Chapter 45 | The Unaccounted 5

~~*~~

Jeromy was resting in his room at the Association Guild House with Jack. They were discussing what Alisha had offered the Phoenix. Her words sounded more like a demand. There were many things they could learn from each other but that didn’t mean they trusted one another. Alisha was determined to demonstrate her abilities now that she had an opportunity and she did impress. But Jeromy was still hesitant to let Alisha into the Phoenix under her conditions.

“My answer is no,” Jeromy said, making his decision to Jack’s dismay.

“I must say that I’m disappointed to hear you say that,” Jack said.

“You can be as disappointed as much you like but that doesn’t change what she said. Alisha wanted autonomy and access to our classified information. However, there’s a chain of command here for a reason, and letting her in is dangerous.”

“I’ve spoken to Nolan and he says that the information is not an issue as long as we know what she knows. Her abilities, especially her connection to the Network is worth the risk.”

“We can’t have someone out there doing as she wishes. She’s an unknown that we cannot control. What if she interferes with our operations?”

“Like how Annabelle does? She attacked you and your men in the forest and still you defend her,” Jack pointed out Jeromy’s hypocrisy to great effect. “We need to know what she does about the Network. Ventra’s answers on this subject are vague and not encouraging.”

“I will think about it.”

“I see. But we don’t have time for pondering. The Guardians are moving against us and Prince Adrien is ever closer to obtaining their weapon. Nolan is overriding your objection. Alisha will join the Phoenix as an officer.”

Jeromy clicked his teeth. Although they were going to work together with the trafficker operation didn’t mean he liked her attitude about it. If Alisha would join the Phoenix, it would be under his command as all field agents were. “That’d make her the same rank as Selina.”

“I knew this would make you upset but we want you not to fight us on this.”

“I don’t plan to. Nolan has made his decision and I don’t plan to object any further.”

“You can send her your conditions as well. I’ll meet with her later tomorrow after the operation and get what she knows.”

In Jeromy’s eyes, Alisha was a naïve and arrogant child who was playing at war. She engaged with the Imperials and a squad of Inquisitors but they were nothing compared to the power of the Guardians themselves. The battle in the Elven Forest had taught him that much. One wrong move and a lot of people could die.

Alisha didn’t seem like a person who could work well with others. However, Nolan making her only a lieutenant meant she couldn’t override his own decisions. She would get the information she wanted from the Phoenix but after that, he didn’t have a clue. Whatever she’d do, Jeromy didn’t want anything to do with her.

Under him was the entirety of the Phoenix militia minus the Maquis. People were called to serve and protect in ways they never imagined they would within the Phoenix. The way Alisha spoke to him wasn’t the way an applicant was supposed to behave. It was rude and disrespectful.

Just then, Selina contacted Jeromy through telepathy about something urgent her men spotted at the Imperial triage. The kidnapping was happening right now.

***

Alisha has used night time to progress more on the hub’s production and research and development.

Recently, Guide and Jun have been playing with each other a lot on the artificial grass field. A dancing orb and a wolf pup trying to catch it. It was a welcome development in Guide’s teachings of the humanities. Her proxy body was still in the cozy bed back in the Alton manor while her real body was safe in the dungeon. When Guide alerted her, she was testing her explosives the testing chamber.

“Madam, I must inform you of activity by the triage,” Guide suddenly announced.

“What kind of activity, Guide?” Alisha asked, very much hoping that this was a mistake.

“The Imperial Guards have been knocked out by some kind of sleeping agent and other guards are escorting the refugees into metal-plated carriages.”

“Well, that’s not suspicious at all. Those ‘guards’ are likely the traffickers. Can you stall them, Guide?” Alisha was getting ready to leave in rush. Whatever happened, they needed to keep those carriages in sight, or else she might’ve just condemned forty-three people.

“How am I to do this?”

“Use the slimes in any which way, just delay them before they can reach the city limits. I’m on my way.”

No one would ever expect the traffickers would be so bold as to abduct them from under the Imperials’ noses. Well, no one except for Alisha. Commander Dustin wasn’t going to be happy with this. She informed Jeromy through her Soul Phone gem and exited the dungeon.

