金瓶梅第2部

Vice-Captain Thomas Sergeant of the City Watch worked late into the night. He booked a perpetrator for breaking and entering, vandalism, and even a count of murder. Feeling quite accomplished, he took it upon himself to take a half-day off, informing his subordinates of his absence.

Tycondrius of Charm! Thomas Sergeant recognized the perp's name almost immediately. He was a small-time guild leader that Duke Tavor wanted dead. Being on the Duke's payroll, it was a name Thomas had often heard cursed while the Duke consumed an unhealthy amount of breads and biscuits.

Thomas made certain the kid was thrown into solitary confinement, likely given a bit of beating and starvation. He even left special orders to his good friend, the torturer.

It was a welcome surprise that the Tycondrius kid was so obedient. He'd surrendered and even chose to disarm himself. But because of the whole debacle, making certain the due process was properly expedited, Thomas spent an extra two bells not going home.

Anyroad, as soon as he got to his apartment building, he climbed the stairs to his room and decided to take a short nap. Afterward, he'd pay a visit to the Duke to let him know his little guild problem had been taken care of.

...

Knock knock.

Aughhh. Thomas rubbed his bleary eyes, grabbing his pocket watch from his writing desk beside the bed. He had barely slept for half-a-bell and someone was knocking at his door.

Could it be a beautiful woman seeking to sleep with a man in uniform? Pah. Fat chance. He was nearing 40 after 2 divorces. His gut and his lack of bathing disgusted all his potential partners, save the ones he paid for.

Had the neighbors come to bother him with some new gossip? He didn't give a kobold's arse about their complaints. He was only a protector of peace when he was in uniform.

Knock knock knock. The knocks were growing more urgent.

"Alright, alright! Seven hells, the whole city can hear you, the way you're pounding," Thomas groggily shuffled to the door, still wearing his smallclothes.

Opening the door to the second-floor catwalk, he found a half-elf in glasses, professional-dressed in a dark coat, holding a briefcase to make himself feel important.

"And who in the seven hells are you supposed to be?" Thomas growled.

The man wrinkled his nose at the stench of the Vice-Captain's breath, "Good morning, Mister Sergeant. My name's Cyrille Silversand and I'm a solicitor who represents the Royal Robe. I'd like a moment of your time to ask a few questions."

Thomas squinted his eyes. It was a joke that a lawyer wanted to speak to him. He was the bleeding Vice-Captain of the Watch, "Sod off. I'm tryin' to get some sleep."

Thomas began to shut the door, but he spotted a dazzling flash of blonde hair approaching. To his surprise, the blonde woman walked over, standing beside the lawyer.

"Hello, Thomas Sergeant? My name is Maeva Leserre and I'm from the East Charm Trading Company? I was hoping to talk to you about paying a coin settlement to have my client, Master Tycondrius, released."

What in the seven hells was happening?

"That won't be necessary, Miss Leserre." The solicitor took off his glasses, wiping them with a small cloth, "There are legal issues with the holding of Mister Tycondrius." "Oh! That's wonderful news."

The half-elf and high-heeled blonde spoke amicably in front of Thomas' doorstep. He shut the door and placed his back against it. There were many things from the previous night that he'd found odd. And the events happening outside his door only added to them. He began to walk back to his bed when a heavy pounding on the door made him turn back.

The door shook as if it would break. Cautiously, Thomas opened it.

Thomas pulled the door wide open, scowling. Standing outside of Thomas' apartment was a group of armored thugs, led by a fat, hairy, ugly beast of a man, Gilebert Boulet.

With so many armed and heavy thugs at his doorstep, he was surprised that the walkway hadn't collapsed. But he was more surprised at the criminals' uncharacteristic sense of courage.

Thomas pointed, ilms from the man's face, "Gilebert Boulet, I thought I smelled a rat at my doorstep. You think I wouldn't dare to arrest you here and now?"

With a meaty fist, Gilebert grabbed Thomas by his undershirt and smashed his balding forehead into Thomas' nose, "(I will break every bone in your body, you filthy pig.) Do you know? Do you know who you fuck with?"

Gilebert threw a musclebound punch at Thomas' chin, sending him crashing backward, tumbling and skinning his unprotected arms and legs on his wooden floor. Thomas' entire body ached-- he wasn't young enough to recover so spryly from a fall. Staggering to a knee he yelled, "Assaulting an officer of the law, huh? I'll have you arrested!"

Looking up he was surrounded by 6 thugs, but he stood up defiantly, "I'll have the LOT of you arrested! Thrown into prison! Tortured! Do you know who in the seven hells I am?!"

Gilebert began to laugh, his arms crossed, his belly vibrating as he did. Slowly, the other thugs began to laugh as well, crescendoing into laughter at a terrible comedy that began to break down the walls of Thomas' confidence.

"(You poor, ignorant pig.)" Gilebert shook his head, sneering in mockery, "You arrested ze Monsieur le Baron. What hopes do you have now?"

Thomas took a step back. He arrested a Baron? Worse, he sentenced a Baron to be tortured? Was he a pawn, set up to take the fall? No. He had worked for Duke Tavor for years! Thomas refused to believe he would be thrown away so easily.

"Pah! Who cares if I arrested a noble?!" Thomas yelled, "The Council has been in power for years, now. Being a noble doesn't mean shite!"

He was trying his best to make himself believe his own words, "A noble locked up for criminal charges is nothing new! Worst I'll get is a slap on a wrist or a few days off without pay!"

"By ze gods, what is zis commotion!?"

Thomas and the thugs turned to the door to see the voice's owner.

Standing in front of the lawyer and the tradeswoman was a gorgeous pink-haired woman with a braided bun, wearing the cloth dress uniform of the City Watch. She was Knight-Captain Daniela Lacroix, Thomas' superior.

Besides her was a mysterious figure in a dark hood and cloak. Where the light struck, magical lines and runes briefly illuminated brightly against the dark cloth. He was the leader of the largest guild in Merylsward, High Wizard Trayus. The two of them together made an unstoppable team against Metal Rank threats in the city.

Thomas shrieked in celebration, "Gahahaha! You lowlives are in for it now that the Knight-Captain Lacroix is here!!"

The pink-haired woman narrowed her eyes, sharing a glance with High Wizard Trayus, "We are here for answers, Vice-Capitaine. And we suggest you are forthcoming."