Chapter 2

  The township they were in was a modest settlement, located near a winding river. There were no towering walls, no organized city guard, just a collection of simple homes, scattered farms that were, of course, by the river for the source of fresh water, and a small commercial center where merchants set up tents selling fresh meat, vegetables, and grains—usually farm related items, luxuries were not present. At the center of the town there was the quartermaster's establishment, a structure that served as both a tavern and an inn, where travelers and locals alike gathered to rest, drink, and exchange news. Being a small township, it was a common practice to go there to talk.

  Rupert, a hired security guard for the quartermaster, had always found his job relatively easy. The town was peaceful, and his primary responsibilities involved ensuring the safety of the establishment and its guests—of course, he wasn’t any trained guard or anything like that, but things were usually peaceful enough to the point that only looking scary was required for the job. But now things were different. A small military detachment had established itself in the town, and their presence had unsettled the usual tranquility. The officers themselves still observed some kind of discipline, but the common soldiers were likely to be wild, drinking hard and making trouble about when left to their own without supervision.

  Tonight was no different. The tavern was loud with the sounds of soldiers drinking and talking loudly. Rupert leaned against the wooden counter, scanning the room with weary eyes. A group of soldiers sat at one of the larger tables, laughing boisterously, slamming their mugs together in drunken camaraderie. He sighed. He already knew that tonight would be another night filled with trouble.

  In contrast to the rowdy soldiers, three women sat quietly in a barely illuminated table at the corner of the tavern. Rupert couldn't quite place what it was about them, but they unsettled him. Two of them were jet white, which was unusual in these parts, and though they did nothing overtly threatening, something about them made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He flagged them for future attention in his mind but turned his attention to more immediate concerns.

  At the soldiers' table, one of them, already deep in his cups, waved his hand and shouted for another beer. One of the serving maids, Clara, rushed over with a new mug. She was half-elf, her pointed ears and green hair undoubtedly marking her heritage. She had on a simple white dress and a grey apron, her golden eyes filled with unease as she made her way to the drunk man.

  The soldier smirked as she placed the drink in front of him. He grabbed her wrist before she could step away. “A half-elf, huh?” he said, his words slurred. His grip tightened as he pulled her closer. “How much do you cost?”

  Clara stiffened, her expression clearly showing discomfort. “I-I don’t… I don’t provide that kind of service.” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

  The soldier chuckled loudly. “Come on now, I’ll pay you more than you’d make in a year working here.” Before she could pull away, his free hand slid under her dress, in between her legs, groping her roughly. Clara gasped, struggling as he pressed her against the wooden wall, pinning her wrists above her head.

  Rupert took a deep breath and stepped forward, his thoughts racing. It was risky to approach the soldier—getting the military angry was not a wise move for him or the town—but he could not just sit back and watch this go down. Of course, he would try to talk his way out of it and calm things down first, but he clenched his fists, ready for the worst.

  Before Rupert could intervene, a blur of movement, the kind that normal human eyes wouldn’t be able to keep track, cut across his vision. The soldier was suddenly yanked back by his head, a powerful force pulling him away from Clara with brutal efficiency. His body slammed into the tavern wall with a sickening crack, causing the room to fall into stunned silence.

  Standing over the groaning soldier was Commander Kedvan, the leader of the stationed military company. He was a tall, imposing man with steel-gray hair and a thick grey mustache. His eyes, cold and unforgiving, locked onto the soldier beneath him. Without a moment's hesitation, he drove his sword into the man's back. A fatal wound.

  The other soldiers rose to their feet, their drunken stupor giving way to shock and horror. But none of them dared to move. They saluted instinctively, their discipline kicking in despite the gruesome scene before them.

  Kedvan withdrew his blade, letting the lifeless body slump to the ground. His expression remained neutral as he turned to the remaining soldiers. “Take his body outside,” he ordered flatly. “And then be sure to clean this mess.”

  Two men hesitated before quickly moving to obey, dragging their fallen comrade out of the tavern. The room remained deathly quiet, the tension thick enough to choke on. Kedvan then turned to Clara, who was still frozen in place, her wide eyes filled with fear and disbelief.

  “My apologies,” Kedvan said, his voice devoid of emotion. “His behavior was unacceptable. He has been punished accordingly.”

  Clara hesitated, glancing at Rupert, then at the blood pooling on the tavern floor. She swallowed hard and nodded slightly, but said nothing.

  Kedvan turned on his heel and left the tavern without saying another word. The rest of the soldiers, far more sober now, reluctantly sat back down, obviously shaken. The mood in the room had completely shifted as the yelling and roaring were silenced and replaced by hushed whispers and anxious glances.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Rupert breathed slowly, shaking his head. This was the sort of disorder the presence of the military created... especially soldiers from far away from the big cities, which were more undisciplined and less trained. He looked over at the three women in the corner, expecting some sort of reaction, but they sat as they were, their faces unreadable. Something about them still felt off, but for now, they weren’t his concern.

  He turned back to Clara. “Are you alright?”

  She nodded, though her hands were still trembling. “I… I should get back to work,” she murmured.

  Rupert frowned but let it go. There wasn’t much he could do. He returned to his position near the counter, deciding to watch as the tavern slowly returned to its usual rhythm, albeit under a much heavier atmosphere.

