling to share his side of the investigation with me."

Leise looked troubled and uncertain and soul-tired as she said this. Elsa sprang up and clasped the Lieutenant's hands.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant. We'll do everything we can to help you. And that includes Heru, no matter what he says. You know how his condition can be."

"Excuse me? Condition? Please don't speak as if I have some sort of disease."

Leise smiled weakly.

"Why don't you start by telling us what happened that day?" Elsa said. "Then you should really get some sleep… and maybe take that bath..."

"Very well," Leise said, sitting backward on her chair a little. "A week earlier, Jera Mason, the Captain of Valentall's house guard asked me to keep an eye on the superintendent during the Angelmore Trade Fair. I'm still uncertain why, and I haven't been able to speak to him about it. Jera is still under questioning by the Inquisitors. On the day it happened, he stationed two of his house guards with Valentall, and I brought three of my off-duty men. We headed down Corral Street, which runs parallel to Elven Pass. The first part of our journey was entirely normal. Then the White Swordsman appeared between us in a blink of an eye. He killed Jera's two men in a single swing. I deflected his next attack, but he got past me and struck Lord Valentall in the stomach, pushing him into the wall. I tried attacking his backside then, but he spun and severed my blade in two. My other men joined in then. Joseph took a bad cut and the others were knocked back. Then the White Swordsman was gone… I think he jumped to one of the roofs of the surrounding tenements. But I can't imagine how. He wore full plate armor."

"Did he use any magic?" I said.

Leise shook her head. "Perhaps, but I am not sure."

"What else can you tell us about him?" Elsa said. There was soft fury in her eyes as she spoke.

"Little… but there are a few key facts I think," Leise said. "First, the assailant's white sword and armor are made of Kozodimon Steel. It cut through my blue oract sword in a single swing, not to mention the plate armors of several guards. No other forged steel could do such damage so quickly."

Leise turned her eyes to me. "Second, I believe he is a master swordsman." Her jaw clenched. "I had no chance against him. The moment he appeared, I knew we were doomed. I'd faced Hildur and Brauzer. Neither of them is the White Swordsman's match."

That was very bad news if true. It might take an army of guardsmen to take down a master swordsman. I could not imagine what it would take if such a swordsman was wearing and wielding Kozodimon Steel. Even a dozen Radiant mages would have serious difficulty, as only high-tier spells, equivalent or above Rule Sixty could cut through Kozodimon Steel, and even that was theoretical.

"Third," Leise continued. "I suspect the swordsman is awakened, but I am no expert in such matters. But he moved too quickly to be unaided physically. But perhaps that is my own shame speaking. I could do nothing against him."

"You made it out alive," Elsa said. "And Valentall did too. That counts for something."

Leise shook her head. "All I could do was watch as he killed Jera's men and struck down Lord Valentall. I stood there like a helpless kitten."

"Alright, you know what," I said. "I'm tired of people talking down about kittens. Kittens can be strong too, alright?"

Leise and Elsa looked at me like I was some kind of raving idiot. But a voice from behind us piped up.

"That's right! And Captain Leise is too harsh on herself. If not for her, more of us would have died!"

Elsa and I turned around. The door to Leise's office was closed and no one else was in the room. The voice had come from behind the wall.

"Who was that?" Elsa said.

"Please pay it no mind," Leise said. "My office is haunted by a ghost."

"I am not a ghost! And Captain Leise is the greatest swordsman in Adentris!"

I got up and opened the door. A young man with a cowlick was standing there. He looked about my age. Tall and well built, wearing guard armor. I felt like I'd seen him before somewhere.

"And you are?"

"Forgive the intrusion, sir," he said with gusto. "I am Corporal Tenvi, Captain Leise's personal bodyguard!"

"I'm a Lieutenant," Leise said to Tenvi. Then to me, she said apologetically, "He's a new hire. Perhaps a temporary one."

"T-t-temporary!?" Tenvi said both shocked and crestfallen.

"My men do not interrupt meetings."

"But Cap-Leiutenant, you were the one that saved us. The bastard ran off when you went after him."

Now I recognized the boy. He had been the one who helped Leise carry Valentall into the carriage.

"He escaped after destroying my sword," Leise said. "One more hit and he could have killed me."

"Did he say anything to you?" I said.

Leise smiled mirthlessly. "He did, in fact. He said, 'Get a better sword, and we will dance again.' But I already know the outcome. He moves even better than y- the Greenfin. A lot better."

Elsa raised her brows at that and looked at me.

"Well..." I said, feeling uncomfortable for more than one reason. "That's distressing."

"What did his voice sound like?" Elsa said.

Leise shook her head. "Too hard to say. He was wearing a full helm visor, and it sounded like he was altering his voice. Deep and raspy. Anyone could produce that effect."

"She's right," I said to Elsa and pointed at Leise. "She's producing it right now."

Leise nodded at Elsa, and she punched me in the arm without a moment of hesitation.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, rubbing my shoulder. I had tried dodging, but Elsa had a faster punch than I'd expected. It stung more than expected too.

"A full plate set and sword made of Kozodimon Steel costs half a king's ransom," Elsa said. "Not many people have access to such a treasure. And people will remember seeing it. Surely that's turned up a few suspects."

Again, Leise shook her head. "I've looked into that angle, as have the Inquisitors, I'm sure. But there are no armor sets matching the one we saw among the noble families. Most of them only own breastplates or swords made out of the steel as it is too expensive even for most noble houses."

"Maybe the armor is a fake," I said.

The two ladies stared at me. I grinned. "None of you landed a hit on his armor, right? So maybe only the sword is the real thing. The white armor is there to throw you off the scent."

Leise's eyes widened at that. "That… might actually be possible. I can't believe I hadn't thought of it."

"Investigators need rested minds," I said. "You better get some because you're not just a city guard anymore."

"Yes, of course. Thank you, Master Arch."

I got up to leave, but Elsa stayed in her seat.

"Is there any word about Valentall?" she said.

Leise dropped her gaze to her hands that rested on the desk. "They've healed his body wound, but he hit his head hard when the White Swordsman put him through the wall. The healers say he might not wake, and even if he does, he might not be the man he used to be."

Even I winced at this. There was only one thing worse than death, and that was a head wound.

Elsa frowned. But she only nodded and said nothing more.

We left Leise to take a nap and headed down the stairs of the guardstower. Corporal Joseph met us on the bottom floor. His leg was bandaged and he had a slight limp. Guards didn't get access to the same healers that nobles did, it seemed.

"Miss Elsa, Master Arch," he said. "How is she?"

"The lieutenant?" I said. "Wouldn't you know better than us?"

Joseph shook his head. "She's our leader. She puts on a different face around us. I know she's taking it hard, of course. Too hard. She hasn't had a blink of rest since it happened. If there's anything you can do to help her, we'd all really appreciate it. It isn't her fault what happened."

"Of course it isn't," Elsa said. "And she has our full support, you all do."

"Thank you ma'am, that means a lot."

As he walked us to the door, I said, "Say, corporal, who do you think did it?"

I kept the question general, curious to hear what his impression was. He could have named someone specific or a profession or a social class. He didn't do any of those things.

The corporal replied, "A demon."

"Pardon me?"

"I know how it sounds," Corporal Joseph said. "But that thing was unnatural. It… had no presence. I can usually feel a thing even if I can't see it. But that thing just appeared, and it wasn't just strong, it was… I don't know how to describe it… fluid… and untouchable. It was like it moved through us."

With that description, I felt my first trickle of dismay. For now, I was certain, the person in the armor was an awakened master swordsman.

Chapter 15

Favor

It was just past noon when we got back to the tavern. We entered through the barroom entrance and found Charm standing there as if she had been expecting us to return at that moment.

"Mr. Desmond is waiting for Master in the dining hall."

"What does he want?" I said.

"Charm suspects he is here to curry Master's favor."

"He's out of his mind if he thinks I'm voting for him."

"Don't piss him off, Heru," Elsa said. "He might end up becoming the next superintendent. We need him on our side."

I sighed at that and headed into the hallway. I heard Elsa begin telling Charm about what Leise had told us as I went.

We didn't open until much later in the afternoon, and so the main hall was empty save for the big figure at the table. Desmond had the body of a boxer who'd retired and ate buffets every day. His clothing, however, was that of a wealthy merchant. He wore layers of robes that were even finer than the ones he'd worn at the wardhall. These were embroidered with shining threads that glittered like activated runes. His fingers were bound with jeweled rings, and his black hair and mustache were shining.

He grinned widely when he saw me and stood, shaking my hand. "Master Arch, a pleasure to meet you at last."

"Mr. Wheelhouse," I said.

"Your barmaid tells me you brew all your taps yourself."

"All except for Red Harvest," I said. "Which is to say only three at the moment. We have the Honeydew Lager, the Frozen Pumpkin Ale, and the Darkly Spiced Apple Cider. I'm still tweaking that last one, and it isn't officially on the menu yet."

Desmond seemed surprised to hear this, as if unsure what to make of it.

"Well," he said after a moment of silence. "I hope I can count on you for your advice for the Giant Petrel Tavern as we add our own taps."

"Why not?" I said, which wasn't a commitment but a question, which had a very good answer. He was about to be my competitor, there was no way I was helping his tavern.

He seemed to read my thoughts. "Yes, we are competitors, but friendly ones, I am sure. I've come today to discuss the election with you."

"I'm not sure how I can be of service, but please continue," I said and pulled up a chair at the table.

"Oh, but you can. I've asked around. Your opinion holds great weight in this ward."

"You must be joking," I said. "I'm just a tavern keeper."

"Galston the Gallant frequents your tavern," he said. Then laughing in disbelief. "They even say Cassia Hightower works here as a part-timer."

I said nothing to that. He continued. "Silly rumors aside, the youngest son of Count Meritop is among your regulars. And you appear to be a personal friend of Lieutenant Leise, commander of Southbank's ward guard."

He leaned in now. "But most strikingly, your barmaid, the one who served me, Miss Charm, is highly revered throughout the ward. I daresay that if she ran, this contest would have already been over. So you see, there is no need to be humble with me, Arch. I am very well aware of who you are."

"Yes, very aware, I can see that."

Desmond nodded. "Do you know your tavern wasn't the first place that was suggested for speeches after the wardhall meeting?"

"I didn't know."

"Luthador suggested the Skewered Lamb, and I of course suggested the Giant Petrel. I had a growing group, ready to depart when a young lad came and asked us to go to your tavern. Then everyone in my group changed their minds."

"I still don't see what your point is."

Desmond leaned back and smiled. "Then let me get down to it. I would like you to nominate me on the day of the vote."

"Nominate you?"

"Steward Orchellin's rules require a nomination of a fellow business owner. I believe your nomination will greatly influence the vote, especially if Charm makes it known to the community that she suggested my nomination to you."

"I don't know. I'd prefer to stay out of such events. Elections aren't my interest. I'd not vote at all if I had the choice."

"Oh, but you must," Desmond said. "The superintendent of a ward has significant influence over all businesses. My goal is to make the ward prosper. Forgive my immodesty, but I can confidently say that I've already secured forty percent of the vote. Far more than any of the other candidates. That damned flower woman is the runner-up if you can believe it. There's some ridiculous rumor that you are supporting her, ha! But she won't win, especially if you make it known that you're siding with me. I'm certain there will be no second vote with your nomination, as I will have the majority."

"Again," I said. "Elections really aren't my interest. I'd rather not get involved."

"I know, I can understand," he said to me with that bright smile of his. "When I was your age, my main concern was chasing girls. But this is important. It determines the future of the ward. And I don't plan on stopping at the ward, I plan on joining the courts. The superintendency is a small position in Meritas, but it is one major step. It is an opportunity towards reaching nobility. This is what the other contestants don't realize. And I'm not ashamed to admit that this is the reason I'm running. But I promise you, I would take Southbank with me to the top and ensure its prosperity as long as it is in my power to do so. What do you say? Will you help me?"

I could feel that Desmond wanted me to point out that it wasn't in my interest to help him as his competitor. And for that reason alone, I purposely avoided doing so. I can be annoying like that.

"Oh, I don't know," I said. "I think anyone in Southbank would do an alright job."

Desmond frowned at this. "Any of them? What about me?"

I shrugged. "I'm sure you'd be fine too. Doesn't make much of a difference to me."

"Doesn't it? Are you hesitant to help me because you're worried that I would make life difficult for your tavern as your competitor?"

"People would realize what you were doing and they likely wouldn't like it."

"I see. You are right of course. In any case, I wouldn't do such a thing if you were worried. That's why I came today. I wanted you to know that. I wanted to tell you about myself. The Giant Petrel Tavern is a minor portion of my business. Practically insignificant. I only bought the place because it was a good price. My primary business is trade. I have merchant ships dealing in rare materials across the Primordial Sea. So here is my offer to you, Arch Gustkin. If you nominate me, I will close my tavern. I will not sell it either, and I will forever keep it closed. There will be no true competitor to the Tipsy Pelican Tavern in Southbank. Right now the other taverns in the ward are small and do not have the name or product to compete. But I can assure you, the same will not be true of my tavern. We are only in soft opening at the moment and have not heavily advertised. But I have significant resources to invest."

"Thanks for the offer," I said. "But I don't think making such deals would be fair to the election and everyone else."

"Don't be naive, Arch. Elections are never fair. There are always backdoor deals being made. You have a thriving business, and I want to see you continue on thriving. Think on my offer. If you change your mind, let me know before we enter the wardhall."

"Sure," I said, standing up with him as he rose to leave.

"One more thing," he said, turning back with the relaxed tone of an expert negotiator. He had saved his best offer for last. "I am also an investor in several pleasure houses. One of them, the Rose Ribbon Court, is among the top three in all of Meritas with beauties the likes of which you've never laid eyes upon before." Here he paused as if remembering something. "Well, perhaps you have. All the same, if I have your support, you will have free access to Rose Ribbon Court for as long as I am superintendent."

"That is a most wonderful offer, one which I would be lying if I said I wasn't inclined to accept. There's just one problem."

"What is that?"

"Charm would murder me."

* * *

Not fifteen minutes after Desmond had left, I received another visitor at the tavern. It was Margaret Tutt, owner of Madam Tutt's Lady Boutique. I smelled her strong floral perfume before she stepped through the hallway with Charm. She wore a white frilly dress and a matching white frilly hat and carried a matching white frilly purse. Her gray hair was neatly combed backward into a bun largely hidden by her hat. Charm guided her to the same seat that Desmond had sat in and poured her a mug of Honeydew Lager.

After general greetings and fifteen minutes spent talking about the weather, trends in women's fashion, and the latest news about her grandchildren, she finally got to the reason that she wanted to see me.

"Master Arch," Madam Tutt said in her noble-like accent. "I would like you to nominate me at tomorrow's wardhall for the position of superintendent."

I rubbed my head. "Desmond was just here about the same thing. I told him I would stay out of the elections."

"Oh, but Master Arch! We must keep the position amongst ourselves. We're all Meritans after all. Unlike that overlarge, over-oiled foreigner. Who knows what backwater, savage country he comes from."

"I heard he is originally from Riverend," I said. It was a mid-sized town about ten minutes by horseback from Meritas and well within the dukedom.

"Like I said, a foreigner who doesn't have our interests in mind. We must do what's right for the people of Southbank."

I didn't bother telling her I was not from Meritas either and where I was from was a whole lot farther than Riverend. I looked over to see if Charm was still around, hoping to also get a drink. But she'd already left the main hall.

"Did the foreigner try to bribe you for your nomination?" Madam Tutt said.

"He offered to close his tavern."

"Horrible," she said. "To think he'd stoop so low as to try and buy you off, and we both know how foreigners can't be trusted to keep their word. Let me offer you this. I will provide you and your barmaids with custom uniforms. How does that sound? Your tavern will have as many matching sets as you need. Perhaps the colors green and brown?"

"I thank you for the offer," I said. "But we aren't really that kind of place. In fact, I'm quite sure that we would get made fun of by our customers if we started wearing matching colors."

"Nonsense," Madam Tutt said. "You will look professional, not to mention I will ensure the dresses for your barmaids are the most appealing of all. Short skirts and low seams if you know what I mean."

My ears perked up at this. This offer was one I could accept. It wasn't a killable offense, after all. But I still didn't want to get involved in the election as I had more than enough trouble with superintendents to last me a lifetime.

So I politely declined. And declined again. And again.

Margaret Tutt seemed determined to stay at the tavern until she got a yes from me. She went back to her stories about her grandchildren and fashion trends and the weather and then rounded her way back to the nomination at the end of each topic. I was just about to throw manners out the window and excuse myself when Charm came into the barroom to inform me that I had someone here to see me.

Behind Charm entered Fern, who caught sight of Madam Tutt. The two women glared at each other. They were complete opposites. Madam Tutt was dressed like a noblewoman and owned an upscale clothing boutique, while Fern had a big flower drooping from a dusty old straw hat and was the owner of an inexpensive plant and gardening store. Her clothes were not exactly ragged, but they seemed well used and slightly torn around the edges.

"Hello Fern," I said cheerfully. "Why don't we chat in the barroom?" I turned back to Madam Tutt. "Please stay as long as you like. The first ale is on the house. Thanks so much for coming by. If you need anything, Charm can assist you."

Charm gave me a half-lidded stare at that. I smiled in reply and guided Fern back into the barroom.

"What can I get you, Fern?" I said as I went behind the bar.

"Oh, you know me," Fern said, climbing onto a stool. "Just the usual, please."

I poured her a Red Harvest Ale. She took a sip and told me, "This is a mighty fine ale, Master Arch."

Red Harvest Ale was the only thing Fern drank, and I was quite certain she still didn’t realize it wasn't a Tipsy Pelican Tavern ale but one that I bought from a distributor, despite the many hints I had given her.

"The Stone and Shield Company brew a good beer," I said, making yet another attempt.

Fern nodded absently, the flower in her hat seemed extra droopy today. "Actually Master Arch, I came today to talk about the election."

I scratched my head. It was a pattern today. I wondered if I would see the rest of the contestants today as well.

"What about it, Fern?" I was readying to give her the same line I'd given the previous two contests.

"Huh? Well, I just wanted to come and say my thanks is all."

"Thanks? What for?"

"That weed Desmond came to see me earlier in the morning. He said I was second place in the running after him. He told me to drop out. Said I wouldn't be good at running things. Got me mad real quick. Then he said the only reason I was in second place was because rumor had gone round that you said you were voting for me. And well, I just wanted to thank you for believing in me. In all candor, I don't know if I'm the type to run things, but that's also the reason I wanted to run. Nothing good ever comes from people who sign up for extra work, if you know what I mean. It's because they're not signing up to do the work, they're signing up for some other nefarious reason, to get the perks or some such. I don't know if I'm explaining myself well. But I signed up so that those weeds don't get their way. But in all candor, I probably wouldn't be any good at governing either."

I smiled. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Fern. Plus, you'll have lots of people to help you."

"I will?"

"Sure," I said. "Lieutenant Leise for one. Then there's that old bat Pommeneu, the Chief Health Inspector. She's tough as teeth. And if you ever run into a problem they can't solve, you could also ask me for an idea or two."

"I can ask you too?"

"What's a tavern keeper good for, if not giving advice?"

Fern gave me a toothy grin. "Alright. Well, I'd better get ready for my big speech tomorrow. We're all supposed to give one. The candidates, I mean."

"Do you need someone to nominate you?" I said. Then I wondered why I made the offer after deciding not to just moments earlier.

She paused, her smile dropping. "Oh, I'd be honored, Master Arch, in all candor, I would be. But I already promised Candberry he could nominate me since he asked me right after the wardhall."

"My fault for asking too late," I said. "Best of luck tomorrow."

She smiled again, slapped a copper coin on the bar top, and was out the door before I had a chance to tell her it was free.

Chapter 16

Lightning Bolt

I awoke with the realization and dread that it was election day. The tavern was quiet the previous night as many of my regulars left early in anticipation of today's event. I spent the rest of the night drinking and chatting with Elsa for no particularly good reason other than the fact it was a fun and enjoyable thing to do. By the end of the night, I was blind drunk, which is why, in addition to the dread, I also awoke with a raging headache.

When I came down the stairs, I found three women dressed, ready to attend an event they were not invited to. Even Cassia had turned up, and I'd not seen her since the trades fair.

"Don't you three have anything better to do?" I said, rubbing my head as I joined them by the door.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Elsa said, grinning without a trace of the hangover I was experiencing. "I bet it's going to be exciting."

"It does sound like a fun event..." Cassia said.

"Who invited you, anyway?" I said to Cassia.

Cassia pointed a hesitant finger at Charm, who stared at me mutely.

I sighed and began putting on my coat. "Let's go get this over with. I expect it to be rather disappointing."

Charm shook her head.

"What?" I said.

Charm pointed at my chest.

Elsa nodded. Cassia looked away as if embarrassed.

"What!?" I said again.

"It's your clothes, Heru."

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

"You look like a penniless peasant that just had a run-in with highwaymen."

"This is what I wear every day!"

"That's the problem, Heru," Elsa said, putting her hands on her hips as if I was supposed to notice something.

Then I did. If it wasn't for the headache, I would have caught it immediately. The girls were each dressed in the finest clothes they owned. And once I started noticing, it was hard not to see how pretty they were.

I groaned and headed back to my room. I just wanted to get the day over with, but it wouldn't look too good if I showed up next to them wearing what I was wearing.

I took off my vest and threw on a silk shirt and swapped my sandals for a pair of leather boots. I didn't change my trousers. They were very comfortable, and it was going to be a long day of sitting through speeches I'd already heard several times over. My wardrobe did contain some nicer clothes that Charm bought for me, but I didn't want to give her the satisfaction. I put back on my vest, I liked that vest, and headed back downstairs.

Elsa and Charm immediately began shaking their heads as they saw me come down.

"Now what!?"

"Heru," Elsa said. "You look like a noble boy who just got kicked out of a brothel because he didn't have the funds to pay his previous night's bill."

Charm stopped shaking her head and nodded to that.

I jabbed my finger at them. "You two are so hurtful! I have a wonderful sense of fashion!" I turned to Cassia. "What's your opinion on all of this?"

"Erm… I think it is an important event, Arch-don."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I said. "Wait. You know what? I don't even care anymore. I'm leaving."

Elsa and Charm stepped in front of the door, blocking my path as I made to leave.

"We don't have time for this," I said. "We're going to be late. The election starts at noon, and that steward doesn't seem like the type to be trifled with. I'm not risking my business license."

Charm took a step towards me, then another. Elsa followed beside her. There was something wrong with their eyes. They flashed with evil.

"W-hat do you want? Gyah! Stay back! Get away from me!"

The two ladies took me by each arm with death grips and began dragging my struggling body back up the stairs.

"Cassia!" I screamed. "Save me, Cassia! How can you stand there and let this happen! Are you not a servant of justice, a protector of the powerless!?"

Cassia bowed deeply. "Please forgive me, Arch-don… but your clothes are... so ugly."

"CASSIA!" I called out as I was carried away. "I'll never forgive you! Do you hear me?! Not til the day I die!"

* * *

The doors of the wardhall were already open by the time we arrived. The crowds were slowly shuffling in, and we joined the tail end of the line. There seemed to be even more people attending today, with the staff and family members of the business owners turning up as well.

Jorgy, a regular in Elsa's crew, spotted us and came up to Elsa.

"Elsa, you look stunning as ever," Jorgy said. "Forgive me, I must ask, who is this man beside you? ...Is he your rumored boyfriend?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Jorgy!" I snapped.

The young man balked at me. "Do I know you, sir?"

"You'd better know me, especially after you puked all over my hardwood floors two nights ago!"

"I– M-aster Arch? Oh... I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize you. You look... different."

Charm had a self-satisfied smirk beside me.

Elsa laughed. "He cuts quite the handsome figure when he's dressed properly, doesn't he?"

Jorgy looked upset by this comment from Elsa.

"Let's head inside already," I said, rubbing my head.

One of Charm's ladies had saved us a row of seats near the front. The ladies went to take their places, while I headed to one of the several administrators’ tables to register my attendance with my business license. They gave me a voting ticket with my name on it.

"Looking good, Master Arch!" someone called as I joined the ladies at the benches. I sat quickly and sank down a bit.

Elsa grinned. "Jorgy is shooting you some worried looks. I don't think he considered you a threat until now."

"Arch-don is also receiving looks from some young ladies."

"Where!?" Elsa said, suddenly scowling. "They'd better watch themselves!"

I turned my head to the ceiling of the wardhall. "Celeru, if you can hear me, please cast a rune on this hall to bend time and space and make this event go faster."

"I think this will be a lot of fun," Cassia said. "Everyone looks very nice and excited."

"Failing that, Celeru, please strike me down and put me out of my misery."

"No need to pray for that request, Master. Charm can oblige."

"I think you've already done enough, thank you very much."

"Are you alright, Arch-don?" Cassia said, leaning over to check on me.

"Don't talk to me," I said. "You stood by and watched while unspeakable acts were committed to my body and soul."

"I am sorry, Arch-don," Cassia said, and she did look sorry. "You do look very nice."

"A small consolation for the loss of my innocence."

Elsa leaned over and shushed me with a finger to her mouth. "It's starting," she whispered as Orchellin stepped onto the stage.

Suddenly my heart was racing because Elsa was wearing a truly eye-watering dress and she was very close and something soft brushed against my arm. Then all the heat in my heart began to chill as I caught a flat gaze from Charm on my other side.

I looked back up at the ceiling. "The time rune, Celeru, please!"

"Ladies and gentlemen," Orchellin announced in a deep voice that radiated across the hall. He seemed brighter today, as if he had been caught up in the excitement a little himself. "Welcome to Southbank's first Interim Superintendent Election!"

The audience began to clap, and then there were cheers, and the energy continued to build. It seemed like everyone had been caught up in the event.

Orchellin raised his hands to quiet down the hall. "In a moment, all registered business owners of Southbank will be given an opportunity to speak. If you wish to nominate a fellow proprietor or discuss an issue, please come to the first table on my right. For those of you who have someone nominating you, please come to the second table on the left. Nominees will give their speeches after everyone else has spoken."

People began rising from their seats and making their way to the administrator desks. To my surprise, there were only a handful of people who went to the second desk as candidates. I found several of the people who had given speeches at the tavern still seated in the audience, and a few of them were signing up at the first table instead. Then I looked at Desmond and realized what had happened. He must have given them bribes just as he tried with me. But he hadn't gotten to everyone. There were still five other candidates on the left side, signing up to speak last.

Once everyone who wanted to speak had signed up, Orchellin gave the rules once more.

"Once the speeches have been given, the first vote shall be held. If no candidate has received the majority of the vote, then another rematch will be held with the top three contestants. Candidates will be given another chance to speak at that time. If no one among the top three candidates received a majority of the vote, then a third and final vote will be held among the top two candidates. That is all. May the first speaker come up."

The speakers were each given numbers. One by one, they came up and spent a minute speaking to the audience. Since the number of candidates had been so greatly reduced, most people who came up spent their time talking about the issues. Some people wanted lower taxes. Others wanted the next superintendent to focus on safety and security, and to bring Valentall's assailant to justice. There were others who were worried about the completion of the new bridge to Lumitra Ward. Several of these speakers gave this as their reason to nominate Desmond.

One of them was Blacksmith Black. A thick heavyset man with short-cropped hair and a mustache that hid half his nose and upper lip. He was usually covered in soot, but today he was clean, wearing a neat black coat.

"Without Valentall's support," he began. "We need someone with the experience and business ties to see the Southbank Bridge completed. The future of Southbank depends on that bridge, and I believe the merchant Desmond Wheelhouse is the right man to see it finished."

I saw several heads nodding to this. Blacksmith Black was well respected in the community, and he seemed to truly believe his point, while the others who had nominated Desmond seemed less passionate about the issue. My guess was they had been incentivized by the merchant rather than honestly wanting the man as their next superintendent.

The next person to speak was Candberry. He was a man in his sixties who had retired a few years back after working as a gravedigger for most of his life. He was also Fern's best friend.

He came up onto the stage looking extremely nervous.

"H-ello everyone," Candberry said with a shaky voice. "S-orry... I just w-ant to n-ominate Fern Flowerpotter. I've k-nown her most of my life, and I think she'll do a g-reat job as the Inter-im S-uperintendent. T-hank you for your time." With that, he quickly stepped off the stage, but his speech was met by loud cheers. Elsa whistled, and Charm and Cassia clapped.

The next person was a pretty young woman by the name of Isabell Crunch who owned a brunch cafe in the neighborhood of Berrylane. She nominated Madam Margarett Tutt, reiterating much of the same points that Tutt had shared with me about keeping the position amongst Meritans, which was a pretty direct dig at Desmond Wheelhouse.

Desmond seemed unfazed by this and kept a pleasant and perhaps well-practiced smile on his face.

There were only a few more speakers from the first table who could grant nominations, and the three remaining candidates from the second table were looking very worried. They'd yet to be nominated. Their worry and distress only grew as the first table's speakers came and went, none of them making nominations.

Desmond had been unable to buy off these three candidates, but somehow he'd gotten to the people who were supposed to nominate them. Two of the unnominated candidates gave up their chance to speak and went back to their seats, while the third candidate, a glassblower, spent his full minute lambasting the man who was supposed to nominate him.

That left three candidates remaining, which I personally found to be a relief. This event was going a lot faster than I had expected. Maybe good old Celeru had heard my prayer and cast that time rune after all.

Desmond was the first to speak. He stepped onto the stage looking proud and happy. I couldn't blame him, it seemed unlikely that Fern or Tutt could win, though each had a fair number of supporters.

Desmond gripped the lapels of his robes and smiled magnificently at the audience.

"Citizens of Meritas," he said, his voice booming across the crowds. "Thank you for being here today for this important event. No matter the outcome, it is my pleasure to be part of this historic event with you all. You've already heard about my experience and expertise, so I won't spend my time dwelling on that. Instead, I want to tell you about who I am, who I really am. Because that's what matters. It's not enough to know what a candidate promises they will do in their new position. What matters is what motivates them. If you know that, then you'll know how they'll act in any situation. And so that's what I want to share with you all today. The thing that motivates me, ladies and gentlemen, is progress. I didn't become a merchant to become rich, or to see the world, or to rub shoulders with nobles. No. I became a merchant because my hometown didn't have a mint farm. That's right, we had no mint in our entire town. Meritas had mint. Yestereaster had mint. Plenty of it. But not Riverend. So I became a merchant to bring that refreshing herb to my hometown. It made me some money, yes. But that's not why I did it. I did it to provide something to my people they didn't have before. I did it for the sake of progress. So there you have it my friends. If you ever wonder what I'll do in any situation, the answer is I will do whatever brings about progress. Thank you for your time."

The applause to Desmond's speech was by far the loudest so far. He stayed on the stage for a few seconds longer and held up a hand, taking in the clapping and cheers. Then it was Fern's turn to speak.

She stepped onto the stage wearing what she always wore. Her clothes were no less dusty than two days prior when she first announced she would be running. Only the flower in her hat had changed. It was spry and bounced with fresh vigor. However, Fern's brow was furrowed as she stepped onto the stage. There seemed to be something on her mind. She was muttering to herself, and she didn't look at her audience as she stood there.

"Ahem!" Orchellin said when she did not immediately speak.

Fern looked up. Then she slowly smiled. Big and wide, like a child.

"In all candor," she said. "I didn't expect to be up here. Not in my life. I want to thank Candberry for nominating me. It's a great honor to be up here in front of y'all. I know I'm not what you think of when you think of a Supe. Supes are supposed to be know-it-alls. They're supposed to be friendly with the guards and the nobles and the famous and important types and all that. Fern Flowerpotter ain't that sort. You know it, and Fern knows it. But I figured I'd throw in my hat anyway. Because the last thing I want is one of these weeds running the show.”

When I look in the eyes of the other candidates, I can't say I feel good about them. I don't like how badly they want the job. This ain't the sort of job you should want. And that got me thinking about who should really be the next Supe. I'm talking about the guy who's always there for you after a tough day. The guy who never overcharges, though he damnwell could. The guy who looked like his own brother died the day after Valentall got hit. He ain't been nominated yet, but he should be up here with the rest of us. Only problem is he'd never sign up for such a thing. But don't you see? That's why it's gotta be him! That's why I'm nominating Arch Gustkin of the Tipsy Pelican Tavern for the position of Superintendent of Southbank!"

The words were like a lightning bolt to the brain stem. The sudden silence of the hall was broken by the young woman sitting next to me. Elsa struck a fist into the air and leapt up, making a loud, ear-shattering whoop that cut through the hall. "WWEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOoooowww! That's what I'm talkin' about!"

Before I could finish processing what was happening, Yeniel leapt up from his seat as well.

"I second Fern's nomination!" he called out. "We all saw how Master Arch took Valentall's injury, and we can all be certain he won't rest until the culprit is caught!"

"No." I croaked, drowned out by the rising voices in the hall. People were cheering and clapping or voicing their complaints. Desmond belonged to this latter group. He was shouting at Orchellin while stabbing a finger at Fern, who had a crooked self-satisfied grin on her face.

"Silence!" Orchellin bellowed, retaking the stage. "This election shall be conducted in an orderly fashion! Fern Flowerpotter has made a nomination as was her right. If anyone else wishes to speak, then they should have voiced their opinion during their speeches!"

"I apologize, but I must object!" Desmond exclaimed. He still held his calm and grace, but I saw some heat in his eyes. "The nomination period has passed, and she is a nominee herself!"

"Shut it toadface!" Fern snapped. "They gave no rules that nominees can't give nominations."

The steward nodded. "Miss Flowerpotter is a business owner and thus has the right to nominate others. The nomination stands."

This was followed by more cheering. I was out of my seat now. My heart was racing and my sight was blurring with blood pressure. I still had a chance to set things straight. I had to speak. A graceful exit. Thank you Fern, but I'm also not the right man for the job. Good Celeru, I would now nominate Desmond just to make sure I didn't win.

"Excuse me, Steward!" I said. "I'd like to speak next in response-"

Desmond's eyes flashed. "I'm sorry, but Sir Steward, this is truly breaking the rules now. I respect Mr. Gustkin very much, but I respect your rules even more. He did not sign up to speak. To give him the platform now would be pure favoritism."

Orchellin frowned, thinking this over. Then he nodded. "True. I'm afraid you have no right to give a speech as you did not sign up, Gustkin. If you make it to the next round, you can speak then."

"No! Please! You must-"

Orchellin scowled. "I have spoken! My word is the Duke's word. You will return to your seat. As will you Mr. Wheelhouse. The next and final person to speak is Madam Margarett Tutt!"

I sank down into my seat with my mouth hanging open. But then I remembered that the nominees would be given a chance to speak in the next runoff round, even without Fern there were still three candidates left. I could clear things up then. I sat back down and relaxed a little.

Madam Tutt stepped onto the stage. "I want to thank Fern for rescinding her nomination. She has made a valiant sacrifice for the good of the ward, and thus I must commend her for it. However, I wish she would have nominated me or cast her favor with me. She did not. Of course, I cannot blame her for it. She chose a man we all respect. Now the race will be tight. It is quite probable that Mr. Gustkin or I will come in second and third place in the vote. This would give favor to an outsider, a man who knows nothing of our culture, customs, and community. I find that completely unacceptable. The ward of Southbank must be kept in the hands of Meritans! Thus I hereby rescind my candidacy and cast my vote with Mr. Arch Gustkin of the Tipsy Pelican Tavern!"

At this, the hall erupted, and so did my heart.

Chapter 17

Rare Swords Are Only Good Until You Lose Them (Arc 8)

I was sitting in the dark with my head in my hands and my elbows resting on the desk when I heard the raised voices coming from downstairs. Some argument was happening below and then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

The door opened, and Thomas entered. "I'm so sorry, sir, she claims she made an appointment a week ago, but that was with the previous-"

A young woman dressed in a nobleman's attire pushed past the young man and marched into the room. "Don't get too cozy in this marble estate, Superintendent! You'll do better with my help. That's right! I'll take you to heights you couldn't imagine! That's a promise from me! Who am I? I'm a businessperson, that's who! All I want in return is the land rights for the Tipsy Pelican Tavern, and you're going to-"

Kherliss froze mid-sentence as if she'd seen a ghost.

"It's alright, Thomas," I said to the young desk clerk. "We're acquainted with each other."

Thomas nodded and left the office, closing the door behind him.

"It's not possible…" Kherliss had turned away and was now mumbling to herself with a hand to her forehead. Her face was in shadow, I could only see the whites of her eyes. "He's beaten me at every turn... first he defeats me at arm wrestling, then he uses that wicked demon woman against me. Now he's installed himself as the acting local government official after deviously removing the previous superintendent via an assassination attempt. How am I to defeat a man willing to break all moral codes to get what he wants? I have so much to learn!"

"I DID NO SUCH THING!"

The day's events had gone by in a daze. After winning the vote by more than fifty percent in the first round, I was immediately declared the new Interim Superintendent of Southbank. Orchellin took me to the superintendent's office, a beautiful white marble building on the superintendent's estate, where I was introduced to the office clerk, Thomas. After giving me a tour of the place, Orchellin told me that my work would begin the following day, and I could "take it easy" today.

"Steward Orchellin, I'm afraid there's been some kind of mistake," I said, finally having gathered my wits. "I don't want the job. I really, really don't want the job."

Orchellin smiled, patting me on the back. "Then it appears Miss Flowerpotter was right, and the ward has chosen well."

An hour later, I was sitting in my new office with a psycho noblewoman muttering to herself.

"Get a hold of yourself, Kherliss!" she said to herself. "You're a noble, and more importantly you're a businessperson! This morally-questionable brewer has nothing over you. He isn't your match. You can still defeat him!"

"What are you saying over there!?"

She shot back up and pointed a finger at me, her confidence and spirit suddenly returned. "I still can't believe it is you. They said the voters decided quickly, but don't think you're so high and mighty just because you now control a ward! Even if it was a landslide victory—good grief! They say the winner defeated Desmond Wheelhouse! He's a businessperson. A true businessperson. You have a lot of spunk to make an opponent out of a man like that. But then again, you made an opponent out of me. What astounding courage! I admire you! But I also pity you! Because I'm going to own everything you have. Even if you keep defeating me with your cunning and violent maneuvers. Because these are only small skirmishes! I shall be the one to win the war! Even Desmond's properties will be under my ownership one day! I swear it! Just as I swear to own the Tipsy Pelican Tavern! May our second arm wrestling match begin!"

"Am I even part of this conversation?"

She placed an elbow on the desk with her palm open. "Let us wager everything."

I gave her a lidded glare. "And for how long will you leave me alone if I win again?"

"You won't."

"But if I do."

"You'll receive all my properties and you will never see me again."

"How long?" I said cooly.

"I'll be back in three hours."

"Then why would I arm wrestle you!?"

"Fine," she said, standing again. "As you are now the superintendent, I admit it will be difficult to use official interference against your tavern. But maybe this situation will sort itself out. Let us see how long you last, especially with a killer on the loose. I can't imagine the Duke will be very happy if Lord Valentall's assailant isn't caught."

"That isn't my job! The Inquisitors are investigating it."

"Oh, they are, but from what I hear, they don't have scratch. And when they show up empty-handed, they'll be more than happy to lay blame at someone else's feet. Your superintendent days are numbered! Kyahahahahaha!"

I sighed heavily. "Has anyone told you, you laugh like a romance novel's arch-villain?"

"How dare you say such a thing? You've now made me self-conscious which means I will not be able to show my face before you for some time. But rest assured, I will be back! Back to win your tavern!"

With that, she turned on her heel and marched out the door.

