Готовый перевод Страж Империи / Guardian of the Empire: Глава 7-8

Chapter 7
* * *

I woke up in the Office, where Tier Eldar was fussing over me. His actions caused such a sharp surge of pain that you couldn't help but wake up.

"What are you doing, you sadists?!" I screamed, trying to pull my leg out of some kind of sadistic clamp that the healer was trying to attach to my foot.

"Are you awake?" The old man glanced at me briefly and grumbled: "That's good..."

"Are you alive, Kar?" Pushing Veld and Kaylee aside, the centurion approached me. He nodded with satisfaction when he saw my not-so-cheerful, but not deathly pale face. "It's good that there were no casualties. “And to cheer me up a little, he said, ”We'll catch Crab and his gang. I've just alerted everyone: our people, the investigators, and the Security. We'll block off the port district now. These kidnappers and extortionists won't get away from us."

"They'll leave," I responded without much enthusiasm to the centurion's assurances. "With Lemas, they'll leave... He knows the entire plan for blocking off city sectors and then combing through them inside and out."

"Lemas?" The centurion looked at me in amazement, then turned his gaze to Veld. "Lemas was there?"

"Well..." the red-haired man thought, apparently deciding whether to reveal the truth. "That's what Kar says. He was in the house. We only saw a shapeshifter. But there's definitely a magician there!"

"Kar, are you not mistaken?" Frowned Tier Got. "This is a grave accusation..."

I nodded. Well, yes – if they catch him, then Lemas won’t get off with hard labor. But I still said:

"I couldn't be mistaken. I didn't see Lemas himself, but I heard his voice clearly. And there was no point in Crab setting anyone up like that. No one was going to let me go alive."

" Well, who knows..." Timir snorted. "You underestimate Heron... He's a crafty bugger too."

"No, that would no longer be a trick, but pure idiocy," I said. "Crab is certainly capable of setting someone up, but hardly at the cost of all the Night Guild's money."

"What are you talking about?" The centurion looked at me in bewilderment.

"Yes, about the papers in Veld's hands," I answered. Feeling a little better, I decided to begin the final implementation of my plan immediately. I only asked the healer: "Tier Eldar, do you have anything to relieve the pain so that it doesn't cloud my mind? I urgently need to finish some things."

I tried to get up. Maybe I'll limp to the place somehow...

But they didn't let me get up. They swooped down like vultures from different sides and laid me back on the couch. And Tier Eldar shoved a tiny bottle under my nose that smelled of ginger, and I suddenly felt that I had completely lost my strength. I couldn't even move a finger. The ceiling began to slowly spin above me. The voices of the people around me became quieter and quieter. The last thing I managed to hear was Tier Eldar's assurance that everything would be fine. He said to Kaylee:

Calm down, Tierra, he's fine. He'll just get some sleep. Instead of running around doing something with three serious fractures...

From the report of As-Tarkh Covan to the Head of the Security Department, Count de Noel, dated the sixth day of the sixteenth decade of the year four hundred and fifty-seven

... Although Lady Angel de Sameri surrendered without a fight, having soberly assessed her options, she categorically refused to cooperate with the investigation department. This short-sighted decision was clearly intended to give her accomplices time to cover their tracks.

I would like to particularly note the merits of Un-Tarkh Ron Renier, whose extraordinary abilities enabled the search and capture of the criminal in the shortest possible time, despite her use of a significant number of magical effectors to conceal herself from pursuit. It is safe to say that the early transfer of one of the best combat mages among the administration's employees to the Kelms division fully justified itself and allowed us not to lose this game to the Aquitanians...

* * *

I was awakened by a feeling of hunger. I wanted to eat so much that I was shaking all over. In order to immediately find something to eat, I got out of bed. And only then did I open my eyes.

Kaylee, who had dozed off on a chair near the couch where I had slept for who knows how long, also woke up. And immediately Tier Eldar turned to me, whispering something to Veld, who was sticking his curious nose into the bottles on the far table.

“Well, how do нщг feel?” the healer asked.

But he asked, apparently, just for the sake of form. Since he didn’t even listen to my assurances that everything was fine and that nothing else hurt. He drove me back onto the couch and made sure that the broken bones had healed normally.

"Can Kar walk now?" Kaylee wondered when the healer would allow me to stand up. "It's been so little time... What if he gets sick?"

"Don't worry, Tierra," Tier Eldar smiled indulgently. "All these wounds were not at all dangerous to your young man's life. And at the moment, he is completely healthy thanks to his Taliar. Although a day of rest and abundant food will not hurt him at all.

"That's for sure!" I supported Tier Eldar, swallowing my viscous saliva. "Eating wouldn't hurt me at all!"

“Yeah,” Veld immediately supported me, stroking his belly. “We’ve been starving for a day already!”

"How long have I been sleeping?" I became worried and looked questioningly at Veld: "And what about the raid on the Crab?"

"He's gone, the bastard!" the red-haired man blurted out indignantly. "While Olm and Kars were busy with the traps, they slipped away! It turns out they had a passage through the wall into the former port service building!" And he reassured me: "But they're not going anywhere! We'll find where they're hiding and catch them!"

"Uh-huh," I muttered. Although this news didn't upset me much. I thought that Crab and his henchmen would escape. But I hope not far...

“So, shall we go get a bite to eat?” Veld interrupted my thoughts.

"Yes, let's go," I nodded decisively. Thanking Tier Eldar for his help, I moved toward the door and asked the redhead as I walked: "Where's Roald?"

"In the same place as everyone else," Veld answered. "They still haven't lifted the cordon around the port area. They're still combing everything... So almost the entire Office is there."

"What are you doing here? Did they order you to guard me?"

"Where am I supposed to go with this?" Veld protested, patting the cloth bag he had dug up from who knows where, which hung proudly at his side. "What did you give me? Huh? Once I figured it out, I was afraid to leave the Office with such riches! And there's nowhere to hide it!"

“We’ll hide it now,” I promised, smiling. “As soon as we’ve had a good meal.”

Outside, as usual at this time of year, the sun was baking. I slept until almost noon. So it turned out that I would have to deal with things not in the morning chill, but in the very heat.

"Yes, indeed," Veld said sadly, looking at the haze over the pavement, and moved back into the shadows, under the canopy over the porch. Carefully looking away from me, he said thoughtfully: "If there were a covered carriage, it would be a different matter.Э

"You've become spoiled," I reproached him. "Look, someday you'll demand your own carriage to patrol the streets." But since I didn't feel sorry for the money at all, I said: "Whoever suggested it, run for the carriage."

"One moment!" Veld rejoiced and, handing me a bag of papers and a bolt thrower, rushed back to the office.

"Such a sly fellow!" I admired the cunning of my friend, who, having achieved what he wanted, did not bother himself with a walk through the sun-drenched square, but dashed through the building. The carriage yard is right opposite the doors of the Security Department, just a quick run across the street.

Before Kaylee and I could exchange more than a few words, the covered carriage pulled up to the porch. And Veld, sitting in the back seat, waved at us with a regal, casual gesture, as if allowing us to join him. But after a while he dropped the mask of an arrogant benefactor and laughed.

Red obligingly helped Kaylee into the carriage, and we went to the Herring. First of all, because Garth's establishment was located closer than the others. Because of the feeling of unbearable hunger, like some kind of eater, I began to look with gastronomic interest at the rare passers-by. Veld even, suspecting something was wrong, took the bolt thrower from me and moved away. And he kept glancing sideways with apprehension the whole way.

At Garth's I ate so much that I could barely get up from the table. So to speak, I stocked up on provisions for the future. True, after a hearty meal, I began to feel sleepy, but that was to be expected. And it turned out to be very easy to overcome the approaching drowsiness: it was enough to remember the problems hanging on my shoulders like an unbearable burden.

"Now, shall we go and deal with papers?" Veld asked, watching Garth with lazy interest. He was scolding the servants who had become completely lazy.

“Yeah,” I replied, grabbing a sweet bun from the plate on the table as I walked. For the road.

Now I had to go back. Along Uter Avenue, to the city Office, and then across the square to a squat, fortress-like building. To the Kelms branch of the First City Bank. After all, there's no safer place to keep your money.

"But I'd rather sit here," Veld, who had just stood up, quickly plopped back down on the seat, seeing a magistrate official darting out of the shadows to the stopped carriage. "Otherwise, they'll definitely take our cab away."

"I'll keep you company," said Kaylee. "I have no business at the bank either."

"No, Kaylee, you're coming with me," I said, shaking my head. "Just leave the bolt thrower here."

She looked at me in surprise, shrugged her shoulders, and got out of the carriage.

"Oh, yeah!" the girl laughed and put the weapon on the soft seat. Then, taking my hand, she raised an eyebrow questioningly: "Shall we go?"

"Yes, of course," I nodded, pulling the Malvian girl along with me. She, laughing as she walked, whispered in my ear: "You know, it turns out it's so funny to feel armed and very dangerous!" And she looked at me slyly: "Maybe I should do something like that... For example, guarding rich people... Do you think I'd make a good bodyguard?"

"I certainly wouldn't refuse such a bodyguard," I smiled involuntarily, looking into those sly eyes, in which laughter sparkled. "However, I think that soon you yourself will need protection."

"Why is that?" Kaylee looked at me questioningly.

"You'll see," I avoided an immediate answer and said, "And you shouldn't become a bodyguard. You know what a dangerous profession it is... Especially considering your attractive appearance."

I hinted at the memorable incident that sharply dampened the excitement surrounding the female bodyguards who decided to expand their sphere of activity. When these feisty young women protected young ladies, acting as both guards and maids, there were no problems, but after they decided to encroach on the territory traditionally occupied by male bodyguards, starting to hire themselves out to noble sirs and other wealthy individuals... That's when it all began... Many rich men were tempted by the opportunity to not only acquire security, but also to surround themselves with female beauty at the same price. However, it soon became clear that the beautiful bodyguards, despite all their unmatched virtues, were unable to protect their employers from their enraged wives. And after Countess Noir shot her husband and his pretty bodyguard to death with a crossbow right in bed, even though the bodyguards, as expected, covered their noble employer with their bodies, the rich and aristocrats quickly lost interest in the new venture. And the prices for such services skyrocketed. All the even remotely attractive female bodyguards began charging men three times as much for the risk of being stabbed or poisoned.

"You're right, it's a very dangerous business!" Kaylee laughed, narrowed her eyes with a provocative smile, and remarked: "But for you, I'm ready to take some risks!"

"Okay, we'll talk about this later," I sighed regretfully, completely inopportunely remembering the executioner's axe over my neck. And I'd like to develop a relationship with the Malvian beauty, but I can't. I simply don't have a future.

There weren't that many clients in the bank. We immediately fell into the tenacious clutches of a clerk with a forced smile. It was immediately obvious that he didn't like us. More precisely, I was a sickly pale person with dark circles under my eyes in a slightly rumpled and shabby, but quite decent suit. And the exotic Malvian girl on my arm aggravated the impression with a bright contrast - she was dressed up as if for a party. Just like a rich parents' son who had gone on a spree and showed up for money with a random girlfriend.

After looking at me and wiping the smile from his face, the clerk asked:

"How can I help you, Tier? If you are looking for a short-term loan, this is for…"

“We're not here to borrow money,” I interrupted the clerk decisively, not wanting to waste a single moment of the few hours I had left on idle chatter. And I asked, “Who works with wealthy clients here?”

"How wealthy?" the clerk asked, raising an eyebrow. His voice was clearly sarcastic.

"Well, not as wealthy as, for example, Tier Foss, but having a couple of thousand roldos that require investment," I replied.

“In silver?” the clerk asked, now smiling politely and apparently immediately changing his opinion of me.

"No, in gold.' I smiled.

"Koan, take my place!" Instantly jumping up from his chair, the bank employee turned to one of the bored employees at the far table and, having worried the slacker with work, turned to us. "Follow me," he said. "You will be received immediately by Tier Gloum, the head of the financial department."

We got to the office of this very head without incident. We didn't get lost anywhere and didn't die of hunger or thirst on the way, although the clerk showed us around the corridors quite a bit. It was as if it weren't a bank, but some kind of labyrinth.

While we were looking at the luxurious furnishings of Tier Gloum's office, a clerk whispered something in his ear. And then things started spinning. A couple of employees appeared from nowhere. They quickly sat us down on fancy chairs with gold-embroidered upholstery, rolled up an ebony table with a dozen decanters of all kinds of drinks, and a platter of fresh fruit. The head of the financial department, rubbing his hands, sat down opposite us and began to play the role of a hospitable host. He did not want to hear about business until we had tasted the treat.

//“I should have taken Veld, too; at least the redhead could have seen how the rich were courted at the bank. Otherwise, he wouldn’t take my word for it…” I thought.

//“This is nothing!” The imp licked his lips, looking at the table where the decanters stood. “This kind of treatment is just the beginning!”

//“The beginning of what?” I didn’t understand.

"What do you mean? - The imp was surprised. - Of course, a new life! From now on, everything, absolutely everything, will be different! You just have to wait a little while, the smell of gold soaks into you thoroughly!"

//“Gold has no smell,” I informed the stupid imp.

//"Oh, what do you know!" the horned rogue waved it off. "You may not be able to smell it, but the spirit of gold will still surround you with an invisible aura of wealth." He looked at me condescendingly. "Or did you think that gold is only valuable because money is minted from it? And that rich people hoard it only because they like the shine of coins? No, it's all about this amazing property of surrounding its owner with an aura of wealth. The more gold you have, the more it influences the people around you!" The imp gave me a whole lecture, and at the end he said: "You'll see it all for yourself soon!"

//"Well, well," I chuckled. However, the filthy evil spirits don't know how to read secret thoughts...

"So, how can I help you?" Tier Gloum asked, after we had fully appreciated the excellent semi-sweet wine. "As I understand it, you would like to profitably invest a certain amount of money?" And he got straight to the point: "I can offer you several exceptionally promising areas for the growth of your capital."

"You are a little mistaken about the purpose of our visit," I gently corrected the banker and, taking a bundle of bills from my bag, threw them on the table in front of me. "Here, please take care of checking the securities. In the meantime, I will explain what I want from you."

“I’m all ears,” Tier Gloum assured me, handing the bills to one of his employees who was hanging around nearby.

"First of all, I am interested in the cost of a life annuity contract," I began.

"For one person?" immediately clarified Tier Gloum, not at all surprised by this turn of events. Rent agreements are very popular among people with at least some decent capital. "And what amount and frequency of payments are you interested in?"

"For one," I confirmed. "Let's say five gold pieces per month."

“Not a bad income,” the head of the financial department nodded approvingly and immediately said: “To conclude such an agreement, an investment of eight hundred gold roldos will be required.”

"And I would also like to have the opportunity to receive monthly payments in any of your bank branches. At your discretion," I added an important detail to the agreement.

"It's not a problem," Tier Gloum assured me. "Such a service will cost you about ten gold pieces. Our mage will create an authentication card based on your aura in about a quarter of an hour. You will be able to cash your payments at any branch of the First City Bank. Even outside the Empire."

“Well, that suits us,” I nodded with satisfaction and asked the clerk who came up with my bills: “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” he confirmed.

"Then immediately separate from the stack the monetary obligations for eight hundred and ten gold pieces and begin to draw up the contract," I ordered. "In the name of Tierra Kaylee Lenar."

"Kar! What are you saying?!" the astonished Malvian girl gasped and grabbed my hand. "Why?! I don't need money at all! It's not because..."

The imp sitting on the edge of the table almost fell to the floor, shouting: "What are you doing, you donkey head?! Eight hundred full-weight coins to give to some girl for nothing?!“ And, jumping onto my lap, he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and burst into tears: ”Have you forgotten how much we suffered to earn this wealth?!"

//“Well, you didn't really suffer that much,” I reasonably pointed out. “No one beat you with a club or kicked you there.”

//“And me... seeing you suffer caused me immense pain! There! That's how this sly fox found a way out, and, casting a malicious glance at Kaylee, he blurted out: ”You can't, you can't give money to every crook! “ And he stretched out his hand imploringly, looking at me plaintively: ”You're not a fool... Take a good look at this cunning girl who pretends to be such a sweet, charming, and slightly naive little darling... And on top of that, she's completely selfless... Laughable! Believe me, there are no such wonderful girls! She's just leading you, a gullible fool, by the nose! And you can't give a penny to such a deceiver!"

//“Kaylee is a good girl, not some kind of con artist,” I objected, frowning.

//"You're a thick-headed ass!" the horned one said with annoyance, and with renewed vigor, he began to try to convince me: "It's she who is indebted to you for the rest of her life for saving her, not you to her! And there's no need to break off such a fat chunk of our pie for her!" And he whined: "Well, give her ten gold coins, and that's enough for her... Or better yet, three coins... If you want to make her your kept woman, then there's no way you can immediately provide for her for the rest of her life! Otherwise, she won't feel your kindness and generosity and will forget what she owes you!"

//“I'm not going to make Kaylee my lover,” I explained patiently to the demon. “Let her live as she wants. I may only have a couple of hours left on this earth.”

//“Well, then, why give her anything at all?!” cried the imp. “What difference does it make to you how she gets by after you die?” And he snorted: "She won't go hungry, I bet! There are plenty of suckers around!“ Then he climbed onto my shoulder and whispered conspiratorially in my ear: ”You know what? Let's just spend all this money!"

//“Are you nuts?” I almost twirled my finger at my temple.

//"What?" the imp was indignant. "You said it yourself - you see a writing on the wall. So why not have a last party?"

//"Because it's stupid!" I explained. "After all, no matter how much you want to, it's impossible to spend three thousand gold coins on entertainment!" But seeing that the demon smiled joyfully, apparently wanting to convince me of the inaccuracy of such statements, he corrected himself a little: "Unless it's on some obscenities..."

//"Yeah!" the horned rogue rejoiced. "I see you have some ideas on what to spend the money on!"

//"Go to hell!" I got angry. "I have no plans for any obscenities!"

//"You're lying!" - the imp declared, not even thinking of getting rid of me. Taking the tail in his paw, he began to twirl it, playing with it. He glanced slyly at me, looked away, and, raising his eyes to the sky, thoughtfully declared: "And I know everything about your dreams..."

//“You don’t know anything,” I responded sarcastically, not wanting to fall for the imp’s childish trick.

//“Well, well,” the imp grinned and, almost sticking a coin in my ear, asked slyly, “And who here is drooling over these clean noble ladies? Is it you?”

//"Not me," I immediately refused, not wanting to admit to any nasty things about myself. I just like noble ladies, and I don't drool over them.

//"With that kind of money, you can easily buy the love of these noble touchy-feely ones... And have a blast at the end..." - the tailed bastard began to whisper obscenities. I even stopped feeling grateful for the help with the demon summoning ritual.

//"You can't buy love," I said irritably. "So back off with your vile proposals before I punch you in the face."

//“How that?!” The imp even opened his mouth in amazement. “You always have to pay for love! Or are you saying you've met selfless girls?” And, plopping down on his backside, he thoughtfully scratched the back of his head and asked uncertainly, “Are there really such fools around here...?”