This was bad. Alisha was sure that the traffickers were planning for the night after today but they seemed to have moved up their schedule. She also kept track of their movements but they were near the triage. It seems like another cell was taking the refugees as the rest were distractions.

However, if they were acting now, they still needed the cooperation of the Mayor to get past the militia patrols. Neither herself or Jeromy were informed of anything from the Mayor so something must’ve happened. Another spy slime confirmed that he was fine…

A double-double cross!

“Madam, is going outside the wisest decision?” Guide asked, clearly very worried about her.

“I cannot follow them with the proxy bodies or my spy slimes. What other choice do I have?”

“…” Guide couldn’t think of any alternative. He wanted to say not to go but he also knew that it’d fall to deaf ears. Once his Madam had a goal set in her mind, there was not a lot that could dissuade her especially when lives are at stake.

In her falcon form, she could arrive in town in around ten minutes. There wasn’t enough time for her to get there even at full speed. Alisha ran to the atrium from the testing chamber and formed into a falcon. She then flew from the ground floor and dove into the waterfall and swam up through the crystal ceiling. She emerged from the lake with a bubble of slime to protecting her feathers from the water and flew up into the night sky.

Guide did what she ordered and slowed the carriages. He used the slimes on the axels of the carriages to make them move at a snail’s pace. But the convoy was still out of the city limits when she saw them. The bells of Riverside were ringing and the convoy was in trouble. The criminals were expecting to be long gone by now.

Commander Dustin seemed to have discovered them earlier than they anticipated and with the slow-moving carriages, it made the journey for them much more treacherous. They were heading south towards Gillesport and the checkpoint waiting for them was devoid of people.

Alisha made her touchdown on a field of wheat some distance from the road, hoping to intercept them. She didn’t want to be seen by the Imperials or the town militia. She deployed decoy beacons that were emitting her aura to confuse everyone’s tracking spell. She morphed into her human form and drew her new composite bow at the escorts. The convoy of carriages and horseback riders was approaching her cross-fire.

Deja vu.

Alisha noticed a huge surge in mana behind her. She jumped out of the way from a large beam. The laser-like spell incinerated the wheat it touched until it exploded on the ground, leaving a smoking crater.

Everyone at Riverside definitely heard that. The convoy heard that too and quickened their pace with a spell Alisha didn’t know. Her attackers planned to finish her in one blow but clearly underestimated her as a monster. She knew stepping out of the dungeon would risk someone tracking her but she felt it was worth the risk if it meant saving the refugees. Now, Alisha didn’t know what to do to rectify the situation. She needed to get away from the attackers while following the convoy.

Monsters didn’t usually have mana sense so they assumed she was finished. Mana sense didn’t have a range, but it had a direction and intensity. She immediately counter-attacked to the direction the beam came from. She shot an enchanted crystal arrow and it flew towards a group of three people on the road. Her crystal hit and shattered their magic barrier along with their Disruption spell. The collision caused a small shockwave and knocked them off their feet. The air pressure flattened the wheat around them and blew over some lamp posts.

What she used was a spell based on sheer force. She increased the density of the crystal and launched it twice the speed of sound. She enchanted the crystal arrow with holy magic.

If they were knocked over from only a blast like that, she might’ve stood a chance against them. They weren’t soldiers, though, they were freelancers. There were two of them. Hold on, it was muscle-brain!

“Foul beast! You’ve threatened these lands for far too long! Your reign of terror ends now!” The muscle-brain Alan gallantly monologed. He had the looks but no brain, what a shame. Please stop talking, she thought.

“Please stop talking, Alan,” Lycus said with a sigh.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Lycus, you kid far too often. When confronted against a great evil you must give it a chance to plead for forgiveness and if they don’t, we can take them down regardless.” Then, what was that attack before…? If she was hit by that, she would’ve died. Was she given a chance to plead?

“Alan, you will be the death of us one day.”

“Stop!” Alisha shouted towards them. She was sure that they could both see and hear her. “This isn’t what you think!”

“A vile demon wants to talk?” Alan began again with his heroic speech. “Ha! You take that form with such evil glee! You wear the skins of the ones you kill but you will never take away the memory of their lives!”