I turned my head to the ceiling. "I know you technically delivered on speeding up that election, but I'm never praying to you again."

The door swung open again and in walked Leise and Elsa.

I massaged the bridge off my nose. "Were you two standing outside?"

"Affirmative," Leise said.

Elsa nodded brightly.

"Then you heard the conversation with Kherliss?"

"She was loud as a firecracker, Heru, and you're right, she laughs like a romance villain."

"Why are you here, Elsa?"

"That's Corporal Elsa to you, good sir!"

"Superintendent Gustkin," Leise began. "Given-"

"Don't rub it in!"

"Master Arch," Leise said, trying again. "Given Lady Kherliss's statement, it appears the Inquisitors have made little headway in their investigation. Therefore, it is imperative that we bring Valentall's assailant to justice ourselves."

I groaned, looking at them. "Why? Why does it have to be like this?"

"Aw, don't be like that, Heru," Elsa stepped on the chair across from me and leaned down with a big grin. "It's going to be exciting!"

* * *

I stayed in the superintendent's office well past midnight before heading back to the tavern. I didn't want to have to run into anyone on the way back. All I wanted was a potent drink alone so that I could grieve.

I cracked open the barroom door to see if the coast was clear. It was. The place was empty. However, as I headed down the hallway to the main hall, I heard a few conversations still going. Problem was the stairway to the second floor was in the main hall, and there was no way to get to it without being seen. I considered using Water Step then, but it would be a difficult thing to go unnoticed in a well-lit enclosed space.

Before I could decide, I heard footsteps coming toward the hallway, so I ducked into the kitchen to avoid being seen.

Charm wasn't in the kitchen, but several dishes and mugs were soaking in the sink. Almost reflexively, I began washing them. There was nothing better to do while I waited for people to go home anyway. And it was a rather pleasant experience, actually. I found that I quite enjoyed doing tavern chores. I'd worried that the novelty would wear off after the first year, but it still hadn't. If anything, doing the dishes took my mind off things, and I felt like a true tavern keeper.

But I wasn't a tavern keeper. Not anymore… I was a gods-damned superintendent. I still couldn't believe it.

"My goodness, Heru," Elsa said. "What are you doing?"

I looked back and saw her coming through the doorway.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I said.

"You're the Supe now, Heru. You can't be doing dishes."

"Doesn't seem like they're going to do themselves. I'm sure Charm already has her hands full. And you're busy running around playing detective."

I had the whole sink covered in bubbling soap now.

"Move aside, I'll do them," Elsa said, coming beside me and taking up a bowl. "You go do your Supe stuff, or better yet, get some rest."

"It's fine," I said. "I'm in the washing mood, anyway."

But she didn't budge, and we both ended up doing the dishes together.

Charm came into the kitchen a few minutes later. She said, "What is Master doing here? Isn't he busy with ward business?"

"Thought I'd help out since I was gone for the night."

"Charm can manage fine. Master should focus on his new duties."

"Ugh, not you too."

"Everyone is counting on Master. It would be most unfortunate for the tavern's reputation if Master were to let down the entire ward."

"I don't know the first thing about running a ward!"

She gave me a look, which said, Aren't you the Stormblood? Is this really more difficult than commanding a legion of soldiers?

"That's totally different."

Charm raised a brow. How?

I peered back at her, Well for one, you can't just lock people up when they don't do as they're told. Running a ward is all about politics and relationships, and all that noble crap that I hate!

Elsa broke the silence with a sigh. "I know everyone has a few secrets around here, but the way you two communicate is the one that bugs me the most."

"We weren't communicating," I said. "We were just glaring at each other."

"Charm does not glare, she appraises," Charm said and came to the sink, gently pushing me away.

"I'm almost done-"

"The guests are gone," Charm said, taking up the sponge and a mug. "Master should go have a potent drink with Miss Elsa and relax. He is too much on edge."

"How did you know-"

"Charm appraises."

* * *

We went to the bar and I grabbed my strongest brandy from the very top shelf. Instead of shot glasses, I grabbed two wine glasses and poured three fingers each.

Elsa whistled as she took a stool across from me. "Taking the win that badly, huh?"

I placed her glass in front of her, then took a swallow of mine without waiting. "Yeah, Charm must have noticed. She's never that nice to me."

Elsa shook her head. "Assuming I'm not blind, I'd say that girl cares about you more than anyone in the world."

This statement caught me by complete surprise, and I stared at Elsa dumbly. "No…"

"Excellent argument," Elsa said and raised a hand. "Grand Magistrate, we accept the defendant's defense, as we have no counter-argument to his impenetrable reasoning of 'no…'"

"Leave me alone," I said, taking another swig of brandy. "I have too many things pulling on my mind right now."

Elsa smiled warmly at me, and I felt the pace of my heart tick up a notch.

Yeah, I know, given everything going on, I shouldn't have been fazed. But you try receiving that whimsical, playful smile that's been solely given to you by this young woman, and let's see how your heart takes it.

"I'm glad to see you've cheered up a little since the incident," I said.

Elsa looked away and her smile dropped for a moment before she returned her eyes to me. "I guess I have a habit of trying to see the bright side of things. I'm still really worried for Valentall, but... I'm glad we've got a shot of bringing down his assailant... and I guess... well..."

"Well?" I repeated.

"And it's been fun hanging out with you," she said, smiling again. "You're quite nice too, you know. Usually, you rarely hang out with me outside of work or drink alone with me."

"That's because Charm-"

Elsa shook her head, still smiling. "You did it all on your own accord last night after you took me to see Lieutenant Leise... Thanks for worrying about me, Heru."

"I... sometimes a guy needs a drink..." I mumbled, unable to find the right words, and downed the rest of my glass, feeling the liquid burn down my throat.

Elsa chuckled and refilled it. "Uh huh."

After a while, which felt like a long awkward eternity for me, she said, "So what do you think our chances are of finding the White Swordsman?"

I frowned at the name. "Zero."

"Aw, don't say that, Heru. I think our odds are pretty good."

"I don't know about you," I said. "But I'm not much of an investigator."

"You figured out that Mideon Greengrass burned the tavern pretty quickly, didn't you?"

"Th-at was a different matter," I said uncertainly. I was pretty sure Elsa knew I was the Greenfin, but we'd still never had a conversation about it, and I preferred not to.

"I'd say it's pretty similar," Elsa said, swishing her glass and sniffing its vapors. "We just need to find out who his enemies were."

I sighed. "I'm sure Leise has looked into that."

"Has she? A ward guard wouldn't have easy access to nobles or people outside the ward. But you do. Now that you're a superintendent."

"Do I?"

"Of course," she said with a grin, taking a sip. "Don't worry about that part. We'll track down the White Swordsman no matter who he is."

"You know what, I'm sick of hearing that name. Why would they give him a name like the White Swordsman? You don't give maniacs cool names, everyone knows that!"

"Oh Heru, if only you could change his name officially... you know… if only you had the kind of power to dictate what the assailant is called in this ward..."

"Wait, is that sarcasm? Are you suggesting something? Your tone sounds like sarcasm, but I'm not sure."

"Yes, it's sarcasm, Heru!"

"So you're saying…"

The look Elsa was giving me was still playful, but now there was also an edge of conspiratorial mischief. "What's his new name, Supe?"

Slowly, very slowly, something strange grew on my face. I believe it was a smile.

Chapter 18

Shards

I arrived at the office early the next morning. I intended to get my duties done and over with quickly so I could get back to the tavern with the afternoon to spare. After purchasing the Sweet Water Yeast, I had made a new batch of the Darkly Spiced Apple Cider, and I intended to make another while the weather was still suitably wintry.

After nodding to the guards at the front gate of the estate and saying hello to Thomas at his reception desk, I headed up the stairs to my office where I found a giant of a woman dressed in a neat, buttoned tunic, standing with her hands behind her back, looking at me with a severe expression.

"Uh... can I help you?" I said, looking up at her. She was at least a head taller than me and twice my weight.

"In fact," the woman said in a strong, expansive voice. "I am here to help you, sir."

"Please don't tell me you're with Lady Kherliss."

"I am Cornelly, your administrative assistant. I served Superintendent Greengrass before I served Superintendent Valentall. My duty is now to serve you. Each has kept me on and I expect you to do so as well. However, it is your right to select your own staff if you wish."

That was a relief on more than one level. Cornelly was someone experienced with the duties of the ward. "I think I'll be counting on you quite a lot. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Arch Gustkin."

Cornelly nodded as if she'd expected as much. She turned around, picked up a stack of parchment off a cabinet, and dropped it on the desk. "We have several urgent matters that have been left waiting since Superintendent Valentall's absence. There are road repairs, the sewermen's budget, and work on the Southbank Bridge to go over to name a few. What would you like to start with?"

"Oh, uh... say, how long will all this take, do you think?"

Cornelly eyed the stack of papers. "If you are diligent, you shall finish by the end of the week."

My shoulders sagged. "Great." I went around the desk and dropped in the chair.

The door opened, and Elsa walked in. "Can't believe you left without me, Heru! Oh hey there, you must be part of the team. I'm Elsa." She stuck her hand out to Cornelly, who took it and nodded.

"If he gives you any trouble, just talk to me," Elsa said. "I'll set him straight."

"Are you Mrs. Gustkin?"

"Not at the moment."

"She's my barmai—wait, did you say 'not at the moment?'" I felt something in my chest getting very excited.

Leise walked in then. "Superintendent Gustkin, is this a good time to discuss the investigation?"

"Ugh, please don't call me that."

"Call him Supe, ain't that right, Supe?"

"Just call me Arch!"

"Supe, is this a good time to discuss the investigation?"

"Why did you listen to her!?"

"I am hoping to befriend Miss Elsa."

"What are you talking about, Lieutenant? We're already friends. And squadmates. And perhaps rivals."

Cornelly, who was standing there watching us, turned to me. "I will return when you've sorted out this triangle."

"Don't call it a triangle!" I exclaimed. "Any shape but that shape!"

The door slammed open and the most troublesome character walked in. "Make it a square! Kherliss is here!"

"Oh, Celeru smite my ass."

"Don't worry," Kherliss said as Cornelly stepped out the door past her. "I come as a friend this time with important information to share. And when I say friend, I mean future business partner and majority shareholder!"

"Anyone else feel a terrible pain blossoming in their head?" I said.

"Nothing a drink won't fix," Elsa said. "What'll you have, Lady Kherliss? Brandy?"

"Brandy?" Kherliss gawked. "It's nine in the morning, you demon woman!"

"Brandy it is. How about you, Lieutenant?"

"Ward guards are not permitted to drink while on duty, Corporal Elsa."

"Dang it, Lieutenant. You're not making it easy for me to implement my Blackout The Loud Noblewoman Strategy."

Kherliss began muttering to herself in the darkness again. "I am certain I can defeat the assassin-turned-superintendent... but his demon woman is on another level. How does one defeat a creature that has escaped from the gates of the Abyss?"

The back and forth went on for several more minutes, and I noted Cornelly made an excellent decision to leave the room earlier and was likely a very astute and capable woman.

"So what's this information you have, Lady Kherliss?" I said after the jests finally ran dry.

Kherliss rested her hands on her hips and took a wide stance. "I did not find the ward election a very interesting affair until I learned of its winner. Thus I called upon a few of my well-placed sources to ask around about the whole affair. It appears that this ward has caught the eye of someone dangerous!"

"What are you talking about?" I said, and I had a premonition that whatever she was going to say would make my headache worse.

"Aren't you curious why the Duke didn't appoint a noble to replace Lord Valentall?"

I shrugged. "Because he wanted to keep the spot open for his nephew when he wakes up?"

Kherliss nodded. "Partly that." Then she struck a finger at me. "But also because no noble had made a bid for the position! Usually, everyone and their steward would jump for the job! Especially for a ward like Southbank."

"It's only been a few days," Elsa said. "Maybe they're just being polite."

"Good grief, do you think propriety would stop those sharks when there's wealth to gain? What really happened was that they were too late! Moves were already made on the night of the attack. Lord Edwond made certain no one else would take the bid because he wanted it for himself. However, unbeknownst to Lord Edwond, Lord Valentall had asked the Duke to open the position to an election among commoners when he stepped down. The Duke decided to honor Lord Valentall's wishes, likely because, as you say, it allows Lord Valentall to take up the role again if he recovers."

"Who is this Lord Edwond?" Leise said.

"Someone you would not want to cross paths with. He is eighteenth in line to the dukedom, a cousin of Lord Valentall's, and also a nephew of the Duke. He is... how do I put it... a very underhanded fellow, especially if you are a commoner."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

We heard a commotion downstairs now. A few voices were speaking.

"So!" Kherliss said, looking at me. "I should quickly say, the reason I came today was to tell you that Lord Edwond plans to visit you this morning. He was not very pleased to hear that you won the election. I believe he had put his interests in someone else."

"You should have said that first!"

The door opened then and Thomas poked his head in. He looked flustered and anxious. "Superintendent Gustkin, there's a Lord Edwond, eighteenth in line to the dukedom, here to see you."

"Send them up in five minutes, Thomas."

"Sir, they're already here," Thomas said quickly, then he opened the door. A beautiful woman walked in. Followed by a strongly-built man.

The woman was tall and very lean. She moved lithely into the room. Her eyes were dark as obsidian, as was her raven hair. She wore tight-fitting light leathers, and I counted at least five daggers hidden on her person, which meant there were several more I did not count. She scanned her eyes across the room. Then she stepped to the right side of the room.

The man that came in behind her was a swordsman. He was also tall, with a strong jaw and piercing eyes. He too wore light armor, but his shoulder and chest plate were made of steel. A long sword was sheathed on his back. He appeared just as capable as the woman, and by first glance, I'd place him as a highly capable swordsman.

He also glanced across the room, then he took his position on the left side of the room.

There was a third figure that I did not notice earlier, who was now coming through the door. He was the complete opposite of the two that preceded him. The man was small and weak. He used a cane to walk, and he stepped slowly. His skin was unnaturally pale, and his eyes looked bloodshot. I could tell that he was young of age, perhaps only a few years older than twenty. But his movements and voice were reminiscent of someone nearing the end of their life.

"My Lady Kherliss," the young man said harshly. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Lord Edwond," Kherliss said, with an expression in her eyes that I'd not seen before. They were serious and without bounding energy.

The dark-haired beauty with the daggers flicked her eyes to me then to Leise and Elsa, then back to me. She merely glanced at us. If there was curiosity there, I didn't sense it. She was merely sizing us up, and by the look of it, she thought I was the threat. The swordsman seemed to have come to the same conclusion. That was impressive since I was in no fighting posture. No muscle tensed. Nothing. But maybe that was the giveaway. These three, even the weak lordling, had the sort of presence that would put any normal person immediately on guard when they walked into a room. And I wasn't on guard. Oops.

Edwond turned his eyes to me. They were like cut shards of broken glass. "And you must be the new superintendent," he said in that ragged voice. "I'd like a word."

"Uh yes, of course, Lord Edwond."

"A private one," Edwond said when no one moved.

"Ah, it's okay, I'll just tell them everything anyway. Well, maybe not Lady Kherliss."

"What? Why not!? We're business partners!"

"No, we're not!"

Edwond looked between us and coughed. He seemed to be under the weather, but it was as if the cold had lasted a lifetime.

"Very well," he said, and the swordsman took a chair and placed it across the desk from me. Edwond slowly took his seat and smiled at me. At least I think it was a smile.

"Do you know who I am?" he said.

"Lady Kherliss said you were a scary man. I believe the exact word was 'underhanded.'"

"How could you betray me like that!?" Kherliss said, whipping her head to me.

"Oh, oops, I thought you were the type to say things to people's faces."

"Well, that's true enough," Kherliss said, crossing her arms. "Edwond knows what I think of him."

Edwond nodded. "Good. That will let things proceed swiftly. I suppose Kherliss explained I am the reason no noble won the seat."

"I didn't see you run at the election though," I said.

Edwond stared at me for a moment. Then he said, "An election is no place for a noble. It sends the wrong message. In any case, I would not have won. I am an outsider. And I am physically weak. That has no bearing on my abilities as an administrator, but commoners, even nobles, can rarely see the difference. But I see that you are no simple man. Yes... my guards have sensed it too. This is quite problematic for me... I'd not expected this. May I ask how you beat Mr. Wheelhouse?"

"He forced me to win."

This got no reaction from Edwond. He said, "Explain yourself."

"Someone nominated me at the last moment. When I got up to tell the crowd that I wasn't interested in the position, Desmond prevented me from speaking and so the vote was held before I could rescind my nomination."

Edwond began to gurgle. Then I realized he was laughing. It ended in a wet cough, and he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

"Pardon me," he said. "The winter is harsh on my body. That is quite the story. Then, I think it's time for me to make my request. Resign."

"Uh... pardon me?"

"I said, resign. Step down from your position as Superintendent."

Elsa frowned, and Lieutenant Leise was looking very tense. I actually couldn't read Kherliss, which was a bit of a surprise.

I sighed. "I'll be honest with you, I'd like nothing more than to step down, but the entire ward just voted for me. I'll be the most hated man in Southbank if I were to resign right now."

"Mmm yes, that is likely true. It is unfortunate that Desmond forced your win. If he won as planned this would have gone a lot easier. But it doesn't change the fact that I need the ward."

"Why?"

"Because it is a seat of power. Southbank has the opportunity to become a powerhouse. To rival Angelmore or Lumitra by the end of the decade. Duke Remsley was once the Superintendent of Lumitra. His proper administration of that ward is why his uncle chose him over his own son as his successor."

"A stepping stone for you, huh?"

"Precisely. I am glad you understand. Kerhliss is not wrong about my methods, but I should note that I always make a fair offer first. I see that this position was pushed onto you. I suggest you announce it was a mistake. Yes, it is not ideal. Your reputation will suffer in the short term. But I will make it worth your while. What do you desire?"

"Nothing," I said.

"Everyone desires something."

"I'd like to not do this job, but I think that ship has sailed. Quitting now would negatively affect my business."

"Money is no issue."

"Agreed," I said.

Edwond watched me for a long moment. Then he turned his head back at the elegant woman with the daggers to his right. He looked back at me and smiled, nodding.

"I see. That can be arranged as well."

"What? No, no! You're misreading things!"

"I misread nothing," Edwond said, smiling again. Then he slowly pulled himself up and made to leave.

"Wait! I've agreed to nothing. Don't go making plans I've not consented to be a part of!"

Edwond nodded. "There is nothing else to be said here. If you change your mind, it will be to both our benefits if you let me know sooner than later."

"Is that a threat?"

Edwond looked at me once more, those shard-like eyes taking me in.

"Why yes, Mr. Gustkin, it is."

Chapter 19

The First Decree

"Oh good," I said after the office door had closed and the sound of footfalls down the stairs had fallen away. "I had been wondering if things could get any worse."

Kherliss looked pale. She turned to me. "You and I have had multiple encounters now, Master Arch, so you know that I would engage in your humor given the opportunity. But this is no laughing matter. Lord Edwond is not someone to be taken lightly."

"What makes you say that?" I said. "Besides his creepy persona and murdery entourage, I mean."

"There are plenty of rumors but few facts about Lord Edwond. I will tell you more later as it is not wise to speak about him without careful thought. However, I promise I will do what I can to support you in this matter. I take care of my business partners."

I shook my head to this with a sigh, and she smiled at me. Then she headed for the door, but turned back before exiting. "Oh, just in case, I want to say, I've had a lot of fun and it was very nice knowing you."

"You're even more ominous than Edwond!"

After Kherliss had closed the door behind her, Leise said, "Did you notice…?" The lieutenant's sword hand was trembling. She'd been readying to draw her sword the whole time. "His guards… they were strong... incredibly strong. "

"I noticed Heru noticing the female one," Elsa said with a frown.

"I did no such thing! I mean, I noticed them both. With equal measure."

"The swordsman is a league above my own," Leise continued. "And I believe the capabilities of the woman may be even higher than his."

"Don't sell yourself short. " I waved my hand. "You could take them. Well... not them both but one at a time... probably."

Actually, on second thought, Leise was likely right. The woman was an assassin. It was an entirely different set of skills than being a soldier. A swordsman's duel was carried out head-on. You knew what you were in for. Assassins didn't play fair. People usually only found out they were engaged with one when a dagger was halfway into their hearts.

"Hmm..." Elsa said. "Very skilled fighters, huh?"

"They were alright," I said. "Did you notice anything, Elsa?"

"I noticed Heru noticing-"

"Other than that!"

"Hmm..." Elsa crossed her arms and thought about it. "I only have a few impressions."

"Yes?"

"The woman doesn't like working for Edwond, but that isn't to say she wouldn't have killed us in a blink if he'd given the word. The sword guy is confident about his skills, but not against someone near his level. He doesn't run into that often, but when he does, he overcompensates. Which is why he didn't like the Lieutenant."

"You got all that off the two characters that didn't even speak!?"

"Just their vibes. I could be wrong." She smiled. "But I rarely am."

Despite Elsa's shortcomings in other areas, such as certain basic social and cultural norms in Meritas. She was rarely wrong about people.

"What about Edwond?" I said, rubbing my head.

"Hmm... I think... I don't know... I think I just feel sorry for him."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "You feel sorry for the guy that threatened us?"

Elsa shrugged. "Just a feeling. Seems like he's trying really hard because he won't be respected otherwise. You know, like he was bullied as a young child, it's often really bad in noble households. Lots of pressure to do the family proud. He's pushed through it all despite his physical shortcomings. Even though there's little expectation from his family that he would amount to anything. So he has this burning desire to prove them wrong. But he's also deeply resentful-"

"Okay okay, that's enough! I don't want to know anymore. I feel like you're ruining things for me. Like I'm skipping twenty years ahead in a relationship that I don't even want to be a part of. How do you know this stuff, anyway?"

"I call it Elsa's Intuition!"

"First time I've heard of this unique skill."

"I came up with the name just now."

"Try using it on me."

"Sure thing, Heru. You have a colorful but dark histo-"

"Never mind."

"But I've barely even gotten started!"

"I've heard enough."

"Ahem," Leise coughed into a raised fist. She seemed slightly annoyed, which was rare to see. "Perhaps we may discuss the investigation. You appear to have accepted your duties as superintendent, Master Arch, and I would like to know how you wish to proceed in apprehending the White Swordsman."

"Yes, of course," I said. "I think we should assign the job to our head inspector."

"We don't have a head inspector," Leise said.

"Right, I guess that means the commander of the ward guard will have to take over the duties."

"I would feel more confident in the matter with your support," Leise said.

"You have my full support," I said. "Arrest anyone you like."

Leise shook her head. "There is a possibility Lord Edwond was involved with the crime towards Lord Valentall."

"Very possible."

"Unlike the Inquisitors, I am unable to question or arrest nobles without solid evidence."

"Best ask the Inquisitors to gather some."

Leise stared at me stiffly.

"Oh relax, I'll do my part. First thing is to learn more about this Edwond fella. Ask your sources and I'll do the same. I've also got a couple of other people to look into."

Leise opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by the ringing of bells that came from the guardstower, signaling that it was ten o'clock. The bells were rung every two hours during daylight, and with the guardstower so close to the superintendent's estate, they rang clear as day.

Leise looked out the window, frowning, and stood. "I have rounds to make. Let us continue this conversation in the afternoon."

"I don't plan to be here in the afternoon."

"Then at the same time tomorrow morning."

"Wait," I said. "Before you go, there's something I must do." I got up and opened the door, sticking my head out to call downstairs. "Cornelly! The meeting's done, all shapes taken care of, I need my first ward decree officiated!"

Cornelly came up the steps and joined us in the office with parchment, a quill, and the official insignia stamp of the superintendent.

"State your decree and I will do my best to make it enforceable within the powers of the superintendent's office."

"Oh, don't worry, I know I'm not the Duke and that there are limitations to my power. But this one should be pretty easy. Essentially, I'm changing how we'll be referring to Valentall's assailant within Southbank. No more of that White Swordsman nonsense, and going forward, people who commit crimes will not be receiving any more cool names. For the decree, citizens can do what they want obviously, but everyone on the superintendent's payroll is required to use the new designated name in speech and official documentation from now on."

"And what is the designated name?" Cornelly said, and I could see the curiosity in her eyes even if she kept a stone-like expression.

I pulled out a folded parchment from my trouser pocket, pressed it out neatly, and slid it across the desk.

Leise looked down, then immediately looked back up at me, her eye twitching. "You can't be serious."

"I know, right?" Elsa said. "It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?"

"That is the least of the name's problems," Leise said.

"Look here," I said. "Elsa and I worked on this all night, and it's the best one we could come up with. We didn't have a lot to go on. All we know is the assailant is completely sealed from head to toe in white armor."

"I personally liked 'The Alabaster Bastard' better," Elsa said.

"No! That one is still too catchy!" I tapped the parchment. "This is the one we're going with! Everyone is to use this title from now on, and I want all the wanted posters in the ward updated. Any objections?"

Leise just sighed and shook her head. "I should have known something like this would happen if you became the superintendent."

Cornelly had a mild smile on her face and said, "No objections, Superintendent."

Then she began drafting the decree. The rules were simple and so it did not take her long, and I will note that her penmanship was immaculate.

She passed me the superintendent's stamp and quill to officiate the decree into ward law. But first, she held out the parchment and began reading it aloud in the customary manner before giving it to me to stamp and sign.

"On this day, by the official decree of Interim Superintendent Arch Gustkin of Southbank, all written ward documents, ward guards, and ward employees shall henceforth refer to the individual who assaulted Lord Valentall five days prior as The Man Who Must Smell His Own Farts."

Chapter 20

Secrets and Peppers

"Your grapes are made of steel, Supe. The White Sw–ahem, I mean The Man Who Must Smell His Own Farts has already taken down one superintendent. I can't imagine he'll be happy to hear about your decree."

Although Matinue wasn't an official ward employee, he was a stoneworker on contract with the ward, building the Southbank Bridge that connected to Lumitra Ward. Therefore, he had to use the proper terminology.

Given Matinue's profession, I had a question to ask him, but it wasn't quite the right moment yet as there were others sitting with us at the bar.

Eleanor, a well-dressed, attractive young woman, glowered at Matinue's use of the assailant's new name. "I find the decree overly vulgar. Could you not have found a more suitable wording?"

"I must disagree," Ress said with a smile. "I find it quite ingenious. This title will eat away the criminal's ego and reputation, making it more likely he will make a mistake or reveal himself again, which gives the authorities another opportunity to catch him."

"Oh, of course, Ress," Eleanor said quickly, looking at the musician. "That's a very good point. It's very ingenious."

Herwin, who had been trying to win Eleanor's affections the whole night, shook his head and lifted his mug from the bar, taking a deep pull.

"But will the guards be able to catch the guy?" Matinue said. "They say even Lieutenant Leise was no match for him, and she defeated a hundred of Ashbane's men all on her own at the Battle of Duke's Port."

"I don't think the Man Who Smells His Own Farts is that skilled," I said. "He just had a rare sword that was rarer than Leise's rare sword. She'd definitely win in a fistfight."

"Erm… I see…" Matinue said, scratching his goatee. "But… if his armor and sword are made of Kozodimon Steel, how can anyone defeat him?"

"Mages probably," I said. "But you'd have to ask the Inquisitors. They're the ones tasked with finding the guy."

Matinue nodded and sipped from his mug, still thinking on the subject.

"Will you be playing again later, Ress?" Eleanor said. She'd not taken her eyes off him since he spoke.

Ress nodded. "Miss Charm has me playing evenings from six to eight and ten to midnight."

"How wonderful," Eleanor said. "There's still some time before eight, would you like to have dinner next door, at the Skewered Pig? Some of my friends will be there too. And then we could all come back here to watch you play."

"Ah, I would love to, but I've just had a bowl of Miss Charm's stew. Another time perhaps."

Eleanor looked crestfallen. But she nodded and promised to be back at eight o'clock.

Once Eleanor had departed, Herwin, who'd been scowling during the entire interaction, snapped his head to Ress and said, "How! How do you do that!?"

"My apologies," Ress said, looking slightly surprised. "How do I do what, Lord Herwin?"

Herwin frowned. "You know what. And don't call me that in the tavern."

Ress stared at him for a second, then smiled. "How do I attract the attentions of lovely ladies, you mean?"

Herwin nodded, but his eyes were still glaring at the musician.

"I'm also curious," Matinue admitted.

I said nothing, but I found myself leaning closer over the bar.

"The secret, my friends," Ress said. "Is to be handsome and skilled with an instrument."

Herwin slammed down his mug. "I knew it!"

Matinue sighed like he heard a dream that would stay out of reach within his lifetime.

"I'm kidding," Ress said.

"What do you mean, you're kidding?" Herwin exclaimed.

"Good looks and a talent certainly help," Ress said. "But they are not the most important thing."

I could tell Herwin was struggling to not smash Ress over the head with his mug.

Ress smiled his winning smile. "The secret is to be assured."

"Assured?" Matinue, Herwin, and I said at the same time.

Ress nodded.

"Assured of what!?" Herwin said.

Ress looked at all of us, raising his mug to take a sip. "Of everything. But especially yourself."

"I don't understand," Matinue said.

"Most don't," Ress said, after taking a swallow. "If you are self-assured no matter the situation, then you will find that people gravitate towards you. That is the secret, gentlemen. It is easier said than done."

"Good gods," Herwin said. "I think that might sort of make sense."

Ress nodded and patted Herwin on the shoulder. "You'll get there soon enough, I am sure."

Herwin groaned. "But I want it now. Let me ask you guys, when was the last time you kissed a young lady?"

"Well…" Matinue said. "Me and Natty have been going steady for several years now. Had a picnic with her last week."

Herwin shook his head, then looked at Ress.

Ress grinned. "This afternoon."

Herwin shook his head again. "I knew it. You want to hear something sad? It's been three months for me."

"Everyone has a dry spell," Ress said.

"What about you, Master Arch?" Matinue said.

My head was in my hands. "Six… decades…"

"What was that?" Matinue said, leaning in over the bar.

"What?" I said, looking up. "No, I didn't say anything haha..."

"Do you even need to ask, Matinue?" Herwin said. "Look at how many beauties he has running around the tavern!"

"But he's not with any of them, is he?" Matinue said.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Ress said, rising from his stool. "Be right back. Don't get too far without me, I'd like to hear the rest."

Ress headed out the door, probably heading to the latrine, and Herwin leaned in and said, "Aren't you worried, Master Arch?"

"About what?"

"Come now," Herwin said. "It's only a matter of time before the handsome bastard sets his eyes on Elsa, Commander Charm, Anna, or Miss Cassia."

I stared at Herwin for a long second. "Truth be told, I had a nightmare about that two nights ago."

Herwin nodded. "I've got your back if he tries to make a move, but in return… please teach me your ways!"

"What ways! I have no ways!"

"Of course you do!" Herwin said. "Even if you haven't taken advantage of your situation, you clearly are doing something right! Four one-in-a-million ladies don't just randomly start revolving around you for no reason, and that's not even counting Lieutenant Leise!"

"I'm just a tavern keeper, Herwin," I said. "That draws all sorts of people. But that's it. They're here for the tavern. If you want lessons on seducing women, you'd best stick to asking the musician."

"No, I've watched closely. His ladies come and go, but yours stick around. At the same time! How in Celeru's name do you do it!? That goes against the elemental laws of nature!"

"Have to agree with that one," Matinue said. "It's strange."

"Leave me alone! I'm as out of luck with the ladies as you are, Herwin! Don't make me out to be some kind of hero when I'm not!"

"Fine," Herwin said. "Keep your secrets to yourself. I'll find my own way."

I sighed, and we were silent for a few moments before Ress returned. He hadn't been gone for more than a minute. "Is the conversation over?"

"For me, it is," Herwin said, stepping off his stool. "Off to try my luck before you start playing."

Ress grinned and raised his glass. "All the best, and remember, be assured."

Herwin nodded and left us at the bar.

Then Matinue asked me how the new job was going. I told him the basics of it and left out the part about Edwond. I wasn't sure what to make of that situation yet and so wasn't sharing it openly. Then I got started on the whole election and how unfair it'd been.

Ress excused himself halfway through my rant.

"I'd best head over to the dining hall and get set up," Ress said, rising off the stool. "Miss Charm is quite strict about the timing."

I nodded. "Definitely don't want to get in her bad graces."

"Wise," Matinue said.

"I am a quick learner," Ress said with a smile.

As he turned to leave, I spotted that he had some lemonleaf stuck to the back of his trousers. I grinned to myself and said nothing. Finally, something to dampen his perfect shine.

"Hey Ress," Matinue said. "You've got some lemonleaf on your butt."

Damn it.

Ress whipped his head around and patted his pants. He found the leaf and threw it off quickly. "How in the world-"

"Oh, happens all the time," Matinue said. "The stuff's all over the floor in the latrine. Happened to me yesterday while I was making a righteous deposit. Actually, you should really get it cleaned, Supe."

"I do clean it," I said flatly. "Every morning, in fact. But the leaves fall if they don't get used. Some days people use a lot, some days people don't use enough. Better to have more than you need and the floor covered than to run out."

Matinue chuckled. "That's true enough."

"Lemonleaf, ha," Ress said, still standing there. "What a strange plant. I took some to wipe my hands. Must have gotten on my trousers somehow. Strange plant indeed. It's strange, don't you agree?"

"Uh… I guess?"

"Ha, yes, well, I'd best be going. See you two later."

Matinue shared a look with me. "Gods, I think he's nervous about playing on time for Miss Charm."

I grinned. "She does have that effect on people, huh?"

"Never thought I'd see it on the bard," Matinue said, smiling back, and we clinked our mugs together.

"What is Master and Mr. Matinue chuckling about, Charm wonders," said an ominous voice.

Matinue jumped and I froze.

Charm placed a bowl of stew in front of Matinue. "Mr. Matinue's order."

I said, "We were discussing your graceful and definitely not terrifying charm, Charm."

Charm arched a brow at me. "If Master wishes to say something, he should do so directly, with courage and straightforwardness."

I caught a whiff of Matinue's stew. "Actually, I do have something to say. Could I also get a bowl of the stew? It smells great today."

"Charm added peppers to her recipe," Charm said with a hint of pride. Then she headed back to the kitchen.

"Herwin's right, you know," Matinue said.

"About what?"

"One-in-a-million."

"Uh huh. Say Matinue, I had a question for you."

"Fire away," he said, taking a bite of the hot stew.

"I was wondering if you knew anything about the Kozodimon ore."

Matinue snorted. "You think I get to work with materials like that?"

"You never know. Might have heard a thing or two at least."

"All I know is that it's hard to mine, hard to separate from the rock, and even harder to forge."

"That's it? Any specifics?"

Matinue shrugged. "If you want to know more, you should ask Desmond Wheelhouse."

"Why's that?"

"Didn't you know?" Matinue said, taking another bite of his stew. "He used to trade the stuff."

Chapter 21

The Giant Petrel Tavern

I never realized how much work the superintendency entailed. During my third day after being elected, I authorized five new business licenses, dealt with four neighborly complaints, balanced five budgets, and endured an endless barrage of meetings. Luckily, the season's taxes had already been collected by Valentall, and it would be a few months before that would need to happen again.

Elsa had come and brought me lunch. Then she began redecorating the office while I worked. She did a good job removing all the stuffy paintings, replacing them with things from the tavern, including the latest horrific drawing Deni had scribbled for me. But it was mostly the two of us in the office that afternoon and having her there was extremely distracting.

My eyes couldn't seem to keep their focus on the tasks on my desk, and I finally gave up trying to get anything done at two o'clock.

"Wanna check out that new bar that opened down the street?" I said.

"You mean the one opened by one of our prime suspects?"

"That's the one."

"Thought you'd never ask. Let's go."

The Giant Petrel Tavern, formerly known as the Grand Taphouse, was located at the other end of the Cobblestone Road in the neighborhood of Kerrytown. The last time I had entered the place, Ashbane's slaves were in the basement, and Leise led a raid.

The building looked different now. Desmond had remodeled the place, and it actually looked like a tavern and not a nobleman's summer getaway. There were banners and new wood scaffolding across the marble structure. I shook my head when I saw the rounded sign above the door. There was a petrel holding a tankard, which is to say it looked very similar to my Tipsy Pelican sign.

"You know," I said. "I'm glad Desmond didn't win the election."

"Me too," Elsa said. "I like the new superintendent a whole lot more."

I smiled, and we headed inside.

The interior layout changed even more than the exterior. There was a long and wide bar now, and there were rugs thrown across the marble floor. The tables were all dark woods, and colorful paintings hung on the wall. Say what you will about Desmond, but he didn't do a half-bad job making the place welcoming. There was a slightly manufactured feeling to it all. But it worked. It felt clean and comfortable. If I didn't have a tavern of my own, I probably wouldn't have minded coming here for a drink.

There were a few patrons at a couple of tables, but the place was mostly empty. I felt pretty happy about this. Then a barmaid came up to us. She was young and attractive, and now I was very certain that the man was gunning for me.

"Hello! Welcome to the Giant Petrel Tavern!" she said. "Please have a seat anywhere you like."

After we'd taken our seats, she brought us two menus. "Take all the time you need. Also, I just have to say, I love your earrings."

"Oh, thank you," Elsa said, smiling.

"And you sir, what a fine coat," she said. "The two of you make a very eye-catching couple."

"Even his staff are better trained than mine," I grumbled to myself.

"What was that?" Elsa snapped.

"Nothing, I'll have the Red Harvest," I said. The menu was entirely made up of beers from the big breweries. Nothing original, which was at least a relief.

"Hmmm..." Elsa said, scanning the menu. "I think I'll take the Blue Water Ale, haven't had that one in a long while."

"A Red Harvest and Blue Water coming right up!"

"The place looks alright," Elsa said after the barmaid had left with our orders.

"Yeah."

"Nothing close, though."

I smiled at that.

The barmaid came back with our drinks. She'd been gone less than thirty seconds. They came in two large chilled glasses.

"Gods," I mumbled. "The service is better, too."

Elsa shot me a look. "You have something you want to say?"

"Nope," I said and took my drink.

The ale was fine. Tasted just the same as the Red Harvest I served, if a bit warmer. Mine tended to be extra cold.

"Excuse me," I said to the barmaid as she set down Elsa's drink. "Is Mr. Wheelhouse in?"

"Oh yes, I think he's upstairs. Let me go check. Who can I say is calling?"

"Tell him it's uh.. Arch Gustkin..."

There was recognition in her features. "Oh, Mr. Gustkin. I see. I'll be right back."

We watched her head up the stairs.

"She seems nice," Elsa said.

"Well-trained."

Elsa stared at me and took a big gulp of her ale.

Desmond came down a few moments later. He was smiling. Though it seemed a little strained. "Mr. Gustkin, no, I should say Superintendent Gustkin! What brings you to my humble tavern?"

"Came to say hello, and to make amends," I said.

"Amends? For pretending to not want the position and stealing it out from under my nose by making backdoor deals?"

"Oh, come on, it wasn't like that. Have a seat."

I could see he was thinking about kicking me out. But he relented in the end. I was the superintendent after all, and that did have its privileges.

"Of course," he sat down, his voice taking on a friendlier tone. "Claudia, please bring us a pitcher of our finest ale, and a bottle of brandy."

"Now you're talking!" Elsa said.

"Wait, I'm on the job," I said. "Can't be drinking."

"I won't tell if you won't," Desmond said, giving me a wink.

He had clearly changed to a new tactic. Befriend the new guy in power. Whether to stab him in the back later or to call in favors, I wasn't sure yet.

