Blue line ran across the sky from east to west, as if splitting the heavens itself in two. It was dark blue unlike the light blue of sky and bright even when the sun was up. Even as raincloud hung above, the line was still visible, though dimmed. Three weeks ago, the tail's end still hovered above mount Etna, but now it didn't have an end.
Many were concerned by this. It was without a doubt magical in nature, and due to strange phenomenon where fire became cold two weeks prior, wild speculation ran rampant. It did not help that most people in Amaryn were either superstitious or religious, and took the appearance of the blue line as a herald of some world-ending events. But even Theo who knew the truth sometimes felt some doubt it was made by Ed, or more precisely Zarathustra the Dragon.
"Sir!" A soldier stood in front of him, coming out from a tent. "We've prepared the prisoner. We've chained him and taken some precaution against hidden magical attack, but please be careful, sir." The soldier had no obligation to call him 'sir', but Theo's fame did him wonder.
"Good, you can leave now." The soldier left after he said so. "Vivi, you sure you want to do this?" He glanced at the small woman beside him with deep violet hair.
Vivi glanced back at him with an innocent smile plastered on her face. "Of course, Theo-sama!" Her smile turned devious. "And it's a good chance to test my new skill after leveling up."
Without talking any further, they entered the tent. A pitch-black shadow in the shape of a man sat inside. His limbs were bound by steel chain while an anti-magic collar coiled around his neck. His mouth had a gag on it to prevent him from biting his own tongue and took the easy way out. The shadow had a strange magic with him, passive magic that made most onlooker to perceive him as mere shadow. Luckily, the magic lost its effectiveness to someone who knew about the nature of that magic.
"You're awake?"
The shadow's gaze snapped and locked into Theo. He had no emotion in his face, a calm unreadable mask. His body was relaxed with no tension whatsoever as if he was ignorant of what was to come, or was already used to what to come. As expected of a professional spy, Theo couldn't read his face.
Contrary to the shadow, anger filled Theo's eyes. The shadow tried to do something to Ed and hurt his women in the process. His body was tense and his finger itching to gain the extract whatever the shadow had in his mind and heart.
He didn't have any intention to do anything to the shadow, but the assassination attempt on his life sparked his anger. He had no grudge or hatred or anger towards the woman that tried to kill him, but the shadow tried to hurt his friend and women. That made him furious.
"Before we start this, do you have any intention to tell me what you know?" The shadow didn't stir. "Once I start, I may not be able to stop even if you tell me what I want ... No?"
He pulled out a small knife from under his shirt and a bottle from one of his pouch. The bottle was small, barely larger than his thumb. He dangled the bottle in front of the shadow. "You know what this is?" He opened the top and let the shadow smell the stench. The shadow tightened his body and stirred in his chains. It was involuntary and lasted only for the briefest of a second, but Theo wouldn't miss something like that.
Blue-scaled Hydra poison. Expensive, rare, hard to get, hard to produce, and most importantly, effective. Killing a hydra was hard enough, but killing it without destroying its poison sack was a once in a lifetime achievement. Extracting the poison without rupturing the sack was also a very delicate and precise task. Then they have to condense the solution using alchemy and magic in a process that could take weeks. Though the result was a very potent poison with many applications.
Three drops were enough to kill a grown man in minutes. One drop won't kill a healthy man, but it was enough to cause hours of torturous pain similar to being burned alive. Some people chose to take their own life rather than enduring the pain.
Theo glanced at Vivi behind him and nodded. She walked around the chained shadow with skips and jump in her steps. She put her hands on the shadow's temple and closed her eyes.
Violet light shimmered in her palms.
The shadow grunted and thrashed around. The chains around his arms and feet rattled. The chair under him creaked and cracked.
Vivi frowned and stopped after five seconds. She walked back and opened her shimmering violet eyes. The shadow stopped and calmed down after the light in Vivi's eyes died down.
