Chapter 228 - One Last Thing (Patreon)

Chapter 228

Red Sands Desert, Contested Border Region

Elkis Republican Army Expeditionary Force Main Camp

General Coledar, of the Elkis Republican Army, looked as the battleship landed.

He was good at concealing his emotions. If you were going to last when you had to deal with the snakepit that was the senate, you had to be. But even he was at his limit as the capital ship, bristling with Gorromarian weaponry, settled down, and a ramp came down.

A small knot of people went forward, and he felt the major shift uneasily by his side.

The blonde young woman in assassin gear was obviously the baroness. The tall elf ranger had to be her fiancée. But the young woman in the white and crimson armor...

The dungeon's boss.

They looked surprisingly at ease, all things considered. Then again, the adventurers guild, the merchants guild and the World Mage Court had guaranteed the safety of all participants in this meeting.

At this point, Coledar wasn't even sure it was to protect them or to protect him.

"Greetings." He said as they came off the ramp. "I've had my men prepare refreshments. If you'll follow me?"

"Of course. Thank you." Said the baroness, and he led them to a large tent. A large, very well shielded tent. Especially against scrying enchantments and spy devices.

It didn't take a genius to realize he was almost certainly under constant surveillance otherwise now. Though some would argue that there wasn't much of a point to all the cloak and dagger. The senate would have seen the Dusk Blade with even the most cursory of divination spell. It wouldn't take a genius to realize what was going on, and even the corrupt idiots of the senate would could put two and two together...eventually. Still, the more cards he kept up his sleeves, the better. Especially when he was playing with his people's lives and his nation's future.

He went into the tent, nodding in thanks at the guards holding the flaps open, before seating himself at a table loaded with food and drink, the major following him after he none too gently prodded her ribs.

"Apologies for the somewhat simple fare, but we've had to ration ourselves due to...supply issues."

"Quite." Said the baroness, diplomatically.

They all took a drink of their choice, even the major, and Coledar sighed.

"I am not very good at the niceties. Not that they are very relevant now. I assume that you are aware of the full situation?"

"Yes." Said the dungeon core, and Coledar twitched in surprise. "With the destruction of the fortress at Erakis, the senate guard no longer has their sword on your throat. The senate could still cut supplies from the rest of the Republic, but with the fully stocked depot at Erakis, you would be able to sustain your army as you fell back and marched back into more...hospitable territory."

"Quite." Said the general, taking a sip of his drink, trying to buy himself some more time to regain his balance. He'd known the dungeon core would participate, but...he'd spoken to Amelia, and had been under the impression that she wouldn't care much about what didn't affect her dungeon! "And with the senate's mad orders, not to mention their kidnapping of general Amelia, the army has finally has had enough. Which is why I wished to meet with you. This war is pointless. It was from the get go. Me and my men? We hold no quarrel with Rebirth, let alone the Asarian crown." He pointedly didn't say Kingdom, and he saw that they registered the omission.

"Even with the people we have killed?" Asked the dungeon core. There was a hint of...something in her voice. Almost like regret. Interesting. He was under the impression dungeon cores were calculating sociopaths at best, but maybe there was something more to her.

"You were defending yourself. And you spared, and resurrected, many, even when you had no reason to. Yes, even with the people we lost, we hold no quarrel with you."

"So you want a peace treaty." The baroness leaned back into her seat. "You do not wish to waste lives attacking us, let alone fight a war on two front."

"Yes."

"You know that, given your positions, we will make demands, correct?"

Coledar inclined his head.

"Of course."

"Good. Then let's cut to the chase. We want Erakis."

"You want-" Coledar made a choking sound. Then it registered. "We?"

"We." Said the baroness and the dungeon core in unison, and the general stared at them for a solid second.

"I can't do that. You said it yourself, my supply depot is at Erakis. And the population wouldn't stand for it anyway."

