Amazon Apocalypse 5: Chapter 20

After the fight, I realized how on edge I’d been. The draconic influence of my Signature Skill was no joke. I suspected the mental influence would only grow more powerful as I continued to master its abilities. Using the Signature Skill in battle felt far more natural than my usual abilities, like the powers it expressed were an extension of my will instead of tools I could use.

I made a mental note to keep track of any changes in my own behavior. If I started hoarding massive amounts of wealth, kidnapping beautiful princesses, and building secret lairs to hide my ill-gotten gains, I’d have to start developing countermeasures.

I frowned. Didn’t I have multiple wizard towers, including one in a pocket dimension specifically dedicated to hoarding my loot? And I was hoarding silver and gold even before the integration. Also, Myrina and Cyra were technically princesses. Sakura might have counted too, since she came from a very prestigious family. I'd taken all of them to my lair more than once.

Figuring out what was draconic influence and what was all me would be harder than I thought.

In the future, I would just have to pay careful attention to it. Thankfully, there were no scales on my hands lingering after I dismissed the Signature Skill, which meant I wasn’t transforming into a dragon any time soon.

I did, however, have an insatiable need to loot the bodies of my fallen enemies and hopefully swipe anything valuable they were carrying. While that could theoretically be a Signature Skill side effect, I suspected this was also all me.

I swiped the last Black Beast Sect corpse before Sharky could eat it. Sharky voiced some words of protest.

“Nom nom...” Sharky said.

“Hold on, Sharky. I’m looking for... ha! There we go.” I found something similar to a bag of holding, though this one took the form of a ring on the cultivator’s finger. It was actually better made than most bags of holding, considering how much storage space there was in the ring. It looked like there was also a retrieval system for the items in the ring, too, which made withdrawing the right item quickly a lot easier.

That was worth some study. It seemed like cultivators paid a little more attention to the details when making their dimensional storage items. I would have to examine this thing closer.

I pocketed the ring and everything inside it, but what I’d really been hoping for a look at was the chance to study the Black Beast Sect elder’s spiritual roots. The energy inside his core was already disappointing, but as a skilled aethersmith, patching the leaks was actually easier on a corpse than it would have been if it were still alive.

The spiritual roots on this elder were similar to Mimiko’s, only instead of just the one, this guy had four of them open, one of the wood element and the other four all fire-aspected.

That was also curious and worth further study, so I pulled a knife out of my bag and cut the core out for further study.

"Carter, you're... alright?" Cyra asked, panting as she arrived on the scene of the battle.

"I'm fine. The enemy was weaker than expected," I replied. I suspected it was more along the lines that I was much stronger than they suspected, but humility is a virtue for a reason.

“Uh... Carter? Was that guy a real bastard or something?” Cyra asked.

“Not particularly,” I replied while I worked.

“Then why are you mutilating his corpse?”

“When you’re hacking a corpse apart out of rage, it’s mutilating. When you have a reason to hack a body apart, it’s called an autopsy. Ah, there it is! I knew the physical organ would resemble a monster core.” I hefted a marble-sized sphere of condensed mana. It was trying to vaporize by the moment, but I had already created a mana lattice to hold it in place for a few hours.

I put the stolen core in storage, finally letting Sharky have what was left. He eagerly gobbled the body down, and I wiped my hands off on a spare cloth Cyra tossed me.

“Any luck finding the guy who sent me out here?” I asked.

Cyra nodded. “We captured several suspects from the Seventh Legion, some officers, some not. Legate Maximus isn’t happy about the situation, but we figured it was better to hold some of his troops for a while than it was to risk letting an enemy agent roam free. We should hurry back, though. The longer we hold his men, the madder Legate Maximus we’ll be.”

***

Unfortunately, none of the soldiers we were holding were the man I’d spoken with. He must have slipped out of the city shortly after pointing me in the direction of the ambush. Either that, or he had some sort of disguise ability that let him blend back in with the army.

This was a vexing turn of events. I had someone who wanted me dead and had connections to the Black Beast Sect to make it happen. Worse, they had agents capable of infiltrating our allied legions.

I was just thankful they hadn’t been impersonating one of my officers. If that was within their power, they would have, since it would have made their role more believable. That they’d chosen to put on the uniform of the Seventh Legion instead suggested our own security protocols were holding.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to tighten security a bit and pay more attention to protocol. The next time somebody from another legion came to me with news that I was urgently needed somewhere, I wouldn’t go anywhere until their identity had been thoroughly vetted. Maybe I could make unique badges for my legion. That was a simple enough task and would be good practice for my enchanter apprentices working hard in Sanctum.

But I put all those thoughts aside and instead focused on finding Legate Maximus. I didn’t want to burn my bridges with him, so I figured I’d best explain the situation fully and warn him of the danger in our midst.

I was surprised to find he was in the city lord’s manor, which I thought Prince Herius had claimed as his own estate in the city.

