That night Half-Dragon Priestess and her party happily celebrated with the Amazons, back in Frontier Town, Goblin Slayer was busy with his own plans. Prior to eating dinner with his family, he had spent some time in his toolshed gathering his necessary supplies for a long journey. He grunted in approval as he carefully looked over his supplies in the two satchel packs he would bring with him.
"Won't be able to bring my spare armor with me, but the money will be useful in repairing my armor should it receive any severe damage. Spare weapons, bow, arrows, healing, stamina…I believe that will be everything I'll need."
As he finished packing away the final supplies, he felt something push up against him, turning to his side he smiled to see both Wolf and Snow nearby. Outside the toolshed he could hear his children still playing with the other dire wolves, a small chuckle escaping from within his armor.
"Not to worry Wolf, you shall be coming with me on this journey." Goblin Slayer patted the massive beast atop his head but then moved to pet Snow upon hearing her whining. "Sorry Snow, I would also have you come as well but I need you to be here to protect the others if the goblins show up."
"Dinner! Someone get your father from the toolshed!"
Cow Girl's voice could be clearly heard by everyone, he would come back later but now he wanted to spend as much time as he could with the others. As he exited the toolshed, his children were all there to greet him, he reached out to pick up his nearest daughter, Sword Maiden's daughter let out a squeal of happiness as her father supported her in his arms.
"That's not fair father!"
"Pick us up too!"
"After dinner, I shall carry each of you. For now, we should also head inside before your mothers get mad at us."
"You promise to carry all of us?"
"I promise. Also, pick out a story you'd like me to read to you all tonight."
The young daughters were all happy with the sound of this and urged their father to hurry and go inside the house. The large family happily enjoyed their meal and as promised, Goblin Slayer made sure to play with his daughters and when it came time for them to sleep, they wanted him to read from the book Guild Girl had written.
"This one?" Goblin Slayer looked over the tome she had titled Howl of Vengeance, a smile on his face as he opened the book up. "Where should I read from?"
"The Battle with the Undead!"
"No, jump to the end, the fight in the Capital!"
"I want to hear about how you beat that curse."
"Star from the beginning, how you saved Mama in the caves." Priestess's young daughter could not stop herself from jumping up and down on the bed.
"Dummy, that's the other book my mom wrote! This one is about how Wolf became part of their party."
"Then let's start there, tell us about how you found Wolf."
"Very well. All of you, under the covers." Goblin Slayer smiled as his daughters quickly got into bed as he flipped through the pages. "He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him; turning he could still see the armored demon with the red glowing eyes…"
Within the doorframe, his wives stood and smiled as they watched him read to his young daughters. Though it took some time, the girls eventually fell asleep just as their father finished the part where the Beast Master had fallen off the edge. He purposely made sure to keep the more "difficult" parts of the story hidden from his daughters, even with how dangerous these foes had been, he did not want to scare his daughters. With his daughters asleep he chose to indulge himself in the company of his wives, none of them knew why he was purposely choosing to be this intimate with all of them, but they weren't going to complain.
It was slightly before sunrise that he woke up, doing his best to avoid waking his wives, as he dressed then he would head for the toolshed to gather his weapons and supplies. He walked as quietly as possible but stopped as he reached his daughter's room; he slowly opened the door to see his sleeping daughters. He quietly walked toward their beds to gently stroke each one's hair but upon the last one, she slowly woke from her slumber.
"F, father?" The young girl rubbed her eyes, her different colored eyes slowly focusing in the dark on the shape. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Yes." Goblin Slayer knelt down to stroke her head, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at the girl he and Cow Girl had made. "I'll be gone for some time."
"To look for the bigger goblins?"
"Yes."
"I understand. Be careful Father."
Goblin Slayer leaned in to give his daughter a big hug, gently patting her on the back.
"I'll be back as soon as I am able. Be sure to keep an eye on your sisters." Goblin Slayer laid his daughter back in bed and pulled up the covers. "Now, back to sleep."
Goblin Slayer left his daughter's room with a heavy sigh but knew he needed to head out soon. Outside he greeted both dire wolves before moving to his shed to get his armor and satchels. He tightened the shield around his left wrist and then carefully attached his mace and sword to his waist.
"Are you sure it is wise to go alone Beloved?"
"Yes. I need to investigate this threat but cannot leave the Frontier unprotected." Goblin Slayer carefully attached the packs to Wolf's side. "Time to go."
Goblin Slayer exited the shed, helmet in hand, as he came out he found his wives standing on the porch waiting for him. Some just wore simple shirts to cover their frames while others used sheets to cover their bodies.
