Chapter 147: Oh Neriad, I can’t change.

 

Viv went over the recent gains. Those were nice. They would also set her on a way to greater heights. For now, she was only at the beginning of her next stage. The last notification was more concerning. She supposed it couldn’t be helped.

 

With the way things were going, this one would reach master first. Sighing, she focused back on her current predicament: getting out of dodge.

 

Abe looked groggy, Viv thought. He also looked pretty badass. His huge frame was now filled with lean muscles and despite the grayish hue of his skin, he didn’t appear to be sick. The red eyes looked lost for now while he looked around the operating room with a sense of childish wonder. His mouth hung open. He would have been cute except for the rest of his appearance: wrinkles which placed him on the grandpa scale, gray dreadlocks, and the mark of Enttiku shining ominously on his forehead. It looked a bit like a hooded figure if one looked closely. It was an ancient rune, older than the empire itself. She inspected him.

 

[Arcane Servant of Death]

 

So he had a path now. Interesting. Viv ignored the flurry of other titles to shove robes on the dazed ex-lich.

 

“Get dressed, we gotta go.”

 

“Oh. Sorry. I was distracted.”

 

“Understandable. Put the robe on please.”

 

She wasn’t sure if it was the natural state of things or if it was part of Enttiku’s blessing but damn, the old man was hung like a donkey. Now that he was no longer her patient it was getting distracting.

 

Abe obliged and they were ready in record time. He trotted by her side while they exited the hospital without objection, perhaps sensing her stress. It was already late afternoon.

 

“I apologize. This delay must impede your plans.”

 

“Look I saved you with the power of friendship and gods-approved necromancy. That was the best possible use of my time. I just want to finish everything and get going before anybody gets any ideas. We’re rich and surprisingly successful. That means people are going to come with us with demands. We want to get out before they decide how they’re going to do that.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

Sidjin was waiting outside, eyes fixed on the road. The guards and patients studiously ignored him.

 

“Let’s go,” Viv said.

 

They flew back to the city, Abe and Sidjin with gray mana and Viv with her harness and self-kinesis. Even though she was getting used to it, the sensation of flying without a machine still felt exhilarating. They stayed close to the ground because high flight near Helock was considered rude and the griffin riders might disapprove. It also suited Viv’s deeply ingrained fear of stinger missiles just fine. She was airborne over uncontrolled territory, therefore she was vulnerable to MANPADS and no amount of logic could convince her otherwise.

 

The group landed near the gate and continued on foot, racing past whispering Helockians. People recognized her on sight now. A few saluted her but there were quite a few hostile glares as well, especially from the older nobles. Elunath’s manor soon came into view. The gates were closed which was not a bad sign. A prostrate woman sobbed on the steps. Not great. Viv noticed that her dress was torn, revealing a bruised shoulder. She sported an impressive black eye. Her hair was shaved, badly. As she looked up, Viv recognized Renea. Elunath’s pet snitch. The other girls had gotten her hands on her, none too gently. She was lucky to be alive, Viv thought.

 

The girl cried as she approached. Viv readied some black mana but it soon became obvious that she was not threat.

 

“Why?” she cried. “Why? It was all for nothing. All for nothing… I thought I had no choice. Did I? I don’t know. I don’t fucking know anymore.”

 

There was only pity in Viv’s heart at the moment, partly because Renea was Stockholm syndrome’s poster child and partly because she didn’t know all the horribly stuff Renea must have done.

 

“Are you here to kill me?” the mage finally asked.

 

“No. We want in but you are… in the way.”

 

Renea hiccuped then stood on shaky legs. She left, limping a bit. Viv watched her go, wondering if she should do anything. She wasn’t sure. And they were on a schedule.

 

No time to worry about everyone.

“Let’s get in.”

 

“Wait!” Abe interrupted. “Wait.”

 

He clutched his belly and moved forward. Pain marred his wizened traits.

 

“Abe?”

 

“I… I don’t feel good. It hurts. Like some pressure.”

 

“Abe, what’s wrong?”

 

Viv approached the old man. She still had mending potions in her belt. Would they help? He should have been okay.

 

“I can use a diagnostic spell,” Sidjin said, already weaving colorless mana.

 

Suddenly, Abe’s face turned into an expression of pure surprise. He was having an epiphany.

 

“I need to urinate!”

