“Assassination?” Aclysia repeated the word with heavy slowness.
They were seated in an isolated side chamber. It was built exactly with these kinds of private and scandalous conversations in mind. A small, circular table ford the dividing line between the two seats. On one couch were Aclysia and Korith, Apexus and Reysha stood behind them. On the other was only lord Maroaris.
He appeared as young as the rest of the present elves. In actuality, he was in his 50s and had been studying governance on this Leaf for well over 20 of his years. He had white hair, worn fashionably long and kept in a low ponytail. He was clean-shaven, displaying himself with the youthful vigour that he, by the standards of his species, still had.
Elves made for fantastic administrators because they could spend so many years accruing experience. Elves made for horrific administrators because they could achieve a level of entrenched corruption no other species could. As a realm in ascent, the Sleeping Empire enjoyed the forr case more than the latter.
It did not provide immunity to the latter.
Aclysia watched the dark elf carefully. Gracefully, the man picked up the cup of tea in front of him, taking a very slow sip. Vocal cords oiled, he explained himself. “I know it is a harsh request. Were it not for the threat posed, I would not present it.”
“What threat could one human in a village pose?” Aclysia asked.
“One human, fuelled by adventure, with the locality behind him. He will uproot , then he will use his base to be a thorn in the side of locals. At a minimum, he will destabilise the area. If it becos worse, he may take over this city, then begin raids on other Leaves, perhaps even on the branch itself.”
“A pessimistic prediction,” Aclysia pointed out.
“And one that has co to pass many tis before,” Maroaris responded. “Freedom fighters, they call themselves, eager to be liberated from the taxes and duties the Sleeping Empire places on them. I call them shirkers, unwilling to do even the least of what is expected to keep this great empire operating: nothing.”
“You tax them,” Korith pointed out.
“There are only two certainties in life: death and taxes, and you adventurers often make wonder about the death part,” the noble responded. “Soone must rule and soone must have the funds to invest into the things no one else feels responsible for. Roads, wells, ditches, post offices, the public works that keep a people connected.”
“A fair point,” Aclysia said and even Korith grumblingly relented. Little as she liked to give away any of her earnings, she did recognise the reality that there would always be soone collecting sothing. “Admittedly, we have not been paying much tax in our career.”
“It would surprise if you did. States are not so unwise to take their cut from the adventurers directly. You move around too much. In the Sleeping Empire, we content ourselves with sales taxes derived from the business you do. That and the tithes we collect from the guilds wherever they operate.” Another light sip of the tea, masking the nervousness the lord felt talking to these people almost halfway to godhood. “We have our ans.”
“Evil!” Korith squeaked.
Aclysia sighed and put an arm around Korith. The ornately dressed shortstack hardly resisted the pull. Once her head rested on the tal fairy’s thick thighs, the kobold did not care much about the conversation anymore.
“Your point of view is acknowledged, but to resort to assassination…”
“Your discomfort is laudable,” Maroaris assured. “I have exhausted my other avenues. The individual in question is adamant on bringing violence to my city. I fear he might succeed, unless you step in.”
“We will discuss this amongst ourselves,” Apexus decided, sensing that the conversation was beginning to turn in circles. “You will have our response once we are certain.”
“That is all I ask for,” the noble said.
The rest of the ball continued with pleasantries and simple conversations. After about two hours, it beca acceptable for the party to leave – an opportunity they took. They were already outside the property when Reysha suddenly stopped.
“You’re pretty good.” The Rogue faced the shadow of a nearby pillar, a part of the archway that ford the last barrier between the elaborate castle and the snow-covered landscape around it. “Not quite that good though.”
“I content myself with the complint.” Pale cloth took on a blue tint in the moonlight reflecting off the snow. Its colour almost matched that of the cold skin of the black-haired woman. With a hand the colour of a frozen lake, she twirled a midnight blue tip around her index finger. A scarred eye stared from the gap between her long sidelocks and swept bangs.
“Lady Yuzuki,” Apexus remarked.
“Who?” Korith asked the sa question that was on Aclysia’s mind. Neither of them had yet to interact with the Yuki-Onna. That it was her darling who first addressed the woman was not lost on the guardian angel, nor was the light softness in his tone. Was it jealousy she felt at the way he looked at the approaching snow woman or excitent? None could say with certainty, least of all herself.
“They call Lady Yuzuki of the Cracked Lake,” she introduced herself. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance in full, Inevitable.”
“Ya changed your wardrobe,” Reysha remarked. Rather than the elaborate yukata she had worn to the ball, she had elected for a shorter, more practical, downright erotic version of the sa garnt type. The amount of thigh the short skirt revealed would have made regular won shiver in the cold. “Took the fun out as well?”
“I did,” Yuzuki revealed. “No reason to kill boredom in this conversation.”
“And what is this conversation?” Aclysia inquired. “Why do you approach us in Stealth?”
“You have been given a mission by the Lord Maroaris,” the Yuki-Onna stated plainly. “To assassinate the leader of the rebellious faction in the City of the Wastes.”
“You are here to dissuade us?” Apexus asked.
Yuzuki shook her head and laughed. “On the contrary, my matriarch correctly assud you to be a party of upstanding morals. You wouldn’t take a mission like this on a whim, no matter what degree of reward would be offered.” She took a montary pause to whisper. “I enjoy n and won of such character.”
The complint was simple but effective when flowing from such gorgeous, black lips. Apexus found himself standing a little taller. He was aware of the effect she had on him. Curtailing his wish to trust her, he kept it to the basics. “So you wish to convince us?” he asked.
“Correct,” Yuzuki confird. “If you agree to it, I will guide you to the rebels and show you that, at tis, weeds must simply be removed from the garden.”
The quartet looked between themselves, then all to Apexus. His decision was not easy. First rose the desire, then his control rose to match it and in between was his mind. Was he resisting because it was wise or was he resisting because he did not trust his natural instincts, even when they were right?
Rare as it was for him to feel such passion, he elected to go with the latter.
“Co along. We will discuss more inside our Mobile Estate,” he said.
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