Miel issued an emergency meeting as soon as he found out there had been an assassination attempt on one of his lieutenants.

The table was laid out, and the seats were taken one by one. Miel, Chamgue, Loposia, Erina, Petyo, and Valta. With the exception of Araba, who was currently far from Pontya, everyone from the original assembly of people serving directly under Miel had gathered.

With the difference that today, they had two new members.

Thom Clawgold and Suu Clawgold, a pair of exiled brothers. What Miel had been told was that they had been exiled for the same reason, their mother was an outsider to the Clawgold clan, and these two had been born with eyes that didn't match the rest of the clan. Miel had several questions about inbreeding and other similar topics, but he shoved them aside since he was glad to have two people so capable join their ranks.

"Is lieutenant Thom in good shape?" Miel asked as he looked at him from afar.

"Yes, sir." Thom smiled bitterly as he replied.

He remembered when he finally decided to open his eyes in front of the three girls after coming back from the brink of death, and how glad Suu had been jumping up and down, saying that the gods had heard her prayer. Valta simply turned around and sighed relieved, and Erina had even started crying too. He was too deep in it to tell them what had happened. Even if guilt was eating him slowly.

"We can assume, then, that this assassin sent after you did not know about the hardy skin you're so proud of." Miel said while picking up the broken piece of dagger he had been handed.

"I would assume as much. But he was cautious enough to use a potent toxin as well. If it hadn't been for Valta's quick first aid, I wouldn't be sitting here today." He said that with the intention to praise Valta. He wasn't lying either. If Valta hadn't diminished the power of the toxin, he wouldn't have been able to make use of the ten minutes that it took [Superior Recovery] to neutralize 3/4ths of the remaining substance.

Valta simply nodded in acknowledgment, which made Thom happy enough to smile.

"Did you feel his aura as he approached you?"

"No, sir. Not when I was asleep. But as soon as I woke up I felt it clearly." He said that, but in truth, he had subconsciously used [Search Aura] the moment he felt the blade against his neck. "If I could describe it somehow, I'd say it was dark and lonely. It left a very tangible sense behind."

Miel nodded. This gave them a clue at the very least. If Thom could find this presence again somewhere in the city, the man would not have a way to defend against the words of a lieutenant of the army in trial. Even less if he was backed by Miel, the general of the army itself.

"Petyo, could I leave this matter into your hands as well? The blade he used and the toxin, I mean."

Miel threw the open envelope to Petyo's side, and the man closed his eyes with what seemed to be a smile, but wasn't quite easy to tell under his mask.

"This piece was shortly on my hands, general Miel. I have already done the pertinent research, and it seems it is a deep iron blade. The toxin used had already dried out, but I was able to identify it as it's color and effects closely matches to one I use myself." Petyo grabbed a vial from his pocket and showed to the room a yellowish, almost transparent liquid.

"Oh?" Miel squinted his eyes.

"It's a potent toxin, since it's made with the saliva of venomous reptiles that are closely related to green dragons. The power can't even get remotely close to a legendary green dragon's breath, of course. But when combined with certain herbs like this particular toxin, it can actually stop a human heart in one to two minutes."

Thom reached for his neck instinctively after he heard that. Then, mockingly sneering at himself, he looked at the unknown Petyo in a new light. He had listed him in his mind as a highly capable and smart man.

"Deep iron... No wonder it managed to cut through lieutenant Thom's skin. I'm also glad for this. I've finally managed to learn what kind of weapon I'd need in a battle with him." Miel placed his hand on his chin and looked towards Thom.

"Haha..." He could only nervously laugh off that comment.

"With this much information, we can at least look for providers and anyone trying to butt in our business. If it's a rogue somebody hired, fine. We beg it's not someone important and get rid of both the assassin and the contractor. But if it's an organization, we may have found something interesting to do in the next few weeks. We owe them, after all. The man killed another three men on his way inside the core quarters." Miel finished his talk and slowly grabbed a tobacco roll from his pocket, putting it in his mouth.

His index finger produced a small flame, lighting up the cigarrete.

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"Yes, sir. I'll have more information to report soon." Petyo bowed slightly.

"Good job, Petyo." Miel puffed out, and the sour smell of tobacco filled the room. "Then, let's go to our next pressing matter."

Loposia handed something to Miel, and Miel slid it across the table. He waited for everyone to read it, seeing their different gazes and gasps pop up here and there. Their expressions conveyed from some excitement, and from others, indifference. Valta, for instance, simply nodded as if confirming she had read the letter. Then, they handed it over to Thom.

Suu peeked and got pretty close to him, hoping he would read it out loud for her.

"Can't you, like, read the mood?" Thom lifted his eyebrows and asked.

"I can, but I can't read Kuulkiam. Read it for me, please." She shamelessly asked in a low voice that didn't want to hide anything. The rest of the room rolled their eyes together. The difference was, Thom and Erina were actually smirking.