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

The Schefter’s daughter, did they know her too? Alisha felt sorry for them to have lost someone they knew due to her actions. She didn’t want to kill Lycus or Alan. All she wanted now was to escape and follow the convoy. That wasn’t going to be easy. If she wasn’t able to defeat Samuel or Reinold, what chances did she have to the Hero of Riverside?

And where did he go?

She heard screaming from above and dove out of the way. Alan fell just in front of her with his great sword creating another crater, spraying mud and debris everywhere. Alisha flipped in mid-air and used a pulse spell to gain some distance from Alan. The pressure from Alan’s attack was immense and she could feel the power in that blow. However, a sneak attack wasn’t one if you announced it.

“It’s time for my turn,” Black said as she took control as Alisha’s irises turned white. She made the bow disappear and took a sword and pistol out of her Expanded Space. “Mr. Alan! Stop this at once!”

But he didn’t and clashed swords with her as she pushed forward. Lycus tried to shoot her while she was distracted. With his accuracy, he didn’t worry about hitting Alan. However, Black used the Expanded Space to her advantage and had the arrow phase into her fourth dimension, essentially negating the attack entirely. She basically stored the arrow in her Expanded Space as the arrow was being shot at her. Black called this her Dimensional Fissure.

Any projectile-based attack was useless against her but only within her immediate range. If an arrow detonated their spells close to her, it’d still affect her.

Alan’s strength outmatched hers and Black’s sword was driven to her side, giving him a chance to slash her body. She quickly raised her defensive spells and sword to parry but his holy spell and power were too much and she was blown back. She flew a few hundred meters back, using the momentum to gain distance, crushing the wheat around her.

Lycus still didn’t figure out her weakness and his arrows were still going through her to her Dimensional Fissure. Alan swiped his sword in the air and created a directional burst of explosive magic. Black raised her pistol to challenge the magical attack.

Her ability to process information was unmatched in the world and this demonstration was proof. Her dungeon had thousands of microgear processors on standby for such an occasion. She used her Soul Phone gem to send Alan’s magic circle back to Guide for calculation through the microgear processors and then he sent the anti-magic circle back to her. Although the processing was the limiting factor, the shortcut through their psychic link saved hours in calculating time compared to using pen and paper.

Every caster and magic in combat always used holy magic because it was faster, more practical, and did the same job. Calculating an anti-spell in combat was never practical until Alisha discovered this shortcut. Now, she obtained the anti-spell to Alan’s spell in less than two seconds.

Black fired her bullet and shattered Alan’s attack spell right in his face as he swung his sword. Alan seemed bewildered by what happened. “Can we talk now!?” She shouted at them.

“I will not be sweetened by your words, foul beast!” Alan responded as he charged forward towards her. She shot at him repeatedly but he would slash the bullets out of the air. Black holstered her pistol and blocked Alan’s blow with both hands. She tried to use her anti-magic trick on Alan’s enchanted sword but he kept changing the modulation.

A spell by Lycus finally tripped her off her footing by pushing her with an unseen force. He found her weakness in her Dimensional Fissure. Alan punched her gut so hard that it distended through her back. Her shield spell shattered and had her fly for the second time. Her human body was broken and she quickly worked to form another one when she saw Alan stand above her.

“Madam! Get up!” Guide shouted through the Soul Phone to her. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t defeat two seasoned freelancers. Alisha didn’t want to give up but—even after all her research, training, and changes—she still lost.

Alisha reached for her sword and grabbed it as her eyes turned hazel again. She was using it to slowly climb to her feet while she was regenerating. That punch had some holy magic and made her crystal crack a bit. If that blow was to her chest, she would’ve died. She was having difficulties as Alan’s shadow blanketed her from Grevin’s moonlight.

Alisha pleaded while leaning on her sword, “Please… I’m not a bad person…”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. You threaten my friends and expect to live after? Foul beast! This is the end!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. He really did like to be dramatic. She had one more trick up her sleeve to escape but it seemed she didn’t need to.

Alan was about to drive his sword into Alisha’s chest when an arrow flew by and knocked Lycus off his feet. He was disarmed. Alan’s sword clashed with another sword which suddenly got in his way of the killing blow.

“Alan, stop,” Jeromy said as he pushed away the muscle-brain a few feet with little effort from his blade against his. Jeromy was shorter and smaller than Alan but Alisha knew who was the alpha of the group.