Almost spitting in my heart, I stopped paying attention to the filthy, evil spirits. And I said to the girl, biting her lip in annoyance, who had just confirmed my opinion of her as a carefree and selfless person:

"Calm down, Kaylee. Trust me, it's necessary. I'll explain the gist of it all to you a little later."

“Okay, Kar,” Kaylee said, looking me in the eye and with doubt in her voice. “If that’s really what it takes…”

"Will, please take care of our charming guest," the slightly smiling clerk ordered one of the employees. "And the esteemed Tier and I will continue..."

Kaylee left the office with the helpful young man, and I set about distributing the remaining money. It took me just fifteen minutes. Without thinking twice, I simply took the wealth stolen from Crab and divided it among my friends. Tier Gloum called another assistant, who wrote out a whole list of names of those whose accounts would be credited with the money. I had to pay a little extra for the bank's obligation to notify its new customers of their funds within a strictly specified time frame. The latter, of course, was not necessary, but let my idea be a pleasant surprise for my friends. I will be gone, but they will still have gifts for their birthdays.

Having sorted out the bills, I smiled at the sullen demon who was snorting and refusing to talk to me, and took the gift certificate for the gambling house out of my bag.

"Tier Gloum, take a look," I suggested. "Perhaps the bank would be interested in acquiring this enterprise?"

After looking over the papers, the banker said:

"An interesting proposal. But, as you understand, a thorough verification is required here... If you wish, our people will inspect your property and evaluate it. And only then can we thoroughly discuss the purchase and sale."

"And how long will it take?"

“Just a little bit,” the banker assured me. “No more than two or three days.”

It was unlikely that I would be able to hold out for a few more days. With regret, I put the documents back in my bag. It's okay, there would be other buyers for Silver Ringing. In the worst case, I would simply take the six hundred that covered the bets and sell the gambling house itself at a bargain price.

Kaylee returned just as we were signing the final papers. I immediately handed over the life annuity agreement to the Malvian girl and took the list of obligations for monetary payments certified by the banker for myself. So that no one would want to take the money after my death.

Having said a warm farewell to Tier Gloum, we left his office. And Kaylee immediately pestered me with questions:

"What did you need all this for, Kar? Is this some kind of elaborate scam?"

"Kaylee," I said softly, "you're going to have to leave Kelm."

“What?” the confused girl asked again.

“You’ll have to leave,” I repeated. “You’re not stupid, you know, and you understand that our city bandits won’t calm down that easily and will want to get even with me and…”

"I understand that, Kar," Kaylee interrupted. "I understand that it would be better for both of us to go somewhere far away until everything is sorted out and this gang of vile extortionists is caught... But why did you spend so much money on me?"

“So that you don’t need anything,” I simply answered and explained to the Malvian girl, who was frowning: “Since you got into such a mess thanks to me, it would be ungrateful not to somehow compensate you for these troubles.”

"But, Kar, none of this is your fault!" The girl objected. "You are not obliged to do anything for me!"

"What are you arguing about?" Asked Veld bored in the carriage.

“That Kaylee needs to leave,” I answered and immediately asked the red-haired man: “Veld, will you help if anything happens?”

"What do you need?"

"I need to get Kaylee on one of the morning coaches tomorrow. Will you do it if I can't?"

“No problem, of course I’ll do it,” Veld assured me and asked, “What’s your business?”

"Well, you never know," I answered evasively. and said, "Let's go to my place now, I'll at least change my shirt and wash up, and then go to Kaylee. We'll help her pack her things."

"I don't have that much stuff," the girl reassured us. She seemed to be already thinking about what to take and where to put it all.

"Yes, you have a normal shirt," Veld said, looking me over. "Instead of wandering around the city, let's go straight to Kaylee."

“No, I need to get myself in order,” I shook my head.

Veld started arguing, proving that I looked quite decent and did not resemble the scum of the port. He did not want to wander around the city in the heat, even in a carriage. He calmed down only when I explained to him that I was going to visit Tier Foss with a business proposal and had to look decent.

Perhaps the redhead would have continued to pester me, but right behind the central square, we met one of the carriages belonging to the administration. As it turned out, these were our magicians, as well as Tier Got and Roald, returning from the scene of the events. Of course, they couldn't just drive by.

But instead of turning to me, as I expected, the centurion immediately attacked my friend.

"Okay, Red, get ready!" Timir promised rather ominously. "The fortress wall is yours forever!"

"What about me?!" Veld stammered, diligently averting his eyes and clearly feeling some kind of guilt. "I didn't do anything!"

"Who dared to bet Ulf Deleri a barrel of light Kelm beer that he would never be able to repeat Ker's jump? Me, maybe?!" Tier Got even trembled with suppressed anger. But he didn't scold Veld with harsh swearing, feeling shy in front of a Malvian girl. Instead, he sighed wearily and asked venomously, “How do you expect me to pay for his treatment now? Do you think the Magistrate will pay for your stupidity?” And he asked angrily, “Why are you silent, you moron?”

"I didn't know that this fool would actually jump from such a height! It's at least ten yards!" Veld tried to justify himself, having fallen into despondency. But it was unclear what weighed on him more: the fact that a man had suffered because of him, or the fact that he would have to give up a whole keg of not-so-cheap beer.

“What is your head for?” asked the angry centurion. “To pour beer into it? Or to make up all sorts of nonsense?”

“Well, what about Crab?” I intervened in the conversation before they decided to send Red tjail for about ten days, to bring him to his senses.

"Nothing.", Roald informed me succinctly. "He's holed up somewhere and isn't showing his face."

I wasn't surprised at all. You can't catch Crab with a simple raid - more serious measures are needed here.

"Don't worry, Kar!" Timir quickly added. "That bastard won't get away. We'll catch him in a day or two. Everyone leaving the city is being searched at the gates and in the port under special procedures, so he won't be able to slip through the barriers. Maybe we should assign a guard to you, just in case?”

“No, it’s not worth it,” I refused. “It’s enough that Veld and Roald are looking after me.”

"Where are you going now?" the foreman asked.

“First to me, then to Kaylee,” I replied.

"Well then, I’ll catch you there," Roald decided.

"Better rest for now," I advised. "We're not going anywhere anyway, we'll pack our things and go to the Herring. We'll hole up until tomorrow. And there's nothing to threaten us there. Crab isn't so brazen as to stick his nose into a tavern full of guards."

“Okay, then I’ll run home, have a bite to eat, and get some sleep,” Roald decided. “And I’ll find you at the Herring in the evening.”

“Okay,” I nodded and asked, “When you get home, talk to Triss about sewing me new clothes… These will soon be nothing but holes.” As proof of which, I stuck my finger into one of the holes on the side of the jacket.

Roald smiled, promising to talk to his wife, and we went our separate ways. Right after the centurion once again advised Veld to prepare for exile to the wall.

“You’re in trouble,” I sympathized with my friend, rather falsely.

"Yeah," the redhead responded sadly and rolled his eyes, apparently imagining the whole nightmare of being on the fortress wall. There's nowhere to hide from the sun or bad weather. In the summer, for example, you stand there all day, and when you come down, you not only look, but also feel like a crab boiled in its shell. And if such shifts happen every time, and not twice a year, then it's just awful.

Kaylee tried to say something to console Veld, but it hardly helped him. He nodded in response, started chatting, and his face remained sad. It was good that he had a short memory. After a while, he forgot about the centurion’s promise and calmed down.

The noise and hubbub of the crowded central streets of Kelm were left somewhere far behind, in the stone labyrinth of the city outskirts. It was possible to talk calmly, without asking the interlocutors to repeat themselves several times. Only when the carriage drove out onto Dawn Street, the conversation died down by itself. The voices sounded too loud in the deathly silence that reigned on the street.

"What's going on here, Kar?" Veld asked, turning his head from side to side in surprise. "It's as if everyone left at once."

"Or dead,” Kaylee whispered.

“It’s really strange,” I scratched my head when, after carefully looking down the street, I didn’t notice any passersby or playing children, or even cats or dogs. And the tavern is closed… What’s more, even the demon who continued to sulk at me had disappeared somewhere, although just a few moments ago he had been sitting on the edge of the carriage door.

"Maybe you can change later, Karr?" Kaylee suggested timidly. "Your clothes aren’t that dirty… Or let’s go to my place! We have our own laundress at home. She’ll wash and iron your clothes in no time! In the meantime, we’ll sit at my place and have some coffee."

“Good idea!” Veld was immediately inspired by this proposal.

"Well..." I hesitated for a moment, deciding what to do. At that moment, the carriage rounded the bend in the street, and we could see my house and the reason why Dawn Street was empty.

"We should have turned right away," Veld said, looking at the huge carriage at the porch of my house. On its doors was painted a clenched fist in a solar ring. The Brothers-Inquisitors from the Order of the Punishing Hand of the Creator had arrived.

"Don't even say it," I blurted out in my heart. It's as if the Inquisition has come for my soul... Having learned about the imp from somewhere.

And I almost ordered the driver to turn the carriage around. If I had been alone, I would have definitely tried to run away, to be on the safe side. But Veld and Kaylee were with me. If I ran away, they would have a hard time later. They would declare me an accomplice of Darkness for associating with a man who consorted with demons, and that would be it.

The cab driver, seeing the Inquisition at the house he was ordered to go to, was completely confused. He began to turn the carriage around, but came to his senses in time. And, having made an incomprehensible zigzag, we nevertheless rolled up to the carriage standing at the porch. True, so slowly that a man on foot would have reached his destination faster.

“Hello, son of mine,” a rather elderly man in a crimson robe greeted me with a kind smile when I climbed out of the carriage on stiff legs.

"And to you, Father," I licked my dry lips and nodded to a man known to every inhabitant of our city - Father Yol, head of the Kelm branch of the Order of the Punishing Hand of the Creator. And I glanced warily at the five assistants of the senior inquisitor in simple gray robes, befitting members of the order standing on the lower rungs of the hierarchy.

These five aren't just brutes; they're some kind of mastodons. Even Crab's thugs look like skinny kids against grown men. The shortest one is probably six inches taller than me and twice as heavy.

But I didn't have time to lose heart completely, even though I clearly realized that I had no chance against these brutes. Even with a loaded crossbow and sword. For all the brothers of the order who had arrived with Yol wore chains around their necks with protective amulets in the form of a small ruby enclosed in a gold circle decorated with delicate runic inscriptions. Well, that's understandable — the priests don't buy them, but create them, using the power over Light given to them by the Creator. But the magnificent medallions of moon silver with a diamond star fused into the metal, shining in the sky, are an expensive item. The kinetic shields supported by these medallions are very expensive... The weakest ones cost a hundred gold pieces. However, that's not the most important thing I noticed. One of the senior inquisitor's assistants turned his head slightly, and I saw a tattoo on his left cheek. A circle and five vertical lines extending downward from it. The mark of a Redimer. My heart immediately felt lighter. Covan is still a bastard — he could have just said that Sir Tyler had mortgaged his estate not to some random church order, but to the Inquisition.

I looked at the guest much more calmly and asked hastily:

"What happened, Father? Why are you here?" And, blinking his eyes in confusion, I whispered: "Did someone really slander me and accuse me of flirting with Darkness?" After which, I fervently assured the priest. "My soul is pure before the Creator!"

"Calm down, my son, I believe you," said Yol, a satisfied smile appearing on his face at the emotion I had shown. He liked to see fear and admiration for the Inquisition. Everyone knows that.

"Then why are you waiting for me at the door of the house?" I asked in surprise. "You could have sent a servant for me, and I would have appeared immediately... Without bothering you with trips..."

Of course, he lied. I wouldn't have risked it. Showing up there with an imp on my shoulder would be like coming to a bear's den with a barrel of honey, naively dreaming of making friends with the clubfoot. But if you don't know about my connection with evil spirits, you can believe it.

"It's okay, it's good for me to take a ride," the holy man reassured me. "You have to see how the common people live sometimes..." And, as if he was truly interested in the life of an ordinary guard, he looked at my house and asked: "Can we come in and take a look at your abode?"

"Of course, of course, Father!" Hastily rummaging through my pockets in search of the key to the front door, I went up to the porch.

“You wait here while your comrade and I have a word,” said the priest to Veld and Kaylee.

“Come in, Father,” I said, pulling the most benevolent smile on my lips, inviting the inquisitor into the house and, stepping aside, opening the door. And suddenly…

*BOOM!*

The drawn-out sound of a tight bowstring cutting through the air broke the oppressive silence of the street.

"Click! Click! Click!" The bolts clicked on the blue hemisphere of the kinetic shield and bit into it with three golden lightning bolts. But the "Fiery Blades" failed. They crashed into the circle flared with a blinding white radiance, which appeared out of nowhere, and dissolved in it. They did not penetrate the "Circle of Reflective Light".

No one was hurt, thank the Creator. Only I almost went grey in those moments. It was a miracle that one of the Order brothers managed to suspect something was wrong and push the Holy Father aside. Although he fell off the porch, he remained alive. And the bolts from the trap set by someone in my house could not penetrate the redimer's defense.

"Come in, you say?! Come in?!" hissed the holy father, red with rage, springing nimbly to his feet from the unwelcoming pavement. "I'll show you!" Shaking with indignation, he ordered his men: "To the dungeons this... this heretic! To the rack! And seize his accomplices!"

"Father, this is all the work of the dark ones who want to ruin the lives of innocent people!" I fell to my knees and burst into tears, seeing that Veld and Kaylee still hadn’t figured out what was going on and were standing there with their mouths open.

The Order's brothers, having barely heard about the heretics, immediately unhooked their iron-clad clubs from their belts and began to look around in search of someone to hit.

"It was the dark ones who set it all up!" I continued. "It was their plan, full of indescribable cunning, to destroy the children of the Creator who are in the Light by the hands of the pious Inquisition and to tarnish its impeccably white reputation!"

“Enough,” the redimer, whose clothes, unlike those worn by his fellows, were trimmed with thin crimson strips of fabric, climbed up onto the porch and peered into the doorway, patting me on the shoulder.

When I fell silent, he turned to the inquisitor, who, while making ominous promises, looked angrily first at me, then at Veld and Kaylee:

"Father, this is unlikely to be the work of heretics. No one knew that you would pay a visit to this guard. It is more likely that a trap was waiting for him here."

"Since when did they start preparing such deadly traps for ordinary guards?" the senior inquisitor inquired incredulously and, having let out a couple more curses, began to disdainfully shake off the sleeves of his robe.

"Probably since he suddenly became rich," the кувшьук responded mockingly. "A three-shot crossbow and bolts with Fire Blades, that's about ten or fifteen gold." Having calculated the cost of the trap quite accurately, he asked me: "Tell me, boy, who of your relatives will get all the property according to the will?"

“I have no relatives,” I sighed with sincere sadness, rising from my knees. “I’m an orphan.”

"So then, everything will go to the Church?" The Redimer cast a meaningful glance towards the primate father.

The Inquisitor looked at me carefully and said slowly:

Well, my son... I see that you are sincerely worried about this terrible event. And therefore, this abomination was not created by you... And you are not to blame for this.

"Thank you, Father!" I burst into tears of emotion. "People truly say – there is nothing fairer than an inquisitorial trial!"

Looking suspiciously at my most honest face, the presiding father agreed:

"That's right."

"Let us return to the very beginning and talk as we planned," the redimer said quietly and entered the house.

"Co..." I waved my hand at the senior inquisitor, but, cutting myself off in mid-sentence, I scratched my head in confusion and blurted out: “Follow me, Father!” and ran into the house.

Yol, entering my dwelling after me, looked around and said quite good-naturedly:

"Well, not bad. I don't see any traces of vice or depravity. Everything is simple, not rich and decorous."

I finally caught my breath. Everything seemed to have settled down. The main thing now was not to act too clever and not to stray from the image of a simple-minded and dim-witted guard. Well, I should be able to handle that. I have experience. Last summer, I had to play the complete fool when Veld's younger sister, having come of age, decided to hunt me down. That was tough. Rinka tried everything to charm me... She even secretly spiked me some nasty stuff a couple of times... Probably a love potion. She made it from secret recipes she got from her friends. She sweet-talked me and made such obvious hints that my eyes went wide. Oh, how hard it was to resist! As I remember... But getting married was not an option either, and ruining Veld's sister and abandoning her was out of the question. That's why I had to play along, desperately pretending to be a blockhead... And I managed to fit into the role so well that Rinka finally gave up. After that memorable evening walk, when, instead of strolling arm in arm with the girl down the street, I took it upon myself to teach her how to patrol the streets properly. Although, of course, guards only march in formation during ceremonies, not while on patrol... But Rinka didn't study the “City Guard Regulations,” even though I read a lot to her from memory when she asked me to tell her something interesting... That's when this redhead gave up, recognized me as an insensitive fool and a complete simpleton.

"The trap is well-designed," the redimer noted, examining the curious mechanism that had nearly sent Father Yol to the Creator. As for me, the ordinary three-shot crossbow didn't interest me. What, I've never seen one before? And I didn't even want to look at the dining table, to the top of which unknown saboteurs had nailed the legs of the easel crossbow with six-inch nails - it was just upsetting. It was a good table, after all - made of Latian oak.

“Father, so what did you want from me?” I asked timidly, shifting from foot to foot and timidly glancing at the primate father.

"It was concern for your soul that brought us to your home, my son," the inquisitor said with a sad sigh. "We learned that the vile minion of the Dark Angel, dying, decided to get even with you by casting a vile curse... That is why we hastened to you, to see whether you had endured, whether you had stood firm, whether you had preserved your soul in its original purity... And so we are here - to help, to support, and to save.

"Thank you, Father!" I thanked the senior inquisitor with emotion. "Thank you for your care for the simple children of the Creator... I know you would have saved me if something had happened... Fortunately, I escaped the revenge of this unfortunate man who turned away from the Light."

"Are you sure, son of mine?" Yol asked ingratiatingly. "Some dark curses are truly terrible and, dare I say it, vile things... Sometimes a person does not notice how, under their influence, they turn away from the Light, opening their soul to vices. And becomes completely different - a greedy, selfish egoist..." Squinting, he looked me over carefully: "But you have not changed, have you, son of mine? You do not feel a thirst for dirty pleasures in yourself? Do not experience joy from the misfortunes of others? Do not notice in yourself undisguised greed and avarice?"

"No," I shook my head decisively, admiring to myself how cleverly Yol had led me to the line. Now just try to say that you don't want to give up the estate. That immediately turned out to be a greedy man hungry for wealth. And you'll go straight to the rack. Exclusively for good purposes, of course - in order to be saved from a terrible dark curse.

"Are you sure, son of mine?" the senior inquisitor seemed to doubt. "Well, that's easy to check..." Looking me intently in the eyes, he asked sternly: "Answer as if in confession, son of mine! Did you indulge in the minor sin of gambling no later than two days ago in a gambling house known as Silver Ringing?"

“It happened,” I admitted, looking down, barely audibly.

"The card game competition that was arranged by dishonest businessmen? Didn't you win the main prize?"

"Yes..."

“And you also got the papers for the estate of Tyler de Marco, that vile swindler, unworthy of belonging to the noble class,” the holy father stated affirmatively.

"Why a crook?" I blinked my eyes in bewilderment, staring at Yol.

