Chapter 12: Quid Pro Quo

“A mage knight…” Fey said, pacing around her office. “This is big. Huge! Being a mage is rare enough but to be able to utilize ki at your age is… is- I don't know what it is! Even your sister isn't a mage knight and your brother only recently began utilizing magic! Do you know what this means? You have a real shot at obtaining the throne, once your father-”

“He won't hear about any of this,” Ark cut in, shocking the Baroness.

“What?”

“I don't have a desire for the throne-”

“How can you say that?!” Fey exclaimed, slamming her hands on her desk, “All your life you've talked about claiming the crown, of making-”

“Some things change…” Ark said, looking away as a tense silence fell upon the room.

The baroness looked towards Welkin, the man's focus on the teenager.

“I… it's your life, Loyd... But are you sure? Once your father learns that you're a mage knight, he'll no don't rescind his banishment. Your mother would also be elated.”

“He'll know eventually,” Ark said, his voice barely containing the insidious nature hidden in his words. “But… I've had assassins after me for a long time. The less people that are aware that I have my strength back, the better. I prefer to use this time to train and build myself up.”

“You're talking about the poisoned stew?” Fey said, referring to the incident that had earned her her title and land.

“No, someone poisoned my ki circuits,” Ark said much to the woman's surprise.

“Are you sure young Lord? Disrupting ki circuits is a rare skill and poison capable-” Welkin began but was cut off by Ark.

“I'm sure, I had an expert tell me and teach me how to purify myself. As you can see the results speak for themselves.”

“Then we should reward this expert at once!” Fey exclaimed.

Ark shook his head, “He's a recluse. Besides, I don't think we can afford to with the damage done to the manor,” Ark said with the baroness deflating. “Have we figured out who attacked us?”

“Nothing yet, the constables have identified the assassin as a local robber gang but the rhyme and reason for their sudden aggression remains a mystery,” Welkin reported, “Is there anything you may have heard from their leader we should know about? Anything she may have mentioned while she held you captive?”

“Nothing,” Ark lied. Of course she had talked, but he had other plans for her that didn't include the executioner’s block. At least not yet.

“Unfortunate,” Welkin said, his expression weary as if sensing that Ark wasn't sharing more than he knew.

“Although…” Ark said, “She did mention something about slaves…”

“Hmm… It could be someone disgruntled about the freedom project,” Fey said before coughing into her handkerchief, “But I don't believe anyone would attack me so brazenly just because I'm freeing slaves. Children deserve to have a future, especially those who find themselves shackled for no fault of their own.”

Ark found he was liking the baroness more and more.

“Could it be because of a recent purchase?” Ark asked, the word ‘purchase’ leaving a bad taste on his tongue.

Welkin and the Baroness shared a look.

“There is a possibility…” Welkin frowned, “The last auction was fairly rowdy. We barely managed to secure the twins without going bankrupt.”

Ark frowned, wondering why they were spending so much on such a project. While he admitted it was a noble cause, it didn't make much fiscal sense.

“What's so special about these twins?” Ark asked, drawing a look from the pair.

“Oh… you don't remember?” Lady Fey asked.

Ark pursed his lips and raised his brow, sensing he made a mistake, “No?”

The Baroness took on a concerned look, “They belonged to your sister. You sent me an engram begging that I purchase them no matter what. I was wanting to surprise you but…”

Well shit…

Ark did his best to keep his emotions intact, choosing to put on a confused expression rather than the frown that wanted to come out.

Wait… a picture was beginning to form in Ark's mind. Was the selling of the girls the final straw that drove Loyd to commit suicide?

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Ark didn't know, all he did know was that he was now dealing with a problem created by his host.

“I see…” Ark replied, his periapical vision spotting Sain and Kent walking towards the manor through the nearby window. “Sorry, I don't really remember too much…”

“Are you sure you don't need an apothecary? We should really get you checked out,” Fey said with Ark waving her off.

“No… I think I'm fine. I rather not remember too much,” Ark said, his words carrying more truth than lies. “But… let me know if there's anything I can do to help.”

“Don't you want to speak to the twins?” Fey asked.

“Soon… I need to purify my ki circuits to expunge the poison,” Ark said, getting up from the chair and leaving the office.

Welkin shook his head with a frown, “I can't believe we spent eighty-five thousand fluers and sold all our furniture for those girls and he doesn't remember.”

“He's going through a lot Welkin,” Fey said, sitting down with a sigh. “Nonetheless, it was still the right thing to do, even if it emptied our coffers, you know as well as I what would happen to them.”

