Chapter 8: A Captain’s Pain and the Spirit of Dusk

01 — Church Squabbles

The journey to the Holy City from the Kingdom of Dwarves ended up being more difficult than anticipated. The former slaves who had joined us struggled to keep pace on the way to the highway, and they looked like they might pass out from fatigue at any moment. There was no proper road from the kingdom to the Holy City, so the trek was all the more trying on top of the toll their bodies had endured as slaves. It was only after trudging through a good amount of wilderness and rough terrain that we reached the highway.

Perhaps in the past I would have been more attentive, but it had never occurred to me until recently that I really was fit, my body built, at least somewhat. I had overestimated the others’ abilities, partly due to the fact that they had enthusiastically expressed interest in joining the Order of Healing, so surely they had some physical prowess, right? Remembering the laps Brod had made me run in the past, I had thought a bit of hiking would be a decent first training exercise.

I shook my head. I was making excuses. I simply hadn’t been paying enough attention to them, and the reason for that was the plethora of far greater concerns occupying my mind.

I turned to look at the group, noticed the sweat pouring down their brows and the raggedness of their breaths, and felt a pang of guilt. I brought our march to a halt, instructing them to set up for a break. Relieved sighs rose from the crowd as I walked a little ways away and summoned the carriage from my magic bag. Dhoran hitched the horses with practiced hands while Lionel lingered nearby, his thoughts practically worn on his sleeve.

“Would you call this an indulgence?” I asked him.

“Perhaps,” he replied. “But before that I would call it ‘unlike you.’”

I tilted my head. “What’s not ‘like me’?”

“You would normally address them directly. Or at the very least give orders to Ketty or Kefin to do so.”

What he was trying to tell me, although a little more subtly, was that I had been spacing out. And he was right.

“Sorry,” I apologized. “It’s Lihzalea. We never saw her again.”

“The one with the dusk spirit’s power.” Lionel had been there when the others had asked to join the Order. I wondered if maybe that was what he had thought was on my mind. In truth, that was far from my thoughts, since I had placed him in charge of the volunteers, but I kept that to myself. The last thing we needed was to turn this hike into a funeral procession.

“Yeah. Her.”

“She is a worrying factor, given her ability to manipulate memories.”

“That’s part of it,” I said, “but what I’m more concerned about is how out of her control it seemed.”

I had the blessings of the Spirit of Tides and Spirit of Land, myself, but they didn’t come with Lihzalea’s “side effects.” Her very existence foreshadowed the possibility of there being others like her—people who couldn’t control the spirits’ powers. And I kept wondering if maybe there was a way to heal that kind of condition.

“I promise you, the next time we meet...” Lionel gripped the hilt of his sword. Estia, doing her own thing off to the side, shot him a glance with a pale, frightened expression.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t think there’ll be a need for that. If she’s not doing this of her own free will, we can still reason with her. We need to find a way for her to control herself.”

“But you are the only one with the means to resist her power.”

“There’s always Substance X.”

“No, let us take the path of negotiation. Sound judgment,” Lionel suddenly agreed with enthusiasm. He promptly returned to where the former slaves were.

Was boosting our resistances the old-fashioned way such a bad idea?

Estia sighed in relief and turned to speak with Ketty. Those two seemed to be getting along extremely well lately. Something must have closed the distance between them, and I caught Estia relying on her rather often.

But Estia wasn’t free from suspicion either. It felt like she was avoiding me. After all this time together, it occurred to me that we’d never had a proper one-on-one discussion. There was always someone else around when I instructed her on Holy Magic, and she spoke with them well enough. She was a hard worker, granted. Maybe she was just strict about the chain of command and showing me respect as an S-rank? Or maybe she just plain hated my guts.

Regardless, she got along with the others, and the pope had sent her to me for a reason, so I hoped she would stick around. I really didn’t want to deal with another shipment of healers who might be a little more obvious about their disdain for me.

I wrapped up our short break before I had time to think myself into a hole.

The road this time was properly maintained and well-traveled. I could only assume this, as I was on horseback, but it seemed much easier for the rest of the party to travel on. Good thing too; this way, we could pick up the pace.

Or so I had foolishly thought.