“What’s this? A Dungeon Master who has terrorized Riverside and this entire region is being defended by the Hero of Viennera? What kind of fantasy tale is this?” Alan said, threatening the man with his sword still drawn.

“Put the sword down, Alan,” Selina appeared from behind the man with her bow drawn on Alan.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! We’re all comrades here, fighting the good fight. If you tell me to put my sword down, I will! But plotting with the enemy isn’t something heroes do,” he said passive-aggressively. Alan, the Hero of Riverside, tried to defuse the situation in his own way but Jeromy and Selina weren’t letting up.

Alan finally conceded as Lycus ran up to him with parts of his clothes burnt. With Alan lowering his weapon, Jeromy sheathed his sword and Selina lowered her bow. Selina breathed a sigh of relief as she turned and faced Alisha. She crouched down to her level.

“Alisha, here,” Selina offered to carry her. In her distressed state, the slime’s heart was pounding. She morphed back into her white wolf cub form and climbed into her arms. Her non-existent heart was still pounding as she nestled into her chest and comforted. Seeing her change her form, Alan and Lycus were wide-eyed.

“Alisha, is that really you?” Alan asked cautiously. He didn’t dare approach. Alisha turned away from him, rejecting him again. She was too battered to speak even through her telepathy. In Alan’s eyes, it was an affirmation. Upon this revelation, the cogs in the muscle-brain were finally turning on what this all meant.

***

The sounds of battle and the still roaring fires disrupted that harmony of the area would certainly attract the attention of the militia and the Imperial guards. Jeromy decided to press on with his mission to look for the traffickers. When Selina asked whether Alisha was okay to continue, she nodded meekly.

“Are you coming too?” Selina addressed Alan and Lycus who started following them into the forest for some reason. Lycus was unable to answer and looked to Alan for an answer.

“Yes! Of course, we are! Wherever trouble goes, we’ll be there to meet it! Selina, please allow us to join in your quest to bring those slavers to justice!” Alan declared in his pompous theatrical voice. The slime couldn’t help but cringe at the sight of the half-naked muscle-man raising his fist high in determination. Catching her condemning glare, Alan flinched.

Alisha was weak from the battle and needed to rest. Selina’s soft embrace was a comforting one. Her cold exterior seemed to melt with how she caressed her. Between Yuli and Selina, they were experts at this. This feeling of love and security was something Alisha hoped to never lose.

When the group, reached the checkpoint, the small militia garrison there was missing. Jeromy expected this since the Mayor was instructed to follow the traffickers’ instructions but it still came as a surprise as the kidnapping came early and the information of the abandonment had yet to reach him. Perhaps the mayor was more cowardly than he thought.

“The Mayor betrayed us…” Alisha said weakly. Although Alisha didn’t know for certain, the mayor seemed very distressed about his daughter’s attempted kidnapping. He was probably scared enough to give in to the traffickers regardless of whether they have his daughter or not and regardless of what protection the Association gave him. He was truly a man that was easily coerced and now eight additional townsmen were missing.

Alan couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “The mayor?! There’s not one day his justice and charity have not touched the hearts of the people of Riverside! To even think that such a man could commit such a hideous act is unthinkable!”

“You…don't think much…to begin with,” Alisha said those words with difficulty.

Jeromy didn’t want things to become like this but now they have to arrest the mayor and interrogate him about his potential deeper involvement. He ordered, “Lieutenant, tell the others to secure the mayor.”

“Jeromy! You don’t honestly think that, do you?!” Alan asked him.

“I do,” Jeromy said. Alan and Jeromy started to argue. However, both Jeromy and Selina knew they couldn’t charge the mayor without evidence so Selina also gave the order to interview the militiamen about what took place.

“What do you think, Lycus?” Selina asked.

“Oh,” Lycus smiled warily. “I don’t have much of an opinion on the matter. Whether he’s guilty or not doesn’t matter much to me as long as those responsible are brought to justice.”

The group began running at high speeds using an enhancement on their bodies. Alisha sat on Selina’s shoulder as she grabbed for dear life. They soon caught up with the criminals. Before the carriages got away from them, Selina shot several mana arrows a locating spell. Those mana arrows’ length dissolved after they landed on their target, making the remaining arrow tips hard to spot.

