Pre Author's Notes: I apologize for the wait. Life has been pretty busy, and this chapter was kind of kicking my ass as well. Been thinking of slowing down the pacing of the story just a tad, as I feel like I've been blowing through a few potentially good arcs pretty quickly. Anyways, hope you enjoy it!
Gate: In the Company of Shadows
Chapter 17
Planning and Preparation
PHILLIP GRAVES - SHADOW CO.
FORMAL ESTATE, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 08:30:00
It had been a few days since Shadow Company's return from the gate, and Graves couldn't have been any happier to be back. Sure, he was still in an entirely foreign world, but being able to kick his feet up on Shadow Company territory without the worry of a bullet to the brain was certainly refreshing.
Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to savor it for long.
He still had responsibilities that wouldn't wait for him to relax. Responsibilities such as managing a headquarters, and reading absurd, headache inducing reports. One such example of these absurd reports, described why they needed new replacements for some of the barriers near the vehicle bay because of a rather explosive accident, which was apparently caused by some of the tank crewmen. It was disappointing, walking away from one major headache only to step into another.
Who knew running a company would be so difficult?
"I have to admit… I wasn't expecting to see either of you two back here again so soon." Said the middle-aged woman in front of him, pulling him from his thoughts. "Is Sir Itami not accompanying you both this time?"
Kaine, if Graves remembered correctly, was the head maid in charge of the Formal Clan's servant staff. He remembered seeing her performing regular duties around the Formal Estate the last time he was here, such as cleaning, cooking, and overseeing the other servants. Judging by the pristine, royal blue, maid dress, it was clear that Kaine was very proficient in her job to be handed so much responsibility.
Graves recalled the momentary surprise on her face when she answered the knock at the door, opening it to find him, his Shadows, Princess Pina, and Bozes standing outside. Surprise that was immediately wiped as she remembered that she had a job to do. Now, the woman was leading them and Carnival squad through the halls of the manor once more, and despite the unexpected visit, she seemed somewhat pleased to see them again.
Graves cleared his throat, remembering that she had asked him a question. "I'm afraid not, Kaine. Things have gotten a bit… complicated… recently."
"Complications are just one of many issues that a maid has to deal with in this line of work. I'm not unfamiliar with them, Commander." She said, continuing down one of the halls of the Manor.
As far as Graves knew, there were few things more complicated than funneling a private military into an ancient fantasy world. Not only was there a war going on between another Japan and the Saderan Empire, but there was a whole heaping plethora of political intrigue that was focused on his Shadow Company the moment they got involved in matters as well. Both from Itami's world and, probably soon enough, the senators and nobles of this one.
Count Formal not included, obviously. Graves was fairly certain that the man wanted to stay far away from their politics now that he was back home.
"Lieutenant Itami is recuperating back at his base with the rest of the JSDF." Pina informed her.
"Oh?" Kaine's curiosity peaked up as they rounded a corner. "Recuperating you say? Did something happen during your trip across the gate?"
Graves snorted at the question. "It's more like what didn't happen during our trip?" He asked rhetorically, before shaking his head. "He's fine, but we were quite busy over in his world, and I imagine that he and his team are still filing reports about the events that took place. Nothing you need to concern yourself with."
Kaine nodded her head, clearly getting the message as she kept her eyes forward.
"Of course." She said, before glancing over her shoulder at him. "I have also yet to thank you for returning the Count back to his throne, and for standing alongside Sir Itami, and Emroy's apostle to help defend Italica. We were all very fortunate to have you all as our guests."
"Ah it's nothing," Graves said, quickly dismissing her gratitude with a wave of his hand.
"Nonsense," Kaine said, shaking her head. "I doubt that the city's defenses would have stood for much longer with the amount of militia forces stationed inside. We likely wouldn't even be having this conversation if you had arrived a day later. The citizens of Italica are eternally grateful for the intervention from the JSDF, Ms. Mercury, and your Shadow Company."
The feeling that came from being thanked was certainly a little strange, especially for someone in his position. It wasn't often that people recognized his efforts in the first place, and the ones that did, were annoying clients like dictators, who he helped keep in power over third world countries - or whatever place was currently experiencing civil unrest at the time. Graves usually tuned out the words of those clients once a job was done, as at that point, he was only focused on getting paid for the hassle of getting involved in some entirely avoidable geopolitical bullshit.
Graves rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh… thanks… I'll be sure to pass along your regards to Itami and the rest of his team."
"Please do," She said. "I'm most certain that the master would be more than happy to hold a feast in your names."
Graves gave a small, mirthless chuckle at the suggestion. Holding a feast for him and Itami? Sure, he could possibly see that. But the Count definitely wouldn't be too happy being anywhere near him…
The rest of the trip continued in pleasant silence for the most part, as Kaine led them through the many hallways of the Formal Estate. The sun that rose in the early morning broke through the windows via its light rays, basking the marbled halls in a hue of golden light. After a brief period of walking, they finally arrived at the hall that led to the throne room.
Before continuing to walk past it...
Graves and Pina glanced at the hall as they strode away, before he turned to raise a brow up at Kaine - despite her not facing them to see it. "Uh… Kaine?"
Her head turned almost imperceptibly as she gave a questioning hum. "Yes, Commander Graves?"
"Not tryna' say that I know your master's home better than you do, but didn't we just pass the throne room back there?" Graves asked, gesturing back with a thumb.
"We did," Kaine confirmed with a small nod. "The master is not currently in the throne room right now. He is currently outside, having breakfast with his daughters in the courtyard."
Ah, that definitely explained things. It made sense too. Family time was important, especially for a man that thought he wouldn't get to see his family ever again. Graves wasn't surprised that the Count was taking advantage of the time he was given.
Being stuck with Shadow Company for so long must have given him a new perspective on life.
"I see…" Graves trailed off, looking out the nearby windows. "Well then I should let you know that I'm here to discuss a business matter that only concerns His Excellency. So unfortunately, I'll have to interrupt breakfast time."
"Of course, Commander. I'm certain that the master will understand." Kaine replied as they approached a set of wooden double doors. "The noble duties of ruling over a city do tend to keep one busy. I'm sure you know what it's like."
Yeah, try leading a multinational private military… Graves thought to himself, before shaking his head. "Don't I know it…"
They finally arrived in front of the doors, which Kaine stopped in front of before turning around. "The master is just outside. I will notify him of your presence." She said with a small bow.
