The last of the mountains gave way. The road opened to a new landscape: Rolling hills, prairies, and clusters of trees littered the large but empty road D-7 was driving on. It had been a few hours since their departure from Henwales, and the mountain range that hid the taiga was already tucked away into the back of their view. Minimal talk was heard from the team, and nothing eventful happened over the course of their travel.

…

…

“Everyone. We’re here.” Gris alerted as he saw signs of civilization: Tower posts made of reinforced bricks, houses that were built upon the fertile lands, and dated defenses composed of stone and steel. As they approached the city gates, people noticed their presence; much of them slowly leaned into D-7’s direction in skeptical awe.

“Look at them. Take one moment, and they’ll beg for coin. Should’ve parked the car somewhere discreet…” Gris commented.

“These people, they look like they’ve been through a lot…” Mido said as he scanned the outside through a window. People, men and women, young and old, were staring to swarm the vehicle. Each one of them are showing hints of malnourishment, battered bodies, or dried skin. Looking at the sheer size of fertile land around them, one might wonder how these people came down so low…

Fein approached him. “Reiss claims itself as a prospering city, but the lord that governs these lands do not take ample responsibility for its people. Instead, they hoarded the money that was supposed to support this city and reserved it for their own and for their sycophantic lackeys.”

“These fields… Why are they not using it?” Wizbette asked. Outside, the people were being herded back inside by guardsmen.

“Hmm… That’s a curious question…” Fein mumbled, when they heard a knocking on the doors.

“Sir! We need a moment to talk!” A masculine voice pounded on the metallic door. Gris opened it, flashing his ID at the man, who was dressed as a guard. His armor was flimsy, slightly dented, and the uniform he wore was full of scratches. His face was riddled with sweat amidst the heat of the sun. He had the look of a tired man, who was forced to do his job.

“Vassals…” He paused a bit before collecting his thoughts. “State your business in Reiss.”

Fein eased his way through the side of Gris’ big body before finally putting himself into view.

“We will run an investigation through this city, regarding a rogue Vassal.”

“Huh? This city is as peaceful as it is! There are no cases regarding Vassals here for a few weeks now.” He said, but Fein cannot help but notice something weird in his manner of speaking. However, it must be from the fatigue of their travel.

“Then what do you say to these?” He handed the missing persons document to the guard. There was a definite look of surprise to his eyes, as if he was unaware of this.

Composing himself, he cleared his throat. “S-sure, we have those cases where people go missing… But I assure you, Vassals have nothing to do with them!”

As the man was stammering, Enna crept up behind Fein’s shoulder and whispered.

“Captain. Shall I make them speak?”

“Not yet, Enna. There are a lot of people here. I think we probably should—”

“Alright, that is enough!” A loud voice yelled from the gates, urging the team’s heads to look to where it came from. The man, much likely a noble because of his pampered clothes, and a symmetrical, distinct face that alludes to a royal origin, greeted them and approached the group, his combed-up dark hair bounced at every step. He tapped the guard by the shoulder, who instantly bowed and fell back to the gates to assist.

“So! What brings you to our city, Vassal United?” He had a particular rhythmic pattern as he was speaking, which added more to his flamboyance that was the irony of the view around him.

“…As what I’ve said, we’re running an investigation through Reiss. A case of a rogue Vassal.”

“Hmm… I trust you will have questions then?” He was thorough with his words, as if he didn’t hold back.

“I’ll let you park your vehicle, and we’ll talk at my place.” He waved for the guards to open the gates and let D-7 pass.

“Wait. Your name.” Fein asked the man sternly from behind the latter’s back.

“Pierre.” Assuredly, he waved a hand before walking back to the gates, ushering the group to follow him.

The ‘garage’ they parked in was, without a doubt, unimpressive. It was a huge stable, with bricks and wood used as foundation, and the roof was just boarded up by what seemed to be hunks of leftover planks. Still, it protected the Beaver from the elements, not that it needed it. D-7 hopped outside to take a look at what Reiss really is. After winding up to a column, they saw themselves on a main road. This city was not in the likes of Henwales: Dated buildings, broken pathways, a slightly pungent atmosphere, and the people that live in this part of the city were almost all in the poverty line. The whole environment gave the vibes of a medieval-era city, a status that is far cry from the mostly-industrialized infrastructure of the many cities around this region.

