Chapter 5 #2
I smiled. “You know I have to ask what you mean by business opportunities.”
“Well, Byron of Zaglis is the kind of person who naturally attracts the interest of the wealthy. You may be offered a degree of access that other members of the guild would need years to develop.”
“I’m listening.”
“Duke Ulric is the wealthiest man in the city, and his security is pristine. His family owns a map that I would pay significant coin for. If he were to invite you to his home, you could collect the map for me while you’re there.”
“I’m not opposed to the work, but coin isn’t very exciting to me these days. Perhaps you would offer a trade? I have a few items I’m always looking for.”
“Such as?”
“Liquid sunlight is my number one interest, but I am also open to rare books on wards, rare books on the heavens or hells, legendary-grade enchantments, and anything with abyssal enchantments.”
“I’m ashamed to admit I have never heard of liquid sunlight,” Alexi replied. “And your other tastes are quite refined, and I shouldn’t be shocked by that. If I have no such items available, would you work in advance of my securing appropriate payment? A gentleman’s agreement.”
Alexi was an asshole.
“Poking a Duke comes with too many risks for us to work with terms that loose. When you have an item to offer, I would hear you out.”
And that was the first crack in Alexi’s mask. His left cheek twitched. He did not like being rejected.
“I suspect your arrival is already generating interest,” Alexi continued. “My worry is that you will be offered an invitation in the coming days, and I would hate to miss the best opportunity to secure the item. If a new opportunity does not present itself later, we would both lose out.”
“Such a risk is a necessity for me, and I’m afraid I’ve taken up too much of your time already. Thank you for receiving me, Guild Master Alexi. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated. I’ll be back in the morning.”
On my way out, the counter girl smiled sheepishly at me, her face still red from embarrassment. What would it hurt to bend here for the evening, give myself a little treat?
No, Byron. This Minsic trip had two objectives: Do Horpus this favor to secure a steady stream of paladin intel and, since I was here, scout the paladin order that had a barracks on the Church campus. The quick profit on enchanted items was simply a welcome bonus.
Teaching an innocent counter girl about the wonderful world of anal was not the most productive thing I could do with my time.
Or was it?
Fuck. No, it wasn't.
As soon as I was out of the guild hall and the guild girl’s swinging breasts had left my mind–or drifted to the back of it, rather–I set off for the Church campus.
Having Immunity to Holy magic made me cocky, so I didn't bother to be covert about the visit, but cocky was different from stupid.
I wasn't bold enough to go directly onto campus, but someone alerting the paladins that I prowled the perimeter would actually be welcome.
My targets coming to me would simplify this whole process.
If the paladins in Minsic were like Ludwig the Lawful and couldn't wait to swan dive into the shallow end of the pool, I would save so much time.
No such luck, though. I did learn that these paladins weren't popular with the Church, which surprised me.
The barracks were technically on the campus, but it was at the very corner, tucked in the shadow of a mausoleum.
A fabric dyer ran a shop next door to the barracks, and those were notorious for smelling like piss.
Ammonia was a key part of the fabric-dying process, you see.
The most telling sign of all that the Church didn't like these paladins was that their grass wasn't cut and their flowerbeds were overgrown.
For that to happen with the army of gardeners and groundskeepers employed by the Church, someone would have had to tell them specifically not to take care of that corner.
Lala and Lili had learned that 33 paladins called this rat hole barracks home, but they weren't likely to be present all at once. Paladins frequently traveled for missions and pilgrimages, and our sources guessed that only 15 or so were actually in Minsic at any given time.
Unfortunately, this part of town was far from quiet. Two taverns were across the street, and around those were several homes, many with large families. Witnesses were a 24-hour problem. No matter the time of day, someone was out and about.
My preferred method of slaughter, walking right inside with my sword drawn, was too brash for this environment.
If the killing couldn't be done here, how else was I going to get that density of paladin fodder? Luring all of them anywhere risked one of them not being an idiot and realizing they were heading into a trap. Hunting them down individually would take forever, so that was out too.
As an aside, I should pause to make it clear that I am not trivializing the murder of paladins.
I hate the term “mass” murder because it suggests a bulk production mentality, which has a reputation for sacrificing individual quality for greater productivity.
The nature of combat, however, does not lend itself to drawn-out moments.
The act is quick. It has to be. So whether it was 1 at a time or 100, the deaths would come too swiftly to enjoy any of them.
I still did my best to savor every paladin I ever killed because I respected the individual and what it meant to end someone’s life. I didn’t let numbers obscure my view of how serious it was to silence a living mind full of hopes and dreams.
So, I thought of those paladins screaming for their lives at least twice a week. Sometimes the initiates couldn't take me to the finish on their own, and those memories gave me the boost I needed. A blowjob plus the pained cries of your enemies?
It never disappointed, and I appreciated every individual voice in the chorus.