Sir Negotiator

The Capital: Market District

To say Rem was taken a little by surprise was something of an understatement. One moment they'd stopped to inspect the food at one of the stalls, then Ulric had suddenly stiffened next to her as his eyes took on a haunted and confused look, almost as if he didn't know where he was for a moment. Stranger still, when Rem asked him if something was wrong, he responded by pulling the blue-haired oni into a hug, acting as if he hadn't seen her in days. "Sir Ulric, what are you doing?" Questioned a now very flustered Rem.

"My apologies," said Ulric as he released her, "I just suddenly thought how lost I'd be without you." This answer helped Rem's confusion slightly, but it was still strange for her to see him acting this way out of the blue.

"You needn't worry," said Rem as she slipped her arm around Ulric's like it was before, "Rem has no intention of going anywhere." Ulric smiled a bit at this, though it seemed sad in a way for some reason. "I have a question," said Rem, "The smell of the witch has grown stronger around you, why?"

"It's probably because her followers are near," said Ulric, "And Lady Emilia is in danger." This got the maid's attention as they quickly finished up their errand in the market before heading to get something Ulric now realized was essential if they were going to stop the witch cultists. They were going to need help.

The Mansion of Crusch Karnstein

The sun was low by the time they arrived at the mansion and as they approached, Ulric noticed that Wilhelm was outside the mansion talking to someone he'd never seen before. He was about Wilhelm's height, wearing a red suit and sported blond hair and a goatee. "Ah, now this is an unusual development," said the man as he and Wilhelm turned to Ulric and Rem.

"I'm afraid you have us at a disadvantage," said Ulric as they stopped for a moment, "You seem to know us, but I do not recall ever meeting you."

"Of course, allow me to introduce myself," said the man with a slight bow, "I am Russell Fellow and I work as the treasurer to the capital's Merchant Guild. And you are Lady Emilia's knight Sir Ulric, a pleasure to meet you." Ulric simply nodded as he shook his hand, not quite sure what to make of the man. "Now I must apologize, but there is some other business I need to attend to. Perhaps we'll have ample opportunity to talk next time."

The treasurer then climbed into his carriage and departed the mansion grounds as everyone present watched his exit for a moment. "He seems like a calculating man," observed Ulric.

"Russell Fellow," said Wilhelm, "He is known to be a shrewd man, which is why he manages the internal and external financial matters of the capital."

"I've always heard one must be somewhat clever to survive in the merchant world," remarked Ulric.

"Indeed," said Wilhelm, "Now as it so happens I was about to head back inside. But since you've both shown up I must ask what business you have here."

"We wish to speak with Lady Crusch about a pressing matter," answered Ulric, "Is she by chance here right now?"

"As it just so happens, yes," replied Wilhelm, "Wait here and I will announce your arrival. With luck, she may be able to see you." Ulric and Rem both nodded as the old swordsman turned and went back into the mansion. He returned shortly and beckoned them to follow to Lady Crusch's office, a sight which was becoming increasingly familiar to the knight. Also familiar was the sight of the royal candidate sitting behind her desk with Felix standing right behind her.

"Sir Ulric and Rem," said Crusch as she looked up from some papers she'd been reading, "To what do I owe this unexpected visit?"

"You've likely been informed about this already, or if not you soon will be," said Ulric as he took a seat while Rem chose to remain standing, "The witch's cult is in the Mathers domain. What's more, they plan on attacking Lord Roswaal's mansion in three days."

"Well it was only a matter of time," said Felix, "the people's distrust of half elves already guaranteed a nya-umber of enemy's even before she was a royal candidate."

"But that doesn't answer the question of why you decided to come to me with this information," said Crusch.

"The reason we're here is to ask for your assistance, Lady Crusch," Said Ulric, "Based on what I've seen of the cult members and their leader, Betelgeuse Romanee' Conti, I'm ashamed to say my blade and the abilities of the others won't be enough to stop them."

"So I see," said Crusch, "My next question then is why it is my assistance you've sought out."

"Sir Reinhard and Lady Felt are currently occupied with other matters outside the capital," replied Ulric, "And I don't respect either of the two remaining candidates like I respect you. Not to mention, you've been looking for an enemy to face if I recall."

"While that is true to a degree, there's something you must understand," said Crusch, "I cannot simply lend my support. You must tell me what we stand to gain from helping you, otherwise there is nothing worth negotiating. So I must know, what benefit is helping you eliminate the witch's cult to us?"

