"Hurry it up, we need to get this ship out before the sun sets! Stop dragging your feet!" Shouts filled Baron Rolf's private dockyard as workers moved tirelessly to keep up with the day's busy schedule while under the watch of the guards. A massive boat was currently docked and its precious cargo was being hauled, or sometimes dragged, onboard. "Hey! Any price loss from damaged goods comes outta your pay!" the leader of the dock guards barked to two workers who were dragging some cargo toward the boat ramp.
"Sorry, sir, but this one's still so feisty." The cargo kicked at the workers who were doing their best to keep hold of the chains around the cargo's neck and arms.
"The nobles of Itrecha like them lively, that's why they pay good money!" The guard grimaced at the cargo before adding, "And that good money comes with the condition that they receive the goods in as pristine condition as possible! Move it!"
"Yes, sir!" The workers quickly rushed the cargo onto the ship while doing their best to not damage it.
"What a waste," another guard commented as she watched more cargo get loaded onto the ship with a listless look in her eyes. "Some of them are rather good-looking. The fields need more hands so why doesn't the Baron keep a few?"
"You know how pointless that'd be," the leader remarked and started crossing things off on his checklist. "With the money earned from those slaves, we can just buy food. Haven't you tried those delicacies from Yulash, yet?"
"No, I haven't had time," the second guard complained and she leaned against a wood piling. "Is that place at the end of Chester Street still around?"
"Yeah, one of the ships this morning had some ingredients for them so you should head down and try it when you change shifts."
"Maybe tomorrow," the second guard said while wiping some sweat off her brow. "It's too hot and I just want to head home when we're done."
"Suit yourself," the leader said as he understood her discomfort. While it wasn't particularly hot in terms of temperature, the sun was beating down extremely harshly today which made the docks, which had little to no shade, an uncomfortable place to stand for hours on end. "Make sure you drink some water, your face is awfully re-"
"Captain!?" a guard came running and drew the attention of the two conversing guards.
"Now what?" the captain was already annoyed which was only made worse by the sunburn he was starting to experience.
"Trouble at the gate! Those new knights the kid brought are demanding to speak with you."
"…Ugh," the captain groaned and motioned for the two guards to follow him. "Let's go deal with it." The three guards made their way across the docks and past a warehouse toward the iron gates that marked the perimeter of the private docks. A group of guards were tensely standing around the open gates while the Hellhounds patiently waited just outside. Every Hellhound knight was in their full suit of plate armor which covered their faces; except for Carl who stood at the head of the knights without a helmet. A cloud sat in the sky at just the right position to provide shade for the Hellhounds and shield them from the sun's harsh light. There was something uneasy in the air as the captain addressed Carl, "What business have you in the Baron's private property?"
Carl took out a piece of paper Jeremy had given him that morning, and declared, "By order of the Countess: this dock is to be closed and searched as part of an investigation into the allegations against Baron Rolf being complicit in embezzlement, tax fraud, and negligence of duty! We ask for your cooperation during this investigation and to surrender your weapons until we are finished."
"What!?!" the captain shouted as anger overcame him. "What absurdity are you spouting against our Lord!?"
"Your Lord is Countess Lucina Sanguine," Carl corrected and stuffed the paper into one of his belt pouches.
"Enough bullshit!" the captain continued to shout and got up in Carl's face. The intense heat was making him act rashly. "That child has no sway in this city! So take that paper of yours and go back to your 'Countess' a failure!"
"You won't comply?" Carl asked calmly.
"No! And neither will any of my me-!" The captain's head was severed from his shoulders with one swipe of Carl's axe.
"C-Captain!?" one of the guards cried out and the guards drew their weapons.
"Then you are all accomplices to the Baron's crimes and will be dealt with accordingly!" Carl was hoping for this outcome and the Hellhounds all drew their weapons.