"You should wear something more, it's a bit chilly."
"I hardly think that is the most important thing right now." Cow Girl could not hide the anger on her face as he came closer.
"And just where do you think you're off to?" Guild Girl finished tying the sheet so she could cross her arms while glaring at him.
"I'll be traveling to the kingdom on the other side of the mountains. I made sure to give the area one final check for goblins, all is secure."
"Orcbolg. Now is not the time for you to be speaking to us in your dull tone. Why the hell would you not even consider mentioning this to us?"
"I had planned to leave a note. I didn't want to wake any of you." Goblin Slayer came to a stop as he reached the edge of the porch. "I also knew you would protest."
"You're damn right we were going to protest." Hero too had a visible scowl, her sword already in her hands despite only wearing a thin shirt.
"We're going with you." Half-Demon Thief knew it would not take long for her to change.
"No. I'll go alone this time."
"Not this time my love. You will not take this task on alone just like you did with the curse." Even with her blind eyes, Sword Maiden clearly focused her gaze on Goblin Slayer.
"You once said I was free to do as I wished, so I and the others will accompany you on this quest. I am not the same weak girl from before, I won't sit by and lose you." Priestess clutched at the sheets to keep her chest covered while frowning at Goblin Slayer.
"I am not trying to act the same way I had when I was suffering with the cruse. I want to investigate this Kingdom and determine if there is indeed a connection with these orcs." Goblin Slayer set his helmet down upon the ground as he continued to the porch. "I don't know how long this journey will take and did not want to leave the Frontier unprotected."
His wives' faces softened as he stood on the porch looking at all of them.
"I am only capable of dealing with goblins, but the rest of you are far more capable of dealing with other threats." Goblin Slayer placed a firm hand on Cow Girl's shoulder as he looked over them all. "I wanted to at least spend as much time with everyone before departing."
"So that's why you were so adamant to play with our girls." Hero sighed as she found herself not as angry with her husband.
"Yes. That is also why I wanted to enjoy myself with you all." Goblin Slayer had a small smile as he looked over his attractive wives. "It was quite enjoyable and I don't know how long it will be before I can lay with you all again."
"Honestly Orcbolg, there are times when that honesty is too much to handle." High Elf Archer's face was beet red upon hearing Goblin Slayer's words, but the others also had the same expression.
"Wolf and I shall not engage the enemy haphazardly. We will do our best to deal with the orcs and if the number is too large we will call for aid."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Priestess was worried that her husband had not thought this plan out fully.
"Hmm. I could send Wolf back, but that might take some time."
"I figured you need some help Beardcutter."
Everyone turned their heads to see Dwarf Shaman, Lizard Priest and Half-Dragon Mother approaching the house. Everyone was surprised to see them walking this early and the wives did their best to hide their exposed flesh.
"Not to worry, I'll do my best to avert my eyes. Wouldn't want to make Beardcutter mad."
"And I have my Mate already."
"That said, you can't just send Wolf away, you never know what kind of trouble you'll find. I got something better in mind."
Dwarf Shaman began to whistle, his eyes looking at the sky; after a few moments, everyone could hear a loud caw from a large bird. A large raven could be seen flying toward them before landing on Dwarf Shaman's left wrist.
"This one will travel with you." Dwarf Shaman whispered something to the raven only for it to caw once again.
The raven flapped its wings and took to the air again only to now land on Goblin Slayer's left shoulder. Goblin Slayer and the others looked at the bird curiously before it cawed once again, tilting its head while looking at the people.
"Not to worry Beardcutter. He won't be resting on your shoulder all the time. Give a whistle and he'll come to you, and when you're ready just tell him to return and we'll bring the calvary."
"I understand. Thank you." Goblin Slayer nodded his head and then saw the raven flap its wings and fly away once again.
"Travel safe Milord Goblin Slayer." Lizard Priest clapped his friend on the shoulder but then a small frown appeared. "Should you happen to come across my little one…"
"I shall send everyone's regards."
Lizard Priest and Half-Dragon Mother both smiled and bowed their heads, happy that he might run into their daughter. Goblin Slayer looked back at his wives and moved to give each of them a hug before going to retrieve his helmet.
"We'll go ahead and make sure to check on the area. We'll keep the home and daughters safe so you focus on those orcs." Cow Girl smiled, her earlier anger now gone as she wished her husband a safe journey.
"I understand." Goblin Slayer set his helmet on his head and tightened the strap beneath his it. "I'll be going then. Wolf."