"Based on what I've seen and heard," said Ulric, "Members of the witch's cult are monstrous, killing men, women and children without remorse or even a clear reason, in fact they seem to enjoy it. Eliminating them, in my opinion, would be a benefit to everyone. Not to mention, the people would no doubt support you even further if it was known you were instrumental in their destruction."

"While that is true, they do not currently threaten my camp," Crusch pointed out, "What happens in a lord's domain is their concern, and if they lack the power or ability to protect those within their domain, then their deaths are due to their incompetence."

"I'd appreciate you not speaking of my lady in such a way," said Ulric as he leaned forward with something of an irritated frown on his face, "Even the greatest of kings and queens can be toppled from circumstances out of their control, such as the sickness that swept the current royal family. If these were ordinary circumstances, your help wouldn't be required."

"While there is truth to your statement, I must point out another issue with you requesting my help," said Crusch, "You see by asking for help from a rival candidate, you're calling Emilia's ability to rule into question. In other words, should I render assistance to you, Lady Emilia will be eliminated from the royal selection."

"I don't believe such a thing should be necessary," said Ulric as he laced his fingers together, mainly to keep his fingers from digging into the chair arms out of frustration, "If we turn the question around, one could say that your own ability to rule would also be called into question by refusing to lend assistance."

"Nya-ow you're just sounding crazy," Said Felix, "Lady Crusch is well within her rights to not help."

"Felix is right," said Crusch, "Do explain how my refusal to help you could be viewed negatively?"

"Simply put," said Ulric, "you're putting your concerns and the concerns of your own camp first. Ordinarily this would be quite normal, but your goal is to become ruler of this entire kingdom. This means that your responsibilities extend to all people within the kingdom and not just your own. You see, the witch's cult is also threatening the village near the mansion, people who may very well be your subjects one day. From what I hear, your intentions once you become ruler are to sever the contract with the great dragon who protects and guides the people of this land, meaning you will have to rely solely on your own power to insure the safety of the people."

"Tell me, will your answer to their cries of help still be the question 'what do I gain by helping you?' once you've become ruler."

"Are you daring to doubt my integrity sir Knight?" questioned Crusch, "They will all be my people once I become ruler and my decisions will be measured to insure that the entire kingdom benefits from any action I take."

"And that is the one and only reason I believe Emilia to be better suited to ruling than you," said Ulric, "While you wait to act like a ruler, she already acts like one by caring for all people who ask for her help. In essence, while you ask what doing the right thing gains you, she doesn't need a reason to do the right thing." Ulric stood up and drew his sword then, prompting Wilhelm to step in front of his master before Ulric kneeled down with his blade planted in front of him, his head bowed in a traditional knight's fashion. "But since you insist that something must be gained for your help, then I offer myself to your service."

"But Ulric, Emilia has to-," Rem started to say before Ulric stopped her.

"A knight must be prepared to lay down everything, even their very life for the one they serve," said Ulric, "And Lady Emilia always pays her debts. So if you lend us your assistance now, ask her for whatever it is you want and tell her of this as well so that she may release me from my oath of service to her. If you ever once considered me a worthy servant of your rival then you will at least consider this proposal. I do not wish to see a tragedy like this village being slaughtered play out before my eyes again, and for that to happen, the witch's cult must be slain."

"You're willing to turn your life over to me in return for my help," said Crusch as Wilhelm moved back to his position on her left hand side. "Tell me, is this really about protecting your lady or do you seek to slay the witch's cult?"

"I seek both," replied Ulric as he raised his head, "I've come begging for help because I know our strength alone will not be enough to protect everyone. But I also know that these cultists are fanatical about their beliefs, and being a knight who joined a war for his beliefs, I can tell you that the only way to insure they never threaten anyone again is to leave none of them alive. Make no mistake, though, my first priority is to Lady Emilia and to those in the Mathers domain, even if I wish at this very moment to be out there slaying cultists." Crusch seemed to think on his words for a moment before finally sighing.

"I always know when someone is lying to me," said Crusch, "In fact I'm fairly proud of the fact that not a single person has ever fooled me in a negotiation. And you, sir knight, have not lied to me once, which is why I will now be honest with you. I have actually set my sights on another enemy, one that is also a danger to everyone, so dangerous in fact that bringing it down will require nearly all the resources and manpower I currently possess. So in short, it is not that I do not wish to help you, I simply cannot spare anyone or anything to help you right now."

