The innkeeper gave a frown before furrowing his brow, “First time I’m seeing you. Who are you?” he asked suspiciously, looking me up and down with clear distrust, “I know every active member around these parts and I don’t recall having you in the guild.” His eyes fell on the guild crest and snorted, “Give me badge to check your identity, then we can talk.” Narrowing my eyes, I grunted and handed it over. At this point, I understood the badge was enchanted, I didn’t bother to check before but the fact Evergreen could speak to me through it was proof enough.

The innkeeper was a human with slicked back hair and a masculine face. A short goatee was on his chin and a tattoo of a dragon could be seen on his neck. His green eyes squinted with scrutiny as he used his mana, the frown on his face deepening by the second. He wore simple clothes and an apron around his waist. Glancing at me he snorted as if catching me red-handed, “Kid, I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, but you clearly aren’t a demon nor are you Atkozott. How you got his badge is beyond me but you’d do well to get lost out of this guild before I sick the whole lot on you for even daring to come in here, let alone use someone else’s badge.” he said it loud enough for half of the tavern to hear, a lot of heads turning my way. The vicious grins on everyone’s faces seemed to beg me to stay.

Pissed off by the treatment I was getting, I understood it was due to my mask. With an annoyed hiss, I glared back at him, “Why don’t you focus that mana on me and see for yourself if I’m Atkozott or not.” I say with a menacing glare, showing my impatience. Furrowing his brow, he did as I asked and I felt his mana scan over me, “I don’t see what you’re tal-“

He stopped mid-sentence and coughed awkwardly, “My bad, I didn’t realize you were under illusion magic.” glancing at the eager horde of guild members he waved his hands at them dismissively, “Nothing to see here, it was my mistake.”

The disappointment on their faces were clear but they turned to mind their own business. He returned my badge and gave an apologetic grin, “Sorry about that, we can’t be too careful these days. Anyway, you asked about Monty’s crew? They took the job posted by a concerned group of citizens who wanted to find out who was kidnapping the people in town. Three days ago, they learned it was a crew hiding out in the abandoned fort in the forest. They headed there this morning.” he said with a thoughtful expression before glancing at me with some concern, “Now that you mention it, they should’ve come back by now. The fort is only a few hours way.”

He relayed everything he knew about the situation. The more he told me about these ‘bandits’, the more I scowled. A bandit crew so close to a large city like this and the citizens were the ones who made the request? Something was fishy about this whole story. Bandits weren’t usually this coherent as a group nor did they kidnap that many people in such short spans of time. They were too daring, clearly showing they had no worries about the town retaliating. How did this Monty’s team members not notice the inconsistencies?

“Was there an elven woman named Thalia in that group?” I ask to double-check. The innkeeper nodded in confirmation, leading me to my next question, “Who is responsible for the job details and the information gathering in that group?” He looked at me strangely and took out a ledger. Glancing through it, he lifted a brow, “Monty as the group leader and Xavil, their direct superior and handler, he’s one of our information brokers.”

Furrowing my brow, I couldn’t help but feel this whole situation was full of shit, “These two, describe them for me. How long have they been in the guild?” The innkeeper shrugged, “Monty has been a member for a couple of years but recently got appointed group leader on recommendation from Xavil. He’s a blond bloke who thinks too much with his lower half, irresponsible but since he was appointed on Xavil’s backing, there was not much to do but accept it. Xavil has been a high rank member for almost 7 years and used to run trainings in the camp. I hadn’t seen him for two days though.”

After he gave me a short description on both of them, I knew I couldn’t waste time here any longer. With a nod, I thanked him for the information and turned to leave. I wasn’t going to take Kala since she would make being stealthy an issue. I needed to think up a plan on my way there. I had my doubts the information the innkeeper had weren’t to be trusted too much. Not because the man was lying to me, but all the things he said had gaping problems in them. Evergreen was right, something wasn’t right here.

Contemplating on my way to the check point, I grimaced as I recalled that I was still in disguise. Turing into an alley, I ignored the sleeping beggar and directly shattered the mask. Glancing at my hands, I saw they were back to normal and quickly headed to the checkpoint. Thankfully, different guards were on shift and did some normal checks before letting me pass without issue. Once I was a decent distance from the town, I broke out into a run. Following the directions I was given, I spotted a few old tracks, the scents still lingering. I was on the right track.