 

The old man waddled to the nearest flower bed and whipped out his junk. A sigh of contentment came with the subsequent release. Viv refrained from facepalming.

 

“Wow,” Sidjin said after a brief observation.

 

“I know, right?”

 

“Did you…”

 

“Nope. Enttiku formed his body. Maybe he was like that before he died.”

 

“Huh. To change this rather awkward topic, have you asked him what his new path entails?”

 

“Not really. I think we’ll have ample time on the way back.”

 

“What if it’s… dangerous for us?”

 

“From Enttiku? Against a faction that’s clearing the deadlands?”

 

“A fair point, Viv.”

 

“Thank you for waiting,” Abe said as he returned. “I had forgotten how satisfying pissing on the flowers could be. I wish to apologize for the delay and for using a rude term.”

“Men,” Viv bemoaned while Sidjin nodded in understanding. “Can we finally go?”

 

“Yes yes.”

 

Elunath’s door was still unlocked. They found a real crowd in the atrium, a babbling bunch that fell silent the moment they entered. Viv recognized most of Elunath’s harem led by Sen, the receptionist, and Lana, still wearing a fitting blue dress. Solfis stood silently in a corner. Finally, there were a pair of trussed shapes in dark cloaks left on a carpet to the side.

 

“What’s with them?” Viv asked as she entered.

 

“Thieves. They tried to break in,” Lana replied with a guarded voice.

 

“So soon? Well, I salute their proactive spirits.”

 

“Yes, well. Let’s get to the point.”

 

Viv noticed Lana’s stiff shoulders and bunched fists. Sen, too, was tense, though the tall northerner expressed it with a high chin and an imperious gaze. Behind them, mages in the second and third steps quietly arrayed themselves, some afraid, some defiant. One girl immediately broke down to start sobbing from the stress. They burnt like a riot of mana torches in Viv’s sight. The many hues of their powers formed a flickering rainbow of coiling power that would scare most casters but Viv could easily see through the bluff. Those were not warriors and they were not organized. They were a scared, huddling pile of victims ready to bite and lash out at the first sign of a collar. Only Sen, Lana, and a couple of other older girls appeared willing to fight. The only thing Viv felt towards them was sympathy.

 

“We want to know if you will try to enforce the contracts. By Helock’s law —”

 

“There are no slaves in Harrak,” Viv interrupted.

 

She could immediately see doubt. She couldn’t blame them.

 

“You are free to go. I won’t do anything to you. There are no obligations between us.”

 

“Do you swear by it?” Sen retorted.

 

“On Neriad’s name, there are no bindings between us and you can go and never see me again.”

 

“Excellent. In this case, I’m out of here and out of this damn city. Gooooooodbye.”

 

Sen picked up two bags and walked out without looking back. The majority of the other girls filed out behind her, giving Viv a broad berth. She didn’t take it personally even though she had technically liberated them. Doing so was the bare minimum decency demanded in a world where the term had little meaning. And they were scared. It was ok.

 

Soon, only Lana and six others remained.

 

“I am interested in entering an agreement,” Lana said.

 

“Wait!” the sobbing girl from before said. “Wait. Sorry. I want to go as well. Can I?”

 

“Sure,” Viv confirmed.

 

She grabbed her bag protectively to her chest and strode out, claiming she was going to take a boat. Sidjin chuckled.

 

“As I was saying, I am interested in entering an agreement,” Lana said.

 

“Should we sit? Do you want privacy?” Viv asked while Lana’s attention turned to a still dazed Abe.

 

“No. We decide now. I am not staying in this place any longer than I have to. I will be brief. Sen insists on instant freedom while I believe we cannot be free if we do not have protection. All of Elunath’s pupils are talented and, for now, vulnerable. Many powerful individuals of Param will believe they are too valuable to be let loose. You claim that Harrak is a good place to live, that we will not be separated or used. You hinted that we could decide what to do, what to research. I want a binding agreement. Not a vague promise. Is there truly a law or an institution in Harrak that would protect them?”

 

“Hmm, yeah. Me. Heiress to the throne and black elemental war caster on the fourth step who just offed Elunath with my allies.”

 

That forced Lana to reconsider a bit.

 

“Oh. That is indeed a convincing argument.”

