My bunker was only about two miles from the capital, which is nothing considering how fast I could go, even keeping to average adventurer speeds, rather than going my top speed. However I was only about halfway there when the woman stirred, then started screaming.
This made those around me start staring at me in suspicion. Which considering one of the groups was a squad of soldiers working as guards made what happened next unsurprising.
Finding three people, one of which was the screaming woman, tied up in the cart, they promptly drew their swords and arrested me.
Had I wanted to, I could have escaped, but as I wasn’t the criminal, I didn’t resist. The guards restrained me, not that it would have been more than a minor inconvenience to me, but it made them feel safer.
Before being bound, I’d passed them my ID and told them my story. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop them from hauling the lot of us off into the city and into the gate house’s jail. It wasn’t very large, just a quartet of cells made to hold a dozen or so people in total, until they could be hauled off to the actual local prison, but at least it was clean. There was even one person doing the cleaning as we were locked up, likely the low man on the totem pole from his age, or lack thereof.
We were split into three cells, the men in one, the woman, who’d calmed down upon the guards arrival as well as seeing the gates of the city, in another, and myself in the third… while also being clad in magic draining manacles.
While I could understand their caution, I was very unhappy about the current situation. I’d hoped to get to the gates, turn over the trio to the guards and tell my story, then head back out to finish my quest and material gathering. I still needed to get back out there and find two more of that damn herb, and it was looking like it wasn’t going to happen today.
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It took hours before anyone came to to see us, being well past noon at this point, and the thugs were awake and making annoyances of themselves by the time they did. I regret not dosing them more thoroughly.
The other woman was taken out first, followed by one of the men a half-hour or so later. About the same amount of time went by before the next was taken, leaving me as the sole occupant of the cells. After another similar interval, it was finally my turn. Unlike the others, I was escorted under heavy guard. Having a nickname at the guild was an indicator of a strong adventurer, and the fact that I was a mage with the name of Space Destroyer, given not solely by the guild but the nations own army, made them extremely cautious of me. Despite my having never resisted since attracting the guard’s attention on the road.
I was led out of cells and into an interrogation room. There was no other way to call it. While not exactly like the kind you see on TV, it was mostly the same. No mirrored window so people can watch from another room, just some chairs, a heavy table to which my manacles were fastened, and guards ready to stick me with weapons should I show any hint of being a threat.
I sat there in silence for a few minutes before a pair of people entered the room. One was a familiar face, one I’d walked out on during the banquet. General Walter, the guy who acted like an ass in order to test me. Accompanying him was a dark haired man in mage robes carrying a box.
Setting it on the table he opened it, revealing a device similar to the orbs used at the gates, but far more sophisticated. It was embedded in a stand, which he took out of the box and placed in from of me, and was connected to the rest of the box which had several smaller orbs that he I only saw for a moment before the mage pulled it closer to start fiddling with it.
Taking a seat across from me, the general smiled at me. It wasn’t a pleasant smile to be the recipient of, being one that spoke of the jerk’s glee at me being where I currently was.
“So, child, when I heard you were here and suspected of a crime I just had to come down and see for myself. And now that you can’t just walk out, you’re going to listen to what I have to say.”
I frowned at him.
“Really? You’re making this personal for acting like an ass and driving me off, even if it was for a test, and doubling down on it instead of doing your job? Unless I miss my guess, that thing,” I waved one of my hands, as much as I could with the restraints, at the box, “That will tell you if I am lying or not, so kindly stay on topic, because I’ve been here most of the day, and am quite irritated as it seems the time it took was related to you deciding to delay things so you could come and gloat about my current situation. No matter what I will not talk to you about anything outside of the actual case I am here for, so get on with it.”
While I’d been speaking, the mage had finished his preparations, and seemed to be feeling a bit anxious. He was glancing back and forth between to two of us, not wanting to get involved, but also wanting to get this done and get out of there. Especially since the two of us were throwing off some auras that were likely making him very uncomfortable.
We stared at each other for a minute, then the general withdrew his aura and started laughing.
“Hahaha. You might appear like a naive youngling, but you’ve got nerves of steel and a presence that no one your apparent age should have. Not unless you’ve been fighting for your life since the day you were born. You really fascinate me, but you’re right. At this point, it’s more formality than anything, given the stories from the other three, but let’s get this done.
