"Didn't you mention Business Head John?" Princess Janet laughter came to an end when she finally asked.
"Yes... How can I forget? I spent so much time getting his and Business Head Georges Trading Companies to merge." Mark said while making a sighing sound that could be heard.
"Are the included in your plans?"
"Not really... They can do whatever they like, as they have already completed my plan."
"And what was that?
"Just to strangle the commerce of Deagoth, just long enough."
"Okay, but it's unlike you to leave such a loose end. What do you really have planned for them?"
"Naturally. My people have already infiltrated them. Soon as anything happens, they will pull out and take all the resources off-site."
"That's it?" Janet was a bit disappointed... All this scheming and that's it, she thought.
"Alright, you got me." Mark laughed.
"I also had my people set up enough alchemy bombs under all their major Head Quarters to start the next New Year! HAHA! We'll have a blast watching them all go up!"
"Oh, honey, that was terrible!" Janet giggled. She actually liked bad puns.
"Oh, come on! That was a good one. Just think... I spent so much time trying to get Business Head John to submit to my will, but he just refused. Now instead of being with us, he will be all over the place... In tiny bits!" Mark really never liked Business Head John either. It was so hard to maintain their friendship. One thing still bothered Mark, about Business Head John and himself... Why was Business Head John, along with Mark, invited at the opening of The Holy Witch King's Tomb opening?
This question, in addition to the Shadow of the Holy Kingdom of Deagoth, and was The Holy Witch King still the same undead were the only real wild cards in the game he was playing.
*******
"Anyone have any more questions?" Jack asked to finish the overall meeting. He had concluded that military forces should be sent to the border of Stonedge, and a new tariff will be placed on all passage by Stonedge as well.
Jack was also made aware of a military expenditure of a Warmarshal being sent to the Heretic Tribes with Clergy to convert them to the Faith of Deagoth. This was the first time Jack realized that Lucius, as Grand Minister, had limited control over the Kingdom's Military, as he could activate any two Warmarshal's at any given time. Only Jack had the power to activate all Military forces at one time.
"None," Lucius spoke while nodding his head. Verruca remained quiet; she had already gained permission from Jack to send her forces and others to sweep the kingdom for any possible connection to this assassin.
Leslie had a vacant expression for a few minutes, near the end of the meeting. Jack figured she was bored and didn't press, now at the end of the meeting, she was about to open her mouth, just as Lucius spoke before her.
"Jack... I do have something to add. I just got a message from Warmarshal Frostgard."
"Oh?" He too wondered what had taken so long to get back with Nicholas Grimnight's body, father of Leslie.
"It seems that they were set up by the Grimnight clan to fight against the Doomcry clan, who were duped into in-fighting. The Warmarshal defeated the Doomcry without any actual casualties to her army but did sustain injuries. The Doomcry clan army was decimated, losing a tenth of their force stationed. The battle occurred outside the Little Gloom Glowstone mine."
Jack nodded... No losses of soldiers were good, but he didn't like his own people in-fighting... Setup by the Grimnight Clan... Jack had one thought, unacceptable.
Lucius continued, "What's more is that the Warmarshal was able to enlist the help of the Doomcry warriors, and excavate the mine, to find that it had been stripped mined, and is completely out of Glowstone. Furthermore, there were no corpses within the mine!"
Jack slammed his fist on the desk! Startling the three present.
"Does the Grimnight Clan take me for a fool?"
Leslie's face showed a complicated expression. She now knew what her clan had been up to, as she had turned a blind eye for so many years. This had now come back to bite her... The jaws of her clan were locked down on her, and there was really only two ways out for them, even if she was the Consort.
Jack's expression would be ugly if he had a face. Naturally, none present could tell his expression, but his fist slamming down did produce small holy sparks arcing off his fist on the table.
He maintained a long silence, as no one dared to interrupt him. After a few minutes of thought, Jack finally spoke.
"How long as it been since this information was issued..."
"One week ago..." Lucius said solemnly.
"Unacceptable..."
Lucius was stunned... This was very fast for communications, but how was he supposed to get the message faster?
"I want Warmarshal Frostgard to move on the Grimnight Clan... I want them all of them on house arrest. I don't even want to see a fly move out of their compound!"
"...Warmarshal Frostgard... She didn't lose forces, but she is at least sixty percent fighting capacity."
"Then recruit the Doomcry warriors!" Jack barked.
"Recruit them... Is that really appropriate?" Lucius asked.
"I will pardon them for the in-fighting!"
"It will still be a week before I can get the message back."
"We don't have a week! Those Grimnights have decided to pull the rug from under us! I don't know where they are going, but they are leaving soon. They stripped mine, and didn't say anything?! They are either going to leave for Stonedge or Borda or considering Stonedge is closer... I bet they are joining them!"
