... and so I ask you, what would happen to the old, normal rats if a rat of steel used to surviving in an environment of glass and reinforced concrete were set free in a building made of wood?

Survivor's note

 

How about you make me an offer I can't refuse?

Nameless dead, anonymously buried

 

"... and so I ask you, what would happen to the old, normal rats if a rat of steel used to surviving in an environment of glass and reinforced concrete were set free in a building made of wood?"

Survivor's note

 

"How about you make me an offer I can't refuse?"

Nameless dead, anonymously buried

 

 

I am going to die.

 

I feel life leaving my body.

 

Glaring light burning my flesh to ashes.

 

Shrill sounds torturing my ears to death.

 

"Rise, Milady! The sun is already above the horizon and in an hour there will be breakfast, Milady!"

Why hadn't I just bound and gagged Mariette when I fell into bed? Or I should have let her rot in the palace.

 

"Mariette, do remind me to introduce you to my strap-on." - "Yes, Milady. What is a strap-on, Milady?" - "Something wonderful. I am very proud of my strap-on, Mariette." ... and once I've sunk it into you to the hilt? .... I'm sure you'll have seen the light too.

 

My 16 new slave girls, well the cute ones, had joined me. It just feels better to cuddle and have breakfast in pleasant company. My little magic trick prevented anyone from noticing us on the way back to my penthouse at Les Beautes Onereuses. Better said - the entire Les Beautes Onereuses was now my property.

 

My morning routine with the additional 16 girls turned out to be difficult. The penthouse was not equipped with a communal shower. I will certainly not explain what acute problems occur when 18 women share a bathroom at the same time. Pandemonium. Oddly enough, I immediately thought of communal showers and dropped soap. 

Mariette found a solution. The delightful minion demonstrated the basic posture number 1 and my property was allowed to admire my naked body during the morning toilet and practice the posture. Subsequently, Mariette was allowed to check the impeccable cleanliness of my sensitive spot with her tongue. A few of the female spectators may have looked envious.

And they would need new clothes. Mariette's task load increased again when I told her to inform Cebille of my wishes. A beautiful navyblue Attila with bright yellow lacings would be perfect.

 

I informed the general manager of the change in ownership shortly after my arrival. His responses regarding specially prepared food resulted in his neck now being decorated with a fancy, simple collar. It really worked out well on him. Looked so very good on him, too.

My concierge Paul took the change of ownership of Les Beautes Onereuses the best. The kitchen staff not so much, especially when the manager started ratting out who was going to drug my food. Never underestimate a snitch who can't lie.

As special entertainment, the manager recited to all the guests how the former owner had cheated his guests. I took a lot of credit for eradicating this practice. I felt flattered.

 

The bread received enthusiastic approval. Both with the staff and the guests, as well as with my girls. Charl became very thoughtful, especially when I showed him how to butter two slices of bread and put pieces of sausage in between. My pointing out that any hard-working artisan would love to be able to have a little snack as a break in the morning left him open-mouthed.

 

Everyone wanted more of my bread. Hah! You haven't seen anything yet. Wait until I introduce sourdough. Or white bread. Baguette and croissants!

 

... And until I find coffee!

 

Mariette took care with bravura of the messages to the various families to pick up their respective daughters. Before I could look around, the four women had already been picked up by their families and the two fiancés, respectively. I dropped the rest of the followers off at the street with their belongings.

 

Regarding the servants and the guards, my decision depended on several factors.

The most important was whether they were hostile to me. To my pleasure, no one could lie in response to my questions. In the end, I sold 14 servants and guards to the slave trader. I dismissed another 5 servants and 3 maids. The rest wanted to continue working for me and I took their collars off.

 

In the end, only the 16 demi-human girls, Constie and Virga were still enslaved. I made it clear to all my employees that if I should catch anyone who should take anything out against my slave girls without my direct order, Virga would have company. Including public chastisement.

 

After we had given the beds used by the de Fawkes to the servants and the guards, Mariette got the order to get new beds as big as possible. Each of my slaves was given her own room. Virga already had her own cell.

 

Over the next few days we began to settle in, realizing I was blatantly lacking in a spacious spa area.

 

The girls were raving as I gave each of them the right to order Virga around.

One of the cat girls ordered her to write invitations to her 5 worst female enemies to attend one of her punishments. Arina, the cat girl must have had the right knack for humiliation. I liked her idea extremely well. I would give her a few tasks. Let's see how Arina would do.

 

I also had plans with Virga.

 

But first it would be correct to communicate with the Duke Bronne de Halond. Perhaps he would suggest a more advantageous solution? So I wrote a letter.