What happened next was a formal interrogation about the events of the day, from when I’d met the others to when I had been apprehended by the guards on the road. Among his other questions, he asked why I hadn’t called out to them myself. It was a little embarrassing to admit, I hadn’t noticed them until they were advancing on me after the woman started screaming. I’d been too busy grumbling about how irritated the men had made me when I’d just wanted to finish my quest. That made him guffaw loudly, since he’d thought it was because I hadn’t wanted to bother them or something like that.
I rolled my eyes at him, getting another laugh.
It didn’t take long, only about ten minutes or so, before we were done and they were undoing the manacles and letting me go. The general apologized for the test they’d pulled on me, and acknowledged he’d respect my lack of interest in the military, though asked if I’d take some designated requests from them. I considered it, then replied that it depended on the request. If it was long term, then it was definitely not happening, but short term stuff might be possible. He nodded, and seemed to be thinking, though he didn’t say anything aloud.
As one last thing before leaving, I asked about the others, and found the men were part of a trafficking organization that’d been mostly destroyed a few days ago, having been caught red handed kidnapping people during the festival, though the pair hadn’t known that since they had been sent out of the city earlier that day.
They had been part of a larger group that had attacked the party the woman had been the sole survivor of. The criminals had screwed up their ambush, thinking they were attacking a peddler or other civilians, as the party had been using a wagon, and most of them had been inside it resting during the trip.
Having launched the attack too early, they had killed the pair on the drivers seat, which had led to the wagon going off a ledge, injuring the horses such that they’d needed to be put down. Had it been delayed a bit longer, that wouldn’t have happened, and the bandits may have been able to use the wagon.
On the other hand, the fall had shaken the adventurers, allowing the bandits to have the upper hand, leading to all of them falling, though it cost the bandits all but the pair’s lives. Once they’d realized who they’d attacked, some had wanted to retreat, but the leader threatened death for any who ran.
The leader had survived the fight, but had succumbed to his wounds during the night, leaving the two with their single prisoner, a mage who they hoped would fetch a nice price, if she didn’t die of her wounds first. So when they saw my house, and me being apparently alone, they took the chance to try and double their score, and ended up with nothing but slavery ahead of them instead.
And since I had been the one to capture them, I’d get a portion of the proceeds of their sale… If I hadn’t declined and told them to pass it to the woman. Having lost her party, she’d likely need it to tide herself over until she finds another, or to start a new life outside of being an adventurer.
Though, she’d also have access to her party’s funds as well, as the sole survivor, as well as any of the gear and belongings for those who hadn’t listed next-of-kin on their registration at the guild.
With my affairs wrapped up, I left the building and found the sky starting to turn orange as the ball of death in the sky neared the horizon. Sighing, I headed home. I’d intended to be back today, but I’d wanted to have had a productive day, and the day had been anything but.
Trudging through the streets, I ignored the calls of the merchants trying to make a few more sales before closing for the night as I headed back to my property. Or tried to. One of them was running a food cart that was selling some food I’d tried during the festival and had liked… and was saying he’d be leaving the city tomorrow, so it was the last time this year it’d be available. It was apparently a regional specialty and the guy’s family owned a restaurant, and he made the trip up here every year for the festival and to advertise the region’s goods.
I succumbed to desire, as I didn’t have a stockpile of it, or know how to make it, and bought the majority of it. Though only after confirming that it was actually well made, and not just the dregs. It was actually even better than when I’d had it during the festival, since he’d had more time to do better, less rushed, preparations and cooking of the food.
Now feeling that the day hadn’t been a complete waste, I had a bit of spring in my step as I walked the streets back to my home.
When I arrived, I checked the property, as there shouldn’t be anyone still there, and was happy to find it empty, though it was a bit messy. Not all of the people who’d stayed there picked up after themselves, and the site manager hadn’t been responsible for that, so it was something I’d have to take care of.
But not right now.
Now was dinner time, followed by relaxing time. I’d take care of that another day. Not tomorrow, since I still needed to head back to the mountains to find those f-ing herbs and stock up on some more rock.
