Ple-Sen
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As if to mock Calentia's reflections that a meeting with inquisitors wishing to rid the world of Anders was purely hypothetical, agents of the Church were waiting for them at the mill—a trio of archers ambushed the group and chose the youth as their primary target. As it later turned out, this was by no means accidental and was due specifically to his inclinations. All that remained was to thank Ryohye's golden hands for the fact that the Mirai managed to stabilize their common brother, preventing an already very difficult day from turning into a full-scale tragedy. Moreover, the Argalian girl's suspicions regarding the identity of the attackers began to form during the battle—the shooters used abilities extremely similar to those Gulveig had taught Virgilio. Nevertheless, having already made a firm decision to protect her brothers and sisters to the end, Calentia could not allow doubts to influence the course of the battle.
The members of the Inquisition who miraculously survived the clash were, alas, not inclined toward diplomacy—they did not regret their actions in the least and wished to have nothing to do with "accomplices of a demonologist." After these words, it became clear that resolving the misunderstanding and parting ways peacefully was impossible, no matter how diligently Veserod tried to reach the prisoners. And Calentia mentally prepared herself for the possibility that her comrades would execute the inquisitors right before her eyes, having no other choice. She disliked such an outcome, but there were no other paths—and the Church agents themselves, had they prevailed over the party, would hardly have shown mercy. The choice was simple: either get rid of the inquisitors or put their entire group, and perhaps even Baldr, at risk. Furthermore, one should not forget the lives of the Mircoria guards who were simply doing their duty. It was easy to understand what choice any pupil of Gungnir would likely make.
Nevertheless, instead of execution, a series of questions followed, clarifying the goal of Reginleiv's scouts, which was already somewhat known to the group. And although it was not easy to loosen the prisoners' tongues, Veserod managed to do so without using Erika's brutal methods. According to the inquisitors, the theft of the artifact was carried out by either one of Hecate's allies or Hecate herself. According to this same information, the countess had planned something sinister, which already caused a healthy dose of skepticism in the girl. It was difficult to accept words about good and evil from someone who had recently diligently tried to end Anders' life. Now, in her eyes, Reginleiv's agents were no better than Erika's soldiers, except that they represented the interests of a different country. Hecate might be behind the theft—a very ambiguous act—and her interests might be directly opposite to those of Reginleiv, but Calentia doubted she was truly planning something malevolent; preparation for the brewing civil war in the country seemed a more likely option. Something that could be viewed differently and motivated by various goals, but which did not fall into the category of absolute evil for the Argalian girl. On the contrary—the countess might be striving to protect her subjects, even if she had to get her hands dirty to do so. In this case, it was not for the girl to judge her. It was unknown whether her other brothers and sisters held a similar position or simply did not wish to soil their own hands, but in the end, it was decided to hand the foreign spies over specifically to the local authorities—and let them decide what to do.
Lady Rivelstein gave the order to dispose of the spies as soon as they were handed over to her men—she did not even waste extra time on interrogations. If nothing else, this clearly demonstrated the truth of their words regarding the countess's involvement, if not in the theft, then in the concealment of the artifact. But again, her intentions remained shrouded in mystery, while the desire to get rid of hostile scouts was only natural. In the end, the result of Veserod's decision to surrender the prisoners to the countess differed little from executing the inquisitors on the spot—only now their bodies dangled in the main square of Mircoria, frightening passers-by and serving as a reminder to other potential spies of the fate that awaited them. Calentia could only mentally offer prayers for the repose of their souls. Perhaps in Arteria's embrace they would find peace.
The patrol that continued after this passed, for the most part, without any particular incidents, except for an occurrence in a cave. Having learned nothing since Tamphana—or perhaps having learned and simply not wishing to risk her brothers and sisters unnecessarily—Veserod gave the order to bathe the contents of the spider cave in fire before the party stepped across its threshold. The result was the corpses of five giant spiders and a prisoner charred to the bone—another scout, if Kashi's words were to be believed. It was hard to say if the demon spoke the truth or perhaps lied in an unexpected fit of empathy, not wishing to subject the group to unnecessary stress. In the end, another inquisitor would have faced only death, either at their hands or at the hands of Hecate's people. Far from the most cheerful incident, but clearly better than the death of someone the party could actually have saved. Lacking the strength for moral anguish, the Argalian girl only granted him a short and silent prayer.
At the end of the patrol, Calentia, appointed as the new representative of the party, went to Lady Rivelstein with a report on the current week:
"The first destination of our group was the crossroads where, according to intelligence from Ilva's tame eagle, a certain traveler had gone astray. He turned out to be an individual of unusual appearance and a guest from distant lands who called himself Zeno. According to him, he had business with you, which he soon confirmed with a sealed letter inviting talented warriors from all corners of the world to Mircoria. After this, our party escorted him to Mircoria.
The next event of interest awaited us by the river, where we encountered a detachment of Serberia's railway police led by Captain Erika Karstenland. During the conversation, in which we explained the task set before our group to the captain, she reported a clash between her men and a spy from Reginleiv, who was first captured and then neutralized by a bullet to the forehead. Aside from this, the police representatives encountered no oddities during their time in the forest.