“An understandable mistake,” Legate Maximus replied. “When Prince Herius left this city, he didn’t really leave it to any of us. He left it to Lady Velicia and her new civilian government. We are just supposed to help her as we can.”

“I see.” This was the first I’d heard of such a thing. Prince Herius had shown Lady Velicia a lot of favor before he left, but I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was leaving the governance of our primary base of operations to someone we’d only just met.

It would be logical to leave her in charge when we were ready to move on from this region, but it was far too soon for that.

I’d meant to take a second look at her and verify she wasn’t a cultivator in disguise, but I’d been so busy I hadn’t had the chance to do so until now. Mentally, I moved that way up my to-do list. I wouldn’t be leaving this manor until I’d seen her with my own eyes.

“Exactly. I am keeping my office near her until the prince returns,” Legate Maximus explained. Then his helpful expression faded and his lips drew in a tight frown. “Now, what’s this I hear about you detaining some of my men? You’ve stepped beyond the bounds of your authority, Auxiliary Legate Carter.”

“Worry not. All your men have all been released. A dangerous imposter delivered news of an emergency to me while wearing a uniform from your legion. When I realized his treachery, I gave out orders to apprehend him. Alas, he slipped from our net before we could catch him.”

From there, I told Legate Maximus the full story of my ambush and what to watch out for. He was a reasonable sort, and once I’d explained the crisis to him, he seemed on board with my actions and promised to look out for suspicious activity within his or the other legions.

All seemed to be going rather well until the lady of the manor herself appeared.

I scarcely recognized Lady Velicia now that she was garbed in noble finery. The first time I’d seen her, she was wearing nothing but rags and about to be sacrificed to generate cultivator spirit stones. The second time I’d seen her, she’d been in bed with Prince Herius, and she hadn’t been wearing anything at all. Now, clad in fine silk and jewelry, she looked like a completely different woman.

“Lady Velicia!” Legate Maximus jumped to his feet, cheeks flushed.

I could see why. Even in rags, Velicia had been a ravishing beauty that quickly drew Prince Herius’ eye. Now that she was clean and clothed in noble finery, she looked like the kind of woman men went to war for.

“No need to stand on my account, Maximus. I just wanted to speak with our mutual friend here, the famous Legate Carter. Your enchanting skills around the city are rapidly becoming legendary. This city used to be quite famous for its enchanting work, but the old masters in my employ are left scratching their heads when they look at the things you’ve done.” Lady Velicia cast me a warm smile, though I could tell it was a little forced.

“No need for flattery, Lady Velicia. We all use our talents as best we can, and I’m nowhere near the magic worker I would like to be. I trust your new government is coming together? Given the city’s heavy casualties, recruiting qualified bureaucrats must be difficult,” I asked.

She folded her hands neatly in her lap, crossed her legs, and flashed me a red-lipped smile. It was very pretty, but it didn’t warm my heart like such an expression on Cyra, Sakura, Bridget, or Myrina would.

“My new government has been coming along excellently. Thank you for asking, Legate. In fact, some of my new guards have proven quite useful. You see, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with dear Maximus here. We recently apprehended a strange man attempting to sneak outside the city. He wasn’t wearing a Seventh Legion uniform at the time, but he was very suspicious. Guards?”

She glanced over her shoulder, and two men came in, dragging a third between them. The two men had the look of street thugs, but like someone had combed their hair and given them clean clothes. Seeing them before the finely dressed lady of the manor was an odd contrast.

“You captured him?” I asked in surprise.

“We did indeed. He was quite difficult to track down, but I have my means...” Lady Velicia said cryptically.

“L-listen... let me go and I’ll make sure you’re well compensated! My father is important in the Black Beast Sect, and I...” Lady Velicia’s prisoner reached up a hand to the table. Before he could, Lady Velicia stomped on his hand with a heeled foot, grinding the stiletto into the man’s hand until it drew blood.

“Agrh! Y-you bitch!”

“Gag him,” Lady Velicia ordered coldly, never losing the pleasant and lady-like expression she wore on her face.

I frowned, drumming my fingers on the table. Why was she showing me this? Clearly, she was a lot more comfortable with violence than she’d like Prince Herius to know.

“I would like to start over with you, Legate Carter. There’s a lot I could do for you...” She reached across the table to place her hands over mine. Her chest heaved invitingly, and she bit her lip.

I raised an eyebrow at her. She’d just given me a perfect opportunity to look her over with my aethersmithing powers. I quickly scanned her body while I had the chance... and was shocked to find no dantian. As far as I could tell, this woman was no cultivator.

Where had I miscalculated? My initial suspicion had been that she was an infilatrator and had called the assassin on me because she feared I’d expose her. Either she was fooling my senses, or she had something else in mind for me... but what?

“Please, may I call you Carter? I fear I made a bad first impression before in my bid to impress the prince. I would really like to get closer to you. In more ways than one...” She licked her lips lasciviously.

