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[Sutoratosu Akira]

"Usually I'd be all for crushing some bandit scum, but before you two decide on that, you might want to get some more information out of the man. He says the toll for us was paid in advance, so it's likely Fersand had something to do with that, and that might also explain where the seal came from. As to why he'd give it to bandits of all folk though..."

[SirAston]

"Well, Odette here has her head in the right place. One should skin their prey before eating it, after all."
"Otherwise you end up with a mouth full of fur or feathers, dowahahahaha!"
"Let those two future regents decide for themselves. After all, if they've been raised properly, they've also been raised to make difficult decisions. At least they're not afraid of erasing a person's history and future in an instant."

[kj1225]

Flavius sighs as he listens to the explanation. So this was even more of a senseless waste of life than originally seemed. Still, what's done is done, and so he went to work checking over who needing tending too, pausing near where the negotiations were ongoing.
"If I may, I do think that it'd be most pertinent to leave this matter be for now." He lowers his voice to speak directly to Eydis. "_{Gunvald is right, we don't have the numbers to catch them all at once. If you don't take out bandits in a singular strike they'll just escape and regroup later and we'll have wasted the time we spent trying to catch them.}"

[GodofGamingRWBY]

"I get your point Cocytus. I've dealt with various types of bandits and thugs before, and put plenty to the sword. But again, we aren't equipped to deal with the entirety of the problem here. I'd much rather get to Pernrith as soon as possible and, discreetly, get a battalion of troops down here to deal with the problem. I doubt they'd be dumb enough to stick around after this, but if they do, that should clear up this business."



Meanwhile, Eydis stared at the man, her finer tapping the hilt of her axe both with impatience and with agitation. Flavius's own direct conversation with her only caused her mood to darken a bit more in her annoyance. It was clear that she was still wanting to deal at appropriate punishment. However, once Odette offered her thoughts, Eydis quickly glanced at her brother, only to sigh when it seemed he was busy dealing with his mercenary. Which meant it was up to her to continue the talk.


“Hey, big guy, you said the toll was paid in advance. What do you mean by that?”


“Meant it was paid before you got here. Some mess came through and said he was securing a path for a merchant caravan. No other details, but he gave us the appropriate funds for safe passage. At least, should have been” he replied, taking a short glance at the ruins that his men were heading off to… Specifically at the ‘kid’ that had caused this whole mess,


“Didn’t think we’d be getting royalty passing through. Knew it was bigger than the guy let on, just thought it was some nobility, unless there's more than one caravan that's supposed to be coming through here.”


"Yeah, that sounds like Fersand..." Eydis muttered to herself, rubbing her eyes slightly before looking back at the man,


"So what about the seal? Bullshit letters from my father are one thing, but forging the seal of my family is another" the princess continued. This time, while she had been keeping a fairly calm tone despite her own thoughts on the matter, her voice was layered with threat as she lifted her axe off her shoulder, allowing the head of it to rest on the ground.


"... That's a bit harder to explain, but I know you'd just kill me any my boys if I kept my mouth shut. One of my contacts in Pernrith said he got hold of an authentic royal seal, got a replica made up with it, did his magic with parchments, and then sent it our way. That's really all I know about its origin, poor lad disappeared two days ago, couldn't find a trace of him. We've just been using it for the toll."


“Also, meant to say this, but if you care about that mess of yours, saw him and some other folk go into that inn over there” the man continued, jabbing his thumb behind him. While it was a bit difficult to say, there was in fact a small inn just a bit down the road, "figured he was going back to meet up with his 'merchants' when I saw him."

[Blade Master Model 42]

"...Two days ago. Hm." The spymaster had been gone for as much time. Though, most likely, the two were not directly related. The wagon was slower than a single rider, or even a swift man on his feet, so it probably wasn't that he'd been far enough ahead to track down the holder of the forged seal and cause him to... Disappear... In the time frame. They would need to find the source and retrieve or destroy the seal. There was just one more small detail. "I should like to know where the coin from these 'tolls' has been going, as we're all aware that said tolls have been illegally collected."