"Ha!" Elsa said. "If I knew you were this fun, I would have voted for you!"

"You had no power to vote," I said.

"I am a businessman," Desmond said. "One cannot take such matters personally, I say. What do you think?"

"I think that's dang right," Elsa said.

Claudia appeared once again in record time with the ale and the brandy. Desmond poured himself a glass of the ale, and a glass for us each of the brandy.

"Look, Mr. Wheelhouse," I said. "I didn't want the position, and that's the truth. I would have renounced my nomination if you had given me the chance."

He looked at me like I was an idiot who was still playing a part that didn't need to be played anymore.

"He's telling the truth you know," Elsa said. "My boss would have rather chewed glass than taken the job."

"Is this true?" Desmond said to me.

"It's true. But now I've got the job, and it's a big pain in my ass."

"If you truly don't want the position, why not give it up?"

"I can't give it up!" I said. "The entire ward would hate me! That's half my customer base right there. Plus, I've got some nefarious bastard trying to steal the job now. And he isn't the type to make it easy on any of us."

"Someone trying to steal the job? Who?"

"Some lordling called Edwond."

"Lord Maficius Edwond?"

"So you know of him."

"I know he is not the type of man you get on the wrong side of."

"Well, I'm on the wrong side," I said. "He rigged the whole thing. The reason no noble wanted the job was because of him. The only reason it went to election was because of Valentall's wishes. He actually wanted you to win."

"Did he now?" Desmond said, not letting anything slip. I was quite sure that Edwond had made a deal with Desmond.

"I know the lord, but he made no mention of it to me. However, I will readily admit I would have handed over the seat if presented with the right price."

"What kind of price is that?"

"Something equally worthwhile, of course. Has he not made this offer to you?"

"He has, and I don't want it."

"Then you are in an unfortunate position."

"You're damned right about that," I said. "I get the feeling Edwond's going to use the investigation to try to kick me off. I need to solve it real fast, and I need your expertise."

"I am at your service, but I don't see how..."

"You're a metals merchant. A Kozodimon trader if the rumors are true. The same kind I think Valentall's attacker was wearing and wielding. I was hoping you could tell me what you know about it."

Desmond smiled. "I hope you don't think I had anything to do with it. I traded Kozodimon a long time ago."

"Of course not," I lied. "I just wanted an expert opinion."

"Very well," Desmond said, smiling back at me. "Kozodimon is the strongest metal in the world. None can compare. It is nearly indestructible and is a natural repellent to magic. Not even a hero like Galston the Great could break this steel. Only extremely high-level spells have a chance. Spells of legend, wielded by the Demon Lord Izirath, the Stormblood, or Cassanein. "

I pushed aside my mug and leaned forward. "So my theory is that he wasn't wearing full plate armor of the stuff as most people believe. But his sword was definitely Kozodimon steel. It broke Leise's blue Oract blade in two."

Desmond nodded. "A definite possibility. Full plate armor of Kozodimon is quite unheard of.  Most noble houses only have chain mail made of Kozodimon. It is extremely expensive and extremely rare. My trade of the ore was in small batches. The ore forms in rare pockets across the islands of the sea, and they never run deep. It is an extremely difficult material to find and the prices are astronomical. The load was a very small portion of my wares, yet it accounted for most of my profits for a time."

"Why did you stop?"

"Pirates," Desmond said. "They were mad for the ore. Even a small quantity was worth a sea battle. And the miners realized they could get paid double. Once for when they sold to me, and twice when they sold the information of my trade routes to the pirates. Eventually, it wasn't worth the cost of doing business. But it was highly profitable while it lasted."

"Do you think it's possible that someone who found a vein could have crafted a full plate armor?"

"Possible. But unlikely. Even with sufficient ore, one still needs to find a master blacksmith to craft the armor or weapon. And why would someone with such wealth attack Lord Valentall?"

I sighed. "I have the same question."

"And what is your opinion on the matter thus far?"

"My opinion is the investigation is damned tiresome."

"I believe your original hypothesis is correct," Desmond said. "The full plate armor is unlikely."

"What makes you say that?" Elsa . She had already finished her first glass of brandy and was helping herself to another.

"I should also note that oract is rarely used as armor."

"Why's that?" Elsa said.

"Kozodimon is strong and effective at preventing damage," Desmond said. "More than any other metal. But its abilities as a weapon are several fold more valuable. Not only does it hold an edge better than any other steel, but it can also cut through magic. Not every spell I grant you, but given a sufficiently skilled swordsman, no common mage stands a chance against one equipped with a Kozodimon blade. To use it on armor is simply a waste."

"Unless you already had the sword made," I said.

Desmond shrugged and nodded at that. "True enough. I do know of a few pieces of armor made in Kozodimon. But my understanding is that it is rare and expensive."

"How many blacksmiths in the world are capable of such a thing?" Elsa said.

"Hmm... now that is an interesting question," Desmond said. "I only know of two. There is the master blacksmith Urdlop in Yestereaster. He made both the Duke of Meritas' and the Duke of Yestereaster's armor sets. The only other one I know, only by reputation, is the Master Armor Smith of Belliganna. However, none know his true name."

Elsa frowned at that. She seemed to have heard of this latter smith. Belliganna was a nation far south, across the Primordial Sea. I was quite certain that's where Elsa was from.

"Those are two leads that will be difficult to follow up on," Elsa said.

Desmond shrugged. "I am sorry, but that is all I know."

For some ungodly reason, we finished the beer and brandy before we wobbled our way back to the Tipsy Pelican Tavern.

"He's alright," I said. "Probably would have done fine as the superintendent."

"I don't know...," Elsa said with a frown. "He's hiding something."

"Like what?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it," Elsa said after a long pause. "But it's surprising he's heard of the Nameless Blacksmith. Even that knowledge is rare unless he makes something for you, and he only works in Kozodimon."

I looked at her. "What did you get made?"

"Not me... my brother has a Kozodimon sword from Helki."

I raised an eyebrow at that. It was the first time she had ever said anything personal about herself, and she'd just given me the armor smith's true name.

"He boasted about who made it once," Elsa continued. "But that was all. He never mentioned it again. There are many rumors about the Nameless Blacksmith, but few know his name..."

"Uh... you just revealed his true name to me, didn't you?"

Elsa shrugged. "If you break the Nameless Blacksmith's rules, he takes back what he made for you. I think the secret is safe with you."

"Sounds like a terrible business model."

"The Nameless Blacksmith doesn't charge money for his creations. They are gifts given freely to those he chooses. Or at least that was the case for my brother."

"Why did he choose your brother?" I said.

Elsa smiled at me. "Is that another personal question I hear?"

"Ugh, never mind."

We walked for a dozen steps in silence. Then without looking at me, she said, "Helki chose him because he is a swordsman without equal."

* * *

The tavern was in full swing when we got back. It was the weekend and the whole place erupted into applause as I walked in. The same thing had happened the previous night, but each night was a slightly different crowd, and so it would likely continue for the rest of the week. I spotted the three builders in the midst of the crowd.

I still had no idea what to say. The previous night I just smiled and nodded and awkwardly escaped to the back of the house until things died down. But the place was packed tonight and there was no easy escape from all the heads turned to me.

"Thank them and then offer a round on the house," Elsa whispered behind my back.

"I want to thank you all for voting for me!" I said. "I'm sure Valentall will be back soon enough. But I'll keep things running until then. Tonight, a free round on the Tipsy Pelican Tavern for everyone!"

There was an even greater eruption of cheers to this.

"Thanks," I said to Elsa. Then I quickly headed upstairs, accepting several pats on the back as I waded my way through the crowd. Elsa went straight to the storage room to grab the kegs for the free ales.

I came back down in my usual dress code. A simple vest and trousers. I hoped no one would mind. For some reason, it felt strange, as if I expected my patrons to treat me differently.

Amberly wrapped a big paw around me. "Superintendent, eh?"

"Yeah," I said solemnly.

"Don't worry," Amberly said. "As you say, I'm sure Valentall will be back to take over."

"I heard Desmond stopped you from giving a speech!" Dalian guffawed to that. "What an idiot!"

I had to crack a smile at that. It was a pretty funny situation.

"Sometimes the wrong man for the job is the right man for the job," Bran said with a mustache of ale foam.

"That's right!" Dalian said. "We know you're the last one to sign up for extra work, Master Arch. But we also know you'll do a fine job!"

"Thanks, Dalian... I think."

"It was a compliment, boyo, now tell us how things are going as the Supe of Southbank!"

So I told them. I told them everything. All the headaches, the investigation, and even about Edwond too. And by the end of it, I felt myself lighter for it. I didn't quite know why that was. These men couldn't help me with any of the issues I was facing, though they offered their assistance. It was something about their presence that made me feel alright with my new position… at least until what happened the next day.

Chapter 22

Way Worse

The news came while Leise was giving me a rundown of her latest progress in the investigation.

"No noble in Meritas is known to have a full armor set made of Kozodimon Steel, except for the Duke. However, the Duke's armor set has not left his castle, in addition, that one is heavily gold-embroidered, and does not match the armor set worn by the…"

Leise trailed off and let out a breath as if she'd inadvertently walked into a trap she'd meant to avoid all along.

"It does not match the armor set worn by…?" I gave her an expectant look.

"Themanwhomustsmellhisownfarts," she said hastily.

"I will also accept 'fart-smeller' for expedience."

Leise's eye twitched, but she continued with her report. "My source in the City Watch who is involved with the Inquisitors' investigation has told me they too have considered the possibility that the armor is not true Kozodimon Steel. If so, we only have the sword to go on. However, if it is only a culprit with a rare sword we are looking for then the number of possible suspects greatly broadens. Sixteen noble families in Meritas are known to own a Kozodimon sword. Four of those families have unusual swords—uniquely ornamented or swords too long or too short to be the same used to strike Lord Valentall. That leaves twelve remaining families that own swords which could possibly be the one used by the… f-art-smeller. I've done my best to come up with a better description of the sword he used, but my memory-"

The door swung open, and Cornelly marched in, a stern expression on her face. "Pardon me for intruding, Superintendent. We have a situation on our hands."

"The Man Who Must Smell His Own Farts has struck again?"

"No, not as bad as that," Cornelly said. "The stoneworkers we contracted from the Stone Mason's Guild didn't show up this morning and work on the Southbank Bridge has stopped."

"What!?" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet. "That's way worse!"

"It is?" Leise said.

"Of course it is! We're doomed without that bridge. What happened!?"

"I just received word from a runner," Cornelly said. "Our local ward contractors are still there, but they seem unable to continue the work without the guild stoneworkers."

"Why!?"

"I'm waiting on a runner to find out."

"Forget the runner," I said, throwing on my coat. "Let's go speak to them directly!"

* * *

"What in Celeru's almighty ass is going on here!?"

We were standing on the partially constructed bridge. Leise had joined Cornelly and me. Below us were several workers sitting around the bank of the canal, doing nothing. More than half of them were regulars at my tavern.

"Sorry, Supe!" Matinue called back. "The guild contracted fellas didn't show up this morning, and all the mortar's missing! We're waiting on word from our supe… er… our supervisor I mean!"

"I swear to Celeru!" I pointed at the lot of them. "You lads get back to building that bridge or next time you stop by the tavern, I'll serve you cat urine and rain water!"

"Aww, but Master Arch," Ledd called up. "How are we supposed to build a stone bridge without mortar? Those boys took everything."

"Who's in charge of your crew?"

"Old Korvin," Matinue said.

"Then that's who I'm seeing next!"

* * *

Cornelly and I stood in Old Korvin's office. Leise had left us to do her routine patrols. She left with a wish of luck and a pat on my shoulder that did not make me feel any better.

Old Korvin didn't have any good news for us.

"I'm real sorry, Supe. I've got some spare mortar, but it won't be nearly enough. I've already been to the Stone Mason's Guild twice this morning. They say they've run out of mortar and had to take some back for some kind of emergency work on the city walls."

"That's a load of horse crap! How does a trade guild suddenly run out of mortar!?"

"It doesn't sound right to me neither, but what am I supposed to do?"

Old Korvin wasn't all that old. Maybe in his fifties. He was short and stocky, a real sturdy look to him. But his eyebrows were thin and pointed toward the top of his head, especially as I spoke my next words.

"Buy more," I said. "Forget the guild if they aren't cooperating."

"But Supe," Old Korvin said, worriedly. "The guild controls all the mortar. They buy directly from the suppliers at a set price. Although the ward contracted our crew directly this time, my crew and I are all still members of the Stone Mason's Guild. We're required to buy all our mortar and stone from them. If we break that rule, we'll get kicked out and be paying market prices, not to mention the loss of access to guild contracts."

I rubbed my head. "Okay Korvin, but surely you have other sources you can buy or borrow from? You know, friends that you can count on to keep their mouths shut."

"Well, sure… I could try to scrounge up some mortar from other crews to last us a few days in a pinch. But this is a big job. I couldn't get enough to last us the whole project. And without the workers contracted through the guild, there's no telling how long before we finish."

"Do you have a latrine?" I said.

"Err... yes sir, it's just through that door there."

"Thank you."

I went into Old Korvin's latrine, closed the door, put my fist to my mouth, and wailed.

* * *

By the time we got back to my office, Elsa had come by with lunch. Cornelly filled her in on what'd happened while I sat at my desk and brooded.

"You're looking a little tense, Heru," Elsa said after Cornelly had gone back downstairs. "You didn't even stare at my dress like you usually do."

"Elsa, if this bridge deal falls apart, not only will I lose the superintendency and my tavern along with it, I'll likely also be stoned to death, perhaps from pieces from the unbuilt bridge."

"No, you won't, Heru," Elsa said as she set out wood containers of food on the desk. "People'll know Edwond was behind it if it comes to that. But it won't. If Edwond really wants this ward, he won't kill the main thing that's going to grow it over the next decade."

"Yeah... you're probably right. But who knows what lengths that psycho is willing to go."

I thought about my choices. I was half determined to use runes to build the bridge myself. That was impossible of course. I couldn't reveal my magic, and hiring mages to do it would cost a fortune. It also didn't bode well for the stability of the bridge long term. Unless it was soul magic, the power of the runes would run out over time as their embedded halos eroded.

Asking for help was the last thing I wanted to do. But it was my only option.

I stood and went to the door, calling downstairs, "Cornelly!… I need a message sent…"

Cornelly arrived momentarily with a quill and parchment. "To whom should I address this to?"

I tried to say the name, but all that came out was a rasp.

* * *

An hour later, far earlier than I expected, just as we were finishing lunch, the door banged open, and in walked Lady Kherliss.

"Master Arch! I got your message. Give me your best offer!"

"That's not what I called you about!"

"Oh..." Kherliss said, her face dropping. "That's disappointing. I canceled a meeting with the city treasurer to come here."

"Y-you did?"

"Oh well, I'm sure Uncle Belrose will understand. What do you want?"

"I need a favor."

Her eyes lit up at this. Shining bright like two gold brilliances. I felt a wretchedness in my heart immediately.

"Never mind, I've changed my mind."

"Why!? Tell me, I'm sure I could help you. Then you'd owe me your tavern, of course."

"That's exactly why I've changed my mind! I'm not giving you my tavern!"

"Oh, come on, what do you need? Tell me. Tell me." Her eyes were radiating energy.

"He needs help dealing with Edwond," Elsa said.

The coins in Kherliss's eyes immediately dropped. "Ah... I see. Well... perhaps Uncle Belrose is still available..." She headed for the door.

"Wait!"

Kherliss turned back.

"I don't need help dealing with him directly... I need a meeting with the head of the Stone Mason's Guild."

"The guildmaster?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because they've pulled the rug out from under me. Cut my supply of mortar for the Southbank Bridge."

"You'll want to see Cloquil then."

"Is that the guildmaster?"

"No, Lord Cloquil is the one who controls the guild behind the scenes. You know how these guilds are. Supposedly the members pick their leaders but it's actually all hidden strings and shadow masters. Maybe not the adventurer's guild and a few others, but definitely the big industry guilds. Anyway, I can set you up with, Lord Cloquil. But he always picks the winning horse."

"Can't I be the winning horse?"

"Mmm..." Kherliss intoned, eyeing me. "Nope! Don't think so! He's already picked Edwond judging by what you've said. But I'll help you out this one time for free! I wouldn't mind one-upping Edwond! It'll be a brilliant coup!"

"I feel like this act of charity will have many strings attached at a later date..."

"Of course! Don't state the obvious! Now back to the topic at hand–I've decided!" Kherliss slapped her hands on her waist. "I'll come with you to meet Cloquil! I'm a businessperson, after all. Perhaps the two of us could convince Lord Cloquil together!"

"Make it a party of three," Elsa said. "I'm coming too."

"You got it, pretty girl. See you all very soon!"

And with that and a wave, she was out the door.

"That woman tires me," I said. "It's like she casts a spirit draining spell."

Elsa didn't say anything right away. She was still staring out the door as if lost in thought.

"What is it?" I said.

Only then did she turn to me. She gave me a grin, and I could tell there was something she wanted from me. For some reason, this changed the rhythm of my pulse.

"I have a favor to ask, Heru."

"Ask away."

"Lend me ten gold brilliances."

"Ten gold brilliances!?"

Elsa nodded. "You can afford it now. Put it on the budget. Call it a superintendent's expense."

"What do you need ten gold brilliances for? "

Elsa grinned. "It's a surprise."

"You're not going to tell me!?"

"I have a second favor to ask."

"I don't know if my wallet can handle it."

"Don't worry, this one isn't a monetary cost."

"What then?"

"Trust me."

Chapter 23

Petal and Spice

For the second time that week, I wore the clothes Charm had bought for me, though it was the first time I put them on with my own hands. I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror, and the word "dandy" sprang up in my mind. But the outfit was the best I had, and I had a noble to meet for lunch.

With my hair combed and the lint plucked from my shirt, I headed downstairs. Charm was drinking tea at the dining table as I came down.

"Seen Elsa?" I said. "We'd best arrive early to this thing."

"She went out while Master was getting ready."

"Did she say where she was going?"

Charm shook her head and took another sip of tea.

"Ugh..." I said. "She'd better not make me late."

"Would Master like Charm's help? Charm can attend the meeting with Master."

"I doubt there's much you could do unless you know something about this Lord Cloquil."

"Charm does not. If Master had informed Charm earlier, she may have been able to prepare."

"I found out this morning when you did," I said.

Kherliss had sent word with a runner that she'd secured a noon meeting with Cloquil at a fancy restaurant in Angelmore.

"How does Master plan to convince Lord Cloquil to give him the mortar?"

"Kherliss's letter said she'd manage the negotiations. Something about it being the 'great skill of a businessperson', which is to say she'll probably annoy Cloquil into submission."

Charm sipped her tea and said nothing. I took that to mean that she didn't think it would work.

"Better than nothing," I said. "At least we'll learn more about the guy and his relationship with Edwond. And who knows, maybe Kherliss will pull through after all."

Charm nodded.

"By the way..." I said, feeling a little awkward. "Thanks for taking care of the tavern while I've been dealing with this stuff..."

I looked over at her, wondering if she was upset with me. I knew she hated working in the front and preferred to stay behind the scenes, which was impossible while I was away.

"It is no problem," Charm said without looking at me. "Master has an important duty to perform and everyone is counting on him. In addition, Charm is making new friends with the patrons."

I blinked at that. Charm's face was as impassive as ever. Then she said, "Perhaps being at the front of the house is not so bad after all."

She finished the last of her tea and stood, giving me a short bow. "Good luck today, Master." With that, she stepped into the hallway.

I stared after her for a long moment. Then I smiled a smile that lasted even as I threw on my coat and boots. I waited until the last possible moment for Elsa to return since the girl had been so intent on joining. But she didn't show, and so I left the tavern and headed toward Angelmore.

* * *

The restaurant we were to meet at was called Petal and Spice. It was six stories tall with light pink walls and a white stone foundation. I could hear the busy bustle and chattering of customers coming from inside before I stepped through the doors.

Kherliss was waiting for me in the first-floor lobby.

"Good grief, you clean up well, don't you?" she said when she saw me. "Same clothes you had as the day of your big win. But without the sadness and self-pity today. Don't worry, Lord Cloquil is meeting you for the first time, he'll assume you wear this sort of stuff every day. Hey! Where's your pretty friend? Didn't she say she wanted to partake? I had to book a four-seater on short notice! Practically impossible for the trendiest restaurant in the city! Not for a businessperson like me of course!"

"Just take me to our table," I said, giving up on even trying to respond to Kherliss's barrage of words.

"So the stunner isn't coming? Just us partners today then! Excellent! What a fine team we make, don't you think?"

"Tell me you've got a plan."

"Not just a plan, Superintendent. I have schemes and stratagems and tactics! Be prepared to feel amazed!"

"I feel my energy draining rapidly."

Kherliss gestured to a waiter at the lobby counter, who promptly came around and led us up the stairs to the top floor.

The stairway opened out onto a wide terrace with a spectacular view of the city. There was a table for four laid out for us. A man sat there. He looked regal, perhaps in his fifties or sixties, with short-cropped gray hair. His clothes were well-fitted and subdued but clearly made of fine fabrics. His eyes were dull blue eyes and his mouth was smiling at us the way a shark would at a meal.

"Lady Kherliss," he said, rising and taking her hand, readying to kiss it as was customary, but Kherliss flipped it into a strong handshake.

"Lord Cloquil!" Kherliss bellowed. "Give us the mortar!"

My mouth dropped. She just came out and said it!

I don't know why I was surprised as I knew Kherliss quite well now. Maybe it was that speech about tactics.

Cloquil looked at her for a moment. "No."

"Thought you might say that! Let's arm wrestle for it! All my holdings for the mortar!"

Cloquil smiled and let go of Kherliss's hand. "A generous bet, but I heard you opened the Gate of Breath not so long ago, Lady Kherliss. Thus I must decline."

Kherliss turned to me. "My plan has failed."

"That's all you had!? I thought you were a businessperson!"

"I didn't think he wouldn't take the bet. What kind of sniveling coward doesn't take a bet like that?"

Cloquil frowned. "One who knows when the game is rigged." He looked at me. "You must be Interim Superintendent Gustkin. A pleasure to meet you." There was a touch of extra emphasis on the word "interim."

I bowed. "The pleasure is mine, Lord Cloquil. I hope we can come to some mutually beneficial agreement today."

"No, I don't believe we can," he said, smiling again. "It's terribly unfortunate that I can't help you with your issue, but there's no reason we can't enjoy a fine meal together. Please take a seat."

I was pretty sure the bastard just wanted me to pay for his lunch, and I wanted to leave. But I couldn't offend any more nobles and I still needed to learn more about Edwond, so I took a seat across from him. Kherliss sat to our side, and a waiter came by and took our orders. I carefully selected a menu item that wasn't too cheap. Kherliss and Cloquil both got Maunduin fish which was the most expensive thing on the menu. Cloquil also ordered a bottle of Elven wine, which was more than all our dishes put together.

I was expecting to have to do a solid hour of pleasantries and small talk, but with Kherliss's outburst, the topic was already on the table. Even so, I wasn't sure how to proceed. I didn't think Kherliss's route was open to me. I looked over at her for some help and found her brooding, staring at Cloquil with incredible intensity. I wondered if this was next on her list of tactics.

Whatever it was, it wasn't working. Cloquil seemed not to notice her. He was focused on me.

"I must congratulate you on your win at the ward election. I was very interested to meet you."

"Uh... thank you, sir," I said.

"I find the whole thing a fascinating experiment. If one was to wonder what kind of person the commoners would choose as their ward leader... why, now we know, don't we? I hear you run a bar, is that correct?"

"Yes sir, a tavern," I said.

"And how old are you, might I ask?"

"I'm twenty years of age."

"Twenty?" He chuckled. "My, you look very young, I'd thought eighteen at most."

I was biting my tongue, holding back five different retorts, but none of them would have been the right thing to say. Cloquil was playing a subtle game of slights and if I replied to that with something flippant or crude, it would only make me seem weaker in his eyes. I then felt a deep pang of regret that I hadn't brought Charm with me.

It was also clear that he would not respond well to me directly asking about his relationship with Edwond. Unlike Kherliss, I was a commoner. Asking a direct question like that would also be a sign of my lack of abilities and understanding of the nobility.

But in fact, I understood the nobility just fine. I'd dealt with them on countless occasions in the past, only back then, I didn't have to do any tiptoeing. People tiptoed around me. But that was then, and this was now. I had to snake my way to what I wanted, just like everyone else.

"Lady Kherliss tells me you are well connected with the Stone Mason's Guild," I said. "My understanding is that there is a shortage of mortar in the city. If it is a matter of price to acquire more, I'd be happy to-"

"No need, no need. You've already paid for the mortar. Just a typical seasonal shortage. Priority must be given to the new wall defenses. Once the guild has their supply up to snuff, Southbank will receive its mortar, of course."

"I'm glad to hear that," I said, though I felt no relief because the man was full of crap. "When might that be?"

"Difficult to say. Perhaps days, perhaps weeks. I daresay, perhaps even months."

"Is there anything that might be done to speed things along?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Only Celeru has such powers. But once the guild receives another shipment of mortar, you'll be the first to know."

All this was as I had expected. What I really wanted to know was his relationship with Edwond and what sort of deal they had in place so that I could make a counteroffer.

Luckily, after Cloquil asked me a few more questions about the tavern, which were really digs at my cheap prices, he asked me about my new position.

"Are you enjoying your time as the interim superintendent?"

This was my opportunity. "Oh yes," I said. "It's been an honor and a joy to serve my ward. There has been some ah... unexpected interest in my position from certain nobility, but nothing I can't handle."

"Yes, I believe Kherliss mentioned something about that. Maficius Edwond. A sneaky one, isn't he?" Cloquil's eyes twinkled.

"I wouldn't know, sir. I found Lord Edwond to be quite straightforward. He came to my office shortly after I had won the superintendency. He asked me to resign."

"Oh, did he?" Cloquil said with no surprise.

"I refused, of course. The citizens of Meritas voted for me, and I couldn't just give up. I can't say he was too pleased."

"You aren't suggesting that a nobleman had threatened you, I hope," Cloquil said. He was still smiling, but there was the hint of his own threat in his voice.

"No, I wouldn't say such a thing. I only noted that he was upset. It can happen when one doesn't get what they want."

Cloquil now frowned as if wondering if I was threatening him. Before he could decide, our food and wine arrived.

Kherliss leaned in now, ignoring the waiters setting down our plates. Apparently, she was finally ready to speak. "Tell me Cloquil, what does Edwond have on you to make you side with him?"

"No, no, nothing like that."

"He does! He's found out about your mistress!" She said it so loudly that several other tables on the rooftop terrace turned and looked at us.

Cloquil, however, seemed unperturbed. "Don't be ridiculous, Lady Kherliss," he said, as he swished his wine and brought it to his nose. "Everyone knows about my mistress. That includes my wife and children. There is nothing for Edwond or anyone else to find, for I hide nothing."

"Then what are you doing playing his game!?" Kherliss demanded.

Cloquil smiled at us. "I am a man who is good at taking stock of people, and I like to bet on the winners. You seem like a fine young gentleman, Gustkin, but you aren't a winner. No, I can see it quite easily. Some people are born to win and some are born to lose. And Edwond wins, even if his methods sometimes run extreme."

"I won the election, didn't I?" I said.

"Yes, well it would seem that will not last long," Cloquil said, putting a well-cut slice of Manduin fish into his mouth. "Short-term victories don't amount to much, do they?"

"Pardon me," said a feminine voice in a light Bellish accent. "I hope I've not arrived too late."

We all looked up and found a goddess standing there. Her auburn hair fell in shining waves past her bare shoulders. She wore a white fur coat over a dress that seemed to wrap around her like a liquid silver ribbon, leaving cuts of bare waist and hip. Her lips were the color of ripe pomegranate, and her long-lashed eyes were like fresh lavender.

We all just gawked at her. Mostly Cloquil and I. Then I realized I knew this inhumanly perfect noblewoman. Her name was Elsa.

I leapt up. "I'm so sorry," I said, pulling the chair out for her. "I didn't think you were going to make it."

"That just figures," Elsa said in a tone of voice that I'd never heard before. She sounded foreign, but somehow she also sounded expensive. "Can't expect a commoner to treat a lady like she is meant to be treated. Well, aren't you going to introduce me at least? Oh, forget it."

She reached out a hand to accept a kiss from Cloquil.

"Call me Sienna," she said.

She gave no title and no formal name, but the way she held out her hand suggested she was of the highest Belliganian nobility.

Cloquil immediately rose and accepted the hand, bowing deeply. "My Lady Sienna, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Lord Pieter Cloquil, at your service."

"Likewise," Elsa said charmingly in that slightly foreign way.

Cloquil gently pressed his lips to her gloved silver hand, then gestured for her to sit. "I hadn't realized we had another guest, or I would have waited to order," he said with a voice that was suddenly honey-like.

"Oh, that's quite alright, Pieter," Elsa said, taking her seat and without any hesitation in using the lord's first name. "I have a terrible habit of being late, but what is one supposed to do when everyone is so willing to wait?"

I sat back down, trying to get a feel of how Elsa wanted to play this. Clearly, she was running a ruse on Cloquil. Sienna had Elsa's features, but she was also completely different in every way. She was more refined, more elegant, and perhaps more haughty.

I turned to check on Kherliss to make sure she was aware of what was happening.

She wasn't.

She pointed a finger at Elsa. "Who in the-"

I slammed my heel down onto her foot, moving with my Stormblood reflexes to cut off her sentence.

"Gyahh!" Cloquil yelped loudly as he jerked backward.

The good news was Kherliss's sentence was cut short.

The bad news was I hit the wrong foot.

I was sure a lord's wrath was about to descend upon me. Instead, Cloquil turned to Kherliss in a rage. "What in Celeru's name was that for?!"

Kherliss double-taked, pulling her eyes off Elsa to stare at him. "What?"

"Is everything okay, Lord Cloquil?" Elsa said, before Cloquil could reply. She ever so slightly shifted her seat away from him as if his yelp might have been the result of some deeper affliction.

Cloquil looked over, remembering himself and chuckled, stifling a grimace. "Yes… of course, Lady Sienna. Everything is wonderful, would you like to see the menu?"

A waiter appeared on cue and held open a menu before Elsa. She pointed at a couple of items and he left with the menu.

"Who-" Kherliss began again, but this time I slammed down my foot and hit the right target.

She jumped and looked at Cloquil. And he looked back at her. Both of them staring daggers at each other.

Then I realized it had not crossed the minds of either that a commoner like myself would jam their foot into a noble, and so they suspected each other. This wasn't what I'd been going for, but it had the right effect. Kherliss stopped trying to ask who Elsa was.

Elsa looked at Kherliss now as if just noticing her. "Oh, how are you Kherliss? Looking as handsome as ever, I see."

"I-I am well."

"Quiet one today aren't you? Usually, you're making proclamations of business. Don't you find her funny, Cloquil? I've always believed a noble should live elegantly off their assets, but Kherliss is so adamant on becoming a merchant."

Cloquil guffawed. "That she is."

"Did you have a hard time finding the spot?" I said to Elsa, hoping she'd give me some hint on the angle she was going for.

"Oh yes, you know me, my dear. I still have yet to orient myself in your city. And the manager took forever to bring me up."

"He did?" I said with indignation.

"Yes, I said I was meeting Superintendent Gustkin of Southbank, Lady Kherliss, and Lord Cloquil. He seemed to have forgotten that you all were here. I nearly thought I went to the wrong place."

"Shocking," Cloquil said. "I hope they didn't keep you for too long."

"Only a few minutes. He had to double-check his reservations, but I'd have thought he'd know who's visiting his restaurant."

"That's unacceptable," I said. "I plan to complain."

"Don't you dare," Elsa said. "The last thing I need is people finding out that I'm in Meritas. I'll be getting visits from all the gentry and it'll be terribly annoying. But I must say, I thought this restaurant was reputable. But I guess commoners never can do anything quite right, can they?"

"That's right," Cloquil nodded. "Dress them up however you like, they'll never be one of us."

"I'm a commoner, you know," I said to Elsa.

Elsa looked at me as if taken aback. She put a hand on my arm. "Oh, but my dear, you aren't. Not in your heart and soul. You're not like the rest of them. Don't take offense. I haven't given you any offense, have I?"

"No, it's alright," I said.

"And Lord Cloquil meant nothing by it, did he?"

"No, of course not," Cloquil said. "I beg your forgiveness, Superintendent Gustkin, if I have given any offense."

"None at all," I said, noting that he'd dropped the "interim" from my title this time. I wondered how Elsa had gotten this Lord to apologize to me, and what our supposed relationship was.

Cloquil seemed to be wondering the same thing. "So... how did the three of you meet?"

"Well, Kherliss and I have known each other for ages," Elsa said. "I sneak off from home whenever I can. I'd yet to visit the Angelmore Trades Fair. And I thought what a wonderful opportunity to see my dear Kherliss. She took me around the city with all her business interests when I arrived, including a visit to Arch's tavern, which she was trying to buy. And what can I say? It was love at first sight, wasn't it, my dear?"

"Y-es... yes it was..." Why was I blushing? Why was she blushing!? Is she acting? Is that what it is? Then I'm acting too. It's all an act!

"I guess... I'm like Kherliss in that regard," Elsa continued with reddened cheeks, stealing a loving glance at me. "When I want something, my mind doesn't change, and I do all I can to succeed in having it. Pa-pa and Ma-ma have already given me permission to marry anyone I want. Though I must say, I'd never thought I'd be engaged to a tavern keeper."

"That's just my first business venture, Sienna. I'm just getting started."

"Of course, my dear. The election was my little present to speed things along."

"Sienna!" I exclaimed, seeing her strategy now.

"Oh, what does it matter?" Elsa said. "We're all friends here, aren't we?"

Cloquil leaned in, taken off guard. "Are you saying... you fixed the vote?"

"Why, of course. You didn't think we'd let Edwond outbid us for the election, did you? Oh my, it's worse isn't it? You thought it was a fair election?" Elsa laughed now. "My dear Lord Cloquil, elections are never fair."

"No... no, of course."

Elsa sighed, as if reflecting on the event. "I found it rather sad for Edwond to be so desperate as to desire to become a ward superintendent just to make a bit of coin. But I suppose he has no choice with his paltry lands. In any case, it's nothing we couldn't handle."

Cloquil looked almost as shocked as Kherliss at this turn in events. He looked between us, then back at Elsa. "Lady Sienna, am I right in guessing that you are from Belliganna?"

"Oh dear, has my accent given it away? My tutors tried beating it out of me, but I admit that I never got the full command of Vellish. It's a matter of pride among the houses to speak without an accent in Vellish and the Elven tongue, but I guess language just isn't a strength of mine." Elsa said these words as if she couldn't care less.

"Not at all, your accent is very mild, Lady Sienna. But my ear is rather sharp, and I've had the pleasure of visiting Belliganna before."

"Did you?" Elsa said, lighting up.

"Oh yes, I loved it. A very fascinating culture and history. The curses, evil spirits, and demi-gods—I love a good mythos. And the food, why that might be the best part. In fact, it's the reason I was there. I went to trade spices with House Demna, and pomegranates with House Gerinas."

Elsa chuckled. "It must have been a very long time ago as you are misremembering. House Denma is known for their fruits, and Gerinas for spices."

Cloquil smiled. "Yes, of course, that's what it was. It's been only five years, but my memory isn't what it once was. I remember meeting the second daughter of Lord Gerinas. A beautiful, tall young lady, she made a very strong impact, but I don't remember her name..."

This was all a test! This bastard was testing us! Or at the very least, he was trying to get a handle on who Elsa was. Even commoners would know the top noble houses, but it was unlikely they would know all the names of the second and third-borns. But among the nobility, everyone knew each other. Especially the upper echelons, which I guessed both House Gerinas and House Denma belonged to.

Elsa shook her head at Cloquil. "You must be thinking of Lady Kelhan. She is Lord Gerinas's third daughter. His second daughter, Lady Kallis, is chair-bound and most men would not describe her as beautiful, but Kallis is the one you want to meet. She is a master of the arts, whereas Lady Kelhan, bless her soul, is what we in Belliganna call a 'Visserian Vase.'"

"A Visserian Vase?"

"Pretty on the outside, empty on the inside."

Cloquil snorted. "Ha! I like that! A Visserian Vase! I shall have to steal that term."

"Then you'll also like what we call Lord Gerinas... but you must promise me you'll keep it a secret."

Cloquil looked at her, intrigued. "Yes, of course."

Elsa grinned and leaned in, whispering something in Cloquil's ear. He erupted in laughter, slapping the table.

"You know... because his nose is..." Elsa made a gesture that suggested a long nose.

"Yes! Yes, of course!" Cloquil exclaimed. "Oh, that is too good. But yes, your secret is safe with me."

For the rest of lunch, Elsa regaled us with tales of Belliganna, each tale left a few breadcrumbs that suggested Elsa belonged to one of the highest noble houses, perhaps equivalent to a duke's family in Meritas. While Cloquil bellowed with laughter at Elsa's stories, Kherliss and I stared with stunned silence. By the end, Cloquil was demanding promises we would all meet for dinner before Elsa returned to Belliganna.

"Oh, I'd love to, but I have much to do before my trip is over. But I am certain we'll all meet again. Oh honey, did you figure out your issue before I came? Again, I do apologize for being late."

Cloquil blinked, looking as if he'd entirely forgotten why we had all met.

I looked down sadly at that. "No, I'm afraid Lord Clo-"

"Of course I shall help you with the mortar," Cloquil said quickly, patting me on the back. "Don't mind what I said before. I was just testing your mettle, young man. You passed with flying colors. Anything you need, you just ask Uncle Cloquil."

And after that pronouncement, good old Uncle Cloquil picked up the bill.

Chapter 24

Confessions Said and Unsaid

"Do you know the worst part?" Kherliss said after we had returned to the tavern and had a mug of ale each in our hands. "I only figured who you were right before the end. I actually thought you were a Belligannian noble engaged to Gustkin!"

Elsa laughed at that. She was already on her third mug. She'd not changed out of the silver dress, and her makeup and hair were still pristine. Yet somehow, she was different again. Back to her usual self. Relaxed. A playful humor dancing in her eyes once more.

"Tell me how you did it!" Kherliss demanded. "Are you a famous stage actress? Your accent was impeccable! I can't believe Lord Cloquil believed those wild stories about the Belligannian nobility!"

Elsa only grinned.

"Spill it! How did you do it!?"

"I am a woman with many talents," she said. "If you want to know more, you will have to defeat me in a drinking contest."

Kherliss flinched at that. "Best not. In fact, I should be on my way to my next business venture! But I had fun! See you soon!"

Kherliss left us, promising to return soon, and then it was just Elsa and me drinking. We didn't speak for some time, sipping on our drinks.

Finally, she said, "Aren't you going to ask?"

I shrugged. "We had a deal. We don't ask about each other's pasts."

She looked at me for a moment. "We could make a new deal."

"Why do that?" I said. "I like our deal."

She looked away then. I guess she didn't like the answer.

It wasn't that I didn't want to know about her past. If anything, I was extremely curious. But I didn't want to talk about myself.

"You know you can trust me, don't you, Heru?"

"I trusted you with ten gold brilliances, didn't I?"

"That's just money," Elsa said.

"Yeah, I trust you," I said.

I didn't plan on it being the truth when I said it, but once I did, I found that it was true. I did trust her, and somehow I knew that she would work for me, for the Tipsy Pelican Tavern for as long as our doors were open. That she was part of this tavern as much as I was, and she would do anything for it. And maybe that's what made me feel I could trust her. Trust is a hard thing for me as it is for anyone else. It is a thing that is waiting to be broken. A disappointment waiting to happen. But for some reason, it was different with Elsa. I think it's because she wasn't loyal to me. She was loyal to the tavern. And that was a loyalty that I could understand because I held the same loyalty myself.