 

Duke de Halond,

As you have probably already learned I killed Count Hilbert de Fawkes, Captain of the City Guard Guy de Fawkes, former Captain of the Palace Guard Jamaine de Fawkes and Trabain de Fawkes during our blood feud.

 

The de Fawkes family is thus extinguished and all property, goods, merchandise and funds have been taken over by me.

 

Your two granddaughters Felie and Bilie are with their respective fiancés.

Your daughter Virga confessed before witnesses to have been the origin of the blood feud. For this affront, I have enslaved Virga and will deal with her as I please for the foreseeable future.

 

I want to make it emphatically clear to you that the Count de Fawkes pronounced the blood feud but did not make it public. Neither Edward nor the Adventurers Guild were informed and thus deliberately prevented from their neutrality.

Having brought the blood feud to an end, I am satisfied with what I have achieved. However, Virga told me that you, as a duke, would swear revenge if anything happened to her.

 

I have no preference on how to proceed between the House of Halond and myself.

What further action do you suggest in the matter?

If you wish to declare a blood feud follow the proper forms and inform the public.

 

Ambassador Lady Laura

 

I had a good conversation with Virga. She told me everything worth knowing about her father. Especially how intelligent and manipulative he was. How he liked to outmaneuver an opponent and attack from several sides. Her mother helped her father with everything.Politically, economically, socially - the two were truly an item.

 

Her openness, even if forced, had to be rewarded. She was allowed to decide if I should discipline her every day in front of the servants or if she would rather have no audience and be alone with me and my strap-on.

She preferred only with me. We had a lot of fun together. Perhaps it was that I had a lot of fun with Virga. We were also not completely alone. Naughty bunny with her long ears. If only she had asked my permission. So I would have to take it upon myself with heavy heart to educate her and to steer her perverted behavior into the right tracks. My little thrill-seeking rabbit. My peeping bunny.

 

No, I didn't want to deliver my letter in person. Why bother when I could have talked to the Duke right then and there?

 

Virga was, in my opinion, the most suitable person to deliver my letter to her father. It would convey the right message. Somehow. She was even allowed to wear her clothes and ride in her former carriage. Her delight in being instructed by me exactly what to say, when and how was impressive. Being a slave probably had its ups and downs.

 

It was a bit difficult to overturn my daily routine. All my new wealth had to be recorded and cataloged. All employees informed about their new employer or terminated, instructions given, authority figures informed, ... and and. A seemingly endless effort. A victim of my own success.

I initially delegated the bulk of the work to Mort Chawer. If I already had friends in the highest positions in the trade guild I wanted to take advantage of them. What else are good mercantile friends for?

 

I wrote two more notes. One note went to Becca and the other to Edward.

 

Getting through so much organizational work without coffee exhausted me. Fortunately, Cebille and the girls distracted me while taking measurements for the new uniforms. I gave Cebille lots of helpful hints on where the fabric needed to fit tighter to please my aesthetic. Cebille's eyes moistened when I mentioned I had completed the preliminary work with the Trade Guild and would discuss the designs of the underwear with her starting tomorrow. She had no objections to the name. Laura's Secrets has a nice ring to it.

 

I had to start getting my production facilities up and running. As soon as possible.

Oh, Charl was happy! I was throwing gold into the pockets of his craftsmen in copious amounts. Well, for him and the craftsmen, maybe. It didn't make a difference in my little gold mountain at first glance. But I got every craftsman who had nothing to do at the moment and every craftsman who got less for his present work than I paid. My construction site was bustling with activity.

 

The guild master was puzzled when I made it clear to him that the buildings on my factory site were purely temporary and that it would be enough if they could keep out the sun, rain and wind. Quick was better than good. The real buildings would be built with the material that would be produced there.

I would make a part of the craftsmen my workers and train the rest so that the knowledge was distributed and later everyone within the guild could carry out orders.

 

All under license, of course.

The raw materials were already ordered from the trade guild. Delivery just in time.

 

Virga also arrived at her parents' castle at the right time with my carriage. The castle was a little outside the city and for the less than 10 km the carriage needed about a good hour. The road did not really deserve the name. A shame for such a bonny duchy.

 

The reception of the lost daughter was tearful in the first minutes. Heartbreaking.

Why did I know that?

 

I thought it would be best if I were there when the good Duke read the letter.

Why? Wouldn't it be better if I could directly clarify things that were misunderstood?

Why I don't speak directly to the duke? One reason.

 

My stealth would be blown.

 

So I could amusedly participate in how Maman Aenor and Papa Bronne consoled their stumbled daughter. Virga reported with tears how her mistress, yours truly, had first cruelly humiliated her wonderful darlings and then slaughtered them in cold blood. The shame of her public beating in front of the servants.