The ex-slaves were moving even slower. The break only seemed to have worsened their exhaustion, and they trudged onward with long, heavy steps. I realized this was not a problem of physical stamina. If it was, it would have been easily solved with a cast of Heal. This was a problem of will, plain and simple.

Panicked and short on options, I requested that Dhoran make another carriage for them, which he did very quickly and easily. But what he could not craft with ease were the horses to draw them. Lionel’s warhorse and my own equally stubborn steed, Forêt Noire, refused to be relegated to that positively abhorrent task.

I had to wonder what in the world they had expected the Order of Healing to be like. True, one wouldn’t normally anticipate rigorous exercise from a regiment of healers, but surely they weren’t blind. They saw Lionel, Ketty, Kefin, the people I traveled with. Heck, the four actual healers among them were doing better than the others.

But then, a bit farther along, the healers also fell into the same exhausted march, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that they had run out of magic to cast Heal on themselves with. That was less surprising, though. Jord and the old members of the Order had already shown me just how out of shape most healers were, which only impressed upon me that having Brod train me had been the right decision...despite the nicknames it had earned me.

We plodded along with me casting Area Heal on them periodically, but they were quickly reaching their physical limits and were forced to take increasingly frequent breaks. On the bright side, it made it easy to decide whether or not they belonged in the Order. But I began to worry that we’d end up with casualties before even making it to the Holy City, so I instructed Lionel to stop treating them like adventurers and to regard them as regular citizens. He agreed, if grudgingly.

Eventually, it got to the point where even the horses were starting to grow frustrated with the stragglers, and they huffed and whipped their heads at the former slaves. But they quickly stopped as they realized the futility of the effort. The group was too tired to even notice.

Ketty and Kefin stayed near them at all times, and when the ex-slaves saw how they sparred and trained throughout the breaks, talk of joining the Order quickly died out.

Despite all this, as an S-rank healer, I couldn’t simply abandon them. I could only pray that the next town would have horses for sale and that something, anything would happen along the way to cure our awful boredom. Maybe, just maybe, saddling myself with fifteen strangers on such a long trip hadn’t been the best idea.

We couldn’t make it to town that night. The moment I announced that we’d be making camp, the weaker half of the company collapsed on the spot. I did feel bad for pushing them so hard and planned to make dinner that night a good one.

“They’re faring worse than expected,” Lionel told me in private. “You surely see that too, sir. The wrong spectator might assume you were preparing them to join the military.”

I shrugged. “We have a potential solution, but we don’t have any horses for the carriage, and no way to run ahead and buy some.”

Kefin raised his hand. “I can do it, sir.”

“I appreciate the enthusiasm, but Shurule’s not very kind to beastfolk,” I said. “At least not right now.”

“Oh. I see.”

His eagerness died immediately. I simply wanted to avoid as much unneeded danger as possible.

“Please tell me if there’s anything else you need me to do.”

“I will. Thanks,” I said.

“Shall we go together?” Lionel suggested.

“I’m sure we could,” I said, “but I’m worried about how things would go without me, so I don’t think we should. I’m sure we’ll reach the town soon enough, so let’s just hold out until then.”

It would have been easy to send Lionel on his own, but I had no desire to be caught unawares without him around (again).

“Very well,” he acquiesced. “What do you say I whip them into shape a little?”

“Into shape? Yeah, they’re weak, but it’s not like anyone was whining or complaining.”

“I’m concerned about their prospects for making a living once we reach the Holy City.”

Adventuring was certainly the most readily available option of employment for the former slaves—the healers aside—and they wouldn’t make it as they were now. If they knew any other trades, I hadn’t heard about it when they’d offered to join the Order. At any rate, they were in Lionel’s hands now.

“Do what you think is best,” I said. “I’m going to talk with the healers after dinner.”

“Yes, sir.”

He moved off towards the group, shouting orders to get camp set up. With so many hands, it was taken care of in a flash, and after dinner had been scarfed down, they promptly passed out like robots who’d run out of batteries. Except for the healers I had pulled aside first, that is.

“I know you all want to sleep, but I need to ask you something,” I said. “It won’t take long.”

The four bowed politely.

“So, if I remember correctly, Merido and Hanz, you two are from Luburk, right? Naratt and Norman, you’re from Illumasia?”