I was forced to slow my pace once I entered the foliage, making sure to keep myself silent and hidden. Some people were active in the outskirts of the forest, hunters and foragers alike. I avoided them. So, what to do? How do I approach this? Bursting in wasn’t a good idea, they could threaten me with the hostages. Though I wouldn’t give a shit usually, there was a chance they knew Thalia’s connection to Evergreen. They could easily deduce who sent me and make my job more difficult. It was clear the group was targeted, not randomly attacked. This Monty and Xavil were very likely moles. At least I knew where to start that investigation once the chick was safe. Needless to say, she was my top priority right now. If she died, I was a dead man.

Infiltration perhaps? I wondered and stopped in a small clearing. Seeing clear signs of combat, I ripped an arrow out of the trunk of a tree. Looking it over and seeing the tracks, it was clear this was from the bandits. The quality of it was too good for the likes of the usual ragtag groups. I was starting to doubt they were even bandits. Someone was supplying them...

Looking around, I found more evidence that affirmed my thoughts. The scent of mint and honey was mixed in with the blood and sweat. They were sloppy, didn’t even bother to clean up the scene save getting rid of corpses. Sensing another familiar scent, I gaped in shock. Clary? What the hell was she doing here?!

Frustrated beyond belief, I ruffled my hair with a growl. I’ll get my answers soon enough. I thought as I glared at the heavy footprints leading deeper into the woods. I grinned, a plan finally taking form.

Xavil POV

“Reporting sir! The mage has confirmed 5 virgins in the collection of women. 10 able bodied men. Another 6 decently attractive women and the rest is healthy and not overly damaged.” one of my men reported with a straight back. Grinning, I saw we were going to be enjoying some bloody good profits soon. Giving him an affirmative nod, I laid back in my chair, “Good! Be sure to pin believable crimes on their heads then instruct Eloise to begin enslavement. Our shipment this time will be off the charts. Send the virgins and the better crop to Velegard. The rest are to be shipped equally to Novvav, Volkal and Tallah. Let’s make sure they’re on their way by the end of the night.”

The man nodded with a pleased smile, “Sir, what of the elf?” he asked, some lust clear in his eyes. Lifting a brow, I snorted, “She’s spoken for.” I grinned mysteriously. Seeing the clear disappointment, I chuckled, “There are many decent brothels in town. You’ll all be paid a hefty sum as per usual so you can indulge yourselves later. You know full well we don’t touch the merchandise.” I made sure to speak with severity. Though there’ve been instances my merchandise was ruined, they knew full well both their paychecks and hands would be cut off if they didn’t keep it in their pants. We were professionals, not a bunch of lowly rapists.

Feeling my mood lift at the good haul of quality slaves, I hummed and laid back. The man had left my tent, most likely relaying my orders by now. Deciding to have a look for myself, I stood and walked out with my hands behind my back. Going towards the old fort’s dungeon complex that survived the war, I was suddenly joined by a familiar face. Smiling proudly at my nephew, I gave him a pat on the back, “Good work, Monty. You stuck with the plan for once, though next time, try to be on time. Have you been working on your cover as I told you?”

He gave a wide grin, “Yessir. I’ll just ask the guys to roughen me up and send a ransom to the guild. Maybe cut off an ear, it can be reattached with magic anyway. That way, I get some coin in the process.” I could see the greedy gleam in his eyes that quickly mixed with lust. I sighed, no doubt he was going to spend it all on women. Looking at him sternly, I squeezed his shoulder to make sure he was paying attention, “Monty, don’t underestimate the guild. Having an entire team wipe is no laughing matter to them. One slip up and you ruin our whole operation. I don’t need to tell you what happened to the last guy that almost screwed up?” I say meaningfully, staring him dead in the eye. Seeing him visibly flinch, he nodded weakly, “Yes, sir. I understand. I'll be careful.”

Smiling lightly, I pull him with me, “Come on, I was just about to check on the haul.”

Entering the old stronghold, we descended into the dungeon that was still in good shape considering it was underground. Walking around the many cages and cells, I was very satisfied with the catch. The prisoners glared at me hatefully as I passed, some attempting to spit through the bars. Some of them needed a bit of fixing, but they should heal completely by the time they reach their destinations. Seeing the enslavement was well on its way, I grinned at the mage, “Eloise dear, thank you for your work.” the woman turned with a snort and grinned, “I don’t need your thanks. Just deliver the promised amount.”