"Very well." Thom fake-coughed a few times to clear his throat and then put on a dignified stance as he started to read, with a certain burlesque elegance in his voice. "By the present, it is the duty of the Royal House of Kulkus, recognized by the voice of Feriphia, who's grace shines upon us for centuries and for centuries to come, that we hereby open ground for the discussion of a mutually beneficial trade in which the subject referred to in this letter stands in equal ground to the King, the officials of his court, and the Royal Assembly. May mother Feriphia bless this trade with light and bask us in her glory."

Thom was doing his best to contain his laughter, while Suu was already tearing up from the ridiculously formal talk of the letter. Although Chamgue and Loposia seemed extremely bothered by their attitude, stabbing at them with their gazes, since Miel was looking at Thom with a rather friendly smile, Thom decided not to pay the others any heed.

"As it had been formerly discussed, the Royal House reminds the receiver of this letter that the situation in which we are currently entangled is of utmost priority, and face a regression in the progress that the assembly so dearly struggled to accomplish. As of date, from the 600,000 hectares of land handed to the common folk of Kulkus— as stated in the pertinent clause, and a decision that was taken forward in the most sincere magnanimity of the king, in sole thought of his people's well-being— the nobles have managed to snatch back close to 20% of it."

"Hold on, I got lost, was that weird pause neccesary?" Suu raised her hand.

"The king has a stick up his butt." Miel sneered. "Do keep reading, this is somewhat entertaining."

"Yes, sir." Thom nodded. "The royal assembly has decided that the removal of the nobiliary titles that these individuals have is of utmost importance to maintain the balance in power between the nobility, the crown, and the people. The crown had formerly issued your help with this situation and is pleased with your performance, much so that it would be glad to depend on your services once more. This time, the door upon which you and your officials may call is the one of Argrand Vin Lettas Legoun, a baron which you most be familiarized with."

Thom had not heard that name before. He stopped in thought for a second, but then cleared his throat and continued.

"The reward for this courier job will have room for negotiation later, yet the crown can assure you the reward won't go down the hundredth coin. Fucking hell..."

Of course, that last sentence was added by Thom. Although he possessed far, far more money than a hundred golden coins, he was still impressed by the sum. After all, he was not freely allowed to use that money without arousing suspicion. If he had earned it in the military, however, that would be another story.

"Ngh... I still don't get it. Aren't nobles like... Appointed by the king? Why are they so at odds?" Suu couldn't hold it in any longer and asked without restraint.

"It's a long story." Erina smiled. "Basically, when you've got two dudes with power in the same spot, one will want to have more at some point, no? Some nobles are loyal to the king, and that makes the land belong to the king somewhat. Other nobles just want everything for themselves. With how suddenly the crown started to screw up the nobles, the guys got rea~ lly mad with the king."

"Ah... That sounds like a civil war waiting to happen." Suu sighed.

"Correct." Miel finished off his cigarette and smiled. "And we're part of the main cast. Which, in my opinion, is extremely fun. I'll let everyone know that we're taking this mission, but not just because it's an issue from the king, but because that Argrand baron is a piece of utter shit."

The cigarette broke into pieces.

"Have you all heard of the supposed slave trade going on at the bottom side of Kulkus?"

Loposia asked as he placed his hands on the table. He received a positive nod from everyone except Suu and Thom, so he decided to carry on with his speech.

"It so happened that the focal point of this slave trait was in the Saltbide fief, a little lower than that of Goldblack's territory. You may have already guessed, but Argrand is baron to this land. It's mainly villages scattered along the few hundred hectares he reigns. Apparently, the ones that have been doing all the dirty work for him were the Lords he had divided his land with."

"Wait, what does this have to do with the farmland thing?" Thom crossed his arms.

"It's most probable that the people they were selling off as slaves to Dranquianstone came from the debt collections they did in their fief. Which is indeed worrying, taking into account it would count as illegal slave trait, extortion, illegal trades with a nation the country doesn't have ties any longer with— the list goes on. This also means the marquis of Dark Valley is involved in this, if he has been allowing Argrand to pass slaves trough his territory towards Dranquianstone."

"He may be our next target." Petyo smiled.

"That might be overreaching. Pontya is also busy as of now with all the monster movements in Goldblack and the sudden apparition of golems in the coal mines. Trying to kill a baron with a small castle of his own is a thing, but trying to go against a marquis that has survived countless skirmishes against the dark elves is only foolish." Miel scoffed. "I don't think the king is that senile yet to kill one of his best defenders."

"Then, if we'll be taking this mission, who's going after the baron?"

At that moment, Miel's eyes shone brightly. He leaned forward in his chair, and his eyes went over them one by one. Of course, there was also the probability that this mission was to be carried on by someone that didn't belong to his close assembly, but as of now, he couldn't afford leaks and insubordination.

His eyes finally rested on Thom, who swallowed dry. He had expected this to happen from the very start.

"Mister righteous, don't you think it would be fun to tear apart a slave trade route?" Miel smirked at Thom.

He simply returned a weary smile, and placed his hand behind his head.

"Yes... Sir."