Squeaky Clean City

A menacing aura crashed down on the boat. The poor captain fainted right then and there. Chris jumped in front of Daren and Aayla, but before he could do anything more the crushing pressure disappeared.

"Oh! It's the young master and his companions."

The wizard lightly stepped onto the boat with a bow. Chris slightly relaxed and glared at the man.

"Please excuse my rudeness for interrupting your outing, Young Master."

"Captain Mayfield. What is the meaning of this?"

"Just following orders, Sir Vear. I'll need to ask you to turn around now."

More screams came from the building in front of them. Armored guards handcuffed their prisoners before stuffing them into armored wagons. Boxes and large objects covered in cloth were constantly carried out of the building.

An extremely belligerent man was dragged out of the building kicking and screaming. His words were intelligible, but Aayla could feel his anger from the boat. The guards slammed the man into a wall repeatedly before he was calm enough to enter the wagon.

The scene was instantly blocked from view by a wall of water. Aayla uncomfortably shifted in her seat. She felt like she just saw something that she shouldn't have and decisively turned her eyes away from the elaborate building.

"Very well then. Chris, steer the boat. The captain appears to have fainted."

"Many thanks, Young Master. I'll escort you to your destination."

"We can handle this ourselves captain."

"Of course, you can. But it's part of my duties to keep you safe. This area is dangerous right now."

Captain Mayfield sat down on the boat where Chris used to. He was going to ensure that the group left no matter what.

"… Fine. The trial is about to start again anyways. We'll finish our outing for today and find another chance later."

"Thank you for your understanding, Young Master."

Daren realized that this was most likely his grandfather's work. He had gone out sometime that morning, yet Daren never saw him at court. The guards would never follow Daren's orders if they went against his uncle's or grandfather's.

The boat slowly backed up then took a side canal to get away from the blocked waterway. Chris deftly guided the boat through the canals and back to the docks. The poor captain was still unconscious when they arrived.

After they all got off the boat, Daren stuffed some extra bills into the boat captain's wallet.

"That's not necessary, Young Master. He won't be needing money for much longer."

"He didn't see anything, Captain Mayfield."

"It's better to make sure. Loose lips sink ships, after all."

"If he did see anything, the captain can just forget for a while, right? It's not like all of the neighbors didn't see anything either. You can't just pay all of them a visit as well."

Daren's head slightly tilted towards Aayla.

"I'd rather not have any more violence than necessary."

"… As you wish. However, this man will remain in custody for a couple of days."

Mayfield grabbed the boat captain as the group walked away. Aayla nervously looked back over her shoulder. The wizard gently smiled and waved as they left.

"Who was that guy?"

"One of the captains of the Halcyon Guards that specializes in more subtle operations. He stayed here with my uncle. Let's just forget about today for now."

"You don't need to tell me twice."

Daren grabbed Aayla and hurried away from the scene. He wanted to get back to court as soon as possible. If Mayfield is moving so openly, then his grandfather is probably leading a large operation throughout the entire city. It's best not to get involved at this point.

**********

The rest of the week passed by without incident. The remaining True Order agents were executed one by one after being convicted of their crimes. However, another bloody purge followed as more traitors were flushed out of hiding.

The trials stretched on as more and more people were put on trial, especially the nobility and officials. Many crimes unrelated to the True Order's attack were uncovered as the military searched for more traitors. From corruption and bribery to murder and theft, the courts were busy all day, every day.

Several nobles and officials complained that the City Lord was merely taking the opportunity to clean out the opposition. Well, they were right, but the public didn't care and the more upright nobles. After all, those arrested did commit crimes and there was solid evidence.

Coincidentally, many of the convicted criminals were those that wanted Tregario to succeed the City Lord's position. They were the main faction that kept trying to drive a wedge between Daren and his cousins as well as spread nasty rumors about Daren throughout the public.

For once, the public had an overall favorable view of the eldest young master of the Forolan family. At most, people were usually neutral before. No matter how talented he was, Daren was still the son of that couple. However, that couple died, and Daren's actions during the past few weeks were revealed.

Those nobles and officials didn't have the time to complain for long. Many suddenly passed away from their injuries incurred during the fighting. Those close to the traitors often committed suicide out of shame due to that association. Stallesso discretely handled those cases himself.

Within a month, most of the problematic forces in Halcyon had been cleared out. The city was exhausted, but clean and stable. Full recovery was a long way away. In the meantime, the entire nation had been preparing for a final showdown.

The international community finally heard news of the turmoil in the Chinebar Republic. Each nation summoned all of their power. Whether they wanted to protect their own safety or take a bite out of the republic, military might was a necessity.

The Chinebarian military and the True Order could no longer afford to delay. They had to destroy the other side and quickly secure the borders before the vultures and hyenas moved in. Already on the prowl, foreign nations were eager to take a bite.

The Ferreus Empire was already gathering along the border. The foreign army would have invaded already if the Northern Divide Mountains weren't there. Pirates and spies from the Ixcan City States prowled the southern coastline, forcing Port Altalon and Port Vilskameau to divert some of their naval forces.

Both the government and the rebels rushed to secure the nation. More forces arrived by the day to surround Landrienne and Sarrasak. The True Order dug in its heels at both cities while urgently preparing a trump card that would shock the entire world to its core.

**********

Water dripped down from the moldy walls of the cramped cells. Deep underground the ancient city, sunlight had rarely been seen by the prisoners here. Even the guards wouldn't see the sun while they were stationed in these depths.

Sealed by rusty bars, the cells had little to stop the chill from seeping inside. Many of the inmates shivered and sat weakly on the bare ground. Faint glows from their shackles lit up the dark like bioluminescence in the ocean depths.

Loud footsteps thundered through the halls as the guards made their rounds. No one spoke, neither the guards nor the prisoners. After the guards had left, a loud snap echoed throughout the long hallway. The prisoners froze for a second. A faint creak punctuated the silence every few seconds.

A few of the prisoners shuffled back into their cells. Whatever was happening, they didn't want to get involved. However, the guards didn't seem to notice or care about the noise. The creaking suddenly stopped. Before the prisoners could relax, there was another snap. Then another, and another.

Excited whispers echoed throughout the hall. Now freed from their cages, the prisoners began to help others. Cages were cautiously opened and shackles were cast off. The remaining lights dimmed as the shackles' spells turned off.

"Hurry up!" One of them hissed. "We don't have much time until the guards notice."

In the pure darkness, the prisoners made their escape. They rushed down the dark hallways. There was little time before they were discovered. Keeping to the shadows wouldn't help them for long. Sure enough, another patrol was heading down their hallway.

The guards silently complained about this job. The prisoners were secure enough with the mana restricting shackles. Deprived of sleep, proper food and sunlight, they were too weak to fight. Patrolling these depths so often was completely unnecessary.

Overconfident and lax, the patrol didn't know what hit them. Several blurs struck out from the darkness. The guards' lives were buried in this unforgiving place. Their armor was stripped off and the most physically fit prisoners were selected to take their place.

Just on schedule, these new guards walked towards a thick steel that wouldn't look out of place guarding a bank vault. With baited breath, the prisoners watched as their allies walked towards the door. After several minutes, it finally opened.

The new guards casually walked out of this level of the prison. Less than an hour later, hundreds of prisoners had escaped. A new variable had entered the game for the nation.