“I know you are not impressed, but please, follow me.” Pierre guided the team unto the road. People looked at them as they pass through, with stares that burned through them. Their black and red uniforms all tied in to Pierre’s beige noble attire, so it’s natural to assume that they are acquaintances with the noble.

As they pass the stalls selling fruits, commodities, and the like, stores full of people, and bars filed in with men fuming with liquor in broad daylight, their faces slowly followed their every step as the wind threatens to blast their attires with dirt.

“I don’t like their stares one bit…” Gen whispered as he tucked his hands on his coat and nudged Wiz to go within the group.

“I’m sorry. Our people are ‘not used to’ the Vassal United being here. As they say, you’re an omen of bad luck.” Pierre chuckled, but he was seemingly unfazed of this treatment as he led the group.

“Well, tell us when we’re there, noble.” Gen replied to him, which Pierre promptly responded to with a nod.

“Be careful. I Don’t trust this man just yet.” Fein whispered to everyone as they walk.

A few minutes of silent walking later, the group eventually turned to a walled-off establishment; a huge iron-barred gate was opened by Pierre and welcomed them inside. As D-7 went through the gates, they were met by an environment that was disillusioned from what they saw so far: A garden was hiding within the tall brick wall, and a house stood valiantly within it, seemingly unaffected by the sheer poverty outside. The door made a slight creak as it was opened, and Pierre gently welcomed the team into the house.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable!” He ushered them to a long couch that overlooked much of the room. Almost everything has the plain hue of beige, it’s as if this man likes to be monotonous himself, an irony of his personality. Still, like most noblemen, he was never afraid to flaunt his status, much to the courtesy of this city’s lord.

Apart from the slow breaths of the wind, the overall atmosphere of the house was quiet. Eerily quiet…

After a moment of going around the area, he sat on a seat and began to speak.

“Of course, you’re here for a particular, serious matter… I’m aware of that myself because you Vassal United like to poke around stuff…” Pierre slightly chuckled as he poured tea on a cup.

“Want some?”

“We’re fine.” Fein refused.

“So! What do you think about Reiss?” He was seemingly flamboyant in addressing the poor city they’re in.

“It reeks of shit.” Gen cursed. “And you’re here with your perfumed home, walled off from the reality that is this town. I take it the word ‘city’ is also only a ruse?”

“I admit, Reiss has seen better days, but the lord had been so tired of the people’s arrogancy. Now look at them. Such a waste.” He said while flailing his hands dramatically to his words.

‘Oh. Delusional.’ Enna thought as she concentrated hard to something. Wiz was quite unnerved by his sudden actions and proceeded to look down as to disregard the sight of him, and only focus on his voice.

“But of course, nobles are supposed to be the face of a ‘city’,’ am I right?” Gris voiced out sarcastically.

“You’re right! Ours, and the lord’s job are to present Reiss as an acceptable city—”

“But is that enough validation to leech the people’s money?”

Pierre was startled. His eyes widened ever so slightly and looked at each of them.

“…This is how we run things here, Vassal United. Don’t poke around things you don’t understand and just focus on your own business.” He was rather commanding, but his previous interaction with the group did not go well with this. Despite his tone, however, he spoke with a smile on his face.

“Captain, should we…” Gen was about to reach out to Pierre before Fein stopped his hand.

“We’ll be minding our own, Pierre. Let’s talk formally now, shall we?”

Without a beat, Pierre began to speak. “So, was it about the missing persons?” His slightly manic upbringing soon regressed to a more composed and serious mood.

“Yes, we are—”

“The culprit was already apprehended.”

Just as Fein was about to start, Pierre sternly interrupted him and bombarded them with an answer that shocked D-7.

“Ahem. Please elaborate, sir.” Said Fein as he presented to Pierre the document.

“Hmm… Yes. I’ll have to be precise to you; these missing people on your documents were sadly… murdered. All of them. The assailant is not a Vassal, but a mere person. The motive is still unknown, however.”

“Did you just conclude the case, just like that?”

“I’m afraid we had to. When the culprit was caught, he took the sly and dirty way of killing himself to avoid interrogation. Such a mysterious case, indeed. And judging by your data, even your intel has not recovered much of it. These are just bare identities. Finding competent detectives in this part of the city are hard to come by, but they fare well in their job.”