"Because he was gambling with property that no longer belonged to him!" the father-primate explained the situation. "He left this estate as collateral to our order, having borrowed a huge amount of money. Which he has not repaid to this day!"

"Such a scoundrel!" I was genuinely indignant, for I myself had been grinding my teeth at this noble sir for such a setup, and immediately shook my head in despair. "Oh, what a disaster... If only I had known earlier."

"What do you mean?" the unusually impudent redimer, who dared to get ahead of the holy father, immediately jumped up.

"Well…" I spread my hands in confusion. "I no longer have any estate."

“What do you mean?” Yol asked, his voice threatening. “Where could it have gone?”

"No, the estate itself is, of course, still there…" I made a profound correction. "Only it hasn’t belonged to me recently."

"Did you sell it?" the redimer narrowed his eyes.

"I wish," I smiled wryly. "I changed it."

“For what?” the senior inquisitor asked in a fatherly tone, interlacing his fingers on his chest.

"For the life and freedom of one girl,” I explained, still smiling crookedly. “Our bandits decided that I didn’t need to become a rich landowner at all… So I had to sign over the deed of gift for the estate I won.”

"Who is so smart among us?" asked the priest, frowning angrily.

“Dear Tier Richard Heron,” I readily related. “And his gang.”

"A well-known person," Yol reluctantly squeezed out in response to the redimer's questioning look. "In some ways, even unique... It was through his hands that the Kelm Night Guild was created, uniting criminals of all kinds.

"I hope you have access to him?" asked the redimer.

Father Yol closed his eyes for a moment, silently confirming this assumption, and said with displeasure:

"I don't think there's any point in starting anything in this direction. The sly rogue has most likely already sold the estate to someone, and as a result, it's now impossible to find."

"Excuse me, Father, for interfering..." I mumbled with all possible timidity. "But Crab will not sell the estate immediately."

"Why do you think so?" the interlocutors asked in unison.

"Crab has put everything into this scam,“ I explained. ”And he won't give up such a big score for anything. And if he sells the estate immediately, it will be worth almost half its true value. Not twelve thousand, but six or seven... And Crab isn't in the mood for business right now, with the whole town hunting him down."

"But the guard says reasonable things," the redeemer expressed his opinion to Yol. And he added quietly: "And this case has more prospects."

"Yes, you are right, Brother Const," nodded Yol. "If the baron has already left the Empire, then finding him will be even more difficult.

"Well, Father..." I intervened again. "Maybe you really should find this secret minion of the dark ones - Crab? Even if he sold the estate, he still has money!"

"Do you want to persuade us to commit such an unseemly act as outright extortion, my son?" The Senior Inquisitor narrowed his eyes unkindly.

“No,” I shook my head and explained, “I am sincerely concerned for the Bright Order. This scoundrel Crab simply does not deserve leniency, after his true face was revealed – a vile accomplice of the dark forces…”

"And tell us more about this," Yol asked, smiling kindly and casting a meaningful glance at the redimer. Without a doubt, he was interested in the possibility of declaring Crab a heretic in order to confiscate all his property for the benefit of the Order.

"Well, take even this assassination attempt," I began to reason. "It clearly indicates that Crab is an accomplice of the dark forces. For no robber, even the most vile one, but with a pure soul, would have allowed what happened to happen." I asked, “How long have you been waiting for me at home?”

"About a quarter of an hour, perhaps,” Yol answered, looking puzzled. “Or a little more.”

"So!" I smiled happily. "So, the one who set the trap had plenty of time to warn you of the impending danger, like a true son of the Creator. But he didn’t do it… And this clearly indicates his commitment to the dark forces!"

"The guy is right," admitted Brother Const. "Someone had to keep an eye on whether the guard would fall into the trap or not. Such a matter is not left unattended."

"Even if Crab is not a minion of the Dark Angel and it is not possible to prove that he is a heretic, then his capture will still pay off,” I noted and, taking a promissory note from the bag hanging on my side, handed it to Yol: “Here.”

"However..." the senior inquisitor looked at me, puzzled and thoughtfully asked: "But aren't you lying to us in that case, son of mine? Perhaps you sold the estate to Heron and didn't exchange it for the girl?"

"The bright angels are my witnesses, Father, I really did give the estate to Crab in exchange for Kaylee," I swore. "Crab just wanted me to believe that he wasn't going to kill me. And, as if he had robbed me, he left me a small part. And when I signed the deed of gift, he wanted to take the receipt and kill me."

"Why didn't he do it?" The Senior Inquisitor asked. "As far as I remember, his words and deeds never diverge."

"It was only by a miracle that I survived," I sighed. "Thanks to my friends who came to the rescue."

"And you want us to collect a debt from this Heron in your favor?" the redimer inquired. Assigning someone else's debts is a common thing. He had probably encountered this more than once.

What are you saying, what are you saying!" I waved my hands. "I never even thought of such a thing! It’s just that if Crab were found and paid off his debt, I would gladly donate all this money to the needs of the Bright Order."

"What, two thousand gold pieces?" Brother Const was genuinely surprised by this turn of events. Usually, people who helped to repay the debt get about a third of the amount.

“Yes,” I confirmed and asked Yol in bewilderment: “Isn’t this a good deed?”

“Good, good,” the priest immediately assured me, looking at his comrade with superiority, as if saying to him: look how the order is revered in my diocese, such donations are made!

“And what, you really don’t need anything at all?” the redimer chuckled incredulously.

"I have enough money," I said, shaking my heavy wallet. "I freed the girl... What else do I need?" And, frowning, I thought for a moment, then said: "I just need some good protection... Otherwise, these thugs are unlikely to back off right away... They'll stab me in the alley, and that will be the end of me... Or they'll shoot me with bolts like these, with magical filling... And besides reliable protection, I guess I really don't need anything else."

"Write off the debt to Father Yol," ordered Brother Const, who correctly understood my subtle hints, removing his jewelry from his neck: a medallion supporting a kinetic shield and an amulet bearing the “Circle of Reflecting Light.” And, turning to the open door, he shouted: “Gustav, bring an inkwell and a pen!”

The inquisitor took care of everything. All I had to do was sign a paper transferring the right to demand the amount indicated in the promissory note to Father Yol, and that was it.

"I wanted to say something else..." I added hesitantly, holding the jewelry I had received in my hand. "Crab seemed to be planning to run off to Aquitaine... So maybe he's already slipped away on some ship that left this morning. He has his own loopholes in the port."

"That's nothing, my son," Yol said condescendingly, carefully folding Heron's receipt and the paper I had just certified. "Our Order has enough influence in Aquitaine, too."

"Yes, I just did it for the sake of the cause," I pretended to be a little embarrassed. "Crab is such a beast. Shapeshifters work for him, and a magician, and God knows who else... "

"Shapeshifter?" Brother Const. was surprised.

“Well, yes,” I nodded and began to quickly leak valuable information about the Crab gang to the redimer: “We killed several of the vile, shaggy non-humans who served Heron, but who knows if they were all… And the magician too… No, Lemas, he’s not very strong – he only has the fifth level of initiation in the Air sphere. But he handles his element very well.”

“Is that all?” Brother Const. asked.

“That’s all I know,” I confirmed.

“Well, thank you,” the redimer said thoughtfully and turned to the senior inquisitor: “Let’s go, brother in the Light? Time waits for no one.”

"Yes, let's not waste time," Yol agreed and left my house. At the carriage, he turned around, solemnly proclaimed: "May the radiance of the true Light always illuminate your path, son of mine!" and darted into a huge carriage with an order insignia on its side.

“And what was that, Kar?” Veld moved sideways towards me, watching the inquisitors’ carriage.

"Well, here's the thing,“ I said slowly. ”It turns out that Crab now owes the Inquisitors a lot of money." I immediately put the medallion and amulet that brother Const had given me around my neck. And I smiled. What can I say—it worked out perfectly. I got back at Crab, got my hands on a kinetic shield that I can't buy without permission from the capital's Security Service, and also got an amulet that protects against magic attacks with a spell that's all the way up to the third level.

"You gave them Crab's papers?!" Veld guessed and shook his head in admiration: "You so mean, Kar."

//“Not a mean, but a fool,” grumbled the imp who had appeared and said sadly: “He threw away two thousand gold coins!”

//“Where were you so smart when I was talking to the inquisitor brothers?” I quipped.

//“I had things to do,” the demon said.

//“Well, well,” I pretended to almost believe this tale about the sudden businesses of the horned scoundrel.

“And what share did the priests ask for for beating this debt out of Heron?” Kaylee asked curiously.

"I gave them the receipt as a donation for the needs of the order. And they gave me a couple of useful trinkets." I said.

"You should have asked for more," Veld said with annoyance. "At least half of the debt."

"No, everything is done as it should be," I shook my head, confident that I had made a good deal. Of course, I could have asked the inquisitors for half of Crab's debt, but I wouldn't benefit from future income. I can't take it to the grave with me.

“It’s up to you,” the red-haired man shrugged.

“Let’s go to the house,” I waved my hand to Veld and Kaylee.

"Just don't you dare go anywhere!" Veld threatened the cab driver, who was waiting and looking at us. "You've been paid until the evening!"

"I wasn't even thinking about leaving." The man immediately turned sour; he definitely didn't want to take us for a ride any further. Apparently, he got scared when Father Yol was almost killed before his eyes.

“Oh, they ruined such a table,” Veld remarked regretfully as he entered the house. He inquired, “Who set this trap? Crab?”

"Most likely," I nodded. "He sent his people, and they did it all."

Kaylee looked around curiously and chirped:

"Is this your own home, Kar?"

"Yes," Veld confirmed, not letting me answer. "Kar is a real rich guy. If he hadn't spent his money on stupid things like teachers, he would have gone into business with some merchant long ago."

I could only marvel at such fantasies as if Veld didn't get the same salary. His life is, of course, more complicated than mine, since he also has to help his parents. He has a big family, fifteen mouths to feed. But that's still no reason to praise me like a commodity at the market. He is not a matchmaker.

"Don't listen to that storyteller," I said to Kaylee and turned to the red-haired man: "Look in the kitchen top cupboard for something to wet your throat with. And take care of the guest. I'll wash up and change my shirt for now."

"It's easy," my friend assured me and galloped off in search of a drink. Naive. There's been nothing in that cupboard for a long time now except for an unopened bottle of sparkling lemonade.

And I, having seated the Malvian girl on the sofa, went to tidy myself up. I quickly rinsed myself off and put on clean underwear. Then I went up to my room to throw the long-since useless, completely spent service amulet with the "Shield of Light" into the hiding place and to see if it wouldn't be better to change my jacket. Perhaps now, after the night's twists and turns, the old one looks more decent.

"Kaylee?" I looked up from the jackets spread out on the bed and looked at the girl in surprise. She entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Yes, it's me." Kaylee came up behind me and hugged me. She rested her head on my shoulder and, looking at the bed, asked: "Tough choice, huh?"

"Yeah," I confirmed. "One is really worn out, and the other is really dirty. It's a good thing it's an awl and not a knife. The holes are small, almost invisible..."

"Give it to the laundress and don’t bother yourself," advised the Malvian girl. "While I’m packing, your jacket will be washed and ironed. And it will have time to dry by then. And until then, you can walk around in a shirt. And she smiled slyly: I assure you, you won’t embarrass me with this. You can even walk around without a shirt."

"Really?" I smiled and, turning around, pulled the impudent provocateur towards me. I kissed her lightly and sighed to myself. How good this cheerful and never despondent girl is.

“Yeah,” Kaylee confirmed, and then, turning serious, said, “Kar, we need to talk.”

“About what?” I asked, stroking the Malvian girl’s back.

"Your undue concern, Kar," Kaylee said calmly, pulling away. She pressed a finger to my lips. "Wait. I know I have to leave and all that. But it's not a problem for me. It's just a minor inconvenience, nothing more. And I don't need your concern at all."

“You underestimate the threat posed by the criminal gang,” I said, pushing Kaylee’s hand away from my face, trying to be convincing.

"No, Kar, I'm judging everything correctly," Kaylee smiled mysteriously. For some reason, she unhooked her unusual plate earring from the chain, which remained alone, since I forgot to give the second one. "You're wrong about me," and, moving the sleeve of her light dress, she put the silver plate with rune holes to her bare shoulder.

Frowning in confusion, I watched Kaylee's strange manipulations. I even had a suspicion that the Malvian girl had gone a little crazy after what she had experienced. She was doing some kind of stupid things.

The silver plate suddenly sparkled, and on the dark skin of the Malvian girl a barely discernible silhouette of a crowned eagle appeared, spreading its wings to their full width... With a stylized number one on its belly and an axe in its claws...

I sat down as I stood, so shocked was I by this simple picture. My jaw dropped. I stared at Kaylee with an incredulous look. This simply couldn't be! Kaylee was one of the Phantom Guards?! And she served in this supposedly non-existent division of the First Department?! This was complete nonsense!

I shook my head vigorously and laughed at this imaginative woman who had decided to play a joke on me. But the eagle tattoo was still there on Kaylee's shoulder. And the girl looked at me calmly and seriously, waiting for me to calm down and believe my eyes. And then my inappropriate laughter stopped by itself.

"But how is that possible?" I whispered, still not believing it, unable to fit the obvious fact into my mind. It is simply impossible to imagine that the carefree Kaylee, this amazingly simple-minded and slightly naive girl, is a secret agent. It absolutely does not fit with her sweet and carefree image of a charming girl always looking for adventure... And her passion for "ice"... Who would hire a person who is painfully addicted to dope? After all, such an agent will inevitably fail.

“But what about the ‘ice’?” I whispered dejectedly, not knowing what to say to expose Kaylee’s cruel joke.

“But dope has practically no effect on me,” the Malvian girl shrugged. “That’s a unique property of the body.”

"Damn," I exhaled, having become convinced that the girl I adored was in fact a Phantom Guard. A secret agent of the Security, because of whose tricks the people dislike the Third Department so much... For these people have nothing sacred - neither friendship, nor kinship. Today, they are having fun with you in bed, and tomorrow they will grab you by the white hands - and send you to the dungeons for interrogation. Because you blurted out something wrong... And friendship or love - on the side. The main thing is the interests of the Empire.

\\"If you hadn't begrudged me one tiny wish, you wouldn't feel like a complete idiot right now!" the openly grinning imp gloated. And in a disgusting, nasty voice, he bleated: "Benefactor!"

//“So then, at the club, you offered to show me this magical tattoo?!” It dawned on me.

//“Well, what else?” snorted the imp. “Not a naked girl!” And he began to mock me openly: “So which one of us is stupid now? The devil, who understands nothing about true feelings, or the gullible fool who gave a pile of money to this deceiver?”

"Kar, I told you we couldn't be more than friends," Kaylee said softly, looking at my shocked face. "And you were hoping for something..."

"Yeah," I exhaled and grabbed my head with my hands. And I really did secretly hope that the relationship with the charming Malvian girl would develop into something more... And then... If I had just accidentally blurted out how I hid Angel, hello, dear dungeons! And the executioners that inhabit them!

"Kar!" Veld's loud cry pulled me out of my stupefaction. "They've come to see you!"

Rubbing my forehead and looking at the Malvian girl, I shrugged my shoulders, as if apologizing for having to interrupt the conversation due to circumstances beyond my control, and hurried downstairs. It was unknown who the devil had brought there, but this guest had saved me. At least I would be able to think over the stunning news that Kaylee had given me. Otherwise, it was unclear how to behave with the Third Department employee now...

To my great satisfaction, the source of the problems and trouble in the living room turned out to be not a crowd of thugs, but just a thirteen-year-old boy. Shifting from foot to foot, he looked with interest at the crossbow, waiting for me.

"What happened, Veld?" I looked questioningly at my friend.

He nodded in response to the boy, who, realizing what he had done, pulled his hand away from the crossbow and blurted out:

"You are Tier Steini, right?"

“Yes,” I confirmed. “What did you want?”

"I have been ordered to tell you that Lady Majery expects your visit at her house tomorrow morning at nine o'clock! To settle the matter known to you!" the messenger hastily stated.

I immediately forgot about Kaylee's incredible transformation. So what if she is a Phantom Guardian? All of this is insignificant in light of my imminent execution. Now I even know the exact time when it will take place... And I don't have much time left to fill my head with thoughts about Kaylee's secret essence and how it will affect me. Even being an employee of the Security Service cannot change the sad fate that awaits me.

"Didn't they order me to pass on anything else?" I asked just in case.

“No, I told you everything the Baroness told me, word for word,” the boy assured me and, after a slight hesitation, added: “Only her guest, Lady Caitlin, added…”

The boy stared at the wall.

“So what?” I asked eagerly.

"She said that if, God forbid, you decide not to come and try to flee the city, all you can do is pray and hope that the law enforcement officers catch you before she does... Because then you'll get off very lightly — they'll just break you on the wheel, rather than skin you alive..." the messenger said sheepishly, without looking at me. And when he dared to look me in the eye, he added: "Don't think I'm making this up, sir, Lady Caitlin said so herself."

"I believe you," I smiled wryly. "That's just her style."

"Then I'll go," the boy decided. "I still need to help my mother."

The messenger who brought the sad news ran away, and we remained. Veld, who had heard everything well, blinked stupidly, looking at me, and Kaylee went down the stairs and silently sat down on the sofa. I thought about my difficult fate.

The fragile silence was broken by Veld, who spoke in a lost voice:

"I wanted to go with you to visit our beautiful Baroness, Kar... To look at least with one eye how she lives... But now, for some reason, I suddenly don’t want to."

"You're right," I agreed with the redhead's decision, smiling. "Otherwise, you might end up having to see with only one eye. These lovely ladies might poke out the other one."

"Are you having a problem, Kar?" Kaylee asked cautiously.

“It's nothing,” I assured her, not wanting to let her in on the whole story. The Security definitely shouldn't know about my real relationship with Caitlin. And, quickly thinking of a way out, I told a vague truth that contained practically no lies, but led her thoughts in the wrong direction: “It's just that Lady Caitlin is a very quick-tempered person. We were supposed to meet yesterday, but because of that jerk Heron, I couldn't see her...”

"Oh, how bad it turned out," the Malvian girl was sincerely upset. "You have nothing but problems because of me."

"It's nothing to worry about," I assured her, glancing sideways in surprise at Kaylee, who had returned to her role. What a pretense.

“So what now?” Veld asked.

"If Kar is ready, then let's go to my place as we planned,” Kaylee intervened, seeing that I was confused and didn't know what to answer Veld.

"Yes, that’s what we’ll do," I confirmed.

“That's right,” Redhead perked up. “Kar doesn't even have anything to quench my thirst with.”

"Have a drink of water," I advised, painfully wondering what to do. Maybe I should just continue with the plan without telling Kaylee about it?

"Drink water yourself!" the friend was indignant and, taking the weapon from the chair, he stormed out into the street.

And Kaylee, grabbing me by the elbow, whispered:

"I hope I don't need to explain to you, Kar, that my secret must remain just that?" And she smiled slightly: "However, what was I talking about?.. You are now one of us, and you know what punishment awaits you for disclosing the secrets of the Security Department."

"I know," I sighed, sadly recalling the unthinkable terms of hard labor mentioned in the service instructions. And, scratching the back of my head, I asked: "And what about your departure now? Shall we replay it?"

