A closed case

Jay got completely baffled by what happened next.

It was the least possible outcome he had thought of, the one he dismissed first as he thought of it as too dumb. And what was more, it was not the woman he initially had thought of as emotional, but Lady Kendra:

With a shrill voice she shouted the guards to arrest them both, to what the fearful looking men complied. But as they took their first steps towards Arya and Daphne, latter had already taken a defensive stand.

That had been completely unnecessary as at exactly this moment numerous soldiers sowed themselves and stepped out of the crowd.

The soldiers had been placed there since the beginning but hid away under robes, waiting for their sign to rush in. A single soldier that had stepped out behind the two threatened women walked forward to them and took off his helm.

It was no one else but Gyran Stoutmantle.

"Like this honorable knight had stated, it wouldn't be wise to attack them!" GS.

All guards stopped their movements and some even dropped their weapons. The military force on the plaza was no joke, but Jay was sure there were even more men distributed all over the city and waiting in front of the gates.

That was at least what Kearnen had told him when they met.

But first it was Stoutmantle's show to set the Kingdom in the right light again and blame only the Duchess for her wrongdoings.

"I don't know what all of you proud people got told, but our Kingdom never raised their demands, even in times of impeding war. We soldiers from the army always tried to help as best as we could, even if we got left hanging by the local guards and Lady Brittany's troupes.

The man up there she accuses of espionage, is the one who single handedly freed Westfield of numerous bandits, Gnolls and even rescued multiple families. It was him that got tasked by lady Brittany to kill the knight Daphne Stillwell because she helped poor refugees to flee towards the south, after the Duchess men couldn't handle the task.

Now this young Adventurer was going to get openly executed to hide this regions court's misdeeds.

What is more, he has a decree from Marshall Whitmore on himself…" GS.

Checkmate! Jay hadn't expected the rough man that looked so desperate when they first met to be such a good talker. Though Jay guessed the text being from Kearnen, Gyran did his part perfectly.

There was nothing the two women that were about to kill off Jay, could do anymore.

That was what Jay had planned, though he initially had thought they would pull him to their court and leave him to rot in a cell. They then had planned out multiple scenarios as Kearnen was not willing to take any risk of Jay really dying.

He had gladly complied, though he did wonder when he left such a deep impression on the small agent.

That the two scheming women would take the easiest to handle option and even burst their own cover so soon, was something completely unexpected.

That was true for the next thing to happen as well. In her visible rage, Kendra took a sword out of the hand of a guard close to her and rushed for Jay. Without thinking rationally she seemed to have wanted him dead for how he unmasked her, no matter what.

But there was one more thing she had misjudged.

Without the need to hide it anymore, Jay pulled his arms apart and burst the cuffs placed on them, seconds before the sword arrived. A bit of mana used to enhance his skin and strength was all he needed to stop the incoming blade with his bare hand.

With wide eyes she stared at Jay and seemed to slowly process of how wrong she had been about him.

Jay used that moment to swat the sword out of her hands and to the side. As he pulled his arm back he used as little strength as he could and slapped the slaver down to the ground.

Though she didn't get knocked out from that, Kendra no longer tried to stand back up.

As she remained lying on the wooden planks, Jay knelt down next to her he leaned forward that his mouth was close to her ear.

"You should have known when to give up. Now... I have quite some questions you will answer later on, okay?" J.

Jay grinned mischievous as he talked to her, what got Kendra even more angry as she saw it. But without saying anything as reply she kept lying down even as Jay rose back up and walked towards the edge of the pedestal.

In a speech Jay had thought of during his time in the dungeon, he explained to the crowd what he found out.

He told about the Defiers and what they tried to accomplish in Westfield as a revenge for things that happened in the past. Even that he found out their Orders came from Millshire after a long search and this being the reason he came there was something Jay didn't hide.

Of course he left out the Juggernaut, but he told about the mines having been used as the Defiers base.

The speech went on about how they secretly took huge amounts of money and profits from the secretly running mine that the Duchess tried to compensate with risen taxes.

Jay then waited for the crowd to calm back down, what took some time due to the revelations he brought them.

As he could go on, Jay played a bit more depressed than he really was as he spoke about the missing people who most certainly got enslaved.

At this point he shoved the guilt solely to Kendra who went beet red in rage.

But this time she at least didn't dare to argue and kept silent when Jay promised the people he would inquire from the culprit where they got brought and try to retrieve them.

It was the Duchess that then interfered, asking that this story was nice but if he had any proof it was true as well. With a wide grin he showed only her, Jay turned back to the audience and explained that his word and the mine still running is proof enough, but he even brought witnesses.

If that wasn't enough, the soldiers searching through her mansion would find more than enough. He then showed a letter he had found on van Claven's desk and explained those were orders from her trusted friend Lady Kendra.

At this point, Stoutmantle had already arrived behind the Duchess and announced his sentence aloud while putting cuffs on her:

"Lady Brittany of Millshire, I hereby arrest you on behalf of the Kingdom of Arathor for treason to the local army, omitted help given to your citizens when needed, abusing your position and high treason.

You supported the criminal organization called the Defiers and sheltered wanted criminals that are suspected to be responsible for the great fire of Arathor.

Then you, Lady Kendra, for human trafficking, unlicensed and forbidden enslaving, black market dealing, tax evasion and like Lady Brittany, high treason as you bonded with the Defiers, I hereby arrest you as well.

What is more, the both of you are guilty for attempted murder. I myself as well as all people here are witness to that so you won't get the right to move freely until the previous claims are proven right." GS.

