Chapter 168: Prep For War; Demme (P2)

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I announced that I'm the Mayor of the city that put them in such a state of…war.

But their reaction is justified, I bet I'd do the same if one of Phien's Gamma's started talking about peace and what not.

My horse is spooked by the sudden flaring of weapons and so are the fifty men behind me, swords and pikes are raised, Juri trotting forward with a steely glare placed firmly on the three.

"It would do you well to sheath your weapons now." He warns with the backing of his men.

"Go! Get back to the village, warn them!" The one who spoke first speaks again, commanding the others to retreat.

"We're not here to-"

Again, I'm not given the chance to finish, "Oh yeah? And you're here with near a hundred men, yet you aren't here to trample some more on Demme! Quick you two, run!"

Ugh. This is annoying.

The two look back at their friend and likely leader with a sense of loss as they hop onto their horses and begin galloping away.

I get off my horse, ignoring the complaints for Juri, "Anselm, please make sure those two don't leave, block their path, don't hurt them."

Without comment Anselm flies out, shocking the one remaining, his face stricken with even more terror. But to the young man's credit, he holds his ground, tightening his grip on his cross bow he swerves faster than I'd have thought him able to.

The barrel is pointed at Anselm's back, he fires without a moments hesistation, but I'm not worried.

To the young man's eternal dismay, his arrow falls back to the ground no more than a frozen stick and Anselm zooms ahead, unbothered.

Standing by his side I can hear his heavy breathing as he watches his galloping friends come to a terrible halt, flung off their horses as Anselm slams into the ground with his mace, creating a frosty wall of ice directly in their path.

"What's your name?" Are my first words to him in his terrified state. 

Shakily, he mutters, "Piol."

"Very good name you have there, Piol." I wrap my hand around his shoulder and smile, "You're a good man, you know what to do in scary situations, I'd love to have you by my side, but what I'd love even more is to have a calm conversation where no one jumps to conclusions, would you like that?"

He nods.

"I want to hear it."

"Yes, I would like to have a..a conver-"

"Ah, what the hell, that's good enough."

***

Anselm ends up having to haul Piol's friends over to us. Piol has long since calmed down, especially now that we've given him some food.

I noticed the man as well as his friends had very malnourished bodies. In contrast, the horses they rode on seemed to be in far better health than they do.

Him regaining his composure works well for me, as he quickly calmed down his two comrades, giving them food as well they don't wait much of a second to scarf it down their throats and hunger for more.

They remind me of myself.

"Now, we've given you food, which you've eaten despite considering me as an enemy, want to tell me why you don't think the food you are eating is poisoned?"

The three aren't fazed in the slightest by my words.

Piol is the one to speak, "If you wanted to kill us you wouldn't waste food by poisoning it, not when you have the power to...do anything you want."

I suppose that's some sound thinking.

"You're terribly hungry, aren't you? Demme not have too much food? Ironic given you have an entire forest a hop away."

The three level me with glares but don't stop eating.

"You must already know well why Demme has no food." Piol glowers, "Even if you are the new Mayor of Aste and have no relation to that cursed man, you came here with several armoured and likely enchanted men. You are not ignorant."

"Quite the diplomat, aren't you?" I chuckle, "But you're right, I am not ignorant, and I am no fool either. Demme has survived this long without help…how long has it been, Juri?"

The man steps forth behind me, "A year and a half, milord."

"Right, quite the achievement, I don't think any normal village could manage such, you must have a very powerful Mayor or a very powerful supporter, perhaps both."

Finally, they've stopped eating.

It's felt wrong, almost miracle like that a village with barely any defences or prospects would remain standing for so long after behind suffocated this long.

Carbina had their farms within the encirclement of the Cultists. But this is far worse, the monsters have no ultimate goal other than killing and eating and surviving with their young.

And the denizens of Demme provide for that, they care not for their farms and so they trample it. They only want the flesh of men.

Demme should have long gone under with this logic. But somehow, they're surviving.

"I bet the Marquess isn't a generous one to you either, especially now that you aren't giving them the steel income, it would be a waste of resources to rescue you from this predicament, so they've chosen not to. So, who is it?"

The three fall silent, exchanging meaningful looks in their silence. But I'm patient, I realize there isn't much a point threatening them any more than I have already, anymore and I'd just be bluffing.

Then finally, Piol speaks again, "Why do you wish to know? If you don't seek to harm Demme any further then surely you'll leave this matter be?"

"Ah…well, unfortunately, I need to know because I intend to rule Demme, much like the cursed man intended, except this time, I'm not going to give up and there's no one capable of chasing me off."

"Except our benefactor." Piol is quick to retort.

"Is that what you call them?"

Piol bites his cheek, cursing his loose tongue.

"You should let me know now if you intend to give me the information I need, Piol, after all, before meeting you I was just going to waltz into Demme and sit your Mayor down."

Piol, surprisingly smiles, "A lot of us wish to do that as well. I won't be able to tell you what you need, but I can tell you, that our benefactor is the reason Demme is still standing and I don't believe he's going to let go of us."

Now…isn't that interesting.