The black dire wolf moved with Goblin Slayer as the two traveled down the dirt road, his wives and friends watching as the two departed for their quest to hunt down the orcs.
xxxx
"Damn it." Royal Knight looked down at the body at his feet, blood staining the wall and floors.
The body was that of the man they had been protecting when escorting him to visit with his mistress in another town. He and the other knights had tried to keep him safe but ran into trouble; thankfully with the aid of the inquisitors, the attackers had been dealt with, but none of that mattered now. He and the other knights would secure the scene of the attack until the Inquisitors arrived to begin their investigation.
"The murder of another nobleman in the City of Light will not sit well with the people. Does that mean the King will have us double our patrols?" Royal Knight let out a sigh as he began to examine the area to look for clues that might help the Inquisitors. "This one was killed in his study just like the last one from the month before. He's targeted on the road and now ends up dead, no way this can be a mere coincidence. What could his connection to the last one be?"
Soon enough The Inquisitors entered and quickly took over investigating the scene of the attack. Royal Knight and the others excused themselves to wait outside so as to not interrupt the Inquisitors. While the Inquisitors were busy with their investigations Royal Knight could see the noblewoman's wife through the window, sitting on a chair with a distant look on her face. Feeling sorry for her, he decided to go to speak with her, he'd be able to offer his sympathies for her loss and perhaps gather any clues that would help his friends in their investigations. The noblewoman's wife turned her head as she heard the door open, her expression never changing even as he walked toward her with a small smile.
"Apologies for interrupting you. I wanted to offer my sympathies for your loss." Royal Knight offered her a small nod of his head. "How are you feeling?"
"You are quite different from the other knights. That one with the bird on his tunic didn't so much as spare a glance in my direction before entering my home as if I were a commoner. Now that my husband is gone, I am sure to lose more than my title."
"I am deeply sorry for your loss. We'll be sure to locate the one who murdered your husband and…"
"I hated him."
Royal Knight was stunned by her comment, she turned away from him and looked ahead over her garden.
"I know full well about his many mistresses. Did you know that he fathered a bastard son with some dark elf slut in the next city? I'm sure you did, you and other knights would act as escorts to ensure his safety." There was a small smirk on her face, imagining her late husband so proud that he kept his secrets from her, but she knew better. "He honestly believed that no one would learn of his secrets, but you only had to dig deep enough."
"Then…do you know who might have killed him?"
"Unfortunately no." She looked to Royal Knight, the smile on her face gone as she thought about what would come next. "I don't think I ever loved him, I just enjoyed the status. Regardless of what you might think, I did not wish him dead nor did I have anything to do with it. In fact, with his death, my fate is also sealed."
"What do you mean? Are the same assassins after you?"
"It would be an act of mercy if they were. No, your Inquisitors will soon be coming to take me away for questioning."
"But, if your innocent, then you…"
"You are far too naïve. Think about the previous murder, who were the likely suspects?"
"The servants were taken away, the widowed wife acknowledged the maid and butler were the last to see him. I know they were taken away for interrogation but with this most recent murder they…"
"You don't know much about what goes on inside the castle do you? Surely you've seen their heads upon the pikes atop the castle wall?"
Royal Knight did indeed know about their fate, he glances to the castle way where he could see black birds screeching and picking at the heads of the "Traitors to the Kingdom". He had hoped to avoid mentioning such a possible fate for her given how sadistic the Inquisitors could be when gathering information. He knew both Dragon and Raven were not the types to resort to such barbaric behaviors, but Hawk and some of the other older Inquisitors were not so restrained.
"I no longer care what happens. All I want is for the one who ruined my life to die as well…preferably slowly and painfully."
"Then help me find out who would want to kill your husband. Surely you know something."
"…I did not see the attack, I only realized when I found his body this morning…" The widow closed her eyes and sighed, counting the few precious moments of freedom she still had. "…his desk."
"What?"
"There is a secret compartment in the lower, right-hand drawer. That is where he would keep any documents he did not others to discover. Business dealings and potential connections, amounts of money he spent on his various whores. There may be something…"
The door was suddenly kicked open drawing both of their attention; Hawk Inquisitor outside with a cold smirk on his face while the two other Inquisitors behind him kept a neutral expression.
"It would seem that his throat had been slit with a blade. Perhaps you could help us with finding out where that blade disappeared to, my lady."
"I do not care for what you are implying. I did not murder my husband."