What he said was, in a way, true. Fein knew that something was lacking in the documents about the missing persons. For instance, there were no accurate descriptions of each person, only their gender and date of posting, which was about one and a half weeks ago. The pictures might even be inaccurate, in some way.

“Sir. Are cases like this frequent in your city?” Sora engaged. The sight of a ‘small’ boy questioning him made Pierre chuckle.

“Look outside. The people here cannot be controlled. Even if the lord supplicated their needs, they would just cling to his power, without doing the effort themselves. They’ve been given a huge land to grow on, but you know what they did? They did nothing, and instead dozed off and waited for the lord’s actions. That ignorance feigns change, doesn’t it?” He was noticeably getting worked out just stating that.

Mido thought that his statement was just hypocritical. Without leadership from their lord, the people will eventually fall into this state. To Pierre, he blames it on the poor, all the while getting pampered by the lord through this exact hypocrisy. His casual sadistic look that slowly emerged all the more made Mido dislike him. There was something really wrong with this guy. The way he casually talks about the decrepit state of this city and its people, and the duality on his openness and secretive sides.

“Sorry… I might have gone too far.” He chuckled as he leaned forward.

“Well, it seems like we’re going nowhere. Come on, captain.” Gen waved for Fein, but the latter held back.

“Wait. Pierre. Is your lord doing enough to help the people?”

Enna clicked her tongue. Pierre paused for a moment before speaking up. “You are persistent people, aren’t you?”

“The people here are ignorant. And I even think that same ignorance seeped through the lord. Still, we live here because we have nowhere to go. Leaving a city, one you’ve put your name into, is quite disgraceful, to say the least. But we nobles know that fact, and being the middleman of two ignorant people is the best grounds there is, isn’t it? Supporting him is the least of our worries.”

‘There he is again, flaunting his status…’ Mido thought.

“So, you admit to being corrupt people, leveraging yourselves higher against the people who are disillusioned from themselves?” Sora started to raise his voice.

“Hmm, you didn’t hear that from me.” Pierre just smiled, albeit more annoyed than moments ago. This unnerved Sora a bit, but the fact is clear: This man leeches from the lord through his sycophancy. The people here are stuck on two sides and are both ignorant of their own lands. The poor being lazy, dependent individuals, and the nobility being a toxin to their own lord who is too ignorant makes a great concoction for a corrupt city that cannot move forward because the gears that run it are too rusted, and the oils that are supposed to smoothen their work are absent.

“You’re despicable…” Sora gritted his teeth while Fein tapped him to calm down.

“Captain… This is not what you’re here for, is it?” Pierre stared at Fein fiercely.

“…You’re right. Since you don’t have anything else to say, we’ll conclude it here.” Fein stood up and waved for everyone to leave.

“We have nothing to get from here.” He whispered beneath his breath.

“Oh, was that all? Well, thank you for your company, Vassals!” Pierre toasted before the door was closed, but not before leaving a grin.

Back at the Beaver…

“What should we do? That guy gets on my nerves…” Enna cursed.

“Enna. Did you try to use your ability against him?” Sora asked. She returned with a shrug.

“Yeah… But something was wrong. I cannot get to his mind…”

“It’s like I figured. That guy had an uneasy aura around him.” Said Gen. “A Vassal?”

“We cannot say. But it’s true. All the while, I was trying to get a feel for him, and it really felt something was wrong about him.” Mido commented.

“Sora. Enna. Can you question the local police or guard office here, if they have one? Let’s hope they will have answers.” Fein ordered.

“Yes, captain. We’ll go immediately.”

“Be careful.” The two nodded and went outside. The people there might have answers, but it’s a long shot if the nobles also control them.

“Let’s be vigilant. They may just be staring at us, but even the people here might be hostile.”

“Right!”

Meanwhile, amidst the searing heat, Enna and Sora scanned every building for a hint of their office. Sora looked at his colleague, and immediately saw her annoyed face towards the people looking at them.

“Enna. Get yourself together. Just don’t mind them.” He nudged her. Enna eventually stopped and composed herself.

“Right. I’m sorry.”

After a while, they eventually saw one guard patrolling on the cobblestone path.

“Sir! If you excuse us, do you have an office around here?” Sora immediately asked, but the person in question did not seem to mind.

