Sometime after the confrontation inside Tyrin castle, a drowsy Olsen Faustina regains consciousness.

“Rise and shine, Count.”

Stirred by the call, he slowly opens his eyes and looks around. He finds himself on grassy soil surrounded by trees, with a dark sky showing above the canopy of the forest. It’s still night and the area is lit by a mana crystal placed on a rock sticking out of the ground. Standing no more than a couple meters away is an individual whose face is hidden by a black hood which Olsen remembers seeing before. A dense, pressuring aura emanates from him like an ominous cloud. At such close proximity, it almost feels difficult to breathe.

As a realization sets in, Olsen attempts to push himself away in a hurry, only to fall backwards due to inability to move his legs properly. There is nothing tying him down and the rest of his body is fine. Only the legs have been numbed by magic to prevent him from running away, not that it would make much difference to Rigel. The wound he received from Vitus’ blade has already been healed and even the fabric of his robe was repaired, leaving no mark.

“I told you earlier not to try moving. That warning still stands” Rigel reminds him in a neutral tone.

Since his arms are free, the thought of using magic to fight crosses Olsen’s mind. He quickly abandons the idea as memory of the past night returns. The spell called ‘Nerve Constrictor’ that he was incapacitated with did not impact memory, allowing him to recall the brief exchange between Rigel and Vitus as well as his demands.

I heard something about the treaty with Zamora. Is he really planning to keep me captive?

While finding a decent sitting position, he takes a few moments to calm his nerves in the manner of a mage before returning his gaze to the hooded figure in front of him. Although the possibility of being killed or tortured is still there, Olsen pushes these terrifying thoughts aside. Imminent death or no, he is determined to maintain the dignity of a lord even while at the enemy’s mercy.

“I don’t know how much you were paid to do this but I will double whatever they offered you.” Holding on to hope, he tries to bargain with his kidnapper.

“I did not bring you here in order to demand a ransom. You should have heard what I told your guards.”

“If it’s not money you need, then what? Are you not working for Zamora? If you wanted to kill me, you would’ve done so already. Are you hoping to force Tyrin’s surrender by taking me captive? That won’t work. Vitus the Blaze is in charge of our defenses. He will crush you regardless of what happens to me” Olsen declares while showing a confident look.

“I am not interested in your bravado, Olsen Faustina. Right now, there is one thing I want from you.” Rigel slowly takes off the hood, revealing his face. “Tell me everything you know about what happened in Delos and especially my father.”

Olsen is speechless. Having been a member of King Leo’s court, he has seen Rigel on several occasions and even spoke to him briefly. The last time was during the Magic Festival which took place in Delos a few months back. That event left a deep impression on him.

Up until that point, he had thought of Rigel as a recluse of the Magic Academy, beneath his consideration and undeserving of his status as prince. The battle against the poisonous hydra changed that. He witnessed the whole event from the stadium stands. Against a 4-meter tall monster that Olsen would never dare to face alone, Rigel battled fearlessly and killed the monster within minutes. In truth, the fight was quite close and Rigel took a number of risks which happened to pay off, but from Olsen’s perspective it looked like the hydra was easily defeated by an even greater monster. He can feel cold sweat just from the thought alone.

“From the look on your face, it seems you remember me. That’s good. Now I won’t have to explain what my relation to all of this is.”

“You… Why… I heard that you died in Delos!” Olsen finally recovers from the shock, but his composure has been shattered.

“Is that what they said? Interesting. I might be able to make use of that rumour. What else did they say?”

Olsen opens and closes his mouth repeatedly without saying anything, mouthing words out of habit as he tries to clear up his confusion. It was reported by reliable sources that both King Leo and the prince had perished in the violence that erupted in Delos the day after the Magic Festival. This sudden and devastating news shook all who received it. Following that, he was approached by a coalition of several major clans and forced to make a difficult choice. It was either join the coalition or be branded a traitor and face their wrath. Olsen chose the option which allowed him and his wife to leave the city safely.

Annoyed by the long pause, Rigel releases his aura even further, smothering the helpless Count in a dense cloud of mana. At this point, it’s so thick that breathing is actually difficult for Olsen even though a mage’s common sense dictates that mana alone should not have this kind of physical effect. Even his body starts to tremble visibly.

“I won’t wait until morning for the answer. You will tell me everything you know now.” He watches the Count squirm in discomfort with fear now visible in his eyes.

“Hadwin… Nestor Hadwin approached us in Delos after news of the King’s death had spread.”

“Hadwin, eh? What about Cassius, Padraig, Lachlan and the other Councillors?”