Without need to call them, two of his men Jay knew grabbed Lady Kendra and the Duchess to bring them to the mansion.

Gyran turned to Jay at this point and smiled.

"You, young man, are set free of all accusations as the real culprits have been found and the instigators have lost all their right. You have the right to demand compensation for all the injustice and troubles you had to endure…" GS.

The last part he said with a wink. Just at that moment Jay saw a certain small, slightly asian looking woman peek out of the men behind Stoutmantle with a wide smile on her beautiful face.

Done with their plan, everyone that took part in it and most of the soldiers went towards the mansion. Within a few minutes the plaza had been cleared of most people there and the soldiers waiting outside the city got distributed all around.

Stoutmantle explained they would use the mansion as a temporary lodging for officers and witnesses until the situation got clarified. Lady Brittany and Kendra had by then been brought to the basement and thrown into cells. They would have to wait there until they could be transported to Arathor and get sentenced there.

As they sat together in the dining hall and while snacking on some food, Kearnen, Stoutmantle, Daphne, Arya, Jay and two officers talked about the conspiracy.

They all knew they would find proof in the mansion and that the threat of the Defiers was mostly gone with this. But the people behind all that were still unknown.

Once they were done and Jay had a minute alone with Arya he asked her to show him where she wrote the letter to the royal court. She instantly understood his intentions to keep silent about his and the two went to her room.

It was less fancy than Jay had anticipated, though really nice and cozy. Aside from a big bed, massive wardrobes and a big mirror, there was a small desk set up in one corner, right next to the fireplace.

Taking the small stack of parchment placed o it, Jay held it to the window, then went to the fireplace and fetched some ashes. Arya watched him in silence as he threw the black ashes onto the paper and blew it off again.

As he presented her the result, she had no words:

The letter she once wrote to the court was there, readable again and nearly complete…

Together they went back to Stoutmantle who had been searching through Lady Brittany's office with some of his men. The moment both of them entered and asked for it, he sent the men out and asked what was so urgent.

Without saying anything, Jay presented him the letter and the captain went silent.

He read it once again and then nodded in understanding. Stoumantle knew it had been right for Jay to keep this hidden and gave it back once done reading.

Arya then stated that it had been this letter to Royal Court that had gotten her enslaved once she had sent it.

To that, Stoutmantle looked apologetically but all present knew he couldn't do anything about that nor say anything to this.

But Jay then explained what his next actions would be, namely riding towards the tower that got mentioned a couple of times and have a look there. Even if he wouldn't find any means to free her, he at least could search for leads as to where the other slaves got brought to.

They then talked about what would happen to Kendra and Brittany. By then they had already ceased using the noble prefixes, and Jay learned that while the former Duchess would be brought to the army fort in Arathor and get questioned until the royal court got presented the evidence and judge her.

But as things were, either death or lifelong imprisonment were the only available options as it had been high treason after all.

Kendra though was going to be questioned by the AI:7 on request of agent Kearnen. She had told Stoutmantle there were hints the slaver was involved with a cult the headquarters were searching for.

Jay had a hunch it was about the cultists he had initially reported and that were another lead to the slavery circle, but he didn't state that.

As he asked about the two witnesses and if they had to got to Arathor as well, knowing how Daphne would hate it, Gyran explained that he would try to circumvent that. The proof they had found even to that point should be more than enough, and there would follow even more.

But as the talk was about Arya as well, he told that he was still unsure what to do with her. Even though her mother would loose her peerage, that didn't mean she lost hers as well, but it was for the court to decide.

"Then what about installing her as a temporary manager for this shire? The citizens love her from what I heard and she showed how much she cares for it.

That she got enslaved and thrown into the mine after asking Arathor for help is proof enough…" J.

"Hold your horses my friend. I get that the two of you got well accustomed.

And yes, that solution crossed my mind as well. This way she could stay here and I wouldn't have the trouble of doing everything myself." GS.

"Then it's settled?" J.

"At least for now. What the court decides is not up to me, but I will recommend her if all goes well. All right?" GS.

After thanking Stoutmantle they talked about their next plans and Arya offered to help sorting out the papers possibly usable as proof, once she cleaned herself up a bit. Jay had gotten permission to question the slaver before he left for the tower, so the two of them then left the office and walked together through the mansion.

Walking side by side, Arya suddenly thanked him out of nowhere. It was for all he did, but even more for finding a way to let her stay and help Westfield.

Jay though asked for forgiveness as he had honestly no idea how to free her, but she only said that if it was him, she had high hopes to find a way to at least free her from her binds.

At the stairway they had to part as while Arya went to her room, Jay descended to the basement and proceeded to Kendra's cell. He found the woman cowering on the floor in a cell similar to the one he had been in and she shot him a loathing glare as he entered.

"I know what is going to happen with you and am willing to share this information if you tell me how I can free Miss Arya.

I'm even willing to put in a good word for you once done…" J.

"Tsk...Not a chance. You'll never free her! Even if I were her current owner, I'd rather die than to set her free of transfer her." K.

"What do you mean with current owner?" J.

"…" K.

"If it's not you, then who is?" J.

Even though he asked, her previous words remained the last ones Jay heard from the female slaver. As Kendra had decided to remain silent, he had no obligation to stay in that wet and dark basement any longer.

While Jay was sure he would get another chance for an interrogation in her case, maybe then with a bit more freedom about how far he could go, he left the cell.

"See you in Arathor…" J.