Graves and Pina gave her a small nod, before she pushed opened the doors and stepped outside, as they followed behind. They stepped into what looked to be a courtyard, with various garden shrubs growing on the grass that separated the paths. In the center of the courtyard was a beautiful marbled fountain, which gleamed under the morning light as it constantly spouted and splashed water. He doubted that a regular foot soldier would be able to own property such as this. If he was a peasant, he'd be impressed by the sight.
That was a funny thought. Him? A poor peasant? Yeah right…
They watched as Kaine stepped forward, staying on one of the paths as she moved past the fountain. Graves looked over her shoulder, finding the person he was hoping to speak to.
Past the archways and under the shade of one of the outside corridors, sat the familiar form of the Count, Colt Formal. The man was still dressed in his flashy and status denoting nobility clothes, complete with his cape, which draped over the back of his chair. The man was sitting at a round table, along with his daughter Myui, and two other women in brightly colored dresses. Graves assumed that the other women were most likely the Counts' other daughters that the Princess briefly mentioned in passing.
Just like Kaine had said, they were all having breakfast, enjoying the morning outside on the manor grounds with several maids standing nearby. More specifically, the human maid, the snake-haired medusa type girl, and the one with purple cat ears.
He was never gonna get used to that…
Regardless, everyone was calmly going about their day as usual. Half the maids tended to the garden by trimming hedges and watering flowers, while the other half served honeyed breads, eggs, and tea. There was no denying that the Count was indeed enjoying himself, laughing loudly with his daughters. The man could be seen smiling brightly as he listened intently to what his daughters had to say.
A few of Pina's Rose Order were scattered throughout the area, acting as sentries of sorts. Probably a temporary replacement for the soldiers that were killed at the gates.
Green eyes met blue, before averting quickly. One of the knights, in particular, seemed to be eyeing him and his Shadows rather intently from a bench, but didn't appear to want to approach or make any moves.
Graves shook his head, before turning to the Princess who stood beside him.
"Princess," He began, getting her attention. "I feel that I've kept you for long enough. I'm sure that you've got other duties to attend to, just as I do. You and your subordinate can reconvene with the rest of your Rose Order."
Despite Graves giving her an easy out, she still looked quite hesitant. "A-Are you certain you don't need me for anything else?"
He gave her a small nod. "I doubt that I'll be needing you for any more attempted smuggling stunts like the one you attempted to pull back in Japan. I'm certain that I've upbraided you enough for that… But, if I do happen to need you for anything in the future-"
"You know where to find me…" She interrupted with a small sigh. "Yes Graves, I know…"
"Of course," He said with a smile, before leaning against a nearby pillar and crossing his arms. "Now go on, get outta here."
She nodded curtly, purposefully turning towards her knight, who was sitting on a courtyard bench nearby as she called out to her. "Hamilton, gather the rest of the Order! We're heading back to the Capital!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The girl, now identified as Hamilton, quickly answered.
She sprang up from the bench with some of the other members, before they walked along the path and stopped in front of the Princess. Princess Pina cast one last glance over at the Count, before turning around and leading her knights back inside.
"And Princess?"
Pina paused midstep, slightly tilting her head to show that she was listening.
"Not a word about me or my company to anybody else…" Graves reminded her, looking on in amusement all the while.
"O-Of course." She responded quickly. It was pretty obvious that she was eager to get away from him, judging by the pace at which she had her knights marching away with her. She made the right choice there.
Anyone unfortunate enough to get tangled up in his business would get used, same as anyone else.
Speaking of unfortunate people getting used…
Graves returned his attention back to the opposite side of the courtyard, where Kaine was now leaning down and whispering something into the Count's ear. Graves obviously wasn't standing next to the table himself, but it was as clear as day that the warm smile on the man's face was slowly slipping with each passing word. Within moments, his expression had hardened, with his lips pursed into a thin line. One of his daughters appeared to have noticed the abrupt shift in his mood, and out of concern for his well being, asked if he was okay.
The Count quickly shook his head, before giving an easy - albeit strained - smile. He turned, eyes roaming around the courtyard before settling on Graves. The Count furrowed his brows at him, slightly tilting his head and gesturing over to his family at the table, to which Graves responded by merely cocking his brow up challengingly.
Graves could care less if he was interrupting the moon landing, much less family bonding time. There was a job that needed to be done, and he was the one working.
Don't test my patience, Count…
Thankfully, it didn't seem like the Count was interested in trying to argue with Graves. Instead, he simply huffed to himself, before straightening up and excusing himself from the table.
Graves smirked to himself as the Count stepped up to him. "Glad you could spare the time to speak to me, your excellency. Thought I was gonna have to get my Shadows to drag your ass out of that seat."
"That's essentially what you just did, Commander Graves" The Count scoffed at him. "Can't you see that I'm dining with my family?"
Graves rolled his eyes at him. "Yes, and I don't care. I'm just here to talk business, Colt. As soon as I'm done with that, you can go back to your loving family." He responded bluntly.
The Count frowned deeply. "Business? What else could I possibly offer to you right now?"
Graves chuckled, closing his eyes and shaking his head as he stopped leaning against the pillar. "You, my friend, can offer change..." He said, uncrossing his arms before throwing one over his shoulder.
The Count gulped nervously, eyes flickering between Graves' arm and his eyes. "C-Change…?" He asked cautiously.
"Yes, change…" Graves confirmed, purposely looking at the Count's family, before turning back to the door leading inside. "Would you walk with me?"
Graves wasn't really asking him, so much as he was making him. He didn't really offer much of a choice, on account of the arm currently draped over him. The Count hesitantly obliged, walking alongside him through the doors and into the manor's halls. They passed by various demi-human servants that roamed the halls, many of whom greeted them with friendliness as they walked past.
After a while, the Count cleared his throat nervously, hoping to get back to discussing what Graves wanted from him. "So, Commander. This business in… change. Would you care to elaborate on that?"
"Of course," Graves replied with a relaxed smile, admiring the occasional painting on the walls. "Do you remember how we first met, Colt?"
"How could I forget? Cold steel cuffs, pristine white walls, buzzing lights. A room with just you, me, and a table set between us." The Count gave him an odd look as he noticed him reminiscing. "Why? Do you recall it?"
