Chapter 22 – Capisce
Count Mourier's vile words still echoed in Marine Fontaine's mind. Hand over Andrea Lois for counts of heresy against the Church of Frae, he had announced. The man was but a mindless zealot of the corrupt theocracy. She had finished her 2 Ter Holy Paladin training a decade ago. At that time, the Church of Frae still performed their duty to help those in need. She would patrol every corner of the barony to see those who were in need.
What did 5 or 10 mana or even 100 matter when it could immediately help those in need?
Andrea had told Marine to patrol closer around the castle rather than going to the further edges of the territory, just in case. For her safety, she said.
Sorry, Andrea. But what about the safety of the barony's subjects?
Everyone, no matter their class, deserved to be safe from the vile, malicious intents of the truly evil. There would be no point to her Ranker status if she could not even shield those in need against the swords of false accusations.
However, it was all curious. This all happened after the dragon had left the western Hadstead mountain range. The moment it did, the barony's misfortune reversed. The markets became full of all kinds of fish once again, from small to large. Ones that Marine didn't even know the name of. Fishermen's smiles once again shone brightly, making her heart swell with pride.
The dragon must've been eating the fish, decimating the fish population or at least causing it to hide. Consequently, it recessed the barony's economy. Now that it was gone, the territory bounced back hard.
Then why, all of a sudden, did Count Mourier accuse them of heresy? Marine did not buy the excuse of 'dark birds flying into town'. The dragon had been long gone before the dark birds were even seen.
It was obvious the Count just wanted better trade terms with the barony. Their industry was of mining, and their farms could not extend too far out due to the risks of pulling in beasts from the Grand Forest of Plaedis, hence, their reliance on food trade.
During the dragon's blight, Marine had overlooked the shoddy tools and equipment the Count sent as trade. Under the veil of 'magnanimity', he bought from the already scarce fisheries as a 'favour' to Andrea.
Has he no shame to incite a war when he clearly preyed on the weaker barony?!
Marine gripped the reins of her horse. The injustice of the Count's declaration knew no bounds. She arrived at Earnest Plaedis, a town at the edge of the barony, after 2 days of non-stop travel.
Andrea had given her a gem called Limitless Sealing, just in case she encountered a foe she could not fight. As a Ranker, only legends could threaten her life. Though Marine appreciated the gesture, the lives of the people were still more important.
After getting off her horse, she looked around the town. Children ran about, playing with a leather ball. Men carried Plaedis lumber, the main export of this town. Women carried stews in buckets to feed both children and men.
When one of the children saw her, they all smiled and ran towards her, completely forgetting about the ball.
"Marine!" A child shouted. "Did you bring us anything today!?"
"Can I ride on the horse with you, Marine!" another child shouted.
"Woah, calm down, children," Marine said. Once she dismounted the horse, she took the child who had asked to ride and gently placed her on the horse. "Fun?"
"It's so cool!" the child screamed.
"Now, children, have some of this." Marine pulled out several solidified Hadstead Stalk syrup candies.
"Yay!!!" the children all shouted, taking one piece each.
Moving to the entrance of the town, she carefully led the horse to a fence before dismounting the child that was on her horse. "Was that fun?"
The child nodded. "One day, I'll become a Paladin too!"
Marine patted her head. "Play along now. I need to talk to the town head."
"En!" the child ran back to her playmates and began to play with the leather ball again.
That child never did like the sugary sweets she brought. Her mind was more on the horse and asking Marine to teach her some techniques. Marine chuckled. Maybe when she grows up just a little bit more, then the training could start.
As Marine walked through the town, she noticed the uncertainty in the eyes of those she passed by. She walked to the town hall, opening it to see the Chief sitting with someone else.
"Chief Reynald, Therese, is something the matter?" Marine asked as she walked in and sat with them.
"Marine," Chief Reynald said. "We must leave immediately. Have the order of knights arrived yet?"
"Not yet. They should arrive by tomorrow," Marine said. She had gone ahead of them and expended her horse's stamina just to get here first. "What's wrong?"
"That is an issue... perhaps we can meet the knights halfway and leave immediately from this town before the Count's forces arrive?"
