Slime Girl

- Shari -

While somewhat frustrating, I can't deny that talking to Michael was helping me gain a little bit more perspective on the situation.

While it's frustrating that I can't get straightaway to my parents, at least he gave me a target.

I'm not as stupid as not to notice that the target being the Marquis very conveniently aligns with my faction's goals, but at least that also means they won't be able to say I didn't do my job later on.

Deserting after having single-handedly won the war kinda makes for a better impression.

At least, I hope it does, but who knows with this queen?

But right now, I should explain things a little bit more closely to Michael.

"Okay, the situation is-" (Shari)

"Oh, oh! Can I explain? I think I got our situation this time! I wanna try!" (Liqu)

I don't really have much of a reason to deny her.

Also, it might actually be good to know if she understands things.

While often incredibly off about situations and how people behave, Liqu is fascinatingly intelligent in certain aspects.

Yet most situations can go very wrong with her misunderstanding the essentials about what we are supposed to do.

For this reason, checking that she understood everything as well might be actually quite good.

Maybe I should make that even a habit.

"Uh, okay, go for it." (Shari)

"So, we are us, in the bodies of them, as they tried to kill us, but they are thinking that we are them. Also, they believe we killed ourselves and now returned to tell them. But we didn't, but they don't know. So they want us to go to them, so we can tell how we killed ourselves, even though we didn't, yet they don't know, and shouldn't know, which is why we won't tell them. But we still need to go to them." (Liqu)

Is it just me, or did Liqu's core literally start fuming?

She might have gotten it right, as far as I can tell.

But is there any chance Michael even understood what Liqu put together in her core?

"Okay, so you're hiding inside the bodies of the adventurers who were sent to kill you. You were able to mask that fact when interacting with the very ones who assigned those adventurers on that task, and now have the opportunity to infiltrate the complex." (Michael)

He figured it out!?

"That quite sums it up." (Shari)

"That someone was sent against you in the first place is a point of concern. It means someone informed them, which forces us to assume that they might know about your capabilities." (Michael)

"So, what are you suggesting?" (Shari)

"Your plan to infiltrate the enemy headquarters has its merits. However, we should figure out how we may take proper advantage of this situation." (Michael)

"What do you mean?" (Shari)

"That we need to make use of our given chance to land a crippling blow. It would be optimal if we could take out the Marquis. Without their head, the rebellion would lose purpose. Other than that, maybe some of their internal documents could aid our cause." (Michael)

At this, Liqu perks up and raises her hand.

The fact that she does so as a boulder of a man in such a childish manner makes for quite an odd picture.

"Why would anyone write things down they don't want others to know about?" (Liqu)

"Oh, you would be surprised about to what degree they do so." (Michael)

Which would be?

"In any case, you are talking here about information to incriminate the Marquis. Not where he would have brought my parents. Isn't that right?" (Shari)

I still plan on getting my parents back, and I doubt very much that we'd find the concrete delivery address in his office.

"You are right. In particular, I'd like to look into whatever correspondence he shares with Koreso. We need to assess the threat of an intervention from their side. Any official contracts might cause a political nightmare, and there's the likely outcome that they send more than just a few patrols over the bridge if they see their assets at risk. However, while this is what we need, one doesn't have to be exclusive to the other. There could be mentions of the usual traffic routes we might uncover." (Michael)

"I don't have time for this, Michael! Every second I waste could be the one I come too late to save them!" (Shari)

"I fear you're gonna have to take that time, or instead search blindly. Furthermore, if we can actually get our hands on something that would clearly prove that the Marquis is collaborating with Koreso, this would be a huge boon in debasing any possible claims the rebellion may bring up. There's little they can do to justify their support of a foreign invasion. And if we actually can debase the Marquis, we'd finally have the leeway to actually investigate about the slave trafficking, if you get me on this." (Michael)

Okay, I guess that makes sense.

There might be a chance the documents mention where they usually deliver the slaves.

And maybe we can also raid all the other offices that might write down this kind of information instead, if the Marquis is gone.

But I just don't know if there's time for this.

"And what if this doesn’t reveal anything to get me closer to my parents?" (Shari)

"I'll tell you what. While you infiltrate the enemy headquarters, I'll investigate about the deliveries myself. You can rest assured, I have the necessary experience to achieve results in that matter. This way, we'll both cover the upper and more directly involved groups of the slave trafficking." (Michael)

I feel pretty much like I'm being played here.

