Chapter 235: Blood

Chapter 235: Blood

Please, please, dont kill me!

I look at a young girl, no older than fifteen.

Were you with them? I say with my gun trained on her.

I was just hitching a ride, miss! I wanted to see the half-giants!

She saw my face.

Should have worn a mask.

Putain.

You come from Keveiz?

No! No! I have hitched another ride to Keveiz, I come from Malki!

Malki?

I rack my brain and finally something comes to me. Its a huge city full of different races, governed by a senate made of representatives. Its basically a city-state. I look at the ring on my hand, a truth stone I stole from a [Merchant], the gem changing color to blue inconspicuously.

Whats your name?

My names Via! she says, more and more agitated.

Again blue.

Via, do you have any intention of giving me away to the [Merchants]?

No! No! Absolutely no! Im no rat!

The truth stone on my ring flashes blue, but lighter.

Have you tattled about anyone else in the past?

She goes silent.

I can help you! I can help! she blurts out frantically. You need someone to clean up, right?! Im not afraid of getting my hands dirty! I can work for you! Please, dont kill me! Please!

Class and levels, Via, I tell her.

She cringes but nods.

Im a [Vagabond], level 7. And a [Tailor], level 11. I do repairs for clothes and other odd jobs to get some money!

The ring flashes light blue.

Whats the third class?

Its[Pickpocket].

Are you an orphan?

Yes, she says plainly.

Both times, the ring flashed blue.

Pure blue.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

Thats good. No one to tattle to, then. Listen, I dont need to kill you, but I do need to start recruiting people. Strip everyone of their bag of holdings, then put their corpses in a chest of holding. That should help avoid the rot.

She nods and turns.

If you stick with me, Ill make you rich. If you try to run, just know that this is the eight hit in three days. Ive killed so many [Merchants] and idiots who thought they could run

I approach the gates with the wagons and wave toward Cordius.

Explain it to me, again, Cordius says calmly in his office.

I killed nine groups of Human [Merchants] from Keveiz. I robbed them. And I brough a great amount of ore and other alchemical components here in chests of holdings. Some of them might have some blood. I also have the corpses if you need to identify them.

And you are telling this story to an member of the Watch because?

You are more than a member of the Watch, arent you?

Cordius licks his big lips and frowns.

Did anyone see you?

One girl survived, Via, an orphan. Shes with me downstairs. She has no bonds with Keveiz nor any particular Humans. Shes also a [Pickpocket].

And I cant see your class anymore.

Some of those [Merchants] had good artifacts.

Cordius puts his elbows on the desk and rests his face between his hands.

Do you have an estimate of how much all this cargo would fetch on the market?

Had Via make a checklist, I say while handing over a few sheets of papers.

Cordius raises his head and taken the sheets. He reads in silence through them, raising his eyebrows multiple times.

How many people did you have to kill? he asks calmly.

Forty, give or take.

Theres enough gold and resources to kickstart a new city, Cassandre.

Or just regenerate this one for a while. I have projects, Cordius. I would like to arm the half-giants. This is a show of good faith. The Humans will never have me after I killed a third of their [Merchants] and stole so much. The corpses will be a display of loyalty. If you can organize a meeting with whoever runs the Glass and Still District, I could bring weapons to this world that would put you back in business.

Cordius puts the sheets in his bag of holding and stares at me for a few seconds.

I need to talk to some people. Ill keep the other Human in my office if you dont mind. And I guess that you already took what you needed from the [Merchants]. Ill have the wagons disappear and we can discuss about the loot later. Now, I have to go. Hang around the city. Ill send someone to fetch you as soon as things are ready.

Sure.

Riziliuss ears, the giant swears before going out of the door.

So, I have to stay here? Via looks around Cordiuss office. They dont trust me. You are my insurance, in a way. Or maybe they just want to question you separately. Just tell the truth. I already explained a bit of what Im going to do, right?

Not really, Via says uneasily.

Im not surprised by her attitude. This is the big leagues. From petty thief to organized crime in a few daysthats a big promotion. But what I really liked about the whole thing was that Cordius clearly knows what hes doing. He knows that after all I just did theres no need for long discussions about my loyalty or anything like that. And theres no way they are not interested in what I have to offer now.

The best introduction, I explain to Via, is the one where they want to meet you. Not the other way around. Never beg. Never seem greedy. Bring a good product to the table, make them notice you, and wait. If I die today, you should try and start a business this way.

Its been almost a month in Earths time. Less for this world. But its still been quite a while since I last saw that old bag. Reading some of the great deeds of Vanedenis while I waited for the [Merchants] to show kept me good company. And if what Ive read is true, Kome is where I want to bring my guns, where I want to fight. People like Vanedenis [Heroes]

It makes you think. I never really had doubts about my life. To be more precise, I never wanted to face them. They are inconvenient. Why overthink when you can keep moving forward? Never look back if you dont want to lose your sanity, like Orpheus.

Many questioned the morality of what I do, the what ifs. But what if you simply go straight, what if you dont stop? If I ever started questioning my life, Id probably go crazy. Or maybe I would have never embarked on the journey that made me the woman I am. What happens when you have a head like mine, and you dont use it? Should have I just wasted my talents and ambitions for my fathers business? Should have I gone around baking baguettes? Sure, I could have made that into a huge chain business, but to what end? What is really important in this life, baguettes? Or is it freedom, fighting the right wars? If you have the heart of a general, is it not a crime when you choose to be a simple civilian?

I suddenly smell blood when I turn the corner where Marzalliums Books is supposed to be.