"So you say, yet I am well aware that you knew of your husband's affairs with various women. A jealous and neglected wife would be the perfect candidate for murder, don't you agree?"
"The Gods damn you." The widow fixed the smirking Hawk with a glare yet calmly stood and walked toward him. "I will not run and face my end with dignity."
"Then you admit to the crime?"
"No, but I know you don't believe me and will torture me for a confession. I can only hope that one day you too meet the same fate."
"I don't know where you got this fanciful idea of us torturing people. I can assure you we only wish to ask you questions that may lead us to the guilty party." Hawk Inquisitor had a smile that would make a goblin shudder before turning toward his fellow Inquisitors "Place the cuffs on her."
The widow had her hands bound, all the while she kept that distant gaze as she was led away; around her were various citizens who talked amongst themselves. Royal Knight felt sad to see her led to the caged carriage where she would be on view for all to see as she was led to the castle. There was a sudden weight that hit his left shoulder and he turned to see the still-smiling Hawk Inquisitor.
"Good work. We'll handle things from here, so you can go back to whatever useless task you and the other knights are used to doing. Maybe shoveling horse shit out of the stables?"
"You damn son of a…"
"Watch your tone boy. Know where you stand."
Hawk Inquisitor's smile instantly faded as he placed his hands on his twin swords. Royal Knight knew his skills weren't anywhere close to dealing with a veteran warrior such as Hawk, even when sparring with Dragon or Raven, staying on the defensive was the best he could do. Royal Knight removed his hand from his sword which brought the smile back to Hawk Inquisitor's face.
"Good. We'll deal with the criminal, you just know your place and we'll all get along fine. As a small token of my appreciation for you watching the accused, I shall say hello to those other useless fools."
Hawk Inquisitor departed with his mocking laughter echoing, Royal Knight could only stand there gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. His other knights had removed the body and departed soon after the Inquisitors left, yet he remained to investigate the house a bit longer.
"Damn that bastard. Hard to think that Dragon and Raven work with someone like that. I don't believe she killed her husband, but that book she mentioned might have the clues I need to find the real murderer." Royal Knight moved to the nearby desk looking at the bottom, right-hand drawer and pulled it open. "Some small pouches of gold coins, two bottles of wine, I'm not seeing…wait."
He pushed along the bottom of the drawer and felt it shift a bit; he continued to push until the wooden bottom slid backward, revealing a small brown leather book. He took out the book and began to flip through the pages quickly viewing the various writings.
"This must be it. There's nothing else in that compartment. But this is not the best place to start reading."
Royal Knight closed the drawer and tucked the book within his side pouch before exiting the mansion. From the rooftops of the nearby building, Hawk watched Royal Knight exit, a smirk present on his face as he saw this.
"It was wise indeed to stay behind. Just what were you doing in there boy?"
xxxx
"Let's see, seems to be records of all his business dealings, or at least the ones he did not want on the records."
Royal Knight sat in the usual corner of his favorite bar, the Lucky Centaur's Horseshoe, smack dab in the middle of the City of Shadow. Around him was the ruckus of various bar patrons made up of adventurers, merchants, and commoners. Raven and Dragon Inquisitor had initially wondered why he would want to drink in such a place, especially since there were other taverns in the City of Lights. Royal Knight would remark how uncomfortably stuffy if felt being around those people, but here he could be his true self. Both Inquisitors soon found what he meant where they could happily converse and indulge in dishes and drinks the City of Lights would normally not allow within their premises.
"Geez, he had five different mistresses across the various villages and towns near the Cities. I may be a shameless flirt from time to time, but I can't imagine the cost of trying to keep them all happy." Royal Knight finished his honey beer before setting the wooden mug back on the table. "Here we go, potential lists of items he would import for sales. Maybe something he promises someone and couldn't…"
"I got another beer for ya!"
Royal Knight took his eyes away from the book as the new beer was set on the table; the server, a female beastman with tiger stripes, smiled with her bright green eyes and swaying of her tail as she looked at him.
"Ah thank you so…"
The beastwoman moved toward his side and nuzzled herself against him, taking care to ensure her soft cheeks rubbed up against his.
"Just rubbing my scent on you to make sure no other women take you away." She then retrieved the first wooden mug before looking back at him. "Be sure to let me know if there is anything else you require."
"You spoil me."
"Of course, we want to make sure everyone is happy. This…is just a bit of extra service from me for you." She tapped her right index finger along his nose before turning to return the used dish to the kitchen. "I'll be sure to walk slowly so you can admire my ass. You're always staring."
