CHAPTER 5: WHAT HAPPENED AT THE ENCLAVE

“Hey, Lawrence!”

“!!!”

“See that? That’s the famous Black Tower of the Enclave! We’re approaching the city of Malvette!”

I peered outside the wagon and looked in the direction my companion pointed to. Sure enough, there’s a magnificent black tower that dominated the skyline of the walled city ahead of us.

Good thing I saved the beastwoman named Missy from that thug. She was a slave of the old lady, Madame Bellefort, who owned a brothel in the city of Malvette. They were traveling back to the city in a covered wagon when they stopped in Tiver to take a rest.

Madame Bellefort then offered me a seat in her wagon as gratitude for my help, as I refused any other payment from her and her slave.

“Malvette is the Enclave’s main city; our lord, the Duchess of Malvette, lives in that tower.”

“The Duchess of Malvette?” I asked, for I wanted to know about the ruler of this place called the Enclave. And in case you didn’t notice, I changed my name from Kuro to Lawrence, after that wandering merchant from my favorite business anime with a wise wolf as his companion. It would be problematic if I keep on using my ‘real’ identity while trying to run away from Ruro.

“The Duchess of Malvette is a great ruler,” said Madame Bellefort, the one driving the wagon, “She puts the welfare of her subjects first, and would never shy away from hiring men of intelligence if it meant that her lands would improve.”

“Oh…”

“Yes! In case you don’t know, the Duchess is a veteran of many wars back in Chersea. In fact, she also fought under that commoner general, Lord Kuro of Arles.”

“What? Lord Kuro of Arles?” I was shocked to hear that. Not only because I was well known even in these parts, but also, I didn’t know I acquired yet another title in my name.

“Don’t you know him? He’s the servant of our beloved Saint from another world, like the legendary hero from the past, Cassandra David! Lord Kuro single-handedly defeated the mighty legions of the Empire, as well as burned the undead to ashes when they rose up! Plus…” the old lady fished an hourglass from her bag, “…they say that Lord Kuro invented this great device called ‘sandclock’. It measures the days and time for a justifiable payment of wages.”

“Hoh…that man sure made a lot of things, eh?”

“Yes! And you know what? Personally, I think Lord Kuro is actually a great spirit sent to help our beloved Saint to guide humans to greatness!” Madame Bellefort added, “That’s why our very own Duchess of Malvette is trying her best to emulate him!”

Hearing the opinions of people about me sure was something…while it’s full of praises, it’s kind of weird, especially when you know that around 90% of those stories were untrue. Ah, I need to divert this freaky talk.

“You know what, Lawrence, instead of returning to Chersea, why don’t you work under our lord instead?” Madame Bellefort raised the issue once again, “Come on! I’d give my recommendations anytime! I’m friends with her!”

“While I’m flattered by your praise, Ma’m, I think I’m unworthy of working under her.”

“No way! You’re smart, and helpful too!” she patted my back, “I’m glad that you saved one of my merchandise from that thug back at the village. If it’s someone else, Missy could’ve been forced to do ‘service’ as payment for the help. You know, I don’t want ‘soiled’ merchandise.”

“Err…won’t that invalidate the whole meaning of helping her? I mean, I helped Missy because she didn’t want to ‘do it’.”

Madame Bellefort stared at me as if I’m some oddity. She then chuckled, while saying, “I’ve seen a lot of strange things and events in my life, but this is the first time I’ve encountered a human as weird as you. First, you treat my merchandise as ‘human’, and second, you give but expecting nothing back.”

“Haha…I get similar comments all the time.”

“You know you could ask Missy for some ‘favors’, see? I won’t mind. It’s only natural for humans to have that need for sex.”

“Thanks, but I’d rather decline.”

“You’re one weird human.”

Well, though I’ve got my own ‘physical needs’, I’m no easy man. While I find Missy attractive, I prefer to remain true and faithful to my Maddie…and to my Lily…and to my Jessica…

“…”

Goodness, that sure sounds weird. How can I be faithful to three girls at the same time? Eris is out of the equation of course. She’s a kid.

“Are you sure you don’t want to buy Missy from me? You know, as some sort of a ‘souvenir’ from your journey here in Cherwind,” Madame Bellefort suddenly suggested, “Besides, I could tell you’d treat her nicely.”

I shook my head. Acquiring a slave, especially a ‘forced slave’ was far from my thoughts, and while I saved Missy, I also don’t approve of slavery. Plus, if I buy her right now, my money might become insufficient for the long travel ahead.

“Hmm…such admirable fortitude, Lawrence. Missy’s my best dog-woman; no one should’ve been able to resist her charms. That’s why Sevans—and many others—was after her!”

I just remained silent as I took a glance towards the subject of our talk.

“How’d she ended up as a slave?” out of curiosity, I asked the old lady.

“Well, Missy’s an orphan of the war between the humans and some rebellious dog beastmen in the past. Her parents are among their tribe’s elders, so instead of being killed like the other rebels when they were defeated, her life was spared. Then she was sold as a slave.”

Whoa, that sure was heavy stuff. I didn’t know that the humans here were at odds with the beastmen population, considering that this was the latter’s land.

