32. Riele Hutchinson

CHAPTER 32: Riele Hutchinson

"What do you mean you know where the envoy is?" Freya demands in exasperation.

"Don't get me wrong. I don't know where he is, simply who took him." I correct her.

"How? Who?!" She struggles for words.

"The Okutake Family." I simply answer her. Her face freezes in surprise. It might seem risky to reveal to her this much but it's my own stupidity for not thinking thoroughly about my actions the other day.

"There's a few things you should know. Is there a place we can talk in private?" She asks and glanced over to the people passing by behind her. I think I know what she's getting at.

"I'm staying at an inn just around the corner." I suggest and lead the way.

So I'm guessing that there's some connection between Helena and the Okutake Family I'm not aware of. Maybe not even the general public which explains the privacy. I've pretty much come to know pretty much anything public about Rostalio and a few other kingdoms. Thanks to my time reading at the library. I think Freya might be forgetting that today we can finally fuck again. According to Merus that is. I've been held up for far too long.

In a few short minutes we arrive in my room at the inn. To be honest it's more like an apartment than a single room. There's a kitchen, a living room, a fully modern bathroom customised with magic technology for the plumbing. All for 1 silver coin a week. Which is about 1000 Pele. If my math is correct that is.(Authors' Note: 10 Pele is 1 Copper. 100 copper is 1 silver).

Freya takes a sit opposite me. Her mind seems preoccupied with something.

"So there's a bit of information you need to know." She begins. She has that distant look. It must be something good.

So she starts to explain the deal with the House Okutake. As I already know they are a noble household originally from the Cartaros Continent to the South East. As I mentioned before they arrived some 300 years ago and rose to prominence using any kind of scheme and tactic they wished. Using their unique bloodline magic they gained considerable power, especially in the last century. So much so that they are now considered more powerful than the Royal House Detalia.

A few years ago, they were the masterminds in the loss of 10 000 men and women to a pair of Imperial Magic Knights. The Patriarch of the House manipulated the late, King Telo IV, into attacking the pair of unprovoked Magic Knights. The then Prince, now King Claudius IX, found out and informed his father. With the country at the brink of a civil war, the king surrendered his life for a brief period of peace. With the king dead, the Okutake House cut all ties with Detalia House including ending Helena's engagement to the next head of Okutake House, Toshiro Okutake.

For the past three years, they have bolstered their ranks. Including a ridiculous number of Beastkin slaves. The only one in their way is the King who is genuinely trying to pursue peace with the empire. The other noble houses and the people are mostly on his side on this. The Okutake simply don't care about peace at this point. The arrival of the Envoy for peace negotiations will mean the full majority support for the House Detalia. The Okutake Family is doing anything they can to make sure the kings peace ambitions don't happen.

"I see…"

Well that certainly explains a few things I've noticed in the last few days. So there is a cold war of sort going on between House Detalia and House Okutake. I was afraid I'd get caught up in some kind of ridiculous mission like this. Getting involved in a power struggles is not really my cup of tea but the system wants what the system wants.

"So what is the princess planning at this time?" I queried.

"Well she's still gathering information with the help of the General and his men. Things however are going slowly. You said the Okutake captured the envoy but we can't even begin to guess where he's been held if he's even alive?" She asks.

I don't trust this General responsible for the Fort. He seems a bit useless. It seems I have to carry most of the weight in this endeavour. I already have an idea of how to undertake it but I need some information. She's rightly worried about he's status but I think he's life. I'm guessing the Okutake will probably use him in their pursuit of the crown. If they succeed in whatever plan they have, they will not risk the wrath of the empire.

"Where was the envoy last seen publicly?" I queried again.

"A small village about a day's journey to the west." She answers.

So it's not that far. It's the perfect place to get some information and check out the roads leading to Fort Defal. My investigation should begin there. I should move quickly meaning I can't involve any of the Guards or the Soldiers. Time is running out and the empire is most definitely growing impatient. Before that, I need to talk with Helena and make my case now that we are on the same side.

"I have a plan but I need to talk to Helena first." Freya looks at me with great suspicion. "Don't worry it's not anything too naughty. There's a few things I need to talk about with her. Can you bring her here?" She appears to contemplate my proposal. Not that there's any hidden agenda to it. I'm about to go full commando on this bitch. I need to have all the bases covered to make a proper play at things.

It's been about an hour since Freya left. I'm still in my room waiting for her. Using the time to get control my Ki a bit better. Fighting Tark the other day helped me get a better feeling of the energy. It's easier to pull it out and control within my body. Using Ki blasts is working out about twice as much as before. Meaning half the time I can control the energy enough to use a Ki blasts.

I've abandoned the idea of using weapons for the time being. I think I unconsciously limit my ability to control my Ki effectively so until such a time when it's second nature to control Ki not only in my body but externally. I will not be using any weapons. I have to get out of my comfort zone. This is a way of achieving that.

KNOCK KNOCK!!

A knock on the door already? It's not Freya or Helena but the Ki signature is familiar. Oh I know, it's the little waitress girl from my new favorite restaurant.

I get up off the chair and walk to the door. My left hand reached for the door handle and turns it to open the door. I was right it is that little waitress with the B-cups. I don't think I got her name. She seems a bit troubled, judging by her expression.

"Can we talk mister?" She says in a pleading tone. I hope this doesn't take too much time. I'm planning on fucking Freya later tonight. Without answering I simply gesture her the way in. With a relieved look she enters. I proceed to close the door behind us.

"So I never got your name?" I ask her as she waits for my guidance where to proceed. I show her to the living room. She is absolutely beautiful. Not as much as Freya and not even close to Helena but still beautiful in her own right. I just have a thing of never going for any chick lower than C-cups. Even C-cups are rare for me. For your information Freya is a solid double d.

"I'm so sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Riele Hutchinson and I need your help." She gets straight to the point. So David must have told her my occupation.

"With what?" I enquire.

She proceeds to explain about the situation in her village. Just over a week ago, a group of mercenaries took control of her village. The mercenaries started using the villagers as slave labour in an illegal sense. I'll explain that in a minute. She asked the General and his men for help but they've so far just ignored her pleas because of 'real threats'. She even tried to put up a request by the Adventurers Guild but they need a proper payment method or recognition of funds to be paid.

I think I get the gist of it. She intends to ask for my help liberating her village but I already have my own mission. Wait, maybe I'm over thinking this but there's no such thing as a coincidence.

So let me explain about slavery as promised. Discrimination in Rostalio is a very real problem. Against the Demi Humans that is or beastkins.

There are mainly two types of slaves. Those branded as criminals and of that sort of nature and the other type. Merchants and others kidnap Beastkin from the wild and sell them off to places like Rostalio.

So back to Riele.

"Where exactly is your village?" I ask.

"To the west, near the border." I knew it. This should make things interesting.

[A/N: Join my patron to read 15-20 chapters ahead. The third volume is officially out for tier 2.]