True to her word, she walked away making sure to accent the swaying of her hips. Just as she had predicted, he admired the view, even leaning out of his seat a bit to admire the view for as long as possible.
"It truly is a lovely ass. Another reason I love coming here, so many lovely ladies to observe." Royal Knight smirked as he took a swig of his beer before going back to the book. "Okay, so our merchant was importing weapons and tools to sell to perspective sellers; looks like dwarven, elven, even demon-forged equipment. Most people in the City of Light only want human-made objects or at least that is what they claim yet look at any house, inn, or mansion and you'll find a multitude of demi-human-made goods."
He continued to look through the pages, all of which pointed to deals he had made but there did not seem to be any pending deals.
"Hmm. It could be someone who may have felt they had been taken advantage of by the prices, but all the names here are repeat buyers. I doubt these people would suddenly cut ties with him when they could get the goods they wanted." He turned to the next page to look over the text, still seeing much of the same repeated information and flipped to the next one after that. "So if it isn't a betrayal by a business partner, then what else am I…wait, what is this?"
Partway through the book were plans the merchant had of establishing a store within the City of Lights that specifically catered to selling good produced by demi-humans. The merchant had made several petitions to the King, even including other merchants that would agree to the idea and wanted to fund the project, but all proposals had been soundly rejected.
"The names…there's the first one! Then any of these people who agreed with this proposal could be potential targets!" Royal Knight's face could not hide his shock upon reading the list of names. "So these are the ones we need to protect, but what else connects them? A simple business proposal shouldn't be enough to seal their fate, there must be something else, someth…"
Royal Knight's empty mug hit the ground, and the sound of the object clattering to the floor drew many people's attention only to see the knight with a shocked look on his face. A gasp escaped from his mouth as he realized that he was drawing too much attention, he quickly picked up his mug and set it back on the table before putting the book away.
"I need to get this to a safe place. Somewhere and someone I can trust to hold onto this!"
Royal Knight quickly dropped some silver and copper coins on the table before rushing forward. On the way out he passed by the tiger beastwoman who offered him a quick smile, before a sneaky thought crossed his mind.
"You have a good day you…ouch!"
The tiger beastwoman turned with a small frown to look at Royal Knight, a smirk on his face after pinching her butt.
"Just making sure I had luck for the rest of the day."
"Why you rotten…" She lifted her arm to hit the top of his head with the bottom of her fist.
Before she could strike, he caught her wrist with his right arm and gently turned it over to place a few gold coins in her palm with his left hand.
"A thank you for having the loveliest ass in the bar, it really made my day."
He gave a small nod of his head and rushed out of the tavern to the surprise of many of the usual patrons. The tiger beastwoman smiled, unable to hide the blush on her cheeks, as she brought her hands to her chest, her tail swaying left and right with happiness.
"I shouldn't be wasting time with foolish antics like this, not with the knowledge I carry. I'm hoping she'll see me and more hopeful she'll…"
"There you are."
Royal Knight turned, in his initial panic he placed a hand on his sword as he turned toward the voice, expecting the true assassin to reveal themselves. To his relief, he saw both Dragon and Raven Inquisitor calmly walking toward him.
"Oh, it's you two."
"Something wrong, you have your hand on your sword? Did you think it was someone trying to challenge you?"
"Something like that. What brings you two out on this fine day? Still trying to figure out who was responsible for those earlier crimes?"
"The situation is difficult." Raven Inquisitor's smile quickly turned into a frown as she looked to the ground. "The ones we had taken in were indeed responsible for the murders."
"What?" Royal Knight was unable to hide the shock on his face upon hearing this revelation. "How can that be?"
"They were under demonic influence, in other words, they were Demon Lord Worshipers." Dragon Inquisitor too had a frown on his face as he crossed his arms.
"Demon Lord Worshipers?"
The two Inquisitors could notice their conversation drawing attention from the locals, including some of the demon citizens.
"This is not a conversation to be spoken aloud. Why don't we go into the bar, we can find a nice, secluded corner." Dragon Inquisitor tried to divert any further attention by motioning to their usual tavern with a smile.
"That is assuming you haven't already been flirting with the tiger barmaid." Raven rested her hands on her hips while looking at her comrade with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh come on, you wound me with such accusations. Wait, are you sure of your deductions? What about that…"
"Even her."
Royal Knight and the others turned at the new voice to see Hawk Inquisitor smirking as he leaned against the nearby wall.
"Each and everyone had on a ring which allowed them to be manipulated by a demon. Disgusting vermin, they should all be wiped from the face of this world." Hawk Inquisitor's smirk grew as he eyed the demon citizens who quickly turned and moved away from him.