 

About half an hour passed before the duke had the idea to ask why Virga had come to her parents. After all, he did notice that she was still wearing a slave collar. The question was quite justified, I thought.

 

The reaction of the duke and duchess to my letter was revealing.

 

"Virga, you've always been too vindictive and impulsive for your own good. Did it have to be a blood feud?"

"But Papa she humiliated Jamaine to the utmost. In front of witnesses!"

"Yes, yes, all right. But not informing the Adventurers' Guild and the king was a gross stupidity. What were you thinking, darling?"

"But Maman how was I to know? My mistress was a nobody and appeared from somewhere. Surely I couldn't have known who she was. Or that she would have the audacity to murder my four treasured jewels. In front of me. Just like that. Without feeling. BOOM. And they were all dead. And I was enslaved. Father! What are you going to do?"

"Yes, Bronne. We can't let this happen. What are we going to do?"

"The witch wrote this letter on purpose. And Virga being here is also done on purpose. It's a message."

"You're right, Bronne. Strange."

"She writes she has no "preference". Virga, will she just ignore us if we don't respond? What does she mean by my suggestion for a way forward? Does she think we'll just buy you off?"

"I think so, Papa. If you don't do anything she won't attack. It's possible, I'm the only commodity that connects her to House de Halond. However, I fear she will demand a very high price. She has told me she will humiliate me until I am broken. She has even allowed the filthy beasts that poor Hilbert kept to pass the time to give me orders."

"Oh my poor darling, your Maman will not allow you to be humiliated any further. Bronne, the witch must die. No matter how, make it happen!"

"I will write a letter to the king and remind him of who I am. Outwardly, I will do nothing and give her no cause. While I am trying to buy Virga back I will flood her with enemies and at the appropriate opportunity call the blood feud. The witch will die, my darling. And we will also get your slave collar cracked open."

 

Challenge accepted.

 

The letter to Edward was interestingly written. In the style of "Do what I tell you or else!" And he explained the whole plan.

 

Fortunately, Duke de Halond's decision allowed me to relax. I didn't have to rush back to Nuldur like a madwoman to stop my two messengers. The timing had turned out to be tricky. I had to make sure everything happened on time, down to the minute. Fortunately, I could rely on my messengers.

 

Only the letter to Edward still had to be written. I passed the time with the 1-hour version of the Imperial March. Ta ta ta ta taa da da da da daa

Wagner would have required helicopters or a regiment. Another time.

 

I counted down the seconds on my smartphone until the right moment arrived. A moment after my message to the Adventurers Guild and some servant Edwards requesting the message be delivered immediately and with the utmost urgency, a sheet landed on the desk in front of Bronne.

Confused, the duke reached for it, read the sentence, turned terribly pale, and fell to the ground just as dead as his wife, who was also dead. Surprise!

 

I had forgotten to finish my spell. The noise suppression of my spell worked better than any silencer.

Ninja! You do not see them. You do not hear them. You do not notice them. Until it's too late. Gotcha!

 

Virga had received clever instructions from me for her visit to her parents.

"Speak the truth but do not influence your parents' decisions. As long as you don't hear from me, you will stay with your parents."

 

Now it was time for Virga to hear me again.

"Virga. Be quiet and stay here."

She did not contradict. Her state of mind must not have been the best. By now, Virga didn't have too many living family members.

Her sister, the Queen, her two daughters Bilie and Filie and her niece Victoria, the crown princess. If I recall correct. Seems I am pretty successful terminating her family.

 

It took me several hours to put collars on all the inhabitants of the castle. I pressed a message for Mariette into the hand of the first rider I could find. I would be slightly late for dinner. Regrettably, the duke and duchess did not collect sweet slave girls. What a pity.

 

Virga, of course, had to read the message on the sheet as well. It was quite simple.

 

"I declare that there is a blood feud between me and House de Halond. Signed: Ambassador Lady Laura."

 

Exactly the same as on the messages to Becca and Edward. Simple is sometimes better.

The message to Edward took some time for him to receive, I learned sometime later. As you might expect.

 

Before I headed back with Virga, I told a couple of servants to hang the bodies on gallows along the road. As I said, it was faster than if I had had to print leaflets. They had the task of taking care of the castle and passing on all decisions concerning the duchy to Virga. That is, to yours truly.

 

I almost made it to dinner on time.

 

My girls were sooo proud to sit at the table with me and get the food served. Not the other way around. And not some disgusting stuff in loveless bowls but tasty food on dishes and with silverware.

 

Tomorrow morning I would talk to the sweeties about the necessary body care I expected.

Tonight I planned to reward Mariette extensively. It could not hurt if my slave girls could watch what awaited them if they were "good girls".

