Vitmori POV

As I washed away the blood and stash away the corpses strewn about me, my mind begins to wander while I think about the lives that have been affected in the last couple of hours. I need to make sure I recognize the events that played out today, and my part in how things unfolded and how I feel about my choices.

Sure I'm glad to have won this fight and to have protected the villagers who were being attacked by a force that was superior to them in both equipment and firepower. But just doing a brief headcount of the corpses in my inventory, my actions here today have caused more people to die in the last couple of hours than all those I've killed in my entire lifetime during my last life. While I didn't kill that many directly, they fell at my command, so I may as well have killed them myself.

I'm both exhilarated by the sheer firepower that I was able to wield in actual combat and terrified by just how quickly I was able to snuff out so many lives with almost contemptuous ease. I suppose such battles and casualties are normal in this world and this era, but all in all, it just holds a different feel and weight when compared to the fights I was used to.

I mean... This was an actual siege by a foreign invading force, filled with people who had a life and a future waiting for them back home with family, friends, children, and loved ones... Almost nothing like those who I usually pit myself against who had nothing left but the next day waiting for them and didn't mind trampling those in their way to see it.

I suppose if they wanted to actually have those futures surrounded by their loved ones, then they shouldn't have been in my way today. I can't blame myself for their actions and the fact that they lost their lives because of the choices that led them into my path. I was going to be in town anyway, and I only did what I did because it was the right thing to do.

Even though I say that, I can't help but consider the fact that I enjoyed myself. I made a spectacle of the fight and performed excessive theatrics by making a show of a man's death. Sure, it was a part of my plan, but the fact that I had a smile on my face throughout the battle did not escape me.

Perhaps I really am some kind of an eccentric? How much of my act is just an act and how much of it is just me being myself without my self-imposed restrictions or the limits I used to have as a mere human?

Then there's Basmori... At the end of the day, I am proud of him. He handled himself in open combat and held his own against trained warriors who had lived full lives when compared to him. Am I sad that he's had to take the life of a sentient being? Yeah... But again, this is the world we live in, I can't hold him back from growing up into the type of person he needs to be to survive and thrive in these parts. Especially with the expectations that are there with a name like his. I just need to make sure to guide him down the right path, to not be someone who kills for the sake of killing, but someone who can kill for the sake of others if it comes down to it.

With that in mind, I can't help but wonder if I could have at least spared some of the raiders. Did I have to kill them all? Was an offer for surrender even a viable option or choice? I... I need to stop this line of thought. Despite the mass death at my hands and orders, I just have to accept that those raiders were here to steal food and supplies and kidnap as many people as they could for some nefarious reason, that in itself made their lives forfeit when it comes to protecting those that needed my help.

Moving on... In the back of my mind, I could sense that my core had grown in diameter by several inches, though my rings remained unchanged; why that is the way it is despite the number of souls I've absorbed today, I don't know. Though I suppose it merits a closer examination of my core when I get the chance later.

As for all those who died today, I'm still working through their memories and doing my best to mentally catalog the information coming my way with all the literal lifetimes of experiences coming my way. I'm just happy that the process happened automatically and required no real effort on my part beyond sifting through the details later.

Going back to Basmori, I could tell he's grown stronger after this battle. Between gaining actual combat experience against strong opponents and his share of the vital energies and mana that I got from their deaths; I could sense a single ring having spiraled into existence around his manaheart. If past experience is anything to go by, I think I can expect some kind of development from him, though how it will manifest is anyone's guess.

My focus goes back to the moment as I realize I've finished cleaning up the grisly mess of battle. All the blood, guts, and gore have been washed or stashed away for the time being. I'm not even sure why I cleaned everything up, perhaps out of habit. Sure the battles of my old world usually weren't this bloody or big, but we always cleaned up the corpses for the sake of cleanliness and to avoid the stench of rot from settling where we didn't want it to.

Regardless, I still have an audience that's been watching me clean up this whole time, I think they've waited long enough for me to continue my little act. Collecting the emitter and stashing it away as well, I pulled a smile on my face and a poncho on my body; I felt Basmori settle on my shoulder as I reached up and doted on him while looking up at the faces of the guards and soldiers on the walls in front of me. "Good morning everyone... I got your call for help."