"Oh I recall it perfectly, your excellency." Graves answered, his grin growing wider. "I also recall you saying that the Empire wanted to make slaves of our people, and that you were sent through the gate alongside an expedition force to carry out that order."
"Yes… and said expedition force was absolutely decimated by your Shadow Company. I failed the task that I was given." The Count gently reminded him. "Graves, I still don't know what exactly it is that you want from me. So why don't you just go ahead and-"
"To put it simply, I want to procure some slaves." Graves interrupted casually.
"Slaves…?" The Count asked in confusion. "But I thought your people detested and outlawed slavery back in your world?"
"Yeah, we have, and that's why I need to find some." Graves said, before turning to look him in the eyes. "Your expedition into my world may not have gone so well, but the other expedition forces? Well, turns out they caused a whole heap of trouble at Alnus gate."
"How bad was this trouble?"
"The kind that made wives into widows, and children into orphans, Colt..." Graves said coldly. "You and your expedition forces stumbled into our main base of operations, where my forces were more than equipped to deal with y'all. While the others...? They stumbled into a major metropolitan city full of students, parents, and workers going about their day."
The Count paused momentarily, before letting out a heavy sigh. "You're trying to find the people that were captured by the Empire…" He realized.
Graves nodded at him. "Yep! And you, my friend, are one of the few folks that I know of in the region that could give me a hint as to their current whereabouts." He informed him.
King Duran wasn't much help when Graves tried asking him. Not that he was the most cooperative man ever in the first place. Unfortunately, because of his refusal to help, Graves was forced to call upon the other piece that he already had on his board.
"Me? Do you realize how large the region of Falmart is? They could already be off to another continent for all we know! What hints could I possibly offer to you?"
"Oh don't give me that bullshit, Count," Graves said, finally releasing his hold over him. "I've seen the servant staff you've got here. Pretty women with animal features and the like. Some people would even consider them exotic - like a unique trophy to be kept. Makes me wonder how you even got them in the first place?"
"W-Well that's different, Graves…"
"Oh, Jesus Christ…" Graves said, giving an exasperated sigh as he shook his head. "I don't give a damn about your strange fantasies, Colt. I give a damn about the missing folks! The point I'm tryna' make here is that you must have gotten them from a buyer somewhere in the first place. A buyer, that deals in human trafficking, for unique humans."
The Count raised his hands defensively. "I apologize, Graves. I'd love to help, really! But I don't keep track of every slave trader that passes through Italica."
Graves ran a hand down his face, feeling a headache slowly beginning to form. "Then point me in the direction of someone who does… please. Think about it this way, Colt. You could help reunite a family, same as I did for you. And nothing in this world is more important than family, right?" He asked, purposely looking out a nearby window.
The Count followed his eyes, finding Myui now gleefully watching birds as the creatures washed themselves in the courtyard fountain. His other daughters looked on in amusement, while the maids nearby cleaned up the dining table or watered the flowers. He was snapped out of his trance when Graves clapped a hand on his shoulder, causing him to meet his gaze nervously, before glancing at the five Shadows standing silently nearby.
"Who do you think you're talking to, Graves...?" The Count asked in a low tone, almost like a snarl.
Graves raised his brows as he slowly shook his head. "I thought I was talkin' to somebody sensible."
"Sensible?!" The Count asked, his head whipping to face Graves. "After you come into my home and threaten me and my family?!"
"Heh, that's rich comin' from you! You came into my home and threatened mine first! This is me playin' nice. I know a couple of my Shadows who wouldn't hesitate to slit your throat and make your family watch. Now you're lucky that you're dealin' with me, but I can be just as big and bad as the rest of my people - so mind your Goddamn manners, and remember who the fuck you're speakin' to..." Graves warned as he stepped forward, getting right up in the Count's face and causing him to back down. "I believe it's in your best interest to remember that I run the show now from here on out. The Empire here is nothin' but a tiny ant hill, and you're just another ant in the colony which I could just piss on without a second glance. Now do we have an understanding here?"
The Count shifted uncomfortably, before he let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping as his eyes fell onto his family once more. No surprise there. Graves made it extremely clear where exactly both men stood. The Count swallowed thickly, turning his attention back to Graves, before giving him a determined - but fearful - nod. "Very well then… I don't know any slavers personally, but I might know someone who does…"
Graves gave him a cold smile, before roughly patting him on the back. "Good! See what happens when you cooperate and honor the terms of our agreement. Now we're actually getting somewhere, aren't we?"
"Ah yes, of course... how could I forget the true nature of our relationship." The Count merely grumbled in response, before they stepped into a nearby, empty meeting room. "The uh, friends with benefits sort, am I right?"
Graves simply blinked at him, doing his best not to cringe at his words. "Uh, sure Colt... but I wouldn't exactly call it that if I were you. It's got a different meaning where I'm from..."
This was going to be a long day...
-O-
So this is where the Count's possible lead is… Graves thought to himself, staring up at the sign that hung in front of the merchant shop.
Ryudo's Rare Riches…
The building wasn't really anything extravagant or noteworthy to him, but due to how close it was to the Formal Estate, it was apparently in the more wealthy part of the city, which wasn't all that unusual. Many merchants with higher quality goods usually set up where the money was, hoping to get their wares into the hands of potential buyers as quickly as possible. Hopefully, a merchant in physical goods would likely know one of… live… goods.
He turned his eyes away from the sign, looking at the simple wooden doors in front of him. "Well, it's a start…" Graves quietly muttered to himself, before shrugging and pushing them open.
Immediately, Graves took in his surroundings, noting how simple the interior looked. Shelves lined with books, barrels tucked in the corner, parchment paper on the tables; lots and lots of pottery…
He sighed to himself, taking in the scene. The inside of the shop was quiet, with only one other person besides him and his Shadows. A young man stood behind the counter, feather dusting a vase and humming absentmindedly to himself, still seemingly unaware of his arrival.
For some reason, Graves expected a bit more from a merchant shop. But if this was what the higher end ones looked like, then he doubted that he'd ever be browsing the catalog of the more typical ones voluntarily. Regardless, he wasn't here for wares, he was here for Ryudo.
His gaze fell over the counter again, back to the young man standing behind it. He was wearing a simple white robe with a blue vest, and judging by the simple clothing and young age, this man clearly did not match Ryudo's description.