"You damned-!?" One of the guards charged the Hellhounds but was swiftly cut down. Because of the intense sun, the guards were only wearing cloth gambesons which allowed the Hellhounds to more easily cut them down.
"Honestly," Carl joked as he put on his helmet before joining the fray, "I don't get why they're wearing such light armor when they're supposed to be guards."
"They probably got complacent," a Hellhound reasoned as they retrieved their sword from the corpse of a guard.
"While that makes this easier, it's not nearly as fun," Carl complained as he led the Hellhounds into the docks. "Hopefully the next place puts up more of a fight." None could say for certain why, but that day Solfin experienced sporadic winds that moved the clouds in the sky in strange directions; as if guided by some unseen force. The Hellhounds, unaware of this fact, continued on with their duties. As the day went on and the knights continued to hit their targets, dark clouds surrounded Solfin and began converging on the Baron's mansion.
***
"What do you mean the docks were raided!?!" Baron Rolf exploded at the servant who brought news of the Hellhound's attack. The Baron's cheeks were almost as red as his jacket as he continued, "The royal family never cared what I did so long as I paid them their dues! Butler, get me a pen and parchment! I pay the imperial family good money and I won't let some upstart child go unpunished!"
"Right away, my Lord!" the butler replied and turned to leave but was stopped as a second servant burst into the room.
"My Lord, the gambling house was raided by a group of knights!"
"What!?" The gambling house was one of the Baron's key facilities in creating new slaves by making people lose it all and be forced into debt where the debtor would, ideally, then be put into slavery to sell off what they owe with their body. "Was it those Hellhounds?"
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"Yes, my Lord!"
"That's impossible! How could they raid both the docks and the gambling house at the same time!?" the Baron roared and slammed his hands on his desk.
"M-My apologies, my Lord!" the servant stammered out and kept his head hung low. "I tried to report earlier, but I kept getting harassed by street urchins so I was delayed!"
"You let children keep you from your duties!?" The Baron looked at his butler and ordered, "Send out Max to round up any kids on the streets and put them in chains! It seems I've been too lenient on those beggars and now they're biting the hand that allows them to stay safe within my walls!"
"At once, my-"
"Baron!?" a third servant rushed into the office. "The guard's headquarters was raided by knights! I saw them carrying boxes filled with documents out of the building!"
"…" The Baron was so angry that his rage became cold and he spoke to the servant in a low, threatening voice, "Let me guess: it was the Hellhounds and when you came to report it you were held up dealing with beggars?"
"Y-Yes, my Lord. How did you-?" the servant's voice caught in their throat as he looked up and met eyes with the Baron only to see how dangerous the Baron's gaze had become.
"…Everyone with me!" The Baron led the four men out of his office and he stormed down the hall. "Butler, gather the guards and detain that child. If she resists then tell them to use force! I need to head out and personally see what's happening out there! You three, make sure you…?" As the group of men got to the stairs in the entrance hall they were met with an odd sight; all the servants had gathered at the bottom of the stairs. "What's going on here?"
"!!!" Upon hearing the Baron's voice, all the servants shut their mouths and bowed their heads.
"Didn't any of you hear me? What's going-"
"Dear?" The Baroness walked into the entrance hall with her four maids and looked curiously at the Baron. "What's going on? Why is your face so red?"
"It's…just some rabble making noise," he answered and started to calm down when the Baroness rushed over to him and cupped his face in her hands. "But why is everyone gathered here? I don't remember needing to make an announcement."
"Oh, that's because the Countess asked me to," the Baroness cheerfully replied with a bright smile on her face.
"…The Countess?"
"Yes, she said she had something to announce to the servants and asked if I could help her gather everyone since she's still new here," the Baroness happily explained.
"And I thank you for that, Baroness," Lucina's voice came from the top of the stairs that led to the third floor.
"What are you doing there!?" the Baron demanded. "Only my wife and I are allowed on the third floor!"