"I'm not sure what I'm hearing. The Count's forces are estimated to arrive in 3 more days. There's no need to rush." Marine saw the Chief's eyes and saw the same uncertainty. It usually takes 6 days to prepare adequate forces to invade another territory. The travel time from the Count's castle to this place was around 4 days with proper supply lines and no interruptions such as beast encounters.
Therese cleared his throat. "It certainly would take 3 days in normal times, but have you seen the toll roads lately?"
"I have."
"Have you travelled through them?"
"I have not."
She did look away from the bandits' 'justified business' as they were not causing any trouble to the barony's subjects. In fact, most of the people around the town had good things to say about the bandits compared to before, as they protected the town from random beast encounters. There was no reason to create a punitive force against them if they had changed their ways. They were all still worthy of Frae's salvation.
"Then you should know that the roads speed up travel times. The smooth roads provide easy footing for horses or bare feet."
"What about beast encounters?"
"The bandits regularly patrol the routes they call I-10 and I-15 for any beasts. As such, encounters have become a rare event while on these white bricked roads," Therese said.
"Surely an order of knights and militia would still attract crazed beasts. The territory of the Count is just beside the Great Forest."
"That would be the case if it weren't for our merchants travelling back from Lyra. They told us that the I-15 road that leads to the Capital is currently under construction. Barbaric forces constantly patrol the area, and they are now right at the heart of the Count's territory," Chief Reynald said.
"I see, that is an issue..." Marine said. But how much faster would a bricked road hasten an army of knights and militia? Moving that amount would still require slow movement due to the need of carrying massive supplies. The 3 day travel time she mentioned was for individuals on horses. Large masses would require at least 5 days on foot, carrying their carriages slowly to not destroy the carriages.
The hair behind Marine's neck stood up. With the bandits' smooth bricked roads the carriage could proceed at top speed rather than slowing down for uneven terrain that would destroy its wheels.
"Marine?" Therese asked.
However, Marine ignored him. If the carriage could move at its peak speed, then naturally, the 5 days would be cut down to 3 days. Then what about the Count also suddenly declaring war? He could have prepared his own army beforehand and marched them as he declared to the baroness. That would cut preparation time from six days to maybe at most three days. A reconnaissance squad could speed ahead with a lighter load and survive for a couple of days while being cut off from the supply line.
Today would be the 7th day post-declaration. Why haven't they attacked yet? Marine remembered the uncertainty in the eyes of everyone. Even the Chief had that same expression.
They were surrounded. The Count's forces took this time to surround and possibly some of their forces bypassed the town of Earnest Plaedis to seek other towns. Or, they could have delayed the order of knights that were coming to assist this town with evacuation.
Marine suddenly stood up. She ran out the door and immediately held her hand out into the air.
[Call of Light. Activated]
A wisp of light shot into the air, high enough that the order of knights should be able to see it. This call should tell them that she was expecting a reply. But when 30 seconds passed, there was still no reply.
Come on, Julien. Reply to the light.
Waiting for another 30 seconds, there was still no reply. Her hunch on this was right. They were surrounded and their reinforcements had been cut off. She turned back to the Chief and shouted, "Gather the children into the safe house!"
The Chief and Therese hurriedly went outside and told all the townsmen and women to gather their belongings. One by one, the children were ushered into the central safe house, a reinforced building built entirely of rigid Plaedis lumber. It could hold at least the whole town, its small population being less than a hundred. The adults of the town also entered the building.
Marine entered with them. Everyone sat down on the hard wood. Children looked at her, their smiles gone, replaced by fear. "Everyone, stay calm. My order of knights will come soon."
"We don't hear anything yet, though," an adult man said.
But after the man said that, the sound of galloping horses could be heard, not from the direction Marine expected. It could only be the Count's scouting forces.
"Is that the order--"
"Shhh, quiet," Marine interrupted. "If you do not hear my voice, do not open the door. Understand?"
"We understand, Marine. But how can you face them alone?" Chief Reynald asked.
"Do not forget. I am a Ranker." Without waiting for a reply, Marine opened the door slowly.