They blinked, likely surprised that I remembered their names, and answered my question with smiles. Remembering names was the fastest way to earn favor. It was Business 101, although it was admittedly funny how something so trivial could be so impactful. As a totally unrelated side note, I had to remember to thank Kefin later for writing their names down for me.

“I’m not sure if any of you know this, but I was in Yenice until recently,” I told them. “So I’m a little lacking when it comes to information on other countries. I want you all to help me with that.”

Merido raised his hand and spoke for the others. “I don’t know how much we can tell you. What exactly do you want to know, sir?”

“How about the public opinion of healers?” I asked. “I want to hear how the new guidelines and pricing structures are going over in Luburk and the empire.”

I knew I was a particularly hated individual among many healers, but our job wasn’t held in as high esteem in other places as it was in Shurule, so the new rules probably weren’t quite so shocking to the healers there.

“In that case, I can tell you about Luburk.”

“And I can teach you of Illumasia,” said Norman.

“Thanks. Let’s get started.”

The night went on, and I listened intently, punctuating their accounts with the occasional question.

The next morning, dark clouds had rolled in and warned of coming rain. I let everyone know we’d be moving faster today, and the former slaves, surprisingly, seemed more than ready.

Lionel noticed my confusion and said with a sneer, “I simply showed them the way of discipline.”

“Show them in a manner that won’t traumatize them, please.”

“Of course, sir.”

They were nothing like the day before. I hadn’t been allowed to use Substance X, so I couldn’t imagine what Lionel might have done to change their attitudes so quickly and completely.

Not long after setting out, a small village conveniently came into view just as drops began to fall from the sky.

“Please let them have horses,” I muttered.

Lionel did a poor job of hiding his smirk. “Yes. Let them have horses.”

As I racked my brain over what was so amusing, I remembered I hadn’t sent a herald to notify them of our arrival.

“Estia, Kefin, can you two ride ahead?” I asked.

“Yes, sir,” Kefin replied.

“Sure,” said Estia.

We had only found this town by chance. Hopefully, they would have information on other settlements in the area.

As we approached, I saw the villagers gathering at the gates. Lionel and Dhoran noticed shortly after, and the dwarf slowed the carriage.

“What shall we do, sir?” Lionel asked. “We may scare them if we try to enter with so many people.”

“We’ll keep going,” I said. “As long as we’re careful, we can show them we mean no harm.”

And so we did, advancing cautiously.

When we came to the village, Kefin and Estia looked uncertain. I dismounted Forêt and greeted the townsfolk. “Hello. I’m the leader of this company, Luciel. We’re heading to the Holy City and looking for shelter from the rain.”

A middle-aged man emerged from the crowd and said, “Your friends told us you were an S-rank healer. Is that true? How can we trust you?”

“I may be young,” I replied, “but I can assure you I’m an S-rank. If I’m to believe Her Holiness’s decrees, anyway.”

There was a moment of silence, filled only with a skeptical glare that was less than comfortable. Lionel, Kefin, and Ketty—who was sitting in the carriage—didn’t help matters by making themselves look extra intimidating.

“Did something happen to make you so distrusting?” I asked.

“As a matter of fact, yes. A group showed up not too long ago, just like yours, only smaller, and they claimed to be healers too.”

“Were they not?”

“They were,” the man said. “But the second they finished healing, they started demanding payment. Money we didn’t have. So they took off with our horses.”

“In that case, I can understand your caution. Can you describe these individuals? I promise they’ll be punished accordingly.”

A police force of some kind would have helped with situations like this, but I had never heard of any in the larger cities, much less a village as small as this.

“Of course, but I have to ask again,” the man insisted. “Your armor doesn’t exactly impress upon me the image of the S-rank healer you claim to be.”

“Fair point,” I said. “Area High Heal.”

The magic circle expanded and enveloped the people in a pale light.

“M-My shoulder,” he stammered. “The pain’s gone. And in my back too. I-I apologize, sir.”

I shook my head. “It’s okay, really. Now that you believe me, may we enter your village? I’d like to get indoors before it starts to pour.”

“Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Right this way, um, sir.”

The mayor first directed us to his house, but I suggested the empty stable instead. With over twenty people, I figured that would offer more room for our party.

“Purification. That should make it a little more pleasant,” I announced. “Everyone wait here for a bit. Ketty and Estia, stay with them.”