"Hey now, no need for such talk around here." Dragon Inquisitor could see the fear on the faces of the people, not just the demons within the city.
"Come on, you know I'm right."
"Then the text was correct. He mentioned how some figures in black robes had come to him for transporting goods to this kingdom, but as he opened the box to examine the items the figures took back the box and ran. Though brief he mentioned plain rings and strange jewels, which he believed to be cursed items." Royal Knight thought back to what he had read and then remembered the woman taken away this morning. "If the ring is controlling these people, then wouldn't removing it help…"
"You truly are naïve, that is why we Inquisitors are in charge of the investigations, not you knights. Once confronted, they turned violent and forced us to…put them down like the wild animals they were. Even that woman ended up the same."
Royal Knight could see the look of pleasure on Hawk Inquisitor's face; he was disgusted to know this man took joy in torturing and killing these people who had no control over themselves. There was more to this than was being let on as all suspects had been searched, and all items had been taken away, but he never recalled any of them possessing a jewel or gold ring.
"I'd like to talk to Dragon and Raven about the book but…with Hawk around them I don't feel that would be the wisest choice. Maybe tonight." Royal Knight took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Apologies for my naivety. I'd like to save those people, but I too must recognize that not everyone can saved."
"That's true but it doesn't hurt to have a kind heart." Raven Inquisitor smiled, hoping to change the atmosphere around the group.
Dragon Inquisitor smiled and nodded along with his comrade while Hawk Inquisitor clicked his tongue before turning his head away in disgust.
"So with that said, why don't you join us for a meal?" Dragon Inquisitor once offered a chance to sit and relax with his comrades.
"I'd love to, but I already had my meal and drink. I recommend the honey beer, it's extra delicious today." Royal Knight turned and began to run with a wave of his hand. "I promised to go check in with a few of the rookies at the Guild, but I'll definitely meet up with you all tonight. Drinks are on me."
"Can't turn down that offer."
"You better not be late or stick us with the tab." Raven crossed her arms but there was a small smirk on her face.
"On my honor as a knight, I shall be here tonight. See you all later."
Royal Knight took off down the street while Dragon and Raven Inquisitor moved toward the tavern; Hawk Inquisitor narrowed his gaze on Royal Knight, he soon enough followed the others into the tavern yet kept his eyes on the figures.
"He's too suspicious, I must inform the Grand Inquisitor to be cautious."
xxxx
"Thank you, be safe on your journey."
The duo of adventurers smiled and bowed their heads after receiving their orders then took off for the front door. Within the large guild hall the various adventurers moved around the area checking the quest boards for possible assignments, sitting at the nearby tables to discuss how their quests had gone or bragging about their rise in ranks. Like the Guild in Frontier Town there was a connecting shop that sold various potions and medicines and further in the back was the entrance to the blacksmith shop where adventurers could buy supplies, weapons and armor.
At the front desk were two of the guild attendants who aided the adventurers in receiving more information on their selected quests as well as dealing with those who came in to request the services of adventurers. The guild employees were both female, something the manager had thought of to help raise the spirits of the male adventurers and reassure the female ones. Guild Operator was a half-demon with a bright smile that could rival Guild Girl's, with her blue skin, bright yellow eyes and short, dark-blue hair with two small horns protruding atop her head, she was quite eyes on the eyes for most adventurers. Beside her was Guild Assistant, a female padfoot with honey-colored eyes and long brown hair. The two worked together to gather as much information for the adventurers and sent them off with the blessing of the Guild.
"What the hell is all that damn racket?! Can't you fools keep it down!?"
The sudden shouting caught many off guard as another figure emerged from the back offices of the Guild. This was the manager of this branch of the Guild, but it was not only her attitude that separated her from other guild managers but the fact that she was a demon. Her skin was a dark-grey color, her white hair cascaded down to her mid back, and atop her head were two large horns with small barbs along the sides. Covering her eyes was a red blindfold with a demonic eye within the center, around this eye, were various characters which translated to "all-seeing". Her attire was also quite different; while her employees dressed in the usual wear of most guild workers, she dressed in baggy white pants that cover the top of her black boots, a short black halter top exposing her stomach and upper arms, and fingerless gloves so her claw fingers could easily move around.
"You lot sitting over there! If you're not doing a quest, then you're taking up valuable space! This ain't no pub, get the hell out!"
