Hana and Bao dispatched the Sahuagin with very little effort, relatively speaking. They stood over the corpse to keep anyone from approaching, Otto's simulacrum bird resting lightly on Hana's shoulder. Lights from the flickering lanterns cast eerie shadows over the empty, foggy street, the darkness seeming to writhe with unseen dangers.

Li Mei glanced toward the nearest alleys before approaching the creature, Otto just a few steps behind to avoid being left alone in the dark. "Otto, go back to the house. Send over Lucas in your stead."

Otto took one look at the Sahuagin's long teeth, shuddered, then remembered to bow appropriately before running off to fulfill her orders. While he was gone, Li Mei made a show of her examination for the sake of bystanders peeking out of parted curtains and shadowed doorways. She took out a dagger, using it to pry the creature's mouth open while opening the more detailed Sahuagin entry in the Archive. Then she peeked at its teeth, prodded the tongue, pinched the gills... And poked at the unblinking eyeball that seemed to lack anything resembling eyelids.

Unfortunately, the Archive entry only detailed observations about their physiology and dietary habits.

"Such a strange creature," she muttered with enough volume for the approaching Lucas to overhear along with her cowering hidden audience.

"It is called a Sahuagin, Miss Mei," Lucas said, putting a hand over his heart and bowing his head. "They are known to attack smaller villages on the coast... But usually in minor raiding parties. I've never heard of them venturing into a city, much less a lone Sahuagin."

Li Mei nodded, storing her dagger away and standing straight. "What is Brittalund's policy for this situation?"

"I'm deeply regretful of my ignorance, my lady, but I do not understand what sort of policy you may be referring to."

She paused. Glancing over, she saw Lucas staring at her with no comprehension whatsoever on his face. Li Mei raised her eyebrows, pointing to the gory remains of the creature's victims. "At least two people were killed by this creature, which was then dispatched by my adjutants. This Sahuagin would have been too weak to kill a noble or their retinue, so it's safe to assume the victims were commoners. Who do I report their deaths to? Should we keep the body whole for examination?"

"There are no such policies that your servant is aware of, Miss Mei."

Li Mei nodded. "Good, then no one can complain if I claim my spoils. Let's return home. Lucas, meet me in my study." She then swept the Sahuagin's corpse into storage before returning to the house with Bao close on her heels. Hana and Lucas exchanged glances, shrugging before following after at a clipped pace.

She went into her study, taking a seat in the large, comfortable chair. Bao sat beside the desk, staring watchfully out the large windows overlooking their yard. Lucas entered the room a few moments later and stood at attention, patiently waiting for the little lady to sort through her thoughts before speaking.

"From what I know of Brittalund, the Empress commands the Royal Guard who serve as her eyes and hands throughout the country while the locally seated ruling nobles have their own armies in their specific territories. Do the noble armies here keep the order, or is there another force of which I am unaware?"

"My lady, the Watch is hired and trained by the local army. Curfews in villages, towns, and cities are enforced by the Watch patrolling the streets. Anyone found out and about without a proper reason can be arrested and investigated. They also look for and respond to fires, alert the local army when they spot monsters, and respond to claims of public order disturbance. Rowdy folks, arsonists, and thieves are incarcerated for a period of time depending on the severity of their crime - a man starting a row in a tavern will get less of a punishment than someone who set a business on fire, naturally.

"Unless a commoner in some way commits a crime against a noble. Then they're either incarcerated for life, or executed as an example. They have magic and magitech for tracking down guilty parties. If the crime is severe, the guilty party's family may be executed as well. For more dangerous criminals or monster attacks, it's customary to hire mercenary groups as backup."

"How do they find the criminals?"

"Caught in the act, or eyewitness accounts. Occasionally a shopkeeper will recognize stolen goods and report them to the Watchmen. Bounties are put out for more notorious criminals evading justice, which are pursued by mercenaries, bounty hunters, and sometimes even civilians desperate for the reward."

"And murder?"

"The Watch will investigate and take claims. If they have enough witness reports to reasonably accuse someone, that person will be caught and executed."