“They didn’t come in person but he had proof they were supporting him along with several others…”

“As I thought. They must’ve been scheming for a long time, banding together like rats so they could eliminate rivals and take over from the inside. And? How did you end up as their pawn? Weren’t you on good terms with my father, the King? Did they order you to betray his wishes and turn against our allies?”

“… The betrayer is you. Zamora is not an ally! Hamal is using this conflict as a pretext for invading our country! I know that thousands of their soldiers have already crossed the southern border from multiple directions. You are being used as a tool for this invasion!” Olsen cries out hysterically, his pent-up frustration momentarily overcoming his fear. As Rigel said, he was on friendly terms with King Leo and suspects that the northern clans’ coalition started this civil war. Siding with the usurpers was a gut-wrenching decision that he still feels guilty about, but he didn’t really have a choice. The alternative was annihilation.

“You think Zamora will conquer Amisos? That may be.” Unperturbed by the shouting, Rigel responds in a neutral tone which doesn’t fit the threatening atmosphere around him. “However, I won’t let you shift your blame onto me. I don’t care what your circumstances are; it is a fact that you betrayed the King by siding with usurpers of the throne. That crime is yours to bear. The one thing I regret is not being at my father’s side when the parasites came for his life. As for the throne of Amisos, Hamal of Zamora can have it. I don’t care what he does with it. It’s better than letting those filthy Councillors have it.”

Rigel takes a few steps forward until he is looking at Olsen from above. With the suffocating aura pressing down on him, Olsen wants to run away but his legs are still numb and his whole body is trembling uncontrollably.

“Understand this, Count. Whoever they may be, I will show no mercy to my enemies. All those responsible for murdering my father and humiliating me, I will hunt them down one by one and make them drown in their own blood. You sided with them and that alone is reason enough to kill you. The reason why you’re still alive is my father’s goodwill toward you. Thus I give you a final chance to correct your mistake. To start, you will honor his wishes and uphold the Treaty of Talab.”

After saying this, Rigel turns around and moves back to his previous location. His aura also returns to its normal state, allowing Olsen to talk and breathe normally.

“If I help you, I will lose everything… Lachlan’s coalition has 80% or more of the country’s military. Most of the generals and commanders took his side. They have been getting stronger for years while the other lords became fractured and weak. Even if we all work with Zamora, I don’t know if we can win…” he adds timidly.

“Still so pessimistic? No amount of walls or guards will be enough to keep them safe. Are you worried about that pretty wife of yours? Lachlan’s group will be too busy to come after you as long as I draw breath. If you’re lucky, he and Zamora will cripple each other, leaving you to do as you please afterwards.” Rigel tells Olsen what he wants to hear, sprinkling hope on top of implied threats to make the agreement more appealing. Olsen stops for a brief minute before giving his reply.

“… I understand. I will tell you what I know.”

<><><><><><><><><><><>

After caving in to Rigel’s demands, the discussion lasted almost an hour. Count Olsen Faustina was fairly close to King Leo, a little too close to be given important information by Lachlan’s faction. He has no knowledge of what happened in Delos after he left the city. He does however know who the enemies are likely to be, as a member of the royal court.

“Of the nine Councillors, I know the Hadwin, Valdez, Padraig and Frugi clans have all joined Lachlan’s coalition. Cassius is unconfirmed and Lord Gordiana is missing. The only ones who did not cooperate are Favian of Myletus and Hadrianus of Sidon.”

All of these names are vaguely familiar to Rigel since he encountered people from these major clans in the Royal Palace in Delos. Of course, he doesn’t know how they’re related to each other, but he’s learning quickly out of necessity. One must know his friends and enemies equally well for his vendetta to be carried out. Of the two likely allies that were mentioned, Myletus is near Delfoi in the south-west which Rigel visited briefly on his first mission with Bloodmoon. Sidon is a populated city in the southernmost province. Due to its location, it’s the first important settlement that Zamora’s main army will encounter. The general idea is that the north and north-east of Amisos is enemy territory while the south and south-west is friendly. Delos in the central region is also occupied by the enemy. Most of the fighting is in that area.

As the lord of a castle and a sizable chunk of farmland, most of the things Olsen mentioned are related to his daily activities. He found himself in the disadvantageous position of sharing information with Delos, but not receiving something of equal value in exchange. He is to allow unimpeded travel between Tyrin and the northern provinces while cutting off all ties with the southern provinces.

“Earlier today, I sent a letter to Delos about the arrival of Zamorian forces. I don’t know if they will act…”

Although he cannot remember the details of how he escaped from Lapithos, Rigel can recall the faces of Councillor Padraig and Councillor Lachlan from the trial held there. It was a setup which ensured the trial ended with a death sentence for the accused. Councillor Cassius was present as well, but much like Olsen he seemed to be a pawn for the other two Councillors rather than an equal participant. There was also an attack on Lapithos from strange creatures which suggests that a 3rd or 4th party may be involved. He needs more information.