"Then why not tell each other about ourselves?" Elsa said.

Why not? It was a fair question.

"Because..." I said. "It might change things."

That was a true statement, I figured, albeit in a general sort of way.

Elsa looked away at that and sipped on her mug.

"So what happens when Lord Cloquil can't find a Lady Sienna in the upper nobility?" I said, changing the subject.

Elsa shrugged. "It's an alias. He'll have to go back to Belliganna and meet every noblewoman in the country to break the lie."

"And a year from now, when I'm still not married?"

"The engagement was called off. Though I'd say keep it going as long as you can if he asks you directly."

I rubbed my head. "Gods, this whole superintendency is a nightmare that just doesn't end."

"It's not that bad, is it?"

"Not that bad!? First the investigation, then dealing with the bridge issue, and who knows what's next! Not to mention the endless problems that come with managing a ward."

"Heru, even if it's beyond your ability, you have plenty of people you can count on. But I don't think it is. I think this stuff comes easily to you."

"That's not the point!" I snapped. "I just want to brew my ales and be left alone! Is that such a tall order?"

Elsa sighed. "Want to hear a personal story for free? No trade required?"

"Of course," I said.

"When I was a kid, I wanted to chase frogs and catch bugs. But I wasn't allowed to do that sort of thing. Sometimes I'd find opportunities to sneak off and play in the mud, but most of the time, when I did have time off from my tutors and lessons, I was only permitted to attend tea parties or walks in the gardens or some other boring affair."

"How terrible that must have been for you."

Elsa grinned. "Exactly. I hated it with a passion. I told my friends as much on each outing. But you know, now that I'm older, those tea parties and walks in the garden are some of the happiest memories of my life. You know why? It's because my friends were with me. I had people who cared about me, who I enjoyed spending time with. We laughed, we joked, we drank tea and ate sweets and looked at pretty flowers. Looking back, I don't even know what I was complaining about, and I wish I cherished those moments before they were gone. Because I'll never get to be young and like that with my friends again. But it did teach me something important."

"What's that?"

"To never make the same mistake again."

"You know I'm not exactly attending tea parties here."

"You attended a fancy luncheon today."

"That's not the same!"

"Heru, I've watched you handle the ward disputes, balance budgets, parlay with merchants and nobles. I don't know how, but it all comes naturally to you as if you've been doing it for decades under far worse conditions. I know running the ward isn't what you want right now, but it won't last forever. And who knows, maybe you'll look back one day and wish you enjoyed it more while you had the chance."

"Good Celeru," I said. "You sound older than me."

"I am older than you."

"And are you enjoying yourself?"

She smiled at me now. A bright, pretty smile. "Heru, I'm having the time of my life."

* * *

After we finished our drinks, Elsa went upstairs to change as she was pulling a shift. I went back to the superintendent's office to make sure that the mortar had been delivered and to finish other work.

The night was winding down by the time I returned to the tavern. My regulars were still there, so I grabbed a few drinks with them. Then an hour later, Ress joined me at the bar after my regulars had left and most of the tavern had emptied.

"Master Arch, I was hoping I could have a moment of your time."

"What's up?" I was pretty tipsy.

"It's about Elsa."

"What about her?"

"This is quite embarrassing to admit, but I've fallen for her."

"Come again?" he said it so simply the words didn't even register. Also the room was rocking a bit.

"I'm in love with Elsa."

"Oh. Congratulations."

He laughed at that. "I'm telling you because I was hoping you could give me a few pointers."

"Do I look like someone that's smooth with the ladies?"

"Well... not at first glance, no. I'd say you're quite awkward and thick-skulled-"

"No one asked for an expanded opinion!"

"But," Ress said, smiling. "In actuality, there are many beautiful young women around you. Though it appears they see you purely as a friend."

"Someone pass me a brandy bottle so I can chug it and smash it over a handsome musician's head!"

"But you know Elsa well, I figured you could tell me what she likes or just any general tips. I'm sure she's had many suitors, and I wouldn't want to make the same mistake."

"Here's my advice," I said. "Pick someone you aren't working with. Staff romances aren't allowed."

"What about you and Lady Charm?"

"Don't listen to rumors, and in any case, I'm not staff. I'm the owner, not only that, I'm now the superintendent. Power comes with a lot of unfair privileges, which you don't have."

"But Arch, a man must follow his heart."

"Ress, you've got all the female customers in the tavern desperate to catch your attention. Single and not single female customers."

"But Elsa is the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on," Ress said. "None of the others compare."

"You sure it isn't because she's not interested?"

"Ah, wanting what I can't have, you mean?" Ress said, pausing to think on it. "Hmm... perhaps there's something to that. But it is more than that too. I think I would be quite happy if she reciprocated my feelings. She's not like the other women. She's strong in spirit, and not overbearing. She has a beauty that cannot be matched, and I think she is a good person. In other words, she's like me."

"Where's that bottle I ordered?" I called out to no one in particular.

"That last part was just a joke, Master Arch," Ress said. "But what I can't figure out is why she's turned me down each time I've asked her to dinner. On three separate occasions, no less."

"She turns everyone down."

"Everyone?" Ress said. In his tone, there was an I bet she wouldn't turn you down.

"I didn't ask her out, you brainless pretty face! The girl's not interested in romance. Leave it be."

"But I heard she had a boyfriend for a time."

"She went on a few dates with a guy, but it didn't work out."

"It's quite a conundrum. She enjoys my music, laughs at my jokes. I doubt it is something lacking in my appearance."

I was ready to use my mug instead of the bottle, but I couldn't help but think he was right. Why wouldn't Elsa be interested in him? The man was perfect. Good looking, confident as hell without being arrogant, which I'd always assumed was against the laws of physics until I met Ress. He was also skilled at what he did, and he had a pretty good sense of humor, which I would never admit out loud even on pain of death. He was even better suited for Elsa than Valentall.

"What'd she say when you asked her out?" I said.

Ress grinned. "Interested now, are you?"

"Don't be insolent."

"She said that she was flattered, but she wasn't looking for anything at the moment. Then she suggested I go on a date with Camila."

"Who's Camila?"

"She's one of the customers that have been coming around lately. She was here earlier tonight."

It was a beautiful blond woman, who happened to be the latest girl Herwin had a crush on. I bet Herwin would have been good to provide me a brandy bottle if he were here.

"What's wrong with Camila?"

"She isn't Elsa."

I eyed him. "You really are smitten, huh?"

"I am," he said.

"You don't look like it."

"What makes you say that?" he said, genuinely curious.

"You look... happy," I said. And he did. As if all his life he wanted nothing more than to be in love. Or perhaps it was the look of a man who felt that fate had lined things up for him perfectly.

"Shouldn't I be?"

"Not if she doesn't like you back."

"That's true, isn't it?" he said, slightly deflated at the thought.

"You've never been turned down before Elsa did it, have you?"

He smiled. "Of course not."

"Well, welcome to the party, you bastard. Hope you bawl your perfect green eyes out."

"You've been in love before, Master Arch?"

"I have nothing to say on that subject."

"Come now, I've bared my heart to you, haven't I?"

"Theoretically," I said.

"Don't say that. I'll tell you anything you want to know. You only have to ask."

I looked at him, and I had to give it to him. He wasn't shy about what he felt. Strange for a man. Maybe it was where he got his confidence. He was open to anything, and none of it bothered him. It didn't bother him one bit that I didn't like him. Or that Elsa didn't like him back. It was as if he was immune, as if he was perfectly comfortable with it all.

"I don't have any questions for you," I said.

"You did earlier."

"Changed my mind."

"When you were in love, were you turned down?"

I drank my drink and didn't answer the question. But it did make me think back on memories that I had not thought of in some time.

When I looked up again, Ress was gone.

"Damn bards."

* * *

As I lay in bed, unable to sleep, there was a knock at my door. It was Charm. She entered wearing her nightgown and carrying a lamp, the glow of the flame casting a soft light.

I looked over at her, bleary-eyed, still feeling like the room was rocking slightly.

"Is Master asleep?"

"Was about to be. What's up?"

"Charm was wondering how things went."

"Oh right, sorry, I forgot to fill you in."

And so I did. I told her about the meeting with Cloquil, how Elsa had swooped in and saved my hide, and that I was fairly certain that she was a Belligannian noble who had run away.

"Did Miss Elsa tell you about her past?" Charm said.

"Huh? Well.. she offered, but you know. I don't exactly have a past that I trade stories about."

Charm nodded, but the small frown on her lips suggested that I had missed something.

"You know something about Elsa?"

Charm said nothing.

"Tell me."

"Her secrets are not for Charm to share," Charm said simply.

"But but-"

"If Master wishes to know, he should ask her himself."

"How do you know?"

"Charm is Charm."

"Is that sentence supposed to hold meaning? Because it didn't! Here's a quiz. Did you know that Ress is in love with Elsa?"

Charm arched an eyebrow at that. It was an expectant eyebrow.

"What?" I said.

Charm just stared at me. Her gaze grew flatter by the second.

"What?" I repeated.

"Surely Master sees it."

"Sees what?"

"Ress claims to be in love with Elsa."

"Which young man in the tavern hasn't?"

"Who was Elsa dating previously?"

"Uh... well, she told me she went on a few dates with Valentall," I said, feeling a little abashed for some reason.

"So a man appears, who claims to be in love with a woman, who was formerly involved with Valentall, who was attacked."

"We've already been over this. The guy has no halos let alone opened gates. I've checked and triple-checked. Also, he met Elsa after Valentall was attacked. When would he have gotten a chance to fall in love before then?"

"Charm wonders about Ress's identity. Why has he chosen to hang around at a cheap tavern? He is quite the entertainer."

"You take that back!"

"Master charges too little for his ales. He would normally never be able to hire a bard at Ress's level."

"You really think Ress attacked Valentall over Elsa? They weren't even dating anymore. Doesn't make sense."

Charm shrugged. "Too many coincidences are occurring. Master should be prepared for any outcome, and Ress is at least one of the prime suspects."

"Fine, I'll tell Leise about him. But I think the chances are pretty low."

"Then who does Master think the White Swordsman is?"

"Hey, I changed that name."

"Charm is not ward staff."

"You're still my staff."

Charm eyed me and waited.

"I don't know who did it. Edwond maybe?"

"It is known he has been sickly since birth. Does Master think that feeble boy could defeat Lieutenant Leise?"

"Maybe someone he hired then?"

"How many swordsmen, not assassins, Master, swordsmen are willing to kill an Adentrian noble in broad daylight in the center of a major city?"

"Gah, I don't know then."

Charm brushed back a pigtail. "Have there been any new developments in the investigation?"

"None. I was hoping my decree would make him show up again, but he hasn't. How do you catch a guy who disappears without a trace?"

Charm looked out the window, a slight frown still on her features. "Charm believes the fart-smeller will appear again."

"Yeah.. me t–hey you used it! Only the shortened version. But still!"

"Charm will let Master rest," Charm said, turning to leave. "He has much work ahead of him."

She headed for the door. Then she paused and turned back.

"That girl... treat her well, Master."

I stared at her. She meant Elsa of course, but I was surprised to hear her say it.

"I do."

She nodded again and closed the door behind herself.

Chapter 25

Night Window

I still couldn't sleep after Charm left my room. I tried to think about other things—who had attacked Valentall, the fact Charm had used my term, and that Kherliss wasn't so bad after all. But my thoughts kept returning to my conversation with Elsa.

She was right. I don't know why I was getting worked up about the superintendent's duties. They were trivial compared to what I had dealt with in my past, and wasn't that what my vacation was about? I wanted to experience the trivial things. The headaches I faced were exactly that. Headaches. They weren't soul-crushing scenarios where the lives of millions hung in the balance. If anything, it was kind of fun, running around with Elsa and Leise. Even Kherliss.

I wondered what had changed about me. I wouldn't have felt the stresses of the past week if it happened over a year ago when I had just arrived in Meritas.

I think it was because I wasn't the Stormblood anymore. Not fully. I was Arch Gustkin now. Partially. And Arch Gustkin had a tavern to run, bills to pay, and relationships to grow and maintain. These worries and considerations weren't insignificant. They belonged to the common man, and this life was difficult in its own way. But it was also easier in its own way. Elsa had been right about that too. I had people I could count on. More people than I ever thought possible. Not in the way a general counts on a captain, but maybe in the way a corporal counts on his fellow corporal to watch his back. And to this, I found myself smiling.

But still, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned in my bed, and once again my thoughts returned to my conversation with Elsa.

It is a troublesome thing when your mind has a mind of its own and circles around and around the thing it's meant to get at.

But eventually, it does get there. Eventually, if you let it.

It was the way she smiled at me when she told me she was having the time of her life. She wasn't telling a lie. She really meant it. I could see that. But there was something bittersweet about it. A tinge of sorrow buried in that smile.

"You could just ask her about it, you know," I mumbled to myself.

But I could see how that would go. She'd then want to know about my past, and I wouldn't want to tell her. And she'd feel hurt about that.

I sighed and sat up, going to the window and opening it to let in the winter air.

The night air was cold. The weather was still being a bit wacky, but it wasn't as bad as earlier in the season when it actually snowed.

I rested my arms on the windowsill and stared out into the night, watching the rooftops and the chimneys smoke up.

In the very faint distance, I could hear the vibrations of a song. Just barely. Barely more than a whisper. But it sounded familiar, but it was so faint I could barely make it out. It was something old that I'd once known and forgotten.

I wasn't sleeping anyway, so I put on my trousers and climbed out the window. Best to take the window at night, I always say. Actually, I've never said that, but I'm going to start now. Best to take the window at night than be caught by Celeru knows who downstairs at the door and barraged with questions.

The Cobblestone Road was dark and empty. I followed my ears, and the sound grew brighter and clearer. It was coming from an old abandoned tower. At the very top. But the music was beautiful, and I wanted to hear it better and up close.

I moved slowly and quietly, dropping my movements into the Water Step. Not a technique used for climbing, but by slowing my breath and relaxing my muscles, I moved like a liquid along the edges of the wall. Slowly ascending my way up.

A tall young woman was playing a fiddle. It was rested between her shoulder and neck as she pulled a bow across the strings. Her back was turned towards me and much of the sound was lost in the wind at this height. I sat down gently on the edge of the roof a dozen paces away from her position and listened as she played.

Then she began to sing. Very softly, as if not wanting to be heard, but still wanting to sing the song. They were only whispers, but I recognized the words, and then they were all I heard.

That is the strange thing about music. It has its own magic to it. If it is a special song, a song that you've not heard in some time but a song dear to your heart, the magic of music will transport you. Transport you to a different place and time, where the world disappears, and you are young again in mind and body, and you are hearing it as if for the first time with the person you fell in love with.

I was a boy again, in the wagon with her at my side. She would play and stop, and play and stop, and fiddle with her fiddle, push back a stray strand of hair, and play again. With the horse pulling the wagon along with a dop dop dop against the dirt road, and the grind of the timber wheels beneath.

The song before me ended, and I nearly lost my balance and fell off the roof. I'd thought I was still on a rickety old wagon drawn by a rickety old horse.

My unbalance revealed my presence to the woman. She snapped around, dark hair whirling, a dagger sliding into a clenching fist, legs widening into a fighting stance.

I held up my hands. "Sorry!" I said. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to hear the song. But to be fair, if you're going to spy on someone, you probably shouldn't make so much noise."

Edwond's raven-haired assassin looked shocked to see me sitting there.

"I didn't hear you at all..."

"That's okay. I heard you. That was a beautiful song. How did you come by it?"

Her dagger was still raised, her eyes were watching me. But she slowly stood and sheathed it.

"My mother sang it to me. And her mother sang it to her. I don't know where it's from."

Gods, that made me feel old. I stretched and yawned. "Whelp, I'm ready for bed. Thanks for the song."

"You should be careful," she said. "Edwond will not stop until he gets what he wants. Commoners are like cattle to him."

"And you should find a new employer. I'd hate to work for a cattle-herder."

"I have my reasons," she said.

"Don't we all."

She looked away at this. Then she turned and leapt off the building like she was the gods-damned Greenfin or something.

I went to the edge to see how she did it, but she was gone without a trace.

"Show off," I grumbled.

I climbed down the tower one step at a time.

Chapter 26

The Angelmore Clinic

"That was a complete abuse of power."

"No, it wasn't."

"You broke into a residence without probable criminal evidence."

"I would have done that even if I wasn't the superintendent."

Leise sighed as we made our way back to the superintendent's office. "Did you find any evidence related to the crime?"

"Oh, I found evidence of a crime alright."

"You did?"

"A crime against women!"

"What?"

"Letters, Corporal Trout! Dozens of heartfelt love letters that weren't even opened!"

"Letters...? How did you know their contents if they were unopened?"

"Because I read them all."

"That's why you were up there for so long while I was keeping an eye out? Hold a second… you opened them?"

"Someone had to!"

"Master Arch," Leise said, putting a gauntlet to her head. "He's going to know we went into his home."

"Don't worry. He won't know I opened them."

"How can that be?"

"I burned the evidence."

"Y-you burned them?"

"It's like I was never there."

Leise stopped walking and stared at me, her eye twitching. "Tell me you're joking."

"I'm joking."

"You didn't burn the letters?"

"I thought about it."

"Did you read them?"

"Almost, but I didn't need to... it was obvious."

"How?"

"They were all from ladies."

"So you didn't open or read any of the letters."

"Nope."

I did, however, go through and make sure none were addressed from Elsa, Cassia, Anna, or Leise for that matter. But I wasn't about to admit that to anyone.

Leise shook her head and took a deep breath as if calming her nerves. "I have a feeling I will die an early death working for you."

"Aw, don't be like that. It's fun working for me. Just ask my barmaids."

We began walking again.

"So you found nothing to connect this musician to the crime?"

"Nope," I said as we made our way through the gate entrance of the superintendent's estate. "Pretty typical bard's room, though tidier than normal."

Leise said nothing more as we stepped into the building and headed upstairs.

Elsa was waiting in my office when we entered. She held up a stack of lunch boxes. "Hungry?"

"Did Charm make them?" I said.

Elsa frowned. "I helped... but yes."

I held out my hand and accepted the wooden box.

"Lieutenant, I brought one for you too," Elsa said, handing her one of the lunch boxes.

"Oh, thank you, but I've already eaten."

"But you're a growing girl! Your muscles need the nutrients, come on, don't be shy."

"No, I couldn't... oh that does smell good," Leise said, peering at my opened lunch box. Inside Charm had made seasoned grilled turkey with pickled vegetables over steamed rice.

Leise accepted the lunchbox and utensils from Elsa and dug in.

"How did it go at Ress's place?" Elsa said between bites of turkey.

"The man is a predator," I said. "I'm going to tell Charm to get rid of him."

"Mmgghfm..."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," I said to Leise.

"My apologies. I said, we found nothing," Leise said to Elsa and set down her empty lunch box. "Thank you for the meal."

My jaw dropped. "How did you eat that so fast!? You weren't even hungry!"

There was a knock on the door, but before I could answer it, Thomas, the desk clerk, entered with an envelope.

"A message from the Angelmore Clinic," Thomas said hurriedly as he rushed to my desk.

I took the envelope, pulled off the wax seal, and opened the letter. I could sense the sudden stillness in the two women. My eyes scanned the parchment quickly.

"It's an invitation to visit the clinic," I said, grinning. "Valentall is awake."

Both ladies sighed a breath of relief.

"That's great!" Elsa said. "I'm coming."

Leise nodded. "I would also like to join."

"Let's get going then. Maybe I'll get lucky and he'll take his job back."

* * *

The Angelmore Clinic was a white multi-story building that looked more to me like Petal and Spice than a healer's clinic. It was a raised structure with steps that led past marble columns and into a large lobby area. We gave our names and were taken up to a third-floor waiting area. A healer wearing white robes came and met us. She was an elderly woman with long white hair. She frowned when she saw the three of us.

"You will have to meet him one at a time," she told us. "He is very weak, very weak. Too much stimulus causes him to tire quickly. When you speak to him, he may fall in and out of consciousness. The damage to his body was so great that a Potion of Superior Healing was used to repair his wounds rapidly. But that came with its own toll. His constitution has not recovered, and he is still suffering side effects of head trauma."

"Will he recover?" Elsa asked.

"It is difficult to say," the healer said. "It is unlikely he will be his full self. Please do not spend too much time. He needs his rest. Who will go first?"

No one immediately stepped forward. So then Leise raised her hand. "I will go."

The healer nodded and led Leise through a set of doors. Elsa and I sat on the waiting bench.

"Fancy place, huh?" I said to Elsa, but she only nodded in reply. There was a serious expression on her features as she stared at the door, and so I did not bother her.

We sat together silently, both lost in our own thoughts.

Leise came back fifteen minutes later, and I saw there were tears in her eyes. I'd never seen her cry.

"Good Celeru," I said. "You okay?"

Leise nodded, and the healer asked who wanted to go next. This time, I went.

She led me down a hall and into a large bedroom, then through it and onto the balcony. Valentall was seated in a chair, covered in blankets. He looked weak, his skin almost translucent as if his youth and vitality had been sucked from him. The boyishness of his features was gone, and it was only when his eyes met mine that I felt any hope for the man. There was still a spark there.

"Good to see you again, Supe," I said. "You don't mind if I call you that, right? Apparently, it's really catchy."

Valentall smiled. His voice was very soft. "Congratulations on your victory."

I took the seat across from him. "Oh, don't rub it in."

"What have the healers told you?" Valentall said.

"They said you're a bag of brittle crap," I said. "Low chance of recovery."

Valentall chuckled then wheezed. "I knew I could count on you for the truth."

I waited uncomfortably for him to gather himself.

"My apologies..." He coughed again. "How goes the ward?"

"All good," I said. "Bridgework is on schedule. People are looking forward to you coming back. Especially me."

Valentall smiled, but it was a sad one. "My mind is only clear around this time, in the early afternoon. I do not think I will return for quite a while. As you say, a low chance of recovery."

"A low chance is still a thousand times better than the alternative."

"That is very true," he said, smiling again. "How are you faring against Lord Edwond?"

"Not sure yet. I guess you could call it a draw so far. Think he's behind it?"

"No... but it's not impossible," Valentall said. "He is my cousin, I would hope that even he has his limits."

"Doesn't seem like the type," I said.

"Do you have any other leads?"

"Not really," I said. "As I'm sure you heard from Leise, the Inquisitors aren't sharing information. All we know is the guy is a capable fighter. His sword broke Leise's sword and thrust you through a wall. I'm surprised you're alive, honestly."

"I was wearing light armor beneath my shirt. Kozodimon chain mail."

"Good Celeru," I said. "Is that common among nobles?"

"No..." His eyes seemed to cloud over. He blinked slowly as if he was falling asleep.

I half rose, then paused as if unsure what to do. He raised a finger.

"A fainting spell," he said. "One moment."

I sat there awkwardly as Valentall breathed deeply. Slowly, his focus returned.

"I had received a death threat earlier in the week," he said. "It is why I had traveled with guards. I thought it was nothing, I did not mention it to Leise. But Captain Jera Mason of my house guard made me wear the armor. I am alive because of him and because of the two men that died on my behalf."

Suddenly, there was a fury in his eyes. He looked at me, and when he did, I saw that this man would fight tooth and nail to regain his health. He wasn't someone to be pitied.

"The Inquisitors think Captain Mason is behind the attack," Valentall said. "They are wrong. My man would never do such a thing. I am alive because of him. Find who did this, Master Arch. Bring this murderer to justice."

"Hope you told Leise that. She's in charge of the investigation."

Valentall smiled. "She said that I could count on you, that you were more than you appeared."

My gaze flattened, and I gave away nothing. But it was pointless since Leise had given it away herself. She must have inadvertently told Valentall that I was the Greenfin.

"Don't be upset with her," Valentall said. "It is hard for someone like her to hide admiration."

"Why would I be upset with her?"

To that, Valentall only smiled. Bastard.

After a few moments of silence had elapsed, he said, "Lieutenant Leise said that Elsa had come too?"

"Oh yes," I said, standing quickly. "Sorry, she's waiting for me to finish. I'll send her right in."

"Thank you, Master Arch."

"No problem, I'll keep you updated on the investigation. Take care now."

"Master Arch," Valentall said, and I turned back to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"I was so happy when I heard it was you."

* * *

Leise left early to speak to the Inquisitors again, and so Elsa and I walked back to Southbank together.

"I hope the guy recovers as quickly as possible," I said.

Elsa frowned a little at that. "He fainted again after you left. For several minutes."

"Gods damn it," I muttered.

"You're looking stressed again, Heru."

"For some reason, I feel like I owe the guy, even though he's the one that put me in a situation that I didn't ask for."

"I believe that's called being friends."

"Ha. Friends with a noble? That's a good one."

Elsa frowned. "A person's birth doesn't determine who they are, and that goes for both high and low."

"If only the nobles thought that way."

"I think he does," Elsa said.

I sighed. The problem was she was probably right. But I couldn't shake the weight I felt and the annoyance that came with it. My gut felt like there was a heavy stone inside of it, and it was an uncomfortable feeling.

"Is it really that terrible that a friend is counting on you?"

"No, but it's annoying."

Elsa smiled. "It's a relationship. I say savor it while you can, Heru. That's a precious thing."

"How did your conversation go?" I said, wanting to change the subject.

Elsa's smile widened. "I will count that as the third personal question you owe me."

"Damn it! I take it back!"

"Too late. I told him why I couldn't be with him."

"Is that when he fainted?"

Elsa chuckled at that. "No. That happened before."

"You're harsh. Can't give the man some peace?"

"He's strong. The healers are wrong. He'll make a full recovery. But it might take some time."

I nodded. "So he took it well?"

Elsa smiled. "He did. I think he already knew. He told me not to wait too long."

"Huh? Not to wait too long?"

Elsa's eyes widened. "No uh... I mean, he told me not to wait too long to visit again as a friend."

It didn't sound right, but I couldn't parse it, and I really didn't want to owe any more questions, so I let it be.

We parted ways on the Cobblestone Road. Elsa went back to the tavern to prepare for the night, and I headed back to the superintendent's office to catch up on work.

Cornelly had a huge stack of documents for me to sign when I arrived. She also handed me a letter. "It is an invitation from Lord Cloquil to you and a 'Lady Sienna' for dinner this weekend."

"You read it?" I said as I took my seat behind my desk.

"I read all letters addressed to the superintendency. How would you like me to respond?"

"Stall. At least until the bridge is built."

"That could be some time."

"I look forward to your excuse-making abilities," I said and picked up the first sheet from the stack of papers she'd set on the desk. It looked like the bridgework's budget for the week that needed to be approved. I began going down the list of line items. It was several seconds before I realized Cornelly was still in the room.

I looked up at the big woman. "Sorry, did you need something?"

"How is Lord Valentall?" she said.

"He looks like he's dying, but he's actually alive."

She frowned at the comment. "Did he say anything?"

"Uh... well, yes. He asked me to find the killer."

"Will you do so?"

I sighed. "The odds aren't looking too good at the moment."

Cornelly looked hesitant for the first time. She just stood there, frowning at me. Finally, she said, "It is not my place to say this, as my duties are confidential. But for this one time, I will break the rules."

"What's confidential?"

"Did you ever wonder why you received the best stall in the Angelmore Trade Fair?"

"Um... I got lucky?"

Cornelly crossed her massive arms and stared at me.

"I didn't get lucky?"

"Lord Valentall was owed a favor by Lord Musthave. He called it in. I helped draft the letter myself. When he heard the Tipsy Pelican Tavern was attending, Lord Valentall asked Lord Musthave to move you from some hidden corner of the fair to the very center."

The stone in my gut expanded, doubling, tripling in weight. And yet, it felt strangely warm.

"That... that... bastard," I hissed. "Well, now I have to catch his assailant, don't I?"

The big woman nodded. "You do."

Chapter 27

In Danger

My eyes were crossing over themselves by the time I left the office that evening. There was still work to be done, but my mind was scattered, and I was in need of a drink.

The tavern was in full swing when I arrived, and upon stepping through the main hall's door, I sensed that it was going to be a rare and special night.

There wasn't one specific thing that made it so, but rather a combination that added to a greater whole.

I saw that the builders had come early today, already in the midst of sharing stories. Even Anna showed up and looked to be serving ales. Cassia was dressed up and working a shift for the first time in weeks. Charm was not far away, in mid-conversation with a table of ladies. Herwin was back at trying to chat up a trio of young women, while each of them kept shooting glances at Ress. And that handsome bastard was playing exactly the right song again. A fun, upbeat tune that didn't overwhelm the room. Elsa was in high spirits. She stood on a table, a bottle of brandy in each hand, gesturing wildly as she delivered some impassioned speech or challenge to a loyal audience.

I had a very strange thought then. I suddenly, desperately wished to own a tavern such as this that I could call my own. Then the next thought appeared in my mind. This is your tavern.

And just like that, all the worries of the superintendency fell away, and I was a tavern keeper again.

I shook hands and greeted several of my customers as I made my way to the bar. There, I threw on an apron and filled a pitcher of Honeydew Lager.

Then I began my shift, moving through the crowds, filling mugs. I listened in on snippets of old stories, heard half a dozen jokes, caught up on the latest town gossip, bought the builders a round of brandies, broke up a fight between two of Elsa's lads, made Cassia blush twice, and traded sly barbs with Anna. I even clapped along to one of Ress's songs.

A while later, Galston stepped through the main hall entrance, and the entire place began to erupt with cheers. Someone in the crowd called out, "What brings you here, hero!?"

Galston frowned, his face as stoic as a slab of granite, stared down the crowd and announced, "I have come to drink!"

That was a terrible mistake on his part because just about every man in the tavern tried to buy him a round at that moment.

It's perfect nights like this that you get caught up in the moment. You climb onto the table that Elsa's standing on, and you announce to the crowd that the next round for the entire tavern is on the house.

Next thing you know, Elsa's pulling you into an embrace and whooping at the top of her lungs, and the entire crowd is hopping up and down with shouts of delight.

What happens next in that situation?

Your second-in-command immediately gathers up Anna and Cassia, taking them into the storage room, and reappearing with several kegs of ale to distribute. The young men in the room swoop in to help the ladies carry the kegs to the dining table.

Charm then holds out her hand for an empty mug, a customer passes her theirs, she fills it and holds out a hand for someone else to give her their mug. Soon, everyone's moving toward the dining table, and the girls are handing out the ales.

Galston's finally got some breathing room, save for a few stragglers who usher him to the bar, where they plan on getting blind drunk with the hero. Then the music's started again, and someone starts dancing, and soon everyone is dancing.

And all the while, you're looking across your tavern with nothing but pure pride and joy in your heart.

* * *

"How are you doing?" I said to Galston about three hours later.

Galston nodded to me. The only sign that he had drank at all was a slight pinkish tinge to his cheeks. He seemed to have the same tolerance as Elsa, which was a near impossible feat of liver dexterity. "I am well, Master Arch," Galston said. "Tonight is a good night."

"It sure is," I said, grinning. "Good thing you came, or I would have been the one taking all those shots."

"I'm glad I came. A man needs to let loose now and again."

"Man, you're sure right about that."

"Is all well with your new position?"

"Meh, as well as can be given the circumstances, I guess."

"If there is anything I can assist you with, you need only but to ask."

"Thanks," I said. "I appreciate it... might have to take you up on that sooner than later if all goes well."

Galston smiled and patted me on the back. "Good."

Anna joined us then. "Whew, everyone's feeling rowdy today, aren't they? And my goodness, Master Arch, when did you have so many pretty ladies coming to the tavern."

Galston nodded. "I have also noticed."

"Have you expanded your harem without notifying me?"

"I've expanded nothing!" I exclaimed.

"It's because of the bard," said a voice.

I looked over and saw that Herwin had joined us too. The young lord looked quite tipsy and a little down in spirit.

"Oh dear," Anna said, putting a palm to her cheek. "Will Ress drive a wedge between Arch and his many potential lovers?"

"Will you leave me alone!? You're giving Herwin the wrong idea!"

Herwin nodded. "I knew it."

"See!?"

"Take notes, Herwin," Anna said. "If you want the affection of multiple ladies, pretend to be oblivious."

Galston chuckled, and I groaned.

"Miss Anna," Herwin said, with an intense curiosity. "May I ask what it is you see in Master Arch, and what I can do to cultivate that trait?"

"Hmm..." Anna said, slowly running her eyes across me. "What indeed?"

"A kind man who avoids notoriety is always likable," said Galston before he took a swig from his mug.

Anna sucked in a sharp breath, putting her wrist to her mouth. "Galston! When did you become part of the harem!?"

"OKAY!" I exclaimed. "That's the end of this conversation, I'm leaving!"

I spun on my heel and made my escape before the demon woman could get another word in.

A dozen steps away, I felt a tug on my shirt, and turned, finding Fern.

"Master Arch, I just wanted to tell you I think you're doing a great job, better than those weeds by far, and well... I'm sorry about nominating you."

I couldn't help but laugh. "That's alright, Fern. I have to admit, you got me good."

Fern cracked a toothy grin. "I did, didn't I? So... you're not mad?"

"Well... I was... not at you specifically. After all, everyone voted, didn't they? Not all your fault. I blame the whole ward!"

Fern laughed, and it made the big droopy flower on her hat bounce all over the place.

I invited her to have a drink with me at one of the high tables and asked Cassia to bring her a Red Harvest Ale. We chatted about her business, and then my duties as a superintendent.

"Gee, Master Arch," Fern said. "I'm doubly glad you won now. I'd not have known how to do half those things you mentioned."

"I'm learning as I go as well. But, it's not so bad. The staff are nice, and everyone else has been supporting me in their own way too."

"That's good, Master Arch. That's real good. Say, have you spoken to Candberry yet?"

"Candberry? No, not recently."

"He was aiming to speak to you. He was here before you arrived, said he was going to go see you at the office. Must have just missed you."

"Do you know what it was about?"

Fern shook her head. "He didn't say, which is strange. Just said he had to tell you direct."

"Well, tell him he can swing by tomorrow if you see him. I'll be there all morning and afternoon."

Fern nodded. "Will do."

Fern finished her drink and called it a night. It was getting late, and much of the crowd had dispersed save for a few pockets in the corners of the hall.

I spotted Dirty, Samuel, and Josin at their usual table in the dining hall, playing a game of cards, so I filled a pitcher and made my way over.

"How goes it, Master Arch?" said Josin.

"Good as can be, given the circumstances," I said, refilling his mug. "In fact, I was wondering if you fellas heard anything about the fart-smeller."

"Nothing," Dirty said with what sounded like irritation. "Been keeping a low ear on it, too."

"I heard Edwond's behind the nobles not wanting the Supe job," Samuel said. "And Desmond's an ore merchant. I'd say that's two leads right there."

"I already knew those, but still impressed that you did too, Samuel."

Samuel shrugged.

"Common rumor now," Josin said.

"Any uncommon ones?" I asked.

The three roofers frowned and looked at each other as if trying to come to an agreement on whether or not to speak.

Finally, Dirty said, "This ain't likely related. But there's a Deathmage in town."

"A Deathmage?"

"You never heard of 'em? Order of the Deathmages. Bad lot. Like mercs and the Assassin's Guild, but magickers."

"No one knows their purpose," Josin said. "Only that they kill for money."

"But unlike other mages for hire," Samuel said. "Deathmages are the real deal."

Dirty nodded. "Old Urindal, the boss of Yumentown before Ashbane, got the top spot back in the day with just one of them in his crew."

"Interesting..." I said. "How'd you come by this rumor?"

"Buddy of a buddy saw the man in Addenwood Row. Sensitive type. Felt the Deathmage's halos."

"How'd he know he was a Deathmage?" I said.

Dirty snorted. "Deathmages are all the same. Black staff, black robes. Snake eyes."

"Snake eyes?"

"Eyes of a killer," Samuel said.

"I see..." I said. "What was your friend doing in Addenwood Row?"

Addenwood Row along with Yumentown were the most dangerous wards in Meritas.

"He ain't a friend. A buddy of a buddy, like I said..." Dirty looked away. "And he's a crewman."

Which meant he was a named member of one of the big gangs. I was surprised Dirty knew a guy like that, even if it was a friend of a friend, which it probably wasn't.

"Well, I appreciate it," I said. "Probably not related to the Valentall thing, but always good to know."

I caught something in the corner of my eye then and looked over. I could not believe what I was seeing.

"Excuse me, boys, I gotta go have a talk with the bard. Thanks again for the latest, next round's on me."

I left the roofers and headed over to Ress who had just finished putting away his harp. He now had an arm around Eleanor and was whispering something into her ear that made her giggle.

"Excuse me," I said to Eleanor. "Could I have a quick word with Ress?"

"Sure thing, Master Arch," Eleanor said, smiling at Ress. "I'll run to the lady's room. Don't leave without me."

I peered at Ress after she left. "I thought you were in love with Elsa."

"You were right, Master Arch," Ress said. "I did some soul searching, and I realized I was only chasing what I couldn't have. You've got quite the eye for a man's soul."

"Uh... I see."

"And Eleanor is, well…" he smiled to himself. "Not who I thought she was."

I looked over and saw the pretty young woman laughing with a couple of friends at the door.

"I assume this means a new string of hearts are about to be broken."

"Ah, maybe," he said smiling. "But you know, their interest in me was no different from my interest in Elsa. A shiny object to be possessed. That's an empty thing, and a broken heart for such a thing is easily mended."

"Good Celeru, when did you become a sage?"

"It's your wisdom Master Arch. Though I suggest you make your own move. Take your own leap of self-awareness. Perhaps she will not decline your invitation."

"Ah! My self-awareness is hitting! Right in the hand! I am aware of it clenching into a fist!"

Ress held up his hands. "Just thought I'd return the wisdom. Take it as you will."

"Ah! My newfound self-awareness is noting that my fist is very attracted to a bard's face!"

Ress chuckled. "I shall take that as my cue to retire for the night."

I watched as Ress left with Eleanor, and I must have been staring in his wake for a long moment because I only registered my name on the third attempt.

"Master Arch?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Candberry."

"Good evening, sir," the retired gravedigger said. "I was hoping for a word, if it's not too much trouble."

"Oh right, Fern mentioned that. Fire away."

"Well... where to begin... erm... I went to your office and you weren't there, and then I figured it probably wasn't anything, so I went home, but then I figured maybe you'd want to know. Since you're the Supe now..."

I sobered up and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's going on, Candberry? Speak freely. I won't be upset or unhappy by anything you say, and I'll hear it well."

He seemed relieved at this. "Yes, I was at the new bar at the end of the road... the Giant Petrel it's called. Just to have a drink. Just to try it out, of course. I like your ales much better, of course, Master Arch. But just to try. It's a new place, and I like going to new places sometimes."

"Nothing wrong with that," I said slowly, hoping to calm the man down. Something had him spooked. "I went myself not a few days ago."

"Ah good. Yes, it was nice. Um anyway, the owner was there. Mr. D-esmond. Well... he was speaking to someone. A young woman. His barmaid perhaps, I'm not certain. But he... was very angry. Not at her. At someone else... he said something like... 'He'd better have a good answer for me tomorrow. I paid to get the job done, and now the man's gone and woken up.'"

The words were confusing. But once I realized the "he" and "the man" were two different people, alarm bells began ringing in my head. "You sure that's what Desmond said?"