Michael brings himself into position to dangle the exact information I want in front of me, so I do the same.

"And why shouldn't I go to those myself and ask directly?" (Shari)

"Who do you think they'd rather talk to? A merchant of some renown, or some runabout mercenary who threatens them? Also, would you know which way to approach the subject? In a way that they'd amicably tell you everything? I'll tell you, this isn't the kind of town where making threats and causing a scene is going to get you far. At best, it's calling the guards after you. At worst, every little bit of military Siras and Koreso can summon." (Michael)

Urgh, feels like I'm outmatched here.

"Don't take me for a fool, Michael. I'll solve this issue, but if I notice that you're stalling me by even a day, you and everyone else responsible for keeping my parents in that situation even a second longer than necessary will pay! Next, we will storm into Koreso and will leave chaos and destruction in our wake until I get them out, no matter the consequences! You with me, Liqu?!" (Shari)

"Always!" (Liqu)

Well, seems like that's settled.

Michael's gaze remains for a long moment on us, probably going through the different paths to take from here, and revising what to say next.

Yet I think I made my stance pretty clear on this.

Now it's on him if he decides to test me.

And no, I wasn't bluffing.

I certainly will start a two-person assault on a country if I don't have another option.

"I see. Now in this case, I'm motivated to not let you down. But right now, helping me equals helping yourself. Taking out the Marquis and throwing Siras into disarray will far more likely create the required opportunities to get you over the border in a more anonymous manner, rather than you 'storming in', as you call it." (Michael)

"Fine. Now that this has been made clear, what exactly should be our next steps?" (Shari)

"It seems like you are supposed to be invited for an official audience within a reasonably short time. I suppose this might be the perfect chance to infiltrate the Marquis' chateau and dismiss him from his duties." (Michael)

"You mean kill." (Shari)

"It would probably be the cleanest solution. You could also try capturing him. If you were able to hand him over to the reinforcements that are supposed to arrive in the near future, this would be the best possible outcome. Yet it seems unrealistic, and may take too long for you, as you heavily implied." (Michael)

He's got a point.

I'm usually more inclined to let people live if I don't have to kill them, but right now, we are hard-pressed for time, and that man and his slave trafficking didn't particularly raise my wish to go light on him.

"Okay, infiltrate, slip away, kill the Marquis. Anything else?" (Shari)

"Well, you should make sure you have a way to escape after the deed is done. Also, you'd of course have to be picked up first. In this sense, you need to make yourself available so as to be able to take up that offer." (Michael)

Uh, yeah.

The logistic parts of this mission weren't quite as visible to me.

I usually prefer simpler plans, instead of those where you require a step-by-step list.

"This could become quite complicated. It's not like we learned all that much about the people we're impersonating, before being stuck in a life-and-death battle with them." (Shari)

"As such, it is your duty to make that happen. I can't claim to know much about the body you're puppeteering there, but it may be that she had connections to the local guild branch. Despite Marquis Eras' insistence on keeping a private army to, allegedly, deal with possible monster incursions, they have a strong foothold here for whatever work is left over. As such, this might be our best address to receive information. Like, for example, their personal dwellings." (Michael)

"So what are you suggesting? We show up at the guild and hope that mine, and probably Liqu's, bad acting won't give us away?" (Shari)

"Hey!" (Liqu)

"Look me in the eyes and say that you can successfully keep up the charade of being a certain human, with all its intricacies!" (Shari)

"Ehm, okay..." (Liqu)

She looks down, defeated.

Sigh, I should probably be nicer, given all the support I get from her.

"Certainly, you shouldn't expose yourself. Fortunately, the thing you're pulling here is completely unheard of. I doubt anyone would see anything else but suspicious behavior from an eccentric personality, no matter how poorly you act." (Michael)

"So what do you suggest? Pray and hope for the best?" (Shari)

Not like that would be completely new for us, but I'd rather rely on a safer bet.

Not like one always has one.

"Of course, messing this up would still be pretty bad. So I'll give you a short coaching on the subject." (Michael)

"A coaching?" (Shari)

"Yes." (Michael)

And I thought I made myself clear on not keeping me for too long.