Nobody responded to me at first, and I could sense varying amounts of uncertainty, awe, and fear coming from the lot of them as I just smiled a little more. "Looks like your drawbridge is a little less than functional right now... Do you mind if I make a quick fix for y'all?"

It takes a few minutes, but someone calls out to me and I spot a beaverkin stepping out from the gatehouse and onto the walkway. He had a rather healthy wariness of me, and I could already sense him regarding me as an eccentric in his thoughts. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" He asked, trying to set up some dialogue before anything else happened.

I just chuckle softly at his words, still smiling as I give a small wave of my hand. "My name is Vito, I'm something of an art merchant... As for what I'm doing here? Well, I'm on my way to the capital for business and just happened to see all this happening. Now then... About that drawbridge? Tul'mi could likely use some aid in escorting all the food and people these raider bastards were taking while you all were preoccupied with this siege.”

The surprise from the beaverkin and surrounding guards and soldiers was palpable, they collectively recognized Tul'mi by name though they were more taken aback by the news that people were actively being taken from the village itself. Within moments I could sense the gears shifted within the soldiers and guards as they started mobilizing what they could while the beaverkin regarded me again. "Very well, Mage Vito. By all means, do as you wish with the drawbridge."

With permission granted, I stepped closer toward where the drawbridge would come down before pouring out stone from my inventory as I shaped it into a sturdy-looking bridge. It's nothing fancy or complicated as I'm just building it across a simple moat, though I did ensure to build it in such a way that it can withstand heavy traffic and heavy loads so that it'll last a while until they're able to replace their ruined drawbridge.

As for the massive hunk of charcoal itself, once I crossed my new bridge, I placed my hand against the drawbridge before stashing the entire thing at once. I was mindful enough to only take the drawbridge itself, leaving the chains that connected it to the winches in the gatehouse limply dangling against the gatehouse walls.

The sudden looks of astonishment from the guards and soldiers as they watched the entire drawbridge vanish before their eyes were just priceless. I couldn't help but flash a grin as I did my very best to not outright laugh at their expense while I crossed the threshold of the walls. "Sorry if I surprised you... Y'all should take some carts and carriages north to meet up with Tul'mi and some of the guards who went with her. Oh, and you'll find some more people and goods over in the fields to the west." I explained, making vague gestures in the general directions they needed to go.

Now in the bailey, I was surrounded by a controlled chaos of soldiers and guards going from place to place, doing whatever it was that needed to be done. As the minutes started to trickle by, I watched as barrels of fluids were being rolled somewhere by some soldiers while another few went around collecting arrows and spears from the floors and buildings. All in all, I got an estimated headcount of around fifteen guards and forty soldiers with quite a few civilian volunteers intermingled among them.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

With guards and soldiers heading out through the gates, more and more civilians started coming out from buildings around the bailey; the people looked around curiously as they began questioning the soldiers they found about what was happening.

However, I didn't get the chance to get a headcount on the civilians that were there or eavesdrop on the conversations as I was approached by the beaverkin from before along with a few soldiers and guards who accompanied him.

Giving the beaverkin a quick once-over, I could tell he was a mage of sorts and had elite badges pinned to his sleeve and around the neck of his robes; the badges themselves marked him as a rank four elite. "I apologize for keeping you waiting Mage Vito, my name is Aspen, and I'm the Head Mage of Lucfan's Rest."

"Good morning, Mage Aspen." I replied politely enough as Basmori relaxed along my shoulders, laying his small body along the back of my neck while his claws found purchase on my shoulders. "Did you need something?"

Aspen glanced at Basmori with intent curiosity before looking up at me, lowering his head in gratitude, and then standing tall again. "May I be the first to thank you for your timely arrival and assistance in dealing with the foreign soldiers who marched upon our village? Your aid was invaluable and there are no doubts that you have changed the way this day may have ended." He expressed with no small amount of respect.

Though before he continued, I couldn't help but mess with the man just a little bit as I interrupted him. "You may not, Tul'mi was the first to thank me after all. But I'll happily accept you as the second to thank me." I mused as I reached up and doted on Basmori, gently massaging one of his ears with my right hand as he happily leaned into my touch.

