The inn in the afternoon was full of life, so full that it had been a struggle for Val to peal themself away to Dyo and his table. Almost every table was full, just like last night, with laughing and shouting filling the air as wine and food were passed around. It was actually kind of nice to sit in the revelry as everyone became slowly inebriated, it felt… Homely.
It’d taken a while for Ercole and Agrippa to make their way back surprisingly enough. They hadn’t managed to find much, however. They found out where he was staying, and found out he was poking around the merchant district, but after tailing him for a while, they didn’t find out much else. Apparently, he’d just dipped into a few stores with the guards, inspected their back areas and talked to some people, then went out. Most of the people he talked to wouldn’t say a thing either.
But after that… Well… Ercole had left the table, apologising profusely about an ‘appointment’ before walking over to a table where a beautiful man and woman sat in revealing thin clothes, expecting him. Then, as he sat down, he quickly settled in to- uh- feeling them as they felt him, the three fawning over each other. Upon seeing it, Agrippa sighed, placing their face in their hands muttering, “I didn’t think you were entirely serious…”
But after some time, when Val had arrived conversation had started back up again, though, minus Ercole.
Hreysti was swirling a cup of red wine. Though, unbeknownst to most, Dyo had put some of his blood in the cup, after a short, but rather calm argument with Hreysti, to give the vampire his needed sustenance. It was starting to feel like things were repairing between them after their time in the bathhouse, that Hreysti was opening back up again. Getting him to be willing to accept the drops in his drink like he had done a few weeks ago was just part of that.
He took a small swig, “So Val,” Hreysti murmured a little… Intoxicated? “What have you found out?”
They just chuckled softly, “I was about to ask the same of all of you. I’ve heard three of you have gone on a bath date for one and caused a little gossip.”
Shani coughed, “It wasn’t a date and that certainly wasn’t intended.”
“I hope it was.” They said, their voice becoming more serious. “I’d rather not have my lord become the target of thugs, even if he has incredible power…”
Shani nodded while tapping the dagger in her belt, “And you can be sure that I’ve had a little bit of experience with bodyguard work. Anyways, we’ve been in much worse trouble in The Empire just across the border.”
“What sort of trouble..?”
“Oh, just the expected sort from the cunts. Some inquisitor tried to kill all of us including Dyo. They used the word daemon a lot for him.”
Val’s teeth clenched in anger that he’d not seen before, “Fucking gormless Charin zelout scum… They see a real, physical son of the gods themselves yet they still insist that their ‘one god’ is the true and only one! Agk! If they’d killed you Dyo I’d find some rare agreement with some senators in wanting to take back the Azure Sea coast!”
Dyo’s eyes widened as he froze. “I- A war from my death!?”
“I’d say it’d be deserved if you died from gods damned inquisitors of The Church! Though it might not happen even in that case. The senate is always cautious about reaching out for fights.”
“I don’t see why,” Shani muttered, “I’ve heard a legionary is worth two arms-men from anywhere else in Enois, and that levies are still common in armies here apart from in the Republic.”
Val shrugged, “I don’t know why, especially when they provoke us so much, Maritarius, Aveti, and Athervi would be on our side!”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Dyo heard a few steps behind him and he turned to see Ercole and his two… Oh fuck this, whores.
“The simple answer dear friends,” Ercole said cutting in, “is that while the Republic’s armies are indeed formidable, its opponent outnumbers them by far. Whenever the Republic fights anything but a small skirmish, all the Charin nations that surround it tend to get nervous and join in against it. That and while Legionaries may be the best professional force on the continent, knights very often prove to be the better combatants, though, like with legionaries against levies, they are much fewer in number than their opponents. So unfortunately for the Republic, the fights it has gotten into have been closer than it likes.”
Shani snorted, turning round in her chair, “So that’s what it took to bring you back, a conversation where you can be all scholarly?”
He smiled, affectionately stroking the sides of his two companions who giggled, “Partly that, partly it felt a little rude to run right off, even if it was to give the attention these two beautiful vibrant lights deserve.”
Dyo’s face blushed up with thoughts of being held like that, with Ercole seemingly noticing and giving him a seductive glance.
“Do you want something Dyo?”
Dyo coughed, fighting back his blush, “Yes… Uh- Do you know anything about the personal history of Vibius Opsius Ennius? It struck me that knowing about his personality might tell us where he put it.”
The man by Ercole’s side stroked Ercole’s chin with a laugh as he thought. “If I remember correctly, the histories said he was a rather boisterous man with a good reputation with his troops. Apparently, in the accounts, he was noble enough for a dragon to help him but I’m unsure on if that part is true. On the other side, however, he is the republic’s equivalent of a noble and with a personality like he seemed to have, I can only assume he indulged in the same thing as other nobles…”
“Like what?”
Ercole chuckled and nodded to the people on each side of him and the pot of wine on the table. “You know, I’ve told you before and you can see it here too. There are certain things people with money spend on that never change.”
“So… You’re saying we could be looking for brothel or drinking money!?”
“Oh quite possibly. If the stories here are right he hid it right before he marched off with his legion to hold back a horde of Neuhderlanders. Now that event has been well recorded and presumably, he’d want a stash to find either in the case that he needed to flee, or in case of a victory where he could then retrieve it. However, he never got to secure it it seems, as he spent many years on the campaign trail, writing a diary and a chronicle as he did. His legion however was forced to abandon the city, and by the time they’d returned in 51PC, Vibius had died in the battle that saw the relief of the city.”
Dyo slowly nodded, but Shani was evidently not as impressed as she yawned. “Great, thank you for the history, but do you have any idea where it might have been put?”
Ercole shrugged, “No! I’m about as blind as the rest of us are.” Suddenly he snapped his fingers, a thought dawning on him as he spoke again. “Val! Who would I ask to get a large Krater of red wine mixed with poppy seed and lavender?”
Great.
Val let out a light sigh, “By the counter!”
“Excellent! Thank you all, I’ll be back with you in the morning and if you need me earlier, please knock first.”
He then left them, clingy whores in toe, disappearing into the crowds.
A thought struck Dyo, “Wait… Where is he getting the money for those two!?”
“He took some coins off of a table while no one was looking and somehow he got away with it.” Agrippa sighed, “He then said, that even though it was only two Caputs and a few Flosaens it’d be enough! Something about ‘a night to remember’ or something like that.”
“That sounds like he’s awfully overconfident of his ‘abilities’ then unless he has a magic cock.” Val chuckled.
“Unfortunately he quite literally does…” Hreysti groaned.
“Ahh… Well, push all that to the side as I have some information that your ears will certainly want to hear.”
Dyo, Hreysti, and Shani all lent in as Agrippa’s eyes widened.
Val chuckled again, their eyes scrunching partly shut as to perfectly frame their horizontal pupils. “Oh it isn’t much, I just talked amongst some of the people I know at the guilds, including some people involved in finances…”
“Let me guess,” Shani said flatly, “One or two of the parties here are in financial trouble?”
“Oh, it isn’t a secret that the Nepotianus branch wants more money!” Val said, pouring some more wine, “Ever since their family was caught supporting the ‘Emoran Empire’ they’ve been disgraced and wanting gold to fund a way out of the hole. But the Ennius, as mayors and provincial governors were thought to be swimming in coin! Now it seems like they’ve gotten into their own little hole and want a way out of it.”
“So what does that mean for us!?” Agrippa asked.
“It means the mayor might be disappointed if it is just party money and you should probably start thinking of what you’re going to say to soften the blow.”