 

“If you want to come, you can come. If you want to wait before doing so, that is also fine. Our gates are open. As for self determination, I wouldn’t even have to lift a finger to defend you there. Anyone bothering your girls would end up a crossbow bolt porcupine before they finish their first sentence. Look. The thing about New Harrak is that, hmm, people have it easier doing what they enjoy rather than what someone else expects them to do. Hadals make the best murderers and maybe it makes sense to force them to act as assassins but we don’t do make them do that. Most of them are our hunters and scouts. And it’s best from a population perspective if women stay home to raise a lot of children but many of us serve in the army and postpone raising a family. Maybe some never will. Assigning roles to people from birth makes a shit ton of them miserable and the goal of our nation is to make people not miserable. So maybe it’s not optimal. Maybe giving advanced projectile weapons to freshly emancipated populations doesn’t magically turn them into shock troops but it sure as hell makes them motivated. What I’m trying to say is, no one there will give you trouble on how you contribute so long as you contribute. No one will demand you forfeit your dreams or your body. And you will be protected while you do so by the very same people you will be helping.”

 

Lana assessed Viv for a long time with the power of her glare but the witch didn’t really care. There were things she was fully confident about and her principles were one of them.

 

The application was still subject to some doubts.

 

“This is a nice dream you have. I hope you can keep it alive because Param has seen many dreams and it’s eaten them all.”

 

“We’re already done so twice. Look, as I said, we can’t achieve miracles just because our ideals are noble. But give motivated people enough time and resources, and we can end up with something quite nice. You can be a part of it.”

 

“That still sounds like promises, not a binding agreement.”

 

That ticked off Viv a little bit.

 

“I have forged that place with my own two hands on the corpses of princes. My people have bled to make it a reality. It should be all the commitment you need and it is all the commitment you’ll get. As I said, travel there and see with your own eyes if you have trouble believing. The borders are open. Now, was it all or did you want to discuss your employment?”

 

Lana didn’t flinch though some of her defiance bled out. She was both less afraid and less resolute. Viv wasn’t sure how much of that remaining terror was trauma and how much was Viv’s reputation. She wasn’t using any intimidation right now.

 

“We want to discuss employment. We also want to discuss pay.”

 

Viv sighed. That was the kind of negotiations that could take half a day given there were exactly six mages concerned, with various trainings and specialization. She didn’t have the time. She didn’t even have a budget.

 

Irao used that opportunity to walk out of the shadows.

 

“They have emptied the office’s safe,” he helpfully suggested.

 

“What do you mean? They took money?”

 

“Yes. All of Elunath’s coin. They split it among themselves.”

 

Lana deflated when Viv cleared her throat.

 

“Technically that belongs to me. Let’s just call it, hmm, compensation for back pay and an advance on your contract.”

 

“For one year only!”

 

“Fair enough. We can discuss everything in more detail later, alright? I want to be gone before the city wakes up to the fact we just killed their strategic deterrent.”

 

“The way you talk is so strange.”

 

//She is an outlander.

 

The girls turned to Solfis, clearly unnerved by his alien presence.

 

//You must get used to it.

//As I have.

//After a while.

 

“Don’t make it sound like a chore. Alright, loot!”

 

“If the ladies do join us, we should get them settled in the ship and make sure the captain does not object immediately. I can accompany them since I negotiated the contract, if that is fine, of course,” Sidjin offered.

 

“Yeah that would be great. Solfis will carry everything we can take with us. We don’t need another porter.”

 

//I have found this comically large bag.

 

“Then I’m off. Don’t trigger any traps, please.”

 

“I will protect our safety,” Abe agreed.

 

Perhaps sensing their urgency, the newly freed mages hurried after Sidjin who used kinesis to lift the book crates. There were quite a few of them. It left the rest of the league to pilfer in peace.

 

The office gave up a few trinkets as well as Elunath’s research journals which they took with them. Viv wondered why someone with perfect recall would need journals. Perhaps out of habit. Solfis also claimed the skull of some dinosaur-like creature for himself. They ignored the private quarters and communal labs since Irao confirmed the harem had taken their own project notes with them, which was entirely fair. It was really Elunath’s sanctum that would yield the best stuff.

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Irao led them to the gate where he had stunned Renea, then both he and Abe made sure no traps had reactivated before Viv gated them in. There were many treasures there but not exactly the kind Viv could use. They decided to leave the extensive collection of stones, ores, and fossils behind to focus on the immediately useful stuff. Deeds and financial documents went in the bag first, then it was time for the magical goodies.

