He found Torrento with Maria, Carrey, and Sarah. Maria’s companions were sent to the healers. With Sarah here he assumed the girl's condition either improved or, what is more likely, would not change at all, at least in the nearest future.
Maria was seated with a blanket veiled over her, all the higher-ups now fussing about, asking her questions, making sure she was comfortable, one soldier even came up with some tea and Torrento gave it to her himself. Where did they get tea from, out here?
From their behavior he could tell, he grossly underestimated the girl’s importance. If she could have even one of the highest ranking people in the whole of Pharia treat her this carefully and fuss over her like a child, there was no way she was just a random passing noble, something more was happening here.
Walking over, Mark was stopped a dozen meters away by the guards, they looked ready to give up their life to not let him get close to the group. Torrento saw him with the guards and left Pharia for a moment, walking over to talk with Mark.
“It was truly impressive, you got her to use up months worth of accumulated energy and even her life force to boot, truly a sight to behold, she was an Assassin after all, and in the end, you even saved Lady Maria.”
At that Mark raised his eyebrow, quickly flicking his eyes in a silent question.
“Oh, don’t look like that, I am not going to say a word unless She wants to talk to you, all you will know from me is that you can count your blessings today. Also, I see you have eyes for treasures and already got everything of value, Carrey will be jealous to no end, but fair is fair, he didn’t contribute to killing her personally so he gets nothing. Do you even know what those do?”
Torrento was much more insightful than he wanted to let on, the cape was hidden in his backpack, and the daggers, hidden on his body, were unseen to, apparently almost, everyone. The more he spent in his presence the more wary he became, he knew he couldn't win in a fight, but he was pretty sure he could still escape relatively unscathed.
At the moment he was about to answer the redheaded girl, Maria, called out to them.
“Ursus, can you invite our guest, I would like to thank him personally”
Torrento turned around, bowed a little, and then invited Mark closer with a gesture, the guards around them tightened the grip on their weapons, and Carrey dropped his hands to his sides, looking relaxed, but ready to lunge at any point in time, even Sarah stepped closer to the bow now resting against the wall.
The behavior was so similar to the bodyguards that one time when he neared the US President when his Young Miss had a meeting with him, he couldn’t help but smile a little. Seeing him smile made the people around him even more cautious, only Torrento looked relaxed, as if all this wasn’t happening around them.
Mark walked over to the Lady and also bowed a little, he wasn’t a moron, when entering new social circles it was mandatory to use the proper etiquette. Only morons ‘never bowed or bent the knee’, in his line of work, not attracting attention is the first and most important maxim.
To his surprise Maria bowed back slightly, from what he could surmise, the girl was treated almost like a princess, maybe even an actual princess, it was surprising for people of this stature to show respect back, even if you saved their life you would at most get a material repayment.
“Hello, it is nice to meet you again, we weren’t introduced, my name is Maria Sofia Terrence, I am the daughter of Taliha Veayla Terrence, The Chief Commander of the Kingdom’s Guard, what is your name?”
“You can call me Mark, my Lady.”
“You have my gratitude for your help, Mark. I will make sure to repay you appropriately whenever possible, is there anything you would like to ask for?”
So that is what it is, she practically was a princess of this kingdom, being the daughter of the Commander to the strongest Force the Kingdom has, and that answers directly to the Queen herself, you could even argue she was more important than any real princess, with the force behind her, the question now was, what she was doing here, and how did they allow her to be captured.
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A force like this would never allow the daughter of their commander to come to harm, meaning she came here of her own volition without her mother’s knowledge, which he doubted, there was no way, her mother didn’t know she crossed the whole kingdom to come to some backward town, so that left the other option, a test.
Most probably her mother sent her or allowed her to go, as a form of test, to see if she is up to a standard set by her mother, he guessed she failed the test, and that would also explain the presence of Torrento, Carrey, and Sarah, at one glance you could tell they did not belong in this town, be it their training, equipment or ability.
Though that did not explain, why they let matters go this far, after all even though Maria was untouched, her companions went through hell, whatever it wasn’t his matter to meddle in, for now, he had to come up with something to ask. Nobles hated owing favors, especially deep favors. He had to ask for something, even a small thing, if he didn’t want anything, he would become suspicious and doubly observed until he cashed in the favor, if he asked too much he would probably get it, and forever lose the connection.
He was heading to the capital so he needed all the connections he could get, for now, he would ask for something simple, and leave her with the life debt.
“I am soon heading to the Capital, some living expenses, a place to stay, and maybe access to a library of sorts would be very welcome.”
The thing about asking for money was very controversial, some of his teachers said to never ask for it, and some said to always take it.
But from his experience, the thing about it was to ask properly, never just ask for money, but ask for money that will be directed to a purpose, to present the gifting party with the reason for the request, a repayment to someone close, helping someone from your family, it could be anything, but the moment it was presented, you absolved the gifting party from any attachment to it, it was more like they were now helping you family in repayment instead of just giving you money.
Sure enough, the girl’s eyes brightened.
“You are heading to the Capital, that’s good why don't you head there with me, you could accompany me along the road, and maybe even stay in our Home, it’s the least I can do, for what you did for me.”
“I am afraid that I will have to stay for a while yet, I have to finish some arrangements, I am also traveling with Donny over there.” Saying that he pointed towards the boy who had just found him and was stopped by the guards a little ways away. “I will make sure to visit You the moment I arrive at the Capital, my Lady.”
“Sigh, very well. I will keep you to your promise then. For now, I will grant you your wish. Ursus, give me a piece of paper and a pen.”
The big Bearkin reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out the requested items, the paper didn’t even have a single wrinkle on it, it was impossible considering where it came from. Mark wondered what magic was at play here.
Lady Maria took the offered paper and pen, and laying it on a table placed nearby she started writing, after a little while she rolled up the parchment, took out a signet ring hanging from her neck, and stuck it to the little scroll. With a flash a sigil of a dagger and a rapier crossed with each other at ninety degrees appeared on the scroll, which now was magically stuck together without the need for sealing wax.
“Take this to any Adventurer’s Association building and you will be eligible to take out a hundred gold as personal funds, an Association lodging in a city of your choice as your possession till your death without the right to pass it on. It can be also used as a pass to any public libraries indefinitely, while also giving you restricted access to the Enforcers’ stores, as specified on the scroll.
I hope to see you again in the future, the Enforcers would gladly welcome someone of your ability within their ranks. When you arrive at the Capital, make sure to visit the Enforcer’s Compound, I will make sure they welcome you. After all, you saved my life, such a meager reward as this scroll would never be enough as a repayment.”
Mark was a little flabbergasted at the girl's capability in spending money, straight up giving him a place to live till his death and unrestricted access to the knowledge gathered by the whole kingdom. He didn’t specify the amount of gold he wanted and the place to stay on purpose to see how much she would value this ‘small favor’, and it was way more than expected.
“Thank you very much, my Lady, of course, I will visit, whenever I arrive.”
With that he once again bowed a little and made his way out, heading to collect Donny and return to town.
It would seem that he made an even more powerful connection than expected. Contrary to expectations, this wasn’t a good thing, he would be much more heavily scrutinized from that point on. They would almost certainly always have someone spying on him, the Enforcers’ Commander would surely not allow someone as suspicious as him, just wander around her daughter without any scrutiny.
‘Sigh, I guess I can’t do much with that now anyways, will have to be more careful with how I plan things in the Capital’