After Killari had detained Sawo and Rimaq, Alcer's plan was finally complete. Though he had succeeded, he didn't derive any joy from their misery. When he had imagined this scene, he had thought that he would be happy to see these villains brought to justice. Now however, as he watched the powerful warrior stand there helplessly, with the old craftsman right behind him, his clothes dirty and crumpled from repeated falls, he only felt guilty.
Though in the end, he had to remind himself that he hadn't done this for his own satisfaction, or for revenge. Rather, he had done it for a brighter future not only for himself, but also for all his future colleagues.
Thus, rather than focus on the misery of the two villains, Alcer tried hard to think back to the ploy he had executed over the past week, as well as the steps he would need to take in order to complete his masterpiece which would help so many.
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Six days ago, Saniya Army Barracks, logistics unit, procurement division
"I need your help."
As soon as Alcer entered the office, he opened with a request. Although his actions were rude, the man behind the desk was an old acquaintance, so he didn't have to be too polite.
"And hello to you as well," Qhatuq replied.
The two of them had met during the war, when both of them had been special officers. After the war, both had retired, though only Qhatuq had lost his leg on top of his job. Luckily, the former scout knew how to read and do calculations, so he had scored a job with the procurement division of the army, responsible for the initial approval of military purchases.
The first time Alcer had come here, he had used his connection with Qhatuq to get a foot in the door and get his invention seen. Back then, it had been a mutually beneficial deal. Alcer would get his business started, and Qhatuq would score a big purchase of a strong product right after he had begun his work here. This time, Alcer's purpose was slightly different. This time, he would have to owe a favor.
"So what can I do for you?" Qhatuq asked after Alcer had taken a seat. "Is it about the ring bayonets we've talked about before?"
"That's right," Alcer began, but before he could say anything else, he was interrupted by Qhatuq's whining.
"Like I said, your prototype looked good, but we just can't give a sales contract to someone who doesn't even have a manufactory yet. If you can't guarantee production, then you won't get an order. That's how it is. I'm really busy these days, so please don't bother me unless it's something important. If you have anything more concrete for me, I can help you get it in front of the right eyes. But that's all I can do for now."
However, Alcer wasn't deterred by the long-winded complaint.
"Come on, don't be like that," he said. "I'm not even asking for a real sales contract here. All I want is a document to show that the military wants to buy my bayonets, a letter of intent, if you will. I even have a deal with the veteran's office in place already, they'll provide me with a loan as soon as I'm ready, guaranteed. If they can believe in my project, then so can you, right?"
As he spoke, Alcer pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the office clerk.
"The veteran's officer? Really?" Although he sounded skeptical, Qhatuq still checked the paper for a few seconds, before he looked back up at Alcer. "Still, I can't do it. I only just got this job a month ago. You can't expect me to just risk my future over a small favor, right?"
Although he hesitated for a few seconds, in the end, Qhatuq still declined Alcer's request again. However, not all hope was lost. From the last sentence, Alcer didn't read any anger in Qhatuq's voice. Instead, he felt like the one-legged veteran just wanted some guarantees.
"It's not that dramatic, surely," Alcer thus tried again. "You wouldn't be doing anything of note anyways, would you? Any army man who's seen the ring bayonet agrees that they're a brilliant idea. You know as well as me that this thing will be approved as soon as I can guarantee production. And now you've even seen that the veteran's office has approved my loan application. I have the idea, I have the workers, and I have the money. All I need is some time, and I'll have this purchase approved anyways, guaranteed. In the end, you'd just be pushing the approval ahead a little. I don't even need full approval from you. Like I said, just give me a temporary paper and stamp it with something official looking."
Again, there was silence, until Qhatuq scratched his temple and gave up.
"And who's gonna see this?" he asked for one final guarantee.
"Apart from myself, I'll just show it to one self-righteous banker, and then I'll burn it right away. I swear on my good name."
"Okay, fine. I don't even want to know what you're planning to do with this thing. Sounds like I'd be better off not involve," Qhatuq finally said, as he handed the veteran office's paper back to Alcer. "But you have to do something for me in return."
Finally, Alcer heard the words he had been wanting to hear. If he could provide help to Qhatuq in turn, there was no chance he would snitch on him early, even if he found out about Alcer's plan.
"So long as it's in my power," the former sharpshooter replied gladly.
"Oh, it's in your power alright," he said, as he began to write an official looking note on a loose piece of paper. "Since you're about to start your business, you'd have to build a workshop, right? Or even a manufactory, considering the size of the prospective purchase order. A friend of mine is an architect who's been looking for work recently. You should consider him."
"No problem," Alcer agreed easily, before he thought for a little and qualified his words. "He's got the job, as long as he's good enough."
"Oh, in that regard, you don't have to worry. He's got more experience with big projects than just about anyone I've ever met. You'll be shocked."
