There is something off about the man's account of what has happened. I guess that I should record what the man's record has been. Not that it will be very helpful anyway.
The man started with a description of his mission. The man omitted to mention the fact that he had spent the night in the temporary fort. Based on his report the man had felt the mana of a formation being activated.
When he had gone to investigate this formation, they found me there. Finding me to be a sage he had challenged me to a duel. After agreeing to the duel, I attacked him and his party members with the formation. He gravely injured two snowlords and killed one under the laws of the duel.
Overall, it has all been a pile of lies. It is not like they need to worry that I will be able to counter their claims. Even if I were to speak about what happened how am I supposed to prove it? The only people witnessing this were the three snowlords, me and the Snowwinders. My word naturally is useless and so is the Snowwinders. They will twist the truth into lies and make the villain one way or the other.
The thing I don't understand is why the man doesn't want to speak about the fact that he spent the night under the treaty at the fort. There is something there, something very obvious. I just can't figure out what. I am wondering if I should speak about the night they spent there or not. I don't know how helpful it could be.
Right now there is a discussion occurring in the room if the fight that I had with the man could constitute a duel. If it does the laws of the duel would hold for it and I would be punished for it.
I cannot interfere in this part of the discussion, which is why I am recording right now. After all, I would end up undermining my case if I were to interfere here. After all, I do not have any idea of the laws of this land.
Turns out that challenging a person to a duel here is a pretty ritualistic procedure. You cannot just challenge a person to a duel and expect to be protected under the laws of the duel. You need to follow the steps.
The tattoo tribe knows this and has naturally tailored their story in that way. I can't claim to understand what exactly these rituals are. Cloak has been very vague regarding them. All I know is that the method in which I was supposedly challenged to a duel is not a particularly accepted method of challenging a person to a duel.
Well, I suppose that I should be scared right now. I don't even need Cloak's translations to tell that the argument is going in their favor. At the moment though, my brain is working at its full speed trying to puzzle out what I could know that the tattoo tribe would want to hide.
Funny how that goes sometimes. You know you should know something and it should be at the tip of your tongue. Still, you cannot tell what it is regardless of how much you think about it.
Well, I do not get to think on that for long as Cloak speaks from behind me.
"Well, the council has agreed that what soldier Laufen describes as a duel was conducted in a fair and just manner. Thus the laws of a duel can be applied to it.", the lady of the tattoo tribe speaks, a tone of smugness evident in her voice. The lady is enjoying this very much. Even I know you should not be so open with your emotions in such a place. You open yourself to attack. "Is there any way for the defendant to counter the charges placed on him?"
"My lady, would the council believe me if I admit that Laufen never did anything that he claims to have done.", I speak. "The man has attacked me in the middle of a negotiation. If anything he has broken the rules of negotiation that you people have with the snowwinders. Shouldn't be he punished for breaking a treaty."
The reply to this is a bark of laughter from the lady, following which she speaks.
"Well, if you can prove it certainly.", cloak speaks, behind me, his tone grave.
I do not reply to this, as what exactly can I present as proof? Surprisingly, even Cloak behind me is silent. The man seems to have reached the limits of his influence here.
As I am thinking, the lady of the tattoo tribe finally speaks. I don't even need a translation to know what the judgment is, though one is provided almost immediately.
"The laws of a duel are absolute and the very first law is clear. The battle conducted has to be fair or it shall not be a duel. The victim has been cheated out of a fair duel and the sanctity of the duel has been challenged. The laws are clear. The challenged and the challenger will have to fight again, this time under the watchful eye of the council. All the tribes that agree to this can raise their hands.", she speaks sitting down while raising her hands.
For a few moments that seem like a century, the representative of the Tribes all ponder their decision. The blood tribe and the wolf tribe do not raise their hands clearly against the ruling. The lord of the beast tribe raises his hand after pondering for a while. Well, that causes my heart to sink. The beast tribe was the only one that we could influence.
As my mind begins to run through plans of escaping the council, each more unlikely than the next. The spear of the spear tribe representative swipes into the air striking at something in the air. As the man's spear comes to a rest it is revealed to be a small red gemstone.
The spear tribe's lord speaks up pointing his spear at the lord of the blood tribe.
"Bastard of the blood tribe, keep your dirty magic to yourself. Do not try to disturb the council.", comes the translation.
"You really should learn not to be so uptight, lord of the spear tribe.", speaks the man from the blood tribe. "I just had a few questions of the kid before you go and sentence him to his death. I am sure that you can postpone your vote for a bit. After all, I think that you would like to listen to what I have to ask him. It would illuminate many things for you."