My grin twitched at her cocky attitude but I held my tongue. She was the best mage we had, I couldn’t risk her leaving, “Hah, no worries. You know I always deliver.”

Waving me off, she turned back to the man and chanted. Drawing his blood, she listed his nonexistent crimes and engraved them into the slave contract so that his future owner wouldn’t have any doubts. As a member of the Association, she had full knowledge of contract magic, making the legitimization easy enough. No one really cared even if the slaves were innocent. A slave meant free labor and everybody loves free labor. Getting rid of a slave contract was like tossing away money, no one did it.

Walking to the last cage, I stared at the elf and beastgirl. Turning to the guard that I stationed here, I lifted a brow in question, “Is the beastgirl one of the virgins?” I ask hopefully. He spoke while shaking his head, “No, sir. Miss Eloise believes she is an ex-slave, the scars on her decrease her value.” he said simply relaying what Eloise had discovered.

Disappointed, I saw the elven woman was glaring at me with hatred, “Xavil! Monty! I’ll kill you both! Fucking traitors!” she spewed venomously. She was hugging the shivering cat girl, the beastgirl’s eyes were unfocused and full of hopelessness. Despite her clearly being of lesser value, there was worth nonetheless. The collars around their necks were sealing their magic.

Monty kicked the cage with a mocking laugh, “Shut up bitch! We’ll see who’ll be killing who soon enough.” he threatened, knowing full well I wasn’t allowing anyone to touch Thalia. Crouching down to their level, I stared with indifference, “Calm down Monty.” looking her in the eyes, I smiled lightly, “Little Thalia, you did well hiding yourself but you were too careless.”

Her eyes widened in shock, my words enough for her to understand their meaning, “H- how?” she stuttered. Shrugging, I stood and crossed my arms, “Simple. I’m your handler, I have access to your personal information. Letting a little rumor out was fetching me an exorbitant sum of gold. There was so much interest in you. Your uncle has a lot of enemies, haha.”

Leaving her with an expression of disbelief, I grabbed Monty and headed outside. Just as we exited, a few of my men that were on guard duty came over with big smiles, “Sir, we found a straggler!” they shouted excitedly, knowing I rewarded captures with a bonus. Lifting a brow, I was surprised, “A straggler?”

“Yes sir! A beastman was collecting herbs in the woods. One of our guys spotted and nabbed him. The beastman’s in good shape, even had a few gold on him.” one of the two said proudly. Furrowing my brow, I was glad either way. Another head was another profit, “Let’s see him then.” I said, curious to see which one of my men caught another slave. Taking me to the campfire, I saw a hogtied beastman squirming on the ground. Seeing the ropes straining under his movement showed he held decent strength. He looked healthy. I nodded in approval, “Take him to the dungeon to be processed, he’ll be shipped out with the others.”

The beastman’s screams were muffled by the gag in his mouth, a sack of herbs spilled on the ground. The men were tossing them into the fire while they poked and laughed at him. The guard standing by immobilized beastman, gave a salute. Lifting a brow, I couldn’t identify him by name but smiled with praise, “You caught him? Good job, be sure to come by my tent later and I’ll note your achievement.”

Grinning, he nodded, “Thank you bossman. I’ll take this one to the holding cells.” He walked over and hauled the crying beastman on his shoulder with ease. Seeing him slap the whimpering beastman’s back with a grunt, I chuckled and stepped aside, “Please do then.” He walked away with the other two, heading to the dungeon. Walking back to my tent, I had some paperwork to prepare.

Atkozott POV – 30 Minutes Earlier

There it was, the broken down fort. It stood a good distance from my location up in the tree tops. Holding on to the trunk with my tail, I was leaning forward, trying to get a better view of the layout. The protective walls were broken down on a few sides but still gave some cover and advantage to the group of people in there. Their numbers were around 30, maybe more. Tents were pitched inside with a couple of campfires, a few carriages and wagons standing on the sides. There were men and women sitting around them, drinking and laughing. Seeing an old stronghold still standing, I presumed the hostages were either in there or in one of the tents.

The stronghold was in bad shape, only the lower part reinforced enough to keep it upright. Frowning, I spent a few more minutes up there, observing their behaviors and the guard posts. I wished Aldo had given me some napalm along with the Astubritt, would have made this whole thing a lot simpler. Chuckling at the thought of fire and explosions, I focused on the sentries.