Although Alcer didn't like Qhatuq's grin, in the end, he still got what he had wanted: A way to cheat a banker. Now, he only needed to collect one more weapon, and he would be able to fight back against the all-mighty Tasa Bank.
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Several hours later, inside the ale house 'The Tipsy Tradesmen'
By now, Alcer only had to collect a single piece to complete his puzzle. Luckily, he knew exactly where to find it.
"Hey, friend, long time no see," he shouted at the unemployed craftsman sitting in the corner.
"You're back," Kyunya dryly stated, before he seemed to realize what Alcer's appearance meant. Full of enthusiasm he jumped up and added: "You're here for the worker cooperative!"
"Yeah, in the end I thought: 'What would I need all that money for anyways'. So let's do it."
As Alcer spoke, he sat down on the corner table to discuss the details with Kyunya. However, his new partner jumped away instead.
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"Yes!" he shouted out aloud, before he caught himself and cautiously looked around. Although no one in the almost empty room seemed to care, he still offered a sheepish grin to the barman and sat down again. "I apologize," he finally said. "This is the first good news I have received in a month."
"Well, don't be too happy too quickly. It gets much better," at the thought of his own clever strategy, Alcer had to grin. Maybe he was actually better suited for the army than he had thought. Such strategy surely wasn't inferior to those of the generals, right? "I have a plan to get our manufactory started on the front foot, with a large sum of initial capital to spend. And as an aside, I'll help you get one over on those people who think they own us all. What do you think?"
"I'm in," Kyunya agreed without hesitation, even though he knew none of the details. Maybe he had guessed the important parts, or maybe he was just desperate, but all that mattered was that he was on board.
"In that case, I'll need your help first." As Alcer explained, he lowered his voice, even though the ale house was almost empty. "How much dirt do you have on your old master and his business? And how badly can you ruin the reputation of both within a week?"
Finally, for the first time since he had met him, Alcer saw Kyunya laugh, freely and heartily, as if his previous worries had never existed.
"You must be kidding me, boss," he said, already with a new address for Alcer. "Believe me, if there's one thing I have experience with, it's my master's dirty laundry."
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Five days ahead of the manufactory auction, Tasa Bank.
"I also want a bigger loan."
In response to Alcer's suicidal proposal, the banker only replied: "Of course."
As Alcer sat in front of Sawo and listened to his lies, his mood dropped with every word the banker said. They had never met, not once. Even more, he was considered a war hero by most. How could this banker try this hard to screw over a fellow man?
As soon as the lies had started, Alcer could guess what this guy really wanted. At the latest, when he had so readily agreed to an increase in the loan amount without offering better terms.
This guy wasn't interested in helping him start his business. He wasn't even interested in his money. Ultimately, he only cared about control, control over others. In this regard, it seemed like Sawo was just like that famed Master Rimaq. Truly, two familiar souls had found each other.
At least this way, Alcer didn't have to feel bad for involving Sawo in his plan. Although he had been hesitant at first since the innocent Tasa Bank would be collateral damage if he attacked Rimaq, such feelings had now disappeared.
The more of Sawo's oil-coated phrases he heard, the more convinced he was that Kyunya had been right: The Tasa Bank really was directly involved in Rimaq's dirty tricks. From what he had seen today, it appeared as if this Sawo deserved his punishment just as much as Rimaq did.
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Faced with the sudden appearance of Saniya's police, even a warrior like Sawo would be overwhelmed.
"What is happening here?" he finally asked after several seconds of stunned silence. Meanwhile, Rimaq still looked as confused as a soldier after weeks of bombardment in the trenches.
Before Alcer could say anything, Mallku jumped the queue once more.
"It's nothing much, really," he said, while checking his nails as if he truly didn't care. "I just want to see what sort of dirty things you've been doing in that manufactory of yours. I'll look forward to seeing you hang on the gallows."
Finally, Alcer himself had heard enough.
"Mallku!" He shut up the blacksmith before he could say anything even more outrageous. "That's enough out of you. No need to make life-and-death enemies."
"Fine. I'm sorry, boss."
Although Mallku's tone was insincere, he would probably shut up, at least for now. With the room pacified, Alcer focused on Sawo again.
"But you should understand that he's not joking," he said while pointing at Mallku. "You know what will happen once the police finds evidence of embezzlement."
"In that case, I wish you good fortune in your search."
By now, the banker's mask had returned. With an eerie calm, he stared at the four of them one by one and pretended strength. Although Mallku flinched back a little, Sawo's grandstanding couldn't look any more fake to Alcer, and he wasn't the only one.
"There is no need to wish us anything," Kyunya said, still in a cold tone. "Never forget: I have handled Rimaq's dirty business for years. I know better than anyone where his dirty secrets are hidden. Secret stashes, which workers know what, everything. I can tell the police exactly where to look and which questions to ask to whom. In fact, I've hidden away several pieces of crucial evidence before. Even your precious customer would know nothing about their whereabouts."