  Soon after that, as the loud chatters in the tavern were resuming, one of the three women who were sitting in the shadowy corner abruptly got up. It was the one with white hair and blue eyes. She said nothing, turned, and left the tavern, her exit hardly being noticed by the people there, perhaps except for Rupert who had shot a suspicious look her way.

  Outside, the air was cool and there was a thick smell of wet earth and blood of the bodies of the soldiers that were dragged just outside the tavern. Sarah moved ahead, her focus on the man who was only a pace or two ahead of her.

  "Commander," she called, her voice steady but casual.

  Kedvan, the one who had just summarily executed one of his own men a few seconds before, turned around, his forehead slightly furrowed, his face impatient. He was clearly a man who had little patience for unnecessary distractions and would prefer to get things straight to the point.

  "I saw the notice on the board," Sarah continued, stepping closer, her white hair catching the faint glow of torchlight.

  Kedvan’s gaze went up and down over her before he sighed, as if debating whether to continue the conversation. "And?" he asked, his tone sharp but not outright dismissive.

  Sarah took this as an invitation. "I was hoping to speak with you about it."

  The man exhaled heavily and turned away. "Fine. Follow me."

  Without another word, he walked toward a nearby tent, entering inside. Sarah followed, finding herself in a relatively simple but functional “command center”. A large wooden table was in the center, covered in maps and scattered documents. A single lantern hung from a support beam, casting shadows across the room, alongside the faint light coming outside from the sun through the cracks of the tent fabric.

  Kedvan sank into a wooden chair and leaned back, rubbing his head before fixing his gaze at Sarah.

  "Now then," he said, his tone firm. "Speak."

  Sarah inclined her head slightly. "I’m a traveler, as I said, and I wanted to know what kind of conflict is happening in this region. A military presence in a small township like this usually isn’t a good sign."

  Kedvan scoffed. "Conflict? Huh, you could say that." He adjusted in his seat, his expression tired. "Some villages in the western region have started an insurrection. Not a common occurrence, I’ll say that much. This rebellion was unexpected, and honestly, it should have been put down already."

  Sarah noted the slight frustration in his voice as he continued. "Normally, our Lady, Ellena, would have crushed this uprising before it had a chance to spread, but for reasons beyond my understanding, she’s decided to let us handle it alone."

  Sarah tilted her head slightly. "Lady Ellena?"

  Kedvan raised a brow, then sighed. "Of course. Outsiders don’t know much about this place. This country is divided into six regions, each ruled by a demon lord, who forms a council that convenes in the capital when needed to discuss important matters. Lady Ellena is the demon lord who rules over this western region."

  Sarah absorbed the information, nodding. "I see, that explains a lot."

  Kedvan waved a hand dismissively. "Regardless, even without Lady Ellena’s intervention, we should have been able to handle this easily, but something’s been disrupting our operations." He leaned forward, tapping a finger on the map. "Some kind of beast or monster. It has been ambushing our forces, killing a lot of my men. It’s making this entire rebellion more troublesome than it should be. That’s why I put up the notice, I need someone who knows how to deal with creatures like that."

  Sarah crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful. "Perhaps I could help."

  Kedvan gave her a skeptical look, his lips curling slightly in doubt. "You?" He scoffed. "No offense, but I don’t see what a traveler—let alone one that’s a woman—could do about this."

  Sarah chuckled softly, unbothered by his skepticism. "I guess you could say I’m something of an adventurer. Hunting beasts isn’t unfamiliar territory for me."

  Kedvan’s expression shifted slightly. "An adventurer? Like the ones from Grand Valka?" He let out a short hum. "I’ve heard there are powerful adventurers in that kingdom. Saw a few of them in action when I traveled there once."

  Sarah simply nodded.

  The Major leaned back in his chair, considering her for a moment. Then he sighed. "Alright. If you can kill the beast, it would be a great help. Bring me its head as proof, and I’ll see to it that you’re properly rewarded."

  Sarah smiled slightly. "I appreciate that. But instead of gold, I have a different request."

  Kedvan narrowed his eyes. "Oh? And what would that be?"

  "A meeting with Lady Ellena."

  Kedvan let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You’re ambitious, I’ll give you that." He rubbed his chin, contemplating. "Fine, if you manage to deal with the beast, I’ll send word to Lady Ellena’s castle—Harrenhal. I’ll request a meeting on your behalf, but I can’t promise she’ll accept it."

  Sarah nodded, satisfied. "That’s all I ask."

  Kedvan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "If you’re serious about this, I suggest you start investigating in the northeastern forest. Follow the road for a few kilometers and you’ll find an open field. That’s where a lot of our men were ambushed. If you look at the bodies, you might get some clues about what kind of creature you’re dealing with."

  Sarah listened carefully, committing the details to memory. "Got it."

  She turned to leave but paused at the tent’s entrance. "One last thing, Major. How long ago was the last attack?"

  Kedvan frowned. "Three days ago. But if I were you, I wouldn’t assume it’s gone as it could still be lurking around."

  Sarah smiled slightly. "That’s what I’m hoping for."

  Without another word, she stepped out of the tent. Aside from the ones coming from the quartermaster building, not many sounds could be heard throughout the town as Sarah made her way back toward the tavern, her blue eyes shining slightly in the darkening light of the sunset.

  She would inform Nami and Arya about this, after all, it was an interesting plan... this was a good opportunity to get a meeting with the Lady of this region, and, after that, they could use her as a bridge to get to the other Demon Lords and, eventually, take control of the entire country.