My eyebrow was still raised in surprise, but I kept it there. “You must think me an idiot. You’re clearly Prince Herius’ woman, and any fling with you would no doubt be the perfect tool for you to drive a wedge between us.”

Lady Velicia sighed. “You’re no fun. Fine.”

She sat up straighter and pulled her breasts off the table. Her shirt seemed to straighten of its own accord, returning her cleavage to a normal size.

“Let’s speak candidly. Agreed?”

“Very well...” she motioned me to continue with a sigh. “I can tell you and I are kindred spirits. Maximus, dear? Would you leave Carter and I to talk in private? Guards, you as well. And take the prisoner away too.”

Lady Velicia’s thugs bowed their heads and left. Maximus looked conflicted.

“The prince asked me to guard you...” Maximus protested.

“And you can do it perfectly well from outside the sound wards. Go on.” Lady Velicia waved him off, leaving just the two of us within hearing range.

When the two of us were in private, I voiced my suspicions plainly.

“Who are you, and what are you planning?”

Lady Velicia crossed her arms. “I’m not from the Black Beast Sect if that crossed your mind. This chat of ours is overdue though. As I said, I can tell we’re kindred spirits, and I’d rather not work at cross purposes. I’m not your direct enemy, and I’m certain we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Even if it won’t be the fun kind. There's an artifact I'm looking for that you could be very helpful in finding.”

“That doesn’t answer either of my questions.”

“Look, don’t get in my way, and I won’t get in yours. How’s that sound? I’ve already told you I’m not a Black Beast Sect cultivator, which is what you’re worried about, and I’ve even given you the prisoner you were looking for. What more do you want from me?” She glowered at me from across the table, looking awfully confident for someone staring down a B-Grade from across the table.

My fingers tightened around the table, itching to do something. But what?

I could kill her. It would be tough to do with Maximus watching us right outside the sound wards, but I could do it, given our level difference. It would, however, create an irreparable rift between me and Prince Herius, who was clearly smitten with this woman.

But had she done anything worth killing her? Or was the lingering issue with Lisette getting the better of me? Perhaps I was overreacting.

And besides that, I had a strong gut feeling that maybe confronting this woman wouldn’t go as well as I thought. Considering how well my fate bloodline had served me in the past, I was willing to go with my gut on this one.

In the end, I climbed to my feet.

“We’ll speak again. But Velicia, I won’t have you addling Prince Herius’s mind or wasting his time. Or any of the other Legates, for that matter. I’ll be watching you.” I pointed to my eyes, then to hers.

“Fine, fine. Take your prisoner and go. I won’t even whisper anything bad about you in the prince’s ear," Lady Velicia grumbled. "But I will need your help eventually for something important. Working with me will be well worth your while. Opposing me will not be."

I left, though behind me, I could sense her staring at my back. Somehow, I got the feeling I hadn’t seen the last of the lady of Mundwise.

***

An hour later, I was interrogating my prisoner. Upon examination, I was surprised to find my prisoner’s cultivation was also broken. Either someone had gotten a very lucky hit in, or Lady Velicia knew the same trick I did for disabling their powers.

It had to be exponentially more difficult on a cultivator of greater power, though. The only reason I’d managed it on Mimiko was because she’d been E-Grade. On the other hand, this man had been D-Grade and had a far sturdier energy core. Not that it mattered now that it was shattered.

“Listen, pal, you’ve got two options. You can live out the rest of your days with your cultivation powers crippled, or I can fix you. What’ll it be?” I asked.

Thanks to my experience with Mimiko, convincing this cultivator to abandon his sect and mission to answer my questions proved rather easy.

He even produced his orders for me, which he handed over after defusing the enchantment meant to incinerate them if anyone other than him got ahold of them.

Disciple Teviro,

Your mission is to lure the Legate known as Carter Smith into an ambush prepared by four of our elders. They have already implanted several powerful formations in the area east of Mundwise. Once the legate arrives, he will be trapped, and our elders will either kill or capture him, depending on how things go.

You may make full use of the Sacred Treasure of Myriad Disguises for this mission. Do not fail me. You will be well compensated for your success, and your own path to elderhood shall be made much smoother.

Elder Blackhand of the Black Beast Sect

My first thought was to start digging for more information on someone named Elder Blackhand among the enemy. Why was he targeting me? And what had they planned to do after they killed or captured me?

“Alright, you’ve piqued my curiosity. Tell me all about this Elder Blackhand.”

Unfortunately, my prisoner was far too low on the totem pole of the Black Beast Sect to provide me with information like that. All he knew was that these orders came down from his boss’ boss.

I tucked him away for further questioning later, but two words in his orders kept ringing in my head.

Kill or capture.

Who was this Elder Blackhand, and what did they want with little old me?

<Note>

You know, when you guys said Lady Velicia was a Black Beast Sect infiltrator, I actually did a little face-palm. That would have been way easier to write than what I came up with. Ah well.