Arthur and Mica trudged along the dirt road behind a wagon that carried the driver, his son, and Olfred. They were on the second day of their reconnaissance mission, as Olfred was disguised as a wealthy noble, wearing lavish cloak of mana beast fur and Arthur's old mask from when he went by Note, with Mica and Arthur as his slaves, wearing muddy cloaks and worn out gloves, while Sylvie remained hidden in Arthur's cloak. Officially they were searching for an Alacryan base camp lead by either a Scythe or Retainer, in actuality Arthur was trying to determine if the two dwarf Lances were traitors.
"Here we are, welcome to Ashber," the driver said as he stopped.
His son jumped down and opened the back so Olfred could climb down. He then tossed the boy a silver coin as a thanks.
"Well you be careful sir. We best be on our way, traveling at night is far from desirable," the driver said as the boy climbed back up front with him.
"Oh? This isn't your destination?" Olfred questioned. Even though the three of them weren't able to speak with each other, they all felt something was suspicious about them.
"There's an outpost about an hour away that we need to get to before morning," the son replied before his father cracked the reins and the horses pulled the wagon away.
"There are no outposts in this area," Arthur stated quietly.
"Bad story to go along with their bad acting," Olfred commented.
"You think they could be Alacryans?" Mica questioned.
"If so then they already control the village," Arthur replied as his eyes scanned his hometown.
"Why would you think that?" Mica asked.
"Because this place is no doubt a trap for travelers. Now be quiet you two," Olfred snapped. "Just because we aren't using mana doesn't mean no one else is," he then whispered.
They then followed the scattered street lamps down the street, heading to a building where Olfred and Mica said they could sense a large group of people, even without using mana. Mica started to speak more about this ability, but Olfred was quick to silence her. Even though he stated they didn't know if someone could be listening in, Arthur suspected he just didn't want her to reveal anything about their limitations.
Since the Lances were first introduced Arthur had very little interaction with them, even though they were at Xyrus Academy regularly. Back then he knew Bairon disliked him, and that seemed to hold true to this day. Even now as a fellow Lance, Arthur had no idea about most of their opinions towards him. Varay was the only one who he felt confident at least respected him as a fellow Lance, as she was the only one that actually supported him when he and Virion put this ruse into motion. The others seemed to just dismiss the possibility of another Scythe or Retainer in action without batting an eye, although Arthur suspected Aya was told to be against the idea by Virion. Mica didn't seem to fully trust him, but through her actions and things she had said, she appeared to be trying to form her own opinion of him.
As they walked they saw most of the buildings were either vacant or boarded up. Every step brought back memories of his early childhood. To his left was a boarded up shop that once a tailor worked making clothes for many of the people in town. To his right was an abandoned building where his mother took him for shoes as he grew up. He remembered the owner was a kind old couple that gave his mother his first pair of shoes for free as a gift. Up ahead the streets used to be lined with vendor stalls where the farmers used to sell their crops, and fishermen their catches from the day.
As they turned the corner down the next street, Arthur was able to see where the large group of people was. Back when Arthur called Ashber home, there were no restaurants, only a pub. Despite what many would expect, it was a warm and welcoming establishment. Even though they didn't have much money, Arthur remembered his father taking him there after the farmers were done harvesting their crops for the season to celebrate with them. He remembered his father drinking with the farmers, as he ate hardy stew and fresh bread, and the waitresses cooed at how adorable he was.
Now however the building from his memories only existed in the past. After years of neglect the once warm and welcoming building now looked more so like a run down shack. The chimney appeared to be separating from the building, as many of the bricks appeared to be missing from the top. The roof was in disarray with shingles missing, and boards nailed to the roof, no doubt a quick repair for a roof leak.
"So this is your hometown?" Sylvie asked as she peaked out from his cloak. "Nice," she said, unable to hide her sarcasm.
"You know just as well as I do, that this is not the home I left behind," Arthur replied as he continued looking, completely unable to comprehend how all this happened.
