Chapter 4 - A Deal in the Dark

The five hooded figures surrounded me. All of them were standing just outside of my sword’s range, but close enough to attack if I used any magic. It looks like they had a good grasp of my capabilities, so they either watched my battle against the troll earlier or had been informed by someone who did.

Could they have been sent by the Count of Copperhold? No, if he wanted to talk then all he had to do was send a summons tomorrow and I would have to go to his manor. Unless Count Thornvine wanted to kill me privately, these people were acting on someone else’s orders.

Hmm. The local count is a well-known supporter of Bardoch's Crown Prince. In that case, these men may be spies for someone in the Second Prince’s camp, trying to recruit me before I meet the count… or eliminate me if I were already in the other faction's pocket.

Lastly, there's also the chance of them being spies from another kingdom. Only one way to find out.

“Hello, it’s a nice evening for a stroll.” I said cheerfully. “Can I help you gentlemen?”

“Enough with the act, mage.” One of those in front of me growled, his voice containing no hint of amusement. “Who are you working for, and what is your mission here in Copperhold?”

How rude.

“That’s none of your business.” I answered, crossing my arms. “No, actually, it’s impolite to ask someone’s identity without introducing yourself first.”

Losing their patience, the five men brought out their weapons. All of them were wielding wooden clubs with thick metal heads. For them to risk using blunt weapons against a dangerous target, they definitely wanted me alive for interrogation. Then I noticed that one of them had a very odd stance. Could it be?

“Seize him!”

Looks like the discussion was over. Tsk. They were close enough that I could slash the throats of one or two with , but if my guess is right, I can't afford to kill them.

I drew Hawk’s Talon while summoning a wide in front of me to avoid fighting on two sides. Then I turned around to deal with the three at my back. One charged forward, his club raised high. Parrying his weapon, I punched him in the gut while casting a low powered .

The man dropped to the ground convulsing. His companions were more careful and attacked me at the same time. However, they were just trying to keep me busy until the other two managed to get around my . Instead of dodging like they expected, I used , slamming shoulder first into the left one, my momentum carrying us several meters forward.

He was left gasping for breath, and I quickly knocked him out. With his partners incapacitated, the last man ran away, joining the two who had finally gotten around my wall. However, this was a fatal mistake - all three were now too far to keep me from casting magic.

With no distractions, I freely casted two . My targets were helpless to resist and fell to the ground like puppets with their strings cut. The last one hesitated, then dropped his club and raised his arms in surrender, knowing that he couldn’t run.

“This is why I hate muscle brained idiots who attack without thinking.” I sighed, walking over. “All of this could have been avoided if you just talked like normal people.”

I grabbed the only guy I left conscious and removed his hood. As I thought, it was one of the adventurers who defended the walls, a skilled archer with short golden hair. His slightly pointed ears gave him away as a half-elf. I suspected it was him by the way he held his club - far too graceful and unsuited for such a crude instrument.

“I didn't believe what I saw earlier today, but you really do control multiple elements.” He said, eyes wide in awe and respect. “Are you a supreme elementalist from the Unbowed? No incantations either, what kind of overpowered bullshit- “

“All you need to know is that I come from outside Bardoch, and that I am not very fond of the royal family.” I cut him off. “Now, answer my questions. You're agents from the Free Cities, right?”

The young half-elf looked alarmed, confirming my suspicions. Before I could ask anything else, another person emerged from the nearby dark alley. I raised my sword to the half-elf’s throat, but it was merely a precaution; this new figure wasn’t emitting any hostility. He was a thin old man with a long, gaunt face and swept backed silver hair. Dressed in the same black cloak as my attackers, he stood with dignified bearing. Two black daggers were strapped to his waist.

“My apologies for our rudeness, mage,” He said, bowing slightly. “We suspected that one of the dukes or Marshal Bradford had caught wind of us, and sent you here to investigate.”

“And you’ve changed your mind?” I asked, letting go of the half-elf. He quickly staggered away.

“A noble’s hunting dog wouldn’t bother sparing their lives.” The silver haired man explained calmly, gesturing to the unconscious men. “So you are likely telling the truth about coming from outside Bardoch. Well met, I am Councilman Raven of the Free Cities.”

“Ezekiel Hawk.” I said, offering my hand. Raven shook it.

A legendary Councilman of the Free Cities. What kind of luck is this? I had made contact with one of the most important pieces of my plan, and much earlier than I expected.

*  *  *

The Free Cities are a special existence. Fifteen years ago, there was a massive slave revolt within the neighboring Sunset Kingdom, which is notorious for its inhumane treatment of "collared goods", as the slave merchants so kindly call their wares.

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It was a bloody uprising. Nobody knows how they coordinated it while maintaining perfect secrecy, but one night all of the slaves revolted within three of the Sunset Kingdom's fortress towns. This attack was perfectly timed, as the country was at war with the Bardoch Kingdom, so most of its armies were away fighting at the border.

After a fierce battle, the slaves (led by twelve people calling themselves the "Council") emerged victorious. They seized control of the cities, either banishing or killing the former masters, depending on the severity of treatment they received. The slave merchants were tortured to death in exceedingly brutal ways, their body parts hanged upon the city walls.

Furious at the news, the Sunset King immediately recalled half of his men from the territory's border to put an end to this uprising. Ten thousand soldiers marched, led by a vicious and highly experienced warrior named General Tyndall. Everyone was confident that order would soon be restored.

However, the slaves had chosen their base well. The three fortresses were nestled deep within the mountains, surrounded by impenetrable cliff walls. There was only one narrow winding path up the mountain, leaving any invaders exposed. Most impressively, the cities were even connected by hidden passageways, making sieges extremely difficult.