She shooked her head left and right. "His mental strength is too strong, Theo-sama. I can't get a read on anything. And it seems there are a few layers of magic set up in his minds to prevent mind-interference magic."
Theo massaged his own chin. "I guess it's back to the original plan then." He let out a smug grin while putting a drop of poison on the tip of his knife.
The chains rattled again as Theo pushed the tip of his knife to the shadow's upper arm. He moved the knife with a slow movement, almost like a tease. He only made a small wound, but it was still a wound. It was enough for the poison to enter his body.
Silence fell inside the tent. Theo wiped the knife while he waited. One minute, two minutes, thre-
The screaming started.
Chains rattled again as he used all his strength to move. The wooden chair broke and his body fell to the ground. Yet, he was denied the luxury of laying down. The chains were connected to metal rods, making him suspended in a kneeling position.
"Well, see you in four hours so ... enjoy." Theo bowed his head a little before pulling Vivi out of the tent. He called a guard to stood watch in case something happened or if the screaming stopped.
He turned and walked away, heading to the central command tent while holding Vivi's hand. She was a little bummed out because her magic wasn't good enough, but was also excited to see the shadow again after few hours to see what has changed.
The camp was still filled with stationed soldiers. One would expect the camp to be taken apart and the soldier return home after the threat of Calamity. But an order came from the capital a few days back. The ruling council ordered the army to reinforce the camp and the soldiers to stay there. Since the Holy Empire haven't pulled back their soldier from their camp in the north-eastern part of Mount Etna, Amaryn won't pull back either. It became a stalemate where the two countries refused to be the first to pull back their armies.
While the Empire's aggressive expansion policy was concerning, most people agreed it was very unlikely. The Empire army stationed near mount Etna was just one legion, and one filled with fresh recruits. The Empire would need months of preparation if they wanted to invade Amaryn. Not to mention winter wasn't too far on the horizon. The Empire's legion wasn't trained to fight in winter and neither was Amaryn's army. Fighting in winter would only cause unnecessary death and casualties for all parties involved. Refusing to pull back the soldiers was most likely a mere show of power instead of a preparation for an actual war.
Theo arrived at the central command tent. In normal situation the guard would give him and Vivi a thorough check, but they let him enter with no question asked. This not only caused by his fame and hero status, but Sir Arslan also allowed him to come inside freely.
The central command tent was crowded and rowdy, despite its huge size. Vex and a few other adventurer were there as the representative of the Adventurer Guild. While Vex decided to retire from adventurer guild after the Miracle disbanded, she was still one of the most well-known adventurers in Amaryn. The guild asked her to be their representative, with significant payment without a doubt. Warwyn the Wizened as the Mage guild's representative, Lune as the acting field commander, an emissary from the capital, and a few other people were also there. They were debating and arguing about the order from the Capital and all the ramification it brought with it.
Theo stood in silence in one corner of the room, watching people that surrounded the table shouting and arguing in a very rage-fueled and uncivilized manner. They were shouting so loud and without regards to other people's opinion, their discussion was incomprehensible from outsider's perspective, and maybe even by themselves. He had no business with them but with Sir Arslan in the other room, but he didn't want to interrupt them. Watching adults dressed in fine clothes and jewels arguing like a child was quite a fine entertainment. Vivi agreed with him, as she was trying her best to contain her smile and laugh.
The pointless 'discussion' went on for quite some time before one of them realized Theo's presence. They stopped, coughed, and fixed their appearance. "I think it's better for us to end the discussion here. Let's take a rest and continue this tomorrow," said Warwyn, the oldest out of them all.
One by one they left the tent, giving him an assortment of look as they passed him. Some gave him a little nod, some stared at him, other gave a disgusted look. When Vex passed by him with a rage-fueled expression, she whispered, "Meet me at the usual place later."
Finally, Lune was the last one left. She gave an exhausted sigh before giving him a warm smile. "Ah, sir Theo, you have business with Sir Arslan?" He nodded and she pointed him the way. He already knew where Sir Arslan was, but he wanted to be courteous sometimes too.
