Chapter 155: A Night of Investigations (1/2)

“You want her to get kidnapped basically?” the man asked, nearly with a hiss.

“Dear it’s alright, we don’t really have a choice.” the woman said but Ilea interjected.

“I will leave a bit of food with you one way or the other. You do have a choice but we don’t have all the time in the world. She’ll go out, get kidnapped hopefully and we’ll see where we go from there. Her safety is guaranteed of course.” Ilea said.

“If they don’t kill her immediately… I’ve heard what they did to people who oppose them… what if you lose her?” he was obviously worried.

“You’re not opposing them, are you? I won’t lose her.” she said with somewhat faked confidence. If Eve could get away from her then the people here could have a way as well. It was unlikely but certainty wasn’t something she could guarantee.

“What if she gets hurt then?” the man insisted.

Ilea sighed and unsheathed Aki, making them tense up before she grabbed the man’s arm and cut him.

“What the h… aaah!” he exclaimed but she didn’t let go and look into his eyes as she healed the wound again in mere seconds. “aaa… wh.. what.” he said as the woman tried to get Ilea away as well, shouting for her to stop.

“You healed… “ he exclaimed as she let him go while he looked at his hand.

“Yes, I healed. And I will heal her, at least if they don’t take her head in a swing. Even then I might be able to prevent the attack. We’ll wait outside for two minutes, if you don’t come the deal is off. Dress in something cheap, look desperate.” she said and summoned enough food to last the family a couple days. “That’s yours one way or the other.” Ilea got up and walked outside, Kyrian followed right after.

“What do you think?” he asked her when they stood outside again.

Ilea looked at him with a smile. “I don’t have to think, I can see her getting ready.” she said as she held Aki into the rain to clean off the blood a little.

It had been a long day, another one after many. No sleep had found Michael for a week already, his magic fueling him to stay awake and aware of both his work and his surroundings. The small stack of documents and letters in front of him was nearly dealt with, the final thing before he’d get at least some rest.

‘Another three towns have fallen to the demons…’ he thought, marking them on the massive map of Lys behind him with floating pins of gold. His office was richly decorated, as decadent as his very image. Not many knew of his magic and the fact that the supposed decadency was what brought him the advantage on his territory, at least in his personal quarters.

A knock on the door made him perk up. It was his butler who entered a moment later. “Sir, you’ve been working for fifteen hours without eating or drinking. Would you like some refreshments?” he asked. Michael smiled and sat back.

“No, I’ll get some rest soon. You should too. Be back again tomorrow morning.” he said and the butler bowed and left the room again.

The remaining documents were worked through in the span of forty minutes and Michael finally sighed and stood up. He teleported next to his bed in the room over and switched his beautiful red and gold suit to a night suit, still partially woven with gold.

A small plate with egg, bacon, cheese and bread stood next to his bed on a table. Michael smiled as he walked closer. Taking the plate, he smelled the simple yet beautifully prepared food. “That old man, just c…,” he stopped in his tracks as he looked at the shelf above the table.

The plate shattered on the ground, food spilling onto the expensive carpet as Michael stepped over the shards, crushing them below his bare feet as he extended his hand towards a particular glass container on the shelf. The man carefully touched it.

Inside was a wilted flower, only a hint of the beautiful purple remaining that had so strongly sang with life just the day before. His breathing picked up as mana gathered around him, the air in the room feeling more dense as the walls started to crack, the interwoven gold pushing at the foundation of the room itself. It lasted only a moment.

When the butler rushed into the room, magic flowing around the man as well, Michael’s breathing was steady again. “Have the room repaired Teris. I will be gone for a while.” he said and walked to the door, his night suit replaced by intricately designed golden armor, the helmet resembling a stag. “Prepare a funeral ceremony. Prim has died.” he said and the butler bowed before he went to clean up the food.

“That was easier than expected.” Ilea whispered to the man next to her.

“Are you sure it’s them though?” Kyrian asked “Could be anybody for all we know.”

“There’s fifteen armed people in there and the place doesn’t exactly look official.” she said. “If it’s another group then we’ll find out more about them as well. Plus they seemed too professional to me to be just a bunch of thugs. They’re organized at least. One of them is writing letters as we speak.” she said and the man nodded at that.

“Then how do you want to approach this? Just go and knock again?” he asked.

“They haven’t hurt the woman, they’re just talking to her. Even got her a blanked. I think I’ll go in there and talk to the guy who’s interviewing her. He’s probably the one who knows the most in there.”

“I’ll wait here until a fight breaks out or you get me.” Kyrian said.

“Alright. Wish me luck then.” Ilea said and smiled below her helmet. A moment later she appeared inside the room twenty five meters away, where a small table and two chair stood, occupied by the woman they had used as bait and a man in light metal armor. Ilea immediately grabbed his throat and pushed him to one of the walls. He was only at level one hundred and the identification informed her that he had a rogue like main class.

He was powerless to oppose the sudden appearance and the strength of her arm. The woman in the room managed to at least not scream, knowing that something like this was about to happen.

“If you don’t want to die in the next seconds, I suggest you don’t do anything stupid. Alright?” Ilea asked, looking deep into the man’s eyes whose adrenaline was likely pulsing at a high. He hadn’t used any skills or attacks on her immediately which meant he either simply wasn’t fast enough or he was smart enough to know when he was beaten.

“Now I’m here to talk and if we can find an arrangement suitable to all parties involved, we can all leave happily without anybody dying. How does that sound?” she asked, lessening the pressure on his throat a little.

“Go.. ood” he squeaked out.

“Good.” she said and smiled, though he didn’t see that through the metal of her helmet.

“Now I’ve learned that a certain group of outlaws has taken it upon themselves to try and take over Riverwatch. I am told that there is a certain individual orchestrating the whole thing and I’d like to meet said individual. Now please don’t try to bullshit me here because I have developed a somewhat small tolerance for that in the past year. Are you a part of said group?” she asked.

“Ye.. s.” the man supplied, either willing to cooperate or more interested in his own life.

“Good, then is your leader around?” she asked and lessened the pressure even further.

“I’m afraid not, no. She’s out of town at the moment and I doubt I could get you an audience.” the man said.

“That’s a bummer. I specifically forced this bitch to bait and find you and now you’re telling me my target isn’t here?” Ilea said, looking at the woman who nervously moved on her chair.