General Tyndall knew this, of course. But he refused to believe that the slaves would pose a challenge to his battle hardened soldiers. Tyndall was convinced that the slaves were too poorly armed and inexperienced to make full use of the terrain's natural defenses.

He thought wrong.

It was a one-sided massacre. The pass had been littered with traps, and arrows constantly rained down upon Tyndall's men as they made the treacherous climb upwards. Boiled pitch, rolling logs, and massive boulders... countless soldiers died by the time they reached the walls, and even that was only the beginning of their nightmare.

Tyndall lead the assault, but instead of the defenseless slaves he expected, they were met by demihuman fighters wielding magical weapons and armor. It was later revealed that one of the Council members is a mage named Lindra Spark, who specializes in enchanting. The Council had prepared a massive armory of enchanted items before the revolution even began.

As strong as General Tyndall was on the battlefield, he was no match for the combined power of the Twelve Councilmen. He was soon killed, stabbed through the heart by Raven himself, and what was left of his defeated army fled in terror. Of the ten thousand strong legion that marched to subjugate the slaves, only a few hundred made it back alive.

The Sunset Kingdom paid for their arrogance with this humiliating loss. Their military strength fell drastically, and were forced to negotiate a ceasefire with Bardoch Kingdom at great cost. Above all, though, was the damage to their pride and influence.

From an awe inspiring power, they dropped to a second rate territory, the laughing stock of Ethna. General Tyndall's name became a curse, his former glories tarnished by the greatest sin ever committed in the Sunset Kingdom's history: defeat against a slave army.

The Sunset King would try again, sending many more of his troops to their deaths against the Free Cities, but it was all for naught. Overcome with rage, the king himself died soon afterwards, and his successor wisely chose to pretend that the mountains didn't exist.

To the elite of the Sunset Kingdom, the continued existence of the Free Cities is a blight. But to the oppressed, it is a beacon of hope and triumph. Agents from the cities would spread across Ethna wherever slavery was rampant, freeing those who suffered most and assassinating nobles who abused their power. This has earned them no small number of enemies, but they are loved by the masses.

It's no surprise that they have people working here in Bardoch Kingdom. This country is a wretched hive filled with ruthless slavers and despotic lords.

*  *  *

Now, the Free Cities have a reputation for being extreme in their methods, but I can't blame them - their hatred of slavery and anti-demihuman bigotry runs deep. If I can keep them in check, they will be a powerful ally to have on my side.

So when Councilman Raven asked me to follow him to a more private location, I quickly agreed. He led me to a small, inconspicuous house a short distance away. Both of us were now sitting across each other in a sparsely decorated living room, with the half-elf archer serving us tea.

I still couldn't believe that I was actually speaking with the legendary killer of General Tyndall. Really, I was grateful that he was the logical sort and that I avoided killing his men. If he attacked me, then I would probably die unless Jure intervenes.

After taking a sip from his cup, the famous rogue and spymaster started talking.

“Sir Hawk, you seem to know who I am and why we are here in Copperhold."

“The Free Cities wants to help the slaves and oppressed commoners of Bardoch Kingdom.”

“Correct. And since you still chose to meet with me, I assume that you're willing to help.”

I nodded. "A partnership with the Free Cities would definitely help me in achieving my goals, and I personally admire your mission."

"That is good to hear." Raven said, pleased. "But what exactly are your goals?"

"I want the throne of Bardoch Kingdom."

Raven paused, obviously taken aback at what I just said. Then he nodded, looking deep in contemplation. He believed that I was a champion secretly backed by another powerful country. It would explain my incredible mastery of magic at such a young age. If that was the case, then I definitely had a chance of usurping the throne during this chaotic period.

But it would just be a small chance. Not worth gambling on. So I had to sweeten the pot.

"The Free Cities may be impregnable, but it has one fatal weakness, right?" I asked, drinking my tea. This was leagues better than what Chavok had served me back then.

Raven nodded, a bitter expression on his face. "It seems you understand. Our military strength is considerable, but no kingdom will risk being ostracized by trading with us."

Being a territory deep in the mountains, food was the biggest problem the Free Cities had. Its population was always at risk of starvation.

"And that is why you are forced to raid caravans and take huge losses in black market trades."

"Indeed." He said. "It is not a sustainable practice, and we have been searching for a way to-"

"I will declare a formal alliance with the Free Cities." I interrupted, looking Raven straight in the eyes. "Not only that, I plan to completely end slavery within Bardoch Kingdom."

His normally calm expression shook, realizing what my proposition meant. It was a bold statement, equivalent to saying that I would be declaring war on the Sunset Kingdom. Raven's brows furrowed; on one hand, he would risk putting the Free Cities into danger by helping me. On the other hand, a friendly King of Bardoch was the best chance the Free Cities had at long-term survival.

"Open conflict with Bardoch is a serious matter, and I have to discuss it with the rest of the Council first."

"Actually, I don't need your armies." I said, quickly clearing up the confusion. "What I'm asking from you is much simpler than you think."

"Oh?" Raven asked, his interest piqued.

"I'll only ask you to fight once, helping me win a decisive battle." I explained. A king that wins his throne by relying on another country's soldiers is nothing but a puppet. "The most important thing I need you to do is gather information and spread rumors."

I was determined to win this war as decisively as possible. To do that, I needed Raven's spy network to be my eyes and ears throughout Bardoch Kingdom.

Sow the seeds of chaos. Find the weaknesses of the noble factions. And most importantly, use their considerable influence among the common people to make me into a hero. Being a liberator is an excellent justification for seizing power.

While the two princes fight and swagger, I will continue building my strength in the shadows. Once all of the pieces fall into place, I will cut both of their heads off.