[Praefectus Screptum]

"...Just how deep this shite go? Holy shite, man."
Cocytus was aware there were plenty of nobles who were dirty and corrupt, considering back when he still worked for a guild, most of the visitors were nobles trying to get other people to do the dirty work for them. But this? This was on a whole different level.

[Chevaleresse]

Morgan looked eminently confused, insofar as it could be distinguished from the mage's normal expression of vague, distant confusion.

"So we're not burning them any more?" Morgan finally elects to ask.

[Praefectus Screptum]

"...Is that lass okay? Where did ya even find her?"

[Sutoratosu Akira]

"Tch, Is that it? And here I was expecting a more interesting tale. Turns out you're just garden variety scum."

She turned to Eydis and (less so) Gunvald, her disappointment at this turn of events abundantly clear.
"Well, he's got no value now that he's spilled everything. What do you want to do with him? No one will miss a few thugs, and it would make the roads safer... at least for a good while till some other roach takes his place. But given the other matter at hand..."

[Praefectus Screptum]

"Phah. Ya wastin' yer time, lass. Ya know a certain someone doesn't want us to get rid of these rats. For now at least."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

“Tolls are split between my group and Pernrith. A lot of my boys didn’t have anywhere else to go before joining up with me, and I’m more interested in having a stable income instead of making any big scores. Bit harder to get money to Pernrith though thanks to the cult nowadays” the boss answered with a small shrug, blunt and to the point.


"Dear brother, would you mind going to see our friend Fersand and see if he’s still in that Inn? Cocytus, I’d like you to come with me. I'd like to have an actual heart-to-heart before we decide on what to do" Eydis suddenly said, having grown tired of the current talk. The man's bored, to the point behavior irritated her, but she knew that Gunvald wouldn't want her to try out her own (rumored) method of persuasion. Which was exactly why she was forcing it in, much to Gunvald's distaste.


“... Eydis, I don’t think we can-”


“Gunvald, just go. I’ll be back before you know it anyways. Now, big guy, I’d like to have a personal chat with you and that kid, okay?” Eydis stated, lifting the axe from the ground once again and resting the large weapon on her shoulder, her wyvern stirring and lifting its head to stare down at the bandit leader. Although if the man was terrified, he did a remarkable job hiding his fear,


“... Yes ma’am” he replied simply, turning around fully to begin leading the princess and Frozen Hammer to the kid, who was currently realizing what was happening in the distance and standing in frozen terror. Eydis merely followed, giving her brother and the rest of the group a friendly wave as her wyvern crawled after her, staring daggers into the back of the boss’s head.


“Gods, I’d honestly prefer not wasting anymore time here…” Gunvald muttered to himself, turning away from the path his sister was currently taking and looking back at the rest of the group, “To answer your question Morgan, no, we’re not burning them anymore. Unless my sister decides to… Ugh, ‘deal with them’ after her talk.”

PROLOGUE: CALM BEFORE THE STORM
COMPLETE

PARTY HAS LEVELED UP

[Blade Master Model 42]

"At least none of us were permanently injured, and we can be on our way as soon as the Princess has finished meting out whatever punishment she deems appropriate. Assuming Fersand is waiting for us now."

[Praefectus Screptum]

"Eh? Sure thing."
Honestly Cocytus wasn't sure why he was being called, but at the mention of the pest who was taunting him before, he cracked his knuckles and nodded.
"Ye, that works for me. About time we have a little talk with that rat."

[Chevaleresse]

"Okay." Morgan, being freed of obligation, chose this moment to attend to a pressing matter: staring blankly into space, yet somehow managing an expectant look all the same.

[SirAston]

"So... Who and how many should follow you into the inn, prince?"
"Asking because if there's nothing else to do for the moment, I'd pass the time fetching the bodies. Everyone deserves a proper burial, we mortals have no right to judge the deceased, that's the gods' job."
"Plus the faster they get six feet under, the less the area starts to stink, dowahahaha!"