"Oh, they will stand for it, believe me." Said Allya with a smile, and the general shivered. It wasn't a particularly nice smile. And it looked a touch...mischevious? "Regarding the supply issue, the treaty we are drafting up would include ample provisions allowing you to continue using the city as a supply hub." She held up her finger. "And only as a supply hub. Rebirth's guard force and the dungeon's units will ensure security. The entire city will be ours to command, and it will be formally transferred over from the Republic over to the Principality of Rebirth." She didn't say Kingdom either, and Coledar nodded.

"And that is what you demand in exchange for peace between us?"

"No, no." The baroness made a throwaway gesture. "Oh I'm sure I could twist your arm into accepting that, but I prefer allies, not reluctant or resentful partners." Coledar stood a bit straighter, and Allya smiled. "Yes General, you heard correctly, I indeed said 'allies'. You see, with the Republic's senate so hellbent on destroying us an all we hold dear, we see no reason to make peace with them, and every reason to help you depose them. So I'm going to make you a deal: you give us Erakis, and sign a treaty guaranteeing free trade between us, which will have a provision to apply to the whole of the Republic once you have taken back control, and I will allow you to buy whatever the hell you want from Rebirth. Muskets, gunpowder, doesn't matter. I'm sure Crystal will also be more than happy to send you some aid packages and additional armaments, if given the proper...incentives."

The general nodded, his eyes wide.

"I...Thank you, milady."

"There's no need to thank me. Amelia was a decent woman, and you seem to be as well. Besides which, we share a common enemy, one evil and insidious enough to require cooperation to destroy."

"Right. And I understand that. The people of Erakis however..."

"Will come around. Very quickly, I'd wager." Said Crystal, before smiling at the general. "See, the fleet that I will send to take possession of the city will be a very special item. My first secondary core. With which I plan to open another dungeon there. It will be small, of course, a...branch office, if you will, but it will include my clay and iron steps, dedicated mini dungeons for low level adventurers."

"That..." Would turn the population to whatever side the dungeon supported almost instantly. Erakis was built on top of a mana oasis but that didn't mean that it was bountiful. Having the mana from a dungeon core, however secondary, would revitalize the town massively. And with the loot...

But why would she do that? He knew dungeon cores never did this. Why...oh.

With a core there, it would shorten her supply lines. Why bother shipping military hardware across the wasteland when you could just snap your fingers and do it on the spot? With this, Erakis would become an impregnable fortress. And limiting her 'branch office' to low level adventurers would give them a taste of wealth...and enough money to pay for travel to Rebirth, extending her reach and funneling even more wealth and power to the heart of their growing little pocket empire. Because that's what it was, without question.

"Would that be acceptable?" Said Allya with a smile, matching Crystal's own.

"Yes. Quite." He sighed. "And your offer for military assistance is more than appreciated. I'm afraid I will need every bit of it, with Amelia gone."

The baroness and the dungeon core exchanged a look.

"About that..." Said the dungeon core. She got up, and gestured for the general to follow her out of the tent. He looked at her, confused, and got up himself.

He had to trot a bit to catch up to her, as she exited the tent and stopped by the side of a golem with a sizeable backpack. His eyes went wide as he recognized it. The dungeon had fucking radios?!? No kidding her raids were this effective!

She spoke briefly into the handheld attached to the side of the backpack, before smiling over her shoulder at the General.

"Apologies, but I doubt it would have worked that well in your tent."

"Yes, it is...secure."

"This doesn't need to be. As a matter of fact..." The dungeon core looked up and flipped off the sky. "If you can see me, suck my tits you cock biting retards! See what is coming for you and despair."

Coledar bit the inside of his cheek as he tried, and failed, not to laugh.

"But as for general Amelia." Continued Crystal. "Well...Why don't you ask her?" She offered the hand held, and Coledar took it. He pressed the button on the side and it sprang to life.

"Hello Coly." Said the crackling, electronic and yet so unmistakable voice on the other side. "It seems we have a lot of work to do."

Coledar opened and closed his mouth several times, struggling to speak. He felt wetness on his cheeks, and realized with a start that he was crying.

Finally, he managed to force a few words out.

"Yes president. We do. We have a Republic to save."

