Chapter 27

We had returned to Isabella after the battle. The city cheered for our return and our victory. Some about the city has changed. The filth and dark clouds that was over this city were gone.

"Its been a few months now. The city looks different now." Hen was cheerful. He didn't seem to impressed though. "This is what the kingdom is supposed to be like. People all over the world in this city coming together. I expected nothing less of this city."

It still looked from a great city. There are still run down buildings and dead trees and grass everywhere. It still has a long way. As we approached the castle Mia and Alie and man I never seen before was standing on the balcony watching as the army made its way back. 

"Alie." I missed her quite a lot. To see her smile always made me happy. It feels like its been years now.

"You should go rest Ivalyo and see your friend." "What about you?" 

"The princess is expecting me to report on what has happened. We also need to prep a plan for the coming battles. As a general I can't sit around." 

"But you should rest too." "I have lives at stake kid. I need to save as many lives as I can...but your right to. Even warriors need rest."

"Then rest well General." 

"You needed more kid. I can't use magic but the mana in your body. You should rest. We don't want your mana to lose control again.

My body is having after effects since I ranked up. I need to rest. "I'll be off." Alie meet up with me later on. She was very energetic to see me. She had already know of my evolution. "I wonder what I can do now since my whole rising evolution?"

"My knowledge of magic is basic but. Ever ranking up you are given more mana and able to use mana in different ways. I can't tell you much but maybe a mage can."

"To bad we don't have any."

"True but there nothing you can't learn from a book." 

"Yeah"

"...Have you...are you ok?"

"What do you mean?" "Its just the war and the fighting...are you ok after all of it?" The killing...I forgot that I have time to think about all of it now. "...I don't think I ever get used to it. If I do...I'll just be the same as every one in this world."

"I see. You want to hear what has been going on around here since you've been gone?" "Sure."

She tells about the secret breeding of slavery in the fort and the battle that started on the port. The imperials are still around.

"The people have been trying to rebuild the city but with limited supplies we had to focus on other things."

"And what was that?"

"The walls. We had patched up it up as best we could. So now the wall won't break down from a catapult."

"That's good." Thinking about what's to come. What will happen to us if we lose? I know the answer but. We could be tortured for life for fighting humans. "What's wrong?"

"A lot of people are going to die Alie. I learned a lot of things on the battlefield Alie. We could lose and be killed at any given moment in war. I never realized how brutal it could be. I'm worried about your safety Alie. We both know the Imperials are going to try to attack this city too. They want Hen and the princess."

"What do you suggest then? I can't leave her to die by them." "...I know. Your not that kind of person."

"But are you? Are you that kind of person?"

"...No. I'll never do anything like that. My mother did and the people I called friends and family did. I'll never become them."

"Good. Then about we come up with a plan to take them down." 

"I like plans too."

"Huh? Who said that?" 

"Laney?" I called out. I look to since his smell was coming from that direction. "Why are up there? And in this room?" 

"I wanted to surprise you but then you came with Lady Alie and I did not want to spoil your guys reunion."

"Come down from there. Its weird trying to talk to you like this." 

"Fine." I expect Tise to be around but I haven't seen her at all today. "Where Tise? Normally she's around here."

"Her highness has asked Lady Tise to talk with the elves in this city for support." "Did some thing happened?"

"The elves has hesitant to give support in this war. But the princess needs their help."

"I don't think they will."

"I think so too. But Tise is an important figure to them. So maybe they will listen to her." "How important?"

"I'm not sure. But she is an elf. Its better to have her talk to them." To make sure no one could hear us. Laney cast a silent spell in the room. "Before we hear this plan of yours Alie. I need to make it clear that we are loyal to the princess. We can't just do anything we want with out telling her."

"Well tell her. Just not now. The princess is always being watched because of her status. The imperial knights will be watching her."

"I also believe there going after Hen as well." Before we got back to the city. Hen was attack a few times. They had tried to poison his drink once luckily I was able to smell it out before he took a sip. Another time a spell of a higher rank hit our camp. Hen gifted powers protected him. I never what kind of power he has. But it saved him.

"There a few minor attempts but we countered them all." "Its the same here too. There have many attempts to take the princess life but Laney and Tise were able to stop them all."

"So what do we do then?" 

"I have a gut feeling that they will try to kill the General and Mia during the siege. It would be the perfect window for them."

"Maybe but I don't like the idea of having them come to us. We don't know how many there are and how strong they are."

"The black market will help us." "How so?" "All of the attacks on the princess were criminals. Assassin's and mercs. There must be one in the black market that is hiring these people. We saw it when we went into the sewers and found one of them talking to them. And I bet that person we saw is the one hiring them." 

"And what we find her and follow her to her?" "No if course not. Like you said we don't know how many are here. Instead maybe we can put them into a trap. Some thing they wouldn't expect."

"Attack them when they think they have the upper hand," "But we need the help of the Thieves guild that runs the black market."

"Who?" 

"There kind of like the order of the black market here. Kings to say. They run trade amongst thieves/mercs and illegal merchandise in the network of the underworld around the world. With they have rules."

"Then you want to get in talk with the Master then."

"I do." "Alie...I understand up smart and daring you are but This is not going to work." "I agree with Laney Alie. We don't have the status nor anything to offer them. The imperials have more to offer. They won't help us."

"But we do have some we can offer." 

"What are you talking about Alie?" Alie holds out the rubies we had dug before the incident with Servin. I thought we had used them all. "Alie the master of the thieves could have hundreds of these. This won't get her curiosity let alone her attention."

"And her curiosity is all I new. Which lead to the one thing thieves all want and that is gold. They do trade amongst each other and I will use that as way for an alliance."

"And what is the thing that will lead to that?"