Aspen wasn't sure how to respond to that, opening and closing his mouth a few times before simply clearing his throat. "Very well... If I may, I also bring word from Mayor Trelio Lucfan, who requests an audience with you." I didn't even need to sense Aspen's thoughts to see that he was being abnormally deferential to a nobody like me. I could tell that he was usually a proud and confident man, but after seeing what I was capable of, he was feeling rather intimidated and outclassed. I suppose in a society based on merit, money, and might; he was doing his best to err on the side of caution while dealing with someone stronger than him.

"Do I have to meet him?" While I certainly don't mind meeting the man in charge of this place, I didn't intend on having any dealings with the local leadership. I was only planning on spending the night here before moving on with my journey and heading to the next stop on the way to the capital. Though I suppose I wasn't intending on fighting a small army today either, so there's that.

The beaverkin mage hesitated at first, not sure how to respond to that as he needed a moment to gather a proper response. "Well... No. I suppose you don't have to meet the Mayor if you don't want to Mage Vito, though after everything you've done today, I would at the very least recommend hearing the Mayor out as he likely intends on rewarding you for your aid."

If that's the case, then I guess I shouldn't snub the man and turn down his request. With a simple bob of my head, I regarded Aspen again. "Very well then, take me to your leader." I muse with a bit of a smile.

Trelio POV / Half-Elf Elite / Sector Mayor

Trelio had woken up this morning to the sounds of battle before the moons had fallen into the horizon. The flames on the edge of his town illuminated the night and sent his people into a panicked frenzy as many of them rushed for the bailey and crossed the drawbridge, it was only by the grace of the gods that nobody fell into the moat despite the chaos.

They didn't have the time to save everyone before raising the drawbridge as the brunt of the foreign soldiers took the plaza and began their siege in earnest. The situation turned for the worse when some of the soldiers found out the hard way that the wells within the bailey had been poisoned somehow overnight, rendering a number of his forces very ill and unable to even fight.

Honestly, Trelio was expecting that he wouldn't live long enough to see the moons rise again with the way that battle had been going. He had already been making plans for his family and the civilians to try and escape by rigging some kind of zipline around the back of the fort in hopes that they could at least hide out in the woods until reinforcements arrived, that was at least until that pillar of fire suddenly illuminated the sky.

He wasn't close enough to the walls to watch the battle take place, but he did see the aftermath... Among the carnage of dozens upon dozens of bodies was a single man soaked in the blood of his enemies. It was a grisly sight and a glorious one. The man looked only slightly younger than Trelio himself, yet he could hardly imagine wielding the power and might that man seemed to possess.

Trelio hadn't even heard of a man like him in this country, so he could only assume he was a wanderer of some kind. That only meant that he needed to make sure he handled this encounter with this previously unknown and mighty warrior with great care, lest he sullies his family name or burn possible bridges that would serve to benefit his country.

For the moment, Trelio found himself in the fort's meeting room, sitting at the head of the table while still in his armor; his warhammer lying across the table itself, disgracefully pristine and unused after everything that happened today.

The doors suddenly opened, momentarily startling the man as he looked to see his eldest son, Larkis, making his way into the room. The half-elf teen looked respectfully battered and battle-tested, his armor sporting a few noticeable dents and scratches as he crossed the room. Taking off his helmet, he could see the young man also had a fresh bruise along his jawline and the remains of a gash on his forehead that looked to have been freshly treated by a small dose of healing magic that had been directly applied to the wound. "Father! It is good to see you are well." The young man enthused cheerfully as he set his helmet on the table before standing by Trelio's side.

Trelio couldn't help but grin as he stood, giving Larkis a proud hug as their chest plates clanked against each other rather audibly. "Larkis, I feared the worst, I'm glad to see you are well. Tell me, where have you been?" He asked, pulling back as he gestured for his son to sit beside him while he settled in his seat as well.

Larkis nodded intently, unfastening his sheathed blade from his hip as he laid it on the table before settling in a chair. "Well, I had been out on overnight patrol with some of the other guards." He mentioned, flashing a fairly sheepish smile as he began his tale.

Trelio knew his son better than that, while it may have been true that he was initially out on patrol with the guards, it was more likely that he was spending time at the inn and hanging around Tul'mi's daughter. However, he decided to not interrupt as Larkis went about painting the scene as they described fortifying the inn when the foreign soldiers began marching on the village, crediting himself with a confirmed three kills before falling in battle after suffering a hammer to the face.