Olfred opened the shabby wooden door, and the three Lances walked inside. Olfred stood there for a few seconds as he assessed the establishment, before Arthur quietly informed him they seat themselves there. The senior dwarf lead them through the sea of drunk humans to an empty table near the bathroom, the smell of which severely hindered their appetites. Quickly a barmaid came to their table, puffing out her chest towards Olfred so he could get a good look at her cleavage while she admired his expensive looking cloak. He then ordered food and ale for the three of them and she walked off, making sure to caress his arm as she left.
"Ugh, what's the point of showing off those lumps of fat?" Mica mumbled.
"Agreed. A woman should be muscular with coarse skin," Olfred replied.
"Mica will never understand human taste in beauty," Mica commented, then nudged Arthur. "Care to explain that to us?"
"Beauty is subjective, it's not something that can be explained. Race aside, what's beautiful to one person is not necessarily beautiful to another," Arthur replied nonchalantly as he scanned the room while using his hood to cover his face.
"Very mature response for someone so young," Olfred replied, almost sounding impressed.
"He might sound mature, but Mica heard human boys his age have raging hormones that they have trouble controlling, making them want to have sex with any willing female," Mica teased.
"Close, but your description is over exaggerated," Arthur replied without looking at her.
"Is that why you're looking at all the women here?" She teased.
Arthur finally looked back. "If one cannot control themselves then they are no better than a wild beast. And I wasn't looking at women, I was checking the room."
"See anything of interest?" Olfred asked seriously, not taking part in Mica's teasing.
"Far wall, large table. There are about half a dozen augmenters," Arthur paused and took a breath to remain calm. "and one conjuror."
"You're not supposed to be using mana!" Olfred scolded.
"The fact that you couldn't tell that I've been using mana almost constantly, means no one else could either," Arthur replied.
Olfred was surprised by this, although it couldn't be seen through his mask.
"What was that?" Mica questioned without looking at Arthur. "You seemed off when you mentioned the conjuror."
"It's personal. Foods coming," Arthur replied, happy the conversation had to stop there.
The barmaid returned and placed a bowl of stew and three mugs of ale in front of Olfred. "I ordered three bowls of food."
"There's a stall a block down for slaves," the barmaid replied with disgust.
"With these dangerous times, I'd rather keep them where I can see them. They'll eat here with me tonight," Olfred replied with the commanding tone of a noble.
Annoyed, the barmaid left. Discreetly Arthur kept an eye on the barmaid as his dwarf counterparts began drinking their ale. Instead of going back to the kitchen, the barmaid instead went to the large table with the conjuror and began whispering something in his ear while gesturing to them. Arthur was suspicious as to what that man's role here was, but his instinct told him that he was the reason for Ashber's decline.
"Ahhh, that was good. Mica could drink a few more of those tonight."
"I have a feeling you won't be able to." Arthur said as he faced forward. "We seem to have drawn some attention." He then grabbed his ale and began drinking in an effort to act casual.
In a few seconds a man with a scraggly beard and a portly woman arrived at their table. They stood there for a second before Arthur grabbed Mica by the shoulder and pulled her from her seat, then around the table behind Olfred.
"Hello there," the woman said as she leaned forward, aiming her cleavage right at Olfred. "We wanted to give you a warm welcome."
The woman sounded like she was trying to be seductive, but the sight of her combined with that thought made Arthur sick to his stomach.
"We couldn't help but notice how you were treating your slaves," the man said, eyeing both Arthur and Mica. "We have quite a few slaves for sale if you're interested."
Clearly sounding uninterested, Olfred dismissed their offer, but they didn't give up, bringing up the fact they had female elf and dwarf slaves as well. Olfred paused briefly before continuing to eat his meal. It wasn't much, but they knew they had his attention. They continued talking briefly, until Olfred clearly told him that he was interested. Despite not showing it, Arthur knew Olfred had to have been angry. Olfred commented about wanting a room to rest, and they then showed them to an incredibly small room on the second floor of the pub, to wait for a meeting with their boss.