In the other room, Sir Arslan was sitting on a chair, writing something on a paper by the table. Around him were a few scribes and helpers. They were writing battle reports, documents, and administration works. Sir Arslan had a great difficulty writing with his left hand. His squire kept offering help, yet he stubbornly refused.
His right arm was but a stump, lost during the fight with five Flame-Born Knights. His sword arm, his main arm, the arm that gave him the title of world strongest swordsman was but a memory now. As a swordsman himself and an admirer of Sir Arslan, Theo felt the sadness and sorrow when he saw it.
When Sir Arslan noticed Theo, he stopped writing. "Please, leave us alone," he ordered his squire and scribes. After offering Theo a seat, he asked. "So, what brings you here, sir Theo?"
Theo sat on one of the chairs and bowed his head. "I want to give you my thanks, sir, for helping my friends and women ... and for keeping Lyana's secret."
After the shadow tried to kidnap Ed and Lyana passed out in her true form, Sir Arslan was the first one to discover them. He was injured that time, barely surviving and winning his fight against the five Flame-Born knights, yet he prioritized on checking their condition to fulfill his promise with Theo and Val. He hid Lyana before sending doctors and soldiers to the tent.
"Well, I think it's the right thing to do. I might have fought them in the past, but I have no grudge against demon race in general. Just like humans and beast-kin, there're many kinds of demon, some good, some bad, some just plain weird and unpredictable. But I believe a demon that follows you can't be the bad kind." His eyes showed hints of nostalgia, old memories, and sadness as he told him. "Oh, and ... ah!" It was Sir Arslan's turn to bow. "I also have to thank you, Sir Theo."
Theo was a bit taken aback by the sudden turn of event. Aside from all the saving the world by stopping Calamity, he didn't know what he did to deserve Sir Arslan thanks. And Sir Arslan had officially thanked him on the behalf of Amaryn regarding the stopping Calamity stuff, so this wasn't related to that.
Sir Arslan straightened his back and smiled. "Thank you for making lady Val happy. I've known her all my life, and she rarely smiles, but now ... she was smiling all the time like a love-struck maiden." He pulled out a small wooden chest from the table and opened it. Val's signature red hood rest inside, neatly folded. "She gave me this a few days back, telling me she doesn't need it anymore. She told me to bring it back to Hartman family's ancestral house, and that she ..." He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, tears were welling in his eyes. It was tears of joy. "She allowed me to return there, that she had forgiven me, and that I can call myself a Hartman once more."
"Ah ..." Realization struck Theo's there and then. He knew Val and Sir Arslan had some old grudges, old wounds, but he never dug it too deep. He also knew that Val's previous husband had Hartman as his last name, the same as Sir Arslan. He always thought the two were unrelated. Val's choice to be an adventurer and her zero attachment to any place also made it harder to make the connection.
"Please forgive this old man for showing something unsightly." Sir Arslan wiped the forming tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry in advance as this might makes it strange for you, but lady Val was like a mother for me. In my youth I ... brought dishonor to myself and to house Hartman. I thought that proving myself as a swordsman and a knight, as a commander and a royal guard would wash away my dishonor, and I was right ... and wrong at the same time. I reclaimed my honor and my family's honor, but lady Val isn't the type to care about chivalric code or a knight's honor. So I grew old, prepared to die without her forgiving me."
Sir Arslan smiled once more. His eyes and smile were still filled with regret and sadness, though it was apparent that some of his burdens had been lifted. He bowed, deeply this time. "My deepest gratitude, Sir Theo. If there's anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask me."
Theo didn't know how to react to all this revelation. He knew dating with Val would have some serious implication, but not anything close to this. "Ah you see, Sir." Theo tried to change the subject. "Val and I are lovers now, but to be honest, I barely knew her personal life and preferences. What she likes and dislikes, I hope I can as-ugh!"
