The La Costre Trade

In the midst of the midnight moon, a horse was heard galloping by the distance. A person riding, wearing clothing darker than shadow itself. Passing from the Le Leon Territory to the La Costre.

...

Territories have three tiers of sub territories: The Noble's Territory, The Baron's Territory, and the Peasant's Territory.

Among the territories, the middle circle is the hotspot for noble corruption and embezzlement. Hundreds of Barons are caught every year, doing everything from a drug deal to slavery — reported to be run by the Second Prince, Duke Evron Le Leon.

However, the La Costre Territory is different. It is the lowest count of noble corruption in any given territory, which makes the La Costre Family the most suspicious of getting caught.

There is a rule where no noble shall build within a peasant's territory without their permission and vice versa.

Yes, what Lady Elise is thinking, is that the La Costre has broken the rules. Not just doing shady business, but also establishing a business in the Peasant Territory without their permission.

...

Weirdly, only after four days, Lady Elise's wounds healed thanks to what Evron suggested. During that time, she studied more about politics and territory management. She also browsed through the "Play Time" book once more to notice that there was more than one La Costre written in the book.

Earl Karlos La Costre — The father of Lady Melany La Costre.

A greedy pig that works with one of the royal family. Running a salve trade inside their territory, giving off 30% of the territory's money. He will do anything with enough money involved and is loyal to those he makes deals to. However, he is overly cautious and would suspect anyone he deems suspicious, hence the reason his business is still running.

"So that's why an Earl is making more money than a Duke. No wonder his daughter is a tyrant."

Lady Elise muttered as the horse stopped the moment she saw houses in the distance. As a small city, there are stone buildings that incorporate entertainment and restaurant buildings.

A great balance of residency and entertainment, it seems like there are only a few industrial zones of the territory.

Lady Elise jumped out of the horse as she leashed it on the side of a tree down the distance. She considered getting too close would arouse suspicion from patrolling guards.

...

As a well-known murderer, Lady Elise knows how to escape too. Jumping through buildings like an assassin, it requires a strong foundation on the leg. However, thanks to a frail body, she is having a hard time doing it.

She trains her body every day, doing pushups with only one hand was hard enough, it was a must to exercise. She noticed that dinner for nobles is heavily consistent with meat, as greens are often called a peasant's dish. Not exercising may lead to a heart attack.

Climbing through the building walls, with windows and other exteriors as a means to hold on. Not even a minute, she was already standing at the top of tiled roofs.

She already knows that these guards are just guarding the entrance to the hidden lair. Meaning, she just needs to listen to the guard's conversation, or maybe follow those who are planning to go inside.

Thanks to her heightened senses, everything she does is superhuman. Although it's normal for nobles to be more than human thanks to their blood, it is rare for women to be this talented. It was thanks to the fact that she has the soul of a male.

"Let's see here. There are guards wandering around the street, and no people?"

Lady Elise muttered as she wondered if there are any poor people wandering the street. In her territory, there are a dozen living beside houses but here, there's no one in sight. A peaceful territory that looks like a ghost town in the evening, how intriguing.

"Are poor people not that poor here? No, that's impossible. There's no way a greedy pig like the Earl to give away money... that means?"

Lady Elise just had an idea in mind. There's an easy way for her to enter the slave trade like a piece of cake. I wonder if her hunch is true?

Lady Elise quickly ran and jumped through other buildings, hoping to see someone that is not a guard, as she suspects that they may be the one that is sold as slaves. People that do not have the money to give taxes.

"No wonder there are no reports of neighboring territories of people missing, and also the reason why the La Costre is not suspected. They're using their own people..."

"No, stop... let me go!"

Lady Elise murmured as she heard a voice from the streets. In an alleyway, a guard and a little girl, struggling like a pedo couple. She found her key to the lair! She just stood atop the building as she listened through the conversation, curious as what the peasants may know about the La Costre slave trade.

"No, let me go! I don't want to go to the Jolly Tunnel!"

"You are no one's daughter, people who have no house are required to live there!"

"No! I don't wanna! People that went there never came back!"

"You little twat!"

The little girl seems like she is not in approval of this Jolly Tunnel place that it actually made the guard get angry and slap her unconscious. He raised her up and rested her in his shoulders, walking out of the alleyway and unto the streets.

Lady Elise noticed that there are hangars raised in the window, silently watching the even that took place. It would also say that the citizen in this place knows about the slave trade or what they call, the "Jolly Tunnel".

"What a horribly bad name, pftt!"

Lady Elise laughed a little as she wondered who would've named such a place. Well, she wouldn't be surprised if the Earl named it. "Jolly Tunnel"... just wow!

Enough of the name, Lady Elise followed the guard, to find out that he went to the outskirts of town. Leading on to a forest that leads into a mountain. The equipment scattered around and the entrance in front of her, it looked like a man.

"So that's why there is little industrial work... they've used it as a hidden base."

Lady Elise murmured as she had the fun. She couldn't watch an innocent needlessly harassed by buyers, so she jumped out of the tree that she was standing on.

Her landing made a slight sound as the guard noticed and turned around. Only that, what he saw was the last thing that will be imprinted on his head. His surprised look in front of an attacker, Lady Elise loved it. She made the sound on purpose to look at her shocked and widened eyes.

"My first kill!! I'll make sure to kill lots tonight!"

Lady Elise felt the ecstasy in her body as she finally has the chance to kill again! Three whole weeks without killing was bearable for her but it was also too long. Her face distorted more than ever as her tongue escaped her grinning mouth, licking the blood that splattered in her arms.

Thanks to the girl he was carrying, he had no time to draw his sword. Lady Elise held a dagger and stabbed the man's throat as she left the dagger intact and grabbed the girl from falling.

"I'll kill you when you are worth killing."

Lady Elise muttered as she looked at the unconscious little lady in her arms. Carrying her to the side of a tree, where she will be temporarily safe from danger. She came back to grab the dagger from the man's throat and noticed that inside the entrance, there are quite a few guards playing around, drinking, and playing cards.

"Now, what should I do?"

Lady Elise muttered as she got a glance of dynamite on a minecart. Since this is a mine, it was natural for them to have it. Although her mouth was covered, it was certain that she formed a heavy smile as her eyes deformed that of pleasure, as her eyebrows touched her eyes.

...

The guards that played around suddenly felt a shaking sensation as they heard something explode outside the mine. They felt shocked at first but when you look at their expressions, it's like it wasn't the first time something exploded outside

"H-hey Rich, go check outside! Maybe a pack of dynamite went loose or something."

"H-huh? Why... why me?"

"Just go you wussss!!"

They looked and spoke really drunk, as one of the guards clicked his tongue and went outside the entrance. He noticed that there seems to be a pile of blood and guts scattered as he realized too late that it was a dead body that got exploded into pieces.

I said too late because the moment he noticed it was blood, someone covered his mouth as something red just came flowing out of his throat.

"Shush, you're gonna alert the other guards! Let them have their last seconds of fun..."

...

The guards realized that Rich was having a long time patrolling outside that they got a bit suspicious. Realizing that Rich might be dead by now, they grabbed their sword and spear as they slowly went outside.

They looked outside to see a body drenched in a pool of blood. They noticed his blonde hair and elongated head that it was Rich, and they also noticed the man that stood in front of them, dressed in all black.

"A-an intrude—"

"Peekaboo!"