"Dear?" While the Baroness could understand being upset with Lucina for invading their private floor, she didn't know why her husband was so angry.
"While rude, it was necessary for my investigation," Lucina's voice was calm yet coated in venom as she slowly started to descend the stairs; the clacking of her heels on the steps echoed throughout the hall. "After all, as you've pointed out before, I'm still a child. And the more you tell a child not to do something, the more they want to do it; so I just had to see what you were hiding up there." She reached the second floor and walked down the last flight of stairs only to stop halfway down. "But to think there was a room quite literally filled with gold!" The third floor of the Baron's mansion was the smallest and contained only five rooms; the master bedroom, a master bathroom, two rooms for children with one filled with Augustus' things, and what could only be described as a vault. The fifth room on the third floor had metal lined within its walls, no windows, and only a single reinforced door leading inside. Gold, silver, gems, jewelry, works of art, and all other manners of wealth filled the vault which used magic crystals created by wizards to regulate the temperature so none of its contents would get damaged from excessive heat or cold. "There was even a pile of gold coins in the shape of a throne. Do you spend your time in there acting like a king?"
"…Listen here, Countess." The Baron was doing his best to control his voice so he wouldn't scare his wife. "While I can let you off with a light scolding for trespassing on the third floor, there are other matters that need addressing." The gathered servants all fidgeted uncomfortably as they weren't sure they should be listening to this, but also didn't know if they were allowed to leave without anyone saying so. "I recently heard that your 'knights' attacked my businesses; unprovoked."
"They what!?" the Baroness exclaimed and looked to Lucina for answers.
"…" Lucina held a calm smile on her face which only ticked off the Baron.
"Countess?" the Baron waited for a reply but Lucina seemed to be ignoring him as she was too busy looking at a longcase clock as if waiting for something. "Cou-!" as the Baron tried to once more demand an answer from Lucina, the front doors were thrown open. "What is this!?" The Hellhound knights marched into the hall and moved to form a perimeter around the hall so that all exits were blocked.
"You're a minute late," Lucina joked as she turned her eyes to Carl.
"Apologies, we had to deal with something before we were allowed inside," Carl replied and tossed the severed heads of the gate guards on the ground.
"AH!?!" a few of the maids shrieked in fear at the sight of the heads, and the Hellhounds all drew their weapons that were still dyed in blood. The servants huddled closer together and fearfully looked around at the Hellhounds who were all wearing their helmets to mask their faces.
"W-…What's going on?" The Baroness couldn't comprehend what was happening as her eyes were fixated on the severed heads. "I…I…"
"What is the meaning of this!?" the Baron yelled and hugged his wife close to his chest. "Do not think you can get away with such transgressions! I'll see you hanged for this!"
"Oh there will definitely be a hanging, Baron, but it will be you who swings from the gallows," Lucina corrected and pulled out the reports Jeremy had given her the night prior. "With all the evidence I have, and that my knights just collected, I can do whatever I want with you."
"The imperial family-"
"Won't do a thing." Lucina's gaze was like a hungry beast as she stared down at the Baron and she explained, "Just because you send them money to look the other way doesn't mean they'll come to your rescue when you get caught. Plus, I also plan on keeping up the bribe payments to them so the Emperor won't lose a single coin. And actually, now that I think about it, saying the imperial family will bail you out when I have all this evidence is the same as incriminating them with your crimes." Her smile curled up and her eyes narrowed. "If anything, the Emperor will probably side with me and help bury you for slandering him like that."
"Tha-…I…!?" The Baron was at a loss for words. He assumed Lucina was just some upstart child who managed to survive the war and earn achievements thanks to the people around her pulling strings. But now that he was before her and on the receiving end of her blade, the Baron couldn't help but think back to all the acts accredited to Lucina; the amount of blood she shed. She wasn't an upstart child, Lucina was a monster disguised as a young girl. "We…can talk about this." And he had earned that monster's ire.
