Sorry this chapter came out a bit later than I would have wanted, but you all know how it goes with writer's block and such. We have finally gotten to the chapter where the gang meets Idol Rabier...oh, I think you all are gonna like this one.

Big thanks to Qinlongfei for beta reading this chapter and making sure everything was alright...along with making a great suggestion about a comment on a certain plan mentioned in this chapter. You'll see what I mean soon enough.

:)

With that said, let's get this chapter started !

Malty was sitting in her room, feeling awfully bored at the moment. It wasn't her room like back in the palace, it was the room that the big man with the mustache gave her, the one that was talking to Thomas. She didn't know all the details, but Thomas told her that he needed to do something for the mustache man in order to get them a place to live, he didn't tell her what he needed to do, but he did tell her to stay put and behave.

That was at least 3 days ago, he still hasn't come back. Malty was getting worried, she wasn't used to...being alone.

Back at the palace, she had lots of things to do and people to talk to...now that she was here, she felt so alone without Thomas around.

She stayed in her room for the most part, reading books, the mustache man had meals sent to her room. The food was really good but...Malty didn't really have much of an appetite while she was there.

Malty hopped off her bed, deciding that she wasn't going to stay idle any longer and wanted to explore. The mansion Thomas took them to was so big ! She wanted to explore a little !

She quietly opened the door to her room, not opening it all the way but instead taking a moment to glance out both ends of the hallway, just like Thomas had taught her. Listening for footsteps be it in the distance or close by. When Malty made sure the coast was clear, she exited her room and walked down the hallways, moving quietly and quickly just like Thomas had instructed her. Keeping her eyes and ears open for anybody else possibly walking down the hallways.

Malty could still remember when Thomas first brought them here, she remembered the knights, maids and servants that routinely patrolled the hallways. Though...she couldn't help but notice all of the maids, servants and knights that patrolled the palace were demi-humans and beastman. Strange.

Malty thought about where she could go in this huge place, it was almost as big as the castle itself ! Though that was the problem she had, with such a big place and no idea where to go or even if she could go anywhere.

Or maybe she could just...wander a bit.

That sounded like something to do.

Malty remembered back to that office Thomas and the big man were discussing in a few days back, it seemed like an interesting place and she didn't really get to see the inside much due to her attention being focused on Thomas at the time. So she was curious to go back there.

Her curiosity won out and she made her way to the office, following the path that she remembered, taking due care to avoid being spotted and probably sent back to her room in a huff because she wasn't allowed to be roaming around. But she was just so bored !

In no time at all, Malty made her way back to the office, feeling like a giddy child once more sneaking around a place similar to her home. As she gently twisted the door knob and peeked inside, Malty fortunately saw that there was nobody inside at the moment. It made her smile at the opportunity to snoop around and see what this place had to offer.

She quietly entered the office, feeling like a sneaky thief being able to get inside the office. It reminded her of all the times she would sneak into mother or father's office and play around or even try to surprise them, but...b-but...

Malty slapped her cheeks, she did not want to think about that right now. She turned her attention back to the room itself.

The office itself was so pretty ! It had books, nice furniture and the room as a whole had such a cozy interior that made her feel strangely warm when she went inside here. The princess went over to the desk and sat in its chair, feeling like a true Queen somehow at that moment as she read some of the documents on the table...only to quickly become bored after reading them since they were just normal things.

Malty got off the high chair and looked up at the painting on the wall behind the wooden desk...it was of a family of three...showing a clean shaven man...a woman in fine noble clothing...and a short fat young boy around her age.

They looked happy. Just like her family is...

Was.

" Did your father never teach you not to snoop in other people's belongings or was that something he personally taught you ?"

Malty shrieked as she heard a voice come from behind her, turning her head to see the fat man from earlier with the mustache enter the room. Malty feeling like a child who just got caught with her hand in the desert section of the table.

Her little mind wracked with what to do, she didn't know whether this man was a friend or foe to them or whether Malty could really trust him or not. It made her subconsciously back away in slight fear as the fat man approached.

He held up a hand in a disarming manner " Relax kid, no need to be so tense, I'm not gonna do anything to you...I just want to talk a little..." The fat man said with a smirk that did not make Malty trust him at all " Hell, if your father found out I did anything to you, he would gut me while I was still alive "

Malty swallowed hard at that...knowing just how true that actually was.