"I," Ulric said, trying to keep his voice even, "Understand." Ulric stood up then and sheathed his sword before turning to exit the room. "I apologize for the intrusion. I also offer my gratitude for hearing us out, and for being honest about your current situation."

"If I may offer one suggestion before you go," said Crusch, "Some of the merchants might be willing to provide transportation for the right price. Lady Anastasia would know more about this matter than I, though."

"So I see," said Ulric as he opened the door, "I may look into such a possibility. In the meantime, good luck and Godspeed for your campaign. May your blade find its way into the heart of your enemy." Ulric walked out of the door then as Rem bowed before closing the door behind her. A moment of silence passed between the three remaining occupants before Felix spoke.

"You nya-eed to stop doing that," said Felix with a shake of his head.

"Why whatever do you mean," asked Crusch, "Emilia will likely be eliminated from the selection whether I intervene or not."

"That's beside the point," said Felix, "You said it was nya-one of your concern, and then helped him anyway. If you keep it up, others might think you're soft."

"I simply made a friendly suggestion," answered Crusch, "Whether or not he acts on it is up to him. In truth, aren't you just the slightest bit interested in what he plans to do next?"

"I suppose I do feel slightly bad that such a nya-ice guy can't seem to catch a break," admitted Felix, "But he is still our enemy."

"A truly terrible enemy at that," said Crusch, "But if he survives this, he just might make a good rival."

Emilia's Temporary Apartment

"So, Roswaal won't be present at the mansion for a few days," Ulric repeated after hearing the news from Rem.

"No, he has been summoned by some officials within his domain and will remain with them until he is finished conducting business." Said Rem.

"Well that does explain why the cult picked this time to strike," said Ulric as he crossed his arms and leaned against the frame of the apartment's window, "The mansion would be almost completely vulnerable right now."

"We have little time if what you say will come to pass," said Rem.

"As sure as the sun will rise, they will attack," said Ulric, "I know it's hard to believe, but if it helps, tomorrow you will feel something ominous through the link with your sister."

"Then should we proceed back to Lord Roswaal's mansion?" Questioned Rem.

"Loathe as I am to admit it, the two of us won't be enough to stop them," said Ulric, "And we can only protect so many people at once. So tomorrow, I'll talk to Anastasia Hoshin and see if there is something she is willing to do, while you check in at the knight's station. With luck we'll be able to rally a few more swords to our cause and if not, then at the very least we can find a way to get everyone away before the cult's attack."

"Then we have the makings of a plan," said Rem with a nod, "The only thing we can do now is rest sir knight, and hope tomorrow is more fruitful."

"I will be praying for it," said Ulric as he patted the maid's head, "God willing, tomorrow's efforts will yield results."

The Capital: Market District the Next Day

While the plan itself was fairly sound, Ulric found that he had overlooked one minor detail before setting out. He had absolutely no idea where Anastasia Hoshin actually was. To that end, he decided the best course of action was to start looking around where the most merchants would gather, given the royal candidate's background as a merchant herself. If nothing else, he could at least ask for directions to her current residence, assuming she was even there at this time.

'I'm still not terribly fond of the fact that we'll need to be relying on merchants for assistance,' thought Ulric, 'But if this is what the Lord has decided to provide us with, then who am I to refuse.' With this thought at the back of his mind, the knight scoured the market in search of any sign of the merchant girl. He got a number of promising leads over the next couple of hours, but nothing certain as he wandered from location to location. Though part of his wandering was also due to getting lost on more than one occasion.

'It's an embarrassment that I can still get lost in this part of the city despite the numerous times I've walked through it,' He thought before having to stop abruptly at the sight of something small and catlike in his path. "Wow, you seem lost Mr. Knight," said the cat which Ulric now realized was actually an incredibly short demi-human with ginger hair, cat ears and a tail sticking out from under a white robe with yellow lines for decoration. "Are you looking for something, you're walking all seriously?"

"Now Mimi, no getting into trouble," said a female voice, prompting the cat girl to turn around and wave back cheerfully with a quick apology. "I'm terribly sorry if she's been botherin' you," said a purple-haired girl with bright blue eyes as she came walking forward. She was wearing a pink dress with furred edges on the bottom and on her sleeves. She also wore gloves, a furry white cape, a blue scarf and a knitted pink and white cap with frills coming down from either side. Ulric was tempted to ask if she was cold given the way she was bundled up.

"Goodness, I know you," said the girl, "You're Emilia's knight, Sir Ulric if I recall."