Vivi elbowed Theo's side with her full might. She had kept her silence all this time, choosing to listen and observe. Hearing about Val from Sir Arslan was fine, but not if it came from Theo. She sulked and let go of his hand, then turned her face away while grumbling about how Theo had the audacity to talk about another woman when she was next to him.
He tried to console her and cheer her up, but it had the opposite effect. He sighed. "I'm sorry." He hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek. Even she couldn't act all depressed when he did that.
Theo chuckled. It was funny how much she was willing to help him get other women, but was bummed out when he actually got one.
Sir Arslan laughed with genuine amusement. "It seems like you have your hands full, Sir Theo."
Theo stood up. "About the previous thing that I asked, just forget it." He chuckled once more as his hand once again held Vivi's. "I came here to tell that I'm going on my way tomorrow."
"Ah yes," Sir Arslan stood up. "Knowing you have been a pleasure, sir Theo."
"The feeling's mutual, sir." Theo extended his right hand for a handshake.
An awkward silence fell.
Sir Arslan was about to shake his right hand when he switched it with his left. "My bad."
Sir Arslan smiled and shook his hand. "I won't deny that losing this hand hit me pretty hard. For seventy years have this right hand hold a sword and for sixty years have I called myself a swordsman due to my right hand. But maybe it's the right time to retire from active duty. To relax and eat the fruit of my hard work. Good luck on your way, sir Theo."
"And good luck to you too, sir."
Theo looked at the Free City banner from outside the massive tent. It was the afternoon. He just had a lunch with Vivi and sent her to interrogate the shadow after that. He himself came to this place like Vex told him to.
Vex hadn't actually told him where she went, but considering Vex and how she said it was the usual place, then it could only be this place. A brothel. And not mere brothel, she always goes into the biggest and the most expensive one in the area. That was how she spent her free time and money, just what you expected from a nymphomaniac.
The banner hung outside bore the insignia of the Free City of Babylon, the City of Sin. It was the oldest, biggest, and most powerful of all Free Cities with its gambling den and brothel famous throughout the Continent.
Alexander the greatest built Babylon as the capital of his kingdom some two thousand years ago during his conquest. Theo read the city was originally named Las Vegas by Alexander, though later king changed the name to Babylon.
Rumor and news about his love for sex and women had spread far and wide thanks to Sara, there was no need to hide the fact anymore. Everyone there had their eyes wide open when they saw him coming. It appeared everyone knew who he was. A woman wearing thin see-through silk dress approached him. "Hello there, handsome. Like what you're seeing?" She said trying to seduce him.
The way her body and dress moved as she walked showed how experienced she was in this type of business. Her sweet voice and pink succulent lips, the perfume that oozed from her body, her eyes that lead men's gaze to where she wanted, and the way she teasingly caressed him with her soft finger, all showed how high-class she was. Normal men wouldn't be able to resist, but Theo had many experiences dealing with someone like her thanks to Vex.
He smiled. "I'm here for Vex."
The woman's eyes widened. "Ah ..." She grabbed his hand and pulled him. "Lady Vex had told me to pick you up."
She pulled him to a big room inside the tent. Beds and wide chairs were placed in the open with barely anything obstructing the vision of passerby. Moan and scream filled his ears along with fake praise from the working prostitute. Perfume and incense were used to mask the smell of debauchery, though he could still smell it if he tried hard enough. Luckily it was only noon, there weren't that many people there.
Theo arrived at the back of the room, where raised curtains covered a bed from all sides. Vex had no shame showing her naked body to strangers, she even felt proud and good if someone watched her engaging in sexual activity. There must be a reason for her to want some privacy.
"Excuse me." Theo lifted the curtain and entered.
Vex half-sat on the king-sized bed, her back resting on a mound of red-colored pillows. Her legs were wide open with a woman servicing her between it. On her left was a woman kissing her neck and playing with her breast while on her right, another kissed and licked her lips with real burning passion.