The fat man sat down on one of the couches in the room and gestured for Malty to sit on the opposing couch, the young princess not wanting to seem like a scaredy cat quietly sat down, looking at the fat man dead set in the eyes.

" We could use some refreshments while we talk, Carmila !" The fat man called out and a maid poked her head through the door " Bring us some tea and cakes, I feel like our dear guest could use some of them "

" Yes master " Carmila nodded.

The two waited in silence until the maid came back carrying a tray of tea and cakes, pouring two cups for each of them.

" Thank you, you are dismissed " The fat man gestured for her to leave, and she did with a bow.

Leaving the Princess alone with him.

The fat man politely picked up his tea and took a sip, Malty did the same still remembering her etiquette classes as a princess and took a sip and a bite of some of the cakes. They tasted good, but they could not quell the anxiety she felt in her stomach.

" So princess...I believe we've never had the pleasure back before this whole...incident occurred, still I am happy to see that you are still alive and well...even after the Queen herself declared you dead to the nation "

Malty flinched at that and almost spilled her tea, thinking back to all the ugly and painful emotions she felt that day...when mommy-No...mother declared her dead.

Gave up on her.

" When is Thomas going to be back ?" Malty said simply.

The fat man shrugged " Who knows, could be a while before he completes the task I gave him "

" Where did you send him ?"

" Oh nothing too dangerous I assure you, nothing he couldn't handle with his skills and power " The fat man smirked as he drank his tea " I just asked him to locate an old friend of mine...and bring her to me for a nice little reunion. Let's just say me and her have some unfinished business "

Malty couldn't help but notice a strange sadness in his eyes when he said that. Strange.

" Ignoring my own personal reasons...you seem strangely concerned for the man who kidnapped you " The fat man said with a confused expression which made Malty feel strangely offended.

" Thomas isn't my ...he's my friend, he taught me a lot back at the castle and...I don't know what to do " Malty said as she stared down into her tea " Mother doesn't want me anymore...Thomas was the one who took care of me, taught me everything I know...and I care about him " Malty admitted.

The fat man stared at her for a few moments, his eyes going through shock, confusion and horror all rolled up into one.

" Goddamn...that bastard really fucked your mind up princess "

That made Malty feel angry and she was about to refute him-

" Sir ?" A knight suddenly entered the room.

The fat man looked dissatisfied as he turned to his knight" May I not have a moment of-"

" The Shadow Demon has returned...and he brings the Bitch Lord with him "

Bitch...Lord ?

Malty immediately perked up at that too, does that mean Thomas is back ?

" Oh ? Does he now..." The fat man turned back to her with a smirk" Why don't we go greet your 'friend' then, I'm certain he's brought back a friend of my own...we can have a little reunion and everything "

Malty didn't like the way the fat man was looking down at her, but she just wanted to see Thomas again after all this time.

Without any argument, Malty followed the fat man from his office through the manor, the two walking in pure silence as neither of them spoke or wanted to say anything to each other. The fat man looking almost grim as they walked, anxious as if he was dreading seeing Thomas again for whatever reason. Malty was just happy that Thomas was back.

She followed him to some kind of private dueling arena outside, similar to the one back at the castle and waiting at the center of it was Thomas and a very big sack next to him that appeared to be...bleeding ? And moving at the same time.

" Thomas ! Good to see you made it back all safe and sound " The fat man said in a fake tone of sincerity.

" Rabier, I got your...kid ? What are you doing here ?" Thomas turned her attention to Malty who sprinted towards him.

" Thomas ! I was worried about you !" Malty said as she hugged her mentor.

" Yes, your little princess was worried about you..." The fat man said as he glanced over at Thomas " I trust that you completed your mission ?"

" LET ME OUT OF THIS FUCKING SACK YOU PIECES OF SHIT !"

Malty jumped as she heard a loud voice come from inside the sack and was squirming to get free from the sack.

" I'll take that as a yes..." The fat man shrugged " We should get started soon or we're going to be here all day "

Thomas nodded before turning back to her " Malty, go back to your room. I'll come speak to you shortly..."

" Okay..." Malty said as she walked back down the doorway she came in from...

But like before, curiosity got the better of her as she wanted to see what was going on and what happened next. She leaned up against the wall and peaked her eye out the still slightly open doorway.