Graves cleared his throat, causing the young man to jump slightly and turn around.
"Ah! Oh, um… hello there, sirs!" He greeted politely, cheeks tinged red in embarrassment. "How can I help you all today?"
"Well, young man, you can help by satiating my curiosity." Graves said, bringing his hands up to rest on the shoulder straps of his plate carrier as he began to slowly walk around the shop. "Tell me. The name of the shop… where'd it come from?"
The young man blinked twice in confusion. "Oh, Ryudo's Rare Riches? Why do you want to know?"
"Just humor me for a moment, will ya?" Graves asked, picking out a book from a shelf and pretending to flip through it.
"It's named after the owner… and my boss… Ryudo. I'm just his assistant." He explained. "Ryudo first opened the shop here a couple years back, when he noticed that the previous owner had been looking to sell the building and move out of Italica. Believe it or not, he didn't buy the place with any sort of noble money. He was actually a roadside merchant for the longest time, and he had been saving up for a more permanent place to-"
Graves snapped the book shut, giving a tired sigh as he placed it back on the shelf. "Look kid, I didn't ask for the man's autobiography, okay? I just wanted to know about the shops' name"
The assistant floundered a bit, obviously taken aback by Graves' cold attitude towards him. "R-Right…" He mumbled sheepishly, fiddling with the hem of his sleeve.
Graves rolled his eyes, before immediately getting down to business. "The owner - your boss - is he in right now?"
"Um, y-yes…" The assistant hesitantly replied, shifting nervously on his feet and unsure as to how much he should really divulge to these mysterious men.
Graves couldn't blame him. The black uniforms, concealed faces, and imposing stature of his Shadows had often helped in regards to their intimidation factor. However, it very much worked against them whenever he wasn't interested in frightening others. Kind of like right now.
"Relax there, son. We're not gonna do anything untoward here. Just wanna have a simple talk with him."
"Just a talk…?" The assistant asked nervously.
"Just a talk." Graves reassured with a small nod.
"He's just upstairs." The assistant said, gesturing towards the staircase to his left. "I'll take you all to him."
"Alrighty then," Graves accepted with a shrug. "Lead the way."
The assistant gave another nervous gulp, before stepping out from behind the counter and walking up the staircase with stiff steps. Graves followed closely behind with his Shadows, and when they reached the top, he could see the assistant hesitate a little, before reaching out and rapping his knuckles sharply against the wood. "Sir, you've got visitors here to see you!"
"Visitors? Well, what are you waiting for, boy?" Asked a muffled voice from within, causing the young man to visibly cringe and step back nervously. "Please, let them in!"
The assistant turned to face Graves and his Shadows again, nodding quickly as he stepped aside and pulled the door open for them. Graves led the way as the group leisurely funneled into the room, before the door clicked close behind them, and the assistant's footsteps could be heard getting further away.
Graves noted that the room they stepped into was, although still fairly plain, a bit more regally decorated than the rest of the shop downstairs. A few landscape paintings littered the room, along with statue busts on display pedestals, shelves of shiny trinkets like gems, and much, much, more. In the center of the room, elegant, velvet-lined sofas and chairs surrounded a freshly polished wooden coffee table.
The lone figure of a middle aged man sat on one of the sofas, a book propped open against his left knee, while a quill inked a scroll of parchment paper in his right hand. He definitely matched the description that the Count gave him earlier, meaning that this man must have been Ryudo.
The man's attire consisted of a cloth hat over his shaggy, light brown hair, and a black vest over a puffy white shirt. All in all, he looked like your average, run of the mill, medieval merchant. Not a very impressive first impression for Graves.
But then again, looks can be deceiving…
"I'll be with you all in a moment!" He called out, eyes focused intently on the pages in front of him as he scribbled furiously. The man seemed to be deep in concentration, oblivious as to who had entered. After a moment of prolonged silence, only being broken by the sound of a quill scratching, Ryudo finally looked up, his gaze landing on Graves and his Shadows.
"Oh…" Ryudo's eyes widened just a smidge, before he closed the book and slid the inkwell aside, momentarily forgetting about whatever it was that he was jotting down. He gave a short cough, signaling for his visitors to come closer as he gave them his undivided attention. "I wasn't expecting to have such… company. Well, regardless, come, come. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable. Though considering how many seats I have, I'm not so sure if that'll be possible. I can always ask the young man downstairs to retrieve more chairs for us."
"That won't be necessary, Ryudo." Graves said, shaking his head. "My Shadow's are used to standing, and I'm fairly certain that we're not gonna be here for too long anyway."
"Suit yourselves." The merchant said with a small shrug. "Now then… What brings the esteemed men in black to my humble little shop? I doubt that you're here to browse what I have for sale. although, I could be wrong about that…" He added, eyeing the stainless steel watch on Graves' left wrist.
"In a way," Graves replied, already stepping around the sofa. He casually planted himself on the cushion, before leaning against the back and resting an ankle over his knee. "I'll skip the formalities and cut straight to the chase, if that's fine by you?"
"By all means," Ryudo nodded, sitting back and folding his hands neatly in his lap. "You are my guests, after all. So please, feel free to get straight to the point…?" The merchant trailed off questioningly, prompting Graves to introduce himself.
"Phillip Graves," He answered curtly, crossing his arms over his chest as he kept his eyes on the man in front of him. "Commander of Shadow Company."
"I see… Shadow Company, huh?" Ryudo murmured to himself. "I'll admit, it's a rather fitting name for your unique band of out of place misfits. Can't say I was expecting a face to face meeting with any of you, much less from the Commander himself."
"I take it that you know who we are then?"
"Of course," Ryudo confirmed with a small nod. "There's nothing quite like strange men dressed in black and green, carrying even stranger weapons, and riding in the strangest modes of transportation to remind me of how quickly this world can change. Yesterday's invaders quickly become today's defenders. I know that the Empire wouldn't be willing to trade sacks full of hundreds of wyvern scales when they could just take any and all profits by force. But they essentially already do that with the fairly absurd taxes they instate. Why, I remember back when the city of Rosa was a completely independent and separate entity from the Empire." He commented, shaking his head.
Graves slowly nodded along, pretending to show interest in what the merchant was prattling on in front of him, "I'm sorry, did you say wyvern scales?" He interrupted.
