“What became of the orphans?” In a low voice, I warned her that she better not have cleared them out in secret again.
Once I became part of the system, I’d learned that running a kingdom wasn’t a charity. The children in the orphanages were one thing, but not even Prince Chris could do anything for the ones who weren’t under his patronage. Still, he tried to find ways to do whatever little he could. The medical facility he’d opened in early spring, which provided treatment to those from all walks of life, was one such example. Then again, the actual credit for the idea belonged to the woman he treasured above all else.
A host of other impoverished people were living in the harbor: washed-up sailors-turned-thugs, families waiting for a father who had been shipwrecked and would never come home, and those who had been forced to sell their bodies and then reduced to begging in their old age. Each had their own story, much like the shanties sung in town.
With a small sigh, the Master turned a familiar sharp gaze on me. “I’d wager you’re underestimating a couple things—the reason I have this title, and the power it holds.”
She was the Master of Luwak Street, one of the three forces that ruled Kelk Harbor and its backstreets. Our clear difference in tenure, experience, and authority brought a bitter smile to my lips.
The Master who ran the slums had committed her fair share of misdeeds, but she was surprisingly kind to the poor. That was the reason Prince Chris had set his sights on her all those years back.
“Pardon me, Master of Luwak Street. Back when I lived in the slums, my profits were often stolen from me, but I suppose that was my own fault for making too much money. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, as they say. I’ll endeavor to be more careful in the future.”
After that bit of posturing, I shot her a smile. “Then let’s get down to business, Master. I have a lot of complaints and a lot of things to be mad about, but that’s all in the past now. What we’re here to ascertain are the flagrant misdeeds the mayor committed. What he did to Ian goes without saying, of course—and before last year’s Hunting Festival, he helped the Maldurans who had landed at Kelk to gather up a band of thugs. If he tries a similar stunt again, I’m afraid the demon lord will descend upon this city. You have all the evidence we need to bring him to justice in a public forum, yes?”
Prince Theodore had already gathered the evidence of Duke Odin’s crimes, with the clandestine help of the Miseral Dukedom. The one whose involvement we wanted to confirm this time wasn’t the duke. News of his fall from grace had long since spread throughout the kingdom. Hence, the Hoover Domain was temporarily under the jurisdiction of the state. It also explained why Randy and the navy were standing watch over the harbor.
No one under the duke’s influence was in any position to start trouble. Still, we couldn’t let the mayor of Kelk off the hook. He was the main culprit in enticing Ian to treason. We’d be sure to bring him to justice with our own two hands.
With that thought in the back of my head, I looked back at the Master. She grimaced. “You’ve become a lot like that nasty prince, Alan.”
“Oh, wow... Should I take that as a compliment? Or an insult?”
I laughed, while the Master’s face twisted with bitterness. I enjoyed the sight of that.
It was thanks to the Master that Prince Chris had been able to obtain information on the events and unrest taking place in Kelk Harbor. Furthermore, despite a few oversights, it was through her influence that Ian’s fiancée and her family had been covertly rescued from the mayor’s clutches and were being treated for their illness as we spoke.
The woman I was looking at glared back with resentment, yet her face hid a trace of wistfulness. “I’m well aware that I’m in no position to say this...but I feel like I was robbed of something adorable.”
I went wide-eyed with surprise, and Randy muttered beside me that he sort of felt the same way. I pouted, a little offended by that remark. Just then, however, there came a different kind of commotion from outside. I strained my ears, sensing that the sound was slowly but surely drawing closer. I wondered if perhaps someone had made their move before us.
The person who came rushing in whispered their news into the Master’s ear in a show of appropriate protocol. After using my gift for the first time in a while, I nodded in comprehension.
Knowing what I now did, I spoke to Randy—not just to inform him that the harbor had been locked down, but to get him fired up for the fact that his time to shine was close at hand. “From the sound of it, the mayor made a break for it with someone else’s help. Were you counting on this, Master?”
She had accounted for this whole turn of events.
Her gaze narrowing ever so slightly, she denied the accusation with a feigned look of innocence. Unsure of how serious she was being, I reaffirmed my stance that she was not one to be trifled with.
~.~.~.~
Not long after we made it to city hall, someone dismounted his horse and sharpened his blue gaze, asking us what the word was.
He was the first in line to the throne of Sauslind, His Highness Prince Christopher. He spared me, Randy, and the lineup of officials who had come out to meet him only a single glance. He then regarded Randy, who he hadn’t seen in quite a long time—and who had outstripped him in height despite being the younger of the pair—with a huffy look.
The redhead almost opened his mouth to say something, but the prince went on talking before he could even say hello to Glen, his own older brother. “The mayor got away? What is the meaning of this?”
Yep, the demon lord is definitely the scariest of us all! I reiterated in my mind. Just as I began to explain, someone came riding up on horseback to bring me news. It was Marcus, one of my old friends who now worked under the Master.
“We found the mayor! He’s attempting to board a merchant ship with a smaller boat that left from a nearby fishing village. The wind is strong today, so the Master says that if he makes it onto a sailing vessel, we’ll have a hard time catching him.”
“What happened to the navy ships?” Randy, who had already jumped into action, hurriedly shot back. Flustered, Marcus explained that a small fire had broken out. The timing was definitely too convenient to be a coincidence.
Cursing under his breath, Randy dragged a horse from a nearby stable and rode off all on his own. He’s as straightforward as ever, I marveled.
That was when Prince Chris, who had remounted his horse, called my name. “Keep up,” he ordered me.
“What?! But I’m not very good with boats...”
Prince Chris, Glen, and the imperial guard all took off galloping after Randy. With a groan of protest and against my better judgment, I hitched a ride on Marcus’s horse.
When we finally reached the wharf, we ended up having to get on a boat and chase after the villains. I complained that I wasn’t even a combatant, but not one of my stern-faced companions was willing to hear me out.
The Master had prepared us a fast boat as a precaution, and we were even provided with a helmsman who was good at catching the wind. It confirmed my suspicions that she had seen this coming all along.
We caught up with the merchant ship the mayor had boarded in no time at all, and to no one’s surprise, it became clear that the enemy ship was crawling with armed mercenaries. Needless to say, the ensuing whoop of joy came from Randy.
“Come on, Glen! It’s been a long time since I’ve last seen you in action. I’m telling dad if you use the excuse that fighting at sea dulled your blade!”
“Wait! Hold on, Randy!”
Kicking off the deck in an enormous leap, Randy single-handedly boarded the enemy ship. Within seconds, his specialty hand-to-hand combat moves were sending men flying, accompanied by loud battle cries.
“Unbelievable...” Looking none too pleased, Glen turned to Prince Chris for instruction.
His golden hair disheveled by the sea breeze, the prince heaved a sigh. He groused that the marine was still the same old firecracker. “Go on. You can’t let Randy handle them alone.”
Glen pondered the order for a few moments, but he soon cast a glance around the faces on the deck and signaled a few members of the imperial guard.
“There are no Shadows on the seas, so be careful.”
I boggled at the revelation. I’d been so certain there must have been a Shadow hiding somewhere. As I wailed that I never should have come along, I was forced to watch Glen and a few others board the merchant vessel before us.