"And you are Lady Anastasia Hoshin," said Ulric with a bow, recognizing her from the few glimpses he'd seen at the royal selection, "A pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"It is quite a coincidence isn't it," said Hoshin with a light smile, "What are the odds I'd run into you here of all places?"

"Quite fortunate, truthfully," said Ulric, "I have actually been looking for you. There's an important matter I'd like to discuss."

"Is that so," said Anastasia with a finger to her chin, "Well it just so happens I know a little place that would be perfect for such a discussion. Care to join me for lunch sir knight?"

Café in the Market District

Ulric wasn't terribly familiar with the term café', but from what he gathered, their meeting place basically sold food and assorted drinks of different kinds. It was set up with numerous round tables and a kind of bar at the far end where one went to place an order for what they wanted. The little cat girl, Mimi, was more than excited to get something to eat as she practically cheered when her food arrived. "So, what is it you were wantin' to discuss with me of all people?" asked Hoshin.

"To put it simply, I have a need for wagons and if possible a few hands capable of wielding weapons." Explained Ulric.

"Straight to the point I see," said Anastasia, "But I should tell you that a key part of negotiation is getting on your partner's good side."

"I do apologize for being blunt, but time is of the essence right now," said Ulric, "I need to gather what I can and depart as soon as possible."

"Then at least grant me the favor of a conversation," said Hoshin with an overly friendly smile, "After all, this won't be a lot of fun if I just hand you what you need."

"We are perfectly capable of providing you with compensation," said Ulric, "And if what we currently have with us isn't enough, then I can promise you payment in full from the Mathers domain in a relatively short time. We do believe in paying our debts after all."

"Oh I'm certain you can," said Hoshin, "But I was hoping for more of a simple chat about this 'n that."

"It was my understanding that merchants cared only for money and ways to make more money," Said Ulric as he leaned back and laced his fingers together, "So what else is it you'd want to discuss besides that?"

"Now that's a little bit of a narrow view, at least of me," said Anastasia, "Everything in this world has value to one degree or another, and inspiration can come from anywhere. Who knows what ideas I might come up with just sitting here talking about our days." Ulric simply sighed at this as he relaxed his posture more.

"Very well, is there a particular subject you wish to discuss," said Ulric, forcing himself to be patient. Before the royal candidate could answer, she was interrupted by Mimi.

"My lady, can I eat some more please," said Mimi as her tail flicked back and forth excitedly.

"As soon as I wipe the sauce off of your mouth," said Hoshin as she dabbed at the little one's mouth for a moment with a cloth.

"Yay, I'll be right back," said Mimi happily as she ran to the counter with her arms waving excitedly in the air.

"Despite her adorable appearance," said Hoshin, "She's ranked as second in command in the Iron Fang."

"Should I know that name," questioned Ulric, "It doesn't sound familiar."

"The Hoshin Company's private army and my personal squad of mercenaries," explained Anastasia, "They're quite well known in Kararagi. But she's also got the added benefit of being super cute. Nothing compares to falling asleep with her in your arms."

"That would explain why you were out walking around the market with only her by your side," said Ulric as he leaned forward with his elbow on the table, "If there's one lesson this land has taught me, it's that nothing is quite as it seems. Speaking of," the knight reached behind his back before pulling out his dagger and slamming it into the middle of the table, making the merchant girl jump a bit. But this also had the effect of every person sitting at a table jumping to their feet, some of whom drew weapons while others held up their hands, all pointed at Ulric. "It seems our meeting was just a bit more than coincidence," Ulric proceeded to pull his dagger out of the table and returned it to the sheath on the back of his belt.

"How dare you scare our lady like that!" yelled Mimi as she pointed her staff at Ulric.

"It's fine Mimi," said Hoshin as she recomposed herself, "It just seems that we underestimated our guest a bit, stand down everyone." The entirety of the restaurant lowered their collection of weapons, though not all of them sat back down. "When did you figure it out sir knight?"

"Your little second in command called me knight," explained Ulric, "I know I made a spectacle at the meeting of the royal candidates, but I was a mess then and despite the sword at my side, she's never seen me before. Since I'm not currently wearing my armor, I kept questioning how she guessed what I was. But the biggest mistake you made was thinking I wouldn't notice a dozen figures wearing robes that match the one Mimi is wearing sitting in a restaurant when I walked in."

"It seems Lady Emilia choice you as her knight for more than your ability to get into trouble," said Anastasia, "You have a fair eye as well."