Li Mei covered her face with her good hand, inhaling a deep breath through the gap underneath her palms. "So there's no criminal investigation department?"

"The Watch-"

"No, no, I mean people who gather evidence and examine the situation aside from the obvious eyewitness accounts. People who can tell when other people are lying, track footprints and criminal movement, gather evidence from the scene of the crime and various assorted types of information before accusing a criminal... Proof to convict the guilty beyond a doubt and get justice for the victims. When someone is harmed, whether commoner or noble, they investigate to determine who the victims were, inform their family, and then obtain appropriate justice for them." Li Mei glanced up, but Lucas seemed baffled by the very concept. She sighed and dropped her hand into her lap. "My homeland has an organization that constituted people empowered to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. They were not military, but were normal citizens trained with techniques and knowledge to keep the peace. "

Lucas smiled wryly and shook his head. "We only have the Watch, my lady. Many crimes are overlooked just because they're dangerous, or troublesome to pursue. If you can afford to pay off the Watch, you can essentially do whatever you want. However, the Watch and the local armies naturally patrol the wealthier sections of towns and cities to keep the upper class citizens and lower nobility safe."

"Naturally, huh... It's their expected habitat, is it?" Li Mei muttered under her breath, drumming her fingers against her knee.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, never you mind. So... Nobles use their army to defend the populace against monsters and maintain a semblance of order without actually doing anything to help the civilian commoners live their lives?"

"They also defend commoners against other nobles. They often fight for territory expansions and resources in the years where there's less monster activity."

"How feudal of them."

"Yes, much of it is indeed over personal feuds, despite their claims to the contrary."

"What do taxes pay for?"

"The privilege of living under the noble's protection."

"No, I mean what are they used for specifically? Where does the money go?"

"Miscellaneous expenditures. Household staff, sundries, meals, property maintenance, paying mercenaries for their time. Some of it goes to paying the army and the Watch, but they're all expected to provide their own equipment for work."

"How are mercenaries managed?"

"Their authority depends on who they're hired by. Contracted mercenaries with the army have more authority than the Watch and usually patrol the coasts for stronger beasts or monsters threatening the populace. Those hired by the Watch patrol the towns or are stationed in smaller villages which don't have significant population for Watches of their own. They may assist the Watch in pursuit of crimes in lower class areas."

"Are any hired specifically by nobles?"

"Of course. They count as something of a personal guard under contract, and are expected to be acting in the noble's name. However, since most mercenaries have... Behavioral difficulties and lack proper etiquette, it's quite rare."

"Thank you, Lucas. Ask Vera to bring my breakfast into the study, if you would. After everyone has eaten, have Otto and Hana scrub the outside of the house. If you can, hire someone to inspect and repair the roof, I think there's a leak in the attic and there might be others that have been overlooked. Dismissed."

Lucas bowed and left with a click of his heels, shutting the door behind him. Once he was gone, Li Mei closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Her mind was filled with information from the Archive listing local laws and procedures...

And there were so few.

A slow grin spread across her face.

'I can use this.'



The house once more became a flurry of activity.

Li Mei Dismantled the Sahuagin into separate parts - flesh, hide, teeth, larger bones, and one little parasite that Scan couldn't identify. The organs and other bits got turned into mana, which she promptly used to refill the gap from when she paid her employees that morning.

Vera made special cloth covers to protect Hana's tiny wings, so the girl was able to hop up on the roof with Otto and assist with the scrubbing without worrying the older servants about dirtying her delicate feathers.

Otto and Vera went out to fetch specific types of cloth at Li Mei's request, and to find a tanner who could make the Sahuagin hide into a useful material. They also purchased bolts of plain cattle leather for Otto to practice with, since he was the one who wanted to use the Sahuagin hide for making armor.

Li Mei also created a lengthy shopping list for Vera and Lucas to fill. Dozens of daggers, ropes, raw gems, metals, herbs and flowers both dried and living transplant cuttings for the garden. She also asked them to find reliable book stores and any place reputed to sell decent magic spells for her to visit later.

It would be a pain sorting through seedy book stores or fake spell stores, if such things existed. Sending someone to find a legitimate place of business beforehand was a much more efficient use of her time!