I think the naughty, perverted rabbit gets a front row seat.

 

I had a lot of fun that night. With a feeling of saturation, I fell asleep next to Mariette who had collapsed after hours of reward. Virga was allowed to think about her future in her cell in the basement and I ordered my girls to sleep with their hands above the blankets. Sadistic, I know.

 

 

"Rise, Milady! The sun is already above the horizon and in an hour there will be breakfast, Milady!"

 

ARGH! Deja vu? Bloody hell!

 

With that exception, my morning went to my complete satisfaction.

 

I enjoyed the presence of my girls at the table, and out of a patronizing whim, Virga was also allowed to join me for breakfast. Unlike the others, however, I did not allow her to sit on a chair. She knelt on a pillow next to me and I fed her.

Every time she got a bite she had to thank me. My slaves giggled coyly every time Virga spoke. Which didn't help Virga's self-esteem.

Alice, one of the Bunnies, wanted to know if Virga wanted something from her plate. Alice would like to feed her too, with my permission of course. Alice, the peeping bunny, my naughty little pervert.

From the conversations with the girls, I knew that Virga made life hell for Hilbert's now former toys. As long as no rough play was involved, I put a good face on the game.

 

While the girls played with Virga, I organized the various activities concerning the guilds with Mariette and Constie. The trade guild had to get busy to take over the properties of the deceased Duke de Halmond. Essential to me were the tar pits. No one in Mitoran had any idea how precious the black gold was. It took little effort on my part, Mort Chawar, to set up a company to buy or acquire the rights to as many of the tar pits and surrounding areas as possible. Mort was very reluctant at first. Until I made the proposal I would supply 100% of the capital, he would get 10% of the profits and take care of the acquisition. I was curious to see how Mort would react when he found out how much money I could make. My patents were now recognized and as soon as I demonstrated what they were good for, my income would start to flow.

In the near future, my problems with cramped facilities for personal hygiene would also just be history. I had the existing buildings expanded and bathrooms installed. To get something more ostentatious I ordered Charl to clear a larger area by his people. At this place I would build a SPA that did not have to hide from a Roman thermal bath. A large outdoor pool. Inside several smaller pools with different water temperatures. Waterfalls. Swimming pools. Communal showers. Relaxation areas with loungers. Rest areas. What my heart desired. The sky knows no limits.
For my SPA, I would go all out on the magic. Once I figured out how magic artifacts work it would be over with my restraint.

 

My morning went to my near-complete satisfaction. Remember the exception. Until we had to start sweeping the garbage onto the street.

 

It was not even noon when we already had four guests to mourn. Unsung guests without invitation. Unfortunately deceased guests. Three of the guests had 95 gold pieces with them. The fourth, for reasons unknown to me, had the 95 bloody copper pieces from the corpse on the road in his pocket.

I suspected the 3 with the gold coins were the assassins still hired by the de Fawkes. The number four, on the other hand - was not a familiar face. A message?

 

Crimes. Felonies. Criminal.

Interesting words. And topics. So interesting that entire fields of science have formed around their definition, differentiation, fighting, and whatnot.

Everybody has his own conception of it.

If I were to simplify everything down to one sentence, my definition would be: to act against a legal regulation.

Very simplified, but also very true. Many people like it simple.

What is considered harmless in one societal norm is classified as a crime in another.

I'll just take myself as an example. My sexual orientation is considered criminal in some jurisdictions. In Germany, there were laws against same-sex sexuality until shortly after reunification. There are even countries where it is forbidden for men and women to have sexual intercourse together at all. At least as long as you are not married. Some socialist/communist inspired sociological theories are of the opinion that criminal behavior is based in the bourgeoisie and would not occur in their system. If it did, it would be bourgeois thinking that had not yet been overcome and could be remedied by re-education. Fascist theories are in no way better.  It is better to assume that every ideology - whatever its orientation - wants to keep criminal behavior low in its legal system. In principle, it is not wrong to always consider who benefits from it. If one is not allowed to ask.

Some jurisdictions even aim to punish not only behavior but "criminal" thinking. It is just relatively difficult to see into the mind of a person. What a dilemma, the poor law enforcement officers.

Well, in medieval Europe I would have been burned as a witch for the magic I use here. I wonder what I would be burned for here.

There's an old advice. When in Rome, act like a Roman. At least as long as you do NOT want to be punished. And if you don't want to give up your way of life, don't travel to countries where you will be prosecuted for it. You only fulfill your own responsibility to inform yourself beforehand. You don't just take away any stones from the Acropolis.

But here and now, you can say anyone who goes against Edward's word is committing a crime.