"Then you must be Kyunya," Sawo said, as he turned towards the unemployed craftsman. By now, his calm had once again disappeared, and the anger was back, together with a dash of bitterness around his lips. Before he could intimidate Kyunya or do anything drastic, Alcer stepped between them.
"That's right. It seems you've understood that there's no way out now," he concluded. Still, to protect Kyunya, he decided to provoke the banker a little and make himself Sawo's main target for now. "By the way, I should thank you. You really did me a favor when you recommended that plan to spread bad rumors about Rimaq's manufactory. I barely had to hint at it during our talks, before you jumped at the chance to exploit the victim of your political games further."
As he stood there and observed the stunned Sawo, Alcer could almost see the wheels turn in his mind.
By now, the banker must have pieced everything together: How Kyunya and Alcer had conspired to take away Rimaq's manufactory during the auction. How Alcer had kept mentioning Kyunya and threatened Sawo with fake rumors during their conversation to 'inspire' the same idea in Sawo. How the spread of the rumors had not only reduced the price, but also removed any outside interference from the equation. How Alcer had repeatedly made sure that he would have more money than the two of them combined at today's auction. How they had informed the police in advance, just to remove the option of a violent escalation from the warrior.
Finally, with all the pieces in place, both Sawo and Rimaq had been forced into a corner. In the end, once every other option had been exhausted, there was only one thing the mighty warrior could still do. As he slowly came to the same realization, the banker finally sighed, and once more calmed down. This time, it no longer felt like a mask, or an attempt to play dumb or stall for time. This time, Sawo truly had to admit defeat.
"Fine then. What is it you want?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Of course, Mallku once again had to take the chance to show off.
"Well, of course, we want to help the police in their investigation," he said in the most insincere voice Alcer had ever heard. "But of course, we can only help them if this manufactory remains our property. If, for example, you were to buy it from us, there would be nothing we could do anymore. The police couldn't just enter your property, after all, and you'd have plenty of time to do whatever you want to do in there, like burn papers and such."
This time, Alcer didn't interrupt Mallku, and he didn't tell him off either. After all, the blacksmith had done an excellent job putting pressure on the stubborn and prideful Sawo.
"How much?" he finally asked after a few more seconds of contemplation.
"182,000 SIla," Alcer shot back immediately.
"What?!"
"Outrageous!"
Again, Sawo had been angered, and this time, even Rimaq woke up again. However, they had only taken a single step out of anger before they were interrupted by a more experienced shout.
"Stop! Don't move!" Killari belted back. As soon as the police officer stepped forward, both the banker and the craftsman recoiled. After all, even if a warrior were able to deal with this commoner, he would become a wanted man all across the kingdom if he attacked a policeman. Thus, the banker once again had to try his luck with negotiations.
"Please, Ensign Alcer," he tried. "I understand your position is stronger, but there must be limits to greed. This kind of sum would be impossible for us!"
This time, Kyunya spoke up.
"That would be your problem," he said, his voice still cold, his eyes always fixated on his former master. "The sum has been calculated based on the money Rimaq's company has stolen from the crown over the past years, plus Boss Alcer's purchase price at the auction. That is how much you will have to pay us. Not one Silo less. Because that is justice."
"It appears I have no choice," Sawo finally concluded as well. "If you would let us leave now, Ensign Alcer, you can come to the Tasa Bank tomorrow. Then, we can finish up the paperwork and handover. And not to worry, I am willing to agree to a police escort, in case you still believe I would do something drastic which would endanger my family."
Again, Sawo sighed, but again, it seemed fake. Somehow, Alcer could tell that this banker was trying to stall for time.
"No, that's not necessary," he replied. "I'd rather you didn't play any more tricks, Master Sawo. And to prevent as much, we've already prepared a contract right here."
Thus, Alcer pulled out the already prepared contract, a stopped up inkwell and a feather quill. Even the final payment and Alcer's own signature had already been added before the auction had ever started. Though even now, Sawo was searching for a way out.
With hopeful eyes, the banker looked over at Killari. The policeman was supposed to uphold the law, and thus was his final straw.
"This contract has been forced onto me under duress," he tried. However, the policeman simply stepped to the side and freed up the door.
"You're free to go without signing, but you're still under investigation, so you'd become a wanted man as soon as you step past this door. If you want my advice, just sign the damn thing so we can all go home."
To belie his harsh words, Killari showed a wide grin to the room. Clearly, he was enjoying this way too much, just like Mallku.
Finally, Sawo was really out of options. In the foyer of Saniya's Royal Theater, Rimaq signed the purchase contract, and the city's richest banker was forced to sign as a guarantor. Eventually, the clever banker would load off most of the costs onto the craftsman, of that Alcer had no doubt. Even so, it couldn't be denied that today, both villains had lost.