Malty watched as Thomas and the fat man cut open the sack...revealing a dog demi-human woman in it.

Malty heard the dog shouting rude things at the fat man, who wore a passive face in face of the curses and threats thrown at him.

The next few minutes passed by painfully slowly as the adults went back and forth with each other...

And Malty saw in full view of the horror that transpired next ...and strangely she didn't feel nearly as scared as she should have been.

Chapter 42: Nightmares Return

Mein quietly walked down the street with Raphtalia holding her hand and Jun holding her other to ensure that they didn't wander off, which would be a nightmare in a city like this. Their group was currently walking the streets of Rabier City with the Bow Hero's party side by side with them. Though they had to wait a while since the Bow Hero insisted on his team changing back to their original outfits and gear. Mein had a general idea as to why they did that, but didn't pry.

The first princess did notice quite a few glances and whispers among the people they passed, their larger than regular adventurer group likely drawing attention.

" I don't get why you guys changed your outfits back there ?" Naofumi asked, looking at Itsuki with a confused look.

" Because you blew our cover back at the tavern, there's no point hiding our presence here anymore " Itsuki explained simply as he walked.

" I said I was sorry about that...but come on, I just yelled your name in a tavern, we're in a medieval era after all. How fast can information really travel ?" Naofumi questioned.

You would be surprised Naofumi.

Ignoring the fact that they were practically passing the word around that the Bow Hero is in Rabier City back at the adventurer's guild, information moved surprisingly fast in a city like this. All it took was one man saying something to his friend, that said friend then told his wife, who gossiped to her friends, who get overhead by other people who don't mind their business, that eventually gets picked up by the underworld about some juicy rumor and information to sell. It was honestly both frightening and interesting to see how it all happened.

" Please Naofumi, we're practically the equivalent of celebrities in this world. You shouting my name in that tavern means everybody and their grandmother will know we're here now. Thanks again for that by the way " Itsuki said sarcastically. The Bow Hero gestured to the people they passed " Look around and you'll see what I mean."

Naofumi did look around and he saw what Itsuki had meant- People practically staring at them as they walked by, the few who had the decency to only cast the casual glance in their direction, and a few who were speaking in hushed whispers while glancing their eyes at them. A couple were even full on gossiping about them, which Mein's enhanced hearing managed to pick up some of it.

" Hey isn't that the Shield Hero over there ?"

" Yeah, and who is that beside him ?"

" I think that's the Bow Hero !"

" Two heroes in the city ? Is there something going on ?"

The whispers were coming from all the common people around them and Naofumi's embarrassment only grew upon realizing just how badly he had screwed up back at the tavern. Mein honestly couldn't even really fault the Bow Hero for being angry at Naofumi, it was genuinely a really stupid thing to do without thinking first. She really needs to teach Naofumi some better patience and avoid making dumb mistakes like that, even one as simple as the slip of the tongue. Mistakes like that get you killed in the field.

" Even if we still had dressed up in our original disguises, you being a Hero would have made us stand out, so there's no point " Itsuki said with a roll of his eyes " So yeah, thanks for ruining our cover Naofumi "

" S-Sorry, bad mistake on my part " Naofumi genuinely apologized.

" Whatever, let's just go talk to the local lord " Itsuki let out a sigh, though Naofumi still looked apologetic.

Mein decided to help him out by stepping in to make conversation " Bow Hero, have you made any progress or gathered any information that could aid us in taking down the Hound Lord ?"

" We've been killing a lot of his lackeys and smaller groups that work under him but the bastard proved to be much smarter than I anticipated. Every bandit we've captured and interrogated had no clue about where his main base of operations was, apparently he's super paranoid, that only those in his inner circle and personal gang know where it is " Itsuki explained in detail as they walked.

" How big is the Hound Lord's group ?" Alice interjected.

" No clear number on their size but from what we managed to pull from the bandits we captured, the Hound Lord's 'army' isn't really one big group in the truest sense of the word, its actually a bunch of smaller bandit groups all working together and flying under one banner, with the Hound Lord at the helm of it all " Itsuki explained.

" Wait, the Hound Lord actually managed to get all those bandit groups to work together under him ?" Nina said in surprise." That is-"

" Incredibly unprecedented..." Clarissa finished.