"No, my departure is a done deal," Kaylee replied. "It won't be possible to work here normally after all these events. So tomorrow I'll leave Kelm."

"Well, that's great," I sighed with relief. One problem less... At least I won't be tormented by mental discord. After all, on the one hand, I really like Kaylee, but on the other, sleeping with a secret agent is like letting a snake into your bed: sooner or later, it will bite, no matter how much you love it.

“Oh, well,” Kaylee chuckled knowingly, glancing sideways at me.

"Shall we go to your place then?" I suggested, not knowing what else to offer this two-faced individual. I understand that this is her job and she is doing it for the greater good, but it is still unpleasant to be deceived, even if only in my naive expectations.

“Let’s go,” the girl agreed and, letting go of my hand, walked forward.

I followed her out. I locked the door behind me, although what good was it when anyone could unlock it and set a trap in the house. Having boarded the carriage, our company continued its journey through the city to Kaylee's home.

We entered Kaylee's apartment with all precautions: slowly, cautiously, keeping our weapons cocked. We checked all the rooms for uninvited guests and traps, and only then did we calm down.

The girl immediately began fussing about. She sat us down on the sofa, treated us to coffee with cognac, and started packing while we relaxed.

"Veld, you stay here for now just in case," I asked Red after sitting for a bit over a cup of coffee. "I'm going to run off somewhere for now."

"Where to?" the friend was quick to ask.

“I'll take care of the rest of Crab's property,” I patted the thin bag, which contained only a handful of papers — the deed of gift and the documents for the gambling house.

I got out on the street in time. The cab driver had just decided to quietly slip away from such incomprehensible and dangerous clients. But after my shout, he held back the horses and, stopping the carriage, pretended that nothing had happened. As if we had really left the carriage four houses away from Kaylee's apartment.

“Drive to the central quarter, to the house of Tier Foss,” I ordered the cab driver, without swearing.

//“What are you planning?” asked my one and only constant companion, the imp.

//“I want to quickly sell the gambling house at a good price,” I did not hide my intention.

\\"How can you sell this?! How can you sell this?! - The imp became alarmed and, jumping from the seat onto my lap, looked into my eyes with alarm: - Are you out of your mind?!"

//Not at all. I calmed the agitated imp.

//"Then how did you come up with such a stupid idea?!" the horned one squealed and howled tragically: "To cut a hen that lays golden eggs with your own hands?!" And, choking with excitement, he continued: "Yes, we... Yes, we do know how we'll promote this gambling house?! Do you know how much money we'll make?! In less than a year, we'll be rich! Kings will be asking you for a loan!"

//"They'll come to the cemetery, to my grave, and ask?" I quipped. "Or have you forgotten that tomorrow I'll have a meeting with a bitchy demoness, and then I'll meet the chopping block?

//"And you're happy about that?" the horned scoundrel blurted out angrily. "What are you actually waiting for, knowing your fate? We'd be thousands of miles from here by now! Where no demoness will find us!"

//"Run and hide all my life?" I smiled sadly. And shook my head. "No, imp, I will not run away, because you can't escape fate."

\\"Oh, why did I have to get involved with such a donkey?" the imp said with a sad look in his eyes, plopping down on his butt. And, squinting his left eye, he looked at me: "Maybe you're that?.. What's their name again... Lover of Torment?"

//“It's you who are a lover of torment!” I got angry.

//“Then why are you messing around like that?!” the imp cried out again. “You need to keep fighting and not waiting for your end with your hands folded! If you don’t see a way out, invent one! Break through the wall with your head, and don’t just sit there! At the very least, die in such a way that all your enemies will gnash their teeth after your death, realizing that you cruelly deceived them by leaving this life so easily!”

//“How so?” I asked curiously.

\\"Well, look," the imp began his instigation. "Take, for example, the current situation... The demoness has only two options to restore her good name - to marry you or send you to the chopping block. Right?

“That’s right,” I confirmed.

//And we can't count on the first option? - The Imp clarified the already clear point for some reason.

//“Only in my dreams,” I smiled wryly.

//“So, the best solution for you would be to marry some girl right away!” declared the horned one, his eyes shining with genuine excitement. "Then it will look like you're ready to hook up with the first girl you meet, just so you don't have to marry that aristocrat! And it doesn't matter that you wouldn't have gotten such an offer anyway!“ Grinning happily, the horned one jumped over his head, somersaulting in the air, so much did he like his cunning plan, and, twitching his tail, continued: ”That way, you'll benefit from a non-existent opportunity! And there will be no point in the demoness sending you to the scaffold! It won't help her wash away the shame anyway!"

//“To hell with that plan, imp! I imagined for a moment the demoness's reaction to my stunt and refused to even consider carrying out such madness. They wouldn't just send me to the block after that — they'd execute me with their own hands and wouldn't let me die easily! Or have you forgotten what she is capable of?”

I couldn't help but shudder, remembering Caitlin's little demonstration.

//"She won't do anything to you," the horned scoundrel assured me. "The most she'll do is kill you on the spot when she finds you."

//"I don't think my quick death will satisfy her," I objected. "You can expect this bitch to come up with an inventive approach to my murder and execute me with particular cruelty. In principle, I agree to pull off such a scam if you agree to take full responsibility. Just tell me how to teach Caitlin to see you so that I can point out the hero of the occasion."

//"No, you figure it out yourself somehow," the imp immediately lost interest in his plan. "It's not my... What do you call it... It's not my rank to mess with demons! That's it!"

//"So it's my rank," I was indignant. "You come up with all sorts of tricks, and then I'm the one who gets the blame for it?"

//"If you don't want to listen to good advice, then sit and wait for your death!" The imp pouted. And he turned away, showing that he didn't want to talk to me anymore.

Waving my hand at him, I turned away too. And stared at the houses of wealthy townspeople passing by us. At least I can admire the sights of Kelm one last time... Just look at the mansion of Eir Batum, with its gilded roof sparkling in the sun... Rumor has it that the roof is not painted in such an eye-catching color, but is actually made of gold plates... Because the head of the Kelm customs office decided to outsmart all the thieves and hide his wealth in the most visible place... Probably nonsense... Although Eir Batum would most likely have enough money to cover the house with gold.

“We have arrived, Tier,” the driver informed me. And the cab, having swayed softly, finally came to a standstill.

“Okay,” I paused a little, trying to figure out what they were talking about, nodded, looked around, and shook myself. I got out of the carriage and, just in case, warned the driver: “Wait here, I’ll be back soon.”

I walked only a short distance, about six yards along the sidewalk. And I was forced to stop at a solid, massive gate, like those they put in fortresses. I tapped my foot on the copper plate at the bottom of the gate.

“What do you want?” the doorman asked, not very politely, looking out of the window covered with thick iron bars.

“I want to see Tier Foss,” I shared my hopes with the unfriendly mug.

"Do you have an appointment?" the doorman looked at me suspiciously.

"Not yet, but if you report to the master that Tier Steini wants to see him on a very important and profitable matter, then I think he will not refuse to see me."

“Wait here,” the guard muttered, and the window in the gate slammed shut.

I didn't have to wait long for an answer, though. The doorman, despite his less-than-amiable manner, knew his business: he immediately reported the guest to the owner. And he ordered me to be let in.

“You’ll have to leave the weapons here,” said a young blond guy, one of the three armed guards who approached me, noticing the bolt thrower on my shoulder.

"As you say." I parted with my bolt thrower easily, entrusting it to the care of the unoccupied doorman.

After that, the guards took me into the house, escorting me to a very beautiful and pompously furnished hall. There, at a huge table, sat Tier Foss, greedily devouring some shellfish.

"Come in, Tier Steini, come in," having chewed another portion of food and dabbed his lips with a snow-white napkin, Tier Foss invited me. And he waved his hand at the table: "Maybe you will keep me company? I am sitting here all alone. It is even boring. All my people have gone swimming."

"I won't refuse," I said, listening to my stomach, which immediately began to rumble. And I quickly plopped down on the nearest chair before they changed their minds about inviting me to dinner.

"And what business has brought you to me, Tier Steini?" the owner of the house inquired, having overcome a couple more mollusks. And, smiling good-naturedly, he suggested: "You have not sold me the prize. Perhaps you wish to cede the estate?"

“Something more interesting than an estate,” I replied, regretfully tearing myself away from the most excellent Boulogne meatballs in a spicy red sauce. “I think that if you had such a desire, you would have acquired an estate long ago. And since you don’t have one, you simply don’t need one. Therefore, I hope that you will be interested in another acquisition…”

"Which one?" asked Tier Foss, signaling to the servant, who immediately replaced the dish in front of him with another one containing cakes shaped like sea urchins.

"How would you like to become the owner of the Silver Ringing?" I stunned the Kelm fat cat with an unexpected offer.

He didn't even bring the spoon with the cake to his mouth.

"I have a very positive attitude towards this," assured Tier Foss and sighed: "But, alas, Heron does not want to give up the club... He has too much tied to the gambling house."

"Well, since I am now the owner of the Silver Ringing, I see no obstacles to the club passing into the hands of such a respected person as you, Tier Foss."

"Good news," the rich man said, staring at me in surprise. "And how, may I ask, did such a miracle happen? Why did "Silver Ringing suddenly become yours? And most importantly, why do you want to immediately resell a rather profitable enterprise?"

"First, let me explain why I'm selling," I began. "Because I don't know anything about the gambling business and will most likely lose everything. And with my job, I don't have time to look after the club. Secondly, Silver Ringing is really mine. Rest assured, there's no catch. It's just that Heron and I have, so to speak, swapped ownership."

"You gave him the estate?" Tier Foss quickly realized. And then he frowned: "But I still don’t understand… Heron would rather kill you than give you the club."

"Actually, I barely escaped," I admitted. "I only escaped with the help of my friends."

"And that means you have a hot asset in your hands," the satisfied fat cat almost licked his lips. "And how much do you want to get for it, considering its unattractiveness to the bulk of buyers?"

"A lot," I smiled. "Because you, of all people, have nothing to worry about. Heron wouldn't dare utter a word about a man who has more guards than there are criminals in our city."

"And yet there is a risk, and it must be taken into account in the price!" Tier Foss good-naturedly threatened me with his finger. "And what about the bank account where the money was lying, securing the bets? Didn't you empty it?"

"No, all six hundred in gold are there," I replied.

"Shall we agree on six and a half hundred?" Suggested Tier Foss straight away.

"And what about one thousand three hundred coins?" I retorted and gave a weighty argument in favor of the named sum: "After all, any fool understands that the price of the Silver Ringing will immediately increase as soon as it becomes known that the gambling house has left the care of the Night Guild. Decent people will immediately flock to the club, revenue will increase, and in general, the enterprise will become more profitable."

Tier Foss thought for a moment. He swallowed a couple of pieces of cake and took a sip of wine from a crystal glass. Then he named a new price. And off we went... I managed to eat my fill while we were finalizing the deal.

I left the hospitable house with a satisfied smile on my face, a heavy purse containing a hundred coins, and a signed commitment from Foss to transfer eight hundred gold roldos to the city guard's relief fund within a day. Even though everyone chips in little by little, there's never enough money. Now there will be something to support the families of the guards who died in the line of duty.

"Now drive to the port quarter, to the tavern "At Leroy's," I ordered the cabby, jumping into the carriage. And I began to check the functionality of the bolt thrower, having first unclasped the clip.

The cab driver, hearing about the destination, immediately became despondent. He clearly did not want to even approach this den, where they could kill you for a copper. But he could not refuse to go. What can you do - such is the job.

I wasn't worried at all about visiting this filthy place. With a kinetic shield and such a bolt thrower, there was nothing to fear. And my plan didn't include a conflict. So, let's chat a bit and then go our separate ways.

They didn't take me to the tavern itself. The cab driver managed to screw up here too, stopping the carriage on the opposite side of the street, two houses away from this den. I had to stomp my feet.

Having entered the semi-dark room and looked around, I slowly headed towards the counter, where the owner of the establishment was sitting – a real gangster nicknamed Bull. He had long since lost his shape and had become as fat as a pig, but he had retained his authority in criminal circles.

The nasty dive stank of sour beer and stale fish. Looking at the customers who had quieted down at my appearance, I spotted Nash, my childhood friend. We used to run the streets together when we were kids, until our paths diverged. Nash chose the path of crime, and I followed in the footsteps of my adoptive father.

Nash is exactly what I was hoping to find here. He's practically Bull's right-hand now, so he's almost always hanging around here.

Changing direction abruptly toward the table where my old friend and four other thugs were sitting, I immediately shouted joyfully:

"Hello, cormorants! How are you?!"

Nash was trying hard to pretend he didn't know me. He choked on his beer. And he wasn't the only one. Someone behind me started coughing too. I deliberately shouted something offensive. That's the name they give to simpletons who can easily be tricked into parting with their money.

"You, guard, should watch your words..." Nash said through gritted teeth, getting up from the bench. "Otherwise, you could get a prick in your side for such words..."

His new friends mumbled something approvingly. But, suspecting something was wrong, they did not immediately start a fuss.

"What else should we call you now?!" I was genuinely amazed, standing rooted to the spot. "You are cormorants! After those Aquitaine scoundrels screwed you all!"

"What are you talking about, Kar?!" Nash got angry, instantly forgetting that he didn't know me. "Or do you think you're so badass since you showed up here with a bolt thrower?!"

"What's wrong?!" I was indignant. "The whole city is probably already chattering about how Crab and his friends fucked you!"

"What do you mean?!" Nash was confused.

"Yes, they say that Crab has run off with your piggy bank!" I kindly enlightened him, and at the same time, all the other bandits who had pricked up their ears. "That's why he created the Night Guild, to cheat the simple-minded morons out of money! Looks like the time has come! You brought him enough gold, and he's off!"

"You should believe more of that nonsense!" Nash laughed and nudged his neighbor at the table: "Have you heard what nonsense they came up with?!" He nodded, grinning, and said with satisfaction, looking at me: "You're a really naive person, Kar." And he burst out laughing: "Well, for a guard, that's even good!"

Nash's remark was supported by laughter from the audience, and the bandits sitting at the same table with him openly grinned. But I didn't even think of taking offense. Instead, I blurted out with fervor:

"So, it's me who's naive? And Crab didn't screw you over? What is all this called then?"

"What is 'this'?" Nash asked, grinning.

"Well, for example, why did he sell the Silver Ringing if he doesn’t plan to get out of here?"

“Come on, stop talking nonsense,” one of Nash's gangster friends remarked lazily, twirling a stiletto knife that had appeared out of nowhere in his hands. “Did Heron ‘Silver Ringing’ sell out? Who told you such a nonce?”

"If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself," I suggested. "Tier Foss is already in charge there. He's putting his own people in charge."

"And we will check," the same little man assured me. And he threatened: "And we will ask you for it, if you lie."

"Ha-ha-ha..." I burst out laughing and, wiping away the tears that had come from laughter, groaned: "Oh, I can't... You really are idiots... Yes, Crab had you, had you while you were clicking your beaks!" And then I added: "And the most gullible ones he wrote off to zero!"

"Who is it?" the bandit asked, looking at me with restrained anger, as if looking for a place to stick his knife in, quietly pushing Nash out of the conversation.

"Well, those blockheads whom Crab signed up to kill the Father-Primate Yol!" I answered with a grin.

"You're lying!" several people blurted out in unison.

"Ask anyone you want!" I assured them. "I bet the whole of Dawn Street witnessed the assassination attempt on the Order's priest with her own eyes!"

"Why would Heron kill the priest?!" The mobs were stunned.

"Do I know?" I shrugged. "Maybe so, he doesn’t have to pay. Crab owes Yol a lot of money… Not a thousand in gold. He probably doesn’t want to pay." Looking at my dumbfounded interlocutors, I concluded with satisfaction: "That’s how it is! Crab screwed you and ran off with the money he had collected! And you say you’re not idiots!"

The bandits swallowed the insult in silence. They still couldn't come to their senses. Only Bull asked:

"How do you know?"

"The world is full of rumors, I grinned. You sit here and know nothing, but on the street, people are already laughing and discussing how the cunning Aquitanians taught our dim-witted thieves and robbers a lesson, beating them like children!" Then I wrinkled his nose and said, “I think I'll go drink somewhere else... I'm kind of embarrassed to sit in the same bar with you...”

I quickly retreated from the tavern before the bandits went wild. I had no reason to start a fight with them. At least the cab was still there. I jumped in and, sitting down, said to the cabby:

"Go!" And I caught my breath.

A few moments later, he turned around. The bandits quickly stirred after the news was presented to them – they immediately poured out of the tavern into the street, like angry hornets from a disturbed nest. Now they would go and sort things out and look for the culprits…

Having looked at this picture, I turned away and, smiling crookedly, barely audibly muttered:

"And yet, Crab, it was in vain that you hit Kaylee..."
* * *

Chapter 8
* * *

From the report of As-Tarkh Covan to the Head of the Security Department, Count de Noel, dated the seventh day of the sixteenth decade of the year four hundred and fifty-seven

...The immediate search for accomplices and participants in this high-profile crime has yielded no results. Not a single trace of the Aquitaine spy network has been found. This suggests that our enemy prepared for this action in advance and that the decision to eliminate the mayor of Kelms was not made on the spur of the moment...

As a result, the employee of the secret guardianship unit was drawn into the confrontation between the first district administration and the Kelma criminal community in one of the main roles, which does not allow her to continue to work effectively in this region. In connection with this, I have decided to immediately transfer this employee...

The clock on the tower above the Magistrate's office showed a quarter to nine when we drove into the square. I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't late. I had been delayed at Roald's house with the final fitting of my new suit. I thought I would just pop in, change, and then head off to meet my fate, but it didn't work out that way. I had to wait until Triss perfected the jacket, removing a barely noticeable crease at the fold-down collar. But I have to admit, it turned out great. Now I'm ready for a wedding or the gallows. I'm not ashamed to show myself in public in this outfit. It's not like a little while ago, when we were putting the striking Malvian girl in the stagecoach. Back then, I felt a little uncomfortable next to the dressed-up Kaylee.

Of course, at that moment, I was more worried about the confusion that arose in my soul... The rest of yesterday and the night flew by completely in vain. Having holed up with Kaylee and Veld in the Herring and feeling safe, I relaxed a little and immediately fell into some kind of half-asleep stupor. As if I dozed off with my eyes open and lost control over my body, which itself was slowly but inevitably destroying everything edible within reach. It's a good thing the demon deigned to calm my anxiety, telling me that this was a normal reaction of the body, aimed at restoring recently wasted vital energy. Because of this, I couldn't talk to Kaylee in detail. And so we parted, God knows who. Although maybe this is all because we both clearly understood that our relationship does not and cannot have any future... Everything is too hopelessly confused...

Meanwhile, the carriage I had hired pulled up to a small, rather attractive two-story mansion surrounded by a fence covered with evergreen vines from Marman, which blocked the view from the street. And it was only because the gardeners had obviously somehow restrained the encroachment of the overgrown plants on the openwork wrought-iron gate with the coat of arms of the Cantor barony that it was possible to look into the courtyard at all. Otherwise, one would have to be content with just a glimpse of the copper scales, slightly darkened by time, that protect the pointed roof of the house from the weather. After all, even the windows of the second floor are not visible from behind the fence...