The Guild was silent as they heard this from the Guild Director, several of the rookies who had just registered were not sure what to think with such a person in charge, but soon enough the Guild broke out into laughter with several of the adventurers raising their weapons high, smiles on their faces.
"That's our boss!"
"You tell it like it is!"
"No need to be shy around us boss! We know you love us!"
Guild Director growled in frustration as the Guild was alive with laughter, she stood there clenching her fists as the various adventurers happily continued their conversations.
"It would seem that you are quite happy to see that everyone made it back safely." Guild Operator could not hide her chuckle as she looked toward her boss.
"Eh? You hit your head or something? I'm annoyed with all the constant noise from this lot! Too many survive and improve which means there is no peace and quiet for me." Guild Director was still angry when she allowed her gaze to look down at her employee's chest. "I don't want to hear anything from someone which such ridiculous utters on their body."
Guild Operator let out a small gasp as she covered her chest, actually embarrassed by their ample size and how too many would stare at her because of them. The others in the guild once again let out a laugh, though they were all a bit shocked by the demeanor of the two, they grew to enjoy coming in to see both the lovely Guild Operator and her boisterous boss Guild Director.
"It looks like it will be another exciting day here at the guild."
Guild Director and Guild Operator turned toward the entrance to see a figure enter clad in gold and silver armor. Guild Director growled for a bit as she raised up the cloth covering her right eye to check on the figure in front of her, the moment she did this others could see her eye was completely black as if they were empty sockets.
"I was worried my Demon Sight was not working properly, but I definitely see a pervert in front of me." Guild Director smirked as she lowered the cloth to recover her eye.
"A pervert? Where?" Royal Knight looked around trying to find this figure then approached the front desk with a smile oh his own. "My lovely ladies, can you tell me where is this pervert so I can capture him? I'd never want anything to happen to either of you."
"You're a shameless flatterer." Guild Operator smiled, the blush present on her face for everyone to see.
"Hey Mr. Pervert, flirt on your own time, not theirs." Guild Director sighed looking at her employee then back at Royal Knight. "So, besides giving me a headache, what brings you here? This ain't a brothel."
"Could have fooled me. Some many lovely ladies here, I can't keep my eyes off them." Royal Knight turned his gaze over toward the padfoot beside Guild Operator and winked.
The padfoot smiled and turned her head, she too was blushing which only brought out the anger in Guild Director.
"What did I say about flirting!?"
"Apologies. In truth, I came here to speak with the two of you." Royal Knight continued to smile as he looked around the guild. "Somewhere private if possible."
Guild Director looked over Royal Knight carefully, the smile she saw was not his usual one, he was hiding something and this mystery intrigued her.
"In the back office." Guild Director motioned with her head for Royal Knight to follow her then looked toward Guild Operator. "You should come along to Cow Tits."
Guild Operator sighed as she followed with Royal Knight and Guild Director into the back office and shut the door, Guild Assistant would watch the front while they spoke. Inside the office was Guild Director's desk, covered with various papers and two large couches for others to sit on when speaking with the Director. Guild Director plopped onto one side of the couch while Guild Operator calmly sat down on the other side; Royal Knight sat opposite of them on the other couch to freely talk with them.
"So, what did you want to discuss? If it's about that time I drugged you and stole your armor, I already said I was sorry." Guild Director took out her pipe and lit the content with her flame magic. "That being said, would you care for some wine?"
"Walking around town naked was not the most flattering experience for me, but I'm sure that's partially my fault for being so flirtatious. And against my better judgement, yes I would like some wine."
Guild Operator stood and gathered the wine from the liquor cabinet and poured everyone a cup of win before serving them out.
"Now, what are you really here for? Even without my magic, I can sense that there is something you're afraid of. So what happened? You didn't knock up some barmaid and discover you are the parent?"
"Give me a bit more credit. I'm a flirt, but I would never run from responsibility, though that would be much easier to deal with. No, what I discovered could ruin this county."
"You found something that terrible?" Guild Operator had a worried look on her face as she held her wine.
"Have you heard of the recent attacks on the noblemen?"
"I have. Didn't they already bring in their suspects for the murders?" Guild Director took a drag on her pipe then exhaled.
"That's what I'm told, but there are too many things that don't add up. The Inquisitors informed me the suspects were Demon Lord Worshipers."
"Typical. You humans are always blaming demons for all the problems that befall others." Guild Director growled as she downed her wine in one gulp. "You knights of the kingdom are always condemning us even as we try to better ourselves."