"What are you trying to insinuate here, lord of the blood tribe? This is simply a matter of reconducting a simple duel. It shall be fair.", the lady of the tattoo tribe speaks, irritation clear in her tone. "How dare you call it anything beyond that."
"Well, I speak as I see things, my little lady.", the man speaks, with a sarcastic tone that even I get without the translation. "You are asking a young fledgling who can barely wield his sword to fight a grown man armed to his teeth. Only a fool would call that fair now. May I ask my questions then, my lady?"
"Well, that is something the kid should have considered before challenging him to a duel, my lord. Blame his arrogance if you need to. As for the part about asking questions. That is your right.", speaks the lady with gritted teeth.
"Well, I would like to begin with what were you doing at the temporary fort?", the man asks me.
"My lord, it is part of our treaty. I work under the empire in return for access to magical ruins. You must be familiar with the hexmountain treaty.", I reply.
"Then this position that you held for the snowwinders, this fort of yours. How close was it to the frozen peak?", asks the man again.
"I would say that it was very close to the frozen peak. It would have just taken us a week to reach the frozen peak if we made use of the caravans.", I reply.
"Ah, the legendary caravans of the snowwind empire. A week on those caravans would be nothing more than a few minutes for the commander", he speaks. "Well, why would you think that the snowlords would risk their lives to come so close to the commander on feeling a formation."
"Why would I know that, my lord? It is not like I can read the thoughts of your men.", I reply.
"Well, humor this lord of yours. Show me the legendary analytical ability of the black mountain. Why were you attacked", he speaks.
"Well, the only reason that they could have attacked me was because they found out I was of the legion. That still doesn't explain their behavior though. Ever since the winter has begun they have been focussing on only me. This was even before they found out I was of the legion. It was certainly even before I had activated my formation.", I speak, for a moment forgetting who I was speaking to.
As I speak, the man from the blood tribe sits back with a knowing smile, as he must have realized that I have figured it out.
As I spoke, I began to realize what had left me confused in this entire matter. The snowlords were not targeting me because I was of the legion. They acted too surprised when my identity was revealed. It couldn't have been due to my formation. They would not have stayed the night in that case. An ambush in the night would have killed them. (I was tempted to attempt it as well.) The only reason that I was targeted could be due to my identity as a sage.
"My lord, can the tattoo tribe detect the presence of a sage?", I ask. Being preemptive like this is very risky but I have grasped something here.
"Well, they claim that they can detect only those with active abilities just like us all. Yet, there has always been suspicion that they can track any sage, even those with a passive ability. A gift of the sages they claim they never received.", he speaks, a hint of amusement in his voice. He understands what I am going for here. Maybe that is why he started asking me those questions in the first place.
"Well, there is a discrepancy here then. I assume that it must take quite a while to travel that deep into Snowwind territory.", I speak. "I activated the formation the day that the snowlords came here. Can they have traveled all that distance in a day?"
"Not unless they were planning to taunt the commander. That would have been a risky taunt to make. After all, the commander is a proud man. He would have smote those kids even if they were a day away from them.", the man replies.
Before I can complete though, the lady speaks.
"Well, how exactly are you going to be proving this claim of yours.", comes the translation.
"Well, my lady. If I was given access to the formation in my fort, I would be able to show you the precise day that it was active.", I speak, bullshitting out of my ass. I can do that, but I have left all the tools at home. (On my bastard of a master's command.)
"Well, any man can come here and claim anything. Since you are not able to prove yourself reasonably, the council will continue with its vote. Do not waste our time like this.", she speaks, annoyance (and what I hope to be fear) clear in her tone. "Spear tribe, you have yet to declare your vote."
Even as I speak, I realize that I don't need to prove anything. I am not completely sure what I have pulled off here but the lady's fear is enough to tell that I have won something here. I turn towards the lord of the Spear tribe, who is looking at the lady with questions in his eyes. It is then that the lord of the spear tribe speaks.
"This new information presently leaves us undecided. We reserve the right to vote until the next meeting of the council. We propose that the council meets within a week and discuss this topic again. Those that agree raise your hands."
The blood tribe, the wolf tribe and the spear tribes have raised their hands postponing this problem to the next week.
The people begin to leave their position, as Cloak begins to pull me out of the place. Before I leave, I catch the eye of the man from the blood tribe. Looking into his eyes I realise the man has mischief in his eyes. Looking at him, I feel like I am looking at a man who has just set off firecrackers tied to the tail of a bull.
Whether that bull is going charge right at me or away from me, I don't know. All I know is that I am causing chaos.