It is not murder until Edward says it is murder. The Assassins Guild can happily promote people from life to death. As a service, so to speak. Of course, it is understandable that the members of the guild do not want to have to deal with complaints for their hard work.

Complaints from the client OR from the other side of the commission. Assassins hate to be killed for their work itself. This severely interferes with the free exercise of their profession and makes future earnings immensely difficult.

 

In short, the Assassins Guild was NOT happy with me.

 

Fatally, even if Edward had determined I would have murdered the assassins and not just killed them, I was an ambassador.

 

An ambassador is not under the jurisdiction of the law.

I am ABOVE the law! Completely legally!

 

... besides, I am the Villainess. It is in my nature.

 

I could rip off any merchant or craftsman without fearing punishment from Edward. Whereby I must fear Edward in no case. My 20 fellow travelers from Japan, on the other hand, were more to be regarded with caution.

 

The reasons that I played by the rules of the guilds? First, I was a member, and second, it was easier for my long-term goals.

 

But the Assassins Guild was very unhappy. Not only did I steadfastly refuse to help them complete their assignments, no I liquidated every assassin who wanted nothing more than to do their difficult work. AND I put the corpses on display for all to see. Bad publicity.

There were then five more unlamented visitors who joined their colleagues on the street. All right, unlamented by me, about their family, friends and colleagues I know nothing. Honestly, the whole thing became quite lucrative for me. The first two still had 100 gold pieces each with them. The third already gifted me with 250 gold pieces. Number 4 was already worth 500 gold. When the last one then had a platinum coin with him, I was seriously thinking about whether I could make some real money as a potential victim.

 

But I decided to satisfy my curiosity. I did not have to search long for the next messenger slash beggar. He was sitting by the road, contemplating corpses hanging from gallows.

 

A gold piece, bloody, rang in his cup.

 

"Good man, I would like to know what the following orders would cost me. King Edward the Third. The guildmaster of the Assassins. And ambassador Lady Laura. I recommend that all my guests sign in at the gate beforehand. A couple of my guard dogs are, regrettably, kind of bitey."

 

And a miracle happened.

 

The rotten legs of the beggar, who had been severely handicapped until then, grew back of their own accord and he ran with joy to the nearest inn. Surely he wanted to celebrate something.

 

I did not get a visitor. I got an invitation. In a very classy envelope, with a black rim and red spots. Exciting!

 

The so-called honorable society does not really exist or live outside of what is commonly called social society. In fact, they live and exist exactly within it. It is not a parallel, separate alongside like water and oil. It is a mixed, interpenetrated together like colors. However, they preferred to surround themselves with a touch of wicked flair. In the tradition of the other guilds, the trade guild, for example, wanted to radiate prosperity.

 

The "dark" trade was also organized in guilds. There were gangs, but more as affiliation to a certain district. The river gang. The slum gang. The temple gang. In this way. Where you lived was your home. It had nothing to do with the "profession." They weren't yakuza or something like that. Associations perhaps.

 

There was the Assassins Guild, the Beggars Guild, the Thieves Guild, even the Whores Guild. Mort's information was very instructive and the "dirtier" parts of Nuldur's life lay open before me.

 

The Nameless Man.

The Fingerless Will.

Marian, the Hand.

Nrog, the Piercer.

 

The Guildmasters of the "Honourable Society."

 

The identity of the Assassin Guild Master made me laugh. It was a wonderful irony. Downright exquisite. Poetry.

 

The Nameless Man was a woman. Whoever became Guildmaster inherited the title as a name, so to speak. Assassins prefer anonymity to practice their profession. Perhaps some sort of stigma? As soon as someone joined the guild, they received a number. If the bearer of the number lost his life, it was reassigned.

 

The guild master, i.e. "The Nameless Man", was not amused at how I promoted her worthy guild mates without a fuss. In other words, terminated their lives. Hasta la vista, baby. She was downright furious. My messages to the guild tugged at her nerves.

 

There is another tradition of the Assassins Guild. The challenge for the position of guild master is done by asking what bounty is charged by an assassin for the kill.

So it was understandable why she was a little annoyed. Hi sweetie, nice chair you have there. Can I have it? And retirements in the guild are always a bit of a bloody affair.

 

What attracted attention, I asked at the same time about the bounty on Edward and me.

The "Honourable Society" sent me an invitation to a meeting of the "Capos". In a posh restaurant. With waiters and tablecloths. Very classy.

 

An ideal time to show off my girls. In their fancy new uniforms. I was almost more excited than my slave girls!

 

But for an eye-catching impression, my girls still needed the right polish. Marching, in step. Little is more impressive than people dressed in uniform moving in sync. Anything else would just be a disorderly mess and shameful. A gaggle of giggling girls catches the eye, but doesn't make a mark.