She sneaked near the walls to avoid the galloping scouts' sight. Putting on a status glass and peeking her head around the corner of the wall, she saw the scouts averaging around 150 prowess. Some were robed, others outfitted with leather and plate armour.
The problem was their numbers. If she attacked one, they'd all swarm her.
One of the scouts arrived at the town entrance with a red feather on his helmet. If Marine could kill him, it would destabilize their hierarchy.
"Sir, reporting that all the buildings seem to be abandoned," a robed scout said.
"Idiot, there's no way it was abandoned. Did you not see the call of light?" the captain asked.
"I'm just reporting what I saw, Sir. There are no people in the buildings."
Marine saw the captain then enter one of the houses. After a couple of minutes, he came back out and looked at the scout that he was just talking to.
"There's no one, but there are recent signs of life. There's still fresh seafood red stew in the bowl of the house."
"Did anyone check that building?" The captain pointed at the safe house, making Marine suddenly duck behind the corner again.
"Not yet, sir. It looks like just a lumber storage area."
"Check it."
An option was that she could leave the town and aid the order in their plight. However, that would leave the townspeople's faith in the hands of the Count's vile, disgusting hands. The Plaedis wood also wouldn't hold long if it catches fire. From the robed scout's armour, it was obvious that he was a mage. The moment they caught on to the Plaedis wood, they'd set the safe house on fire to get in.
Marine slowly walked away from the safe house, crossing a few houses and exiting at the back entrance. She slowly made her way around the walls until finding a lone target, a leather-armoured scout.
[Lightness. Activated]
[Projectile Protection. Activated.]
[Paladin's Resolve. Activated]
The three buffs activated all at once. The weight of her armour became light as a feather with a slight yellow glow surrounding her. In the next breath, she drew her claymore, pounced, and lodged it through the scout's throat.
The scout tried to breathe, but after a few seconds, the life in his eyes faded. As his body fell onto the ground, Marine quickly rushed to the wall again. The horse ran away, attracting the attention of the other scouts to the dead scout's body.
Before they could even dismount their horses, Marine pounced again. Her claymore sliced through another scout's neck, but just as it did, the scout's companion screamed.
"Enemy!"
In another swing, the claymore bisected the body of the one that just screamed. Galloping could be heard from all around the town, all coming towards where she was. However, that's when she saw the explosion of fire above the town's walls. The mage had cast a fireball at the safe house.
Those bastards!
Marine ran along the wall. Just as she turned the corner to the back entrance of the town, a barrage of arrows showered her.
[Wall of Light! Activated]
The arrows hit the wall, bouncing off it. Before she could breathe, a fireball exploded the ground in front of her wall. It pushed her back from the force as she held up her claymore to shield herself from the debris.
"Bastards!" Marine shouted.
[Sword of Light! Activated.]
A thick coat of light engulfed her sword, extending its reach by about twice its lengthc. She pounced and slashed at the nearest mage scout, but her foot got caught. The ground below her had changed into mud, stopping her movement.
"Cowards!"
[Purification. Activated]
As soon as the spell took effect, her foot loosened and she immediately pounced on the scout. One swing bisected the scout; before the body could even hit the ground, Marine was already running at the next. None of their arrows could penetrate her Wall of Light that followed her. Fireballs shook the ground and knocked her back, but that didn't stop her as she finished the rest off.
[Purification. Activated]
The blood on her armour, face, and sword disappeared. Marine then rushed to the safe house once again. When she got there, the safe house had already been wrecked.
Swords pointed at men and women who held on to their children. Reynald and Therese were by the scout captain's side. His hand was on Therese's shoulder, and a dagger in his other hand pointed at her neck.
"Ah, the Lighthouse of Lois, easily killing a whole squad of scouts," the scout captain said. "I suggest you don't move."
"Bastard!" Marine said.
"The name's Bast, you can call me Captain Bast," the scout captain smirked.
"I did not ask for your name, nor would I ever choose to be under you, filthy bastard."
"It truly is amusing, though. To think that the Lighthouse herself would show up at the edge, just like he said," Bast said.
