“…that’s my argument, my liege,” said Harold, who had finished giving her amended report on how best to proceed. “Servi’s work has ensured the orphanage will be completed quicker than scheduled. I say we send for her tomorrow morning for her testification. We have read Duchess Ashford’s reports, but seeing Servi’s ‘Skill Phone’ in action should guide our decision.”   

“Lord Flynn speaks the truth,” said Chancellor Freud, who hardly agreed with the proprietor of Lando’s Nail. He considered that unreadable scoundrel to be his rival. But he wasn’t unique in this regard. Everyone else, including the king, had been discussing summoning Servi once her work was finished.     

“But now the question remains… How are we to approach this? She is an enigma, is she not? We cannot risk being too lightly handed that she thinks she has other options.” The chancellor suggested an overwhelming show of force—to have a division of the kingdom’s best surround the Crimson Grotto. “It is not to be insulting. I believe she would appreciate—nay, she’d respect our forwardness. After all, did Duchess Ashford not report how little Servi cares for formality or structural rigidness? She's a peasant. Her mind is simple. She’s a fan of the direct approach.”   

“You’d risk angering her? She will react accordingly to this threat,” rebutted Harold. “It’s obvious she feels greatly for her friends. Recall the rumors. What would the city think if a division appeared, primed for battle, only to meet a single girl? Chaos. Panic. That’s what would happen. Rumors will spread. I can see them swirling through Canary like a brisk gust before scattering to Arcton and Waveret. We do not need the discourse, chancellor. I’m sure you can see that. But have you not thought about the Queen of Night?”    

Harold paused for a moment to let his words sink in.     

“Nimyra’s influence cannot be understated. Many nobles have paid her to warm their beds. She’s close to numerous distinguished individuals—clients who hold vast influence. They talk, after all. We all know how much damage she could cause by revealing the dark secrets warming Lando’s underbelly. She loves Servi like a daughter. Their closeness is something you can see. I surmise she would help Servi. We do not need her to use her authority to cause irreversible damage.”   

Irreversible damage… That was the key takeaway—everyone, including the king, latched onto it because Lando’s decisive moment was inevitable. Nimyra could help. Or her influence would hurt. Nimyra cherished Servi and the others, so she would protect them using all her resources. 

It'd be one thing if it was just her, but it wasn't. Dreadwood Shadow—Dineria—had taken the group under her wing. Her close friendship with Itarr was surprisingly alarming due to how quickly they bonded.   

But those facts alone…  

A country afraid of the damage two people could sew upon the kingdom had, in many eyes, categorized the Kingdom of Lando as a failed kingdom. Perhaps the ones who held the power to instigate a civil war already thought of the kingdom as a failure. 

Conflict was all but inevitable. The choices made here would either accelerate the arrival or postpone it. But it would arrive all the same. That was a pressing issue inside everyone’s mind. Everyone also had ulterior motives to best navigate the upcoming period.   

Servi was an enigma. She was an unknown with odd abilities that didn’t make sense.    

Chancellor Freud’s face turned tomato red as steamed whistled out his ears when Harold pointed out the substantial flaws. Of course, there was something else the chancellor brought up. What if Servi was a spy? She suddenly showed up from nowhere, claimed to have amnesia, which could’ve been a lie, and started showing these unique abilities?   

“If that turns out to be the case, then we were wrong to deliberate for so long. Recall what I first said, Lord Flynn. We should have taken her into custody immediately after you and Duchess Ashford interrogated those three. But you argued for house arrest. Why?”  

“Because she trusts me.” The answer was almost shocking. “Remind yourself that she has killed three times that we know of. Two were for me. One was for herself.”  

Harold referred to when he first met Servi. He asked if she wanted to kill the guard who abused her, and she did. Then, she killed Fisher upon Harold's order, but only after she had somehow killed Arnold.   

“Fisher was our strongest melee fighter. No one except Dragons could match his prowess, so I doubt she poses a severe threat. Rather, I assume Fisher’s deteriorating mental state from his past actions weakened his sword arm. It allowed his quivering heart to face his grand sins. Servi cannot be trusted. But we share a connection. Don’t think me to be so foolish that I believe her story of being freed by those freedom fighters when we were dealing with the underground slave market. I know she’s hiding more than she lets on. I know she harbors suspicions about me, as well.” Harold smirked. “Call it a game, if you will, to see who can outwit the other. She may be a ‘peasant,’ but her instincts are frightfully sharp. I’d even liken her to a war hound.”  

“Then if you harbor this much doubt about her, do you think she has lied about everything else? Dock 77?”  

“Of course. She’s cladded in airy unknowns that may backfire if we act too hastily. We must approach as equals. Let her see that we do not regard her as a potential threat.” 