Once the door closed Mica threw herself on the bed, burying her face in the pillow screaming, as Arthur punched the wall, sending a sharp pain up his arm as it wasn't enforced with mana.
"You both did incredibly well keeping your anger in check," Arthur stated.
"That woman's beauty doesn't change the fact she's trying to sell some of my own people," Olfred replied as he removed his mask.
"Beauty is subjective," Arthur reminded himself as her appearance and behavior made him nauseous.
"If not for this mission!" Mica said angrily through her teeth.
"I feel the same, but our mission requires us to be discreet," Olfred replied, his voice seething with anger.
"There's little we can do for them now, but as soon as we return to the council we need to notify them." Arthur clenched his fists tightly, causing his knuckles to pop. "And I'll be requesting to deal with this personally."
"Why do you want to so badly?" Olfred questioned.
"It's our people that shouldn't be slaves, it's still legal for humans," Mica added, also sounding curious.
"I may be human, but that doesn't mean I'm ok with slavery," Arthur replied. "Also, the man who I believe their boss is, he and I have history. And the last time we met, he managed to get away without punishment."
"So you know who it is? Please enlighten us," Olfred asked.
Arthur took a seat on the bed by Mica's feet. "His name is Sebastian." Arthur then continued to explain his history with Sebastian, from their first meeting when he tried to steal Sylvie, to his attempt to kidnap Tess during their summer break.
"Mica see's. This is revenge for the princess."
"I know it's a lesser reason than for the two of you, but after his actions, he needs to face justice."
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About an hour had passed, and Arthur and Olfred were being escorted back down to the pub to meet with their leader. Olfred told Mica to stay behind, saying he was concerned she wouldn't be able to control herself. She of course protested, but as soon as her head hit the pillow she was fast asleep.
"Here they are boss," the woman said as they arrived at the large table Sebastian was sitting at, with two scantily clad barmaids clinging to him.
"You may leave," Sebastian replied as he waved his hand, and the man and woman left. He moved his arms out, and the two barmaids left as well. He then looked to Olfred with an innocent smile. "Welcome to my town."
Arthur internally rolled his eyes, but this also confirmed that he was responsible for Ashber's current state.
Olfred introduced himself as Cladence, followed by Sebastian introducing himself. He then used wind magic to create a sound barrier. Of course Arthur continued to play the part of the slave and acted amazed by the spell, which stroked Sebastian's ego a bit and made him more comfortable.
Olfred took a seat across from Sebastian and the two drank as they appeared to bond over speaking ill of nobles in general. If not for knowing of Olfred's rage towards his people being sold as slaves, Arthur would have thought that he genuinely liked the poorly aging conjuror.
"I have to ask," Olfred said with a slurred speech. "How did a noble of your calibre end up in this," he paused as if trying to choose his words. "little outpost."
Sebastian's expression quickly changed to disdain. "I once served the royal family, but that brat ruined everything! No one would believe he broke my leg, even I still don't know how he did it. But after being dismissed by the royal family, I needed revenge against that little shit. So I found his home town, and made it mine!" He said with sickening pride as he held out his arms to show this was the town. "It was easy enough to get rid of the governor, then I took over. I brought in these apes, raised the taxes, and ran everyone out of town. Those that refused to leave or stood up against me, either died or were made into slaves." Sebastian then laughed maniacally.
Arthur's rage towards Sebastian grew upon hearing his words. He knew the governor had to have been killed, as he was one of the few mages in the town. He remembered he was a kind and just man, who was highly against slavery, to the point when someone like Sebastian came wanting to establish a slave market there, the governor personally ran them out of town. Even though it had been over ten years since Arthur had been in his home town, he clearly remembered all the kind people, and worried a bit how many of them were forced into slavery or killed.
Upon finishing his story Sebastian decided it was time for business. Using Arthur as a crutch, Sebastian led them down the streets, as the man and woman from before followed behind them. He led them to a large stone building that Arthur knew wasn't there while he lived there. The two guards opened the doors, and immediately Arthur and Olfred had to take a step back due to the smell.