There were people on all entrances, keeping watch while others stood on the walls with crossbows. Definitely not bandits. Their equipment and weaponry was too good. They were focused and vigilant, occasionally glancing at the campfires as if wanting to join in. I could see the confidence they carried themselves with. I was hoping they’d put up a decent fight and make it worth my while. I had no tolerance for arrogant weaklings.

Seeing two figures that matched the description the innkeeper gave me, I grinned. I was right, those were the mentioned Monty and Xavil. There was some fun interrogation in store for them. Actually having some entertainment with this matter, my mood improved. It was soon about to get better once I began kicking some ass. Grinning menacingly, I got down from the tree.

Technically the favor was to save Thalia, but there was nothing preventing me from turning this whole place upside down. I jumped down from the tree and took out my jar of Asubritt. There was still a decent amount in there, enough for a couple of more disguises. It was high time to get this infiltration on the road. I didn’t like the fact they were preparing the carts.

Back under my disguise, I planned to play dumb and get caught, they shouldn’t suspect it much. However, a much better option showed itself. One of the sentries wearing armor and a helmet walked out of the perimeter of the fort walls. Hiding, I observed him as he glanced around and took a small shovel to dig a hole. I realized he was taking a shit once his pants were down. How convenient.

Sneaking up behind him, I kicked him in the head. He was knocked our instantly, not even able to start his business before his eyes turned into the back of his head. Dragging him further into the underbrush, I broke his neck and switched my clothes for his, putting on the helmet. Though my horns directly pierced the top, I had full confidence in the illusion that would cover it up to hide my horns. Hiding my things into the trunk of a tree, I took my rope and headed a bit back. I took only a few minutes to locate one of the foragers who had wandered in too deep. The beastman was totally oblivious to the nearby ‘bandit’ camp or my presence.

Walking up behind him, I grinned ruefully and tackled him to the ground. He could do nothing as I subdued him and tied his arms and legs together, gagging him for good measure. Staring down at his frightened face, I shrugged, “Sorry, man. Wrong place, wrong time.” I said and hauled him up, running back to the camp. Walking out of the foliage with the ‘catch’, I waved at the guards, “Guys! Go get Sir Xavil! I got another one!”

Their eyes wide, they didn’t even question it as two of them rushed back to do as I said. Walking over to one of the campfires, no one realized I was an impostor since the man I’d killed was stationed on the other end. I made sure to circle around as to not get caught. I had about 5 minutes before his companions got suspicious. The beastman I’d kidnapped did well to affirm my identity. Not even a minute passed before Xavil walked over.

His bald head glistened in the sunlight, the gray beard giving him an elegant and competent look. He wore simple, round glasses and wasn’t overly muscular. All in all, a thin man wearing a respectable outfit with some inlaid enchantments. The young adult next to him wore heavy armor and a sword on his hip. His face was overly feminine with soft features, clean shaved. His blond hair tied in a low ponytail. Judging by his expression, the dude was in lalaland, daydreaming and giggling for no reason. What a freak.

I straightened my back and saluted. Though Xavil stared at me suspiciously for a second, once he saw the catch, he bought the whole thing and told me to take him to the dungeon. This confirmed they held the hostages in the stronghold. The two guards from before joined me, the three of us taking the beastman down to the cells. Glancing around, I saw this whole basement was in a bit of a shamble but still standing. A couple of cells were caved in but the rest was cleared up to accommodate cages. The trapped people glared at me with hate. Lifting a brow, I spotted a woman chanting spells. Sensing the magic in the air and seeing the collar form on a brunette’s neck, I felt my eye twitch. That bitch was enslaving these people, bringing up bad memories. If there was one thing I hated with all my being it was enslavement magic. Murderous intent rose towards the mage, making her stop and look back at me with narrow eyes.

She snorted, “Keep your bloody opinions to yourself, guard!” Snorting, she wiped the sweat of her brow and sighed, visibly tired yet continuously holding an arrogant expression. One of the two guards elbowed me in the ribs lightly, making my head snap to him with an instinctual growl. They looked at me strangely as I awkwardly coughed, trying to conceal my blunder. I still didn’t have eyes on Thalia or Clary so I stuck to my disguise for now.