 

Normally, a reasonable military organization would require a little more and deeper thought. And more hands-on knowledge than I possessed. In terms of the number of people at my disposal, I had very little. With 17 people, I would be able to form just three squads of 5 members. Plus an officer and a non-commissioned officer. Just a larger group, not even half a platoon.

But I didn't really have to go to war yet. At least not yet. If someone attacks me militarily, I would immediately retreat and fight back asymmetrically.

Mariette was already my adjutant and basically on the right track. I promoted her to probationary lieutenant and gave her the right to give orders to the girls. She was so proud. I showed in front of everyone that I was ready to trust her. However, I made it clear to her that I would punish her for any mistake made by her subordinates as the one who had made the mistake. I appointed Constie as her deputy.

What I needed was not a lethal commando team. Here and now, something for the eye was enough. Something to look at. There was an old manual that would fit like a glove.

"Do you know the difference between right, left, front and back?" The girls replied, "Yes, Mistress."

I continued, "When commanded "Eyes straight ahead," then you must face forward. If the command is "Right turn," then you must turn to the right. If the command is " Left turn," then you must turn to the left. When the command " About face " is given, you must turn to the right. Understood?"

"Yes, Mistress!"

"In step means you all march at the same time with either your left or right leg equally in step."

"Watch. Left foot - right foot - left - right. Left - two - three - four."

"When marching, three always walk side by side and the lieutenant or sergeant walks on the right front next to the detachment."

"At the command Halt, you all stop at the same time."

"When you stop, you will go to basic posture 1. Understand?"

"Yes, Mistress!"

I began the drill. First, right and left around. I waited for the first mistake.

It is completely natural that after a short time someone made a mistake. And every instructor is just waiting for it so that the mistake can be exploited.

"If the command is not clear, if the orders are not properly understood, then the blame falls on the general. Lieutenant. Take charge of the troops."

Mariette still followed the order of my commands at first until she had enough confidence to implement her own formations. Which just as naturally had to go wrong at some point.

"If the orders are clear and the soldiers still don't obey, then it's the officers' fault."

"Lieutenant Mariette. Sergeant Constie. Step in front of the troops, bend forward and clasp your ankles!"

"For the mistakes of your troops, you will both receive 15 lashes each on your buttocks. Following this, the troops will each receive 2 blows on their buttocks."

"Execute!"

Before giving the punishment to Mariette and Constie, I said so quietly that only they could hear me, "Bear your punishment with dignity. Be an example to the troops. Make me proud of you and earn your reward."

No sound of pain was heard from either of them. With a little practice, I would still get them to really enjoy their punishments. With Constie I was sure at first glance between her legs.

For the demi-human girls, the two blows had been rather restful. Which is why I whispered to each one that her pussy had become wet after the punishment.

"Lieutenant! Take over the squad and keep practicing. Keep it up!"

The girls all took steps, turned right or left, marched straight or turned back, knelt or stood, and all with the utmost precision and conscientiousness, and none dared to make a mistake.

 

I did not adopt everything from Sunzi. After all, I was not the general of a chinese emperor. I was my own sovereignty. I wanted to save the promotion to death for my enemies. My subordinates were too precious to me to be killed by me as a motivational boost.

 

And traitors in our own ranks would learn that there could be worse things than death.

 

For now, the uniforms and marching would make the impression I wanted.

If the damn roads in Nuldur were not made of mud and dust we could even march from here. Showing up at the meeting with a dirty bunch would run completely counter to my intent.

We drove with four carriages. Why carriages? After all, I can't conjure up a tracked vehicle from my inventory.

The carriage ride soothed my bad mood. We could not make an impression by marching, but sitting was visibly uncomfortable for my girls. I amused myself deliciously about the slightly desperate sliding around.

 

The meeting with the "Honourable Society" took place in the back room of a restaurant with the flair of a Trattoria Siciliana.

 

I was already expected when we entered. The ambience had the charm of a court session with the "Honourable Society" on the bench and me on the dock. Very stylish.

 

On the other hand, inappropriate for the occasion.

 

The four "capos" wore their guild clothes, so to speak.

The Nameless Man wore a good, loose-fitting black suit.

Fingerless Will an expensive beggar's outfit trimmed to old with dirt strategically scattered about. Marian, the Hand, in a slinky, distracting dress with conspicuously many hidden pockets.

Nrog, the piercer, had opted for a screamingly colorful costume which showed off his crotch region obtrusively.

 

I do not judge the urge of men to draw attention to their privates. Women are no different with their breasts or butts. And a well-endowed man has his appeal. Even to me.