“They have split their convoy and they are moving in different directions,” Selina announced.

“Now what?” Alan said, in frustration. The group stopped for a moment to think about what to do.

“They have split into three groups of three and are heading away from each other. They are trying to lose whoever might be tailing them. But they will not get away, I know which route they took,” she explained.

The group ran to a few forks in the road and they followed Selina. She sensed the carriages with refugees and followed them until they began to converge into a location deep into the forest on a dirt trail. They followed the trail while being mindful not to trigger any traps. Their progress was slow but necessary to not alert the traffickers.

Then, a monster bear approached and Alan immediately came to meet it and sliced off its head with a single swing.

“Look at this, comrades! The strength of a giant bear was no match for us!” Alan declared in his dramatic voice. Jeromy told Alan to shut his mouth to no avail. But the now headless bear was back up again and as about to strike Alan when Lycus stabbed it from behind. Jeromy shot a freezing bullet at the monster’s heart and it was dead when it hit the ground. “Yes! It is just as I said, no match for us!”

Everyone sequentially ignored Alan’s ravings. Until… “Alisha!” Alan called out to her as he walked up to her. “I’m sorry!” He took a deep bow in front of her. Everyone else just as confused as she was.

“You apologize for what?” She wanted to make sure she was hearing him correctly.

“For attacking you. It was an unprovoked attack and we could’ve killed you. I hope we could make it up to you,” Alan said in a genuine voice. This was probably the first time he spoke without being in some heroic character.

“It’s okay. I attacked you too. But, if you guys treat me to a delicious meal sometime, we’ll be even,” she said.

“No!” Alan declared, forgetting that they needed to be stealthy. “I must repent for my transgression against an innocent! Alisha! Whatever you say for us to do, we’ll do it.”

“We are truly sorry, Alisha,” said Lycus. “We do not ask for your forgiveness but you may ask us anything.”

Alisha was in an uncomfortable situation. They wouldn’t take her solidarity because they were deeply guilty about their assault. She wanted to clear the air, “I want you two to know that I don’t blame you for what happened. The hunt for me is not your fault and you did it because they believed that it was the right thing to do. For now, can you both help me save those in need and to continue to support me in the future?”

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Or course, Alisha! That goes without saying! And when we return, I’ll make sure we’ll prepare a feast in your honor!” Alan declared.

“Hey Alan, not a feast. We can’t afford that,” Lycus said nervously. He didn’t know if Alan was joking or not.

“Everyone, quiet down!” Jeromy said in a loud whisper. Three identical stagecoaches were traveling along the road. They waited for a few minutes for them to pass them by on the dirt road and far enough away so they wouldn’t be noticed.

“Let’s go!” Jeromy led his party to follow the stagecoaches. As he suspected, one by one, they broke off in different directions again to other roads. They had to run to keep up with them. After about a half-hour of following and running, they were out of breath.

They were driving in circles to confuse pursuers. The group stopped as when they suddenly lost the stagecoach from their view and Selina’s sensory. How did it just disappear? Guide has been following the wagons with a group of falcons but they too lost sight of them. The group thought that if they could just follow one carriage, it could’ve led them to the hideout. But now, all the carriages have stopped.

“Damn it all!” Jeromy shouted in frustration.

“They have to be hidden somewhere,” Selina said. “They could not have gotten far.”

“Did they know we were coming?” Alan asked Jeromy.

“Unlikely, not with the distance between us,” Jeromy said. He looked around in desperation. If anything happened to those refugees, it would be because of his failure. Alan and Alisha weren’t so worried, for different reasons. They both were searching the forest floor. Alisha spotted it through her Monster Sight while Alan took a more proactive approach.

“Jeromy! Don’t be dispirited! We have found their lair of evil!” Alan declared triumphantly. He pointed to a camouflaging tarp. He unveiled it to reveal a large stone slab. Alisha could see through the stone cover and it was a hollow space that declined into a deep underground labyrinth.

There were humans down there. Some in cages and traffickers walking around, unloading their latest victims into cells. This was where the traffickers were holding their slaves. They found them. Their efforts were not in vain. The traffickers made one more mistake that would cost them dearly: their hideout was an abandoned dungeon. She was about to show them what a Dungeon Master can really do.