However, today I had the opportunity not only to peek into the courtyard of the house, with a secret hope of seeing the charming mistress of the mansion, as was the case back when our ten-man squad was patrolling the streets in the central district, but also to visit Lady Majeri. And, strange as it may seem, I was still curious to find out how the beautiful baroness lived. Despite the potentially troublesome reason that brought me to her house. The silly dreams of a naive guard, who wanted to casually get to know the most beautiful girl in Kelm, were too ingrained in my head. It was impossible to get rid of such a tempting idea right away... Even though I understood perfectly well that these were just dreams. But why blame myself? I'm not the only one. Probably all the guys who saw Majeri had romantic thoughts. Even the mischievous Veld cherished the hope of somehow meeting the baroness and sighed disappointedly when he failed to notice the thieves climbing into Majeri's house while on patrol. They weren't completely stupid and didn't even approach the mansion, which was so vigilantly guarded by guards.

"Tier?" the guard who approached the gate looked at me questioningly.

"Tier Steini at the invitation of the Baroness," I remembered. And, shaking myself, I shook my head. I was really touched. Not about our honor, the beautiful Baroness. And, unfortunately, there are no chances, considering her preferences. And therefore, I must think not about any stupid things in relation to the mistress of the mansion, but about how to get out of here in one piece after meeting her friend.

“Come in, Tier,” the gate guard announced to me and opened one of the doors.

"Wait here," I ordered the driver, and, leaping lightly from the step onto the pavement, I walked along the white-paved path to the mansion. I was a little offended by this reception. They could have opened the gates and let me drive right up to the porch, but oh well, that's no reason to take any action. I'm not a noble one to fall for such petty taunts. And it's only a short walk, anyway. About forty yards at most.

//“Maybe just run away after all?” the imp that had appeared on my left shoulder said ingratiatingly.

//“No,” I snapped, frowning and glancing sideways at the horned one who had honored me with his appearance.

\\“Look, it'll be too late to regret it later!” warned the imp, who didn't give up hope of changing my mind and luring me onto the slippery slope.

//"It's okay, we'll get through it," I replied as nonchalantly as I could. Although, of course, I wasn't at all confident that the matter would be resolved successfully. It was all too unreliable... The amulet with the "Circle of Reflecting Light" gifted to me by the redeemer was certainly a wonderful thing, but it wasn't designed to withstand Gifted of the highest ranks. So all I could do was rely on luck and hope the sorceress didn't use high-ranking spells of immense destructive power in the house. Otherwise, all that would remain of this lovely mansion would be dust...

"Tier Steini?" the servant hanging around on the porch asked me, and when I nodded affirmatively, he said, "Follow me." He set off down the alley between the flower beds, explaining as he went, "The Baroness is having coffee in the gazebo."

//“I wish I could live like that,” I thought enviously when we found ourselves behind the mansion, where there was a real garden. It was tiny, but still. There is already a shortage of land for building houses in Kelm, and here was such luxury. Like a country estate... I would also love to drink coffee in such a courtyard in the mornings.

And in the white gazebo, located in the middle of an island of greenery, the flowers of this garden were represented by two noble ladies. At the sight of them, I was even breathless with admiration. Such stunningly attractive girls... And their stylish, expensive outfits only accentuated their impeccable appearance. The only surprising thing was that Caitlin had changed her provocative outfit for a light turquoise dress. And she was wearing a tiny, feminine hat. Had she grown tired of shocking the townspeople? However, she looked absolutely stunning in the dress... And Majeri was also wonderfully beautiful.

“Come in, Tier Guard, take a seat,” the baroness said, smiling rather sweetly, inviting me to join their company and nodding to the servant, who bowed briefly.

//“Oh, what’s going to happen now…” the imp drawled and, joyfully rubbing his paws, he shifted on my shoulder, getting comfortable in anticipation of the performance.

//“Don't jinx it, you bastard,” I said angrily. I had no desire to be the main character in a funny play where the hero inevitably dies at the end. But that's where things are headed. One glance at Caitlin's captivating emerald-green eyes and the hint of a smile on her face was enough to realize that things were not looking good for me. Something was brewing...

"Thank you," I said, suddenly realizing I had forgotten what I was doing and thanking the gracious hostess. And, saying, "Good morning, ladies," I sat down on the only chair at the low table directly across from the bench where the girls were seated. There was simply no other place.

"And to you too, Tier Foreman, a good morning," the girls answered simultaneously, and I couldn't detect a hint of hostility in their voices. It was as if a black cat hadn't passed between us. Only their eyes gleamed suspiciously.

"Coffee?" the Baroness offered cordially, personally pouring some of the aromatic beverage from the coffee pot into a tiny porcelain cup. She then pushed a plate of cookies toward me.

//“No, you definitely won't get out of here alive,” the imp immediately declared, looking thoughtfully at the kind hostess who was taking care of me.

//“It's better for you. You'll go straight home,” I muttered, glancing warily at the offered treat. I wasn't against having a snack, but I felt like I couldn't swallow it. It was all too sweet — almost cloying. Both the treats and the kind words. I guess a mouse invited to breakfast by cats would feel the same way. The treat is nice, of course, but won't I have to pay for it with my life later? Cheese is only free in a mousetrap... And these guys will probably try to poison me with some junk.

But after thanking Lady Majery, I finally gathered my courage and carefully took a tiny sip of coffee. The girls calmly continued their breakfast, interrupted by my appearance. As if I were an old friend and had simply dropped in for a visit.

"Tell me, Tier Guard, what kind of girls do you like more – Blond or Brunette?" Lady Majery asked casually when I had to take another sip from my cup to create the appearance of drinking coffee. I almost choked.

"What kind of… girls do I like?" I stared at the baroness in confusion.

"Yes, yes, you understood everything correctly, Tier Guard," the lady assured me that I had not misheard.

And I looked, puzzled, from the fair-haired girl to the dark-haired one, and then back again. And then I returned to examining Caitlin. What's the catch here? .. Should I say that I like beautiful girls? Maybe I'll get away with it? But these ladies are both beautiful... I hope things don't get even worse then... Should I tell the truth? But in this case, it would be a lie... Even exotic Malvian women can't compete with a succubus in attractiveness... The demoness looks monstrously seductive... It's simply impossible to control myself and suppress the absolutely insane desire to rip off all her clothes and once again make sure there are no horns or a tail. Surely an ordinary girl can't be so inhumanly attractive that just looking at her makes your head spin!

I definitely shouldn't have stared at Caitlin for so long. Her eyes immediately darkened and became angry... As if she somehow knew about my blasphemous thoughts about her clothes. And, gritting my teeth, I forced myself to look away from this embodiment of seduction, before I really did something stupid.

"So, blond or brunette..." A little confused, I rubbed my forehead, unable to find a suitable answer to the baroness's tricky question. And to get out of the situation somehow, I asked: "Why? Is it very important?"

"No, I'm just curious," Majery shrugged. "I wanted to understand what drove you to commit such a crazy act. Maybe you find Cate so attractive that you're losing your mind?"

"I'm not losing anything," I muttered, casting a cautious glance at the Baroness's silent friend, and with difficulty suppressed the urge to finally carry out a test to discover her demonic nature. No way! I have to hold on! Otherwise, they'll definitely kill me right here the moment I reach for the hem of her dress!

“Excellent,” the baroness nodded, satisfied with my answer.

“What are you talking about?” I frowned in confusion.

“The fact that the demands on you will now be different, guard,” the baroness's voice suddenly turned cold. "It would be fine if you turned out to be one of those weaklings who cannot withstand the temptation of Caitlin's beauty. There would be nothing to say. But you claim that you were of sound mind, and therefore, there will be no leniency for temporary insanity. And so, having committed such a monstrous offense in your right mind, the conversation with you will be different..."

"So that's why I came here," I muttered quietly, annoyed that I hadn't thought of the fact that I could have easily gotten out of trouble by simply saying that I had gone a little crazy in the company of a succubus. Maybe they would have forgiven me... Although I can't believe in such mercy.

“Very well,” Lady Majery nodded and continued, “Since you are such a sensible person, you must understand that such insults are usually paid for with one's life.”

"Is that all you had to tell me?" I smiled a little wryly and, turning my gaze to Caitlin, asked, "Do you want to send me to the chopping block?"

“Absolutely not,” the girl assured me with a bloodthirsty smile. “And don't get your hopes up! If we don't agree today, you won't escape the chopping block.” And from her eyes, shining like dark emeralds, I understood that I couldn't count on the demoness's mercy in this case. It seemed she was already struggling to restrain herself from lashing out at me with the intention of a sophisticated and, of course, excruciatingly painful murder.

"And what do you want from me?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood with a simple cheeky joke: "The head of a twilight dragon?"

"Maybe yours will do, too," Caitlin said, narrowing her eyes and sighing sharply, closing her eyes for a moment. Apparently regaining her composure, she spoke calmly and restrainedly, her gaze fixed past me: “Grandfather doesn't even want to talk to me. And I can't explain myself to him...”

"So let me try to get through to him, maybe I'll succeed," I suggested immediately.

"And I really need to restore my good relationship with my grandfather... And I need to somehow justify myself to my parents," Caitlin continued, as if she hadn't heard me. "Unfortunately, I can't shut everyone up... No doubt the whole town is already gossiping about me sleeping with someone."

"Come on, really..." I protested, but stopped short when Caitlin gave me such an indignant look that it became clear I'd better keep quiet.

"In short, the proposal is this,“ Majeri immediately interjected. ”You, guard, have completely ruined Cate's reputation, and it would be fair to demand that you make amends."

“Fair enough,” I couldn’t help but agree.

"So you'll have to marry Cate," continued the baroness.

"What?!" I was so surprised that my jaw almost dropped. It was crazy. I didn't even hope for such an outcome... until the very last moment, I thought I was going to be beheaded. The only question was how it would be carried out — whether they would send me to the scaffold according to the law or decide to carry out the execution quietly, personally. But still...

"Unless, of course, you want to die right now," added Sir Roderick's granddaughter, her eyes flashing angrily.

//“If I were you, I would think carefully about which option to choose,” the devil said with considerable malice.

"No, I don't want to die," I shook my head, ignoring the horned creature, believing that Caitlin really wanted to solve the problem amicably. Why should I resist? She's a bitch, yes... But a breathtakingly beautiful bitch. And marrying her would definitely be better than the scaffold.

"So what do you say, guard?" asked the baroness, without giving me a moment to think.

"What can I say?" I shrugged, glancing at Caitlin, whose eyes were flashing angrily. "Once I've done something wrong, I'll answer for my misdeed as I should. Except that I have some doubts about the rightness of such a union... I'm not of noble birth... Won't this damage Lady Caitlin's dignity?"

“That's no problem!” said the dark-haired beauty who had been listening attentively to me. “We'll arrange for you to become a non-hereditary noble, and no one will dare say a word about it.”

"Well, if that's the case..." I said, frowning. For some reason, the prospect of making it big thanks to an aristocrat's intercession did not appeal to me.

"Don't worry, everything will look respectable and legitimate,“ Caitlin smiled, sensing my doubts. ”You'll be a hero... for example, destroying the lair of dangerous monsters. We'll just keep quiet about my modest assistance in this noble deed."

After hearing these words from the demoness, my mood completely soured. Caitlin's idea was reasonable, of course — it would be easy for someone as powerful as her to wipe out a family of shapeshifters or something worse... But what would that mean for me? Being a hero in the eyes of others, knowing full well that I had no part in the feat... So embarrassing...

//“Agree before they change their minds!” whispered the imp in my ear. “When else will you get such a fantastic chance to become a noble without any hassle?!”

//“Go to hell, advisor!” I snapped and asked Caitlin grimly:

"Why are you bothering with all this, lady? By sending me to the scaffold, you will also restore your good name, and you won't even have to do anything. And here there is so much hassle... Not to mention that you are going to marry a man with whom you have no warm feelings... How are we going to get along?"

"Why would we get along, guard?" Caitlin asked suspiciously and gave me a nasty look: "Are you counting on some other status besides that of a nominal spouse?" And she snorted indignantly: "Don't even dream about it! This is strictly a business agreement, and there will be no relationship between us! I am saving your life, and in gratitude for my kindness, you will take care of my reputation — that is the whole basis of our union!"

"Thanks for explaining everything so clearly to this dumb guard," I said sarcastically, and, grimacing in dissatisfaction, I clarified: "So, our wedding will be a mere formality, and each of us will live as we please?"

"Of course," the girl confirmed my conclusion. "But, surely, you should behave decently and not fool around. And, of course, defend your wife's honor and dignity everywhere and always."

"What do you mean?" I didn’t quite understand.

"Yes, so that if anyone speaks ill of me, you are obliged to put a stop to it by any means necessary,“ Caitlin explained patiently, sighing briefly. ”Challenge the scoundrel to a duel... Or demand that he retract his words, which dishonor your wife.

"Ah, that makes sense," I scratched the back of my head in confusion. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. It's the same with commoners. Any normal man would beat up a jerk who badmouths his wife. Here, it's just all done in a noble way, in the form of a duel.

"Excellent!" the charming demoness nodded approvingly. She looked at her friend with a smile. "Finally, we'll be protected from suspicions of inappropriate relationships!"

"That's right!" the Baroness agreed. And, embracing, the girls shared a heartfelt kiss right before my eyes...

I could only blink with my mouth open, watching this outrageously depraved act. I was so confused, I didn't know what to do... But then, when the realization of my fate as a laughingstock dawned on me... What a naive, branch-horned simpleton I would seem, defending my wife's honor when everyone knew, or at least guessed, her true passions... Realizing this, I fell into a cold rage. And, slowly rising from my chair, I hissed angrily:

"You know what, ladies? The only thing I can do for you to protect you from accusations of inappropriate relationships is to give you a baby!"

"What?!" the girls exploded, as soon as the gist of what I'd said sank in. And I said it clearly. Any rumors about girls being overly friendly would vanish instantly once they had children. Besides, no lady with an illegitimate child in her arms would have to worry about her reputation anymore — she wouldn't be allowed in any respectable home anyway.

"You heard it," I explained politely, snatching my hat from my head and performing the ancient farewell ritual of bowing and sweeping the floor with my hat. And finally, I added sarcastically, "Our best wishes to you, noble Tierras!"

And I jumped out of the gazebo. But before I'd taken even a few steps, I remembered something and, turning around, addressed the demonic spawn:

"And you, lady, I recommend you start praying fervently for all the twilight dragons to die immediately! Otherwise, I'll crawl out of my skin to get one of them and claim you as my own, according to your word! And then I'll get to work raising a model wife!"

//“Now you're definitely done for!” declared the imp as soon as I fell silent.

And the bitch, jumping up from the bench, simply choked with indignation. She couldn't even say anything – she just gaped. And something was wrong with her eyes – they weren't just darkened, they seemed filled with darkness. They became pure black… There was no iris, no whites – only darkness… Like the eyes of a midnight monster… Or true demons…

Although perhaps I was imagining it. The translucent sphere that appeared around me distorted the surrounding reality quite dramatically, turning the world into a blurry canvas.

What can I say – I was lucky. "Contracting Sphere" is certainly a deadly spell, but with my new amulet, it's no threat to me.

And so it happened. The translucent shroud closing around me was instantly scattered by a blazing, blinding white light. And I calmly continued on my way. And I didn't react at all to the second blast of magic, which showered me with harmless sparks.

But it was foolish to expect that the angry bitch would calm down at that. Suddenly, a tall, thick wall of ice rose up in my path. And in a couple of moments, I found myself in a closed well. No entrance, no exit. You can't climb up the smooth ice, and digging your way out through an underground passage isn't so easy, considering that I'm standing on a path paved with broken stones. And I don't have several hours to do it. Caitlin, having stopped me, would deal with my protection in a few minutes without any effort. But why should I help her in the thankless task of my brutal murder?

Approaching the icy wall almost close enough to touch, I pulled off my gloves and touched the ice with my palms. And I allowed the element, forced into obedience, to penetrate me.

It's not often that I get to do something like this... Despite the rather pleasant sensations that arise from it... The Air, for example, fills the body with an inexplicable lightness, the Earth - with strength... Only one effect accompanies the merging with each element - after it, there remains such a charge of vivacity and energy that for several days afterwards, you feel reborn.

Ah, if it weren't for the danger, I would recharge like this every day... But I have trouble exercising restraint. I don't always manage to stop in time... And not grab more than I need. Once, when I mischievously jumped twice through the powerful protective canopy of the house of Eir Banum, the head of the port customs, I was unconscious for almost a day... I almost died... It's a good thing it was hot then and I was able to blame it all on sunstroke...

The ice wall, seemingly a solid, impenetrable fortress, began to flow. First, it became covered in droplets of drizzle, then it rippled as if alive, and a stream of ordinary water crashed onto the path before me. All I felt was a break in the connection, as the powerful flow of cold freshness, vigor, and energy pouring into me suddenly vanished.

True, the entire ice well didn't melt instantly; only an oval, two-yard-wide opening formed. Through this, I exited. But a little later, the sound of water gushing onto the ground informed me that the spell, rendered unstable by my intervention, had crumbled, and the ice bastion had fallen.

It seems my release from captivity took the bitch completely by surprise. I managed to walk unhindered for more than ten yards along the stone path before she came to her senses and decided to cast another spell. It's unclear which one, though. But most likely it was from the Fire sphere, because the baroness exclaimed loudly:

"No, Cate, no! Stop! You'll burn down my whole garden!"

It turns out Lady Majery stood up for me. Which wasn't entirely unexpected. For some reason, I was sure in my heart that the Baroness wasn't a bad girl... And her actions speak for themselves.

Yes, that's right... The Baroness is simply a little confused. And I must carry out my plan and capture the Twilight Dragon! If only to save Majery! By freeing Baroness Cantor from the influence of this demoness, who tempts the poor girl with her depraved nature and seductive appearance, thereby luring her into an inappropriate relationship!

Without receiving a fatal blow to the back, I quickly turned the corner of the house and was gone. And if this supposed lady can't sit still, let her chase after me.

//“You have very, very interesting abilities, however...” the imp sitting on my shoulder said, scratching his left horn thoughtfully.

//“Whatever there is,” I replied rather sharply, as I couldn't calm down. My jaws clenched with anger at the mere thought of what that bitch Caitlin had offered me. God knows, I was ready to jump out of my skin to fix the consequences of my mistake. But now... I didn't start this war!

Seething with indignation, I didn't even notice how I'd reached the gate and stepped out into the street through the wicket opened just in time by the obliging doorman. With difficulty, I pulled myself together and remembered that the carriage standing right before me had been hired by me, and I didn't need to pay the driver a second time.

"Head to the eastern quarter, to Dawn Sreet," I said, climbing into the carriage. And once again, I lost touch with reality, lost in my imagination about how to get even with the bitch. I need to get the Twilight Dragon's head! Whatever the cost! And then...

But as is usually the case, I wasn't given the chance to nurture my dream. A whole cavalcade of horsemen, slowly moving toward the carriage, suddenly blocked the road. And the driver, willy-nilly, was forced to rein in the horses.