Completion of the Spring Cleaning quest got her 200 EXP and a bonus 50 EXP since she barely made it under the wire as far as the Quest timer was involved. Luckily, it didn't list what she might have gotten if she'd rushed her employees more, so she didn't waste longer than a few seconds wondering what might have been.

That evening, a soft knock interrupted her reading time. Li Mei dismissed her Archive windows before allowing them in, resting her hands on the book sitting across her lap.

Lucas and Vera both entered the study, teary eyed and positively shaking with emotion. Li Mei smiled, raising her eyebrows. "I take it congratulations are in order?"

"Thank you, my lady! Thank you!" Vera bowed, producing a nicely embroidered handkerchief to wipe away the tears rapidly rolling down her face. Beside her, Lucas clenched and unclenched his hands, swallowing insufficient words as they rose to his lips.

Li Mei was smiling externally, but internally she seethed with rage.

Indentured servants were rarely paid anything. Their wages would go toward covering their debt, which often accrued interest. Food, clothing, and shelter were provided by the employer, but it also counted against their supposed wages. In the end, people in debt stayed in debt. Their children were born into debt, as were their children, and their children.

Generations of free labor. Slaves in all but name!

Lucas and Vera Cromwell had several children and grandchildren already. Their contract stipulated their debts only passed to their eldest living offspring after their own death, so those poor kids were living with a blade hovering dangerously above their necks with each passing day. Of course, not having children was one way of evading the generational debt, but in their case...

Li Mei pulled out their servitude contract. The official seal on the parchment shone with a soft white light before burning itself off the page, disappearing in a flash. The contract was an invalid piece of garbage without the official seal. She handed the parchment to Bao, who shredded it to pieces with his sharp claws, then glanced back at the crying couple. "Would you like to continue your employment here, or are you tendering a resignation?"

"If you'll have us, my lady, we would like to continue working for you." Both Vera and Lucas spoke simultaneously, bowing at the same time as though they rehearsed it. Nodding, Li Mei tapped her finger against the desk.

"Then we'll continue with the current terms set forth in the Contract. Keep up with household duties, and I'll pay you 300c every morning. 150c for each of you, as before."

Both grew pale as they realized she planned on paying them the same amount, and that it wasn't just for the sake of abolishing their debt. Lucas opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again a few times over before he found his voice. "My lady, that's-"

Li Mei silenced their objections with a wave of her hand. "It's a pittance for me, and it's what you deserve for your hard work and expertise, so take it. With all that sorted, can you tell me now? Why a pair of indentured servants have a surname."

Brittalund, like many countries in Elysium, didn't have a habit of allowing their commoners to have surnames. They were rarely bestowed on people of meritorious service, but those surnames weren't passed to one's spouse or children. Only surnames that came with a title of nobility were passed through marriage and multiple generations.

Vera smiled sheepishly behind her handkerchief. She gave a small nod to Lucas, who cast an inquiring gaze her way before responding in her stead. "My lady... Vera's family were once nobility. Not of the High Court, but they had sizable land holdings and a fine reputation. One of the higher nobles coveted a mine on their property, and... Well..." He spread his gloved hands and shrugged. "Honestly, we're not entirely sure how it happened. Just that one day, Vera's great-grandmother was an indentured servant. Even if they suspected foul play, the instant she became a servant, she lost her noble status and thus any platform with which to make claims."

"How long ago was this?"

"Three generations past."

Li Mei sucked in a breath past her teeth, then clicked her tongue. "Not long at all, then... Which noble did this to your family?"

Lucas and Vera exchanged glances again. This time, it was Vera who spoke. "Respectfully, my lady... I'd much rather not say."

"For whose sake?"

"Yours, my lady."

"I set you free, essentially making me the enemy of whoever wanted you kept as indentured servants. And I like to know who my potential enemies are. If you don't tell me yourself, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough on my own, one way or another. Besides," Li Mei leaned back in her chair and flashed them a mischievous grin. "I'm a foreign dignitary of the Yueluo Clan who already butted heads with a Rosethorne in public. Unless the one who backstabbed you was the Empress herself, I'm really not worried."