Face the two conspirators head-on

From your current position, there wasn't much you could do to ambush the guard captain and the false saintess. The cramped wine casket was a nice way to enjoy a little skinship with your saintesses, but it wasn't exactly a great vantage point. You'd needed it to get out of sight and let them assemble, but now that they were together, there was nothing left to do but throw off the lid and rush them, swords drawn.

As the casket rolled off, the false saintess already had her head turned, fixing a sinister smile upon you. Mertz was a bit less quick on the uptake. "Ha! So that's where you lot had gone off to. Had enough of ransacking my barracks and thought you'd move on to the winery, did you? I'll have you all in chains," he threatened, drawing his longsword from its sheathe with a sound of dragging steel against leather.

You threw his threat back at him, telling him his days as the guard captain were numbered. You had enough evidence of cooked books, seizures, and embezzlement that no court in the kingdom would believe him if he were to try and play innocent. Even that paled in comparison to his involvement in whatever was going on with this false saintess and their plot to distribute contaminated wine.

"You do know quite a lot, don't you, lad? Unfortunately, you'll never leave this tunnel to speak a word of it," he threatened, leveling his sword at you and daring you to make the first move.

"You boys sure are doing a lot of grandstanding, but isn't it really the women in the equation who are the important factors? They have Geod's imbued powers and I have... well, you'll see," the false saintess chuckled, shouldering her parasol and facing you all with a smug smile.

As she stepped forward, you could make out the woman's features more clearly. She appeared to be part of the nobility herself, or at least, she was dressed like the type of dandy such an upbringing tends to foster. Her attire was all white and lace, with a somewhat shorter skirt than you'd typically picture someone of her class wearing. Her long stockings drew attention to the curves of her legs. You noticed she was dressed in high heels, which didn't seem well suited to moving around in this dirty cavern, nor for the fight she was about to endure.

Her hair did give her the look of a saintess-- long, silver, and straight, framing her face evenly and falling all the way to her back. Her expression seemed persistently frozen in a cocky smile, with pink lips curled into an amused smile and serene, blue eyes. "You may call me Dame Nil Riiche. Charmed to meet you."

You didn't know what she had in store, but she seemed ready for a fight. To be safe, you'd need a saintess to cover you. That would mean that one of the others would have to handle Mertz.{if Helmid = True}

"I am by your side for just such a task, Sir Lavender. If you wish for me to be the one to cross swords with this dubious character, then say the command, and I will make short work of him," Helmid offered, flashing a winning smile over her shoulder as she stood at your party's front.

"I like a woman with experience," Mertz agreed, matching her smile with an unabashed grin. "Why don't you let me have her, squire?"{endif}{if Amulette = True}

"If you decide to devote this dashing demon to the deed, perhaps I can collect a new cadaver for my cadre?" Amulette chuckled, raising her fingers and beginning to summon the black mist that accompanied her dark arts. "The man binds his body in bone, but he knows nothing of my genuine necromancy!"{endif}{if Bangaal = True}

"Aaaah, a poor opponent for Bangaal! She would mop the floor with one measly guardsman. Perhaps this would be better left to one of the other saintesses," the djinn yawned, floating idly through the air nearby where you'd emerged from the barrel. "But if you wish it, simply speak it, and Bangaal will make him dance the dance of madness within chaos magic!"{endif}{if Rosary = True}

"M-Me?" Sister Rosary questioned, pointing one finger at herself, dumbfounded, as your eyes turned to her. "I-I mean, I guess I could occupy the guard captain if I utilize my Geodshield."

"Oh, by all means. Give me the quivering nun with the big arse. I'm all for that plan," Mertz chuckled, his lip curling upward on one side into a snide sneer.{endif}{if Liens = True}

"I might not look it. But I could. Handle Mertz, I mean," Liens remarked, moving her large frame out from the shadow of the casket.

"You?" Mertz spat, frowning and lowering his eyebrows. "Don't make me laugh. I'll carve you to ribbons. Your bluffs won't work, elf."

"Test me. Go on. You stupid asshole. You dumb mother-fucker. Clean your damn room. The stink is still on me." She growled, biting at her glove's thumb irritably. "His attitude pisses me off. Let me at him. I'll toast him."{endif}{if Belit = True}

"Leave that scumbag guard captain to me, Vin! This bastard's the face I picture whenever I'm doing target practice, the lowest of the low. He's the kind of guy that validates 'great thief' as a profession, ya know?" Belit offered, grinning as she placed her hand upon her knife.

"Taking down thieves is the work of guardsmen, I suppose," Mertz scoffed. "I'd rather you send the other saintess. She's got a little more meat on her."

"Ooooh, now I really want to fuck this guy up!" the party ranger added, spoiling for a fight.{endif}

It was up to you to decide who was best suited to handle Mertz one-on-one. Whoever you picked would not be available to help against the so-called dame.