The Black Ring

Shaken by the events at the manor, we returned to the guard barracks. Sofia and Alice were sent to bring the older maid to the university and hopefully find help, while the rest of us escorted the prisoner and the **** Ophelia. I laid Ophelia on the couch in Mia’s office as we gave our report of what happened while Jenkins brought Tyven to an interrogation room.

“So, he killed his father and brought him back using necromancy? Then turned his mother and sister into thralls for good measure before seizing control of his house?” Mia summarized.

“At least, that’s what he told us,” said Flora.

“I see. And the **** of Phillip de Gascoine was due to his lending practices as we suspected. We’ll have to find out who Wulford is working for when we interrogate him,” said Mia, standing up from her desk.

“About Ophelia...” I said.

“I don’t know if there’s much I can do for her, legally. The law stipulates that practice of dark magic is grounds for the seizure of all assets by the state. I won’t even be in charge at that point, it’d be handled by the capital government itself,” said Mia.

“She would no longer even be able to remain in her own home!?” exclaimed Lucille.

“Pfeh. That’s how these guys operate,” scoffed Niko. “Break their rules and they take you for all you’ve got. Don’t even gotta be the one directly responsible.”

“Isn’t that a bit much, Niko?” I said.

“Unfortunately, such is the case. I have no say in what the laws are, I merely enforce them. The sad fact is often times the powers that be care not for the delicacy of a situation,” said Mia.

“Then what can we even do for her?” asked Flora.

“...can you entrust her to us?” asked Lucille.

“Oh?” said Mia in surprise.

“The payment for this quest is more than enough to cover the cost of the guild’s registration fee,” Lucille said.

“Huh!?” I exclaimed. “You mean for her to join us? But we don’t even know if she’d be able to-”

“Defend herself?” asked Lucille. “Since when was that an issue? We’ve brought Flora along with us despite her total lack of combat prowess. Besides, you said she’d put up quite the fight against you.”

“She was under Tyven’s control!” I argued.

“I find it hard to believe a bit of magic could allow a mage to make one with no prior training into a formidable swordsman,” said Lucille. “I find it more likely that the daughter of a noble was trained to defend herself from a fairly young age.”

“Well, that may be true, but-” I muttered.

“Either she comes along with us, or you’d have her fend for herself with no support after losing her family and all resources,” said Lucille.

“That’s not-” I said, surprised at how forceful Lucille was being.

“Um, Flynn. I think we should let her come with us,” said Flora. “She’s got nowhere else to go, nothing to lean on...that’s just too sad...”

I let out a deep sigh, “...Fine. I give. She can come with us, but it’s her decision to make.”

“You mean it?” asked Flora, happy to have a prospective new friend.

“Yeah. If she joins us, she’ll have to pull her weight, though. Night watch, cooking, scavenging, and the like. Not to mention you’ll have another student to teach, Lucille,” I said. The Paladin nodded, fully committed to her decision.

“Well, with that decided,” said Mia, standing from behind her desk. “Let’s get to this interrogation, Flynn.”

“Of course,” I said, following the captain while leaving Lucille and Flora to look after the still **** girl. We stopped outside the interrogation room, the door still locked.

“That’s strange,” mumbled Mia. “Hey, Jenkins, we’re here. Open up.”

Instead of a reply, there was the sound of a struggle breaking out inside, like someone was repeatedly banging their fists on something.

“Jenkins!?” Mia shouted. Panicking, she reached to her belt, pulling a keyring from a pouch and desperately searching for the right one. I drew my sword warily as Mia slid the key into the door.

“W-wait! Stop! I didn’t-” pleaded Tyven as the door swung open. The portly guardsman was stood behind the dark mage, whose arms were bound to the table by handcuffs, wielding a knife pressed to Tyven’s throat.

“None defy the black ring,” said Jenkins, in an eerily monotone voice, bringing the blade across Tyven’s throat. Unable to even attempt to stop the bleeding, the dark mage fell limply onto the table.

“Jenkins, what the hell!?” Mia shouted, drawing her own sword.

“Drop the knife!” I shouted, circling around to the other side of him. The guard turned and blankly stared at me with glossed over eyes before taking the knife to his own throat.

“No, wait-” yelled Mia. But it was too late. The guard dropped to the ground, bleeding out within a matter of seconds. The wolfgirl tried in vain to staunch the bleeding, but without a proper healer nearby, there was no saving either of them.