“Ehh…?” He turned, lazily.

“Oi. Been daytime drinking lately!?” Enna snapped her fingers in front of the guard. This successfully caught his attention.

“Uhhh—Office?! We do, we do! I’ll lead you there, actually…” He stammered.

“Thank you very much!”

After a lot of winding paths, they eventually came to a brick building with banners plastered over. They bid the man thanks and opened the doors…

As expected, the look on the faces inside speaks of doubt. They were barging in an office, seemingly out of nowhere. Eventually, an officer greeted them, albeit sternly.

“Here for the missing cases? It’s already closed.” He put his hat down to cover his face.

“We know, but we have other questions regarding the case.” Sora said.

“Can’t be helped, kid. ‘Said case is already closed, do you not understand—” Just as he was about to raise his voice, Enna gripped the man’s shoulders.

‘Grantor, with thine words, force my target into submission.’

Altering Feedback.

As if a swirling void of energy charmed and caressed the man’s mind, his resistance gradually stopped.

Leaning in closer, Enna whispered smoothly into his ear…

“What could hurt you in just a question? Come on…” The man, despite his stature, was easily swooned by Enna into submission, and without a beat, guided them into a separate room.

“I could spare a time or two for you… Come…”

The others were too preoccupied and did not notice anything. Sora trailed along.

‘You people are so easy…’ Enna thought as he sat across the man with a table between them.

With a thirsty, charmed look on his face, the officer asked Enna, “What is it? Ask away…”

Enna, with a determined look, took the liberty to take the chance and spill every information this man has.

“The murders. When did it happen?”

As expected of her ability, every question she poses is answered. Sora instinctively locked the door behind them with a key he slyly took from the man’s pockets and pulled out a note to write on.

“About a week ago. Each was a consecutive murder, but the bodies were moved on each site.”

“How were the murders enacted?”

“…They were not catalogued.”

“What? The murder weapon, what was it?”

“…We don’t know…”

“Tch.” Enna was visibly confused and annoyed at the same time.

“Is that all you have to say regarding that matter?”

“…Yes, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah. They’re THAT lazy. Concluding the murder without any—”

“Enna? Could it be that Pierre is deliberately controlling these people?” Sora asked behind her.

“Is a man named Pierre behind you guards?”

The man did not answer, and only stared at Enna blankly, albeit charmed. Annoyed by this, Enna grasped the air in front of her with her hand and clenched her fist, sending a droning sound to the man’s ears and into his head. It’s as if his mind is breaking, the man started to cover his head, groaning.

“Stop it! Stop it, please!”

“Enna! Someone’s going to hear!” Sora shook her, and Enna eventually stopped, sighing.

“Don’t try to resist me, or your head will burst out.” The man submissively nodded.

“Now, answer my question.”

He was about to resist again, but Enna threatened him, and he finally gave in.

“…Yes. He led the investigation but kept most of the information for himself. That is why… That is why I cannot answer those…”

“As we expected. That guy’s part of this.” Sora commented, and Enna nodded as response.

“Just like captain said, the murders might be connected to the whole ‘raising the dead’ thing. We need to pinpoint where those bodies were sent.”

“The bodies were in Pierre’s custody, said he’s going to clean up the scenes himself.” The man answered, which actually amused Enna for once.

“Look at you! All cooperative… Now tell me. Does your boss have collaborators?”

“He always talks… through a phone… with someone.” Sora quickly jotted it. “Our businesses always start… and end with him talking through… it.” He was slowly getting fatigued by Enna’s ability.

“Ahh, good boy… Was that all, Sora?”

Sora nodded. “Yes. I think we can make out something with this. If the bodies were handled by Pierre, then it’s likely he didn’t send it to the concerned families and cover it up with something obscure. Even so, should we ask local crematoriums?”

“No. I don’t like the people here already. Let’s make do with what we can and solve this as soon as possible.”

“Right.”

“And as for you, big guy…” Enna leaned closer to the man.

“Forget all of this. If someone asks you what our business was here, tell them we gave up because of your stubbornness.”

“Yes ma’am…” He bowed and looked up, staring at Enna’s menacing chagrin.

“We’re done here.”

Information in tow, both of them left the office, and all that was left is the officer’s cooperation.