That night Raiju and I stayed at the Adventurers Guild. The suite they provided me as a Steely was more than adequate for Raiju and I with a sitting room, bedroom, and bathroom. The following morning we went back downstairs past Whitney’s office and grabbed breakfast from the bar.

There was a ton of bacon, sausage, eggs, hash browns, and fresh fruit available, so I got each of us a plate with plenty of each. A few people stared at me as I ate with her, but I paid them no heed. The eggs were a bit stiff and flavorless, but everything else was great. Raiju especially liked the cantaloupe, so I made a note to pick some up for us to eat while traveling.

They just wish they had a companion as magnificent as Raiju.

Once we finished breakfast, it was time to explore the town before going to report that dirty gate guard, Jacobson. As I opened up the massive door I spotted a pair of guards chatting with spears planted next to them a dozen feet away. They weren’t looking at the doors, so we snuck out as quick as we could and down an alley. Raiju closed the door with a gust of wind, which made the guards on duty jump, but when they saw no one leaving, they went back to their conversation.

“Lazy guards, Dad always said that was a bad sign for the local lord of a town or city.” I led us down the alley toward the center of town.

Raiju was reveling in being outside again, floating a few feet above the ground and pouncing on nothing. “Lazy watchers can lead to the whole pack dying in the night.”

“You’re not wrong there.”

I turned the corner to walk along the wall of the mansion compound and watched as a portly man in fine green and white silks went to slap a young serving girl who was clutching her ripped clothes to hide her modesty. They were only twenty feet from me and I didn’t hesitate.

Triggering [Haste], I sprang like a bolt from a crossbow and intercepted the man’s hand with the hilt of a fighting knife. Raiju padded up behind him and growled as he stared at me, wide-eyed.

“Get away, peasant! I was in the middle of disciplining my maid.”

His voice was a grating chirp pitched an octave too high and it grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Every sentence felt like it was punctuated by an invisible pinky raised in disdain.

My right eye twitched as I turned back to look at the young woman again. Her outfit was destroyed, the whole front looked to have been ripped off at once with the way it was torn. That was bad enough, but when I saw the blood running down her legs into her white stockings, I saw red.

With [Haste] still active, the foppish noble didn’t see me coming. I sprang forward and used [Rapid Strikes] to hit his shoulders and knees with the hilt of my blade. He collapsed a second later and Raiju stood over him with her teeth bared and lightning dancing across them.

“Oh, I think I know what you were actually doing.” I blinked a few times and cleared my mind enough to check the bastard’s [Status].

[Name: Baron Ambrose Darkspear

Race: Human

Class: Firebelly - Rare - Rank D

Level: 11

Emotional Status: Angry/Aroused]

He tried to move and Raiju closed her mouth enough to nick his neck with an electrified tooth. “Ah, get this beast away from me. Guards, guards!” He screeched.

With him well in hand, I turned back to check on the serving girl and found her in tears. With what I thought had happened to her, I didn’t touch her. I kept my tone calm. “Are you OK? Did he do that to you?” I didn’t have to say what it was, she knew.

Her eyes grew large and she started to shake her head before she started to sob. “He did! He took my maidenhead when he found out I still had it. I kept saying no, but he was too strong for me.”

My eyes flicked to where her [Status] should have been in my vision and was surprised to find it wasn’t there. If she wasn’t strong enough to fight off the Baron at level 11, how could she resist [Essence Reading]?

My face drained of blood and my grip on my blade grew tighter. “What’s your name and how old are you?”

“I’m Marley, sir, and I’m fifteen next month.” She tried again to cover herself, but the rags she was wearing weren’t up to the task.

I pulled an old traveling cloak and handed it to her. “Cover yourself up. I’ll take care of the baron.” She shivered, but did as I said before huddling back against the wall of the compound.

“Guards, guards! This man assaulted me!”

I stepped up and delivered a textbook snap kick directly in his family jewels.

Dad would have been proud of that one.

“Who told you that it was OK to do that to young girls?” A second blade appeared in my off hand.

He still didn’t get it. He coughed weakly as he held his manhood. “She’s a serving girl with no prospects, after how bad her mother was in bed she should have thanked me for taking her–”

His head rolled away as I flicked the blood from my blades. “I hope you rot in Hell for what you’ve done.”

When the bloodrush wore off I heard the sound of at least a dozen guards approaching. I debated having Raiju grow to full size and riding off into the sky with her, but that would leave Marley with a dead noble and no explanation.