"Can we?" Lucina mocked and turned to leave back up the stairs. "We can talk later when you're in the dungeon; which I also found while exploring your…my mansion."
"Name your price!" the Baron pleaded. "If it's gold-"
"Then I already own it."
"B-But I have connections with those closest to His Majesty! Connections in our world are worth more than gold! I-"
"Will be abandoned by those same connections once I make everything come to light." Lucina was getting tired of hearing the Baron's pleas and she addressed Carl while she continued to walk up the stairs, "Take the Baron and Baroness away."
"Got it!" Carl and three other Hellhounds started to approach the Baron and his wife.
"G-Get away!" the Baroness cried and tried to back away from the knights but had nowhere to go.
"I…I!?!" The Baron tried to think of something else as a bargaining chip until his brain landed on the one piece he had that he should never have used. "My son is a future concubine to the next Empress! Think of the possibilities!"
"…" Lucina halted on the stairs as if her entire body was frozen.
The Baron, mistaking her reaction in a positive light, continued to dig his own grave, "Augustus often sends us letters of his time with the Crown Princess and she seems receptive to his advances! Just give me a little time, just a few years, and once she's crowned and takes in Augustus, our family will be one of the leaders in the elite!"
"…Is that so?" A dark, foreboding pressure strangled the room as Lucina turned and slowly descended back down the stairs.
"Yes!" The Baron was getting so caught up in his delusions of survival that he ignored the obvious signs to stop. "While their child will be low in succession, they will still be a direct force in the palace!" A stupid thought crossed the Baron's mind that sealed his fate. "You were also close with Her Highness, right Countess? I could easily give you excuses to travel to Gorinville and spend time with her! Or, if you're more of a traditionalist, I could ask Augustus to help ease her into the idea and share her with yo-"
"On second thought, cancel that order, Carl." With a flick of Lucina's wrist, a shield depicting the Rolf family's crest that was hung on the wall above the front doors ripped itself off the wall mounting and sliced through the Baron's neck as Lucina changed and intensified its point of gravity to the gold necklace the Baron wore. "I will be executing them now."
"NO!!!" the Baroness cried out and fell to her knees from the shock of seeing her husband decapitated.
"...Right." Carl was apprehensive as there was an unhinged glint in Lucina's eyes and her smile was completely gone. Lucina finished descending the stairs and took one of her Hellhound's swords before approaching the kneeling Baroness.
"…P-Please…" Tears poured down her face as she looked up at Lucina. And her next words weren't what Lucina was expecting, "Please, spare my son! He…He has nothing to do with this!" Instead of groveling to spare her life, the Baroness prioritized her child.
"Ignorance isn't innocence," Lucina justified to the Baroness despite acknowledging that her real reason for doing this was nowhere close to being noble. This was no longer being done to show her worth as a noble or to clean up Solfin to impress Olivia. This was an excuse to remove someone Lucina deemed a nuisance from her Olivia's side.
"Ple-!" Blood spurted onto Lucina and stained her red and black dress when she sliced the Baroness' neck with her sword. The Baroness' corpse joined her husband's on the floor with a cold thump.
"Load their bodies and heads onto a cart," Lucina ordered while her eyes stared down at the corpses. "I'll be making a speech in the square on Worchester Boulevard."
"Got it," the Hellhounds responded and two of them picked up the corpses to haul away.
"…" The gathered servants were trembling in fear and did not dare speak.
"Now then." But Lucina would force them to as she addressed them, "Who is the master of Solfin?"
"...W-We greet the Countess of Solfin," the head maid stammered out before going down to her hands and knees with the other servants quickly following suit. "We await your orders, Madam."
"Good." Lucina's broken eyes scanned the room as she looked over the servants. Not a sound could be heard other than the occasional dripping of blood from Lucina's sword. A smile returned to Lucina's lips that sent shivers down everyone's spines. "Let's all get along and make Solfin a place worth living. Alright?"