 

The only surprise was that Elunath had destroyed the scepter of the cursed god as he’d claimed he’d do. Viv half expected him to have kept it around while the abominable artifact whispered sweet promises into his ears in the dead of night. The other items proved to be a treasure trove. They found a plethora of enchanted swords, magical suits of armor, and nasty daggers. Into the bag they went for later distribution. They would form a core of legacy stuff for the most promising soldiers, Viv thought to herself. A magical sword didn’t make much of a difference on a battlefield where numbers and discipline reigned, but thirty in the hands of elites could. Some of the suits were resistant to specific elements as well which would help. All in all it was a good haul that would push Solfis’ strength to its limits. And then, there was the caster stuff.

 

The first great find was a scepter specifically designed for complex rituals, perhaps belonging to Elunath himself. It was an extremely efficient way to use mana, recover the unused power, and recharge one’s reserves faster. It also came with a decent core. That would go to Sidjin since most of his favorite spells were so complex. The second great find was a pouch of cores of various sizes worth several times their worth in gold. The last one was what made Viv absolutely giddy.

 

“Wait. This is… this is my skinsuit!”

 

And indeed, the repaired Harrakan cover she had lost in Enoria had somehow found its way to Elunath’s connection. Viv suspected some vindictive archmage may have something to do with that. Not just that, Elunath had repaired it.

 

On top of an ink-colored body suit of thin, smooth material, the suit now showed lines of silvery runes. It also felt thicker as well, more solid. Viv urged the men to turn around and put it on after a brief inspection. One of the functions allowed her to adjust the suit to her current size — which was quickly improving thank you very much. It felt great to have it back, though she would check the full functionalities later.

 

//We have all we can reasonably expect to have.

//For now, we should leave.

 

“I need to recover my own belongings first,” Abe said, “although I will have to abandon the majority, I will attempt to take as much as feasible. How may we find the ship? Sidjin handled the negotiations.”

 

“Riverside pier,” Viv said. “The Fat Seamstress. Yes, that is the name of the ship. And yes, I wish we could teleport but we have too much luggage to drag around. We’ll stop at Losserec and get carts.”

 

“Understood.”

 

//I will return to the ship with the loot.

 

“Hmm, is it safe?” Viv asked.

 

The bag was certainly large and clinked loudly.

 

Solfis gave her the most pitying, condescending gaze she had ever received and the worst thing was that he managed it without facial expression.

 

“Giant murder golem. Right. As for me, I need to close the feud. I’ll drop by the palace and be on my way. Hopefully we’ll be gone by tonight.”

 

//Is this necessary?

 

“The government can contest us taking the loot away if we don’t formalize our victory. And they can claim the girl’s contracts as well, depending on Elunath’s obligations to the government. We also need it to transfer all bank-held assets to our names though this is less important. I still don’t want to give up that pile of gold without trying. Arthur would never forgive me.”

 

//They could try to delay you.

 

“If they stonewall me I’ll just leave. It’s for the harem, really. It would be a pity to free them only for unscrupulous nobles to come after them or their villages. Elunath preyed on girls without support.”

 

“We can all meet on the ship once you are done, Viviane. And if they do block your attempts with legal acrobatics, I know of a few lawyers who will make it extremely painful.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Viv didn’t know how much Elunath had in his multiple accounts but it had to be massive. The man was not just rich, he’d been rich for three centuries. She considered her options as they left the empty manor, also technically part of her estate. The Manipeleso Bank and Exchange undoubtedly offered legal services. She’d just lawyer up, promise them a share of the estate if they won and unleash them upon the unsuspecting Helockian justice system.

 

The group split near the gate to the lower city. Viv continued on along the wall while Abe flew up and Solfis walked past a flabbergasted guard. The main square soon came into view bathed in the late afternoon sun. She noticed an uneasy hum in the populace, many groups discussing in low voices.

 

They all stopped.

 

Slowly, silence spread through the vast square until hundreds of people watched Viv stroll across the stone plaza, head held high yet slightly uneasy. There was respect here, but also a lot of fear, and scared people did stupid things. She was committed now and turning her back would be a bad idea but perhaps, just perhaps, she ought to hurry. Her distinctive black sclera made the closest people recoil despite her demure aura. No one contested her when she entered the palace’s courtyard, nor when she walked into the massive rectangular fortress that was the heart of Helockian’s power. She still had to request some help to go through the security door. A young intern volunteered to lead her.