I turned to Raiju. “Fly away. As long as you stay within a mile of me, you’ll be able to find me no matter where I am. If I’m locked up for more than a week, break me out of wherever I am.”

Raiju looked at me like I was stupid. “There isn’t anyone in this den who could stand up to you or me except for maybe Whitney, I can tell. Why should I leave? The two of us could take on this whole den of humans.”

“Please? I’ll explain later.” I pleaded as I saw the foot of a guard poke out around the wall.

She huffed as she launched herself into the air faster than I’d ever seen her move except in her last dash during our chase. “Fine, but you get one week. No more, Bondmate.” I heard drift in on the wind.

I wiped my blades on the baron’s clothes before banishing them to my storage ring. As I stood in front of Marley, I was surrounded by twenty or more guards, all with weapons drawn and leveled at me as they screamed.

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“Get down!”

“You’re under arrest!”

“Someone check the baron!”

I held up my hands to show they were empty. “The baron is dead, that’s his head over in the gutter.” The guards were shocked into silence. “Behind me is Marley, the girl he was in the middle of trying to beat when I arrived. It turns out he raped her this morning and thought he could get away with it.” Behind me, Marley started sobbing again.

A guard with a slightly nicer uniform over their armor strode up from the back of the ring of guards. He pushed through with a hand on his rapier hilt. From the calluses on his hand, it was obvious he knew how to use it.

“Are we to expect you, a newcomer to Cliffhaven, to be equipped to determine if someone is guilty of a crime in our fair city?” Something about him struck me as off, so I checked his [Status]. Dad would approve. Mom? Not so much.

[Name: Dalton Darkspear

Race: Human

Class: Duelist - Uncommon - Rank C

Level: 10

Emotional Status: Excited/Irritated]

He’s related to that piece of shit baron? I guess that explains why he isn’t angry, he stands to gain something if he’s out of the picture.

“As an adventurer, it’s my job to defend those in need, regardless of the local laws.” I kept my voice as calm as I could, but boiling rage filled my belly. “That’s the duty of all adventurers.”

“Hah!” Dalton scoffed. “You are misinformed, only Steel adventurers have that right, not lowly–”

“Oh good, here you go.” My guild badge thudded into his chest hard enough to send him back a step. “Everything is in order then.”

“You,” he looked down at my badge and his face went white, “still have to see the City Lord about this.” His voice shook before something made him stop and a grin took over his visage. “He’ll want to know everything about what went on.” He looked to the guards surrounding me and Marley. “Men, bring this man to the tower and put this girl in chains.”

“No!” My eyes bulged. “What do you mean ‘put her in chains’? She’s the victim, not the perpetrator!”

“That remains to be seen. We’ll put her in jail for a few days until Lord Grenwall can find time to take a look at the case.” Dalton smirked. “There weren’t any reliable witnesses, so we don’t know if this girl killed the baron and you’re merely lying to protect her.” He looked to his subordinates with a sneer. “I gave you your orders. Move out!”

For a few seconds, I considered what would happen to me if I did my best Dad impression and ripped through the guards surrounding us and left town. It was only the thought of what Mom would say and the thought that Marley would still have to live in town that stopped me.

“I’ll go with you to the tower, but Marley stays with me.” I growled. “If not, you really can’t stop me from leaving.”

We locked eyes and, after a minute-long staring contest, Dalton averted his gaze. “Lord Grenwall will hear of this impertinence!” He did his best to sound imposing, but we both knew he’d lost and was just trying to save face.

I turned and crouched down next to the tear-soaked maid with my hands held tight to my waist. “Stay close behind me, OK? As long as you’re with me they won’t put you in chains.” She nodded vigorously and, when I stood up, I felt her grab my traveling cloak from behind. “Just like that.”

“Are you done with your wh…” Dalton trailed off when he saw the red-hot glare I was giving him. He coughed into his hand. “Anyway, men, march to the tower!”

The morning walk through town would have been pleasant if it weren’t for the guards surrounding me and my unexpected charge. I did my best to keep Marley calm, but she was in a state of shock and wasn’t responding to anything I said. Her grip on my cloak never wavered, so at least I didn’t have to worry about her wandering into the guards’ clutches. As we approached the tower in the middle of town I was unimpressed.

If they were going to build this thing in the center of every single city in Verdant, they could have at least picked something a bit more impressive. I mean, at least it’s round instead of some of those square things I saw in the history books I studied as a kid. Damn square towers take one good boulder to the side and they’re done, round towers are where it’s at. Check out those arrow slits, that’s what I’m talking about, defense is king for a tower like this. Still boring overall though.