Ryudo gave him a curious look, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Oh yes. Are you not familiar with wyvern scales?"
"I can't really say that I'm all too experienced with any of the native wildlife of the region." Graves said. "You know, with me being an outsider and all?"
"Right… Well, the wyvern scales obviously come from wyverns." Ryudo explained, gesturing towards a cluttered table with several bags nearby. Graves stood back up, moving towards the table as he barely paid attention. "Common small dragons often tamed, trained, and utilized by the Imperial army's Wyvern Corp. Though they can be made into defensive equipment, the cost of one scale ranging from anywhere between thirty to seventy denari silver makes it extremely expensive to mass produce."
Graves pulled out a cracked scale, holding it up high to inspect. Despite the damaged nature of it, the scale felt and weighed like a simple rock in his hand. But with the sunlight from outside reflecting against it, the near black scale revealed to have a dark, violet sheen to it. He could very clearly see his reflection in it, including Ryudo, who looked on from his seat in the center of the room.
"Sounds like quite the trade."
"Quite," Ryudo confirmed. "The deal settled on two hundred wyvern scales for two hundred gold and four thousand denari silver."
Graves gave an impressed whistle. A deal like that, from a major trading city like Italica? Maybe he'd send some Shadows to gather some of those wyvern corpses and start descaling them.
"Hot damn. Bet those folks are swimmin' in wealth right about now." He commented, tossing the scale back into the bag with the others - before suddenly pausing and furrowing his brows. "Wait, two hundred wyvern scales for two hundred gold and four thousand silver? First of all, who could have gotten their hands on that many scales in the first place? And second of all, I wasn't even aware that any of Italica's merchants had that much wealth on hand. The city was just ravaged by bandits barely a week ago."
"The scales came from a couple of refugees that passed through here after the attempted siege." Ryudo explained. "A blonde elf girl, the Apostle of Emroy, and Sage Cato's young disciple, alongside the men in green."
Ah, the JSDF and their little colorful band of young girls. That certainly explained things. It seemed that their influence in the region was a bit less hidden than that of his Shadow Company. That was especially apparent when he passed by the refugee camp by FOB Alnus Hill, which was quickly flourishing into a large town, complete with homes, service shops, and goods trading.
It was a little funny, seeing how different they really worked. If anyone tried setting anything up around Site Hotel Gamma, a couple warning shots with a 50 cal. Would be more than enough to scare anyone away. And if they stayed stubborn? Well, those shots wouldn't be mere warnings anymore…
Graves shook his head with a tired sigh. "Of course it's those idiots."
Ryudo cocked a brow up at him. "Idiots?" He asked.
"Well, I'd call 'em troublemakers, but that'd be a bit hypocritical considering what I'm plannin' on doing..." Graves trailed off. "What about the gold and silver. There's no way you had that much on hand, especially after the bandits made it pretty clear that conducting business with the city was a bad move at the time."
"Would you believe it if I said that I kept a secret stash hidden somewhere?" He asked sheepishly.
"You probably do, but not that much." Graves retorted, blue eyes boring into brown - which glanced side to side in unease. "You paid them in some other way, didn't you?"
"I guess you could say that." Ryudo admitted with a small laugh. "I was only able to pay one thousand silver, so I assured them that two thousand silver would be paid in credit guarantees in the future, while the last thousand was written off as a discount. In exchange, however, Cato's disciple asked for information that was equivalent to the written off thousand."
"Such as…?" Graves asked, trailing off questioningly.
"Information pertaining to the markets in the region and beyond," Ryudo answered. "And she also requested for me to carefully investigate the fluctuating prices of certain items being imported and exported in various markets."
Graves didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that a teenage sorceress wouldn't give a rat's ass about the trading market and its economy, so he could only assume that the JSDF requested that she ask for them. Still, the information revealed did help to confirm that the Count's lead was reliable.
A merchant would most definitely know where exactly goods were being bought, sold, or traded; and he'd most definitely know who was selling what merchandise. The fact that Ryudo was already on the lookout meant that his job would be much easier than he expected.
"Funny," Graves said with a small smirk. "That's also kinda' the reason why I'm here, Ryudo. The Count forwarded me to you, saying that you're my best bet on this matter. I need you to help me find some folks that are involved in the trade business."
"Oh? Who did you want to find?" Ryudo inquired curiously.
"Slavers," Graves replied bluntly. "More specifically, any slavers who could get their hands on anybody captured from beyond the gate."
"That sounds like quite a bit of work, Commander. After all, there are many slavers throughout the region, and many, many, more slaves."
Graves stared at the merchant for a moment, keeping his expression unreadable. As much as Graves hated to admit it, the man raised a good point. Considering that slavery was completely normal in this world, there wouldn't be some specific human trafficking ring that they could just narrow down. Not to mention, the other unexplored continents of the region. Finding a specific slaver with two very specific slaves would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. He was asking for quite a lot.
Still, he wasn't going to give up so easily. An easy million was on the line. Of course, a decent chunk of it was going to go towards paying the Shadows involved, but he decided to try and stay optimistic about it all.
Graves let out a small sigh, before pulling something out of his pocket, and tossing it towards Ryudo.
The merchant caught it before it fell, looking at it in confusion. "What's this now?" He asked, holding up the gold watch.
"It's called a watch," Graves answered. "A timepiece that - believe it or not - tells the time. It's made of 24-karat gold. Consider it an early payment, for helping me in this endeavor."
Ryudo remained silent, staring at it for a moment as he admired every detail, before turning back to look at him. "Well thank you kindly, good sir! I already have my ear by the grapevine. If there's anything worth looking into for you, I'll send it your way."
"See that you do," Graves said. "Our main base of operations is located just South West of Italica, a bit off the path, and around the other gate. Should be pretty obvious to spot. Just be aware that we don't really take too kindly to strangers, so make sure that whoever approaches, does so calmly - with their hands raised - and I'll have someone ready to speak with them."
"Sure thing, Commander. I think I can manage that." He said, before noticing Graves make his way towards the door. "Wait! Before you leave, may I ask you one last question, Commander?"
Graves paused midstep, his hand just inches away from the doorknob. "Shoot." He said with a nod.
"These slavers… when you find who exactly it is that you're looking for…" Ryudo trailed off. "...what do you plan on doing?"