Sebastian spoke with a man that was in there about the slaves while they walked, as the two Lances stopped breathing through their noses. Arthur looked at the slaves, barely clothed and huddled together in the far corners of their pens. Many looked to be little more than skin and bones with vacant or terrified looks in their eyes. Those that did still looked like they had some strength left glared at Sebastian, almost daring him to step into the pen with them.
They walked to the far end of the building where Sebastian kept the dwarf and elf slaves. There were far less of them, were mostly female, looked noticeably healthier, and wore mana suppressing collars around their necks. Sebastian told the two guards to bring out two of the women, and they both walked into different pens. A dwarf and elf female were brought out and their clothes were literally torn off. They tried to cover themselves, but the guards were quick to pull their arms away. Their faces were looks of complete terror that even made Arthur want to rip Sebastian's throat out. He glanced over to Olfred to see his body trembling, no doubt as he struggled to keep his rage in check.
"Feel free to take a closer look," Sebastian said with a lewd smile as he misinterpreted Olfred's shaking for excitement. "I don't normally let people touch the product, but I'll make an exception for you."
Olfred stepped closer to the dwarf female and reached out. She flinched and pulled back. Olfred's hand hung out for a moment before balling into a fist.
"Teach that bitch a lesson," Sebastian spat, thinking her response angered him.
The guard raised his hand up to strike her, but before he could bring his hand down, a stone pike shot up between his legs and out the top of his head. The female dwarf fell to the ground trembling in fear as she saw blood pouring out the bottom of the guard.
"KILL HIM!" Sebastian yelled in panic, knowing only his new masked customer could have done that.
The other guard started charging at Olfred as he raised a rusty machete-like blade over his head.
"Olfred!" Arthur yelled angrily as he threw Sebastian off of him and at one of the pens.
He knew the guard didn't stand a chance against Olfred, but his own instincts kicked in that told him to watch his allies back. Arthur grabbed his arm holding the sword and flipped him onto his back before stomping down on his face. As the sword was released he grabbed it, and spun around to see the man and woman from the pub charging in, each carrying a knife. Arthur moved quickly to intercept them as he heard Sebastian scream out in pain. Ignoring him, Arthur swung the blade and severed the man's head, then thrust the blade into the woman's back.
With everyone else dead Arthur looked back to Sebastian and Olfred. The ground was coming up around Sebastian's legs with a dark red glow, as the scent of burning flesh filled his nose. Sebastian continued screaming as he was slowly tortured.
"Boy please stop him! I'll give you anything!" Sebastian pleaded to Arthur.
Arthur knew that stopping now wouldn't matter, the damage was done. He pulled back his hood and threw back his long hair, revealing his face. Sebastian saw his face and instantly recognized the young Lance whom he had crossed before, and knew he was going to die there. Arthur took no pleasure in seeing him suffer like this, but he felt no pity either. This was Sebastian finally paying for his sins with his life. Soon Sebastian was completely covered, and all became silent.
"I understand wanting him dead, but you didn't need to use deviant magic," Arthur told Olfred.
Olfred removed the mask and tossed it to Arthur.
"Are you saying he didn't deserve to suffer? You said yourself that he's escaped real justice," Olfred replied unapologetically.
"It doesn't matter," Arthur replied as he removed his gloves and placed them and his mask into one of his dimensional rings. "If there's a scythe or retainer in the area they've no doubt been alerted to our presence," He then turned to one of the pens and ripped the lock off. "Let's just free everyone, get Mica, and get the hell out of here before a battle can break out."
"You don't need to worry, there are no scythes or retainers here," Olfred said as he faced Arthur, who was breaking off more locks.
Arthur stopped with Olfred to his right. "And how would you know that?" Arthur asked suspiciously.
The ground shook a bit as two angled openings in the floor opened, and Alacryan soldiers started to march out.