I chuckled a bit to myself, earning me a weird look from a few of the guards, which I promptly ignored.

Huh, maybe I got more than just my height from my dwarven blood. Somehow I can tell this tower was built for practicality above all else. The only ornamentation I can see is the Verdant crest. I don’t think my dwarven ancestors would be impressed.

The two guards standing outside the entrance to the tower wore plate mail, a step above the chainmail the rank and file were traipsing around in. Angled pauldrons stood out against the otherwise smooth armor, though they fit the halberds they wielded just fine.

Halberds are great for fighting defensively and those pauldrons will let them deflect away anything that might get past their parries. If they have the right [Skills], they could actually be a problem for me with just my daggers. I’ll have to keep my eyes on them.

“We need to see the lord, now!” Dalton barked at the door guards, who didn’t move. He got more irritated. “Do you know who I am?! I’m the new Baron of the Darkspear house!” His voice went shrill. The guard on the left coughed to cover an obvious laugh, which only pissed the guard captain off even more. “Open the doors! Now!”

When they didn’t move to do as he said, he reached forward with his hands with a screech. “I said [Open] the doors!” The ten foot tall doors lurched open before swinging toward the pair of guards who’d ignored Dalton.

They each took a step forward to dodge the doors before leveling their halberds across the entrance. The rightmost door guard spoke in a heavy Iroan accent. “The lord isn’t seeing anyone today. Go away.”

As I waited to see how Dalton would react, I saw a screen in the corner of my eye and smiled. Almost to 25%, I wonder what that’ll do to it? Most [Skills] get more efficient, but [Skill Dominance] is kind of unique, so I don’t know what it’ll do.

[Open Skill Acquired with Skill Dominance]

[Active Skills - Mastery

Skill Dominance - 24%]

Behind the door guards’ crossed weapons, a short man stalked forward like a cat on the prowl. He put a hand on the shoulder of the door guard who spoke. “Thank you Mario, you’re a credit to your family. I’ll see these people, I just finished breakfast.”

The door guard, Mario it seemed, turned and bowed to him. “Yes, milord. You’re too kind.” With a glance, he and his compatriot, who still hadn’t spoken, spun back into their earlier positions, though this time the doors were behind them.

I couldn’t resist, I had to know more about this lord. Maybe he’s not a useless piece of shit like Dalton or the old Darkspear Baron.

[Name: Lord Albert Varkoni of Cliffhaven

Race: Human

Class: Assassin - (Rare) - Rank C

Level: 15

Emotional Status: Furious]

Damn, he’s good at hiding his emotions, I’d never have known for looking at him. I just hope he takes it out on Dalton the waste of space and not me or Marley. He’s also the highest leveled person I’ve seen since leaving Wyrm’s Rest. I was wondering what was going on with that, but I guess it’s not easy to level up if you’re not competing against someone or something much stronger than you.

“Darkspear, you and the accused come in.” Lord Albert waved to our group. “The rest of you wait out here.”

It looked like Dalton wanted to argue, but a glare from the lord is all it took to silence him. He turned back to his men. “Return to your normal patrols. I’ll handle this.” He puffed up his chest, earning him a few small cheers from his men before the lord’s cough made the blood drain from his face.

Meanwhile, I walked past Dalton with Marley in tow. I bowed at the waist to Lord Albert. “Lord Varkoni, it’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance. The woman behind me is Marley, she is–”

The lord cut me off with a slash of his hand. “Please do not speak any further of the case until we’re in my audience chamber. I would hate to have that blowhard Dalton come out ahead because I couldn’t verify the veracity of your statement.”

I frowned, but complied. “Understood.” What the hell does it matter where I tell him something? Is there some kind of magic at play in his audience chamber?

Dalton stalked in and gave the lord a fancy bow, but his head never dropped below shoulder level in an incredibly disrespectful manner. “Lord Varkoni.” His tone was icy.

“Captain Darkspear.” The lord gave as good as he got, if not better. “Join me and–” he stopped and looked over at me. “Mister?”

I smiled. “Neilson, Arthur Bajbub Neilson to be exact.” I bobbed my head to him.

He nodded back before turning to Dalton once more. “Join me, Miss Marley, and Mr. Neilson in my audience chamber.” When it looked like Dalton wanted to argue he leaned on his significant [Charm] stat. “I insist.”

This... might go better for me than I expected.