 

“Hmm, this way,” the young man said, clutching a notebook to his chest. “The service closes in an hour. You’re just in time, haha.”

 

“I do like to be punctual,” she said.

 

It somehow terrified the poor kid. She felt a little sorry. Despite his misgivings, he led her through a path she recognized. Sullen guards let her through with nothing more than hostile gazes. Her danger sense kept quiet. So far so good.

 

“After you,” the clerk finally said.

 

They walked into the Clan Management Office section. The desk at the end of the corridor stood empty. She looked around to find empty rooms. There were still glasses of klod left steaming on desks burdened with paperwork.

 

Something was wrong.

 

She turned to the clerk who seemed just as surprised as she was.

 

“I, errr, they might be on break? I will check the cafeteria for you. It won’t be long. Sorry.”

 

He returned to the door. It was locked. He rattled it in vain. Before Viv could decide what to do, the magical equivalent of a heavy coat descended on her. It felt like gravity being suddenly doubled. She gasped. The clerk turned to her.

 

“Are you alright? Hm.”

 

Still no sense of being in danger, except she was. She definitely was. Just not in immediate danger. She experimentally called some mana. It coated her hand but could not go far beyond a few centimeters away from her skin. Something was constricting her.

 

Loud noises filled the entire department. Darkness spread as every window was shuttered, metal panes descending on rock like death knells. The clerk called light with a shaky hand. He looked terrified.

 

“I didn’t know! I swear.”

 

“It’s fine,” Viv said.

 

“I’m sorry!”

 

“I said it’s fine. Not your decision.”

 

It didn’t take a genius to realize she was being imprisoned. The only thing she didn’t expect was how well-defended the palace of Helock was, though considering the number of mages in their ranks and the fact it was still technically a keep, it should not come as a surprise. Viv’s perception remained clear. There were active wards on every wall, the ceiling, and the floor. Additionally, a strange spell compressed the mana around her. It felt targeted as well as extremely inefficient. It took a monstrous amount of mana to suppress someone from far away. Case in point, she could still cast but only spells that were close to her. The clerk didn’t seem affected either.

 

A panel opened on the door that had just been locked and now shone with warding mana. A pair of panicked eyes found her in the shaky light.

 

“What is the meaning of this?” Viv asked, though she had an idea what was going on.

 

“You are under custody while the council discusses a possible violation of the collateral damage clause.”

 

“What collateral damage? Elunath destroyed the city.”

 

“The destruction of a warehouse as well as the death of officer Semon and his squad.”

 

Officer Semon? Oh, possibly the corrupt prick they’d baited into leading Elunath to her pipe bomb.

 

“This is bullshit and you know it.”

 

The mere hint of a smile twisted the guard’s eyes.

 

“I assure you, we are taking the situation… very seriously. Parts of the council happens to already be in sessions, and we guards have been handpicked today so you can rest assured that the situation will be solved… very quickly. Stay put.”

 

He left.

 

Viv seethed in silence, knowing full well complaining would achieve nothing. This was quite obviously a trap. Her enemies here had prepared for her arrival and cleared the place of moderate elements for a hasty verdict or something. Of course, they would go after her in a reliable manner such as when she would conclude the vendetta. If they had not used that one they would have found something else. She should have known the Helockian hardliners would eventually come after her rather than allow a stranger to take over Elunath’s everything. She also knew killing their archmage would lead to resentment. She just didn’t expect it to be so soon and so brazen, especially after she’d proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that she should not be messed with. That was the problem with assholes in power. They eventually believed that the fall of others didn’t concern them. That they were invincible because they were still undefeated.

 

And curse her for relying too much on danger sense. It didn’t protect her from reckless political attacks.

 

Viv found a seat and plopped her stupid butt on in. She grabbed a pot of klod and helped herself to some. The clerk looked like he was praying to all the gods.

 

“You there. I am not going to hurt you.”

 

“Thank you…”

 

“Come closer please. I’d like some light.”

 

“Ah? Of course, of course.”

 

Viv sipped from her cup and considered her options.