At the mayor’s house, I interviewed him about the other healers and got extremely familiar answers. Hating me was rather commonplace among healers these days, but based on the description of their appearances, there was no doubt in my mind that the offenders were the three who had joined me with Estia. And the men accompanying them were likely mercenaries or some other rogues from one unsavory guild or another.

My head started to pound. Still, it was better than freaking out over an unknown threat.

“Thank you for the information. We’ll handle them,” I said. “Also, if I can be direct, does your village have any remaining horses? And if so, would you be willing to sell them?”

“To...you?” the mayor asked.

“Yes. Like I said at the gate, we’re heading to the Holy City. And we’re in a hurry.”

“Well.” The mayor’s face stiffened. “How much would you offer?”

“However much you want, really, but I was thinking three times their market value,” I replied.

“Three times,” he repeated. “Three times?”

“Three times.”

The mayor nodded repeatedly. We appeared to have struck a deal. I offered him the money before he could change his mind, purchasing six in total.

Once that was done, I asked Dhoran to prepare the carriages, and Pola immediately summoned a golem to help with the building process, using the leftover lumber from the school construction project in Yenice. They got to work immediately.

The townsfolk stood in the rain and watched the performance, utter shock clear on their faces throughout the process, and although Dhoran kept his poker face tight, the rest of the team and I could tell the attention was making him flustered. Pola endured it less gracefully and soon hid inside one of the carriages.

Meanwhile, I designated Kefin the driver of one and assigned the former slaves Mappulo and Jabrone to the others. The latter two had experience, thankfully.

Afterwards, the mayor invited us to lunch, which we gratefully accepted. By the time the carriages were done, the rain had stopped. We thanked the people for their hospitality and were on our way once more.

The extra carriages sped things along significantly. In just a week, the outer walls of the Holy City of Shurule could be seen in the distance. The sight was an incredible relief.

“Mister Luciel,” Lionel said, “I think we should proceed on foot from here.”

“Why? I don’t see any problem with how we are now.”

“For a normal convoy, there wouldn’t be an issue. But you are an S-rank healer. Normally, you would be escorted by knights.”

“Okay, but this is still a convoy,” I argued, “in which case it would be weirder for you to be on foot, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, but we are not knights. We are slaves,” Lionel said. “And the city likely knows it. You would cause a stir by placing us on horseback, even as escorts.”

“A stir, huh?”

I didn’t much like those. And there were the factions within the Church to consider. But I was unaffiliated—or rather, I suppose I fell with the Loyalists given my relationship with the pope. I would be causing trouble for her as well as myself.

All of a sudden, I understood what Lionel was hinting at. I had to consider my position. Ultimately, I gratefully accepted his suggestion, and we housed the horses, except for Forêt, in the stable inside the hermit key. The former slaves, along with Lionel and the team, proceeded on foot.

“Welcome home, Saint Weirdo,” the guard at the gate greeted me.

Oh yeah. That’s my nickname here, I remembered. I replied with a vague smile mixed with a twinge of nostalgia and a splash of regret.

“Thank you,” I said. “Has anything changed since last year?”

“Nothing in particular. Things have been quiet, sir.”

“I see. Thank you again.”

“Oh,” the guard said, “the Valkyrie Paladin Regiment funded the establishment of a restaurant in the slums. They’ve been holding regular food distributions there.”

“The Valkyries?” That was unexpected.

“Yes, Sir Weirdo. And the residents have been maintaining community hygiene, just as you instructed them. The slums have improved greatly.”

“Hmm.”

The restaurant he’d mentioned was probably where Sagius and his men had set up shop. Lumina, on the other hand, had clearly been busy, and I was glad to hear that my simple little charity cleanup had encouraged the people to keep their city clean.

I could hear more about Sagius from Lumina later, so for now I chose to deal with the ex-slaves by taking them to the Adventurer’s Guild.

The Holy City was as alive as I had left it. I rode through the well-maintained streets astride Forêt Noire as onlookers called out to me.

“Welcome back, Saint Weirdo!”

“Looking forward to that holiday o’ yours again!”

“Need more food? I got you covered like always!”

I couldn’t help but smile.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Lionel noted.

“Since when does attention make the boss happy?” Ketty asked.