"I already had told the princess. She knows of the valuable things in this land. Before you left me and the princess had made a deal that will benefit us all. She had given me the full me the document of trade."

"You became a merchant?" "Yup. I am now allowed to do trade with the sphere of the Iron faction. Thank fully Mia has friends with the council."

"And what does the princess get out of it?"

"We agreed that when the war was over. I agreed to work under as lady in waiting and handle anything related to the national treasury."

"Why!"

"Calm down Ivalyo. Its only temporary. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in here. Its only until the kingdom is back to what it used to be. Which will be in a year in half."

"Really?"

"She believes we can and the Iron faction will be looking to gain some type of profit from it." "Put that aside. You want to form a trade with the master?"

"I do. I need to speak with the princess first."

Some time later we were given time to speak with the princess. Her attendant smell of wolf. And he can tell I was a half-blood. But that is not important. In this room Alie explained to us the many things we use in our daily lives and how we can improve it.

"Unfortunately we don't have time to do all the things I have in mind. For now we'll focus on hygiene. Princess you use petals and as well as certain oils for smell."

"I do. Though the smell does not last long and some times they don't smell very great. But its what royal families and nobles do."

"I have a better way of doing this." After a long process she had extracted essence from the petals. But it was much faster way."

"Most people would sock in water with petals to smell good. But the flower has essence in the flower. Usually this would take much longer to build the perfect aroma to last much longer but we are short on time. And the smell will have to do. Its much stronger then usual rose bath you take am I right princess?"

"Indeed."

"Steaming or boiling is much better then just socking in a petal bath. Using olive oil is good too for mixture to give it a much stronger aroma."

"But will people bye it?"

"Nobles will though. Female nobility will most defiantly buy this. They care about marriage and looking beautiful. Money for them is not a problem so setting a high price will be alright."

Cairo thought to himself I never thought of flowers would have such liquid in them. Most alchemist mix and boiling things as well. I wonder if they also know of this. All aroma products are made from them. And they also a part of the magic world meaning this could get her in a lot of trouble.

"Princess Mia. You seemed to know people from the Iron faction. Friends or other family members? Maybe you could promote this to them."

"...I have few friends but family, no."

"I see. What ever makes you feel comfortable princess." Mia rubs the perfume on her body and it was a much pleasant smell. Though I never understood the purpose of washing. So its very usual for me to smell these kind of things.

"Its not bad. How long will the smell last?"

"Not very long. A few hours maybe." "As a women. I love this very much. There must be more you could do?"

"Not right now. First we need to make contact with the guild master of the black market." "I don't like making deals with thieves but the master has been some what good to me."

"You know her?"

"My mother knew her. The master of the thieves guild name is Vlatka Kovacic. Vlatka is cunning old women and tends to lose her cool these days."

"Is she strong?" 

"She might be just as strong as the general here? I have never seen her use her magic before so its unknown what kind of spells she has. But her weapon I have seen it break down these very walls before. Only because its a magical weapon of sorts."

"Hopefully she can be easy to talk to."

"Depends on that person. You need to get her to be interested in you. That way conversation of business can be discussed."

"Any idea where she could be?"

"No but Ivalyo her could help you." I could smell them out follow the trail of mana. "I'll need some thing of she has touched. "I have some thing that could help." Mia calls for a maid to bring a wrapped artifact. 

"This was a crown of my mother. Vlatka had been keeping it for awhile but I had to buy from her. I have no idea why she had but it was worth the penny since it belongs to the royal house."

"Her smell or mana on it will not give me a clear way to her just to note. It will depend on how long its been." I take sniff of the crown on it was power scent of mana. "Never mind. Maybe it will show me were she is."

But why is there so much mana on the crown? A trial of mana appears to me the scent went outside of the balcony in the royal chambers. I look out to the city. "Lets follow it." "Be careful. The thieves guild has very power people. Its not just Vlatka."

With that warning from Mia. Me, Laney, and Alie followed the trail of mana with in the black market. Rumor is that the market is much bigger then the entire city and walking around makes them true. We notice the change with the market as we walked deeper into the market. 

People stands soon become building and overhead brides attached to other buildings. It was like another city. Lantern and flowing water fountains. "This is amazing."

"Yeah." Alie look through a open window to see people dinning and be civilized. It was very different from being the main city.

"Did you know it was like this Laney?" 

"I did but I never been here. I was always busy with work. But seeing this now its quite a sight. And all this is the work of one guild. It makes you wonder what else this Vlatka is capable of and what kind of person she really is. Its very terrifying honestly."

This secret world broke the tradition of what we all know. Using magic for everyday like making deal and running business with out the proper permits. And they say every city has their own black market. If they are more powerful why hide all of it from the world. 

"Ivalyo where to now?" I should stay focus.

The mana lead us to a spectacular building. The most interesting thing about it was the purple glowing trees. They don't look like their from here. Around the building was a moat with only one bridge.

When we crossed two men stepped forward from the shadow. "Stop right there. You are in the area of the master thief, Vlatka Kovacic."

"I am a lady of the princess of Isabella. I am here to discuss some thing with the Master of the thieves guild."

They both look at each other. It was obvious they were surprised and puzzled by our sudden visit. "Do you have proof."

Ladies in waiting is different here then other counties. Isabella has not nobles and their usually selected based on those titles alone. But Alie is not of nobility. Instead their given rings that show loyalty to the royal house.

"Is this proof enough?" "...Come in and don't touch anything." The men lead us to the quarters of the master. She looked great for her age. She work light armor of strange color to it. Her hair was brown. Her eyes were pink. 

"Welcome lady of the princess of our beloved country. Or just Lady Alie correct?" She stares at me. Her expression changed to frown. "And you must Ivalyo." Does she know me? She seems to have an opinion of me."

"And Laney. Welcome to my home. What business do you have here?"