Naofumi for his part looked confused by all this " Is there something so strange about bandit groups working together ? I mean, it kinda makes sense doesn't it ? "

" Makes sense, yes, but difficult to do in practice " Alice explained with the tone of a teacher " Demi-human bandits can be clever and resourceful in their own right, but their biggest weakness is their inherent impulsiveness. They act out of want first and foremost, be it to sate their greed or lust, and tend to be short-tempered as a whole, which is why a leader is required to keep the group organized. Who becomes the leader and how the group's hierarchy is established is actually quite similar to Siltvelt's caste system, where certain demi-humans may be on higher standing than others. Though since this obviously isn't Siltvelt, there's always the odd case where a demi-human of lower standing manages to make their way to the role of the leader. But organizing a group of this size can be extremely difficult to do so "

Like the Bitch Lord from years ago, the one that Thomas hunted down.

" Yeah, because surprise surprise, a bunch of scumbags working together to rob, pillage and rape people doesn't exactly encourage a lot of group cohesion or loyalty. It's not uncommon for bandits to fight among themselves or even betray each other outright, which is why large bandit groups require someone with either a strong arm or a decent leadership sense to keep them all in line and establish a strict pecking order, otherwise they'd end up murdering each other on the spot, running off or even betraying the whole damn group to the authorities to save their own skins " Clarissa explains.

" The only time a bunch of scumbags worked together was that time all those bandit groups got together to attack Slayer's farm, remember that ?" Rufus added.

Mein notice Slayer tilt his helmet a little at the reminder, as if to say ' I remember...'.

" Yes, well the fact that the Hound Lord managed to bring all these groups together, means that he's either extremely intelligent or powerful in the dark arts...or both" Alice said gravely " He's much more dangerous than we have been led to believe "

" Then let's take care not to underestimate him then " Itsuki said with confidence in his voice.

Mein looked up at the Keep of House Rabier, the place Thomas took her when they were on the run. She still vividly remembers speaking to the Lord Rabier on one occasion...she obviously can't trust him. She ponders her meeting with the Lord Rabier, will he remember her presence and call her out on it ? They have never spoken even once after Thomas died, and Mein had never once had any thoughts or plans about using the information that the Lord Rabier himself housed the Shadow Demon and the kidnapped princess in the borders of his own lands. Then again, it would virtually be her word against his, and he obviously is in a much better position politically being a Count, despite herself being the First Princess.

Unless he submitted to interrogation under slave seal then she has nothing directly tying him to it and it would seem out of place for the Princess to bring such important information to light now, ten years after the incident was resolved.

Perhaps her continued silence will be enough to keep him from talking. Hopefully.

Mein glanced over to Raphtalia and her gaze shifted to Naofumi for a moment, her mind drifting towards House Rabier's use of slavery, both to fill the cannon fodder of its forces and regular menial work. The first princess levies a glance at the Bow Hero and wonder if he is also aware of its usage of slavery, he seemed both pretty aware of his surroundings and he seemed to have a staunch stance against slavery, like what he said to Naofumi after his duel with the Spear Hero.

It makes her wonder so she decides to see if he does know.

" Bow Hero...are you aware that the Lord Rabier uses demi-human slaves ?" Mein popped the question rather bluntly and out of nowhere. It surprised Naofumi but simply made the Bow Hero turn his head toward her, a neutral expression on his face.

" Wait, what ?" Naofumi said in shock.

" House Rabier is well-known for utilizing slaves, both to use as glorified cannon fodder in its personal army and servants " Mein explained.

" Wait, really ? Itsuki did you know about this ?" Naofumi questioned, giving an astonished look at how calm the Bow is about all this.

" Yes..." Itsuki said simply.

" And we're going to go talk to this guy and ask for his help ? What happened to all that anti-slavery stuff after the duel between me and Motoyasu ?" Naofumi questioned.

"...Do you wish for us to cut his head from his neck and free all his slaves ?" To everybody's surprise, Slayer spoke up at that moment, tilting his helmet in Naofumi's direction " If you wish to do so, than leave us out of it. You will be hunted and branded a criminal for doing so, because you will have attempted a crime against a Count in Melromarc..."

Naofumi flinched and his expression was hardly one of happiness " Can we seriously trust this guy ? He uses slaves for crying out loud Itsuki..."

" Let's just get going..." Itsuki doesn't answer, but instead diverts his gaze as he walked ahead of them.