The boys, who appeared to be servants, were walking along the sidewalk, dragging a heavy basket of food between them. They stopped and looked at each other in confusion. They were deciding what to do: wait a little longer or try to squeeze between the fence and the horsemen. Meanwhile, a tall guard walking on the other side of the street, accompanying the children of Eir Mirla and Baron Glenry, exchanged a few quick words through the gate with the gatekeeper of the estate of Tiera Folgest, the second magistrate's advisor. And he led the children into the courtyard, behind the strong stone fence.

The horseman who had ridden onto the sidewalk moved his horse slightly to the side so that the boys with the basket could pass unhindered. They instantly took off. But after running about fifty yards, they stopped, put the basket on the pavement, and began to stare at what was happening, probably deciding that the cook could wait a little longer without the food bought at the market that morning.

The driver turned around and looked at me in confusion, and I shrugged my shoulders. I was completely baffled. Some noble sirs... With their people...

Puzzled, I frowned as I looked at the three dandies dressed like peacocks who had stepped forward. I had never seen these young aristocrats before. And it was obvious that they were not locals. Ours, of course, are not simple either, but at least they don't look at commoners with such annoying arrogant condescension. How could they? The rabble is before us. Arrogant fools!

"And let me ask, is that Steini standing before us?" One of the noble sirs asked me, almost politely, if it weren't for the mockery in his words.

"It is him," I didn't deny the obvious, while continuing to wonder what these noble strangers wanted from me.

"Great!" exclaimed the guy sitting in the middle of the trio, exchanging glances with his closest friends. Then, holding a short sword in one hand, he carefully jumped off his black horse and approached the carriage on the left.

Without thinking twice, I stepped onto the pavement. Just then, the other noble sirs dismounted and, leaving their horses standing a little way off with their companions, approached.

"So, you're Steini..." After looking me up and down condescendingly, as if I were some kind of animal at the market, a young aristocrat of about twenty-five shrugged his shoulders and, turning to his friends, said, “There's nothing noteworthy about this guard, don't you think?”

I remained silent. Although this contemptuous remark stirred up a new wave of anger in my soul. I still hadn't recovered from the altercation with those noble ladies, and now these aristocratic fools decided to mock me. It's all the same...

"Yes, just a common brat from the lower classes," said the blond aristocrat, who was barely older than me, dismissively.

I bit my tongue, even though I really wanted to blurt out that he was a snotty youngster. One of the noble sort. And a fool, to boot. I could apply for the vacant position of court jester at the imperial court.

“Listen, Steini,” said the ringleader of the group, cutting off the laughter of his merry friends with a wave of his hand. “I've heard rumors that you've become outrageously popular with the most striking and amazing, inimitable and charming girl in the Empire... Lady Caitlin...”

When that snotty little brat from a noble family started going on about “striking and amazing,” I completely involuntarily gritted my teeth. I would have strangled that inimitable and charming creature with my own hands! But I can't... I can't let her get away with it so easily!

Shaking my head, I pushed away my bloodthirsty thoughts and smiled crookedly, looking at these naive fools from the noble class. How cruelly mistaken they are... About this bitch. They have no chance. First, because this breathtakingly charming but utterly depraved demonic creature clearly prefers girls, and second, because...

"Why are you interested in my relationship with my future wife?" I asked and grinned.

"What?!" exclaimed the noble sir standing right in front of me, unable to believe his ears. "What did you say?!"

"That filthy peasant insulted Lady Caitlin!" said the youngest of the noble lads. "How dare he call her his bride!"

"We must teach him a lesson!" said the third one immediately. "So that in the future he would be afraid to even think about casting a lustful glance at a noble girl, let alone talk about marrying her!"

"So, why am I interested?" said the guy playing with his jaw, staring at me with a malicious look in his blue eyes. And, with a quick movement, he tore off the thin white leather glove from his left hand and slapped me across the face with it: "Have you forgotten yourself, you peasant? Who do you think you're talking to, you filthy rabble?!"

He didn't have time to say anything else. The sharp blow with his glove, which burned my left cheek and lips, was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Already thoroughly enraged, first by the bitchy remarks and then by the groundless attacks of the haughty aristocrats, I lost control of myself for a moment. There is no other way to explain the feeling that came over me... It was as if I was watching my body act independently... My opponent had not yet lowered his hand with the glove clenched in it when my fist slammed into his protruding nose.

//“That's it, that's it!” cried the imp sitting on the roof of the carriage, looking at the noble sir who had fallen on his back. And immediately he advised with feeling: “Now kick him, kick him!”

The horned one literally voiced my mad desire to kick someone in the ribs with my worn boots... And I stepped forward.

“You filthy animal!” screamed the youngest of the noble sirs when his friend, having been punched in the face, fell on his back and, without taking his furious gaze off me, began to make convulsive grabbing movements, trying to pull his sword out of its sheath with his right hand without looking.

"He broke my nose!" my opponent, who had quickly and deftly jumped to his feet, shared the good news with his friends, wiping from his lips and chin the blood that had instantly gushed from his broken nose.

The third one did everything silently. That's how he tricked me. Only the pale blue flash of his kinetic shield made me jump back and finally notice the third enemy, who was holding a short dagger in his hand, which he had just almost driven into my ribs. His failure did not discourage him in the least. The aristocrat instantly repeated his attack, clearly counting on my shield to quickly wear out.

And it is quite possible that he would have achieved his goal, because a few moments later, his friends, who had taken their weapons out of their sheaths, decided to join him. But by that time, I had already pulled myself together. The fog that had clouded my vision cleared. And I had no intention of playing the bull in the slaughterhouse.

Jumping up abruptly, I dove into the carriage, grabbed my bolt thrower, and turned toward my enemies. The coachman gasped, rolled his eyes, and slid off the seat onto the pavement. Apparently, he was an overly impressionable man—he imagined what would happen to him when the guards accompanying the noble sirs, who had already raised their weapons, fired their crossbows at him.

"Halt! Everyone stay where you are!" came the thunderous shout. Glancing to my left for a moment, I noticed guards running toward us down the street.

I froze as soon as I saw the patrol car hurrying to the scene, but the nobles, paying no attention to the guards, began to approach the carriage, coming from three sides.

"Everyone put your weapons away immediately!" Kevin yelled from Swan's squad, stopping the patrol a few yards from the crew. "Or we shoot to kill!" And, confirming the seriousness of his words, the bolt throwers began to click as they were being cocked.

"Get lost!" one of the noble sirs, the one who had almost stabbed me with a dagger, ordered with a displeased glance in their direction. "We'll handle this ourselves!"

"Everyone put your weapons down immediately!" Kevin repeated. "Or you'll only have yourselves to blame!"

"Have you completely lost your minds, you peasant?!" the aristocrat with the broken nose raged, turning to the patrolmen. "Haven't you been whipped in a while?! Get out of here!"

"If you have any complaints about how we're performing our duties, you can complain to the Magistrate's Office," Kevin muttered sullenly. "Now, stop the disturbance and put away your weapons. Otherwise, we'll be forced to take measures to prevent further disorder and use our own." He threatened not so much the noble sirs as their guards: "Be aware that attacking the guards won't go unpunished. Everyone will be caught and sent to hard labor."

"We're having a duel!" the youngest of my opponents shouted, apparently deciding it was best to get rid of the patrol as quickly as possible. "This isn't a riot! And you have no right to interfere!"

"It's a crown city!" Kevin couldn't help but sneer. "And duels are prohibited within the city limits!"

"Sir Shegan!" one of the guards escorting the aristocrats shouted anxiously. The most unremarkable of the noble sirs shook his head in annoyance and sheathed his dagger and sword.

The blond guy looked at him, spat on the pavement in annoyance, and put his weapon away. And the beaten sir, glaring at me with hatred, hissed:

"You think you can get rid of me that easily, you street urchin?! You think that just because your drinking buddies showed up, that's it – you're saved?!"

"You should thank the efficient guards for saving you," I declared, not doubting for a moment that if the fight had continued, at least one of my opponents would have been buried tomorrow in the Temple of the Creator. "Blades of Light" guarantees peace.

“Ha-ha!” laughed the noble sir maliciously, taking out a white lace handkerchief and holding it to his nose. “Now, of course, you dare to bark!” And he added contemptuously: “But in reality, you are just a cowardly serf who is only capable of striking from behind and baring his teeth from behind a fence!” You don't have the guts to fight like a man with a scumbag like you! Then he asked sarcastically, “Or am I wrong?”

"You wrong," I confirmed.

"Then I, Viscount Lerno, challenge you to a duel!" cried the noble sir, his eyes flashing with triumph. "What is your answer, you cowardly wretch?" Having cut off all my retreat routes, the aristocrat did not fail to add a couple of dirty insults to insult my dignity.

Only I had no intention of avoiding the duel. Breaking the nose of that insolent bastard was not enough for me.

"Where and when?" I asked, lowering the arrow thrower.

"Right now!" my counterpart blurted out, removing the bloodstained handkerchief from his face and smiling maliciously: "As soon as we leave the city."

“Okay,” I agreed.

"What will you fight with?" the cunning Shegan inquired matter-of-factly. "Swords, sabers? Or perhaps a spear fight?"

"No way!" I couldn't help snorting. "I'll choose the weapon!"

"Just don't suggest fistfighting!" the viscount made a sarcastic remark.

"Why use fists?" I said with feigned indifference, thinking about how to put them in their place so they wouldn't dare squeal. "Better to take the crossbows. We'll shoot the armor-piercing bolts. From ten paces."

"What kind of protection will be used?" Sir Shegan inquired. "Only the kinetic shields available to the opponents?"

"No way," I shook my head. "The only thing we can keep from the defense is..." Pretending to think for a moment, I smiled maliciously at the noble sirs and finished my sentence: "The only thing we can keep from the defense is silk shirts."

"Are you looking for death, Steini?!" Shegan frowned, exchanging glances with his friends, who were seriously puzzled by my choice of weapon and the terms of the duel.

"Me?" I was genuinely surprised. "Not at all. However, if it frightens you... I am ready to accept apologies from one pompous rooster, along with the admission that commoners are no worse than nobles."

"You're already dead, you insolent peasant!" the viscount spat out angrily. "I'll shoot you like a mangy dog!"

"Yeah. As soon as possible," I yawned. "Just don't forget to say goodbye to your friends."

"Karidan?" Kevin approached me and, when I jumped onto the pavement, asked, “What's the heck? Have you been beefing with the nobles?”

“To hell with them,” I said, glancing sideways at the aristocrats mounting their horses.

"Are you really going to shoot with that viscount?" Kevin asked, looking at me in surprise.

“Probably,” I shrugged my shoulders and added, especially for the noble sirs who had perked up their ears: “If he doesn’t chicken out along the way, of course.”

There was no doubt, of course, that the duel would take place. This viscount wouldn't back down. After all, the plan to kill me had clearly been conceived long before I'd ruined his face. Probably immediately, as soon as he'd heard some monstrous, unimaginably vile rumors about the bewitching Caitlin de Mans preferring some commoner to him. So he'd decided to get even with the man responsible for his emotional tragedy. Except I'd spoiled his plan a bit by not challenging him to a duel immediately after I'd been hit in the face with a glove, and he had to be the one to issue the challenge.

//"I told you not to mess with that seductive beauty, or she'll drive you to your grave! Without even bothering!" the grinning imp said, apparently catching something of my train of thought. And then, like a tailed viper, he teased: "He's planning to marry her! Her suitors will tear you to shreds as soon as they learn of your intentions!"

//"That's just a matter of luck," I grumbled, feeling a sense of contradiction. But the imp was right. I'm a dead man... These noble idiots wouldn't give a damn if they'd duel over some girl. Especially a pretty one. And now there's such a pretext... the Black Rose of the Empire... It turns out my enemies have become countless from today... The imp really doesn't need to bother personally harassing me. If not on the first, then on the fifth or tenth duel, this insolent upstart commoner will be finished off in a particularly brutal manner... But even such a bleak scenario won't make me abandon this plan! It's too good! If only I could get my hands on a twilight dragon!... And nothing else matters! Let them challenge me to a duel every day!

"Go on, Steini!" the Viscount ordered, mounting his horse and spitting contemptuously. "You can even try to escape before it's too late. And we'll shoot you like a dog."

“Shlos, let’s go,” I said to the frightened driver, who was shifting from foot to foot and did not dare to return to his rightful place in the front seat of the carriage.

"Where to?" he asked timidly. "If it's far outside the city, then I'm not allowed..."

"Why do we need to go far? We'll just go through the eastern gate, and that's enough."

“Well, if that’s the case, then of course,” the driver mumbled and reluctantly took hold of the reins.

"But first, go to Tier Front," I said. "We need to buy weapons for the duel."

The carriage slowly pulled away and rolled toward the central square. My distinguished escort, consisting of three noble sirs alone, followed close behind. A couple more knights ahead, bearing banners, would have given passersby the impression that this cavalcade was escorting at least a count.

"Hey, guard, it looks like you're lost in your own city!" the Viscount called to me as the square and the town hall came into view at the end of the street. "The eastern gate is on the other side!"

"Of course it's in another one," I grinned. "And the armsmaster's shop is in this one. Or do you want to carve slingshots?"

"We have bolt throwers!" the youngest of the noble sirs blurted out indignantly. "And you do too!"

"This coward is just stalling for time!" my vis-à-vis declared, narrowing his eyes contemptuously. "He's probably screwed himself up, and now he doesn't know how to get rid of us!"

"You're right," Shegan nodded. "There's no other explanation for what we're seeing. Everyone has weapons, the location is marked, and yet instead of starting a duel, we're circling the city."

"Yeah, I'm ready to shoot right now," I shrugged. "If, of course, you're okay with my bolt thrower being equipped with Blades of Light bolts."

Unfortunately, my proposal didn't inspire the Viscount. He frowned sullenly and became thoughtful. And his all-too-sly friend fell silent. Only the guy blurted out:

"And we'll give you armor-piercing ones!"

"Take someone else's weapon to a duel?" I asked in surprise and shook my head. "My trust in your nobility doesn't extend that far."

"You're already dead, guard!" Promised the offended viscount, turning purple with rage.

"And I!.. And I!.. I challenge you to a duel!.. On the same terms!" the boy cried hesitantly, grabbing his sword. "If Anthony can't continue the fight, then I will!"

"Well, if Stephen doesn't manage to finish you off, then I'll take over," Shegan said quickly, deciding to back up his buddies at minimal risk to himself and at the same time try to intimidate me. After all, my chances of finishing off three men in a row in a duel are, frankly, slim. That's probably what he thinks. And he's muddying the waters, because an opponent's loss of faith in victory is half the battle.

“You can invite all your friends to a duel,” I responded indifferently.

The friends looked at each other in surprise, and I stopped paying attention to them. The carriage drove to the armsmaster's shop.

"Karidan?" Murkos was surprised by my new visit. "Do you need a weapon again?"

“Yeah,” I confirmed, smiling slightly. “My life is complicated.”

"So what happened to you again?" the armsmaster asked, glancing sideways at the nobles crowded into the shop.

"Well, we're planning a duel," I explained. "So we need a couple of brand-new medium bolt throwers, a clip for each, and a box of armor-piercing bolts."

"Are you crazy?!" Murkos twirled his finger at his temple. "What the hell are you up to with such schemes? Okay, maybe with swords, until first blood, but with a bolt thrower, you can kill someone right away!"

"Mind your own business, merchant, and don't meddle in other people's," the Viscount muttered through clenched teeth. "We don't need your clever talk. We'll figure out what to do ourselves. Better yet, say goodbye to your friend."

"Well, well," Murkos frowned, but didn't get involved. Lying out everything I'd requested on the counter, he quietly asked me, "Did you get into a fight with these guys over a woman or something?"

"Not because of a woman, but because of a lady!" Stephen flared up, hearing the question. And the idiot started fiddling with his sword again. He needed to summon Murkos to complete his happiness, to guarantee his place at the Judgment today.

"You're such an idiot, Kar," Murkos said, ignoring the unruly brat from the noble family. "What do you need these ladies for? Don't you have enough normal girls?" He glanced at me and the noble sirs and asked, "What was the argument about?"

“Because of our military commandant’s granddaughter,” I replied.

"Ah..." Murkos opened and closed his mouth. He was just about to lecture us. But then he said something completely different from what I expected: "Then, of course, there's a serious reason... I thought you were up to this foolishness over some pretty fool with a proudly upturned nose... And a girl like Lady Caitlin is certainly worth fighting for. Of all the noblewomen living in our backwater, she and Baroness Cantor are probably the only ones worthy of being called ladies not only by right, but in fact. So I wholeheartedly approve and respect your choice."

I was simply stunned by Murkos's statement. I couldn't even say anything. I stared at the armsmaster and stood there, staring. I couldn't fathom how such an intelligent, seasoned man could be so delusional about certain individuals... A couple of these worthy ladies should be tarred, feathered, and driven naked outside the city gates! Just like they usually do to anyone who engages in reprehensible relations! Although without clear evidence, nothing can be done about it, and where are you going to find evidence here?

"How much longer are we going to sit here and whine?!" the Viscount asked angrily. "Enough chatter and delaying the duel!"

"One moment," the armsmaster assured. Taking the boxes of bolts from his assistant, he said, "Karl, keep an eye on this while I'm out for a bit." He then gave a stern warning, "And don't you dare sell anyone anything serious! Just small stuff!"

"I got it, Tier Fronst! Don't worry, I'll do everything right! You can count on me!" the beaming young man assured him. He was Murkos's wife's second cousin and was apparently already imagining himself as the sole owner of a luxurious weapons shop, which he would pretend to be to any girls who happened to drop in.

"I'll go with you," Murkos said in response to my questioning look, fastening a long dagger to his belt. He pulled out his miracle toy, crafted by a certain craftsman, from under the counter — an experimental assault bolt thrower with a unique cocking mechanism that allows it to fire five shots in a row without any additional movement. He added, "You don't have a comrade, do you?"

“Not really,” I admitted.

“That’s not right,” Murkos remarked admonishingly, grabbing the boxes of arrows and nodding his head towards the door: “Let’s go.”

“But what about the money?” I said, just as I was about to move, but then came to my senses.

“Let’s go,” the armsmaster pushed me towards the door. "We'll settle the score later." And he shooed the Viscount and his friends out into the street: "And you go ahead."

The noble sirs were even taken aback by such uncompromising pressure and meekly left the shop. They came to their senses on the street, stopped, and turned to face Murkos.

"What are you trying to do to give orders here?" Viscount Lerno asked with all possible severity.

"What's the problem?" Murkos inquired lazily, eyeing the noble sirs who had formed a semicircle around his shop. "Everything is according to the rules. You have no complaints. I know that for a fact. After all, I've been not only a duelist's companion, but also a duel arbiter. And I wasn't refereeing a duel between some obscure noblemen from the boondocks, but between Duke Grenier, commander of the Scarlet Pennants, and Tanuf Silverhair, Crown Prince of Aralia. And neither His Grace nor His Highness had any complaints about my judging. Or are they not an authority on such important figures as yourself?"

"Take whoever you want with you, guard," the Viscount muttered, his tone slightly dampened by Murkos's rebuke and the names he'd mentioned. "It won't help you anyway." And he rushed toward his horse.