"War taught me vigilance when dealing with the unknown," said Ulric, "Would you like to hear about some of my time as a Crusader? One instance that really comes to mind at the moment was a day I assisted in the execution of a number of merchants. They also thought they were being clever selling to both sides, until they were caught that is."

"So I see," said Hoshin, "Well the charade was fun while it lasted. A shame, I was enjoying our conversation."

"We can still continue if you'd be so kind as to tell me what it is you really want," said Ulric, "I have no intention of tricking you or stealing from you. As you said, a rule of negotiation is to get on your partner's good side, and while you do indeed have something I need it seems I have something that you desire as well." Hoshin sighed a bit as she sipped her tea before speaking.

"I was hoping to glean from you some information about why Crusch Karnstein is buying up numerous wagons and weapons. She has had a string of visitors recently, but you are one of the few who has visited her on more than one occasion, and who likely has no agreement about keeping your business with her secret."

"I'm afraid there's little I can actually tell you about her affairs," said Ulric, "But you needn't worry about her attacking you, as she's gathering weapons and materials to engage an extraordinarily fearsome enemy that is said to threaten everyone. As for her other visitors, the only one I know by name is Russell Fellow, which was largely by coincidence."

"Russell Fellow you say," repeated Anastasia, "So she's working with a big fish like that. You have brought me far more information than you know Sir Knight. So in exchange, I'll give you this, free of charge." The royal candidate proceeded to pull a slip of paper and a feathered quill out of her bag, quickly writing down a few bits of information on it before neatly folding it and sliding it across the table. "There's a young man in town, a merchant by the name of Otto who recently made a hasty purchase of oil that he's trying to get rid of. He is also one of the few people in the city right now who has a large caravan of wagons still available for hire, you'll likely find him at one of these locations."

"How fortunate," said Ulric as he accepted the slip of paper and slid it into one of his pockets before standing up. "A pleasure doing business with you your ladyship, and my apologies for frightening you earlier."

"One must be willing to take risks to get ahead from time to time," replied Hoshin, putting on a genuine smile this time, "Now that I know you're observant, I won't underestimate you next time."

"Then I'd best come prepared," said Ulric as he began to walk out, patting Mimi on the head quickly as he went. "Do take good care of your mistress, Mimi, she seems the type to actually go looking for trouble."

"Just don't go breaking down negotiations next time," said Mimi, "And next time I'll say when you can pat my head!"

"As you say, Iron Fang second-in-command," Ulric commented with a wave. But as he was about to walk out the door, one of the hooded mercenaries stood up and called after him.

"Before you go Sir Knight, I need you to answer a question for me," said the man, "Tell me, what does that symbol at the end of your pommel represent?"

"It represents the cross from which Christ the Lord was hung to pay for our sins," replied Ulric as he unsheathed the sword slightly to make it more visible, "It is also the symbol of one's faith in the lord God Almighty."

"So it is true then, you were a crusader before coming to this land," said the man as he stepped forward and pulled his hood down, revealing short black hair, a trimmed beard and skin that had been worn by the sun for many years. "We had another name for your kind, infidel." Ulric stiffened at the mention of that word, one he hadn't heard since arriving in the land of Lugnica. Memories quickly flashed through his mind as he now realized where he'd seen a man like this before, and the name they had for him.

"Yes, I was a crusader, and we had another name for your kind as well, Turk." Said Ulric, "We called you HERETICS!" The Turk had not intended to let him finish his sentence as he drew the familiar curved sword of a Turkish military officer and charged him. Ulric drew his sword as well and blocked his initial charge before backing out of the doorway to the lobby. The Turk pursued him, slashing angrily as Ulric continued to parry his blows before knocking his sword upward and kicking the man in the chest, causing him to tumble over into one of the nearby tables.

The Turk was back on his feet in a moment before charging Ulric again with another series of high slashes before suddenly striking low. Ulric blocked the blows but wasn't quick enough to stop the Turk from landing a punch to his face, causing him to stagger back as his opponent tried slashing at his neck. But the knight was able to lock their blades, forcing the both of them to circle around before Ulric broke the lock and struck the Turk in the head with the back end of his sword handle. His opponent staggered back through the entrance of the café' before stopping another strike from Ulric. If he heard the yells of his mistress ordering him to stand down, he didn't acknowledge it as he tried to slash at the knight's midsection next.

But Ulric batted his blow away as the two of them circled each other in the streets, causing the crowd to step back several feet in fear of being hit by a stray swing. "You infidels took Jerusalem from us!" exclaimed the Turk as he tried another series of blows against Ulric.