But Mein noticed something Naofumi likely didn't...the balling of fists, the dead eyed stare and the almost repressed anger. The Bow Hero was not happy about bargaining with a man like Idol Rabier anymore than Naofumi was at the moment.

After a few more minutes of silent walking, they finally reached the entrance to Rabier Keep, guarded by a squad of knights. Two demi's in platemail and two humans. Though Mein distinctly noticed the demi's had a red scarf tied around their arm, interesting.

" Halt ! What business do you have here ?" The head human guard held up a hand towards them.

" We are here to speak to Count Idol Rabier, I am the Bow Hero, Itsuki Kawasumi and have requested an audience with him " Itsuki stated blankly." I bring with me the Shield Hero's party as well "

The head guard takes a look at all of them for a moment, before turning to one of the demi's " Alert our Lord that the Bow Hero has arrived...and that he has a few unexpected guests with him as well "

The demi's nodded before running off, as the gate was open after a yell from the head guard. Mein took a deep breath as the time of meeting the Lord Rabier was quickly approaching without any stop.

" We will escort you and the Shield inside, Lord Bow Hero " One of the guard's said with a bow.

Itsuki said nothing as they all followed the guards inside, Mein feeling unease as they walked down the laid out path for them towards the front entrance to the manor like Keep. Mein glancing at the archers on the walls, noticing that more than a few of them were of the rabbitmen race and they were watching them like hawks. As if waiting for them to make a move that they didn't like so they could riddle their bodies with arrows.

Their escort comprising of human, cat and dog knights all dressed appropriately to ensure they could utilize their abilities to their fullest. Slayer visibly tensing a little but saying nothing.

The Keep is still as secure as Mein remembered it to be, even as the years pass.

As they were lead into the manor, the princess in disguise couldn't help but feel an odd sense of nostalgia from coming back here as she walked the halls with Naofumi and the rest of her party. Almost like coming back to an old homestay that her family had visited a long time ago. Though in hindsight that wouldn't be the best example to use.

Mein still remembers exactly where to go. More or less. It was as if muscle memory was kicking in and she was a bored princess looking for something to do once more. The manor itself doesn't seem to have undergone any major construction or changes in the past 10 years, so her knowledge should still be good.

Still always best to refresh her memory and keep it for later.

50 paces forward from the entrance, turn right-

They did turn right.

Another 20 paces and another right-

They are nearing Lord Rabier's personal office, in the most east wing of the manor. The one where he and Thomas discussed and negotiated for safe haven.

10 more paces forward-

And they stop in front of a pair of fine wooden doors, the doorknobs and lining made out of a rich gold.

It seems Mein's memory is still good. She allows herself to feel a bit of pride as one of the guards walk into the office and emerge a few seconds later.

" Our lord will see you now " The knight said simply.

Mein took a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself.

Show time.

With no other time for prep the very large group entered the office, it was fortunate that it was large enough to accommodate the abnormally large group of adventurers, though they did have to spread out a bit to keep from rubbing shoulders.

Mein could see that the office hadn't changed much either. It was still a well-furnished office with fine oak furniture and bookcases. A chandelier made of jewels hung from the middle of the ceiling and was situated atop a wooden table, that had two couches on opposite ends of it. The room itself speaking to the prosperity and wealth of the Rabier family. The majesty of it all, built off the backs of slaves and suffering of others, like so many nobles.

And seated behind said table, was the Lord himself.

Count Idol Rabier.

" Ah, Bow Hero...and the Shield Hero, it is a pleasure to meet you both " Rabier smiled professionally at them, which made Naofumi visibly uncomfortable as he took a step back as the fat lord stood up from his table to approach them " Please take a seat, we have much to discuss "

Itsuki didn't hesitate for a minute as he sat down on the couch. Naofumi on the other hand did hesitate, almost looking like a young noble child at his first meeting, before quietly following his fellow hero's lead and sitting beside him. The two heroes parties standing behind them like silent bodyguards. Mein for her part, was just wondering whether they should have brought the kids here. Both from the fact that Rabier was a slaver and because she didn't want to risk Filo causing an incident while they were here. Thankfully, the two monster children seemed preoccupied just standing there and looking awfully bored.

" Would either of you like some tea ? A strong drink perhaps ?" Rabier offered with the usual fake respecting tone.