"What?!" Lucius was unsure how Jack knew this, but didn't question it.
"Leave it to me."
Jack turned his head to gaze at the undead beauty on the couch. Leslie stood up, after speaking, and walked out of the office.
Lucius and Verruca stared at the door that just closed... Leslie was going to send the message to Warmarshal Frostgard??? They then looked to Jack with questioning looks.
"Leave her be... This is part of her family, as well. It might be for the best. Let's... Let's call it a day here. Lucius, please have your people get me the information on the 'Bat man assassin,' as soon as possible.
"Of course."
With that Verruca left to turn the rest of the kingdom over looking for suspects, and Lucius made way to the Palace ward, where they took the corpse.
[Haaaaa~~~] Jack signed inwardly, as he slumped in his chair.
*******
The communications Officer ran over to Warmarshal Frostgard's field tent to report.
Acknowledging them, they spoke to the Warmarshal, "Warmarshal Frostgard! Orders directly from The Holy Witch King, himself. We are to group with the Doomcry warriors and move on Sosuhalf and put the Grimnight Clan on house arrest. They are not to take half a step outside of their compound until further notice. As for the Doomcry warriors, if they complete this message, he may pardon their crime. His Grace will pass judgment on both the Doomcry warriors and Grimnight Clan soon!"
Sarah Frostgard's brows furrowed... It had only been a week since she sent a message to Lucius... And the Witch King got there about the time she expects, but she expected a message back in another week... Had His Grace anticipated this already? It could be, she thought.
Warmarshal Frostgard rallied her soldiers and had Xavier Doomcry dragged over.
Soon Xav was brought before her; again he was put in chains for over a week since he left the mine.
Xav put on a bitter smile, "What can I do for the Warmarshal?" A week in power draining Frost chains had left Xav with a new respect for the Country. Also, the impending nightmare that was The Holy Witch King's judgment hung over his head like a sword of Damocles.
"The Holy Witch King has asked me to move on the Grimnights." She said slowly.
"Okay." Xav didn't understand why she was telling him.
"He said that he wants you to join our forces, and move together. If you do so, he will pardon your prior offense for obstructing us."
"I'll do it!" Xav didn't even bother to think.
"Release him."
Frostgard's fellow Frost Knight's released the binds of Xav, who rubbed his wrists in pain.
"When do we move out?"
"Now..."
The camp was rolled up, and everyone mounted their undead steeds. The Doomcry warriors did not have horses... They ran on foot! Warmarshal Frostgard had heard of this before but seeing believed. They were keeping up with her men on horseback. She had seen them in battle, but maintaining such speed for long periods of time was amazing, even to her.
Xav ran alongside the Warmarshal, "We may have to rest for a few minutes after so many kilometers... We just started to get our Cultivation back from the chains..."
"No issue, even horses need rest, but we need to make it to Sosuhalf before days end!"
"...Okay..." Xav wanted to ask for more time, but he didn't really have a choice. All he could do was roar his inhuman sound, and rally his warriors to increase their morale!
*******
Jack rested for a period of time and decided he would return to his room. He figured he could see his library tomorrow. He just wanted to lie down in his evening tomb... He wasn't even in the mood to bone, but then again, if his consort just so happens to appear, he wouldn't pass the offer either! He just needed a timer for that kind of thing. He pondered this as he walked through the halls back to his room.
The more he thought about his pleasurable encounter with Leslie... The more his mood spiked. His previous mood vanished, and so decided that he might try to talk her into another round! Even if he had to visit his Mother-in-Law tonight, he just needed to maintain a sense of time. He could do it, right?
After checking his room and not finding Leslie there, he decided to go visit the room that Lucius had prepared for her.
Jack unceremoniously opened the door to Leslie's room. To Jack, they had already done the most intimate of undead encounters, what was going to happen... Him catch her nude? Even if he did, it would be eye candy.
However, all those were blank the moment he opened the door.
Jack still had the door handle in his left hand as he stared at the thing in the room hovering by the side of Leslie. Leslie was lying in her evening tomb. It was a lot smaller than his, and her room had a window. If Jack could comment at the moment, he would wonder why everyone had windows but him!
The thing in the room looked to Jack, and he could make out half the body of a woman, where her lower body took on the form of black mist. This looked exactly like a ghost... She was a monochromatic color, and she appeared to be just as shocked to see Jack, as Jack was to see her. Jack could only bearly make out the face, but the shock was indeed apparent!
[Another assassination!?]
Jack's judgment was slightly skewed, as he feared for his consort! He raised his right hand, as Magic power started to form around his hand after all ghosts and spirits weren't just fantasy in a world of undead, he started to speak a cleansing spell he came across in his time before in his Library, "Xlu---"
"It's me!"
The voice called out, seeing the accumulation of power surrounding Jack's hand. Jack could recognize this voice!