Acrisios stepped out of the meeting room, a weighty air clung to his every step. His mind buzzed with the discussions that had taken place, the possibilities that had been laid before him. Theodos, his advisor, walked beside him, ready to fulfill his duties as the king's confidant.
"Sir Theodos," Acrisios began, his voice firm and commanding. "Recount to me the recent events happening within our kingdom. I want to be fully informed."
Theodos nodded, his sharp gaze focused and attentive. "Certainly, Your Majesty. In the eastern region, there have been reports of increased bandit activity. The local garrisons have been dispatched to quell the disturbances."
"Bandits, what else?" Acrisios nodded absentmindedly. Bandits were like rats. No matter how much effort you put into exterminating them, they always find a way to return.
"And although we relieved the population of taxes for this half a year, some found this the perfect opportunity to rise to their own prominence. They started acting like kings in their little villages, barring entrance to our knights."
"Oh?" The king raised an eyebrow, unaware his actions resulted in such ludicrous situations. "This couldn't have happened just because I lifted their taxes."
"Indeed, Your Highness. It is believed such impudent thoughts arose in their minds long before You Highness' decree. The absence of tax collectors probably caused these fools to realize their dreams."
Acrisios nodded and made up his mind. "Send the Golden Ravens to take care of this."
Theodos was shocked silent. His steps halted while he watched the king with an uncomprehending look. "Sire, this will terrify the population. We cannot."
"Yes, we can, and we will. Theodos, I've already lifted their taxes, and this is how they show gratitude? These people are still my subjects, and I, their king. This is my kingdom to lead, not theirs." Acrisios started, half turning to his advisor. "Send the Golden Ravens, Theodos. Do not make me repeat myself."
Theodos nodded and bowed deeply, seeing the king's point of view. "I will make sure such situations do not reoccur."
"What about the nobles' movements?"
"Your Majesty. The Ato Family still continue their attempts to infiltrate the Royal Family." Theodos replied with a frown. He was still displeased with the nobles' plans.
"Good. Keep restraining their movements. And keep an eye out for any unexpected actions."
Reaching the king's office, Acrisios entered and let the door to be closed by his advisor.
"Sire, I still cannot comprehend why you allow those bastards to continue with their treacherous actions."
The king didn't reply right away. He walked to the nearby table and poured himself a cup of wine. "Because with each mishap they make, I gain more power over their family. As they try to infiltrate my family, so do I. But, I am successful in my attempts, mind you."
"But why not force them to submission if control is what Your Majesty desires?"
The king sipped his wine and lay on a couch, relaxing his shoulders and neck. "Because they will oppose me if I force them. It's better to let them tie their noose."
Sighing, the advisor let the matter go and brought up another. "Sire, what are your plans with His Highness, the prince?"
"What about him?"
"Will the prince answer King Valos' invitation to his son's marriage?"
"Hmm, no. Ayla will go instead."
Theodos nodded. "I will send a reply right away."
***
"You brought in quite the number, Alex." Although Violet's words were meant as a light joke, her expression told the young man she was furious.
"You wouldn't force my hand to pay you for bringing them here, right?"
Alex shook his head. "I couldn't leave them there. What do you take me for?"
Violet shrugged.
"Besides," Alex continued. "I don't know where else to bring them at this hour."
"I can think of several better options," Violet interjected, fiddling with a beautiful fan in her hand. "The Temple is a great choice."
"I don't know where the Temple is off the top of my head."
"Well then, I'll see what I can do for them." She said, looking around the brothel's main hall. "Let's not talk about money in here, shall we?"
"Lead the way."
In no time, Alex found himself back in Violet's office, sitting in a padded chair with a cup of warm tea in his hands. Vie was kind enough to brew tea somewhere in this establishment.
"How was the situation?" Violet asked, cutting straight to the chase. This wasn't how she usually acted, so Alex chose to be frank too. He didn't like wasting time in such a situation.
"Bad. Worse than I thought. Those bastards weren't too strong on their own, but they succeeded in setting up a fully equipped camp. And I fear they were backed by someone in the city."
"Did you find any conclusive proof?"
Alex shook his head again. "Nothing incriminatory. There were some guards' emblems and a fair bit of Moonmare equipment, but that is not enough."
"So, someone is hiding their tracks quite well." The owner nodded and leaned back into her chair.
"It seems so. If you want to look further into this, pay close attention to these next few days. No matter who backed these bandits up, they can not deal with a complete wipeout of their goons. They will make themselves known."
Violet's ears perked up. "You're not gonna help?"
"I did my job. Just get me the money, and I'll be out of your hair." Alex said matter-of-factly. He would rather avoid getting involved with a noble family yet. He wasn't strong enough yet. "I don't want to kick a hornet's nest."
"You're going to dump everything on me and leave?" The owner asked, shocked.
Alex stared at Violet, not knowing what to say. "You can also let this matter be, you know?"
"And have the same thing happen in a few months? Not a chance."
"What do you plan on doing? If our guess is correct and the Moonmare was backing this gang of bandits, then we're in deep shit. They will overlook this matter as the fuckers were asking for it, but the nobles will retaliate if someone were to go after their asses."
Violet continued, unperturbed. "I have the underbelly of this city behind me. The Moonmare cannot do anything too bad to me."
Alex stared at the woman in front of him, dumbfounded. "You hide behind a finger and think they cannot do anything to you? You want to go against a noble family. They do not care about the strength a mere city can put up. You want to play with fire, Violet."
"You're saying to just let go of this matter? Just like this?" The woman asked, crossing her arms. "A new band of bandits will return. It is only a matter of time. And I don't want to spend more money to deal with them again."
"Haa. I'm not saying to let matters be. Just do not go against the Moonmares unless you want to die. Just..." Alex pondered for a moment and continued. "Just let the guards know about your situation and try to make a deal with the nobles."
"And pay money that way? Unacceptable." Violet hissed, fire glowing in her eyes.
"It is a fucked-up situation, and the options you can choose from are fucked-up as well. That said, you might not have to pay the nobles for protection."
Alex reasoned, making the owner curious.
"What do you mean?"
"The guards are looking for your services, right? You could give them a discount in exchange for what you want. And if they don't play nice, you can always ban them from your establishment."
Violet scoffed at those words. "If I ban the guards, they will never offer protection again."
"And so what? While you could always hire new bodyguards, these noble guards cannot access your services. But don't worry. Things will never reach that point. These guys will think twice about making trouble when they could lose a night's fun."
"Alright. Let's do it your way for now." Violet eventually conceded, raising her arms. "Mind walking me to the Guard Office first thing in the morning?"
Alex nodded. "If I get my pay and a bed for the night."