" No, I'm fine, thank you for asking Count Rabier " Itsuki responded in a cold, but courteous tone. While Naofumi merely shook his head with his arms crossed.

" Very well, so what brings not one, but two Legendary heroes to my doorstep ?" Rabier said as he walked over to the table nearby and grabbed a bottle of fine rum and a glass, pouring himself a drink.

" We seek aid in taking down the Hound Lord, we hoped you could help us with whatever support you can manage " Itsuki cut straight to the heart of the matter. That was good, if Mein remembered correctly Rabier was not the kind of man who liked playing games and preferred to speak rather bluntly when he could get away with it.

Rabier seemed to take a moment to sip his drink, his expression lingering between apathy and boredom, as if he's trying to decide whether he gives a shit about this conversation.

" Well, I am certainly happy that some of the heroes are taking an interest in the matters of Melromarc and that you two brave young men have stepped up to the task of hunting down the Hound Lord " Rabier said, but his voice almost made it sound mocking in a sense from the way he phrased it " Of course I am at your service for anything you may need materially speaking, but if you come to ask for me to render some parts of my army to you, I will have to apologize that I will be unable to do so. I have already had to turn down one other noble lord who asked for aid "

Mein felt herself become a little disappointed that they were unable to gain additional forces from Rabier. With how big the northern part of Melromarc is, they'll likely have to hit multiple bandit hideouts to start taking out as many of the Hound Lord's cronies as they could. As the First Princess, she would be entitled to have at least a retinue of personal and elite knights protecting her at all times, which she did have when she officially left the castle...but as part of her new identity as Mein Sophie she is no longer entitled to such benefits. Shame she can't pull the royal card here.

If the Bow Hero was unsatisfied by what Rabier said, he didn't let it show. Instead he kept his professional face " I understand..."

" Why haven't you or really any of the other lords done anything to take down the Hound Lord ?" Naofumi asks suddenly, but it almost sounds like an accusation.

" I assure you Shield Hero, that it is not due to complacency or laziness that we have not tried to do anything about him " Rabier responded in a simple tone " With the Waves ongoing, we have had to conserve our forces and resources as much as possible. Not just myself either, many other northern lords have taken heavy losses as a result of the wave, and that's not even considering hunting down leftover monsters from the wave that escape into the wilderness. In short, we simply do not have the manpower or time to deal with a brigand like the Hound Lord "

" I thought that was the point of having demi-human slaves and beastman to serve as cannon fodder...to conserve your troops, correct ?" Naofumi says and Mein looks at him as if he had just slapped Rabier with the Iron Spike Shield.

They were currently standing in the home of the one most powerful northern noble houses, asking for aid in their campaign against the Hound Lord. Does Naofumi not realize the basics of negotiating ? He had made plenty of favorable deals selling off monster drops and skins to merchants, so surely he would know to keep his cool here.

Mein glanced over at Raphtalia by her side, who was practically hiding behind her leg in fear of the fat man, who had glanced in her direction.

The First Princess feels like slapping herself in the face, she should have known that Naofumi would feel like this after finding out about Rabier being a slave owner. Perhaps they should have kept his status as a slave owner away from Naofumi until after this was settled, too late now.

" Oh yes...but like I said, even cannon fodder needs to be conserved Shield Hero " Rabier says with a smug smile aimed at Naofumi, which made Naofumi look pissed off." I see you also have a few demi-humans of your own, are they cannon fodder as well or just pets for your amusement ?"

Raphtalia hid behind Mein's leg and the Agent of the Outsider resisted the urge to stab Rabier in the gut where he stood as he directed his gaze at the young girl.

" We understand your plight, Lord Rabier " Itsuki cut in before anymore could be said between the two men " But we did not come here to ask for additional troops anyway, we actually came to ask for information "

" Oh ?"

" About anything your scouts might be able to share about the bandit movements in the north, possible bandit locations...your scouts do keep track of such things, don't they ?" Itsuki asked.

" Well, I do like to keep up to date with the bastards who are consistently butchering my people " Rabier nodded.

" We would like access to that information. We can take care of the rest from there "

" Of course, Bow Hero, whatever you need. But what is your plan to take down the Hound Lord, if I may inquire ?" Rabier asked as he took a sip of his drink.