Candberry nodded shakily. "I thought it strange... and maybe you would know what it meant..."

"I don't know what it means, Candberry," I said. "But that is damn strange alright. Don't worry, I'll have the lieutenant check it out. Was there anything else I should know?"

He nodded at this. His voice was quieter now. "There was more."

I leaned in close. "Tell me."

"He also said... he also said... to the barmaid... he said... 'He isn't getting a copper u-u-nless he finishes the job.'"

Chapter 28

Plans

I had one of the young strapping lads run over to the guardstower and grab Lieutenant Leise. She arrived twenty minutes later, looking sleepy, wearing a simple tunic, belt, and sword.

We all gathered in the kitchen while Charm collected the bills for the night and gently encouraged people to go home. I poured iced waters for each of them, some needing hydration more than others.

Galston and Elsa looked like they might have been drinking tea the whole night. Candberry looked like he'd swallowed a keg of coffee and kept shifting from one foot to the other. Cassia was slumped on the counter with her head in her arms.

"What happened to her?" I said.

"Someone poured her a brandy," Anna said.

"Who did that? Everyone knows she's a lightweight."

Anna held up her hand. "I did."

"You're the biggest troublemaker of all! Why are you even here?"

"Why shouldn't I be here?" Anna said.

"What's this about, Heru?" Elsa said. The impatience was the only sign she had a lot to drink.

"Candberry overheard something at the Giant Petrel," I said, and turned to Candberry. "Go ahead. Tell them what you told me."

The retired gravedigger did not look comfortable to have the attention of four beauties and a celebrity hero, but he relayed what he told me, though it took him a few attempts to get all the words out.

"These are frightening implications," Leise said.

"What imp-ications?" Cassia said with a hiccup.

Anna nudged Cassia to drink more water, and said, "Desmond hired the swordsman to kill Valentall."

"It is possible that the conversation is about something else entirely," I said.

"No way," Elsa said, slapping the counter. "Desmond told us himself, the superintendency was his ticket into the courts."

"There is also the possibility Mr. Candberry misheard the conversation," Galston said.

Candberry nodded. "It's true, I may have misheard."

"You didn't mishear," Elsa snapped.

"In any case," I said. "We'll need to tail him tomorrow and find out who he's meeting. But to do that, we'll have to divide our forces. It doesn't seem like anything will happen before the meeting, but if Desmond really did hire the fart-smeller, then Valentall's life is still in danger."

Leise nodded. "What do you suggest, Master Arch?"

"There's a higher chance of running into the swordsman with Desmond, so ideally we'd have Galston with us for that. However, Galston's a little too easily recognized in this city. In addition, because of his size and bulk, disguise options are limited. We don't know where this meeting will take place or how long we'll be tailing Desmond, so stealth and camouflage will be key. No offense, champion."

"None taken," Galston said. "I will guard Valentall. But what is your plan if you do find the Kozodimon swordsman?" Galston said.

"It's going to be up to Leise and Cassia," I said.

Cassia nodded. Leise looked less sure.

"I'm sorry," Candberry said, looking between all of us. "I beg your pardon, but shouldn't we inform the Inquisitors?"

"No way!" Elsa said.

I put a hand on Candberry's shoulder. "Even if they did believe you, Cand, they'd either round up Desmond for questioning and botch any chance of capturing the swordsman, or they'd ask for the help of Cassia and Galston."

"It is unlikely they would ask for our help," Galston said.

"Without it, they'd get slaughtered if they ran into the fart-smeller," I said. "On second thought, maybe we should tell them."

"We are not telling them," Elsa said, shooting me a look.

"I also believe we should run this operation on our own," Leise said. "Despite the risks, I trust the people in this room more than the Inquisitors."

"Well said, Lieutenant Leise," Cassia said, smiling.

Galston crossed his arms. "Tell me, what are the chances his armor is also made of Kozodimon steel?"

"Small," I said.

Leise shook her head. "He is a master swordsman. I am certain of it. He wields the rarest of swords, expertly crafted, and likely superior to others in its class. If his armor is also indestructible, then there is no living person I am aware of that is his equal."

No one looked comfortable with that conclusion. Except for Elsa. She started chuckling ominously. She really was a scary person with a couple of bottles of brandy in her.

"It's a good thing then that Big Sister Elsa and Commander Charm prepared for this."

"Wait, what?" I said.

Elsa clapped twice, and like an apparition, Charm appeared in the kitchen, holding a large leather bag.

"Where did you come from!?"

"Charm has been waiting for her cue to make her appearance."

"What about the bills for the night?" I said.

"Charm has already collected them." She carried the bag to the counter and placed it in the center.

"Behold!" Elsa bellowed, pulling open the bag. "The instruments of victory!"

It looked to be layers of fishing net inside, but upon closer inspection, I saw they were made of metal wires. I felt a vague aura coming off of them, and I wondered if Charm had somehow enchanted them.

"I see," Galston said, tugging at his beard. "It could work given the right opportunity."

"That's right!" Elsa exclaimed. "If we get him bound up, he won't be able to cut nothing even with Kozodimon steel."

I had to admit, it wasn't a bad idea. If you can't damage your opponent, then the next best option is to immobilize them. But for it to work, we'd need planning ahead of time to set the trap.

"We'll have to figure out how to use that later, depending on how things go," I said. "In the meantime, there's still a few hours before sunrise. I plan on getting some sleep before the stakeout."

"Same," Elsa said, pushing back her bangs. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

Anna sighed. "I'd better go finish the potion I've been working on."

I groaned but said nothing since Galston and Candberry were in the room. They looked at me strangely.

Anna grinned. "I'll also see if I can put together some disguises for you all."

Galston straightened. "Then our plan is set. I'll head to the Angelmore Clinic and inform Valentall's guard of the threat. I'll wait for word there."

"I'm headed back to the guardstower," Leise said. "I'll station a guard to watch the Grand Petrel Tavern. But I don't know where Desmond Wheelhouse lives. There is a chance he might go directly to the meeting from his residence."

"Mr. Desmond lives in a manor in Lumitra Ward. Charm can provide the address."

I peered at Charm. "Why do you know that?"

"Charm is Charm."

Apparently, everyone else in the room found this a satisfactory answer. We dispersed, and the others went about their tasks, and I went to bed.

* * *

Charm woke me in what felt like a handful of minutes after I drifted off to sleep. But when I looked outside the window, the sky had already begun to brighten.

"It is time, Master."

She set my folded clothes for the day at the edge of my bed. I was so drowsy I didn't even argue about the selection and got dressed. A lot of bulky loose fabrics, nothing like what I normally wore, and a thick scarf was included to cover most of my face. It was a pretty good disguise.

Charm said nothing as she watched me dress, though I could tell she had thoughts on her mind.

"Not going to tell me not to go this time?" I said. "Or give me some long-winded kitten lecture?"

"Master is a superintendent now. It is his duty to protect his ward. And Miss Cassia and Lieutenant Leise will be with him… however, Charm is worried. This killer may be more than Charm and Master expect."

She didn't ask to come, though I knew she wanted to. But I wasn't about to go down that slippery slope.

So instead, I offered a minor compromise. "If something happens to the tavern, you have my permission to defend it and our customers."

Charm's eyebrows rose at this.

"Defend, Charm. And try not to kill anyone. But honestly, I don't think the tavern's involved this time."

Charm did not reply to this, the usual placid expression on her face, and I took that to mean she disagreed.

"Alright, well, we better go rouse the drunkard and the nun."

"Miss Elsa and Miss Cassia are already downstairs."

"Really? Even Elsa?"

Charm nodded.

I turned and headed for the door, and I felt my clothing catch. Charm had caught the sleeve of my jacket.

"Please be safe, Master..."

She paused. Then her mouth parted again. But no words came, and she let go of my sleeve.

Chapter 29

The Crooked Arrow Inn

Corporal Joseph came and collected us, leading us to the second floor of the Jumpy Beans Cafe, where Leise was waiting for us. The cafe was located across the street from the Giant Petrel Tavern, and the second-floor window had a clear view of the tavern's entrance. Leise was sitting at a table with several cups and a steaming pot of coffee on a rune-heated ceramic plate, which I dove for immediately.

Leise had followed Desmond from his residence to the tavern an hour earlier. The morning went by with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Tallin, owner of the Jumpy Beans Cafe closed the second floor from visitors for us, and we took turns taking naps.

Desmond left his tavern a little past noon. He walked at a good pace but didn't seem to be in a hurry.

Elsa and I shook Cassia and Leise awake.

"Time to go."

The streets of Meritas were busy at this time of day, and it was easy for the four of us to blend into the pedestrians as we followed him. But Desmond's attire worried me. He was dressed for travel, and he carried a bag over his shoulder. There was no telling how far he was going. If he left the city, it'd be a lot harder for us to tail him. Though we wore basic disguises, we'd be much easier to spot out on the open road.

Leise wore the same tunic from the night before, her shoulder-length hair was pulled back. She wore a satchel and kept her sword wrapped in a cloth and tied to her back. Elsa wore a simple dress beneath a large jacket and scarf. Her hair was kept tucked beneath a bonnet, and she kept her wire net in a large bag slung over her shoulder. Cassia wore a pair of spectacles she must have borrowed from someone at the church and a hooded cloak over tight-fitting trousers and leather boots.

We blended easily into the busy streets of Meritas, but after walking another thirty minutes, Desmond passed through the northern city gates.

"We're going to be in trouble if he goes much farther," I said as we came out the other side of the city walls.

"Anna gave me this before you arrived," Leise said. She dug into her satchel and withdrew what looked like four bunches of dyed horsehair.

"What the demon is that?" I said.

"Disguises."

"Am I supposed to stick it to my ass? Maybe one of you should climb on my back so we can really get into character."

"I believe they are mustaches, Arch-don," Cassia said.

"Mustaches? Now I'm wishing Leise was serious about the horse idea. At least two of you are very clearly women, and a mustache won't hide that."

"Fine!" Leise said, reddening. "Only Master Arch and I shall wear the mustaches then."

She took the one dyed green to match her hair and attached it to her face with some adhesive.

"This isn't going to work," I said. "You look ridiculous and adorable at the same time."

"It'll work," Leise said. "At this distance, he won't be able to tell. We'll look like two traveling couples."

Elsa entwined her arm into mine and said in a sing-song voice, "What a lovely day for a stroll, darling!"

"You assume new characters too easily!"

Elsa turned to the other two ladies. "Please don't mind my grumpy husband, he's been very stressed with work lately."

I tried coming up with some retort, but unfortunately, even disguised, Elsa is still a very mind-muddling woman to have clutching your arm.

As we walked, I took in the area outside the walls. It felt almost like a different city. There were crooked inns, seedy brothels, and rough taverns. But all were busy. Travelers, tinkers, trappers, traders, huntsmen, and wagon merchants filled the streets and stepped in and out of doorways.

Step by step, the buildings eventually fell away to golden wheat and corn farmland, and the odd cedar tree. Further ahead, I could make out the tree line of Redwick Forest. It was a stretch of forest that ran from the lower western end of Visseria all the way to the eastern edge. The road we were on was part of the King's Road. It ran directly from Meritas to Yestereaster, cutting through Redwick Forest. Several other roads, including Dawn's Path, which ran to Eastmark, branched from it.

It was late afternoon, but there was still a steady stream of travelers on the King's Road. However, if Desmond looked backward, he could easily see two couples moving in his direction in the distance. But he didn't turn backward, he just kept on trudging forward.

"What are the chances we follow this man to Yestereaster?" I said to Elsa, who was still clutching my arm.

"Not very high, darling. He would have bought a horse or rented a carriage for any long journey."

"There isn't anything out here, is there? I think the next town is another half dozen leagues."

"You are asking the wrong girl, darling," Elsa said, still in her sing-song voice. "This is my first time leaving the city."

I sighed and looked back, spotting Leise and Cassia walking about fifty paces behind us.

When I turned back, Desmond was no longer on the road. "Where'd he go?"

"He made a turn over the hill, I think," Elsa said. "Let's speed up a bit."

We quickened our pace without running, and if any passerby saw us, they would have thought us a very strange couple. We came to a smaller road that branched off to the west, cutting through tall wheat fields. Ahead, I could see only a few travelers on this smaller road, one of them being Desmond, and further out, perhaps a couple of thousand paces in the distance, were a series of dark blackened buildings.

We took the turn and kept our distance from Desmond, while keeping him within our sights. As we got closer to the dark buildings, I saw that they were burnt and dilapidated. Perhaps a fire had ravaged the area earlier in the year. There was one other structure to the far right, a large multi-story structure that looked to be an inn. It sat at the corner of a crossroads, and Desmond was headed straight for it.

Up close, the place was huge, at least twice the size of the Tipsy Pelican Tavern, which itself had once been a large inn. The sign above the door named it the Crooked Arrow Inn. We stood outside, waiting several minutes after Desmond had entered to avoid running into him while he got a room.

Inside, the place was mostly quiet. I expected it to be filled with a bunch of rowdy people like the inns outside the city walls, but there were only a few patrons in the dining hall. A plump old woman sat behind a reception counter.

"We'd like a room, please," I said.

"Would you like a single, a double, or a suite?"

"Oh... uh, this is my first time here. What did the man before me get?"

"He got a suite."

"Which floor is that on? I'd like a room with a view."

"The third."

"I guess we'll take a suite then."

The woman nodded and collected a key off a shelf.

"Slow business, huh?" Elsa said, making a show of looking around.

"Ever since the fur market burned down."

"Fur market?" I said.

"That's right. T'was the best fur trading post in the duchy. Some bastard oiled and torched the place one night while people were still sleeping. Now people say it's haunted, and no one comes this way no more. All the hunters and traders moved to the castle walls."

Elsa gave me a look, and I nodded. Low traffic made for a good spot to meet someone who was hiding from the Inquisitors and the City Watch.

"What brings you two to these parts?" said the woman.

Elsa smiled brightly. "It's a romantic weekend getaway! We plan to have a picnic in the forest tomorrow. And I hear there's a beautiful lake to visit."

"That'd be Veleurian Lake," the innkeeper said. "Just north of here, but I don't recommend it. If you don't get mauled by the wolves, you stand to get robbed by bandits."

"Oh, how romantic!" Elsa said and turned to me. "You'll protect me against any bandits or wolves, won't you, my dear?"

"Err... yes, of course," I said.

The old woman said nothing to that, and I could tell she thought we were dumb city people, which I guess is what Elsa was going for.

"It's a shim for the suite," the innkeeper said. "And ten burns if you want dinner and breakfast."

"Dinner and breakfast sound great. Could we take it in our room?"

She nodded, and I handed her a silver shimmer and ten copper burnishes. She gave me the key.

The front door opened again, and Leise and Cassia entered. The innkeeper's eyebrows raised as if she was surprised by the sudden surge in business.

"Oh dear," Elsa said, taking a look at the new couple. "I hope they aren't picnickers like us. We'd better go early tomorrow and get a good spot, darling."

"Ah, right you are," I said. "Well then, we'll be heading to our room on the third floor." I held up the key. "Which room is it again?"

"Our doors are numbered," the innkeeper said. "Your room is three zero three. It'll be the third door from the stairs."

I thanked the innkeeper, and we headed upstairs. Before entering our room, I put my ear to each door on the floor, checking for any signs of movement. I heard something on the fifth one. It was the only occupied room on the floor, unless there were some guests highly skilled at masking their breath and presence. I pointed to the fifth door, and Elsa nodded. Then we headed into our own room, which was two doors down.

The room was large, spacious and decorated in a homey sort of way. I noted that the bed had decorative pillows, then pushed the thought away.

Elsa opened a door that led into a bathroom. "This is quite the room, Heru. They even have a tub!"

"Keep your voice down." I went to the table and moved a chair to the door, taking a seat. It felt good to sit down, and I was surprised by how tired I felt from the walk.

"Heru!" Elsa poked her head out from the bathroom and whispered excitedly. "Heru! It has rainwater pipes! I'm going to have a bath."

"Elsa..." I said. "We don't know when Desmond's going to leave his room."

"We can switch off. And if we're going to be stuck in this room together, we might as well smell nice." With that, she began taking off her jacket and hat.

"You're going to have to ask the innkeeper for heated stones."

Elsa paused and blinked at me. "Can't you cast a heat rune for me?"

I stared at her, unsure of what to say. We'd known each other for more than a year now, and we had never talked about my abilities. She never asked me how I cooled my ales, but she must have known that I did the runes myself. Then there was also my identity as the Greenfin, who was known to cast a few spells.

Not knowing what to say, I just nodded and went into the bathroom and quickly found that runes weren't going to work. The problem was the tub was made of wood, which did a poor job of conducting heat, and there was nothing large enough to heat the water quickly enough.

I sighed and pulled the latch which released the water from a pipe that ran from the ceiling. It filled the bath quickly.

I placed two fingers in the water and whispered, "Rule of Ruin, One. Fine Fire."

Light flickered just below my fingertips, and I guided my halos gently into the spell. The water slowly began to steam, and I held the spell until it reached an appropriate temperature.

"Bath's ready," I said as I stepped out of the bathroom.

"Wow, that was fast, Heru," Elsa said. She was in the middle of taking the last of her pins out of her hair.

There was a tap on our door then, and I stepped out of the bathroom as Leise entered our room. She closed the door quickly and quietly behind her.

"Do you have his room?" she said, still wearing the horsetail mustache.

I nodded trying hard to keep the smile off my face. "Two down from us, I believe."

"Cassia and I will keep an eye on the entrance from the dining hall," Leise said. "She's down there now."

"Sounds good," I said. "Grab us if you see him. You'd better head back now. The innkeeper's coming with our dinner any moment."

Leise nodded and looked over my shoulder. "What is she doing?"

I looked over and made a choking sound. Elsa was down to her undergarments. I quickly looked away. "She's taking a bath."

"I see," Leise said, giving me a dark look. "I will leave you to it, then."

"Just her! Not me!"

Leise stepped out and closed the door without another word.

I sighed and sat back down in my seat. Then I noticed Elsa had not closed the bathroom door, and I heard some light splashes.

"Oh Heru, this is wonderful!" Elsa whispered.

I had a hard time listening into the hallway then because all I heard were the sounds of Elsa in the bathroom and the beating of my heart.

The innkeeper came up with our dinners five minutes later. I closed the bathroom door and let her in. She brought chicken pot pie, grilled vegetables, and two tankards of mediocre ale. The room was dark by then, and she lit several candles for us before leaving.

Elsa came out in her dress again and joined me at the table. I could smell the soft scent of soap as we ate. It was a strange and quiet evening, and I didn't know what to say as we ate. The hall was silent.

Elsa closed her eyes after finishing her ale.

"Getting sleepy?" I said

She opened her eyes again and smiled. "Just cherishing the moment."

"The moment?"

"Candlelight dinner in a pleasant room, away from our usual routine. With a good friend."

"The food could be better."

Elsa grinned. "It could also be worse."

"That's true enough," I said.

"Could you imagine if we were really here just for a weekend getaway? Wouldn't that be fun?"

"This inn wouldn't be at the top of my list for a getaway."

"I like it here. It's so different from the city, even though we aren't that far. Feels special in a way."

"I hope we get something out of this. If it turns out the man is just meeting his meat supplier, I'm going to be annoyed."

"I hope he stays a whole week without meeting anyone."

"Dear gods, why would you want that?"

Elsa smiled and looked away. "You're right... I shouldn't ask for more when I'm already happy."

I heard movement then. It was the sound of the door opening and closing, and a heavyset man going down the hall and down the stairs.

Elsa nodded to me and we blew out the candles and stepped out into the hallway after him. But all I could think about were Elsa's words, and I couldn't help but feel I'd missed something important.

Leise and Cassia were looking out the window on the first floor when we came out. The place was empty otherwise save for the old innkeeper who was asleep at her counter.

"This has to be it," Leise said.

"I think so too," Elsa said.

I nodded, and the four of us slipped out into the night.

Outside, the air was cool, and the sky held few clouds and a bright moon that painted the fields in silver light. We stayed off the road, moving low in the fields, and kept as close as we dared to Desmond.

After ten minutes of walking, it was apparent he was headed for the burned-down trading post. The dark buildings loomed in the distance, and I saw they surrounded a square with a stone well at its center.

Desmond headed straight for the well, coming to a stop just beside it.

The fields turned to ashen dirt as we neared, the fire had cleared out the surrounding land. We moved quickly, ducking behind a barn that was still standing. Its brittle wood creaked in the soft breeze of the night, and I understood why people felt the place was haunted.

A minute passed and no one else appeared beside Desmond. Then he turned around and bellowed. "Come out! Arch Gustkin! I know you're there!"

I slapped my hand over my temples and let out a soft groan. We'd been tricked.

"Come out! You've been following me all day! Come out and face me like a man!"

I sighed and nodded for us to go, but I gestured for Cassia to stay put. Even if he'd seen us from a distance I doubted he knew it was the templar that had tagged along. Cassia nodded and removed her robe, readying to jump in at my signal.

Leise, Elsa, and I stepped out of our hiding spots and onto the square. Desmond looked slightly surprised when he saw Elsa, and I realized he probably thought it was Leise that had been clutching my arm the whole time. I cursed myself for not having Elsa stay behind too.

"What a coincidence to run into you here, Desmond!" I said. "In this deserted square... where there is no one around... the kind of place ideal for an ambush..."

The air around him shimmered, revealing two figures. Edwond's swordsman and the assassin. The man was dressed as he was the first time. His sword was sheathed against his back, and he stared at me with unblinking eyes. The tall raven-haired beauty was dressed in black light armor and she held a dagger in each hand. I was pretty sure the veiling spell was hers, and it was one I recognized. It was the same as the one used by Darren Tamblion's priest when Cassia and I were searching for the missing orphans. The spell had made them completely undetectable as long as they weren't moving.

Elsa dropped her bag down, and Leise unwrapped her sword from the cloth.

"No nighttime fiddling tonight?" I said to the woman.

The swordsman frowned. "How does he know that, Tashnei?"

So that was her name. Tashnei, I liked the sound of it.

"I ran into him two nights ago."

The swordsman glared at her. "You should have told Lord Edwond."

"It wasn't important."

"That's not for you to decide," the swordsman said.

Tashnei said nothing to that.

Desmond looked slightly annoyed by his companions. He looked at Elsa. "You shouldn't have come, young woman. I would have given you a comfortable life after all of this."

Elsa scoffed. "You shouldn't wear a dirtbag mustache. It makes it too easy to judge your character."

Desmond frowned deeply then, and it did nothing good for his thinly trimmed oiled mustache. "I would have bargained for your life just now. Get on your knees and beg, and you may still have a chance."

"This is a waste of my time," the swordsman said, drawing his sword.

"Wait!" I exclaimed, holding out my hands. "Will all of you just wait!? I'm so confused! Obviously, Desmond made a deal with Edwond to get rid of me. But which one of you bastards is the fart-smeller!?"

The swordsman stared at me like I was a drooling idiot.

"The man who attacked Valentall!" I explained. "That's why we came!"

"It was a ruse to bring you here," Tashnei said and began stepping towards us. "We have no knowledge of the White Swordsman."

"Gods-damned it!" I said. "We totally wasted a trip, Leise! And take off that horse beard already! You're not fooling anyone."

Tashnei snapped her eyes to Leise, her stance going defensive. "You are Lieutenant Leise?"

My mouth dropped. "Someone was fooled!"

Edwond's swordsman faced Leise. "I am Weveld, a practitioner of the Northern Two-Handed Style, a disciple of Swordmaster Kirrek Greybeard. I shall be your opponent."

"Do not underestimate her," Tashnei said. "We should take her together."

"You handle the other two," Weveld said. "And don't go lightly on the boy. My sword sense tells me there is far more than what meets the eye."

Since there was no point in hiding anything anymore, I cast the Spell of Seeing, my eyes flooding with halos. I saw that Weveld had opened a Gate of Breath, which explained why he was confident to face Leise on his own. What was more troubling was Tashnei. She had an additional gate opened, the Gate of Spirit, putting her on the same level as Cassia. Worse yet was the look of her daggers. If they were poisoned and she was a half-decent fighter, I'd be in serious trouble.

But we had yet to reveal our fourth member, which would tip the odds in our favor. "You might have the edge on us," I said, pointing at Weveld. "But we've got something you don't. Our very own White Templar! Come on out Ca-"

The barn behind us where Cassia had been hiding exploded, and a figure flew out of the plume of fiery smoke. Cassia rolled to a stop before my feet, covered in soot, coughing, and barely able to stand.

Behind her, the fires consuming the barn parted and a silhouette appeared against the roaring red flames. A bald man in mages robes stepped slowly toward us. Thick rings of aura blossomed from his torso, marking him as a Radiant. The moonlight revealed his features as the fires died down. His face was wrinkled and ashen. He wore black robes and carried a black staff. His eyes were like a snake's.

I scratched my cheek. "Hmmmmmmmmm... Yup. This might be a tighter spot than I thought."

Chapter 30

Reveal

Leise and Elsa helped Cassia to her feet. We were surrounded now with the old bald Deathmage behind us, and there was no chance of escape. But it didn't make much sense.

I turned to Desmond. "So I get that Edwond wants me out of the picture. But who's going to believe that all four of us mysteriously disappeared after following you?"

Desmond shook his head. "You don't understand. I was helping you track the White Swordsman after I received a mysterious message from someone who wanted to sell Kozodimon plate armor. I am a merchant after all." Desmond drew a letter from his pocket. "So I informed you of this message, and we were led to this location, where we were attacked. Lieutenant Leise, Cassia Hightower, and you valiantly fought to defend me from the White Swordsman. Thus only I managed to escape." Desmond turned his gaze to Elsa. "Oh, don't look at me like that, young lady. Any man who wishes to rise above his station must play this game." He returned his eyes to me. "And don't worry, Gustkin. You'll die a hero."

"THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TRYING TO AVOID, YOU BASTARD!"

Everyone stared at me for the outburst. I was breathing heavily, I don't know why I suddenly got so heated.

"Ahem... sorry about that. Hey! I just thought of a hole in your story. Candberry overheard you, and Leise's guards know we followed you here. It's going to be awfully suspicious if you come back alone."

"He overheard a few vague lines. That's not evidence, but there will be plenty linking the White Swordsman to your deaths when the night is over."

"Really?" I said. "That's all you've got? I can't imagine a guy like Edwond didn't think this through. My patrons are a suspicious lot, you know."

Without warning, Weveld swung his sword in an arc of blue light. I barely saw it, but I did see the spray of blood and Desmond's head rolling across the ground, his body crumpling over, unmoving.

Cassia gasped. Elsa's eyes were wide with horror.

"You've murdered your own compatriot!" Leise said.

"He was a pawn and no more," Weveld said, stepping toward us.

"Ah…!" I said. "Now that story makes more sense. Desmond colluded with the fart-smelling swordsman, who then killed him and us when we tried to confront them. Much cleaner that way."

Cassia clasped her hands together. "Celeru bless his soul. May he find redemption for his sins in the afterlife."

"What kind of monsters are you?" Elsa spat at Weveld, seething with rage.

Tashnei looked away, almost as if she were ashamed. Weveld kept his deadened eyes trained on us as he stepped forward. The Deathmage stood in the distance, an eager grin on his old face, as if he were waiting for the fun to begin.

"Alright team," I said. "Here's the plan. Leise, you deal with the deadpan madman. Cassia and Elsa can take Baldy-Baddie, and I'll handle the cute one."

The three ladies peered at me at the same time. "The cute one?"

"I'm sorry, alright? I ran out of steam on the third nickname."

We spread apart to face our respective opponents. Cassia and Elsa turned to the bald mage, and Cassia whispered something in Elsa's ear. Elsa frowned, an upset expression passed over her face. She shook her head, but Cassia gave her the sternest expression that I'd ever seen her make. I almost couldn't believe it. Then I saw Cassia mouth the words, You have no magic.

With that, the energy in Elsa's face deflated. She dropped her gaze and nodded once, not looking at Cassia again as she went to the stone well in the center of the square, crouching down behind it. It was the only structure not made of brittle wood.

"This is no time to be worrying about them," Leise said beside me. "I fear both our opponents outmatch us."

I smiled at her. "Just like old times then, ey Corporal Trout?" I said.

Leise's unwavering eyes were locked on Weveld. "It is a pleasure as always, General Green Turkey."

"Don't even start!"

Leise drew out a belt knife from her satchel and handed it out to me. "This is all I have."

"Thanks," I said, taking it.

I looked over at Tashnei and found that she had dropped into a rock-solid fighting stance. However, her mind seemed unready.

"Should have gotten a new job," I said, twirling the knife.

"I do not have that luxury."

"That's probably exactly what he wants you to think."

Beside me, Leise leapt off, and clashes of steel rang out in Weveld's direction.

I kept my eyes on Tashnei. "Still not too late to make a career change."

Tashnei held my gaze for a moment. She shook her head, and I could see her resolve hardening in her eyes.

Then she disappeared.

And reappeared behind me. It was a fast move. She activated her illusion technique first then moved, not giving me a chance to see her movements and get a sense of which direction she had taken.

But my natural instincts took over, and I felt a thread of her killing intent behind me. I ducked forward and laid a kick that she dodged.

Behind me, I felt the release of halos. Cassia's I recognized, but it was overwhelmed by the Deathmage's. His halos pushed against us, reeking of ash and rot. As I dodged blows from Tashnei, I peeked at their fight.

Both Cassia and the Deathmage had begun their spells. Cassia's palms were raised out, and the Deathmage had his staff pointed. To my surprise, their incantations were identical.

"Rule of Ruin, Thirty-One, Searing Storm!"

A wave of hot light rushed from both mages and collided between them, sending a current of heated wind across the square.

This was the first time I'd seen Cassia use a Rule of Ruin above thirty, and I wondered if Galston had taught it to her. Her halos coursed through her body and out her open palms as destructive aura. Opposite her, the Deathmage channeled his spell through his staff, which was no longer black. The rod was lit up with enhancement runes. The color of his Searing Storm was blood red, and it pressed against Cassia's bright orange. The two waves of aura pushed back and forth against each other, forming a wavering wall of superheated destruction.

I twisted away from another of Tashnei's attacks. She seemed to be slower and less precise than I had first thought. Not far, I saw Leise and Weveld dueling at mind-numbing speeds. They spun around each other in a blur of silver and blue light. But I noticed that Leise's steel sword was being chipped across its edges. Weveld's sword was made of the Blue Oract Ore, the same type of Sword Leise had owned before it was severed in two. Now she only had a ward guard's sword, and I saw that she could not put the proper strength into her attacks, for she worried her sword could not withstand the force.

Then I heard Cassia scream. The Deathmage's spell had begun to gain ground against her's, and she roared as she poured everything she had into holding it off. Both mages were at their limits of holding onto the spell, and they broke at the same time, the orange and red aura releasing and dimming, the ground cracking with the sudden cooling temperatures.

I ducked another one of Tashnei's poorly timed attacks and landed a kick that sent her sprawling. Then I turned again to check on Cassia.

She had held off the Deathmage's attack, but she had spent all her halos to do it. She was on her knees, trembling with fatigue, her eyes barely open. She had given everything she had against a stronger opponent at the very outset as I'd taught her. It was an incredible feat, but it was not enough. Cassia tipped over, face slapping against the ground, unable to even raise a hand to break her fall.

The Deathmage's halos spun brightly from his core. He was giggling. It was an eerie high-pitched sound that did not seem like it should have belonged to the old man. "What a joyous night! A templar..."

Something caught my eye to the far side. It was a low, dark shape speeding across the uneven stones of the square, her brown hair falling loose and silken in the wind and moonlight, her hands swinging back and forth at her sides, her momentum gaining, her sprint reaching its peak, legs kicking off, propelling her into the air, a palm pulling back into a tight fist.

"A templar I shall k-" The Deathmage saw her a moment too late. He'd not expected it. None of us had. We all saw her dejected expression when she was told to sit out the fight. But that wasn't what she was told, was it? Both women had played it perfectly, they had run a distraction for this exact moment.

The Deathmage panicked, because there was no time to do anything else. He was a Radiant with halos aplenty, but he wasn't a close-range fist-fighter, and she had already entered his inner circle. No time for an incantation. No time for anything but to raise the brows and drop the jaw.

"Eat this!" Elsa bellowed.

Impact.

An awful sound. Knuckles smashing through bone and soft cartilage, twisting the head away, teeth leaving the mouth like exploding splinters, the force of the blow ripping his body off the earth. A punch that could have dropped a bull, a real facial rearrangement maneuver. He spun through the air and landed in a tangle of limbs.

Even under the current context, it was an uncomfortable sight to behold. Like watching a young athletic woman burst out of the shadows and sucker punch an old man into oblivion.

But it wasn't over. The young woman was suddenly straddling him on the ground, two fists now, unloading one after another into the old man's face.

I looked back at Tashnei, who had also paused to see the other fight.

"Looks like it's one win out of three for Team Tipsy Pelican," I said.

Tashnei frowned and engaged me again in a sudden burst. Still, there was a slowness and fatigue to her movements. No... that wasn't right, it was reluctance. She wasn't giving it her all.

I wasn't much of a knife fighter, but I was still maintaining a slight edge over her. I drew the blade toward her neck and she broke away, flipping backward and landing lightly several paces away.

I took the chance to check on the team. Elsa was helping Cassia back to her feet, and Leise had just retreated out of a heavy chop from Weveld. The lieutenant's breath was coming quickly and her leg and shoulder were split open. She was doing a lot worse than I expected. She'd yet to enter her sword flow as she had before.

"Stop overthinking," I snapped. "You've got this."

Weveld snorted and looked over at Tashnei. "Tashnei. Keep holding back, and I will report you to Lord Edwond."

Tashnei's eyes widened, and she glared at Weveld.

"A job is a job," Weveld said plainly. Then he turned his attention to Leise, who raised herself, reading for the next round.

When Tashnei returned her gaze to me again, her eyes were dead.

"Oh... that's not good."

A moment later, I was fighting with everything I had. I completely forgot about the others. Tashnei had my full concentration, and it wasn't going to be enough. I hadn't realized that the girl had been holding back this much.

Then just as suddenly, the pressure eased to a stop. I blinked at her, with my lungs heaving for air, and sweat drenching my hair and clothes. She was looking past me, her eyes large.

I saw that Leise and Weveld had their swords locked together. But they too had stopped moving. They were staring at something just past my shoulder.

I turned and saw him. Standing there was a figure in a full body of white steel. But that was impossible. I hadn't sensed him at all. Even in my full battle concentration, my mind is aware of its surroundings. Yet, I'd not felt anything, and he looked as if he'd been standing behind me since our fight began.

"Please continue, don't mind me," said the voice radiating from the helm. It was loud but controlled.

I pivoted away to put some distance between us, while still keeping Tashnei out of my blind spots.

"Hey... guys?" I said. "How about a truce real quick? We're going to need to team up against this guy."

"Foolishness," Weveld said and pushed Leise away with his sword. She slid back and dropped to a knee.

"Don't be like that, Weveld," I said. "I always knew you were innocent. Leise was the one who suspected you."

Weveld faced the armored man. "What is your purpose, White Swordsman?"

"Hey! Use the proper terminology. He's the Man Who Must Smell His Own Farts!"

The armored man crossed his arms. "I shall fight the winner of your match."

"No," Weveld said. Without warning he lunged forward, his sword point soaring towards the newcomer's white breastplate as if to test its steel.

Then I saw the armored man move, and I knew for certain that he had opened the Fourth Gate, the Gate of Symmetry.

There is no way to describe what I saw other than to say he was like a leaf on the wind, a petal dancing on water. Motion made elegant. Not a hair's breadth of waste. He made it seem as if it was Weveld's sword that had bent around him to purposefully miss its mark. The armored man did not miss. The drawing of his sword transitioned into a thrust without me noticing until it had already curved with Weveld's reflexive dodge and punctured deep into his chest.

Then the sword was withdrawn and returned to its sheath as if it had never left in what felt like a single fluid motion from beginning to end.

Weveld dropped his sword and stared in disbelief as blood welled from his heart. He stumbled backward a few steps and fell lifeless to the ground.

We all looked at the armored figure in silence. Wide-eyed, color-draining silence. Tashnei looked like she'd completely forgotten about me. Her daggers were quivering in her hands. Elsa and Cassia stood frozen. Leise looked like she was staring at a god. The man she'd struggled to defeat had been killed in an instant.

The silence flooded across us until I sighed and scratched my head. "Well? Aren't you going to do the big reveal? Take off that helm and release all those trapped farts you've been inhaling all this time?"

The four women slowly turned their eyes, giving me a look like I was some kind of lunatic with a death wish.

And I will admit, for the first time in a long time, I felt a small trickle of real fear. Why? It's because my insult bounced off him like a pebble against Kozodimon steel. Not only was he unbothered by my words, he seemed happy to do what I asked, lifting his helm, blonde hair falling loose. And let me tell you, the next time Charm says "Charm is Charm, " I'm going to nod along like the rest of them.

"Good evening, my friends," Ress said, smiling handsomely at each of us.

Chapter 31

Unequal

I flooded my eyes with my halos, casting the Spell of Seeing. The plate armor may have hidden his halos, but with his helm off, I would have no trouble discerning his aura. Yet, as I stared into him, I could not sense anything. It was no different than the time I had looked upon him with the Spell of Seeing in the tavern. His halos were empty. He had no gates opened. Only now, I knew that this was impossible, for I had seen him move with the elegance and precision of the Gate of Symmetry.

I have my weaknesses, as all fighters do. I can't tell you the number of times I've fought those who were superior to my physical or magical abilities. But now that my gates were closed, there's one thing I'm very confident about: there is no one gateless that is my equal.

Yet the man standing before me was breaking that confidence. Even Charm's suggestion that he wore an Amulet of Silence was impossible. Such an artifact drowned out your halos and gates to the point that it made you weaker than the average person. Thus it was even more impossible to move as he did while wearing an amulet.

Ress smiled at me, no doubt noticing my disbelief and glowing eyes.

"Have you heard the story of the Three Cursed Families of Belliganna?" Ress said to no one in particular.

We just stared at him. He might as well have asked us if we wanted some ice cream. His words did not process in our minds. I, for one, was expecting something along the lines of, Hello, you're all going to die now. Maybe that was still in the cards, but I guess he had a tale he wanted to tell first.

"Judging by your expressions," Ress continued. "I take it that you haven't heard the story. That is no fault of your own. This legend is passed down from generation to generation amongst the Belligannian nobility. It tells the story of the Three First Houses of Belliganna. The stature and influence of those three houses have fallen in the past two centuries, and so the harsh enforcement of the legend's secrecy is not what it once was. As such, I would be happy to share it with you all."

"Who are you?" Leise demanded.

Ress smiled at her, but he ignored her question and began his story.

"One night, long ago, three siblings wandered into the dark dwelling of a demon's lair..."

* * *

The siblings, an elder brother, a middle brother, and a younger sister, had been born in the same hour of a single womb. In those days, such an event was not considered a miracle or a blessing as it is today. It was considered a curse, an omen of misfortune. The village feared the unusual birth, and so they banished the family to the outskirts of the surrounding lands.

The three children grew up in exile with only the company of each other and their parents. No matter how the siblings tried to win favor and prove themselves, the villagers refused to accept them. The village sage did not allow them to attend his school. The village craftsmen refused to take them on as apprentices. The other children in the village ruthlessly tormented them, which led to vicious fights.

And so, the siblings lived their lives as outcasts.

Then, at the age of twenty-five, the three siblings lost their parents to illness. That same year, their meager farm had been storm-wasted, and the village had still not lifted their banishment. The curse of misfortune had come true.