Missy’s sleeping soundly at a corner of the wagon. By her looks, I surmised the beastwoman was around 16-18 years of age in Earth years. And to think that she was forced into such a job as a sex slave…

I can’t stomach such a thought.

But then, now’s not the time to play righteous. For one, I’ve got a much important matter to solve, and second, I’ve got no one in power to support my ideals…unlike in Chersea, where Maddie was willing to implement reforms.

And there’s that issue about the local economy, too. While sex slavery is indeed questionable, people often get involved with it because they needed to eat and live…

Ah, anyway, once we reached the city, I’d pay my expenses to Madame Bellefort, and head to the merchant quarters to hitch a caravan ride to Chersea.

I want to get out as soon as possible.

----------

The moment we arrived at the gates of Malvette, I realized I have got no identification papers with me. The one that was issued to me in Arles was gone from my pockets, maybe confiscated by Ruro when she kidnapped me.

“He’s with me, boys,” Madame Bellefort basically told the town militia to back-off, when they tried to apprehend me, “The poor lad just survived a shipwreck and lost his identity papers. I’m helping him to get a new one.”

The guards immediately obeyed when they saw the old lady vouch for my person. One of them even saluted me when we passed by the gates of the town.

“See, Lawrence? If ever you got yourself in trouble, just find me, and I’ll do my best to help you.”

“Thanks, Madame,” I’m impressed by the influence she commands in this place. I guess Madame Bellefort wasn’t just your simple red-light district matron…

Well, she’s a friend to the local lord, so that explains things.

When our cart reached the main square of the town, Madame Bellefort came with me to the militia office to help me get my new identity papers. For now, I’d be ‘Lawrence’.

“Well then, Lawrence, I guess this is where we part!” the old lady told me once we came out of the militia office, “Are you sure you don’t want to work under our lord here?”

I smiled while I refused her offer, “Someone’s waiting for me back in Chersea. I couldn’t be delayed any further, Madame! But thank you for your help!”

“No! It’s rather us who should thank you!” the old lady bowed in gratitude, at which, her slave followed suit. However, Missy didn’t stop at merely bowing…

“!!!”

Indeed, Missy came to me, took my hand and kissed it, which made me nearly flinch by reflex—I’m not used to such courtesy.

“Ah, that’s how the beast-folk express their gratitude, Lawrence,” Madame Bellefort explained, “It means that Missy likes you!”

“Sorry, Miss Missy. I didn’t mean to offend you…” I told the beast-woman, “I’m just kind of new to your customs here.”

Missy only smiled at me as she perked her ears and wagged her tail. Goodness, she’s too cute!

Madame Bellefort laughed, “Well, get used to it soon. You still have a long way to go before reaching the borders to Chersea.”

“I will Ma’m. Thanks!”

----------

The Enclave was a human colony that was established near the end of the previous human saint’s reign. It was a joint-venture of the kingdoms of Confederacy of the East and the Empire of Chersea, to monopolize the trade between the Beastmen tribes of Cherwind and their realms.

However, when the current saint ascended the holy office, she forced concessions from the High King of the Eastern Kingdoms—including the ‘revolving lordship’ of the colony. I haven’t asked Maddie why she did that, but thinking about it brings me to the conclusion that it was to keep the Empire of Chersea from becoming too powerful.

Well, according to Madame Bellefort, the Duchess of Malvette was a former noble from Nerfes. She was selected to rule the Enclave by a council of lords from the various parts of the colony, also made up of nobles from Chersea.

I want nothing to do with her. Her liege, King James Walter Reed of Nerfes, was the one who betrayed me to Ruro. Call me paranoid, but I won’t trust someone whose loyalty was with my enemy…even if it’s an emergency.

And so, once I’m done with Madame Bellefort and Missy, I hurried to the Merchants’ Quarters. There, I finally found the person I’m looking for.

“What? You wanted to come to Chersea?” the Master Merchant asked me.

“Yes. Do you have any seat left in your caravan?”

“Well, we always have the seats,” he explained, “However, in case you don’t know, Cherwind is not Chersea. Monsters and bandits roam the land, and the last thing I want in my caravan is a liability that needs to be defended all the time.”

“I can fight, I assure you.”

“Hooh…no one’s doubting your abilities, boy,” the Master Merchant chuckled, “All humans that were born, grew up, and/or lived in Cherwind should know how to fight, at the very least. But, the arms you bring to my caravan is what truly matters, see?”

I was taken aback by his words. It must be that he saw the dagger on my waist, and of course, like a true merchant, he saw no true value in my weapon.

After all, what can a dagger do in a real battle, aside from a personal defensive weapon?

“If you got nothing else to say, then you may go…” the Master Merchant suggested when he noticed I was immersed in my own thoughts.

“Well, you can sell me one of those things behind you,” I told him, noting those matchlocks being loaded in one of his carts.

“Oh? You know how to use these demon weapons?”

I nodded, “So how much?”

“Five golds for the demon weapons. If you throw in three more gold coins, I’d give you a bag of demon powder and bullets.”