The sight alone would drive most men crazy. The women around her weren't doing their job out of obligation or pay, they were servicing her with real passion and real lust. The praise they gave her wasn't mere lip service but a true genuine admiration.
Vex stopped kissing and shooed the woman on her right. The other stopped to look, but she ordered them to continue.
"Ah, Theo, come here!" She patted the side of the bed now empty. "I'll treat you for today." Theo wasn't the type to hire prostitutes to relieve his sexual needs, but he also wasn't the type to refuse a gift.
"Then, excuse me." The woman that lead Theo raised the curtain and left.
"Hey, you're not going anywhere are you?" Vex asked. With her finger, she signaled her towards Theo. "Help my friend get out from that uncomfortable clothing."
The woman turned her body and walked to Theo. She gave him a kiss while undressing and leading him to the bed.
"So, what do you want to complain about?" He asked after sitting next to Vex. She was pissed off by the discussion from earlier and wanted to talk to him. With her finger, she ordered the women not servicing her to give him their specialty.
"You know the order from the Capital right?" She gritted her teeth and pulled the head of the woman between her leg. "Faster." He told the woman. "The council must be out of their mind." She was speaking softly between her sweet moan, but anger and resentment were plain in her voice.
Theo took some time to regain his focus. The whores of Babylon truly live up to their fame. Which made him wonder why Vex wanted to speak with him in a place like this when she knew they will have a hard time."What about it? It doesn't concern you adventurers, right?"
"That's the problem!" She started to raise her voice. "We were paid half in advance for this job and they promised the rest after the job. Now they refused to pay us, ordering us to stay here too if we want our pay."
Theo took a deep breath. With whores as expensive as these, it would be a waste not to enjoy himself. "What the hell are they thinking?"
"Exactly! I know the nobles usually do some stupid shit, but it's like they are picking a fight with the adventurer guild." There was a rule about monster hunter and adventurer about not involving themselves in political conflict. The council should have known that, no, they knew that already. So why did they still refuse to pay? Why did they give order that breaks the rule if not to piss off the adventurer guild and the adventurers?
"Do you think the recent sucession war has anything to do with this? Like if Aria or a noble from someone's side is actually the one giving the order."
"That's-" impossible, she wanted to say that but the word got caught in her throat. Vex leaned back. His question made her stop and think. "Unlikely, but not impossible. The letter is still sealed with wax and magic when it came. I don't think any mage in Amaryn is good enough to perfectly fake that. Remember that the old mage is there when we opened it."
"Then what about foreign mage or foreign force?" This was an abrupt suggestion and was very unlikely. Even Theo wouldn't consider this if he didn't receive a message from Sara earlier this morning telling him that a foreign power was planning to do something in Amaryn. This news alone might not seems threatening, but the fact that Sara knew so little about this foreign power made it terrifying.
Vex gazed moved to Theo, it was sharp and filled with question. "Are you suggesting that someone stole the letter and change it to incite hostility between adventurers and the government?"
"That, or the council has completely lost their mind. You know what would happen if the adventurer's guild stopped taking monster hunting, cleaning, escort, and guard job, right?" Chaos was the answer. If adventurer stopped patrolling the road and clearing monsters that got too close to the main road, chaos would ensue as most troops and guards weren't trained and equipped to fight wild monsters.
"But if the adventurer guild sent a message to the council and ask them about the order, won't the miscommunication be resolved? That way the saboteur's plan will be thwarted."
"Possibly." If this incident was orchestrated by the foreign power, surely they also had plans to make sure the miscommunication stay unresolved. But he chose not to tell Vex. There was a lot of 'if' involved in this case and even if everything was true, telling Vex was unlikely to solve anything. It was better not to make her worry.
"You know what? Let's just forget about those stupid old farts in the Capital." She relaxed her body
"Agreed." He also relaxed his body. "Speaking of which, it's rare for you to not host an orgy after a big victory."