Maybe introducing the brayette into male fashion would also flush gold into my pockets, and I passed the hint along to Mariette for later. Just as women whine about breasts being too small and "touch up" with clothing, there are men who are not hung like a bull but are vain enough to wear a codpiece.

I wonder if there was a market for penis cages among the wives here.

 

Unfortunately, Nrog "The Piercer" spoiled my fantasies. Mort's report already pointed this out but the reality was worse. "The Piercer" bleated like a billy goat. And he was absorbed in his role as the supreme pimp.

"Here she comes crawling in at last. And she has brought so many pretty faces with her. I can always use girls who spread their legs and make my wallet ring. Make yourself comfortable, hussy. Afterwards, I'll break you in for a ride."

"Mariette, you heard the pimp. However, I don't like the wallpaper here to slide into something more comfortable. I'm sorry, honey. Have the girls bring in the table and chairs."

"At your service, Milady!"

 

The regrettably deceased Hilbert was not only a collector of pretty demi-human girls. No, he also collected good or expensive objects in the gastronomic field. The Les Beautes Onereuses was just one of them. Fortunately, the "Casa della mamma" had also come into my possession. The staff was more than happy to let me know the idiosyncrasies of my guests. What food they preferred, what drinks they liked to be served, and in special cases, what furnishings were desired.

It was not difficult to provide and set up exactly the same "bench" and chairs if needed on short notice. Almost the same, my upholstery was in red colored leather and not black. The manager promised to take care of it and have the furniture immediately available in an adjoining room. He and the manager from Les Beautes Onereuses were acquainted. His service was excellent. It took less than two minutes and the court hearing had turned into a consultation.

 

To the mutual displeasure of the four "capos."

 

"Welcome to Casa della mamma, my honored guests. I hope the cuisine tastes the same to you under my management as it has in the past."

Yes, that detail had somehow escaped all four of them. I would have to have another talk with Fingerless Will about the slovenliness in his ranks. Members of the Beggars Guild should always have an ear to the ground, after all.

 

"For today's consultations between the "Honourable Society" and myself, all food and drink is on me, of course. For the sake of simplicity, I have already ordered a few larger platters of trifles. Seppe, please serve them before we begin our conversation."

"Mariette, you stay here and write everything down. Constie, take the girls and order what you want from the kitchen."

Let the games commence.

It would have been rude not to at least try the food that was offered. I told my guests to help themselves and snacked on everything that looked good. Mariette was especially delicious when I started feeding her.

The four "capos" watched my antics uncomfortably, but they didn't refuse to eat as well.

 

"Well, Nameless Man, a wonderful joke by the way, when did you find out that poor Hilbert and his family were ripping you off on every job? Good Guy de Fawkes told me the family always did that. Somehow I can't imagine you like not getting the price you agreed upon."

"Recently. And no, I didn't like it. What I don't like either are my dead guildmates."

"Oh, how regrettable. However, those very poor ones would no longer be parted from us if they did not try soooo persistently to kill me. Perhaps we can come to a solution? How about an offer? I'm a woman one can talk to."

"Shut your mouth, hussy. We are guild masters and you will show us respect. We are men of honour!"

Men of honour. How poetic that a pimp of all people should refer to that. I almost laughed.

"And what is the opinion of the rest? Or have you taken a vow of silence?" I asked the group.

Nrog, however, wanted to comment further and threw in an "Opinion. Vow. Spread your legs like a good hussy. Or make us an offer we can't refuse!"

He couldn't contain himself from laughing so much he liked his joke.

 

All right. The pun WAS kind of funny. I drew my trusty equalizer, took aim, pulled the trigger, and saw poor Nrog "The Piercer" fall sideways from his chair.

 

"All right, all right, if you insist. My offer is, I'll replace Nrog with someone I can negotiate with. Mariette, why don't you let our guest from the Whore's Guild in? I think her seat just became vacant." and put my HK-P12 back into the fancy holster on my belt. Very good craftsmanship indeed. Smooth feeling, too.

 

The profession of prostitution is said to be as old as mankind. The work is contrary to all prejudices not as simple as it seems, with a little thought you can quickly conclude that it is just not just undress, lie down and fill any holes or let fill. If you are really open to facts, you will realize that the activity is very useful. Stress release, for example. Perhaps the reason for the bad reputation of prostitution is that it is so well paid. Every craftsman whose hour is billed with 70 € and then sees that a prostitute demands four to five times as much must simply become envious.

Of course, it should be noted that the respective boss pays out only a tenth of the income as wages.

In my opinion, everyone should think about what the law of supply and demand says about the price. And perhaps think about their own prejudices. Ultimately, there would be no demand without the nature of man. Or better, in the nature of mankind. Finally, there are not only men who spend money for intercourse.