Graves smirked to himself, not bothering to turn around as he answered him.
"I'll be paying them a friendly visit in the night…"
RYUDO'S ASSISTANT
SITE HOTEL GAMMA, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 07:10:00
"Wake up sonny boy, we're here."
The voice roused the assistant awake, as his mind struggled to regain consciousness. The young man groaned, blearily opening his eyes with a tired yawn.
It had been a week since the rather intimidating men in black had stepped into his boss's shop. Considering the fact that there were no more city guards ever since they'd been sent to the gates, he had originally thought that they were about to be robbed of everything, powerless to stop it. But no, instead the men wanted to speak to Ryudo for some reason, which then had him concerned for the man's safety. Concern, which was apparently misplaced, as when he stepped in to check on him, Ryudo had confirmed that they did indeed hold a simple discussion. A discussion that had turned into some sort of deal, like always.
He wasn't too surprised by that.
But what did surprise him, was when Ryudo had hurriedly shoved some parchment scrolls in his arms and gently pushed him out the door in the middle of the night, telling him to find the nearest person willing to transport him to the second gate immediately, along with some instructions for when he got there.
Ryudo gave him more than enough funds to pay for the trip, but unfortunately, the only person willing to make it so late in the night was a simple farmer making his way back home. This also meant that he had to ride uncomfortably in the back of a carriage, alongside bales of hay as it rocked around on the path. The farmer had advised him to take a nap and rest, but the anxiousness had prevented him from getting any sort of prolonged sleep at all.
At least it wasn't raining.
The assistant stretched, rubbing his eyes as he came to. "Thank you for the ride, kind sir." He muttered in exhaustion.
"No, thank you for the coin!" The farmer exclaimed loudly with a hearty laugh. How the man could be so energetic so early in the morning was beyond him. The sun was barely over the horizon! "But, uh… are you sure you're gonna be okay out here, lad?"
The assistant cocked a brow up at him as he hopped over the side. "Yes, I should be just fine. Why do you ask?"
"Because we're near the territory of the men in black - the other invaders from the other gate, of which they've gone and built some sort of fort around." He said quietly, casting a wary eye off in the distance, as if they might be suddenly attacked. "And unlike the men in green at Alnus, these people take less kindly to strangers. You're not gonna do anything foolish now, are ya?"
The assistant frowned, before turning back and spotting the large structure not too far away. "Well, I'm already here, aren't I?"
He could see the farmer shrug from the corner of his eye. "It's not too late to back out now."
"Unfortunately, I've got a job to do," The assistant said with a sigh, glancing down at the leather pouch strapped over his shoulder, before beginning to jog towards the base.
"Oh I don't envy you," said the farmer, before chuckling quietly and going on his way. He probably thought he had a death wish or something, walking towards the danger in such a way - even after being advised not to.
With a deep breath, the young assistant continued on towards the base with determined steps. He would either succeed, or end up imprisoned.
Or be killed…
He hoped to avoid that last outcome.
After a couple minutes of walking, he was finally approaching the base, getting a much better view of the surrounding area. There were watch towers, imposing stone walls, and guard posts acting as checkpoints on the outer perimeter. From where he stood, he could see vague silhouettes of people moving throughout - most likely being more of the men in black. Judging by the light that was pointed towards him now, they had also been made aware of his presence - and judging by the many, many day old bodies that littered the field in pieces, they were more than prepared to give a… lethal… response.
This was it. Now that they had seen him, there was no getting away. He gulped nervously, trying his best to remember the instructions that Ryudo told him as the men in black raised and pointed their staffs at him.
What was it that he said again? Approach calmly with his hands raised? Yeah... yeah, that sounded good. He would approach calmly... with his hands up… and show that he was indeed unarmed. He just needed to stay calm.
With that in mind, he slowly began advancing. Maybe they were already expecting him, and perhaps he'd be okay. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong yet, had he? Surely, they wouldn't harm him unless he showed some sort of hostile intent.
He stepped over the body of an Imperial foot soldier, being careful to avoid the maggots that fed on his exposed entrails. The smell of viscera everywhere was putrid, and he wanted to puke so badly right now. But he had to keep his head, lest he lose it moving to cover his nose.
His heart was racing, his palms sweated profusely, and his nerves felt tight and jittery. "I'm just an assistant, and he's got me walking over dead bodies?" He snarked to himself, knees threatening to buckle under him.
"You! Stop right there!" A voice called out, startling him.
He threw his hands up higher, hoping to show that he was completely harmless. A moment of silence fell over the field, save for the carrion birds that cawed and fed on the nearby corpses. A small part of him couldn't believe his luck. The men in black, though still pointing their staffs at him, hadn't yet fired off any magic spells, and were actually communicating with him. That meant he wasn't dead yet, which was good!
Although, the voice that shouted for him to stop sounded like it was right next to him, despite the fact that there was no one nearby. No one alive, anyways… He looked around in confusion, unsure as to who was speaking to him. Perhaps the men in black were communicating through his mind? Were they even capable of such feats?
"This is a restricted area! Get the fuck out of here if you wanna live!"
His eyes widened at the quick warning and dismissal. "W-Wait, I've got an urgent message to deliver to Commander Graves!" He shouted out into the air.
The voice paused at the name drop. "Graves?" The voice asked, before sighing. "Jesus Christ… alright, wait one moment."
.
.
.
"Alright, you see that weird box thing that my voice is comin' out of? That's the intercom. Speak into it and identify yourself." The voice instructed in monotone, as if he was talking to an extremely stupid toddler.
So that's where his voice was coming from… The assistant tilted his head curiously. "Intercom, you say? How does this thing work?" He asked.
Another loud sigh of annoyance came from the box. "Listen kid, all I do here everyday is small talk. The only bit of excitement I get to experience that interrupts the mundanity of my position is when we get to cap some stubborn idiot who waltzes way too close to the base. I'd really prefer not to file another report for any more spent rounds, so do me a favor and speed things up, so that we can both go about our days." The voice said impatiently.
He cleared his throat before nodding, although he was still somewhat amazed by the voice. "I'm an assistant to Sir Ryudo, who runs the merchant shop back in the trading city of Italica. I was told to deliver news here to one, Commander Graves?" He asked carefully.
"I need some coffee, it's way too early for this." The voice grumbled tiredly to itself as papers could be heard shuffling in the back. "Alright, proceed to the front gate for inspection."