“I do, but now the question is what does He plan to do with them,” Welkin said. “The boy is… different. The lads are terrified of him, and the way he speaks... Something is different.”

“He’ll be fine Welkin, his mind is just a bit jumbled.”

Welkin pursed his lips and furrowed his brow, the knight completely unconvinced.

*****

““Sir,”” Sain and Kent stood at attention, the latter bearing a freshly broken nose as the pair stood beneath the moon and lanterns in their hands.

“I take it you found it,” Ark said, brow raised as he picked up a leaf off the ground, an idea already forming in his mind.

“Aye sir,” Sain said, barely able to hide his smirk as he glanced over to his friend holding his nose. “It, gave Kent here a nice shiner.”

“We've secured her in an empty hovel and have instructed the serfs not to enter,” Kent reported between painful wheezes. “We've tended to what wounds she had and bound her with what we could find.”

“Then lead the way,” Ark said, following the pair across the plantation with torch in hand until they were before a shack made of thatch and mud.

“Here we are sir,” Kent said, opening the wooden door to reveal the bruised and broken prisoner bound I'm with chains who shot a glare up at Ark.

“Thank you gentlemen, that will be all,” Ark said, dismissing the pair. “Oh. And one more thing. Not a word of this to anyone. You saw what I did to a knight, imagine what would happen to a regular person.”

The two shared a look before bowing and taking their leave, eager to flee from Ark.

“Evening,” Ark said, closing the door gently, to step in the structure of dirt and straw, “How are you doing?”

The bandit’s threats came out muffled against the gage of cloth wrapped around her mouth.

“Aren't you tough? A day later and you're nearly recovered,” Ark said, grabbing a chair and sitting before the disheveled woman who had definitely seen better days. “That just means I'll have to break your legs and arms again huh?”

The fight in the woman's eyes immediately evaporated, replaced instead with fear as Ark reached over and undid her gag.

“You're supposed to be a gimp!” Karja spat.

“Sorry to disappoint, looks like we're both failures huh?” Ark said, wondering how widespread the knowledge of his host’s condition was. Then again, if it were printed and books and told by even bandits…

Ark smiled, his expression so insidious Karja flinched.

“So… Karja, here are your options,” Ark said, running his hand along the woman's chin before forcing her to look him in the eye. “I cut your throat open and bleed you out like cattle, or, and personally, what I think is the most exciting option, you get a chance to serve me.”

Silence, the bandit staring at Ark as he held her gaze, their world, consisting of nothing but each other's eyes.

Karja opened her mouth and closed it repeatedly as if lost for words, “.... Fine, but no butt stuff.”

Ark blinked.

“What?”

“What?”

“Ark, let me eat this one. Her time will garner us a level,” Soliloquy said, standing atop Ark's head.

Ark pinched the bridge of his nose and sat back with a sigh.

“It's a fair assumption you'd be after me body!” Karja protested, “Everyone know yous nobles are a debaucheries lot.”

“I'm going to shut you up right here,” Ark said, his expression non-humorous, “First off, not interested-”

“Ow.”

“Second, I need access to your Black market dealer and contractor.”

“No. I can't do it, they'd kill me if theys know I brought in a spy.”

“What do you think is going to happen if you don't bring me?” Ark said, cocking his head to the side.

The bandit paused, thinking it over for a moment.

“Why do you want to be wheeling n dealin with the crime world?” Karja asked, narrowing her violet eyes.

“That’s my business, yours should be focused on whether or not you want to continue living,” Ark said, causing the woman to scoff.

“And what's ta stop me from ratting you out when we get there?” Karja snickered.

“Simple,” Ark said before shoving the leaf he had found earlier into the woman's mouth, forcing her to swallow as her eyes went wide. “What you've just ingested is a special poison.”

“Y-y-yous poisoned me?!” Karja coughed, attempting to hack up the leaf as Ark sensed the woman’s ki circulating.

“I did. And not just with any poison, but poison that is destroys ki circuits if left untreated for forty-eight hours,” Ark said, “But worry not, I have the cure.”

“Yous be bluffing!”

“Am I?” Ark said, lifting his lantern to his face, “Think of it as a little incentive. This type of poison is rare, and very expensive, how much do you think a cure would cost you?”

The woman paled, eyes wide.

“That's right… let it sink in,” Ark said, before re-gagging the woman. “I'll give you the rest of the night to figure it out.”

With those words, Ark left, leaving behind Soliloquy to watch over the woman left to stew with his threats.