At the old mill, we managed to avoid an ambush by comrades of the scout captured by Erika and, in the course of a short clash, neutralized our opponent. After disarming the prisoners, patching up wounds received during the battle, and determining the affiliation of the attackers through interrogation, we delivered the Inquisition agents and all seized property directly into your hands, after which they were put to death in the main square of Mircoria.
At the waterfall, we met a guest from the Empire of Airisufir, Aila el Lunaria, as well as her two bodyguards—Ricardo and Nikandra. (description of the trio's appearance is attached) Nothing suspicious was noticed about her—at the time of meeting, she was simply enjoying a swim in the pool adjacent to the waterfall. After a short questioning, we found out that Aila is a traveler passing through Mircoria, after which our meeting with her came to an end.
In a small cave, the entrance of which was blocked by a thick layer of webbing, we stumbled upon five giant spiders and their prisoner, who turned out to be the fifth agent of the Inquisition. All of them, including the foreign spy, were put to the sword, after which we walked through the cave with torches, destroying spider egg clutches. Also inside, we discovered an ominous-looking altar made in the shape of a strange six-eyed spider. In each eye there was a hole for a human right hand, obviously serving for use in some pagan ritual. Deciding not to experiment, we did not touch the altar, leaving its fate to your discretion."
Having finished her weekly duties, Calentia spent the rest of the week in well-deserved rest, recovering mentally and physically from the events experienced. More than once she recalled the difficult decisions that she and her party were forced to make. But in the end, she always concluded that their decisions were correct. In one such moment, her reflections even turned to Teodahad Bors, whom she had once condemned for his cruel and selfish act. She condemned him until she found herself in his place and realized that the man's actions, while not noble, were reasonable and easily understood. After all, he tried to save his sister from an unenviable fate, while the price for her rescue was "merely" a lie toward Gulveig and her broken heart. Clearly a smaller price than the lives of five people. Of course, he could have been more open about his intentions, but then certain risks would arise. And perhaps, had the Argalian girl been in his place—she would have acted exactly the same.
Calentia would not be surprised at all to find out that Teodahad also had to make decisions similar to those her party was making now, which only provided a further explanation for his methods. Something previously perceived as meanness and cruelty now looked completely different—bitter experience and the readiness to protect what is dear to you, even by not the most noble means. Something that required immense inner strength and even evoked a certain respect, if personal grievances were set aside. And now his example perhaps gave the girl the inner strength to continue protecting her family from hardships. Their well-being would be enough for her peace of mind.
In the new week, rested and even looking better after health procedures at the "Odyssey," Calentia decided to take up the count's family offer to pay a visit to the count—any information about the mission they could obtain would benefit their party. And she was somewhat curious as to what information the Rivelsteins were ready to share with them.
The members of the Inquisition who miraculously survived the clash were, alas, not inclined toward diplomacy—they did not regret their actions in the least and wished to have nothing to do with "accomplices of a demonologist." After these words, it became clear that resolving the misunderstanding and parting ways peacefully was impossible, no matter how diligently Veserod tried to reach the prisoners. And Calentia mentally prepared herself for the possibility that her comrades would execute the inquisitors right before her eyes, having no other choice. She disliked such an outcome, but there were no other paths—and the Church agents themselves, had they prevailed over the party, would hardly have shown mercy. The choice was simple: either get rid of the inquisitors or put their entire group, and perhaps even Baldr, at risk. Furthermore, one should not forget the lives of the Mircoria guards who were simply doing their duty. It was easy to understand what choice any pupil of Gungnir would likely make.
Nevertheless, instead of execution, a series of questions followed, clarifying the goal of Reginleiv's scouts, which was already somewhat known to the group. And although it was not easy to loosen the prisoners' tongues, Veserod managed to do so without using Erika's brutal methods. According to the inquisitors, the theft of the artifact was carried out by either one of Hecate's allies or Hecate herself. According to this same information, the countess had planned something sinister, which already caused a healthy dose of skepticism in the girl. It was difficult to accept words about good and evil from someone who had recently diligently tried to end Anders' life. Now, in her eyes, Reginleiv's agents were no better than Erika's soldiers, except that they represented the interests of a different country. Hecate might be behind the theft—a very ambiguous act—and her interests might be directly opposite to those of Reginleiv, but Calentia doubted she was truly planning something malevolent; preparation for the brewing civil war in the country seemed a more likely option. Something that could be viewed differently and motivated by various goals, but which did not fall into the category of absolute evil for the Argalian girl. On the contrary—the countess might be striving to protect her subjects, even if she had to get her hands dirty to do so. In this case, it was not for the girl to judge her. It was unknown whether her other brothers and sisters held a similar position or simply did not wish to soil their own hands, but in the end, it was decided to hand the foreign spies over specifically to the local authorities—and let them decide what to do.