The assistant swallowed at the command, nodding quickly. "Of course, sir." He bowed politely at the intercom, before doing as he was instructed.
As he walked past, the assistant was greeted by the sight of several soldiers dressed entirely in dark clothing standing behind their fortifications. Once again, he was getting up close with the men in black. Soldiers from an entirely different world with unknown motives - just like the men in green - judging by the way that they hadn't taken over Italica.
Yet…
But unlike the men in green, or the men in black that he encountered back in the city, these men were much more heavily armored.
"That's far enough!" One of the soldiers yelled out in an intimidating tone.
Three of the soldiers emerged from behind their fortification, preventing him from moving any further as they marched towards him. Their eyes were concealed behind tinted glass, with their mouths protected by some sort of mandible armor that connected to their strange helmets. The only indication he had that these people were indeed human - and not some sort of golems - was when the supposed leader spoke to him with a gruff voice.
"Alright, arms outstretched to your sides," The soldier ordered curtly, as the others stepped up to him. "Don't move a muscle."
With shaky hands, the assistant did what he was told, obediently extending his arms as he tried not to fidget anxiously beneath their watchful gaze. One of the soldiers brought out some sort of metal wand, before running it up and down along his body, while another brought out a dog on a lead. The animal circled around him a few times, unnerving him as its muzzle sniffed away. Eventually, they seemed satisfied with having found nothing, and the dog walked back with its handler.
The soldier scanning him had finished, lowering the wand before pulling the leather pouch off of his body and tossing it back towards the other as he walked away.
"Ah, h-hey!" He stuttered out. "Please be careful with that!"
The soldier ignored him, before raising a hand up to his helmet. He angled some sort of device down, before pressing on it, and causing a small beam of white light to shine brightly. The light was focused down into the leather pouch, which was now opened and being thoroughly searched right in front of him. After a few moments, the soldier nodded to himself in satisfaction, before wordlessly turning off his helmet light, tossing the pouch back to him, and walking away. The assistant nearly fumbled the catch, holding it tight to his chest as it returned to his hands.
"Oxide, this is main gate post," The soldier said, speaking into some black handheld device attached to his armor. "The visitor is cleared and ready to go. How copy?"
"Solid copy, post. Escort team is on standby." A voice replied back. "Send 'em in"
"Roger that. Out here." The soldier said, before turning towards the others on one of the watchtowers. "Yo! We're good here, open up!"
One of them gave him a thumbs up in response as a loud buzz sounded out, before the gate in front of them slowly parted down the middle, sliding open and revealing his supposed escort. A small entourage of similarly armored warriors stood nearby, staring at him in wait.
"The Commander doesn't have all day. C'mon, follow me." The soldier at the front beckoned.
He gulped quietly, following the man inside, which allowed him to get a better look inside. Despite it being very early in the morning, the assistant was met with the sight of a bustling military base. Soldiers in black uniforms milled about on patrols or did menial labor around the area, like sweeping or inspecting their horseless black carriages.
Speaking of their horseless black carriages, it appeared that the men in black wanted him to get in one of them, judging by the way they held a door open for him. He looked towards the soldier for confirmation, before he gave him a small nod. The assistant awkwardly climbed in and sat in the seat in the back, before the others climbed in after him. With two in the front, and two on either side of him, he was effectively squished as they shut the doors and turned off the light on the roof above.
The carriage then began moving forward, with lights in the front better illuminating their view up ahead. Save for the rumbling of the carriage and the occasional voice from their tiny black devices, the ride continued on in silence, until finally, they reached a large structure covered in windows.
They pulled up near the glass doors and stopped, before the soldiers hopped out, with the driver gesturing for him to follow. He did so without protest, making sure to keep a safe distance between him and the soldiers while taking a deep breath of the fresh air before he was led inside. They escorted him to a set of shiny metal doors, before pressing some sort of button, which parted the doors with a small ding, and revealed a tiny plain box.
The assistant's heart dropped at the sight. He was going to be imprisoned, wasn't he?! "L-Look, sirs, there must be some kind of mistake! I'm just a simple messenger! I don't have anything to offer-"
"Shut up and move it already!" His guide ordered in an exasperated tone, roughly shoving him forward.
He staggered forward a couple of steps, before regaining his footing and nervously looking back at the soldiers as they stepped in behind him. They paid him no mind as one of them went to press one of the many buttons on a nearby panel. Suddenly, the room they were in lurched up, causing him to almost stumble, before he reached for a nearby handle and steadied himself. The assistant looked up in confusion, noticing some sort of red text that changed periodically as the room moved.
He blinked to himself, realizing that he wasn't being locked away. Especially since the soldiers were in the room with him.
After a bit more awkward silence, the doors to the box slid open again. The assistant furrowed his brow in confusion, noticing that the layout of the room was completely different, along with the new group of soldiers standing in front of them. He barely had any time to ponder on it further as one of the escort soldiers put a hand on his back, guiding him out and past the others. He briefly glanced behind him, seeing the other soldiers step into the box, before the doors slid close again.
His escort led him down a rather pristine white hallway, before stopping just outside of a plain looking wooden door with a golden plaque label.
The lead soldier knocked on the door, "Graves, your visitor is here!"
"Send 'em in!" Came a muffled reply through the door.
The soldier unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal a small office of some sort. The desk was covered with papers that seemed to look important, and next to it was a tall glass cabinet filled with various bottles of colored liquids; some of which were clearly alcoholic, while some were probably not - with labels of various brands unknown to him. On the back wall of the room was a large picture window, where he could see the clear sky and the sun as it rose above the walls outside. A stark difference from the grayish clouds and light fog that he was standing out in earlier.
And sitting behind the desk was the familiar figure of Commander Graves. Gone was the intimidating all black attire - replaced instead with a simple crisp white shirt with rolled sleeves, and blue pants. A sharp contrast to his men which were still dressed to kill.
Commander Graves lifted his head up at the sound of the door clicking shut, before setting his gaze directly onto him. The mysterious Commander quickly stood up from behind his desk, placing both hands down on the top of the table with a small smile played across his lips. Despite being out of uniform, there was still quite an aura of authority radiating from him as he casually approached.