"If God had desired you to keep it, you wouldn't have lost it in the first place heretic," replied Ulric as he deflected another blow before using his free arm to elbow the Turk in the face. But the man had experience as he swung his leg out to hit the knight in the side of the knee, causing him to lose his balance and fall to a half kneeling position.

"Allah will grant it back to us!" yelled the Turk as he brought his blade down directly at Ulric's head. But the knight made use of his training with Reinhard and Wilhelm and quickly rolled out of the way before swinging back and slashing his opponent in the back of the leg, causing him to stumble over after wincing in pain.

"Only God can help you here," said Ulric. But as he was about to bring his sword down on his adversary, an earsplitting yell hit both of them, causing them to drop their weapons as they held their heads, feeling as though they'd split open at any moment. Then, just as quickly as it happened, the pain stopped. Looking back, Ulric noticed that Mimi was panting a little, meaning she was likely the source of the attack.

"Now that is quite enough," said Anastasia as she ordered two of her mercenaries to pick the Turk up off the ground, "I did not order you to attack him Berat. We have what we came for."

"Do not deny me my vengeance," said the Turk as he struggled against the two mercenaries, "My people have suffered uncountable horrors at the hands of his kind. Our land suffers because of infidels like him and it is my duty to slay them!"

"Your duty is to follow my orders," said Anastasia as she approached the two of them and picked up Ulric's sword, "I don't know what went on between your people back in your homeland, but this is not your homeland. You've agreed to a contract with me and if you are unable to fulfill the obligations of that contract, then I will have no choice but to relieve you of your duties."

"But I must-," Berat started to say before he was stopped by his master raising a hand.

"An employee's actions reflect on the company as a whole," said Hoshin, "Is it your intention to disgrace me by fighting in the city streets in plain view of everyone."

"No my lady, I was merely," Berat began to protest before he was again silenced by Hoshin raising her hand.

"We shall discuss this later," said Hoshin, "For now, you will return to the barracks and await further instructions. Use that time to remind yourself who it was that gave you a new life after you showed up out of nowhere." Berat clearly wanted to say more, but decided instead to simply bow his head before allowing the other two mercenaries to escort him away. The royal candidate then turned to Ulric and handed him his sword. "My sincerest apologies, Berat has been one of my most professional soldiers since I hired him, so this outburst was the last thing I expected from him."

"A Turk was the last thing I expected to see here," said Ulric as he accepted his sword and slid it back into its sheath, "It seems I was not the only one who came to this land through mysterious means."

"It seems an interesting tale," said Anastasia, "I'd love to hear it, but you and I both have business we must attend too."

"Then may our next meeting be more pleasant," said Ulric with a slight bow, "Farewell for now Lady Hoshin." With that, Ulric turned and started walking towards the guard station to find Rem and tell her the good news. As it turned out, she found him first.

"There you are Ulric," said Rem as she rushed over to him, "Is everything alright, did something happen?"

"A slight scuffle with a familiar foe," Said Ulric, "But nothing to worry about otherwise. Why were you rushing over here just now?"

"I heard that there was some commotion happening near one of the cafés," replied Rem, "I thought you might be involved."

"You think I'm terrible at staying out of trouble too, don't you," said Ulric.

"N-no, Rem just knew that you might be in this area, and she was coming to warn you," said Rem, "Though I still must ask. Was it you?" Ulric simply grinned a little before answering.

"Yes it was me Rem," said Ulric, "And I would not argue your assessment any more than Lady Emilia's. I am indeed terrible at keeping out of trouble. But on to more important matters, what did they tell you at the knight's station?"

"I'm afraid we can't expect anything from them," said Rem, "Even after I dropped Roswaal's name, they told me that they'd already received a number of similar reports. The background of the witch's cult is very unclear, however, so they receive numerous anonymous reports that can't be verified."

"They keep themselves shrouded in secrecy," said Ulric as he put a hand to his chin, "given that the identity of most cult members is hidden when they're carrying out their plans, I suppose it would be easy for them to sneak into a number of domains undetected. It would certainly explain how they slipped into the Mathers domain."

"I should also let you know that you were right Sir Ulric," said Rem, "I did indeed feel a troubling presence through the mental link with my sister not long ago. Rem is wondering, did you succeed in your meeting with Lady Hoshin." Ulric withdrew the slip of paper as his mouth curved up into a half smile.