He then went on to describe waking up in the field with the other villagers who didn't have the good fortune to make it across the drawbridge, though his memories were admittedly still hazy for a majority of that time between the head wound and the blood loss. "Though that is when the stranger arrived, he seemed to be some kind of necromancer as he commanded these strange monsters that appeared to be mostly humanoid. They're a rather vicious sort of undead that can sprint in full armor faster than most people, and he had several sorts that I've never seen before." He explained with a healthy mix of awe and wariness.

Trelio had to agree, he had heard the initial reports from the men and women on the walkways of the bailey and had personally seen the aftermath himself. Necromancers were generally a mixed bag of oddballs and weirdos; while not generally on the level of eccentrics, they tended to have dubious reputations at best. Even the most reputable of crypt mages and necromancers tended to err on the side of morally gray rather than being wholly upstanding members of society. "Well, I'm glad to see you are alright. You should go visit with your mother and sister, they're currently organizing the villagers and setting up a brigade to help contain the fires before they spread to the rest of the village."

Larkis nodded dutifully at that, standing as he collected his blade before strapping it to his hip and picking up his helmet. Though before he turned to leave, he regarded Trelio curiously and spoke up. "I mean no disrespect Father, but if they're doing that... What are you doing?"

Trelio couldn't help but smile kindly in understanding as he looked up at Larkis from where he sat. "I'll be meeting with the stranger, Mage Aspen should be escorting him here soon enough." At that, Larkis looked clearly excited as he glanced at the doors to the meeting room before looking back to Trelio, though before he could get a word out, Trelio just shook his head in response. "You may not stay for the meeting, given how powerful this man is, we need to tread cautiously since we are most certainly in his debt after what he has done today."

Larkis just sighed with clear disappointment before merely bobbing his head. "As you say, Father. I'll be on my way." He said while pulling on his helmet and leaving the room.

The seconds turned to minutes as Trelio waited, though soon enough Mage Aspen entered the meeting room, followed by the stranger who wore rather a shabby and ragged-looking scrap of black fabric over his torso; he also wore some rather singed and frankly crispy-looking leather armor and chain greaves, likely the armor of the foreign soldiers that he was wearing before the bloodbath began.

Mage Aspen gestured for the stranger to take a seat at the opposing head of the table before looking to Trelio and lowering his head in a show of respect. "Mayor Trelio Lucfan, I present to you Mage Vito." He then regarded the mage and gestured to Trelio. "Mage Vito, this is Mayor Trelio Lucfan, Rank Two Elite and Mayor of this sector."

As Vito settled into the seat, Trelio suddenly noticed a winged cub of some kind resting on the Mage's shoulders, somehow not noticing it at first. With introductions established Trelio decided to speak up first as he met Vito's gaze. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Mage Vito. If you allow me to drop all pretenses, I just want to say thank you for putting your life on the line to protect my home. This is a debt that I won't soon forget, even after we find some way to compensate you for your efforts."

Vito just flashed a seemingly kind smile as he relaxed in the chair. "While I appreciate the thanks, I didn't do it for a reward. Someone asked me for my help and thus I helped because I had the power to do so, it was as simple as that." He then reached up, gently poking the cheek of the winged cub that was on his shoulders. "But if you wish to compensate me, then I certainly won't say no to that... However, we still have matters to discuss before we talk of rewards and the like. Especially if you're the one in charge of these parts."

Trelio perked up at that comment, sitting a little straighter before leaning slightly forward with his elbows resting on the table. "Oh? And what matters would that be?"

Vito just grinned almost conspiratorially as he sat up in his chair. "The exact location of the raider's hideout, as well as an estimated total of their remaining forces and the villagers they've been kidnapping from the surrounding area."

Trelio could feel his heart skip a beat with anticipation as he couldn't help but consider the merit of taking down those foreign soldiers could bring after all the trouble they've caused since coming into this country. Especially for his son who could certainly use more achievements to his name. "I see... Those are certainly some rather important matters." He expressed while doing his best to maintain his composure.

"Great, then let's talk business." Vito mused as he relaxed into his seat again.