Not (Just) A Mage Lord Isekai-Chapter 43 - Coming Unbound

"My apologies, master Perth," Calbern said when he noticed me in the door. "I was too slow. He’d vacated by the time I arrived."

"Nothing to apologize for. Tresla, you okay? Do you need healing?" I asked, kneeling down next to her and already preparing to cast Minor Heal.

Tresla shook her hood as she held a hand up as if to stop me. "No. They just bopped me with one of those shockers. Wasn't ready, and it unraveled me a bit."

"I'm sorry, Tresla. Shouldn't have left you alone when we hadn't rounded them up," I said, running a hand down my face.

"Shadows fade into night," Tresla said, waving a hand in my direction while letting out her musical laugh. "We assumed they were too incompetent to try anything."

"They're too stupid to know they're incompetent, boss," Tanis said as he escorted Selvi over to a chair. "But they're also too stupid to run. I bet they're in Grivis' super secret club."

"Don't ‘spose you know where that is?" I asked, not really having much hope, but figuring it was worth a shot.

"Sorry, boss. They never invited me to play. Said I was too soft. Not sure why they said that. I have the hardest abs in the net," Tanis said, lifting his tunic to display said abs.

I stared at what had to be at least a twenty pack for a few seconds. How many layers of muscles he had, I couldn’t even be sure. It was strange seeing so many muscles. Especially since he didn’t have the scars I was used to seeing crossing them. Finally, I shook my head. "Calbern, any chance you figured out where he was looking?"

"There are only two buildings the miscreant could have absconded to that correspond with his line of sight at that moment, master Perth," Calbern answered, pointing across the chasm to two wooden buildings down a level from us.

"And we already checked the floor for hidden pockets?"

"There were no unexpected reverberations, hollow echoes or loose planks," Calbern replied, tapping the floor again with one foot for good measure. “Nor was there anything of note in the chamber below.”

"Tresla, you feel up to coming with to get a little payback?"

Tresla made a fist and pressed it into her other glove, knuckles cracking with surprisingly musical notes as she did so. "Does the sun flee before night?"

"Gonna take that as a yes,” I said, turning to Selvi. “Selvi, you gonna be okay on your own, or should we leave Tanis with you?"

"Tanis can't stay, boss. You need at least one guard to keep you safe," Tanis objected with a frown.

A laugh issued forth from Selvi, as she smacked the big man on the ass. "Go on then, you knothead. I'll be fine, Magus Dominus."

When we stepped outside, Myris was waiting, her eyes fixed across the chasm. She didn’t say anything, but she did follow us across, watching.

Tresla joined her in her vigil as we prepared to take the building, making sure Grivis wouldn’t slip away while we searched. I was thankful I’d prepared for combat. In addition to Hush and Eagle Eyes, I had both Shield and Spark ready, with Lightning Bolt slotted, just in case. Tanis stood in front of me, hefting a stun rod that looked more like a club, with his dainty looking dart-tube slung across his back. Beside him, Calbern gave a nod, holding his own stun stick ready in one hand. His other held a full-petal blasting rod.

Tanis led the way into the first building with a shout, with Calbern and I right behind him. There was no one inside. Just a whole bunch of bundled up rope and sheets upon sheets of hanging cloth. I couldn’t help but note there was a lot more fabric than Grivis had told Calbern about.

We only gave it a quick search, knocking on the walls and floor, and pushing through the sheets, but other than a few dusty rags in one corner, the place was empty.

Moving to the next building, Tanis did the same, leading the way inside with Calbern and I at his flanks.

It was even emptier than the first, and without the hanging sheets, it was easier to confirm.

"Must've fooled us," I said as we went outside. "I was sure he would've looked at his getaway spot. Or at least an emergency stash. Maybe he caught himself part way?"

"I couldn't say, master Perth. It seemed a genuine reaction."

"Maybe you're overthinking it, boss. I do that sometimes. Like right now. I'm hungry, but should I get a salad? Maybe some dried dan-root? Then again, I’m not so hungry I couldn’t wait till morning," Tanis said, rubbing his stomach.

It couldn't be that simple could it?

"Calbern, where exactly, was he looking? He couldn't have been looking at both buildings, could he?"

"No, master Perth. I erroneously assumed his sense of direction was as flawed as most people's, so it would be imprecise," Calbern replied even as he scanned the wall just above the buildings. He stopped, looking then pointed at a set of netting that was three times as thick as most of the others. "There, master Perth. Just above the building on the right."

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"Right where that flap of canvas is hanging on the nets?"

"Precisely so."

Myris snorted, shaking her head. “If you’d told me what you’d been looking for, I coulda told you that Grivis and his rope-rotters are always messing about back there.”

I glanced up at Myris, then over to Calbern, who only gave me a shrug.

Tresla stepped forward, her hand grabbing the netting and hauling herself up, before her cloak shifted in my direction, a flash of red escaping. "Well, what are you waiting for? Winter’s Glory?"

I let Calbern follow her, before grabbing the net. "Tanis, stay here. Make sure no one gets past you."

"You can count on me, boss," Tanis said, putting both hands in front of his face and turning away as I grabbed the first rung.

Myris moved into position above us. “Nor will they ascend the nets. Not again.”

By the time I made it up to the entrance, Calbern and Tresla had both slipped under the canvas. Which suggested we were on the right track.