The assistant cringed with every step, before Graves put a hand on his shoulder. "Jesus kid, you're tense as hell. Relax, I ain't gonna kill ya." He laughed in amusement.
The assistant realized that he probably was too anxious about this, overthinking things and making it worse for himself. He couldn't help but laugh nervously alongside the Commander as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Heh, r-right…"
"Not unless you give me a reason to, yeah?" He joked, slugging him in the arm.
"Right…" He frowned, rubbing his arm where Graves had hit him. He coughed, hoping to deliver the message, finish the job, and get out of there as soon as possible. "I, uh… I'm here to deliver a message from Sir Ryudo."
"Yeah, I remember him, and I remember you." Graves said, patting him on the back before gesturing towards a couch nearby. "Must have been quite the journey, leaving from Italica and comin' all the way out here."
"It was only a days journey at most, sir." He said, sitting down to avoid seeming ungrateful.
"Cut the formalities, son. I work for a living." Graves walked back to the cabinet near his desk, before pulling out a glass bottle full of liquid and two very intricate glasses. He poured a glass for himself, before glancing at him from the corner of his eye. "Whiskey?" He asked, holding up the empty glass.
The assistant furrowed his brows in confusion, unfamiliar with the foreign word. "Uh-"
Graves rolled his eyes, before deciding to pour a glass for him anyways. "Trust me, this is ten times better than that shitty mix of wine vinegar and water you ancient Romans call Posca." He said, offering it to him.
The assistant eyed the glass warily, before taking it and carefully bringing it to his mouth. He took a whiff of the drink, his nose wrinkling up slightly at the odd smell. It smelt a bit grainy and woody - very different from the sweet and fruity scent of the more higher class wines that he rarely got to drink with the nobles. Nonetheless, he sipped from the glass, his face contorting into a grimace after as he felt the bitter taste of it seep into his tongue, followed by a soothing burn down his throat.
He removed the drink from his lips, before struggling to hold in his coughs behind a closed fist. "Oh my… that's… certainly unique…" He wheezed out.
Graves let out a cackle from behind his glass, before taking a small sip of his own. "It's an acquired taste. I imagine that it's a massive step up for someone who's only drank watered down wine."
The assistant shook his head, clearing his throat as he remembered why he was there in the first place, "Commander, I mean no disrespect, and I'm grateful for the hospitality you've shown me… but Sir Ryudo sent me here today to deliver a message regarding the task you set out for him to accomplish."
A sudden gleam appeared in Graves' eyes as he put the glass down on the table and leaned forward. "Ahhh yes… in regards to the slave traders, right?" He asked, holding out a hand.
"I'm assuming so," The assistant replied, opening his pouch and handing off the parchment scrolls to him over the table. "He didn't exactly tell me everything, but I kind of got the basic gist of it…"
"Well then he's a smart man," Graves muttered as he unfurled the scroll.
The assistant watched on, curious as to what sort of news he might have brought to this potentially dangerous man. Sure he might have just shared a friendly drink with him, but he'd heard stories of rulers who threw friendliness right out of the window the moment they heard something that they didn't like. And oftentimes, those stories involved them throwing the messenger out the same window as well. Who knew what kind of response a Commander from another world might have for him…
Thankfully, it didn't appear that he'd be getting thrown out of any windows, judging by how a smirk found its way onto Graves' face. The Commander let out a small chuckle, before folding the piece of paper up and pocketing it for later.
"I… I take it that the news was satisfactory…?"
"You kiddin' me? Oh it was more than satisfactory, son!" Graves replied with a hearty laugh, before grabbing his glass and taking another sip. "This is the first good news I've heard all week!"
The assistant breathed a sigh of relief, before downing the rest of his glass and standing back up as he coughed - still not quite used to the 'whiskey', as Graves called it. Definitely an acquired taste. "Well… then I shouldn't be taking up any more of your time, Commander. With your permission, I'll be returning back to Italica now."
"Right…" Graves trailed off, still smiling. "Hey kid, wait up a minute!" He called out.
The assistant turned around, not expecting to be stopped. "Yes, Commander?"
"You caught me in a good mood today, so why don't I call up some of my boys and they can drop you back off in the city? Make the trip shorter, right?"
"Really?" The assistant asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. The offer was pretty generous, especially coming from a military Commander who was no doubt busy managing his time and resources. "You'd be willing to do that?"
Graves shrugged at him. "Sure, why the hell not?"
"Oh, thank you very much, sir!" He exclaimed, bowing slightly.
"What did I say about the formalities?" Graves reminded him, before reaching for a device from his pocket and holding it up as it rang for a few seconds. Eventually, the ringing stopped, which was apparently a good thing. "Erikson!" He greeted in a friendly tone.
"Commander Graves, to what do I owe the pleasure?" A voice answered back from the object.
It was still quite an unbelievable thing to hear, but he felt that asking how it all worked right now would be a little rude.
"I'm callin' for a favor," He said, glancing over at the assistant.
"Name it Graves, anything."
"I've got a messenger here that just delivered me some very good news. The young man made quite the trip from Italica before the sun was even fully up just to get it to me. Why don't you get a truck with some of your boys and meet me in front of my office; Help make sure that the kid gets back to the city just fine."
"What are we? Babysitters?" Asked a voice in the background.
"More like a taxi service." Spoke up another.
"Dipaolo, Vance, you two just volunteered to join me on this little trip!" Erikson called out, causing the two voices to groan in unison, upset at having to do more work so early in the morning. "So it's a simple milk run, huh? Alright, I ain't complaining. Unlike some people!"
"Oh shut up!"
Graves shook his head with a small smile, chuckling at their casual banter. "Uh-huh, just a simple milk run, boys. You'll be back here at HQ for breakfast. Don't shit the bed, and there'll be a small bonus all around for your troubles, I promise. Sounds good, yeah?"
"Heh, well you're clearly in a happy mood, boss." Erikson noted.
Graves rolled his eyes at the comment… not that he could see it anyways. "Just get it done and find me when you're back…"
"Yep, yep."
Author's Notes:
Graves is finally starting to use the connections he's built up so far in the Special Region to his advantage, pulling the strings behind the scenes to benefit him and the company. With the way things are going, he may very well have his finger in almost every pie in Falmart.
Depending on how he plays his cards with his next choices, things could either slow down now, or they could very much ramp up exponentially.
Who knows what could be coming next…