" Short and long term plan at the moment is to erode his support, diminish his combat power and ability to raid large villages " Itsuki explained simply " His little army of bandits and brigands is really just a collection of smaller bandit groups all working together under him. If we can sow the seeds of doubt and mistrust among these scumbags, then if we're lucky somebody stupider than the Hound Lord will kill him for us and then we just have to handle the clean-up of the eventual internal conflict between them "

" If not ? What then Bow Hero ?" Rabier questioned.

" Then we do a thorough sweep of the County, kill and capture as many bandits as possible until somebody either gives up where his base of operations is or he comes out of hiding himself " Itsuki said as easy as breathing.

Not a bad strategy all things considered.

Mein actually found herself a little impressed by how quickly the Bow Hero seems to be taking to hunting the Hound Lord, even if his strategies are a little clandestine, they can still be effective in a pinch.

" Very good Bow Hero...I'll have my scouts put together a map of villages that have been raided in recent months, the accounts of survivors, and the possible locations of several bandit hideouts. They can only point you in the general area on where they could be, but you'll have to figure where the hideouts are by yourself " Rabier explained.

" Good enough " Itsuki shrugged." We'll start working on formulating a plan of attack after we discover the Hound Lord's base of operations "

" I would also recommend you talk to the Lady Eclair Seatto of Silver Keep. She should be more than happy to help considering her Keep was attacked not too long ago " Rabier suggested.

Eclair was already out ?

Mein had heard that the heiress of House Seatto was recovering at the Castle after the First Wave, on how father apparently saved her life by bringing her there. She hadn't been keeping tabs on Eclair's recovery, but it seems that the Heiress has finally and returned to her ancestral home.

If not Rabier, than perhaps Naofumi can make an ally of Eclair. If Mein's memory served, the Seatto Heiress seeked to become exactly like the knight her father was: Fair, just and kind to all. Not a pitch perfect or realistic image of what a noble should be, but her just nature should make her the perfect ally for Naofumi...and herself by extension. If she can rope her in as a personal ally.

Plans for later she thinks.

" We'll take the information and go speak with this Lady Eclair...thank you for your time, Lord Rabier " Itsuki said, but Mein could practically hear the anger and venom laced in his voice.

" And I hope to see you again too...Bow Hero " Rabier said with a smirk on his face.

They left the office just like that, with all of them filtering out into the hallway...Mein was purposefully following at the back, sparing a glance at Rabier who still refused to even glance at her general direction. She had half expected him to at least give her a knowing look at least, then again with her hood and veil pulled up it is possible that he simply took her for a rogue that was part of the Shield Hero's party.

Oh well.

She turns and is about to leave with the rest of them-

" Happy hunting..."

The first princess stopped as she heard those familiar words, before turning back to Rabier, who merely smirked at her.

She nodded slightly in turn.

He knew what it would mean.

They immediately left the Keep after they got their map with all the marked areas about potential bandit hideouts and the ones with notable activity around them, many of them in isolated areas, villages far away from the protection of the ruling lords like Rabier or Seatto. Along with locations of recent raids and attacks. There were even a few lesser known and unmarked roads that were included as well, that were used by merchants or manhunters moving their product. This will certainly help them narrow their search for the Hound Lord or at the very least some of his cronies.

" So we have a few possible locations to search here in Seatto's area, a couple more in Reichnott's and Ascart County..." Alice let out a sigh as she looked over the map " We're going to be really stretched thin going through all these locations and we could end up wasting too much time "

" Yeah, we need additional support and help if we want to cover all this ground " Nina agreed.

" We could try kicking up support from some of the other noble houses, maybe they can agree to help us in doing a sweep to take down the Hound Lord" Armina added, before turning to the Bow Hero " Itsuki ? Any thoughts ?"

The Bow Hero didn't speak, in fact he had actually been silent since they had left Rabier's Keep. The princess in disguise glanced over at the Bow Hero, staring up at something with a distant and blank look on his face.

" Itsuki ?" Armina asked again, causing more of them to stare at the Bow Hero in concern.

Mein glanced over at Naofumi who seemed to be debating internally about whether he should let one of Itsuki's companions do it or should he himself step up. When nobody else did...or perhaps he waited too shortly, he decided to approach the Bow Hero.

" You okay, Itsuki ?" Naofumi asked as the Bow Hero kept staring up at Rabier Keep.