Lady Rivelstein gave the order to dispose of the spies as soon as they were handed over to her men—she did not even waste extra time on interrogations. If nothing else, this clearly demonstrated the truth of their words regarding the countess's involvement, if not in the theft, then in the concealment of the artifact. But again, her intentions remained shrouded in mystery, while the desire to get rid of hostile scouts was only natural. In the end, the result of Veserod's decision to surrender the prisoners to the countess differed little from executing the inquisitors on the spot—only now their bodies dangled in the main square of Mircoria, frightening passers-by and serving as a reminder to other potential spies of the fate that awaited them. Calentia could only mentally offer prayers for the repose of their souls. Perhaps in Arteria's embrace they would find peace.
The patrol that continued after this passed, for the most part, without any particular incidents, except for an occurrence in a cave. Having learned nothing since Tamphana—or perhaps having learned and simply not wishing to risk her brothers and sisters unnecessarily—Veserod gave the order to bathe the contents of the spider cave in fire before the party stepped across its threshold. The result was the corpses of five giant spiders and a prisoner charred to the bone—another scout, if Kashi's words were to be believed. It was hard to say if the demon spoke the truth or perhaps lied in an unexpected fit of empathy, not wishing to subject the group to unnecessary stress. In the end, another inquisitor would have faced only death, either at their hands or at the hands of Hecate's people. Far from the most cheerful incident, but clearly better than the death of someone the party could actually have saved. Lacking the strength for moral anguish, the Argalian girl only granted him a short and silent prayer.
At the end of the patrol, Calentia, appointed as the new representative of the party, went to Lady Rivelstein with a report on the current week:
"The first destination of our group was the crossroads where, according to intelligence from Ilva's tame eagle, a certain traveler had gone astray. He turned out to be an individual of unusual appearance and a guest from distant lands who called himself Zeno. According to him, he had business with you, which he soon confirmed with a sealed letter inviting talented warriors from all corners of the world to Mircoria. After this, our party escorted him to Mircoria.
The next event of interest awaited us by the river, where we encountered a detachment of Serberia's railway police led by Captain Erika Karstenland. During the conversation, in which we explained the task set before our group to the captain, she reported a clash between her men and a spy from Reginleiv, who was first captured and then neutralized by a bullet to the forehead. Aside from this, the police representatives encountered no oddities during their time in the forest.
At the old mill, we managed to avoid an ambush by comrades of the scout captured by Erika and, in the course of a short clash, neutralized our opponent. After disarming the prisoners, patching up wounds received during the battle, and determining the affiliation of the attackers through interrogation, we delivered the Inquisition agents and all seized property directly into your hands, after which they were put to death in the main square of Mircoria.
At the waterfall, we met a guest from the Empire of Airisufir, Aila el Lunaria, as well as her two bodyguards—Ricardo and Nikandra. (description of the trio's appearance is attached) Nothing suspicious was noticed about her—at the time of meeting, she was simply enjoying a swim in the pool adjacent to the waterfall. After a short questioning, we found out that Aila is a traveler passing through Mircoria, after which our meeting with her came to an end.
In a small cave, the entrance of which was blocked by a thick layer of webbing, we stumbled upon five giant spiders and their prisoner, who turned out to be the fifth agent of the Inquisition. All of them, including the foreign spy, were put to the sword, after which we walked through the cave with torches, destroying spider egg clutches. Also inside, we discovered an ominous-looking altar made in the shape of a strange six-eyed spider. In each eye there was a hole for a human right hand, obviously serving for use in some pagan ritual. Deciding not to experiment, we did not touch the altar, leaving its fate to your discretion."
Having finished her weekly duties, Calentia spent the rest of the week in well-deserved rest, recovering mentally and physically from the events experienced. More than once she recalled the difficult decisions that she and her party were forced to make. But in the end, she always concluded that their decisions were correct. In one such moment, her reflections even turned to Teodahad Bors, whom she had once condemned for his cruel and selfish act. She condemned him until she found herself in his place and realized that the man's actions, while not noble, were reasonable and easily understood. After all, he tried to save his sister from an unenviable fate, while the price for her rescue was "merely" a lie toward Gulveig and her broken heart. Clearly a smaller price than the lives of five people. Of course, he could have been more open about his intentions, but then certain risks would arise. And perhaps, had the Argalian girl been in his place—she would have acted exactly the same.
Calentia would not be surprised at all to find out that Teodahad also had to make decisions similar to those her party was making now, which only provided a further explanation for his methods. Something previously perceived as meanness and cruelty now looked completely different—bitter experience and the readiness to protect what is dear to you, even by not the most noble means. Something that required immense inner strength and even evoked a certain respect, if personal grievances were set aside. And now his example perhaps gave the girl the inner strength to continue protecting her family from hardships. Their well-being would be enough for her peace of mind.
In the new week, rested and even looking better after health procedures at the "Odyssey," Calentia decided to take up the count's family offer to pay a visit to the count—any information about the mission they could obtain would benefit their party. And she was somewhat curious as to what information the Rivelsteins were ready to share with them.