"We won't be getting help from her, per se, but she did recommend someone who just might have some wagons we can use." Said Ulric.

Nearby Tavern

"So how can I help you two," asked a man with light brown hair? He wore a green long-sleeved tunic and dark green pants along with white gloves and a dark green cape secured by a red bow. But what made him stand out the most among the rest of the merchants was his short, cylindrical green hat with a feather attached to the left side of it. "Are you looking to by some oil perhaps?"

"We actually have a business proposition for you Mr. Otto," said Ulric as he and Rem both sat at the tavern bar next to him.

"Please, just call me Otto," said the merchant as he rubbed the back of his head, "Mister makes me sound like I'm older than I actually am. By the way, who are you two?"

"You may simply refer to me as Ulric," replied the knight, "And this lovely lady is Rem."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said Rem politely with a slight bow.

"Likewise," said Otto, "So, you were saying you had a proposition for me?"

"It's more of a little operation that needs to be carried out," explained Ulric, "I hear you have access to a number of wagons and people to drive them. I need as many as you can gather in a short time to depart this evening."

"If I may ask, why do you need to depart so quickly," questioned Otto, "Are you involved in something illegal? You're not asking me to help you break the law are you?"

"Nothing of the sort," said Ulric, "In fact, our intention is to save lives, but first we need wagons to transport people."

"Are you saying you're evacuating people," questioned Otto, "I mean I'd love to help, but I need to get rid of this oil I purchased out of season first. If I don't, it could ruin me." Rem answered this by withdrawing a large sack of coins and setting it on the counter.

"Then we'd love to purchase some," said Rem with a friendly smile, "and we will of course thank the other merchants properly for their help. Lord Roswaal is a generous man to those who provide assistance in a time of need."

"W-will it be dangerous," questioned Otto with a look of concern, likely assuming this was too good to be true.

"Not if we move fast enough," said Ulric, "We simply need help transporting the innocent people of a village in the Mathers domain out of harm's way. So what say you, are you willing to help us?"

"Well I'm in the hole if I don't," said Otto, "Honestly I'd be lucky to sell even half of my oil at this point. Where do you want us to meet you?"

"Say this evening at the entrance to the city," said Ulric, "Bring as many wagons as you can."

Meeting Time: City Entrance

Despite his obvious reluctance, Otto was as good as his word, especially considering they agreed to pay him half now and half upon completion. He arrived with seven other merchants, all of whom had wagons to transport a good number of people. "I had no idea you were a knight Ulric," said Otto, noting that he'd donned his chainmail armor.

"I serve those who rule the Mathers domain," said Ulric as he and Rem sat upon their own carriage, "I hope this further impresses upon you the importance of this mission."

"Well I've never been given a reason to mistrust a knight," said Otto with a shrug.

"Then let us be off," said Ulric as Rem directed their carriage out of the city gates. Otto and the other merchants followed suit in their own wagons, creating something of a caravan traveling down the road. As before, Rem and Ulric took turns driving the carriage to avoid stopping too much, but since they were also traveling with a large number of carriages this time, they did eventually have to stop when another one of the ground dragons became too exhausted to continue. Ulric didn't like it, but he knew there was no helping it either as they set up a temporary campsite to allow some time for all of them to rest.

"So I've got to ask," said one of the merchants, a man with a red bandana on his head, "Did you find Otto or did he find you and beg you to buy some of his oil?"

"I wasn't begging them to buy my oil," said Otto with a look of embarrassment on his face, "I just told them I really needed to sell it." The other merchants still laughed in spite of this declaration.

"We found him," answered Ulric, "after some interesting negotiations we were told that he could gather us the wagons we needed for a village's evacuation."

"What kind of trouble are you expecting that you need to evacuate an entire village," questioned another one of the merchants.

"Should I tell them Rem," Ulric asked the maid who was sitting on his right.

"We are a short distance from our destination," said Rem, "At this point, I would think it'd be too late for them to back out now."

"Well I suppose I owe them some form of explanation for coming this far already," said Ulric as he crossed his arms, "We have recently learned of a planned attack by the witch's cult." This caused a number of murmurs throughout the gathered merchants. "Fear not, we have a relatively accurate idea of when they're going to strike the village and mansion. As I explained before, if we move quickly enough, we can avoid them all together."

"But what's to keep them from coming after us," a merchant in the back questioned.

