Although Caspian and Elincia have defeated the Lich King, their troubles are far from over. The dwarves have staged a rebellion, or so it seems, and there is evidence that Marquis Hunington of Dorumhold is involved with selling slaves to other natio...
Later in the evening, after Elincia had gotten several hours of sleep, she and Caspian made their way back to the docks. It was still incredibly busy even at this late hour, with people continuing to load and unload crates, barrels, and even animals from their ships. This was all despite the evening sun being dyed red.
There were a number of taverns lined up on the other side of the dock. Caspian guessed it was so sailors could have a place to relax and drink after a hard day's work without needing to head into the city. He and Elincia were sitting inside of a tavern just next to the dock where the large steel ship sat.
Of course, while Caspian called this place a tavern, it wasn't anything so extravagant. The storefront was open to the sea, with no wall protecting it from the sea breeze. It was basically just a building with three walls instead of four. At the very back was the bar where the tavern master poured his drinks, a few waitresses wearing skimpy outifts meant to entice the sailors into buying more wandered between tables with a sway in their step, and a number of patrons whistled at them as they passed, causing the girls to wink and blow the sailors a kiss.
The two of them were back in their middle-aged disguises. They would eventually have remove the illusion. It simply cost too much mana, and Elincia would need time to regain the mana she lost so she could have Loki cast the invisibility illusion over them. However, that was for later, when the sun went down and the ship's captain set out for the meeting point.
"I haven't seen any real activity from the ship," Elincia said as she munched on a plate of potato skins. They were unpeeled potato halves that had been hollowed out and filled with bacon bits, cheddar cheese, green onions, and sour cream.
"Me neither. My guess is they already finished working." Caspian took a sip from his mug. It wasn't anything special, just coconut milk.
"What time do you think they will leave?"
"Probably not for several more hours when everything closes."
Time passed as the two conversed. A lot of people entered the tavern once the sun had gone down, filling this tavern and all the other ones lining the docks with raucous laughter. However, all the laughter ceased when the woman who captained the steel ship walked in with several of her crew. Every eye turned toward her. The lady captain gave the large crowd a confident smirk as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Why have you all stopped chatting? Is it really that fun to stare at a woman, or are you perhaps afraid of little old me?"
Several of the sailors bristled at the woman, their expressions turning gloomy and filling with frustration. Caspian was surprised when none of them spoke up. He was even more surprised when all of them went back to their original conversations, though they spoke in a much more hushed tone of voice, almost like they were afraid of the woman.
The lady captain's smirk widened as she stepped into the room, walking past tables and patrons until she reached the back. She stopped at the full bar. There were no places left for her or her crew to sit, but that didn't bother her in the least. She went up to one of the people already sitting down and stared at the man, who could only put up with her glare for a few seconds before quietly getting off, which caused the woman to smile as she broke down.
"I love how obedient everyone here is," she said with a chuckle. "Hey, barkeep! Get me the usual and make it fast!"
The barkeep grunted in displeasure, but he didn't dare disobey this woman as he grabbed a clean glass, several bottles of alcohol, and began mixing them together for her. Caspian had no idea what he was making. However, after he finished, the woman grabbed the cup and gulped it all down in a single shot. She then asked for another.
While the woman enjoyed her drink, the two men standing on either side of her quietly stood like a pair of bodyguards. Both of them were burley men with powerful chests, thick arms, and broad shoulders. They weren't wearing any armor. In fact, they weren't even wearing shirts, just pants and boots. That said, one of them had a broadsword strapped to their back while the other carried a battle axe.
"It seems everyone is afraid of this woman," Caspian muttered. "I wonder who she is?"
"Hold on." Elincia tilted her head, and Caspian knew she was zeroing in on the individual conversations happening around them. Her face scrunched up cutely in concentration. "It looks like that woman is called Chloe. According to what these people are saying, she is a former pirate who made her living plundering ships and selling the people she captured as slaves. I'm not sure what happened. No one is saying anything. However, it looks like she eventually stopped plundering and became a legitimate trader after somehow brokering a deal with the marquis."
"You got all that from listening to these conversations?" Caspian asked in shock.
Elincia nodded. "She's all these people are talking about right now."
"Hmm... Chloe is an Elysium name. I wonder if there is some significance there.
"I don't know..."
The two of them grew silent as they kept one eye on Chloe as she drank and ate, though she didn't remain for long. Standing up from the barstool, she walked past the tables and was about to leave, but then she paused. Her head slowly turned to him and Elincia. They tried not to freeze. However, it was difficult when the woman was looking directly at them. After another moment or two, Chloe shrugged, turned her head back, and made her way toward her ship.
Caspian and Elincia breathed a sigh of relief.
"That was too close," Caspian said.
"Yeah..."
"Let's leave now. I think we've stayed here long enough. We'll find a place to hide so you can dispel the illusion and replenish your lost mana. Then we'll tail that woman."
"Right."
Standing up, the two of them quietly slipped out of the tavern and entered an alley. The stars began to appear overhead, marking the beginning of the night.
***
And so it begins. What begins? Caspian and Elincia will now join forces with Detective Pikachu to--wait. I'm getting my stories mixed up. This isn't a crossover.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please tell me how I'm doing. Don't be afraid to point out any grammar mistakes I made.
I know I mention this a lot, but my Arcadia's Ignoble Knight series is also officially published. Currently, I have published up to the Sorceress' Knight's Tournament. All my books are available digitally and on paperback. While no one has to buy these books, I am grateful to everyone who does. You can find the link to every currently published Arcadia's Ignoble Knight book at https://www.varnell-brandon.com/arcadia-s-knight-academy.
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