What? Was this all a trap to get her? Marine couldn't think of it any other way. This wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for those roads. The town would have fled to the safety of the castle by now.
"If it is I that you want, then let the people go. The innocent have no involvement in the war between nobles."
"Do not mock the Count's declaration, Marine," Bast said. "Everyone in the territory of Lois are now heretics according to the Church of Frae. As such, we shall deliver punishment to the territory on the Church's stead."
"Is it not the trade terms that you wish to renegotiate?! Should you kill the people of the barony, then that will ultimately decrease our territories' production!"
"That's part of it, but then how did your territory cast away the dragon?"
"That I do not know. It left on its own one day."
"Odd, how after the flock of dark birds came to the territory, it would suddenly leave, no?"
"Idiot! Whatever the flock of birds were, they came after the dragon had already disappeared!"
"Is it not true the fishery had gotten more lively after the flock flew over the barony?" Bast asked.
"Correlation does not mean causation. The flock was an unrelated event as the dragon had left long before, or are you just pretending to be foolish?" Marine asked.
"The ones pretending to be foolish are you heretics! There is no possible way your fishing industry had gained so much in just a month!"
"As the dragon had already left, the ocean's resources had already begun to recover. There are also new species of fish that have entered the region from the south."
"More excuses. Only a deal with a devil or demon could cause such a spike of growth," Bast said.
There was no reasoning with this moron. This scout captain was as blind as they come, completely brainwashed by the Theocracy, and the Count put this to maximum use.
"Do your eyes not see none here have been plagued by the undeath or corruption?!" Marine shouted.
"Stop your jesting, Marine. The corruption had always been sneaky. Their deaths could uncover the vector of the contagion!" Bast pulled his hand back and stabbed at the neck.
[Guardian Territory. Activated]
Before the blade could reach Therese, everyone that Marine deemed to be hostile in the area were pushed back. All the enemy scouts fell to the ground. The skill would keep them down for at least 3 seconds. The issue with the skill was that she couldn't move to kill the scouts, otherwise, the effect would lift immediately.
"Quickly! Run!" Marine shouted.
Chaos broke loose. Men and women ran away westwards towards the castle. It would take them numerous days to go on foot, but any chance at saving their own lives was better than nothing.
[Guardian Territory. Activated]
Marine activated the skill again as the scouts started getting up. Each activation cost 300 mana. With 480 mana left, she only had one more cast.
[Guardian Territory. Activated]
Again, she activated just as the captain got up. After another 3 seconds, she pounced at Bast before he could get up, claymore aimed for his neck. It would've been a sweet feeling to kill one of the Theocracy's members, but a staff completely blocked her claymore's point.
Glancing at the person who interfered, he was a man in gray robes and a black cowl that failed to cover his wrinkled ageing face. The staff he held had a large blue green gem embedded at the end. He wore a brown leather backpack.
Lazarus the Earth Archmage, a prowess of 644.
Quickly dashing backwards, Marine shielded herself with her claymore as a fist sized rock came flying at her. The impact caused her to skid backwards a couple of metres as the status glass on her eyes shattered.
"A Pandor mage!" Marine said.
"Correct." Lazarus smiled. "Bast, chase the heretics."
"Yes, sir!" Bast stood up along with the other scouts. Quickly, their forms disappeared as they rounded the corner of the wooden walls.
Now, it was only Marine and Lazarus.
"Why do you support the Count's troops?!" Marine asked.
"Support is such a weird word when I'm also chasing the flock of dark birds," Lazarus said.
"You bastards! We know nothing of the flock of birds. As a Paladin trained by the Church of Frae, our barony does not meddle with demons and the occult!"
"I know of you, Marine Fontaine, the Lighthouse of Lois. However, have you not thought that the baroness herself keeps you in the dark of her rituals?"
"If she does, I would sense the darkness within her." Marine gritted her teeth. There was no way that could happen. Andrea was her childhood friend and they shared literally everything together, even complaining about her husband's weird 'antics' with her. If even their private life were not off limits, then such rituals and darkness could not be hidden from her eyes.