It will make it easier for me if Lachlan or Padraig decide to come here. I will end them first.

“Wait, isn’t Gordiana clan the current rulers of this region? You say the head is missing?” Rigel asks.

“The last I heard from Lord Raoul Gordiana was shortly after the Royal Council meeting in Delos a few months ago.”

“He’s either dead or captive in that case. Who is next in line for the position?”

“I don’t know… Many people never came back out of Delos after the explosions started. Even my daughter…” Olsen pauses and swallows with difficulty.

“She’s missing? Is she alive?”

“S-She is still in Delos, probably…” he says while looking down.

So they captured the daughter to get the father to comply while also eliminating other nobles who were political rivals.

“If you save her, I’ll do anything you ask…” Olsen mutters, his voice barely audible over the rustling noise of the forest.

Rigel stops to consider what he learned so far. Delos was the primary destination from the beginning, so this rescue can be thought of as an extra task. However, finding a specific prisoner’s location, breaking in and then escaping with the prisoner in one piece is no small feat.

If it was a year or even 3 months earlier, this would be unreasonable.

“I will tell my employer about your request.” In the end, Rigel cannot agree right away. He must first see what actions Zamora’s forces will take. Freeing prisoners usually comes after the conflict is over, so it’s possible that the daughter will be released even if he does nothing. This is assuming she will survive that long.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

Once the conversation ended, Rigel reveals a red-colored magic catalyst from a pouch hidden under his mage robe. It appears to be a large ruby, about the size of a fist. Olsen watches with a mix of curiosity and anxiety as the intricately-carved gem starts glowing. There is an ominous beauty in that magical light.

“What is that?” he asks.

“Oh, this? Let’s call it insurance. There’s no guarantee that anything you told me is actually true after all. I’m going to cast a forbidden spell called Soul Link which will have some very… unpleasant effects if you happen to betray me.”

“T-There’s no need for that. With the gods above as my witness, I swear everything I said is true!”

“Sleep well, Count.”

The area is illuminated by a brief flash of red. A moment later, Olsen collapses onto the grassy soil. He is merely unconscious. Rigel walks away from the Count’s body, picks up the nearby mana-crystal which is giving off light and extinguishes it, plunging everything into darkness. The moon is the sole source of light now and is mostly hidden by the canopy of trees above. Rigel then turns around and calls out.

“So, what did you think? A little too dramatic?”

A shadow glides out of the darkness without making a sound, wearing a long and elegant white robe with small gems embroidered in the fabric.

“I am unsure of what you mean by dramatic but I can say it was an interesting exchange.”

Nashira’s gentle voice is heard clearly from the approaching figure. Rigel spoke to her earlier before he left the camps so that she would know to wait here. She listened to the whole conversation while staying hidden.

“I do not understand why you deceived him with the bloodstone magic used at the very end. There is no magic called Soul Link that I am aware of. Did you create it?”

“That was just a bluff. He is less likely to act against us if he thinks I have a leash on him. Since he doesn’t know what I’m capable of, it’s not unreasonable to think that I may have some crazy type of magic to bind him” Rigel explains.

“It seems my understanding of human interaction is still lacking. I believed that you would kill him. It was supressed, but I was able to sense strong, genuine anger from you.”

“Well this guy could become a useful pawn since there are a number of gifted people who are loyal to him for whatever reason. Vitus the Blaze in particular is famous and simply having him on our side gives us more legitimacy. It will help free Zamora from the label of invader.”

“What if they do not come to negotiate and attack instead?” Nashira asks. There is no fear in her voice, only a hint of concern.

“Then I’ll have to cut my losses and fight. It shouldn’t happen though. His subordinates aside, Vitus showed honest concern for his lord during our encounter. Even while slashing angrily at me, he avoided fatal blows. He must’ve intended to capture me for a prisoner exchange.”

“Please do not be so reckless the next time. Even with magic, life cannot be recovered once lost.” Nashira says while making a serious expression.

“… I know that. Do you have any other questions about the things you heard?”

Nashira pauses for a minute while in thought. Then she looks back up at Rigel and says “There is one thing although… You may find it offensive.”

“I am not easily offended. I will answer any question you have.”

She makes a brittle smile and then returns to a neutral expression while speaking softly. “What will you do after retribution against those who wronged you has been carried out?”

Author's note: I tried to keep a steady schedule of releasing one chapter per week, but unfortunately real life issues get in the way sometimes.

This chapter has quite a lot of new information, so there may be mistakes that I missed. Let me know if you see any problems or inconsistencies. Thanks for reading!