"Barry!" Shegan called over to one of his men. "You'll ride in the carriage with these guys. You'll make sure the bolt throwers stay in good working order." He grinned and asked us, "You don't have any complaints about that, do you?"

“None,” I assured him and climbed into the carriage.

Murkos followed me. He sat down opposite me and dropped the boxes of bolts onto the seat next to me. Seeing this, I also dropped a couple of brand-new bolt throwers in there. But I kept mine.

Barry, a short, stocky warrior of about forty, hopped into the carriage and glanced at the dueling weapons. Then he immediately turned his attention to us. He nodded to Murkos, who was sitting across from him, and glanced sideways at me.

"It's a good thing," he looked approvingly at the work of weapon art in my hands. "Does it hit as well as it looks?"

“I’m not complaining,” I answered briefly.

"I see," Barry nodded, turning his head from side to side, and remarked, "It's quite a nice town. It's a bit hot here, though."

“It happens,” I agreed.

“It’s cooler here,” the warrior sighed and, adjusting the ends of his drooping mustache with his finger, said quietly: “You’ve started a futile thing, boy…”

"Was it me who started this?" I was incredibly surprised. "It was your charges who attacked me with these ridiculous claims."

"Well, yes, they went a bit too far," Barry admitted. "They were still young, hot-blooded... But you're not entirely right either. Instead of waiting for them to cool down, to let you explain yourself... And then you goaded them into it, blurting out some nonsense about your attempts on Lady Catelin's hand. Of course they'd go berserk after that..."

"I explained it to them clearly. If they don't wash their ears, that's their problem." And I suggested to Barry: "Or you explain to them that their matrimonial plans regarding Lady Catelin are in vain. She's already given me her word."

"Don't feed me bullshit!" Barry said mockingly, then stopped short, looking at my incredibly serious face. He swore loudly, "Well, f..." Then he caught his breath and shook his head regretfully. "That De Mans knows how to pull off such a wicked trick that you'd be stunned. She's surrounded by noblemen, and yet she's having affairs with a commoner. Sure, our Shegan didn't stand a chance, but to choose a simple guard and not some duke..."

"What makes you think our Kar is worse than some duke?" Murkos clapped me on the shoulder. "He's a hero, after all. He knocks out Dark Masters with a bolt thrower and tears shapeshifters apart with his bare hands!"

"Oh, come on," Barry stared at me incredulously. "What, I've never encountered shapeshifters before? What bare hands? You can't do anything without some good iron or a powerful machine. And I won't even mention the dark masters. When they're taken down, there are always fifty such heroes left dead."

“You’re so distrustful,” Murkos laughed and, abruptly cutting off his laughter, asked: “Where did you do your service?”

"In the Sixth Marian," Barry replied with dignity, smoothing his mustache. "I made it to the sergeant. And you?"

"I spent some time in the Guards, and then served in the first shock unit of the Scarlet Pennants,” Murkos answered.

"Oh, really," the warrior drawled respectfully. "So you were lucky to settle the score with blood?"

"Very lucky indeed," Murkos confirmed, his face darkening, apparently recalling something from the past, when he had to atone for his misdeeds with blood. Otherwise, there's no way to escape the penal battalion — only by performing a heroic feat that puts one's life at risk."

"Well... That's not good," Barry sighed. "Shegan shouldn't have dragged you into this, too... I don't know how we'll part ways now... If your guy kills our baron's son, there'll be trouble. Duel or no duel, there's no way we can let the killer go alive."

"Let him apologize and be done with it," Murkos suggested. "Otherwise, Kar really will send him to meet the Creator himself. You know, the guards aren't very good with swords, but they're excellent with bolt throwers."

"Well, let's say I can persuade Shegan," the warrior mused. "Besides, he's last in line and will understand what's in store for him... But I don't even know how to influence Anthony and Stephen."

"Just give them a good whack on the head and run to the potionmaker," Murkos advised. "Anyone can make you a dream potion. Get your foolish children drunk; they won't even remember what happened in the last twenty-four hours. And pour some wine on them on top of that. Then you can say they spent the whole day drinking in the tavern."

“Well, Anthony hardly drinks,” Barry chuckled.

"What difference does it make?" Murkos waved his hand dismissively. "So you'll say they took the drug to try it out! Can't you come up with anything? They won't remember a thing and will believe anything."

"And if they apologize, then there won't be any need to come up with anything," I chimed in. I'd calmed down a bit and contained my anger. That's why the idea of ​​killing these noble sirs no longer appealed to me. It would be nice to beat up all three of them, I certainly wouldn't mind that, but killing them... Well, it's not really necessary.

"No, Anthony won't apologize," Barry shook his head regretfully. "He's incredibly hot-tempered, and he's also very persistent—once he gets his teeth into something, it's all over. And the reason for this is so strong that he can't back down. Because of that beauty, de Mans, he's completely losing his mind."

"Yes, indeed — a noble sir," Murkos said sarcastically, grimacing. "Our Emperor's father shouldn't have cancelled the test of fortitude and willpower for noble sons. The rotten growth immediately began to overwhelm everything... No endurance, no character... Instead of winning a girl's affection with worthy deeds, they fight among themselves, eliminate competitors... Ugh!" The armsmaster spat on the pavement, sighed, and looked at me. "In the past, no man would have dared approach a noble girl unless he had at least a couple of heroic deeds under his belt."

"Uh-huh," I said, forcing a crooked smile, confirming he was right. That was true, judging by old books and minstrel songs. But who knew I'd have to experience firsthand what it's like to be a reckless hero, boldly diving into the jaws of death.

While we were chatting, we covered more than half the distance to the eastern gate. Barry was about to say something else, but I suddenly started frantically pounding my chest, and the warrior shut his mouth and stared at me in surprise. Murkos also stared wide-eyed at my quiet madness.

Luckily, I came to my senses fairly quickly. It wasn't a wasp that had crawled up my shirt and was stinging me — it was the caller that had become active. And the tingling sensation on my skin was demanding my immediate attention. For some reason, Covan suddenly needed me.

I pulled the caller from under my shirt. It had quieted down, no longer emitting noticeable but practically painless shocks. It only glowed brightly in my palm, indicating there had been no mistake and that I needed to report to the Office immediately.

Putting the glowing pink crystal back under my clothes, I looked around and waved my hand. It was only a stone's throw from here to the gate. Besides, I wasn't so essential to the Third Department that I'd rush straight to a call. Just a side hustle. It was unlikely anyone would notice that I'd show up not in a quarter of an hour, but a little later. Besides, it was unlikely that Covan actually needed my help — he probably just wanted to talk about something. Like, say, my crimes against the incomparable Caitlin de Mans...

"What, are you being called up for duty?" Murkos asked.

"Something like that," I confirmed. "Well, I'll have time."

//"And if you get hit in the forehead with a piece of iron, then you won't have to come back!" The caustic imp couldn't keep silent.

//“He still has to aim in the head, even if it’s only from twenty steps,” I noted.

Somehow, I wasn't particularly excited about the upcoming duel. I'd received quite a boost of energy from merging with the elements... Although, of course, no one can guarantee that the noble sirs are worse shots than I am, somehow the duel's successful conclusion seemed a foregone conclusion. As if it had already happened long ago. And all my thoughts were consumed by the puzzling problem of how to obtain this twilight dragon... No realistic idea occurred to me of a hunt for the vicious lizard that wouldn't end in my inglorious death... No matter how you look at it, this feat would have to be accomplished... At any cost...

The caller tried twice more to convey Covan's call to me. I even became a little alarmed. Why did he need me so urgently? It didn't look like there was a riot in the city, requiring every man available to maintain law and order.

At the gate, our procession had to stop to let a wide, low cart pass, bringing a new grate to replace the one destroyed by the dark mage. And the inspection took some time. Order cannot be disturbed—everyone entering and leaving is supposed to be checked, so that's how it should be.

Because of these delays, we left Kelm much later than expected — almost an hour after leaving the central district. It felt like we were walking, not riding.

"Perhaps we'll stop right outside the walls," said the Viscount, approaching the carriage. He smiled wickedly. "Let's not delay, shall we, guard?"

“Two hundred yards from the fortress wall, the city territory ends; that’s where we’ll settle,” I answered him.

Accompanied by a mounted escort, the carriage, having broken free from the city's narrows, showed off its best form — as if flying along a road. But the driver had to immediately rein in the horses, as two hundred yards is no distance. They had barely set off, and they were already there.

Murkos and Barry climbed out of the carriage and walked away, talking in low voices. I glanced at the Viscount, who had dismounted from his expensively caparisoned horse, set my gleaming bolt thrower aside, and began unbuttoning my jacket. I unbuttoned it, took it off, and tossed it on the seat. I threw my belt in there, too. I took off my hat. And I carefully pulled the trinkets from my neck and placed them on top of my jacket.

The noble sir also undressed while his friends scouted out a suitable spot for the duel. They didn't overdo it — they simply stepped back from the road, looked around, and planted their sword in the ground, marking the spot from which the duelists would disperse.

Meanwhile, Murkos had come to some agreement with the noble sirs' guards, exchanged a word with Viscount Lerno, and returned with Barry to the carriage.

"So, here's the case, Kar. You'll still have to fight the Viscount if you don't apologize to him yourself," said Tier Fronst.

I silently shook my head, refusing the dubious honor of apologizing to this impudent freak, and Murkos chuckled:

"Well, as expected. Then listen up. You'll each have one bolt in your magazines. More than enough to settle the matter once and for all. But my advice to you: don't aim for the head and don't try to kill your opponent. It's enough to hit him before he hits you. An armor-piercing bolt will knock him out anyway, and the pain shock won't allow him to retaliate."

To which I simply nodded. It was understandable. If the arrow hit flesh, it was okay, you could live, but if it hit bone, the pain would drive you crazy.

Under Murkos's supervision, Barry loaded two clips with bolts and inserted them into the bolt throwers. He didn't cock them — that's the job of duelists. And the scene smoothly shifted from the road to the meadow, where the Viscount and I stood facing each other, bolt throwers in hand, by the sword stuck in the ground. Thiers Fronst, as expected, tried to broker a peace between us and, when we refused, stepped back. The Viscount's men also moved aside to avoid being accidentally shot. After all, an armor-piercing bolt fired from such a short distance wouldn't be stopped by a barrier such as a human body.

"Turn around!" commanded Tier Fronst, and the Viscount and I turned our backs to each other to take the agreed-upon ten steps.

"Let's go!" Murkos shouted, and I took the first step, surprised to feel my heart pounding.

"Ten, nine…" the referee of our duel began counting the steps.

"Stop! Stop immediately!" Murkos was startled by a roar coming from the road.

Although I couldn't be distracted from something as serious as a duel, I couldn't resist stopping and turning toward the man shouting. Especially since Murkos had stopped counting.

A carriage appeared on the road. It clearly belonged to the town hall. Tier Covan, wearing his uniform, jumped out, cursing loudly, and rushed toward us. The guards who had been guarding the gates, abandoning their post, raced toward us along the road, raising dust.

"What's going on here?!" Covan jumped on us immediately. "Who dared to spit on the imperial edict regarding duels?! Do you want to go to hard labor?!"

"How dare you speak to noble people like that?!" Stephen exploded. "Apologize for your tone immediately!"

Shegan wisely remained silent, as did all the people accompanying the noble sirs.

"Oh, you don't like the way I'm talking to you?" Covan continued icily, asking, "Perhaps you'd like to continue this conversation properly?! In the Security Department's torture chamber?! Where will you explain your involvement in illegal actions aimed at undermining the imperial authority?!"

"But the duel is being held outside the city," Shegan defended his dejected friend. "Which means we haven't violated the imperial edict. The requirement to postpone a duel for three days from the date of the challenge only applies to duels between nobles."

"That's right," Covan nodded sharply and turned to me to ask sternly, "Tier Steini, where's your badge? And where's the caller?"

"Everything's on my jacket," I replied, shivering under Covan's angry gaze.

"Then what the hell kind of a mess are you making here?!" he snapped at me. "Why didn't you report to duty when called?! Why are you violating the prescribed procedure?!" He then asked sarcastically, "Where is your permission to duel these gentlemen, certified by the head of the Kelm division of the Security Office? I don't see it!" Then he snapped, "Get your things with me quickly!" He turned and walked toward the carriage.

"But what about our duel?!" the Viscount asked, looking blankly at his back as he lowered his bolt thrower.

"Do everything properly!" Сovan informed him, glancing over his shoulder. "Submit your petition to the head of the Security Department, Count de Noel, and await permission to duel with Department Seven employee Tier Steini! And if you're having trouble grasping that a duel without official authorization is clearly interpreted as a premeditated attempt to murder an imperial employee on duty, then I'm ready to help you see reason! By arranging a fascinating tour of the penal servitude! Understood?!"

“I got it,” Shegan assured him, hissing at his viscount friend, who had turned purple with barely restrained indignation.

"Everything is fine, we managed without you, so you can return to your places," Covan said to a slightly out of breath Roy, who rushed to the scene at the head of his ten.

"Boys, get back!" Roy immediately commanded, without asking the gray-uniformed man a single question. A completely uninitiated corporal. He only stays put because he's an honest soldier.

"Steini, how long will I have to wait for you?!" Covan shouted irritably, having already reached his carriage.

“I’m already on my way,” I muttered, slowly taking my things from the carriage.

"Your boss, Kar, as far as I can see, is a badass," Murkos said quietly. "It's like he poured a bucket of water over the fighting kittens and calmed them all down in an instant. And there was no bloodshed..." And he calmed me down when he saw that I didn't know what to do: "Go on, go. I'll take care of the weapons and the cariot."

Taking one last look at the noble sirs, who were sitting silently and sullenly, I threw on my jacket, fastened my belt, and hurried to the waiting carriage. Although I really didn't want to go near Covan. I had a bad feeling about it. There was a reason I was needed so urgently... Something had happened... Something that directly affected me.

"Let's go!" Covan snapped at the driver as I settled into the seat opposite him. He looked at me with annoyance and said, "Yes, Tier Steini, I overestimated your intelligence and your ability to make sound decisions."

"What are you talking about?" I asked cautiously.

"About that duel of yours, of course!" the grey-coated man blurted out irritably. He narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, why the hell did you need that?"

"I don't need it at all," I muttered and glanced sideways at the horned one, who perked up, immediately interested in the conversation. And just in case, I added convincingly: "Hell has nothing to do with it."

"Then why did you start this?" Covan pressed. "Couldn't you just send those brats to the demons?" He leaned back wearily and sighed. "Tier Steini, that's simply stupid. Even if you wanted to, you couldn't kill every noble sir who now considers you their mortal enemy for ruining their hopes of winning Lady Catelyn's heart. Because to do that, you'd have to wipe out most of the nobility. Take a more relaxed, more measured approach to this... You don't, for example, kill every dog ​​that dares bark at you, do you?"

"Yes, I understand everything," I sighed. "I was just so worked up that I couldn't control myself. And those noblemen are so brazen... Where did they come from..."

"From their own lands, of course?" Covan snorted discontentedly. "They're used to everyone tiptoeing around them, and they think it'll be like that everywhere." He shook himself and continued matter-of-factly: "So, Tier Steini. I see you're unable to rest peacefully and stay out of trouble. Therefore, you're recalling from your leave. You'll receive your orders, your pay, and report to duty tomorrow. There's an assignment for you."

"What an assignment?" I asked curiously, not at all alarmed by this prospect. Enough, I've rested more than I've ever been tired on duty.

"At dawn, you'll depart for the capital, to your main duty station," Covan replied, and sternly warned, "But don't count on an easy ride. You'll be assigned as the escort commander."

"What escotr?" I blinked my eyes in bewilderment.

"You'll find out tomorrow," the grey-uniformed man refused to tell me the details of the upcoming mission.

“Why such secrecy?” I asked, a little hurt.

"Just in case," Covan cut off. "Get used to our council's procedures, Tier Steini. You'll be told absolutely everything you need to know. And if they don't, that means you don't need to know anything else."

“Got it,” I muttered.

“That's great,” nodded Covan thoughtfully, glancing out the window. Then, catching himself, he said, “Oh, before I forget... Before you leave... give the money back to Tier Dwayne...”

"Which Dwayne?" I was utterly astonished by Covan's strange request.

"To the moneylender Trim the Rat," the as-tarkh kindly informed me. "He still has to account for these ten coins..."

Staring dumbfounded at the grey-uniformed man, I didn't say another word until I reached the Office. And all the while, a single thought was spinning in my head: crazy, this isn't a city, it's just some branch of the Security Department!

From the report of As-Tarkh Covan to the head of the Security Department, Count de Noel, dated the eighth day of the sixteenth decade of the year four hundred and fifty-seven

…At this point, the search for the Aquitaine agents who assisted Lady Angele de Sameri has yielded no results. The criminal continues to claim that she carried out the entire operation to eliminate the Kelm mayor herself. She is, however, at a loss to explain where she obtained the items needed for the assassination, including magical concealment effectors worth a total of six hundred gold roldo.

I have deemed the use of special interrogation methods against Lady Angel at this stage inadvisable, as the value of her information about our sworn friends' spy network is extremely dubious. The Aquitaine could not have failed to anticipate the possibility of capturing the girl alive.

At the same time, our mentalist mages may discover something significant by delving into the criminal's mind. Our adversaries are undoubtedly aware of this as well. Given the current situation, I believe it's best to exploit this predicament of the Aquitanians, forcing them to act...

* * *

The sky was completely overcast overnight. If I had my way, I'd postpone the trip until another day to avoid getting unnecessarily wet in the rain. But I doubt Covan would take my opinion into account.

Sighing, I adjusted my pack as I walked, carrying a change of clothes, a pouch containing most of my remaining one hundred and ten gold roldo, and a few supplies stowed by the compassionate Triss. It wouldn't have been a particularly heavy load, if not for the falchion on my belt, the bolt thrower on my other shoulder, and the box of arrows under my arm. Luckily, I managed to avoid being required to wear full armor. Thanks to Brother Const for the kinetic shield...

Burim Tallo, a fairly young guard from Jim the Big Nose's ten, was hanging around the door of the Third Department.

"Oh, Kar, are you going to war?" he greeted me with a laugh.

"Something like that," I muttered back, not very friendly. My mood matched the weather — gloomy. I'd been racking my brains all evening, trying to figure out what Covan had planned and what kind of convoy I'd be escorting. Because of that, I couldn't have a nice last-minute hangout at the Herring with my friends from the guards.

"Why are you without armor?" Burim asked curiously. "We were all ordered to ride in armor."

"So, are you also in the convoy?"

"Well, so," Burim confirmed, then looked puzzled. "Don't you know who you'll be traveling with? We were summoned yesterday. They told us to prepare for the trip to the capital, and they said you'll be in charge."

"I was not told who would be under my command." I handed Burim a box of bolts. “Here, hold this.”

"So just leave everything in the lobby and let it lie there. We left our stuff there, too."

"You can leave it in the lobby," I agreed. Although the box with the bolts is quite valuable, it's unlikely that thieves would hang around the Security Department.