They wept to each other on a mound in their ruined farm. "Will we be the last of our line? How are we to build our families? What are we to do?"

Just then, a traveling witch from a neighboring village heard their weeping. Even her village knew of the siblings and avoided them for fear of their curse of misfortune. But upon hearing their cries, the witch took pity on them.

"There is a cave in the mountains where a demon lives," she told them. "His power is vast, and there you may ask him to lift your curse. However, know that few who entered his cave have returned. Only the pure of heart may leave unscathed with his gifts."

Even the siblings had heard of the demon in the mountains. Their parents had warned them on many occasions to never stray near. But desperate to have their curse lifted, the siblings readily entered the demon's cave.

There, in the dank darkness, they made their pleas. "Let us return to the village! Let us build families of our own! Let us be free of our curse and our shame!"

Not long after their cries had faded, a voice in the darkness replied, "I am a demon, and so I can only grant you further curses. But should you accept, my curse shall break the one that you now hold."

"Then we accept your curse," said the siblings without hesitation.

But deep in their hearts, the siblings had other desires too. Desires they did not speak but desires the demon heard nonetheless.

Maaduewel, the eldest brother, wished for unparalleled magic so that he could protect his younger siblings.

Temmael, the middle brother, was content to have a gifted older brother and a beautiful younger sister, and so he only wished for their happiness.

Feluwan, the younger sister, secretly wished for her older brothers to be weaker, so that they would not challenge the other village boys so often.

And thus, the demon granted curses to match their desires.

When the siblings returned home, they found the villagers waiting for them. The witch had informed the village of the siblings' entry into the demon's cave. And upon seeing the siblings unharmed by the demon, the villagers welcomed them back into the village, for all knew that only the pure of heart may return unscathed from the demon's cave.

In the years that followed, the three siblings began families of their own. There were no ill-fated triple births from a single womb, however, each family bore exactly three children each. Two older brothers and one younger sister.

And as each child was born, the demon's hidden curses revealed themselves. Maaduewel, Temmael, and Feluwan had not left the cave with their curse removed. They had left the cave with curses tripled. Curses that would be passed down from generation to generation.

The eldest, Maaduewel, had longed for his children to surpass him in magical prowess for it had been his greatest desire to become a powerful mage. But he was dismayed when his first child was born without magical abilities. The boy did not have a single ring of halos. He would never become a mage let alone cast a spell. Yet, strangely, as if to counterbalance his lack of magic, the boy was incredibly strong and agile. Not even the adults in the village or Maaduewel himself were his match in the wrestling ring or a weapons tournament.

But Maaduewel still wished for a child with strong magical talent, so he rested his hopes on his next two children. But his second son and daughter were only average talents in magic, no different than any other children in the village. Their physical talents were impressive, but nothing close to their elder brother. But for one week of each year, Maaduewel's two younger children suffered from an illness that grew as the years passed. To Maaduewel's horror, this illness claimed their lives in the twenty-fifth year.

By then, his eldest son had become a famous swordsman that could defeat dozens of men single-handedly. And upon the death of his two younger siblings, his abilities tripled.

The full effects of the demon's curses were only revealed when Maaduewel's eldest son had children of his own. The same pattern repeated itself. The eldest was born with unrivaled physical ability, and the two younger siblings suffered an illness once each year until their twenty-fifth year when it would claim their lives.

Meanwhile, a different pattern had emerged in Temmael's family. He had wished for the happiness of his elder brother and younger sister. He too had three children, and it was the eldest and the youngest that were afflicted by the deadly illness. However, the middle child had unparalleled magic, born with eyes that could see through all things and halos grander than the top ten mages in the surrounding villages combined. The middle child's powers also tripled when his older and younger siblings succumbed to their yearly illness.

This immense magical talent of his middle-born drew the jealousy of his elder brother Maaduewel and worry of his younger sister Feluwan.

And just like Maaduewel's eldest, the children of Temmael's middle-born son followed the same pattern. Every generation, the middle born bore another middle born with unrivaled magical talent while the eldest and the youngest died cursed deaths. And these curses continued on in each generation.

Now you might think that Feluwan's children followed a similar pattern. And in a way it did. The demon, who by its nature was an evil creature, had damned Maaduewel, Temmael, and Feluwan in a manner that cut at the heart of their unspoken desires by cursing each family line with the Three Birth Curses. The Death Curse, the Gate Curse, and the Blood Curse.

The child born with the Death Curse is rich in spirit and health, immune to poison, and stronger than three men combined. However, for a single week of each year, they become deathly ill. Then in the twenty-fifth year of life, this illness will end their life. But upon their death, the child's siblings born with the Gate Curse shall fully manifest their powers.

The child born with the Gate Curse comes into the world with Gates of Ascendance opened, the full extent of their powers only manifesting upon the death of their siblings. However, the Gate Cursed must watch their siblings die young all the while knowing that their advantages in life came at the cost of their brothers and sisters.

The child born with the Blood Curse passes on the Three Curses to his or her children. The Blood Cursed can only have three offspring, and the Three Birth Curses shall be distributed amongst them. One of those children shall receive the Blood Curse, and so the curse lives on.

For first-born Maaduewel, the eldest child of each generation is born with the Blood Curse and the Gate Curse. However, although his Gate of Symmetry is awakened, he holds no capability for magic. His younger siblings receive the Death Curse.

For second-born Temmael, who wished for the happiness of his elder brother and sister, the demon cursed his descendants so that the middle child of each generation holds the Gate Curse and the Blood Curse. This child is born with the Gate of Perception awakened. His older and younger siblings receive the Death Curse.

And so the eldest of House Maaduewel and the middle child of House Temmael reap the rewards of the curse and the ability to pass on their powers while their siblings reap the cost of their unearned abilities.

But what of Feluwan?

She had wished for her older brothers to be weaker so that they would not fight so often. And so once again, the demon cursed her in a manner that would never allow her or her line to fulfill that wish.

Feluwan's two oldest sons were born with the Gate of Radiance awakened. Not equal to the middle child of House Temmael who had opened the Fifth Gate, but far superior to any other village mage. However, unlike her brothers' families, the curses did not pass through those who were blessed with gifts. It was the youngest daughter, who suffered an illness each year that passed on the curse to her children. Before her death at the age of twenty-five, she had borne three children, and it was in her line that the pattern continued.

And so the daughters of House Feluwan bear both the Blood Cursed and the Death Curse.

Despite the dismay and suffering caused by the Death Curse, the Gate Curses gave each family unparalleled advantages in the village. They adapted quickly, taking full advantage of their gifts.

House Maaduewel dropped all ambitions to become magically powerful and trained the eldest son of each generation to become masters of the sword, winning lands and settling disputes through duels of the sword.

House Temmael was unrivaled in magical power and began expanding the village's territory through conquest, destroying entire armies with the sweep of the hand.

House Feluwan ensured that their youngest daughter of each generation was wed young and birthed children before their deaths. Meanwhile, the elder brothers who had opened the Gate of Radiance wed into powerful families across the continent to grow the influence and wealth of the house.

Within two centuries, the three houses had banded together through their shared fate and unified the surrounding villages and towns, thus building the great nation of Belliganna.

House Maaduewel, Temmael, and Feluwan ruled Belliganna until the current era. But over time, the method of power had changed. As the population grew, there were others among the common people with awakened gates. In addition, power was no longer only derived from strength and magic. Trade and wealth are often greater aspects of power. The stature and influence of the Three First Houses faltered further when two centuries ago, House Temmael's line was severed. Then, most recently, seven years ago, before she could pass on her Blood Curse, the youngest daughter of House Feluwan died at sea during a pirate raid on her father's vessel.

And so, of the Three First Houses of Belliganna, only House Maaduewel remains. My house. To answer your question dear Lieutenant, I am Lord Resharrd Maaduewel, eldest born and heir to House Maaduewel. A pleasure to make your acquain-

* * *

As Ress bowed, a dagger shot past me, straight at Ress's dipped head. Tashnei burst after it not a moment later, two more daggers in each hand, legs tapping lighting fast against the ground, daggers drawing toward Ress in a pincer movement.

Ress caught the dagger she'd thrown without looking like he was plucking a grape off a vine he'd already eaten from, and his body blurred as Tashnei met him, her two daggers thrusting forward into—air. Ress had already moved. The dagger he'd caught was plunged deep in her belly.

"You know, it's quite rude to interrupt a story," he said.

Tashnei coughed blood, but she slammed her two daggers down at him, forcing him to back away and release the one he buried into her stomach.

She stumbled several steps backward, her left hand dropping its dagger to clutch her wound. She wavered for a second then collapsed to the ground.

I looked over at her with some pity. It'd been a good try attacking when he had his head bowed. I think it'd been pretty clear to her as it was to me that Ress didn't plan on letting any of us walk away alive after revealing his secrets. But she shouldn't have made the attempt alone.

"My story continues now to the present day," Ress said as if the interruption was nothing to worry about. "Not so long ago, my mentor visited a tavern. There, he saw a young woman of unrivaled beauty. She had an unnatural stamina and seemed immune to the effects of poison. And so, upon hearing this, I had to come to check for myself. For I had devised a way to break the Demon's Curse, but I could only do it with the participation of the youngest daughter of House Feluwan."

Ress was staring at Elsa now, and I saw Cassia and Leise's eyes widening.

Elsa stood unwavering, fists clenched, her gaze hard on his. "Do you know there's another version of that story?" she said.

Ress raised his brows. "Oh?"

"In the cave, Maaduewel wishes to receive the strength he believes his younger siblings took from him in his mother's womb. Temmael wishes his brother and sister were never born, for they had always stolen the attention of others from him. Feluwan offers her life as a sacrifice to bring happiness to her brothers, who she knows despise her."

"That version is too depressing," Ress said, waving it away. "In my story, the demon is the villain. Much preferable, don't you think?"

Elsa shook her head. "It's not that depressing," Elsa said, her voice rough. "The hero of the story is Feluwan. She sacrifices herself so that no one else has to suffer."

"But no one has to suffer anymore," Ress said, smiling like a noble prince from a storybook. "I have figured out how to break the curse."

"There is no breaking the curse!" Elsa shouted.

"Oh, but there is. If the two remaining families are reunited together once again, then the curse shall end. It's never been tried, and I am certain that is the solution."

"You don't know the outcome. You would risk the curse doubling itself."

Ress grinned. "Of course, that is possible. But at the very least the eldest child shall be born with partial manifestations of the Gate Curses. I am the eldest of House Maaduewel. The curse passes through my line and grants my eldest the Gate of Symmetry. Elsabetha Feluwan, youngest of House Feluwan, the curse passes through you, granting the eldest the Gate of Radiance! Your curse shall give our eldest child the halos I lack. Join me, and let us create a new house stronger than any before!"

We all turned and looked at Elsa then. Tears were welling in Cassia's eyes and Leise looked in shock.

"You're insane," Elsa replied. "Even if you take me by force, my time left is not sufficient to raise three siblings for the curses to take hold."

"Oh, don't be so certain," Ress said. "You are twenty-four years old, giving you a year left before the Death Curse takes you. Our great ancestry was born by miracle, and I am certain a miracle will happen again. Our children shall be born in a single hour, in a single womb."

"No!" Elsa shouted. "I watched my mother die. I decided then this curse would end with me."

Ress smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry, my dear. I've already been given your hand in marriage by your father and your elder brothers should I bring you home alive. With our houses reunited, we can topple the other houses who look down on us and once again become the true rulers of Belliganna!"

"Ooooooh. Myyyyy. Gaawwwdddss." I shoved a finger. "Are you telling me this whole thing, from attacking Valentall to that long-winded creepy story, was all just a really awkward proposal for a gods-damned cousin-marriage!?"

Ress looked at me strangely then, as if he was trying to see through me. Then he smiled. "I'd always known you wore a mask, Master Arch. But to still be wearing it now… why, you must have something very interesting hidden underneath."

I waved my hand. "No way, man. No reveal can compete with you turning out to be a fart-smelling cousin-lover. I mean, how is a guy supposed to top that?"

Actually, after what was probably thousands of years, they weren't really cousins anymore, but I was trying to get under Ress's skin. The problem was, it wasn't working. Not one bit. The guy seemed to be entirely immune. In fact, he looked relaxed, even a little amused by my insults.

He held out his gauntleted hand to Elsa. "We are on the precipice of a new era. Not only in Belliganna but also here in Adentris. Great change is coming. The old powers shall be toppled. Join me, Elsabetha, and play your part in creating the new world."

I saw then that Leise was shaking. From rage or fear, I don't know. But her hand was drifting toward her sword. Elsa looked like pure fury. And Cassia looked like she was about to bless Ress's black heart into the heavens or something.

The problem was that our chance of winning was slim. Very slim, especially since I was now quite sure his Kozodimon armor was real. But I had yet to find an advantage. I needed more time and information, but I wasn't the person who could buy it. I could tell the girls were going to move then, both Leise and Cassia had recovered enough to make an attack, and there was no stopping them. But as long as Ress's helm was off, that slim chance was still a chance.

Ress knew we were going to rush him. I could see it in his face. And do you know what this smug, handsome bastard did? He gave us a grin to break a thousand hearts and tucked his helm under his left arm as if to tell us he wasn't worried enough to wear it.

We moved all at once. Leise swung her blade, and it was immediately cut in two by his Kozodimon sword, but she had planned for this, and rolled, picking up Weveld's dropped Blue Oract sword, and coming back with a second swing at Ress's backside without missing a beat.

While that was happening, Cassia and I both began casting.

"Rule of Ruin Twenty-Six Spectral Sword!" Cassia bellowed rapid-fast.

"Rule of Ruin Forty-Five Desert Doom," I whispered.

Both our incantations activated at the same moment. Cassia leapt upward, drawing back a bright red blade just as a small circle around Ress's feet turned black and large tendrils of darkness rose to swallow him.

He jumped before I could catch him, deflecting Leies's second blow and flipping through the air. Cassia had somehow expected my move, and was ready for Ress in the air, swinging her summoned red blade at his head. Ress slapped aside the blade with his helm, thereby confirming his armor was real, and swung his foot down, kicking Cassia hard on the shoulder, dropping her directly into my spell.

Luckily, I'd already started releasing Desert Doom by then anyway, my halos were already nearly depleted, and so the spell didn't hurt her too badly.

At that moment, just as Ress was returning to the ground, a net of wire flew over his head. I looked over and saw that Elsa had thrown it, and it was the perfect timing.

It was too late for a swing, even for him, but he didn't waver. He slammed his foot into the ground. And let me tell you, it was a beautiful thing. Even I had never achieved that level of precision with my Gate of Symmetry open. He hit the ground first with his toe, then his heel, then his toe again. It was so fast I barely saw it. The rhythm of the triple blow sent shock waves into the ground that made the surrounding tiles and dirt below erupt upward, pushing up the net before it could land. Then with a single overhead swing of his sword, the net was cut to shreds.

Leise was on him in a heartbeat, matching swords with Ress blow for blow. I recognized the blank look on her face. She was in the sword trance, her form and movements perfected, but she was just barely keeping up with Ress, and her sword was being chipped away.

"Damn girl," I muttered. "Only good when things get tough, huh?"

Cassia was struggling back to her feet, and Elsa was gathering more wire. But I just couldn't see it. I couldn't see a way to win.

I was not far from Tashnei, who was staring at me with terrified eyes. Her wound was deep and nasty.

I leaned over and took the two daggers she'd held. "Going to borrow these real quick."

Just as Leise's borrowed sword broke in two, I tossed a dagger at the back of Ress's head before he could cut her down. He hadn't dropped his awareness at all and slapped it aside, but it gave Leise a chance to back away. I moved in then, feeling dumb as hell since I had no plan. I just didn't know enough. I saw barely any signs of weaknesses that I could exploit, other than his dumb decision to not put his helm back on. But who could blame him? We didn't come close in ability.

I dropped into Water Step then. It wasn't really meant to be used with a dagger in hand, but it was the best I could do.

It wasn't enough.

I tried to conceal my attack with the Water Step, but the problem was I was just too slow. The man was half-cat and half-humming bird. I was left partially open after two bouts. I didn't even see his foot when it landed, but instincts told me to push off it with my arms or it would have shattered my ribcage. The force of the blow still sent me skidding across the square and crashing into one of the burnt buildings.

"Enough!" I heard someone shout.

My head throbbed like someone was hitting it, and my vision was a blur of shapes. Then I felt something warm spreading across my leg.

"Gods, did I wet myself?" I'd known unawakened bodies could do that without warning during battle.

But when I looked down, I saw that my pants leg was covered in blood. A large thorn of wood was poking out of my leg.

My heart started beating rapidly then. I calmed myself immediately and removed the thorn, putting a palm to the wound.

"Spell of Healing, Mend!"

I focused and visualized the wound, slowly filling it with warmth, willing my flesh to come together, and slowly it did.

Ahead, only Elsa was standing. Cassia and Leise were both on their knees, wounded and panting, and Ress stood over them. But his gaze was on Elsa, who stood twenty paces away.

Then my vision focused further, and I saw that Elsa had picked the dagger I'd thrown at Ress. She had it pointed to her neck.

"I'm the one you want, aren't I?" Elsa said. Her legs were trembling, but her hands and the dagger were stiff as stone.

"You are," said Ress.

"Let them go, and you can have me."

Ress smiled. "I am happy to see your change of heart, but I already have you, and it would be cleaner to kill them."

"If a single one of them dies, then I do too. That's a promise, and you can count on it coming from someone who doesn't have much time left anyway."

Ress considered her then, and I was quite sure he was thinking about rushing her.

Elsa kept her eyes locked on him, eyes unblinking. She grinned wolfishly. "Try me."

Ress watched her another moment, then he sighed. "Very well, what do you propose?"

"We leave. When they're out of sight, I'll put down the blade."

"What's preventing you from killing yourself after?"

"Obviously, you'll threaten to come back and kill them if I do. And let me tell you now if you try that later, I'm good as dead."

Ress watched her for a moment, then I saw him turn in my direction, searching for me before turning back to Elsa. "I hate making compromises, but very well. As long as I have you, it is a small matter."

"No!" Cassia cried. "You can't! Not this!"

"We'll come for you," Leise said to Elsa. "I promise it."

I couldn't hear what Elsa said to Cassia and Leise then. But she never took her eyes off of Ress. He looked at me one last time, but I was in darkness, and he would not have seen me. Then he turned and headed north, and Elsa followed him out of the square toward Redrick Forest.

By the time I had healed myself and pulled myself out of the wreckage, they had already disappeared into the trees.

Chapter 32

Packing for Rain

My leg was tender and my bones and muscles ached as I limped back onto the square. I saw that Leise and Cassia were huddled over Tashnei, and to my disbelief, it almost looked like Cassia was trying to revive the assassin. Then I remembered the type of person Cassia was, and so that was exactly what was happening.

But it didn't look like she was going to succeed. Tashnei's wound was serious, and Cassia's healing magic was only as good as mine, which is to say it wasn't great.

"Master Arch," Cassia said with relief in her features as she saw me walk up.

"He took her," Leise said, her voice cold. Her hands were over Tashnei's wound, holding in the blood. "He was inhuman. We were like children to him."

"I need your help," Cassia said. "I've tried to repair her wound, but my spell of healing isn't enough. Together we might stand a chance to heal her."

Good old Cassia. Even with her friend kidnapped, she was desperately trying to save an enemy on the verge of death.

But I was no Cassia.

"And why would I do that?" I said. "She's just going to try to kill us the second she's healed."

"I will arrest her," Leise said.

"Uh huh," I said. "And assuming you manage to haul her to a prison, Edwond will free her. Or she'll just free herself. She's dangerous, at least as good as me when she's serious."

"We can't just let her die," Cassia said.

"Sure we can," I said. "In fact, I think that's a great plan."

"P-plea-se."

I looked down and saw that it was Tashnei who had spoken. Her raven hair was soaked in sweat, wisps clinging to her face and neck. Her pale skin was nearly porcelain with the blood loss. I couldn't see the wound too well, but I'd seen a dagger in the stomach on enough occasions to know that hers was a bad one. Her eyes were bright and pleading as she stared at me.

"H-elp me."

"No," I said. "And I'll tell you why. When I was young and foolish, I saved an enemy. He went on to kill several of my friends. So I stopped doing that for a while. But then stupidity took over and I did it again a few more times. Two of the three enemies I saved went on to kill people I liked. And let me tell you, watching your friends die to old age is a horrible thing, but watching them die before their time because you let an enemy live is worlds worse. So I don't do that anymore."

"I saw her, Arch-don," Cassia said. "She held back when she fought you."

Leise nodded. "She is no threat to us anymore."

"You guys do realize what you're asking here, right? Assuming Elsa didn't smash Baldie-Baddie's head in, he might only remember seeing me jump around a bit while he was fighting Cassia. But this girl went head to head with me. She knows my strength. And thanks to Ress's appearance, she now knows I'm a mage too. Even if she isn't freed, the Inquisitors will pick her apart in questioning. That'll be the end of me and my tavern. They'll know I'm the Greenfin, who the Duke is no fan of by the way. Best case scenario is I manage to escape Meritas and never come back."

"But-" Cassia began.

"And don't forget," I said, cutting her off. "I've already let you save Darren Tamblion. The High Templar didn't know my name, and no one would have believed his story anyway. But if there are two rumors about me, then it's over. So what you're really asking me here is to close my tavern, which let's be clear, isn't going to happen."

Cassia shook her head. "Letting her die when we could save her is little different than killing her ourselves."

"Then will you agree to let this murderer walk free once we save her?" I asked. "Because I can't afford to have her locked in a dungeon and interrogated. And before you answer, let me tell you right now—she's a killer. Maybe Desmond got what was coming to him, but I bet you many who didn't deserve it have fallen to her blade."

Leise didn't like that one bit. Neither did Cassia. They looked back down at the woman bleeding out. Saving her meant letting a criminal walk free.

"I believe she can change for the better," Cassia said. "I can't let her die when she no longer poses a threat."

Leise had a harder time with it. In the end, she said, "I am against forgoing justice, but it is not my ability that will save her. Thus the choice is Cassia's and yours, Master Arch."

"My choice is to save her," Cassia said with the glow of determination in her eyes.

I rubbed my head with frustration.

Then Tashnei held up a finger to me. "I, T-ashnei Wint-erspell, b-ind m-yself to y-ou, M-aster."

I looked at her in shock. Her finger began to glow with white light. She had begun the slave spell. Even Cassia was wide-eyed with disbelief. She turned to look at me. All three of them looked at me. And what's a guy supposed to do in that situation? Three beautiful women asking for your help, one of them offering to do as you command until the day they die.

"Gods damn it!" I exclaimed and slapped the finger away. "Alright, listen here. The truth is I'd like nothing more than to have a girl like you bound to me. Dark, silent type with questionable morals and a mysterious past—and certainly not some holier than thou innocent that's nagging me all the time to save the wrong people. You're just my type, and I'd love to own your soul. But unfortunately, I've already got someone else that's a real handful. Takes all my wits just to stay on top. Things are better lately, but it's hard to say how they'll be tomorrow, especially if I bring some raven-haired, shadow-eyed beauty in. One wrong move and it's over. And not just for you and me, for all of us. So the slots are full. I tell you this because I don't want you thinking I'm some clown with notions of chivalry. That ain't me. I know how the world works, and I bet you do too with eyes like those. I'd bind you if I could. But I can't. So we're going to have to do this pact the old-fashioned way. You've clearly got something you want. Something you care about more than anything. More than your life. More than your freedom. That's good. I wouldn't do this if you didn't. Here's the deal. You never betray me. Never. In return, I won't ever ask anything of you. We'll go our separate ways after this. But if you betray me, then that thing you want, that thing you desire more than anything never happens. Never comes true. It shatters the moment you betray me, and the worst outcome happens instead. Obviously, working for a guy that's trying to kill me counts as a betrayal. So you're done with that as of this moment. And going forward, you never move a muscle in any way that goes against me. That's the deal. It's a pact with you, me, and old Celeru up there. If you agree with all that, then swear you'll never betray me."

"I s-wear... I w-ill ne-ver be-tray y-ou."

I'm glad she said it quickly and didn't hesitate. Truth is I got a little carried away with my speech which ate up precious time. Not my fault. As I said, there were three pretty girls staring at me. It's like the great philosopher Maternes once said, "If you wish to make a man foolish, put him before a beautiful woman."

Good Celeru, smite my foolish ass. Here I was saving an enemy, yet again.

Cassia and I put our hands over Tashnei's wound and began our healing spells simultaneously. Healing magic did not require one's halos, as it was the aura of the heart that heals, and that aura is boundless if one can muster it. But what made the spell difficult was the inner calm and the visualization of the wound it required. I closed my eyes and imagined the inner damage of Tashnei's wound knitting back together.

Our hands were covered in blood when we lifted them again, but the skin beneath had mended. Tashnei was still touch and go for a bit. She'd fallen unconscious while we performed the spell, but eventually her breathing stabilized.

I stood again and stretched. My leg was mostly back to normal. The entire procedure had lasted a quarter of an hour. There was only one matter left to attend to.

"Arch-don..." Cassia said. But her words were hesitant. She knew her next request was high. Too high. But she'd ask anyway. Because she was Cassia, and she wasn't going to let a friend be carried away for some horrific fate, even if it meant that there was no coming back. "I'm heading into the forest... will you come with me?"

"Oh shut up," I snapped. "You can barely stand. I'll handle it."

"But Arch-don…" Cassia began, worry deepening. "You…" Her voice trailed off because once again, she was Cassia and she was too polite to state the obvious.

"I what? Don't stand a chance against Ress? Come now. You know who I am." I grinned at her then. "Did you really think I'd go on vacation without packing for rain?"

Chapter 33

Ten Words

I was trying to say I had a hidden advantage held in reserve for a situation like this, but my dashing line of "Did you think I'd go on vacation without packing for rain?" went straight over their heads because we spent another ten minutes bickering.

Cassia and Leise demanded to come with me. Cassia gave me some nonsense about Celeru didn't let comrades face evil alone, and Leise was using a lot of synonyms for "duty" and "honor". I had to sweep both ladies off their feet to show that they would only get in the way. And when I say I swept the two ladies off their feet, I don't mean in the knight in shining armor kind of way. I mean I kicked their feet from out under them. Not my most charming moment, but it proved the point.

Also knights in shining armor aren't really all that. In fact, more often than not, they're a load of stuck-up jerks. Case in point with the one I was about to follow into the forest.

Next on the worry list, Cassia and Leise believed it would be too late to catch him. That was true enough, especially since we spent so much gods-damned time saving the attractive assassin. But I was pretty sure Ress would wait at least a little while for me. And if I was right, I was pretty certain I could win.

I told Leise and Cassia to stay put. The last thing I wanted was them going off to get help, which would only complicate the night even further. Upon forcing their oaths that they'd wait until sunrise, I headed into the forest.

* * *

There was a bright moon overhead, but within the forest it was dark. I cast the Spell of Seeing, channeling my halos into my eyes. The purpose of the spell was primarily to see halos, but it also partially increased the user's ability to see light in general. It was a small spell, and it allowed me to traverse the forest in the near dark.

Within five minutes, I had found the path that Ress and Elsa had taken. And in case I'd not seen it, Ress had cut down entire rows of trees, forming a straight path forward. This feat alone was chilling, for he'd performed a day's work of an entire lumber crew in the last thirty minutes as he made his way through the forest. I had not even needed my spell, for moonlight streaked through the gaps left by Ress's fallen trees.

I kept my pace quick as I followed Ress's path and considered my plan. There were two things going for me in my favor. Firstly, although Ress's armor was Kozodimon steel, I was now certain that his psyche was not as impenetrable as it first appeared. Still, I had not discovered his weakness, though I had no doubt it existed. Secondly, as I had told Cassia, I had packed for rain before beginning my vacation. That is to say, I had something up my sleeve that would allow me to defeat Ress. I had prepared it before my gates had closed to be used in the case of emergencies. However, I could only use it when there were no witnesses, otherwise it was likely to put a very quick end to my vacation, my tavern, and even possibly my life. But even with this emergency ability, it would only work if he took it head-on. If Ress dodged, which would be easy with his Gate of Symmetry, I was doomed.

What I needed for my plan to work was to further understand Ress. I'd thought I had a pretty good handle on the guy, but I was completely off the mark. Then again, how is someone supposed to guess that some ancient foreign curse granted him the powers of the Fourth Gate while rendering him haloless at the same time?

And yet, somehow Charm had guessed correctly. I sighed with dread at the thought of seeing Charm's mild smirk for being right all along when I got back to the tavern. But I think she had sensed something wrong in Ress. His perfect invulnerable exterior was not as perfect as it had seemed. That is to say, there was a crack in his armor.

Ahead, the trees cleared, and I could hear the sound of water lapping against stones in the distance. I stopped, held out my right hand and drew a rune into my palm with my pillar and halos. It'd been more than fifteen years since I drew this rune, and it was a comfort seeing it on my palm again. Then I stepped out of the trees.

Ahead of me, the dirt ground of the forest merged into a beach of pebble and stone, and beyond that was the Veleurian Lake, a dark expanse of water that shimmered under the moonlight.

Just to the right of my vantage point, were several tall boulders and a lone tree that stood amongst the stones. The tree was dead, bare of leaves, but its trunk had yet to fall. I saw them then. Ress sat on the boulder, staring down at me with a happy smile. Elsa was leaned against the dead tree, her arms held high above her head, palms on top of each other, and the dagger she carried earlier was struck through both hands into the tree trunk, pinning her in place. Blood streaked down her arms. Her eyes were closed, her expression focused, and her breath controlled and measured.

"See?" Ress said, half turning to Elsa. "I told you he would come."

Elsa's eyes shot open then, her concentration breaking, and the controlled breath was lost. Panicked eyes darted across the pebbles, and tears of silver flowed from them when she found me.

It was all strangely beautiful then. It was as if the stones were shining brighter under the moonlight. Even Ress in his white armor was striking. And Elsa was as beautiful as... well... Elsa.

I could not remember the last time it had been like this, but I remembered I used to experience this feeling before a fight. When there was much to lose, and victory was uncertain.

"W-hy?" Elsa croaked, and it was all she could manage, and in her eyes, I saw the torment of her emotions, an ever-changing flux between hope and despair.

"Yes," Ress said, smiling. "Tell us why you've come, despite knowing your fate."

"Uh oh..." I scratched my head, looking between the two of them. "This is really awkward... but uh... I was just following your trail so I could tell the authorities later. I didn't expect you guys to be waiting for me."

Ress laughed. "You know, I always liked you, Master Arch. You deflect and you dodge, and in its own way, it reveals your strength."

"What in Celeru's ass are you talking about?"

"Look at you now. Any other man would be afraid. Terrified to face his own death. But you keep on talking as if you haven't a care in the world. Is that not strength? I think it is. But it's not the kind of strength that we men see easily. We value straightforward and obvious strengths. Brawn and might and aggression. Women have an easier time identifying the subtle strengths like the one you have. That is why I made a mistake with Valentall. I thought he was the one who'd held Elsa's heart. I thought I couldn't seduce her while he was still alive, but I had chosen the wrong man. He never had her heart, I see that now."

"Okay, firstly, don't talk out of your ass. Makes it hard to understand what you're saying. All that came out like a load of gibberish. Use your mouth, it'll go a lot better."

"Master Arch," Ress said as if he was speaking to a dear friend. "I've revealed my identity, won't you reveal yours before the end? I am truly curious-"

"Don't do this!" Elsa shouted. And at first, I thought she was speaking to Ress, but her words were for me. "My life isn't worth yours! My time is up anyway! Don't..."

Her voice caught in her throat, for I had smiled at her. "Elsa," I said. "I know I owe you three questions, but if my count's correct, you owe me one favor. So could you do me a favor right now?"

"Wh-at?" And as she said it, I think she knew what I was going to say before I replied, for fresh tears flowed from her eyes. But they were no longer from despair. The storm in her heart had turned toward hope.

I grinned. "Trust me."

Elsa swallowed and nodded once.

Ress laughed. "Oh, Master Arch. I must thank you for that. I worried she would hold to the hope that her friends would come for her. But once you are dead, she will be shattered, and I shall be the one to build her anew."

"Don't jump to conclusions," I said. "I feel like I've got at least a one in a hundred chance of kicking your ass."

"No." Ress shook his head. "You have no chance. I know you've held back in our last fight, but only slightly. You are near the end of your abilities. They are considerable for one as yourself, but paltry compared to my own. Even if my Gate of Symmetry were closed and I was not afforded its gifts, I wear Kozodimon armor, and I am the superior fighter. I apologize for the straightforwardness of my words, but these are the facts. Which make your attitude all the more interesting to me."

"How did you get a full set of Kozodimon armor, anyway? Didn't you say your House was on the decline? Can't imagine the shiny stuff comes cheap... unless you stole it, of course."

"It was a gift from the greatest armor smith in Belliganna," Ress said without any offense taken. "He is known to bequeath swords to worthy subjects. However, I am the first to ever receive a complete set from him."

"Helki?"

"What a surprise. How did you come across that name?"

"I'm going to tell him you told me," I said. "I hear he doesn't like that."

Ress laughed. "Elsa told you then." He looked at her now. "Yes, I believe your brother received a Kozodimon sword. Capable in his swordsmanship, but he reached his peak long ago. I'm afraid I will have to tell Helki he revealed his name when we return. After our wedding, of course."

"I'd rather marry a squirrel," Elsa spat.

"Oh my dear, do not worry. You will soon change your mind."

I peered at Ress with flat eyes. "Hey guy, I gotta hand it to you. I've met a lot of people in my life but no one's come close to being so confident and so creepy at the same time."

"And I've never met someone so fearless before certain death," Ress said and hopped off the boulder, landing impossibly light on the stones below. "You've cast Rule Forty-Five, Desert Doom, and so I assume you are also capable of Rule Forty-Six, Bane's Blade. But even that spell will not leave a mark on this plate. So tell me, what keeps you fearless? How is that possible?"

"Yeah, good ol' Brauzer asked the same thing. That's the problem with you guys. No imagination. That's why he lost to a kid half his age. I'm a little surprised you didn't even try to avenge him. He's the mentor you were speaking about right? Which makes you part of Ashbane's crew. But I suppose it makes sense that you'd be scared of Galston, with your weak-ass halos and all that."

Ress sighed. "Master Arch, are the unkind words necessary? I would have enjoyed fighting Galston if you had brought him tonight. But it was not worth the risk of revealing myself again in the city. Valentall was my target, and upon realizing he was the wrong man, I had no need to go further. There is only one person I truly needed to kill, and I am so happy you've come. But I have to admit... I don't know what has brought you here. You are the rare man who reveals nothing. Is it honor? Duty? Love? Help me understand what you are, Arch Gustkin."

Ress stared at me with intense eyes now. Their curiosity was almost childlike, as if he were observing an exotic animal that he did not believe existed.

"Someone like you would never understand..." I said. "But if you want to know what motivates me, what makes me, me, why I stand before you this night to do justice, then I'll tell you... All my life has been misery. That's because all my life... has been spent in the trenches, in the dirt, in the grime, most of it alone, but when it was with others, I was surrounded by the ugliest, hairiest, greasiest men like you wouldn't believe! And now finally, due to dumb luck or Celeru belatedly paying me back all the favors he owes me, I at long last have dizzying, dazzlingly, delightfully beautiful women at my side. But then! Then I get assholes like you every gods-damn month trying to take them away!? No way, you immaculate, handsome bastard! That's not going to happen!"

"Gods, Heru," Elsa said breathily. "That speech fell off a cliff real fast."

Ress blinked, then he sighed and shook his head. "Pretending even at the very end. A man should know when to be serious."

He drew his sword then, and I knew my time was running out. I had tried every angle, but none of my barbs had worked. I'd insulted his mentor, his abilities, his honor. But I'd gotten nothing in return. Not even a mild reaction.

I had believed I could defeat him because he had shown his ego. Nothing wrong with having an ego. We all have it to some degree. But you can't show that in a fight to a person like me. Because I'll exploit the hell out of it. Because having an ego means you're also capable of anger and shame, both of which do terrible things to intelligence during a fight. Add the right trigger and a beautiful girl into the mix, and you're going to get stupid real fast.

I saw Ress's ego when I fought him. He didn't put on his helm to show off his might. Then he kicked me when he could have stuck me with his sword because he wanted to kill me slowly, proving his superiority in front of Elsa. Finally, he revealed his goal of reclaiming the glory of his house and family name. If these weren't the hallmarks of an ego, then I don't know what were.

As was the case for any fool with an ego, I thought a few well-placed barbs would send him over the top. But it didn't. Because ego wasn't all Ress had. People like Darren Tamblion or Mideon Greengrass were easy enemies because their inflated sense of themselves came from a need to look down on others so that they would feel less small inside. And that meant those idiots were so insecure that they were constantly teetering on the verge of anger and shame at any moment. Call them a coward and name your attack "unblockable" or include some other "u" word and they'll run face-first into it just to prove you wrong.

Ress was different. He had his ego and a desire to prove himself better than others. But he also had something else...

And as my thoughts came together, as our conversation rang in my mind, I began to realize what it was. I began to understand who he was...

He was a man of certainty. Complete certainty. That's why, unlike with Darren and Mideon, insults and slights did nothing to Ress. When something didn't fit his worldview, he simply gave no weight to it, and you can't be angry or ashamed of something that you don't care about.

In that way, he was the exact opposite of Brauzer, who kept his mind open, who always allowed for uncertainty because he was afraid of being wrong. Ress wasn't afraid of being wrong. He was certain he was right. Always. Not about trivial matters, but he was certain about the story of himself.

I could see him clearly now. Why he could so easily brush off my scathing remarks. Why he never once considered the possibility that I was a danger to him. Why he was so certain Elsa would fall for him one way or another.

He had been born with gifts far surpassing those that took a lifetime to achieve. Even if he hadn't been born with the Gate of Symmetry, he was a natural talent with the sword. He was handsome, born of a noble lineage. A prodigy in many regards. Recognized even by the greatest armor smith of his land, who gifted Ress with a priceless treasure. And so his experience and environment constantly solidified and reinforced his sense of self.

And therein lay the crack in his perfection.

If there was anything, any single thing Ress held in his heart that he hadn't come to terms with, that didn't fall in line with the rest of his self-perception, then he would be doomed. Because anything even remotely at odds with that carefully built self-image of certainty and perfection would plunge his entire identity into question. And no one can be truly certain, truly happy about every aspect of themselves. We all have uncomfortable secrets, we all have faults, we all have parts of ourselves that we don't like. Whether that's past regrets, bad habits, an inability to grow a beard, or something else.

This truth of human nature was all the more dangerous for a man like Ress who was completely certain of his sublime identity. For a person like that, the first hint is that you weren't fully aware of your faults, that you have inadequacies like anyone else would send your world crashing down.

Because all it takes is a little gnat to ruin a glass of Medi Gilhanna. But if you weren't drinking a perfect and priceless Elven brandy that few kings have known the taste of, if you were just having an ale for a copper, then a gnat in the cup is no big deal.

Then what was the gnat in Ress's Elven brandy? What was the inconsistency in the story he told himself? What was the thing he held in his heart that he was not fully assured of?

I needed to think. I slowed down the inhale of my breath and accelerated my mind. My body was no longer what it once was, but my mind pathways were still there. Time slowed. All sounds quieted. I had failed to deduce Ress's identity, but I would discover his weakness, for that was the greatest mystery of all.