Vex chuckled and looked at him. "Say who? You're still too sick back then so I didn't invite you. And do you really want people to see you like that? What about your women?"
"I'm going to pass anyway. In a military camp like this, the number of men is too much for my taste." They both laughed.
"Well, speaking of orgy and party. I have an idea."
------
"Cheers!" Theo's group and the Miracle around the table raised the drinks in their hands and shouted. Well, almost everyone. Tina only raised her drink while Aline didn't even bother to do so. Cally wasn't even there. She wasn't invited and told everyone she wouldn't come even if she was.
The Miracle and Theo's group were having their dinner outside under the starlit sky. Vex and Theo organized this dinner as a farewell party, inspired by their previous talk of orgies. Theo and his group were leaving the next day and the Miracle members were going on their own separate ways after their group disbanded. Vex was returning to Redmound, Val joining with Theo, Tomoe going back to Nihon, Tina to Girantine, Bry to Ulster isle, while Alina didn't tell anyone where she wanted to go after this.
Numerous exotic and premium cuisines were laid out on the grandly decorated table with many types of alcoholic drinks also available. Well-mannered and finely-dressed servants around them served their food and drinks and cleaned after them. While Theo and Vex planned to organize this dinner using the gold they earned after the Fire Invasion, they didn't have to spend much. Most of the food and drinks and servants were given to them as a token of goodwill from the traders.
But this dinner wasn't all fun for everyone. During one of their meals, Theo noticed Lyana and Ed were fidgeting in their seat. They didn't eat as much as everyone and didn't drink like everyone, the festive atmosphere also didn't stick with them all that much.
"Ed, Lyana, can we talk for a bit," Theo asked them after the main course was over. Their seat was next to each other while Theo's was between Val's and Vivi's.
Ed and Lyana glanced at each other before nodding their head and followed Theo to a less crowded side of the camps. "Is there a problem?" Theo asked.
"What do you mean?" It was Lyana who answered him. She didn't appear t be bothered or hiding something, though Theo also didn't check on her.
"Y-yeah, w-what do you mean by problem?" Lyana sighed and massaged her forehead hearing Ed's follow up question.
Theo chuckled. "Well? Tell me."
Ed fidgeted not knowing how to answer him. Even Lyana wasn't able to put up a strong front. "The thing is Theo this ... this dinner ..." her voice trailed off.
Theo sighed. It was clear they didn't want to trouble him. "Ed, Lyana, you can tell me. I planned this dinner so we all can have fun, including you two. I want to know what troubled you, okay? I don't want to make the same mistake next time." His voice was soft and caring. Ed and Lyana which planned to hide it can't do so after hearing his troubled voice.
"Well, you see, Theo. We-we're grateful for the dinner but ..." Ed looked around. "B-but it reminds us too much of our past situation. You know our ... past family."
Ah, so that's how it is. The lavish dinner, the servants, the premium cuisines, the expensive decoration. For someone like Theo or Vex who didn't come from wealthy family, having such an exquisite dinner was something they saw as celebration. But for someone like Ed and Lyana who came from wealthy family with high status, having this kind of dinner was normal for them. And considering their time with their family wasn't exactly a nice part of their life, it was understandable it'd cause them some discomfort.
"I-I'm sorry Theo, I-I think I'm going back to my tent." Ed turned his body and walked away.
"Lyana?" Lyana opened her mouth with hesitation. But before any word could get out from her mouth, "I'll sit next to you."
Her eyes opened wide for a moment. She tried to hide her surprised face but was too late. She averted her gaze. "I was going to stay in the first place."
He wanted to smirk and picked her on that, but he chose not to. He wanted her to stay. Though this also meant he had to face the wrath of both Vivi and Val later that night. And since he had used his pleasing technique on Vivi the night before, he didn't think the same trick would work again.
He sighed with a smile on his face. Having a harem sure is hard.