 

Mariette led a woman of about 40 to us. In a rather lascivious, sexy robe. With stunning view of her breasts.

 

"Dear Guildmasters, may I introduce Madame Cheval de Lecurie. The new Guildmaster of the Whore Guild. Madame de Lecurie and I have agreed that I will place a bounty of 50 gold pieces each on the male pimps on this list. Nameless man, I point out that it is indeed 50 gold pieces. As per the rules of the Assassins Guild, I made it a little bloody beforehand. After all, the form must be preserved. Madame de Lecurie has agreed to change the payment of the whores. The whores now get 90% of the money instead of 30%. The whore guild gets 9% and I get 1%. Madame de Lecurie, what do you think of this offer?"

"Oh, Milady, I think that is an offer I cannot refuse. Thank you very much, Mistress Laura."

"You're welcome, my little pony."

 

Cheval was a lucky find. She helped many whores with their problems and had some "unofficial" influence in the guild. A few coins in different cups quickly got me a few names and hers. When I found Cheval she was more than willing to take the opportunity I offered her. She was a good choice.

In more ways than one. Of course, I took the time to check her "professional qualities" beforehand and made my preferences clear. I'm sure she loves how sensitive her butt cheeks are after a spanking. In fact, she mentioned I could "ride" her again at any time and show her her "place".

I can't do that? I don't see where the problem is. It doesn't matter if it's a car, a motorcycle, a bicycle or a horse, everyone tries out beforehand what they are going to spend their money on. And I have tried Cheval. Extensively. A test ride. Completely normal.

 

The "nameless man" was dismayed. Surely she must be used to the way I worked?

Marian "The Hand" and "The Fingerless" Will had not yet recovered their ability to speak.

 

"How about it? Can't we somehow resolve our little "misunderstanding" with the assignments on me better. After all, I don't kill people for fun."

Until now I killed out of necessity and the money? Not sure. Even if it doesn't look like it. I really don't enjoy it. It keeps me from doing the really important work.

"Just out of curiosity, what's the current bounty on Edward and me?"

 

It turned out that the guild did not take orders regarding the king's hastened demise. Edward somehow got smart and decreed that regicide was against the law. I wouldn't have expected him to do that. Kudos to him.

My current bounty was now 15 platinum coins. I confess, if money had been a priority with me, I would have been tempted to just wait for the assassins and take the gold and platinum from them. Oh, I wanted every silver, gold and platinum I could get my hands on. Don't get the wrong idea. However, I had no interest in enriching myself. The wealth was just an incidental side effect. Neglectable.

 

It was not easy to get the " Nameless Man" to come to an agreement. In the end, "The Fingerless" Will was successful. Fulfilling the currently still active missions on me was at the assassin's discretion. Anyone who wanted to earn his bounty was allowed to keep trying. At the same time it would be spread that all those who had accepted the assignment had been cheated by the de Fawkes and were allowed to keep the gold. No matter whether the order was carried out or not. The guild would set a minimum bounty of 150 platinum pieces on me. Whoever wanted to invest that much money in my death could send out a small army right away. So why take the detour via the Assassins' Guild?

 

I entered into various agreements with the Thieves and Beggars Guild. I paid the thieves guild an annual insurance that my property would not be accidentally "misplaced" by members. A basic flat fee of 500 gold at the beginning of the insurance year with another bonus at the end. An incentive, so to speak, to pay special attention to and prevent misplacements by non-members. Each beggar enjoyed an extra gold piece in the cup each week and the only thing they had to do was share every interesting bit of news with me as well. I would gladly pay extra for juicy information regarding yours truly or my interests. Will looked a little impressed.

 

Marian and the " Nameless Man" were quite envious of Will. He had made a really good deal for his guild that meant no extra work for him. I made them both an offer. Each guild member who shared the knowledge about the respective contracts with me - i.e. client, target, date and so on - would receive a gold piece for it. There was no obligation to share the information with me. Only the option. The two guild masters were more than willing to inform their guild members about these new sources of income.

 

I could hardly believe my luck. If someone had told me that today would be Christmas, my birthday and New Year's Eve at the same time, I would have believed it. All it had cost me was something to eat, a ridiculous small amount of gold and a bullet.

 

I casually mentioned that any improvement in living conditions that I would give to the whore guild I would also offer to the other guilds.

I had special plans for the whore guild. Or rather for the members of the whore guild. The female and male prostitutes. Men and women who not only cared about the purely physical needs of their customers and clients. But very sensitive and attentive listeners to all the worries, needs, boasts or even secrets of the world.

 

And all it needed was a helping hand here and there on my part.

 

Should I spread ragu alla bolognese da mamma?