"Then I see you do not concede?"
"There is no heresy within the baroness's domain, Lazarus. Please leave."
"That, I cannot. You see, the flock of dark birds got away from me. Therefore, I must chase," Lazarus said. "Since you are a paladin of the Church, leave and I shall spare you."
Marine suddenly pulled out the gem Andrea had given her and activated it instantly. Chains of light surrounded Lazarus, preventing him from moving or casting any spell. However, it would only hold him off for a while. She turned back and chased after the running scouts.
After exiting the town's walls, she saw the backs of two groups of scouts. A smaller group headed west, and a bigger group headed south west.
[Lightness. Activated]
The armour's weight lifted once again, and Marine chased the bigger group. She closed in fast, passing through rocky terrain into a sparse forest. Jumping over a creek, she swung her claymore at a scout's back, cleaving him in half. Scouts tried to block her way, but she cleaved all of them, as they all had less than 200 prowess.
Without looking back, she saw Reynald and Therese being chased by the last scout. They must've tried to distract the scouts from the larger group.
When Therese tripped, Marine launched herself forward with all her strength. As she spun towards them, her claymore bisected the remaining scout.
"Marine!" Reynald shouted.
"Quickly, run!" Marine picked Therese up from her shoulders.
"But we don't know where!" Therese shouted.
Marine pulled out a few copper coins and handed them to Therese. "Run to the tolls! If you pay the bandits, they should protect you from the attackers."
"Got it!" Therese said, taking the copper coins from her hand.
However, that was also a gamble. Since the bandits protected travellers from beasts and monsters on those who walked through their roads, would they even protect against other humans? There haven't been any violent incidents reported on the roads so far, so they should. But again... any chance was better than no chance.
"Hurry!"
Before the two could run away, 2 knights and 6 robed mages from the main forces appeared. Since she no longer had her status glass, she could only rely on the fact that the Count's main forces should average around 250 prowess.
Marine clenched her grip on her claymore. She could probably take a couple of them on and escape with her life if she were alone, but she wasn't. Reynald and Therese hid behind her.
"Is it the corruption you're after, or is it to punish the weak in the unruly trade terms of the baroness?" she asked.
"Leave at once, Holy Paladin. The heretics must be subjugated," one of the knights said.
"What proof of heresy do you have? All but a guess at where the wind goes is all the proof that you've got."
"The dark birds fell around this area, and the barony gained tremendous wealth. What more proof do we need of this clear heresy?"
"Shall all territories live poorly under this rule against heresy? What happens if a territory strikes gold and suddenly becomes rich?"
"When a territory strikes gold, there is no preceding event of dark birds that flowed into the territory. Paladin, have your eyes been clouded by your relationship with the Baroness?"
"If the Baroness performs rituals of wealth, then I shall know firsthand. When she does, it is I who will behead her right then, not the Theocracy!" Marine shouted.
"A pity. We may have been friends in another life, Lighthouse of Lois. That is, however, not this life. Step aside, or I shall brand you as a heretic as well."
"Brand me all you want. The Order of the Light shall fight against the corruption that has clawed its way into the Church of Frae."
"So be it," the knight sighed. "Men, kill the heretics!"
The mage behind the knight cast a fireball at them.
[Wall of Light! Activated]
The fireball hit the shield and knocked back Marine, along with Therese and Reynald.
"Bastards!" she shouted.
It was then she heard it. A snap of a finger.
Everything seemed to go silent, with everyone moving slowly. The snap reverberated even as the trees and grass swayed along the wind.
Marine blinked a few times to check if what was in front of her was real.
Two women, one wearing a dress made of fine black fabric while the other wore dirty peasant clothing with a brown apron that seemed more fit for gardening. One had black hair and the other brown hair. Both their shoulders looked thin, untrained for combat, nor did they have any Fraedium gems that would signify they were mages.
The two were innocents.
With no hesitation, Marine moved in front of them. "You two, move back. This is an active warzone."
"What's going on, and what's with the fighting?" the black-dressed woman said.
Glancing over her shoulder, Marine saw the woman's almost bored-like expression. "It's Count Mourier's forces killing everyone in the barony. Now, step back if you don't want to get hurt."
