Chapter 23:

Loose Ends (Part 2)

The Children of Eris


“Jessica!”

The adventurers tried to draw their weapons, but eight daggers flew at them, impaling their palms and nailing them to the wall.

Only Roland had been fast enough to dodge the daggers, but the blades chased his back and stabbed into his shoulders.

With a howl of pain, he fell onto his knees.

“Roland!” Lucy cried through gritted teeth. “Who are you?!”

A man and a woman stood in front of their door; the man was dressed in a manner befitting an assassin, whereas the woman was draped in scantily clad armour.

“Wow. Imagine gossiping rudely about people behind their back and not even knowing what they look like,” the woman teased with a vicious smile. “A pleasure to meet you again, dear customers. My name’s Mania and this is my friend Mímir, and!” She stuck her finger towards them viciously. “He’s not my husband! No way in hell!”

The rogue-like man sighed then, with the flick of his left hand, the daggers in Roland and Jessica’s backs dragged them into the air, leaving them hanging like a chandelier.

“You…bastards…” Roland hissed.

“Mímir, I think you upset them.”

“Someone, help us!” Lucy screamed.

Mania giggled. “Sorry, but no one outside of this room is going to hear a thing until we’ve left. You know that little barrier that you put up around the room? We put up a stronger one around that, so, no matter what happens next, no one will hear your screams.”

“Regardless, we have no intention of killing you providing you give us the information we want,” Mímir said.

“Who the hell would help you-?” Phillip tried to yell, but something clawed at his throat.

A second later, blood spouted from the wound but, in the next moment, the wound was burnt closed.

Phillip’s agonising cries didn’t make a sound.

Horrified, all eyes turned to Mania and Cain screamed himself when he saw what she was holding, blood still dripping from the freshly removed muscles.

“Ah, I’ve waited all day to do that to him.” Mania dropped Phillip’s vocal cords. “In case it isn’t obvious, we might not have any intention of killing you, but.” She giggled and flashed them her razor-sharp fingernails dripping with fresh blood. “Everything else is on the table.”

“You bastards!”

“Heal him right now or else-!”

With a loud crack, Mania’s whip cut through the air, slicing Lucy and Cain’s chests, destroying their armour. Lucy screamed as the skin was torn from her flesh; Cain, however, bit down hard on his lip, denying Mania the reaction she wanted.

Calm down; don’t let your emotions cloud your judgement, Roland thought.

It was clear that they were at their captors’ mercy and even the tiniest amount of resistance could result in dire consequences.

More importantly, Roland’s eyes turned to the unconscious Jessica hanging across from him. Jessica, honey, I promise, I’ll get this over with quickly and get you healed up.

“Now, with that done, shall we start our interrogation?” Mania asked cheerfully. When no one answered, she giggled. “Splendid. Mímir, if you would.”

Mímir shook his head a little and tugged on the strings tied to his daggers to remind their captives of their position.

“Firstly, tell us everything you know about the Night’s Eye. Then, tell us everything you know about the Sons of Tartarus and then everything about the state of the Holy Empire’s military power in Stonefall. For every time you fail to provide us answers that we deem sufficient, I will remove a limb from one of the people I am not interrogating.

“You there, Roland, was it? Tell us about the Night’s Eye.”

“…You promise…that you’ll let us live?”

“I do.”

If that’s the case, then there’s nothing wrong with telling these guys about other scum like them, Roland rationalised. They’ll probably wipe our memories or something using that woman’s succubus powers and then fix Phillip’s throat, otherwise we’d just come after them again.

“Then, I’ll tell you everything. Just, please, let Jessica down. She’s wounded and-”

“Fear not. We have brought health potions with us. However, we won’t use them until-”

“Okay, I’ll talk quickly then! The Night’s Eye’s basically a small group of elite assassins and spies that do jobs for nobles and other big spenders in the empire, but most of their operations take place in the capital itself. I’ve heard that even the emperor has used them before, which is why no one touches them. Some think he’s going to send them to kill the Kelsey’s, but those are just rumours I’ve heard.”

Roland wasn’t sure why, but his last statement worried Mania; Mímir, however, was indifferent.

“As for the Sons of Tartarus, the guards think that there’s a few hundred members in total, but the adventurer’s guild thinks there may be a thousand of them in Stonefall alone. I think they might have people inside the adventurer’s and merchant’s guilds, and probably the guards as well.”

“How large is the Holy Empire’s army in Stonefall?”

“I don’t know the exact number, but a few thousand are here at all times. They send out a few hundred a day on patrols or on missions to the north every other week. Some have said that the emperor intends to invade the north, but he’s dismissed those rumours.”

“If those claims are true, then that means scores of the Holy Legion could come here at a moment’s notice. How long have these speculations gone on for?”

“A year or two. All I know for certain is that I’ve seen more soldiers out on hunts and patrols these last few months.”

“Is that truly everything that you know, Roland?”

“I swear on the name of the Great Goddess Themis that everything I have told you is the truth.”

Mímir stared Roland down for a few moments, before he nodded, satisfied. “Then, I am finished here.”

“Wait!” Roland yelled. “Let us go! You swore that you would.”

“If you recall, I only ever said that I would let you live. Mania, however.”

Mania giggled and brandished her whip. “I can do whatever I want, right?”

“You may.”

“Then, Mímir, might I propose to you something quite exciting that makes use of our new friends here?”

“Oh? Is it something of value to his majesty?”

“It’s invaluable. Though, I would need your help with one thing.”

“Which is?”

Mania giggled and licked her lips. “Could you go and find four homeless people and bring them here for me?”