I followed Burim into the building and immediately saw that my subordinate was right. The guards gathered in the convoy had indeed thrown everything down. They had piled their belongings, weapons, and boxes of bolts in a careless heap against the wall. It was as if they had done it on purpose to annoy some lover of order.

"Here comes our foreman," Burim informed the assembled group, placing the box on the floor and kicking it toward the pile of belongings.

After quickly greeting five other guards who had gathered for the convoy, I placed my bag against the wall and put my crossbow on top of it. I left only my falchion on my belt. Then I carefully looked over my fellow convoy members. Strangely, Covan had recruited guards from different tens for some reason, although this was not usually done.

"The foreman, as-tarkh, told you to go straight to him as soon as you arrived." Burim didn't give me time to think through the boss's incomprehensible decision.

"Well, if he says so..." I shrugged and trudged over to Covan. I'll figure it out there.

Right at the door, as I was entering the office, I almost bumped into a familiar un-tarkh who was attaching my badge.

"Ah, guard!" he greeted me, stepped aside, winked conspiratorially, and whispered. "Go quickly, Erich is tired of waiting for you."

"Come in, come in, Tier Steini!" Covan urged, confirming that they were eagerly awaiting my arrival, even though I was not late at all.

"What's the rush?" I immediately inquired, wanting to understand all the strange and incomprehensible things that were happening.

"Time, Tier Steini, time,“ replied the as-tarkh, handing me some papers with seals hanging on silk threads. ”The convoy must leave Kelm by seven."

“What’s this?” I asked, taking the papers from the grey-uniformed man’s hands.

“Accompanying documents,” Covan explained.

After glancing at the first page, I was hooked. At first, everything was strictly formal: who, where, and why, the composition of the unit, and so on. In short, it was a normal travel document – to be presented to patrols on the road in case of inspection. But then... From the words: "The bearer of this document, Foreman Karidan Steini, has all the privileges of an officer of the Security Department performing his official duties, and has the right to ignore the orders of imperial officials and military officers of middle and lower rank, as well as persons of noble birth, if they obstruct the passage of the convoy. In the event of an immediate threat to the convoy, an attempt to detain or block it, the senior unit may decide to use weapons without warning against any persons, including those listed above. In addition, if necessary, Tier Karridan Steini has the right to call on the assistance of members of the imperial combat response units, who are obliged to provide all necessary assistance without delay."

I was stunned by what I read, and an involuntary question escaped my mouth:

"So, are we supposed to be escorting the Empire's gold reserves? Since I'm authorized to use force without warning against anyone?"

"It's standard practice, Tier Steini," the As-Tarkh reassured me. "All Third Department convoys travel with such escorts. We don't transport any nonsense, so we employ heightened security measures. You never know... Maybe some bureaucrat might decide to aid the Empire's enemies for a small bribe and detain an extremely important and necessary shipment. And anyway, no fools are willing to take a bolt in the gut for obstructing transportation." He then warned sternly: "But such a document, of course, is no excuse to brandish blades and shoot at anyone. The Third Department's internal commission reviews all cases of the use of weapons."

“I didn’t think anything like that,” I assured the as-tarkh.

“And rightly so,” the grey-uniformed man approved, looking at me carefully.

"So what are we actually going to accompany?" I returned to the most important question before I was completely consumed by curiosity.

"Not what, but who, Tier Steini," Covan smiled. "Your task isn't guarding some gold convoy, but escorting a recently apprehended criminal to the capital for further interrogation."

"What criminal?!" I was stunned and stared at Covan incredulously: "Are you kidding?"

“The very same one who took the head of the Kelm mayor,” explained the as-tarkh, and all my doubts vanished like smoke.

"But..." I muttered, stunned. "Why me?! I've never had to transport criminals before... And... Is it really for nothing that the guards have a separate unit headed by Tierra Estein?! That's their job, escorting and securing female criminals!"

"Alas, Tier Steini, alas, but this is not the case when it makes sense to focus on compliance with all the points of the Code of Conduct for the Treatment of Prisoners concerning female criminals of noble birth," Covan said, throwing up his hands.

"Why is that?" I was outraged by such an insulting attitude towards Lady Angel.

"Because it cannot be ruled out that our criminal's accomplices will attempt to free her en route,“ replied Covan. ”The fact is, Tier Steini, that unfortunately, we have not yet been able to obtain a confession from Lady Angel. But everything will change when our best investigators get to work on the case in the capital. All those involved in this individual's criminal activities will be identified immediately... And it is obvious that some people may not be happy with this turn of events."

"There it is," I thought, puzzled.

"That's right,“ confirmed As-Tarkh. ”That's why it was decided to exclude female guards from the convoy. As a precaution, so to speak."

I nodded, now looking at the gray-haired man with much greater respect. He had made the right decision not to send Tierra Estein subordinates on a trip fraught with danger.

"Is that true? About Lady Angel's accomplices?" I asked hesitantly, remembering one crucial detail. "I thought she acted alone."

"Excuse me, Tier Steini, what are you talking about?" The grey-coated man clasped his hands. "Of course, Lady Angel has accomplices." He smiled cheerfully. "Or do you think this criminal's alluring appearance is enough to ensure that, leaving a gambling house empty-handed, a couple of hours later, she'll have everything she needs to infiltrate a well-protected facility? Kind people probably gifted her with weapons and magical effectors worth fifty thousand gold pieces? And even more so, choosing such toys for murder that you couldn't easily buy in any shop? Or perhaps she was simply walking along and found this on the road?"

Covan shook his head, showing his disbelief at the incredible luck that had befallen the girl's fragile shoulders, along with a bundle of comfortable clothes, sharp objects, and a plethora of magical trinkets. And frankly, I wouldn't have believed it myself. In all my history on the streets of Kelm, I've only once stumbled upon anything remotely worthwhile — a decent dagger. Probably dropped by someone drunk. And a cheap silver brooch with lapis lazuli. And people I met by chance never gave gifts at all. None at all, let alone fifty thousand in gold. And even Angel's looks wouldn't help here — our people are too stingy to fork out insanely expensive gifts for a stranger, even if she insists on asking.

"No, Tier Steini, this criminal has accomplices! And our most important task is to identify and capture them all!" the As-Tarck sternly reprimanded.

I merely smiled sadly in response. It's certainly great that the Third Department officials are so zealous, but in this case, it only makes things worse for me. No matter how you look at it, I can't escape the fact that I'm one of Lady Angel's accomplices... If the mentalists get their hands on her, my involvement in harboring a wanted criminal will immediately come to light. And the Third Department will immediately get me. So, it seems, someone had better actually take on the task of freeing Angel. Otherwise, I'll be bringing my doom back to the capital.

"But what if these same accomplices decide it's easier to kill Lady Angel than free her?" A very logical idea occurred to me. "What then?"

"Tier Steini, you have little idea of ​​the value of an executor like Lady Angel. A mage-assassin of such high rank, and bound by blood… It would be cheaper for the Aquitaine to abandon all their agents in the area than to allow such a loss."

"You think Aquitanian agents are involved here?" I immediately pressed the as-tarkh who had made an unfortunate slip of the tongue.

“The probability is extremely high,” Covan admitted, wincing.

"Then why are you appointing me as the escort commander?" I asked. "I can't believe you don't have more worthy candidates for this difficult and responsible task."

"You won't believe it, Tier Steini, but there really aren't any more suitable candidates," Covan chuckled. "And it's not even that you're, so to speak, on the same path..."

//“It is so true!” exclaimed the imp, grinning broadly, who until then had been busy studying the seals on the papers handed to me by sniffing them. Although from the outside, it looked more like he was comparing the sizes of the wax seals and someone's curious snout.

//“What's true?” I didn't understand.

//“Well, you're really on the right path — maybe you'll even be sitting in neighboring cells when you arrive in the capital!” the vile creature grinned joyfully. And he didn't fail to add condescendingly: “If you had listened to my good advice, you wouldn't have any problems now!”

//“Not at all,” I grumbled discontentedly, stung by the imp's remark.

//"Think yourself, where would these problems come from if there was no one to cause them for you?" The imp continued to press me with his clearly belated lectures. "All you had to do was show concern for the poor girl's fate and not take off her slave collar! Especially since it looked so cute on her! Being free, this silly girl only torments herself, getting into trouble and dragging others into it. Any fool, except you, understands that the fate of a slave is not a punishment for her, but a true blessing! And you, you bastard, instead of seizing the moment and taking care of her, you condemned her to death!"

//“You're the fool, imp!” I snapped. “Can't you understand something so simple, that it's better to die free than live as a slave? Even if debt bondage isn't quite slavery!”

“Well, well, let’s see what you’ll sing when you find yourself in the dungeons of this Security Department of yours!” the imp grinned vilely.

//"What are you so happy about?" I asked sarcastically. "Fine, Angel and I will be in adjacent cells, but you and I will be in the same one! And you won't be able to escape until I die! And they could even sentence me to life imprisonment!"

//“Damn…” the imp scratched his left horn in confusion and became visibly despondent.

"So, Tier Steini," the as-tarkh coughed, noticing my distraction, "all the Security Department employees are busy uncovering Aquitanian agents, and no one can be pulled away from their work. And you have direct ties to the Security Department, and you need to leave for the capital. There are other very compelling reasons in your favor..."

"What kind of ones are these?" I asked, alarmed.

"Well, first of all, it's your undeniable talents: prudence, decisiveness, and initiative," Covan explained, chuckling again. "One person you know even strongly recommended that you work in the First Department, not the Seventh. And I confess, I was pleasantly surprised by how cleverly you handled the situation with Tier Heron."

"Yeah, that's clever," I replied with a smirk. I knew Kaylee would report everything!

"Well, I believe that, thanks to your talents, you will cope with the task at hand perfectly," the as-tarkh continued. "All you need, however, is to respond adequately to an attack, should one occur, and use your available forces to allow the attackers to free Lady Angel."

“So you want her to run?” I was taken aback.

"No, I want the criminal to be freed by those interested in this," Covan shook his head. "And you, Tier Steini, just need to help them a little and not provoke a violent confrontation. The convoy doesn't need to fight to the death. You saw you couldn't handle it on your own, so you gave the order to retreat, and that's it."

"So they'll all run away, and what's the point?" I stared at Covan, puzzled.

"Very simple," the grey-coated man chuckled, clasping his palms together and tapping his fingers. "Yesterday, Sir Roderick crafted an interesting piece of jewelry for Lady Angel. A ring. For her neck. Made of the pure element of Air. And now this little piece of jewelry is emitting radiation, like some artifact of the Departed. Any mage could detect it from fifty miles away. And only an archmage could destroy it in any real time. So our charge won't be able to escape, and at the same time, she'll lead us to her friends."

“I see,” I muttered, understanding the plan of the Third Department.

"There is only one problem: it is not a fact that the Aquitanians will take the bait," shared his fears Covan. "It is quite possible that you will calmly reach the capital."

"I can't say that this will upset me very much," I couldn't resist making a sarcastic remark. But I stopped there, because I remembered a more important detail of the conversation. "The first argument in favor of my appointment is generally clear, but what about the second?"

"Another important reason to choose you, Tier Steini, is very simple," said the as-tarkh, leaning back in his chair and looking at me carefully. "By appointing you as the senior, we will protect the convoy from the possible threat of internal betrayal, the likelihood of which is very significant, given the exceptional appearance of the criminal. After all, it is unlikely that she will sit idly by, fully aware of the unenviable fate that awaits her."

"What are you getting at?" I frowned, not immediately grasping the essence of what was said.

"Because such a stunningly beautiful girl as Lady Angel would have no trouble fooling even the most resistant man to feminine charms into helping her free herself," explained Covan. "And you, Tier Steini, are the most protected from the possibility of falling under the influence of this beauty, tempted by her sweet promises... I don't think she will be able to incite you to betray your oath and go on the run with a criminal, forgetting about Lady Caitlin."

"Let a Tierra Estayne's ten go with her! Lady Angel won't seduce the female guards!" I pleaded, sensing a grave test of my will. What if this young lady truly wants to seduce me in order to free herself? I'm not at all immune to feminine beauty! Besides, I like Angel incredibly! And I have no defense against her charms! And I would gladly forget about Caitlin, given the chance!

"The trip could be too dangerous," Covan reminded them of the reasons for not allowing women in the convoy. He sighed, "The only solution here would be to tranquilize the individual and transport them in a sealed crate. But, unfortunately, that's not an option in our case..."

Looking at my upset face, the as-tarkh stopped discussing the problems associated with escorting Lady Angel and, slamming his palms on the tabletop, rose decisively from his chair. Smiling, he offered good-natured advice:

"It's not as bad as it seems, Tier Steini. Think about the future. You're already a Knight of the Order of the Guardian of the Empire, Third Class. And if you perform well on this trip and complete my task, the next reward will not be long in coming. And then there will be only one step left until elevation to the rank of nobility for services to the fatherland. How about that?"

"Fine," I shrugged, not showing much enthusiasm. Nobility, even if it's not hereditary, is a fine thing, of course. But what good is it to me in a penal colony, where I'll inevitably end up once all of Angel's accomplices are exposed?

"I understand that with Lady Caitlin's family involved, your rise up the hierarchy could happen without any effort on your part," Covan hastened to add. "But think for yourself how much more respect you will receive if you achieve everything on your own."

"Yes, that's true," I was forced to admit the truth of the as-tarkh's words. Everything he says is true. They'll even point fingers, pointing out to friends and acquaintances: that upstart, who rose to the nobility thanks to the patronage of influential people. But I'm definitely not in danger of that. Now, Caitlin would rather kill me than help me rise in life. It's just strange that she's delaying punishment for so long. Almost a day has passed since that memorable breakfast in the baroness's gazebo. Perhaps that bitch can't decide on the most painful way to kill me... Or... What's that noble saying: Revenge is a dish best served cold?

"So it's all in your hands, Tier Steini," Covan continued. "Perform at your best during the mission, and your reward will come quickly. If not, then treat the assignment formally and simply do what you must."

"How should I understand this?" I was confused. "Usually, it is precisely the fact that the guard acts as he should, that is, in full accordance with the code of conduct, “On the City Guard,” that characterizes him in the best light."

"But you're already serving with us, not in the guard, Tier Steini," the grey-coated man reminded him, smiling good-naturedly. "And we highly encourage reasonable initiative."

"What are you getting at?" I frowned, unable to grasp what the as-tarkh was trying to hint at.

"Don't pretend to be a naive youth, Tier Steini, it doesn't suit you," Covan grinned wryly. "You can't help but understand that you're a special figure in the eyes of the criminal because of what you've done... And I think it wouldn't be difficult for you to take advantage of this circumstance and extract something important for us from her... Try it, Tier Steini. Much isn't required of you — it's enough to simply express your sincere sympathy to Lady Angel and have a heart-to-heart talk with her in a favorable environment. Keep your ears open the whole time."

“I don’t really like this assignment,” I grumbled, barely restraining myself from making a harsher statement.

"And do you like the way innocent citizens of the Empire are dying?" the as-tarkh inquired, his eyes narrowed unfriendly, a touch of coldness in his voice. "Because Aquitaine's agents are stirring up trouble in the coastal cities?" He added calmly, "Prudery, Tier Steini, is inappropriate when it comes to saving the lives of thousands of people. Think about it for yourself, will you enjoy the pride of a clear conscience, looking into the dull eyes of mothers who lost their children in the flames of burning cities, and knowing that you could have prevented it... Simply by facilitating the criminal's investigation... Simply by buying us a little time... And at the same time, saving this naive girl from being subjected to special interrogation methods. This fool simply doesn't understand that we will find out everything anyway. The only difference is that if she cooperates voluntarily, she won't suffer, but if she continues to deny it, she'll face horrors she couldn't even dream of. And the end is the same, one way or another... She'll tell everything."

"Yes, indeed," I sighed sadly, regretfully admitting that Сovan was right. There's no doubt about it, the Third Department knows how to break even the most resilient people.

“All right, decide for yourselves what to do,” As-Tarkh waved his hand. "If you think you can't persuade the criminal to cooperate voluntarily with the investigation, then it's better not to try. The main thing is to complete the main part of the task.“ And he warned sternly: ”Be careful not to slip up, Tier Steini. This is a serious matter. The Aquitanians won't play games; they'll attack in earnest, and you need to lose the criminal and keep your people safe.”

"I got it," I involuntarily straightened up and nodded decisively.

"And one more thing," added Covan. “Don't take your eyes off the criminal. No separate rooms or bathrooms for her during overnight stops or other concessions. God forbid she escapes on her own, without the help of our overseas friends. That would be a clear failure. And the blame would fall on everyone involved in this failure...”

After a brief silence, allowing me to appreciate the seriousness of the task at hand, Covan continued to give valuable instructions:

"You have six subordinates. Divide them into teams of two and have them constantly keep an eye on the criminal, lest she pull any tricks. I won't even mention that you'll have to sleep with one eye open to keep an eye on Lady Angel — you know what I mean. And keep your subordinates in check, ensuring they're always as considerate as possible of the criminal, lest she develop a burning desire to get even with her offenders instead of fleeing immediately. Be especially cautious at inns — you never know who you might encounter. We have plenty of daring fellows in the Empire; they might drunkenly defend a beauty offended by the guards if she so much as hints at it. Well, just in case, I ordered several crates of arrows and bolts from the city's supply to be allocated to the convoy, each containing spells from the Life Sphere: "Paralyzing Strike," "Suppression Sphere," and "Life Extinction." The latter, of course, is to be used only in truly desperate situations.

"That's understandable," I chuckled. Life Extinction is a guaranteed killer spell, no matter where the arrow hits — the head or the finger. It's certainly not Life Drain, which only requires contact with the aura, but it's still an effective, deadly thing.

"In case of a surprise attack, everyone has service amulets with 'Shields of Light,'" Covan continued. "And on top of that, I've issued permanent amulet plates with kinetic shields strong enough to deflect two or three crossbow bolts or five arrows. I think this will help avoid unnecessary losses in the event of an ambush on the convoy."

"Yes, that's true," I agreed. "Kinetic shields in any form are extremely useful. However, it's hard to get them because they're expensive."

"And one last thing, Tier Steini," the as-tarlh said with a grin, "just in case. I order you to deliver Lady Angel de Sameri to the capital's branch of the Security Department, and no one has the right to excuse you from this task. No matter what papers these individuals present to you or what authority they possess. Remember, only two people can overrule my personal order — the head of the First Section and the head of the Department. Personally. But, as you understand, it's unlikely they'll deign to meet you en route to retrieve the criminal."

"Has this happened before – have they confiscated it?" I smiled involuntarily.

"Yes, we had one unfortunate incident," Covan admitted, wincing. "A young employee was sent with cargo, and the criminals intercepted him and, having slipped him some ridiculous piece of paper, according to which it turned out that his mission was completed, took the valuable contents and sent him back."

"And what happened to that poor guy?" This funny incident really interested me.

"Well. Nothing terrible, really," Covan shrugged. "They kicked him out of the service in disgrace and made him pay for the lost property. Luckily for him, the cargo only had material value, so he avoided hard labor or anything worse." Having finished his story, the grey-uniformed man shook his head, pointing to the door: "Come on, Tier Steini, time is of the essence. It's time for you to leave."
* * *

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