The baron arrived in the king’s throne room. He bowed to the king then bowed to the cardinal. He was beginning to see why the king sent him a message. Word had traveled fast back to the Theocracy. To think that this would become a problem in just under a month. “Greetings Baron.” The cardinal beacons him over to join them by the throne. “You have some unusual dealings with a certain dragonborn.” The baron gulps. The theocracy has a kill or enslave monsters on sight policy. They force that belief onto their neighbors. The baron searched for an answer to explain himself. Something that would justify working with monsters in their eyes.

“It has been very profitable.” As soon as he said that he wanted to take it back. The kingdom was the nation ruled by profits. The Theocracy was not. It was a country ruled by a god. The god of light and hate. The only true god, or so they say.

“More profitable than your country's relationship with the Theocracy?”

“Of course not.”

“You knew the risks and chose to engage in underhanded dealings with monsters anyway?”

“Correct.” It felt like he was being scolded. His best bet was to placate the cardinal.

“You have created a very large conflict of interest. How can we support a city that deals with monsters? That would make you no better than the republic.”

The baron scrambled for something. There wasn’t anything he could say or do that would diffuse this situation without sacrificing his friend, but ties to his country(and his money) had much deeper roots than friendship.

“What do you want me to do?”

“You sent a spy to their den right?”

The baron nods. “I sent my own son to inspect them.”

“Have him send his report through message.” The baron sighs and calls upon his magic to message his son. His son’s voice comes through from the other end. He dictates the main points as efficiently as possible then quickly gives his conclusion. The baron repeats what his son is saying to the cardinal and king.

“Advanced magic. Strong technology. Mineral rich area. Friendly. Civil. Treats their prisoners better than we do. Open. Accepting. Intelligent. Powerful, could be more powerful. Peaceful. Max level.”

Then another message. The conclusion to his report.

“No reason to attack. Heavy losses would be incurred.”

The cardinal looks frustrated. “Are you sure your family doesn’t have some pact with this monster?

“What do you mean?”

“You all seem very eager to defend it. Are you perhaps in unholy dealings with monsters? Are you on the wrong side of God?”

The baron shook his head. “We simply repaid the kindness it showed when it saved my wife. Then we entered into a merchant deal. There was no demon worship or underhanded schemes.”

“Will the people believe that when we remove you from power?” The cardinal gives the baron a wicked smile. “You don’t mean…” The baron’s voice fails him.

“You know what you must do.” The cardinal traces a line on his throat with a finger. “Send the message to your son. If he can cut off the head of the snake then the body will be nothing more than any other nest of sin. We will move in and clear it.”

The king speaks up “You can’t march troops through my country!” The cardinal recoils at the king. “Do you want to be dragged down by the baron’s bad choices as well?” It was a threat. A threat that if the king didn’t sit back and comply that the theocracy would go to war against them. They would do it under the pretense of freeing the people from a tyrannical ruler that put monsters above his people. The baron looked to the king, but upon seeing the defeated look on the king’s face he sighed. This is how it had to be. He gave the order to his son. “Kill Anon. The cardinal commands it.”