“Can you blame me? I’m feeling sentimental,” I said. “This is just about the only place I’ve never had someone try to assassinate me. I worked an honest job and I got out what I put in. It was nice.”

Barring that time I had gotten stabbed, of course, but to be fair, I had been pretty full of myself back then. Nothing could come as close to home as the Merratoni Adventurer’s Guild, though.

“Why are they all calling you Saint Weirdo?” Kefin asked.

“Let’s keep our questions to ourselves,” I said. “Anyway, wouldn’t you know it, the guild’s just around the corner.”

We came to the front of the Adventurer’s Guild, where I dismounted Forêt, patted her neck, and left her in the care of the ex-slave healers. Not that anyone in this city would have been dumb enough to not know my special steed or unwise enough to try anything with her. There would be hell to pay—if Forêt herself didn’t get to them first.

I led the former slaves into the guildhall. It was packed with adventurers, presumably done with work for the day, and many were people I recognized. They acknowledged me with a few words upon noticing my return but kept from crowding around. And that was a good thing too, because it hadn’t crossed my mind, but coming here with so many people would have normally set off alarm bells.

I raised a hand and smiled in reply as I made my way to the reception desk.

“Welcome,” said the woman behind it. “How can I help you?”

“I’d like to register these people with the guild,” I explained. “They don’t have many physical skills but can use magic. Could an exception of some kind be made?”

“Let’s see if they qualify for registration first,” the woman answered nervously. “The guildmaster will have to see to any exceptions.”

I didn’t recognize her. She might have been hired before getting the chance to learn about me.

“Right. Whatever you need to do. Is Grantz in now?”

“My colleague is going to check on him, but the dining hall is awfully busy at this time. Would you mind waiting a moment?”

The dining hall? Hello? Was that where the guildmaster’s office was these days?

“Not at all,” I said. “In the meantime, can you see about qualifying them?”

“Of course. This way, ladies and gentlemen.”

The receptionist began to offer the usual explanations about adventuring and registration. The very same explanation I had intelligently ignored during my own registration, so maybe I could learn a thing or two as well. But just then, Grantz appeared.

“Been a while, Luciel,” he said.

“It has,” I replied.

“Plannin’ on raidin’ the guildhall with all them folk?”

“It’s a long story, and I couldn’t take them to HQ, so I came here first.”

“Visiting us adventurers before the Church, eh? You sure haven’t changed.”

I smiled. “Some things never do.”

Grantz seemed the same as usual too. Even if his opinion of me was as twisted as always.

“You been cooking?” he asked.

“Not much lately, but I finally got my hands on the skill.”

He grunted. “So, what brings ya here today? Heard you found yourself on the council at Yenice, but when’d you get back to Shurule?”

“My term ended, so I thought I’d show my face back home,” I said. “It wasn’t a fun year. I learned a lot of lessons in futility.”

“Well, no one knows everything. Not even old guildmasters. Mirlina and Milty handle all the day-to-day stuff. Now who’re these folks? Friends o’ yours?”

“That’s right. I mean, aside from the people I’m registering. I met them in Yenice, and they’re my trusted companions.”

“Those are good to have. Keep ’em close,” Grantz said. “And I bet you brought all those other fellas for a reason. We’ll take them in.”

“You’re sure?” Not that I was complaining but that was a little too generous.

“We keep in touch with the Church a lot more these days. They even drop a few jobs here every now and then. Consider this a bit of a favor. Can’t go wrong knowing an S-rank who owes ya one, eh? Plus, you’re not just dumpin’ ’em and leavin’, are you?”

I suddenly got what he was saying. It would work out in Grantz’s favor if I offered this as an official request from the Church. He wouldn’t have specifically dropped so much information otherwise.

“I’ll be here for a few days, so I’ll pop in every once in a while, of course,” I said. “And I’ll be going back and forth between here and Merratoni for a while. I could even introduce them to my master if they need a little training.”

Grantz chuckled. “In that case, we’ll take ’em off your hands.”

“I appreciate it. Here’s money for their room and board for a month.”

I held out a platinum piece.

“Runnin’ a charity business now?”

“I was only able to do so much here in the Holy City because I had people in Merratoni who treated me well. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. So I’m just paying it forward.”

“You’re a good guy. Don’t let anyone go and take advantage o’ that.”