We passed an open section where two guards were sitting and playing cards as the mage joined them. I saw them hurriedly stand and bow to the mage while she tossed demands at them. They fawned over her and attended her like servants while she sat on a chair and rested. Soon, they were out of sight, the cells blocking their view. Reaching the last cells that were still in good shape and empty, the two that came with me unlocked the cage and motioned to toss the beastman inside. Smiling, I instead pierced my tail through the both of them with a quick and silent jab, killing them instantly as I tossed them into the cell. Locking it casually, I saw the shocked looks the prisoners gave me but they kept their mouths shut. The beastman on my shoulder stopped squirming and began shivering.

Walking to the end, the last cell next to the wall held the two women I was looking for. As soon as they came into view, I froze in place. My eyes met Thalia’s, both of our expressions going blank as we stared at each other in dead silence. The fierce sensation awoke inside my mind, the whispers so loud I almost groaned in pain. She seemed to be in the same condition. After a few seconds, I could finally make out the words it was constantly repeating, “The Virtuous One.”

The voices vanished along with the sensation, the world coming back into normalcy. Thalia’s eyes were wide in shock as her lips quivered. A small, confused whisper escaped her almost inaudibly, “The Damned One?” Shaking her head furiously, she glared at me with venom, “What do you want?! Leave us alone!” she shouted, showing she still thought I was one of them. Having no time to contemplate on the insinuating whispers, I ignored her and looked at Clary. She didn’t seem to even register someone was here. She was holding her knees, rocking back and forth while tears streamed down her face.

Sighing, I dropped the beastman, making Thalia give a frightened look as I directly tore off my mask and helmet. Turning around, I charged straight at the unassuming guards still chatting with the mage loudly. Before any of them could react, two heads rolled as I grabbed the mage by the throat. The woman’s eyes widened as I felt her hurriedly gather mana. Growling, I punched her in the gut, making her lose her concentration because of the pain. Taking her to the cell the two girls were in, I grunted at them, “Stand back.”

Thalia’s eyes were wide in shock as she dragged Clary to the furthest corner from the cell door. With a strong side kick, the door came off its hinges, slamming into the opposite wall from the force. Sensing the mage was once again trying to use magic, I frowned and smashed her into the wall, breaking her nose and knocking out a few teeth. Thalia seemed to flinch at the violence, staring in clear fear while keeping Clary behind her in a protective manner, “W-who are you? W-what do you want?!” she shouted, some tears gathering in her eyes at this point. Clary finally looked up. Seeing her glazed eyes flash with recognition she squealed and jumped up. Before Thalia could catch her, she leaped on me. Moving the mage out of the way, I was too stunned too warn her about the spikes again.

She seemed to completely ignore her impaled hand as she cried like a child, holding on to me for dear life. Thalia screamed in rage, tears streaming down her face. She seemed to think Clary was attacking me and charged, ready to help. Annoyed at her antics at this point, I shouted, “Will you calm the fuck down already you crazy woman! Evergreen sent me to rescue you!”

Stopping in her tracks, she looked extremely confused as she stared between me and Clary. The beastwoman was whimpering with clear joy, her bleeding hand still firmly lodged in my spike, “A-Atko! I’m so happy to see you!!” Rolling my eyes, I gave her an awkward pat, “See if you can take care of your hand, I got people to kill.” I said with a sigh.

Nodding her head, she pulled her hand out with a small cry of pain. Seeing the mage was coming to, I gave her a slap to wake her up faster, “Remove the collars bitch or I’ll fucking make sure to toss you into the cells with your little prisoners.”

Her eyes widening in terror, he nodded hurriedly, no longer putting up a fight. I paid very close attention as the collars clicked and fell off. I gestured my hand at Thalia, “Bring it here.” hesitating, she gave me the collar and pulled back as quickly as possible. Ignoring her, I knew only the person with the same mana signature could remove the collar so once I locked it around the mage’s neck, it immediately remembered my mana, making it so that only I could remove it later.

Nodding, I dropped her and went out of the cell. Giving the two stunned girls a glare, I pointed a finger at the ground, “Stay down here and don’t come out until I come back! Got it!?” I snarled to make sure they took me seriously. Flinching, Clary gave a meek nod while Thalia glared at me begrudgingly but stayed with Clary. Cracking my knuckles, I grinned. Those up top seemed to notice something was wrong. Feeling giddy, I left the dungeon, locking the door to its entrance in the process.