"So this land is part of the Barony?" the black dressed woman asked.
"Yes, my Lady. Everything north of the western Hadstead mountain range would be part of Baroness Lois's territory."
"Cool."
"Heretics! The two women appeared from nowhere. The proof is all there!" the knight shouted.
"Heretics? Haven't heard that in a while, eh?" the black dressed woman said.
"For your safety, I would suggest you leave the way you came," Marine said to the black dressed woman.
"Marine Fontaine, the Lady came here because she willed it so. Cease your questioning of the Lady's choices," the brown haired woman said.
Turning her head around to look at the other woman, Marine saw the unmarred face of Aurora, the genius botanist. Wasn't she supposed to be exiled to the Dragus slums?
"Aurora?" Marine asked.
"The unmarred face that no healer could heal says it all, Marine. You work with the heretics!" the knight shouted. "Kill them all!"
As the mages all conjured a fireball, the black dressed woman spoke once again in a clear voice that seemed to be the only thing Marine could hear.
"Aurora, show me what the power levelling did."
"Yes, my Lady." Aurora stepped around Marine as her eyes tracked her frail-looking body. Suddenly, an explosion of mana fell onto the surroundings.
When the knights lunged at them, Marine saw it in clear slow motion. Green glowing giant roots on the ground shot outwards, wrapped themselves around all 8 hostile knights and mages, and crushed all of them. Blood, guts, and their eyes all popped out of their bodies. Bones broke before they could even scream. They were all dead in less than 2 seconds.
Her legs shook as she did her best keep herself steady. She knew then that if she made a mistake of garnering the wrath of legends, she’d be dead in an instant. What was she to a being that could erase the existence of Count Mouriers top knights.
"W-who...? Aurora?" Marine asked. Her mouth felt dry asking. A simple question could be mistaken as an offence to beings with volatile minds. Every legend she had encountered before had an air of impulsivity and or eccentricity.
"An acquaintance?" the black dressed woman asked.
"No my Lady..." Aurora turned to Marine. "I am Chief Product Officer, Aurora. How do you know of me?"
"I've seen you from afar... I don't know."
Aurora then noticed the two people behind Marine. "Sir Reynald and his wife. Nice to see you again."
"Lady Aurora--"
"My title is Chief Product Officer," Aurora said sternly.
"Chief Product Officer Aurora, nice to see you again..." Reynald said.
"Who they?" the black dressed woman asked.
"These two are one of the candidates for the interstate rest stop tavern, my Lady."
"I smell tomato based fish stew, yummers."
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Marine asked.
"Call me Lady Alex."
The black dressed woman smiled at her. A chill ran down Marine's spine as soon as the corner of those lips curved up. It was as if an unfathomable being looked down on her from above. A pressure she couldn't quite put her finger on. If Aurora could eliminate those 8 in an instant, then who was Lady Alex?
"Lady Alex is our Chief Executive Officer, Marine Fontaine. Be glad her Grace has shined upon you."
When Marine saw Aurora's smile as she said that, the woman in front of her looked even more like a zealot than the foolish Bast. Though, it was an undeniable truth that they saved the two innocents and her from inevitable demise.
"Lady Alex, I have a request..." Marine muttered.
Lady Alex held her hand up before Aurora could say anything and said, "Go for it."
"Please, save the rest of the innocents. I beg of you. The domain is in peril due to Count Mourier's unwarranted crusade."
Lady Alex held her hand up. A blue outline formed on the armour, swords, and shields of the knights and the gems of the mages. The equipment of the knights all floated toward her, stopping just before her until they were all crushed into a single cube. Then, the cube and gems disappeared.
"Sure, but make sure I get a discount on the food trade with the baroness, capisce?"
"Capisce?" Marine asked, not knowing what that was.
Lady Alex snapped her fingers again. In a blink of an eye, she and Aurora disappeared from view as if they were never there in the first place. The only proof of their existence was now only the dead stripped bodies of the 2 knights and 6 mages.
May Frae's eternal light shine upon the innocents.