“But would that not show weakness in our glorious kingdom?” The chancellor raised the same point, much to the chagrin of the others. They eyed the king and desperately wished he’d end this debate. If not, it would only go in circles.  “Why not hire Vexor Blackscale to act as her guard? He’s the strongest man in the guild’s employment. The guildmaster can arrange a meeting. Vexor knows magic capable of enshrouding a target in a binding wind that cannot be seen by even an elf’s eye, let alone a human.”  

“That is still foolhardy,” replied Harold. “We cannot approach from a show of force or violence because that will inevitably backfire. Hastiness is not what we need. Haven’t you read fables? The stories of old? What we often think as childhood nonsense are often written with the express intent to convey a purposeful meaning.”  

“You choose to let this woman roam without consequence? Even after she hasn’t told you a single truth? It’s not just about the lies, Lord Flynn. It’s about the potential danger she now threatens Lando with since we aren’t closer to figuring her out.”  

Harold agreed with something the chancellor said. It was dangerous to let Servi roam free. But the fool didn’t understand that she wasn’t free. The duchess’s bodyguard was her jailor. The duchess was the warden, and Harold held the reigns that dictated her fate. She was the furthest thing from being freed. Her freedom was a mere illusion that was thin at best. 

Perhaps she deserved more punishment. Harold believed Servi hadn’t told him many truths since she killed in front of him, although her lies could’ve begun from the first thing she ever said to him.     

Was it that…unexpected? The girl was surrounded by mysteries, yes, but Harold was a man with two facets—two opposing dichotomous personalities that melded and melted to suit his needs. Perhaps that hinted about his upbringing, but this unique quirk had served him well. One part handled the day-to-day managerial tasks. The other was involved when he needed to throw his weight, power, and status around—such as when he ordered Servi to act as his personal executioner. Or when he had to focus his mind to think logically through illogical matters. This Harold was a cutthroat politician with a masterful, linguistically talented tongue who desired to ascertain power.    

Yet what this Harold experienced... You couldn’t claim it to be his entire feeling since the other Harold’s reaction to this new information was unknown. However, someone close to him could accurately guess by projecting an assumption.   

This aspect of his psyche enabled him to quickly rise through the Game of Politics and grasp power. Not just anyone could rule Lando’s Nail, commanding how its mighty power was to be used.  The influence Lord Harold Flynn harbored could not be understated. This Harold had been controlling the conversation the entire time, leading the foolish chancellor into verbal defeat after defeat, but it was time to deal the finishing blow.   

“No, Chancellor Freud, I choose to live in the now. I know you aren’t that naïve. Do you have something to prove? Is that why you insist on using force when it's not the correct choice?”  

“I can’t stand the bickering,” Marquise Calista said, finally chiming in at the cost of angering the figurehead king. Her sanity couldn’t handle it anymore “Lord Flynn is correct. We don’t need any more enemies, lest one shrouded in unknowns. Let us forge friendly relations with this art thief to ensure she’ll remain loyal to the crown. I’ll even hide my disgust with these ‘photos’ if that’s what it takes, my liege.”  

“I agree with the marquise,” added Duke Caelan.  He was known for his cool demeanor and diplomatic preference. He had long since arbitrated petty agreements within the Adenaford nobility to lessen the need for the courts. But even he shivered in his boots. Behind that calmed demeanor sat a worried, anxiousness that everyone shared.   

Servi—as Lando’s leaders saw her— was an unknown enigma. Nothing about her made sense, so the only logical choice was to approach her as an equal to establish friendly relations. However, you could argue that one person having so much influence to dictate dozens of meetings focused solely on her was additional proof that the king had lost his grip on his kingdom.   

That was neither here nor there. The king didn't let that occupy his mind because Servi was the more pressing issue. 

Chancellor Freud continued to argue for another hour until King Lando made his choice. Earl Andon Marcel, that short-haired coward, had refrained from speaking. No doubt the slimy rat was only looking out for his best interests.   

Likewise, Duke Hawthorn had allowed his strong presence to speak for him. He often butted heads with Harold, but he couldn’t back Chancellor Freud’s plan. That would probably earn him a scolding when they next met in secrecy.    

But the meeting ended as the sun descended. Thus, the king’s choice was set.   

By tomorrow morning… Servi would be standing in the throne room. 

RuggyRuggy

Part Two is kinda short. It's not even 2k words, so that's why I wanted to get it uploaded. The next chapter is about 3.7k words, and it's just in one part. It also marks the end of this Arc. That will be up Monday.

Seems like Servi's made a giant splash. They clearly regard her as a potential threat. More talk of civil war, too. It seems like things aren't that good below the surface for the Kingdom of Lando.