05 — All-Powerful

05 — All-Powerful

Our healing demonstration had been a success. We’d won the favor of Guildmaster Goldhus, Vice Guildmaster Jeiyas, and more than a few adventurers. From now on, until clinics could be set up, they would come to the Healer’s Guild directly for any healing needs other than disease.

“Yeesh, you guys were heartless,” I said. “Especially you, Britz. And you, Doughertis. You’re knights! You’re supposed to protect me!”

They shuffled awkwardly.

“I’m sorry,” Britz said. “I’ve just never seen a dragonewt before. And he looked friendly.”

“Same here,” Doughertis added. “He’s the guildmaster, so I let my guard down.”

The two kept blinking and looking all over the place. Someone wasn’t telling the truth.

I smirked. “Mm-hmm, okay, now what’s the real reason?”

“Dragonewts, uh, sure are scary looking.”

“I admire how easily you stood your ground against that guy.”

How sweet the truth was.

“In case you forgot, you are part of my guard. And you two, Lionel and Ketty, I’m not taking either of you near that labyrinth even if the temporary clinic happens, so give it up.”

That sure wiped the grins off their faces.

“Sir, there’s no need to be so heartless.”

“Y-Yeah! What if somethin’ bad happens like today? We gotta be there to protect you!”

They suffered from a case of battle-lunacy, so they probably weren’t lying, but they were still hiding something. So said my gut.

“Spill it. What’s on your minds?”

“I won’t make excuses for my failure today,” Lionel confessed, “but it’s true that my senses have dulled and my muscles have atrophied more than I thought. If I only had a chance to rebalance myself...”

“I’ve always wanted to explore a labyrinth ever since I was an itty-bitty kitten!”

I didn’t know how long Lionel had gone without walking, but the difference between his upper and lower body strength was certainly substantial. Not that I stood a chance against him, even in that state. Perhaps they’d been in the military somewhere and Ketty had been his subordinate. I was sure it was true that his battle senses had decayed, but did I want to be that guy who let his servants have everything they wanted? Not particularly. I just wanted to be me.

“Work hard and maybe I’ll trust you both with more responsibility. We’ll see. You never know what’ll happen in the future.”

“Understood. I will make training the other slaves my current goal,” he announced.

Just don’t break them, please.

“Just you wait!” Ketty exclaimed.

I wasn’t sure what I was waiting for, exactly, but she seemed motivated, so whatever.

I turned to Jord. “Why do you think Jeiyas didn’t immediately stop those men? The ones who threw the black dust.”

“I’m not sure. That guy could have killed a lot of people, especially when all the others showed up out of nowhere. It was like magic.”

For someone who’d practically taken hostages, I was confused about why he hadn’t done more damage. The whole thing felt planned, and thoroughly at that.

I continued to think things over as we made our way home, right up until we arrived at the guild. A couple of the criminal slaves stood out front on guard duty.

“Good work, guys. Anything happen?”

They nodded, then one said, “There was a commotion over a small fire nearby, and in the chaos, some men tried to infiltrate the guildhall. They’re paralyzed in the cells downstairs now.”

“How did you find them?”

They looked at each other. “There was this crazy loud noise when they tried to get in.”

“Sounds like Dhoran and Pola. They did mention something about a barrier. They’re in the cells, you said? Fifth floor?”

They nodded again.

“The attack was two-pronged, it seems,” Lionel commented.

“Yeah. Let’s get downstairs. Guards, stay alert.”

The slaves looked shocked, but I ignored them and went inside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, to my relief.

“Good work today,” I told my team. “You’re dismissed for the day. But feel free to help with dinner. Lionel, Ketty, follow me.”

“As you wish.”

“Gotcher back!”

Down the magic elevator, Piaza and eight slaves were standing watch over seven men behind bars.

“Thanks, Piaza.”

“Of course, sir. About two hours after you left for the Adventurer’s Guild, a small fire broke out. Several of us left to help extinguish it, and these people tried to use the commotion to slip inside.”

His story confirmed what the two upstairs had told me.

“And then they were suddenly paralyzed, so you threw them down here, is that right?”

“Yes, sir. The dwarf is looking through their belongings now.”

I was impressed with Piaza’s performance but noted that the magic stone shortage had left Dhoran with more free time than expected.