"The village is simply an obstacle to them," said Ulric, "What they seek lies within the mansion itself. That is why we will split off once the evacuation of the villagers is complete. Your job will be to take the villagers somewhere safe while Rem and I proceed to the mansion. God willing, we will have a place to send you, and we will also deliver the other half of your payment."

"You make it sound so simple," Said Otto, "But what will we do if the witch's cult shows up earlier than you expect?"

"They are waiting for something called the Ordeal," said Ulric, "From what I've learned, it will occur the day after tomorrow. Should they decide to move before that, it will likely not be before tomorrow night. So as said, if we move quickly enough, we should be safe."

"Well when you put it that way, an overnight drive doesn't sound so bad," said one of the merchants.

"If we ride through the night, we should arrive in the Mathers domain by morning," said Rem, "Are you and your people willing to go on without any further rest breaks?"

"Given all that you've told us, it'd be best if we got there as quickly as possible," said Otto, "Besides, I owe you both big time for helping me get rid of my extra stock, so I suppose that's worth me risking a little danger."

"And to transport fees," exclaimed the merchant in the red bandana, "So why don't we do something a little heroic boys!" The other merchants let out a cheer in agreement. Ulric and Rem smiled at this, silently agreeing as well.

Before long, they broke down their temporary camp site and were back on the road, driving the wagons at a fair pace. Thanks to the light of the moon, the trail was surprisingly easy to see even in the middle of the night. But that didn't necessarily mean the map was easy to see. "Sir Ulric," said Rem, "We're approaching the final leg of our journey, but I need to confirm the distance, could you pass me your map."

"Are you sure you can even see it in this light," questioned Ulric as he searched around in his bag for the parchment.

"Oni can see relatively well in the dark," said Rem as Ulric held up the map for her, "And judging by this, we'll be passing Flugel's tree soon. The Mather's domain is a short ride northwest from there."

"So I see," said Ulric as he took the map to look at it himself. From what he'd been told, mostly by Rem, Flugel's tree had been planted by a wise man, also named Flugel, and was situated on the Lifaus Highway. Over time, the tree had grown so tall that it seemed to reach through the very clouds. 'So it should be easy to see, even in this light, speaking of which,' thought Ulric as he pulled out a glowing crystal, appropriately referred to as a crystal light. "I haven't said this in some time, but the magic in this world is far different from where I come from, to think what we could've done in my homeland with glowing stones that can keep lit even when they're wet."

"They're among one of the cheapest forms of magic available," said Rem, "Though they aren't warm like torches."

"True, but my birthplace of England is a land of rain," said Ulric, "Keeping a fire going during the wetter months was always difficult and the cold-where'd the man with the red bandana go?" He'd just happen to check his right side at that moment to find that the man that had been next to them, was gone.

"What are you talking about?" Questioned Otto, a confused look on his face.

"There was a merchant riding on our right hand side just a moment ago," said Ulric, wondering how he hadn't noticed the absence of a whole wagon sooner.

"No one was riding on your right hand side," said Otto, "Are you sure you're not seeing things sir knight?"

"He's been with us since we met up at the city gates," said Ulric, "You're telling me you didn't notice he was right-." The knight stopped speaking then as he noticed a strange fog had crept up next to them. What was more, the fog contained a dark shape that, the more Ulric looked at it, seemed to blot out the light from the moon. 'What's going on here,' thought the knight as he held up his crystal light to get a better view of the fog?

But as he did so, he finally say that the dark shape was actually white skin. He also noticed a strange slit in the mass of skin, which suddenly opened to reveal a massive yellow eye the size of a man. Ulric realized the true gravity of the situation then. They were riding next to a monster known to be so massive that it ate entire caravans of wagons, while hiding its body within a fog it was able to create. 'The news of this creature was supposed to arrive the next day,' thought Ulric, 'So this is the time it covered the road.'

Ulric had been focused on beating the witch's cult to the village, so focused that he'd forgotten what had stopped them from using this road the first time. The beast's eye shifted then, narrowing as it came to rest on Ulric and Rem's wagon. "Everyone full gallop now!" yelled Ulric as the white whale let out a massive roar, ready to devour its newfound prey.

Hoping to avoid one possible calamity, our heroes have found themselves facing another calamity, a living, breathing monster out of one's nightmares. Can they escape the white whale, or will they be swallowed whole by it? Hello everyone, I hope you've all had a good week and if not, maybe you found some entertainment with this latest chapter. As always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got a neat idea for a future chapter. Be sure to stop in next time as our heroes try to outrun a living legendary creature. 'Til then.