I felt the coins in my pocket. Of course, for the several days I’ve been traveling, it’s not rocket science that I would spend some of the money Ursura gave me. Add the cost of saving the dog-woman Missy, and I only have 15 gold, 38 silvers, and 17 bronze coins left. The travel to Chersea might be long, and the journey from the Chersean border to the Holy Palatial Gardens was still not considered in that calculation. If I buy the gun right now, the money might be not enough for my journey.

“How much is the travel cost in your caravan?”

“20 silvers per day would suffice for space. The food would be at your expense, too.”

Man, that’s pretty expensive. He’s indeed a Master Merchant.

“How long do we travel from here to Chersea?”

“The journey would take 25 days.”

“Man, I can’t take the gun with my money right now…” I muttered.

“Well, how much is your budget, anyway?”

“I got 5 gold coins. I wanted to buy some bullets and demon powder for the weapon, even if it’s for half.”

The merchant then fell silent, obviously contemplating the price I gave him. And then, he reached for something under his table and placed it in front of me, along with some bullets and a half-measure of demon powder, “With your budget, I could give you this. Consider it a charity already, kid.”

My eyes were delighted to see the shorter version of the demon weapon: a matchlock pistol.

“Alright, I’ll take it,” I placed the gold and silver coins on the table as I grabbed the items he sold to me. And a seat in your caravan to Chersea.”

The merchant gleefully took the gold with him. However, much to my confusion, he returned the silver coins to me, “Sorry, kid. As much as I wanted to get money from you, I just couldn’t. We have no routes to Chersea as of the moment.”

“What do you mean?” I was panicking, “I thought this caravan is going to Chersea?”

“Believe me, it is…” the merchant sighed, “…until the borders were closed off to caravan traffic. No one could cross into and from Chersea, even by illegal means. For now, we just have to go around the cities and colonies in Cherwind. I’m worried that my merchandise would sold-out soon, and I got nothing else to sell!”

My heart broke into thousands of pieces when I heard that. I know this is Ruro’s doing; she knows what would I do all along!

----------

The hourglass installed at the market square had just turned around, showing the passing hour. Then the bells chimed. Maybe it’s already dinner time, I don’t know, nor do I even care. What’s in my mind was how I would get out of this land, if the only crossing into Chersea was closed in the first place.

“…”

I could smell the food that was being cooked by the many food stalls surrounding the plaza. However, I had no desire to eat. I just wanted to sleep for now; it felt like the weight of the entire world was put on my shoulders as of the moment.

“Haa…”

Well, there’s no use in thinking about such things for now. I guess I could find better solutions once I rested. Now, if only I could find the tavern in this city…

“…”

“Are you Mister Lawrence?”

I was stopped in my tracks by a pair of men with guns slung across their shoulders. They were wearing matching armor and were also equipped with swords on their waists.

“Yes? Do you need anything from me?” I asked. I don’t like what’s happening; not even one bit.

“My name is Sir Haley, from the Duchess of Malvette’s personal guard,” one of them politely bowed, “Will you come peacefully with us, Mister Lawrence?”

“Err…can I ask why?” Yep, my mind was telling me I won’t like it if I come with them. However, I don’t think I should attempt an escape; looks like they could use those guns anytime.

“I’m sorry…” Sir Haley told me, “…it’s a confidential matter, Mister Lawrence, or should I call you Lord Kuro of Arles? Which name do you prefer?”

At that point, I knew I fucked up.

----------

The Black Tower of Malvette sure was impressive, especially up close. While I’d say it’s like a ‘motte-and-bailey’ type of fortification, the local population referred to it as a tower.

“You may enter.”

The guard at the entrance opened the portcullis for us, with me being escorted by the two soldiers of the lord, the Duchess of Malvette. Good thing they didn’t bind my arms, so I could freely walk. But then again, I never attempted to escape; I’m not taking my chances against my gun-armed captors.

“You must be that man, Lord Kuro of Arles?” a man was waiting for us at the doorway of the tower. His elegant, formal dress showed that he’s a butler, “A pleasure to meet you! I’m Jarvis, chamberlain of the Duchess of Malvette.”

There’s no reason to hide my identity anymore. I just nodded and asked him, “How did your lord know it was me?”

“Well, the Duchess of Malvette has eyes and ears all around our small city. She knows who the newcomers are without even going out to meet them,” Jarvis politely explained, “Now, if you please, come this way, Your Lordship.”

I’m guessing that Madame Bellefort ratted on me. However, what’s puzzling was that I didn’t tell her my real identity…and, if she knew I was myself, I bet her reaction to me would be different.

How did the Duchess of Malvette know my identity?

The two armed-men who escorted me remained at the door and let the chamberlain guide me inside the tower. Well, I won’t be able to run anyway, considering that it was a fortress that I was in at the moment.

The chamberlain then stopped at a pair of big wooden doors. It must be the noble lady’s court. He carefully positioned himself between the doorway and me, and after a few turns of the knobs, he opened it.

“Milord, may I present to you, Lady Margaret Jeanne, the Duchess of Malvette and lord of the Enclave.”