They were both waiting just on the other side. For the second time that night, I cast Hush on all three of us. Thankfully, this time, it wouldn't have to be held for over an hour. We moved inward, only to hear raised voices a few feet ahead.

"But boss, we got you out. We even got your fancy rock necklace. We should be fighting, not running," a low grumbling voice said.

"That's not the right pendant, you idiot. And even it was, it wouldn't matter. They're not mortals. There's a Magus Dominus and an honest to god Knight Exemplar. Not to mention whatever that thing cloaked in darkness was. It was barely slowed by a dozen hits from the fraying stun rods! This is so far beyond us… I'm not even sure Sarpit would be able to stop them," Grivis said. His words were accompanied by the sound of objects dropping on the floor.

"Ropeburn, boss. You're getting more on the floor than in the bag," another voice said. "No way they find us here. We can just lay low until everyone's swarming the nets in the morning, then drop into the deep. No one ever goes down there."

"You don't understand. It's not a matter of if they find us. They will. They have a Knight Exemplar," Grivis said again.

I was pretty sure he was referring to Calbern at this point. Honestly, I was almost glad he'd escaped just for this bit of information. Still had no clue what a Knight Exemplar was, but if Grivis knew, there must've been records of some sort in Tetherfall I could look through. Or I could just ask Calbern.

Yeah, I'd probably do the second thing. After we were done with this whole arresting the bad guys thing.

We inched forward, and suddenly the room they were working in was visible. Grivis was visibly panicking, his hands shaking so much anything he picked up went flying several feet. One of his guards was walking behind him, picking up everything he dropped and putting it into a bag. I counted seven of them, including the two we'd stunned earlier and tied up. Eight if I included Grivis, but considering his current state, I didn't.

We could go in soft, take the risk, and hope none of us get hurt.

Or… I could use lightning bolt, and stun most of them in a single shot.

I motioned to Calbern, then mouthed the words, 'lightning trajectory,' trusting him to understand.

Starting on the right, he slowly panned his head around the room. Then he tugged on me slightly. Taking a half-step towards him, I held my arm up and let him pull me into position. Tresla had been watching us, and when she saw Calbern cover his ears, she dropped her stun rod to do the same.

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I was almost insulted she thought I wouldn't hold the bolt until she was ready. Still, with my arm pointed at precisely the point on the wall Calbern had set it, I braced myself. Unlike them, my ears wouldn't be covered.

Unlike them, I wouldn't be needed after the first shot.

Unleashing the lightning bolt was far too simple. It crackled and snarled as it raced down my arm, splitting the air. My ears were bleeding and ringing before it had finished leaving my pinky. If not for the effects of Eagle Eyes, the flash of light would've left me blind.

The effect on the guards below was far worse.

There was a very important factor I hadn't considered when I asked Calbern for a trajectory.

He wasn't concerned with casualties.

No. That wasn’t accurate. It was the opposite. He’d optimized the results to maximize casualties.

All seven of the guards were lying on the ground, their heads or chests little more than charred ash. Grivis was in the middle of the room, cowering with his hands over his head.

I gagged, almost throwing up in my mouth.

A hand on my shoulder reminded me Calbern was right beside me. I winced even as I used Minor Heal to restore my hearing.

"That was… not what I meant," I said, voice flat as I turned to Calbern. "Could you have aimed it to stun them, Calbern?"

"Not all of them," Calbern replied, a small catch in his voice.

"But most?"

"Yes, master Perth."

"And did you forget that I wanted them alive?"

"You indicated your preference. However, that was before they proved their loyalty to Grivis. I am sorry I didn't consult you, master Perth. It was necessary."

"Evil words," I muttered in response.

My old man had said those words so many times. Always to justify his actions. It was necessary. Necessary to go without dinner so he could get his six pack. Necessary to skip on school so I could work while he 'supervised'. Necessary to put me in the ring with other kids. Necessary to…

"Never again," I said, raising my head to stare Calbern directly in the eyes, my voice cold. Something he saw there made him flinch. "Never again, will you tell me 'it was necessary'. That is a coward's explanation. We both know we could've captured them. We have taken lives, Calbern. It was easier, and maybe even the better choice. But I will not lie to myself and say, 'it was necessary'."

"I… apologize, master Perth," Calbern said, his hands shaking as he turned away.

I let him go.

Jumping down, I approached Grivis. Then I looked around the room. There were several crates, even a small one containing silver dust. A veritable fortune in scribing materials. Hundreds of pages worth if it was pure, though a few specks of black made me suspect it was partially monster dust.

"Was it worth it?" I asked Grivis, my voice soft as I kneeled in front of him. "Was it worth all the suffering? All the pain? The agony inflicted on innocents?"

Grivis looked up at me. He hadn't heard my words. I hadn't healed him. That was okay. My words hadn't been for him. Not really.

They'd been for a man dead near on a decade.

Standing up, I turned one step at a time as I took in the room. Tresla was still sitting up where we'd come in, her cloaked face hidden from view. And yet… and yet, I knew she was judging me. Seeing someone different than she'd expected. Than she'd thought she'd known.

It was a reminder that I'd never told them everything. That they didn’t know who I’d been. That which I'd never told anyone.

Perth hadn't been the first boy I'd killed.