Arthur's Point of View

Helmsforth Temple

Elincia pushed and prodded about a few details. Obviously, I gave her enough to summon the Noble in question to the Temple atop Helmsforth but kept some information to myself. Neither Priestess was happy with what was about to happen, but they agreed that it needed to. Both likely set examples such as this as years passed, and it was now my turn. The people of Lestrania, the Nobles specifically, were going to learn not to fuck with me one way or another.

"I am sure each of you is curious as to why you were summoned here." Arceana began from her throne with Elincia beside her.

The Noble next to me kneeled. "Not at all. When I am summoned by the priestesses themselves, I answer." If his nose went down any farther, it would've been in the stone floor. "I, Baron Brightwood, will always answer."

Rolling my eyes as I looked around the room caught a few people's attention, but I ignored them. However, it would appear that the Noble brought a few private guards with him. They stood off to the side along with a few Town Guards. I also chose to ignore them. The group also seemed irked at my choice of attire. Regular clothing wasn't accepted in the presence of the Priestesses.

It did make me smirk that he brought some personal guards though. "I know why I'm here." I replied as I turned back to Arceana.

"Indeed." Arceana said softly before looking back to the Noble in question. "You have been summoned here because some mercenaries have stated that they were working for you."

The Noble merely smiled in response. "That is certainly possible. I hire all manner of people for many different tasks, but I am afraid I am unsure of the mercenaries in question." Oh, he had definitely rehearsed this.

"The mercenaries in question were down in The Slums causing all manner of chaos. Specifically, at the Rainy Helm." I told him. "Northern Zugal from the Falcon Clan. Sound familiar?"

To my surprise, the Noble stood and closed his eyes. "They are not 'The Slums,' but the bottom-most rung." He corrected me. "As for the Rainy Helm or these mercenaries in question, I have no relation to either."

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"Is that so?" I asked back, and he glared at me.

"Beware, Sir Knight, at who you falsely accuse." Holding up my hands in a 'we got a badass over here' gesture, he merely scoffed at me before continuing. "I consider myself a tolerant man, but these accusations are a serious crime without proof."

"You don't say?" Whistling, I turned back behind me to where Greigh was. "Bring in the Zugal in question." The Captain moved to a side door where he then escorted in the Northern Zugal with Ziah, who was guarding them. "You don't recognize these men?" I asked the Baron.

Elincia spoke before he could answer. "Be very careful of how you answer, Baron Brightwood. Any signs of deception will have consequences."

He bowed once more. "As I have said before, Priestess Elincia, I have no relation with these men."

Practically skipping over to the Zugal in question, I hit his chest with the back of my hand, which made him look at me with a blank expression. "Let's ask them!" I told the Baron before looking back to the one I had dubbed as Falcon leader. "Did you meet with the Baron?" My overly dramatic way of asking made the Priestesses sigh, but I ignored them.

"Yes." Falcon leader informed the room with his head down.

"What was discussed?" Again, my overly energetic question irked those present.

He pointed to the Baron and spoke. "We were paid to interfere with the Rainy Helm and target the owner to give the Baron just cause in the future for ruining the establishment."

Patting him on the back, he just stood there motionless as I stepped forward. "Now, obviously, this is a case he said, she said." Then I shrugged. "That turns it into a real problem."

"So, you mean to say that I was brought here for this because my name was singled out for this?" The Baron asked in fake indignance.

Holding up a finger, I walked over to him with a smirk. "Not at all. I brought you here because you paid these men a hefty sum. After all, the Rainy Helm wasn't your only target." Leaning closer to him, my smirk turned into a smile. "A very specific sum." Then I pointed behind me. "How much was your little band of birdies paid?"

A few frowned at my racist behavior, but the Falcon leader didn't leave me hanging. "Three hundred gold coins."

"Three hundred gold coins!" I repeated. "That is quite the hefty sum, indeed!"

"A price matters little. Many Nobles hire mercenaries for help, and I hardly see how this relates to me." Baron Brightwood calmly replied.

"See, that's the thing!" Pulling out a scroll from my chest plate, I held it up and gestured for the Priestesses to take a look at it. "Given that I had 'Just Cause' I ordered the Baron to be investigated. More specifically, your finances. Noble or not, three hundred gold coins is quite the sum to go missing." Arceana floated the scroll over and unraveled it. "What does the scroll say?" I asked her.

Her eyes locked onto the Baron's. "It says that the Baron pulled out a total sum matching the total given by the mercenaries."

The Baron wasn't happy. "That gold was used for my estate, Priestess Arceana." He went to continue, but I cut him off.

"Priestess, while that is certainly possible, I think this is proof enough. However, many eyewitnesses have seen the Baron talking with Zugal in private the night when the mercenaries arrived and were at his estate." I informed her. "His own staff even stated that he had a private meeting, which none were informed about."

"That proves nothing!" The Baron shouted.

I shrugged. "Maybe not, but I'm willing to go to every Noble and get their finances to prove that you're the only one who pulled out that specific sum in that time frame." I told him. "And I'd have 'Just Cause' to investigate further into their finances and yours if needed."

A withering glare was directed at me. "What do you have to say for yourself, Baron Brightwood? These claims are stacking against you, and all evidence points toward you. If you have something to say in your defense, I suggest you speak quickly." Elincia told him as she looked up from the scroll.