*****

Charles Veumenn, senator of the Elkis Republic, barely even twitched as he heard the gentle tap on his door.

"Yes?" He called out his aide, not even turning from the window he was looking out of, simply looking at his faithful servant through the reflection in the window.

"Sir...Senator Maximilian is here for you."

The wording in the aide's tone was unmistakable, and his tone was pleading, but Charles shook his head minutely.

His staff had plans ready for him to disappear the second they'd heard the news, but he'd rejected them. He couldn't run. The only person that might have been able to save him was Orzal, and he was dead, alongside Marine and several thousand senate guards when the army somehow blew the Erakis fortress to kingdom come.

He may not be the most courageous man, or very selfless, but he'd be damned if he let his staff die for nothing. At least if he came quietly, the senate would make an example of him and leave his people be. Or at least he'd gather their attention long enough for them to escape.

He hoped. But hope was all he had left.

"Good. Show in, will you?" The aide hesitated, and Charles smiled sadly. "Will you?" He repeated.

"Yes...Yes sir."

"Thank you. Then do instruct everyone to take the day off. Go home."

"It will be done...It...It's been an honor, sir."

"The honor was all mine."

The aide made a complicated expression, and nodded, clearly not trusting himself with a verbal response, and left.

Less than a minute later, senator Maximilian, the undisputed leader of the most powerful dynasty of the senate, stepped through the door.

"Hello, Charles." He said in velvety, deadly tones.

"Hello, Maximilian."

There was a slight pause, the other senator clearly not expecting him to be this calm, but Maximilian recovered quickly.

"I assume you saw the news?"

"Of course."

"The senate has decided to conduct a public inquiry in the disaster of Erakis, and the war with the Kingdom."

"Naturally. It's the right move to make." Charles smiled, and turned to face the other senator. "I'm not going to beg, Maximilian."

"Of course not." The senator took a step forward, and his face contorted with barely controlled  sadism. "I wouldn't listen anyway. But it won't be quick, Charles. You've fucked up in every possible way. And you're going to pay for it."

"No. I'm going to pay so that our dear colleagues, and you, will be able to scrabble for their miserable lives a little while longer, stave off the noose for a few more months."

This time it was anger filling the other senator's face.

"HOW DARE YOU-"

BLAM

Charles flinched as Maximilian's head exploded and the gunshot rang throughout the room. He blinked as he wiped the blood and bits of brain off of his face.

He looked in shock as the other senator's body toppled to the floor, and raised his gaze to the man that had snuck behind him.

Colonel Orzal Vek. Holding a Tarkian revolver.

"Colonel?"

"Hello Senator. I came as fast as I could." And a damn sight faster than that, noted Charles even through the shock. Even if he'd tried to make it as soon as the fortress had exploded, he had to have either used a courier airship or the teleport network to make it.

"You're supposed to be dead."

"That I am. And I will go back to being dead in the minds of everyone once I finish this one last thing."

The senator smiled. Damn, he'd struck gold with this one! Loyal to the end, and-

Loyal to the end. Loyal, but not to him. If he was here...

The fortress had been destroyed. Utterly and completely. Except that the army would have never been able to sneak in. Not with security so tight.

They'd have needed someone on the inside. Someone with the senate guard's full confidence, and access to the whole fortress.

Charles' smile fell as the colonel cocked his revolver again.

And pulled the trigger.

*****

Orzal Vek stared as Charles fell through the window, his corpse coming to crash onto the pavement below.

Maximilian had made sure they'd be alone for this. His men had cordonned off the area, and with the staff gone, it would take at least a few minutes before someone went to check on their boss, afraid of interrupting his sadistic pleasure.

A whisper of displaced air, an echo in the wrong place...He couldn't quite tell what tipped him off, but Orzal whirled around...and found himself staring down a squad of soldiers.

Soldiers in Old World armor.

Orzal's grip on his revolver was unerring, but he started to sweat. What the hell-

One of the soldiers spoke.

"Colonel Orzal Vek, formerly of the Elkis Republican Army. The Order to Restore Humanity has need of your services."

END OF BOOK 6