"Why?" Lilia asked with furrowed brows.
She might not have hesitated to kill when the battle started, but she was ultimately an innocent person. She didn't like that they had suddenly eradicated a fort full of soldiers. They had families, loved ones to provide for, and she, at her husband's command, had killed them all.
Ariel and Seraphina, meanwhile, simply kept their tongues. They understood Bastion's motivation somewhat, but it would be best to hear him out first.
"The brat wanted Seraphina, and no one was willing to stop him," Bastion answered, maintaining his strict expression.
"Wouldn't you have just lectured him like the others? It's not the first time we encountered someone like that. There were plenty in Mycelora who threw out threats, and I even remember the first time it happened in Aurenthal, right outside the Dungeon of Howling Winds."
"The difference is that this was the first time a battle would have erupted as a result. If we had subdued them and opted for the legal route, we would have to put our faith in their legal system. This means we subject ourselves to their one-sided laws, with the brat's father being our judge, jury, and executioner," Bastion said, taking a breath before continuing.
"If we subdued them and pursued an even higher appeal, we would have to deal with the noble above them. Each time we encounter pride, greed, envy, or corruption, we would be forced into fights against increasingly powerful opponents while also building a violent record that could be used against us in prosecution."
"The alternative is to surrender willingly and be taken to jail while awaiting trial. However, the moment we give up our ability to defend ourselves, we would be completely at their mercy. We can say goodbye to all our belongings and expect to be raped and tortured as they please."
"Either way, the outcome converges on the same ending. We would either be forced to pay reparations that could drain our entire fortune, face death or worse, slavery, or end up with a justified bounty on our heads if we resist and escape. I am not willing to subject us to the subjective judgment of a Rank 2 kingdom, especially when a proper trial would require an exorbitant sum just to secure a fair judge from the Empire," Bastion finished.
"That doesn't mean we should just skip all the tedious processes and resort to being criminals!" Lilia shouted in frustration. "Why did we even have to kill everyone? Why not just run for it? Why did we have to kill innocent people?"
"Soldiers aren't innocent people, Lilia," Ariel said from the side. "The moment they signed away their autonomy to their lord in exchange for money, they are no longer innocent people. They are soldiers who are contractually bound to follow their lord's wishes, even if they have to slaughter truly innocent villagers."
"That's…"
"That's beside the point," Bastion said. "They needed to die in order to conceal all information about us. If we are going to commit crimes to avoid this dilemma, then we need to do it perfectly to avoid a bounty on our heads."
"Is that what the robbery, cleaning, cremation, and ritual were for?" Lilia asked.
"The robbery was to ensure there were no hidden recording devices and to destroy any trackers among them. The cleaning was to ensure none of us left any physical evidence like scent, hair, blood, or dead skin. The cremation was to ensure none of the corpses could be reanimated or have their brains examined for information. Lastly, the ritual was to prevent spiritualists or necromancers from identifying us," Bastion listed before continuing.
"The only other investigator I know of that would be able to uncover our identity would be a time wizard, and they are notoriously busy and expensive. It's unlikely that the brat's father would be able to afford it."
"The sole individual who would know what happened apart from us would be the God of Verdance, who would receive their souls and whose judgment I am willing to accept. They will probably regard it as a squabble among mortals unless they were slightly inconvenienced, which I highly doubt. We might have even done them a favor, given the brat's weak character."
For some reason, knowing that the God of Verdance knew what they had done lightened Lilia's heart. She would be willing to accept any consequences for their actions if that god deemed it so, but if there were no consequences at all, then they would have nothing to worry about.
"I don't suppose I can get a heads-up the next time you're about to do something so outrageous?" Lilia asked, her frustration already significantly eased.
"If the situation allows for it," Bastion answered, maintaining his strict demeanor.
"That's good enough, I guess," Lilia said with a sigh of resignation.
"Any other questions?" Bastion asked, looking over Ariel and Seraphina.
"Nope, I'm just surprised how well you had it thought through," Ariel said. "I would have just opted to run for it and get a bounty slapped on my forehead."
"Where's Ely?" Seraphina asked.
"I said it was unlikely for the Baron to have the resources to investigate his son's murder, which means it's still possible for him to have them, and I am unwilling to take that chance," Bastion said.
"You're going to have him killed?" Lilia exclaimed.
"No, that would just be passing on the responsibility for the investigation. I have something better in mind for that," Bastion said ominously.
-----
Inside a heavily guarded mansion at the heart of the Alderwood estate, the Baron sat hunched over a heavy oak desk in his private study.
He was a thin, middle-aged man with sharp features and a perpetually tired expression. His skin was pale from too many nights indoors, and his dark hair was thinning at the temples, carefully combed. A trimmed beard framed his jaw, and his sunken eyes moved steadily across the documents atop the desk with focus.
The only sound in the room was the steady scratch of a quill on paper when a soft knock broke the silence.