“Appreciate the report. Everyone can return to their posts. I’ll handle things from here. Ketty, get Dhoran and Pola, please.”

“Yes, sir!” Piaza gave a salute. “Let’s go, people!”

He sure keeps them on a short leash, I thought as I watched the crowd leave. Or maybe I was just too soft. In my defense, Lionel and the others hadn’t tried to kill me.

After the last of them left my sight, I looked over at the prisoners and realized something.

Lionel chuckled. “It seems our worries are over.”

“Well, you look excited.”

“Me? Ha! I’ve just found a new goal to strive for. I must return to form. I won’t disappoint you again.”

These men in the cells were the very same ones who had confronted us at the Adventurer’s Guild. I approached one of them.

“So, you came all this way just to save us the trouble of having to find you.”

The man slurred something unintelligible. By process of elimination, the one I had singled out as the burly man was now looking a little willowy, his face nothing like before. His shape-shifting abilities clearly didn’t stop at logs.

“Ah, right, the paralysis. I think we’ll leave you like that for a while. Think we should get what info we can before we hand them over to the adventurers, Lionel?”

“I would normally recommend we do that after enslaving them, but I suspect many here would kill themselves by disobeying before submitting. We must be cautious.”

“Noted.”

Ketty came back downstairs with the dwarves in tow.

“There you guys are,” I said.

They didn’t look happy. I must’ve pulled them away from toying with the magic items they’d confiscated. I had to give credit where it was due, though.

“Great work with the barrier, you two. How’d you get it to pick out the intruders?”

“Incredible stuff, isn’t it?” Dhoran boasted. “Pola drafted the shock defense mechanism, and I tweaked the trigger.”

“How, exactly?”

“Hatred and malice. Goes off for any unlucky, spiteful fellow.”

“What if they’re spiteful but not towards the Healer’s Guild in particular?”

The silence was deafening. I looked at Pola and it only worsened. It lasted an eternity. I finally returned my gaze to Dhoran, but he avoided it, so I looked back at his granddaughter, who swiftly hid behind the older man.

“Okay, if no one has anything to say, then I’m sorry but I have to punish you. No crafting for a week.”

“Now, sir, don’t be unreasonable here! We’ll fix it quick, ya have my word!”

“Chief, are you...bullying me?”

They were desperate, but I stood firm.

“I will never treat either of you inhumanely. I promised that. But I expect you to be open with me about things I need to know. I swear, I could haul you both right back to where I found you.” I heaved a sigh. “Okay, fine. Just tell me everything now and I won’t punish you.”

“Well, these cells stifle magic and weaken anyone inside, ’less you’re resistant to silence or enfeeblement.”

I put my finger to my brow and took a breath. I knew nothing created by this dwarf could have been normal.

“Any time you make something, I need you to report everything about it to me. I trust both of your abilities, but what I don’t yet trust is how you use it. All I want is for you to help me get there.”

“Er, my apologies,” Dhoran said.

“I get too excited sometimes. I’ll be careful from now on.”

“Good. Focus on fixing the barrier until dinner.”

The dwarf nodded. “Roger.”

Pola nodded as well, but without a word. For better or worse, they didn’t seem to have lost their spark.

After they left, I cast Recover on one of the attackers. As soon as he was back on his feet, he looked me in the eye and spat, “How are you here, healer? Your little show flopped! They should’ve eaten you alive!”

Those hecklers must have been part of their plan to fan the flames. Not that it mattered anymore, but I made a note to let the guild know later.

“Sorry, but I was a bit too resistant, so your dust didn’t work. Our ‘show’ went off without a hitch.”

The man clicked his tongue and went quiet. His lips were going to get tight from now on, so the interrogation had begun. I fixed everyone up with Recover.

“Let me just get this out of the way,” I said. “You tried to kill me, so I have absolutely no sympathy for any of you. I want information, and you’re free to give it whenever you like, but be warned that if you choose not to say anything, you’ll be having some of this for dinner.”

I took out several barrels and lugged them in front of each cell, then removed the lids. The characteristic scent of Substance X swiftly filled the room.

“I’m a healer. I don’t like seeing people get hurt. But this won’t hurt you. Although if you don’t want to live off this stuff indefinitely, I’d start talking. The choice is yours, of course.”