I racked my mind for every memory I had of him. Everything I knew. He was handsome. A talented musician. A swordsman of his generation. The heir to a noble line. Perhaps failing to seduce Elsa? No, he had seemed unbothered by it. He had likely hundreds of experiences to solidify the certainty of his charms and attraction. What was it then? Was there anything contradictory about this man? Did he ever display a moment of awkwardness or discomfort…

Something sparked in my mind. It was at the tavern. We had been sitting with Herwin and Matinue that night. Ress had left for a minute to use the latrine and when he had returned, there was lemonleaf stuck to the back of his trousers. I'd purposely not said anything, hoping it'd stick there the whole night and make him look foolish, but Matinue had pointed it out. And Ress had acted oddly… he had looked almost… embarrassed.

What had he said then? Ah yes, it was...

"Lemonleaf, ha! What a strange plant. I took some to wipe my hands. Must have gotten on my trousers somehow. Strange plant indeed. It's strange, don't you agree?"

He'd used the word strange three times. That was certainly fishy. But what did it mean? Was he really embarrassed to have the leaf stuck to his pants? Matinue had said it happened all the time since the stuff is on the floor and you can get it on your pants if you're not careful if you’re making the longer visit, when you drop your trousers and do your business. But wait… that was weird… Ress was gone for only a minute… no, it was less than a minute. There hadn’t been enough time for him to complete the longer visit. So how did the lemonleaf get on his pants? Was it really from wiping his hands...?

And then suddenly, like a storm clearing, my mind came to a conclusion. The pieces all fell into place, and the answer rang in my ears.

I couldn't believe it. This was the secret, and yet it was so small. So insignificant. Completely trivial. But not to him. To him, it would be something he never got over, never faced, because no one ever knew about it. And by the way he reacted to it, it was obvious that it was a source of discomfort, a source of shame.

All the other things he would have worked to overcome because he didn't have a choice. His lack of halos or even the decline of his house. That was out in the open. He would have experienced derision for those things throughout his life, and he would have either continued to suffer them or overcome them. He clearly overcame them and built his identity around his other accomplishments and talents. Only by facing one's fears repeatedly can one conquer them, and he did.

But not for this thing. This was different. This thing was private. There was no one to know. No one to call him out. To point the finger. To give him the chance to build his immunity against it. So this secret, this shame stayed hidden for all his life. Stayed secret only to him. Until now.

I breathed out, and the pace of time returned. I looked at Ress. He was ready, and now so was I.

"I'll answer your question, Ress," I said, my voice clear and measured. "The reason I'm not afraid to fight you is because just as you are sure of yourself, I'm sure of myself too. Especially when it comes to one specific unbreakable truth."

Ress smiled in good humor and dropped into a fighting stance. "And what truth is that?"

I arched my head back then and formulated my words like the drawing of a bowstring. I had to be precise. I had to be exact. I had to be deadly. My words needed to pinpoint his weakness and hit its exact mark. Like an arrow shot from a thousand paces through a loop of twine. I pointed an accusatory finger at him and channeled my best Charm impression, brows arching upward to form a withering look of pity, disdain, and disgust all wrapped into one as if I was staring at a slithering worthless insect. Then I spoke ten words of power. Ten words that would do greater damage than any incantation. I filled each word with malice and contempt, making them evil, blackened words. Words to break a soul.

"I'd never lose to a man who pees sitting down."

Chapter 34

Vulnerabilities

The effect was instantaneous. Forget the arrow, his demeanor changed like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his gonads. Veins along his neck and forehead bulged, blood vessels dilated across his face, the jaw muscles tensed and twisted, with his breath turning ragged, pupils going wide then sharpening to pinpricks. And all the intelligence and confidence in those once humor-laden eyes were replaced by shame and anger.

"You… you… bastard!" he hissed. "I have a phobia that prevents me from standing when I-I—h-how dare you make fun of it!? There's n-nothing wrong with sitting down as a man! We take dumps sitting down, don't we!? What's the difference!? What's the difference, I ask you!"

I stopped listening after he said the word "phobia." It was all the confirmation I’d needed to know that his confidence was obsolete. Humiliation through the roof and critical thinking down the latrine pit. My words had shone a scorching light on an embarrassing secret long held in darkness, and it was time for the next step.

I reached into the sky and held out my opened palm, and in my deepest, most manliest of manly voices, I bellowed, "UNBLOCKABLE ULTIMATE UULLL-TTRAAAA-BLAADDDEEE!"

My hand erupted with flashing light. It was a spectacle of blues, greens, and oranges. Condensed halos of all colors flashed from my palm. And there, a gruesome weapon materialized in shades of deepening intensity, as if layers of translucent veil were lifted one by one.

"Ha! A summoned blade?" Ress said, his voice quick and jumpy. "No aura weapon can withstand Helki's Kozodimon steel, not even a Rule of Ruin below seventy can dent this armor!"

I stared back at him, my baritones deeper than the Primordial Sea. "Time to meet your maker, pee-squatter."

Ress roared in reply. Eyes going red with rage. He pulled back his sword for a thrust, and kicked off, the force of his legs shattering the stone ground beneath his feet.

With my weapon solidified in my hand, I pulled it back, muscles tensing, strength gathering, giving it my all. The secret to an axe throw is the spin, not the speed, especially when your opponent provides all the momentum you need on their side. I took one powerful step forward and unleashed the axe straight at Ress's charging figure. The axe shot forward, torquing, whipping a whirlwind of dust on each side, shrieking a terrible cry as it split the air.

Ress grinned at my relatively slow-moving attack.

If Ress had not been consumed by ten simple words, he would have noticed it was a rune I activated and not a summoning spell. And if Ress had halos, he would have sensed the axe itself was not made of aura, that all the light that had exploded from my hand had no effect other than to produce a dazzling display.

But he did not see any of these things. And so he continued his trajectory, sword raised. With his other hand, he slapped away my axe as he did to Cassia's Spectral Sword.

Except, he didn't slap it away. The ugly black axe spun through his Kozodimon gauntlet as if it were passing through a lump of overboiled potatoes. And on it went, screaming forward, slicing through the shoulder and arm, and past that as well, the spinning axe shrieking downward into the base of the boulder behind Ress, shattering the rock as if it were brittle glass.

It wasn't the impact of the axe that stopped his forward movement. It was the pain of losing a limb. Ress screamed out, balance coming apart, Gate of Symmetry notwithstanding, sword flying out of his hand so that the opened palm could go to the fresh wound, legs buckling, face crashing down in a slump of agony, the severed limb slapping wetly against the ground like a freshly caught fish.

His released sword skidded along the stony ground, its momentum carrying it to my feet, while Ress's screams continued on in horrifying howls of pain. It was the sound of someone who had never experienced a serious wound, someone who had never known real pain. That tended to happen when you were born leagues above your peers. And in Ress's case, the Gate of Symmetry would have put him leagues above any likely enemies. He had few opportunities to fight a real foe. Until now.

I tucked my foot under the Kozodimon sword, and flipped it upward, catching it in my hand. Then I waited for him to finish his screaming. And I had to hand it to the guy, he took less time than most. His cries of terror soon became cries of rage.

Once the anger took hold, he stemmed his bleeding by expanding the muscles around cut severed veins, cutting off their flow of blood. An easy task for one who had sweeping control over his body through the Gate of Symmetry.

Then he was back on his feet, breath coming hard, chest heaving, eyes glaring at me like a demon. But he had lost a limb and his rare sword. He was weaponless. I saw his mind working. His neck whipped back to where my axe had landed, still buried halfway into the base of the boulder. He knew it now, the axe was no summoned aura blade. It was a weapon and made of true unyielding substance. In an instant, Ress leapt backward and snatched up the black axe from the crushed boulder. Then he was charging at me again. But his movements were all wrong. Without his sword, he had lost his edge. He was not trained in axe fighting. And what was a swordsman without a sword? A mediocre axeman, that's what.

That being said, I was no sword master either, and even with a missing limb, his Gate of Symmetry provided an advantage.

In the blink of an eye, he was before me, black axe slamming down in a slash that would sever me in two.

But I activated the rune in my palm once more. Just as he brought the axe down, I brought my opened palm forward toward his torso. The black axe in his hand faded away as a new ghost of an axe in my palm became real.

His arm swung down, past my face, but his hand was empty. At the same time, the weapon in my hand solidified, the blade tearing into his torso. Ress turned away at the last instant, but it was too late. The blade had already cut into his abdomen, slicing through the Kozodimon steel as if it were cutting through Kozodimon cheese.

Blood ripped away from the wound as the axe blade passed through his flesh. And then I was past him, the black axe in my hand, and Ress's Kozodimon sword in the other, unused.

I turned back at him, and he spun around, staring at me as he covered his new wound, stumbling backward, falling to a knee. Blood splattering across the white pebbles. He groaned and the bleeding slowed, once again his Gate of Symmetry allowing him to take control of his body's individual muscles and ligaments to slow the blood loss. But it was over. His left arm was gone and his wound would eventually be fatal even with the blood loss contained.

Ress glared at me. His eyes were intense and full of accusation. "I-I don't under-stand," Ress wheezed. "No material weapon can be spell-summoned...H-ow... h-how?

I shrugged. "It's not a summoning. Not in the traditional sense, anyway."

"H-how!?" Ress demanded.

I looked down at the axe and the rune light glowing from my palm. "There was once a time in my youth, when I was young and dumb, where I tried to bring someone back from the dead. Most mages make that attempt with biology and black spells, and all that necromancy nonsense. But I figured that time itself was the secret. Well... it turns out that few objects can move through time, for time is far more complex than it seems. It is deeply interwoven with space, and to bring an object through space and time is a near-impossible feat, for few substances are strong enough to make that trip. In the end, I failed to bring back the dead. But some years later, I did get some use out of the time rune in the end."

Ress stared at me with those childlike eyes again. "A t-rue time rune... returning the axe to a p-oint wh-en it was still in your h-and..."

I stared at him in amazement. "Wow... you're actually way smarter than you look, and you already look pretty smart."

"W-ho are you?"

I sighed. "Just a guy trying to avoid this crap you people keep putting me through."

Ress stared at me as if he was seeing a ghost. Then he began to speak. At first I thought he was talking nonsense, words unrelated to what had been said. Then I realized he had recited Dalian's poem that had been written in the margins of a history book. Only this time, the poem included its final two lines. The two lines that I had crossed out not long after they had been written.

Hail the Axes of Midnight!

One sister and one brother,

Twins in coloring and might,

Peerless, save for the other!

Steel made of the blackest night,

Forged in fires of dragon's breath

Into blades untouched by light,

With only one purpose: death.

Countless lives were lost and paid

To defeat the dark ruler.

But hope was cut by black blade,

Til' a god slayed their dueler!

Eras passed without decay,

Buried deep beneath the mud...

The axes were found one day,

By the man known as Stormblood.

My eyes locked intensely with his as he finished. "Now, how would you know that?" I said.

The poem had been written by the historian bard Andso Ruvo and edited by me more than thirty years ago, before Ress had even been born.

But Ress did not answer me. He stared past me now. Eyes wide, glaring into the distance.

"I am defeated by a legend... wielding the greatest weapon ever created." He said as if in a dream. "How can this be?"

"Well... first you dropped your guard, partly because you were wearing fancy armor. Then you dropped your fancy sword. You still could have won if you didn't do that. After all, it wasn't the sword arm you lost. Letting go of the sword was your real mistake, and rare swords are only good until you lose them."

He looked up at me now. "The M-idnight Axes... the b-lades of the Flawless One... where we-re they?"

I scoffed. "Why in the Abyss would I share that with you?"

So I didn't tell him, but I'll tell you.

Dalian's story about the Midnight Axes was probably the most accurate tale he's ever told in the tavern. He was right that the Midnight Armor was spread across Visseria after the One Emperor's defeat. Eventually, the breastplate landed in King Kindelore's hands, and yet, he did not wear it during the battle of Greenway and was arrow-shot. All that is true. Which leaves a pertinent question in this story that no one has asked. Why did King Kindelore not wear this indestructible piece of armor in battle? The answer is simple. It was because the Midnight Breastplate was unwearable. At its very center were multiple massive gashes. The black plate was nearly in shreds. You see, the Dark Lord had made one fatal mistake when he created the Midnight Steel and Midnight Axes. Alongside his armor, he created the only two weapons in the world that could penetrate the impenetrable. During their battle, Celeru had managed to disarm the One Emperor and take his weapon. That is how he did the impossible and destroyed the indestructible. As I told Ress, a rare weapon is only good until you lose it. And that is why I made sure to never lose mine.

The axes were bound by my runes. I carved the rune into both axes using the blade tip of the other axe. Then I imprinted my soul magic into each inscription. Thus the runes were unbreakable. The only way to damage my runes would be to use the other axe and break the inscription. But I owned both axes, though I only called upon one of them on this night.

As for where the axes were hidden, well, that's pretty obvious when you think about it. Long ago, I'd heard the same story Dalian told. The One Emperor traveled the whole world finding his unbreakable ore. And he only managed to find it in the one spot that no one could go. So when Celeru inherited the weapons, what were his options for hiding them and keeping them safe? The place no one could go. No one but someone with eleven gates. The deepest depths of the sea.

Turns out you don't need eleven gates to go to the bottom of the ocean. You need eight. Which I happened to have at the time. It probably would have been more fun with eleven though, because the pressure on my lungs was excruciating.

Even with the benefits of the Gate of Perception, I spent several years of my life jogging across sea floors. In case you ever wondered how people with upper gates spend their time, now you know.

Eventually, I found the spot. The axes were in a chest sealed by old runes. When pirates say there's nothing like finding buried treasure, let me tell you, they're right. There really is nothing like finding buried treasure. Especially when it's in the deepest pit of the earth, far beyond the reach of man, buried by a god.

The runes on the chest had run dry. I don't know if Celeru really sealed them himself or what. But whoever did, their soul magic was gone even though the rune inscriptions were intact. That meant whoever made them was no longer part of the world, dead or ascended.

I had been worried that my idea to make the axes impossible to lose wouldn't work because it required a permanent inscription, and you can't exactly carve a rune into an indestructible material. But both axes were inside the chest. Each to carve the other.

I'm only able to bring objects from the past to the future. The time rune requires the pillar, the aura of the mind, to activate, and the mind can only reference the past. My mind anyway. I shudder to think of the possibilities if I had been born a farseer.

When I fought Ress, I transferred the axe from half a second prior to the present, into my own hand. And thus, he lost his weapon, and I gained mine.

Now you might be thinking that a time rune takes an ungodly amount of halos to power, and you'd be right. It does. That's the one weakness of this ability. If you run out of halos, then the jig is up. It wasn't a problem when I had my gates open, but now I only had enough to create the sibling rune which activated the related rune in the axe and pulled it forward in time. I'd injected as much of my halos as I could into the axes before I closed my gates to power the recall if I ever needed it while I was on vacation. Mixed with my soul aura, it hadn't faded much on its own. But I couldn't replenish it either. So the number of times I could call my axes was limited. Feeling what was left, I'd guess less than a handful more recalls. Which was a handful times more than I hoped to use them. Especially since, if anyone ever found out that the blades existed in Meritas, all sorts of daring and nasty characters would start showing up from across the world to try and take them. And some of them were far more dangerous than Ress.

"First you end Temmael's true line," Ress was saying with that hollow gaze. "And now Maaduwel's line dies with me. And because of you, Feluwan will not bear further children. Without the curse, our houses will crumble."

"Wait a minute," I said. "I'm with you on the last two statements, but I didn't do anything to Temmael."

"Didn't you?" Ress said acidly. "The last Blood Cursed son of Temmael was known as Raziel."

My eyes widened. Back at the burnt square, Ress had said the line of Temmael ended two hundred years ago... a man born with the Gate of Perception... Raziel... it couldn't be. It couldn't be.

"Yes!" Ress said. "You've single-handedly ended the three founding families of Belliganna. But it doesn't have to be that way. Spare me, Archibold Stormblood! Let my line live on!"

I stared at him for a long moment before my thoughts returned to the present and my breathing stilled and I felt like myself again.

"Oh man, this really is the worst timing," I said. "I'm really sorry about this, but I have a rule to only let one bad guy live per day, and unfortunately that quota just got filled like an hour ago."

"Curse you then!" Ress spat. "With my dying breath. I lay a curse upon you. May you rot in misery until the end of your days!"

I waved his curses away. "Nice try buddy, but there's no way I'm letting you get me pregnant. You keep that Blood Curse to yourself."

Ress scowled with pure hatred for a long moment before he let out a laugh without mirth. "Oh, I should have known the first time I saw those eyes. Not the eyes of a youth running a tavern. Beneath the flippancy and childish humor, beneath the false humility, there was always a man angry at the world. Be careful now, Archibold Stormblood. You are one small step away from becoming a villain yourself. After all, is-n't that wh-y you removed your p-owers... to cu-rse the wor-ld w-ith... your a-bsence...."

I found myself standing before him, heart racing, breath coming fast, his sword raised in my hand and ready to bring it down into his neck. I stood there for a long moment before I calmed myself again.

"If I become a villain," I said. "The first people I'm going to villainize is Ashbane and his band of assholes. Starting with you."

I readied for the finishing blow then, but this time without the anger. But before I could bring it down, I saw he had already passed. I realized then he had released the muscles that had cut off the bleeding when he saw that I would grant no mercy. The blood pooled across the stones and licked my boots. Ress had meant to take the satisfaction away from killing him. But it was a relief. I never liked killing a person when they were down, but not liking something didn't mean I wasn't willing to do it.

Upon noticing I'd gotten lost in my own thoughts again while I still had things to do, I dropped the two weapons in my hands and rushed to Elsa to release her from the dagger piercing her palms. Her face was one of shock as I pulled the blade from her hands. The pain seemed to wake her and she stared at me with wide eyes. I tried to heal her hands then, but she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I hoped you would come," Elsa whispered. "I hoped... I hated myself yet still, I hoped... but when you did, I was so scared. I was so scared, Arch. If he... if you... for me... I... I wouldn't have been able to bear it... I..."

"It's over, Elsa. You owed me a favor, and now we're square."

Elsa took a moment to gather herself, then she let go of me and grinned, almost looking like herself again, though I could tell it was taking her some effort to keep strong. But somehow she was able to maintain it, even with everything she'd been through.

"You still owe me three questions though... Archibold."

I turned away. "Ahem! Well, no time for that right now. We've got to get going. Sun's coming up soon and Leise and Cassia are waiting for us."

"Uh huh," Elsa said, leaning over to catch my gaze. "And here I was thinking I was the one with the big secret. But yours might just be bigger than mine."

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't deny it. You can't pull out an Axe of Midnight with a time rune and then pretend you're just a tavern keeper.

"I'd say they're pretty close," I said sheepishly. "Come on, let me look at your hands."

They were still bleeding, thick cuts within both. I took her hands and held their wounds within my mind. "Spell of Healing, Mend."

I did the best I could, and it turned out alright. But they weren't fully healed. Hopefully, the potion of healing Anna was preparing would do the trick. Or maybe Charm could pay a visit to Elsa while she was asleep and heal them properly. But for the time being, they stopped bleeding.

And then I was just awkwardly holding her hands. I dropped them quickly. "Uh.. so... I guess we better figure out our next steps..."

Elsa nodded and walked over to Ress's body. She looked down at him for a long moment, then said, "What should we do with him, Heru?"

"Erm... well... if he gets found, we're going to have to explain stuff... like how did he die? And why did he attack Valentall? And why did he kidnap a Tipsy Pelican Tavern barmaid?"

"Uncomfortable questions," Elsa said.

"Excruciatingly uncomfortable."

"So we should get rid of the body."

I looked at her with shock. I mean it was exactly what I wanted, but it wasn't the sort of response I was used to. I was conditioned to expect the response of pure-hearted templars and honor-bound ward guards. But Elsa was a roughhousing barmaid, or an escaped princess depending on how you looked at it. So I guess her values were closer to mine.

"That's what I was thinking," I said.

"I'm not in the habit of burying bodies for my employer."

"For me!?" I exclaimed. "This was all for you!"

"I'm just kidding, Heru," Elsa said. "I think I saw some vines by the trees over there. We'll need to bind him down with rocks or he's going to bloat and float."

"Gods, Elsa, you do this sort of thing often?"

"Well... I was on a pirate crew for some time. We had to bury a body at sea every now and then."

"Good Celeru. This is why I don't ask personal questions."

"We'd better get started, Heru. Who knows when Cassia will come through those bushes. She's not going like this one bit."

"You're right about that." I picked up Ress's sword again and sighed. "You know, we could use this to frame Weveld and Edwond."

"Even if they're rotten bastards, Leise and Cassia aren't going to go for framing someone for something they didn't do."

I sighed. "I know." I flung the weapon into the lake. Then I picked up my axe and did the same, right after the sword. I watched it wheel through the sky and make a light splash in the distance.

"You didn't need that?" Elsa said.

"I can call it back to my hand any time," I said. "And it's not something you want to be caught with. Damn shame to dump all the Kozodimon, though. I'd be able to hire a dozen-man band, renovate the tavern, and buy a mountain of Sweet Water Yeast."

"Pfttt." Elsa grinned. "Where's the fun in that?"

Chapter 35

Balance

The sun was just rising when Elsa and I stepped out of the woods. In the distant wheat fields, I saw Leise and Cassia running toward us. Cassia must have healed their wounds as both girls looked a lot better.

Cassia threw her arms around Elsa in a tight embrace, and then Cassia was thanking Celeru for keeping Elsa safe, and Elsa was telling her everything was okay now. But then the voices of both girls trailed off, and I could feel their gazes on me. Because while they were doing all that, Leise had hugged me. The only thing she said with her chin on my shoulder was, "I was worried."

At least one of the pressures from the two gazes to my side turned murderous. "I'm fine, totally fine," I said quickly to Leise.

Then Leise seemed to realize herself and hopped off of me, her face reddening and gaze on the sky. She immediately saluted as if there was a sudden need to drop back into a more familiar role dynamic.

"It is very good to see you safe, Superintendent Gustkin!"

Superintendent Gustkin? She didn't have to drop that far back! And when was I going to receive a hug from Leise again, especially without her wearing the usual cold plate armor?

Suddenly, as if reading my thoughts, the murderous gaze doubled in intensity, and I immediately snapped to attention, returning the salute. "It is good to see you again as well, Corporal Trout!"

"What happened to Ress?" Cassia said.

I grinned. "Let's just say he ran into something and then had a bad fall. Turns out he was clumsier than he looked."

"That's impossible," Leise said. "What really happened?"

"You can't expect me to reveal all my secrets," I said. "What if you arrest me one day and use them against me?"

"I'm thinking about arresting you right now."

"You can't do that!" I said, pointing at her. "I'm your boss! In fact, I'm the boss of all of you! And the first order of business is to forget all about Ress!"

"Is he dead, Arch-don?" Cassia said.

"Yup, and at the bottom of the lake. Elsa helped me bury the body."

Cassia's eyes widened. "B-b-b-ottom of the la-"

"Heru! I can't believe you'd rat me out at the first instance!"

The ward guard was rubbing her temples. "What am I hearing?"

"We can't cover this up, Arch-don," Cassia said. "The city must be informed of Ress's crimes and his defeat."

"Uh huh," I said. "So when the Inquisitors do their inquiring, how are you going to explain how Ress was defeated? And let's just say you decide to blow my cover, how are you going to explain why Ress was here? Do you plan on letting everyone know Elsa is in Meritas so more pee-squatters from Belliganna come after her?"

Cassia dropped her gaze, looking admonished. "Of course not... I—I'm sorry Elsa, I didn't think-"

"Don't be," Elsa said to Cassia as she put an arm around my shoulder that threatened to tighten around my neck. "Heru should have explained it better without being rude."

"Pee-squatter?" Leise said.

"The point is," I said, raising my voice. "We can't say anything about Ress to the authorities. Desmond lured us here. Leise took out Weveld. Cassia and Elsa took out Baldie-Baddie, and the cute one will need to go into hiding and keep her mouth shut. Speaking of which, where is Tashnei?"

"She disappeared," Leise said.

"Illusion spell, huh?"

Cassia nodded.

"I'm surprised she recovered so quickly," I said. "Better hope you made the right decision, or we're all going to be making friends with the Inquisitors and their instruments in a dark cellar."

"How likely is it the Inquisitors will believe our story?" Leise said.

"Very likely," I said. "We have a third party to corroborate it."

"That's right," Elsa said. "Where's that fist-eater?"

Leise and Cassia led us to the spot where they'd left the Deathmage. He'd been hogtied with the leftover wiring, and it looked like Weveld's sock was in the man's mouth to prevent any incantations—all Leise's handiwork by the look of it. But none of it had been necessary as the man was still out cold.

"Guess we should wake him up and ensure he's in an honest mood before we meet with the Inquisitors."

"I got that covered," Elsa said, grinning and clenching her hand into a fist.

Cassia took an apprehensive breath. "Oh, dear."

* * *

At eleven o'clock that morning, Leise and I were sitting in a cold, gray-walled room in Felguard Fortress, the sunken stone headquarters of the Inquisitors, waiting to meet with Lead Inspector Malvek.

We'd dropped the Deathmage off an hour earlier and were made to wait. I sent Elsa and Cassia back to the tavern since they weren't official ward employees.

"Superintendent Gustkin."

I looked up and saw a young inquisitor standing at the doorway at the far end of the room.

"This way please," he said.

Leise and I rose from the bench we were sitting on and followed the young inquisitor down several stony corridors until we were led into a spacious office and the door was closed behind us. However, I didn't recognize the older gentleman sitting behind the desk.

"Erm... where is Inquisitor Malvek?" I said.

"Inquisitor Malvek has taken a leave of absence. I am Lead Inquisitor Jundora."

"A leave of absence? Not work-stress I hope."

Jundora frowned slightly behind his white beard and nodded. "Why, yes it is. And how would you know that?"

"Oh uh, just hazarding a guess, sir. Lieutenant Leise informed me that Inquisitor Malvek was very hardworking."

Leise looked at me and her stony expression only got stonier.

"Yes, well," Jundora said. "Best keep that to yourself. We don't need any odd rumors flying about."

I found that an interesting choice of words but didn't say anything. Jundora continued, "My interrogators have spoken to the man you arrested, though it's been hard to get the words out of him. He is missing several teeth. Why don't you give me your version of what happened?"

"Certainly, sir," I said in my most humble tone, completely accepting his suggestion that there might be multiple versions. "I will tell it to the best of my ability."

And so I told him all about it. I told him how Candberry had come to me after he heard something strange at the Giant Petrel Tavern. How we'd all met in my kitchen, including Galston and Cassia. How we followed Desmond out of the city the next day, and he led us into an ambush by Weveld, the bald Deathmage, and a masked woman I didn't recognize. Weveld had killed Desmond, Cassia and Elsa had defeated the Deathmage, and then Cassia had helped Leise defeat Weveld. I did my best to escape the masked woman, but after the Deathmage and Weveld were defeated, she ran away.

Jundora listened to my story the whole way without blinking. I pretended to be a little nervous by his expression, but let's not kid ourselves, it was no Storm Gaze.

Then when I was done, he let the silence hang. I did not speak. And finally, he nodded. "Your story fits the story the Deathmage gave."

"It does?" I said with mock surprise. "I'm surprised he would answer honestly."

Jundora gave me a cold smile then. "People are always honest with us."

I nodded with widening eyes. "Yes, of course... then... then did he say who hired him?"

"The Deathmage was contracted by this Weveld, though he knew the swordsman as 'Wilken'. An assassination job. He was paid a hundred and fifty gold brilliances. Cassia Hightower, the lieutenant here, and yourself were named as the targets. There was indeed a woman with him, though he doesn't know her name."

That last part was somewhat surprising, but I supposed Weveld and Tashnei had kept their names private before the Deathmage, but not before us because we weren't expected to live much longer.

"Do you think this Weveld may have been the White Swordsman?" Jundora said.

"Ah..." I looked at Lieutenant Leise.

Her face made no change, which could have meant anything.

"That is a possibility that we've considered," I said. "He is an extremely capable swordsman, and without Cassia Hightower's help, he certainly would have killed us. But he did not wear Kozodimon armor or wield a Kozodimon sword, so it's very difficult to say."

"The armor could have easily been faked," Jundora said. "However it is strange his sword was only made of plain steel."

We had bought new swords for Weveld and Leise both outside the city walls since neither of their original swords would work with our story.

"One last question," Jundora said. "Do you have any idea why Weveld would target you?"

"Ah..." I suddenly shuddered. "I wouldn't have certainties."

"Do you have any suspicions?"

"Well... I don't know..." I murmured, my voice trailing off. "It's not my place to say such things..."

"Out with it!"

"But... sir, I really have no idea. I-I might know someone who knows more, but to even name this person... sir, it really must not come from-"

The inquisitor waved his hand impatiently. "Yes, yes, out with it."

"Well.. Weveld was in my office just the other day."

"He was?" Jundora said, leaning forward in his seat. "And you did not think this was pertinent information to share earlier?"

"My deepest apologies sir... it's just that..."

"You tell me what you know right now, or I will have you court-martialed and thrown in a cell just like that toothless Deathmage!"

"He came with Lord Maficius Edwond!" My legs and hands were shaking.

"Go on," Jundora said, his eyes betraying their first hint of surprise.

"I think Weveld was one of his personal guards. There was another woman Lord Edwond brought too, but not the same one that ambushed us, I don't think. This woman was slender and the woman who ambushed us was very stocky. In any case, I am in no way suggesting Lord Edwond is involved. I only mention this because he might know more about Weveld."

Jundora seemed unconvinced by my suggestion. "What did Lord Edwond want with you?"

I swallowed audibly. "He... ah... deman—requested that I resign my post."

The inquisitor leaned in further. "He demanded it?"

"No, it was a request. Lord Edwond is a very polite nobleman of course."

"And why did he 'request' you resign?"

"I believe he thought he would be better for the job. And I would like to agree. I even told him so! But I was voted in by my peers. They would be very upset with me if I just quit after a few days. It would be as if I abandoned their trust. I told him as much. I couldn't resign, at least not so soon. I just needed some time..."

Jundora stood and began pacing back and forth behind his desk. I snuck a peek at Leise and saw that her stony soldier's expression had not changed one bit. Though, there was something dancing in her eyes.

"This is very troubling," Jundora said as he came to a halt, looking out his window. "Very troubling indeed..." the inquisitor turned back to us. "Is there anyone else who can confirm this meeting took place?"

"Yes, sir," I said. "Ms. Hightower and Lieutenant Leise were there. As was Lady Kherliss."

"Lady Kherliss was at this meeting?"

I nodded. "She had scheduled a meeting with me earlier in the week. We weren't expecting Lord Edwond to arrive, but she was there when he came and made his... request."

Jundora sighed, and I heard him mutter, "The boy's gone and done it this time..." Then to me, he said, "Very well. You'd best keep this quiet. I will handle the rest."

"Thank you so much, sir," I said, and Leise and I stood and bowed. With that, we were dismissed.

After we'd put some distance between ourselves and Felguard Fortress, Leise peered at me.

"What?" I said.

"I've seen you give a speech worthy of a noble general. Now I've seen you play the part of a groveling commoner."

"Sometimes a noble general's best strategy is to be a groveling commoner."

Leise looked at me and considered my words without saying any more.

We parted ways when we arrived back in Southbank. Leise planned to check in with the guardstower, and I planned to climb into bed.

* * *

Four ladies plus one kid were all waiting for me in the main hall when I got back to the tavern. The ladies were seated at the long dining table, and the kid was scribbling something horrendous on a round table nearby.

"Mr. Gustkin!" Deni cried when he saw me enter. He hopped off his chair and ran to me, giving my left leg a big hug when I didn't bend down to scoop him up as most adults tended to do.

I rustled his hair though. "Hey, kiddo."

"Mr. Gustkin, you aren't looking very good!" Deni said, after inspecting my face. "Are you having the squirts again?"

That's what this gods-damn kid said to me in front of the four ladies, who'd all risen by then and were standing around us.

"No, Deni, I'm just tired."

"Okay! Mr. Gustkin should get some rest then!" Then he turned and headed back toward his drawing table, but not before stopping by his mother and tugging on her dress, whispering, "Mr. Gustkin might need some apple juice."

"I heard that!"

"How did it go with the Inquisitors?" Elsa said after she'd stopped chuckling.

"All good," I said. "I think they bought it. Edwond might be in a bit of trouble."

I kept my eyes from meeting Charm's to avoid the little brow twitch to inform me that she'd been right about Ress all along.

"We should probably close the tavern tonight," I said. "Elsa, Cassia, and I all need rest. And when I say all, I mean me primarily."

"Don't worry," Anna said. "I can help Charm look after the tavern for the night."

They touched their palms together in a light high-five.

"When did you two get so buddy-buddy?" I said.

"Charm suggests getting rid of him if sales happen to improve in Master's absence."

They high-fived again.

"Stop that!" I snapped. "And the two of you won't be enough. It's going to be a busy night, especially if word gets out of what happened."

"I can also cover my shift, Arch-don," Cassia said.

"I know you've got the Gate of Breath open and all, but are you sure?"

Cassia nodded. "I couldn't help you against Ress. It's the least I can do while you and Elsa rest."

I shrugged. "Okay."

Elsa wrapped an arm around me that curved into a chokehold. "What Heru means to say is that he's very grateful."

"Vherry Kker-ate-foo!"

* * *

I went upstairs, bathed, and climbed into bed. Sleep didn't come. Light was peeking through the curtains and my mind wouldn't quiet itself.

I was feeling sorry for Ress. I don't know why. Maybe it was because of the way it went down. Maybe it was because he was young, and it wasn't fair for him to run into me. But then the more I thought about it, the less sorry I felt. Then I was feeling angry, really angry, and by the end of it, I was wishing I had sunk the blade into his neck before he'd bled out.

Charm came in then, and it was a good distraction because I was in a total downward spiral.

"Master," she said. "Are you asleep?"

"Nope."

"Do you wish to rest?"

"Not if you'd like to have a chat," I said, sitting up.

Charm nodded and sat down in the chair at my desk. Then I told her everything that had happened. Everything that really happened. Every detail. Well... maybe not the two hugs I'd received, but everything other than that. Then when I was done, I asked Charm about Elsa's curse.

"Charm sensed it for the first time a year ago when Miss Elsa was sick."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Charm is not one to share another's secrets without their permission."

"Yet you seem to know them all."

Charm nodded. "It is lucky then that Charm is a good secret-keeper."

I sighed. "Can't you do anything about it?"

Charm dropped her eyes slightly. "It is old magic, perhaps even older than runes, though Charm believes it works in a similar manner. But the roots of magic are too deep for Charm to dispel."

"Any other solutions?"

Charm shook her head. "Not that Charm is aware of. This is ancient magic passed down by bloodline. Even if one had the powers to dispel such magic, it would likely kill her instantly, as the curse is deeply entwined with her life force."

I looked out the window. Charm was a powerful healer, but more than that, she had a greater understanding of magic than anyone I'd ever met. For her to not have a solution meant the curse was born from magic made from an age of darkness lost to human knowledge. It also meant I was going to have to watch another friend die before their time, something I thought my newfound mortality would protect me from. I tried not to think about it.

I said, "How is it possible that Ress's gates didn't show when I looked at him with the Spell of Seeing?"

Charm watched me for a moment and twirled her right pigtail in her fingers. "When one casts the Spell of Seeing, the caster is not seeing the gates themselves, they are seeing the flow and shape of the gates as the halos pass through. If one's gates are opened, then there is typically a significant flow of halos. Unlike Master, Charm's gates were never closed. However, Charm's halos and the powers of Charm's gates have been blocked because Master is a very stupid but smart man. If one were to view Charm with the Spell of Seeing, they would see only a trickle of halos, not enough to reveal Charm's gates, even though they are open. In Ress's case, the gates are open, but he has no halos to flow through them, and thus Master saw nothing."

That suggested something strange that I'd never considered before. "Does that mean you can open a gate without halos?" I asked.

Charm tilted her head back and forth. "It seems possible. Halos are only the aura of the body. The gates are far more than a channel for body aura. But Charm has only heard of using one's halos as the method to push open the gates."

"I see..." I said, rolling Charms words over in my head. Why was it that gates were only known to be opened through halos? Could pillar, the aura of the mind, and the aura of the heart not do it too? And what of soul aura? But there was another matter I needed to ask Charm. "What do you think Ress meant by his warning about 'great change' and that 'the old powers shall be toppled'?"

"If Brauzer was Ress's mentor, then Charm assumes Ress is part of Ashbane's organization. It sounds like Ashbane's sights may be greater than Meritas. But Ress's words are too general. It could simply be that Ashbane intends to rule Meritas as a king. It could mean more... as if Ashbane intends to fundamentally change Visseria in some way."

My sigh was almost a groan. "Yeah... that was the vibe I got as well. Let's hope Ashbane's not any sharper than his lackeys. In fact, let's hope he gave up and went on vacation or something."

Charm waited a moment before saying, "Charm has a question now."

I didn't like the sound of that, but I nodded.

"Does Miss Cassia or Lieutenant Leise know Master used the axes?"

"No," I said. "Only Elsa."

"Master must not use them again," Charm said. "It is too dangerous."

"It's not like I had a choice. He had the Gate of Symmetry open, Charm. I barely made it out of this one."

"And how will Master survive the next one, and the one after that?"

"Why does there have to be a next one!?"

"Because Master cheated."

"Of course I cheated. I'd be dead and wasted a long time ago if I didn't cheat."

"That is not Charm's point. By cheating, Master has broken the rules."

"What rules?"

"Balance."

"Balance?"

"Master broke the balance when he donned the Greenfin's mask and removed Mideon Greengrass. Due to that act, an inexperienced superintendent was placed in charge of the ward, and Ashbane's men moved unhindered within Southbank. Then Master interfered and prevented the murder of a ward guard. This caused Brauzer, a Radiant of Ashbane's, to come to the tavern, where he saw Elsa. Ress came because of Brauzer. Do you see, Master? These events are spiraling out of control. If Master had not broken the balance, if he had played the role of a regular tavern keeper none of this would have happened. Someone else and some other ward would have dealt with Ashbane."

"Oh yeah? Who would that have been?"

"Galston is not the only hero in Meritas. The Adventurer's Guild is strong, and although the guildmaster is absent, Charm gathers he would have returned in the event of urgent need. However, Charm believes even without Master's involvement, Brauzer would have still faced Galston in the end. But Brauzer would have never known this tavern, and Ress would have never come for Elsa."

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

"It is fate's nature and nature's fate to find balance. But when Master cheats, when Master performs what should be impossible, nature and fate are unable to find balance, and thus further weight must be added until balance is reached."

"Balance to what?"

"To the anomaly that is Arch Gustkin," Charm said. "It is impossible for a gateless tavern keeper to unseat a superintendent and his noble son. It is impossible for a bunny lord to overthrow a crimelord. It is impossible for an unawakened to defeat a master swordsman of the fourth gate. Master is something that should not exist for he succeeds when the odds are completely impossible. And thus to balance those impossible odds, fate and nature must increase the weight to stabilize the scale. But the impossibilities are adding up, and Charm worries the next impossibility will not be one Master can shoulder alone."

I'd never heard this explanation of it before. I'd understood the concept on a basic level from personal experience. One country advances its military, and so its neighboring countries do the same in response. Make too big of a name for yourself as a hero or a bandit or a warlord, and everyone and their mother is challenging you to a fight. And so it goes.

"What would you have me do then, Charm?"

"Stop doing the impossible. And never use the axes again as long as Master is a tavern keeper. Power draws power, and there are few things that can come close to rivaling those weapons."

