Chapter 55

Zee, after confirming the voice's identity, hid once more. Ercale, reacting to the confirmation, questioned, "Is that who I believe it is?" Zee nodded in response. As she did, Ercale turned away, his fist clenched in apparent frustration. Zee couldn't see his face, but she could tell that he was deeply affected by this, which surprised her, as she never thought he could be upset by something like this.

Jami's voice piped up, asking, "But why? Weren't we assigned to patrol the area?" Karin, glared at them, "Mistress Eirisse has called for both of you to return; no further explanation is necessary." Karin's responded, her tone harsh and cold, a far cry from the friendly woman they had encountered when they first arrived in town.

Sora gulped nervously and replied, "Yes, we understand, Miss Karin." They reversed their path and began heading back in the direction they had come. Zee, cautiously peered around the corner, tracking their movements. *At least we can trail them now,* she thought.

Suddenly, Karin halted, turned, and gazed directly at Zee's hiding place. Zee quickly hid back behind the corner, her heart pounding, as Karin lingered for a few tense moments before resuming her departure. Zee breathed a sigh of relief but remained profoundly perplexed. "Why is she here, and why is she working with my sister?" Lennix mumbled to himself, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and concern. Zee, equally baffled, whispered, "She's going to allow Eirisse to consume her own daughter? But why?"

Ercale, though consumed by anger, stayed silent. Clarissa, who had been quietly listening, turned to Lennix and sought confirmation. "Would I be accurate in assuming that the woman's voice we just overheard belongs to Mari's mother?"

Lennix nodded solemnly and affirmed, "Yes, it was her voice." Zee desperately tried to consider alternative possibilities, suggesting, "Maybe she's under mind control, like many other people are?" Ercale, however, dismissively shook his head, asserting, "No, she's a thrall. Given the reactions of the other two thralls, she's likely a blood-fed thrall, similar to Almer." Lennix supported Ercale's conclusion, stating, "I can confirm that she's not being mind-controlled."

This was difficult to accept for Zee, who struggled to come to terms with the idea of a mother sacrificing her daughter. However, the evidence was undeniable. Clarissa inquired, "Does this change our plans in any way?" Just as Lennix was about to respond, Ercale interjected, "No, it doesn't. It simply adds another objective." Clarissa and the rest of the group fixed their attention on Ercale, prompting her to ask, "And what might that objective be, dear guest?" Ercale took hold of the item he had asked Xain for, concealed in his pocket, before declaring, "Extinguishing the life of that utterly worthless excuse for a mother."

**Back to Xain**

Xain, Larkin, and Victoria were quite close to the militia barracks, according to Victoria. She mentioned, "We need to move to the main streets to get into the barracks," all the while still being princess carried by Xain. Larkin agreed, "That makes sense. It would be a pretty shitty base otherwise."

As they came to a halt, having heard a few fiery explosions behind them during their run, they also heard the sound of several steamwagons speeding toward the source of the blasts. Xain gently set Victoria down. Although she appeared somewhat disappointed by this, she didn't voice her thoughts.

"I'll go ahead and scout," Xain offered. None of them objected, and he proceeded to the edge of the alleyway to check for any militia members. To his surprise, he spotted four of them standing in front of a building adorned with a half-moon symbol, where a sword and spear were crossed over. *That's likely the militia barracks,* Xain thought to himself.

Xain, having scouted the area, returned to Larkin and Victoria to share his findings. Victoria couldn't hide her annoyance, whisper-yelling, "That's undeniably the militia barracks. But did that cow have to plaster that damn half-moon symbol everywhere!"

Xain contemplated their next steps and posed a question, "So, what's our strategy here? Do we take the risk that these militia members aren't under mind control, or should we confront them?"

Larkin stroked his beard thoughtfully and then turned to Victoria, asking, "Is there a way to sneak in by any chance?"

Victoria looked at Larkin like he was an idiot before replying with a hint of exasperation, "Why in the goddess's name would anyone build a barracks with a sneaky entrance?"

Xain also looked at Larkin like he was an idiot and added, "I'm not sure what kind of barracks you've been seeing, old man, but I highly doubt any law-upholding building would include a secret entrance for sneaking in."

Larkin, feeling slighted, muttered quietly, "Well, sorry for asking!" as he turned to face away from them, his pride slightly wounded.

Victoria, eager to find a peaceful solution, directed her question to Xain, "Can you think of a way for us to infiltrate without harming the militia members? I don't want to hurt my own men."

Xain, feeling the weight of the situation, sighed and thought, *Ugh, if only Ercale was here.* Then, a light bulb went off in his head. *Wait a sec, I know what Ercale would suggest.*

While Xain cared deeply for his friends and hesitated to propose a plan that could endanger them, he realized that the plan he was contemplating was something Ercale would likely recommend.

Breaking the silence, Xain shared his newfound idea. "I have an idea." Both Victoria and Larkin turned to him, their curiosity piqued. Victoria asked, "What is it?"

Xain explained, "There is a way for us," as he said us he gestured towards himself and Victoria, "to sneak in." He continued as Larkin asked, questioned, "And how is that? Also, why didn't you include me when you said us?"

Xain turned to Larkin with a sly grin on his face and said, "Well, that's because, old man, you're going to be playing bait." Larkin, confused by the unexpected proposal, could only manage an unsure, "Eh?"