Lionel and Ketty had retreated to the staircase across the room. I wasn’t in any immediate danger, but still, guys, come on. I had half a mind to force a mug on Lionel later.

“And just for the record...” I got myself a glass and downed the substance in an instant. “As you can see, it doesn’t bother me one bit. I can wait all day. Talk and I might take you to the Adventurer’s Guild. It’s gotta be better than here.”

I studied their pale faces, trying to gauge how long they’d hold out. In the meantime, I practiced my magic. Lionel stood near the stairs as a show of trust, and the clock ticked onwards until I lost track of time.

Psych. The men actually started raising their white flags almost immediately.

“Could really use my damn mask over here.”

“Hell, they got my goggles too.”

“And my magic pants...”

“Wish I had my helmet.”

Whatever fancy equipment could have protected them from the smell was long gone, lost to the evil duo who’d do anything to get their hands on new toys to experiment with. And now I knew to be extra careful around those two, thanks to this group’s sacrifices.

“Hey, where’s my magic brassier, S-rank?” the first man (er, woman?) who’d woken up asked. The leader of the bunch sure looked...rugged for a lady.

“You’re a girl?”

“Piss off! I just... I gotta have it! It calms me down!”

Sure, whatever. I didn’t judge, but hell if I understood what he was getting at. Plus, now that I was positive I was dealing with a man, the gloves could come off.

“I think your stuff is with those two dwarves who were just here. In which case, I wouldn’t count on getting any of it back. They don’t know how to keep their hands to themselves, so I’d just give it up.”

Deodorizing and status ailment protections must have been common features on gear here. The men looked distraught upon hearing they’d lost their stuff, so it was only a matter of time before someone fessed up.

“If no one wants to talk, it’s no skin off my nose. Either way, you’re becoming slaves tomorrow, then I’m knocking you all out with some Substance X and hauling you to the Adventurer’s Guild. And no, I will not be diluting it.”

Curses and insults flew around the cells, but a few minutes later, one man opened his mouth.

“We were hired by the Doctor’s Guild and Representative Shahza,” he confessed.

Truthfully, I’d expected this to take longer. Even Lionel, watching from afar, looked disappointed. The others shouted for him to keep his mouth shut as I approached him.

“Tell me what you know, and I promise to get rid of this barrel. I swear you won’t taste a single mouthful of the stuff. But lie to me and you’ll have a mug with every meal. Do you agree to this contract?”

“Y-Yes! I won’t lie, I swear! Just keep that shit away from me!”

“You have my word that you’ll be treated humanely. As long as you’re here, at least.”

The man relaxed with a sigh. “So, our job today was to wreck your hall and make your demonstration a failure. Security was too tight in the morning, but when a bunch of you came to the Adventurer’s Guild, it gave us the chance we were looking for. And, well, you see how that turned out.”

He was under contract now, so if he chose to lie, there would be some sort of reaction. Nothing happened, so I put the barrel of Substance X away. Suddenly, shouts exploded from the others.

“I’ll tell ya anything ya want if I never have to see that barrel again!”

“Over here, Mister Healer! I’ve got whatcha need! Get rid of mine too!”

Yeesh, was it that bad? To be fair, my senses had already been destroyed by that earlier glass.

“Here, how’s this? Purification!”

I cleaned up the cell of the first man who’d spoken, and he looked baffled for a split second.

“What the hell? Where’d the smell go? It’s completely gone!”

“I promised to treat you humanely.” I smiled, then everyone started getting loud again. “All right, guys. I’ll move it all to your leader’s cell.”

Once all the barrels had been relocated, I got everyone’s stories in turn. There were many versions, but not one of them lied to me.

The Doctor’s Guild had employed their group. In fact, they were from the very same organization as the slaves who’d attacked us on our first day. It was a small one, though, so with all the underlings having been taken out, the higher-ups had led today’s operation.

Apparently, Shahza had raised hell at the Doctor’s Guild yesterday and shouted the vice guildmaster’s ear off about sending a hit out on me without consulting him. Shahza had departed with very firm orders that today’s event should not be allowed to succeed. And that was where this crowd finally entered the story.

