"They, master?"  Ushi knows enough to hide and mask her voice.

"The girl next to Milti.  She's one of the aquecian heroes."

As soon as I saw her.  I could tell something wasn't right.  The magic is super subtle but its there.  Nice job with makeup too.  Juice my eyes to see thru it and...  A very japanese face appears.

Keep my voice low and directed.  So only my inner circle hears.  Five wives, Silvie, butler, boss maid, Clari, and Val's family. Gotta give props as none of them react to my dropped bomb.

Butler asks, hiding his voice even more skillfully than Ushi.

"Forgive me, Lord Barton, but do you know which?"

"Under the magic and makeup is a girl with very japanese looks."  Casual face. Gentle smile.  "Not a ton of T&A nor westerner looks.  So I figure its the thief."

It takes a bit of effort but I keep my undead from attacking immediately.  Juri is the hardest to hold back.  The thought of Milti being in danger upsets her.  A lot.

Can tell Blue has picked up on something being wrong through our link but she does an amazing job of hiding it.  The cordon absorbs Milti and friends as we approach.  Me double checking that all my camo and defenses are as tight as possible.

If this girl goes all out I might only get one chance.  She's doing her damnedest to hide it but, power wise, she beats Tharick and Frosty by a country mile.  A long country mile.  What a fight it would be.  No.  Stop that.  I will not put my women in danger.

Look cool. Look casual. Look weak.  And thank god that Luvine isn't here.  She might have seen thru her disguise too.  And there is no way that motor mouth maid could have kept her excited girl trap shut.

The merchant bows deeply.

"Viscount Barton.  Thank you again for putting a good word in for my company with the Rector and helping with Miltinnia's education."

The girl's eyebrows arch ever so slightly.  Probably invisible to anyone without [Super Senses].  Which I have cranked to max right now and focused on her.  Did she really not know?

"It was my pleasure.  Trade can be a cut throat business so its good to give you a boost since you're new.  Plus Lady Alote adores Miltinnia.  Stormgarde will be a good fit for her.  As long as she keeps it up of course."

Dad laughs and misses Milti's blush, but the girl doesn't.  The hidden shock, blush of her own, then anger, as she misreads the scenario, is fucking hilarious.  Yeah, we may look the same age?  But my soul has decades on you little girl.

While I won't bet that I'm smarter?  I will bet that I'm meaner, dirtier, sleazier, and crazier.

Blue, who is now on Milti's lap, gladly joins in.

"Don't tease, darling.  Dad knows you care too much about Miltinnia to soil her."  Blue gives Milti a kiss on the lips.  With a little tongue.  "Even Dean Franziska is helping her get ready for the exam.  She'll be fine."

Milti's blush gets even deeper.  Japanese girl blushes again.  Red gives Blue the, 'watch it buster,' look.

"Blue..."

"Fine darling.  I will stop playing.  For now."  She leans her head back.  "And who might this little flower be?"

The merchant catches up.

"Oh, apologies everyone.  This is Miss Elma Strenger.  A daughter of one of the Mordeca guild leaders."  The girl bows.  "She also hopes to attend Stormgarde."

"My Lord and Ladies."  Another bow.

Hmm...

An aquecian hero attending the academy could cause big problems for me.  Especially if the others are lurking.  Waiting to ambush me.  Should I take her down now?

As I ponder, and the others chit chat, my eyes catch the obviously not really Elma's.

Fascinating.  I can feel her trying to push.  Prodding.  Probing.  No one's ever gotten close to this level before.

What kind of undead would she make?

She's trying really hard to read my aura, spirit, and probably even mana.  Tempted to show off but, this bitch is strong.  Fuck up and it could cost me dearly.

Would probably win.  But if the other three are about?  I could die here and now.  Send my undead out to hunt.  If they are here?  Need to find them, yesterday.

There are four aquecian heroes who have not only stopped the demons?  But also taken over the country.  Or at least have the emperor under their thumb.  Something the tourinese king is afraid I'll do to him.

There's one guy and three girls.  The guy is the classic sword hero type.  Girls cover the priest, mage, and thief types.  Considering her disguise, sneakiness, and each girl's physical description?

I'm confident that I'm looking at the thief here.  Mission?  Likely infiltration and assassination.  Possibly sabotage and disruption.

Great, just when I finally take care of the Gilend's?  I'm about to get Pearl Harbored.  Stop.  Calm down.  Give her nothing until I find where the others are hiding.  Then?

...

Shit.  I don't know.  Broken record but, I'm not here for them!  If they stay out of my way?  I'll stay out of there's.  Of course the fact that at least one of them traveled hundreds of miles and showed up in front of me, in disguise?

Kind of reads like they are getting in my fucking way!

Butler interrupts my brooding.  Not trying to hide his voice this time either.

"Lord Barton.  Forgive my intrusion, but we really must leave now if we are going to attend the ball."

Blue springs off Milti's lap.

"That's right darling!  We really can't miss it two nights in a row"

Lili politely asks Kam.

"Mister Alnus, will you be coming tonight?"

Kam shakes his head.

"My apologies Lady Lilias.  The festival is a very busy time for us.  We will definitely attend the welcoming ball after the exam though."

We wave our goodbyes and board the several carriages that were brought around.  As evening approaches the main road has already been cleared of foot traffic.  Soon it will be filled with carriages heading for the Grand Hall of Lions Keep.

The last eight-week of Glenic is when the Stormgarde Entrance Exam Festival occurs.  On the fourth, fifth, and sixth days, the exams take place.  The seventh day is when the new freshmen roster is posted.  On the eighth day is the welcoming ceremony and last ball.

