I met Katiana at the doors to my office.
"I am sorry I am early..." [Katiana]
"That is fine, I am done with my chore - please, enter. You can sit on one of the couches..."
There were two couches in my office, facing each other.
A glass coffee table between them.
As I rarely had any sort of guests, I only lounged on the couches when reading.
Before sitting down I collected a few documents from my desk.
I dropped the report I got about Katiana first onto the coffee table.
She glanced down at it - no surprise showed on her face.
"Yes, that is me... " [Katiana]
She tilted her head to one side.
"Or, used to be me, I suppose...?" [Katiana]
"After leaving home, you arrived in Maldeva, where you traded in dungeon drops."
It was almost a full day's walk from Maldeva to the dungeon, so being a drop-seller was actually a valid job.
To save time some parties preferred to stay around the dungeon for as long as they could, and did not mind paying a small commission to drop-sellers - who also provided the adventurers with fresh food and materials from town.
And if one gained an honest and fair reputation with the adventurers, a drop-seller could make a decent living.
"Well, I didn't just se... Um... Yes. No use hiding what you already know, I did sell dungeon drops." [Katiana]
"Hmm... And did you come into contact with the persons who cleared the Maldeva Dungeon, by chance? We would like to know what item the level 50 boss dropped this time."
"I... I'm afraid I can't help you with that - I did not sell any boss drops." [Katiana]
That was true - there were no reports of the final or even mid-tier boss drops being sold by anyone lately, neither in Maldeva nor anywhere else nearby.
My bakery agents had only found out about Katiana selling very many normal monster cores and drops every few days.
That large amount sold meant she had been dealing with at least five larger parties, at good profit - well, that explained her ability to change dresses so often on her own budget.
Each three levels in most dungeons had a level-boss, which means deep dungeons such as the one at Maldeva would have had 16 sub-boss and mid-boss drops.
After level 30, the boss-drops would have started to become "rare".
And the last boss's drop at Maldeva had always been "legendary" in the last 9 clears.
Selling of rare drops would have caused a big enough commotion that newspapers in the Capital would have rabidly reported on it.
Guess the adventurers kept all the boss drops as souvenirs or because they were usable.
"Fine... in that case, what about this? How can you explain its existence?"
I gestured at the mariage certificate.
"I cannot... One day I woke up at home and it was in my possession - I did not even know what it was as the writing was badly faded, at first." [Katiana]
She lent forward a bit and tapped the offending document on the date written beneath our signatures.
"But just over six months ago, the text cleared and... we had somehow been married in the Holy City of Marokin Falls. Except I was in Maldeva on this day here. And I have witnesses." [Katiana]
"Eh? Wait... I remember this day. And I was indeed in Marokin Falls around that time. Just not anywhere near the cathedral..."
Katiana's blew out her cheeks for a moment as if trying to clear a blocked flute.
"So... this is really really real? Stephanus said it was." [Katiana]
There she goes doubling words again while making a funny face.
"These sort of certificates are holy artefacts, blessed by the highest priestess of the Goddess of Creation herself. There is no known way to forge it - and on top of it both my and your magic is imbued into the very fabric."
I waved my hand over the document - two different colored sparkling mists wafted up, entwining each other before rising up and fading out.
My magic manifested as silvery-dull star-metal color, while Katiana's magic misted up a deep dark reddish-gold.
"This is real."
I leaned back and closed my eyes a moment.
Yes six months ago was filled with quite some annoyances - it was just before we deployed to the border.
I remember....
"My Lordship, a young lad from the bakery has dropped this off." [Stephanus the Steward]
My steward balanced a silver platter on one hand, presenting a night-silk enclosed object the size of my fist.
"Anything special about the lad?"
"The gate guard who accepted this did mention that the lad was tall and smelled of sweet vanilla chai... but other than that, nothing." [Stephanus the Steward]
Hmm... could be Francis - he was the bakery's main tea cook.
For him to come out all this way, this must be serious.
I unwrapped the night-silk kerchief - inside was a freshly baked brioche bun.
A quick twisting of the bun, and a folded triangle of parchment peeked out of one half of the bread.
I quickly scanned the coded missive.
"{...Rampart Bankrupt...} indeed. Steward, contact Laendera. I need her squad. Tell her to meet me at the crown princess' palace at sundown - night-silk is the dress code."
"Of course my Lord..." [Stephanus the Steward]
I strode into my quarters and prepared myself - hmm, full star-metal armor would just hinder the next few night's activities.
Night-silk was indeed the dress code, but the 100 elite and I had a bit a special version - ours was interwoven with very fine strands of star-metal.
This process made a single bolt cost as much as a the mansion of a baron - and as durable as normal plate armor, while being almost as flexible and noise-less as plain night-silk.
Evening came...
"My Lord. I gathered seven - will that suffice?" [Leandera of the Ice Blade]
"Should be - the crown princess also has her maids."
"Ah yes, they trained with us for a while. Plan?" [Leandera of the Ice Blade]
"The assassins will target the crown princess possibly while she baths. You eight stake out her rooms. I will be where I can get in quick - if I am needed."
"Fair. We take our leave." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]
There are several specialized squads within the 100 elite - Leandera was one of my 13 commanders, but also the lead of an all woman infiltration and protection squad.
There was another squad with the same duty consisting of all men.
The 100 elite had no discrimination - whoever you were, from whatever walks of life and status, if you could pass the tests, you could become a member.
The 100 elite was a meritocracy.
But sometimes gender was important for some tasks - I could not expect men to guard the crown princess in her baths.
The coded message had stated the attempt would happen in three nights, but I was not foolish enough to take a chance, which is why we took shifts in shadowing the crown princess every moment.
And on the third night it happened in the bath, as had been predicted.
Ten assassins broke into the bathing room from various directions at the same time - and died before even taking two steps more.
While Leandera and her squad took care of the intruders, I had taken care of the three lookouts on the outside.
"These were from the Golden Hand, my Lord." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]
"Tst... well, they will probably be out of business for while. Clean up, and have a half squad stick around for a few more days. Why are you... smirking?"
"Ah, well, the crown princess didn't even notice the commotion - her maids did a good job keeping her distracted." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]
"Yes yes, a WELL DONE all round this time, but don't let success get to your head - otherwise you might lose it."
"Noted, my Lord..." [Leandera of the Ice Blade]
The coded message had also provided the name of the one who had hired the assassins.
The bakery agents had been quick to report on their whereabouts.
But by the time I reached Marokin Falls where he was hiding out, someone had already put a dagger through his brain, which made me waste time in the Holy City tracking down who his handler and real string-puller was.
As I said... annoying....
A soft whisper and the smell of fresh strawberries brought me out of my thoughts.
"Nitram dear, did you fall asleep?" [Katiana]
Too close!
While I had been sunk in thought, she had made her way to my side and was leaning over me, her face barely a hands breath away from mine.
How unexpected - I hadn't even noticed her presence until she talked.
Was I that absorbed in my thoughts?