When asked why they hadn’t just killed me, they said that the chances of me having countermeasures in place were too high, and they lacked any poisons that could have bypassed those precautions by killing me instantly. That, and my security detail was just too tight. So they’d come up with another strategy—one based on the common view that human healers discriminated against beastfolk. All it would take was one spark, and the Healer’s Guild would be in flames. That spark was to be the magic-inhibiting dust, meant to stop our healing in its tracks. Unfortunately, they hadn’t accounted for a certain anomaly: me.

I was having trouble understanding why Shahza wanted us out of his city so badly. But we’d already warned the guy once, so he definitely had something coming to him.

“I think I get the picture, but why was he talking to the vice guildmaster? Why not the guildmaster himself?”

“The guildmaster’s only interested in his synthesizing. The vice guildmaster handles just about everything else.”

“Okay. One last question: why does Shahza have that much influence there? I know he’s on Yenice’s council, but it still feels extreme.”

“Wish I knew.”

No reaction. He was telling the truth.

“Anyone else?” Everyone shook their heads. “All right, then. Tomorrow you’re going to the Adventurer’s Guild, but until then, you’ll be fed.”

I produced some leftover curry and bread from my magic bag, as well as several dishes, and started handing out meals. It was smiles all around except for their leader, still hidden behind barrels of Substance X, who’d been suspiciously quiet the whole time. I took a peek at him out of curiosity and found him foaming at the mouth and spasming on the floor. He was still breathing, from what I could tell, but what in the world could have driven him to attempt suicide? He couldn’t have been knocked out by the smell... Probably.

I quickly cast Recover and High Heal on him, then took out some water and doused him to bring him back to his senses.

“Seriously? I’m an S-rank healer. Did you really think I’d let you die that easily? And the least you could do is some good before taking your life.”

He said nothing. Eventually, Ketty came down to tell us that dinner was ready.

“Excuse me, when did you leave? And why didn’t you say anything before going?” I interrogated her.

“Oh, y’know, I just figured somethin’ real bad was about to happen!” Her ears suddenly perked up. “And I was right! What’s that smell?”

“Don’t worry, you’ve got plenty of time to get familiar with it while Lionel and I eat upstairs.”

“What?! You wouldn’t do that to a poor kitty like me, would you?! He wouldn’t, would he, sir?!”

She clung to Lionel in desperation, but without missing a beat he replied, “I am a slave. My master’s word is absolute.”

“You’re enjoying this!”

“Justice is sweet, you know.”

Ketty crumbled while I packed away all the barrels and cleaned up the floor with Purification.

“There, that better? Keep an eye on them, okay?”

“I knew you had a heart, Chief! You can count on me!”

Before leaving, I left her with one brief remark. “I hope so. I would hate to force a mug on you too.”

She instantly shot up straight and saluted with a strange, catlike squeal.

This stuff’s pretty useful, I thought, following Lionel back up the stairs.

＊

The healer and his bodyguard disappeared from view.

“Hey, lady!” I called out. “You’re a slave, ain’tcha? Bust us out, and we’ll hook you up with a slaver we know! He’ll get you out of here too!”

Healers never treated slaves well, and beastfolk even less so. Chances were she was another victim of the same sort of abuse.

But I’d miscalculated.

“True, slavery’s not a satisfying lot in life. But life is what you make it. If ‘slave’ is my title, then that’s what it is. I don’t particularly dislike the way things are now,” she replied.

“Do you hear yourself? You’re a slave!” This lady had to be out of her mind.

“Very observant. But I’m only a slave in name. I have freedom, I’m fed just as well as my master, allowed leisure time, and I’ve been given a room to sleep in. As far as slave life goes, things could be worse.”

“‘Things could be worse’?”

I didn’t know what else to say. Beastfolk slaves were fodder, tools to be used up and thrown away, and everyone knew it. They were lucky if they got fed scraps. Some only got water. But this one had a room and a bed. It was ridiculous. She was no slave. Not in the traditional sense, at least.

“Who... Who is that guy? The healer.”

“A bit of a coward and more than a little naive, but a good man at his core. He treats everyone equally and is incredibly talented, but he never holds it or his rank over others. Personally, I think he’s worth my loyalty.”

I couldn’t say a thing. Just a quiet “oh.”

I wished I had met someone like him sooner in life, but fate worked in mysterious ways. And ours was sealed. The least I could do was cooperate and use what little time I had left to show him the best in us beastfolk.