Every night of that eight-week, the Lord of Lions Keep hosts a dinner and dance in the Grand Hall.  Running from twilight to midnight, at the least.

Frazur would cry more over how much I'm spending but?  Stormgarde is paying for everything this year as thanks for the dragon corpses.

Its going to take an eight-hour or two to get back up the hill with all this traffic, so we do need to go.  Spent six eight-hours walking today.  My feetsies are soresies.

As soon as the carriage door closes, I'm attacked.  Quickly buried in lips, boobs, and butts.  Yes Mel, its good to be the king.

If the carriage is a rockin'.  And pantin'.  And screamin'.  Maybe you really shouldn't come on in.

After the assault ends, I think we all needed that quickie, business begins.  Ushi starts.

"Master, you haven't felt that tense since the vault ambush."  Red agrees.  "Is she that dangerous?"

"I can probably beat her.  Just one mistake though?  I could get badly injured or even lose one or more of you."

All look shocked while Red tightens her grip on her sword.  Odaline and Simone stereo.

""Why is she even here?""

Lili replies.

"They may see dearest as a threat.  Rumor is they control the aquecian emperor.  Would their plans really end at defeating the demons?"

Blue remarks.

"The crown fears darling.  With the demons back across the River Black?  The king might welcome an offer to murder tourin's savior."

Nothing worse than an unneeded hero.  Red nods again and says.

"Jon, if another hero is here with her?  They will attack.  If she's alone?  They may still be scouting."

I facepalm.

"We need more information.  Maybe I should hire my own spies?"

Frankie starts the round robin.

"The thieves guild will have information but its not going to be very deep.  Knowledge behind the curtains will take weeks and cost a lot."

Val, with Silvie the only not-wives in the carriage, speaks up.

"The vampires have our own network but its often disrupted.  I will reach out to old master's contacts.  It may be weeks though before I have answers."

I nod.  Can't be helped.  Higher level undead know to protect themselves.  Knowing what's going on beyond their sight is part of that.  So sharing what they know is considered common sense.

Silvie chimes in.

"I will message the temple.  Elves are often targeted so we keep a close watch on slaver states like aquecia.  It will be a few days though."

Elves have been forever popular as sex slaves.  Even more than beastkin.  Aquecia is the biggest slave buyer on the continent.  Drasritor is bigger but they don't buy.  They take.  So the church of an elven god has a vested interest in keeping tabs on them.

Lili's next.

"I will speak with the seneschal about getting information from House Lianlaf's spies."

As part of becoming my administrator?  Lilias works closely with the Lions Keep crew.  More like they report to her now.  Has even bonded with new old seneschal's wife over their mutual troubles.

No.  That does not mean I have had sex with new old seneschal's wife.  Would never do that to the poor guy after what he's been thru already.  There are lines I choose not to cross.

Each House spies on other Houses.  Hell, they even spy on themselves.  They also keep the bigger picture in mind.  As a larger house, the Lianlaf's network should be impressive.  The one getting information from and paying these spies?  Is normally the seneschal.

Red has the last word.  She is growing into her first wife role.

"We will protect our husband and our children.  I will speak with the marshal about security.  The thief hero is said to be a master of stealth and manipulation."  Several nod.  "Never be alone with her.  Always be on your guard with her."

Yeah.  Secret agents in this world may not have 007's gadgets and organization?  But everyone spies on everyone.  So there are no shortage of full-time and part-time spies.  Selling what you've seen or heard is perfectly legal, usually, and there are lots and lots of buyers.

You just have to be careful a buyer doesn't decide to kill you to monopolize the info.

The smarter spies go looking for info and have mastered the art of making lips loose...

Phrasing.

The thieves guild is really the only 'public' spy organization.  You can buy info from the merchant guilds too, but the quality varies a lot.  Yeah, buy.  No freebies kid.  And the thieves guild is everywhere.  Unofficially.

They've got a lot more members than what's registered at the adventurers guild.  So besides the black market, assassination, and other skullduggery?  One of that guild's most popular products is information.  About?  Well, everything.

The popular stuff is always available on site.  The more obscure and private the info?  The longer it takes to collect from an archive or gather.  And the more expensive it is.  We've already got a contract with them looking for info on interplanetary visions.

An expensive one.

So they already know my coin is good.  Meaning they might have already gathered what they think I want to know.  Like what my only rivals are doing.  I wrap on the roof of the carriage and Butler nimbly moves from the tail seat to the side window.

"Yes Lord Barton?"

"Send a runner to the thieves guild.  Tell Nigs I want all the information he has on the aquecian heroes.  High priority."

Butler disappears from the carriage side but I see him, thru shadows, signal one of the loitering boys we go buy.  One sprints up, gets the message, some coppers, and runs off.

In the days before phones and mandatory education?  Boys would spend their days playing and hanging about.  If they didn't have an apprenticeship that is.  Always keeping their eyes and ears open for the chance to make some money.

Like someone wanting a message sent to someone, somewhere, local.

Of course the bored boys know everyone who is anyone, or know someone else who does.  Even where shadier places like the thieves guild are really located.  And who to really talk too.  So they'll get the message too him.

We join the already queue of carriages going through the switchbacks to Lions Keep.

Ugh. Its going to take an eight-hour just to get everyone bathed and clothed.

"I hate dressing up."

---

Nigs (male, human, tourinese)

• Representative
  • Thieves Guild
    
    • Pearlden