“Good thing I couldn’t care less about what people do as long as no one’s getting killed.”

“Very true.”

“Anyway, they’re yours,” I said. “Oh, and fair warning, they’ve got basically no stamina.”

“Kept that to yourself, didja?”

I introduced the ex-slaves to Grantz, then had them promise to do their best to build lives for themselves and told them to rely on the guildmaster if they ever needed him. With that, we bid them farewell...or at least, that was the plan.

“Mister Luciel, would you be willing to sell us a carriage?” Mappulo asked out of nowhere.

I didn’t have any issues with the proposal, but I also didn’t understand it.

“I think I’ve already done what I promised for you all,” I said.

“We want to get into trade,” said Jabrone.

“Trade?”

“Mappulo and I want to deal in horse carriages.”

“Remember how few we saw on the way here?” the other remarked. “I think we could make a real business out of it.”

I paused to think. They were certainly right about the lack of wagons that had passed us on the road. Carriages weren’t a very necessary convenience for everyday life, but they were a convenience nonetheless, especially for those who had to travel regularly.

A transportation business. Now that was an interesting idea. But merchants needed to account for guards and other expenses. If it really was as lucrative as it seemed, someone probably would have beaten us to the punch. Then again, I had learned my lesson about making assumptions.

“Don’t expect me to sell our work short. One of those carriages is worth a lot,” I said. “If you still want to give it a shot, put together a business plan and I’ll look it over when I come back.”

The two men broke into big smiles and thanked me. They definitely had the enthusiasm down.

I thanked Grantz again, and then we were off.

＊

Elsewhere, Catherine had received word that Luciel was back in the city along with another cause for concern for her already troubled mind: one of his followers, Lionel, the Illumasian general known as the Lion of War. She had seen the Lion in action only once during a tour early in her career. He was a demon on the battlefield, carving his way through entire forces like a one-man army. That single glimpse had been enough to instill a fear of fighting in her for some time after.

Catherine had heard reports of the general’s excellent skill as a leader, and she was at the same time anxious about what he might think of the Knights of Shurule and hopeful that his presence could be the hammer she needed to finally straighten them out.

“An S-rank healer and the strongest man in the empire. What a duo,” Catherine murmured. “I could really use some of that weirdness of yours for myself, Luciel.”

No one was around to answer her. She sent for someone to notify the Valkyries to make ready for future mock battles.

＊

“The adventurers certainly like you,” Lionel remarked as we left the guildhall.

“The guildmaster taught me everything I know about cooking,” I replied with a smile. “And I’ve had a lot of give and take with the local adventurers.”

On the way to Church Headquarters, I let Ketty and Kefin know where the local inns and lodgings could be found just in case. The current political climate wasn’t exactly friendly to beastfolk. Better to have backups for any eventuality.

We came to the entrance of Church HQ.

“It’s good to be back,” I murmured.

The others looked up at the imposing building with nervous expressions as we entered. Estia had met the pope before, so I didn’t expect a reaction from her, but she glanced around the interior curiously. Two receptionists I recognized were at the front desk, and I casually greeted them.

“Can you call Catherine or Granhart, please?” I asked.

“Of course. One moment.” The two ladies took their arclink crystals and closed their eyes. I waited for their telepathic conversations to end, mildly surprised that they had two of the devices. “It will just be a moment, Mister Luciel. Lady Catherine and Sir Granhart will be with you shortly.”

I hesitated a little, thinking how weird it would be to give souvenirs to receptionists, but ultimately settled on the side of polite courtesy and handed them some honey candy. There wasn’t any harm in being kind to people you worked with.

“For us?” one asked.

“Mister Luciel, you’re too kind.”

“Let me know what you think,” I said. “We’re always looking for more creative ideas for how to use honey back in Yenice.”

The two thanked me, popped the candies into their mouths, and broke into smiles. What was it about this world that seemed to make sweets such a rarity? Clearly, the Valkyries weren’t the only ones with a hankering and no way to sate it. Making a honey factory had been a smart move. Way to go, me.

I was listening to the receptionists’ thoughts when Catherine and Granhart arrived. Catherine quickly rested her sword hand on her weapon’s hilt. I ignored the gesture and greeted them.

“Long time no see. S-rank Luciel, reporting to Headquarters.”