I sighed and looked out the window again. "Fine," I said. "I'll do my best to lie low."

Charm nodded and rose. "Despite Charm's words of warning… she is happy that Master and Miss Elsa are home safe."

"Thanks, Charm-" But when I turned to look at her, I saw that her eyes had gone dark.

"Although... sometimes Charm wonders if Master performs his heroics for the pleasure of being embraced by voluptuous women."

"What!? H-ow... how did you know that I-"

"Charm is Charm."

I nodded. "Yup, that sounds about right."

Chapter 36

Best Tactic

I woke the next morning before Charm arrived to wake me. My body still ached from the previous day, but I found myself in a good mood. It was because the latest batch of my Darkly Spiced Apple Cider had finished fermenting.

The hall and stairway were clear as I slipped down to the first floor. There was the sound of cooking and several voices coming from the kitchen as I snuck down to the basement. I was hoping to get at least a few glasses in before Charm found me.

I uncorked the barrel and poured myself a small glass. This was the batch that I had made right after obtaining the Sweet Water Yeast with Anna. I only made a few barrels of the stuff, not wanting to waste the precious yeast. But it had now been well over ten days and it was time to test the stuff.

The liquid came out a golden orange that seemed to shine in the darkness of the basement. I sniffed it, inhaling its fruity flavors, and took a single sip. The sweetness wasn't sharp. It was a delightful taste that seemed to spread evenly across the mouth that ended in a crisp apple finish. Then I drank another sip and another and another. Then I was cackling like a maniac and dizzy as a newborn fawn because the cider was strong. Really strong.

I heard someone coming down the steps. "Breakfast is ready— what are you doing down here laughing evilly in the darkness?"

"Anna!" I exclaimed, holding up the glass of cider. "Come try this!"

Anna came over and eyed the golden liquid with interest. "Oh my, Archeru. I try not to drink love potions before breakfast."

"This is far tastier than any love potion! Try it."

"Perhaps after we eat. It's not wise to drink-"

I swished the liquid around her nose. "You know you want to. Just a little sip."

She looked at me and took the glass and tasted it. Then she put a hand to her cheek. "My, you've outdone yourself. That's delicious. Is this made with the yeast you stole from that poor couple?"

"I paid full price for it!" I snapped. "I'll have to charge double my normal prices for this brew. Perhaps I'll finally be free from my debts to you once it sells out."

The trade fair had allowed me to cover just about all of the debt, but purchasing the sweet water yeast had set me back. I'd already had Charm give Anna everything I made from the fair, but I was still a few coins short.

Anna sighed. "You and Charm are really too kind. You should have let me cover the cost of the potion. It's the least I could do after you risked your life."

"Huh?" I said, staring at her blankly. "K-ind?"

"Yes... Charm repeatedly denied letting me pay for the potion. My master Jermandez is the grumpy sort, but she's a kind old woman at heart. She would have let me pay it off slowly over the next year or two."

"Repeatedly... denied... w-here w-as I?"

"You were in bed, silly. This was just after the Battle at Duke's Port."

"Y-ou weren't demanding payment from us?"

"Of course not… You saved Deni, how could I ask you to pay for helping me?"

I stared at Anna and then screamed into the ceiling. "CHARRMMMMM!!!!"

Then I was bounding up the stairs, readying to do battle with my cook. But the terrain was all wrong for a strategic maneuver.

Charm spotted me from across the hall with two dishes in hand and seemed to immediately understand my intentions. She gave me the slightest of eyebrow raises, which I took to mean, Bring it.

But I couldn't. Elsa was laughing and chatting with the two younger Oakdigger sisters, Karolin and Lorie. Leise looked like she just downed a heaping plate of food, and Deni was helping her grab more from the other side of the table.

The mood was too festive, and I knew it wouldn't look good if I barged in and started complaining. So I stifled my objections and thought about turning back around and downing a barrel of cider all on my own.

Then there was a knock at the door, which was not a good sign. Because nine times out of ten, when there's a knock on a tavern door, it means there's about to be trouble.

I hesitantly went and opened it, praying it was just a messenger or a customer who'd come too early.

My prayers went ignored. Standing through the entrance was a cold, dark beauty. Raven-haired. Shadow-eyed. It was Tashnei.

I stared at her.

She stared back.

I stared some more.

Then she lifted her hand and pointed at a chalk sign beside the door that I'd not seen earlier. It was written in Charm's handwriting. It read: Talented musician desired. Fair wages. Food and lodging included for the right applicant.

"Is the position still open?" she said.

I slammed the door in her face.

"Who was it, Master?" I heard from over my shoulder.

"Just a ghost. Don't worry, I've exorcised it."

There was another knock at the door.

Charm raised a brow at me. I said nothing. The knock came again. And again.

I flung the door open. "When someone slams the door in your face, it means no!"

"I've severed my ties with Edwond as I promised," Tashnei said.

I rubbed my hair. "I should have demanded that you leave the city. Or better yet, leave the continent!"

"Visseria is my home. I would not have made that oath to you."

Charm looked between us with a flat gaze. Then she ran her eyes across Tashnei as if taking the measure of her worth.

"Charm will hear the musician play."

I groaned a no. It was ignored.

* * *

After breakfast, I swung by the Superintendent's office. I sincerely hoped that I would not have to stay long. It was going to be a busy night at the tavern, perhaps the busiest of the month. The rumors about what had happened would have spread by now, and everyone would want to hear the story firsthand.

Cornelly caught me up to speed on what I'd missed in the past two days. Strange that it was only a short length of time. Felt like I'd been gone for ages.

"I'll be visiting Lord Valentall later today. Is there anything you wish for me to pass on?"

"Nope. Oh... actually invite him to come by the tavern once he's feeling better. Drinks on me."

Cornelly nodded.

"But you could help me draft a letter to Lord Edwond."

Cornelly nodded again, took out a parchment and quill from the cabinet. She went to the assistant's desk in the room and sat down. "Please go ahead."

"Dearest Lord Edmond..."

Cornelly began writing.

"Please leave me alone. Thanks."

"Is that the end of the letter?"

"Yup."

"I shall get it delivered right away."

Just then Thomas entered. He looked pale. "Sir... there's a Lord Edwond here to see you."

I looked at Cornelly. "Apparently, we didn't get that letter out soon enough."

"Would you like me to sit in on the meeting?" Cornelly said.

"Nope, but you can toss the letter while you bring him up."

Cornelly went down and led Edwond up into the office, closing the door behind him. This time, he had come alone. He looked even worse than the previous visit. He sat in the chair across from my desk, and I noticed that both of his hands were bandaged.

There was something else that was different about him too. Unlike before, his sharp eyes were not cold and collected. Something burned in them.

"Lord Edwond," I said. "For what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Shall we skip pleasantries?" he said. "Tell me how you did it."

"Did what?"

"You know."

"How did I avoid getting murdered?"

"Indeed."

"I had Lieutenant Leise and Cassia Hightower with me."

"Those obstacles were accounted for."

"Guess someone's not very good at accounting then."

"This isn't over, Gustkin-" Edwond broke off and coughed violently, pulling out a handkerchief.

It was awkward having to wait for someone to finish their threat while their body betrayed them. But I kept my mouth shut and let him cough.

When it finally subsided, he wiped his mouth, leaving a smudge of blood on his lips. "I shall not have a common day laborer defeat me. Your time will soon come to an end."

"Is that really necessary? Can't we just go our separate ways?"

"You killed my right-hand man and took Tashnei from me. Do you think I can accept this dishonor?"

"Sometimes a setback is a good thing. It's a chance to reorganize, reconsider. Maybe take a relaxing trip to the countryside. You look like you could use some rest."

Edwond smiled bloodily at me. "This is nothing." He held up his bandaged hands now. "Twenty nails the Inquisitors took from me last night. It's against the law to torture a noble, but the Duke allowed it because they suspected I ordered Weveld to kill his beloved nephew. When they couldn't pin that on me, they started asking me about Desmond and about you. They promised they'd bring out the knives once they were done with the tweezers. Do you know what I told them?"

"Given that you're sitting here, I'm going to guess nothing?"

"Nothing," Edwond said, and I had to hand it to him. Despite his fragility, his eyes shone with a blinding determination.

"So, did they take out the knives?"

"No," Edwond said. "The Duke stopped it. He believed my innocence. Weveld acted alone against you."

"Lucky you."

"Luck has nothing to do with it, Gustkin." Edwond tapped his head. "It is will. Pure, focused will. In the end, that is all a man has. And I'm coming for you, Gustkin."

"Why?" I said. "There's no way anyone's going to let you have this ward at this point."

"Because you are nothing!" Edwond shouted. And for the first time, I saw anger in his eyes. But his was not anger for me, it was anger toward himself. "You have no determination. No vision. You run a bar and made a few strong friends, chanced your way into the superintendency, but that does not make you something, Gustkin. I will not lose to some casual tavern keeper. My sights are far higher than you, and if I cannot even step past you, then what does that make me?"

"Well..." I said, holding out my hand. "That was extremely rude... Utenii."

A sphere of nearly translucent aura bloomed from my palm, expanding outward until we both sat within it. All was quiet. There was no sound coming from the busy main street. No sound from my assistants downstairs. Not even the creaking of the building or the wind brushing the trees in the courtyard outside.

Then, like flipping a latch, I looked upon him with the eyes of a killer. It came easily to a man like me. I let my presence, a quiet willingness for extreme violence, bleed across the room and saturate the air.

Edwond's eyes widened and a hand went to his chest.

Then I spoke with words like dark clouds before the storm. "Listen closely, you insignificant stain. Do you think it is a mere coincidence that Superintendent Greengrass fled this ward? Do you think it is a mere coincidence that Valentall was cut to within an inch of his life? Do you think it is a mere coincidence that I now sit in this seat? Do you think it is a mere coincidence that I survived your dumb little trap without even a scratch, without losing a single one of my people? Exactly how many mere coincidences does your little mind need before it sees the pattern of what is happening here?"

Edwond looked completely dumbfounded. "A-re you s-aying... you're the White-"

"Does everything need to be spelled out for you? My associates informed me you had the reputation of a smart and capable man. Clearly, we were mistaken. Consider yourself lucky that I have no interest in you, nothing I want from you. But now you come here, upset that you had to spend a night in a dungeon? You tried to murder me, Edwond. You should be delirious with joy that I've let you off with only a few missing nails. My allies are nobles with seats closer to the throne and awakened heroes with abilities you cannot fathom, and those are only the ones you've heard of. You think Galston is a dangerous man? You haven't even seen Cassia Hightower when she releases the Red Rage. That's an unstoppable kill spree that you don't want in the vicinity of when it happens. So I've grown tired of your childish schemes. I have work to do, and if you interfere with my business again, make no mistake, I will end you like you're a gods-damned superintendent."

"M-y apologies," Edwond wheezed, as if he were realizing the hamster he'd been cuddling was in fact a dragon. "I-t seems I misjudged you."

"Don't make that mistake again, and perhaps there will be an opportunity for us to do business together. But until then, you and your weak little minions are to stay out of my ward. And let me be clear. You now owe me two favors. One for trying to kill me, and two for coming in here and making me spell things out like you're a gods-damned toddler. That first favor I'm calling in today. Tashnei is my property now. You are never to enter her life again. The second favor I'll call in at another time. Now get out of my office."

Edwond nodded once and stumbled out without another word.

I released the Elven silencing spell and leaned back in my chair sighing deeply.

Sometimes a noble general's best tactic is to play a groveling commoner playing a brutal crime lord.

Chapter 37

Be

The night was not yet late, but Herwin already had five mugs of my Darkly Spiced Golden Apple Cider. At the moment, he also had his hands on my shirt and tears in his eyes as a fiddle played down the corridor in the main hall.

"Master Arch!" he sputtered. "H-ow? How!? How did you get another one!?"

"Another one?"

"You know what I'm talking about!" Herwin snapped. "I thought we were friends. I thought we were fellow knights on the same quest. Teach me your dark arts! Tell me how you did it!"

I had no idea what to say to this. Fight to the death and then save the person who tried to murder you? Maybe they'll show up for a job later? That sounded like the type of advice you should take to the grave.

"You'll have to ask Charm," I said. "She hired Tashnei, not me."

Herwin rubbed his eyes and took another sip. "If only I had a Lady Charm of my own."

"What about the pretty boy?" Dalian said with a sniff. "He's not going to get pissy about the lass taking his spot, is he?"

I shrugged. "He said he found a better gig and quit. Didn't say why or where to. That's why Charm put up the sign, and I plan on keeping it up. I'm not convinced about the fiddler yet."

"Not convinced?" Herwin repeated, looking like I just insulted his grandmother. He stabbed a finger in the direction the music was coming from. "She looks like that and plays like that! What more convincing does a man need?"

Dalian barked a laugh. "True enough!"

"Bran? Amberly?" I said, looking for help. "Any thoughts?"

"Ress was a great harper," Amberly said. "But I do prefer a fiddle in a tavern. A fine trade, I'd say."

Bran nodded with a big smile and took a deep swig of his apple cider.

"A fine trade!?" Herwin said, looking like another family member had been wronged. "This is the trade of the millennium! A trade that is even superior to when King Kindelore booted General Goldhorn and placed The Stormblood in command of his army!"

"To be honest…" I said. "I plan on firing her within the week."

Herwin was now looking at me as if I'd cursed both sides of his ancestry and all his future generations, like I'd laid a Blood Curse and Death Curse on him myself.

"Why," there was a long pause where Herwin had to suck in a ragged breath, "in Celeru's beautiful, divine buttocks would you do that?"

"Character flaws."

"I don't believe it!" Herwin said. "Knowing you, you'll no doubt be flirting with her by the end of the week just as you do with the rest of your staff."

"I don't flir-"

"Good evening my friends!" Anna had swept into our group. "Archeruuu, I see that your harem has expanded once again!"

Herwin shook his head tearfully at this, and left the bar room, heading for the main hall.

"Oh my, did I say the wrong thing?"

"It's your specialty."

"The lad's been having lady trouble for the past few months," Dalian said.

"Oh, that poor boy," Anna said.

"You could give him a few pointers, Master Arch," Amberly said.

"I have no pointers!"

Bran rose from his seat. "Come on then," he said to Amberly and Dalian. "Let's go cheer him up."

The three builders wandered off after Herwin, promising to grab a drink with Anna and me later.

Anna tapped a finger to her lip. "You know, I am curious how you convinced Charm to hire this new musician."

"I did no convincing! You were there, she just did it!"

At that moment, an ominous presence appeared behind my left shoulder. "Better the mistress one knows than the mistress one doesn't."

I nearly jumped.

"Oh Charm, you are too wise," Anna nodded sagely.

"Don't encourage each other!" I said, shooting a glare at Charm, who I was still upset with for hiring Tashnei. "It makes my headaches exponential."

They high-fived.

"But really, Archeru," Anna said after Charm had left to attend to her duties. "That's what? Four lovely young ladies you've circled yourself with?"

"They just work here! And don't call it a circle-"

The front door burst open, and the most troublesome character entered. "Make it a star! Kherliss's in the bar!"

"Gods, no."

Kherliss drew her finger at me as if she were brandishing a rapier. "The time has come for you to sell me your tavern, Master Arch! Quick, let us arm-wrestle before that demon woman appears!"

"I thought you dropped this!"

Kherliss pressed her hands to her hips and held her head high. "You thought wrong! For I am a businessperson! I never give up! In fact, I've brought allies tonight to maximize the success of this transaction!"

Sure enough, three figures came through the door after Kherliss. The first was a man I didn't recognize. He wore plate armor and a sword over his back, not unlike Weveld. But this man was older and more refined in appearance.

Behind him was Valentall. He walked with a cane in one hand and his other arm held by Cornelly.

"Holy crap," I said. "Are you sure you should be out?"

"I managed to get the healers to allow me one drink. I heard you have a new brew on tap. Though I can't stay long."

"He can have one sip," Cornelly corrected.

"I would like to introduce you to the captain of my house guard," Valentall said. "This is Sir Jera Mason."

"Master Arch, it's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance," Jera said, taking my right hand into both of his. The man was practically beaming at me. "Thanks to you, the Inquisitors have freed me from their prison and I'm no longer under suspicion. I am in your debt."

"Oh uh, don't mention it. Does this mean the Inquisitors have discovered the true identity of the Man Who Smell—err... I mean the White Swordsman?"

"No," Jera said, his face turning dark. "But I believe they have a suspect in mind, and I am inclined to agree with them."

Valentall shook his head. "That is a thought I'd rather not think about."

Cornelly nodded. "We are here today because Lord Valentall wished to congratulate you on your job so far. And I as well."

"Oh wow... um… thanks."

Valentall smiled, his pale face lighting up a bit. "I knew Southbank would choose the right man. Thank you for everything."

"Hey, you just rest up as soon as you can. I can't wait to hand this thing back to you."

Valentall smiled. "If that is truly what you wish, then I hope you will stay on as my Vice Superintendent when I return."

"Haha… well… we'll have to see about that. This job is driving me a little insane."

Valentall laughed. "Not as easy as it looks, is it?"

"No kidding," I said.

And so we talked about running the ward, its responsibilities, and the issues we encountered. And I saw another side to Valentall that I'd never seen before. It was one of an administrator who loved his people. But all the while, I couldn't help but wonder when he'd ask about Elsa. He never did.

Then more people were showing up, and the tavern was getting warm and lively.

Thomas, the desk clerk at the superintendent's office came with a pretty young woman that made him blush every time she looked at him.

Galston arrived with a small crowd of fans that had gathered around him as he walked over. He asked for a strong drink and a promise that I'd tell him all about what happened later.

Fern and Candberry came carrying pots of lemonleaf. I'd ordered more of the stuff from Fern, namely because I now considered the leaf to be a holy plant. Candberry tried apologizing for leading me into the trap, but I told him not to worry about it and that Leise, Cassia, and I had planned for that possibility all along.

Leise arrived without her plate armor, wearing a similar tunic to the one she'd worn when we had tailed Desmond. But she hadn't brought a sword. I could tell she was itching for it, but it was a rest day for her, and a neighborhood tavern was no place for guards on duty. She found a seat by the bar and ordered a Darkly Spiced Golden Apple Cider, two loaves of bread, and three bowls of stew.

And more patrons were still coming through the doors. Matinue and the stoneworkers came directly from the bridge after a day of hard work. The shopkeepers Norrel, Tranter, Yeniel, and Rommelt came together. Gannit arrived with his wife Poppy, eager to hear an actual conspiracy. And Gawen stepped inside with a new woman on his arm, looking cheerful as a bee, congratulating me on my new musician.

I stayed in the barroom, serving the guests while the girls took care of the main hall. And as I moved through my guests, refilling ales, and taking their orders, I felt a warm fuzzy feeling that came now and again on certain nights at the tavern.

Then the music suddenly came to a halt. The buzz in the air quieted, and everyone in the barroom was looking toward the hallway to see what had happened.

A fresh-faced lad I didn't recognize stepped through and raised a hand to catch everyone's attention.

"Excuse me, everyone, Miss Elsa has asked that everyone gather in the main hall."

"Good gods, that doesn't sound good," I said. "Did she say why?"

The lad looked at me, almost surprised to find someone who'd question Elsa's desires. "She's going to tell the story of her battle against a Deathmage. It's going to be a wondrous tale, sir, you should definitely come and hear it. Be sure to first fill your pitcher of the Darkly Spiced Apple Cider. I hear there's only limited supply today, and it's a brew to die for."

I shared a look with the regulars standing beside me, and there were grins all around.

"Well then," I said. "I guess we'd better head over."

So we all shuffled our way into the main hall. It wasn't the easiest task as it was already packed in the big room. Elsa was standing on the long dining table. Up there with her was Tashnei who looked a little uncomfortable to be standing in front of an audience without the sound of a fiddle to accompany her.

Elsa dropped a hand on Tashnei's shoulder. "This is our new musician, Tashnei! She's going to be with us for as long as you all treat her well! Give a round of applause for our newest member to the Tipsy Pelican Tavern family!"

There was a storm of applause to this. Several patrons were calling out Tashnei's name, welcoming her.

"So much for firing her," I muttered to myself.

I found Cassia standing beside me, watching the crowd.

"Hope you're happy with this," I said.

Cassia nodded. "I believe with the right guidance, she can atone for her past sins."

"Uh huh."

Elsa stepped to the edge of the table now, leaning over her captivated audience. "Now I know you've all been waiting to hear what happened to us up at the burnt township, and how we made it out alive. And a good thing you're here! Because this is the Tipsy Pelican Tavern, and I've got a story that you'll be telling your grandchildren! But here are the rules! Every time I say the magic words, you gotta take a drink."

"What are the magic words!?" someone called out.

Elsa grinned. "Cassia. Deathmage. And FIST!" On that last word, Elsa struck her fist into the air, and it was met by a roar of eager cheers.

Cassia and I shared a look.

"Oh, dear."

* * *

Elsa's story put everyone in a good mood. A really good mood. Partly because it was a great story—I certainly didn't remember half the things she'd depicted. And partly because everyone's mugs were empty by the time she'd finished, and I'd done my best to refill them.

Then people were soon buying me drinks. I was doing okay for a bit, but eventually, I had to sit down for a while. So I played cards with the roofers and caught up on the latest gossip. Apparently, there was some new crimelord in the city. I didn't put the pieces together on who that was until a few days later. But in the moment, I was just happy and enjoying myself.

Valentall finished his second mug during the story but was caught on the third one and was hauled back to the clinic by Cornelly and Jera.

Tashnei began playing again after Elsa's story, and I found I had to agree with Amberly. The festive sound of a fiddle fit a tavern far better than a harp. People had cleared away the tables in the center of the main hall and everyone was clapping or dancing while Elsa sang badly and Tashnei played beautifully.

I saw Galston dancing with Cassia and Charm was dancing with Anna. Several young men went up to Leise to ask her to dance, and the fifth guy actually managed to get her to say yes. But somehow her legs kept getting tangled up, and she had to stop. I had a feeling it would have somehow gone better if she was wearing her sword.

The night finally quieted for a spell when Tashnei took a twenty-minute break. She was immediately swarmed by patrons, young and old, men and women, with a dozen questions that she wasn't prepared to answer. That made me feel happy for some reason.

After losing six rounds, I finally won my first hand of cards against Dirty when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I saw it was Elsa. In her hands were two filled mugs.

"What is that?" I said.

"It's what we're drinking," Elsa said. "Come on. Let's hit the roof."

"But I'm finally on a roll!"

"One lucky hand ain't no roll, Supe," Josin said.

"That's right, Supe," Samuel said. "Feel free to stick around, we'll rob you blind."

"How come the Supe didn't go all in just now with a hand like that?" Dirty said to the two others.

"Oh alright, I'm leaving!" I said, jumping to my feet. "Could have been nicer about it!"

Elsa cracked a grin at the roofers and nodded a thanks. They raised their mugs in cheers.

She entwined her arm in mine and led me up the stairs.

I was really tipsy and did not put up much of a fight. I had known this was coming. I had three questions I owed her, and I felt now was as good a time as any.

She led me to the large window at the end of the hall on the second floor. It was open and a cool breeze was flowing in. But with the heat from the packed crowds from below, it felt good. We sat down on the windowsill with our feet rested on the roof tiles below. We could see part of the Cobblestone Road, still busy with nighttime pedestrians. And ahead were the smoking chimneys, tenement houses, and spires of Meritas.

Below, I could just barely hear two muffled voices coming around the corner, near the barroom door. I recognized both.

"Sure you don't need the latrine?" Amberly said.

"I'm alright," Herwin said. "I just need to sit... the fresh air is helping. Please don't wait for me. I'll be in soon enough."

There was a pause, then Amberly said. "Alright then. I'll be waiting for you at the table."

"Thank you, Amberly..."

I heard the front door open and close again.

"Is he okay?" Elsa said, pointing downward and keeping her voice low.

"Lady trouble."

"Ah," Elsa said, taking a sip from her mug.

I noticed then that she was drinking the Honeydew Lager.

"Have you tried the cider yet?" I said.

"Of course. I drank half a keg earlier."

"You did!?" I exclaimed while trying to keep my voice down.

"Yeah, but I like the Honeydew more. It's still my favorite."

"Really? Even more than the Frozen Pumpkin Ale?"

"Yup. Maybe it's just the nostalgia. It's the first ale you ever poured for me, you know."

That was true. Back when Elsa had first come to the bar, I had only the Honeydew Lager on tap.

"Do you remember that day?" Elsa said.

"I do. You said you were thirsty, so I poured you a water first."

Elsa laughed. "I was thirsty! Especially after that horrible concoction I had at the Grand Taphouse. Yuck. I still get the shivers just thinking about it."

"Gods, it feels like ages ago," I said. "We only had a handful of customers back then. Not like the crowd downstairs now."

"That's true. We've come a long way, haven't we?"

"Yeah... I guess we have."

We both took a drink then.

"So... three questions," Elsa said.

I nodded. "Better get them over with."

"Oh, but where to start? I feel like I have access to knowledge many would kill for."

She wasn't far off the mark.

She took a breath, adding a note of nervousness to her voice. "Even just sitting next to the legend is a g-g-reat honor..."

"Can you not!?"

"Just teasing," she chuckled.

I took a sip of my cider and snuck a glance at her. She was looking off into the distance, the moonlight making her skin look water-like. There was a pleasant smile on her lips, and then I looked away. Our shoulders were nearly touching, and I didn't want to get caught staring.

"You know Heru..." Elsa said. "I always wondered why you were like that."

"Like what?"

"Whenever there's a chance for you to appear noble and gallant, you hide from it, almost like you're afraid of it. Where others would take the chance to gloat or look around for praise, you brush it off, like nothing happened. Like it was an accident. But it never is. You did something difficult that no one else could do. No one else would do."

"How dare you? I deny nothing. I'm very noble and gallant! I'm the bestest noblest guy ever!"

I didn't know what I was saying. I was drunk.

"But you know what? It doesn't work on me. For me, when you hide, when you pretend, it has the opposite effect. To me, it just makes you seem even more heroic."

"I'm glad my excellent strategy of looking stupid is working on you. It's been my plan all along."

Elsa only grinned and shook her head. "You're not talking yourself out of this one. I saw it all along. Because I'm a pretender too. But I didn't know why you were pretending to be someone else. I figured you were trying to run from something like me. But then one day, I realized I was wrong. You weren't running from anything. You were building something. And you know… that really made all the difference for me. Being here… being part of this tavern... is all the difference in the world."

And there, in the curve of her lips, the dimples in her cheeks, and the dancing of life within her eyes, I saw something that I often saw in Elsa. Happiness. Real happiness. And I didn't understand it.

"How do you do it?" I said, my voice nearly a whisper. "How do you keep going with the hand you've been dealt? How can you be so... fulfilled?"

"Hmm... maybe it's because I know my time is limited, so I cherish things more?" She tapped her cheek thoughtfully with an index finger. "Or... hmm... I'm not sure. But when a special moment arises, I try to hold it in my heart. You can't ever hold onto a moment for long, because life always moves on. But if I'm careful, if I'm paying attention, I can be here entirely. All of me, in this single place in time and space. And when that happens, I don't have a curse. I don't have a past or a future. I just have this moment, and it's everything."

I stared at her without words. She was going to die in one year. I, on the other hand, had become immortal at the age of eighteen. That was over two centuries ago, and so I had never understood death. Not truly. Not like her. And perhaps because of that, I never understood life. But something had changed in the past year and a half. My body and immortality for one. But there was more than that too. Things I still didn't grasp quite yet. But a feeling was there—I felt that maybe, just maybe, I could begin to understand her.

"By the way," Elsa said, taking a sip of her lager. "That's four personal questions you owe me now."

"Is it? Crap! Haven't you asked me any yet?"

She chuckled. "Not yet." She set down her mug and shifted, looking up at the moon. I felt her shoulder brush against mine, strands of her long brown hair nudging gently against my arm, and I saw that her expression had changed. "You know, Heru… it's not all that important to me who you were before... Because I like the you now... Even with all your disguises and silliness and perverted ways." She turned and smiled at me. "I like all of it, Arch."

Then I don't know what happened. My mind emptied. Sound thinned to a hum, then to nothing. She had leaned in, her eyes closing. I felt something impossibly soft and warm on my lips. The world disappeared. And then there was only the sensation of the kiss.

Then we parted, and I found myself staring into her bright violet eyes.

Only then did the world return, and I wished it hadn't. I was on the roof again with tiles beneath my feet, the winter breeze in my hair, and the old weights of my past finding the way to their resting places in my heart. I felt something well in my chest as if I had woken from a dream that could not come true.

"Elsa…" I said, unable to find the right words.

"That..." she said, staring deeply into my eyes. "Is the realest look I've ever seen on you."

She grinned then. An Elsa grin, full of radiance and vitality. What was it she saw in my expression that made her smile like that? It was a comforting smile. A smile to ease one's burden. A smile to tell me she was not hurt, and that it would be okay.

"Don't worry, Heru." She hopped off the windowsill, standing on the roof tiles, stretching her arms backward. "I'm not selfish enough to come between you and Charm, or make Cassia burst into tears. Nor am I ready to face a duel with Lieutenant Leise."

"Elsa..."

"It's alright," she said looking out at the city. Then she turned back to me. "I'm happy with the way things are. I really am. But I think I'd die with at least one regret if I didn't do that."

I watched her hit me with that grin again, then she turned and leapt off the roof, landing out of sight.

"Holy Celeru, Elsa! Where did you come from?"

"I sensed a tormented soul and thus I have arrived!"

I heard Herwin sigh. "Master Arch won't reveal his secret abilities to me."

"Never give up, Herwin! If he won't teach you his skills, then you must make your own! Come on, let me buy you a mug of ale, and we shall discuss your grand strategy."

I heard the barroom door open and close, and then there was only the sound of a vibrant tavern and a beating heart.

There are so many moments in my life that have felt like eternities. Memories that I relive in nightmares and in the dark places of my mind. Experiences that I would not wish upon my greatest enemies.

But then, there are moments like these. Moments that you want to keep forever because on their own, they are perfect. You know they can't last because life moves on. But as Elsa had told me, if you're careful, if you're paying attention, you can become fully part of this single moment. You can let go of the burdens of the past and the uncertainties of tomorrow. And for now, you can just be.

I closed my eyes with the light winter breeze on my skin, the knowledge of a new tap on my menu, the sound of music and laughter in my ears, and the taste of honeydew on my lips.

Epilogue: A Visit in the Depths

The island was large enough to fit a short white sand beach and a scattering of trees that encircled the three minor mountains. Smoke rose from the tallest peak, betraying what was held underneath. Aedor scanned his eyes across the landmass, searching for its inhabitants.

The Gate of Perception granted him a god's sight. He saw all spectrums of light, heat, aura, even sound. The main limitation was distance. But his ship was close enough that nothing should have been hidden from his eyes. The problem was the volcano.

"Lord Ashbane," said his captain. "Is this our destination?"

Aedor did not immediately reply. He'd not seen a single soul, and he expected at least two. But the explosive energy within the island kept blurring his awakened perception.

From his captain's perspective, the island would have looked like any other isle that lay scattered across the Primordial Sea. Even the smoking crater on one of the peaks was not out of the ordinary.

However, Aedor knew this volcano would soon erupt. In fact, it was unbelievable that it hadn't already happened. The chaotic energy coming off the churning, tremulous magma within the mountain played havoc on his sight, making it impossible for him to determine any human figures.

"Drop the anchor and await my return," he said to the captain.

Then he leapt off the bow with as much force as he could allow without cracking the deck of the ship. He shot through the air, and when gravity began to pull him down again, Aedor held out a hand and whispered, "Levi."

A warm light held him and lifted him back upward. The Elven levitation spell was not meant to be used for flight, but it sufficed for a slow descent to the beach.

Within moments of his feet touching down on the white sand, a figure appeared before him, spinning into an erect standing position, sending sand spraying. Aedor noted she came from the sky, using a true flight spell.

"So you are here," Aedor said.

The young woman's hair was the color of seaweed, and it fell in waves, covering half of her face. The robes that extended to her feet were a matching dark green, and they were wrapped so tightly around her legs that Aedor wondered how she could move so swiftly.

"You should not have come," the woman said. Her voice was quiet and ominous.

Aedor ignored her comment, looking across the island again. "Where is he?"

"Master is not expecting you."

"He'll want to hear what I have to say."

"You cannot reach him."

"Where is he?" Aedor said again, and this time he turned his eyes to her. They both knew he was not going to ask her a third time.

The woman stared back at him for a long moment, as if judging whether or not to answer. In the end, she said, "He is in the depths."

Aedor looked at her with some surprise. She didn't mean the ocean. He turned his gaze to the volcano and heightened his perception, searching its base. There, deep within the magma, he found the shape of a man.

"You cannot reach him," the woman said again.

Aedor laughed. "You forget who you speak to, attendant."

Then he was running, leaping atop the tree branches and then upon the slopes of the mountain. An easy task with his Gate of Breath and Gate of Symmetry opened. He reached the crater of the volcano within a minute. Below was a pond of red and orange liquid rock. The very topmost surface of the volcano's magma vent.

"Not even Master was able to enter immediately upon arriving," the woman said. She was standing beside him on the ridge of the crater, as if she had been with him the whole time. Maybe she had been. Aedor didn't like the thought of that. But it was clear this was as far as she would go.

He raised his hand over his head and whispered, "Aegis of Aedor."

A dome of golden light descended around him. He felt good inside it. Invulnerable.

"Your favorite spell," the woman said. "But can it withstand the heat?"

"What do I have to fear?" Aedor said. "Not even my former teacher could break this shield."

"So you say," the woman said.

He thought about killing her then. She was yet another who doubted his relationship to the Stormblood. But he let it go. He could not risk angering Magnemos. And in any case, if she died, he would not get to see the look on her face when he came back out of the volcano.

Aedor leapt into the magma, falling downward through the volcano. Immediately, he felt the pressure and heat against his shield. But it held, the temperatures within the shield only warming slightly. The trouble was the tremulous magma, pushing him left and right, spinning him over and over as he descended. He extended his aura, trying to stabilize himself. But it was a near-impossible task. He couldn't guess which direction the next wave of magma would push him to. The best he could do was keep himself upright within his shield and slowly aura-propel a wavering path toward the man at the base of the volcano.

Then he saw him. And if it were not for the Gate of Perception, Aedor would not have believed his eyes. At the very center of the volcano, Magnemos sat crossed-legged within ever-changing molten magma. Except, he wasn't moving, not a hair's breadth, as if he were locked into place.

Aedor's eyes showed him the truth. To maintain that position, a fierce battle of energy raged all around him. Only a thin film of hardened aura protected the man from the heat of the magma, meanwhile perfectly timed explosions of halos offset the ever-changing forces of a volcano that was on the verge of eruption.

The man was a massive figure, perhaps eight feet tall. He wore nothing, and his body was like a sublime statue cut from unblemished marble.

"Why have you come, Aedor?" Magnemos said in a voice that seemed to rumble through Aedor's bones.

"Magnemos," Aedor said, straining to keep steady in a single point. "The seastones that Meddias and his patron tasked me to find… they are more than we'd thought."

"I am aware of their gifts," Magnemos said, two glowing eyes opening now. "Why have you come?"

Aedor was shocked by this. Why had Magnemos been willing to hand them over? This was a treasure beyond all others. "With them, we can take over Meritas immediately," Aedor said. "Not even Yestereaster's support will be enough to stop us."

"Shortsighted," Magnemos rumbled. "Force and power alone will not allow you to rule a country. Leave the seastones here and complete your mission as we discussed, Aedor. Do not return until you are successful."

Anger raged in Aedor's heart. He did not bring a king's treasure for such a quick dismissal. "You are already superior to all who could stand in your way," Aedor said. "Why do we wait to bring the dawn of a new age?"

"There are still those with power rivaling my own, especially if your former master is still alive."

"Impossible," Aedor said.

"If you witnessed his defeat of the Mad King, you would not hold such certainty. But it matters not. Decades I've sat in meditation, and my climb upon the Stairs of Ascension nears a new pinnacle. Soon I will open the Gate of Chaos, surpassing even the Stormblood and the Mad King at the height of their powers."

"And will you not use force then?"

Magnemos watched Aedor for a long moment, and it felt as if his heart were searched.

"You were wandering without purpose, without direction," Magnemos said finally. "You chose to trust my path. Do not waver now, Aedor. Follow my instructions and become the man you were destined to be."

"How am I to continue?" Aedor said. "The mercenaries have turned against me. Blackfist is dead. It is not possible for me to take Meritas as we originally planned."

Magnemos frowned. Then he turned his eyes far into the distance as if searching for something. "I see that you have brought five seastones."

Aedor was chilled by the detail of Magnemos's perception. He nodded in reply.

"I will keep four," Magnemos said. "Shall that be sufficient for you to complete your task?"

Aedor's eyes widened, but he immediately understood. And so he bowed. "It will be done."

* * *

The woman was no longer standing on the ridge of the crater when he burst out of magma's surface. She was gone, and he laughed then. She would have seen and heard everything.

He returned to his ship the same way he'd come, the Elven levitation spell carrying him to the navigation deck of the vessel.

The captain bowed upon his arrival. "Lord Ashbane, what are your orders?"

"Have two men deliver the chest to the island by rowboat and-"

He stopped short as he saw a large black bird swirling high in the sky above.

The bird dove, wings expanding and flapping as it slowed its descent and landed on Aedor's outstretched arm.

The bird was a shadowhawk that belonged to Gilsot, his shadowmage whom he'd left to keep an eye on the situation in Meritas. Aedor retrieved the scroll tied to the magicked bird's leg and wondered what could be so urgent to contact him here.

He frowned upon taking a glance, for the message held only one line.

Resharrd is missing.

Afterword

Hello everyone,

I hope you’ve enjoyed your latest stay at the Tipsy Pelican Tavern!

It's been so wonderful to hear from my readers and discover each person reads the story for a different reason. Some enjoy the action scenes the most. Some love the slice of life aspects of running a tavern. Some are purely reading it for the silly humor. Some like the strong, pretty ladies and their dynamics with Arch. And some devour the novels to get to the bottom of the backstories and lore. And then, of course, there are the beautiful souls who read it for all these things.

But I love that so many people enjoy the story for different reasons. I know that comes with a lot of expectations for each aspect of the story, and each volume might focus on certain aspects more than others. I just want to let you know that I have seven more volumes planned, and I hope to develop each of these aspects to a satisfying conclusion.

Thanks so much for being part of this journey with me thus far!

If you'd like to help me out, please consider leaving a review. Your ratings and reviews have a direct impact on how often Amazon shows my books and the cost of ads on the platform, so they matter a lot, especially for a self-published author!

Lastly, if you haven't caught up on the prequel short stories yet, head on over to TipsyPelicanTavern.com to read them. As a newsletter subscriber, you also receive free access to the next volume in the series ahead of the Amazon release.

Thanks again, and I hope to see you all at the tavern very soon!

AUGUST

Got feedback, an angry rant, or a marriage proposal? Shoot me an email at august@tipsypelicantavern.com or hit me up on Twitter.

Tipsy Pelican Tavern Series Suggested Reading Order

- Volume 1: Even a Hero Needs a Vacation Every Now and Then

- Prequel Short #1 - Elsa’s Story: Sweat, Scoundrels, and Taverns

- Volume 2: Everyone Knows You Shouldn’t Rescue Maidens in Alleyways

- Prequel Short #2 - Cassia’s Story: The Final Test

- Prequel Short #3 - Roddard’s Story: A Road to Meritas

- Volume 3: Rare Swords Are Only Good Until You Lose Them