"Enter," he said, without looking up.
The door opened, and a maid slipped inside carrying a tray with tea and biscuits. She moved with purpose, eyes lowered, hands steady as she placed the contents of the tray beside his work. Without a word, she bowed slightly and withdrew, closing the door behind her, unknowingly leaving something behind in the room.
For a moment, the room returned to silence. Then the Baron paused, his quill stopping mid-stroke. The faint rustle of parchment was the only warning before he felt twin blades press against his throat, an unseen assailant standing directly behind him.
"Sign the contract or die," the assailant commanded in a distorted, unidentifiable voice. "You have ten seconds."
The Baron immediately tried to use a skill to fight off the assailant but suddenly found himself unable to cast a single skill. He considered fighting back with his strength, but the daggers at his neck dismissed the thought. He would die if he moved the wrong muscle.
"Ten… nine… eight…"
The Baron looked down at his desk, and there it was, a contract written for him to sign. He wanted to read further and understand what he was getting himself into, but the countdown continued.
"Seven… six… five…"
"Wait, what is this about? What do you want from me?" he asked desperately, trying to buy time.
"Four… three… two…"
"Alright! Alright! I'll sign it," he said, placing his quill on the dotted line, hesitation briefly halting his movements.
"One…"
The blades tightened against his throat, slicing through his toughened skin and drawing blood, removing any doubt as to whether the threat was real. Without further delay, he signed his name and smeared his blood, accepting the unknown contract.
Then, as quietly as they had appeared, the assailant vanished without a trace. Even the contract he had signed began to fade from existence, leaving only its effects on him.
He probed the knot embedded deep in his soul and recognized it as a binding oath. He was forbidden from investigating the events at the fort and his son's death. Alongside it came strict conditions forbidding retaliation or any attempt to break the contract, requiring him to remain at Rank 2 or lower, or else forfeit his life and soul. It was a dead end as far as the path to power was concerned.
"WHAT!?" he shouted, the realization breaking his composure.
He was on the cusp of reaching Rank 3, finally securing a path beyond the kingdom's constraints. Now, because of this contract and whatever had happened at the fort, he was effectively sealed off from advancement. Worse still, he couldn't even request investigation, retaliation, or have the contract removed without triggering the punishment clause. Even thinking too directly about breaking the terms risked lethal backlash.
There were two ways to remove a contract. One was to overpower the contract itself by raising his rank. The other was to have a contract breaker remove it from his soul. Both options were closed off by the contract, leaving him stuck with it from this point on.
Meanwhile, Elyra, the assailant, used Shadow Recall to return to Bastion's side just in time to hear Seraphina's question and Bastion's answer. She emerged from the shadows and reported.
"It is done, Master."
"Excellent job, Ely," Bastion said, placing his hand behind her ear and lightly caressing it, earning a slight tilt of her head toward him.
Seraphina smiled, enjoying Elyra's pleased expression. She rarely showed any emotion other than professionalism, so seeing her enjoy her reward for a job well done was always nice. Still, that didn't let her forget what Bastion had commanded earlier.
"What did you mean earlier when you said, 'just like I taught you'?" Seraphina asked.
Before Bastion could answer, Elyra answered for him.
"Of everything I know about assassination, I learned half of it from Sibelle. She taught me the physical side of it, how to fight, how to hunt, how to kill, how to stalk prey, how to hide, and how to spy on enemies. The other half I learned from Master. How to read people, their expressions, and the meaning behind their words. How to clean a crime scene and avoid identification, how to erase my tracks beyond simple footprints or markings. How to be a complete assassin."
Seraphina raised her brows, impressed. It seemed Bastion was far more knowledgeable than her when it came to these things. He had probably read more detective novels than she had.
Still, that confirmed her understanding of him. He was a protector through and through. Only a man like him would decisively kill a threat without hesitation while still proclaiming that he avoided killing as much as possible. He didn't like killing, but he didn't shy away from it either. He had the knowledge and conviction necessary to keep them safe.
For some reason, that realization made her feel incredibly aroused.
"Bastion," Seraphina said with a sultry look. "How about I see you in your room after this?"
Bastion raised his brows in surprise, his strict countenance crumbling at Seraphina's sudden needy expression. Here he was trying to take responsibility for his actions and receive blame to ensure they were kept safe, and for some reason Seraphina became horny. He had honestly expected to receive the same kind of accusation from her as Lilia, considering she might have kept her morality from Earth, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
"Sure," Bastion replied before turning to Ariel. "Any updates on where we're going?"
"The closest Rank 3 kingdom is the Kingdom of Paws, and we will be there in a month."
Suddenly, Bastion felt a slight tingle in his mind, a familiar sensation whenever his Intuition, or as it was now called, Fortune, activated. It seemed this Kingdom of Paws had something in store for him.
-----
Support me on Patreon
patreon/babywrath