Catherine removed her hand from her weapon. “Welcome back,” she said. “Now, I’d love to linger on the pleasantries, but I have to ask if you have any idea who you’re standing next to.”

Who I was standing next to? I turned to my side. Yup, just Lionel. I had already reported to Her Holiness about him, so Catherine should have known.

“These people are technically slaves, but really, I’m willing to free them of that whenever they like,” I said, “so I consider them my companions. Is there a problem?”

“Then you do know,” Catherine said. “You know that he’s the Lion of War.”

“Yes, I’m aware. But I haven’t introduced them yet. Oh, before that, these are the healers from the Kingdom of Dwarves that I told Her Holiness about.”

Catherine sighed heavily. “Luciel.”

“Don’t look at me like that. I know he’s a former Illumasian general, the Lion of War. I bought him from a slaver by sheer chance.”

“Yes, and I’ve heard rumors about that very same general still being in action elsewhere. What is he doing here?”

I was certain beyond a doubt that this Lionel was the real deal. I struggled for a moment to work out how to answer her question, then said, “This is the real Lionel. I’m positive. So whatever you heard must either be stories or the empire found themselves a doppelganger. I’ve seen him in action, protecting me from just about everything this past year.” Plus, the empire’s Lionel might have had a reason to borrow his title, but our Lionel had absolutely none. What would he have stood to gain by faking such an identity? “Also,” I continued, “before you ask, no, I’m not an Illumasian shadow agent.”

“Of course not,” Catherine said. “You’re not nearly that clever.”

I had to look at things from her point of view. Shurule was no stranger to the occasional skirmish with the empire, and even if Catherine had never fought Lionel herself, she very well may have seen him on the battlefield. In which case, of course she’d be a little uncomfortable with my choice of friends.

As I was rethinking my decision to bring them here with me, Granhart interjected, “Pardon me for speaking out of turn, Mister Luciel, but may we turn our attention to the healers behind you?”

“Granhart,” Catherine muttered.

“My apologies. I simply saw no end to this discussion and acted in the name of expedience,” Granhart said. “I’d like to ask them a few questions, sir.”

“What do you need them for?” I asked.

“Not here. We’re crowding the lobby. I’d like to hear what those four have to say, if you don’t mind.”

I was never going to get used to Granhart speaking to me so formally. It was terrifying.

“All right, everyone go with him. Also, take this.” I handed him a letter detailing the information I had gathered about the rogue healers. He accepted it with a deep, respectful nod, then disappeared with the healers into the magic elevator.

“So, have you and Lionel met?” I asked Catherine.

“Not exactly,” she replied. “I’ve seen his work from afar. A few times. He was unrivaled on horseback and gouged the enemy with his spear like a true lion of the battlefield.”

“So I’ve heard.”

But was that really enough to justify her distrust?

“To me, it was my duty,” Lionel remarked. “To others, it was murder. It’s understandable, sir.”

“I mean, you like fighting, testing yourself against strong opponents,” I said. “Have I done something wrong by bringing slaves to Headquarters, Catherine?”

“No. I’m sorry. It’s personal,” she confessed. “You’ve already given Her Holiness plenty of notice. Just remember that as slaves, they’re technically considered your property, so you’ll be held responsible for their actions.”

“But the Republic of Saint Shurule doesn’t recognize slavery as a legitimate institution, right?”

“Right. So they’ll be treated as equals. As your followers, essentially. Meaning, like I said, you’ll also be punished if they cause any trouble. Just be careful.”

I honestly didn’t see how her problems with him were personal when it sounded like she was more worried about me than anything else. She always had been a bit awkward. It was oddly comforting.

“What’re you smiling at?” she asked.

“Nothing.” I laughed. “Oh, these two are beastpeople. Will there be any issues with the factions?”

“Human supremacy is on the rise, but you won’t find Headquarters endorsing any of that behavior, so I think you’re safe here.”

“That’s good. Anyway, in that case, can you take us to Her Holiness?”

“I was going to get to that,” she said.

“Sorry, it’s just been so long, I think I’d get lost on my way there,” I replied with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“And here I thought you knew what you were doing.”

I laughed in response again.

“All right. I can’t say if your friends will be allowed in, but let’s get going.”

“Lead the way.”