"That's not fair. There are several humans who here in the city willing to not dwell on the past but look ahead." Royal Knight now frowned as he looked toward Guild Director. "When you first started working here at the Guild, I was here everyday to make sure no was rude to the demi-humans."
"I know…sorry."
"No, there is still quite some resentment from those in the City of Lights. That's exactly why the details of those investigations and this book, make me think otherwise."
"What book?"
Royal Knight tossed the book onto the table; Guild Operator picked it up and started to go through the contents with slight concern.
"This…is the business ledge of the most recent victim." Guild Operator looked to Royal Knight with a shocked look.
"It is."
"How the hell did you come across this?" Guild Director too had a surprised look on her face.
"Prior to being taken away, his wife told me where I could find this book. Within it are discussions of potential merchants looking to introduce more demi-humans made goods into the City of Light, and now two of those people are dead. What's more, there are suggestions of cursed items being brought in?"
"Cursed items?"
"Rings and jewels that would influence the wearer, but that isn't the biggest thing that worried me. There is talk of massive amounts of weapons being brought in, enough to fuel an army."
"That's no surprise, your king obviously wants enough weapons for his knights. Maybe he's trying to expand his territory and looking at conquering neighboring areas."
"This metal was made of morgul ore."
Both Guild Director and Guild Operator were both speechless as they heard this final detail. Morgul ore was the primary metal used by the Demon Lord army, easily malleable when heated but very durable when hardened, thus it was used to create strong and powerful armor and weapons. It was not a material humans were known to work with as they would produce their own steel weapons or turn to dwarven or elven forged items.
"But, how would you get so much of that metal through the inspection of the knights? Do you think your King would willing to betray the others for his own personal gains?" Guild Operator voiced her concern, worried about the potential idea of war and how it would affect others.
"Oh he would betray his own family if it benefited him, but he would not use demon weapons. He hates all demi-humans; no, someone else is pulling the strings for this and our kingdom is being used as a pawn."
The trio sat in silence as they contemplated all that had been laid before them, someone murdering those who wanted to build a better connection with the City of Shadows, cursed items being brought in to control people and massive quantities of metal that would supply an army for conquest
"If this thing is as dangerous as you let on, then why not give it to those two knights you're always paling around with?" Guild Director took the ledger from her employee and tossed it back on the table.
"I'm not ready to bring them in yet, not until I have more proof of treason within the Kingdom." Royal Knight took another drink from his glass of wine as he looked to the book. "This right now mentions a potential threat, but with the man who wrote it dead, this is not enough."
"Are you suggesting they can't be trusted?" Guild Operator leaned back in her seat while calmly waiting for Royal Knight to reply.
"I trust them, but I don't trust the company they keep. The other Inquisitors are far too bloodthirsty. No, what is needed right now is stealthy investigation, not beating false confessions out of innocent victims."
"Hmm. I'm worried you're getting in over your head with all of this. It might be a good idea to get a few more people with you that you can trust." Guild Director took another drag on her pipe and then exhaled the smoke before continuing. "I don't much care for you humans, but you are one of the few I can tolerate."
"Does that mean you're finally ready to admit your true feelings for me? I mean there is Raven Inquisitor, that tiger barmaid, and our lovely Guild Operator here, but I think there's enough of me to go around."
"Forget what I said! You can rot in hell you damn pervert!" Guild Director turned her head away from Royal Knight and crossed her arms. "I should have known it was a mistake to care about your well-being."
Both Royal Knight and Guild Operator laughed at the brief scene but were soon back sitting there in silence.
"Joking aside, the fewer the people who know about this the better. I'm going to go and investigate the castle tonight to see what I can find. I'd like to leave this here with you, somewhere I know it will be safe." Royal Knight stood up from his seat and finished his wine before setting the glass back on the table. "If…if something happens, can I count on both of you to pass this along to Dragon and Raven? When the time is right of course?"
The two demons were silent as they looked at Royal Knight, there was a smirk on his face, but they could tell this was not his usual confident smile.
"Don't give me those looks, everything will be fine. This is me we're talking about." Royal Knight set his helmet back on his head and started to walk but stopped himself before leaving. "Thanks for the wine, it was delicious."
Guild Director and Operator watched him leave, silently closing the door behind him before they stood; Guild Director took up the book and tossed it on her desk before rejoining her employee.
"Boss, I'm worried. You think he'll be all right?"
"He's a capable knight of this kingdom, but I too hope he's smart enough to know when to get out of trouble." Guild Director gave a heavy sigh before bringing her hands together. "I'm not used to praying to you, but Supreme God, watch over him."