" That man really sickens me..." Itsuki said simply, his face not betraying anything but eyes showing a distance when he said that.

Mein was surprised by this, from how disturbingly calm Itsuki was acting earlier with Rabier, seeing him like this now...are these his true thoughts ?

" Yeah, he has all those slaves working for him. Its sickening..." Naofumi agreed.

" I had to resist the urge to shoot him a couple times with my Bow if you can believe it " Itsuki says nonchalantly, but it catches everyone's attention.

The scary part is by his tone, Mein couldn't tell if this was just a standard angry thought or if Itsuki was being dead serious.

"...But nevermind that, where were we ?" Itsuki very quickly changed the topic as he refocused back on the map.

" Um...well, anyway..." Alice took a second to catch her breath " We were just talking about how we're going to need more help if we're going to launch a full scale campaign against the Hound Lord "

" Yeah, I heard you mention something about getting help from some of the other northern lords. One of them was Seatto ? What do we know about the Seatto's ? Think they we can trust and work with them ?" Itsuki asked the group.

" The Seatto's are one of Melromarc's oldest and most honorable martial houses Itsuki " Welst, the mage of the Bow Hero's group spoke up " They are one of the few noble houses in Melromarc that are open about treating their demi-human and beastman subjects fairly. Though...I've heard rumors that their strength has been significantly reduced after the First and Second Wave "

" I've heard the same thing from my companions, I think the Seatto's can be trusted " Naofumi agreed with the man.

" Still...reduced strength or not, I get the feeling we're going to need all the help we can get taking down this bastard " Itsuki said as he clapped his hands " Okay, so we have a plan of action now: Get additional support and forces from some of the other northern lords, start taking out as many bandits and bandit captains as we can to reduce the Hound Lord's strength, until we get the location of where the bastard is hiding or draw him out ourselves "

" Itsuki, I didn't realize this sooner but..." A look of realization comes upon Naofumi's face, followed by an almost amused smirk of smugness " You just got your plan from sandbox games like Far Cry or Assassin's Creed where you kill sub bosses to liberate an area till you get to the big boss, didn't you ?"

Mein was a bit confused by this as were the others, what exactly was a 'sandbox game' ? Was it a game you played in a sandbox ?

The Bow Hero turned away with a huff " No, I didn't "

" Its okay if you did, even if Ubisoft's game formula is a little shi-"

" Shut up. Let's go meet this Lady Eclair and find out if she can help us " Itsuki said as he walked off with the rest of the group quickly following after him.

Mein let out a tired sigh, guess that is two people she's going to have to avoid getting her identity blown by for today. She thinks about the Seatto heiress for a brief moment, even though their fathers were long time friends since the war, Mein wouldn't necessarily put Eclair down as a friend or even ally, in fact she seemed far more focused on training than ever socializing with other noble children back then. Eclair certainly was a daddy's girl and wanted to live up to uncle Uther's example of being an honorable knight.

Mein was uncertain whether that would make her a liability or a strong ally, you can't really afford to be honorable during times like these.

She shrugs, either way she's about to find out as their group left the city and made their way towards Silver Keep.

Well, that chapter really was something, huh ? I hope you all enjoyed the interactions between the gang and Rabier, for a lot of very good reasons. I hoped I managed to nail both Itsuki and Naofumi's interactions with the man, where the former keeps his composure and plays nice, but is secretly plotting his death. While the latter flat out doesn't even bother to hide his distaste.

Needless to say, neither Itsuki or Naofumi like Rabier much. Mein straight up just doesn't like him. So don't worry, nobody in this story likes Rabier either even if he isn't a mustache twirling villain like in canon.

And yes, I did not realize that until Qin pointed out to me later than Itsuki's whole plan to take down the Hound Lord was basically Ubisoft's game formula up to this point.

XD

On the note of the flashback scene in this chapter...yes, to those of you wondering it is Abby from Qin's story of Rabier's backstory that was in the sack. Though I didn't quite reveal what was done to her yet, I can assure that it isn't going to be pretty. Her fate in Qin's story is going to look merciful compared to what Idol and Thomas do.

And I wanted to show through Rabier's conversation with Malty how her childhood really f*cked her up and made her the person she is today. For better or worse.

With that said, I will see you all in the next one.

Angel Out.